After some advice - increased activity, cutting, weight gain

pabboo

Hi
I did a metabolism reset a long while ago (after a few years of intermittent fasting and very low calorie eating), and happily ate without recording for a long while. I recently (11 May) decided to cut after a very gradual ("eyes off the ball") weight gain
Unfortunately my weight has been going up in that time and I cannot see why.
I have had one over eating day (a party) and otherwise have stuck to 40/30/30 at around 1800 (sometimes less as after running I don't have much appetite).
I do pole fitness class (2hrs) once a week, weight training once or twice a week, 5km run once a week, hiit for 30 mins with TRX (and sometimes then then 30 mins pole) once or twice a week. I walk on the days in between. I'm usually active for at least 30mins about 6 days a week. Once a month at this time of year I do a 5-10k obstacle race (about 3-4 a year)
Any ideas why I'm gaining?!
I'm 40 with an under active thyroid (on meds, recently tested, normal results)
I'm loathe to drop by another 100 cals per day, but am afraid I may have to.
Thoughts?

TerezaToledo

Hi there, good to see you here! Great job on doing a reset and nailing your macros!

In a glance of what's happening, without knowing more details, the first thing that comes to my mind is that you are under eating for your activity level. What is the TDEE calculator giving you? Your activity level is higher than moderate, for sure.
How are you doing on fiber and water? Stress level? Sleep?
Many things to check, but the first thing would be an honest look at your activity, TDEE and intake. It's hard not to get carried away, specially this time of the year, and end up eating less and working out more.

Here is an excellent post on cutting from EM2WL: http://eatmore2weighless.com/10-tips-knock-cutting-phase/

You can also find more on our forum: http://forums.eatmore2weighless.com/

We are here to help!

Tereza
EM2WL

pabboo

Thanks for the reply.
I'm 5'8" and 77kg. My TDEE always seems to come in at around 2300, which is close to my Fitbit (although my Fitbit undervalues hiit and weight training so that is why, I think, it's "close" but not perfect!)
But then of course I'll have a couple of times a year with a 10k obstacle race where I hit 3500!! Absolute lowest cals burnt in a day is 1982. But those numbers are infrequent so I try not to worry about it. Fitbit usually ranges from 2150 to 2500
So I am cutting at 1800 .
I'm afraid to increase it ... Do you really think that is the answer?

And am I best posting questions here or on the forum link you posted?

Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

heybales

Yes - Fitbit will underestimate lifting.
You are given BMR level burn, or close, for the non-steps while doing the workout.
You burning more than sleeping though?
Oh yeah.

So if it is estimating 2300 and that includes 60 min of lifting, there is some inaccuracies there, but it's probably also low on TRX and Pole - as those are not step based activities either.

So while it can be great tool, it needs correction on somethings, as simple as logging the lifting on Fitbit under weights.

The other stuff may not be so bad if this is HR-based Fitbit, but you didn't mention.

And if you are starting with a low-ball TDEE, and then taking a deficit - that can just be stress on body.
Elevated stress is elevated cortisol is increased water weight.

And don't go by daily numbers if you are better with a static eating goal. With corrected Fitbit stats, easiest is to just look at prior weeks email from Fitbit that says how much daily burn was. Use that as TDEE estimate.

How big a deficit were you attempting too?

And how much increase in weight since May 11?

TerezaToledo

You are cutting low, specially since Fitbit isn't crediting you the strength training. Increase calories slowly, I don't think you you will gain weight. The numbers on the scale may go up because of water weight and your body stocking up in glycogen, but that increase will not be fat.

I understand your fear of increasing but I'm also sure that the amount you are working and hue much you are eating is not sustainable in the long run. I've been there, and I was hungry and hangry! I'm glad I wasn't able to eat so little and are more!

You can post in either sites, but you will definitely find support there from people who are going through the same, specially in the motivation/journey sub forum. Lots of gals cutting/reseting at similar situations.

Tereza
Team EM2WL

pabboo

Thank you both for your thoughts
Haybales - Firstly yes it is a Fitbit hr. My calorie burn this week divided by 7 was 2469 per day but that included a 3hr obstacle race! The previous week averaged at 2397 per day and the one before 2307
Secondly I weighed myself in the gym scales yesterday afternoon. I weigh myself there about once a month (at home once a week). At home I have a fat monitor on the scales - wildly inaccurate I know- but at the gym there is a full body fat monitor (with the hand bars as well as feet plates). At the gym I've lost 2% body fat in the last month, and weigh almost 1kg less than I do at home (ie no gain showing on the gym scales) - at home the gain was about .5kg over the last month. That is no loss according to the gym scales but the body fat loss is all I was aiming for anyway!
So, I am not sure now whether to give it a few more weeks as perhaps it is working after all or add a few more calories - as it is working shall I stick?
Thanks again
Boo

beastmode_kitty

pabboo wrote: »

Thanks for the reply.
I'm 5'8" and 77kg. My TDEE always seems to come in at around 2300, which is close to my Fitbit (although my Fitbit undervalues hiit and weight training so that is why, I think, it's "close" but not perfect!)
But then of course I'll have a couple of times a year with a 10k obstacle race where I hit 3500!! Absolute lowest cals burnt in a day is 1982. But those numbers are infrequent so I try not to worry about it. Fitbit usually ranges from 2150 to 2500
So I am cutting at 1800 .
I'm afraid to increase it ... Do you really think that is the answer?

And am I best posting questions here or on the forum link you posted?

Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

What I did when increasing is just increase it by 50 to 100 a week. Don't be afraid! I've tried this 3 times now and finally the 3rd time stuck. Yes I saw an increase on the scale, but its only been a pound or two and my clothes still feel the same, and I still feel lean. I'm currently at 2100 cals a day, and I can't believe I only used to take in 1200-1500 a day. Don't be scared, you can do it

heybales

pabboo wrote: »

Thank you both for your thoughts
Haybales - Firstly yes it is a Fitbit hr. My calorie burn this week divided by 7 was 2469 per day but that included a 3hr obstacle race! The previous week averaged at 2397 per day and the one before 2307
Secondly I weighed myself in the gym scales yesterday afternoon. I weigh myself there about once a month (at home once a week). At home I have a fat monitor on the scales - wildly inaccurate I know- but at the gym there is a full body fat monitor (with the hand bars as well as feet plates). At the gym I've lost 2% body fat in the last month, and weigh almost 1kg less than I do at home (ie no gain showing on the gym scales) - at home the gain was about .5kg over the last month. That is no loss according to the gym scales but the body fat loss is all I was aiming for anyway!
So, I am not sure now whether to give it a few more weeks as perhaps it is working after all or add a few more calories - as it is working shall I stick?
Thanks again
Boo

Well, that's true, when you track average weeks - don't include off weeks like that with a race, or perhaps weeks with sick days, that sort of thing.
So with HR-based, you need to log the Weights, the other stuff is fine.

You'll probably find, except for when the seasons change enough, that the weekly average TDEE doesn't change significantly enough to worry about.

The BIA scales while inaccurate can be decently consistent to at least indicate a direction - if you present the same hydrated body to them - so before the workout for sure.

So your eating level 1800 is pretty big deficit from potential 2300. That's 22%. And bigger on days with not eating as much after the run. Perhaps you need to eat a snack of 4:1 carb:protein within 30-40 min to not only refill glucose stores faster, but feel as hungry as your body likely is.
Unless you've been making up those calories the day after.

During the time your weight went up lately - were you actually logging food to confirm eating levels?
You mentioned not recording for a long time.
And some habits gained when eating too low can carry through when not logging.

Was your IF method daily or weekly type?

I'd suggest you've had about 1 month eating in deficit anyway, and sounds like a tad too much too - time to come out of diet and eat at maintenance for a week or two.
Slow increase probably not as needed for you since not coming from extreme diet since reset last year.
Just head on up - accept the water weight gain as the increased LBM and metabolism it is, and enjoy some performance increases you'll likely get in your workouts.
Which will probably increase your TDEE too, readjust as needed for 15% deficit after 2 weeks.

TerezaToledo

@pabboo how everything going with you? Give us an update when you have a chance!

Tereza
Team EM2WL