The FastDay Forum

Question from my husband (who doesn't fast, doesn't need to!) We eat together at the table in the kitchen every night so invariably the conversation comes around to the science of food. Hubby has an incredibly fast metabolism and needs LOTS of food to function.... he can easily lose or gain a stone in a week without careful managing - I've never met anyone like him! If he cuts himself, he heals within a day or so.... and if he gets a bog-standard cold, he will take himself to bed, sweat profusely and be fine again within 24 hours, I've never seen him blow his nose in 15 years!!! A real enigma.

Last night I was talking about BMR's and TDEE's and we know that they are average readings, so he asked me how an individual's metabolism is tested. And I couldn't answer. I mean, how DO you calculate how an individual person burns calories, or processes food? All the stats are averages so where do they find the extremes of figures to arrive at the averages in the first place? Is it all to do with blood tests before and after eating/exercise??? I really don't have a clue......

In our house half of us have higher than average TSH readings, (usually anywhere between 1.75 and 4.75) and the other half have lowish readings (0.65 and 0.95). The ones with the high THS are the fat ones, they are also the ones who take ages to shake off colds. The teenager with the fast metabolism also does the 24 hour cold thing as well. He has never had a 'proper' cold in his life. Though he did need anti-biotics once when he was 4 years old for pneumonia.
As for doctors files, if it wasn't for Rhumatoid Arthritis, my husbands file (low TSH) would be non-existant, the same with my teenager. There are no real differences between us all otherwise, we have the same amount of exercise (sedentary), we eat the same stuff (mostly home cooked from fresh), non of us smokes or drinks to excess. It think its all down to TSH, though excessively low is very bad in its own way too.

[carorees]

To find out how much energy a person uses up (i.e., their TDEE) scientists use a technique involving "doubly-labelled water"