Increase calories one day per week?

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Replies

  • 90Ibs
    90Ibs Posts: 22 Member
    You need to take a diet break. I know it seems like that means you're gonna gain weight or your progress will be stalled, but it's already stalled since you haven't been losing. Your metabolism has slowed down both because of weight loss and because you've been eating very low amounts (especially at 400-500 calories, your body's going to slow its metabolism to keep you from starving). You need to up your intake so your metabolism speeds up again. You won't gain weight if you're still exercising and increasing the amount slowly (+100 cals/week).
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    Sure. I aim for 1800 five days a week and 2500 two days a week in order to hit my real goal of 2000 average.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Sam29a wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Sam29a wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Your weight is really not a lot. Stop with the cardio nonsense otherwise you will end up like a skinny fat smaller version of yourself. Do a body recomp and read up on Jade Tetas blog from metabolic effect https://www.metaboliceffect.com/eat-less-exercise-less/
    You should only either eat less, exercise less or eat more, exercise more not eat less, exercise more which is what you are doing. Go on his website to find out about the two protocols and see which one you want to do.

    I want to lose the last 10 lbs or so, then eat at maintenance and do a recomp. Will definitely look into that once I'm at my final goal weight.

    Thanks for the link, will check it out.

    Look at how many people have recommended a diet break to you. Do you think it's possible we know what we're talking about? Srsly, look at Sardelsa and Trigden's physiques, they know their stuff. Did you even read the link I gave you on diet breaks that explains the physiological changes that happen eating at a deficit? If you want to keep spinning your wheels, that's your choice, but what you're doing right now isn't working, right? So what do you have to lose by taking the diet break?

    I understand what everyone is saying, but I feel like I am so close to hitting my ultimate goal weight, I can't have a diet break now, I just cannot do that. I want to hurry up and get slim, I want to get this weight off, then start a proper strength training routine. I may start when at 105 lbs, but not yet. I did watch the video, I get the logic behind it, but I want to keep things simple. I will increase my calories once I have got to my goal, or at least near enough.

    I think it only really stopped working as it should because firstly I had about three months (between Feb and May) where I ate very little, around 400-500 calories, (not through choice). Once I started eating back up to 1200+ from May onwards, my weight loss stalled and I haven't really lost anything since. Secondly, I tried intuitive eating for some days, which just resulted in weight gain. I'm sure if I stick to the 1300 or so calories I will start losing again. In the mean-time, I will up my calories for the one day to 1500.

    Thanks for your help - I think it'll be even more beneficial later.

    You obviously don't understand what we're saying. Diet break article again, read it: https://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/the-full-diet-break.html/

    This is keeping things simple. Your metabolism has slowed down due to being at a deficit for so long, you're likely holding a bunch of water weight from elevated cortisol, which will come off once that's lowered (and you lower it by taking a diet break). Chance are, your true weight is less than what the scale is reflecting. Hell, I'd only been back in a deficit for six weeks when I did a diet break, and even I dropped a lb of water weight.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    Sam29a wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Sam29a wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Your weight is really not a lot. Stop with the cardio nonsense otherwise you will end up like a skinny fat smaller version of yourself. Do a body recomp and read up on Jade Tetas blog from metabolic effect https://www.metaboliceffect.com/eat-less-exercise-less/
    You should only either eat less, exercise less or eat more, exercise more not eat less, exercise more which is what you are doing. Go on his website to find out about the two protocols and see which one you want to do.

    I want to lose the last 10 lbs or so, then eat at maintenance and do a recomp. Will definitely look into that once I'm at my final goal weight.

    Thanks for the link, will check it out.

    Look at how many people have recommended a diet break to you. Do you think it's possible we know what we're talking about? Srsly, look at Sardelsa and Trigden's physiques, they know their stuff. Did you even read the link I gave you on diet breaks that explains the physiological changes that happen eating at a deficit? If you want to keep spinning your wheels, that's your choice, but what you're doing right now isn't working, right? So what do you have to lose by taking the diet break?

    I understand what everyone is saying, but I feel like I am so close to hitting my ultimate goal weight, I can't have a diet break now, I just cannot do that. I want to hurry up and get slim, I want to get this weight off, then start a proper strength training routine. I may start when at 105 lbs, but not yet. I did watch the video, I get the logic behind it, but I want to keep things simple. I will increase my calories once I have got to my goal, or at least near enough.

    I think it only really stopped working as it should because firstly I had about three months (between Feb and May) where I ate very little, around 400-500 calories, (not through choice). Once I started eating back up to 1200+ from May onwards, my weight loss stalled and I haven't really lost anything since. Secondly, I tried intuitive eating for some days, which just resulted in weight gain. I'm sure if I stick to the 1300 or so calories I will start losing again. In the mean-time, I will up my calories for the one day to 1500.

    Thanks for your help - I think it'll be even more beneficial later.

    With so little to lose, what does the weight on the scale matter really ? What is the rush all of a sudden? What does an ultimate goal weight even mean ? Will you be happy with your body composition if you lose that weight but look like a smaller version of yourself? Just some questions to think about.

    If you start to incorporate proper strength training now, you will be better off as you will retain some of the muscle you have left and won't have to build it back up again (which is really slow and difficult, believe me). But at the end of the day, sometimes we all have to learn for ourselves find our own way. I get that.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    Sam29a wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Sam29a wrote: »
    xxzenabxx wrote: »
    Your weight is really not a lot. Stop with the cardio nonsense otherwise you will end up like a skinny fat smaller version of yourself. Do a body recomp and read up on Jade Tetas blog from metabolic effect https://www.metaboliceffect.com/eat-less-exercise-less/
    You should only either eat less, exercise less or eat more, exercise more not eat less, exercise more which is what you are doing. Go on his website to find out about the two protocols and see which one you want to do.

    I want to lose the last 10 lbs or so, then eat at maintenance and do a recomp. Will definitely look into that once I'm at my final goal weight.

    Thanks for the link, will check it out.

    Look at how many people have recommended a diet break to you. Do you think it's possible we know what we're talking about? Srsly, look at Sardelsa and Trigden's physiques, they know their stuff. Did you even read the link I gave you on diet breaks that explains the physiological changes that happen eating at a deficit? If you want to keep spinning your wheels, that's your choice, but what you're doing right now isn't working, right? So what do you have to lose by taking the diet break?

    I understand what everyone is saying, but I feel like I am so close to hitting my ultimate goal weight, I can't have a diet break now, I just cannot do that. I want to hurry up and get slim, I want to get this weight off, then start a proper strength training routine. I may start when at 105 lbs, but not yet. I did watch the video, I get the logic behind it, but I want to keep things simple. I will increase my calories once I have got to my goal, or at least near enough.

    I think it only really stopped working as it should because firstly I had about three months (between Feb and May) where I ate very little, around 400-500 calories, (not through choice). Once I started eating back up to 1200+ from May onwards, my weight loss stalled and I haven't really lost anything since. Secondly, I tried intuitive eating for some days, which just resulted in weight gain. I'm sure if I stick to the 1300 or so calories I will start losing again. In the mean-time, I will up my calories for the one day to 1500.

    Thanks for your help - I think it'll be even more beneficial later.

    Can somebody post a "banging my head against a wall" gif. I really should have one for these occasions, but I don't.
  • Sam29a
    Sam29a Posts: 201 Member
    All the advice has been really helpful, thank you for all the replies. I have taken it on board, I'm not just ignoring everything that people have said. It has genuinely been eye-opening.

    I will go on a diet break for 2 weeks, continue with my exercise, but maybe add in some free weights too. Every calculator I try is giving me different maintenance calories, but I think I should try 1700 calories. Is this about right?
  • FattieBabs
    FattieBabs Posts: 542 Member
    Try it and see and please do let us know how you get on as following this thread with interest. Good luck!
  • Sam29a
    Sam29a Posts: 201 Member
    FattieBabs wrote: »
    Try it and see and please do let us know how you get on as following this thread with interest. Good luck!

    Thanks. I will do :smile:
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Sam29a wrote: »
    All the advice has been really helpful, thank you for all the replies. I have taken it on board, I'm not just ignoring everything that people have said. It has genuinely been eye-opening.

    I will go on a diet break for 2 weeks, continue with my exercise, but maybe add in some free weights too. Every calculator I try is giving me different maintenance calories, but I think I should try 1700 calories. Is this about right?

    I'm really pleased to hear this Sam :). I plugged your stats into a TDEE calculator the other day, and got ~2000 for maintenance, so I think 1700 is too low. Given that you probably have some metabolic adaptation for being at a deficit so long, taking 10% off that is reasonable, so I would go with 1800. And remember, you need to keep your carb intake above 100g per day, at least 100-150g. Leptin is carb sensitive, and it's not going to come back up without that.

    Now, you may have an initial scale gain from glycogen replenishment and more food in your system. It is not fat gain. I repeat, it is not fat gain. If this is likely to freak you out and make you abandon the diet break though, I would suggest not weighing again until a few days after you finish the break. When I did my diet break recently, I went up a couple of pounds initially, then settled back down a little and stayed around there for the duration (ignoring a massive ovulation bloat at the end). Within four days of finished the diet break, and shedding the ovulation bloat, I was lighter than when I started.
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