Is it possible to damage metabolism?

littlelatina19
littlelatina19 Posts: 42 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I had an eating disorder a couple years ago, it didn't last too long, but I dropped a lot of weight very fast. Now I'm 18, eating between 1400-1600. Working out, not as much recently because of an injury but it's pretty much healed so I'm slowly getting back into it. I've been trying to lose for about 9 months now, I've lost about 5kg over that time and have dropped my calories from 2300 to where they are now gradually. I still want to lose at least another 5kg because I'm 5ft 2 and 141lbs. I feel a bit baffled to be honest because I'm so young, I thought teens were supposed to have speedy metabolisms. My friends are only slightly taller than me and I swear they eat about 3000 calories a day if not more sometimes. I am determined to lose the weight, what am I doing wrong?
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Replies

  • BuddhaB0y
    BuddhaB0y Posts: 199 Member
    edited December 2015
    You will hear it over and over on here... Calories in v calories out.

    If you arnt losing weight then it's most likely that you are eating more than you think. This app is great for getting portion control right. It's amazing how easily it is to eat hundreds of extra calories because you didn't check portion sizes and weights correctly.

    Because you are sedentary right now, weight loss is going to be slow because reducing the amount of calories you eat per day will be hard to achieve the 500 cal per day deficit you need to lose 1lb a week.

    You may find people suggesting you reduce your calorie intake a bit. It really depends on your TDEE though
  • rankinsect
    rankinsect Posts: 2,238 Member
    Well, yes, you can permanently damage metabolism by prolonged malnutrition - but if you actually reach that point, you would be dead soon after. Barring lethal malnutrition, no, your body might be slightly more efficient at using calories, but it's not going to have a massive effect.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    People can sort of knock around their metabolism slightly (not a huge amount) from extended periods of very low caloric intake, but they will eventually recover.

    It should be noted that your perception of your friends' caloric intake is likely really skewed. In most people's observance in situations like this, since you're lacking 24 hour, 7 day a week access to what other people are eating, it's impossible to have a complete picture of what they're eating.

    Hang in there.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    It doesn't matter what teens are "supposed" to have. All that matters is what YOUR body needs. Everyone is different. Our bodies are not programmable machines, it would be easier for all of us, regardless of age, if they were.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    This is a film that you might find interesting about two friends and their metabolism.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTr1JUvEiUU
  • littlelatina19
    littlelatina19 Posts: 42 Member
    I'll check that film out then, and I understand what you mean about my friends but I know them very well and one them especially works in a cafe. She basically spends her day munching away on nachos, brownies, hot chocolate, carrot cake, and then gets home and has her supper with family as well. Usually they go out drinking and order pizza and fries and then at lunch every other day they go get sweets and fried chicken or chocolate bars and I'm there with a sandwhich and a piece of fruit. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to eat like them because it isn't healthy whether they're thin or not, it just feels like I'm never gonna lose weight :/ I'm hoping I haven't damaged it, it's just that I find it extremely hard to eat less than I am doing because I get lightheaded or ravenously hungry.
  • pollypocket1021
    pollypocket1021 Posts: 533 Member
    As long as you are still doing the thing with the oxygen --> carbon dioxide, your metabolism is fine.

    However, when you engage in a very low calorie diet, your body used both fat and muscle for energy. When and it you gain weight nack, it is relatively easy to replace fat stores. Replacing lost muscle mass is much harder. Muscle is denser than fat and requires greater energy expenditure at rest. So the end result after a VLCD is not great.

    The good news is you haven't done squat to mess up your metabolism, at most you've lost some muscle mass.

    So, if you are interested in losing weight while maintaining as much muscle mass as possible, start a progressive weight lifting program. You won't gain muscle in a deficit, but you can work to try and maintain what you have.
  • snikkins
    snikkins Posts: 1,282 Member
    littlelatina19 wrote: »
    I'll check that film out then, and I understand what you mean about my friends but I know them very well and one them especially works in a cafe. She basically spends her day munching away on nachos, brownies, hot chocolate, carrot cake, and then gets home and has her supper with family as well. Usually they go out drinking and order pizza and fries and then at lunch every other day they go get sweets and fried chicken or chocolate bars and I'm there with a sandwhich and a piece of fruit. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to eat like them because it isn't healthy whether they're thin or not, it just feels like I'm never gonna lose weight :/ I'm hoping I haven't damaged it, it's just that I find it extremely hard to eat less than I am doing because I get lightheaded or ravenously hungry.

    I have this friend. We'd always go out and order something big and caloric; I didn't understand how she never gained weight. The answer? She is basically nibbling all day, so maybe your friend is having a bite or two of those high calorie foods, not the entire thing like mine.

    It's really easy to judge our intake against someone else's, but likely not the complete picture! You got this. =)
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    littlelatina19 wrote: »
    I'll check that film out then, and I understand what you mean about my friends but I know them very well and one them especially works in a cafe. She basically spends her day munching away on nachos, brownies, hot chocolate, carrot cake, and then gets home and has her supper with family as well. Usually they go out drinking and order pizza and fries and then at lunch every other day they go get sweets and fried chicken or chocolate bars and I'm there with a sandwhich and a piece of fruit. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to eat like them because it isn't healthy whether they're thin or not, it just feels like I'm never gonna lose weight :/ I'm hoping I haven't damaged it, it's just that I find it extremely hard to eat less than I am doing because I get lightheaded or ravenously hungry.

    That is exactly what one friend thought about the other in this video. Even the friend claimed to eat non-stop. Spoiler alert - the friend still ate less than both women suspected.

    Any damage metabolism isn't permanent.

    Have you taken a diet break for a bit? Just eat at maintainance for a little while then go back to dieting. Some find this helps.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Probably same mistake many people make - too many carbs! Keep carbs below 100/day. Eat moderate amounts of proteins, and lots of healthy fats!
  • littlelatina19
    littlelatina19 Posts: 42 Member
    Okay I've watched the video, I'm gonna try eating things that are hard to portion wrong so I'm gonna stay off pasta and rice for a while and stick to bread which is pre sliced. Today I found out I'm going to Spain in February so I really really wanna be a size 8 again so I can feel good in a bikini :) I guess that's kind of given me more motivation and I've downloaded a meal planner app as well. Thank you all for your comments, that video was really insightful too because I'm small but have more muscle than my taller friends so I felt like maybe I am burning more than I think and I need to just be more accurate.
  • VykkDraygoVPR
    VykkDraygoVPR Posts: 465 Member
    littlelatina19 wrote: »
    Okay I've watched the video, I'm gonna try eating things that are hard to portion wrong so I'm gonna stay off pasta and rice for a while and stick to bread which is pre sliced. Today I found out I'm going to Spain in February so I really really wanna be a size 8 again so I can feel good in a bikini :) I guess that's kind of given me more motivation and I've downloaded a meal planner app as well. Thank you all for your comments, that video was really insightful too because I'm small but have more muscle than my taller friends so I felt like maybe I am burning more than I think and I need to just be more accurate.

    If you get a digital kitchen scale, then pasta and rice are very easy to portion. Personally, pasta and rice are a bit to caloric for the satiety they provide me, but I still eat them (can't have gumbo without rice, for example). A scale will also just help with accuracy in general. My scale was easily the best purchase I've made in the past several years (lost 38 pounds since August using a scale, and MFP to track). They aren't too expensive either, at about $10-$20 (mine was ~$15).
  • littlelatina19
    littlelatina19 Posts: 42 Member
    I will look into that! I have scales at home but they are really old and difficult to read, don't really trust them 100% but they're fine for baking so I kept them. I'll see if I can buy some digital ones, they sound easier to use. One thing that puts me off scales is that I don't really like the idea of weighing out my food because again, eating disorder a couple years ago left a few bad memories on my mind, not that I'd ever be able to starve myself again. When I'm genuinely hungry, I can't really not eat.
  • Billy323
    Billy323 Posts: 182 Member
    BuddhaB0y wrote: »
    You will hear it over and over on here... Calories in v calories out.

    If you arnt losing weight then it's most likely that you are eating more than you think. This app is great for getting portion control right. It's amazing how easily it is to eat hundreds of extra calories because you didn't check portion sizes and weights correctly.

    Because you are sedentary right now, weight loss is going to be slow because reducing the amount of calories you eat per day will be hard to achieve the 500 cal per day deficit you need to lose 1lb a week.

    You may find people suggesting you reduce your calorie intake a bit. It really depends on your TDEE though

    This is one of the best post I have seen on these forums.
  • Whitezombiegirl
    Whitezombiegirl Posts: 1,042 Member
    3dogsrunning wrote: »
    littlelatina19 wrote: »
    I'll check that film out then, and I understand what you mean about my friends but I know them very well and one them especially works in a cafe. She basically spends her day munching away on nachos, brownies, hot chocolate, carrot cake, and then gets home and has her supper with family as well. Usually they go out drinking and order pizza and fries and then at lunch every other day they go get sweets and fried chicken or chocolate bars and I'm there with a sandwhich and a piece of fruit. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want to eat like them because it isn't healthy whether they're thin or not, it just feels like I'm never gonna lose weight :/ I'm hoping I haven't damaged it, it's just that I find it extremely hard to eat less than I am doing because I get lightheaded or ravenously hungry.

    That is exactly what one friend thought about the other in this video. Even the friend claimed to eat non-stop. Spoiler alert - the friend still ate less than both women suspected.

    Any damage metabolism isn't permanent.

    Have you taken a diet break for a bit? Just eat at maintainance for a little while then go back to dieting. Some find this helps.

    This is me. Im eating all day long but its like 50 cals a time- half an apple, a cracker etc. I eat my meals in several stages - i dont like to eat a lot in one go as its uncomfortable.
  • x_blackrainbow
    x_blackrainbow Posts: 439 Member
    littlelatina19 wrote: »
    stick to bread which is pre sliced

    One thing about bread is that even though it is pre sliced, the slices don't weigh what the package says they should. Yesterday, my two slice serving was supposed to weigh 49 grams. It actually weighed 59 grams. I've found this to be the case with most pre-portioned items, whether it be loafed bread, pita pockets, or tortillas. "1 serving" usually ends up being more like 1.2 servings.
  • littlelatina19
    littlelatina19 Posts: 42 Member
    Well that's annoying :/. I knew that would be true of the back pieces because they are double the size of the ones in the middle. But I thought brands had a responsibility to get that right, guess not. I'm able to workout again normally now, so hopefully that'll help things along. Im also going to go do a big shop and buy lots of fruit and veg. It's my birthday tomorrow though so cake will be happening hehe
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,501 Member
    Most people who believe they have shot metabolisms (we're talking general population) usually are inconsistent in how they eat, are eating at a deficit that's way too big for them, or just aren't accurately calculating intake/expenditure.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Here is the thing, yes it is possible to damage one's metabolism significantly but you haven't. If you had you'd see secondary effects related to systemic diseases you would have developed.

    First - before that option is even slightly possible one has to demonstrate that they are constantly counting calories, exercising and being active, etc...

    Your friend that works in that cafe? She's probably very active walking around and ... working. She's eating less than you think and being more active than you think.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Be glad you are 18!! Live a healthy lifestyle and your body should respond nicely.

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