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handling a super fast metabolism
I am in my early thirties. I was born with a super fast metabolism. It didn't really bother me when I was a little girl but I do remember people commenting on how much I ate.
In high school I noticed it much more and in college I became self conscious and even a little worried. I ate so much more than everyone else and everyone thought it was weird. I did a lot of athletics in college and I ate around 7000 calories a day. People would ask all kinds of questions and some people thought I had an eating disorder. It was really annoying. I talked to a doctor and a nutritionist about it but no cause was found - the same as with my family doctor growing up.
One thing people used to say is that one day my metabolism would slow down. It probably has a little, but not very much. I still eat 5000 calories a day and if I do any sports or anything strenuous my appetite pops right back up to college levels.
I have learned to accept this as how I am and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but sometimes it still does.
A couple of weeks ago my three old roommates and I spent 3 days at one of my friend's vacation house in the hills. For breakfast I ate more than anyone else and they noticed. Then we went on a long hilly hike. My friends all packed a sandwich for lunch and I took three. When we got back 6 hours later I was having hunger pangs. We ate dinner early and I ate at least 2x what anyone else did. There were comments like "Oh! hungry Rosemary is still hungry!" etc.
Around bed time my stomach was cramping and demanding food again. I finally told my friends I needed a snack and they watched me finish the dinner leftovers and some fruit, about as much as I ate for dinner before. They all sat around saying things like: "Now I remember why we never had any food in the house", "I can't believe you still eat like that!", I have never seen anyone who eats like you", "I'm still stuffed from dinner. Are you really hungry?", and my favorite: "You should see a doctor just to be sure".
This is very annoying and embarrassing. I have seen the doctor and I know my metabolism is weird. I hate feeling my stomach getting hungry at a bad time. I can't help it or stop it. It make me feel weird and abnormal. I don't want everyone talking about it. I am just HUNGRY and I need to eat.
I know they're not trying to be mean at all. It doesn't bother me as much as before but it still brings back memories of awkwardness and feeling somewhat abnormal.
I still want to find a cause of my metabolism and I would like to know if anyone else has this problem. There have been much more embarrassing times in the past but this still bothers me. I don't also know how to handle the situation.
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I would be curious, as to whether you are maintaining a normal weight or not. At 5'10" and 150-55 lbs, are you in the normal range? It seems so, at first glance.
You are concerned about think, but it seems to me that you should also be more focused on whether you have any kind of physical imbalance that requires further diagnosis, possible treatment, and that could even worsen without it.
So, I would recommend that you consult an endocrinologist, if you haven't already done so, and if you have, perhaps seek a second opinion.
Your situation may be "normal" for you...or not, and its the "not" part that you should be ruling out, at the very least.
As for your friends, either they will accept you and respect you , as you are...or perhaps take a back seat while you seek newer and more tolerant friendships.
Good luck and good wishes,
Dr. Stephanie
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You remind me a bit of myself. High metabolism but not to the extent of yours. Basically I could eat large meals and the kind of stuff that added pounds to others, but it never did to me. My sisters were asked by people if I was anorexic. I wasn't. I am sure people thought so too when I first married but hubby never said that people asked. Just the comments on how bony I was. Even my own parents came up with a nickname using Boney to rhyme with my name, but I could feel it was never to make me feel bad, just a description of what I looked like, same as me calling my 2nd husband, hairy over all his body, my Sasquatch. He knows I don't mind and actually like his 'fur'. So to talk on how to handle, the battle is all in the mind. I never felt it meant there was something wrong with me, just that I differed from the norm. And different doesn't mean abnormal.
My parents made sure a Dr. checked me too, mainly for tapeworm. I didn't have it but DRs can give a medicine that kills it. Basically it begins to grow in you once contracted, and is probably more of an issue in under developed countries with lack of the basics for good health. It will live in your stomach and eat the food that you eat, thus your not getting the nutrition you need so you end up looking like an unhealthy too thin person.
Bad news is you can't change your metabolism. And yes, eventually it slows down. But it took until I got to about 50 when I noticed I was putting on weight, small bits, eating the same stuff and fattening foods that didn't bother me before. I am now over 60 and my appetite has even dropped amount wise for a meal so I understand now the smaller senior meal deals. I was 110 in HS up to 7 yrs in marriage when expecting 1st child. I only put on baby and water weight, no matter how much I ate so I suspect one day it will be the same for you or you may even weigh a little less but have a healthy normal kid. After 3 kids, I weighed 115 to 117 for a long time, not getting to 120 until the kids were grown up. After a divorce and until I met my 2nd husband, I remained 120 except for short term weigh gain and loss to 125 at most. During the years before the pandemic, I weighed up to 130. But now during the pandemic, where I can eat as often as I want being stuck at home alot, my weight went back down to 123- 125 and seems to be staying there, and yes, I still have some things that put on weight like cookies and chocolate for example. My wrists no longer look too bony,still small though and My elbows have never changed, still look anorexic.
I shared that so you have some reference point of what the comparison might be between you and I.
However, I never let it bother me. I have always made sure when getting curiousity over it from those closest to me, to explain before they said so that I was not anorexic or on my way to it, just born this way and I can't gain weight no matter what I eat. Those close to me, never teased because they knew and any teasing they did, was done so because they cared about me, not because they wanted to hurt me. As a child, I had great anxiety thinking that all comments and teasing was meant to hurt or bully me, rather than kids wanting to be friends but not knowing how to make first contact or first conversation. So if ever heard a tease in teen or young adult life, the time when others haven't gained the skills yet on how to communicate without saying the wrong thing, I would join them and laugh. "You are so tiny, a stiff breeze could blow you away." I would laugh and say, "You're almost right. In a heavy wind that most people can still walk in with no problem, I was stumbling to keep up right." When I shared things like this, I got less and less comments, cus those who don't know better, find its no longer fun because they are not getting the defensive reactions from you. And those who care about you, will find you so much more fun, if you make it so they can laugh with you rather than at you. Hope this helps you dear.
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