Eat More 2 Weigh Less

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I can do this....with your help (pretty please)

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  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Tiny update- 2200-2300 all week, no weight gain, looking trimmer, feeling stronger.

    I love EM2WL. I feel like a new woman!!

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Congrats.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Terrible week so far. Totally lost my momento and am really frustrated with myself. Really hurt my big toe doing lunges last week and can't exercise. Seem to have switched straight into 'sod it' mode which I am so disappointed with, because I really felt my head was better than ever re food. Also appear to have put on three pounds in three days, although I do recognise that that can't be true.

    Argh!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Always make sure your eating level is appropriate for your level of activity.

    If eating level goal was based on certain amount of exercise weekly - and you aren't doing it - need to eat less.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Hi, so I lost a pound this week at 2300 for second week. What does this suggest? I'm going to move up to 2400, but am interested in the science of that loss. (As in, I didn't undereat or over exercise by 3500 cals)

    Thanks.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Probably stress related cortisol dropped - water dropped.

    Is it still elevated and water retained from it?
    Who knows.

    You'll find out in hindsight.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Have had a stressful week at work. Interesting that that could cause a loss. Will look into that.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Me again, weekly update. So ate at 2400 all week, felt a bit much (in fact, didn't make it two or three days and one day was literally stuffing cashews in my mouth as I walked up the stairs to bed!), and have felt a bit 'fat' this week. Gained 1.6 lbs, one of which I probably falsely lost last week, so let's say 0.6 gain. Would you think, therefore that my TDEE is slightly under 2400 Haybales? How would you proceed from here? Another week at 2400 and see what happens? I must admit, I have done a rubbish job with macros this week, and I've also done sligtly more cardio / slightly less weights than usual. Would really appreciate your input please. I'm keen to get this 'maintenance' phase properly started! Thanks
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Can't tell in a week.
    If you ate a mere 100 more than true TDEE daily - it would take 35 days to slowly gain 1 whole pound.

    At a weekly level of 1/4 pound - that's water weight fluctuation noise in scale weight.

    Plus, your BMR literally changes through the month, your basal metabolism, so really a months worth of data is required to discern anything.

    Or at least picking a good 2 weeks for a 250 test.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Does the 250 test mean going up to 2650 for a fortnight and seeing if I gain a pound in a month?
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Sorry, that doesn't make sense! Going up for a month!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    2 weeks eating 250 more - 1 lb slow gain in 2 weeks.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Aagghhh, gained FIVE pounds this week. Whaaaattt???
  • kmac1196
    kmac1196 Posts: 188 Member
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    Oh, I'm sorry...numbers really screw with us.

    Is it TOM time? More stressors than usual? Activity? What's been going on this week and maybe we can figure it out. You know you didn't eat 17,500 calories OVER your maintenance, right? That would be 2500 cals per day over your maintenance. So logically, that didn't happen. Post what's going on and we'll try to talk you down.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
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    What kmac said, plus did you eat out, so had to estimate meals?
    Did you make something that has lots of sodium?
    Did you weigh in at a different time/day than you normally do?
    Also did you do some activity that you don't normally do that is demanding of your body?
    Or a combination of those factors?

    Just take a deep breath and figure it out.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    I did not log so carefully but didn't go absolutely crazy. I did some extra jogging, but have been doing so for three weeks. I maybe drank a bit more alcohol than is usual, but niot crazy amounts. It was quite a difficult week work wise...

    I don't have measurable cycles, due to coil, but suppose I must still have hormone surges etc.

    It's all a bit confusing, But I'm sure it will balance out....going to try to stick to macros more closely, no wine, more water. Will keep you informed- thanks for your support!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Is it hotter now for the jogging - sweating more?

    Alcohol would have been more likely to cause a water weight drop.
    Unless of course you ate a bunch more sodium rich things with it you don't recall very well.

    As mentioned above, you obviously didn't eat that much above maintenance.

    Fat is not fast - loss or gain.

    So just try to figure out the reason for the water weight.

    Then again - it's just weight - did you actually gain inches?
    Are pants tighter, tops, ect?

    Or is this just a number no one will ever see that does NOT define you. Anymore than BMI defines any singular person's health.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    My clothes do feel tighter Haybales, yes. In a flabby way. i just seem to have lost a slight tone I was developing.

    Other than that, yes to all. I was sweating more, I could have eaten more salt and no, I will not let this define me. Pretty sure I will see a drop as the week goes on. Just a bit disconcerting when the scales jump so rapidly after long period of maintenance. Just shows you should never feel totally smug!!!

    If anyone has time to explain the science of water weight gain and jogging/sweating/exercise I'd be really interested?

    Thanks all.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    You sweat a lot, body gets too low a volume of water in the blood, and starts seeing it needs help staying cool sometimes - response is add water to blood volume.

    Just to show how far the body can go in that, my tad over 3 hr bike ride on Saturday in 95 F, heat index 107 F.
    Sweat great amounts the first 1.5 hrs, but that stopped, and not because it got cold.
    I drank 128 ozs of water, mostly with Gatoraide mix added for the carbs and sodium/potassium I knew I'd sweat out.
    That is 8.35 lbs of fluids I drank.

    I still lost 6.6 lbs by end of ride.
    And I was not having any big issues of cramping or badly inflated HR or terrible performance associated with blood getting way to thick to get oxygen to the muscles. So I still had decent enough blood water volume.

    Some of that was about 0.32 lbs of fat used as energy.
    Some of that was about 1 lb of carbs used as energy.

    The other 5.3 lbs was water, despite drinking that much, which wasn't all in my gut. Suffice to say - I didn't need to use the restroom for awhile afterwards - all water needed.

    So I had even more water volume available to lose before I'd have been seriously impacted by heat problems and performance would have showed even sooner than that as blood thickened.

    Your body can hold a lot of water in the blood.

    And if doing cardio where you increase the blood vessels for getting oxygen to the muscles better - more increase even there of blood in general.

    If you have been making advances in the amount of jogging time done at once, then body response by storing more glucose with attached water for required energy needs - to the tune of 500 cal of carbs is 1 lb of weight with attached water.
    That's why when people first start a diet and glucose stores start going depleted by some amount - you lose big amounts.
    Usually eating less sodium than normal is other big water weight drop.

    If you noticed clothes tighter, then probably related to gut issues, because the above increases would never be noticeable in a few spots - they are body wide. Well, of course depending on the muscle used, so glutes could have gained more.
  • kjs1628
    kjs1628 Posts: 37 Member
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    Wow, that's really useful and interesting. Thanks Haybales.

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