Trying to repair a damaged matabolism

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  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
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    When you were eating 900/day and not losing that is when you had adaptive thermogenesis aka starvation mode.

    There was never a time a 5'5" 175 pound human stalled on a 900 calorie diet. Not physically possible.

    Which means there was more than 900 calories being consumed.

    I wouldn't say that...I ate 800 calories for almost two years and for about the last 5 months of eating 800 to 900 a day I could not lose a lb to save my life.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    OP: do you use a food scale to weigh your food?
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    OP: do you use a food scale to weigh your food?

    ^^ things like this and other means of increasing tracking accuracy should really be assessed before making any comparisons to "expected" results.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    I believe that my metabolism slowed or has been damaged because of the way I lost weight for two years. I read up on the idea of metabolic damage, and it sounded very similar to what I was doing, lowering my calories until I was only eating 900. After receiving the okay to start exercising after having my daughter, I've been trying to lose weight off and on the last 20 months. But nothing I did would work. (I thought by eating 1400-1600 would do the trick, but it wasn't enough) I found out that after lowering your calories like that, your body will naturally lower it's maintenance calories to survive, so when I start eating what my maintenance calories SHOULD be, I will gain weight until my body reaches that level again.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    I haven't had it checked yet, but my husband and I were just discussing the idea of maybe getting it checked out at my next physical.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    Thank you very much Chris :)
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, Mr. knight. I wasn't 175 pounds when I was eating 900 calories. I had already lost 55lbs, and had lowered my calories to 900 when I hit a plateau when I was about 150lbs.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    If you believe that a lack of knowledge caused this problem, which may or may not actually exist, then why would you turn to an open forum on the internet in order to seek guidance?

    Isn't that what an open forum is for??
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    OP: do you use a food scale to weigh your food?

    I don't weight my food with a scale, but I so always measure out my food and stick to serving sizes.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, Mr. knight. I wasn't 175 pounds when I was eating 900 calories. I had already lost 55lbs, and had lowered my calories to 900 when I hit a plateau when I was about 150lbs.

    What did you lower it from and how mich weight and over what period did you lose on 900 calories when you reduced intake?
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    OP: do you use a food scale to weigh your food?

    I don't weight my food with a scale, but I so always measure out my food and stick to serving sizes.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/872212-you-re-probably-eating-more-than-you-think
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, Mr. knight. I wasn't 175 pounds when I was eating 900 calories. I had already lost 55lbs, and had lowered my calories to 900 when I hit a plateau when I was about 150lbs.

    What did you lower it from and how mich weight and over what period did you lose on 900 calories when you reduced intake?
    I'm not sure what I lowered it from....probably 1100. That was lowered from 1300. And I probably started dieting at around 1500 when I was 205lbs. This was over a span of two years. I didn't lose on 900 calories. After awhile, I found out I was pregnant, so dieting stopped and I continued eating healthy for the baby, but I didn't exercise and I didn't track calories during my pregnancy. I should have, and maybe I wouldn't have gained so much.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    *Metabolism.


    Here, I repaired it for you.
    *eye roll* Clearly it was a typo. As you can see, I spelled it correctly in my post.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    google

    "layne Norton damaged metabolism"
    That's actually where I first heard about metabolic damage and it's what got me thinking that maybe that's what I did. Of course, I'm not a body builder or a competitor , but similar idea.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Just an idea, but have you had your thyroid checked? When I had my daughter, I also breast fed. The weight wouldn't budge. I went to my doctor to complain, he did a simple test, and it turned out I had a thyroid issue. Never had one before. My doctor said it's fairly common for women to have issues after a pregnancy and breast feeding - it's a great time for the hormones to get out of wack. I choose not to go on thyroid medication and instead waited it out. Took about 2 years but my thyroid finally sorted itself out. Might want to look into it if you noticed that you started having problems after the pregnancy/breast feeding. Those nasty little hormones can play havoc on us! :)

    ^^THIS^^ I know a number of women (including myself) who ended up with thyroid problems post-pregnancy.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    Just an idea, but have you had your thyroid checked? When I had my daughter, I also breast fed. The weight wouldn't budge. I went to my doctor to complain, he did a simple test, and it turned out I had a thyroid issue. Never had one before. My doctor said it's fairly common for women to have issues after a pregnancy and breast feeding - it's a great time for the hormones to get out of wack. I choose not to go on thyroid medication and instead waited it out. Took about 2 years but my thyroid finally sorted itself out. Might want to look into it if you noticed that you started having problems after the pregnancy/breast feeding. Those nasty little hormones can play havoc on us! :)

    ^^THIS^^ I know a number of women (including myself) who ended up with thyroid problems post-pregnancy. Ask for a reverse T-3 test.

    Not sure what happened here--but anyway--there it is. :tongue:
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    I agree that it is very easy to underestimate cals intaken. I think the previous dieting history is less important in the context of things because of the pregnancy and weight gain. The metabolic adaptations are most prominent at your lowest weight basically.

    And I'm saying you are a liar or anything but maintaining weight at 150lbs on 900cals is a bw multiplier of 6. (less than half of a "normal" maintenance) That is very unlikely.

    I'd start with measuring everything as accurately as possible and then go with the original advice :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, Mr. knight. I wasn't 175 pounds when I was eating 900 calories. I had already lost 55lbs, and had lowered my calories to 900 when I hit a plateau when I was about 150lbs.

    What did you lower it from and how mich weight and over what period did you lose on 900 calories when you reduced intake?
    I'm not sure what I lowered it from....probably 1100. That was lowered from 1300. And I probably started dieting at around 1500 when I was 205lbs. This was over a span of two years. I didn't lose on 900 calories. After awhile, I found out I was pregnant, so dieting stopped and I continued eating healthy for the baby, but I didn't exercise and I didn't track calories during my pregnancy. I should have, and maybe I wouldn't have gained so much.

    Adaptive thermogenics exists. When you diet, your maintenance calories decrease. The longer the diet and/or the deeper the deficit, the more this generally happens. However, this does not explain you dropping calories and still not losing. AT is reversible (generally) and a period of eating 'normally' fixes it.

    Layne Norton's vids were basically in relation to very lean competitive bb'ers (usually who have done long extended cycles of dieting for shows).

    Also see this: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/permanent-metabolic-damage-qa.html

    If you are not weighing your food, you could well be eating quite a bit more than you think.

    Also, check to see if you have any metabolic issues such as hypothyroidism that would mean that your maintenance is lower than average.
  • jcairl
    jcairl Posts: 15 Member
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    I agree that it is very easy to underestimate cals intaken. I think the previous dieting history is less important in the context of things because of the pregnancy and weight gain. The metabolic adaptations are most prominent at your lowest weight basically.

    And I'm saying you are a liar or anything but maintaining weight at 150lbs on 900cals is a bw multiplier of 6. (less than half of a "normal" maintenance) That is very unlikely.

    I'd start with measuring everything as accurately as possible and then go with the original advice :)
    I'm sorry, can you explain the "bw multiplier of 6"?
  • susanrechter
    susanrechter Posts: 386 Member
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    So....BW multiplier of 14cal/lb is maintenance calories. Am I correct in figuring to lose weight I have to have a 20% deficit from that figure? :huh:

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