Metabolism Reset.. How long does it take?

Tinytinks2

Hi everyone

After becoming a MFP member recently, I realised I was eating far too few calories and have been doing so for about 5 years or more, I have made it my goal this year to eat my daily requirements of 1200 calories (I am very short) every day. I was wondering if any one could give me some insight into how long it might take for my metabolism to adjust to the new volumes of food intake?

Feel free to have a look at my diary and give me thoughts or comments although I have only been a member for a week.

I am also not sure if I should be focusing on reaching Total calories of 1200 or the net calories? I am not exercising too much at the moment as I am studying for a board exam which is in a weeks time.. eeek. I do heated yoga (bikram and vinyasa) mostly which doesn't appear to be an option on MFP. I want to start running again once my exam is over.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated

nikkit321

I'm still in my reset, just started week 6, but I think the theory is 6-8 weeks, but perhaps as long as 12 weeks. You've been undereating for 5 years, you'll probably need the full 12 weeks to fix your metabolism. You need to expect some weight gain, mostly water. Your weight will eventually stabilize while continuing to eat TDEE, which is when you know your metabolism has raised to the TDEE level.

Other, more experienced people will hopefully come along and correct anything I've said wrong.

xMonroeMisfit

BUMP

wordpainter09

There's a group with a lot of good information - Metabolism Repair Mode, if you want to check it out.

I agree with the above poster.. at least 8 weeks. And 1200 calories is pretty low, it's likely you'd require more than that to reset your metabolism.

It's important to at least eat at BMR levels and preferably above when resetting. That gives you something to cut from when you do your cut afterwards, and it allows your body to realize it's no longer starving.

Raynn1

did you check your numbers against this site: http://scoobysworkshop.com/ to find your BMR and TDEE? 1200 still seems pretty low, but I have seen it around there depending on how short you are.
Check your numbers first, then aim to eat that daily.
If you have been undereating for 5 years, then I would definitely go for at least 8 weeks if not longer. Give your body a chance to heal and repair itself..

laurentx281

How many weeks should I be at the same weight before I can say my metabolism reset?

heybales

Well, there's the rub, not gaining doesn't mean you are at potential TDEE, if you underestimated.

Many that started this weren't gaining either eating a whole lot less, and that lower number obviously wasn't their potential TDEE either.

Couple weeks of no gain, then do a test couple weeks where you eat 250 calories more daily.
If you slowly gain 1 more pound, then prior level was TDEE.
If you fast gain 1 or more pounds, then it was not TDEE and you just gained more water weight.
Retest at 250 more again for 2 more weeks.

Ditto's to confirming you got the concept of BMR and TDEE right.

For a sedentary person to have a TDEE of 1200 would mean a LBM of 60 lbs and BMR of 960.
Total weight would depend on bodyfat %, but say 25% to give something worthy of losing, that means 80 lbs. 20% would then be 75 lbs.
And for that 80 to be overweight for someone, you'd probably need to be 55" tall.

So if 55" tall and currently 80 lbs and 25% BF, then yes your sedentary TDEE could be 1200.

You'd also only want a 10% deficit max. And with such a small range to work with, you'd have to be as accurate as could be.