Broken metabolism after excessive calorie restriction, how do I come back from this??

bloomblythe5 wrote: »

Hi! Thanks for the reply, I’m moderately active I’m a student so I walk every day to get to class in general, roughly 2-3 miles of walking per day. Before I decided to take a break for my body, I was working out basically everyday so long as I had the time. A typical week with not too much homework and stuff would look like: dance 2-4 times a week for 1+ hour, on top of some kind of Pilates/resistance training almost everyday for at least 40 mins to an hour. I was also intermittent fasting and not eating before 12 and not eating after 8. (Also yes I was quite tired all the time)

Now I want to incorporate more weights but I did get fairly strong with body weight alone. But I’m still new to lifting weights so I’m starting off easy and my plan for the next few weeks was going to be 1-2 days of lifting weights for an hour and then 3 day’s of my usually body weight circuits/routines.

Even though I haven’t lost as much weight as I want I can definitely feel a big difference in strength. It is just hard when I feel it but can’t see it.

Weight training will also cause water retention.

This all sounds like a person about to burn themselves out.

Be A LOT kinder to yourself.

I wouldn't even wait 2 weeks to raise by 100 extra daily.

Think of it this way - even if that 100 extra happened to be truly above and beyond your daily burn (on average) it would take you 35 days to slowly gain 1 lb of fat.
Reread that.

Any other weight changes would be mere water weight.

And actually with good resistance training it wouldn't even be all fat.

I'd do it each week, increase by 100 until eating at maintenance. Or best estimate of maintenance.

Your workouts will probably start becoming so much better than you can even realize right now. Because you are in a terrible state for getting a good workout. Oh sure you may be pushing yourself as hard as you can.
For the state you are in. But it's not hard enough to ask the body to actually improve, mere to stay stressed combined with that eating level.

Damaged metabolism - no. Body adapted as best it could for the craziness it was dealing with - sure.

Since you are keeping yourself active, you probably also aren't aware of other ways your body has slowed you down. You are aware of the stop growing hair aspect, perhaps nails too. But other ways.
And you start eating more you'll move in extra ways you may not even notice at first.

I agree too that the 1400 you think you are eating isn't an accurate count. You are eating some amount more from inaccuracy.
But don't be foolish and attempt to start eating an accurate 1400 thinking that is solution.
Yes, if you keep eating less and less eventually you'll start losing again - and not just fat weight.
Body will be so stressed out workouts probably would take a noticeable turn worse - if not the body just breaking in some way to get the recovery it probably wants.

Is this one of the studies you found?
Notice recovery from adapted state can take months. But perhaps your being active with exercise will help.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/heybales/view/reduced-metabolism-tdee-beyond-expected-from-weight-loss-616251

I'd really put off the time based weight loss goal.
Will you be weighed at this dance performance and put into a weight class?
Or are you wanting to appear to be lighter?

Many discover doing a good strength training program they start looking slimmer than their weight would indicate merely from the way they carry themselves, and how stronger muscles and some fat loss improves things. (hate to say it - toning - ugh)

But it sounds like you may take a good program and attempt to add more body weight training circuit or whatever merely to do more.
Ditto's to be kinder to yourself.

With the lack of weight loss, hair loss and lack of energy, it might be a good idea to go to the doctor and get a thyroid panel done. Low thyroid can cause all the above.