can someone just enlighten me a little - im really confused..

leahcollett1

morning everyone -
so this will be my 2nd week of gains.. this week ive been so good so i really thought i would see a loss this week - in truth my weight hasn't moved since august ive been losing and gaining the same few pounds over and over again. whilst i know weight loss isnt linear, i need a better understanding at why my body is changing and im losing inches but staying the same weight - i go by the TDEE method and i do les mills combat 4 times a week religiously i dont miss it out i do every every week. i love it. so when i hopped on the scales and saw that gain i thought ok, so next is to see how far ive got to go until im a size 14.. so i got out my old work trousers and bugger me they fitted. im not gaining muscle as im eating at a deficit so why isnt my weight going down when my cloth sizes are? surely i cant be a size 10 and still weigh 15 stone?

ultrahoon

It sounds a lot like the results of a recomp to me. I'd personally tighten up the logging at see what happens (I see a few cup measurements, stuff like generic potatoes instead of the type and outlet purchased from).

leahcollett1

i enter generic - because i get my potatoes from a farm,so there is no branding on them - i do weigh them though - and mark whether they have skin on or not - what is recomp?

sijomial

You aren't at a deficit as you aren't losing weight.
You are eating at maintenance calories if your weight has hardly varied since August. Don't confuse estimated deficit with an actual deficit.

So to account for your change in measurements it means you are recomping - losing small amounts of fat and gaining small amounts of muscle. Congrats!

If you want to lose weight decrease your calorie intake or increase your exercise/activity.

ultrahoon

leahcollett1 wrote: »

i enter generic - because i get my potatoes from a farm,so there is no branding on them - i do weigh them though - and mark whether they have skin on or not - what is recomp?

It's changing the ratio of muscle and fat, resulting in being more muscular at the same weight. Only obtainable by eating slightly over maintenance and exercising (many do lifting for the exercise on a recomp).

As for the potatoes, surely you can ask the farm what type of potatoes they are? I am sure they would know. Even if that wasn't possible, I'd still tighten up the use of cup measurements and predefined un-weighed portions like '1 slice' etc.

leahcollett1

ok, thanks - although i dont think im eating at maintenance...but ill tighten up my logging for def. i didnt think i could gain muscle through combat as its martial arts and def cardio based.

oolou

Are you calculating your TDEE by using an online calculator? Bear in mind that it is still an estimate.

If you have accurate logs of what you've eaten for the last month, try instead working out the total calories you've eaten for the month plus the total calories lost in your weight change (3500 cals = 1 lb), or minus the total calories gained. Divide it by the number of days in the month for an average. If you are maintaining with no weight loss at this level of calories per day ... well, you know what you need to do ^^

ultrahoon

Well if you haven't lost weight in 3-4 months, you certainly aren't in a deficit. whether or not a recomp is happening is up for debate, but what's definitely not happening is a sustained calorie deficit.

leahcollett1

true, this is very true. i think im getting somewhere as i lose what i gained but in reality im just bouncing up and down the same weight i cannot for the life of me go any further below 15.5.8

kommodevaran

If your weight is the same it means you are eating at maintenance.

Lol, Just parroting what others have said repeatedly.

leahcollett1

no i haven't been maintaining my weight - i gain and i lose it, i gain i lose, i stay the same, i lose 2 then gain 2, i bounce up and down the same 7lbs.

leahcollett1

whilst this is happening im getting smaller as im doing body combat and today i fitted into my size 14s that i havent worn in years.

sijomial

leahcollett1 wrote: »

ok, thanks - although i dont think im eating at maintenance...but ill tighten up my logging for def. i didnt think i could gain muscle through combat as its martial arts and def cardio based.

Your bathroom scales think you are at maintenance!
The alternative to tightening up your logging is just reduce your calorie goal (using consistency as opposed to accuracy) - I prefer lazy logging!

As for muscle gain - depends on where you started from.
I once gained 3" of quad muscle in a short period of time from just walking and stairs.
But only because I had lost 5" of muscle from being on crutches for the preceding few months.

Which is a reminder to track progress with a tape measure as well as weight change.

Sued0nim

leahcollett1 wrote: »

whilst this is happening im getting smaller as im doing body combat and today i fitted into my size 14s that i havent worn in years.

what about actual measurements

clothes stretch and shrink - did you try them on recently and they were too small?

I agree with everyone else - you've found your maintenance level - if you want to lose cut 500 from where you are

leahcollett1

ok, that sounds like a plan. rabbit i lose my measurements - they were all written on a pad so when i went to do them the other day i couldnt find them! however ive restarted and logged them on here this time..

is that 500 calories a week? or a day?

oolou

leahcollett1 wrote: »

no i haven't been maintaining my weight - i gain and i lose it, i gain i lose, i stay the same, i lose 2 then gain 2, i bounce up and down the same 7lbs.

¨
People who eat at maintenance do not find their weight staying exactly the same - it fluctuates too within a range, much as you have described, up and down.

leahcollett1

so im eating 1700 now i dont eat exercise calories back - as i use the tdee method - 500 cals a week would take it to 1628? sound right?

leahcollett1

oolou wrote: »

leahcollett1 wrote: »

no i haven't been maintaining my weight - i gain and i lose it, i gain i lose, i stay the same, i lose 2 then gain 2, i bounce up and down the same 7lbs.

¨
People who eat at maintenance do not find their weight staying exactly the same - it fluctuates too within a range, much as you have described, up and down.

this is interesting - thanks guys - ill minus the 500 cals as rabbit said and see what happens.

Sued0nim

leahcollett1 wrote: »

so im eating 1700 now i dont eat exercise calories back - as i use the tdee method - 500 cals a week would take it to 1628? sound right?

no it's a day for a lb a week

Can I ask your Height, age, weight, activity level without exercise

Beacuse a TDEE of 1700 for 4 x 1 hour intense workouts sounds low

Also open your diary if you want people to double check on your logging

leahcollett1

im 5ft 7, 31, 15 stone 7lbs, activity is sedimentary with body combat 4 times a week.

leahcollett1

thats weird my diary is set to public

ndj1979

are you using a food scale?

leahcollett1

yes and double checking the calories if i bar code scan things in

leahcollett1

im not going to lie there are a few biscuits in there my diary isnt perfect - it happens towards ovulation.. however i was under the impression a calorie is a calorie, so i thought id be ok if i log them

Sued0nim

your diary looks OK - but with your stats you certainly should be losing at an accurate 1700 calories logging

which makes me wonder if you have inconsistencies or inaccuracies creeping in

so what I'd suggest is

weighing everything - throw out the cups, weigh slices / rolls and log by weight

Also check the entries you're choosing - is the coq au vin your recipe with weighed ingredients, weighed final casserole and servings based on an actual grammage?

Make sure you are logging everything you eat - no sneaking food? (not accusing but it happens)

I'd try that for a month and see how you go

then you might want to consider a med work-up to check thyroid which can affect your TDEE

Sued0nim

it's not really significant but your florette salad leaves with 100g at 11 calories should actually be 20 cals - so I think you've chosen the wrong entry there

you need to double check everything you've chosen against packs / other calorie sites / manufacturers lists because it's easy for small errors to mount up and wipe out your defecit

leahcollett1

ok thanks rabbit - i may be guilty of a bite here and there that hasnt been logged.. yeah the dinner servings are recipes ive made myself divided into how many people are eating. its the only way i can do it - although i always try and have the smaller portion with my husband.

leahcollett1

rabbitjb wrote: »

it's not really significant but your florette salad leaves with 100g at 11 calories should actually be 20 cals - so I think you've chosen the wrong entry there

you need to double check everything you've chosen against packs / other calorie sites / manufacturers lists because it's easy for small errors to mount up and wipe out your defecit

good point - your right - i have gotten relaxed a bit. i need to review my entries i tend to use the recently used if i have the same thing the day day..

leahcollett1

and i dont weigh my salad really theres an oops right there.

Sued0nim

leahcollett1 wrote: »

and i dont weigh my salad really theres an oops right there.

Nah I don't weigh mine either

it was more of an 'if this is happening on something that is calorie dense you might be mis-logging' comment

leahcollett1

agreed, thanks hun