Metabolism working in overdrive or am I Starving Myself

Ansin529
Ansin529 Posts: 47
in Health and Weight Loss
After many years of a somewhat sedentary lifestyle (work was extremely active and home life was sedentary) and unhealthy eating, I have finally decided to change my life for the better (and permanently)...

I started at 245 or so and I am currently at 207. My target weight is between 168 and 180. I am 5'10. I have changed my diet completely and I work out two times per day (morning and night)...

I am trying establish a solid/active/functional metabolism and understand the biology of my body... Recently as I pay more and more attention to myself, I notice that on the days I lose weight (whether it is a pound or more and has been more), I experience that bottom of my stomach hunger. The hunger is not enough to disturb me, but it is enough to let me know it is there... Is this metabolism and me burning what I eat as fast as I eat it or is this a bad thing...

Should I feed the hunger or should I continue the path I am on. I guess I am scared that I may be losing muscle mass instead of fat... Is it possible to eat a healthy/proportionate day and lose sometimes one or two pounds in a day a couple times per week... This isnt the case every week but is does seem to occur approximately every two weeks...

I exercise twice per day and include strength training as well... I drink plenty of water and eat what I believe to be in a healthy manner...

Replies

  • Unknown
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  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    If you are burning a lot of calories, it is normal to feel hunger. The important factors you should focus on are meeting your nutrient requirements, especially your macros (fat, protein, fiber) for good health, and properly fueling your workouts. Since you have 27 lbs. to lose, a suggested guideline is to aim for 1 lb. per week.


    As a rule of thumb, the following weekly targets would give a balance between minimizing these negative side effects and seeing a reasonable weekly weight loss:

    More than 75 lbs: 2 lbs/week
    40-75 lbs: 1.5 lbs/week
    10-40 lbs: 1 lb/week
    Less than 10 lbs: 0.5 lb/week

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    Yikes. 2 lbs loss in a day?!? Are you "eating back" your exercise calories?
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    I do not starve myself, however I try not to eat more than three times per day... I start out by eating a protein or cereal bar as soon as I wake up and on my way to my first work out!!! Once I complete my work-out I have a one or two serving protein shake with water. This is in place of a breakfast meal...

    I eat a salad and some type of bean for lunch and a sensible dinner... Often, I will add a side of meat to my salad for lunch to change things up... I then work out in the evening before bed each night...

    I am not intentionally starving myself... I seem to either feel hungry with my current diet or extremely full eating several small meals per day... I would like to think that three meals per day is enough...

    I do not eat my exercise calories back...

    Hope that all made sense...
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    I appreciate your responses guys!!!
  • loulamb7
    loulamb7 Posts: 801 Member
    If you are using MFP to establish your calories you should be eating some to most of your exercise calories back. If you don't fuel your body properly the opposite of "metabolism working in overdrive" will occur, your metabolism will slow down to compensate. How did you determine the number of calories you should be eating? And what are your weekly weight lose goals? And why are you working out twice a day? Your body needs rest to repair itself.
  • WhitneyAnnabelle
    WhitneyAnnabelle Posts: 724 Member
    I think the amount of exercise you're doing is sapping your appetite. It happens to me a lot. The problem that can happen, though, is that you go the entire day hardly eating and then you end up inadvertently binging at night because your body is like, "Hell no, you need to give me calories now." That's caused me to do the whole one step forward, two steps back thing. Just be aware of things like that.
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    You're not logging on a lot of days, and eating too little on the days you do log (assuming you're logging everything). 1300-1600 calories is far too few. Eat more, or expect to crash hard sooner rather than later.
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    I use MFP to calculate my calories... If I eat my exercise calories back, I am extremely full. The feeling is uncomfortable to me...

    I like the evening work-out which is normally an aerobic exercise of some kind because it helps me get rid of the fullness from dinner... I never feel worn out with the exercising I do unless I strength train hard during the week... When I train hard, I take time off to rest the muscles I targeted...

    I guess I have to force myself to try and eat more during the day... It just seems to be against everything we are ever taught (to eat when we aren't hungry or between meals (snacking)...
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    I try to log everyday... I recently went on vacation and failed to log appropriately... This is why I have a break in my days...

    I am going to have to find a way to eat light, more often and in a way that yields more calories...
  • thesupremeforce
    thesupremeforce Posts: 1,206 Member
    I use MFP to calculate my calories... If I eat my exercise calories back, I am extremely full. The feeling is uncomfortable to me...

    I like the evening work-out which is normally an aerobic exercise of some kind because it helps me get rid of the fullness from dinner... I never feel worn out with the exercising I do unless I strength train hard during the week... When I train hard, I take time off to rest the muscles I targeted...

    I guess I have to force myself to try and eat more during the day... It just seems to be against everything we are ever taught (to eat when we aren't hungry or between meals (snacking)...

    I don't see why you're even talking about exercise calories when according to your diary, you're not eating your base number of calories anyway. Fix that first. It's an "eat this amount" goal, not an "eat less than this" goal.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • ChampCrucial
    ChampCrucial Posts: 120 Member
    I say eat after your evening workout. Your body needs that extra food to build muscle and run off of while your sleep. If you like milk put your protein in milk at night. Milk has casein protein which is slow digesting so you have a steady supply for longer at night. Other than that eat a little bit when your hungry. Your body is better than any calculator.

    As a guy said you have to eat to meet the goal. I frequently go over yet I lost 9 lbs over the month while also increasing my strength and endurance all over. I have frequently ate over my goal just when I was hungry. Goood luck and I hope this helps
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
    I am so confused. You say you feel "bottom of the stomach hunger", yet you feel too full of you eat your exercise calories back. Please clarify.

    Failing clarity, my answer is that, yes, you are starving yourself. 2lbs of weight loss in a day is too much, unhealthy, and not sustainable. I know it feels great for the weight to fly off quickly, but there is a reason why the safe recommendation is 2lbs per week.
  • Branawesomer
    Branawesomer Posts: 1,025 Member
    Eating healthy fats is one way to get your cals up without eating a lot of mass. Avocado, peanut/almond butter, using coconut oil to cook with, etc. From what I've seen, I agree with everyone, you're not eating enough. Google is great in finding high cal, low mass foods that can help to fill you up when you've had enough to eat.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    If you weigh and measure everything, you are not eating anywhere near enough.

    Healthy fats, add them.

    You are MUCH more likely to lose LBM if you eat so little.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    2lbs. of weight lost in a day is no big deal if it's occasional. If you're losing consistently well over 1% of your weight per week and you're not morbidly obese, it might be time to eat more. Otherwise, you're fine.
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    Response to BinkyBonk

    The bottom of my stomach hunger is not everyday... I wondered if this was normal eating what I feel (not what some feel) is an appropriate amount of food...

    I am going to incorporate higher calorie foods (healthy ones) to increase my calories... The hungry sensation seemed to coincide with the days that I discovered substantial weight loss... When I do not experience the hunger I am content... That is why I chose not to eat anymore than my diary documents...

    For all of you who commented with something constructive (respectful), I truly appreciate the effort... I will find a way to gradually increase my calories...
  • Ansin529
    Ansin529 Posts: 47
    And.... Just so a few of you know...

    LOL, I am not obsessed with losing large amounts of weight quickly... I am happy with no more than 2lbs per week or less as long as I am pretty much steady...

    I understand that I will plateau from time to time... This is a life change for me and I have no plans of reverting back to old eating habits...

    :)
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Dude, I just checked your diary. You eat around 600 calories less than me and I am a 5'5" female. Please eat more. 1200 calories is nowhere near enough, and no wonder your stomach is screaming for more food.

    Even when I am cutting calories a lot, I still eat 1500 or so a day. :flowerforyou:
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    I've lost over 60lbs and rarely have I been truly hungry during the process. You aren't eating enough if the last few days of your diary are any indication of your actual calorie consumption and you have gut growling hunger.
  • violasmith85
    violasmith85 Posts: 274 Member
    you wouldn't happen to be a smoker would you? I ask because I just found out today that smokers have higher metabolism do to the strain it puts on our hearts (as if we weigh 90 pounds more than we do) I'm losing a pound a day and im not under eating so I was wondering what was up and then found out about that. Totally weird.
  • indianwin2001
    indianwin2001 Posts: 296 Member
    I looked at your diary and you need to eat more--1100 to 1300 calories is not enough--I lift heavy weights 6 days a week and do cardio 4-5 days a week. I now weigh 205 and I eat between 1700-1900 cals a day and I am losing 1.5 2 lbs a week--
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    I haven't looked at your diary so I can't comment on that. But you seem to be under a misapprehension. If your weight drops 2 pounds from one day to the next, you haven't suddenly lost 2 pounds of fat, or muscle for that matter. Most of what you have lost is water, and the rest is mostly solid waste. Every day you take in about 13 pounds (more or less) of water, food, and oxygen, and you get rid of about the same amount of urine, solid waste, and carbon dioxide. Thing is, that balance is almost never perfect. Some days you'll take in more than you get rid of; other days, the opposite. Your actual fat loss is dwarfed by the daily fluctuations. That's why John Walker recommends a mathematical analysis (exponentially smoothed moving average) of your daily weights as the best way to find out what your actual trend is. See his free online book _The Hacker's Diet_ (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/e4/), chapters on "The Rubber Bag" and "Signal and Noise."

    Edited to add: it's possible that days you have a big loss are days when you're dehydrated. Try drinking more water when you get that powerful hungry feeling.

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