"Metabolic Damage"

Hello Everyone,

I have been following this thread and think there is a lot of great info. I too did the HCG diet, one round in Jan 2010, and I have not recovered from the ill effects. I lost about 15 lbs, but have gained twice as much back. In addition, to having a slowed metabolism, I became hyper sensitive to most carbs, and starchy foods. I will gain from 1-3 lbs over night in water weight, but have to really be strict on carb intake for the next several days to try to get rid of it. It has been a constant battle that has left me much fatter, hopeless, depressed and going in circles constantly. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can fix this? Thank you.

The reason for the concern is I continue to get fatter and fatter. Before HCG, I did not gain 3lbs after eating things like rice or a peice of cake. To be clear, I try not to indulge in sweets too often, because if I did I would probably be 300 plus lbs by now. I am hoping someone else that had the the same issues with hyper carb sensitive after the HCG diet could help me if they were able to get their body back to normal.

look in to the Fast Metabolism Diet - I've seen some negative reviews of it (claiming it's super low calorie, etc.) but that is pure hogwash if you follow what the nutritionist who wrote the book says (Haylie Pomroy). I've been on it for 3 weeks and one day as of today, I have lost 12.8 pounds - very respectable, have never been hungry, eat a diet that is open to be read and has been given high marks by critics who KNOW what they're talking about, and I'm happy as a lark with it.

My metabolism seems to have sped up - I've more energy, feel better and work faster than I've ever done before. Nice feeling. In fact it's made me feel younger than I have in years, and I don't hurt all over like I used to. Nice side effects.

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look in to the Fast Metabolism Diet - I've seen some negative reviews of it (claiming it's super low calorie, etc.) but that is pure hogwash if you follow what the nutritionist who wrote the book says (Haylie Pomroy). I've been on it for 3 weeks and one day as of today, I have lost 12.8 pounds - very respectable, have never been hungry, eat a diet that is open to be read and has been given high marks by critics who KNOW what they're talking about, and I'm happy as a lark with it.

My metabolism seems to have sped up - I've more energy, feel better and work faster than I've ever done before. Nice feeling. In fact it's made me feel younger than I have in years, and I don't hurt all over like I used to. Nice side effects.

12.8 lbs of weight, but was was the weight lost in 22 days?
Water, fat, muscle mass?

If you think that was all fat, then the following would apply.

12.8 lbs x 3500 = 44800 deficit created / 22 days = 2036 calorie deficit daily.

Do you imagine you really sped up your metabolism so much that you could eat at a healthy diet, and still have a deficit of 2000 calories daily, from whatever you think your maintenance was sped up to.

So if you ate 1200 (you said not low calorie, but the minimum safety for a sedentary woman isn't great for a man), that would assume your maintenance was somehow up at 3200, while normal maintenance was probably around 2000. So 1200 speed up in metabolism to get from 2000 normal to required 3200, in order to create a 2000 calorie deficit daily.

Ya - didn't happen. You are losing more than fat, sad to say. You will regret that later.

Now like anyone that starts a diet, you probably lost 3 lbs of water associated with glycogen stores no longer topped off, and you are in constant state of depletion to some degree.
You can confirm that between 2 days of weighing. Eat 2 bagels as bedtime snacks and class of water, see how much more you weigh in the morning.

Depending on prior eating habits, merely cutting some sodium could also drop 2 lbs easily.

So that leaves 7.8 lbs x 3500 / 22 = 1240 deficit daily

That might be a tad more realistic, but sadly unless your are morbidly obese, your body probably can't support that deficit, and still losing muscle mass.

Since you are excited by the results, pretty sure nothing will change, so please do the favor of saving this topic post in a blog or on your profile wall, to update when you reach 30 lbs lost.

I've never seen anyone that had these big losses ever come back and tell a prior thread that everything worked wonderfully with the plan as it was going at the start.
But I have seen at minimum 4 such come back after some months and weight was stalled and they were skinny fat and still not at goal weight. They still didn't update the topic where they were hopeful and sure, but I knew the usernames because I saved them.

Hope it works for you. Quick weight loss without worrying about what it is always backfires.

Formulas can be widely inaccurate depending on the individual body. Its better to get your RMR measured. I was burning 200 g of fat every day at rest and lost 3 lbs a week with out any problem (confirmed by an ultrasound body fat % tests). It depends if the person has normal, below normal or faster metabolism.

Fresh off the press
http://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/truth-about-metabolic-damage

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Even if you don't like some of the terms used, the effects are real and experienced by many even when they should have enough fat as energy supply.

I have "yo-yo" dieted for 25 years and recently completed a alow carb, low calorie, meal replacement diet that helped me lose over 200 lbs. Once I left the diet and tried to hit maintenance while lifting I kept putting on weight. I was about to go back on the plan when I connected with a Trainer who was also a Body Builder. Once we identified that I am Carb Insensitive I started losing, that then slowed down to a halt and we tried a reverse diet and recovery plan. While I do not have a normal metabolism and many never have one. I think we have finally turned the corner and I am able to eat a moderate amount of carbs without gaining and have started a steady loss. Here is a resource that I found on this topic as I was going through the issues: Great information:

http://www.metaboliceffect.com/

bump for later!

Marking to read when I have time!

I suggest the folks who claim to hold onto fat because they aren't eating enough read this article, it sums it up nicely

http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/

The guy who wrote this article has absolutely NO credentials. He's not a scientist, nutritionist or doctor.

I am seeing one of the top sports nutritionists in the country on Thursday and I am definitely going to be asking her about Metabolic Damage, starvation mode, etc. I'll post what I learn.

Again, terms used are causing confusion.

He actually does discuss the fact you can squash your metabolism lower than it needs to be, adaptive thermogenesis - you read the link given above for another discussion on it.

Your link he is very specific on what he is addressing by the term "starvation mode" - and when some people think it happens.

As he points out, there's the extreme it happens because you skipped breakfast, there is also the extreme that it doesn't happen at all.

What he doesn't discuss much though, is that while you can keep cutting until you start losing weight again, do you really want your body to adapt to the max requiring you to eat so little calories?
Giving a very narrow margin for error to see success, and causing terrible compliance perhaps, and making maintenance a real dog.

The link above at least discusses repair or reseting that could help get it back up again.

look in to the Fast Metabolism Diet - I've seen some negative reviews of it (claiming it's super low calorie, etc.) but that is pure hogwash if you follow what the nutritionist who wrote the book says (Haylie Pomroy). I've been on it for 3 weeks and one day as of today, I have lost 12.8 pounds - very respectable, have never been hungry, eat a diet that is open to be read and has been given high marks by critics who KNOW what they're talking about, and I'm happy as a lark with it.

My metabolism seems to have sped up - I've more energy, feel better and work faster than I've ever done before. Nice feeling. In fact it's made me feel younger than I have in years, and I don't hurt all over like I used to. Nice side effects.

12.8 lbs of weight, but was was the weight lost in 22 days?
Water, fat, muscle mass?

If you think that was all fat, then the following would apply.

12.8 lbs x 3500 = 44800 deficit created / 22 days = 2036 calorie deficit daily.

Do you imagine you really sped up your metabolism so much that you could eat at a healthy diet, and still have a deficit of 2000 calories daily, from whatever you think your maintenance was sped up to.

So if you ate 1200 (you said not low calorie, but the minimum safety for a sedentary woman isn't great for a man), that would assume your maintenance was somehow up at 3200, while normal maintenance was probably around 2000. So 1200 speed up in metabolism to get from 2000 normal to required 3200, in order to create a 2000 calorie deficit daily.

Ya - didn't happen. You are losing more than fat, sad to say. You will regret that later.

Now like anyone that starts a diet, you probably lost 3 lbs of water associated with glycogen stores no longer topped off, and you are in constant state of depletion to some degree.
You can confirm that between 2 days of weighing. Eat 2 bagels as bedtime snacks and class of water, see how much more you weigh in the morning.

Depending on prior eating habits, merely cutting some sodium could also drop 2 lbs easily.

So that leaves 7.8 lbs x 3500 / 22 = 1240 deficit daily

That might be a tad more realistic, but sadly unless your are morbidly obese, your body probably can't support that deficit, and still losing muscle mass.

Since you are excited by the results, pretty sure nothing will change, so please do the favor of saving this topic post in a blog or on your profile wall, to update when you reach 30 lbs lost.

I've never seen anyone that had these big losses ever come back and tell a prior thread that everything worked wonderfully with the plan as it was going at the start.
But I have seen at minimum 4 such come back after some months and weight was stalled and they were skinny fat and still not at goal weight. They still didn't update the topic where they were hopeful and sure, but I knew the usernames because I saved them.

Hope it works for you. Quick weight loss without worrying about what it is always backfires.

The only REAL difference I made in the diet, per se, is cutting out snacks (i.e. unsalted peanuts, candy, occasional soft drink, popcorn). I did not change the sodium content other than that. Additionally I added cardio and weights, with the cardio on two days of carb shading, weights on two days of enhanced protein. Both these have increased use and endurance, even over this short a period of time. I am sure some of it is water, but the major loss in inches has been around my waist - not my thighs, calves, hips, forearms, biceps or chest.

I'm not claiming miracles here - there is also a modicum of hard work going with this, hand in hand. And I'm not a diet fanatic. However this eating regime makes more sense than going down and eating 1800 calories in ice cream, then claiming I was under my caloric 'goal'.

My comments were made simply to add to a discussion, not criticize anyone. However, your comments border on little but criticism and, as you've no Idea who I am, what I am doing, or how I have been eating, you've little to base your comments on and quite less to use as a base for criticism. Simply saying.

Maintenance for me is approximately 2400 calories per day, balanced foods. MFP goals for 1 pound per week loss are 1880 per day with sodium below 2300. My average caloric intake prior to starting this over the last four months was approximately 1730 per day - mostly balanced foods but with the aforementioned 'snacks' included and sometimes running the cumulative total over the average. Since starting this eating plan, the caloric intake has been averaging 1829 calories per day as of my last calculations. Sodium intake has dropped from about 2200-2400 to around 1500-1600 due to the lack of snacks.

Personally, I attribute the loss to a healthier diet, lower sodium intake (small gain there), slightly elevated activity level (walking and weights), and mostly from eating home prepared meals rather than 'healthy choices when eating out' as if there really was such a thing. I also attribute the losses to what could be called dietary confusion. Since I am never eating the same types of foods more than two or three days at a time, my digestive system has not fallen into an anticipatory rhythm.

As I said, this is the first three weeks. I've substantially more to lose. We shall see how the loss goes and how the remaking of the body goes. Right now, the chest is winning - the stomach losing. And that, is all right with me.

As far as coming back to this thread and bringing all up to date to 'satisfy your need to know', I most probably will not.

I work. I work a LOT. and in the summer I work a good solid 18 hours out of every 24. In two months or so, I will be quite busy, and MFP by itself will be a chore to keep up. So, unless one wants to keep up with my timeline, I won't be doubling the amount of time I have to dedicate to pursuit of activities that have no meaning to me, nor any personal involvement.

So please, haymaker - don't expect me to come back and update you. I'm sure you're nice enough guy and I'm sure that I'd enjoy repartee' with you, but honestly, I will not have the time to spare, success or failure of this eating program or not.

I guess that's just life in the fast lane, eh?

Metabolic damage is overblown. You can certainly reduce your TDEE by:

1) losing a large amount of muscle by dieting too fast, not engaging in effective strength training, and not eating enough protein

So don't do those things..

2) the hormone changes that occur with a sustained calorie deficit, especially if you are lean

And it will often self correct if you just eat enough for long enough. Don't try to be underweight.

3) legitimate thyroid issues, from childhood or onset.

Easily diagnosed and manageable with a cheap prescription.

4) losing weight

Well, that's kind of the point, isn't it?

5) sedentary lifestyle

Get moving.

I have only tried my regular diet plan and some cardio which is very helpful my BMR. I don't know anything more about it. I only take healthy meal and do cardio as per the daily routine.

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