lots of Inches and weight up...5 weeks in...Help!!
Replies
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So I would classify you as the Very Active person. That's about 200 more calories a day than you are eating now, right?
But I really agree with the others for you to get a BodyMedia Fit. That's how I figured out my TDEE.
Good luck!!
I looked into it, but I couldn't see me using it past the initial week or once I had my tdee and therefore, have trouble justifying the expense (as much as I agree that it would likely be very helpful for someone like me who just can't get this right).
The last couple of days I've been eating just under my tdee cut of 2200 and not exercising as Lucia recommended (and gained two inches as you can see in my recent update...sigh). I realize now I was likely in a much higher activity range but am aiming for a normal, moderate range since I just can't eat enough calories to sustain the higher activity level if that's what I'd need to do.
Plus, after reading Kiki's post on Overtraining I discovered I was starting to see several of the symptoms:
1) arms getting flabbier after initially getting more toned
2) jeans getting snugger (just bought a pair 2 sizes larger than a month ago)
3) irritable, moody, teary
4) tired constantly, no energy for workouts (not exhausted like I was on 1200 calories or less, just tired the last couple of weeks....)
5) forgetfulness at work/concentration issues
6) weird new muscle spasm in my left leg (feels like it's gonna give out) in the past two weeks...comes and goes
7) headaches, neck tension
8) sniffles, runny nose (cold symptoms, but not quite succumbing to a cold)
can't tell about resting heart rate in the morning (didn't check it) or appetite since it's all over the map...hungry one day, can't barely eat the next.
So, that leads me to believe I need to lower the exercise...but I want to stay in the MODERATE range of exercise and still tone. I can always add a bit of cardio if I want to eat a LOT one day or something is what I'm thinking...so with the new plan I outlined above, I'm thinking that would be moderate?0 -
Did you see the chart I gave you from Fit2Fat/tools? Does that look pretty close to what you're doing?
Also, I don't understand it when people say "they can't eat that much". How do you think we all got in the position of being overweight in the first place?? We all ate over our maintenance calories! So I'm sure you can eat 2300 calories. Eat full fat dairy, nuts, peanut butter, oil, butter. That stuff adds up quick.0 -
Did you see the chart I gave you from Fit2Fat/tools? Does that look pretty close to what you're doing?
Also, I don't understand it when people say "they can't eat that much". How do you think we all got in the position of being overweight in the first place?? We all ate over our maintenance calories! So I'm sure you can eat 2300 calories. Eat full fat dairy, nuts, peanut butter, oil, butter. That stuff adds up quick.
First off...small correction: I gained weight by eating too FEW calories. And as for eating more, let's just say it's a transition, a learning process to learn to eat normal food after years of eating way too little and mostly diet foods. It's a head game, and it takes time to adjust. I am learning, but if I'm finding exercise is causing the symptoms listed above, why learn to eat even more? The only reason I'd need more at this point is to add junk food or larger portions...I'm eating pretty awesome amounts of regular food now and it's comfortable for the most part (as I get better at it) However, some days I still struggle, which could be a symptom of the over training issue (over-training can lead to appetite suppression).
I also don't need to be an exercise junkie...I LOVE to do regular things like mtn hiking, walking, tennis, yard work, swimming, housework, baking etc. I like DOING stuff.... So, I want to leave room for those kind of things. If you check my original workout schedule, you can see that there probably wasn't much room left to add those things on top unless I want to be eating 3000 or 4000 calories/day. I just don't need to eat that much most of the time.
As for the numbers, thank you for those. I've run them myself several times but the 7 days of walking and my 'natural lifestyle activities' are, I think, what are skewing my perceptions of what I'm actually burning...I consider those normal, light activities for the most part and lots of stuff I don't even enter into my burn count, but in reality the amount added up is putting me over what I think I'm doing. I'm trying to tweak those numbers with Lucia's help. I don't KNOW what is normal - I'm so used to doing things to the extreme to get results. don't eat? ok....exercise every spare minute even if you're exhausted? ok. I understand that! But, eat more, exercise less? I understand the CONCEPT, but what is the right balance for me? ...that's the help I'm looking for...that's where my brain, my mind is screwing with me and making it difficult for me to figure it out. I've learned over time to add movement into my life-style in everything I do (like parking at the other side of a parking lot when I go to a store and walking the distance, or taking stairs, etc) I don't really know how to be still other than at work and even there I refuse to use phones to talk to the guy in the next office...I make up reasons to walk around the office. so you can see, the calculators are helping me get a start on it, but it's the rest of it I need to get figured in.... and yes, a BMF would be great initially just for that reason. I wish I could just borrow one....0 -
Hey Jyska,
Whew, ok I really don't want you to eat any less than the 2200...the reason being...I feel like (as you are thinking too) that you are underestimating the number of calories you are burning, so you end up still not eating enough...so dropping the calories won't help. I too so wish you could borrow someone's BMF or BB or FuelBand...I think that would truly help because then we could go off cutting from those "true" numbers.
So, we now have your new exercise schedule and hopefully agree on you still eating the 2200 daily and let's see how you trend for the next 4 full weeks. I don't know how you keep up that pace, it tires me reading it...even your new schedule...lol.
I would also like you to take a sports bra and biking shorts pics front and side. With heavy lifting you should see changes in your body for sure. Do you have pics from when you started and now?
Side note...on high burn days, you know how we say make sure to net your BMR please make sure you are doing a minimum of BMR:-)0 -
I read an article yesterday that said it can take up to 10 weeks to notice any transition on the scale because of water retention.0
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Hey Jyska,
Whew, ok I really don't want you to eat any less than the 2200...the reason being...I feel like (as you are thinking too) that you are underestimating the number of calories you are burning, so you end up still not eating enough...so dropping the calories won't help. I too so wish you could borrow someone's BMF or BB or FuelBand...I think that would truly help because then we could go off cutting from those "true" numbers.
So, we now have your new exercise schedule and hopefully agree on you still eating the 2200 daily and let's see how you trend for the next 4 full weeks. I don't know how you keep up that pace, it tires me reading it...even your new schedule...lol.
I would also like you to take a sports bra and biking shorts pics front and side. With heavy lifting you should see changes in your body for sure. Do you have pics from when you started and now?
Side note...on high burn days, you know how we say make sure to net your BMR please make sure you are doing a minimum of BMR:-)
I always find it so weird when someone says I do so much even though I'm starting to grasp the concept! It's just become such a way of life for me in my ever increasing efforts to lose weight. (believe it or not, I even feel compelled to get on a treadmill when I watch TV or a movie still because I had started that habit over the winter, although now with summer I had substituted that with longer outdoor dog walks and the P90X program I began 2 months ago) Now I get to learn how to 'sit'. Such a strange thing! lol! I may still look into a BMF....but it's just so hard to justify a subscription/purchase for a week or two of use (I already have a heart rate monitor)
I will start the new exercise regime on Monday (although I'll likely resume walking the dog tomorrow each day...) and I will continue to eat the 2200 calories. I am noticing that in the past 3 days of 'rest', I'm starting to feel a bit more energetic and am seeing a lessening of other 'over-training' symptoms so that is a good sign.
I will take the pics (although I've avoided doing so up to this point...ugh:embarassed: ) and I have always been careful to at least NET BMR, but I guess if my tdee has been off, then my NET was not likely what I thought. :frown:
I seriously appreciate all the help. I know I could not do this without all the support, encouragement and wisdom I get here. I would simply just not know HOW!0 -
Hey lady, can I make one more request? Can you please not walk the dog for two days a week...give your body two days down time...no getting on anything to do anything but relax. It really isn't healthy to keep going. We are not machines. I know people will argue that there are elite athletes that do xyz, but studies are showing that they have shorter life spans....that is a future blog to come on EM2WL website...coming soon!
But anyway, our body really isn't designed to go non-stop all the time....so if there is any way, please just take off 2 days weekly...that will help you.0 -
Hey lady, can I make one more request? Can you please not walk the dog for two days a week...give your body two days down time...no getting on anything to do anything but relax. It really isn't healthy to keep going. We are not machines. I know people will argue that there are elite athletes that do xyz, but studies are showing that they have shorter life spans....that is a future blog to come on EM2WL website...coming soon!
But anyway, our body really isn't designed to go non-stop all the time....so if there is any way, please just take off 2 days weekly...that will help you.
hmm, ok - I wanna live a long life!!! ....I'll work something out that way. I could just take her to the dog park and sit on a picnic table I guess instead of walking the circuit with her.....oy....rest days are hard to figure out! lol...(yes, I know...I'm crazy....working on sanity)0 -
WOW, lyska, I totally feel your pain! I have been active and overweight my whole life, gradually eating less and training more for 20 years. I was on a VLC diet a couple years ago and I think I totally killed my metabolism. I'm so active, training for a tri, my weekly estimated exercise burn is 2800 calories on top of my daily BMR 1533...
I HAD been upping calories incorrectly for 1 month trying to net 1800. Just realized that I need to average my exercise for the week then eat consistently...I was calculating daily based on my training that day, using MFP to calculate calories burned.
I just ordered the BodyMediaFit...I'll let you know how accutate I was at estimating calories burned... It should be here tomorrow (wish I had read the note about CostCo 12month subscription before
Now I am trying to hit 2400 regularly:
Age: 45
Height: 66"
Weight: 178ish
TDEE at Very active: 2897 (training for tri)
15% cut: (435) = 2462
BMR: 15330 -
Hey Jyska,
Whew, ok I really don't want you to eat any less than the 2200...the reason being...I feel like (as you are thinking too) that you are underestimating the number of calories you are burning, so you end up still not eating enough...so dropping the calories won't help. I too so wish you could borrow someone's BMF or BB or FuelBand...I think that would truly help because then we could go off cutting from those "true" numbers.
So, we now have your new exercise schedule and hopefully agree on you still eating the 2200 daily and let's see how you trend for the next 4 full weeks. I don't know how you keep up that pace, it tires me reading it...even your new schedule...lol.
I would also like you to take a sports bra and biking shorts pics front and side. With heavy lifting you should see changes in your body for sure. Do you have pics from when you started and now?
Side note...on high burn days, you know how we say make sure to net your BMR please make sure you are doing a minimum of BMR:-)
I always find it so weird when someone says I do so much even though I'm starting to grasp the concept! It's just become such a way of life for me in my ever increasing efforts to lose weight. (believe it or not, I even feel compelled to get on a treadmill when I watch TV or a movie still because I had started that habit over the winter, although now with summer I had substituted that with longer outdoor dog walks and the P90X program I began 2 months ago) Now I get to learn how to 'sit'. Such a strange thing! lol! I may still look into a BMF....but it's just so hard to justify a subscription/purchase for a week or two of use (I already have a heart rate monitor)
I will start the new exercise regime on Monday (although I'll likely resume walking the dog tomorrow each day...) and I will continue to eat the 2200 calories. I am noticing that in the past 3 days of 'rest', I'm starting to feel a bit more energetic and am seeing a lessening of other 'over-training' symptoms so that is a good sign.
I will take the pics (although I've avoided doing so up to this point...ugh:embarassed: ) and I have always been careful to at least NET BMR, but I guess if my tdee has been off, then my NET was not likely what I thought. :frown:
I seriously appreciate all the help. I know I could not do this without all the support, encouragement and wisdom I get here. I would simply just not know HOW!
I feel your pain buddy. I too have been increasing my "daily activities" for a long time. I try not to sit at night (since I sat all day). Take frequent walks. Walk or workout almost every day of the week. It is hard for me to grasp the concept of doing less when I thought I was making healthy lifestyle changes all along. Le sigh.0 -
So I would classify you as the Very Active person. That's about 200 more calories a day than you are eating now, right?
But I really agree with the others for you to get a BodyMedia Fit. That's how I figured out my TDEE.
Good luck!!
I looked into it, but I couldn't see me using it past the initial week or once I had my tdee and therefore, have trouble justifying the expense (as much as I agree that it would likely be very helpful for someone like me who just can't get this right).
The last couple of days I've been eating just under my tdee cut of 2200 and not exercising as Lucia recommended (and gained two inches as you can see in my recent update...sigh). I realize now I was likely in a much higher activity range but am aiming for a normal, moderate range since I just can't eat enough calories to sustain the higher activity level if that's what I'd need to do.
Plus, after reading Kiki's post on Overtraining I discovered I was starting to see several of the symptoms:
1) arms getting flabbier after initially getting more toned
2) jeans getting snugger (just bought a pair 2 sizes larger than a month ago)
3) irritable, moody, teary
4) tired constantly, no energy for workouts (not exhausted like I was on 1200 calories or less, just tired the last couple of weeks....)
5) forgetfulness at work/concentration issues
6) weird new muscle spasm in my left leg (feels like it's gonna give out) in the past two weeks...comes and goes
7) headaches, neck tension
8) sniffles, runny nose (cold symptoms, but not quite succumbing to a cold)
can't tell about resting heart rate in the morning (didn't check it) or appetite since it's all over the map...hungry one day, can't barely eat the next.
So, that leads me to believe I need to lower the exercise...but I want to stay in the MODERATE range of exercise and still tone. I can always add a bit of cardio if I want to eat a LOT one day or something is what I'm thinking...so with the new plan I outlined above, I'm thinking that would be moderate?
How about you buy a a BMF, use it for a week and then sell it to me for a slight discount... :laugh: Then when I get mine figured out, I'll sell it to the next person in line!0 -
So I would classify you as the Very Active person. That's about 200 more calories a day than you are eating now, right?
But I really agree with the others for you to get a BodyMedia Fit. That's how I figured out my TDEE.
Good luck!!
I looked into it, but I couldn't see me using it past the initial week or once I had my tdee and therefore, have trouble justifying the expense (as much as I agree that it would likely be very helpful for someone like me who just can't get this right).
The last couple of days I've been eating just under my tdee cut of 2200 and not exercising as Lucia recommended (and gained two inches as you can see in my recent update...sigh). I realize now I was likely in a much higher activity range but am aiming for a normal, moderate range since I just can't eat enough calories to sustain the higher activity level if that's what I'd need to do.
Plus, after reading Kiki's post on Overtraining I discovered I was starting to see several of the symptoms:
1) arms getting flabbier after initially getting more toned
2) jeans getting snugger (just bought a pair 2 sizes larger than a month ago)
3) irritable, moody, teary
4) tired constantly, no energy for workouts (not exhausted like I was on 1200 calories or less, just tired the last couple of weeks....)
5) forgetfulness at work/concentration issues
6) weird new muscle spasm in my left leg (feels like it's gonna give out) in the past two weeks...comes and goes
7) headaches, neck tension
8) sniffles, runny nose (cold symptoms, but not quite succumbing to a cold)
can't tell about resting heart rate in the morning (didn't check it) or appetite since it's all over the map...hungry one day, can't barely eat the next.
So, that leads me to believe I need to lower the exercise...but I want to stay in the MODERATE range of exercise and still tone. I can always add a bit of cardio if I want to eat a LOT one day or something is what I'm thinking...so with the new plan I outlined above, I'm thinking that would be moderate?
How about you buy a a BMF, use it for a week and then sell it to me for a slight discount... :laugh: Then when I get mine figured out, I'll sell it to the next person in line!
Not sure how you feel about this but I read where someone bought one and used it for like 3 weeks until she figured out her average burn and then returned it. You might think about this as well.0 -
So I would classify you as the Very Active person. That's about 200 more calories a day than you are eating now, right?
But I really agree with the others for you to get a BodyMedia Fit. That's how I figured out my TDEE.
Good luck!!
I looked into it, but I couldn't see me using it past the initial week or once I had my tdee and therefore, have trouble justifying the expense (as much as I agree that it would likely be very helpful for someone like me who just can't get this right).
The last couple of days I've been eating just under my tdee cut of 2200 and not exercising as Lucia recommended (and gained two inches as you can see in my recent update...sigh). I realize now I was likely in a much higher activity range but am aiming for a normal, moderate range since I just can't eat enough calories to sustain the higher activity level if that's what I'd need to do.
Plus, after reading Kiki's post on Overtraining I discovered I was starting to see several of the symptoms:
1) arms getting flabbier after initially getting more toned
2) jeans getting snugger (just bought a pair 2 sizes larger than a month ago)
3) irritable, moody, teary
4) tired constantly, no energy for workouts (not exhausted like I was on 1200 calories or less, just tired the last couple of weeks....)
5) forgetfulness at work/concentration issues
6) weird new muscle spasm in my left leg (feels like it's gonna give out) in the past two weeks...comes and goes
7) headaches, neck tension
8) sniffles, runny nose (cold symptoms, but not quite succumbing to a cold)
can't tell about resting heart rate in the morning (didn't check it) or appetite since it's all over the map...hungry one day, can't barely eat the next.
So, that leads me to believe I need to lower the exercise...but I want to stay in the MODERATE range of exercise and still tone. I can always add a bit of cardio if I want to eat a LOT one day or something is what I'm thinking...so with the new plan I outlined above, I'm thinking that would be moderate?
How about you buy a a BMF, use it for a week and then sell it to me for a slight discount... :laugh: Then when I get mine figured out, I'll sell it to the next person in line!
I love that plan!! I'm in! :P0 -
well, I took my pics yesterday. nearly made me cry...sigh. I really pray that my next set look MUCH better!!
thanks for the support and understanding guys. I really need it right now. Every day is a struggle not to go back to eating less. My clothes are tight, I'm lumpy, my bust is freakin' huge and my spirits are the only thing falling.
crystalwelsher: I'd love it if you could share your results of the BMF with me!
As for buying a BMF and selling/passing it on, LOVE the idea!!!! LOL.... although I've been doing more research on it and it looks like it will accurately monitor exercise burns too? I don't need a separate hrm for that? If that's the case, I might actually invest in the BMF because I was thinking of getting a polar ft7 but didn't really like the whole chest strap idea/having to wet it, etc, etc. the bmf might just do everything then and I can just set aside my current hrm. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm0
