Metabolic slow down or cut calories more?

0mens
0mens Posts: 1 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
New here. In 12 months, I've managed to lose 20kg and go from 105kg to 85kg. In a perfect world, I'd get to 70kg but being realistic, I've been aiming for 80kg. Height is 5'7".

Over those twelve months, I started intermittent fasting (600kcals for two non-consecutive days) whilst using the myfitnesspal's calorie estimation for the other days. This went from 2200kcals down to 1200kcals/day and has worked fantastically. My weight loss was quicker at the beginning but as I've come closer to target, it's slowed down to stationary.

Except for the last three months. I've been stuck at the same weight. It's been mentioned to me that it may be down to metabolism slowing down. I've noticed my pulse is slower and my hands and feet are cold where they would be hot like a furnace.

I run three times a week for cardiovascular fitness but make up the deficit with pre and post run calories. The next step would be to avoid these calories to go down to around 1000kcals.

Just wondering if there's anything else I can do?

Replies

  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    "My metabolism is slowing down".

    No, you've lost mass, and while your metabolic rate might not have changed significantly, your margins for error for weight loss have narrowed considerably. A 200lb person who starts losing weight at X number of calories a day is going to have to eat less than X when they get closer to their goal weight. Your mass dictates your magic number, your calorie deficit.

    In all likelihood, you're estimating your calorie intake inaccurately. You probably think you're in a deficit, but you're not, whether it's by "eating back" too many of your exercise calories, or by just getting your calorie totals wrong throughout the day, neglecting to log certain calories, etc. It's very, very easy to screw up a deficit with faulty math. THAT should be the first place you look when you "plateau"—which is just another way of saying that you're eating at maintenance, without wanting to.
  • swet02
    swet02 Posts: 52
    I think you are in the plateau stage when you just dont loss anything. But you should have also check your body fat, muscle mass and see if the non change of your weight means you have just gained muscle and loss fat and still have sufficient amount of body water. Because if your diet only loss your weight and and does not really have significant adjustments on some areas, then its not really a good healthy diet and maybe you should recheck your goal and your diet plan. :)
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I don't understand your intake there. You've been eating 1200 calories/day for 3 months without losing?
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    you could get your metabolism tested and see.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    I don't understand your intake there. You've been eating 1200 calories/day for 3 months without losing?

    They were probably "netting" 1200—which means their calorie deficit got wiped out by math shenanigans.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    With 5:2 fasting you should be eating 600 cals 2 days a week and your maintenence calories the other 5 days. If you're going to use a program you might want to double check that all of your numbers are right.
  • swet02
    swet02 Posts: 52
    I really dont believe in fasting, Discipline is still the key. Like if your daily cal required is 1400 per day, slash 200to 500 cal per day for your daily food intake. That way, you will also be disciplining your body not to get hungry that fast. But of course, once in a while you can cheat. But still discipline is really the key, dont fast. It will just slow down your metabolism. Not healthy at all

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