Get your Metabolic Rate tested !! My Metabolic reset story
Kim55555
Posts: 987 Member
Hi
From October through to January I decreased my calories by a couple of hundred and at the same time upped my exercise. I am 5 foot 2. I have been at scale goal weight since last August. Since then I have been recomposing, ie losing fat and centimeters. I retain muscle mass easily as I have the genetics for it.
I thought I was adequatly fueling my body eating between 1700 - 1950 calories for those 3 and a half months but I was in for a huge shock when I got my resting metabolic rate tested. It was just 875. My body was in semi-starvation (survivol mode) according the the exercise physiologist. That is why my metaboic rate lowered drastically because i was not fueling myself properly so it slows way down in order to survive.
Anyway thanks to the Eat more to Weight less group I was reading up about doing a metabolic reset. The exercise physiologist suggested eating 10 - 20% more than I was and gave me some great advice concerning exercise and nutrition. I decided to do my own little experiment. Since the 2nd of February I decided to eat more than my TDEE. I wanted to see just how much I could eat without gaining weight. So I started off eating mid 2500's and then most of the time for the past 5 weeks I have been eating mid to high 2000 calories !! In that time I have put on roughly half to 1 kg in weight I think. From August till end of January my weight was in the range of 57.5 - 59.5 kg and now its in the 58 - 59.7 range for the last couple of weeks.
Yesterday I had a retest of my resting metabolic rate. (RMR) it was 1497. Originally when i had it tested it was just 875 and the man said it should be around the 1350 mark. So I am absolutely thrilled that I have increased my RMR by over 600 calories !!! Wow I couldn't believe it. My body fat % is 22.5%. I'm working towards high teens perhaps 18 - 20% body fat. Also I'm above average in the general population for my age and height
I'm more like in the athletic range for body composition now.
I am now in the process of trying to find my true TDEE. I have reduced my calories by a few hundred and depending on activity levels I am going to be eating between 2200 - 2700. I will experiment at this level for the next 6 weeks to see if I can stabilise at this range. I think I have pretty much stabilized right now but I will give it a good 6 weeks weeks eating at this amount.
I told the exercise physiologist I still want to cut. I want to lose more off my tummy area. I want a more defined tummy. He believes I can lose the fat eating 2200-2300 calories. I got some great tips in the Eat more to Weight less group and have decided that in 6 weeks time or once i am sure my weight has stablised when im figuring out my TDEE I will cut first down to 2,300 weekly average and see how I go losing at that for a month. Then if its too high an amount still I'll reduce down 100 calories till I hit my sweet spot. So out of all this it appears I do need to eat above the 2000 calorie mark to lose the fat and not f*** up my metabolic rate. It all depends on my exercise levels. If Im heaviily exercising I have to adequately fuel myself so that I'm not cutting any higher than 10 - 15% off my TDEE.
I highly recommend getting your RMR tested. If its plummeted you can fix it doing a metabolic reset eating at TDEE, you will put on a little bit of weight however once you stablize and are ready to diet again you will then be able to eat more when you go to lose the weight. It is also much more life sustainable.
Also another tip. According to katch mcardle my estimated rmr is just 1200 calories now if I went by that figure i would be 300 calories out. Also the TDEE is just an estimate too. According to TDEE it says I should maintain on 2100. Nope I can maintain on a lot higher than that. Its all just a starting point you really need to do your own experiment, track what you eat over a time period and see what amount works for you. ie what you can maintain on, what is your cutting sweet spot.
If you are new and just started your diet. If I were you for the next 6 weeks track all the foods you eat on your phone, and do your own little experiment to see what amount your true maintenance is before you even start cutting calories. So then 6 weeks later cut 10 or 20% off that amount to lose the weight at a healthy sustainable amount.
If you want help in how to do a metablic reset/eating more then join the Eat more to weight less. There is some awesome information there. Huge plug for this group! They have turned peoples lives around there!! Also check out the roadmap thread for some help too.
Any questions fire away!
Also I hope this post doesnt get lost so please keep bumping it up or sticky this lol
From October through to January I decreased my calories by a couple of hundred and at the same time upped my exercise. I am 5 foot 2. I have been at scale goal weight since last August. Since then I have been recomposing, ie losing fat and centimeters. I retain muscle mass easily as I have the genetics for it.
I thought I was adequatly fueling my body eating between 1700 - 1950 calories for those 3 and a half months but I was in for a huge shock when I got my resting metabolic rate tested. It was just 875. My body was in semi-starvation (survivol mode) according the the exercise physiologist. That is why my metaboic rate lowered drastically because i was not fueling myself properly so it slows way down in order to survive.
Anyway thanks to the Eat more to Weight less group I was reading up about doing a metabolic reset. The exercise physiologist suggested eating 10 - 20% more than I was and gave me some great advice concerning exercise and nutrition. I decided to do my own little experiment. Since the 2nd of February I decided to eat more than my TDEE. I wanted to see just how much I could eat without gaining weight. So I started off eating mid 2500's and then most of the time for the past 5 weeks I have been eating mid to high 2000 calories !! In that time I have put on roughly half to 1 kg in weight I think. From August till end of January my weight was in the range of 57.5 - 59.5 kg and now its in the 58 - 59.7 range for the last couple of weeks.
Yesterday I had a retest of my resting metabolic rate. (RMR) it was 1497. Originally when i had it tested it was just 875 and the man said it should be around the 1350 mark. So I am absolutely thrilled that I have increased my RMR by over 600 calories !!! Wow I couldn't believe it. My body fat % is 22.5%. I'm working towards high teens perhaps 18 - 20% body fat. Also I'm above average in the general population for my age and height
I'm more like in the athletic range for body composition now.I am now in the process of trying to find my true TDEE. I have reduced my calories by a few hundred and depending on activity levels I am going to be eating between 2200 - 2700. I will experiment at this level for the next 6 weeks to see if I can stabilise at this range. I think I have pretty much stabilized right now but I will give it a good 6 weeks weeks eating at this amount.
I told the exercise physiologist I still want to cut. I want to lose more off my tummy area. I want a more defined tummy. He believes I can lose the fat eating 2200-2300 calories. I got some great tips in the Eat more to Weight less group and have decided that in 6 weeks time or once i am sure my weight has stablised when im figuring out my TDEE I will cut first down to 2,300 weekly average and see how I go losing at that for a month. Then if its too high an amount still I'll reduce down 100 calories till I hit my sweet spot. So out of all this it appears I do need to eat above the 2000 calorie mark to lose the fat and not f*** up my metabolic rate. It all depends on my exercise levels. If Im heaviily exercising I have to adequately fuel myself so that I'm not cutting any higher than 10 - 15% off my TDEE.
I highly recommend getting your RMR tested. If its plummeted you can fix it doing a metabolic reset eating at TDEE, you will put on a little bit of weight however once you stablize and are ready to diet again you will then be able to eat more when you go to lose the weight. It is also much more life sustainable.
Also another tip. According to katch mcardle my estimated rmr is just 1200 calories now if I went by that figure i would be 300 calories out. Also the TDEE is just an estimate too. According to TDEE it says I should maintain on 2100. Nope I can maintain on a lot higher than that. Its all just a starting point you really need to do your own experiment, track what you eat over a time period and see what amount works for you. ie what you can maintain on, what is your cutting sweet spot.
If you are new and just started your diet. If I were you for the next 6 weeks track all the foods you eat on your phone, and do your own little experiment to see what amount your true maintenance is before you even start cutting calories. So then 6 weeks later cut 10 or 20% off that amount to lose the weight at a healthy sustainable amount.
If you want help in how to do a metablic reset/eating more then join the Eat more to weight less. There is some awesome information there. Huge plug for this group! They have turned peoples lives around there!! Also check out the roadmap thread for some help too.
Any questions fire away!
Also I hope this post doesnt get lost so please keep bumping it up or sticky this lol
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BUmp, awesome0
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Thanks for this story! I have a couple of questions: first, what is your activity level and with what sorts of exercise? Do you lift? And how much/ often?
The reason I ask is that I am 5'3" and 17-18% BF. Katch-Mac also gives me 1200 or even a little less as my BMR. I use a Fitbit which gives me an average of 1700 cals burned/ day. That is somewhere between lightly and mod active according to the calculators. So I feel like the calcs (Scooby) and my Fitbit aggree or what my burn is.
I did a reset last fall and ate 1750-1850 and did end up stabilizing there, but I have wondered if I could have pushed it up even more. I am currently trying to eat 1700 and have been maintaining or even slowly losing. I lft heavy 3 times a week with only low intensity cardio. So I actually wonder if those who lift need to psuh beyond the numbers the calculators give. Your story makes me wonder even more...
The question is, am I willing to up the cals to find out. Hmmmmm.....0 -
I'm having trouble finding a facility to get the test done at. Searched the Internet to no avail, called a couple hospitals and my doctor's office to no avail.0
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BUMP! Great post, thanks for sharing your story with us. :flowerforyou:0
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Hi. Thanks for the info. Where did you get your metabolic rate tested? How is it done?
Lynn0 -
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Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.0
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Hi
thanks
I'm currently at work and dont have time to reply. i'll try to come on later tonight when i get home
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Highly active - 6 days a week intense exercise & weights.
At present I am doing hiit bike sprints for 20 mins 2 times a week & heavy weights 3 times a week. I have 1 long bike ride or a run each week. I also have footy trainings twice a week. I have a desk job so sedentary during the day. Sometimes I go for a leisurely walk at lunch time.
Before when I was under eating and not fuelling myself properly for my level of activity I was riding to work and back totally 1 hour 30 mins and on the same day 2-3 times a week I would also do tempo runs & sprints. On top of this I would do weights 3 times a week & go on a long bike ride on the weekend.
Maybe what you could do if your game for it is increase your calories and just see how you go. Maybe try an extra 200. Youll never know unless you give it a go and if u do find you put on a bit too much weight you can always lower your calories a bit until u find your tdee sweet spot. When I started I wanted to push my limits. I just jumped right in 1st day bumped it up another 500-1000 calories! The higher the amount of calories I can maintain at the better because then I'll know that when I next go to cut I can eat more than I thought, and also because I've repaired my metabolism it's firing more efficiently. I reckon I'll lose at 2200-2300 no probs next time!! ATM I'm really enjoying the extra food and am happy to keep this experiment going. I'm going to stick between 2500-2800 a bit longer and see how I go!Thanks for this story! I have a couple of questions: first, what is your activity level and with what sorts of exercise? Do you lift? And how much/ often?
The reason I ask is that I am 5'3" and 17-18% BF. Katch-Mac also gives me 1200 or even a little less as my BMR. I use a Fitbit which gives me an average of 1700 cals burned/ day. That is somewhere between lightly and mod active according to the calculators. So I feel like the calcs (Scooby) and my Fitbit aggree or what my burn is.
I did a reset last fall and ate 1750-1850 and did end up stabilizing there, but I have wondered if I could have pushed it up even more. I am currently trying to eat 1700 and have been maintaining or even slowly losing. I lft heavy 3 times a week with only low intensity cardio. So I actually wonder if those who lift need to psuh beyond the numbers the calculators give. Your story makes me wonder even more...
The question is, am I willing to up the cals to find out. Hmmmmm.....0 -
I'll reply to the others another time sorry but ive run out of time now0
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How you can get your BMR accurately or medically measured? I had no idea you could do that. Is it done by a doctor? How do they do it? Thanks0
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What is TDEE?0
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How you can get your BMR accurately or medically measured? I had no idea you could do that. Is it done by a doctor? How do they do it? Thanks
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I highly recommend getting tested also. According to all of the online calculators, I should be burning around 1550, so for a long time, I based my calories around that number....plus or minus 200-300 calories. I haven't been able to lose in 4 years and couldn't figure out why. I work out 5-6 days a week. I lift heavy and don't eat much processed food. Then I had my doctor test my thyroid, blood sugar, etc, etc. Everything came back normal. My doctor finally recommended this test.
My RMR, according to this test, is 2140. BMR is 2010. TDEE is from 2800-3200, depending on my workout that day. My doctor says these tests are pretty accurate and that these numbers basically mean I've been starving myself for a long time.
For the last week and a half, I've been eating around 24-2500 calories (vs 1500-1800). At first, I gained a lb or two, but I'm back down to what I was before the test and have lost an inch around my waist. I've had a TON more energy, slept better, and have been able to lift a little heavier. So glad I had this test done and truly believe I'll be able to lose the weight I want, now that I know how much I should be eating.0 -
Very interesting, thanks for the story.
I didn't know you could get tested for that; Now I'm curious about my own.
I wonder if I'm heading for the same direction as you. I've been working out more and more - Yesterday I burned 1400 calories but ended up with a deficit of 600 calories. I sure didn't feel it though - I felt more than full! I just couldn't get myself to eat more that night. What do I do in this kind of situation, when I feel like my body is getting all it needs (eating very healthy and lots of protein) and I'm just not hungry? P.S. I love to eat and usually have a hard time stopping myself from eating so... yeah.0 -
It would be interesting to know if this can be done in the UK. After my experiences with my GP, it seems as though people in the USA have access to more and better testing services for everything! And don't get brushed off with "it's just your age".
B x0 -
Awesome! Thanks for sharing.0
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I had a hydrostatic body composition analysis done at this place (they have them all over): http://www.bodyfattest.com/ The report included RMR, body fat, LBM (lean body mass: muscle, bones, organs). It also charted where I fell according to gender, age, etc.How you can get your BMR accurately or medically measured? I had no idea you could do that. Is it done by a doctor? How do they do it? Thanks0 -
Very interesting, thanks for the story.
I didn't know you could get tested for that; Now I'm curious about my own.
I wonder if I'm heading for the same direction as you. I've been working out more and more - Yesterday I burned 1400 calories but ended up with a deficit of 600 calories. I sure didn't feel it though - I felt more than full! I just couldn't get myself to eat more that night. What do I do in this kind of situation, when I feel like my body is getting all it needs (eating very healthy and lots of protein) and I'm just not hungry? P.S. I love to eat and usually have a hard time stopping myself from eating so... yeah.
Once in awhile is fine. It is consistently under eating you need to watch for.
On days when you burn a lot you can eat a little more the day before and/or day after as well.
What are you doing to get such large burns? I only get burns like that on long bike rides or runs and you weigh a bit less than I do.0 -
Bump. I dont have time to reply this morning unfortunately.
I've just woken up I'm heading off to work now. I'll try to come online later sometime. 0 -
Sorry I have been too busy to reply to anyone arrgh never enough time in the day ! I get home from work and im either at training or at the gym, then bed lol
Thanks for all the replies and i'll get a chance on the weekend to sit down and reply. I have a lot i want to share.0 -
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