"Fixing" a low metabolism

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Replies

  • TrishDLish81
    TrishDLish81 Posts: 24
    Thanks everyone for the great advice. I may get my RMR tested anyway, and if it shakes out to be pretty "normal" I've got some awesome tips and some more things to try here. I'm not looking for immediate results; I want a lasting lifestyle change, so I'm cool with some trial and error to find what's right for me. I've now got some new approaches in the hopper for the coming months! Thanks again!
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
    Metabolism isn't low, TDEE calc is wrong. Most people calculate using formulas that assume average body fat. For anyone who is overweight, those will greatly overestimate BMR (had a friend go from 2300 BMR to 1300 when switching from generic BMR calc to body fat-based calc). Use 370 + 21.6 x lbm in kg. use 1.2 for activity multiplier unless you are fairly active outside of whatever exercise you are doing. Eat 20% under that, and you should start losing weight. At your weight, you may just want to eat 1500 calories per day. That is very easy to maintain, and should produce faster weight loss.

    I would also strongly recommend eatin adequate protein and lifting weights 2-3x per week.

    You should easily drop 1-2 lbs per week that way.

    Thanks, that may be my next trial in terms of calorie range. I've had my body fat tested, so your formula would put me right at 1500 at a 1.2 activity multiplier. Including my exercise I'm probably slightly more active than that, but I can try eating a straight 1500 for a month or so and see where that gets me. I'm pretty good on protein and lifting, I think.

    If you know your BF% and it gave you this #, it is probably much more accurate than the 2500 or whatever the fitbit and MFP were giving you. That's a huge discrepency. Your fitbit and other calculators are going to calculate burn based on a much higher LBM than you apparently have, so their calorie burns are going to be way too high.

    If you have honestly been tracking everything for a while, you can work backwards to find your expected maintenance TDEE.
  • TrishDLish81
    TrishDLish81 Posts: 24
    Metabolism isn't low, TDEE calc is wrong. Most people calculate using formulas that assume average body fat. For anyone who is overweight, those will greatly overestimate BMR (had a friend go from 2300 BMR to 1300 when switching from generic BMR calc to body fat-based calc). Use 370 + 21.6 x lbm in kg. use 1.2 for activity multiplier unless you are fairly active outside of whatever exercise you are doing. Eat 20% under that, and you should start losing weight. At your weight, you may just want to eat 1500 calories per day. That is very easy to maintain, and should produce faster weight loss.

    I would also strongly recommend eatin adequate protein and lifting weights 2-3x per week.

    You should easily drop 1-2 lbs per week that way.

    Thanks, that may be my next trial in terms of calorie range. I've had my body fat tested, so your formula would put me right at 1500 at a 1.2 activity multiplier. Including my exercise I'm probably slightly more active than that, but I can try eating a straight 1500 for a month or so and see where that gets me. I'm pretty good on protein and lifting, I think.

    If you know your BF% and it gave you this #, it is probably much more accurate than the 2500 or whatever the fitbit and MFP were giving you. That's a huge discrepency. Your fitbit and other calculators are going to calculate burn based on a much higher LBM than you apparently have, so their calorie burns are going to be way too high.

    If you have honestly been tracking everything for a while, you can work backwards to find your expected maintenance TDEE.

    Well, here's what I came up with - LBM of 122 (not 100% sure but should be close, last BF test was a couple of months ago and gave me 44.8%, might be a teeny bit lower now but not significantly so) = 55.33kg. 21.6*55.33 = 1195 + 370 = 1565 BMR. 1565 * 1.2 = 1878, less 20% is 1502. In reality, I would give myself a factor of maybe 1.4 rather than 1.2 - I do about 2 hours of lifting and 3 hours of cardio per week - which would result in an average TDEE of about 2200 - less 20% is 1760, which is what my goal is right now (though I'm eating back some exercise calories here and there). So, I'll drop to 1500 and see what happens - maybe I'm overestimating my activity. I need to get an HRM, that's another place where I'm really lacking, I think. I do periodically check my HR during cardio (I typically use a treadmill or elliptical), and it's typically in the 140-150 range so I know I'm at least putting out some effort, but I'm not basing my calorie burn on anything other than what my FitBit is recording as steps.

    (*edited to fix a typo*)
  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
    I was maintaining on the 'TDEE cut' method.
    My BMR is apparantly 1440.
    I had an active job and tried lots of different amounts of calories.

    After a while of not moving much, I went to 1500 and stopped eating back exercise calories. I started losing again.

    Picking a number near your supposed BMR and not eating back calories was my best option. You may also be doing too much cardio.
  • amflautist
    amflautist Posts: 903 Member
    Your metabolism isn't broken

    ^^^^^ this!

    Amen.
  • Becky388
    Becky388 Posts: 157 Member
    Also, have you tried the method of eliminating a food group for a month or two? Like grains or dairy? My wife recently found out that she has a gluten intolerance (not to be confused with celiac or a gluten allergy) by a month long experiment without gluten. A GI dr. suggested we try this. We later found out that her heart condition came with a gluten intolerance. I have also tried that with others on this forum and a few saw huge results when they cut one group out. Something to consider.

    I'm experimenting with this myself. It is definitely something to consider.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Metabolism isn't low, TDEE calc is wrong. Most people calculate using formulas that assume average body fat. For anyone who is overweight, those will greatly overestimate BMR (had a friend go from 2300 BMR to 1300 when switching from generic BMR calc to body fat-based calc). Use 370 + 21.6 x lbm in kg. use 1.2 for activity multiplier unless you are fairly active outside of whatever exercise you are doing. Eat 20% under that, and you should start losing weight. At your weight, you may just want to eat 1500 calories per day. That is very easy to maintain, and should produce faster weight loss.

    I would also strongly recommend eatin adequate protein and lifting weights 2-3x per week.

    You should easily drop 1-2 lbs per week that way.

    I think that should be revised to "For some people who are overweight."

    (or maybe my LBM is 157 pounds, which would make my bf 26%) :huh:
  • MemphisKitten
    MemphisKitten Posts: 878 Member
    Are you taking any medications or do you have any medical problems? Sometimes these things can cause a plateau in weight loss.
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
    bump
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,454 Member
    Good thread. OP, you've done a great job of posting a lot of info here. I think you are closing in on some answers, and you've gotten great replies. It is definitely an experiment that only you can perform.

    Sleep, hydration, calorie intake and exercise levels all play a part. Keep working at it. Six hours of sleep a night really messed with me. Hormone levels are sensitive to proper sleep, and play a big part in weight control, so maybe you could cut back your exercise to three days a week and get enough sleep! I didn't see you post that you have help with your kids, but if you have a partner, you two could work out a schedule so that you don't have to do all the child-care stuff.

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