Cutting

Leigh14

I'm an EM2WL vet. Very thankful for finding this group!! It took me out of the 1200-calorie hole to being able to maintain on about 2200 calories.

Eight months ago, I had a baby. Through my whole pregnancy, I was able to maintain my weight and not gain. After I had her ... the lack of sleep, the depression, less time to prep food ... I am now up about 10 pounds from my pre-pregnancy and pregnancy weight of 228. I feel bad, embarrassed and tired of my clothes not fitting right.

I am a Strongman competitor, so I lift heavy regularly. I've competed twice since my daughter was born and am training for another competition in July.

I've just began cutting and monitoring my carbohydrates closely. I've noticed if I over consume them, I get tired and crave even more carb-laden foods. I'm now taking in around 1700-1800 calories per day and working to figure out my macro sweet spot.

I've only been cutting for a week. My weight has not moved and I need to up my water consumption and change my attitude. I'm SO afraid this isn't going to work. My body is so different after a baby and even after 8 months, I'm still not sure how to handle these changes.

TerezaToledo

Leigh, congratulations on your baby! No matter what, your body is amazing for doing this, never think any different of it! Wow on competing twice after she was born! Yes, the body changes, a lot, and many thing may not go back exactly as they were, at least not right away. It took me 18 months after my youngest was born to truly get close to my pre pregnancy size. 2.5 years later I'm still struggling with some stuff, but I know changes are happening. Don't be embarrassed or ashamed of anything! You did something amazing, having a baby is not a small thing!

First things first. As a new mom and a strongman competitor your TDEE is higher that 2200. 1700/1800 is too low for a cut and as much as it seems odd considering what the old dieting mentality makes us believe, you will not lose weight. You may lose some water and muscle, but not fat as you want. Also your workouts and training will definitely suffer.

You are under extra stress right now, your sleep is not the same and in case you are nursing you definitely need more cals. A lot of factors at the same time and they will not help you lose weight. That being said, go back to the calculator, recalculate your TDEE, making sure to add your activity level and go from there.

Deep breaths, trust the process! I'm sending you a friend request.

Tereza
Team EM2WL Certified Trainer and Coach

empressichel

Hey Leigh!
Haven't seen you on here for a long time!
Congratulations on being a mama and competing in strongman too! Double awesome!
I would suggest trying to eat at maintenance right now. You have so much extra stressors that your body is dealing with so much cortisol, doing a cut is just loading one more stress on your body.
Eating at TDEE will improve your training and recovery time too. You will still be able to see some body recomp at TDEE with the training you are doing.
And I would second Tereza that your calorie intake would appear too low. I would recheck that for sure.
And yes, your body will be different, but 8 months is still a really short time. You may never be exactly how you were, same way as I could never be the same as I was when I was 25. I've changed, my body has changed. I have found ways to embrace that and focus on the positive rather than wanting certain things back the way they were.
My belly is bigger but I love my delts.
My thighs are bigger but I have quad definition.
Just takes a focus shift. A mindset shift, just a readjustment of focus.
You made life! You produced a human! You compete in strongman!
Your body is absolutely unconditionally without question freaking AMAZING!
Ichel
Team EM2WL

Leigh14

Hi ladies!

Thank you both for your affirmations. I needed that!!

I'm not nursing. However, when I was pumping (nursing didn't work out for us), I ate and ate and ate. I tracked my calories for a couple weeks and found I was consuming over 3,000 - and steadily losing weight every single day. About six weeks after my daughter was born, I got the Mirena IUD and my weight loss halted basically overnight. I've since had it removed. It did crazy things to my head, LOL, so I am trying to get my body back to normal.

I am SO scared of eating my TDEE and so worried that what is calculated by the Scooby calculator isn't going to actually be my TDEE anymore since my hormones have fluctuated and things are so different. I'm also worried about cutting too much and having to keep reducing my calories to continue losing ... because I love, love, love food and love that fueling my body strengthens it!

I just entered a 5 Star Nutrition body fat loss competition today for some motivation and the chance to win $$. They did the whole body comp scan ... gave me some silly numbers on a sheet of paper and tried to push about $200 worth of product on me. I know the ploy, trying to not let it get into my head. But they recommended eating 1600 calories for a significant cut. Part of me wants to, part of me wants to never only eat 1600 - especially training for a competition in July and knowing a couple lifts need LOTS of work and cutting can't help my progress.

According to Scooby, my TDEE is 2845 and my cut is around 2200 - what I've been consuming on a regular basis. My BMR is 1835 - basically what I thought would be my cut. Eye-opening, but scary!! Obviously the 2200 isn't working anymore ... but taking it up to 2800 terrifies this new mom, especially after joining this 6-week fat loss competition. LOL, my EM2WL mindset needs a reboot!!

empressichel

Leigh, have you seen our Facebook community, crushing the diet mentality?
Sounds like just what you need! Amazing group of ladies all supporting each other, sharing info and articles, asking questions, learning and totally making a mindset shift.
https://m.facebook.com/groups/1754102281470874?ref=bookmarks
Now I know you know that eating below your BMR is an absolute no no!
Come on girl! You are strongman training! Get those calories up! Even at 2200 that's nearly a 25% cut! Too steep!
Plus you said in your first post that you are consuming more like 1700-1800!
WAY too low!
Trust your intuition, remember all your EM2WL knowledge and start slowing increasing up to TDEE.
You can do this!
Ichel
Team EM2WL

Raynn1

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1754102281470874/?ref=bookmarks

For some reason the link you posted @empressichel appears broken when you click.. weird...


Leigh,
Welcome back! I know YOU know exactly what you have to do. Its the same stuff you did prior to baby coming. You KNOW that taking your cut too steep is not going to help. You KNOW not eating your TDEE, especially with a lifting competition coming up is not going to fuel the lifts and you will burn out quickly before the comp even begins. You've been down this road before. Here is the link to YOUR story, told by you. Refresh yourself with what you said a few years ago.
http://eatmore2weighless.com/1200-calorie-diet-monster/

After baby, believe it or not, we are more active, especially when they become mobile. You are constantly chasing after baby, constantly on your feet moving around, doing chores, keeping sane. Your lack of sleep is a major stress on the body as well. So by adding even MORE stress by cutting, will do you absolutely NO good.

Focus on what is important. Your competition, your family and being healthy. Those things far outweigh a fat loss bet, which is diet mentality in disguise as a "healthy" thing. Its not. You need to give your body the break it needs right now to heal mentally, and physically so it can get through your competition with some major strength gains. Shorting yourself on cals is not going to help at all. And you know that.

Don't fall down the rabbit hole again. You are worth far more to yourself than that.

Welcome Home. We've missed you:)
Kelly
Team EM2WL

Leigh14

I just re-read my story ... that I'd forgotten about. I'm literally in tears. I need help, haha. I feel like I need to reset again ... and take these next six weeks to repair myself. I am scared and I am disappointed in what I've fallen back into, though I'm not nearly as low as those 1200 calories I used to eat on a daily basis. I have joined the Facebook group and will reach out there. This is going to be hard; I am also battling possible postpartum depression, or at least some degree of grieving my previous "normal."

Ladies, you didn't have to reach out with such vigor and care, but I am so glad you did. Thank you.

empressichel

Leigh
We truly care. We have been just where you are now and know the struggle you are going through.
I'm so glad you joined the FB group.
Take things one step at a time. One foot in front of the other. There is no hurry, no race.
Just everything in your time. You can do this, you know it!
You have our full support
Ichel
Team EM2WL