Metabolism and weight loss

From "Time" magazine:

Quote:

What Hall discovered, however--and what frankly startled him--was that even when the Biggest Loser contestants gained back some of their weight, their resting metabolism didn't speed up along with it. Instead, in a cruel twist, it remained low, burning about 700 fewer calories per day than it did before they started losing weight in the first place. "When people see the slowing metabolism numbers," says Hall, "their eyes bulge like, How is that even possible?"

I don't see how it's even possible either. Burning 700 calories less a day means adding a pound a week. This wasn't particularly healthy weight loss as it encourages crash dieting and muscle mass may be loss. The person also doesn't have to lug that weight around but this was resting metabolism. Maybe they are resting far more than they did while dieting? I'm not sure how resting metabolism is measured. But I don't understand the physical mechanism that would allow the body to be maintained on 700 fewer calories a day.

Does this sound strange to anyone else?

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