i think i overdid it...

seena511

well, about 2 months ago i said "screw it all!" i was tired of counting calories and feeling guilty when i went over by 10 so i stopped counting for a few days. turns out if i don't track at all then every day just turns into a binge fest. so i set my calorie goal to zero and decided to start stronglifts. right now i just log whatever i eat with a loose goal in mind (lower on the days i don't lift). i've had a lot of days where i haven't logged as well, either from eating out (hey, it's the holidays...) or being on vacation or not wanting to because i just want to eat all the food. i think my weekly average is around 3,000 calories/day which i'm thinking is maybe 200-300 calories over my TDEE.

i'm not entirely sure how much i weighed when i started stronglifts back at the beginning of november but i estimate that i've gained between 8-10 lbs. ouch. i'm 5'8" and apparently 170 now, which isn't the end of the world but i would rather be closer to 160.

so the obvious answer is to go on a cut. at the same time, lifting a lot of weight is fun. like, a lot of fun. i don't want to start sliding backward especially as i'm making progress on my bench press for the first time in, oh, years. i'm going to add a little cardio on the days i'm not lifting which i figure will help.

i guess my question is, then, would it be possible for me to still see gains while i cut back at little bit at least to the point where i'm maintaining weight instead of gaining it. i'm not sure what to think since i gained so much in such a short period of time. am i doomed to keep gaining weight (hopefully at a slower rate) until i get closer to the summertime and begin to cut? should i suck it up and cut now, then try to "re-bulk" a little better with the remaining weeks of winter?

NRBreit

IMO, 3,000 cals is a bit too much unless you are extremely active. I am bulking 1 lb. per week on 3,000-3,200 cals and I'm a 185 lb. guy. Maybe you could cut for awhile and keep lifting hard. You may not gain strength but you could make it a goal not to lose any. Then you could try a slower bulk with 250 cals or so above TDEE for 1/2 lb. weight gain per week.

seena511

thank you, i'm thinking i'll give that a try. maybe i can figure out my actual tdee in the process.

QuietBloom

You can still gain strength without building muscle bulk, so as long as you are eating a reasonable deficit, it shouldn't hurt your ability still get stronger.

willumluck

I think you must gain your strength. So there for you must talk some healthy diet that help to get a stronger.

ndj1979

you can try the lean gain method without the fasting…

basically eat a couple hundred calories over maintenance on work out days, and then eat in a deficit on non-workout days…I have been doing that the past two weeks and my lifts are still progressing and energy levels are good…

but yes 3000 calories a day for a female is ALOt…

you could always do a one month aggressive cut to say 2000 cals a day and then slowly bump up after four weeks...

JoRocka

thank you, i'm thinking i'll give that a try. maybe i can figure out my actual tdee in the process.

Reality is it's probably a lot closer to 1800.

I'm 5'8" and have been between 165-175 for the last few years. This past year I started really getting serious with diet (I've always worked out- that never changed) and with some tinkering and education- I figured out what it was supposed to be.

I"m bulking at 22-2500. 3000 is probably WAY to much. I only eat that much on days when I lift AND dance (so that's 45-60 minutes of heavy lifting- and then 45-60 minutes of dancing) Even then I don't usually eat that much- although it says on paper I'm supposed to- it's typically closer to 26-2800.

Yes- you can still get stronger on a deficit. There is a significant and fundamental difference between STRENGTH gains and MUSCLE gains.

You cannot get MUSCLE gains on a deficit- but you can get stronger on a deficit (depending on how big it is- obviously there will be a law of diminishing returns affect here) .


So dial back the food- keep lifting- you won't lose strength I promise.

QueenBishOTUniverse

I am actually in a fairly similar situation. I am 5'8" 180lbs and trying to keep my calorie intake at 2345 although I go over by 100 calories or so a few times a week. (I'm cheating today and going up to 2600).

I also started doing stronglifts in November and while I have not gained any weight, I also haven't lost any. I *DO* think I am losing something though because I can see muscle definition and I am hoping for a new low weight measurement tomorrow after my rest day and a full nights sleep.

Basically at this point I am going to reign in my calories a little better after the holidays and hope my weight loss is slow but steady.... Not really sure I CAN cut my calories much more from 2345 because I am HUNGRY, especially after my lift days. My work out schedule is lifting 3 days a week, 5k run with wind sprints 2 days a week, and a slow 10K on the weekend. I am still able to increase my lifts and have been slowly adding strength, so you shouldn't need to worry about a backslide there.

I agree with the other posters:
1. 3000 calories is too much (I want to eat that much too!)
2. I would add in some cardio at least a couple days a week for the extra calorie burn
3. You should still be able to make good strength gains as long as you set your calorie intake to a reasonable deficit. I would aim for TDEE - 200/300 calories. Your weight loss will be SLOW and it will probably take a while to exactly dial in what your calorie intake should be, but you'll get there.

NRBreit

Just for a reference, I weigh in the 170-180 range and my TDEE is 2,400-2,500 cals. I bulk on 3,000 and cut on 2,000-2,200. 3,000 cals per day, every day, is a LOT of food. If I don't log I'm usually way under the number.

Huffdogg

Are you doing any physical activity other than SL? What is your age?

wilsoje74

3000 per day is really high for a female.

Mr_Knight

The summary version is that you didn't track your weight so you don't actually know how much you gained, and you didn't track your food, so you don't know you much you've been eating.

My suggestion would be to fix that first - start logging and weighing - before worrying about numbers and goals that can't possibly be right since you don't have a reliable baseline.