Watch my progress!

conniedj

Hey everybody! I found EM2WL back in July. Started reading what all this big eating was about in the last 2 weeks, and am just starting the process of upping my calories.

Here are my stats:

SW:??? 190?
CW:173
GW:150-ish
5'5
neck: 12.5
bust:36
waist:30
hips:38
Rt thigh:23.5

Here's my story: Hi, My name is Connie and I'm an addict. I am addicted to the burn. Not just a little burn but the big burns that make you throw up a little bit in your mouth. The kind of burns that make Insanity look positively sane. I started MFP a few years ago, but never stuck to it--too busy with life, and doing my 3-days-per week cardio classes that were supposed to make me lean and mean. I think I got the mean part.....lol.

Here is me on 12/12/12 @ about 185:


In April I started logging in earnest....using the lovely 1200 cal/day that MFP gave me. And working out harder. And longer. In May I started lifting weights in earnest. And because I had the huge burns and the weightlifting burns, I would eat back all of the calories and some if I was still hungry. I don't do hungry, don't like hungry. Come to think of it--my husband doesn't like me hungry either!! ( that whole mean thing again...). I started dropping a few pounds and seeing some nice changes:
This is 6/5/13 @170 lbs:


I started working out even harder--sometimes lifting 5 days and doing crazy burns (minimum of 700 calories + weightlifting). But my weight loss stalled. I still lost some inches after the weight loss stalled. But now that has stalled too. This threw me into a mental loop of "what am i doing wrong" and feeling pretty darn tired from working out so much and very frustrated because I was not dropping anything....

So a few weeks ago I started reading some more on EM2WL. Aha. My body has become efficient at not burning fat. I was only eating enough to barely maintain my minimal functions. I dove in and upped my calories:
TDEE: 2800
BMR:1624
TDEG:2200
BF%: approx.26

Surprise! Scale went up! lol. Measurements did NOT go up (*whew*)<this kept me from losing it! lol.
So this is me 8/14/13 @173lbs ( w/TOM to boot)


I *know* that I am at a decent start point. My pictures say I look good. I have some fat to lose. And I am going to do it by feeding this body. I am not scared of the calories, and frankly the scale has already gone up--what have I got to lose? FAT! lol. I am excited to try something truly new!

My plan is to back waaaay off on the big burns. I enjoy HIIT, so i will just do those with lower duration. I will naturally be lifting more as well. I look forward to moving past the 5x5 training, and really working into a more rigorous program. Now I want to see how strong I can get and how lean! Who's with me???

ETA: It took for.ever. to post pics.

heybales

Good call recognizing that frequent intense exercise is a big stress on the body too, especially when you never allow a recovery to actually benefit from it.
Diet a stress, exercise a stress, other stresses in life, hormones screwed up, body adapts, no deficit in place.

Since you are eating more now, keep expecting body improvements since your body is finally getting some resources it's been begging for. With high carb workouts, that's going to be it, more carbs for endurance. Carbs store with water.
At least that is part of LBM, and means increased metabolism.

I will suggest for a smarter workout though, to really benefit from the lifting, and this goes back to a basic truth.

Exercise tears down the body.
Rest allows recovery and repair to build it back up stronger, if fed enough.

To that end, do your intervals that you enjoy, even if they can't be HIIT, at the end of the lifting workout. They can't be as strong of course if you did the lifting correctly, but sounds like you'll still enjoy the push to failure aspect, no matter how high it really is.

Then allow the day after to truly be recovery, to get the best benefit from the lifting you did. If you don't allow it, you may get some, but not nearly the improvement your workout could provide.
So just mentally view it - do you want a large part of that hard lifting workout to basically be wasted?

You can do cardio in the fat-burning zone, better called before that fad name, the Active Recovery HR zone, on the non-lifting day. Or if you do split routine, cardio using the same muscle worked previous day.
I think you get the idea.

Active Recovery zone is intended to provide blood flow to aid healing, but add no more load to the muscles. This will also greatly aid training the fat burning system, instead of your body jumping immediately to carb burning.

So just as intervals provides a great workout because you push hard and then allow recovery, so you can push hard again, now you are doing that same principle day after day, hard day push, easy day recover.

Use the HRM tab to help with those zones.

Great attitude, keep it up. Friend me if you want, bunch of friends following same methods. Eating at reasonable deficit to burn fat.

conniedj

Thanks Heybales! I appreciate the welcome and the wisdom! I am also enjoying reading up on everyone's experiences!

I am definately taking down time for recovery. I will usually just go for a walk if I have DOMS--or do some push ups and stretch. It took some mental adjustments to not go and work out--but I am there now!

I am curious to find out what you ( and others) think about reversing the workouts: cardio first, weightlifting last. I find that I really like this because all of my problem areas are warmed up (rt shoulder, knees)? I also have no problem with fatigue. I am do a 5x5 for the most part (keeping it simple), but go to fatigue on the last set. I am moving up weight steadily,and am happy with the progress I am making strength wise.

I have read opinions that go both ways. Thoughts?

heybales

Warmup is very needed for lifting. Either a set of 10 at half the working weight, or some gentle cardio.

Nothing long or intense is needed, in fact that Active Recovery zone again for 30 min is fine for warmup.

Then another session after if you desire, like I said the intervals then if you like the feeling.

I've tried a gentle jog after a strong full body workout, and the effort just makes me want to collapse, so unless I skip the lower body, I don't do anything.
But when doing split routine, or just upper, ya, I'll do hill sprints for the lower body as long as I don't plan on using those muscles the next day. Sprints is like lifting, and deserves a rest to recover too.

AnitraSoto

You look FABulous!!! Congrats on your progress so far, and congrats on fueling the machine!!

Personally, I never do my cardio on the same days as my lifting. I do a mild 5 minute cardio warm-up prior to lifting, but no more... I find that if I do more, I can't "give it my all" with the lifting. I have also found the same to be true if I do cardio after lifting - I feel sloppy and tired (and more prone to doing something silly like twisting my ankle or something...). For me, I do better if I dedicate each day to one specific thing - lifting or cardio (or rest).

Again, congrats on a job well done!

jaeone

Amazing Progress!! Keep up the awesome work!!

natini

Great job! You can really see the improvements.

mimi337

Still learning and processing all this info and am really grateful. Your progress is a great help so thanks for posting!

conniedj

Thank you for the replies thus far!

Mimi--I am just learning as well. I have gotten as far as I have over a period of time doing things on a huge calorie deficit. I am learning ( and lamenting that I have not) to eat well above my BMR for best results! So really that last photo is me just starting!

Have you figured out your TDEE and BMR? I found the spread sheet that someone posted ( where you can just punch in all of your own stats) the most helpful tool for this! Anyone: help with the link???

kellrell

Amazing. can not wait to have my own results like you.

heybales

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/961054-spreadsheet-for-bodyfat-bmr-tdee-progress-tracker

conniedj

Thanks Hey!!!! I found this the most comprehensive in figuring out TDEE and BMR, as it actually calculates your activities beyond your workouts!

icece1

Wow look at you how lean your getting! Great job! Keep it up! You a dynamite :explode:

athenalove46

Way to go! Good on you for fueling your body. Great success and you look fabulous! I just finished a 11 week reset and a little workout hiatus. I started working out again a couple of weeks ago, but I think it was too much and I have stepped back and I'm just going to follow my lifting program and adding in no cardio. I absolutely LOOOOOVE doing HIIT workouts, but I can tell it affects my lifting as far as PRs go, so for now they are a no no. We shall see how that goes! One week in, measurements the same, though in pictures there is a noticeable "tightening" of my middle.

twinmomtwice4

Wow, you look fantastic!!!! Thanks for sharing your story and keep up the great work!!!

ANewLucia

Amazing.

PudgycatDoll

Wow, you look amazing!

conniedj

NOT feeling so amazing.....

I work as free lance producer. I was just on this crazy shoot with a bunch of different type of folks ( cool, but different). One of the guys that we were going to be interviewing...kinda good looking, bad boy type....came up to me was looking me up and down, and then came over to me and rubbed my tummy and asked if I was pregnant!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

o.m.g. My stomach bulges a bit because I have a small hernia just above my belly button, and a little diastasis around the belly button. It was TOM, and when you work a 15 hour day, there isn't really time for *ahem* being regular. Still.....what a blow!

So what do I do yesterday after work? Over compensate, and now my hernia area is a bit irritated. Grrrr...

FourIsCompany

Don't people know that it's playing with fire to ask a woman if she's pregnant??? That's information that should be volunteered.

Anyway, you are a huge inspiration to me. You look fantastic!

conniedj

I'm over the hump. Yes-- you would think that a man would know better...but apparently NOT! Needless to say, I am looking at ways to strenghten/flatten abs!!

Noor13

You look fab! Keep it up and keep eating