Possible to reset without gaining?

osualex

So I want to start the EM2WL lifestyle. I've been spinning my wheels for nearly 4 years trying to lose weight, I've lost 50 lbs before and gained it back. WW didn't do much for me, cutting to 1200 didn't do much either, cutting to 1500 seems to work but I've ended up overeating on the weekends. I've been on some type of diet for almost 4 years but stayed the same...I'm still guessing I should reset? I do plan on slowly increasing my calories but is there a way to reset and gain <5 lbs? Or, if I haven't really lost weight, do I need to reset?

heybales

Do you need to reset?
If you'd like for your existing eating level to remain your TDEE (which it is obviously if not losing or gaining weight), then by all means keep doing what you've been doing.

Now - if this is purely because of poor logging of what you eat and you actually are eating much more than the logs say - then your TDEE is higher than you think.

That depends if you log your food by weight, grams (which calories are measured by), or by volume, spoons & cups (which is much less accurate)?

How far away does it appear your eating level is from a rough potential TDEE estimate?

If you'd like that potential TDEE to actually be what you could be eating at - then you need to slowly raise calories while doing resistance training.

Because unless it's a food logging accuracy issue - the issue is you are eating at a suppressed TDEE right now.
To lose weight you'd have to eat less - and hope the body doesn't adapt by slowing you down more, then you eat less, and at some point you will eventually lose weight (body can only slow down so much), fat & muscle - and the body will be stressed out enough at that level to start retaining water weight most likely. So lack of scale movement will be a stressor too now.

Or get your body willing to speed up (usually daily activity levels) by eating more and more, slowly but surely - until eating at potential TDEE. And have more energy, and better workouts that can actually transform the body, ect.

If you really want minimal weight gain - it's going to take a long time - but then again I guess you've spent a long time already, so what's some more to obtain healthier body.

Increase calories by 100 extra daily for weeks at a time.

Literally if you ate 100 more than potential TDEE, it would then take 35 days to slowly add on 1 lb of fat. If doing strength training - wouldn't even be fat.

But you won't be eating 100 more than potential TDEE, but suppressed current TDEE - so you may gain some faster water weight. Some good old healthy LBM water weight which increases your metabolism. Enjoy that improvement.

osualex

To your points, I think it is a combination of inaccurate logging and suppressed metabolism. I've done WW for the past year, on and off, and their counting system isn't very exact. Additionally, I know I'm eating more on weekends, and I don't know if that's balancing it out (it could be? I guess so if I'm not losing weight.) If I had to guess, I'd say I eat about 1300 on weekdays and maybe 2000 Fridays and Saturdays. So it could just be balancing out.

My Fitbit says I burn about 2600 calories a day, I know it's not 100% accurate so I'd say 2000 is probably the best estimate of my TDEE (when not suppressed). I'm 5'4' and 197.

heybales

That would be a whole lot of inaccuracy on the Fitbit to be off by 600 calories.

I'll bet that's closer than you think to potential TDEE. Body can only suppress itself up to about 20% max, kick in extra calories eaten, you've covered it.
Because while it would catch you not walking as much as an underfed body is apt to do, it can't discern the lack of fidgeting and other non-step movements the body also suppresses.

And since it gives all non-step time, awake and/or standing, as BMR level sleeping burn, and it doesn't account for calories used to process food eaten (about 10%) - it is going to underestimate.

So only way for it to grossly overestimate is your stride length stat is much higher than reality, so distance traveled is inflated and so would calorie burn.
Ever confirmed the distance Fitbit sees is correct?

1300 x 5 + 2000 x 2 = 1500 avg daily eaten if balanced out. Still shouldn't be over suppressed TDEE.

I'd wager logging accuracy is off also.

What are your workouts, and model of Fitbit (HR-based on step-based)?
Do you manually log any on Fitbit site, or MFP site if synced with Fitbit?

osualex

I've heard Fitbits aren't 100% accurate so I wanted to err on the side of caution, but it's possible that it's closer than I think. I don't know how I'd confirm if it is accurate or not.

I know my logging is inaccurate, WW has you log "servings" and for many foods will not allow you to log by weight.

Right now I don't workout (I usually get 10k steps, but I don't count that) but I will start Stronglifts 5x5 next week.

heybales

If Fitbit is synced, the steps above and beyond what would be included in the MFP activity level already are accounted for.
Purely by steps if not syncing Fitbit, that MFP activity level would easily be considered Active, just so you know.
But keep it at Sedentary if synced and MFP is correcting itself anyway.

Lifting will need to be manually logged on Fitbit site to correct bad calorie burn.
Listed as Weight lifting in database, just count time from start of warmup lifts until last lift done.

There is no way to confirm accuracy except by results, and nothing is 100% accurate.
But since even food labels are allowed upwards of 10% off with rounding, you still do the best you can, recognizing there is no need to agonize over things.

But walking a known distance at your daily average pace (not exercise pace, not grocery store shuffle pace) and confirming Fitbit saw that much is a big start for where most of your daily non-exercise non-BMR calories come from.

Raynn1

Welcome to EM2WL.
I know its scary to think our TDEE shouldnt be as high as the calculators or the gadget tell us, but they are far more accurate than you would think. While not perfect, the results your fitbit are giving you, is based on your numbers you inputted, height, weight etc.. so the formula would be pretty close for you, especially if you are not strength training(lifting weights). It would definitely not be out by 600 cals, even with a margin of error. I would begin with taking what your fitbit says is TDEE and start there. its not 100% perfect, but it will get you started on the right foot and get you going where you need to be going, resetting your metabolism and healing. Based on your past, your caloric intake has been too low for too long and you would benefit greatly from resetting.

Please make sure to read through our stickies at the top of our community page here which will provide you with a ton of information on the reset process and things to expect. Above all., know this is not a quick fix, this is not a diet. This is you taking back your life and getting out from under the billion dollar dieting industry. So it will not happen overnight.. and it certainly wont happen in a few months. Take the time and invest in yourself and do it the slow, long route and success will follow.

Feel free to ask any questions

Kelly
Team EM2WL

we also have an online FB group if you wish to join us there:) https://www.facebook.com/groups/1754102281470874/