Question about calorie restricting?

#1

I keep reading about calorie restricting and metabolic slowdown.

I’m trying to do Time Restricted Eating with a 20:4 window but I keep having the problem of eating 600-800 calories at my first meal and having zero hunger before the end of my window. And frequently still not being hungry by the beginning of my next window, the next day.

So I worry about the possibility of my metabolism slowing. My question is, if I’m burning my fat stores, wouldn’t that suggest that my calories aren’t being restricted? I’m getting the missing calories from my fat stores. It seems so obvious to me, but I keep reading “don’t restrict calories!”, so then I’m not so sure anymore.

I’m “eating to satiety”, which is something I read all over the forum also. I’m so confused.

And before someone suggests extending my eating window, that really won’t work as I’m not hungry then, either.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #2

There is a difference between eating to satiety and deliberately restricting calories to a pre-determined target. The latter is what risks triggering famine mode. If your hunger hormones are functioning properly and you just aren’t hungry enough to eat more, that’s not “restricting calories” the way we use the term here. Interestingly, it is limiting calories that causes the trouble; eliminating them altogether (i.e., fasting) does not pose the same issue. It’s almost as though we were designed to alternate between feasting and fasting . . . .

(Robin) #3

Totally get where you’re coming from. I was eating too few calories and everyone on here was pointing that out. It’s weird to make yourself sit down and eat when you truly have no desire whatsoever. But I do now. Originally I ate an average of 700-800 calories a day. Now, even after subtracting exercise calories, I am eating between 1300 and 1400, and the scales woke up and started moving. So, there you have it. I still RARELY ever feel hungry or want to eat. But the same way I am being disciplined about my carb counting etc, I am being that disciplined about eating. Period. I do the 18/6 IF. Which, as you know, is very easy when you have no appetite. Good luck! You’ll get there!

#4

Do I understand you to be saying that if 600-800 calories fills me up, then it’s ok? I do have the occasional day when I eat 1200-1400 calories and I’ll eat them and not feel guilty. I feel like I’m getting my “missing” calories from burning body fat and that’s why I’m not hungry.

(Robin) #5

Am I right that you are frustrated with too little weight loss? If so, adding calories, hungry or not, could get you over the hump at least. Maybe? Ah, what do I know. I’m just taking it one one carb at a time, like the rest of us.

(Robin) #6

If you’re losing weight and feel good, run with it!

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

It’s entirely possible that that is the explanation. Just watch your progress, and consider eating more if you aren’t shedding excess fat. As counterintuitive as that sounds.

#8

6-800 kcal is still very little. It’s fine to depend on big fat reserves when not feeling hungry and eating only, like, 1500 kcal but 6-800… Even getting all the necessary nutrients seem tricky but the calories are super low too. As @PaulL wrote, fasting is different, it’s better than barely eating… To some extent, of course :wink:

Hunger and satiation aren’t reliable for everyone all the time. Some people are never hungry… They still need to eat. I learned how much food my body accepts and I eat enough even if I am satiated as I know it will crash and cause problems later if I just follow my satiation. I hears stories about slowed down metabolism when the one in question didn’t have this crash after a few low-cal day as I always did…

So I can’t see eating this little good but if you really have plenty of extra fat so it’s believable that you can get enough energy from them and you feel fine and have results… Well, I can’t really disagree with your method. But I personally would be wary.

#9

Actually, no, I’ve lost 4.4lbs in the last 8 days. That’s due, I believe, to eliminating everything from my diet that could raise insulin (such as caffeine and artificial sweeteners) to tweaking my meds (Benadryl and Advil which I used to take daily raise insulin, along with a couple of rx meds that I’ve backed off of) to taking supplements like ginger and chromium picolinate (among others that I can’t remember the names of) that increase insulin sensitivity. Add in a 12:4 eating window and after a yearlong stall (and actually regaining some) I’ve suddenly lost 4.4lbs in 8 days.

I don’t think it’s due to the calorie restriction. I really believe it’s from all the changes I’ve made. I’m just so trained to “eat at least 1200 calories (or more)!” That I was kinda worried. But like I said on the other hand it seems to me that I’m getting my missing calories from burning my body fat.

#10

@Shinita It won’t let me quote you for some reason but you mentioned that some people are just never hungry. That is SO not the case with me. I used to be hungry all the time, but after a lot of research I’ve realized I’m probably just very insulin resistant and my insulin was always elevated. Now that I’ve taken many steps to decrease it I feel like I’m seeing instant results. I am definitely eating to satiety, I just get full quicker than I EVER did before.

I’ve felt like crap for the last year as I went closer and closer to zero carb (in a desperate attempt to break the stall), and now suddenly I feel a whole lot better. It’s like I wasn’t fat adapted despite being keto for 2.5 years, and my body wasn’t accessing my fat stores. Now that I’m presumably (finally!) burning fat, I feel much better and dropping the weight.

#11

I got into the whole fasting thing for a while, 16:8, 18:6 OMAD, Extended fasting (week long) and also eating to satiety. What I can tell you is I absolutely DID slow down my metabolism doing it, pretty bad actually. I always had good energy and felt fine, never felt like I was starving or having energy issues. I took that as my fat stores were providing the necessary calories. How it ended was me at the time a 220lb guy, lifting weight and exercising 4-5x a week with an RMR of 1700 (confirmed with metabolic testing). My last test before that although it was two years prior to starting the fasting was somewhere around 2600 I believe. Been about a year of reverse dieting to fix it and now I can loose weight again while eating ~2500cals/day.

#12

How exactly does reverse dieting work? I’ve seen it mentioned before.

#13

You figure out the macros you need the best you can either by calculation and tweaking, or getting your RMR tested and then you slowly and gradually start increasing calories typically weekly or biweekly to get your metabolism working faster. You spend some time not loosing and sometimes gaining a little while you figure it all out but ultimately it works.

#14

Yeah, it’s familiar. I used to massive overeating due to hunger (I don’t accept hunger so I simply ate a ton until it went away) but lowering carbs enough made wonders. I didn’t mean those people were never hungry since the beginning, it may be due to their woe. My hunger and satiation drastically changes when I manage to change the right things - it’s never too extreme though (or just for a few days). Some people who do keto and/or IF find them too effective and they are fine with very little food or at least they feel so.

(Robin) #15

Yay! All good news.

(Allie) #16

I don’t have any science to back up what I’m doing, but it’s working for me really well with no sign of any metabolic slowing down.

Tues - Fri time restricted eating, 16/8 or 18/6 whichever fits best on the day, occasionally feel hungry in the evening but don’t eat. Sat & Sun, no restricted hours at all, eat more than I would Tues - Fri, though I prefer not to eat after 1700 at the latest or it messes with my sleep. Sunday to Tuesday morning, minimum 36 hour fast.

I think the variety keeps my body guessing whereas if I stayed with the same restricted hours all the time, it would adapt accordingly and adjust my metabolic rate to suit.

#17

@Shortstuff
I don’t have any kind of schedule but I kinda do the same thing. I’ll have a day with lower calories, then be hungrier the next day then maybe just fast the next, then a day of higher calories, then a day or two of lower calories, then a higher day, then a fast again. I’m just going by my hunger, not trying to plan anything.

My only planned thing is the eating window and I’m open to changing that on a case by case basis. Like yesterday I wasn’t hungry til 1:30 so I extended my window to 5:30 instead of trying to cram in another meal just 2 hours later. I lost another half pound since yesterday so I’d say whatever I’m doing is working. Finally!!

(Allie) #18

Intuitive eating, sounds great to me :grinning:

#19

nah, you are ok. It is that fine line of if you are eating til fullness, feeling great, eating less one day but the next ya might eat alot more and still feel good and you are fine with all this and doing very well…you are ok.

but some stall out on their hunger leaving but still require more food so they experiment with ‘even if not that hungry’ they are best sitting down and eating just a little few bites only…and that might show them they are hungry and clean the plate :slight_smile:

So it is just that line for all of us at what point we are in our journey.

I do 2 meals per day in a 20:4 window and I eat like a lb. steak and pair that with some chicken and a few hours later I eat again, like a 1/4 lb burger and shrimp or something else and I have settled into that pattern very easily but I eat very well in that timeline for me.

So while this is me but might never be you :wink: Do you and if you ever feel kinda hungry just eat some and see if you want more or not…that way you don’t intentionally blow by hunger signs and if you eat you truly know if your body wants food or not. I have twinges of hunger and think, yea I could eat or not eat and then I fry up some bacon, eat 1 slice and say, nah I don’t want this, or I eat one slice and say, hell yea I am hungry and fry up the lb. and woof it down.

I think you are on a good path. You seem to just do you as you need and just watch and be sure you are feeling good and all is well with you.

(traci simpson) #20

Try adding a bit more fatty foods. The volume might be less, however, the calories could add up. Try suet or fat trimmings or egg yolks.