Metabolism Repair Advice Needed
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russelloakes1
Posts: 8 Member
Hi,
I'm 33 year old male, 6ft 3in and at last weigh-in 194lbs (although I suspect this week I will be higher).
For a year or two now I had been carrying out intermittent fasting, I went for the 5:2 approach and saw good weight loss results. In the last year I switched to alternate day fasting and also cut back what I was eating on non-fasting days as I was being a little more indulgent due to a new relationship (more meals out, tasty treats at home etc.) and not monitoring my calories. I'm struggling to maintain now though and I feel it's because my metabolism has been forced down due to the fasting and reduced calories, then when we do have a weekend of indulgences I put on a lot of weight, which is to be expected.
In an effort to reverse this I've firstly gone back to 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day...have I fallen at the first hurdle, should I be avoiding fasting for a while.
Otherwise I have started to eat my recommended TDEE which is ~2300 calories (office job, no exercise) on my non-fasting days.
The question is, how do I monitor how the metabolism repair is going? I will be weighing myself weekly and expect it to go up but hoping it plateaus eventually meaning the repair is complete. My concern is if the TDEE calculation is incorrect and I'm eating more than I should then the weight gain will increase indefinitely, so how long do I wait or how is it best monitored?
Once the repair is complete I plan to continue the 5:2 fast but with TDEE calories on non-fast days. Or should I avoid the fast for good and just drop and monitor my calories by 500 per day? I assume both calorie reduction or fasting will both have the same cumulative effect week on week?
Thanks for your help!
Kind Regards
Russell Oakes
I'm 33 year old male, 6ft 3in and at last weigh-in 194lbs (although I suspect this week I will be higher).
For a year or two now I had been carrying out intermittent fasting, I went for the 5:2 approach and saw good weight loss results. In the last year I switched to alternate day fasting and also cut back what I was eating on non-fasting days as I was being a little more indulgent due to a new relationship (more meals out, tasty treats at home etc.) and not monitoring my calories. I'm struggling to maintain now though and I feel it's because my metabolism has been forced down due to the fasting and reduced calories, then when we do have a weekend of indulgences I put on a lot of weight, which is to be expected.
In an effort to reverse this I've firstly gone back to 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day...have I fallen at the first hurdle, should I be avoiding fasting for a while.
Otherwise I have started to eat my recommended TDEE which is ~2300 calories (office job, no exercise) on my non-fasting days.
The question is, how do I monitor how the metabolism repair is going? I will be weighing myself weekly and expect it to go up but hoping it plateaus eventually meaning the repair is complete. My concern is if the TDEE calculation is incorrect and I'm eating more than I should then the weight gain will increase indefinitely, so how long do I wait or how is it best monitored?
Once the repair is complete I plan to continue the 5:2 fast but with TDEE calories on non-fast days. Or should I avoid the fast for good and just drop and monitor my calories by 500 per day? I assume both calorie reduction or fasting will both have the same cumulative effect week on week?
Thanks for your help!
Kind Regards
Russell Oakes
0
Replies
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What information are you using to make the conclusion that your metabolism is damaged?0
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This ^^^^^What information are you using to make the conclusion that your metabolism is damaged?
Have you been tested by a medical professional? In all likelihood your metabolism is within the normal range.0 -
I doubt your metabolism has changed at all.
1. Has your activity changed, often times we get a little lazier when we are in relationships, cuddling on the couch is more fun than running Less activity will require less intake.
2. You need to log all your food every day, even with fasting plans. There are lots of pros and cons to fasting but in and of itself it does not guarantee weight loss. CICO is what makes you lose weight, if you are eating too much on non fast days you could destory any deficit you create = no weight loss.0 -
Ok fair point, but considering I was reducing my daily calorie intake quite significantly and increasing my fasting but still putting on weight I can't imagine I was undoing all of that calorie reduction at the weekend pushing me past by TDEE and increasing weight. Especially as we do try to keep it healthy and don't indulge EVERY weekend.
I guess even if my assumptions are incorrect am I on a healthy path now and I should just stick with it? What if I see weight gain even with sticking to my ~2300 and 5:2 fasting?0 -
What information are you using to make the conclusion that your metabolism is damaged?
this
also, at 6ft3, how much do you want to lose?0 -
also, at 6ft3, how much do you want to lose?
I was 13 stone about 18 months ago but I can't seem to start heading back in that direction, quite the opposite!0 -
Ok fair point, but considering I was reducing my daily calorie intake quite significantly and increasing my fasting but still putting on weight I can't imagine I was undoing all of that calorie reduction at the weekend pushing me past by TDEE and increasing weight. Especially as we do try to keep it healthy and don't indulge EVERY weekend.
I guess even if my assumptions are incorrect am I on a healthy path now and I should just stick with it? What if I see weight gain even with sticking to my ~2300 and 5:2 fasting?
I would first ask you if you are using a food scale and if you are logging everything, consistently, daily. What this means is, condiments, oils, little nibbles of this or that, and I'd further drill down into individual entries to see that those are correct before I'd make any conclusions about metabolic abnormalities.
Most people eat more than they think. This is not a statement about honesty or intelligence either. I do it too, and being aware of it and making efforts to tighten logging/food scale usage is one way to mitigate this even if it's only short term to collect more accurate data.
The first thing I'd do would be to thoroughly examine intake accuracy and see if you can do this meticulously for two weeks or so. See what happens in that time period as far as change in weight, and make conclusions based on that.0 -
I doubt your metabolism has changed at all.
1. Has your activity changed, often times we get a little lazier when we are in relationships, cuddling on the couch is more fun than running Less activity will require less intake.
2. You need to log all your food every day, even with fasting plans. There are lots of pros and cons to fasting but in and of itself it does not guarantee weight loss. CICO is what makes you lose weight, if you are eating too much on non fast days you could destory any deficit you create = no weight loss.
I've never been active exercise wise so not much change there.
In which case the calories in could have increased but I was mindful of that which caused my change to alternate day fasting instead of 5:2 and also reducing non-fast calories. I guess using MFP properly and monitoring my calories may cause the reduction in those indulgent periods but 2300 calories at the moment is a hell of a lot more than I was eating before so I expect weight gain.0 -
Ok fair point, but considering I was reducing my daily calorie intake quite significantly and increasing my fasting but still putting on weight I can't imagine I was undoing all of that calorie reduction at the weekend pushing me past by TDEE and increasing weight. Especially as we do try to keep it healthy and don't indulge EVERY weekend.
I guess even if my assumptions are incorrect am I on a healthy path now and I should just stick with it? What if I see weight gain even with sticking to my ~2300 and 5:2 fasting?
I would first ask you if you are using a food scale and if you are logging everything, consistently, daily. What this means is, condiments, oils, little nibbles of this or that, and I'd further drill down into individual entries to see that those are correct before I'd make any conclusions about metabolic abnormalities.
Most people eat more than they think. This is not a statement about honesty or intelligence either. I do it too, and being aware of it and making efforts to tighten logging/food scale usage is one way to mitigate this even if it's only short term to collect more accurate data.
The first thing I'd do would be to thoroughly examine intake accuracy and see if you can do this meticulously for two weeks or so. See what happens in that time period as far as change in weight, and make conclusions based on that.
Thanks and I appreciate the logic, I've only just started using MFP and properly monitoring as part of this dilemma, I could be reading into things too much and proper food logging will be the solution all by itself. Just feel like I'm eating so much more on non-fast days now.
Previously I would skip breakfast, have a salad for lunch and then a normal dinner. I can't imagine my dinner was hitting 2300 calories as we do make healthy choices (apart from some weekends). But if those weekends massively undid the good work it could explain it.0 -
I doubt your metabolism has changed at all.
1. Has your activity changed, often times we get a little lazier when we are in relationships, cuddling on the couch is more fun than running Less activity will require less intake.
2. You need to log all your food every day, even with fasting plans. There are lots of pros and cons to fasting but in and of itself it does not guarantee weight loss. CICO is what makes you lose weight, if you are eating too much on non fast days you could destory any deficit you create = no weight loss.
I've never been active exercise wise so not much change there.
In which case the calories in could have increased but I was mindful of that which caused my change to alternate day fasting instead of 5:2 and also reducing non-fast calories. I guess using MFP properly and monitoring my calories may cause the reduction in those indulgent periods but 2300 calories at the moment is a hell of a lot more than I was eating before so I expect weight gain.
I agree with sidesteel above, your theories are correct but if you are not actually tracking long term and accurately you just don't truely know what you have been doing. Just because you think you decreased calories have you really? How do you know?
Learn to log and stick with it first, then worry about a deficit plan once you can actually measure your intake.0 -
also, at 6ft3, how much do you want to lose?
I was 13 stone about 18 months ago but I can't seem to start heading back in that direction, quite the opposite!
so you only want to lose about a stone then? 13st is 182lbs?
so you only need a small deficit - aim to lose 0.5lb per week to minimuse muscle loss - whether you use 5:2 is up to you if that style of eating works0 -
Welcome to MFP. There are a group for every lifestyle on here, and I'm sure you'll find at least one group that'll appeal. Good luck on your road to a healthier life!0
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/red-room/undereating_b_4123345.html
read this for some common sense about calorie restriction0 -
Thanks everyone for your help and advice!0
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Quick one. Having taken your advice I'm considering going back to aiming for ~1800 calories (1lb week loss) rather than ~2300 (maintenance) but sticking with 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day.
I figure the 1800 calorie target will be good to aim for in general but then leaves the 500 calorie wiggle room for some unexpected and unmeasured indulgences (meals or drinks out etc.)
As I said though, hopefully the real benefit will come from proper monitoring of calorie intake and a reduction in unmeasured indulgences.
Does that sound about right?0 -
Quick one. Having taken your advice I'm considering going back to aiming for ~1800 calories (1lb week loss) rather than ~2300 (maintenance) but sticking with 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day.
I figure the 1800 calorie target will be good to aim for in general but then leaves the 500 calorie wiggle room for some unexpected and unmeasured indulgences (meals or drinks out etc.)
As I said though, hopefully the real benefit will come from proper monitoring of calorie intake and a reduction in unmeasured indulgences.
Does that sound about right?
5:2 works on the principle that you eat at mantenance 5 days and get your deficit from 2 500 (or 600 if you're male) calorie days...
you are going to eat at a deficit 5 days and a massive deficit 2 days... its really not neccessary to eat so little to lose weight you know.0 -
Quick one. Having taken your advice I'm considering going back to aiming for ~1800 calories (1lb week loss) rather than ~2300 (maintenance) but sticking with 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day.
I figure the 1800 calorie target will be good to aim for in general but then leaves the 500 calorie wiggle room for some unexpected and unmeasured indulgences (meals or drinks out etc.)
As I said though, hopefully the real benefit will come from proper monitoring of calorie intake and a reduction in unmeasured indulgences.
Does that sound about right?
5:2 works on the principle that you eat at mantenance 5 days and get your deficit from 2 500 (or 600 if you're male) calorie days...
you are going to eat at a deficit 5 days and a massive deficit 2 days... its really not neccessary to eat so little to lose weight you know.
Fair point, that was what I was concerned about0 -
Have you tried doing a 16 hr fast, 8 hr eating window?
But if you are good w/ 5:2, do that....
Regardless of what eating protocol you use....it will still come down to total calories consumed vs used.0 -
Quick one. Having taken your advice I'm considering going back to aiming for ~1800 calories (1lb week loss) rather than ~2300 (maintenance) but sticking with 5:2 fasting rather than alternate day.
I figure the 1800 calorie target will be good to aim for in general but then leaves the 500 calorie wiggle room for some unexpected and unmeasured indulgences (meals or drinks out etc.)
As I said though, hopefully the real benefit will come from proper monitoring of calorie intake and a reduction in unmeasured indulgences.
Does that sound about right?
5:2 works on the principle that you eat at mantenance 5 days and get your deficit from 2 500 (or 600 if you're male) calorie days...
you are going to eat at a deficit 5 days and a massive deficit 2 days... its really not neccessary to eat so little to lose weight you know.
Fair point, that was what I was concerned about
the numbers you want to use are the same as just eating 1400 per day... i would be MISERABLE doing that and i'm a lot smaller than you!0 -
Have you tried doing a 16 hr fast, 8 hr eating window?
But if you are good w/ 5:2, do that....
Regardless of what eating protocol you use....it will still come down to total calories consumed vs used.
^ See bold ^0
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