how do I get my metabolism back?
judithmarieee
Posts: 3 Member
so I've been following an 1200 calorie diet for a couple months now and it's been horrible and I just realized how bad it's been and how it's wrecked my body. throughout these months I started binging and I haven't lost the weight I've wanted to. I know something is wrong because I haven't gotten my period in months. I've tried adding more calories in but I'm almost never hungry anymore and I have to force myself to eat and I feel like I'm just going to gain weight. can someone help me as to what I can do to repair my metabolism? 
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I don't think we have enough information. How tall are you? How much do you weigh? How long have you been eating 1200 calories? Are you accurate with your log? There are probably some easier things to look at before you think there is something wrong with your metabolism. That is pretty unlikely. If you open your diary, we might be able to start looking for a solution.0
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I'm 5'1 and weight about 111 right now. I started at about 1000 calories in February then switched to 1200 calories in about March or April. I'm very accurate with my log.0
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judithmarieee wrote: »I'm 5'1 and weight about 111 right now. I started at about 1000 calories in February then switched to 1200 calories in about March or April. I'm very accurate with my log.
do you use a food scale?
do you eat back 100% of exercise calories?0 -
I do use a scale. I usually never eat back my excercise calories but I did by accident the other day bc I didn't realize it logged my excercise and thought I had more calories left over than I actually did.0
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I'd see a doctor about the lost period and the fact that you have to force yourself to eat. It sounds like something is up there.0
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Amenorrhea (loss of period) is common with extreme weight loss or when females go to low % of body fat. It will come back given time but you should see your doctor and discuss it with them.
Rehabbing your metabolism will take some time, you need to slowly bring your calories back up to your TDEE calories and stay there for a while to let your body heal up. Eventually your body will stabilize and normal hunger cues will come back.
Binges can be a result of restrictive dieting so you may want to investigate an eating regime that gives you freedom and choice IIFYM/Flexible Dieting is a good choice.
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You weigh 111 pounds, and you want to lose weight?
As far as increasing calories, add more fat to your diet. Put some butter on your veggies or toast and cook with olive oil or other oils.
Not sure about the period thing. Mine is a bit all over the place (more like every 2 months usually).0 -
judithmarieee wrote: »I do use a scale. I usually never eat back my excercise calories but I did by accident the other day bc I didn't realize it logged my excercise and thought I had more calories left over than I actually did.
OK …you really need to net 1200 calories…so if you burn 500 calories through exercise then you should eat 1700 - 500 burned = 1200 net.
the only caveat I would throw in is that sometimes exercise burn estimates can be wrong on the high side so only eat back half…
I think you really need to figure out your maintenance number, eat to that number for a month, and then slowly cut back down to one pound per week loss.0 -
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Not eating enough slows metabolism ,,,,, as does not eating breakfast.0
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judithmarieee wrote: »so I've been following an 1200 calorie diet for a couple months now and it's been horrible and I just realized how bad it's been and how it's wrecked my body. throughout these months I started binging and I haven't lost the weight I've wanted to. I know something is wrong because I haven't gotten my period in months. I've tried adding more calories in but I'm almost never hungry anymore and I have to force myself to eat and I feel like I'm just going to gain weight. can someone help me as to what I can do to repair my metabolism?judithmarieee wrote: »I'm 5'1 and weight about 111 right now. I started at about 1000 calories in February then switched to 1200 calories in about March or April. I'm very accurate with my log.
You have a BMI of 21 and you want a BMI of 20, which is the line between underweight and normal. Worrying.
You don't say you've gained any weight, so your metabolism isn't malfunctioning.
Missing periods are also worrying. My dear judithmarie, you need to see a doctor and tell them what you've told us. The goal is to be healthy, remember.0 -
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judithmarieee wrote: »so I've been following an 1200 calorie diet for a couple months now and it's been horrible and I just realized how bad it's been and how it's wrecked my body. throughout these months I started binging and I haven't lost the weight I've wanted to. I know something is wrong because I haven't gotten my period in months. I've tried adding more calories in but I'm almost never hungry anymore and I have to force myself to eat and I feel like I'm just going to gain weight. can someone help me as to what I can do to repair my metabolism?judithmarieee wrote: »I'm 5'1 and weight about 111 right now. I started at about 1000 calories in February then switched to 1200 calories in about March or April. I'm very accurate with my log.
You have a BMI of 21 and you want a BMI of 20, which is the line between underweight and normal. Worrying.
You don't say you've gained any weight, so your metabolism isn't malfunctioning.
Missing periods are also worrying. My dear judithmarie, you need to see a doctor and tell them what you've told us. The goal is to be healthy, remember.
What???? 18.5 is the line between underweight an normal!!! She's nowhere close to underweight!
If you're binging, then you're not eating a deficit, correct? Your variability in calories might be affecting your periods, which is concerning, depending on your age. (If you lied to get into MFP and are under 16, you shouldn't be trying to lose weight at all at your current weight, buuuut period irregularities are pretty normal until 18.)
You haven't "wrecked" your metabolism. There's really no evidence that you CAN do that.
You seem to be having some dysmorphia issues. Also, your BMR is 1,136 calories. So depending on your activity level, you might only burn 1,350 a day.
I'm 4" taller and 30 pounds heavier, and when I don't seek out exercise, I burn less than 1,650 a day, or 300 above BMR. So if you're "restricting" to 1,200 calories and then occasionally binging, I wouldn't expect to see any weight lost. I also wouldn't expect you to want to eat more than what you're burning. The 2,000-calories-a-day figure is based on someone bigger and heavier than you--and way more active than me, at least!
The other alternative is that you're exercising a ton and that's why you're losing your period (regardless of what you eat). In that case, maybe ease off the exercise a while?
You should ask for a referral to a reproductive endocrinologist. They are the only people with the knowledge to handle your situation. OB/GYNs are primarily surgeons who do three surgeries and not much more than that.0 -
judithmarieee wrote: »so I've been following an 1200 calorie diet for a couple months now and it's been horrible and I just realized how bad it's been and how it's wrecked my body. throughout these months I started binging and I haven't lost the weight I've wanted to. I know something is wrong because I haven't gotten my period in months. I've tried adding more calories in but I'm almost never hungry anymore and I have to force myself to eat and I feel like I'm just going to gain weight. can someone help me as to what I can do to repair my metabolism?judithmarieee wrote: »I'm 5'1 and weight about 111 right now. I started at about 1000 calories in February then switched to 1200 calories in about March or April. I'm very accurate with my log.
You have a BMI of 21 and you want a BMI of 20, which is the line between underweight and normal. Worrying.
You don't say you've gained any weight, so your metabolism isn't malfunctioning.
Missing periods are also worrying. My dear judithmarie, you need to see a doctor and tell them what you've told us. The goal is to be healthy, remember.
A BMI of 20 is perfectly normal. Where did you get this crazy idea? I suffer from PCOS, a BMI of 22-23 is where I start to get a real turn for the worst regarding symptoms, I have maintained a BMI of 20 or lower for msot of my life exactly to stay healthy, on dr's orders.
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You say you've been bingeing. How often? Perhaps you are not losing weight because of the binges. I'd suggest upping your calories a bit and allowing yourself some treats to try and prevent the urge to binge. It is unlikely that your metabolic rate has dropped much, but the best way to increase it is through exercise.0
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First of all go see a doctor.
There is no such thing as "wrecked" metabolism. There's some other variable at play and you need medical attention before taking any dietary advice.0 -
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Oops, JM's BMI calculator made it look like the OP's BMI was on the borderline.
You can quit freaking out about my mistake now.
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Weightlifting recovered my metabolism after a decade of eating disorders. Metabolism is a function of lean body mass (aka muscle), not caloric intake.0
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BILLBRYTAN wrote: »
Also sleeping. Better not sleep. You'll slow your metabolism! lol0 -
Have you considered the possibility that you are pregnant? No period for months this is the first thing I would check!0
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I would
1) Go and get yourself checked out by a doctor
2) Eat at your TDEE for a few weeks. Your BMI is 21 and you are healthy, but the sounds of it your diet is worse for you than your weight so I would pack it in (use MFP, set calorie loss to zero, eat your macros). Once your body has settled down then perhaps slowly reduce again. Seriously go and see the doc though. There are causes and effects but sometimes stuff happens (you go and diet) and something else happens (you become ill) and they may not be related :-)0 -
ummm if your metabolism is gone you're... dead
color me confused....0 -
Oh dear.
The diary has the dreaded "peanut butter by the tablespoon" entry...
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