Relatively light people trying to get leaner

finzi1981

Okay, thanks. I do feel like I'm not eating enough - I expect to be a bit tired later in the day when I've exercised but this flat feeling I have all week, always tired and struggling to keep my mood up, is not what I'm used to from exercising. I'm not getting hungry but I have been wondering if I should eat more. I'll try scaling up 100-150 calories on my rest days until I find a point at which I have more energy but still am not gaining weight. As I said before, ideally I'd like to bring my weight down just a touch, even allowing for strength gains.

ISweat4This

Bump, great info!!

middlehaitch

@finzi1981 re your tired/flat feeling. You may want to cut way back on your cardio.
If you have recently started lifting it is taxing the CNS and it too needs recovery time.
I found after about 8 weeks I had to cut the more energetic cardio and walk, swim, or row, instead. All these I did at a just above social pace. My recovery from lifting was better and my energy returned in 2-4 weeks. (I am old so recovery is slower)

Calories, I like having them spread evenly over the week. I lift late in the afternoon and don't like having much food in me when I am lifting, and don't like eating a lot after lifting, abs and stomach feel tight. I get home just before dinner, and it is smaller, so having more to eat the next day works well for me.

For recreational lifting I do think it is personal preference as to how the weekly calorie intake is split. So do what pleases you.

As you are still working with a deficit watch your numbers rather than your devices (use these for a reasonable estimate but adjust to real life results) to keep your deficit on track. .5 lbs a week will be a slow loss, but will allow you to progress with strength.

I am in maintenance and the only macro I watch is protein. I try to get .8-1g per lbs of my body weight.

Cheers, h.

finzi1981

Thank you so much for your advice @middlehaitch

Orphia

Time for a bump.

middlehaitch

Orphia wrote: »

Time for a bump.

Good idea . h.

stroutman81

finzi1981 wrote: »

Hi

I've found this thread really helpful although I must admit I haven't read every post... In my defence it is quite a big thread now! I need a bit of help please, if anyone has any time.

I am trying to lose 5lbs, but I want to do it sensibly and without neglecting strength training. I'm 5'6.4", 131lbs, my scales estimate that my body fat % is 17.7%. I do full body strength training three times a week. Once I can comfortably perform 12 reps at a certain weight I move up a weight. I mix in some HIIT and SIT, once or twice a week but some weeks I give myself a week off the cardio. I train with my Polar watch and I wear a Fitbit One, the Fitbit is out of curiosity really, but I love my Polar watch, I'm a bit of a geek and it's all about the numbers for me! It allows me to track what I'm doing and compete against myself.

As far as food is concerned, I tried using calculators like IIFYM. My general life is sedentary because of various restraints but I do like being active. I was concerned that using the rather generalised terms in the calculators (define 'moderate' and 'heavy' exercise by heart rate percentage?!) I set up the calculator to find out my BMR and TDEE based on a sedentary lifestyle with NO workouts. It gave me 1319 and 1517. Now originally I thought that I should reduce from 1517 to about 1400 because I was aiming to lose weight. The IIFYM calculator told me to cut 15%-20% to lose weight but if I cut that much I am quite a way below the given BMR, which of course I didn't want to do. Working on the basic principle of eating a little more to weigh a little less (sic) I took 1517 as my baseline, and added any exercise calories (taken from my Polar watch) onto the 1517 to give me the total number of calories for that day. For two weeks I did try taking 1408 as my daily basic intake and adding exercise calories onto that but I was so tired that I was concerned I was being counterproductive. Going back to 1517 as my base I am still quite tired and low a lot of the time so I'm worried that I'm either not eating enough or just having a low patch, hard to tell, it's been a stressful few months. I watch my protein levels but I'm not trying to skip carbs or anything like that, I'm trying to keep a sensibly balanced diet, no guilt and no excess, just a little of everything with snacks that include some protein.

I've been training like this for about six weeks. My weight and body fat haven't budged but I am much stronger and I'm pleased with my strength training progress. I would still like to reduce my body fat percentage a touch, I want to get a little leaner. Not much, just a little. Based on all the above, what would you recommend I do with my calories? Should I be eating more as my baseline? Is it alright to cycle the calories this way, eating more on my exercise days and less on my rest days?

Any thoughts you have would be welcomed.

***********


ETA: P.S. I don't know if it's worth mentioning but the one macro I am quite strict about is my sugar intake. I watch my sugars carefully and try to make sure that I keep them below 15g. I don't like many fruits so I don't really eat them I eat veggies instead.

I neglect this thread far too much. I'm sorry. Are you still around? Figured I'd check before I go replying to this post.

stroutman81

cs2thecox wrote: »

stroutman81 wrote: »

These same people come to me claiming they've been in a plateau for nearly a year, feel like crap, have nagging injuries, zero motivation, etc. Turns out that if they'd just sit down, stay out of the damn gym, and eat some food... things would be much better.

This! So glad I found this thread!!

After years of being a cardio slave, I'm now a 3-weights-sessions-a-week-and-2,000-calories person, and in some of the discussions here I start to feel like I'm doing it wrong because I'm way more about macros, protein and gains than pure CICO

Big up to the leanies who like lifting heavy things!

For some people in certain situations, this can work like magic. No doubt about that. The biggest challenge in these cases is the psychological mind eff letting go of some of your core beliefs about what you "have to do" in order to succeed.

stroutman81

middlehaitch wrote: »

Orphia wrote: »

Time for a bump.

Good idea . h.

Thanks for keeping this thread alive, guys!

amandarunning

Bump for anyone who hasn't read and had the bonus of @stroutman81's advice and knowledge. Interested to read about those similar in build and age looking to give themselves a bit of a break. I'm thinking it's time to just relax just a little and stop being so controlled and striving for more/better. I'm sure an extra few pounds (perhaps half a stone) would look good on my face (!) and be an easier weight to maintain plus I could step up the weights and kind of see it as a bulk - that would make it psychologically a little easier I think.

Still stewing it over and not sure I can deal with a few extra pounds without restricting to get them off again...

peartree99

stroutman81 wrote: »

I'd be willing to bet that many of the women who are experiencing plateaus in this thread are eating too low of calories over extended period of times. They're exercising with high volumes of cardio (which circuit training falls into this camp too). They're more than likely perfectionists. Maybe not in general, but when it comes to diet and exercise they need to be "on" all the time. No cheats. No processed foods.

Part of this describes me pretty accurately... except I am losing very quickly (about 3 lbs/wk and plenty of inches). It seems the general consensus here on MFP is that this is too fast, but I feel like my results are great. I guess my question is... if it's working, is it still bad? Here are some points:

• I eat 1200 calories a day
• Yes, I am very confident that number is accurate. I am meticulous with food weighing, calculations, etc.
• No, I do not "eat back" exercise calories
• I work out 6 days/wk (currently HIIT style workouts and also cardio 4 days and just cardio 2 days)
• I am 5'6" and currently weigh 132lbs
• I don't really have a goal weight in mind, just trying to lose the rest of the jiggly softness and look more toned.

The thing is, I don't feel like I am eating too little. My stomach is not growling, I don't feel tired, I'm not cranky, I don't have moments where I feel light-headed. I feel I am also getting stronger, as push-ups and other exercises are getting easier. I don't want to lose muscle. In fact, I want to gain more. Everything you have said makes sense and makes me think I should up my calorie intake, except I don't want to mess with something that seems to be working so well! You have been very generous already with your time and advice over the course of this thread, but could you tell me what you think? Should I just stay the course and enjoy my results or should I be upping my calories?

mom23mangos

peartree99 wrote: »

stroutman81 wrote: »

I'd be willing to bet that many of the women who are experiencing plateaus in this thread are eating too low of calories over extended period of times. They're exercising with high volumes of cardio (which circuit training falls into this camp too). They're more than likely perfectionists. Maybe not in general, but when it comes to diet and exercise they need to be "on" all the time. No cheats. No processed foods.

Part of this describes me pretty accurately... except I am losing very quickly (about 3 lbs/wk and plenty of inches). It seems the general consensus here on MFP is that this is too fast, but I feel like my results are great. I guess my question is... if it's working, is it still bad? Here are some points:

• I eat 1200 calories a day
• Yes, I am very confident that number is accurate. I am meticulous with food weighing, calculations, etc.
• No, I do not "eat back" exercise calories
• I work out 6 days/wk (currently HIIT style workouts and also cardio 4 days and just cardio 2 days)
• I am 5'6" and currently weigh 132lbs
• I don't really have a goal weight in mind, just trying to lose the rest of the jiggly softness and look more toned.

The thing is, I don't feel like I am eating too little. My stomach is not growling, I don't feel tired, I'm not cranky, I don't have moments where I feel light-headed. I feel I am also getting stronger, as push-ups and other exercises are getting easier. I don't want to lose muscle. In fact, I want to gain more. Everything you have said makes sense and makes me think I should up my calorie intake, except I don't want to mess with something that seems to be working so well! You have been very generous already with your time and advice over the course of this thread, but could you tell me what you think? Should I just stay the course and enjoy my results or should I be upping my calories?

You are at a healthy weight for your height. If gaining muscle is a goal, why don't you start slowly adding calories back while starting a progressive lifting program. It looks like you are only doing cardio right now. You will be surprised at the changes in your body. Start with 1200 and 3 days full body lifting/3 days cardio. Then in a couple weeks, add 100 calories. Keep doing that until you reach your maintenance weight or slightly below/above.

middlehaitch

mom23mangos wrote: »

peartree99 wrote: »

stroutman81 wrote: »

I'd be willing to bet that many of the women who are experiencing plateaus in this thread are eating too low of calories over extended period of times. They're exercising with high volumes of cardio (which circuit training falls into this camp too). They're more than likely perfectionists. Maybe not in general, but when it comes to diet and exercise they need to be "on" all the time. No cheats. No processed foods.

Part of this describes me pretty accurately... except I am losing very quickly (about 3 lbs/wk and plenty of inches). It seems the general consensus here on MFP is that this is too fast, but I feel like my results are great. I guess my question is... if it's working, is it still bad? Here are some points:

• I eat 1200 calories a day
• Yes, I am very confident that number is accurate. I am meticulous with food weighing, calculations, etc.
• No, I do not "eat back" exercise calories
• I work out 6 days/wk (currently HIIT style workouts and also cardio 4 days and just cardio 2 days)
• I am 5'6" and currently weigh 132lbs
• I don't really have a goal weight in mind, just trying to lose the rest of the jiggly softness and look more toned.

The thing is, I don't feel like I am eating too little. My stomach is not growling, I don't feel tired, I'm not cranky, I don't have moments where I feel light-headed. I feel I am also getting stronger, as push-ups and other exercises are getting easier. I don't want to lose muscle. In fact, I want to gain more. Everything you have said makes sense and makes me think I should up my calorie intake, except I don't want to mess with something that seems to be working so well! You have been very generous already with your time and advice over the course of this thread, but could you tell me what you think? Should I just stay the course and enjoy my results or should I be upping my calories?

You are at a healthy weight for your height. If gaining muscle is a goal, why don't you start slowly adding calories back while starting a progressive lifting program. It looks like you are only doing cardio right now. You will be surprised at the changes in your body. Start with 1200 and 3 days full body lifting/3 days cardio. Then in a couple weeks, add 100 calories. Keep doing that until you reach your maintenance weight or slightly below/above.

Seconding the excellent advice given by @mom23mangos.

Cheers, h.

peartree99

mom23mangos wrote: »

You are at a healthy weight for your height. If gaining muscle is a goal, why don't you start slowly adding calories back while starting a progressive lifting program. It looks like you are only doing cardio right now. You will be surprised at the changes in your body. Start with 1200 and 3 days full body lifting/3 days cardio. Then in a couple weeks, add 100 calories. Keep doing that until you reach your maintenance weight or slightly below/above.

Yes, it is a healthy weight for me. If it weren't for all the extra padding on my butt and thighs, I would be happy with this weight! But I agree, I think I do need to slowly start adding calories back and focus on building some muscle. Thank you for your input!

MelanieCN77

Thanks for bumping this, I've been here a year and a half and somehow never seen it. I'm now in the "lean(ish) getting leaner" boat and can definitely relate to the "beat your body into submission" mindset and am in a bit of a cycle of overwork and resulting enforced light periods. I read the first page and will delve some into the rest of it as I can. Lots of food for thought!

Orphia

Linking someone to this, so I think a bump isn't out of order too.

Eden1215

What about a person like me? I am about 130 and I felt the best at 100. I had two kids so all my fat is in the belly. Am I considered too light to lose belly fat ?

collectingblues

mstein7225 wrote: »

What about a person like me? I am about 130 and I felt the best at 100. I had two kids so all my fat is in the belly. Am I considered too light to lose belly fat ?

How tall are you? If you’re over 5’2”, that’s not a good goal.

Eden1215

I am little bit under 5”but I tell everyone I am 5 “

collectingblues

That’s a safe weight, then!

skatyal90

@stroutman81 thank you for answering so many of our questions! One thing I don't quite understand is why not first 'cut' (aka lose weight to your desired goal weight) and then 'bulk' (strength train for that lean muscular look)? For me in particular, I have thicker thighs than the average person and I have seen women who do lots of strength training have really muscular legs. I know genetics dictate a lot of what your body type is and how large your thighs are but I am trying to avoid my fate of large legs. Is wanting muscle loss so that you can lean out overall (and my thighs specifically) and then adding it back strength training and muscles later really that bad?

byron2153

Bump to read later

alexmose

Bump to read later too