What's your metabolism like?

[Karlifornia]

I've been wondering about metabolism a lot lately. I'm trying to figure out the probability of my metabolism changing is, and how common a super-fast metabolism is.

I'm 21 right now, and my metabolism has been fast my whole life. I cannot gain weight or muscle mass no matter how much I eat or work out. If I go 3 hours without eating something, I get naseous and lightheaded, but I can't ever eat huge meals. Has anyone else been in a situation like this now, or in the past?

[heybrad]

I hate you.

[heybrad]

;)

[korme]

My friend is dead like that. My metabolism is pretty ok, but I still watch out how much i eat. At 19, I weigh about 155 (5'11"), and I try to keep between 1500-2000 calories a day.

[Franklinnoble]

Mine would probably be better if I'd get off my fat ass and exercise more often.

[DanGarion]

I hate you.
Heybrad.

[st.cronin]

I was like that til my mid 20s. Now it fluctuates by season. Winter my metabolism is slow - summer I can eat or drink anything and lose weight.

[rafini]

Metabolism ... I remember having one of those.

I graduated high school around 140, and by the time I was 25 I was up around 200 — although, to my credit, while a lot of it was extra padding, I was very skinny in HS and filled out more in college. But, needless to say, in my mid-20s my metabolism seemed to disappear.

[gottimd]

Mine likes parasailing and long walks on the beach.

[Easy Mac]

I agree with rafini. In high school I was 140 soaking wet. Now I'm about 175. I guess 7 pounds a year isn't too bad, but I'd prefer it be muscle.

[korme]

Yep, went from 140 to 155 in one year of college. Sad!

[JeeberD]

Mine would probably be better if I'd get off my fat ass and exercise more often.

Ditto :(

[illinifan999]

I've always had a super fast one, I was under 100lbs the summer before freshman year, and now going into senior year I'm about 135lbs. I eat a lot, but most of the time it's just because I need to gain weight, I'm rarely ever actually hungry, but my need to get bigger for sports makes me eat. And I've been trying my be super lazy diet where I eat a lot, sit on a chair and play ps2 or on the computer for 12 hours a day, and maybe catch a movie or play poker with my friends. This seems to be failing though, as I was 140 before the summer and while I was doing this for a week before football starts, I'm back below 135lbs. :(

[jamesUMD]

metabawhat???? I thought those went extinct with the dinosaurs. I was always fighting my weight, but since I hit 30, I think my metabolism died (like they had a funeral and everything).

[McSweeny]

mine is pretty damn fast, i eat and eat and eat and i never really put on any weight. I've put on some weight since high school (it's been 4 years or so), but most of that is just my nice beer gut.

[Pacersfan46]

I eat ... and DAMN I eat.

I work out my upper body/ midsection almost every day, and do Air Alert III workout for my legs to jump higher, but I can't gain weight in muscle mass, or otherwise.

I'm 6'3 and 175 lbs. Have been since I was a soph. in high school.

I doubt it'll ever change. Grandfather on both sides were tall, and skinny themselves.

[Suicane75]

mines pretty good, i can eat and eat and eat and gain all the weight i want.

[Lathum]

I stay about even, but as you get older I think it depends alot on diet, work, etc...

btw, I'm 30 and starting to feel it.

[damnMikeBrown]

I control my body. I control my weight. I control what I put in my mouth, and how much of it I put there. The types of foods are all my decision. I eat more food than is comfortable and can still loose weight(if I eat -cleanly-). I can eat crap, be hungry, and gain weight. I can let my muscle mass decrease and become fat.

I think you'll find that "fast" and "slow" metabolism is largely mythical(within similar age ranges). There are thyroid disorders and such, but for the most part, and no I'm not going to look it up on pubmed, metabolism isn't that broadly distributed. If you have a hard time gaining weight at your current activity level you're not taking in enough calories(or as many as you think you are). If you're dieting and not loosing weight, you're taking in more calories than you think you are.

As to the weight gain for guys in their freshman year in college, I think that's totally on plan and probably very healthy. Men aren't nearly done maturing at 19. You're pumping out the most testosterone of your adult lives. It's like being on steroids, only all natural. Eat good food in good quantities, lift heavy, and grow, grow, grow.

[Tara]

I used to have a very fast metabolism when, some years ago, I was a 'professional' swimmer (in the end not so good, i've always prefer studing). But it's esy to have a fast metabolism when you have your training every day for three hours.
Since I've stopped, my metabolism has become really slow and I've to control everything I eat and do a lot of exercise (I've done a lot of activities from volleyball to boxing together with weight lifting) to control my weight and keep my muscle mass.
The only problem that's I hate run, so I think that in september I'll start again to swim.

[Raiders Army]

I used to have a fast metabolism, but it's slowed greatly at two different points. When I turned 25-26 it slowed down, and I think I hit another period at age 30-31.

[Emiliano]

I have the slowest metabolism of the planet. Gaining weight? No problem. Losing some? I have to watch every single thing that I eat, even if I work out everyday. Given the fact that I'm like 6'1'', 205 pounds and I've been a little overweight my entire life, even when I played basketball, that is a problem. I don't want to become skinny, and I won't like it either, but I'd really like it if I could lose 15-20 pounds in a definitive manner.

[JW]

Okay, let me give you some longterm data on this, lol. I'm 51. I've always had a high metabolism. In high school I ran track and weighed 135 pounds at 6' tall. I joined the Army two years after leaving HS. I weighed 150 then. During basic training and AIT I gained 20 pounds, all muscle. I had an Army career and stayed very fit and active and retired from the Army in 1992. I continue to run, about two miles at a time, use one of those Total Gym things, glide on my wife's glider when it is raining, etc. I exercise about 3 days a week and mow the yard etc. I continue to be active and to feel active. I've also had a couple of serious illnesses along the way that have affected me. Right now I'm about 180. A couple of changes over the past few years is that I don't eat as much as I used to. I used to eat anything anytime but don't and can't do that. And I just feel a little slower, a little less inclined to get up and do things. But I am still much more active than most 50-year olds. As for weight, after basic training I weighed about 170. I dropped back down over the next year or two to 160 and have in the last nearly 30 years only gained 20 pounds on top of that. And that is basically with moderate exercise over all that time and very little watching my diet.

I think part of keeping your metabolism up is just being active, continuing to do physical things.

[Easy Mac]

Yeah, when I worked out for about a month, nothing even remotely straining (20 minutes on the bike and some weight lifting for 20 minutes) I dropped about 10 pounds. Its just tought making myself get up in the morning any earlier than is absolutely necessary.

[MacroGuru]

I had a crazy metabolism in High School and at JUCO, I could eat as much if not more than our OL and DL and I was a DB, and I wouldn't gain a pound.

Now at 30, I am sitting at 205 (HS playing weight was 165) my max was at 230, but I contribute that to sitting on my ass at a desk and not being active, but the minute I start working out or being active, the metabolism kicks in and I can drop weight pretty fast.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Yep, went from 140 to 155 in one year of college. Sad!
That's not too bad. In 2002 when I took all those prenursing classes I went from 165-200 in one semester. Im down to 185 now but hit a plateau. Though I have been lifting and running more.

[korme]

I think part of keeping your metabolism up is just being active, continuing to do physical things.
Makes sense. My dad is always busy working, eats like a hog and never gains a pound.

[ice4277]

Getting regular exercise is the biggest thing. I have a very slow metabolism, but when I do cardio and lift I'm generally ok for eating pretty much what I want within reason. But when I'm in an inactive period (like I unfortunately have tended to be for the last couple months) I have to really watch what I eat, or I can put it back on relatively easy.

[JonInMiddleGA]

My metabolism seems to have actually sped up at around 21 or so.
Went from 200+ down to 150's, courtesy of a bleeding ulcer.
But since then, have never gotten past 180-185 (and that's pushing it), no matter what I eat.

My idea of breakfast, whenver I get a chance, is 4 eggs scrambled w/ cheese, 4 slice toast with butter, 2 pcs sausage, 4 strips bacon, 2 hashbrowns. And I'm struggling today to keep my 33W pants up.

You'd think at 38, I'd be fighting the battle of the bulge, but although my weight does fluctuate more than it used to, still not more than 5 pounds up or down no matter what I eat.

Oh, and my idea of exercise is climbing the stairs to come up here to the p.c., so that's definitely not it. And in the past 20 days, I've been outside exactly 7 of them, walking no farther than the car in the driveway at any time.

[Lorena]

My idea of breakfast, whenver I get a chance, is 4 eggs scrambled w/ cheese, 4 slice toast with butter, 2 pcs sausage, 4 strips bacon, 2 hashbrowns. And I'm struggling today to keep my 33W pants up.

You'd think at 38, I'd be fighting the battle of the bulge, but although my weight does fluctuate more than it used to, still not more than 5 pounds up or down no matter what I eat.

Oh, and my idea of exercise is climbing the stairs to come up here to the p.c., so that's definitely not it. And in the past 20 days, I've been outside exactly 7 of them, walking no farther than the car in the driveway at any time.

Wow, you have all that for breakfast and don't gain an ounce?! Good for you!

[digamma]

I went from 165 to 185 my freshman year in college and pushed close to 200 by the end of college. Since then (7 years now), I've consistently weighed about 175-180.

Drinking less and not eating consistently between midnight and 2:00 AM is probably what brought me back to my now "normal" range.

[Easy Mac]

Man, Jon and I are too close for comfort... I had 4 scrambled eggs, 4 pieces of bacon and 4 slices of toast for both breakfast and lunch.

[Desnudo]

I have the slowest metabolism of the planet. Gaining weight? No problem. Losing some? I have to watch every single thing that I eat, even if I work out everyday. Given the fact that I'm like 6'1'', 205 pounds and I've been a little overweight my entire life, even when I played basketball, that is a problem. I don't want to become skinny, and I won't like it either, but I'd really like it if I could lose 15-20 pounds in a definitive manner.

It's too bad you don't like soccer. It's the best sport for weight loss I've ever tried.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Just use the elliptical trainer 30 minutes daily.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Dola: And of course push ups and situps too.