Increasing Calories to change set point

[Momcat 29]

Hi

I've been reading a lot about how we ruin our metabolisms due to extremely low calorie diet and how to get our metabolisms back to normal by slowly increasing calories to a normal amount and then reducing them again (but not too low) to lose weight. This supposedly resets your metabolism so you can eat a normal amount and not gain weight., Has anyone actually tried this? Did it work for you?

[Queen_Bee 37]

I just brought this up with my nutritionist the other day because I shared the same concerns...

She says that is a fallacy. She says you don't reset your metabolism, the reality is, your body gets smaller and therefore requires less energy. She says to determine your daily resting calorie burn and don't eat more than that or you will gain weight. The smaller you get, the smaller the number of calories you will expend naturally, hence the illusion of resetting your metabolism to a smaller number.


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[RJC5197 282]

On ‎2‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 11:09 AM, Momcat said:

Hi

I've been reading a lot about how we ruin our metabolisms due to extremely low calorie diet and how to get our metabolisms back to normal by slowly increasing calories to a normal amount and then reducing them again (but not too low) to lose weight. This supposedly resets your metabolism so you can eat a normal amount and not gain weight., Has anyone actually tried this? Did it work for you?

Yes I have with good results.

From severe calorie deficit for months, I stalled, and could not gain any muscle weight. Only losing muscle mass. I increased my calories for a few days (Maintenance level) then down to 30% deficit from it, and now even though actual bathroom the scale is not moving, my muscle mass is increasing and my fat levels are going down. My scale says I have 15 lbs. more to lose to goal, but muscle/Fat ration says 5 lbs. only of fat to lose, and my cloths fit like that too.

We have to eat to fuel our workouts. For some that do not exercise or only a little a increase for a day will help some, but if muscle loss keeps happening, our metabolism will go to a crawl because it does not need to be revved up.

The more fat a person needs to lose, the more and longer a deficit can be in place before metabolism is affected much.

Note: Every person is different and responds differently. It takes a lot of trial and error to get it right, and also our body constantly adapts so what we did one week, may not be what works a few weeks later.

Good luck.

[Ssze1109 163]

A great book to read (A pound of cure) or YouTube videos explaining our metabolic set point is by Dr Mathew Weiner. He has excellent YouTube videos regarding this topic.


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[MrsSugarbabe 727]

@Queen_Bee and her nutritionist are correct. I've been told the same thing by my nutritionist as well as over the years in all the reading I've done.

On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 0:08 PM, Queen_Bee said:

your body gets smaller and therefore requires less energy. She says to determine your daily resting calorie burn and don't eat more than that or you will gain weight. The smaller you get, the smaller the number of calories you will expend naturally, hence the illusion of resetting your metabolism to a smaller number.

You may want to check out the website/calculator below for calculating your caloric needs at any given weight. It's a good starting point, IMO. There are many sites that offer caloric calculators; choose one that works for you.

http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/calories/

The best to you, @Momcat.

[Momcat 29]

Thanks for all your thoughts. My experience has been that the calorie calculator thing doesn't work, which is why I'm curious about other ideas such as raising your set point. The conventional calorie calculators say that I should be able to eat about 2100 calories per day to maintain my current weight. I track my calories faithfully and usually eat around 1200 per day, and have actually gained a few pounds doing so. The problem as I understand it is that because we have lost weight through severe calorie restriction for a long period of time, we've messed up our metabolisms. The 2100 calories is probably what a "normal" person who has not been on a calorie restricted diet would need to maintain their weight. That obviously doesn't work for people like me who have lost a large amount of weight on a very calorie restricted diet. I feel like if I started eating anywhere close to 2100 calories per day I'd blow up like a balloon! I also can't imagine having to stick to only 1200 calories per day for the rest of my life! That's why I'm really hoping some of you have had success with this raising your set point thing.

[Newme17 3,444]

1200 calorie diet isn't meant for long term, EVER! Unless you're 4'2" and 80lbs (for maintenance). Hardly think anyone here is that, or even that to goal. The nutritionist are right and the whole set point thing is right. It's where we are physically that matters. Having surgery actually starts the resetting of your metabolism, so it's correct. Eating less because you are getting smaller is correct too.


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[Newme17 3,444]

Thanks for all your thoughts. My experience has been that the calorie calculator thing doesn't work, which is why I'm curious about other ideas such as raising your set point. The conventional calorie calculators say that I should be able to eat about 2100 calories per day to maintain my current weight. I track my calories faithfully and usually eat around 1200 per day, and have actually gained a few pounds doing so. The problem as I understand it is that because we have lost weight through severe calorie restriction for a long period of time, we've messed up our metabolisms. The 2100 calories is probably what a "normal" person who has not been on a calorie restricted diet would need to maintain their weight. That obviously doesn't work for people like me who have lost a large amount of weight on a very calorie restricted diet. I feel like if I started eating anywhere close to 2100 calories per day I'd blow up like a balloon! I also can't imagine having to stick to only 1200 calories per day for the rest of my life! That's why I'm really hoping some of you have had success with this raising your set point thing.

There is a group called EAT MORE 2 WEIGH LESS. Check it out. There are hundreds of reviews of people who went from 1200 to 2100 calories and saw a weight loss. It takes faith, courage, and yes, a risk to the t it out. But it does work. I've done it before, but didn't make it my lifestyle, thus I gained weight. I was eating too little and gaining weight. My doc kept getting on to me about it. Anyway, I upped my calories to 2300 a day while I was lifting weights. My body was changing and losing inches (which is, in my opinion, a much better gauge than actual pounds). Currently I'm pre-op and doing the same thing. This time I'm not tracking calories but I know I'm eating as much as I need to be. I'm also lifting weights again. So, yes, it works. Have faith.

Oh, the site is http://eatmore2weighless.com/




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[_Kate_ 2,224]

Sorry to go off topic but @MrsSugarbabe

Looking good !! What a lovely smile

[ryan_86 335]

I wish. I'm in the processing of accepting that my body is permanently different. The only reason to want a higher BMR is so I could graze. I don't want to graze. It's hard enough resisting that temptation even when I know it will lean to weight re-gain.


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[linah 92]

I hope it works, most nutritionists sat it doesn't but a lot of people say it works. I decided on surgery instead of more dieting because I had reached stage where the food I ate was mostly healthy, low fat, I had stopped eating rice and really cut down on carbs and nothing. Final straw for me, we shifted houses, I spent weeks unpacking, cleaning etc, did not watch my food intake so well, found I had suddenly put on 6 kgs. It really depressed me. Went to a nutritionist, measure my metabolic rate and it was 1,100 calories. In other words , in order to lose weight I would have to consume less than that and exercise and it would still take ages. I knew I could not sustain that kind of calorie intake for a long period and that even if I could, I would have to maintain it for the rest if my life or I would put on weight again as I did after every diet ended. There was no way that was feasible for me and that was when I finally began to consider surgery seriously. I am hoping that with the new restriction and increasing my muscle mass, I will find a reasonable balance.

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[ryan_86 335]

"People say" is a funny phrase. I listen to what people say for a living, and the maxim I go by with my clients is that it doesn't matter if what people say is true. It only matters that they believe it's true, because what they believe is going to inform their behavior.

But when it comes to my health, I only care what people say if that person is a medical professional, particularly one who isn't getting paid to be a shill for fads, frauds, and pseudoscience.

At best, I suspect that you can raise your BMR again, but until your BMR levels out, you will be gaining weight. How long did it your BMR to hit its floor, and how much weight did you lose during that time? What if it takes that long to find a new ceiling and you gain that whole time? But I'm not an expert. I don't know.

The experts say it can't be done. Listen to the experts. I listen to people daily tell me their opinions on everything from food to healthcare to insect repellent to aircraft carriers. Most of them don't know anything, but only a fraction knows they don't know anything.

I'm any case, why do you want to raise your BMR except to eat more than you need to feel full? How did that work out the first time?

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

I will take the advice of a MD over a nutritionist. Does anyone who is posting here even understand the education level or the lack there of that a nutritionist holds?

The key not to wreck your metabolism is to increase you calories as you progress stages. My metabolism which I actually have checked scientifically and I'm not guessing, is normal to high even after losing 178 lbs. I kept my Protein high, I think in the past 19 months I had maybe 3 days of Protein below 90, most of the time it has been 110 to 120. This allowed me to maintain a lot of muscle mass while burning fat for energy.

If you are concerned about your metabolism. Have your resting metabolic rate tested. Then you will have a start point on if your metabolism is functioning normally or if it is inpared. There is no reason to go adjusting your calories unless you know what you are dealing with to start with.

If your metabolism is normal, then you need to look at the types of calories you are consuming and not just to total number. 1500 calories of crackers isn't the same as 1500 calories of grilled chicken.

Edited February 11, 2017 by OutsideMatchInside

[paradise 19]

I was fascinated with Dr Matthew weiner videos. That is the first time I've heard a doctor talk about a set point. Although... I've always thought my body had one. I've seen it change over the years. I can see when I started a new med it changed etc. Anyways I have his book and am going to try to implement some of the changes he suggests. He says that our set point resets as soon as we have surgery. I am looking forward to that.

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