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dejavuohlala wrote: »Can I just ask something. Every day for the past almost two weeks my fitbit registered 1621 everyday for calories burned(this is without any burn I have added in) I'm amazed that it is the same number each day. Does this mean this is my TDEE and isn't that very low???? confused.
This sounds like your Fitbit isn't syncing to update your daily info, so it is giving you the figures you would need if you never moved all day, like never even got out of bed!
So yes, that is way less than your TDEE, so don't worry!
Either you need to check your Fitbit is syncing with your phone/device or you can tap through your actual fitbit until you reach where the calories burn amount, but that will give you the calories burned up to that time, so unless you intend to look at it at 11.59 pm every day! Best to sort out the syncing issue!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator0 -
Week 3
Hello Team working on TDEE 1900 (although my Fitbit alone gives me a much lower TDEE)
I just wanted to give you some figures for my THIRD week to see if I'm on the right track and what my intentions are for the FOURTH week which starts today.
Started at 178lbs. After week 3RD week 180 lbs (was mainly 178 but then went up to 180 lbs
Cal. 1350 per day. THIRD week. had Average 1353 cal per day
Man. and fitbit burn. Average 2034 (Fitbit only without me adding 1671).
Carbs 40%-41% protein.28%. – 30% fat 27%-30% after THIRD week. Protein average 28%. Carbs 42% fat 28%-30% ( AVERAGES)
I am also using resistance bands for 10 minutes a day ( I don't have weights and also have a back problem). I do cardio each day too. Decreased cardio from 30 minutes on static bike to 15 minutes on static bike. Have increased the strength of the resistance band yesterday.
Starting today week 4. aim for 1400 calories per day.
Please can you advise if this seems ok or that I am not getting it right?
Looking forward to hearing your views and thanks for your help
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empressichel wrote: »dejavuohlala wrote: »Can I just ask something. Every day for the past almost two weeks my fitbit registered 1621 everyday for calories burned(this is without any burn I have added in) I'm amazed that it is the same number each day. Does this mean this is my TDEE and isn't that very low???? confused.
This sounds like your Fitbit isn't syncing to update your daily info, so it is giving you the figures you would need if you never moved all day, like never even got out of bed!
So yes, that is way less than your TDEE, so don't worry!
Either you need to check your Fitbit is syncing with your phone/device or you can tap through your actual fitbit until you reach where the calories burn amount, but that will give you the calories burned up to that time, so unless you intend to look at it at 11.59 pm every day! Best to sort out the syncing issue!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
Thank you Ichel. the Fitbit does seem to be syncing with my device, so confused.
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I was just echoing your performance increases on the bar, which is true strength increase.
I merely included other comments because I've seen them claimed so many times. And something to be learned and watched out for.
If someone lost 20 lbs of fat on their body, and they do deads and squats, then they are lifting 20 lbs less of themselves (except for weight lost on calves of course).
So their muscles had that ability to lift 20 lbs more.
So if the weight on the bar during that same time period only increases 15 lbs, they aren't even lifting the same total weight as they were before. Body + bar.
Even if they increased 20 lbs, they only maintained strength at least, not losing it.
Now, in a diet, that's great actually - you've maintained muscle.
The problem is many report this as a big positive when just starting to lift - in which case they should have had increases merely from form improvements and CNS engagement - which means in the end they likely did increase strength from those factors - but lost muscle from the diet.
It's a great way to confirm what's happening when you do start a deficit eating routine - maintaining strength would mean the weight on the bar increases as weight on the body decreases.
Whereas you have seen total strength and muscle gains.
While this is true, it is completely useless..
Why would you point out to someone when they are in their glory for losing 20 pounds and lifting 15lbs stronger that they are in fact lifting less? Yes, you know its true but all it does it make someone feel like they arent actually improving when they have done immense amounts of it.
Sometimes being compassionate to someone means not pointing out obvious (to you) things. If someone says they increased on their squats and deads in here, the first repsonse is certainly NOT "Well, no you didnt".. its "Congrats! Good for you!!"
Simple as that.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
@dejavuohlala
Excellent work on the consistency in protein! Well done! And decreasing the cardio is a great move too.
Let's just forget about the Fitbit for the moment.
Have you put your info into our calculator (being honest with your activity level, most tend to under estimate) and setting your goal as maintenance?
http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/
If you suspect there are issues with your Fitbit, let's just treat it like you didn't have one!
You're doing a great job with the protein and slowly increasing the calories. Well done!
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator1 -
I was just echoing your performance increases on the bar, which is true strength increase.
I merely included other comments because I've seen them claimed so many times. And something to be learned and watched out for.
If someone lost 20 lbs of fat on their body, and they do deads and squats, then they are lifting 20 lbs less of themselves (except for weight lost on calves of course).
So their muscles had that ability to lift 20 lbs more.
So if the weight on the bar during that same time period only increases 15 lbs, they aren't even lifting the same total weight as they were before. Body + bar.
Even if they increased 20 lbs, they only maintained strength at least, not losing it.
Now, in a diet, that's great actually - you've maintained muscle.
The problem is many report this as a big positive when just starting to lift - in which case they should have had increases merely from form improvements and CNS engagement - which means in the end they likely did increase strength from those factors - but lost muscle from the diet.
It's a great way to confirm what's happening when you do start a deficit eating routine - maintaining strength would mean the weight on the bar increases as weight on the body decreases.
Whereas you have seen total strength and muscle gains.
While this is true, it is completely useless..
Why would you point out to someone when they are in their glory for losing 20 pounds and lifting 15lbs stronger that they are in fact lifting less? Yes, you know its true but all it does it make someone feel like they arent actually improving when they have done immense amounts of it.
Sometimes being compassionate to someone means not pointing out obvious (to you) things. If someone says they increased on their squats and deads in here, the first repsonse is certainly NOT "Well, no you didnt".. its "Congrats! Good for you!!"
Simple as that.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
You did read my first line, right?
And you did read my last line, right?
Or you mean you want to encourage someone in a diet to keep loosing muscle because the encouragement is better?
I disagree. Because I'm sorry - before you showed up there were comments like that which would come up in the topics - same misunderstanding that would show up in the group forums too.
If someone is doing the above as described, and thinks they are doing things right - I would rather they know they are losing strength and muscle before it's too late.
Which means they aren't actually doing it right.
Remember, instead of just being infuriated with my posts - actually read them and you might see I'm talking about something else that does happen and has some bad bad implications behind it.
Remember - they really are NOT improving - not at all - they are getting worse.
If someone stayed the same weight and got weaker on the bar doing deads and squats - would you congratulate them?
That's what you are saying really. Think about it.0 -
empressichel wrote: »@dejavuohlala
Excellent work on the consistency in protein! Well done! And decreasing the cardio is a great move too.
Let's just forget about the Fitbit for the moment.
Have you put your info into our calculator (being honest with your activity level, most tend to under estimate) and setting your goal as maintenance?
http://eatmore2weighless.com/weight-loss-calculator/
If you suspect there are issues with your Fitbit, let's just treat it like you didn't have one!
You're doing a great job with the protein and slowly increasing the calories. Well done!
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator
Thank you Ichel I get 1944 TDEE from the EW2WL calaculator. Interesting I did not add any burn yesterday to mfp( hence it did not fed into Fitbit) and I got 1819 burn on Fitbit. So if I work towards the 1900 mark in on the right track? Although I appear to have gained a couple of pounds, this is week 4 for me. Thank you0 -
@dejavuohlala That sounds more like it! Yes, slowly creep up to the 1900 mark. The fact you are at week 4 is great! some people quit before then. You are doing great!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator0 -
I was just echoing your performance increases on the bar, which is true strength increase.
I merely included other comments because I've seen them claimed so many times. And something to be learned and watched out for.
If someone lost 20 lbs of fat on their body, and they do deads and squats, then they are lifting 20 lbs less of themselves (except for weight lost on calves of course).
So their muscles had that ability to lift 20 lbs more.
So if the weight on the bar during that same time period only increases 15 lbs, they aren't even lifting the same total weight as they were before. Body + bar.
Even if they increased 20 lbs, they only maintained strength at least, not losing it.
Now, in a diet, that's great actually - you've maintained muscle.
The problem is many report this as a big positive when just starting to lift - in which case they should have had increases merely from form improvements and CNS engagement - which means in the end they likely did increase strength from those factors - but lost muscle from the diet.
It's a great way to confirm what's happening when you do start a deficit eating routine - maintaining strength would mean the weight on the bar increases as weight on the body decreases.
Whereas you have seen total strength and muscle gains.
While this is true, it is completely useless..
Why would you point out to someone when they are in their glory for losing 20 pounds and lifting 15lbs stronger that they are in fact lifting less? Yes, you know its true but all it does it make someone feel like they arent actually improving when they have done immense amounts of it.
Sometimes being compassionate to someone means not pointing out obvious (to you) things. If someone says they increased on their squats and deads in here, the first repsonse is certainly NOT "Well, no you didnt".. its "Congrats! Good for you!!"
Simple as that.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
You did read my first line, right?
And you did read my last line, right?
Or you mean you want to encourage someone in a diet to keep loosing muscle because the encouragement is better?
I disagree. Because I'm sorry - before you showed up there were comments like that which would come up in the topics - same misunderstanding that would show up in the group forums too.
If someone is doing the above as described, and thinks they are doing things right - I would rather they know they are losing strength and muscle before it's too late.
Which means they aren't actually doing it right.
Remember, instead of just being infuriated with my posts - actually read them and you might see I'm talking about something else that does happen and has some bad bad implications behind it.
Remember - they really are NOT improving - not at all - they are getting worse.
If someone stayed the same weight and got weaker on the bar doing deads and squats - would you congratulate them?
That's what you are saying really. Think about it.
By your definition someone who loses 100 pounds must also raise the weight on the bar by more than 100 pounds in order to be successful. What exercise? Are they all to increase by tenfold? A gain in a squat bar is vastly different than a gain in a deadlift.. So no, its not as simple as saying your bar must equal or be greater than the amount of weight you have lost in order to not have lost muscle.
People can gain 20lbs in a squat but maybe only gain 10 in a deadlift. Are they losing muscle because the deadlift weight is less than the weight they have taken off their body? Not neccesarily. People can gain more weight in a squat than they can in a dead, simply because grip strength needs to improve in order to handle the gain. Does that mean if their deadlift isnt greater than the weight they have lost they lost muscle? No. It means their grip strength needs to improve in order to lift the heavier bar. Losing 20 pounds off your body will not suddenly increase the amount of weight your hands can hold.
And yes encouragement goes a long way. I would much rather someone focus in on the successes they are having rather than point out something like "well you arent successful because your bar isnt heavier than you lost" It doesnt mean they aren't going to gain the muscle back. Things aren't that linear. People do not lose 20 pounds on the scale and instantly gain 20 pounds on the barbell.
To the average person in here, they don't walk around saying "Hey, guess what, I can lift xyz on the bar, but its not a true showing of what I lift because I lost/gained xyz pounds.."
No
The average lifter in here cares about what the barbell says. Thats all they say.. "i can lift xyz more than I did before"
So by telling someone who is very excited about losing xyz on the scale, or have gained xyz on the barbell that they aren't successful because there might be at that moment be working on grip strength, shoulder/back strength to allow for the increases on the bar, does not mean they have lost muscle strength. So while your overall blanket statement may have truth in it, it is useless in these terms.
No one said your information was wrong, but the delivery in which you are giving information is what is causing a good majority of people in here to freak out, send PM's and messages to us and ask for us to interpret. Whereas our approach is to keep things simple right off the bat, so we don't have to constantly talk someone off the ledge from what they are being told here.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
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After gaining weigth while being pregnant and then losing it, as much I my body got conditioned to walk around carrying the extra poundage, does that mean that once I lost the weight I should say I lost 30 lbs, but became 30 lbs weaker unless I am able to hold 30 lbs plus what I could hold before! When pregnant I could move around with no issues, but when the baby was born my arms would feel numb after holding 1/3 of the same weight for 10 minutes. Does that mean I became weaker? Uh, I don't think it is that simple. The exra weight was distributed through my body, not just on my arms.
So when someone loses 20 lbs while lifting weights, it does sound odd to say that the person lost strenght if he or she cannot deadlift the same amount he or she was deadlifting plus the 20 that was lost. All the weight was not concentrated in the arm area. Maybe you could say that someone who was used to walk a certain distance while 20 lbs heavier and after losing 20 lbs can only walk the same distance carrying a 20 lbs backpack lost strenght in the process. But still, it would not be accurate considering the weight distribution.
Now what about keeping in mind that ours bodies change, that we are getting older everyday and many times just being able to lift the same amount for the same reps two months apart, depending on what is going on with the person is a huge progress? None of us here is in high school anymore, teenager years, when everything goes, are way behind. Our bodies are not the same and every time that we improve on something, it's a cause for celebration and to be proud of. Who cares about technicalities?
Well, even then, the issue is not about how much we gain or we lose, but how much we actually improve and how much we feel better about ourselvs and support each other. EM2WL is all about support, about celebrating every single step of our journey towards a better life. We believe in breaking everything down in baby steps so we can make them habits and enjoy the compound effect that overtime they create.
The reason why we don't bring up science and experiments and excell spreadsheets to the table is not lack the f knwledge, it's because, in the end of the day, it doesn't matter if it is true or not. What matters is that we are here to spread a message about nurturing our bodies with the right amount of food and the right amount and best kind of exercise in a way that will be easily understood and will not scare anyone away. We don't encourage anyone to lose muscle, we actually encourage everyone to stop looking at the scale and eat more while focusing on progress at the gym beacuse that's what will help them achieve the look and feeling that thy are looking for. And it can be a simple as that.
Over-complicating is often a sign that you are not doing what you already KNOW you are supposed to do.
@jerilynconn I apologize for you thread being hijacked. If this bothers you, please let us know.
Tereza
Team EM2WL
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@dejavuohlala I think your doing a fabulous job!! Keep up the work.0
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Doesn't bug me @TerezaToledo I don't have much to share right now (and certainly not anything uplifting.) But I will be back soon to share some thoughts. I try to keep this as transparent as possible, because lying, or glossing over the bad parts doesn't help me. Or anybody else trying to figure this em2wl thing.
I am not a scientist, so I appreciate the straight forward approach.
I'd be okay with my lifts being stagnant while reducing body fat. I think the issue is when you lose weight and can't even lift what you were lifting before (especially once you start eating maintenance)- then you would have lost strength. But it's not like you can't get that strength back.
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beverlyriley900 wrote: »@dejavuohlala I think your doing a fabulous job!! Keep up the work.
Thank you Beverly I'm just trying to get the hang of it one day at a time1 -
I want to record this here, both for myself and for any one else in the same boat.
I do not feel successful at em2wl. I know I have only been here for 10 months, which is just scratching the surface of a lifestyle, but this isn't a flash in the pan, obviously. But, we humans are built to respond to positive feedback. And when everything is going the opposite way, we get frustrated.
Not every story will be one of losing inches and or pounds right away. Mine certainly is not. I gained 17 pounds and 8 inches on my reset. Since my reset, 7 months ago, I have gained an additional 6 pounds (I started overweight too) and an additional 2.25 inches. My photos show no changes, except for 1 area, where I am noticeably bigger. I knew my back rolls have gotten bigger before I even measured- I could feel it.
1 out of the 18 stories labeled 'transformation' on em2wl.com blog had a weight gain, and it definitely could have been muscle given that the 20 pound gain was over 15 months. My 25 pound gain over 10 months is 10 pounds of muscle tops. And I doubt it, I'm thinking more like 5. It makes me think if I can even be successful. The time will, and has, passed anyways. But when I work hard for what feels like no reason, I get mad. Maybe My expectations were too high...
My hope is that I was more damaged than I realized; that my body is using this time to heal; and that in time, it will get with my program and start shedding some fat.
I hope that anyone reading this who is discouraged will know that they aren't alone. Feel free to reach out.
I hope that, someday, I will submit a physical transformation story to the website; and that I will remember to add in all of this schlock so that I won't forget, but also that others will know. And that we can realize no obstacle is insurmountable.1 -
Jeri-
I know how you feel at the moment. I had a panic this morning when my pants were so tight I was worried about wearing them. I'm newer to the journey but feel as if I've been eating more most of the summer and now Fall and I've not started cutting nor have I reached my full TDEE for 3 months. This was exacerbated when I looked at Bret Contreras Instagram and saw a pic of the food for one of the trainers. She is smaller in stature, like myself, looks great and lifts heavy and eats about 1800 on maintenance and weighs what was my goal. Now, I'm freaked out that I will never get there!
I only know that I'm scared as all get out and I see your post and I think, "someone else out there is scared like me!".
Your attitude has been an inspiration. Keep us updated I'm betting your going to start seeing changes soon. Sometimes when we are at the point where we are ready to throw it all in and stay the course is when things start rolling. That's how I felt last year after months of walking and cutting and not losing any weight, then all of a sudden a pound a week or less started coming off.2 -
@jvezzsb01
Thanks for the response! It's so hard to not compare. I actually deleted my insta app because it wasn't helping! I try to remember those people started with a different canvas. They build muscle. We have to build muscle and get rid of fat. But think of the character building and maturity that we will gain as we go.
Hannah77's response to me here was very helpful. http://forums.eatmore2weighless.com/showthread.php?tid=12417&page=210 -
Thanks for reading my comment. Didn't mean to make it about me so much as to communicate I knew how you were feeling.
Yesterday I was so ready to go back down to 1440 calories(I think that was my MFP weight loss) with exercise calories added for walks, in hopes of shedding just 20 more pounds.
Let's keep on going, updating, venting and trekking.
Your posts have been such an inspiration since I came to this board.
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No, I like the interaction @jvezzsb01 we can all help each other out! That's how we will all get through. Inspire & encourage. Help others like we have been helped.
Keep on keeping on. Make a list of everything that has improved with em2wl.
Thanks for sharing that I have been inspiring. Sometimes I wonder why I keep writing here but that, that is exactly why!1 -
Jeri,
I gained almost 40-50 pounds from the beginning of my reset attempt #1 through to current date. So yes, weight gain is normal. Thankfully not everyone gets the large gains like myself and @empressichel did:) I dont have a scale anymore so I cant tell you what the final number is, but its a lot. I gained close to two sizes in that as well.
It sucks big time. It took me a long time to accept what happened and know that my years and years of diet starvation had killed my metabolism completely. Unfortunately, metabolism is like an elephant.. it never forgets.. So it is something that takes a very very long time to heal.
I pulled this study for you to read. I found it very informative about starvation and metabolic damages. I hope this helps
http://www.refinery29.com/minnesota-starvation-experiment
Also, you are doing amazing. This is the hardest part is getting through the mental games and pressures. I know what you are going through and I feel your pain. It was not easy for me at all and Im pretty sure when I did "give up" for a while, it didnt help my journey out at all.
You know what you are doing is right and makes the most sense. You know its going to be tough and hard. You know time will pass. But it doesnt make it suck any less.
Hugs
Kelly EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
Wow @Raynn1
Wow. That study is incredible. I must have read about it before (I was a psych major after all), but I'm reading it in a new light now!
Thank you for all of your help and encouragement!1
