Yoyo dieting metabolism info from Jillian M, I thought this

busygirl1

Q: I've tried every diet under the sun in my life, and I'm really afraid I've ruined my metabolism. I seem to gain weight no matter what I eat now! Is there any way to fix this?
A:
This is such a good question — I'm so glad you asked! Many people suffer from the backlash that can result from years of yo-yo diets. What happens is this: When people let their calorie levels drop too low, their body's survival mechanism kicks in, lowering their metabolic set point (or basal metabolic rate). When they go off that crash diet and begin to eat normally again, they gain back any weight lost — plus. And what follows that? Yup, another crash diet.

The cycle is often very frustrating, but it CAN be reversed with time, consistency, and patience. What you'll need to do is the exact opposite of what we call shocking the metabolism; you have to allow your body time to adapt to a new metabolic set point — by being consistent, you'll force your body to adapt.

Okay, here's the game plan: First, set your daily caloric intake at 12 calories per pound of body weight. (For example, my weight is 117; 117 x 12 = 1,404 calories a day.) Then stick like glue to that calorie allowance for at least one to two months, depending on your metabolism. This will allow your body time to readjust your metabolic set point accordingly.

Now, here's the other part of the equation: The absolute best way to pump up your metabolism is to EXERCISE. You'll be burning calories not only during your workout but also up to 48 hours after — all the while increasing lean muscle tissue, which speeds the metabolism over the long term. Aim for five hours of exercise a week if possible, but no fewer than three hours a week.

amandapratt

Definitely interesting! Does this equation work for people who haven't been yo-yoing? I'm thinking that the MFP recommendations aren't high enough for me, so I'm wondering if 12 cal per lb would be a better goal for me. Thanks for the food for thought.

deniseg31

Great information, it's probably for the more slender/lean folks because for me it would be 211 x 12 = 2532 - that's a lot! Although I'm sure I've eaten that much before....sigh.

CFAITH_WARD

That is really interesting...thanks for the post.

bparr

Good Post. Thanks for sharing.

twentysixpointtwo

Hmmm, that's higher than my current goal. I'm a little bit afraid

hpsnickers1

Only strength/resistance training (i.e. heavy weights) will increase your lean muscle mass. Cardio won't. In fact calorie restriction and cardio cause muscle mass loss along with fat loss. As you get lighter you will lose more muscle mass than fat mass. The strength training she does in her videos might help preserve your lean muscle mass but it won't make you increase it. The weights aren't heavy enough.

I am doing P90X and have a BodyMedia Fit armband. Strength/resistance training does increase my daily burn the next day.

I love her videos. I use them but she sometimes leaves out good information. She makes a comment in her No More Trouble Zones. She mentions "lengthening your muscles". This is impossible unless you can lengthen your bones too. You can't make muscles longer.

Paiche

According to that i should be eating 1680 a day.
Pffffft, no way i could lose on that!

etarre

I had my resting metabolic rate tested, and it came out much lower than her recommendation...if I multiplied my bodyweight by 12 calories per pound, I'd be 300 calories over what the text said I burn per day.

Of course, the test measures your sedentary calorie burn, and even if I don't go to the gym, I do walk around a bit during the day...but still, I probably don't burn 300 extra calories at my desk job.

So, yes, it seems a bit high to me.

NeuroticVirgo

I'm wondering if the 12 x weight is what you should be eating to maintain? Because it sounds like she's saying you can't shock your metabolism because its already thinking its living off deficient (when its not), so you need to eat at a constant level, then you'd be able to work on eating less to lose ....maybe I'm miss understanding it though?

busygirl1

I think that this is about resetting your metabolism not losing weight. Its getting yourself back on an even level so you have a good starting point for healthy weight loss after you have sorted your metabolism out. It makes good sense to me, I have been on so many diets over the years I often wonder what its done to my metabolism so it might be good to go a couple of months just maintaining with no binge/ restriction type scenarios going on.

xsunrise

I did a google search on set point and I had to create an account to reply... 12 cal/pound to maintain? Can't believe it... even the site says my calorie goal is supposed to be 1600 to maintain... I'm recovering from an eating disorder of almost six years and just got out from a treatment center... they have most of us on 2200 to maintain! I'm on 2000 but still... great I already didn't trust I was maintaining but apparently 2000 is the absolute minimum they put anyone on, now I'm even MORE paranoid... ugh the internet. Sorry for bumping an old thread, had to vent.

busygirl1

Vent away hun, that's what the boards are for I rekon x x x