Gaining and Losing the same few pounds

FRJM

I just want clarification that I'm doing this right. For the past few weeks I keep losing a pound or 2 and then gaining it back. I was eating 2168, changed to 2200 and now am 2400. Should I stick at 2400? The scales are up again today by 2lb but I'm convinced they'll come down again, then go back up again! Is that telling me something? Do I need to reduce? Increase? Stick?

mymodernbabylon

I'd stick with your 2400 for the time being, depending on how long you've been there. I'd stick it out for at least 4-8 weeks to see if that's truly your TDEE.

Jennbecca33

I've actually been waiting for you to make this post. How much has your activity increased? I know you started training for a marathon and you already had a lot of personal training and other activity going on before adding the running. Remember I thought your TDEE was still higher before too? So at the beginning you were stalled, and you increased your cals and had immediate inches/lbs lost on scale, so you were going in the right direction, although actually may not have increased enough before the running. Then you added running and now you've seemed to stall out again...the same 2 lbs jumping up and down. It's tricky when adding a lot of running bc you now have huge calorie burns - and you know from experience, if your cal intake gets too low, you stall out. I definitely don't think 2400 is your TDEE, so don't increase at all. I think you need to go back and add up all your activity and honestly refigure your TDEE using Scooby. Consider your daily activity as well as formal workouts/running. Add up all the hours and refigure. Writing it all down helps so we can see it and help you gauge your activity level. I think you'll see that you probably do need to increase your cals more because of the running. I wouldn't be surprised if you are at the highest activity level. You just need to find that sweet spot again where your calories are balanced with your activity. I know for me personally, bouncing up and down the same 2 pounds for several weeks in a row means I need to increase cals...just something I've noticed for me.

Jennbecca33

Repost all your stats too - age, height, weight - so we can help you refigure. The other thing to think about also is that too much cardio can stress the body, especially when combined with a lot of other things. If training for the marathons are your goal right now, it might be best not to try to have a goal of fat loss at the same time. Not saying it can't be done, but it just kind of depends on how your body reacts to the stress of training. I know you don't have much to lose, so your deficit should be 10% max off your TDEE if you're still trying to cut some weight.

FRJM

Thanks Jenn. Ok, here's my stats....
I'm 41, 5'5 (just), jumping from 147-150lb, running takes up about 3-4 hours per week, Elite Fit/PT sessions take up 1.45-2 hours per week. Then I take the dog for a walk (not every day - sometimes make the kids do it!) but that is another say 3 hours but at a very very steady pace. Then there's the usually gardening and housework - ok so gardening is a bit hit and miss at the moment, but now the weather is getting better it will probably be a good 2-4 hours per week and housework is just general pottering about on an evening after work and good old blast once a week for a few hours. So yes, you're probably right, I'm probably near or at the top end activity level.

Feeling a bit disheartened at the moment - not just because the scale figure has gone back up, but my trousers were starting to feel loose and now they feel tight again! I'm sure you've guessed by now that I'm very impatient and spur of the moment but I know your level head approach is the right way to go....I just need putting in my place now and again!!! My boyfriend is sick of telling me he finds me gorgeous no matter what my size and no I don't look any fatter than yesterday!!!! Haha, I'm sure you can imagine!

Yay for EM2WL friends, you all help me so much more than you realise xx

Jennbecca33

Yes, you are definitely the highest activity level. Even in choosing the 7-21 hr activity level, it only gives 2300 cals for a 10% deficit. I don't quite get this 7-21 activity level on Scooby...that's a huge range and obviously someone would need to increase cals a lot more if they truly had 21 hours of activity. Anyway, if I were you, I'd try increasing by about 100 or 200 cals daily (maybe try for 2500-2600) and see where that takes you. I figured this would happen when you added the running in bc it's such a big calorie burner...and you were already teetering on the low end. Don't be disheartened...you're doing fine. It's not like you need to lose weight...you're a great size. You can easily take the last few pounds off very slowly, but don't wear yourself down because you're not seeing a decrease right now. Just focus on fueling all that running. Adding a few hundred a day won't make you gain...worth a try...I bet you'll see a decrease again like you did before.

Jennbecca33

Are you friends with MandaLeigh123? If not, friend her and read her posts. She does lot of activity too and she's increased her cals up to 3000 daily with no gains and she's still increasing trying to find her true TDEE. So her TDEE is way up there due to activity - yours could very well be that high too, so think how much you would need to be eating at a 10% deficit from something similar to that. People that do a lot of activity simply have a really high TDEE - so you very well can still lose weight eating 2600-2700 cals daily even (in her case, and probably yours too). It's just trial and error until you figure it out. Once you do figure it out, try to keep your activity consistent so that you know where to stay. Once you stop running as much, you'll know to bring cals down then.

FRJM

Thank you....yes I'm friends with Manda and find her very very motivational. Thanks for all your help, I'm off to go eat lol ;-)

MandaLeigh123

Join me in eating all the food!
I'm sorry that you are struggling. Even though it doesn't seem like it, I struggle with it at times too. The number 3 in front of my calories has been especially scary and I feel like it contributes to why I am having a hard time hitting my numbers. Now that I have been at it for awhile, I have decided I would like to lose some fat and turn it into muscle, and I am eager to get on that for sure... but I keep putting the breaks on it and just trying to fix this metabolism.
I'm happy that I'm motivating, but remember that I've only been at it for a short time. I am VERY good about doing things for a short period of time. My problem will be with follow through. So I guess I am good model for initiating the program, but only time will tell if I'm a good long term example of how to follow EM2WL.