Doing the program with a lot of weight to lose

annebaum41912

I just received the book in the mail a few days ago and so far I'm almost through the part that discusses diet. Between that and reading threads on this group I am learning that at a minimum you should eat at maintenance. I still have about 80 pounds to lose. And that's assuming I have a good bit of muscle when I get there and I'm happy with what I can see in the mirror. I know that to be happy when I get to goal weight I NEED to be lifting as I go. But I'm afraid that at this point, if I start eating at maintenance, I'm not going to lose much.

Is anyone in this group in this position? Or was? Did it work for you? Please help!

edited to say that my ticker is based on my original goal weight of 120 but since I've learned about lifting and muscles I'm thinking more like 140

RRRobynnn

I started NROL4W with 25lbs to lose and eating TDEE-20%. I'm in stage 3 now and have gained a couple of pounds. I think for me, it's too many calories so I'm going to start reducing and see what happens. I'm also going to continue cardio 3x a week in addition to lifting. (I posted about this a few days ago if you want to see more details). I am seeing some nice muscle development and am definitely stronger, but this program isn't enough to give me the fat burn I need.

All that being said, I love this program and how it's made me feel. I'm certain that once I reach maintenance I'll actually be able to eat like a "normal" person and not be stuck at a 1200 calorie diet for the rest of my life. This was definitely the direction I was heading before I started lifting.

MyOwnSunshine

I'd go with TDEE -20% on non-lifting days and maybe TDEE or TDEE -10% on lifting days.

I'm hungrier and need to eat a little more in the 24 hours after I lift. I don't think the calorie recommendations set forth in the book are great for losing weight and fat. You may need to experiment a little to find the balance between the calorie deficit where you lose and the calorie deficit that fuels your weight loss. Unfortunately, it's a little different for everyone.

annebaum41912

I'd go with TDEE -20% on non-lifting days and maybe TDEE or TDEE -10% on lifting days.

I'm hungrier and need to eat a little more in the 24 hours after I lift. I don't think the calorie recommendations set forth in the book are great for losing weight and fat. You may need to experiment a little to find the balance between the calorie deficit where you lose and the calorie deficit that fuels your weight loss. Unfortunately, it's a little different for everyone.

this sounds a little more realistic. i just don't see how i could possibly lose weight if i eat at maintenance always, even with the program. but i think i could handle the 10/20% on the different days. Getting stronger and being fit is the major goal, but I definitely will not be at my fittest at the weight I am now. No matter how much muscle I have lol

courtniemarie

I had about 25lbs to lose when I started NROL4W (to get to 152lbs at 5'6.5"). I've lost about 11 since starting the program in Feb 2013. I eat at TDEE-20%, low carb, high protein/fat. I sometimes eat back my exercise cals depending on how hungry i am, i just make sure its not junk food. I'm about to start cutting some fat out of my normal diet since I've been doing high fat. I've also read that HIIT sessions are helpful with fat loss, which NROL4W includes in later stages but I'm planning to add a bit more.

good luck!

phizzylizzy

I spent the first stage eating at maintenance and I gained some muscle and lost some body fat, but the scale went up. I didn't love that. At stage 2 and 3 I dropped down to closer to what the book recommends for fat loss, and try to keep my macros as 30% fat, 30% protein, 40% carbs. I have lost the weight I gained when I started in stage 1, and 2 additional pounds. That's just what worked for me, but I did try at maintenance first. I would also say that even while eating maintenance, I lost 6 inches and my pics showed improvement. I have 15 pounds total to lose (12 now) which isn't quite what your goals are, but the key to all this babbling is - experiment. Above all, being patient is crucial with this type of workout. I promise you will love the results if you stick with it!