Did I Mess Up My Metabolism?

JanAlyssa825
JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there. Hoping to get some new insight.

I'm a 31-year-old female, 5'8", approx 135 pounds. I've lost around 30 pounds using MyFitnessPal - I've always been very active, but I also love food and probably ate more than I should have and didn't pay attention to portion control. Once I started working out harder and carefully counting calories (using an HRM for workouts and a food scale to measure portions), the weight began to come off. However, even with adjusting calories downward, I'm now stalled. I set my base at 1330 calories per day, but I work out (intense cardio for at least an hour and a half) and burn at least 700 calories per day. I eat back most of my calories because, well, I'm hungry. I very rarely take rest days because I feel guilty - and I feel like I can't stay within 1330 calories without being really hungry. Heck, sometimes I'm hungry even when I eat 2,000 calories. My job is very sedentary, so I feel like I absolutely can't skip the gym.

I've been stalled at the same weight for over 2 months, and I feel like no matter how many hours I spend at the gym or how careful I am with food, I'm just maintaining, not losing. Could I have fooled my body into thinking it needs 1330 cal (plus exercise cal) to maintain? Is there any way to fix that?

Others have suggested taking a week off from logging and just eat what I want as a "reset," but I'm nervous about eating too much and feeling out of control. Any tips? I'm not looking to lose a lot more - 5-10 pounds at the most.

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    Got to fat2fitradio.com and run your numbers to get your b.m.r. ( use your current weight as, current and goal weight. ) it will tell you your b.m.r.
  • vismal
    vismal Posts: 2,463 Member
    Agree with Mr.M You simply haven't much left to lose. It will be much easier, and probably leave you looking much better if you slowly gain weight while doing resistance training (weight lifting). Try and gain around 1 lb a month. That will ensure the weight gained is mostly lean mass and not fat. After a prolonged period of muscle gain, you can again try a deficit and you will find that when you reach the same weight you are now, you will look MUCH better and more defined.
  • ars1300
    ars1300 Posts: 159 Member
    If you are burning off that much and consuming that little, your definitely slowing your metabolism down. I don't feel you really need to lose much either! I am 5"9 and now 145 pnds up from 137 about a year ago. my body composition is much better though despite the weight gain! all due to weight lifting! I have been told that you can damage your metabolic rate, by eating very little. A personal trainer at a seminar I attended for my ceritification said they do testings where a woman normally RMR could be 1200-1300 and a client who had an eating disorder in the past was only 600 a day. probably best to try and get an accurate calculation try a online calculator inputting your stats. It can get you a starting point.
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    Your b.m.r is 1370, so, in order to get that weight loss rolling, get the net calories to 1370 a day. If you need anything, you can message me.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    @collingmommy - I feel like that is what I'm netting - a little less, around 1300 per day. Hmm.

    @ars1300 - I'm still eating like 2,000 calories (or more) total per day - is that too little? It seems like kind of a lot to me.

    @vismal and @MrM - I guess my main issue is that I'm afraid to start doing more weight lifting versus cardio - I know when wearing my HRM, my heart rate goes WAY down when I do weight lifting - or really, any time I'm sitting or laying down to do floor exercises. Thus, it looks like I'm burning far fewer calories, which means I can't eat nearly as much as when I do, say, a half hour of running followed by spin class. That's what's preventing me from doing heavy lifting - I want to get as much bang for my buck (or in this case, calories burned for my time) at the gym... and I know lifting will show up as fewer calories on my HRM and thus, less food. How would you approach this?

    Thank you all so much for your help and advice.
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    I know it sounds crazy, but.. It's not that magic number of 1370 net, then your body is holding everything. Our bodies are weird little things, you have to give then what they all for or you get no results. Like I said, go to fat2fitradio.com and look at the info. You will be pleasantly surprised
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    HRM are only meant for steady cardio so they cant estimate heavy lifting calories burned. You are better off using a TDEE calculator and going off that vs what your HRM says as it can be inaccurate if you don't use it with the correct exercise. You may burn less calories doing heavy lifting than cardio but your body will continue to burn calories after a heavy lifting session as your body repairs your muscles and whatnot.

    I am 150lbs, 5'7, female. I maintain at 2,100 calories with 3x/heavy lifting for about 40 minutes each session. That's all the exercise I do.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    Thanks! That's a good point.

    I calculated my TDEE (with 7 days exercise) at 2255. So does that mean I eat that amount (minus like 10%) regardless of what the HRM says or how much I work out?

    I also calculated it via Fat to Fit (BMR), and I'm getting 2444 at the "very active" level (minus 10% to lose some weight). Do I use that regardless of exercise?
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
    Your TDEE calculates your exercise calories in with the total number so you would eat 10% minus your TDEE (or whatever percentage you decide). You wouldn't add extra calories.

    If I have a bad week or am sick, I will recalculate my tdee using sedentary/light active and eat that for the week. Usually my exercise stays the same.

    I'd stick with 2,225 - 10% and see how your loss goes. You can still wear your HRM if you like to see how you work out (I still wear my Fitbit even though I don't use it to calculate how much to eat) if it suits you. If you don't lose weight after a few weeks, reevaluate your numbers.
  • Emporor_Augustus
    Emporor_Augustus Posts: 32
    Out of curiosity (not trying to be rude honestly, it's hard to tell tone with text so I'm clarifying), how much more weight do you want to lose? I've been told by my doctor I should weigh about 110 lb and I'm only 5'1. You're seven inches taller than me, and if you weigh 130 lb right now...

    I guess I'm just wondering how much lighter is healthy (I really have no idea), since you mentioned getting "bang for your buck" regarding burning calories, so it seems you're looking for weight loss, not muscle toning. I'm worried that if you want to be lighter, maybe I should be aiming for less than 110 lb.
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    I know it sounds crazy, but.. It's not that magic number of 1370 net, then your body is holding everything. Our bodies are weird little things, you have to give then what they all for or you get no results. Like I said, go to fat2fitradio.com and look at the info. You will be pleasantly surprised
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Thanks! That's a good point.

    I calculated my TDEE (with 7 days exercise) at 2255. So does that mean I eat that amount (minus like 10%) regardless of what the HRM says or how much I work out?

    I also calculated it via Fat to Fit (BMR), and I'm getting 2444 at the "very active" level (minus 10% to lose some weight). Do I use that regardless of exercise?

    i am shorter than you and do less exercise, but my TDEE is around 2,200? which calculator are you using to get your TDEE?
  • yvie63
    yvie63 Posts: 193 Member
    I think it is possible to mess up your metabolism with too much dieting. If you body is stalling it may be that you have just reached your natural weight - you are well within healthy guidelines - perhaps your body is trying to tell you something. If I were you I would continue to go to the gym to keep yourself fit and healthy and not worry about losing any more. Please don't get hung up on numbers, believe me it can become an obsession and really mess with your head. You have had a fantastic result and are a good healthy weight, I am sure you are looking fabulous so maintain it and enjoy it.
  • sharon210579
    sharon210579 Posts: 9 Member
    I know it sounds crazy, but.. It's not that magic number of 1370 net, then your body is holding everything. Our bodies are weird little things, you have to give then what they all for or you get no results. Like I said, go to fat2fitradio.com and look at the info. You will be pleasantly surprised

    Hi sorry to butt in just wonder if you can help me as abit confussed. I am 4f 11" and weigh 119lbs. Want to lose another 5lbs but stuck. I did the BMR and it came as net of 1286, I do excerise run 3 times a week and 2-3 days do jillian michaels dvd so every day doing some sort of excerise which said overall calories 1715 - what I wanted to ask should just stick to eating 1286 per day or if excerising eating back these calories also to get a weight lose as I feel stuck at the moment also and not lost anything past few weeks. Thanks
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    I know it sounds crazy, but.. It's not that magic number of 1370 net, then your body is holding everything. Our bodies are weird little things, you have to give then what they all for or you get no results. Like I said, go to fat2fitradio.com and look at the info. You will be pleasantly surprised

    Hi sorry to butt in just wonder if you can help me as abit confussed. I am 4f 11" and weigh 119lbs. Want to lose another 5lbs but stuck. I did the BMR and it came as net of 1286, I do excerise run 3 times a week and 2-3 days do jillian michaels dvd so every day doing some sort of excerise which said overall calories 1715 - what I wanted to ask should just stick to eating 1286 per day or if excerising eating back these calories also to get a weight lose as I feel stuck at the moment also and not lost anything past few weeks. Thanks

    you should eat around 1600 calories total daily (that is with the TDEE method) but it would also be advisable to do a program that has more resistance training. JM is more cardio than weight training. Also, set your macros around 40% carbs, 30% protein and fats.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    OP, I agree with MrM too. If anything you should have a very minor deficit and worry about recomp. It's actually not surprising that you are still not happy with your body and very close to being under weights. This is actually fairly common because too many people worry about weight loss not fat loss. The reason most people are unhappy with their body is from a lack of lean body mass. At this point, you can recomp for awhile or do a few bulk/cut cycles to gains some muscle back.
  • sharon210579
    sharon210579 Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks
  • maggieparks1
    maggieparks1 Posts: 8
    Try the 5.2 lifestyle basically eat you calories on 5 days of the week and on the other 2 eat only 500 It may sound daunting but IT WORKS! Fill up with water or low cal things Ive lost 7lb in 6 weeks.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    Try the 5.2 lifestyle basically eat you calories on 5 days of the week and on the other 2 eat only 500 It may sound daunting but IT WORKS! Fill up with water or low cal things Ive lost 7lb in 6 weeks.

    Just to clarify, when you do 5:2, you eat at your maintenance or slightly above your maintenance on the non fasting days and then 500 on the fasting days. This is just a type of interim fasting. Essentially, you create your deficit on two days as opposed to a daily deficit. Over the week, it will produce the same results.
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    [/quote]

    i am shorter than you and do less exercise, but my TDEE is around 2,200? which calculator are you using to get your TDEE?
    [/quote]

    I used this one: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    Out of curiosity (not trying to be rude honestly, it's hard to tell tone with text so I'm clarifying), how much more weight do you want to lose? I've been told by my doctor I should weigh about 110 lb and I'm only 5'1. You're seven inches taller than me, and if you weigh 130 lb right now...

    I guess I'm just wondering how much lighter is healthy (I really have no idea), since you mentioned getting "bang for your buck" regarding burning calories, so it seems you're looking for weight loss, not muscle toning. I'm worried that if you want to be lighter, maybe I should be aiming for less than 110 lb.

    You don't sound rude at all! I'm only trying to get to around 130, possibly a bit less. I'm currently at 135. The reason I try to get "bang for my buck" is mostly because I like eating and have trouble limiting my calories... so I'd rather work out more so I can have more to eat.

    I think your body shape has a lot to do with your ideal weight... so 110 for you could be perfect. I'm very hippy and busty, so even when I'm thin, weight-wise, I still look curvy. I'm also under a doctor's supervision (I have colitis), so I'm being careful not to lose too much. 130 is on the low end of the BMI but still within acceptable healthy range. In all honesty, at 160 pounds, I didn't really look overweight - it's still within the BMI "healthy" range - but I wasn't happy with how I looked in some of my clothes, and I live in Los Angeles, where a lot of people are in great shape, and I just felt, why can't I?

    I guess what I'm trying to say is, 110 could still be the ideal weight for you, especially if that's what your doctor said. You may carry weight differently than I do.

    For the poster who mentioned 5:2, I don't know if I could do that - does that mean you don't work out on the days you eat 500 cal? I think I'd feel tired and lethargic, even if I was just working at home, on 500 cal per day.

    And thank you to the poster who mentioned not getting too obsessed with numbers and just being healthy. Sometimes I have trouble remembering that a number is just a number.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    OP, to also provide you some additional context to why we suggest what we do, below is the reason why body composition is important... not weight. Losing 5 lbs and probably even 10 won't provide that much more of a benefit, especially if you don't have adequate lean body mass. This is also why I mention the bulk/cut phases to add mass. Keep in mind, more muscle = leaner and tighter body. This is why Staci (in the below link) gained 20 lbs and continued to become skinnier. What I normally suggest though is only look at the comparison from 120 to 130 lbs. As most women won't go as extreme from 130 to 140. Also, the advantage of adding muscle is your metabolism will increase and you can eat more food (huge benefit since you love food).

    I can tell you from being on this board for so long, there are tons of women on the edge of under weight or that are under weight that still can't figure out why their bodies don't look the way they thing the should. So we hope you consider the weight training because that is really where you will see the greatest gains in body improvement.



    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    ^This. I started out wanting to go from 120 to 115 at 5'6". I ended up gaining weight when I began resistance training, while also losing a couple of points of body fat. But my body LOOKS a whole lot better in the same clothes I used to wear when I weighed less, because I have become 'harder'. To be honest, I am lucky that it is fairly easy for me to gain muscle, as I lifted extremely heavy when I was in my 20's, so there was apparently some good muscle memory still there. But it is very worth it to eat a little more and lift heavy. You will feel great and look even better. :flowerforyou:
  • JanAlyssa825
    JanAlyssa825 Posts: 43 Member
    Thank you all so much for the input and the helpful links. Staci's journey was especially interesting. I do some strength training, though maybe it doesn't count - it's an hourlong class at the gym where we use lighter weights (I use 2 7.5 pounders) and do various quickly-paced exercises, like bicep curls, triceps work, concentration curls, etc... but it's probably still more cardio than strength training.

    My new plan is, after an upcoming vacation where I plan to work out but not to my usual extent, I'll make an appointment with a personal trainer to show me the ropes so I can start lifting heavy safely - and maybe cut down on the cardio. My legs feel pretty strong from tons of cycling, but my arms... not so much. I've tried Crossfit and enjoyed it, but I'm sort of klutzy and fear I would hurt myself.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Got to fat2fitradio.com and run your numbers to get your b.m.r. ( use your current weight as, current and goal weight. ) it will tell you your b.m.r.
    That's a fun website. Thanks for the link.

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