Did I Mess Up My Metabolism?

JanAlyssa825

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i am shorter than you and do less exercise, but my TDEE is around 2,200? which calculator are you using to get your TDEE?
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I used this one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

JanAlyssa825

Out of curiosity (not trying to be rude honestly, it's hard to tell tone with text so I'm clarifying), how much more weight do you want to lose? I've been told by my doctor I should weigh about 110 lb and I'm only 5'1. You're seven inches taller than me, and if you weigh 130 lb right now...

I guess I'm just wondering how much lighter is healthy (I really have no idea), since you mentioned getting "bang for your buck" regarding burning calories, so it seems you're looking for weight loss, not muscle toning. I'm worried that if you want to be lighter, maybe I should be aiming for less than 110 lb.

You don't sound rude at all! I'm only trying to get to around 130, possibly a bit less. I'm currently at 135. The reason I try to get "bang for my buck" is mostly because I like eating and have trouble limiting my calories... so I'd rather work out more so I can have more to eat.

I think your body shape has a lot to do with your ideal weight... so 110 for you could be perfect. I'm very hippy and busty, so even when I'm thin, weight-wise, I still look curvy. I'm also under a doctor's supervision (I have colitis), so I'm being careful not to lose too much. 130 is on the low end of the BMI but still within acceptable healthy range. In all honesty, at 160 pounds, I didn't really look overweight - it's still within the BMI "healthy" range - but I wasn't happy with how I looked in some of my clothes, and I live in Los Angeles, where a lot of people are in great shape, and I just felt, why can't I?

I guess what I'm trying to say is, 110 could still be the ideal weight for you, especially if that's what your doctor said. You may carry weight differently than I do.

For the poster who mentioned 5:2, I don't know if I could do that - does that mean you don't work out on the days you eat 500 cal? I think I'd feel tired and lethargic, even if I was just working at home, on 500 cal per day.

And thank you to the poster who mentioned not getting too obsessed with numbers and just being healthy. Sometimes I have trouble remembering that a number is just a number.

psuLemon

OP, to also provide you some additional context to why we suggest what we do, below is the reason why body composition is important... not weight. Losing 5 lbs and probably even 10 won't provide that much more of a benefit, especially if you don't have adequate lean body mass. This is also why I mention the bulk/cut phases to add mass. Keep in mind, more muscle = leaner and tighter body. This is why Staci (in the below link) gained 20 lbs and continued to become skinnier. What I normally suggest though is only look at the comparison from 120 to 130 lbs. As most women won't go as extreme from 130 to 140. Also, the advantage of adding muscle is your metabolism will increase and you can eat more food (huge benefit since you love food).

I can tell you from being on this board for so long, there are tons of women on the edge of under weight or that are under weight that still can't figure out why their bodies don't look the way they thing the should. So we hope you consider the weight training because that is really where you will see the greatest gains in body improvement.



http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

QuietBloom

^This. I started out wanting to go from 120 to 115 at 5'6". I ended up gaining weight when I began resistance training, while also losing a couple of points of body fat. But my body LOOKS a whole lot better in the same clothes I used to wear when I weighed less, because I have become 'harder'. To be honest, I am lucky that it is fairly easy for me to gain muscle, as I lifted extremely heavy when I was in my 20's, so there was apparently some good muscle memory still there. But it is very worth it to eat a little more and lift heavy. You will feel great and look even better. :flowerforyou:

JanAlyssa825

Thank you all so much for the input and the helpful links. Staci's journey was especially interesting. I do some strength training, though maybe it doesn't count - it's an hourlong class at the gym where we use lighter weights (I use 2 7.5 pounders) and do various quickly-paced exercises, like bicep curls, triceps work, concentration curls, etc... but it's probably still more cardio than strength training.

My new plan is, after an upcoming vacation where I plan to work out but not to my usual extent, I'll make an appointment with a personal trainer to show me the ropes so I can start lifting heavy safely - and maybe cut down on the cardio. My legs feel pretty strong from tons of cycling, but my arms... not so much. I've tried Crossfit and enjoyed it, but I'm sort of klutzy and fear I would hurt myself.

SLLRunner

Got to fat2fitradio.com and run your numbers to get your b.m.r. ( use your current weight as, current and goal weight. ) it will tell you your b.m.r.

That's a fun website. Thanks for the link.