can't figure out what im doing wrong

runJIBrun

Okay, first time posting something like this... but here it goes. Ive been eating at a deficit for about a year, changing calories from time to time, however, I just started lifting heavy weights, 4-5x week. I also run about 25-30 miles a week (usually split 5-6 days). I sit on my butt at work because im a receptionist, I have a vivofit and try to move as much as possible, usually getting at least 10,000 steps a day. Right now im at 1700 calories/day and not losing. im just going back and forth between 130.6 and 131.6...irritating! im also 5 ft 5 1/4" (it matters!), anyone have an idea? I use iffym tdee calculator and scoobys, 15% off of tdee and usually take the middle of the two. I use and have a food scale, (I read all these...I know whats coming). I do tend to relax slightly on Saturday nights and maybe have a meal that I would like if I wasn't worried about it however I work out on Saturday and do an "active" rest day sunday. SO, am I eating too little? I would like to build some muscle, but definitely not bulk, I would like to drop a pound or two possibly...so go! No snarky comments though please.

MandaLeigh123

Sounds like are pretty active & need to eat more

andyluvv

hey runJIB,

You seem to be stuck in the same rut I am...
I've been weight lifting for a while and the thing that I haven't yet quite managed to put in my head is - you need to be clear about what you want to do. Your body can either a) build muscle or b) burn fat. It doesn't really work to do both at once (which is why bodybuilders tend to do the bulk/cut cycle).

I have been eating little and not losing either so I'm trying to go on a bit of a bulk and see what happens. The worst that could happen is some fat gain but then we could just lose it, right? I'm hoping that eating more whilst lifting will (in my case) help my metabolism get used to a higher calorie count

heybales

You wouldn't be able to bulk even if you wanted to, unless you put a lot of detailed hard work and effort in to it for years on end, and even then that bulk would not look like the drugged up women bodybuilding contestants.

So I'm guessing with a lb or two you think you need to lose - you've ended up with fat where you don't want it.

Which means you'll get best results from your lifting by eating at maintenance.
And let the cardio support the lifting, not interfere.

That means for 24-36 hrs after lifting, no hard cardio that also adds a load to muscles trying to repair and grow stronger. Why waste the lifting workout by doing that.
Do the cardio right after the lifting, with whatever strength you got left, make a rest day truly a rest day, slow jogging only if you can take it, up to 60 min.
It's actually a great time to train the fat burning aerobic side of the running range for endurance if that is ever a goal.

heybales

You wouldn't be able to bulk even if you wanted to, unless you put a lot of detailed hard work and effort in to it for years on end, and even then that bulk would not look like the drugged up women bodybuilding contestants.

So I'm guessing with a lb or two you think you need to lose - you've ended up with fat where you don't want it.

Which means you'll get best results from your lifting by eating at maintenance.
And let the cardio support the lifting, not interfere.

That means for 24-36 hrs after lifting, no hard cardio that also adds a load to muscles trying to repair and grow stronger. Why waste the lifting workout by doing that.
Do the cardio right after the lifting, with whatever strength you got left, make a rest day truly a rest day, slow jogging only if you can take it, up to 60 min.
It's actually a great time to train the fat burning aerobic side of the running range for endurance if that is ever a goal.

runJIBrun

thank you guys! that gives me stuff to think about and look into. I appreciate it!

Jennbecca33

I'm not sure what activity level you picked on Scooby, but you need to pick a much higher activity level - you should be eating quite a bit more than 1700 cals a day with all of your activity. You're stalling your results by eating too little. Like Heybales said, eating at maintenance and lifting is best if you really only want to drop a pound or two. Or a very small 5-10% deficit. But you need to have the correct TDEE to aim for, which means choosing the correct activity level. I'm sure you are at very minimum 5-6 hr activity level, probably even the highest level on Scooby.

rjlkat

heybales wrote: »

You wouldn't be able to bulk even if you wanted to, unless you put a lot of detailed hard work and effort in to it for years on end, and even then that bulk would not look like the drugged up women bodybuilding contestants.

So I'm guessing with a lb or two you think you need to lose - you've ended up with fat where you don't want it.

Which means you'll get best results from your lifting by eating at maintenance.
And let the cardio support the lifting, not interfere.

That means for 24-36 hrs after lifting, no hard cardio that also adds a load to muscles trying to repair and grow stronger. Why waste the lifting workout by doing that.
Do the cardio right after the lifting, with whatever strength you got left, make a rest day truly a rest day, slow jogging only if you can take it, up to 60 min.
It's actually a great time to train the fat burning aerobic side of the running range for endurance if that is ever a goal.

What if you wanted to drop considerably more weight (fat) than the OP, but would like to incorporate at least one 45-55 minute slow/moderate jog in each week with three days of heavy lifting? I'm just now getting back to heavy lifting after about two years away (after an injury), but would like to get the cardiovascular benefits of some running, and have a personal goal to run (or jog) a 5k. First and foremost I want the inches gone - even 10-15 lbs directly would be welcome so I can fit into my clothes comfortably again. I have only recently realized I have been eating far too little, so I have upped my calories to a 15% cut.

Eat at deficit for 12 weeks or so then maintenance? Or....?

heybales

If you want to increase the TDEE, so the deficit amount is bigger, you could get in right after lifting as much cardio as you have time for, at whatever intensity you would like.

The day after though, it would be best to go slow enough that you are staying in the fat-burning zone.
Why that zone?
Because it was known before the fad as the Active Recovery HR zone.
High enough to get blood flowing and aid recovery, but not so high it needed repair itself.
Just so happens that usually in this zone about 50% of energy source is fat too.

If you have been undereating for awhile, you may easily discover like many that raising calories to deficit level merely leads to a not so suppressed system, but still is. And no weight is lost.
So keep on slowly increasing all the way up to TDEE and test it for weeks, unstress body, then take deficit.

mymodernbabylon

rjkat - I have done the C25K programme (slow jog) in between days of lifting and it hasn't effected my lifting - you do have to choose which is more important, running or lifting (for me lifting is so I don't run hard/strong, just enough to get some cardiovascular health from it). I stopped losing weight but I've lost inches (I was at TDEE-10% and now at TDEE). It's not as fast as doing a 15% deficit.

I'm 5'6", 146 lb and a 46 yr old woman (age is important in this) and my TDEE is 2150 with 3 days lifting 30-40 min and 30 min of C25K plus generally being active. Those of you who are much younger and more active should be eating a lot more than me!

rjlkat

Thanks, heybales and mymodernbabylon. Your help is much appreciated.

I'm nearly 43, so I hear you on the age thing. About two years ago I had actually started C25K then did my own thing and was up to a good, slow 3.25 mile jog. I was also trying to do the New Rules for Women. Repeated injuries to my hamstring left me laying off both and reverting to straight moderate cardio 5x a week, then a couple months ago switching two days to HIIT with little strength training. I'd also cut my calories to netting about 1200 or less, when my BMR (figured with BF%) is ~1450.

I would do the 1200 calories for about 4-6 weeks before I'd get frustrated losing and gaining the same few pounds, then I would stop counting, eat as I wanted (70% healthy, so probably ~2000 +/- gross) for a few or more weeks. Fluctuations again. I'm hoping I don't have to do a full reset, as over the past year, I've never gone beyond probably 2 months of low calorie before taking a break.

I want to get back to the 5k slow jog (all I could ever manage), but I don't want to undo the weights benefits, either. My time is limited, too. Like I said, my first and foremost intent is to get inches off, however that must be done. I'm desperate to get at least 10-15 lbs off as soon as possible. At only 5'1", just that much makes a huge difference. Negating gained muscle mass (though I know there will be), I am looking at a preferred loss of about 35-45 lbs, but a loss of 20 with significant muscle mass is cool, too; again, it's the inches I'm concerned with.

I'm erring on the side of lower calories when trying to calculate exercise and would say I'm between lightly active and moderate with my new changes to 3x 30 min heavy weights, 2x light-moderate cardio of walking or elliptical or even yoga. I will try to add in 1x 45 min jog to get my endurance up starting next week. No kids yet, desk job, get obsessed with research online so housekeeping is not a significant daily 'workout.' I teach martial arts 2x a week, but right now it's all instruction, no workout. Over the last week I've been grossing around 1700, netting about 1450-1500; the scale has pretty much frozen, though I swear my dress pants fit a tad less snuggly. Scooby gives me a lightly active TDEE of 1984 and moderate of 2236. I thought I might up to 1800 gross for a week or two and see what happens.

I'm waiting for my new Bodymedia Fit to come in so I can get a better idea of my TDEE (weight training notwithstanding). I tried this a few years ago but gave up when I had no losses after months. Without being able to review the data, I think my mistake was I ended up *netting* my cut rather than grossing it - I was so overwhelmed with seeing the tracker's calorie numbers. Live and learn.