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I eat anything I like without regard to calorie-value. Pies, carbohydrates, cream, butter - everything that is generally considered fattening.

I do not get any exercise beyond regular commuting/housework. This means I do not go to the gym, or jog or explicitly work out in any way, though I do bike small distances to commute.

I’ve been to a few health talks, and they have always suggested that with my lifestyle, I should be gaining a lot of weight. However, I am not only not gaining weight, but actually losing weight at a slow pace over the last few years. My BMI is close to perfect.

I live a normal life, apart from the fact that I tire easily. This is the reason I don’t exercise. I once attended a yoga class where the instructor claimed that after some light yoga in the morning, participants would feel energized all day. Whereas other participants reported that this was indeed the case with them, I would go home and need to sleep (presumably from exhaustion). From childhood, I have always been described by friends and family as having a ‘weak constitution’.

However, I stress that as long as I don’t explicitly exercise, I function perfectly normally, and probably come across as a generally energetic individual, though I still seem to need more sleep than average (8.5 to 10 hours). I do not have any medical problems at all (assuming that ‘weak constitution’ does not qualify as a disease or medical condition).

Why is it that I can eat fattening foods, not exercise, and yet not put on weight? I have been told that this is due to a ‘high metabolic rate’. I have an intuitive idea of what this means, but what are its consequences? Is it a good or bad thing? If both, what are the positive and negative aspects of it? Should I try to exercise? How can I do so without exhausting myself?

I’m 29 and male.

Shlublu
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Atriya
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    Do you have any other health symptoms? For example GI symptoms such as abdominal pain/discomfort, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, unusual bowel sounds, blood in stools or vomiting. Or do you have any endocrine symptoms such as rapid heart beat, anxiety, excessive sweating, tremor, sleep disturbances? A naturally fast metabolism may be genetic, so do your parents/grandparents seem to have the same attribute? – Kenshin Apr 26 '15 at 09:16
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    A reasonable question to ask is - have you asked any doctors about this, and if so, what conclusion have they reached? – Faheem Mitha Apr 26 '15 at 22:18
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    I was very much like you until my 30's - I tried to gain weight and could not - however, I was not easily fatigued. That is somewhat disconcerting to me. My best advice is that you see a physician about this. – anongoodnurse Apr 27 '15 at 10:06
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    On the one hand, you could be in rude good health, and have an appetite that is finely tuned to your energy expenditures. On the other hand, you could have a disease, like hyperthyroidism or malabsorption or cancer. Or anything in between. Better to ask your doctor than random dudes on the internet. :-) – Iron Pillow Apr 27 '15 at 07:21
  • @NinjaDoc: besides occasional constipation, I have no other GI symptoms. I sometimes have rapid heart beat, for example, when suddenly waking up from sleep. However, this is probably normal. My father has exactly the same ability to eat fattening food without putting on weight, but certainly is not of 'weak constitution' - he is not easy tired. My mother, on the other hand, has 'weak constitution', but has to count her calories to avoid gaining weight. Others: I have not asked any doctors, since neither 'not putting on extra weight' nor 'weak constitution' seems like a disease. Maybe I should! – Atriya Apr 28 '15 at 00:44
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    @Atriya, you could have a disease called hyperthyroidism. This can explain your fast heart beat and elevated metabolism leading to exhaustion. I'm sure your doctor will test your thyroid (TSH) levels when you explain your symptoms. – Kenshin Apr 28 '15 at 01:05
  • I concur with Ninja Doc. Inability to gain weight (or weight loss with normal intake), palpitations and fatigue are highly concerning for hyperthyroidism. Untreated hyperthyroidism can have an array of negative health consequences, including heart disease, eye problems, and kidney problems. If you have not sought medical advice for this, I urge you to do so soon. – DrRandy Apr 29 '15 at 13:15
  • Atriya, Your questions provides a fascinating puzzle, but as you can see by the responses (all deleted), users can only *guess* what circumstances you might be experiencing specifically. We have to be careful about turning this into a name-that-syndrome game show where users post their symptoms and people list all the possible conditions that match it. I'm afraid this one of those questions that would need a more personal consultation to answer. Sorry about the confusion. – Robert Cartaino May 05 '15 at 14:18

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