Hi! I am new here and I need some support. So apparently I have damaged my metabolism after years and years of dieting. Long story short I am 5'10, 36 years old and I have been 260 down to 160 pounds a couple times up and down and now I am up at 210. I am so upset and just recently found out I only burn 1330 calories a day at rest which is similar to a 60 year old woman that is 5'1.
I have an appointment with a dietician to try and do something but has anyone ever come back from this? Basically my life now is being hungry all the time in order to basically just not gain weight or gain weight if I mess up at all.
Please tell me if there is anyone that has actually fixed their metabolism. Please no advice unless you have really done it because I am even finding out that the whole building muscle thing isn't really accurate.
I am so upset and just recently found out I only burn 1330 calories a day at rest which is similar to a 60 year old woman that is 5'1.
You may already know this, but your BMR (calories burned at rest) is NOT the same thing as your daily caloric requirements. To get a rough idea of how many calories you burn in a real-life day, which includes some movement, multiply your BMR by 1.2 if you're sedentary (= 1,600 cals) and by about 1.5 if you're moderately active (= 2,000 cals). Nothing abnormal about those figures.
I suggest you aim to be moderately active, eat about 1,500 cals per day, and see where you land in a couple of months.
But that still means I burn much less than most my height etc. In order to lose I have to stick to 1200 a day and exercise an hour and for my height it feels like I am starving myself.
Surely you are staying away from soda, especially diet soda.
Probiotics taken regularly may help your digestive system work better. I use Phillips Colon Health recommended by pharmacists and seem to be doing far better.
Well, I think the answer depends upon how you lost your weight in the first place. When I've been pregnant, I vomited around the clock. I destroyed my metabolism. it took me years to get my metabolism back, but what I discovered is that my hormones, including most especially insulin, play a huge role in my weight loss.
Personally, I think there are two things you need to worry about before you worry about your metabolism. The first is to make sure your gut is in good working order. Make sure you take a good probiotic every day. That will also require keeping sugary and refined carb foods to a minimum. Also, since diet sodas raise blood sugar, they need to go too. The second thing you need to do is figure out if you're deficient in any vitamins and minerals. I definitely was. Now I supplement ( in addition to my multivitamin and probiotic) magnesium, iodine, mk4, D, ubiquinol, and occasionally some others if I feel the need. For a time I needed chromium and selenium as well. If you decide to go the supplement route, don't just copy my list, research and figure out your body's particular needs.
Maybe my list sounds crazy but I feel a million times better than I used to. My husband tells me I've gotten my glow back. I focus on eating fats, veggies, and some protein. My calorie intake is much higher today on a regular daily basis than it was five years ago. Just replacing all that diet coke with water was huge for me.
How did you find out you only burn than many calories? Is there a test you can take that measures that accurately? I'm curious if I should take a test like that and where I would go to take it. Thanks.
How did you find out you only burn than many calories? Is there a test you can take that measures that accurately? I'm curious if I should take a test like that and where I would go to take it. Thanks.
I would only add that you shouldn't take that completely to heart. I also went to a diet program and had it tested and it was clearly wrong. It said I burned about 1200 - but then I started a diet at 1000 cals and managed to lose about 1.5 lbs per week. So clearly, that is just a rough estimate. No exercise.
I had it done a different way that had me at 1500 cals when I weighed much less. LA girl pm me. I tried to PM you but couldn't.
I would only add that you shouldn't take that completely to heart. I also went to a diet program and had it tested and it was clearly wrong. It said I burned about 1200 - but then I started a diet at 1000 cals and managed to lose about 1.5 lbs per week. So clearly, that is just a rough estimate. No exercise.
I had it done a different way that had me at 1500 cals when I weighed much less. LA girl pm me. I tried to PM you but couldn't.
She may not be able to PM you yet as she just joined this month? I don't know when her join date was, but there is a 20-day waiting period...
I don't know, I once weighed 250 and got down to 180, then back to 210s then back down to 170-180. I bounced around a lot too. I'm 34 so we're close in age.
I've been able to lose a normal amount of weight (1-2 lbs/week) by eating less the past couple of months. At first it felt like I was starving myself by only eating 1500 calories or so ( I don't really count calories) but now I am used to it. My body is used to eating a little less. I just don't believe you're doomed and don't think you should feel that way.
I had destroyed my metabolism years ago. It took about one or two years for it to get back to normal and during that time I couldn't really lose weight, but maintained. For some of that time, I was on medication, though, so without it, it might take less time.
Generally, I have noticed that I can get used to eating a bit too much by having the wrong things. If I focus on getting enough fruit and vegetables and slighty less carbohydrates, I generally cope well. But I do think your body might need time to adjust.
So how exactly are you stop stressing your metabolism and heal it?
#1 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism with Food
Don’t cut calories. Don’t eat a restrictive diet. (And yes, diets that radically reduce the intake of any particular macronutrient like carbs, protein, or fat count as restrictive diets!)
Walling writes:
If you want to stress out your metabolism, start denying it some of the most basic elements it needs to survive. This simple act of deprivation is enough to trigger the release of stress hormones (and all the accompanying side effects). Why? Because the body uses the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol to access alternate sources of energy (i.e. get sugar from protein or ketones from fat).
In the beginning, these deprivation diets can produce weight loss and even some positive side effects that make it appear as if they’re helping. But that’s just the initial surge of adrenaline and cortisol talking.
Did you catch that?
Most restrictive diets appear to be successful at first because your body’s stress response kicks in. But what happens months (or even years) later when your body’s metabolism has been operating at high-stress levels continuously that whole time?
You gain the weight back.
So what foods will heal a stressed metabolism?
The first priority is to eat Real Food — food that’s unprocessed, organic when possible, and traditionally-prepared.
The second priority is to eat a balanced diet. Your body needs carbs, fats, and protein to promote a nourished metabolism. It needs both nutrient-dense foods (usually these are higher in fat & protein) and energy-dense foods (usually these are higher in carbs). Walling continues:
Your body needs a careful balance of energy versus nutrients. Too much energy without enough nutrients, and you wind up with problems connected to nutrient deficiencies. Plenty of nutrients without enough energy leads to a slow metabolism and its associated side effects.
Interesting, isn’t it?
Put in practical terms, this kind of balanced diet means that it’s okay to have energy-rich foods (like apples) that may be lacking in nutrient-density but rich in energy. It’s okay to have a side of rice with your grass-fed beef stew that’s been cooked in real bone broth.
#2 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism by Reducing Stress
By stress, I’m not just referring to emotional stress. Walling clarifies:
Physiologically, stress could be considered any event that triggers a marked response by the adrenal glands. In basic terms, this response is the release of the stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. It’s the body’s natural reaction to any stressor.
So yes, emotional stress applies. But so do a host of other things, like:
Lack of sleep
Lack of sunshine
Allergies
A restrictive diet
Too much exercise
Exposure to toxins
And that’s just scratching the surface!
So, if you want to heal your metabolism, you need to take active steps to examine the stressors in your life and reduce or eliminate them.
Get more sleep. Go outside in the sun. Reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and improve your body’s detox pathways. Eat a balanced diet. You name it.
Prioritize reducing the chronic stressors.
#3 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism by Balancing Rest and Activity
We’ve always been told that the key to weight loss is to cut calories and exercise more. If you have a stressed metabolism, following that advice will only exacerbate your issues.
Instead, we need to place a priority on improving our sleep. (Read: 7 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep)
Walling tells us why:
Lack of sleep is a direct stress on the body. Sleep studies show that even one night of poor sleep can elevate your cortisol levels the next day. Imagine what happens when you sleep poorly almost every night! It’s a recipe for chronically high stress hormones.
But as important as quality rest is, we need to balance that with good activity levels.
Unfortunately, activity levels aren’t a one-size-fits-all sort of deal. The appropriate activity level for you depends entirely on how stressed your metabolism already is. That’s because too much physical activity can also elicit a stress response in your body.
So, if you’ve been a chronic over-exerciser, you may need to tone down your activity levels to give your over-stressed metabolism a chance to heal and recharge. If you’ve been mostly sedentary, you’ll want to incorporate daily movement of some kind into your life. Exactly how much exercise is appropriate for you will depend on a number of factors — your rest levels (make sure you’re getting enough), the amount of energy in the food you consume (more calories support more exercise), and the type of activity (slow & steady vs. fast & stressful).
So how exactly are you stop stressing your metabolism and heal it?
#1 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism with Food
Don’t cut calories. Don’t eat a restrictive diet. (And yes, diets that radically reduce the intake of any particular macronutrient like carbs, protein, or fat count as restrictive diets!)
Walling writes:
If you want to stress out your metabolism, start denying it some of the most basic elements it needs to survive. This simple act of deprivation is enough to trigger the release of stress hormones (and all the accompanying side effects). Why? Because the body uses the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol to access alternate sources of energy (i.e. get sugar from protein or ketones from fat).
In the beginning, these deprivation diets can produce weight loss and even some positive side effects that make it appear as if they’re helping. But that’s just the initial surge of adrenaline and cortisol talking.
Did you catch that?
Most restrictive diets appear to be successful at first because your body’s stress response kicks in. But what happens months (or even years) later when your body’s metabolism has been operating at high-stress levels continuously that whole time?
You gain the weight back.
So what foods will heal a stressed metabolism?
The first priority is to eat Real Food — food that’s unprocessed, organic when possible, and traditionally-prepared.
The second priority is to eat a balanced diet. Your body needs carbs, fats, and protein to promote a nourished metabolism. It needs both nutrient-dense foods (usually these are higher in fat & protein) and energy-dense foods (usually these are higher in carbs). Walling continues:
Your body needs a careful balance of energy versus nutrients. Too much energy without enough nutrients, and you wind up with problems connected to nutrient deficiencies. Plenty of nutrients without enough energy leads to a slow metabolism and its associated side effects.
Interesting, isn’t it?
Put in practical terms, this kind of balanced diet means that it’s okay to have energy-rich foods (like apples) that may be lacking in nutrient-density but rich in energy. It’s okay to have a side of rice with your grass-fed beef stew that’s been cooked in real bone broth.
#2 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism by Reducing Stress
By stress, I’m not just referring to emotional stress. Walling clarifies:
Physiologically, stress could be considered any event that triggers a marked response by the adrenal glands. In basic terms, this response is the release of the stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. It’s the body’s natural reaction to any stressor.
So yes, emotional stress applies. But so do a host of other things, like:
Lack of sleep
Lack of sunshine
Allergies
A restrictive diet
Too much exercise
Exposure to toxins
And that’s just scratching the surface!
So, if you want to heal your metabolism, you need to take active steps to examine the stressors in your life and reduce or eliminate them.
Get more sleep. Go outside in the sun. Reduce exposure to toxic chemicals and improve your body’s detox pathways. Eat a balanced diet. You name it.
Prioritize reducing the chronic stressors.
#3 — Heal A Stressed Metabolism by Balancing Rest and Activity
We’ve always been told that the key to weight loss is to cut calories and exercise more. If you have a stressed metabolism, following that advice will only exacerbate your issues.
Instead, we need to place a priority on improving our sleep. (Read: 7 Tips to Get a Good Night’s Sleep)
Walling tells us why:
Lack of sleep is a direct stress on the body. Sleep studies show that even one night of poor sleep can elevate your cortisol levels the next day. Imagine what happens when you sleep poorly almost every night! It’s a recipe for chronically high stress hormones.
But as important as quality rest is, we need to balance that with good activity levels.
Unfortunately, activity levels aren’t a one-size-fits-all sort of deal. The appropriate activity level for you depends entirely on how stressed your metabolism already is. That’s because too much physical activity can also elicit a stress response in your body.
So, if you’ve been a chronic over-exerciser, you may need to tone down your activity levels to give your over-stressed metabolism a chance to heal and recharge. If you’ve been mostly sedentary, you’ll want to incorporate daily movement of some kind into your life. Exactly how much exercise is appropriate for you will depend on a number of factors — your rest levels (make sure you’re getting enough), the amount of energy in the food you consume (more calories support more exercise), and the type of activity (slow & steady vs. fast & stressful).
Can I ask where you are getting this information because it makes a lot of sense to me. I have a friend who has lost a lot of weight in the past 2 yrs following a LCHF diet. Only now she has started running into some problems with it, foggy brain, catches every cold, and even though she's lost all the weight she wanted to lose this way of eating is proving to be unhealthy for her. Her doctor has been urging her to introduce some grains I to her diet for the sake of her brain health but she's terrified to gain weight. She also works out like a fiend, her weight and fitness have become an obsession.
Damaged metabolism: VERY depressed
