Messed up metabolism & Weight Gain!

Jools Holland

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Think I messed up metabolism - can't eat to satiety without gaining weight now

I went on quite an extreme diet and I think it has permanently lowered my metabolism to the point now that if I want to eat to maintain my current weight I have to eat less (Around 3000 calories in total) than the amount I could eat in the past at a comparable weight (I think I used to be able to eat around 3300 calories to maintain). There is actually research that shows that your metabolism can be permanently lowered by extreme dieting (it's called "metabolic adaptation" in the research).

Basically, I was 10 kgs overweight, and I was trying to lose 20 kgs to get to an ideal weight, but I was constantly hitting weight loss plateaus every 2 - 3 kgs of weight loss. So I'd lose 2 - 3 kgs, then hit a plateau. And doctors say that when this happens you should adjust your calorie intake to make it lower. So I did this repeatedly, where I would lose 2 - 3 kgs, hit a plateau, reduce calories, lose 2-3 kgs, hit a plateau, etc. The only problem was that I had to keep going so low to the point that I was eventually maintaining weight at 600 calories a day. (I know they say not to go below 1500 calories a day if you're a male but I literally couldn't lose more weight after a few weeks of being at 1500 calories a day so I didn't have any choice but to keep reducing). When I hit a plateau at 600 calories it was not becoming possible to reduce again because I was literally starting to feel dizzy from eating such little food and so I had to stop eating such a low amount of calories, though I was near my desired goal at that point anyway.

Since increasing my calorie intake (relatively gradually), I noticed that now it seems like I maintain at only 3000 calories. When I try going even slightly over 3000 calories, I start gaining weight quite quickly, and then I resume maintaining at that new weight as soon as I go back to 3000 calories. However, I never really feel like I've eaten enough now and constantly am thinking about food. I think this is causing my difficulty sleeping and causing my baldness to progress quite quickly (I can see changes to my hair line on a day-to-day basis on most days). For the few months before I went on the diet, although I was overweight, I was feeling very full for several hours after meals, was sleeping well, and had mostly stopped my baldness from progressing. I think the problem is that not eating enough food causes me to sleep badly which then causes the baldness to progress.

My understanding from the research is that once your metabolism is lowered there is nothing you can do about it, but I don't think it's going to be sustainable for me to perpetually deprive myself of food. If I tried increasing to 3200 -3300 calories (so that I'm actually full and can sleep better, not lose hair, etc.), would I keep gaining weight indefinitely until I am overweight again? Or would my weight gain stop at a point before that? Is there some way of calculating how much weight I would gain before I can maintain at 3200 to 3300 calories?
 
Metabolism.

IMHO, this is one of those things where the propensity of information mucks it up. As far as the "actual research" that proves "metabolic adaption", give me five minutes and I'll cite you "actual research" that shows the opposite.

Personally I think there is something to it, but I also think its more molehill than mountain.

You say you don't fell full at 3000 calories? That seems kind of weird. I've seen those "what I eat in a day" videos. three thousand calories is A LOT of food.
Also I did a little reverse math, unless you are over 6 feet and 200 lbs - you don't need more than 3000 calories a day.

the Internet based calorie calculators aren't super accurate - but they usually admit that and will provide a range. You just need to play around within that range. but it sounds like you already have a handle on that. So you figured out that your goal to maintain weight is 3000 calories?

It shouldn't be hard to feel full at 3000 calories. And certainly you should be able to meet your nutritional requirements.

If you're familiar with the WFPB diet you know that if you stay away from certain foods both the volume and the nutrition value of your food goes up. You will feel more full when that happens.
 
give me five minutes and I'll cite you "actual research" that shows the opposite.
Well yes, but the point is is that there appears to be some clear evidence that exists that shows that it can happen. So even though it may not happen in some instances, there seems to be evidence that it can happen in others. Unless you're suggesting that there is other research that suggests that what appears to be metabolic adaptation in these studies is not really metabolic adaptation but rather just an anomaly that is attributable to some type of methodological limitation or something, then I would be happy to read it to set my mind at ease.

You say you don't fell full at 3000 calories? That seems kind of weird. I've seen those "what I eat in a day" videos. three thousand calories is A LOT of food.
Also I did a little reverse math, unless you are over 6 feet and 200 lbs - you don't need more than 3000 calories a day.
OK, but I have literally stayed at the exact same weight for a long time now eating 3000 calories. I have always maintained weight eating around this amount of calories (though, again, I think I maintained eating 3200 - 3300 before I did the diet, but perhaps I am wrong about 3200 - 3300).

Also, I was more interested in understanding what would happen if I increase my caloric intake by 200 calories a day, rather than why I need to eat so much to maintain. If I am currently maintaining at 3000 calories but I increase to 3200 calories, at what point will I stop gaining weight? Will I keep gaining until I am overweight? Or will I stop gaining weight at some point before that? I can't find any information on this online.
 
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Well yes, but the point is is that there appears to be some clear evidence that exists that shows that it can happen. So even though it may not happen in some instances, there seems to be evidence that it can happen in others. Unless you're suggesting that there is other research that suggests that what appears to be metabolic adaptation in these studies is not really metabolic adaptation but rather just an anomaly that is attributable to some type of methodological limitation or something, then I would be happy to read it to set my mind at ease.


OK, but I have literally stayed at the exact same weight for a long time now eating 3000 calories. I have always maintained weight eating around this amount of calories (though, again, I think I maintained eating 3200 - 3300 before I did the diet, but perhaps I am wrong about 3200 - 3300).

Also, I was more interested in understanding what would happen if I increase my caloric intake by 200 calories a day, rather than why I need to eat so much to maintain. If I am currently maintaining at 3000 calories but I increase to 3200 calories, at what point will I stop gaining weight? Will I keep gaining until I am overweight? Or will I stop gaining weight at some point before that? I can't find any information on this online.
I really recommend the book --
You can probably find it at your library
This is NOT a book about dieting, but about human physiology, the history of foods we eat, how foods affect us in every possible way.
it's a fascinating book and gives so much insight on the how, the what and why we eat how we do because of culture, genetics, and social norms.
It goes into depth into metabolism and the gut biome--which may be where your answer lies!

Have you tried intermittent fasting? Eating within a window of say, 9 hours eating time followed by 15 hours of not?
That is what got me out of a plataeu, and I found when I stopped eating that early I could eat the same amount and type of food without gaining that would cause me to gain if I stretched out the eating time.
This is also discussed. The whys and the research is all documented
 
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I think the reason I didn't directly address your issue and answer your question is I sort of think you are operating on some false premise or maybe partial misunderstanding. I guess its also worth noting here that your oppions are probably just as valid as mine. I definitely filter my reading. so sometimes I won't even read an article because I don't like its headlines. Any article that has a headline like "boost your metabolism with______. I skip. So I'm no expert on this and you might even conclude I'm willfully ignorant.

we can boost our metabolism a little with exercise, or coffee or even just having fun. But I think all those boosts are both small and temporary. I think at the end of the day the net result is the same.

I think a lot of people are mislead by I guess what I'm going to call metabolic efficiency. (there probably is a real word for this but I'm not sure.) For instance when you are heavy you burn more calories, without even doing anything, than when you are not heavy. Your body has that many more cells to feed, you body has to work harder just to overcome gravity, too. As a person loses weight the amount of calories he burns each day decreases. I think that is mistaken for changing metabolism.

And if your are exercising, as you exercise more and weigh less, the amount of calories you burn decreases. Also if you keep doing the same exercise your body becomes better at doing it - more efficient - so that exercise burns less calories.

I've added a link to the bottom which I think is worth reading.

Next


 
OK, but I have literally stayed at the exact same weight for a long time now eating 3000 calories. I have always maintained weight eating around this amount of calories (though, again, I think I maintained eating 3200 - 3300 before I did the diet, but perhaps I am wrong about 3200 - 3300).

I think the most likely thing is that you might be wrong about the exact number of calories. For most of us we don't eat exactly the same things each day.

when I was trying to gain weight, I had a goal of 2000 calories a day. I kept track of Everything I ate with CronOmeter. Day to day variation was at least 10%

You are also talking about 10%. of 3000 calories is 300.

I just went to calorie calculator online and had it calculate the BMR for a 160 pound person and a 200 pound person. Got 1700 and 1900. And that is without doing Anything. Once those guys start moving the difference will only increase.
Also, I was more interested in understanding what would happen if I increase my caloric intake by 200 calories a day, rather than why I need to eat so much to maintain. If I am currently maintaining at 3000 calories but I increase to 3200 calories, at what point will I stop gaining weight? Will I keep gaining until I am overweight? Or will I stop gaining weight at some point before that? I can't find any information on this online.
Of course everyone is different but based on what I just figured out with the calorie calculator, a 160 pound guy eating an extra 300 calories a day would probably stop gaining weight at.. something like 220.

But I think you are looking at this the wrong way. if your body is maintining at 3000 calories than that is what you should be eating. I can think of a few reasons you could be unsatifsfied with 3000 calories - and they are all fixable.

I think one of the most common reasons is psychological. For instance when I get stonned I get so hungry. I want to eat and eat and eat. but I just tell myself that the hunger isn't real and I don't go near the kitchen.

you don't actually need to get high for this to happen. @silva brought up Dr. Gregar's How Not To Diet. I haven't read that one but in How Not To Die, he discusses gut bacteria. If I remember it right, the bacteria that likes sugar can actually secrete chemicals that tells your brain that your glucose levels are low - so you think you want something sweet.

One other thing I can think of is the calories density of the food you eat. Someone posted this graphic and I borrowed it. it explains it so clearly.

Unknown.jpeg



So if you want to feel fuller - eat food that is not calorie dense. To get to 3000 calories you would have to eat 18 potatoes. Thats 4 for breakfast, 5 for lunch, and then 9 for dinner. But the take-a-way here is stick with potatoes, rice, beans, fruits, and veggies. Better yet, get Dr. Gregar's Daily Dozen.