I think I killed my metabolism somehow

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jkfit2589
jkfit2589 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Last summer I weighed 200 pounds. I'm 5'10" tall, 25 year old male. Last summer, I started dieting and exercising sometime in mid June. By the beginning of August, I was down to 185 pounds. I ate about 1800 calories while I was dieting. My BMR is 2000 calories. Over the Christmas holidays, I gained nearly all the weight back and weighed 199 pounds in January. Since January, I've been eating on average about 1900-2100 calories per day. My TDEE is about 3000 calories. With that kind of diet and exercise with that kind of daily caloric deficit, I should look like an emaciated kid in sub-saharan Africa by now. Instead I am now at 201 pounds. Have I somehow managed to destroy my metabolism. Is my TDEE really about 1000 calories below what it should be? Has anybody else been in a similar predicament, and if so, how did you overcome it, if you did?
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Replies

  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    So how do you know your TDEE is 3000? That's pretty doggone high. And with your stats, I'd put your BMR at 1900, not 2000. 1100 average calories on top of that 1900 is pretty doggone active (personally, I have one, at most two days a week where I'll go 1000 over BMR...that much every day would be very tiring).
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Obviously, there is something wrong with your numbers.

    Because, no, you did not kill, maim or otherwise damage your metabolism.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Well, you're still alive, so you have a metabolism. :)

    I don't know (or want to know!) what a TDEE is.

    Check with your doctor make sure, nothing is wrong!

    Then, it's diet and exercise. Eat less, move more (and outside, if you can.). Trial and error. Find what works.

    If you really like the math and acronyms part of weight loss, I'm of no use.

    Good luck!!
  • terbusha
    terbusha Posts: 1,483 Member
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    If you are eating 1900 cal/day, exercising hard, and not losing weight, then you likely do have a repressed metabolism. What you need to do is start a reverse diet. This is slowing adding carbs and calories back into your diet at a rate that allows your body to adapt to the increased energy without gaining weight. Continue to push hard in your exercises while doing this. This likely means that you're going to need to put your weight loss on hold. Fixing your metabolism is more important than losing some weight right now. You'll get to a point when you can start to cut, but you need to get your metabolism up first.

    Check out this video.
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI

    Allan
  • valkaree
    valkaree Posts: 519
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    I basically have the same stats as you and my TDEE is not that high. My guess is that you are not counting calories accurately. Do you weigh your food? DO you account for everything: multivitamins, fish oil pills, cooking oil etc. It all adds up.

    Here is the deal, if you are not losing weight over a several week period, you ate too much. You are fine, nothing wrong with you, no need to see a doctor at this point. Why don't you post what you eat in a day

    Oh yeah, one more thing, there is a ZERO chance you killed your metabolism eating 1900 calories a day. I would love to eat that much :)
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    If you are eating 1900 cal/day, exercising hard, and not losing weight, then you likely do have a repressed metabolism. What you need to do is start a reverse diet. This is slowing adding carbs and calories back into your diet at a rate that allows your body to adapt to the increased energy without gaining weight. Continue to push hard in your exercises while doing this. This likely means that you're going to need to put your weight loss on hold. Fixing your metabolism is more important than losing some weight right now. You'll get to a point when you can start to cut, but you need to get your metabolism up first.

    Check out this video.
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI

    Allan

    probably not...chances are the OP is over estimating burns and under estimating intake.
    So how do you know your TDEE is 3000? That's pretty doggone high. And with your stats, I'd put your BMR at 1900, not 2000. 1100 average calories on top of that 1900 is pretty doggone active (personally, I have one, at most two days a week where I'll go 1000 over BMR...that much every day would be very tiring).

    And this...when I take your stats to iifym.com (which I find the most accurate) your BMR is 1900 and depending on your level of exercise (which you didn't mention) it would take exercise 5x a week at an intense level or exercise 3-4x a week and a physical job for your TDEE to be 3k...

    And I knwo this from experience as my son is younger, taller and heavier than you, works a very very physcial job and does some exercise and his TDEE is 3400 and I know what he has to do to lose weight.
  • annacjeffers
    annacjeffers Posts: 1
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    Are you eating 3 meals a day or 5-8 meals? The more small meals you eat the faster your metabolism will be. If that doesn't work you need to get blood work done. You could have a tyroid problem, diabetes, heart problems ect. that are inhibiting your wieght loss. I see it in patients all the time.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
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    Are you eating 3 meals a day or 5-8 meals? The more small meals you eat the faster your metabolism will be. If that doesn't work you need to get blood work done...

    That's not backed by any science, as it is simply not true. The metabolic rate changes based on activity levels. Do more work, burn more energy etc

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19943985
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
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    If you are eating 1900 cal/day, exercising hard, and not losing weight, then you likely do have a repressed metabolism. What you need to do is start a reverse diet. This is slowing adding carbs and calories back into your diet at a rate that allows your body to adapt to the increased energy without gaining weight. Continue to push hard in your exercises while doing this. This likely means that you're going to need to put your weight loss on hold. Fixing your metabolism is more important than losing some weight right now. You'll get to a point when you can start to cut, but you need to get your metabolism up first.

    Check out this video.
    www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3gTGLulLnI

    Allan

    probably not...chances are the OP is over estimating burns and under estimating intake.
    So how do you know your TDEE is 3000? That's pretty doggone high. And with your stats, I'd put your BMR at 1900, not 2000. 1100 average calories on top of that 1900 is pretty doggone active (personally, I have one, at most two days a week where I'll go 1000 over BMR...that much every day would be very tiring).

    And this...when I take your stats to iifym.com (which I find the most accurate) your BMR is 1900 and depending on your level of exercise (which you didn't mention) it would take exercise 5x a week at an intense level or exercise 3-4x a week and a physical job for your TDEE to be 3k...

    And I knwo this from experience as my son is younger, taller and heavier than you, works a very very physcial job and does some exercise and his TDEE is 3400 and I know what he has to do to lose weight.

    The bolded sounds very reasonable to me.
    Currently, answers hinge on your daily activity + whatever exercise you do.
  • ahbooker
    ahbooker Posts: 42 Member
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    Check out Jorge Cruise, the 100 book. It made alot of since for me! I am very sensitive to sugar so I have had to learn how to eat without alot of carbs. It is an awesome book and his website is great with mealplanning, shoppong list etc... I have metabolic syndrome and this makes me feel so much better.
  • OllyJ_79
    OllyJ_79 Posts: 126 Member
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    Check out Jorge Cruise, the 100 book. It made alot of since for me! I am very sensitive to sugar so I have had to learn how to eat without alot of carbs. It is an awesome book and his website is great with mealplanning, shoppong list etc... I have metabolic syndrome and this makes me feel so much better.

    Great for medical issues perhaps, not so much for a balanced diet.

    http://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/100-diet-will-counting-sugar-calories-help-you-lose-weight

    "Bottom line: Start focusing on eating a well-balanced, portion-controlled diet that includes lean protein, high–fiber carbs, low-fat dairy, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and veggies. Skip The 100 Diet and counting sugar calories, unless you want to be on the gearing up for the next trendy diet."
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,871 Member
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    I'm a 5'10" male...I would say your BMR is likely somewhere between 1750 - 1850 calories, not 2000. Also, 3,000 calorie TDEE is pretty high, even for an active male. Mine gets up around that when I'm training and/or racing, but normally I'm around 2600 - 2800 or so.

    Bottom line, if you're gaining weight, you're eating too much. These calculators aren't gospel...they represent a decent starting point...it's up to you to make adjustments as per real world results. Nobody has a TDEE of exactly XXXX calories. You've obviously increased your calorie intake by too much. You are also most likely underestimate your intake...most people do, even professionals.
  • Eoghann
    Eoghann Posts: 130 Member
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    Eat less. Exercise more. Problem solved.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
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    The answer already been said in this thread.
  • ahbooker
    ahbooker Posts: 42 Member
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    Seriously, do not be rude! It is simply a suggestion not a diagnosis! If you cant say something nice, how about not sayng anything at all!
  • ahbooker
    ahbooker Posts: 42 Member
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    LOL dude!!! Ive been a wellness coach for many years and constantly research health and fitness!!! Motivating people is what I do!! I wouldnt post anything I didn't believe in!! There is a way to be positive...just saying!

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