Low calorie budget due to genetically low metabolism

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csta
csta Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
The problem is worse, but i couldn't fit in all in the subject line!!! The big problem is like I said, I can't eat a lot of calories because my resting metabolism is no joke 1000 calories a day. BUT I am training for a marathon!!! The result- hungry all the time, feeling weak during work outs. So does anyone have a reccomendation for foods that keep you from getting hungry and/or supplements for energy during work outs that are relatively healthy? (already tried no-explode, not a fan!) Thanks!

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  • antiadipose
    antiadipose Posts: 447
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    this is not meant to offend u.... but may i ask what u mean by 'genetically low metablism' ??
    many of us are in the medical field (im about to start my rotations in my 3rd year of med school)
    and many of the MFP members have a lot of thyroid issues, etc.
    so can u just specify a bit more so we know what ur talking about here?!
  • iRun4wine
    iRun4wine Posts: 5,126
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    I agree with antiadipose... tell us more!
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
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    You should be able to eat the calories from exercising though -- why not eat some of those pre-workout and then the rest after you workout? Then you'll have some fuel to get through the workout. I'd guess that with training for a marathon you are generating a need for quite a few extra calories in addition to the 1000 base that doesn't include exercise.
  • schwarzaj
    schwarzaj Posts: 47 Member
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    sounds like you need to go see a doctor...sounds like a medical problem
  • csta
    csta Posts: 5
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    Ok, I do not have an education in any medical career field, so forgive me if it sounds like I don't know what i am talking about. I took a metabolic assessment at my local fitness center, and I my exercise guy and my dietician both agree that I have an abnormally low resting metablolism. Of course my assessment that was completed on the treadmill wasn't as low, but the fact is if I didn't work out as much as I do (which is everyday sometimes twice) I would blow up like a balloon. And my exercise guy says that is because of genetics. So..... because I want to be more lean (I have average body fat and would love to decrease that and see my abdominal muscles), it is very difficult. I already work out a lot, and cutting back on calories is just making it more difficult. My body fat stays about the same over the last 12 weeks. Maybe my situation and goals are hopeless.
  • antiadipose
    antiadipose Posts: 447
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    IMO its actually caused by ur low calorie intake!!!


    (im not implying u have an ED or anything)
    but my old roommate worked out on the eliptical for 3 hours a day EVERYDAY! and she wouldnt even break a sweat that i would break in about 20 minutes. and she would eat like 800 calories a day (-- she did have a serious ED problem tho)

    the concept of ur low calorie intake is ur chronically in starvation mode. & no matter how hard u work out - - ur body will not let go of those nutrients or stored fat!! because it's like ur body is thinking "NO WAY AM I LETTING GO OF THIS FAT! - - i know her.. she's not gonna eat any more today so i will not let go of what i've been storing" -- sending this to ur hypothalamus will actually result in NO CALORIES BEING BURNED!!!!

    in contrary, i eat every 2 hours ... so after my body takes up the nutrients it needs my metabolism tells my body "DONT STORE ANYYTHING... THIS GIRL IS GONNA EAT IN 2 MORE HOURS.. DONT WORRY!"

    ok so ur saying uve done some metabolic assessment thing.. and ur dietician agreed... and ur 'exercise guy' too....
    im only trying to help u with what i do know.
    u control ur metabolism. (unless u have an endocrine disease such as hypothyroidism)
    please please take my advice and eat more! and eat some of ur calories burned. do this for a week and ull see the difference.

    the reason i know for a FACT that u dont have a messed up metabolism is UR HUNGRY!
    ppl with low metabolism as sluggish, and have loss of appetite.

    this is just my opinion. but plz listen to ur body. u have nothing to lose. try it for a week.

    good luck!
  • popplylily
    popplylily Posts: 97
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    i agree.. those guys are talking bs... low resting metabolism is CAUSED by undereating!!! you can get down to only needing 500 if you really go at it! eek. sound like you need some metabolism repair big time.. 2000 i would do for about 6 months.. def.. get it back up on schedule!! xxx
  • blonide
    blonide Posts: 29
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    Antiadipose is right; also I would question what you are eating. Remember bad food in (fat) will result in Fat.

    You should be able to take in 1200-1400 without "ballooning up" ... I'd see another trainer as any one will tell you that you need more calories of the right food to help you burn fat and not muscle. I wouldnt' suggest shoveling food down your throat either, gradual increases of the right complex. Nothing is easy and quick results are not going to happen if you do this the righ tway.

    good luck.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    here's the thing, if you go from (for instance) 1000 calories a day (lets take exercise completely out of the equation for this) to say 1500 which (in this completely fictitious example) is maintenance, well, it takes your body a little while to realize that you're giving it more than 1000 calories a day, so for the first few weeks, you're going to gain weight because your body still thinks it needs to conserve extra fat. The right way to do it is to slowly add extra calories in, I usually recommend 50 calories a week, until you are up to maintenance, leave them there for a good month to six weeks, then you can create a (much smaller) deficit to lose the fat that you have.

    Just remember, this isn't a sprint, losing the last few % of fat takes a long time to do if you do it right.

    I know this sounds horribly long and difficult, but it's much healthier, and much more condusive to long term success. People who create large deficits with little weight to lose, tend to eventually put all of the weight back on and many gain extra. This concept of yo-yoing is actually really bad for the body (far worse for you than being a few lbs overweight).

    Hope this helps.

    -Banks
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    This happened to me a while back. I am a very small person so I assumed that 1200-1300 was enough calories to sustain. WRONG I was! When I started wanting to lift heavier in the gym I did not have the energy to do so. You need more fuel to perform more feats. ;) So I started with 100 calories extra daily each week until I got to my current ~1750 calories per day. I gained a few pounds of muscle (3 to be exact) but still fit into all of my same clothes and I'm pretty sure I dropped a little body fat too. Of course the weeks I come back from vacation and haven't worked out (for example, this week) I will drop it back to 1400 for a week or so to compensate, but then I will slowly bring it back up to normal.

    Do as Banks said and I did, slowly add calories to avoid a sudden weight fluctuation.
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
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    I would go to a doctor and get a thorough evaluation done.......It is highly possible that you have hypothyroid issues too.

    Do you know if you have a low basal temperature reading?

    Right now I can't lose anything no matter if I eat 0 calories or if I eat 2000 calories.............

    I am going through extensive testing for tumors of the pituitary and hypothalamus as well as thyroid tumors and /or cancer. Doctor is also testing me for antibodies for Hashimotos thyroidits since I have been previously diagnosed with hypothyroidism.......

    My body temperature stays around 96.0 which is why I am not burning fat like I am supposed to be. This is also resulting in me having amenorrhea, adrenal gland fatigue (already diagnosed via severely elevated testosterone levels).

    In a nutshell, my whole endocine system is messed up right now and I am working with a doctor to help get it straightened out.
  • seczneyd
    seczneyd Posts: 25
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    Not about the calorie stuff b/c I do not claim to have any knowledge. But, I have been an endurance athlete and some of my favorite & healthy snacks include:

    peanut butter and preserves sandwich
    peanut butter and honey sandwich
    peanut butter and banana sandwich
  • djam98
    djam98 Posts: 10 Member
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    :love: :flowerforyou:
  • djam98
    djam98 Posts: 10 Member
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    i am a 53 yr old female who may have hypothyroidism (spelling?) and I believe that after menopause I have NO METABOLISM. Do the drugs that treat thyroid problems, also increase your metabolism? I eat healthy, have cut out almost all white food and sugar, walk/trot 4 miles everyother day and find it very hard to lose more weight.

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