is fast metabolism really a myth?

[n1k0l4t35l4]

@cfitz Other than some water weight these things mostly effect your appetite, not your metabolism. I have a very hard time believing this person was eating the same amount of calories unless they had significant changes in activity levels.

 

[rumiakthar]

so can two people eat the same amount of large quantities of food but not get fat at the same rate as the other person??

 

[mommajulesberry]

@rumiakthar https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11310775/

it looks like a mechanism that accounts for a lot of individual variation is NEAT

which pretty much encompasses how much you unconsciously fidget etc

in these sort of studies, some people spontaneously/reflexively increase/decrease their NEAT more or less in response to caloric changes which can often make it so that you have to push calories up or down more than you would expect to gain or lose.

eg when the hardgainer has a big meal, they might be pacing around more, fidgeting, or just dissipating more energy as heat, or when i am cutting, my body feels like moving around less day-to-day.

 

[walkaway]

@rumiakthar It's a myth. Metabolic rates will vary somewhat, but not by huge numbers. Once upon a time I was pretty lean...actually rail thin as a teen and in my 20s I was just a good level of lean. I did eat pretty much whatever, but I was also very active. I didn't have a car most of the time so I road my bike or walked everywhere. i worked landscape construction in the summer and stocked a booze warehouse during the school year, so physically demanding work. I also "played" a lot...hiking with my friends, Frisbee in the park, etc.

When I took a desk job after college, that's when the weight started coming on. I also wasn't necessarily eating as much as people perceived...they'd see me eat a massive calzone or something and be like damn...wish I could eat like that...but sometimes that was my only meal of the day and people didn't see that part.

 

[mommajulesberry]

@walkaway https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6471929/

this could explain some of it:

- in very sedentary populations energy intake (presumably dictated by natural appetite) seems to be dysregulated compared to expenditure aka accidentally putting people in a surplus

- in more active populations energy intake tends to track well with expenditure which tends to maintain bodyweight well without conscious intervention

 

[deshawn09]

@rumiakthar I'm not an expert, but i'll take my calorie input as exemple:
My height is 174cm and my weight IS 76kg. To keep my weight as it is I need 3500 calories
My physical activities are limited to: working out 4 days a week 2 hours and walking like 30 min a day

I think 350 for my height and weight IS juste insane

(Sorry for my english if it's bad)

 

[gospelofgracetv]

@rumiakthar Damn you really made a whole post to question what I said

 

[rumiakthar]

@gospelofgracetv lo yea

 

[ezio_21]

@gospelofgracetv I’d find it flattering, they’re looking for answers from people, they clearly cared about what you typed

 

[rumiakthar]

@ezio_21 I'm just trying to get a consensus

 

[ezio_21]

@rumiakthar My point exactly!

 

[rumiakthar]

@ezio_21 what's your point. one person can be wrong but if 50 people are saying it I assume it's true

 

[ezio_21]

@rumiakthar Don’t get defensive Jesus christ I am agreeing with you

 

[rumiakthar]

@ezio_21 my bad I get what you're saying now I think I read into it wrong lmao

 

[okegold]

@rumiakthar Hard to say but something is different. My wife is thin. No matter what. She literally will wash down a bag of chips with a coke, eat a cake, a sandwich, a big bowl of pasta, fruit and candy…without gaining weight.
I have 100 calories over my TDEE and I gain 3 lbs.

 

[rumiakthar]

@okegold this example with your wife is more or less what I thought a fast metabolism was

 

[okegold]

@rumiakthar It infuriates me.

 

[veroch]

@okegold This is a really good example of overestimating calories. I did a quick estimate of that list based on what I eat, and it's around 2k calories for one day. For my own height and lifestyle, I should be eating a minimum of 1,900 just to maintain my weight. So... it's possible she's not far off from maintenance just with her average daily calorie intake.

• 160 Lays potato chips, single serving bag
• 140 Coca Cola 12oz can
• 380 Red velvet cream cheese slice (USDA)
• 650 Boar's Head turkey sub, half (Publix)
• 500 Big bowl of pasta with tomato sauce (estimated)
• 49 1 cup strawberries
• 215 Half box SnoCaps

= 2094

 

[okegold]

@veroch She’s 5’5 and 100 pounds after she’s eaten. She doesn’t exercise. At 2k a day she should be steadily gaining weight.

 

[londonmum]

@okegold You would need to consume 10,500 calories over your TDEE to gain 3 pounds. Science doesn't lie!