Deficit = depression

StargazerB
StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
edited February 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

Replies

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    edited February 2019
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

    is your deficit set to lose .5 lbs a week? if not that could be why(not enough calories) and if you are eating in maintenance why not do a recomp and build muscle and lose fat. although its slow going it will change your body and how it looks.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?

    300-400 calories/day
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?

    300-400 calories/day

    Depending on your TDEE, that might be a little too high.

    I’d agree with the above to set yourself for .5 lb/week and look into recomp.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?

    300-400 calories/day

    The cumulative fatigue from running a long-term deficit feels very similar to depression for me, as well (enough so that it's difficult to identify the culprit). Now that I'm within normal BMI, I find that I can't really run more than a 250/day deficit, and even then I'm tending to take more frequent and longer stretches at maintenance than during my more active weight-loss phase. Just my own personal experience...nothing scientific.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?

    300-400 calories/day

    The cumulative fatigue from running a long-term deficit feels very similar to depression for me, as well (enough so that it's difficult to identify the culprit). Now that I'm within normal BMI, I find that I can't really run more than a 250/day deficit, and even then I'm tending to take more frequent and longer stretches at maintenance than during my more active weight-loss phase. Just my own personal experience...nothing scientific.

    I've tried a smaller deficit and it seems like I don't lose. Maybe I need to try it for longer to see. My BMI is 21.4 currently. How long do you run the deficit for before eating at maintenance again?
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,479 Member
    Maybe try having a couple non-consecutive days each week at maintenance? If you're doing low carb, maybe let the "extra" calories those days be predominately from carbs and see if that helps at all?
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

    is your deficit set to lose .5 lbs a week? if not that could be why(not enough calories) and if you are eating in maintenance why not do a recomp and build muscle and lose fat. although its slow going it will change your body and how it looks.

    I did recomp for a little over a year, it definitely works. I think I was getting impatient with it. But I plan to do a long term recomp once I get these last few pounds off.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    Duck_Puddle wrote: »
    What kind of deficit are you trying to run? Meaning how much of a deficit?

    300-400 calories/day

    The cumulative fatigue from running a long-term deficit feels very similar to depression for me, as well (enough so that it's difficult to identify the culprit). Now that I'm within normal BMI, I find that I can't really run more than a 250/day deficit, and even then I'm tending to take more frequent and longer stretches at maintenance than during my more active weight-loss phase. Just my own personal experience...nothing scientific.

    I've tried a smaller deficit and it seems like I don't lose. Maybe I need to try it for longer to see. My BMI is 21.4 currently. How long do you run the deficit for before eating at maintenance again?

    A month, maybe 6 weeks. I usually know it's time when I'm ending more days at maintenance than not anyway, so I just go with the flow. The wiggle room in logging with such a small deficit is basically nonexistent, which is also frustrating. Add water weight fluctuations to the mix, and it's easy to feel like you're making no progress at all.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,416 Member
    I'd start recomp at 21 BMI. 21 is just about the perfect place to be.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

    is your deficit set to lose .5 lbs a week? if not that could be why(not enough calories) and if you are eating in maintenance why not do a recomp and build muscle and lose fat. although its slow going it will change your body and how it looks.

    I did recomp for a little over a year, it definitely works. I think I was getting impatient with it. But I plan to do a long term recomp once I get these last few pounds off.

    the last 5 will come off very slowly. so why not recomp now and gain some muscle and lose some fat? you have to be patient. and once you get the weight off why do a long term recomp? why not just run bulk and cut cycles? I think the longer you recomp the less results you will see over time. heck with only 5 lbs you could do a bulk cycle now if you wanted but thats up to you and what you want to accomplish.
  • moogie_fit
    moogie_fit Posts: 280 Member
    I don't see the point. It won't stay off and you will likely gain it back plus more. If you were doing a BB show or something, might make sense to see the six pack, but seems unnecessary and risky to me
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    moogie_fit wrote: »
    I don't see the point. It won't stay off and you will likely gain it back plus more. If you were doing a BB show or something, might make sense to see the six pack, but seems unnecessary and risky to me

    actually it can stay off if she stays in maintenance. to gain it back and more she would have to be in a surplus of calories(over her TDEE). she can do a recomp, or a bulk which is a surplus of calories and will come fat gain,BUT she can gain muscle and if she were to do a cut she may see her abs,but she may have to get down to a low percent of body fat. for some women just building enough muscle and getting to lower body fat amounts shows abs.

    its not going to be the same for everyone of course. but it can be done and takes a lot of time and dedication. is it risky? depends on the person but it wont be risky unless she is eating really low calories and trying to get down to very low body fat numbers.or severely overtaining. otherwise its not risky as long as she is doing a recomp and eating maintenance and not over training.
  • StargazerB
    StargazerB Posts: 425 Member
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

    is your deficit set to lose .5 lbs a week? if not that could be why(not enough calories) and if you are eating in maintenance why not do a recomp and build muscle and lose fat. although its slow going it will change your body and how it looks.

    I did recomp for a little over a year, it definitely works. I think I was getting impatient with it. But I plan to do a long term recomp once I get these last few pounds off.

    the last 5 will come off very slowly. so why not recomp now and gain some muscle and lose some fat? you have to be patient. and once you get the weight off why do a long term recomp? why not just run bulk and cut cycles? I think the longer you recomp the less results you will see over time. heck with only 5 lbs you could do a bulk cycle now if you wanted but thats up to you and what you want to accomplish.

    So basically I'm cutting right now from a mini bulk in the fall. I don't think I want to try and bulk again because I don't like not looking my best. Not sure if that makes sense. So I want to get back down to my low end of maintenance at least or maybe a few pounds lighter and recomp/maintain from there. I don't want to recomp from here because I like being a little leaner.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    MommyLifts3 wrote: »
    I originally got to my goal weight in 2017 and had no issues with eating in a calorie deficit. I maintained my weight without a problem. A few times I have attempted to eat in a deficit again to lose another 5 pounds (I have a goal to see my 6 pack). It always starts out fine but about 5-6 weeks in I start feeling really down. I'm not sure what's causing this. Does this mean I need a diet break? I usually end up quitting with the deficit and slowly gaining back to my maintenance weight. Right now I'm at the high end of my preferred maintenance range and would like to at least be at the low end, ideally I'd be able to drop an extra five pounds. I gained a few extra pounds over the fall to try and put on some muscle and I was hoping it would be easier to be in a deficit, but it's not. Advice appreciated.

    is your deficit set to lose .5 lbs a week? if not that could be why(not enough calories) and if you are eating in maintenance why not do a recomp and build muscle and lose fat. although its slow going it will change your body and how it looks.

    I did recomp for a little over a year, it definitely works. I think I was getting impatient with it. But I plan to do a long term recomp once I get these last few pounds off.

    the last 5 will come off very slowly. so why not recomp now and gain some muscle and lose some fat? you have to be patient. and once you get the weight off why do a long term recomp? why not just run bulk and cut cycles? I think the longer you recomp the less results you will see over time. heck with only 5 lbs you could do a bulk cycle now if you wanted but thats up to you and what you want to accomplish.

    So basically I'm cutting right now from a mini bulk in the fall. I don't think I want to try and bulk again because I don't like not looking my best. Not sure if that makes sense. So I want to get back down to my low end of maintenance at least or maybe a few pounds lighter and recomp/maintain from there. I don't want to recomp from here because I like being a little leaner.

    I get ya

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