Do I need to up my cals a bit or a total reset?

liapr

Ahh I'm confused! I've been debating the EM2WL route for so long... I got a personal trainer to help me with my lifting but his whole take on the nutrition is totally opposite mine, and includes a 1200-1600 calorie a day diet. I'm veggie/vegan, enjoying lifting and cardio, and trying to figure out where to go from here. Scale isn't moving, which I'm okay with, but not having much movement with inches. And definitely as soon as I go over 1600-1700 (which is my average eating), I gain and have a lot of trouble getting weight back down.

I'm 5'9, female, 27, 168; I lift three times a week and get in two days of some moderate cardio on my off days. My TDEE is around 2200-2300. Should I up my eating to 1850/1950 and see if that solves the problem, or do I need to actually try 2200/2300 for a solid reset?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for yet another help post!

heybales

How long eating above 1600-1700 does it take to gain how much weight, and how much over?

If it's fat weight does the math show it conforms to the 3500 calories per pound?

Meaning if you gain 2 lbs in 1 week eating a mere 100 more than normal, it of course can't be fat, as 2 lbs gained would mean 1000 calories extra daily over maintenance.

But if you gain fast water weight, that is merely proving your glucose stores are in some level of depleted state all the time, which happens on a diet. The extent of that depletion depends on amount of deficit from real TDEE, and also shows potential of risking muscle mass.

And when you say a lot of trouble getting that weight back down, how long does it take and is that eating at what level?
Because again, with that little of cardio it should take some time to continuously deplete and not totally refill glucose stores with required water.

Sadly that is also LBM, and increases your metabolism a tad. it's desired water weight you might say.

If you've been eating well below that 1850-1950 for a short time, working your way slowly up to 22-2300 for a couple weeks before taking a deficit would unstress your body.
If a long time at lower level, could take longer.

Read through some of the other posts for folks starting - lots of good info and experience available.

liapr

Hi heybales, thanks for the info! I've been reading through and am understanding more bit by bit. I understand what you're saying about good water weight...

I've been eating about 1600-1700 calories on average for about a year... I find that I'm in a poor cycle, where I will eat a bit lower during the week (1500-1600) and then around 1900-2100 on weekends, and the gain from the weekend takes until the following Friday to get back down...

I'll try fiddling and working my way up to my full TDEE then just to get my body to stop guessing what I'm doing!

Thanks again for the feedback

liapr

I'll go looking through some more beginner posts as well!

conniedj

I agree with Heybale's "math" assessment! You aren't eating 3500 extra calories on the weekend, but are gaining a few extra pounds that do away by the end of the week. This is just going to be your body saying "ahhhhhh finally food" and pulling all the water and glycogen into your muscles to restore what you've used up during the cours of your week. It isn't the same thing as getting fat. This is where the mental part comes in (lightbulb moment!)!!

If your body is doing this, then yes, up your calories....be ready for the gain. Big jump? Not at TDEE....wait until you level out and bump up again. Repeat. Take lots of pictures ( check out mine if you want...."Watch my progress") sometimes the scale lies to you. It tells you your fat, when really you're just getting some really awesome LBM! Measure too. And read lots of other peoples experiences so that you can gauge your own!!

heybales

I've been eating about 1600-1700 calories on average for about a year... I find that I'm in a poor cycle, where I will eat a bit lower during the week (1500-1600) and then around 1900-2100 on weekends, and the gain from the weekend takes until the following Friday to get back down...

So even that process of false water weight gain over the weekend taking all week to get rid of it, should not mask over time a real loss of fat - if that was happening.

I'm going to suggest that weekend bump is wiping out the minor deficit you have all week, along with the big water weight gain.

Now, why such a small deficit when it appears it should be more, because of suppressed TDEE, or real TDEE?
Only eating enough will eventually tell. Because going lower on a suppressed TDEE won't cause much loss for very long.

Do you weigh your foods so you really know what is going in?

liapr

Okay thanks to you both... I think I'll try eating at 1900 for awhile and wait til it levels out, and then up to 2200 and do the same. I'm preparing myself now for the gain... but it's better than spinning my wheels in place forever and ever! haha

I do measure quite a bit, although there is room for improvement. I am especially going to make an effort to make sure I know exact numbers that I'm inputting in order to make sure this experiment is accurate.

Took some measurements tomorrow and I will take some pictures today. I've already gone through your thread, Connie, which is in part what made me feel like I could do this! Thanks again for the support and feedback