have i broken my metabolism?

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roses1234
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:44 pm
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by roses1234 on Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:55 pm

have i broken my metabolism?

Hi

just a bit of background- have had an eating disorder for a few years- anorexia then bulimia and then binge eating disorder. am currently about a stone overweight- bmi 28ish.

I am trying to battle the binge eating by eating three well balanced meals a day and sticking to 1200 calories so I can lose weight as well (I am only 5ft 2 so am not undereating) However my weight is not coming down and if I eat one thing that is slightly "unhealthy" (eg yesterday I had a veggie burger and a few fries for lunch) I gain 2 or 3 lbs on the scale the next day. This is really disheartening and I was just wondering whether years of disordered eating can ruin your metabolism to the point where losing weight becomes impossible? (NB I have an underactive thyroid- but am ont he correct level of levothyroxine according to blood tests)

Thanks for any advice

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Dr James Thompson
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Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:58 pm
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by Dr James Thompson on Mon Jan 21, 2013 3:37 pm

Re: have i broken my metabolism?

Hiya,

Thanks for getting in touch.

It is unlikely that your metabolism is broken. The lighter that you get the less calories that your body needs to maintain a given weight so it understandable that your weight loss has slowed as you've got lighter, this however doesn't mean that you now have to eat even less!

It may be better for you to weigh yourself less regularly, which would mean that you don't get disheartened by the inevitable daily fluctuations in your weight. It is absolutely OK to have a treat occasionally and if that means having a veggie burger and a few fries then so be it, enjoy the meal for what it is.

Alcohol is a surprising source for a number of calories and if you drink this may be another reason for the stall that you have seen. There is a great DrinkAware resource here http://www.askdocjames.com/useful-tools ... alculator/ that will show you how many calories are found in alcohol.

You may have a T4/Thyroxine at the low end of normal and if you are sluggish, constipated or showing other signs of hypothyroidism that your GP may be able to tweak the dose up a little whilst staying within the normal range.

Best of luck

Dr James Thompson
www.askdocjames.com
Dr James Thompson

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Dr Masud Haq
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Joined: Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:48 pm
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by Dr Masud Haq on Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:54 pm

Re: have i broken my metabolism?

Hi
I agree with Dr Thompson's comments.

Your metabolism isn't broken but does adapt to your weight and general level of activity. I would recommend taking up some regular exercise, 4-5 times per week in the form of 20-30 minutes of brisk walking. This should help speed up your metabolism not only whilst you're active but the effects persist for sometime afterwards. This should help.

With regards to dose adjustment to your thyroxine, I agree it would be sensible to discuss this with your GP.
TSH levels help reflect whether someone's on too much or too little thyroxine. Ideally, I would aim to keep your TSH at the lower end of the normal range i.e. around the 1mU/L mark. It might be that a minor adjustment to your thyroxine may be beneficial.

best of luck
Masud
Dr Masud Haq
Consultant in Diabetes & Endocrinology
Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells Hospital

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... ud_haq.php

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