When to change it up?

morganchamp

I have read the blog for a long time and I have the starter manual which has been read many times. My question is this, if you have already gained some weight despite doing all the "right" things and then decided to do a reset, how do you know if you are not eating enough to reset or are at your TDEE already if your weight hasn't changed. According my fitbit I burn around 2,000 a day and I have been eating around 1800, which is technically cutting but I gained weight eating that much in the first place and have stayed there. So I can't tell if I am at TDEE since there has been no downward trend like the starter guide suggests or I just haven't boosted my metabolism. I will say my body temperature is still in the 97's, sometimes 96's, so those are the only indicators I have to go on that maybe I have in fact not reached my TDEE? I just don't know how to tell at this point?

heybales

2 week 250 test.

Find 2 weeks where you know there aren't going to be hormonal water weight changes already.

Get a valid weigh-in at start and finish of 2 weeks, to minimize water weight expected changes.
Morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

Eat 250 more daily for those 2 weeks.

That should cause a slow 1 lb weight change up.

If so, then you just ate 250 more than your TDEE. If some smaller amount gained, keep going until you hit 1 lb to do the math with better accuracy (less than 1 lb just to iffy for water weight change)

If no change - your daily burn probably sped up because you became more energetic because of eating more, so closer to potential TDEE. Do another 2 week 250 test on some more valid weeks.

If big increase of more than 1 lb - you likely increased water weight with attached glucose in muscles it's been waiting to store more of - but diet didn't allow it because still in a deficit.
Good news - that's extra LBM and higher metabolism (since LBM is muscle AND everything not fat).

If you lose weight - same as probably speeding up daily burn, along with less stress dropping some cortisol water weight.

Basal metabolism - which temp is measuring - is the last thing the body adapts to undereating - first thing is your general daily activity level.

Metabolism is sometimes wrongly thrown around like it's the daily burn, which it's not. While it's the biggest part of the daily burn, it's not the whole thing.

Raynn1

Resetting is complicated for many. Its not as easy as finding what the calculators or your gadget tells you your number is, then eating it and being "cured". TDEE is a guideline, an estimate of what your body burns. So its a bit of a guessing game to figure it out.
It isnt as easy as watching the scale rise up and gauging what is correct for tdee either. The easiest way is to take what your calculator or gadget says, and use that as your starting point. Eat at that level until you are consistent at hitting that number. then reevaluate and see what changes have been occuring. Check your activity level again and see if it has changed. Are you working out more than you thought? Are you working out less? Are you noticing things happening like sleeping better, nails arent brittle, hair isnt falling out.. these are things that can tell you, if your body is getting what it needs.

You say your fitbit tells you 2000 is what tdee is, but you are only eating 1800.. So right there you would want to increase up to your average of 2000 and give it some time there first, before attempting any sort of changes in what TDEE might be. Make that your first goal, and go from there:)

Kelly
Team EM2WL

morganchamp

Thanks ladies!! Much appreciated! I will try increasing to 2000 and see what that yields. I guess I am suspicious of how accurate the fitbit is as well. I have stopped cardio except walking and I lift 4 days week so my activity hasn't really changed. The scale just keeps going up which is why I have hesitant to increase my calories.

Raynn1

Fitbit is actually pretty close to accurate, as long as all you are doing is cardio based activites like walking, running, and such. Once you start lifting weights, the fitbit cannot account for those burns, so thats when you need to be aware that you are actually burning more than your gadget says. So if you are burning 2000 cals a day and that includes your weight training, then your actually burning higher than 2000. So thats where starting at 2000 is a good place and try to work on hitting that first, then increase your cals up from there slowly to find your real TDEE.

Kelly
Team EM2WL

ibtmas

morganchamp wrote: »

Thanks ladies!! Much appreciated! I will try increasing to 2000 and see what that yields. I guess I am suspicious of how accurate the fitbit is as well. I have stopped cardio except walking and I lift 4 days week so my activity hasn't really changed. The scale just keeps going up which is why I have hesitant to increase my calories.

If the scale keep going up daily then its probably water retention and glycogen from the increased carbs u r consuming u cannot gain fat so soon. its just water fluctuations. see if your measurements are same and the clothes fit same,keep increasing those cals slowly till your tdee.

FaithSevio

So what would you add for additional weight lifting? Say 30 minutes moderate dumbbell or cable pulley machine or universal machines?

heybales

What is currently being done?

Moderate sounds like easy, meaning it's not for the purpose of causing changes requiring more muscle.
Which is fine - there are all kinds of movements that could be for like shoulder or hip problems for just general strengthening or stretching.

FaithSevio

Typical day. Say upper bodybody I.e dumbbell shoulder presses 30 lbs 3 sets 10 reps usually about 5 to 6 upper body exercises various movements between 10 and 15 lb weights. Higher amounts on machines....

heybales

If that is the case, extra time could be spent in rests because you have increased the loads, requiring slightly more rest to do more weight.

Dumbbell is hard because minimum increase is 5 lbs each, or basically 10 lbs if this was a barbell, which is big increase for upper body.

So usually need to increase the reps a bit before you can increase the weight, like making it up to 12 reps, then increase weight 5lbs each and drop back to 8 reps.

That could require a rest of 3 min between sets. With 5-6 lifts, or 15-18 sets, that extra time could suck up that 30 min - and lead to heavier lifts.