How to "restart" my metabolism?

B

Blackcub

0
I took some advice here months ago, switched to CKD (keto) and began hitting weights. I've lost a good amount of fat since then, vascularity showing regularly being big proof. As the months went by the scale started to slow.

Suggestions from others were lower calories, more cardio.

So thats what I did.

Now I eat 1500 on non-workout days and 1800-2k on workout days. I do 1 hour of LISS 6 days a week. No cheat meals, smoking, or drinking.

Most calorie calculators say I should be eating 2700 calories a day to maintain my weight. I did my weekly weigh in yesterday and I only lost 8 ounces from busting my ass all week.

People say "the scale isn't everything" and if I was at like 10% bodyfat and hitting 250lb bench press then yeah I could make excuses it's all muscle gain.

Possibly my metabolism holding me back? I was losing 1-1.5lb a week.. just slows and slows every couple of weeks if I don't drop the calories. I think I need to reset my calories so I can jumpstart my metabolism and then lower the calories again slowly, how can I do this without gaining weight?

5'11 Male 189lbs
3 days FBW / 6 days 1 hour LISS
CKD diet, healthy fats, 12 hour carb load once a week (around 300 grams)
Just did my carb load yesterday so I can switch my calories around this week

My jobs are all desk jobs so I get ZERO exercise other than my own workouts. I work about 14-16 hours a day across 3 jobs 7 days a week so I can't fit in anymore exercise nor would I want to honestly.

Been so long since I've had anything that tasted good, my patience is beginning to give.. 260lb down to this has been too long a road but I'm too afraid of doing anything to gain weight (one time I ate too low calories and went into starvation mode.. gained 4lbs that week.. wasn't fun, I had just forgotten to eat due to how keto affects the body, wasn't purposeful).

Help? :(
 
That's pretty low cals for your stats but if it's working for you then by all means keep on.

You metioned that you have not had a cheal meal. Have one. That might be all you need to kickstart your metabolism/thyroid again.
 
Blackcub said:
I took some advice here months ago, switched to CKD (keto) and began hitting weights. I've lost a good amount of fat since then, vascularity showing regularly being big proof. As the months went by the scale started to slow.

Suggestions from others were lower calories, more cardio.

So thats what I did.

Now I eat 1500 on non-workout days and 1800-2k on workout days. I do 1 hour of LISS 6 days a week. No cheat meals, smoking, or drinking.

Most calorie calculators say I should be eating 2700 calories a day to maintain my weight. I did my weekly weigh in yesterday and I only lost 8 ounces from busting my ass all week.

People say "the scale isn't everything" and if I was at like 10% bodyfat and hitting 250lb bench press then yeah I could make excuses it's all muscle gain.

Possibly my metabolism holding me back? I was losing 1-1.5lb a week.. just slows and slows every couple of weeks if I don't drop the calories. I think I need to reset my calories so I can jumpstart my metabolism and then lower the calories again slowly, how can I do this without gaining weight?

5'11 Male 189lbs
3 days FBW / 6 days 1 hour LISS
CKD diet, healthy fats, 12 hour carb load once a week (around 300 grams)
Just did my carb load yesterday so I can switch my calories around this week

My jobs are all desk jobs so I get ZERO exercise other than my own workouts. I work about 14-16 hours a day across 3 jobs 7 days a week so I can't fit in anymore exercise nor would I want to honestly.

Been so long since I've had anything that tasted good, my patience is beginning to give.. 260lb down to this has been too long a road but I'm too afraid of doing anything to gain weight (one time I ate too low calories and went into starvation mode.. gained 4lbs that week.. wasn't fun, I had just forgotten to eat due to how keto affects the body, wasn't purposeful).

Help? :(
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What body type are you? Endomorph, Ecto? I ask, because Endo's can't eat relatively low on calories and still be fine. (I'm an endo)

As far as your diet...Your metabolism is fine and you didn't go into starvation mode...In order to do that, you need to eat around 800 calories or less for a few days...Essentially, start starving yourself. Your body is just getting used to the amount of food your giving it each day. Basically, just taking the same amount of calories, storing, and spreading it out evenly to survive. So, you begin to maintain weight, because your body is used to being at a deficit and knows how to maintain the fat. This happens from eating too clean all the time....Those "cheat" meals are actually important. On the weekends, even actors like brad pitt can go out and eat whatever (within reason) and have a few beers. It throws the body off a bit and when Monday comes around again, you start your strict dieting...When you eat a little dirty on the weekends, don't eat 5000 calories. Maybe jump to 2400 or so, or one day 2000 and the next 2800. It's ok...Keep in mind it takes 3500 calories to gain 1lb of fat. So, their is no way you gained 4lbs of fat in one week like you claimed, unless you ate about 5600 calories a day for the whole week. You gained water weight...

Keep working out 3 days a week. (FBW) Do cardio 2x a week, but perform HIIT. Do it slow at first and gradually get faster. After your cardio, do abs. This way, your in the gym for about an hour and no longer. Don't do more than 20mins of HIIT. It's useless and you will be working your body too hard for the amount of calories your eating. Your body needs at least 1200 calories just to run functionally. Keep in mind, if you eat 1500 calories and burn 300 through exercise, this means you only ate 1300 calories for a day...Which is about how much a 105lb girl should eat...So, keep this kind of stuff in mind.
 
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I'm mesomorph I believe. Low calories doesn't bother me at all. Water weight may have been it, was just the first time I saw anything like it. So I should be doing something like..

Monday: 2000 (FBW)
Tuesday: 1500 (Cardio)
Wednesday: 2000 (FBW)
Thursday: 1500 (Cardio)
Friday: 2000 (FBW)
Saturday: 2400
Sunday: 2800

Repeat?

I do enough LISS right now the machine reads a little over 600 calories burned. I run on my non-workout days and workout days, after my weights. I'll have to try HIIT just heard it wasn't smart on keto.
 
Increase the amount of food you eat on your carb-up. As previously mentioned, make it a cheat meal if desired.

I have been on the Anabolic Diet (remotely like CKD) for 8 months and I always eat above my pre-determined calorie levels on carb day. 300g of carbs is not much for you. Consider upping it 500-700cals and you should be fine! :)
 
You can have "cheat meals" and they actually help? Damn I am learning so much just lurking these forums.

Edit- Can I slip this in quick, is it better to just eat more calories then eat a cheat meal? I don't neccesarrilu want to be eating apple pie slices again.
 
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flyinfree said:
i think you are in starvation mode....

but what do I know.



FF
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If so, I'm trying to escape it *without* gaining weight. I just don't know how exactly. Going to try boosting my calories back to back on Saturday/Sunday and reducing my cardio to nothing this week.

Then next week I'll return to cardio and keep my calories higher those two days.

If anyone else has any advice I'm all ears.
 
The March issue of Muscle and Fitness had a good article called the 10 pound Diet Plan. Unfortunately I don't see it posted on their website yet though, too recent I guess. The article has 2 diets, one for those trying to add 10 pounds of muscle in a month, and one for those trying to lose 10 pounds of fat in the same time period. The latter one is obviously applicable here. There is also a training program that goes with both.

In a nutshell they recommended dropping to about 2500 calories for a typical 180 lb male. The daily meal plan broke out to 2456 calories, 311g protein, 114g carbs and 80g fat. On the Sunday of the 3rd week they suggest a high carb day to offset a potential slowing metabolism. That day has 3119 calories, 279g protein, 388g carbs and 50g fat.

This is admittedly an extreme high protein/low carb program I would say aimed more at body builders trying to cut fat fast, but it gives you an idea to the number of calories and when to rotate in a high carb day. Certainly with the low number of calories you're taking in I expect you really are eating too little, resulting in a lower metabolism, which will reduce the number of calories burned at rest during the 90%+ of the time when you're not exercising. And it is a good idea to rotate in on some basis a higher carb, higher calorie day to keep that metabolism in gear when running a calorie deficit the rest of the time.
 
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Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm definitely going to switch things up, I'm letting cardio go for this week, will do some serious carbs one day, then move back to my normal routine but just keep the heavy carb day with around 2500+ calories to try and warm things back up.
 
Blackcub said:
Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm definitely going to switch things up, I'm letting cardio go for this week, will do some serious carbs one day, then move back to my normal routine but just keep the heavy carb day with around 2500+ calories to try and warm things back up.
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Don't weigh yourself after you're finished either. Most (if not all) extra weight on the scale will be water from the carbs. I gain anywhere from 5-12 lbs after a carb loading.

Good luck :)
 
Blackcub said:
Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm definitely going to switch things up, I'm letting cardio go for this week, will do some serious carbs one day, then move back to my normal routine but just keep the heavy carb day with around 2500+ calories to try and warm things back up.
Click to expand...

Look into the Eat Stop Eat book...Personally, i think it's helpful...Nothing but gains here and increased bench/squats.
 
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