Resetting my metabolism

jaz050465
jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok- so after reading so many stories about eating more, I've decided to decrease my deficit to about 300 (I only have about 10 pounds to lose).

I've also read that if you've been dieting for years, its a good idea to eat at maintenance for a while to 'reset' the metabolism.

Have people found this has worked and if so, is two weeks about the correct amount of time?

Replies

  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
    I read that resets can take up to 9 weeks depending on how much you screwed up your metabolism. I've either been dieting or overeating for the past 10 years so I guess for me it could take that long. Good luck, let us know how it goes.
  • kklotay
    kklotay Posts: 33 Member
    I am trying the same thing. I had 10 lbs. to loose but it was not happening with 1200 net calories. After reading all the posts, I increased it to net 1400 and gained 3 lbs. Not sure what to do anymore...:mad:
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I doubt 2 weeks would be enough time.

    8 to 12 weeks is usually recommended. Although it depends how much metabolic damamge has been done over the years.

    I've essentially been resetting for the last 10 months, eating at or above maintenance. I only now feel ready to start decreasing fat in a healthy controlled way.

    Here is a thread worth reading by someone who successfully raised their metabolism via a reset: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919544-rmr-increased-875-to-1500-after-5-wk-metabolic-reset
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Thanks. I've just been looking at the posts in this group. Going to give reset a go. It's my birthday this week and on holiday afterwards so its a good time to do it. S ared and excited at the same time!!!
  • Altruista75
    Altruista75 Posts: 409 Member
    It takes some serious patience so make sure you remember that! Well worth it in the end to finally find something sustainable though! Don't rush the process and when you want to give up just remember DON'T!
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
    I am trying the same thing. I had 10 lbs. to loose but it was not happening with 1200 net calories. After reading all the posts, I increased it to net 1400 and gained 3 lbs. Not sure what to do anymore...:mad:

    3 lbs is very easily water retention, especially with women. how long did you try 1400? You gotta let yourself get used to it.

    Also...10 lbs will take a loooooooong time. the less you have to lose the longer it takes.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    How do I no when I can go to small deficit and lose. In other words, still not sure how long to eatbatbTDEE, should I do a month at TDEE then drop and see what happens? How many weeks should I do that? Still confused.
  • kklotay
    kklotay Posts: 33 Member
    I am trying the same thing. I had 10 lbs. to loose but it was not happening with 1200 net calories. After reading all the posts, I increased it to net 1400 and gained 3 lbs. Not sure what to do anymore...:mad:

    3 lbs is very easily water retention, especially with women. how long did you try 1400? You gotta let yourself get used to it.

    Also...10 lbs will take a loooooooong time. the less you have to lose the longer it takes.

    I started Mid-March.
  • lydt5880
    lydt5880 Posts: 90 Member
    Ok so i used http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and followed their recommended daily intake. they advise you eat like you would at your goal weight so i entered in an interim goal weight of 150lbs as my current and goal weight so that it calculated as if i was maintaining at that level and guess what, it was 350cal MORE than MFP was giving me. It has been hard going and i initially gain 3.lbs over the 3 months but now i am finally down 2lbs from when i originally began whereas before that, the scale hadn't moved for 5months!

    This is what worked for me and i hope you find something to work for you. Feel free to add me as a friend for support! :)
  • Annelies11
    Annelies11 Posts: 174 Member
    Ok so i used http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and followed their recommended daily intake. they advise you eat like you would at your goal weight so i entered in an interim goal weight of 150lbs as my current and goal weight so that it calculated as if i was maintaining at that level and guess what, it was 350cal MORE than MFP was giving me. It has been hard going and i initially gain 3.lbs over the 3 months but now i am finally down 2lbs from when i originally began whereas before that, the scale hadn't moved for 5months!

    This is what worked for me and i hope you find something to work for you. Feel free to add me as a friend for support! :)

    I am curious how many calories you are eating now?

    I started at 1200, lost a few pounds then plateaud.
    Then I upped it to 1500, lost a few more pounds (like ONE!) then plateaud again for 3 months!
    Now I am upping to 1700. Worried that I will gain weight but I don't know what else to do. 1700 is TDEE-10%
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I am trying the same thing. I had 10 lbs. to loose but it was not happening with 1200 net calories. After reading all the posts, I increased it to net 1400 and gained 3 lbs. Not sure what to do anymore...:mad:

    I'm 6 Lbs heavier than I was yesterday....because I killed it in the gym yesterday and downed some carbs afterwards to replenish my glycogen stores...mission accomplished...glycogen and water stored to repair my muscles.

    Seriously though...3 Lbs is easily water. When you up you calories you're going to retain more water because your body needs more water to metabolize more calories plain and simple. It's like when people start dieting...especially low carb and they drop like 10 Lbs in a week...it's not 10 Lbs of fat, it's about 9 Lbs of water and maybe a pound of fat...because science.

    OP...you'll likely need in the neighborhood of 8-12 weeks to re-set if you've been dieting for a long time. You'll probably put a few pounds on... but most of it will be water...maybe a little fat, but it should be pretty small if you're truly at a maintenance level...just a bit due to your body not used to metabolizing that much.

    It's also pretty normal when you get to goal and go to maintenance to gain a few pounds..and once your body settles back in, they come right back off. Remember, none of this is linear or static.
  • lydt5880
    lydt5880 Posts: 90 Member
    Ok so i used http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and followed their recommended daily intake. they advise you eat like you would at your goal weight so i entered in an interim goal weight of 150lbs as my current and goal weight so that it calculated as if i was maintaining at that level and guess what, it was 350cal MORE than MFP was giving me. It has been hard going and i initially gain 3.lbs over the 3 months but now i am finally down 2lbs from when i originally began whereas before that, the scale hadn't moved for 5months!

    This is what worked for me and i hope you find something to work for you. Feel free to add me as a friend for support! :)

    I am curious how many calories you are eating now?

    I started at 1200, lost a few pounds then plateaud.
    Then I upped it to 1500, lost a few more pounds (like ONE!) then plateaud again for 3 months!
    Now I am upping to 1700. Worried that I will gain weight but I don't know what else to do. 1700 is TDEE-10%


    Hey so now i am netting 1710 cal at activity level Sedentary as i have a pretty accurate 'Fitbit Ultra' which automatically syncs any of my exercise cals to MFP. I was on 1360 with MFP originally :D
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
    I am trying the same thing. I had 10 lbs. to loose but it was not happening with 1200 net calories. After reading all the posts, I increased it to net 1400 and gained 3 lbs. Not sure what to do anymore...:mad:

    3 lbs is very easily water retention, especially with women. how long did you try 1400? You gotta let yourself get used to it.

    Also...10 lbs will take a loooooooong time. the less you have to lose the longer it takes.

    I started Mid-March.

    so basically 2 weeks? Do it for 4-6 weeks and see how it goes. And try not to weigh yourself too often or you will obsess about that 3 lbs, which in all likelihood is water due to your cycle or your body getting used to metabolizing slightly more food.
  • Melo1966
    Melo1966 Posts: 881 Member
    I stopped losing weight Mid-November on the 1,200 diet. I did not believe in plateaus I had always lost like clockwork then nothing. I did a reset in January consuming 2,000 plus and exercised less gained 3-4 pounds. For the month of February I went to 1,500-1,600 and started working out more and dropped 6 pounds. Then I figured out my actual TDEE based on calories in and weight loss did a 30% cut for March which was 1,750 and lost another 5 1/5. Now I am up to 1,850 which is a 25% cut.
    My stats are female 5'2" age 46.
  • Annelies11
    Annelies11 Posts: 174 Member
    Ok so i used http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ and followed their recommended daily intake. they advise you eat like you would at your goal weight so i entered in an interim goal weight of 150lbs as my current and goal weight so that it calculated as if i was maintaining at that level and guess what, it was 350cal MORE than MFP was giving me. It has been hard going and i initially gain 3.lbs over the 3 months but now i am finally down 2lbs from when i originally began whereas before that, the scale hadn't moved for 5months!

    This is what worked for me and i hope you find something to work for you. Feel free to add me as a friend for support! :)

    I am curious how many calories you are eating now?

    I started at 1200, lost a few pounds then plateaud.
    Then I upped it to 1500, lost a few more pounds (like ONE!) then plateaud again for 3 months!
    Now I am upping to 1700. Worried that I will gain weight but I don't know what else to do. 1700 is TDEE-10%


    Hey so now i am netting 1710 cal at activity level Sedentary as i have a pretty accurate 'Fitbit Ultra' which automatically syncs any of my exercise cals to MFP. I was on 1360 with MFP originally :D

    Ok so upping to 1700 might give me better results too :)
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    This is really interesting. Decided that as I would need to give resetting quite a few months, going to try TDEE- 250 for a while first. Going to give it 8 weeks. If no luck then I'll do the reset.

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