Progress Report

bonniejo

Reading these from other people helps me, so I'm going to start a progress report of my reverse diet. Started thinking about this about 2 weeks before Easter, when I was eating about 1500 calories a day, but with an estimated TDEE of at least 2300, losing less than .5 lb/week. Jumped to 1750 and then 2000 during the week before Easter, and thought I could do a 1750 cut after easter. Got nowhere fast, wasn't losing anything. Hadn't gained anything either though, so I decided to take the hard route and do a full reverse diet. This is tough, because summer is around the corner and I'm going to Vegas for my birthday in May, so I wanted to lose more, but it's just not sustainable to eat at 1500 calories for me.

Starting stats (April 20 or so): 1750 cals, 130.5 lbs, 64 inches tall.
Current: 2000 cals, 131.2 lbs.
Weight went up to 134 over the weekend with lots of activity and good food, settled back today.

Planning to up calories on Fridays by 100 calories per week, staying at the same level for an extra week if there appears to be a gain until I hit 2300. Official weights will be taken Tues-Thurs to watch for gains. I will stay there for 2 weeks and then potentially increase past that level, increasing at either 50 per week or 100 every 2 weeks. Maintaining or increasing activity level as summer and hiking season continue! Likely will do a 15% cut and start a new training program in August or September, with another faster reverse in mid-November leading up to Christmas and noms.

Comments or questions are welcome!

tigerblue

Following since my weight is similar. What is your exercise routine?

bonniejo

Forgot to say that I'm (well basically) 25. Birthday in 2 weeks.

I walk a lot, log about 14,000 steps a day in my fitbit, less than 4,000 of those are from my actual workouts. I lift (kinda) heavy 3 days per week for about 1.5 hours, including warm up and cool down. I do step aerobics once a week, and step and strength 3 times a week, which cycles between 5 min of step and 5 min of lifting or body weight exercises. I also go swing dancing Friday nights, but I mostly socialize and don't dance as much as I should. Sometimes I go for a hike, but I don't include that in my weekly numbers since it's variable.

heybales

Great progress so far then with no real weight gain.
Be good to see the progress on the bar happen eating more, and then the fun that starts after that.

XavierNusum

Thanks for sharing. I think I really need to do this also.

tigerblue

bonniejo wrote: »

Forgot to say that I'm (well basically) 25. Birthday in 2 weeks.

I walk a lot, log about 14,000 steps a day in my fitbit, less than 4,000 of those are from my actual workouts. I lift (kinda) heavy 3 days per week for about 1.5 hours, including warm up and cool down. I do step aerobics once a week, and step and strength 3 times a week, which cycles between 5 min of step and 5 min of lifting or body weight exercises. I also go swing dancing Friday nights, but I mostly socialize and don't dance as much as I should. Sometimes I go for a hike, but I don't include that in my weekly numbers since it's variable.

Thx for the info. It is helpful for me to see the differences between us!

Best of luck!

bonniejo

Went up to 2100 calories on Friday. Weight has been about 132 the whole time, including this morning which is a big surprise because I ate so much food yesterday, at least 2500 calories, likely slightly more. BUT I kayaked for 2 hours, and did half of a step class that I don't normally do on Sundays. Measurements had remained stable, but my workouts have not improved yet. Will I start seeing this change soon? I want to be able to lift more!

These next two weeks will be interesting. My birthday is Thursday so I have a feeling I'll be eating out lots the next 2 weeks. Also, Friday - Monday morning I'm going to be in Vegas. If I gain fat in Vegas I might try and get rid of it, we'll see. Cross that bridge when I get there, I went to London for a week and gained nothing, so maybe that will happen again? Also won't be doing my normal lifting next weekend, (I lift on the weekends) so I'm planning one "essentials" workout with just a few exercises so I don't lose muscle.

MandaLeigh123

I saw the biggest improvement in strength when I actually got near my true TDEE, which was 2800. The increase from 1200-2400 I saw improvements in endurance but not strength.

bonniejo

I went to Vegas for the weekend for my birthday. Super fun, but today the scale read 133.5. I think I'll keep going with my normally planned increase and hope most of it is water. I know some of it isn't, but the measuring tape didn't move much so most of it should be. Does that sound right?

Also, I'm getting close to my estimated TDEE of 2300-2400. I'm pretty scared to move past that point, honestly, I keep wanting to just stop and cut again. But I'm going to keep going to 2400 and stay there for a bit. How long do I need to stay there?

heybales

In a deficit, first thing body does is stop storing as much glucose in muscle along with attached water.

You likely topped that off along with increased sodium retained water.

Both those are spread all over the body, so rarely show up except on scale.

Time at reset.
So a potential deficit prior to increasing calories of about 800 (2300-1500), but only losing what appeared to be a 250 calorie deficit (1/2 lb weekly).
So if you estimated you got full 20% suppression of potential TDEE of 2300, that's 1840 suppressed TDEE.
Eating 1500 would be 340 deficit.
Considering estimation errors - you were probably fully suppressed, but eating low enough you kept losing anyway.

But it would appear body not so stressed out you were just gaining water weight from elevated cortisol and masking that 1/2 lb loss and seeing no loss on the scale.

So that's good actually.
And it may show in your body speeding up fast too, and showing little to no weight gain during this time of increase.
Water weight should go up though as body finally tops off those glucose stores.

I'd suggest stay there for a week at estimated potential TDEE, and then do the 2 week 250 test, and really notice if your workouts increase in performance, those that are done hard anyway.
And then see if you really gain 1 lb slowly during that 2 weeks.

bonniejo

Sounds good! Yeah, I think this is mostly water, but the way I was eating I would be astonished if I didn't put some fat on. The 250 calorie test sounds terrifying, but hopefully I'll have the guts to do it in a few weeks! I understand the purpose, but man its hard to actually do it.

bonniejo

Ok, weight is all the way back down to 132 the last two days. I'm pretty surprised that I didn't gain in Vegas, and I have been estimating on my diary lately due to eating at friends houses and restaurants. I'm at a choosing point now.

Path A is to eat at estimated maintenance of 2300 calories for 1-2 weeks and then cut 10-15% (I'd pick a nice round number in that range)
Path B is to do the 250 calorie test starting Friday and going for 2 weeks. This is scarier and would take longer, but has the possible reward of discovering an even high maintenance than 2300. I want to do this path, and hope I have the guts to do it. Seeing my weight go back to 132 is promising and encouraging for this.

I also took progress pics, first set are before I started the reverse and second set is now. This was one of the steps I personally needed to take before considering the 250 calorie test. I don't see much difference between the two sets, which is a good thing in my mind since I'm eating much more.

heybales

Did you suck your gut in for that second set!
Now that's not fair.

But I'd suggest tad smaller actually.
Not sure if the short's elastic got weaker getting washed perhaps, but they seem to make less of an indent in 2nd set.

bonniejo

I wasn't doing any particular posing, mostly focusing on camera angle both times. I also never wear those shorts, they're for summer sleeping and haven't been needed yet! Maybe I did lose a little fat and gain a little muscle? Either way, that gives me confidence to do the 250 cal test. I also haven't gotten a big increase in energy at the gym yet, so maybe I'm one of those who has a higher metabolism than estimated? I hope so!!

Edit: Also, I'm still pretty hungry like all of the time. I have a feeling I haven't reached my metabolic ceiling yet.

retirehappy

Go for it. You want path B. Just do it!

I think your legs look better in the 2nd set. And as heybales mentioned you exhaled on 2nd, 1st looks like you sucked it in.

bonniejo

Ok, so today was the planned day of the start of my 250 cal test. I say was because I gained like 5 pounds of water weight on memorial day (it has to be water. I logged my food and I only went like 200 cals over) and it still isn't gone and I'm weighing in at 135 instead of the 132 that is my usual. Waist measurement is the same. Should I continue at 2300 until my weight goes back down or just F-it and start the test?

MandaLeigh123

I think second picture looks slightly smaller as well I'd start upping if I were you, but I'm always telling people to go up and up and up. When I was busier and more active, I actually upped until I found my my TDEE to be 2850! Crazy. I know I say on almost every thread I post on, but it's just so that women can see that we have the potential to eat a lot. I'm 33yo, 5'6" and 150lbs.

bonniejo

MandaLeigh123 wrote: »

I think second picture looks slightly smaller as well I'd start upping if I were you, but I'm always telling people to go up and up and up. When I was busier and more active, I actually upped until I found my my TDEE to be 2850! Crazy. I know I say on almost every thread I post on, but it's just so that women can see that we have the potential to eat a lot. I'm 33yo, 5'6" and 150lbs.

Yeah, that's what I want to do but I'm afraid the test won't be valid if I up now? But I'm still really hungry like all the time so I really want more noms.

retirehappy

If it is water the worst that can happen is you will lose that. Water is usually gone fairly quickly. So just EAT and let the water go away. You will probably enjoy seeing a drop while eating higher cals. So just do it.

All you have to lose is water and some fat anyway.

heybales

Well, the 2 week 250 test relies on have best valid weigh-ins - which you don't have.

Kind of hard to tell if you have a slow 1 lb gain if you are starting 5 lbs over with water.

I'd wait.

bonniejo

heybales wrote: »

Well, the 2 week 250 test relies on have best valid weigh-ins - which you don't have.

Kind of hard to tell if you have a slow 1 lb gain if you are starting 5 lbs over with water.

I'd wait.

Sigh... That's what I thought. I hope it goes away soon because I weighed in at 135 again this morning. Maybe school and life stress is doing it? I have a huge exam Monday, hopefully after that will be better because I want to keep going!