what do you guys think of metabolism "reset"

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  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 9,978 Member
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    Are you exercising or just started exercising?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    i have a very active job which is a lot of standing, walking, and fast walking.
    and i have school 3 times of the week/ night classes. i exercise when i find time, which is maybe 2-3 times a week. usually 20 mins cardio. i recently JUST today started circuit training hoping it would help.
    Then just chaulk up the no loss right now to water retention due to the adaptation to new exercise.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    How long does this effect last? I know that if I am consistant with the increased water intake, that water weight it will always be present. What I'm asking is how long until one would start seeing their numbers go down again once water intake has been established?

    Conventional wisdom says 4-6 weeks until weight loss equals water retention and after that, you start seeing actual weight loss.

    As far as metabolism reset, I don't believe in it in the way that people usually talk about it. When you decrease your calories (by any amount) BMR will naturally drop (not a lot mind you, just slightly).

    Your body becomes more efficient at burning calories and reduces extraneous movement (people may fidget less or find that they generally don't move as much). Most studies show that people who have reduced calories experience some level of metabolic adaptation.

    Most studies also show that after weight loss, BMR returns to normal for people of the same size. The time it takes depends on how much calories were restricted as well as how much weight was lost and the composition of the weight lost. Anywhere from 1-14 days is what I have read in studies.

    In some cases, people who have lost a lot of weight (in excess of 100 pounds) BMR would be slightly lower than anticipated for someone of that size. The only way to boost BMR is to build muscle (which naturally increases BMR as it takes more energy to support muscle).

    Also, I read a study that shows that people who lose excessive amounts of weight (to below a healthy body composition) experience more efficient fat storage. As in the persons body becomes excessively efficient and will also store fat at lower levels until the body fat is closer to healthy. However, as this applies only to extremely lean people, I don't think it's what you are looking for.

    [Edit to add: This is as I understand it based on having read a bunch of studies on the given information. If someone disagrees and has a study that shows otherwise, I would definitely be interested in reading it.]
    Good post.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    How long have you been dieting for? I may have missed if but I don't think that question has been asked and it is very relevant to your question.

    ETA: are the intake numbers you gave gross or net?
    2 months now.
  • GinJon
    GinJon Posts: 447 Member
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    bump to read later
  • Game8
    Game8 Posts: 442
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    This has been my fat loss strategy:

    Eat slightly below your maintenance. When weight loss stalls, have a high carb "refeed" day and jump right back in. If this doesn't help, then decrease calorie goal by a hundred or two.

    Wash, rinse, repeat.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    Not sure if you're already a gym member or have one in mind, but most gyms offer complimentary training sessions (usually 1-3 sessions) on the equipment. Usually once you know how they all work it decreases gym fears. Most people's biggest fear is that they don't know how to work the machines, they'll be doing something wrong, everyone will be laughing at them, etc.

    Most people are too busy with their own workout (or looking at themselves in the mirrors) to pay much attention to others.

    Good luck!

    i only have a small gym in mind thats connected to a swimming pool so i don't think they offer training sessions. it's a very very VERY small place and i think the only worker there is the one taking money at the front desk. i kinda know how to use machines, i'm just scared of seeing someone i know/dont wanna see or someone judging me.

    i'm dropping by on sunday (they dont even have a phone! lol) to ask them about prices and stuff because i've been seriously considering it for awhile.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    How long have you been dieting for? I may have missed if but I don't think that question has been asked and it is very relevant to your question.

    ETA: are the intake numbers you gave gross or net?
    2 months now.

    You really do not need a reset or diet break at this stage with the amount of weight you have to lose - your metabolism should be ticking along just fine. How accurately are you logging your food - are you weighing all non-liquid items and measure/weighing liquid items?

    ETA: its probably water weight fluctuations - give it a few more weeks and reassess.
  • djfriedman81
    djfriedman81 Posts: 125
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    The biggest reasons for weight loss plateau is not stalled or reduced metabolism, it is incorrect estimation of calories in or calories out or some combination of the two.

    My recommendation is to reduce calories further or to exercise more or mix of the two.

    It can take years of eating under BMR to enter "starvation mode" or a point where you slow your metabolism to a point where reduction in calories does not make up for eating less calories and or exercising more.

    If you want to make sure you start to lose more weight then keep eating same food and increase activity levels
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    I do not believe in a metabolism "reset" idea. It's not really scientifically feasible.

    1. You can help boost metabolism by keeping it working more often. What eating more often does: increases thermogensis, fasting lipid and postprandial insulin profiles. Clinical Study: http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/1/16.full

    2. Build more metabolic muscle. Lifting heavier (strength training) will assist in maintaining Lean muscle while on a caloric deficit. Since lean muscle burns more calories, your body will burn more while at rest, allowing the caloric burn to take place while you sleep.

    3. It sounds like you just started...So water retention on some small lean muscle development may account for the scale. May take a couple of months to see new weight loss. Everyone is unique in the way their body adapts to new lifestyles.

    So, my recommendation is to have a nice glass of red wine tonight and hit the weights tomorrow. Your body composition will catch up to you in time.

    My theory: "Nutrition is a diet.....Nutrition with exercise is a LIFESTYLE" and "If your going to strength train, you may as well do it HEAVY"

    sorry but I disagree with point 1. Meal timing has nothing to do with metabolism. You can eat three meals, six meals, or two meals...
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    How long have you been dieting for? I may have missed if but I don't think that question has been asked and it is very relevant to your question.

    ETA: are the intake numbers you gave gross or net?
    2 months now.

    You really do not need a reset or diet break at this stage with the amount of weight you have to lose - your metabolism should be ticking along just fine. How accurately are you logging your food - are you weighing all non-liquid items and measure/weighing liquid items?

    ETA: its probably water weight fluctuations - give it a few more weeks and reassess.
    i always log everything, except for the occasional binge drinking once every SECOND saturday. but i constitute that as a cheat day and stick to light beer.
    other than that, i have my calories 100 less than my bmr to makeup for in case i slip up on ANY little thing.

    my TDEE is 2000 (without exercise) so i have my calories at 1550

    my calories for the last 2 months was 1700 but it stopped working so thats why last week i switched it to 1500
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    The biggest reasons for weight loss plateau is not stalled or reduced metabolism, it is incorrect estimation of calories in or calories out or some combination of the two.

    My recommendation is to reduce calories further or to exercise more or mix of the two.

    It can take years of eating under BMR to enter "starvation mode" or a point where you slow your metabolism to a point where reduction in calories does not make up for eating less calories and or exercising more.

    If you want to make sure you start to lose more weight then keep eating same food and increase activity levels
    i would agree with you but my bmr is 1650 and i'm eating 1550 calories per day. and 60% of the week i'm short on my calories by 100 or 200
  • CristinaL1983
    CristinaL1983 Posts: 1,119 Member
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    The biggest reasons for weight loss plateau is not stalled or reduced metabolism, it is incorrect estimation of calories in or calories out or some combination of the two.

    My recommendation is to reduce calories further or to exercise more or mix of the two.

    It can take years of eating under BMR to enter "starvation mode" or a point where you slow your metabolism to a point where reduction in calories does not make up for eating less calories and or exercising more.

    If you want to make sure you start to lose more weight then keep eating same food and increase activity levels
    i would agree with you but my bmr is 1650 and i'm eating 1550 calories per day. and 60% of the week i'm short on my calories by 100 or 200

    Are you weighing everything that you eat? Measuring things like olive oil, condiments, sauces? Portion sizes are usually not correct on packages. Bacon is usually 2 slices instead of the three listed, oatmeal isn't a full cup, crackers are usually a few less than listed, etc... These can add up to hundreds of calories a day easily.

    Edit to add: Are you double checking everything you enter in the database? I tried to enter some frozen meatballs I ate the other day and of the 7 (exact same brand and type) listed only 1 was entered correctly. The others were half the calories or twice the serving size.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    The biggest reasons for weight loss plateau is not stalled or reduced metabolism, it is incorrect estimation of calories in or calories out or some combination of the two.

    My recommendation is to reduce calories further or to exercise more or mix of the two.

    It can take years of eating under BMR to enter "starvation mode" or a point where you slow your metabolism to a point where reduction in calories does not make up for eating less calories and or exercising more.

    If you want to make sure you start to lose more weight then keep eating same food and increase activity levels
    i would agree with you but my bmr is 1650 and i'm eating 1550 calories per day. and 60% of the week i'm short on my calories by 100 or 200

    Are you weighing everything that you eat? Measuring things like olive oil, condiments, sauces? Portion sizes are usually not correct on packages. Bacon is usually 2 slices instead of the three listed, oatmeal isn't a full cup, crackers are usually a few less than listed, etc... These can add up to hundreds of calories a day easily.

    Edit to add: Are you double checking everything you enter in the database? I tried to enter some frozen meatballs I ate the other day and of the 7 (exact same brand and type) listed only 1 was entered correctly. The others were half the calories or twice the serving size.

    i hate to say it but most my meals consist of pre packaged foods because of my routine. so i go by their calories.
    and i make sure my sodium stays down so i don't think it's that.

    i eat avocados and drink V8 shots and have small yogurts and my breakfast consists of rye bread and cream cheese/or light peanut butter with sugar free jam
    my lunches at work are rye bread and 2 slices of cheddar cheese.

    i don't have a food scale, but i'm certain i'm not going over, especially 500 calories a day :/
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Personally I wish I had found this article a lot earlier in my fat loss journey

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html

    That article is awesome. Thanks for the link!
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    How long have you been dieting for? I may have missed if but I don't think that question has been asked and it is very relevant to your question.

    ETA: are the intake numbers you gave gross or net?
    2 months now.

    You really do not need a reset or diet break at this stage with the amount of weight you have to lose - your metabolism should be ticking along just fine. How accurately are you logging your food - are you weighing all non-liquid items and measure/weighing liquid items?

    ETA: its probably water weight fluctuations - give it a few more weeks and reassess.
    i always log everything, except for the occasional binge drinking once every SECOND saturday. but i constitute that as a cheat day and stick to light beer.
    other than that, i have my calories 100 less than my bmr to makeup for in case i slip up on ANY little thing.

    my TDEE is 2000 (without exercise) so i have my calories at 1550

    my calories for the last 2 months was 1700 but it stopped working so thats why last week i switched it to 1500

    I would give it a few more weeks to let the water weight settle down.
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    I would give it a few more weeks to let the water weight settle down.
    thank you :)
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    The biggest reasons for weight loss plateau is not stalled or reduced metabolism, it is incorrect estimation of calories in or calories out or some combination of the two.

    My recommendation is to reduce calories further or to exercise more or mix of the two.

    It can take years of eating under BMR to enter "starvation mode" or a point where you slow your metabolism to a point where reduction in calories does not make up for eating less calories and or exercising more.

    If you want to make sure you start to lose more weight then keep eating same food and increase activity levels

    What if you are very active (5-6 days a week of moderate to vigorous exercise--run 12-15 miles per week and try to lift or circuit a couple of times) and also moderately active in non exercise lifestyle (teacher on feet a lot), and already eating pretty low (less than 1500 cals gross and I measure and weigh my foods), but I still am gaining very slowly? Can't exercise more, and eating less would be difficult. So . . . . .??? Something is wrong here.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I think this gets way overblown. I read about one study where they were studying how different things affected the metabolism of dieters. Dieting always results in at least a small reduction. In the study, the range they found was between 4% and 10%. In others words, the people whose diet and exercise regimen worked the best at keeping their metabolism up while dieting still had a 4% reduction; the people whose metabolism dropped the most had a 10% reduction. I have seen this study "quoted" by some to say that your metabolism will drop two and a half times as much if you don't do X versus Y. That is a half truth. That 6% difference could be a make or break for some people but for most of us it would just help some if we could figure out what worked for us (the article about the study was unclear about that).
  • peopletalk
    peopletalk Posts: 519 Member
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    this thread is like 2 months old. i just wan't to say (since i'm the OP) that within 2 more months, i have lost another 8lbs by taking my calories from 1750 to 1550.
    my calories were too high for my lifestyle. with lowering it to 1550 i have consistently lost since making this thread.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    this thread is like 2 months old. i just wan't to say (since i'm the OP) that within 2 more months, i have lost another 8lbs by taking my calories from 1750 to 1550.
    my calories were too high for my lifestyle. with lowering it to 1550 i have consistently lost since making this thread.

    Congratulations - looks like you found your sweet spot. 1lb a week is a good steady loss.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
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    this thread is like 2 months old. i just wan't to say (since i'm the OP) that within 2 more months, i have lost another 8lbs by taking my calories from 1750 to 1550.
    my calories were too high for my lifestyle. with lowering it to 1550 i have consistently lost since making this thread.

    You just made the point I was meaning to - since the amount of additional calorie burn you might get from increasing metabolism is probably 6% or less, it is often simpler to just reduce calories by more than that.

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