Trusting the Process
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We sure need to make a divorce party here! Breaking up with the scale was one of the best decisions I've ever made (that and lifting and realizing that eating more is the way to go)!
this is an eye opener article about why the scale has got to go: http://eatmore2weighless.com/why-you-need-to-break-up-with-your-scale/
The tape is the way to go!
Tereza
Team EM2WL1 -
Yup. I divorced my scale almost 2 years ago.. maybe longer now, I cant remember:) It was the best decision I did. I dont know what I weigh, nor do I care. Its not important. It was having such a negative impact on my life that it wasnt worth even knowing what the number said. And its amazing what your mind will allow you to think and feel when the weight of that number is no longer in your mindest. My weights are on the barbell now.. and after this last round, my numbers all rose and broke PRs for me.. thats all I care about
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
Yes, I am another who stopped weighing 2 years ago, no idea what I weigh.
It just has no bearing on my life at this moment in time at all.
I think I would only ever weigh again if I needed an anaesthetic!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator
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I enjoyed the article on the bloating. It makes me think that I haven't been paying enough attention to the coincidence of bloating and food types. I have been mainly just weight lifting. I really, really hate cardio. I have some lovely yoga videos that I'll change to instead of the cardio. I have been getting smaller everywhere except my belly. It seems bigger. I will definite be paying attention to my diet and when do I see the bloat. I will also look into other supplements to add to the digestive one I already take. I also am looking into flaxseed. I have not tried that before.0
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I love doing yoga. I would take that over cardio every day!
Maybe your stomach area is just decreasing slightly slower than the rest of your body so it is giving you a skewed version of reality, kinda like an optical illusion!
Plus, our eyes are naturally (also negatively) drawn to the bits we least like. Try to focus letting your eyes go to a part that you are noticing changes in and are starting to like! It's amazing how this can change your mindset into feeling more positive about yourself.3 -
I am trying to keep a positive outlook. I am getting tighter muscles but continue with the belly. This month I have started doing a 30 day ab challenge. This will keep my focus on something that I can do to change the one place I am not seeing a change. I will take measurements at the end of the challenge and see where I am at that point. I also have focused on increasing my protein. I am trying to work on increasing muscle mass, I work hard during the video and I feel the burn as well as I am barely able to complete the last rep. I don't seem to feel a residual soreness most of the time. If I do, it is only for a short time. Has anyone else experienced this? Am I needing to push myself more? Or am I just bouncing back quicker?0
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In simple words, the residual soreness you are missing is DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and you may usually feel the worst of it (peak) 24 to 48 hours after doing a new workout. But as you repeat the same workout, it may not be as strong or may not even happen anymore until you either increase the load or change the workout. Not feeling it everytime you workout hard does not mean that you need to push harder, it just means that your body is adapting to that same activity. Since adaptation after a while means the workout became easy for your body and without challenge, there will be no gain.
That's when it's time to change the workout, change the number of repetitions, rest times, increase or decrease weights. The best results are achieved with periodized workouts. Check out this article on periodization: http://eatmore2weighless.com/periodization-key-preventing-plateaus/
Tereza
Team EM2WL1 -
One thing to keep in mind if you have a bit of a belly, is that as things start to tighten up on the upper body/back area.. the belly can actually "grow" a bit. .. So if you are looking at the belly area and you think things look bigger, take it as a sign that something on your upper body is actually getting smaller.
I know it kind of feels backwards that way, but its true. on Women especially, the belly is usually the last place where fat will drop from, so as things drop elsewhere, it can seem like your belly is getting bigger.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator4 -
One thing to keep in mind if you have a bit of a belly, is that as things start to tighten up on the upper body/back area.. the belly can actually "grow" a bit. .. So if you are looking at the belly area and you think things look bigger, take it as a sign that something on your upper body is actually getting smaller.
I know it kind of feels backwards that way, but its true. on Women especially, the belly is usually the last place where fat will drop from, so as things drop elsewhere, it can seem like your belly is getting bigger.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
I agree with @Raynn here. I've gradually increased my cals 50-100 and from this week i'm at 1800. (Tdee is 2075 with 3-4workouts per week. I've totally skipped cardio.) I'm total 4lbs up and today measured my belly which has increased by two inches, on the other hand i feel my arms and upper body is much toned.
Was wondering, if i increase my weight on account of increasing calories then my tdee would also rise. Should i stick with the initial tdee with the previous weight or keep it updating with the new weight gain?(the workout structure being the same)1 -
One thing to keep in mind if you have a bit of a belly, is that as things start to tighten up on the upper body/back area.. the belly can actually "grow" a bit. .. So if you are looking at the belly area and you think things look bigger, take it as a sign that something on your upper body is actually getting smaller.
I know it kind of feels backwards that way, but its true. on Women especially, the belly is usually the last place where fat will drop from, so as things drop elsewhere, it can seem like your belly is getting bigger.
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
Interesting! Plus, if you are like me, you do some measurements but not all over your body. Maybe something on me is changing but I haven't been measuring there.
As far as an workouts go... Take this with a grain of salt because I have more of a beer belly than a 6 pack. But, I think ab work as part of a larger body/compound move is more effective. Doing squats with proper form and breathing is a great core exercise. Sometimes doing laying down ab work can push out the muscles more (at least I was told by an instructor a long time ago. Who knows).1 -
Yes @jerilynconn and the other great thing about compound moves like squats and deadlifts is that they are great for the core, not just abs. Strengthening my core has helped tremendously in acting as a brace for my lower disc issues.
Oh the ab DOMS I get sometimes after a heavy deads session!
I also love compound moves for developing functional strength that we need to use in day to day life. I bought 2 bags of gravel for the garden last week and the assistant asked if I needed help getting them to the car. I said, no thanks, I've got this! He replied, I can see that! You are really strong!
Yay! Squats and deads for the win!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator
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I agree with @Raynn here. I've gradually increased my cals 50-100 and from this week i'm at 1800. (Tdee is 2075 with 3-4workouts per week. I've totally skipped cardio.) I'm total 4lbs up and today measured my belly which has increased by two inches, on the other hand i feel my arms and upper body is much toned.
Was wondering, if i increase my weight on account of increasing calories then my tdee would also rise. Should i stick with the initial tdee with the previous weight or keep it updating with the new weight gain?(the workout structure being the same)
If your weight jumps up by more than 5 pounds, then you need to increase TDEE. Usually its only a few extra calories, so nothing crazy:)
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I have added in planks on toes instead of on knees. I feel the burn with being on toes. I notice that it helps keep my pelvis more nutral for a few hours afterwards. I'm thinking that my bigger lower belly is maybe more weakness than I originally thought????? This line of thinking makes me feel less of a failure so I'm going to stick with that thought. Sometimes I like it better in my happy little world0
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Panks are always an amazing choice! Do you have diastasis recti? If you abdominal muscles have separated during pregnancy and not returned to their original position, you may need a different approach to abdominal training or you may get it worse. If that's your case, you t would explain the how your belly feels.
Tereza
Team EM2WL0 -
TerezaToledo wrote: »Panks are always an amazing choice! Do you have diastasis recti? If you abdominal muscles have separated during pregnancy and not returned to their original position, you may need a different approach to abdominal training or you may get it worse. If that's your case, you t would explain the how your belly feels.
Tereza
Team EM2WL
I was thinking the same thing about diastasis recti.
I would go to your doctor and get it checked out, then you can change your ab routine accordingly.
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator0 -
@beverlyriley900 There some info about diastasis recti and how to check if you have issues at home: https://fit2b.us/how-to-check-for-diastasis-hd/
The abdominal walls separate during pregnancy and should go back afterwards. Sometimes they need some help. If the gap is bigger than it should be, certain ab routines can aggravate it.
Tereza
Team EM2WL
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I checked into that, don't have diastasis. Just never had a flat stomach, not ever. I remember even in grade school I looked like a bird, round belly, scrawny little legs. I had first baby at 15 and never really worked on abs since, became over weight during a unhappy marriage. Became "skinny fat" during divorce, met current hubby ate better, gained weight, 2nd baby at 42, gained even more weight. I think now is the first time I have tried anything that targets the abs like that. I have done sit ups in the past but I ruptured 3 discs several years ago and have neck issues now. Sit ups are not comfortable. I try very hard to not pull at my neck, I'm getting good at being careful but I have been trying to do other positions to work abs. If you could get strong abs by playing matchbox cars with a 3 year old, I would have 6 pack abs by now!!2
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@beverlyriley900 I had my first (and only) child at 42. I like doing Russian twists with a kettle bell or weight plate. Can be done with a ball to start.1
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Yes, I do most of my ab/core work on a ball because of my disc injuries.
Absolutely hate sit ups! My back hates them more.1 -
@Sumiblue @empressichel both great ideas, thanks2
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I have seen a big difference in my mood and energy the last week or so. It may be due to fall being my favorite time of the year or my healthier lifestyle. I have not had the strong cravings that I used to for chocolate. I was eating M&M's nightly. I purchased some quality dark chocolate and that has calmed that craving. Quality food does make a difference.
I am not successful on a daily basis of keeping my protein up, but getting there. I struggle most on my slow at work days or days off. I get busy with house cleaning or playing with my son on days off and forget to eat healthy. Last week I made enough meals ahead to have something healthy at lunch even on days off and that helped a lot. I will do that again this week. If I keep up with my set breakfasts, snacks and lunches I do really well. Dinner is something I try to plan ahead but only make it 50-60% of the time. It usually depends on my work schedule. If I work late I end up trying to make good choices either with left overs from the fridge or Runza salad or chili.
I have changed my workouts to a harder one that I also enjoy. It is for intermediate instead of the beginner level I was using. It has helped, I feel like I am getting a better workout and I do feel the burn after. I have also added daily planks and sumo squats several times a day, just doing a few at a time. These are the two areas that I have never been happy with. I can tell that the planks are helping. When I am in the plank position, I can feel the abs kick in and and I feel the soreness the next day. I can hold plank for 30-45 seconds at a time and I am able to 2-3 reps at a time and I do this 2-3 times a day. Same with the squats, just a few reps during the day to have a little extra work. I could lift weights daily but I know that is not a good thing. So with nicer days I will try to get a walk in on my off days.0 -
This is a great update! And yes, the rest time is just as important as the workouts. Recovery time is vital.
Love how you are working out what works for you. Preparation on meals and snacks really helps here too.
I can feel your enthusiasm!
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator1 -
Awesome update Beverly!
Mood changes are a big deal! And the ability to not crave anymore. I found that once I ate right and got my cals up, I certainly lost a lot of my old cravings. Even now, I have grocery store chocolate in the house and it doesnt even bother me anymore. It sits for weeks before I either give it to the kids, or I toss it:)
Sounds like some improvements on the workouts too! Thats awesome!! You are killing it so far!
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator1 -
ok question: If you TDEE is 2026 and 15% cut is 1722. My already accounted calorie burn is 304? So... 2026-1722=304. Meaning if I burn more than 304 calories when I'm doing a 15%cut, I eat back the extra? I am ready your article on "I have my TDEE and my BMR, now what" Am I understanding correctly?0
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Your TDEE accounts for your average daily burn, so you dont eat back any burned calories. As long as your activity level is correct to get your TDEE, then there is nothing more you need to do but eat that cut level.
However, you never want to eat below your BMR number. If for some reason your TDEE - cut is less than your BMR, then you need to reevaluate your TDEE and make sure you are doing the calculations correct and choosing the right activity level. You should never be below your BMR
Does that make sense?
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
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@Raynn does this mean that we dont need to change our Tdee if we introduce cardio in our cut which in result increases our activity level?Your TDEE accounts for your average daily burn, so you dont eat back any burned calories. As long as your activity level is correct to get your TDEE, then there is nothing more you need to do but eat that cut level.
However, you never want to eat below your BMR number. If for some reason your TDEE - cut is less than your BMR, then you need to reevaluate your TDEE and make sure you are doing the calculations correct and choosing the right activity level. You should never be below your BMR
Does that make sense?
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
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@Raynn does this mean that we dont need to change our Tdee if we introduce cardio in our cut which in result increases our activity level?Your TDEE accounts for your average daily burn, so you dont eat back any burned calories. As long as your activity level is correct to get your TDEE, then there is nothing more you need to do but eat that cut level.
However, you never want to eat below your BMR number. If for some reason your TDEE - cut is less than your BMR, then you need to reevaluate your TDEE and make sure you are doing the calculations correct and choosing the right activity level. You should never be below your BMR
Does that make sense?
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator
As long as your activity level you selected for the calculator stays the same, then no. Once you jump to the next level, then you need to adjust your TDEE to that. So lets say your averaging 5 hours a week right now, thats moderate... but then all of a sudden you decide to add in another 2 hours a week, which now jumps you to strenuous. Then you need to adjust the TDEE cals.
You dont need to add in cardio during a cut phase at all.. If you enjoy cardio, thats one thing, but just make sure your activity level is where it should be... but dont do cardio because you think you NEED to for a cut, cause you dont:)
Kelly
EM2WL Ambassador and Moderator2 -
I have been watching different videos that are EM2WL. In one of the videos it is mentioned to plan your cycles of muscle gain, cut and Maintanance. I'm not finding information on how to create this calendar of gain, cut and maintain. Is there a video I haven't found or a book that helps you set this up? Or is it best to find a professional?0
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