If 1500 NET per day feels like this...

thecazstewart

... Firstly the stats:

Age: 53
Exercise: 5-6 hours per week which is made up of running, power walking, HIIT
Height: 5'6"
Current weight: 179 pounds
Goal: to lose 14 pounds

Plan:
BMR: 1484 (scoobyworkshop.com)
TDEE: 2300
Daily calories to goal: 2048

Background:
I've spent past 4 years on weightloss website eating 800-1100 NET per day. I managed to lose 5 stone, but stalled a year ago

I'm currently eating NET 1500'sh and have been doing so for nearly 4 weeks now.

I am feeling MASSIVE. My initial feelings of more energy, hunger pangs have disappeared and I feel tired, listless and my training is going backwards.

I am being advised to eat to my TDEE. But I'm hugely scared of feeling even bigger than I do now. My skirts and trousers are tight. I am definitely not sure that increasing my intake is going to make me lose weight.

I am still focusing on my NET. This week, I am so far averaging 1380, and I'm sure I am subconsciously beginning to eat less, as eating more is making me bigger.

Help. Please!!

ladyace2078

I wouldn't focus on NET. Focus on EATING your TDEE cut. If you burn more than 600 calories with your workout in a day, thus dropping you to a net below your BMR, then review your TDEE to see if it's accurate. You may actually have a higher TDEE than you think, which means you can eat more. The skinnier I get, the more I eat. I have steadily increased from eating 1700 cal/day to now 2400 cal/day and have seen inches fall off (the scale isn't moving much at all).

I ran your numbers and if your goal is to lose 14 lbs, you may want to just target a 10% cut. Your TDEE is 2568 and your 10% cut would be 2311. I recommend EATING 2300 calories a day.

twoboys2012

i just want to share my progress ... it has been 4 weeks and funny enough i was feeling very tired and went off exercise for about 5 days and very hard to get back into it ...

Anyway i went shopping yesterday and got a new outfit in size smaller and my body shape has changed ... my tummy is not sticking out lik eit used to and has smoothed out ... i haven't measured since last week but this morning i lost a pound ... i am on my way.

Hold strong and you will get there ... your body is figuring out what is going on and your time will come i am sure ... all of us take diff times though as we are all diff and doing diff exercises i guess. i don't think you are eating enough as your bmr is the least you need so if you do exercise on top of that then you won't be fueling your body enough. My cut value is 2150. So i eat all day and now can't imagine how i ate less ... some days are still a little hard to find the odd 200 cals (like yesterday) but as long as you are consistent you will be fine. Your body needs to be able to trust that it will be regularly fueled.

Also if having trouble getting in more calories try regular options rather than the light ones and protein powder.

thecazstewart

I wouldn't focus on NET. Focus on EATING your TDEE cut. If you burn more than 600 calories with your workout in a day, thus dropping you to a net below your BMR, then review your TDEE to see if it's accurate. You may actually have a higher TDEE than you think, which means you can eat more. The skinnier I get, the more I eat. I have steadily increased from eating 1700 cal/day to now 2400 cal/day and have seen inches fall off (the scale isn't moving much at all).

I ran your numbers and if your goal is to lose 14 lbs, you may want to just target a 10% cut. Your TDEE is 2568 and your 10% cut would be 2311. I recommend EATING 2300 calories a day.

And I would still stick to my 5-6 hours of exercise per week? 2,300 sounds an enormous amount of calories. But I guess in reality, I'm almost there if I don't eat back my exercise calories but just focus on eating (not netting) my TDEE minus 10%. But this is so scary after so many years of starving myself.

Thanks for the advice. X

thecazstewart

i just want to share my progress ... it has been 4 weeks and funny enough i was feeling very tired and went off exercise for about 5 days and very hard to get back into it ...

Anyway i went shopping yesterday and got a new outfit in size smaller and my body shape has changed ... my tummy is not sticking out lik eit used to and has smoothed out ... i haven't measured since last week but this morning i lost a pound ... i am on my way.

Hold strong and you will get there ... your body is figuring out what is going on and your time will come i am sure ... all of us take diff times though as we are all diff and doing diff exercises i guess. i don't think you are eating enough as your bmr is the least you need so if you do exercise on top of that then you won't be fueling your body enough. My cut value is 2150. So i eat all day and now can't imagine how i ate less ... some days are still a little hard to find the odd 200 cals (like yesterday) but as long as you are consistent you will be fine. Your body needs to be able to trust that it will be regularly fueled.

Also if having trouble getting in more calories try regular options rather than the light ones and protein powder.

Thanks for this - I shall try and increase slowly and remain patient!

ladyace2078

I wouldn't focus on NET. Focus on EATING your TDEE cut. If you burn more than 600 calories with your workout in a day, thus dropping you to a net below your BMR, then review your TDEE to see if it's accurate. You may actually have a higher TDEE than you think, which means you can eat more. The skinnier I get, the more I eat. I have steadily increased from eating 1700 cal/day to now 2400 cal/day and have seen inches fall off (the scale isn't moving much at all).

I ran your numbers and if your goal is to lose 14 lbs, you may want to just target a 10% cut. Your TDEE is 2568 and your 10% cut would be 2311. I recommend EATING 2300 calories a day.

And I would still stick to my 5-6 hours of exercise per week? 2,300 sounds an enormous amount of calories. But I guess in reality, I'm almost there if I don't eat back my exercise calories but just focus on eating (not netting) my TDEE minus 10%. But this is so scary after so many years of starving myself.

Thanks for the advice. X

To get your TDEE I assumed 5-6 hours of exercise per week. If you do more, your TDEE will go up. If you do less your TDEE will go down. I know it's scary, but you will feel better and your body will thank you by finally letting go of the weight you want to lose!

HeidiHoMom

It definitely won't work for you unless you are giving your body the fuel it needs and it sounds like you aren't doing that.

If you want it to work, you need to follow the recommendations in the stickies (TDEE -15%) and do that consistently for at least 6 weeks.