Do I reset my metabolism or just start the cut?

Calichick94

I'm a 19 year old female and I've struggled with my weight for the past 2-4 years. I was always told "eat less weight less" so I never really saw results over the years. Thankfully with others help on myfitnesspal just yesterday I was told about finding my BMR and TDEE and that set me to the right path. In the past I didn't log but ever since I started using myfitnesspal ( over 3 months ago) I've been eating way less than I'm supposed to so I'm guessing my metabolism is all whacked. I exercise 2-4 times a week and burn 500-600 calories each time ( only been burning that much for about a month).

So I found out that my BMR is 1530cal and my TDEE is 2104 cal and in order to lose 20% of my body fat I'd eat 1683 calories per day.

Since I've been eating way under for a long time I know it's best to gradually increase my consumption like 100 calories/day in a week until I reach 1683cal, correct? Or will I have to "reset" my metabolism by eating 2104cal and then decrease it until it's 1683cal?

I'm just a bit confused. And so once I reach 1683cal I continue consuming that much and of course checking in my new weight every 5-10 lbs lost to know how much to consume.

Will I be gaining weight in the beginning? If so, how long do I give my metabolism time to adapt and I start seeing results?

And also, would exercising about 2-4 times a week an hour session each be considered lightly active or moderately active? It varies each week with me.

Thank you!

Kristendcampbell

Since you have been undereating for a while you need to do a reset. You also where under eating during some of your growth time period, so please do the reset.

Eat at TDEE for 8-12 weeks. You can up the calories 200 a day to get there then stay there for the 8-12 weeks. Continuing same excercise. Then do a 15% cut, 20 is too extreme.

Also check that your activity level you used was moderate not lightly active since 3 times a week is moderate, I am not sure of your height and weight, but not sold on your TDEE

Read all stickies on this board, and go to the Eatmore2weighless.com and read all articles on there regarding the reset.

Good luck

Calichick94

Exercise varies every week but it's 2-3 days on average. I want to lose 30 pounds that's why I chose -20%. I'm 5"2 and weigh 155 lbs. Thanks, I'll check that out!

heybales

Now, you did say 3-4 times a week in OP, hour each time. Now 2-3 times.

Don't think you are playing it on the safe side by underestimating, that's why you are having problems.

Be honest. Now, if your activity is merely walking for exercise, yes, 1 hr of walking is less than 1 hr running, ect.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1018770-better-rough-tdee-estimate-than-5-level-chart

At least you have a realistic goal weight, though you'll probably find like others that more fat inches lost even without much weight will draw the most comments.
Unless you like wear a scale on your back with the weight taped to it.

30 lbs isn't that much either, over 40 lbs sure 20% would be realistic, but now 15% is good. 10% when you reach final 10 lbs.

And it really depends on how much cardio you have done up till now and how much undereating you have done that will cause initial water weight gain, but that was going to happen anyway whenever you increased eating level. Same water weight dropped when you started a diet.
But never fear, it's glucose and water, and that's increased LBM, so good water weight. Which also increases your metabolism by that mere addition.

Calichick94

For the past month I've been doing a lot of cardio. I do 20-30 min of interval running/walking on 0% incline and I go back and forth from 8.5 speed to 3.5-4.0 speed. I burn 200 cal doing that.

After that 10 min sessions using incline intervals ; 4.0 speed for 5% incline for 5 min, 6.0 speed for 2% incline for 3 min, 7.0 speed for 2% incline for 1 min and 3.0 speed for 10% incline for 1 min. I do this 2 or 3 times.

I have been losing inches but not weight, my goal is fat loss not weight . Yes what I meant is that I used to workoout 2-4 times a week but now that I'm back in school I won't have that much time so it's most likely going to be 2 or 3 times a week.

Yesterday I started increasing my consumption, during this period do I continue my workouts? I'm a university student and I can't afford a gym membership, I just have a treadmill and 2 of the 5 pound weights.

Now that I adjusted it to 15% decrease instead of 20% for my TDEE, my daily calories went up to 1788

heybales

So good, you are losing fat then while making body improvements already, because inches are going.

Since your TDEE is based your planned level of activity, and you are going to eat that amount, you better keep doing the exercise.

You need to learn that very basic truth anyway.

You need to eat correctly for your level of activity. If you are more active, you eat more. If you are less, then less.

I would suggest figuring out how to get 2 sessions weekly of bodyweight exercise that are tough, one-legged squats, pullups, dips, pushups, ect. 3 sets x reps until failure.

Because if your metabolism is suppressed, and you are at various times eating more than maintenance as metabolism comes up, nothing better you could be doing then strength training.