Metabolism

Julia187
Julia187 Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
My metabolism perplexes me! I seem to go along ok losing 1lb per week for a few weeks, then I get stuck at the same weight for a few weeks, then I'll go out for dinner or eat something I wouldn't usually eat which seems to kick start my metabolism again and I'll lose weight again and so the cycle begins again. Does your metabolism get stuck in a rut? Is there anyway to stop this happening and keep the weight lose consistent?

Replies

  • MommaRoseFitness
    MommaRoseFitness Posts: 87 Member
    You may not be eating enough calories. Your body will tend to stop losing and hold on to everything. Maybe one or two days a week kick it up 200 calories. Not saying you can't burn them off, but getting it in your system will let your body you are not going to starve. That is what my nutritionist told me.
  • maryannelk
    maryannelk Posts: 707 Member
    Yes, I think changing it up every once in a while is a good strategy.
  • Julia187
    Julia187 Posts: 11
    Thank you, I'll give that a try. It goes against the grain to put my calories up but it does make sense and I was interested to hear that a nutritionist had said the same.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    What you are experiencing has little to do with your metabolism and more to do with water weight. Our metabolisms are fairly static and only adapt up or down over long periods of time. When we are in calorie deficit, weight loss is not linear. Our bodies (through the autonomic nervous system) try to maintian where they are (homeostasis).

    Over time, your body will adjust to the new normal and let go of some of the water weight. Sometimes, eating a larger meal or eating over normal calories for the day will trigger this. More info here:

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
  • Gizziemoto
    Gizziemoto Posts: 430 Member
    There are people that love calorie cycling. The average comes out the same over a week but each day they eat at a different calorie level. They love it and say it works especially on the days when they are either starving or not really hungry at all. Personally, I have never tried it.
  • scottdeeby
    scottdeeby Posts: 95 Member
    It's pretty much accepted that eating at a normal calorie level one day a week keeps your body from adapting to the calorie deficit that is maintained the other 6 days. The weight loss plateau, followed by the big meal at the restaurant, followed by continued weight loss seems to demonstrate this, right?

    I agree that water accounts for daily weight fluctuations, but it doesn't explain trends over weeks or months, which is the time frame we are talking about here.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    It's pretty much accepted that eating at a normal calorie level one day a week keeps your body from adapting to the calorie deficit that is maintained the other 6 days. The weight loss plateau, followed by the big meal at the restaurant, followed by continued weight loss seems to demonstrate this, right?

    I agree that water accounts for daily weight fluctuations, but it doesn't explain trends over weeks or months, which is the time frame we are talking about here.

    Not over months certainly, but it can over a week or 2. Did you read the link?
  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
    SOmetimes we eat too little...when we do that for a period of time, our body loses lean body mass which results in lowered metabolism. For me, it took nearly 8 months of eating too little for my body to stop working properly - but then I plateaued and even began to gain weight.

    If you are eating 1200 calories a day, I suggest you find the roadmap thread and follow the instructions within. Best of luck to you!

Categories