Am I a candidate for a reset?

Kelly_fat2fit30

Hi there!!

New to the family and I just have one burning question that has been on my mind since I joined EM2WL this past week. Hoping to here from one of the experts on this one Here are my stats

According to Scoobys website

BMR 1500
TDEE 2300
TDEE - 20% 1900

5'4''
163lbs

Since starting MFP back in August of 2012 I lost an average of a pound a month and a total of 14 inches off my waist, hips and thighs.

According to MFP since I started logging pretty religiously the past 60 days I have only had a handful of "low calorie days" anywhere between 1300 and 1500. Most days I was 1600 to 1700 with a few "cheat days" thrown in (2300 or 2600). MFP had me at 1460 but I would always eat back my exercise cals. Since learning about EM2WL have been consistently above 2000 and not logging my exercise cals. Is this right BTW? I can burn about 900 calories in a day for exercise but haven't been eating them back?

I workout on average 4 to 5 days a week and do 30 to 60 minutes of cardio followed by 30 to 60 minutes (depending on how much time I have of resistance training.

Before I started consistently logging 2 months ago I would be all over the map. Having 1400 cal days a few days a week and then would have a binge cheat day where I could eat anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000 calories (who knows because I never logged them!) And then somewhere in between.

I would say that I never really restricted myself, never felt tired or weak and if I was starving I would eat.

Having said all that, would you think that I am a candidate for a reset of eating 2300 for a month or so or can I just see where 1900 to 2000 per day gets me for a few weeks?

Thanks so much in advance!! Loving that I don't have to feel guilty anymore!!!!

Noor13

Welcome to the EM2WL crowd

I think you can stick with yor cut and see where it will lead you. You have not been on a VLCD. Just see how things are going with your cut intake. If nothing happens you can either jump straight to TDEE and eat that for a few weeks, or you increase slowly every week by 100 and see what happens.

Your exercise cals are included in your TDEE, BUT if you have really high burns, make sure you are netting above yor BMR! Then you need to eat back some of your exercise calories.

Hope that helps

AnitraSoto

Wow, that's a lot of exercise! What activity level did you pick, because 2300 sound low for that much activity...

Since you have not been consistently under-eating you could probably just go right to cut, but remember, EM2WL does not recommend more than a 15% cut. Also, remember to take a TDEE "diet break" every couple of months to remind your metabolism that your cut is not "the new normal"

Jennacita

You may have to up your TDEE activity level or eat back some of your exercise calories if they cause you to net lower then your BMR. I think it is mainly trial and error.