Question regarding metabolism...

    I'm 20 years old (5'11", 156lbs) and i was wondering if i may have screwed with my metabolism. the thing is, about a year and a half ago i was working out a lot and was in really good shape, but i had to have surgery in january 2006 (minor surgery for an abcess in my lower back, but it was enough to make me unable to perform any kind of physical activity for 6 months). during that time of inactivity, i lost a lot of strength and started to become less and less lean. to try to keep from gaining more fat, i started to drop calories--fast. I kept getting lower and lower and sometimes i would eat 1200 or fewer calories a day. Problem is, i still gained fat; now, i'm going to the gym again and everything, but i'm a little bit afraid to eat the amount of calories suggested by the 5-6 bmr calculators i've used (which suggest 2400-2700 calories a day for my activity level). is it possible that i've dropped my metabolism too severely; also, how long does it take for your metabolism to adjust to changes (i.e. if i started eating 2400 calories a day, how long would it take for my metabolism to start burning 2400 a day)? this has really been a source of stress and i think i may have a bit of a fat-phobia (haha).

Pick some calorie level and try it for a couple weeks and see how your weight responds. If it doesn't match your goals, adjust accordingly. A few weeks is long enough to see how you respond but not so long that you will get too far off track if you guess wrong.

My Journal: Jheft's Heftorium

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." -- Mark Twain

Pick a calorie level? Out of the blue?
 
Better to
1) get your total weight
2) get your bodyfat from another source than a Tanito or an Omron
3) describe your actual weight and other activities
 
4) get your actual caloric needs calculated.
 
Then give it a little time. I don't think 6 months will have ruined your metabolism totally, especially at your age. Let me know your stats and I'll work it out for you.

Sarah, CPT
http://www.atozfitness.com/sarahsblog/
http://www.trainwithsarah.com

Nothing tastes as good as being lean feels (Jack LaLanne)