low metabolic rate

[lucylove]

Hi--Last year my doctor sent me to a weight loss clinic. I'm not huge (190lbs), but I do have trouble losing weight. They tested my resting metabolic rate and was told to lose weight I would need to eat between 900 and 1000 calories daily. I did this for a couple of months and lost a little weight, but I felt truly horrible and depressed, as well as constantly hungry!

I suppose my fear when it comes to the Whole30 is that while I am adjusting my food habits a LOT and am learning to not be afraid of fat, I am definitely eating more than 900 cals a day (I don't have a massive appetite and am not counting, but it's obviously more than that). I'm not doing the Whole30 to lose weight, not at all, but I'd really rather not gain a lot of weight either. I'm trying to have faith that I won't, but I wonder if anyone could give me advice on eating this way when your metabolism is low.

 

Thank you,

 

Lucy

[ShannonM816]

The truth is, if you have been restricting your calories this much, there is a chance you'll gain some weight at first,  but if you continue eating this way, you will get healthier, and as you get healthier your weight will get to a healthy weight for you. And, you will not feel horrible and depressed or be hungry all the time.

If you are truly concerned about your metabolism you might look into a way to strengthen your muscles -- having more muscle will burn more calories.

Please remember that you deserve to be healthy, and to be healthy, you have to consume healthy foods. Those foods give you the energy and strength to do all the things you want to do. You do not have to starve yourself, you do not deserve that kind of punishment, you don't deserve to feel terrible and depressed and hungry all the time, you deserve to be vibrant and energetic and happy.

 

[lucylove]

Thanks so much, Shannon. I was surprised a doctor would recommend this, actually. On top of that, he told me off for eating real food and told me to buy pre-made protein smoothies from Costco. He also told me not to eat too many eggs because of the cholesterol (hello? It's not 1976, doc). And this from an endocrinologist! He also put me on phentermine to help with weight loss, which made me end up in ER with heart issues. I've lost quite a bit of faith in doctors since then.

It was actually about a year ago that I restricted my calories. I've been eating more normally lately, and of course all the weight has gone back on. I'm going to keep eating this way and see how things go. I do need to try and eat more fat. It feels so unnatural.

 

Lucy