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outdoorskid2011
outdoorskid2011 Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
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  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,738 Member
    edited June 2023
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    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
    You went back to old eating habits and are less active. Weight gain is a product of too many calories over maintenance calories. Your metabolism is fine.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,432 Member
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    The only way you can shoot your metabolism is if your whole body is shot, i.e., if you're dead. If you're alive, you have a functioning metabolism.

    It's possible that by dieting too extremely for too long, you may've convinced your body you're stuck in a long-term famine. Underfed/undernourished, so how would it know otherwise? Persistent fast loss can train your body to become very efficient (adaptive thermogenesis is the science-y name for that). Your body gets efficient in order to keep you alive through the 'famine'.

    That effect, if it's happened, can potentially reverse.

    Meanwhile, there is some calorie intake level at which you will lose weight. It might be lower than MFP or some calculator estimates, but you can figure it out. If you struggle with feeling full on lower calories, experiment with what and when you eat to improve that as much as you can.

    Best bet: Lose weight slowly. Try to use methods that are relatively easy for you, that keep you feeling energetic. Get good nutrition. Don't encourage the "FamineFamineFamine" response by going hard.

    Exercise, but don't go crazy: Start gradually, increase gradually. Keep it manageable, energizing, not exhausting.

    One thing that happens with dieting too hard, too long, and reduces our calorie needs, is that we move less in our daily lives. That's subconscious, unnoticed. Partly it's from subtle fatigue, partly it's one of the mechanisms through which our body tries to help us live through the 'famine'.

    So, try to reverse that. Move more in daily life. Other MFP-ers ideas for doing that are here:

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/p1

    Weight loss in a sensible way requires persistence and patience . . . from all of us. I feel like you're catastrophizing right now - convincing yourself you can't win. Frankly: Stop that. Our brains try all kinds of silly things to keep us from pursuing challenging but positive change. Take the reins, create the change in your life.

    At the end of that 4-6 week time period, compare your actual weight change to the "lose a pound a week" goal. If you've come close to that pound a week, you're golden - keep going. If it's further off, adjust your calorie goal using the idea that 500 calories per day is roughly a pound a week, and run the experiment for another month.

    Repeat this process as long as necessary, and you'll get to a sensible weight in a sensible way.

    I'm cheering for you to succeed!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    Depending on your sources, much of what is out there about metabolism is nonsense. Here's a good article: https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/reason-youre-not-losing-weight

    See:
    • Metabolic Damage
    • Slow Metabolism
    • Reasons You’re not Losing Weight: Realities
  • outdoorskid2011
    outdoorskid2011 Posts: 8 Member
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    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
    You went back to old eating habits and are less active. Weight gain is a product of too many calories over maintenance calories. Your metabolism is fine.
    that's the thing, I don't normally eat more Tham 1500 or 1700 cals a day.

  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,638 Member
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    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
    You went back to old eating habits and are less active. Weight gain is a product of too many calories over maintenance calories. Your metabolism is fine.
    that's the thing, I don't normally eat more Tham 1500 or 1700 cals a day.

    It's important to remember that calorie counting is highly inaccurate. The only real way to know is if you're gaining/losing weight. Tom's right, if you're not losing, you're eating at maintenence. And no, you haven't destroyed your metabolism, I promise. I weighed 80 pounds for several years while I was struggling with some stuff. I didn't ruin my metabolism. I know I'm just one example, but it's important to remember your body is adaptable and it will do it's job if you do yours.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 1,738 Member
    edited June 2023
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    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
    You went back to old eating habits and are less active. Weight gain is a product of too many calories over maintenance calories. Your metabolism is fine.
    that's the thing, I don't normally eat more Tham 1500 or 1700 cals a day.
    weight would be coming off if that was your actual calorie amount every day of the week for weeks on end. Tighten up your counting and tracking and you’ll understand where the disconnect is. Also you said “normally” and that leaves things open for some days being higher which is most likely where a lot of the problem is coming from.

    Lack of weight loss is always a calorie balance issue.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    tomcustombuilder wrote: »
    outdoorskid2011 wrote: »
    I have a very big dilemma in my eyes, and I'm hoping somebody can help me out and give me advice because I've tried a lot of things. I believe my metabolism is shot but that's because I had lost a lot of weight and then increase my calories to my activity level and maintain a good weight level and then when I left that job I guess I kind of lowered my calories and then I felt like I was getting weight again so I lowered him some more and now I'm struggling to keep the weight from coming back as I went from 198 to 187 and then back to 220 in a span of four years what are your thoughts?
    You went back to old eating habits and are less active. Weight gain is a product of too many calories over maintenance calories. Your metabolism is fine.
    that's the thing, I don't normally eat more Tham 1500 or 1700 cals a day.

    https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/reason-youre-not-losing-weight#Reasons_Youre_not_Losing_Weight_Realities

    ...Underestimating Your Food Intake

    In all honesty, this is usually the explanation for why people can’t lose weight. Simply, they are eating more than they think. Research shows that people may underestimate their food intake by 20-50% at least. That is, what they think they are eating is 20-50% less than what they are actually eating.

    Literally everybody misreports their food intake. Lean people, overweight people, active people, inactive people are all terrible at estimating their food intake. Even registered dieticians are bad at it.

    ...And in a weight loss context, this means that people who think they are only eating 1200 calories may be eating 1800. And that’s why they can’t lose weight. There are all kinds of TV shows where they find someone who says they have a broken, slow metabolism. Who say they don’t eat very much. And they add up the daily food and it’s like 8,000 calories or more. People are terrible at his.

    ...And, going back to metabolic damage, THIS is why those people reporting gaining fat on low calories were doing nothing of the sort. They were simply underreporting their food intake.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,127 Member
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    Your metabolism isn't "shot". You would be dead if it was. You are most likely eating more than you think you are. That is 99% of the time the reason people gain weight. You lose when you eat less than you expend. Start meticulously tracking your calories and see what you are actually eating. You might be surprised.

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