Not sure what to try next

husseycd

So I've been holding steady for the last month in the 131lb and 20% body fat range. I'd like to drop my BF% to 18. According to my bodymedia, I burn an average of 2266 calories and consumed 2051. I know at this small amount of weight loss, it's hard to see progress, but since I'm pretty much the same, I'm going to assume it's time to do something different. And if you go by the numbers alone, last month I should have dropped a couple pounds, but I didn't. I mean I may be averaging a pound or so less, but the scale is all over the place. I guess when I look at my measurements, it seems like my thighs and hips have trimmed down a smidge. But I barely trust my ability to consistently measure and I swear my hips/thighs can grow 1/4" from hour to hour.

So what to do different, or do I need to do anything differnent at all? I had my RMR tested and it was 1580. It appears to be consistent with my bodymedia. So I'm thinking about eating low (1700-1800) for the next couple weeks and then I'll probably need to eat at mainentance for a bit. Since I'll be in alaska for a week where I won't be counting calories, I'm sure with some beer drinking I'll be up into my maintenance calories. :drinker:

heybales

That is exactly what you need to do, go into a final weight/fat loss mode with full burning metabolism, able to hit that logging dead on.

And then take the steeper deficit for 1 or 2 weeks.

You might notice if the 2nd week loss matches the 1st week loss. Well, might be hard to tell with fast initial water weight.
But that might point out how fast body got stressed and starting adapting.

May be only worth it to do a week at a time.

Shoot, may be worth it to do just half the days a week at a time, leaving the 24 hrs post workout at TDEE.

The 5:2 method causes in essence a 21% deficit. If you have 2 non-exercise days, and can get by with only 25% of TDEE on those days, knowing the 5 days are at TDEE actually.

graysmom2005

Heybales is (as usual) right. No matter how much we weight or portion out our food etc/ calculate our burn....it's all just an estimate. When your deficit is THAT tiny....who knows if you are actually hitting it. Take it down a hundred or so and make the margin of error a little more and see if that helps. :-)

husseycd

Thanks for the advice! It is hard at such a small deficit. I weigh a lot of my food, but I was so under tonight I made up a couple hundred calories with pistachios and a couple chocolate covered pretzels! I probably should stress so much about undereating because God knows this weekend I'll overeat.

So, high(ish) deficit during the week for the next couple weeks. Weekends always end up at TDEE. Then Alaska, relax. Come home and regroup. Sounds like a plan!