Damaged metabolism Topic
U1187797362
08/04/20
So I am a 5 ft 1 20 year old girl , for a year I was with a nutritionist that made eat around 900-800 cals for almost a year and all i ate was protein meals with protein bar snacks , I lost weight but couldn’t go bellow 52 kg ( i weighed about 59 kg ) felt bored with the diet and broke it , I gained 3 kg and now I am back at 55 kg ( which i believe is my set weight since i always go back to it ) . I am sick and tired of always eating so little and gaining weight ? ( also this has caused me to binge At least 6-12 times this past 3 months ) What can I do about it ?
U1187797362
08/04/20
I currently upped my calories to about 1200 and started working At least 1 hour 3 times a week ( light hitt ) , i have been doing it for 10 days now and experienced no weight loss at all . How do I fix my metabolism and eat more while maintaining a low weight ?
Dietician
08/04/20
replied to U1187797362
Welcome to MyNetDiary! Glad you found us~
I am sorry to hear you are struggling!
How's the tracking going? Tracking is foundational to weight loss and has been proven to produce results. Though I am concerned from your post that you are burned out. Eating just protein for a year and restricting your intake, while battling hunger sounds awful and it sounds like you are not sure it was worth it?
The literature also shows that restricting too much can promote binge eating and it sounds like you may have also experienced this as well.
I would encourage you to press the reset button and develop a plan for yourself that involves
1. Compassion for yourself
2. Reclaiming the joy in eating
3. Realistic expectations around weight loss
4. A consistent activity plan
5. Social support
These are all very important parts of making a lasting lifestyle change. Here are a few articles I think may help.
https://www.mynetdiary.com/reclaiming-the-joy-of-food.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/why-am-i-not-losing-weight.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/simple-n-healthful-meal-planner-plate-method.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/superfoods-for-your-immune-system-try-these-20-immune-boosting-snacks-at-less-than-150-calories-each.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/what-is-stress-eating-and-3-tips-to-overcome-it.html
Please let us know what questions remain. All the best, Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
Dietician
08/04/20
replied to U1187797362
Hi U1187797362- It sounds like you are confused as to why the scale is not reflecting your hard work and this is frustrating-
First off pat yourself on the back for your dedication to the light HIIT workouts. That is great! This will help you lose weight, keep it off, build muscle, strengthen your heart and lungs. So the health benefits go beyond burning calories.
-One thing that can impact weight loss is the amount of weight you want to lose. What is your current BMI or body mass index? Meaning if you have just a few pounds to lose, those are the hardest to get off.
-You mentioned you were eating 1,200 calories a day... how are these calories distributed?
One strategy that can produce weight loss is to eat a larger breakfast (more calories) than your dinner. So you might try a 500 calorie breakfast, 400 calorie lunch, 300 calorie dinner. Make sure each meal is balanced (here is some more info around what this looks like:https://www.mynetdiary.com/simple-n-healthful-meal-planner-plate-method.html
-To help keep you full, make sure you are eating enough dietary fiber throughout the day. For women the recommendation is 25g/day and for men 30g/day.
Foods with fiber: https://www.mynetdiary.com/great-food-sources-of-fiber.html
-Are you currently tracking everything you are eating?
I think this sounds super easy, though is very hard. For example, I find it is harder to track my intake on the weekends. One client I was working with found success in pre-tracking. Meaning, she would enter in all the foods she planned to eat for the following day and then if she didn't end up eating them she would simply delete, though most of her intake was already entered. This helped her feel in control and made sure she didn't go over her budget.
-Finally, here are some other tips to break a plateau: https://www.mynetdiary.com/plateau-recharge-your-diet.html
Please give it a few days and then let us know how it is going. Weight loss is hard and there is no reason to go at it alone! Best, Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
U1187797362
08/04/20
My bmi is in the normal weight range , since i am short ideally i want to be 50 kg but I never seem to break it , yes i am getting enough dietary fiber , and my breakfast is around 300-400 while my lunch is around 300 and I dont really eat dinner but that only because I prefer to snack instead
U1187797362
08/04/20
Is there anything i can do to lose weight and return my metabolism to normal ? , it feels as if , if i eat above 800 or increase my carbs that i will just plateu and gain weight
U1187797362
08/04/20
And yes i do pretrack , since it removes the stress i feel around eating
Dietician
08/04/20
replied to U1187797362
Hi U1187797362- I am not sure you saw this response so I re-typed it below.
In order to lose weight there is not a magic bullet or one specific thing you can do to "reset your metabolism."
Though one of the best things you can do for your metabolism is strength training. You mentioned HIIT- could you add in some resistance training on the other days?
It is great that you are pre-tracking!
I am not sure you saw my other response to you this morning- so I am including it.
I think these tips can help as well as the articles below. Losing those last few pounds when you are already at a healthy weight can be very difficult. Is it worth it if your body weight is already in the healthy range? Only you can decide this. All the best, Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
1. Compassion for yourself
2. Reclaiming the joy in eating
3. Realistic expectations around weight loss
4. A consistent activity plan
5. Social support
These are all very important parts of making a lasting lifestyle change. Here are a few articles I think may help.
https://www.mynetdiary.com/reclaiming-the-joy-of-food.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/why-am-i-not-losing-weight.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/simple-n-healthful-meal-planner-plate-method.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/superfoods-for-your-immune-system-try-these-20-immune-boosting-snacks-at-less-than-150-calories-each.html
https://www.mynetdiary.com/what-is-stress-eating-and-3-tips-to-overcome-it.html
All the best, Joanna (MyNetDiary Dietitian)
Damaged metabolism
