Metabolic Testing - what a (pleasant) surprise!!!

regentin
regentin Posts: 60
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
My cousin is a personal trainer and offers metabolic testing. She has been telling me all along that I haven't been eating enough calories. She was absoultely right. MFP has my goal set at 1200 calories per day. I found out that I burn almost 2500 calories at rest...so I can eat between 1900-2400 in order to lose weight and 2500-3500 to maintain (even more if I exercise). I am just amazed at this. I'm also terrified of increasing my calories for fear that I will gain weight. Anyone else have this testing done? What did you think of your results?

Replies

  • Deb2012
    Deb2012 Posts: 124
    How is it done?!
  • liftingbro
    liftingbro Posts: 2,029 Member
    I'm not sure how big you are but I would highly doubt that you maintain at 3500. I'm a guy and with working out 4 days per week and probably having at least 80 pounds on you (guessing by your pic) I would be breaking even at 3500 most days.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Are you losing weight right now? If I'm you I would raise your net calorie to 1900 for a couple weeks to see if you can lose more weight. It's cool your metabolism is high. How much does your cousin charge for metabolic testing?
    I just check some website in my area and they charge $200+.
    I want to take the test too if I can find a cheap place to do it.
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
    My cousin is a personal trainer and offers metabolic testing. She has been telling me all along that I haven't been eating enough calories. She was absoultely right. MFP has my goal set at 1200 calories per day. I found out that I burn almost 2500 calories at rest...so I can eat between 1900-2400 in order to lose weight and 2500-3500 to maintain (even more if I exercise). I am just amazed at this. I'm also terrified of increasing my calories for fear that I will gain weight. Anyone else have this testing done? What did you think of your results?

    I haven't had this test done, but I can say that using the calculator on WEBMD has given me a lot of insight. Fact is the more you exercise the more food you need. It is true. I didn't believe it in the beginning of this journey, and guess what.... I was always starving. Because of my activity level, I can consume close to 2500 calories a day and still lose weight.

    I wouldn't worry about gaining weight because your body knows what it needs. Many women think they are losing weight when they are actually losing muscle. If you feed your body what it needs your body will respond with a fast metabolism.

    When I bumped my calories up, I did have a plateau. But I didn't gain.

    Hope that helps some... just my story :)
  • routerguy666
    routerguy666 Posts: 188
    so I can eat between ... 2500-3500 to maintain (even more if I exercise).

    You realize that if 2500 is your maintenance level, 3500 (a surplus of 1000 calories a day) will have you putting on 2 pounds of fat a week.

    Might want to get your rate checked somewhere else just to validate the results.
  • LauraMarie37
    LauraMarie37 Posts: 283 Member
    I haven't had it done (though I'm super curious to see what other people say!!), but I did up my calories from 800-1200 pre-MFP to 1450 (including eating back exercise calories) and lost five pounds, and just upped it again to 1670 last week and have lost another two pounds. (Not officially - I only record it when I see the same weight three days in a row - but probably tomorrow will be the day!) Websites have calculated my resting metabolic rate at 2300 - so I could totally see yours being 2500, especially if you are active.
  • regentin
    regentin Posts: 60
    Just to clarify...My Maintenance Zone is 2477-3218 (not 3500...typo!)..depending on my normal daily activity levels. The 2477 is if I do NOTHING all day long...that number will go up based on how active I am and how much I exercise. I have no intentions of eating anywhere near 3000 calories...I'm just happy to be able to eat 1900!!
  • regentin
    regentin Posts: 60
    Are you losing weight right now? If I'm you I would raise your net calorie to 1900 for a couple weeks to see if you can lose more weight. It's cool your metabolism is high. How much does your cousin charge for metabolic testing?
    I just check some website in my area and they charge $200+.
    I want to take the test too if I can find a cheap place to do it.

    No..I'm really struggling just to maintain and I'm working my butt off! She charges $80.
  • regentin
    regentin Posts: 60
    so I can eat between ... 2500-3500 to maintain (even more if I exercise).

    You realize that if 2500 is your maintenance level, 3500 (a surplus of 1000 calories a day) will have you putting on 2 pounds of fat a week.

    Might want to get your rate checked somewhere else just to validate the results.

    Just to clarify...My Maintenance Zone is 2477-3218 (not 3500...typo!)..depending on my normal daily activity levels. The 2477 is if I do NOTHING all day long...that number will go up based on how active I am and how much I exercise. I have no intentions of eating anywhere near 3000 calories...I'm just happy to be able to eat 1900!!
  • regentin
    regentin Posts: 60
    I'm not sure how big you are but I would highly doubt that you maintain at 3500. I'm a guy and with working out 4 days per week and probably having at least 80 pounds on you (guessing by your pic) I would be breaking even at 3500 most days.

    You're right...I worded that incorrectly. I can eat 2477-3218 to maintain, depending on my activity level. I will be keeping my count closer to 1900 though.
  • regentin
    regentin Posts: 60
    How is it done?!

    It's actually a breathing test...I have no idea how it works, but it does. It calculates how many calories your body burns at rest..if you were to do nothing but sit in a chair all day. It then calculates what your calorie range should be if you want to lose weight and th range you should be in if you want to maintain. I highly recommend this!!
  • statia152
    statia152 Posts: 558
    Bump for more information.
  • deewildwoman
    deewildwoman Posts: 120 Member
    I found a place near where I live that gives the test for $75. Basically it proved what I thought...my metabolism is in the dumps. Years of extremely low calorie eating when I had bad IBS spells and also yo-yo dieting took its toll on me. My RMR is only 1280. Basically, I was told to stay between 1200 - 1300 calories per day and don't expect to lose more than 1/2 lb per week...at the most.

    The good part about it is that it keeps me from getting extremely disappointed when the scale doesn't move every week.

    If you are having trouble losing, it is a good test to have if you can find it in your area for a decent price.
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
    Just to clarify...My Maintenance Zone is 2477-3218 (not 3500...typo!)..depending on my normal daily activity levels. The 2477 is if I do NOTHING all day long...that number will go up based on how active I am and how much I exercise. I have no intentions of eating anywhere near 3000 calories...I'm just happy to be able to eat 1900!!

    I hear ya! Instead of trying to limit my food intake to fit within the confines of a smaller calorie goal, I get to have fun trying to figure out how I can consume the calories that are needed for my body on a daily basis to reach a higher goal. With portion control I feel like I am always eating just to make it to my daily goal. When I exercise my calories can skyrocket to a level of where eating would just be pure greed :)
  • kseltzer
    kseltzer Posts: 214 Member
    Cool Regentin!! So happy for u! I'm sure eating more will be helpful to you. I started out barely eating exercise cals back. Now I eat back all but like 100 or 150. I can tell my body needs them! Please make sure to give it two weeks or more, because it'll take some time for your body to adjust :)
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