Need advice please...
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Now you are seeing the opposite of the first thing the body does when underfed by too much - reducing your energy and daily activity levels.
So now TDEE is likely to go up to where it potentially could be.
And better workouts not only require more repair, but have better changes on the body from them.
Though you just made me tired thinking about 4:30. I only see one of those a day, unless I drank too much water before bed.1 -
Just a little middle of the week update.....all I can say is since eating more (which some days seems crazy) I am making strength gains at the gym! I feel like I am having a much better workout at 4:30 AM AND not as tired driving home from work on a long day!! And the last couple of days feeling more confident and stronger. I love when my brain has those days!! Happy Thursday to all!!
This is the best! Can I quote this one please? These are some of the first and most encouraging signs of your body loving having more food to work with.
Strength gains and feeling less tired. Double win!!!!!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator1 -
By all means!!! Thank you!1
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Awesome update!!! those are the changes that matter far more than a stupid scale number!!!
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator1 -
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It's Sunday Morning and I am checkin' in while eating a Pumpkin Spice muffin for breakfast. Why? 1. Because I deserve it and 2. Because I can!!!
Weight is up .10 lbs this week. Not 1 one lb but a measly fraction of a pound. Makes me laugh a bit.
However on an even better note I am down about a 1 1/2 inches around my midsection/bellybutton and my giant saddlebags are down 1/2 inch.
Something is happening. Not sure what but I like it.
My deficit for the week was -1620 Average TDEE was 2370 Average Intake 2140
Still trying to work on upping my calories a pinch. I cannot seem to get there. Maybe this week I will just try and add 100 calories each day. Find something extra to pack in my giant lunch cooler for work.... any suggestions?
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Yes, you deserve to enjoy your eats! Pumpkin spice muffin, yummy!!! .1 up on the scale and 1 1/2 inches down, I'll take that anyday! Good job increasing your calories!
Enjoy your Sunday!
Tereza
Team EM2WL1 -
Fantastic results! I have never tried pumpkin spice! just seen it as a thing here in the U.K.! Or maybe live under rock! need to look up how make and try sometime. feel like I'm missing out! Anyway, onto your 100 calorie addition ideas. A piece of fruit? banana is around calories provides some great nutrients fibre. An ounce nuts 150 calories, fats minerals fibre! Half an avocado over you're getting vitamin e, potassium, you guessed it! More could slightly increase portion size something are having already? Another way not go for 'diet' or 'low fat' versions things. Go full fat milk cheese, whole egg white, normal ice cream instead of low cal version etc.
Hope that helps!
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator0 -
Ok so my post seems to have deleted lots of my words! Hope it still makes enough sense!1
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Week 5 Update.
Weight is at 146.1 Lost .40 lbs. from last week.
My Deficit for the week based on MFP and my Fitbit was 1390 I ate an average of 2260 per day and Burned an average of 2450 per day.
Feeling okay about things. Only up 3.8 lbs since starting September 4th. I am much happier and not obsessing over the food like I was prior to starting this.
I feel like it's okay if I want to have a small treat here and there vs. feeling guilty about it.
Question: Being 5 weeks in can I say this amount is probably my TDEE? I want to continue for 8 total weeks and then cut. Or should I go for 12 weeks and then reduce? And when I do decide to cut do I do a 10% cut?? For how long?
Another Question: Being off the Eat More part but the working out part. I have been reading about the Pear Shape/Spoon Shape body which is totally me. I have gained inches in my rear and outer thigh saddlebag area and was reading up that for my body type certain exercise you should steer clear from. One being Ellipitical/Arc Trainer at a high resistance. What I read stated no incline fast walking/jogging on the treadmill. And if I want to work out my legs light weight higher reps. Stay away from squats and lunges. Anyone ever hear of this and is it just more nonsense diet garbage we see on the web?
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It's about impossible to test TDEE merely by going up from a body that was willing to slow down daily burn.
What many can look at from experience is how low they were eating and not gaining weight.
Was that TDEE then?
No - because they ate a tad more and didn't gain weight at that higher level either.
Is that then TDEE?
Won't know until you go higher.
Eat 250 more daily than estimated TDEE - if you gain 1 lb slowly over 2 weeks using valid weigh-in days - then potential TDEE was indeed 250 less.
If you gain none, or faster water weight - then you weren't really at potential TDEE - after weight settling down, test again for 2 weeks.
I think your article was referring to when you gain muscle, not fat, so changing shape from workouts. Where you happen to gain fat has no bearing on where you may happen to gain muscle easiest.
I wouldn't call that diet related, but the idea of spot reducing related. usually tightening up muscles under fat helps the overall look anyway.0 -
Hi! Thanks for the update.
It's such a massive thing that you are feeling better about food and not obsessing or feeling guilty about it. That in itself is a huge result.
I think you should keep increasing your calories, as you have stated that you are not at the amount you burn yet, so that means you are actually in a cut or deficit at the moment.
Just keep increasing by 50-100 a week ( or whatever number you are comfortable with) and just keep slowly pushing it up to see how far you can go.
I wouldn't pay too much attention to the article. As long as you are eating, eating sufficient protein and doing a challenging, periodised strength train routine, your body will change shape in all the right ways.
However, this is a very interesting article on eating for your body type;
http://eatmore2weighless.com/macronutrients-eating-body-type/
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator
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Weekly progress report....Week 6
Well this week the scale is up. 1.4 lbs. In two days so I doubt it's anything to worry about except water retention. Invalid weigh in day on Friday morning and I was at 146.2 which was only .10 from last Sunday. I am sure Chinese Food Friday night dinner and leftover Saturday for lunch didn't help the situation AT ALL! So I blame that food for the fluctuation.
In a deficit for the week again at -719 Also treated myself to some gourmet cupcakes from a local bakery here in Rochester, NY. Had to go there to talk about a 50th wedding anniversary cake for the in laws. Syrup and Swine the cupcake was called. Pancakes and Bacon. Delish. Cake is a huge problem for me. But my mind since Eating More is yes I can have cake and eat it too!!
Burned an average of 2326 and at an average of 2223 per day. My burn was lower this week as I took a couple of rest days from the gym.
In other news my thighs and belly button area are smaller. Each area down 1 inch since I started 9/4/16
This entire process is such a mind game. One day I feel great. Feel thinner. Like yesterday afternoon. felt great in my clothes, then there are other days where I feel like a giant and my clothes are uncomfortable and I just want to wear sweat pants all day. Wished I could wear sweatpants to work because I would on those days!!!
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Mid week update.. scale still stable at 147.9 in week 7. Up 5.6 lbs in 7 weeks. Should I be worried? Also thinking one more week and I may try a 10 percent cut until Thanksgiving which is also my birthday. Or do I wait? Any thoughts?0
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U r creeping close to your tdee. As far as i think u should keep increasing the calorie number and just forget about the weight. Those r just water fluctuations. Did your take your measurements? My measurements r the same with 6lb increase in weight since i first started increasing my calories. I've not yet hit my tdee but am close and i expect to increase more weight coz its the first time in life im eating on purpose
and not regretting 
u should not go for a cut so early as i guess u have not yet reached your potential tdee yet. U have come so far so dont retreat from here. All the best. 3 -
Hold off from the cut!
That's your old mentality talking,' ok, that's long enough with the more food, time to get down to business!'
But getting and staying at TDEE for as long as possible IS the business!
You are doing great. Just keep on the same track.
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator0 -
empressichel wrote: »Hold off from the cut!
That's your old mentality talking,' ok, that's long enough with the more food, time to get down to business!'
But getting and staying at TDEE for as long as possible IS the business!
You are doing great. Just keep on the same track.
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator
I have to learn to trust you all!! All of you saying don't do it should be enough right!?!? Just need a pep talk every week!
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I've been working on upping my calories for over a year now and still have days (sometimes weeks) where I can't even hit 2000 calories, let alone the 2300 + that is my estimated TDEE. I am getting closer though! I actually have had two straight weeks of hitting 2000-2300 every day! This is the first time in at least 25 years of hitting that many calories a day, every day.5
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Week 7,
Last Sunday I was at 147.5 had invalid weigh in days throughout the course of the week. Should have never done that. Monday I hopped on and bam: 149.6 concerned me a bit and I freaked for a minute. Gotta stop that.
Anyways this mornings Valid weigh in is 148.5
Burned an Average of 2,453 daily and Ate an Average of 2,307 so I am slowly making progress of upping by calories. Almost 100 per day average it looks like.
Scale up 6.2 lbs so far with 2 inches lost overall in my lower thigh and belly button area....
Meal prepped this morning. Made spinach, artichoke egg bake for breakfasts this week.
Steamed lots of broccoli and made a lentil soup in the crockpot that I can't wait to try. Recipe suggests putting it over a baked sweet potato and I will add some chicken breast.
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I'm coming over for dinner! Lentil soup over sweet potato sounds excellent! Keep looking forward and cherishing those lost inches while eating more!
Here is a good article on tracking progress away from the scale: http://pin.it/Fu5602J
Tereza
EM2WL Moderator and Team Member0 -
I also have been up and down emotionally at times since starting this journey. I have gained 8 pounds so far. I have lost and gained several times the same pounds as well. I would get on the scale and see an increase of 3 pounds over 2 days, then lose 2 pounds over night. I decided this EM2WL crap sucks and I need to cut before it gets too bad and I blow up like a balloon. I have to stop and realize that the ups and downs of the scale has got to be water gain from my diet such as sodium or muscle inflammation when I increase the weights. Then I think Ok maybe there is something to it. I have really tried to trust the advice I have been given. I hear @TerezaToledo @empressichel chel @Raynn1 and @jerilynconn the advice they give in my ear every time I start to doubt. Everything I was doing before wasn't working, I felt deprived and wasn't gaining muscle. I had to try something different. @Sevio I completely understand your frustration and how hard it is to not think about the numbers. I have had to work very hard at not thinking about the gain in pounds and think about how I will look next summer, how I will look a year from now or how I feel better now. I also read other posts and see that we are all in this together. Someone has had these same thoughts that I have and they are doing great. The freak out is a hard thing to not do, I still do it several times a week. I'll keep sending you positive energy and thoughts to keep from freaking out as much.4
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Beverlyriley900 said it well. I've been feeling so frumpy and fluffy this week. I keep debating a cut and thinking of just trying a cut for 6 weeks because I want back into my jeans from last year!
Then I think, perhaps I'm a size up from last year but I was living off of 1400-1700 calories and burning way more than that(walking a ton and doing weights as well) and probably had too big of a deficit. As a result I couldn't drop a pound and my shape wasn't changing because I wasn't eating enough let alone getting the right amount of protein. I didn't have a Fitbit at the time so I'm guessing my average burn was around 2300-2500 a day.
The great thing about this board is the support you get to carry on. We are all in this together, maybe different stages, but I think we can all relate. I'm really hoping my waist goes back down and my upper thighs can re-shape and some fat can burn off. I'm there with you!
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Lentil soup over sweet potato? Why have I never tried this??????
Can you meal prep for me too please?
And @sevio the inches lost are so good! Remembering at this point, when we are trying to reach TDEE, we don't even usually see or feel changes as this time is all about the healing of mental and physical.
So don't get disheartened ladies, the work and patience you are putting in now will pay off in bucket loads down the line!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator2 -
Week 8 One day early.
I decided to change up my weekly weigh in and measurments day to Saturdays. Because Sundays I feel heavy. The weekends wreck me as far as sodium/eating etc. And weighing and measuring during the week is simply too hard; I would have to do it at 4 AM before the gym and that isn't going to happen.....
So for the 6 days I Burned an average of 2,551 and Ate 2,120. My eating went down which from prior weeks and I lost .60 lbs. Measurements the same. Current weigh 147.9 Gained 5.6 lbs in two months.
In looking over my data from the past two months I think I am safe to say my TDEE is around 2,400 with a deficit of 250 per day to lose about .50 lb per week. I am thinking 2100 calories per day to be a decent amount of calories. Anyone else think this is reasonable?
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I thought you were trying to reach TDEE and stay there for a while? You have yet to reach TDEE, so taking a cut shouldnt be a consideration yet.
Remember your reasons for doing this. By rushing the process, you are going to make your journey that much longer. Your numbers show a TDEE of around 2400, but you have yet to even hit that with your eats, let alone be CONSISTENT at hitting them. You need to concentrate on consistently hitting your target before anything else happens. Dont rush it. This is your life you are taking back, not to lose a few pounds before the holidays.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
Mentally seeing my weight creep up scares me. And I feel like I don't want to see that scale go any higher. In my head I want to start cutting but you all keep saying not to and to eat Tdee everyday. That just seems like too much food for me. I feel all I do now is eat. Some days I reach Tdee maybe two out of seven and the others are lower... gahhh! This is so frustrating! !
Rant over...
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Yes i too thought u were not yet at your tdee. If u r not able to handle more food u can lower your workouts to lower your tdee level so that u can catch up with your numbers!0
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Its a long process to reset, and yes there are a lot of mind games along the way. Unfortunately no one will be able to do it for you and it will be up to you to decide which road to take. The weight you are gaining, is NOT from the reset. You would have gained it all back after you stopped whatever fad diet you would have gone on. Your just allowing yourself to gain it now, rather than suffer on a diet and the aftermath.
This is a big process, not a quick fix. We all know what its like to want that rapid loss and not see the scale go up. It killed me to see the scale rise, and well beyond a simple 5-15 pounds. But I certainly didnt lose my weight the "right" way in the beginning, so I had to gain back all that "weight" in order to do it right. Just remember, the scale can only show your relationship to gravity. The "weight" can be many things, including all that muscle you depleted when you did a diet program. A reset is to heal, and yes it usually means a scale gain. Thats why we tell you to put the scale away if you cannot handle seeing the number increase.
Its ok to not be in the right mindset for a reset. Its ok to decide to eat lower calories and be stagnant on the weight front. But you have to understand that by doing so, your body will not just magically decide to drop the pounds, or gain in strength. Eventually it all stalls once more. BUt take whatever steps you need to in order to work your way through it, if that means eating the cals you are, by all means. Just know what that means for your progress.
Maybe this article might help. Its been posted in the Em2WL FB page a few times now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator1 -
I might need to copy this and keep re-reading it!0
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