Quick Metabolism

[mabts]

Do any other INTJs here have really quick metabolisms?

I eat any type of food and huge quantities of food all the time. And, no matter what I eat or how much, I stay at under 5% body fat.

I'm not saying this is a problem because it makes things easy, but I've often wondered if the reason is because my mind/body are always thinking so hard and going crazy that my body is constantly exploding with chemical reactions.

[Provoker]

Excellent thread.

Your metabolism and food intake plays a key role in your thinking. I've read stories of world class chess-masters that wouldn't eat much before a big match because it would slow down their thought process. If I have an important exam, and I need to maintain peak concentration for 2 or 3 hours what I eat (and at what time I eat it) is essential. If I over eat I will become lathargic and my mind turns very viscous - it's no good. If I am really hungary I become irritable, intense, explosive and cutting in my speech. There is a amont that is ideal for optimum productivity, and you must be in tune with your body and mind to know what that is. For example, sometimes I won't eat until I get a job done as it increases my productivity but near the end I may become irritable and annoyed and when this happens I know productivity has reached its pinnacle and is beginning to wan so I go for something to eat. I don't necessarily recommend this but it works for me. I don't eat 3 square meals a day. I take food as my mind and body demands it.

[Jgib5328]

Do any other INTJs here have really quick metabolisms?

I eat any type of food and huge quantities of food all the time. And, no matter what I eat or how much, I stay at under 5% body fat.

I'm not saying this is a problem because it makes things easy, but I've often wondered if the reason is because my mind/body are always thinking so hard and going crazy that my body is constantly exploding with chemical reactions.

Is this a socionics forum now? There is no correlation between mbti type and metabolism. I happen to be an INTJ with a fast metabolism. It's mainly because I workout and have a lot of muscle. It has nothing to do with my personality type, well maybe it indirectly does (personality led me to workout). I'm sorry, but I find this to be one of the most ridiculous threads.

[Zilal]

I also seem to stay the same no matter what I eat or how much exercise I get. I expect that's just the genes I ended up with, but I did go through a period of a couple weeks last fall where I was extremely stressed out (just mentally) and noticed I'd be absolutely starving a couple hours after any meal. I was eating huge amounts.

[mabts]

Is this a socionics forum now? There is no correlation between mbti type and metabolism. I happen to be an INTJ with a fast metabolism. It's mainly because I workout and have a lot of muscle. It has nothing to do with my personality type, well maybe it indirectly does (personality led me to workout). I'm sorry, but I find this to be one of the most ridiculous threads.

Haha, really? I think you're failing to see the holistic view of how things fit together. Similarly, I remember reading one of the INTJ profiles describing the typical INTJ as being slim in figure.

[Jgib5328]

Haha, really? I think you're failing to see the holistic view of how things fit together. Similarly, I remember reading one of the INTJ profiles describing the typical INTJ as being slim in figure.

You are probably reading the profile of the INTj, which is socionics. The MBTI INTJ usually isn't the socionics INTj anyways. Having a slim figure means nothing. If I eat once a day, I'm going to have a slim figure regardless of my metabolism. Holistic view of how things fit together? That sounds like nonsense too.

[mabts]

You are probably reading the profile of the INTj, which is socionics. The MBTI INTJ usually isn't the socionics INTj anyways. Having a slim figure means nothing. If I eat once a day, I'm going to have a slim figure regardless of my metabolism. Holistic view of how things fit together? That sounds like nonsense too.

Our genetics massively effect who we are; I would think most INTJs realize this. I was generally programmed to be the way I am (an INTJ) with environmental factors influencing some of my tendencies.

With this in mind, a holistic view of genetics makes perfect sense. Certain ways the amino acids and proteins form in your body may have effects and connections between all sorts of things. It doesn't seem hard to imagine, if anything it is very obvious, that people with INTJ personality types may have a stronger correlation with certain traits such as slim physiques.

Furthermore, if the correlation between slim body type and INTJ does appear to be statistically significant, there may be a host of reasons why this is the case. For example, INTJS may be more likely to work out, more likely to eat healthy, more likely to be affluent, and/or more likely to be genetically configured with a stronger metabolism which could coincide with increased stress and high-powered thinking.

[pavman]

Nope, no problems with quick metabolism. Now a slow metabolism...sure.

I attribute it to when I stopped playing sports.

If we're talking genetics, realize environmental factors help shape us just as equally. I remember reading that a high number of INTJs have had some sort of childhood trauma (as with other types) that helped mold them into INTJs. One of my ex's, an ISFP, or something, had childhood trauma that helped mold her into an ISFP. I wouldn't discount either genetics or environment in the problem because they both play a role in how we are individually.

[Jgib5328]

Our genetics massively effect who we are; I would think most INTJs realize this. I was generally programmed to be the way I am (an INTJ) with environmental factors influencing some of my tendencies.

With this in mind, a holistic view of genetics makes perfect sense. Certain ways the amino acids and proteins form in your body may have effects and connections between all sorts of things. It doesn't seem hard to imagine, if anything it is very obvious, that people with INTJ personality types may have a stronger correlation with certain traits such as slim physiques.

Furthermore, if the correlation between slim body type and INTJ does appear to be statistically significant, there may be a host of reasons why this is the case. For example, INTJS may be more likely to work out, more likely to eat healthy, more likely to be affluent, and/or more likely to be genetically configured with a stronger metabolism which could coincide with increased stress and high-powered thinking.

Your personality has to do with your brain structure in certain ways, I concede to that, but for the most part, the physical affects are minimal. There may be a correlation between being slim and being an INTJ, but that could have to do with the fact that INTJs aren't overly indulgent (eating less food = skinny) . Just to get nitpicky, a fundamental rule of statistics states that a correlation does not mean causation. Eating ice cream and increased crime are correlated. Another rule is that statistically significant doesn't mean actually significant. Some statisticians consider a 10% probability to be statistically significant, when in reality it means shit. Being an INTJ can be correlated with more working out, but having a faster metabolism still seems silly.

[MNRon]

Do any other INTJs here have really quick metabolisms?

I eat any type of food and huge quantities of food all the time. And, no matter what I eat or how much, I stay at under 5% body fat.

I'm not saying this is a problem because it makes things easy, but I've often wondered if the reason is because my mind/body are always thinking so hard and going crazy that my body is constantly exploding with chemical reactions.


How old are you? I was like that until my mid twenties, not now. Many non INTJs have similar experiences as they age. I doubt that it has any connection INTJ -- I think many things discussed on this board overdo the INTJ connection.

[mabts]

Your personality has to do with your brain structure in certain ways, I concede to that, but for the most part, the physical affects are minimal. There may be a correlation between being slim and being an INTJ, but that could have to do with the fact that INTJs aren't overly indulgent (eating less food = skinny) . Just to get nitpicky, a fundamental rule of statistics states that a correlation does not mean causation. Eating ice cream and increased crime are correlated. Another rule is that statistically significant doesn't mean actually significant. Some statisticians consider a 10% probability to be statistically significant, when in reality it means shit. Being an INTJ can be correlated with more working out, but having a faster metabolism still seems silly.

While this seems like something extremely petty to go on about, I guess I will anyway. I never said correlation proves causality nor did I assume all or most INTJs would have quick metabolisms. I was merely wondering if other INTJs on this board do have quick metabolisms, and, if so, if this might be connected with over-thinking, over-analyzing, over-stressing etc.

Now, back to what Provoker said, I've often wondered what the best strategy is for eating and drinking before a test or any other activity in which I'll need optimum brain functioning. Lately I've been drinking green tea and eating a relatively good sized portion of food 3 or so hours before a test. Not sure if this is a good strategy or not -- any suggestions anyone?

[Rick]

Someone mentioned using diet and eating schedules to control behavior (I believe is was in relation to someone in a chess tournament).

I absolutely use this, and it relates to blood glucose levels. When your blood glucose drops down into the 50's, your body releases adrenaline to bring it back up. It also gives you the shakes (tremors). Adrenaline is also the 'fight or flight' hormone, which puts you on edge. I makes you pay attention. Also, for a hypoglycemic, caffeine will cause your glocose to drop way off, thus putting you into the fight or flight mode.

I wonder how many INTJs are hypoglycemic like me.

Another interesting tidbit. The brain is the primary user of glocose in your body. When your glocose falls off (from lack of eating, poor diet, health problems), guess where it first manifests itself - in your thinking ability.

[pavman]

Someone mentioned using diet and eating schedules to control behavior (I believe is was in relation to someone in a chess tournament).

I absolutely use this, and it relates to blood glucose levels. When your blood glucose drops down into the 50's, your body releases adrenaline to bring it back up. It also gives you the shakes (tremors). Adrenaline is also the 'fight or flight' hormone, which puts you on edge. I makes you pay attention. Also, for a hypoglycemic, caffeine will cause your glocose to drop way off, thus putting you into the fight or flight mode.

I wonder how many INTJs are hypoglycemic like me.

Another interesting tidbit. The brain is the primary user of glocose in your body. When your glocose falls off (from lack of eating, poor diet, health problems), guess where it first manifests itself - in your thinking ability.

I'm hypoglycemic (unofficially, self-diagnosed)... I get irritable and moody when I haven't eaten in about 8 hours. Its kind of annoying, really, but since I've learned of it, I don't tend to allow my moodiness to affect my interaction with others as much anymore (or I just eat before socializing).

Don't think this is an INTJ thing tho.

[Jgib5328]

I'm hypoglycemic (unofficially, self-diagnosed)... I get irritable and moody when I haven't eaten in about 8 hours. Its kind of annoying, really, but since I've learned of it, I don't tend to allow my moodiness to affect my interaction with others as much anymore (or I just eat before socializing).

Don't think this is an INTJ thing tho.

I think most people would get irritable and moody after about 8 hours.

[Max T]

It is interesting you raise this mabts, but taking on board Jgib5328 skepticism, we could aggregate the "INTJ= slim" notion to a higher level and speculate that perhaps NT rationals are statistically slimmer than the other 3 groups. A correlation but not causation may exist.

Food for thought (groan!):
- it's well documented that personality and attitude can impact the rate of physiological recovery from illness... so could personality extend to general BMI?
- as someone touched upon, thinking does consume calories and perhaps NTs think more= more slim? 'though I'm unsure on % intake of mental 'exercise' compared with physical exercise.
- from a cultural perspective, lean people are typically associated with being thinkers ("Cassius has a lean and hungry look, he thinks too much..."- Shakespeare).
But there appears to be too many variables to imply meaningful correlation.


Re. food quantity for optimal thinking, I gather that we have heightened awareness when slightly hungry due to a primeval need for mental acuity to hunt for food.
Re. food type for thinking, apparently certain fish oils are great for closing the gap between synaptic nerve endings, increasing speed of thought... but I know little re. this- others?
(I have a fast metabolsim and 20 BMI).

[ssfanatic]

My metabolism is really fast. I stay around 10% body fat, only during the off season though. During baseball season it is lower than that.

[Ytterbium]

I'm outright fat and overweight. As a kid I was quite thin but I grew larger during my teens.

I've built muscles and been in good condition. Time to time but I have never really been fit, I had and still have my belly.

[AgentofGaming]

I'm incredibly skinny and for the last 6 years I've been around 120-130ish lbs, in fact my younger brother now weighs more than me.

I also eat all I want and exercise as little as I want, and my parents have undergone quests to increase my weight and stature.
Perhaps I'm lazy and need to start exercising.
I do walk quite a bit though because I don't have a car. As well I do climb stairs a lot to get to class.
I do realize however that I am a "stay in my room" type of person.

[Antares]

I wouldn't say that I have a fast metabolism, because if I eat in excess I'll certainly get fat. Right now, with the help of physical education class (I don't excercise otherwise, and like to stuff my face every afternoon), I'm very fit, to quote one of my classmates. I'm about 95 lb at 5 ft 3 in. I still have baby fat left over on the face, however. Yes. I still look like a child at fifteen years old :angry:

[JTG]

I eat 3 to 5 meals a day, and i haven't been able to gain weight in years. I'm about six feet tall and weigh 150ish... have had those stats for the past 5 or so years, since i finished growing.

[Antares]

I eat 3 to 5 meals a day, and i haven't been able to gain weight in years. I'm about six feet tall and weigh 150ish... have had those stats for the past 5 or so years, since i finished growing.

I know someone like that. One of my friends is five feet nine, but weighs 55 kg. However, he is still growing.

[Jgib5328]

I eat 3 to 5 meals a day, and i haven't been able to gain weight in years. I'm about six feet tall and weigh 150ish... have had those stats for the past 5 or so years, since i finished growing.

If you eat enough calories then you will gain weight. Do you eat snacks to in addition to your meals? I mean eating just 3 meals a day isn't a lot. Like I eat around 2600-3000 calories a day and don't gain weight, but if I ate like 3200, I'm sure I'd eventually start gaining weight. 6 feet tall and 150 isn't too skinny either, so you are fine.

[JTG]

I seem to eat to match my metabolism. It took lifting weights to finally bring me out of the underweight bracket. If i go through long periods of inactivity, i tend to eat less and atrophy a little. When i'm engaged in more activity over time, i get hungrier and fill back out to 150ish.

And yes i do snack a bit

[thegnat]

Some say your metabolism's quick if you sweat a lot. Then I'd guess mine was quick. However, food wise I have to eat healthy and work out to stay in good shape.

[Haphazard]

I'm very fat. I'm 5'4" and 160lbs.

Then again, I don't eat very well and I may have a slew of other medical problems that I'm being tested for.

Another bit might be this: I tend to need to drink things a lot. Not as in alcoholic, but in general liquids. I tend to drink a lot of Coke (one a day, maybe more) which is a ton of empty calories, and that equals fat. Add to that sugared iced teas, vitamin waters, fruit juice, that's a ton of sugar.

...Yeah. I should probably switch to water.

[eMachine]

I guess I have quick metabolism. I'm female, almost 24. I have 2 kids, who are about 3 and 1/2 years apart, my youngest is 2 months old. I'm 5'5" and around 120 lbs now, I was no more than 105 lbs before each pregnancy and I got up to 145 lbs for both. I eat whatever I want whenever I'm hungry, some days I eat more than others. I don't actively exercize. Many other women in my family are obese... my mother, sister, aunts, cousins... and I'm quite accustomed to being asked whether or not I eat everytime I see them at family gatherings.

It is also possible that I think more than they do...:p

[Haphazard]

It is also possible that I think more than they do...:p

Actually, I blame my brain for my weight. An introvert's brain is wired to use less energy than an extrovert's brain.

[deicruxified]

height: 5'3.5"
weight: 115 lbs
bmi: 20
pulse rate (resting): 90

other stuff about me:
- yes i think a lot (if you include daydreams as thinking process yes a big A LOT)
- maximum number of sleep 4 hours
- lately i jog everyday, i swim once a week
- fish and veggie diet. i only eat tofu or oatmeal in the morning...lately mostly veggies

[Antares]

Haphazard: You'd probably want to cut a bit on the coke. Firstly, it's high in sugar and secondly, it's high in acid and dissolves calcium, lowering density of your bones. I suffer from low bone density (not from drinking coke. Hereditary. My bones would feel weak say, if I hit a punchbag without bracing myself, and you don't want that. Those suffering from low bone density shrinks a lot when they are older, like my grandmother.

Height: 158 cm or 5'3"
Weight: 47 kg. Close to 100, I think. I use metric.
Body Fat%: 21

I wish I had faster metabolism... Then I can drown myself in food. FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD... *drool*

I do work out quite a lot, but I don't exercise on my own accord; every time I do, it's either my father or the school forcing me to. I'm actually grateful for gym class, despite vehemently wishing I never had to go. My rational side knows that it's all the best for me. I don't know what I would do without gym class or if my dad didn't force me to exercise when I leave for university. Without someone to nag me, I probably wouldn't do anything, and what with my binging habits (ok. Not really binging, but I always have this crazy urge for food. It drives me crazy when there are no taste in my mouth), I'd inflate like a balloon in no time. No one in my family is even remotely overweight, but I must just be the first if I don't have discipline enough to work out and/or change my ways.

[Haphazard]

Haphazard: You'd probably want to cut a bit on the coke. Firstly, it's high in sugar and secondly, it's high in acid and dissolves calcium, lowering density of your bones. I suffer from low bone density (not from drinking coke. Hereditary. My bones would feel weak say, if I hit a punchbag without bracing myself, and you don't want that. Those suffering from low bone density shrinks a lot when they are older, like my grandmother.


The thing about the coke is that the other thing I drink most often is iced tea, which isn't exactly low in sugar and acids either.

I'm trying to think of alternatives but the water in the tap runs, tastes, and looks like toothpaste, and I remember reading on toothpaste labels that toothpaste is toxic if you swallow it...

I remember being forced into gym classes. It quite literally never did anything for me. I never got any fitter, I never got any thinner, I just ended up with pains after weeks and weeks and weeks.

[Antares]

The thing about the coke is that the other thing I drink most often is iced tea, which isn't exactly low in sugar and acids either.

I'm trying to think of alternatives but the water in the tap runs, tastes, and looks like toothpaste, and I remember reading on toothpaste labels that toothpaste is toxic if you swallow it...

I remember being forced into gym classes. It quite literally never did anything for me. I never got any fitter, I never got any thinner, I just ended up with pains after weeks and weeks and weeks.

I sympathize. I don't know if gym class is doing anything for me, and I'd like to believe that it's improving my fitness somehow (I'm good at gym training), but really, it might just be an illusion that I need to keep in order to justify eating. I LOVE iced tea. Especially iced lemon tea and I like them with lots of sugar... I like water with a bit of sweet tint in them (not sugar water, but water seems to taste different 0___o), but the water at my house tastes so bland it's just :yuck: I used to swallow those kids toothpaste... They taste like strawberry :) Drink those flavored fat-free milk. They make a good alternative... Although I get sick of them if I drink them in excess.

[Haphazard]

I sympathize. I don't know if gym class is doing anything for me, and I'd like to believe that it's improving my fitness somehow (I'm good at gym training), but really, it might just be an illusion that I need to keep in order to justify eating. I LOVE iced tea. Especially iced lemon tea and I like them with lots of sugar... I like water with a bit of sweet tint in them (not sugar water, but water seems to taste different 0___o), but the water at my house tastes so bland it's just :yuck: I used to swallow those kids toothpaste... They taste like strawberry :) Drink those flavored fat-free milk. They make a good alternative... Although I get sick of them if I drink them in excess.

I like milk but the taste gets stuck in the back of my throat, prompting me to drink more of something else...

The iced tea has about half as much sugar as the cokes, I've noticed, so it might work. Maybe.

The only thing I've ever done that actually improved me athletically is draining out my sinuses, and by the time I figured that out, I had finished gym class for the year. I do like to walk (I need to pace to think and a walk is like one long pace), but it's not the same as actual exercise, is it?

[DeadSpace]

5'11" 165 (1.8m 74.8kg) Always have had a fast metabolism, gain maybe a pound or 2 in the winter, gone again over the summer.

[37359]

most people metabolize 2000-2,500 calories a day with normal activities, the trick to increasing your metabolic rate is to consume less sugar and (while also increasing cardiovascular activities such as boxing, aerobics, running) especially eliminating carbonated products which has molecular formula that turns directly into adipose tissue because of its high concentration of sugar. if one were to consume less than the normal metabolic rate the most weight lost is accomplished, if you think about it, running on a treadmill for 30 minutes at a high rate burns 400 calories while simply eating a diet of 1,600 calorie a day would do the same without the effort. 3,500 calories equals one pound so at a course of a year, with a minimal metabolic rate, and no exercise. you would lose 41.71 lbs effortlessly with only a diet of 1,600 instead of 2,000

[suzyk]

I eat a lot of junk food everyday, and I'm 'slim', or that's what my mom says. I'm not fat or skinny, I'm in between. I know I should improve my eating habits, but I can't help myself. If it becomes a big problem in the future, I'll do something about it then. I'm 5'2-5'2.

[Jakalwarrior]

Im 6'2 or 6'3 240lbs. I have a bit of a belly on me. The thing that annoys me though is for some reason I have high blood pressure. About 140/85 68BPM measured at walmart. My family has a large history of thyroid disease BUT the type that makes your blood pressure go up makes you cracked out skinny. To combat the high blood pressure im eating very little salt, as little saturated fat + cholesterol as possible, and sticking arround 1800 calories a day. Anyway, I woudln't say that I have a fast metabolism.

A BMR for my height, weight, and age is calculated to be 2337.8. That is how many calories somone like me should burn if they were in a coma. I probably eat between 2500 and 3000 a day when im maintaing my weight so I would say I am close to whatever norm that basal rate was calculated from.

[Nanashi]

Quick responses: soda is in the news as a significant influence in weight gain, which could account for a higher weight (to say nothing of the dramatic affect health issues can have on weight); people who concentrate on a project for long periods of time could forget to eat, etc; I just read in the news that people who fidget, which burns calories, weigh less than those who don't; people who play sports or weight-train with intensity and have an atypically lower connection to their physical bodies (ie weak Se) may raise their metabolisms without thinking about it; although I like to systematize things and get closure, it might be better to say it's possible that factors in an INTJs personality contribute to a higher metabolism than to say INTJs have higher metabolisms because we really don't have enough data, and at least two different posters mentioned not having the characteristics in question.





Nanashi added to this post, 5 minutes and 22 seconds later...

I was a butter fiend as a child.
My alcoholic relative has dangerously high cholesterol b/c his typical diet was a box of donuts, a steak, and whole milk every day, and he's smoked for 50 years.
I decided the idea of those health issues didn't appeal to me, so I replaced butter with extra light olive oil, which has no cholesterol and has a unique, rich (but not like butter) taste. You might like it.

Also, I think oatmeal lowers your cholesterol.

[thod]

If people have a higher metabolism, which equates to burning the calories more rapidly, then they would generate more heat. This would be easy to detect in higher body temperature. Yet humans all have the same temperature. To maintain optimal internal operating temperature they would require more efficient cooling systems. Heat radiation is simply a function of surface area and temperature thus one way is to increase surface area to volume. Something like a door shape would be good. The other way is increased sweating, which would lead to sweaty people. Both systems are compromised with the presence of clothes.

I would observe that fat people sweat more. This make sense with the model. Their low surface area to volume ratio needs them to use this method. So what about thin people radiating more, perhaps they are able to maintain a high metabolism simply because they are thin. Perhaps they are simply red, the blood vessels being close to the skin to make better radiators. I have no data on the rate which people radiate.

An alternative suggestion is that they do not have a higher metabolism. They have inefficient guts, or tape worms, and they can extract fewer calories from ingested food.

[Jakalwarrior]

If people have a higher metabolism, which equates to burning the calories more rapidly, then they would generate more heat. This would be easy to detect in higher body temperature. Yet humans all have the same temperature. To maintain optimal internal operating temperature they would require more efficient cooling systems. Heat radiation is simply a function of surface area and temperature thus one way is to increase surface area to volume. Something like a door shape would be good. The other way is increased sweating, which would lead to sweaty people. Both systems are compromised with the presence of clothes.

I would observe that fat people sweat more. This make sense with the model. Their low surface area to volume ratio needs them to use this method. So what about thin people radiating more, perhaps they are able to maintain a high metabolism simply because they are thin. Perhaps they are simply red, the blood vessels being close to the skin to make better radiators. I have no data on the rate which people radiate.

An alternative suggestion is that they do not have a higher metabolism. They have inefficient guts, or tape worms, and they can extract fewer calories from ingested food.

I usually run 99.0 or higher.

[acyckowski]

Interesting stuff, here's my two cents....

Age has a lot to do with it. If you're under 25 (rule of thumb), your "adult" metabolism hasn't really settled in yet. Teenagers, especially, burn calories at an alarming rate. When I was eighteen, I was eating about 4-5000 calories a day, trying to build muscle, but I couldn't gain a pound. When I hit 22, I grew an inch, my shoulders broadened, and all the muscle I'd been desparately trying to grow just appeared without any effort. Things settled down at about 25-26 for me.

Mesotype. Don't care what your personality is, if you're an ectomorph, you can eat like sh@# and never gain a pound....of fat OR muscle. The study of mesotypes has undergone some scrutiny lately, largely because of advances in understanding insulin sensitivity and food allergies, but the concepts are IMHO still pretty valid. Having an idea of how your body is put together in terms of bone structure and muscle-fiber composition can go a long way in figuring out your appopriate eating habits. For instance, I carry a lot of muscle on a large frame, but my tendency is to gain fat when I consume simple carbohydrates and/or large, infrequent meals. When I cut the sugars, white flour, and barley-hops beverages, I lose fat quickly, especially when coupled with smaller, more frequent, protein-based meals.

Calorie balance. Everybody's heard that you get fat if you consume more calories in a day than you burn, and you get thin if you burn more calories in a day than you consume. Unfortunately, things are not that simple.
First of all, the calorie equation is not a daily sum. Calories in vs. calories out is calculated by your body at each feeding. If your body is in calorie deficit for some reason (depleted glycogen stores, muscle hypertophy demands for protein) then your body will use those calories to "catch up." If, however, your body's demands are low (fasting state, low activity) and excess calories are ingested, you'll end up storing fat.
Second, the number of calories you "burn" during exercise must also be balanced against the increase in basic metabolic rate (BMR) and additional protein requirements caused by stimulating muscle growth. Despite what you've heard in HS Health class, sustained low-intensity activities generally impose a smaller net calorie deficit than short-duration, high-intensity bouts of exercise due to an increased demand for protein and a sustained elevation of BMR. Calculating the timing and macronutrient breakdown of your meals can get pretty complicated, much more so than the "three square meals" you might be used to.

For folks who are interested in what to do to lose or gain weight, I highly recommend checking out some bodybuilding and sports nutrition sites. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. is excellent. The bodybuilding community has been studying the nutrition of building muscle and losing fat for about six decades, and they tend to be way ahead of mainstream nutritionists.

[Motor Jax]

i'm not fat, just stocky (the Scottish runs in our family)

at 5'8", 185 lbs

and i have a very, very high metabolism

[geonerd]

I have the metabolism of a frickin hippopotamus.

5'0", 135 lbs.

And i walk for 30 min/day at least!

I got down to 115 a few years ago, but that was with 1) swimming 2-4 times a week, 2) walking for 30 min on the days I didn't swim, 3) weight training 5x/week and 4) eating super healthy.

And I just don't have the time to do all that crap anymore.

[Antares]

Ok. I can no longer figure out if I have fast metabolism or not.

Slow metabolism traits:

-I always tire later than others
-I can pull an all-nighter until 3 AM and be generally alert the next morning (waking up at 6: 30)
-I feel hunger slower than others
-I'd be fine without breakfast OR lunch

So the bottom line is, I burn energy slower than others and survive on less. I don't have a huge appetite and my family's eating habits generally ensures that I have enough meat and lots of veggies (and they're delicious too). Ever since gym class ended, I stopped working out and haven't seen a significant increase in weight or body fat. And yes, I've been binging on snack food. I just couldn't stop eating. Yesterday, I ate a full pack of hawthorn cake (several layers, that kind.). There're about 10 in one pack, and I ate them ALL. A lot of sugar, yet I seem fine.

High Metabolism traits
-Lack energy and generally very lazy if I don't have food (The fact that I'm alert changes nothing)
-No exercise, binge on snack, but no weight increase

[TheLastMohican]

You seem a little confused about the traits.

Slow metabolism traits:

-I always tire later than others

This is actually a sign of a fast metabolism. If you had a really slow metabolism, you would be feeling tired most of the day, even when you had enough sleep.

It seems that you re equating hunger with lack of energy, but it's not the same. If you have a fast metabolism, you tend to remain energetic no matter how much food you have. If you don't have much food, then you would tend to lose weight, not get tired.

The energy level is capable of defying the energy intake because it is based on hormones (from the thyroid). Hunger, of course, is directly affected by your food intake, and is defined by the amounts of the nutrients in your bloodstream (not the fullness of your stomach).


-I can pull an all-nighter until 3 AM and be generally alert the next morning (waking up at 6: 30)


Again, definitely fast metabolism. Those with hyperthyroidism (extremely fast metabolism) are up at all hours, as if they are on caffeine, and tend to sweat profusely as if they are exerting themselves.


-I feel hunger slower than others
-I'd be fine without breakfast OR lunch


Now here is a sign of a slow metabolism. I do not know how this could be if you have a very fast metabolism.


High Metabolism traits
-Lack energy and generally very lazy if I don't have food (The fact that I'm alert changes nothing)


This is a sign of a slower metabolism. When a person with a fast metabolism is hungry, he tends to remain very energetic. Instead of getting sluggish, he will start to feel a bit intoxicated (hands shaking, sudden weakness or faint feeling (while remaining alert), and an extreme feeling of hunger. The weakness goes in spurts, so it is not sluggishness or lack of energy.

For this confusing mix of traits, I have the universal answer for all things weird: You are a teenager. :thumbsup:

Teenagers have weird metabolisms. I do, too. I guess overall my metabolism is probably slower than average. I also seem to have average endurance. My appetite varies, but my weight does not, at least, not that I have noticed. It seems my body is stubbornly settled in its current state, unwilling to budge. If I'm lucky, maybe my metabolism will stay in that flexible state forever. But that is unlikely.

[Snowdragon]

It is interesting you raise this mabts, but taking on board Jgib5328 skepticism, we could aggregate the "INTJ= slim" notion to a higher level and speculate that perhaps NT rationals are statistically slimmer than the other 3 groups.... A correlation but not causation may exist.

- from a cultural perspective, lean people are typically associated with being thinkers ("Cassius has a lean and hungry look, he thinks too much..."- Shakespeare).

I think thinkers really do burn more calories. I'm guessing it has somthing to do with the fact that NTs get so absorbed in their thoughts that they forget to eat and that thinking/daydreaming burns more calories :). I'm one of those few lucky women out there who is a size 4. I'm 5'6 and a half and I weigh 112.5 pounds. My body burns through food very quickly. It's a combination of dumb genetic luck and that:

-I do a lot of fidgeting (I read somewhere that fidgeters burn 350 more calories than non-fidgeters)
-I walk everywhere.
-What I take for attention-deficit disorder kills my appetite.

I know, you women hate me already don't you...

[Eric86]

I do have a very fast metabolism, though lately my appetite has decreased compared to what it was in early high school.
I wonder how many INTJs are hypoglycemic like me.
I am. I was actually separated from the Air Force halfway through basic training because they found out I had it (they were never able to figure out what was causing it, though). My blood glucose levels don't drop when I don't eat, though (they don't go much below 80), but they drop after I eat...rather dramatically. One reading they got after I ate breakfast was 24...at which point they told me I should rightfully be in a coma, though I was sitting there talking to the doctors like nothing's going on.:suspicious: I had known about this before, but I never actually got it checked out by a doctor. In one of my biology classes in high school (junior year), the teacher brought some donuts and had us eat them, and then we took our blood sugar levels a while afterwards; everyone else had 110-120......mine was 17.:stunned:

I have to eat a lot of small meals in order to not be affected by it.

[iuniperus]

Interesting. It makes me wonder if it's an "IN" trait to be thin.

I'm twenty-two.
I'm 5'7.5'' and weigh about 112 pds.
My BMI is around 17.
Resting heart rate is usually over 100 bpm (anybody else have this problem?)
Blood pressure is normal if not a bit low.
I eat at least three meals a day if not more.

[ShadowX26]

I am 19 and have a very quick metabolism. I can eat as much as I want and not gain a single pound, even before I started to exercise all the time.

[x3r0]

Age: 23
Weight: 140lbs
Height: 5'10

I have much trouble gaining weight. My diet is very regimented meaning I supplement my protein and caloric intake daily, as well as taking BCAA's, ZMA, Glutamine, Creatine and pre-workout supplements. Last year I was up to 4200 calories a day and I weighed my heaviest, 164. I would say my natural weight would be around 120 lbs.

I weight train like clock work 6 times per week. I do Tae-Kwon-Do 3-4 times per week as well. Because I do not consume sugars (except post-workout, Dextrose) I have trained my body to be highly sensitive to sugars. This allows for controlled insulin spikes when needed (post-workout).

I also weigh myself far too often. I have cut down to weighing myself 1-3 times per day rather than 5-8 times per day.

I think Arnold is an INTJ if I am not mistaken...

[ssrprotege]

My parents are worrying that I don't gain my weight at all. On the other hand, friends around me are surprised at how much I eat. I am 174cm and weigh around 56kg, even though I don't exercise often. Usually it's my parents forcing me to work out. I will have to exercise soon, because this time the swimming test is the graduation requirement of my prospective college.

[Jenny Penny]

I have a high metabolism and am hypoglycemic. I think INTJs are definitely more mentally active than most other types and that can definitely contribute to higher caloric needs.