Week 2 reassurance

fattymcfatterson2121

So I re-started MFP after the new year....yes yes I know.

I am 5"8 and 187lbs, I would like to be 147 -154 lbs.

On my first week I lost 2lbs but this morning was my week 2 weigh in and I lost nothing...well gained 0.2lbs but lets not go there.

Now I know it is early days, I know weight loss isn't linear and I also know that I am happy that at least I didn't gain.

I am tracking every day, I cycle to work every day (not that far), did 2 x insanity classes, a spin class and 3 weight training sessions. I log my food but not my exercise as I don't eat back my exercise calories - I aim to eat around 1500 cals a day. I am not finding this hard. I am not often hungry. I enjoy exercising.

I know women's monthly cycles can affect water retention and weight - according to an online tracker I am currently ovulating - how unneccesary

Anyway although I know all of the above, I am trying not to be disheartened about not losing weight this week - I want to be tracking seriously for a month before falling into a "I will never lose weight" pit of doom.

Saying that - it would be good to hear if anyone thinks I am doing anything wrong?

tiptoethruthetulips

It could be fluid retention due to the exercise, particularly the weight training if you have been experiencing sore muscles. Weight training causes tiny tears in the muscle fibres. Fluid is retained to help repair the tears.

Sounds like you are doing well, do keep an eye on exercise and hunger levels, MFP recommends eating back exercise calories so as to give your body the nutrition it needs to function and exercise.

fattymcfatterson2121

Does that mean I will have fluid retention if I weight train every week? I am doing a 18 week programme that runs in 4 week cycles - volume, hypertrophy, strength and taper.

PAV8888

Please start using a weight trend tracking program that will help you differentiate between water weight and your underlying weight level. Happy Scale for iphone, Libra Android, the one I use: www.trendweight.com, and www.weightracker.com will all do the trick.

Furthermore you should consider eating back at least 50% of your exercise calories unless you are extremely sedentary (and by that I mean moving less than half an hour a day).

Otherwise you may be creating an enormous deficit.

Going with the conventionally safe deficit of 20% of your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (which can be increased to 25% while obese), a:

500 Cal deficit implies a TDEE of: 2500 for normal/overweight; 2000 for obese
750 Cal deficit implies a TDEE of: 3750 for normal/overweight; 3000 for obese
1000 Cal deficit implies a TDEE of: 5000 for normal/overweight; 4000 for obese
TDEE includes both exercise and non exercise calories.

As you can see, for most people, conventionally safe deficits will be those in the 250 to 500Cal a day range (0.5lb to 1lb a week).

Yes, keeping to a conventionally safe deficit will slow down your weight loss by a few weeks. However smaller deficits promote adherence and also help you figure out long term eating strategies as opposed to short term diet strategies.

A 1lb a week rate still puts you on pace for a 50lbs a year loss--which is significant in anyone's books!

If you happen to be a normal weight individual and you chose to subject yourself to a 50% deficit off of your TDEE (which often happens when people select 2lbs a week), you will be joyfully on your way to replicating the Minnesota Starvation Experiment.

ShashayLee

a scale is only one one tool to track your progress, don't let it bother you. Look at measurements as well as overall fitness. The weight will come off & i totally agree on a weight trend programme.

tiptoethruthetulips

fattymcfatterson2121 wrote: »

Does that mean I will have fluid retention if I weight train every week? I am doing a 18 week programme that runs in 4 week cycles - volume, hypertrophy, strength and taper.

I don't know to be honest, but if you did would it matter, the first week you retain fluid is when you take the hit assuming the rate of retention is fairly equal each week.

allenpriest

Hang in there