How to fire up metabolism after huge calorie deficit?

dragonbun
dragonbun Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been on a big calorie deficit for the past 2 weeks and I want to get back to my old eating habits where I can eat to my content and still stay at a weight of X. After that I wish to experiment on weights instead. However, I'm worried that my metabolism has slowed to adjust to the deficit and it wouldn't be able to burn as much as before, leading to weight gain!

I googled for answers and most people recommend going gentle (eat fruits and vegetables) to break a fast. But I also remember reading about intermittent fasting where you fast and eat whatever/as much you want after that to burn more fat. So wouldn't the principle of intermittent fasting contradict what is mostly recommended?

Excuse me if I come across as ignorant, I am still learning new things about fitness and body everyday! :)

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    I hesitate to believe that any specific nutrient timing protocol will effect your energy expenditure significantly unless that's mediated by activity changes.

    IMO the most logical way to bring your intake up while minimizing weight gain is to incrementally increase intake over the course of several weeks. Start with 50-100 calories/week and monitor weight change. If you start gaining, stop increasing.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    I would doubt any significant changes to your metabolism have happened over 2 weeks unless you were literally starving yourself for The whole period.

    But yes I agree with side steal, just increase calories slowly.
  • goodtimezzzz
    goodtimezzzz Posts: 640 Member
    I have done IF for many years...you are on the right track ...but you really have to understand it...it works ..its amazing but its a very specific way of eating and living:) contact me if lost because Intermittent Fasting can be confusing...:)
  • snooj
    snooj Posts: 69 Member
    You don't eat whatever you want on a IF diet. It still has to follow the rules of a caloric deficit. Take this as an example:

    You lose 2 pounds a week eating 1500 calories a day. That's 10,500 calories/week. Or, you can instead fast 2 days a week and when you do eat, eat 2100 calories/day. So yeah, you eat more a day, but it averages out.

    For your original question, you probably won't be able to eat as much as before, but probably more than now. The heavier you are, the more you need to maintain, and you've lost weight. Very slowly up your calories and check your progress. If you don't gain weight after a week or two, up it again. Just keep in mind you may gain water weight doing this, but it won't be fat.

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