Metabolism Reset - Eating at TDEE Support Thread
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Wow - this thread has really blown up since I started it. I'm so excited to see so many of us wanting to support one another through this! Thank you for posting and telling your stories. I wanted so badly to respond personally to people, but there's so many responses I can't remember who said what right now. :blushing:
Well, I'm on day 2 of eating at TDEE. I actually was down a bit on the scale this morning. I think it's likely because I had some binge days last week. So I wonder if my weight will level off and then stay constant. If the loss continues over several days, I will increase calories. I admit that will be hard for me to do - someone might have to remind me that I'm supposed to be maintaining and I better up my calories some more. But despite my reluctance, I do think this is necessary given my history.
I kind of feel like I have a vested interest to do this metabolism reset. I mean, maybe I could plug along at TDEE with a cut. But what if my body can actually handle a few more calories. Let's say doing this reset means I can maintain at 2600 vs. 2300. That's 300 extra calories that I get to live off of for the rest of my life. I am a bit of a foodie, so I get excited by things like that. I mean, that's two squares of dark chocolate and a glass of wine right there. :drinker:
I'm not sure that I will need the full 8 weeks. I did a lot of splurging prior to joining MFP in February. I was lucky to learn about the concept of eating more at the beginning of April. So I was following MFP's recommendations for roughly 6 weeks. Back then I thought it was a "bad" day when I ate back all of my exercise calories. Now I'm thankful that I had so many "bad" days, so I'm hoping I didn't kill my metabolism too much.
Anyways, I'm so glad everyone is here and I hope we can be encouraging to one another to stick it out!0 -
Hey! I'm in!! Gotta go back later and read what everyone else has said, but here's my story:
I've eaten anywhere from 1200 (or below) to 1800 for the past several years. I've been on and off diets for as long as I can remember. Succesfully lost 67 pounds, though I'm up a total of 13 since starting EMTWL. I started eating my cut on April 10. I ate my cut with no exercise that week, the next week I ate my cut with exercise, then the following week I started eating my TDEE (2700). Still up in weight, but with little change in my clothes (besides feeling a teeny bit squishier).
Eating at TDEE/Metabolism Reset Start Date - 04/23/2012
How long do you plan to eat at TDEE? - Eight weeks total - ending 06/18/2012
Describe your reasons for doing a metabolism reset. - As I said above, I've been "dieting" for-ev-er! I've also been a binger for as long as I can remember. I've only had the urge to binge twice since eating more. I love it!! I am hoping that this 13 pounds comes off quick ... it's hard to see this number on the scale again. (lowest was 213, now up to 226) After the 8 weeks is up, I'll start with a 15 percent cut and go from there!
Wow - you'll be done with your reset soon. Please please post back and let us know how things go after you start your cut. I think those of us who are in the midst of the reset will likely need the encouragement!0 -
I'm in...a friend and I have agreed to go to TDEE for a week at least, and then go from there.
stats:
5'10
264-267
TDEE according to fitness frog 3049
I had been eating near to 2900 for almost 3 weeks with a 1 lb loss each week. Then I adjusted cals to TDEE minus 10%. This week up 3 lbs. So...clearly my body is telling me something.
First Slimfast shake? At 14!!
Years abusing my body: 20
So I've been EM2WL for almost 12 weeks. Increasing slowly from 1400 (or less) to 2900 (at the time TDEE minus 5%). I have only been TDEE minus 10% for 12 days. So I am committing to eating TDEE and not weighing or measuring for a week. Then I'll reassess on Tuesday.
If I can claw back those 12 days I may only need 5 more weeks to reset. We'll see.
So, I net TDEE on no work out days no problem.
On work out days, no way. But if I get the whole process correctly eating TDEE includes work out day cals. I do make sure I eat back half my exercise cals (I burn a lot).
I may get a bodymedia fit to see if I'm really burning what I think.0 -
I'm new to MFP and just signed up to be part of this group. Since I've spent many years yo-yo dieting and can gain weight just looking at chocolate...I guess I'm in the right place...broken metabolism and all! :sad:
I will commit to this reset for the next 8 weeks.
age: 57
stats: 5'6"
wt: 194
TDEE: 2111
BMR: 1535
CUT: 1794
My initial calorie goal from MFP was just a little below my BMR! Today (I'm still working on it), I will reset my calories to be 2111. I'm a daily weight slave, but will try to stay off the scale until next Tuesday, June 5th. I'm looking for some friends to assist me with some mental support...in case of panic! :ohwell:
Looking forward to interacting with you! Mary0 -
Well, I think I might just start this today! (or tomorrow if I can't get all the calories in... I still have snack, dinner, and evening snack to work with today). I've only been doing TDEE -15% for about a week or so.
I averaged out the last 7 days of my BodyMedia Fit data (5/22 to 5/28) and got 2117. I think I'll do 2100 for simplicity.
So with that...
1. Reset start date: 5/29/12
2. How long I plan on doing TDEE: 8 weeks
3. Reasons for doing TDEE: Several... I haven't had a period since Jan. 2012, my hair is all over the floors/sink from falling out, brittle/weak nails, I've had a cold about 4-5 times just this year (and I rarely got them before), felt cold all the time after eating, etc. I had blood tests because I thought I was becoming perimenopausal and also had my thyroid checked, but everything's normal, so it must be from not eating enough cals.
I'm glad we're here to support each other! Feel free to send a friend request, I know I'll need some hand-holding during this process too! :flowerforyou:
ETA: I've also been avoiding the scale (until this morning because the curiosity was unbearable!), and am considering weighing daily. My brother (who also lost weight and has been at goal for several months) is very much in favor of daily weighing and advocates it others. He said for him, it helped him realize that daily weight fluctuations are very normal. I might do that too.0 -
uuuuuh so I ate 2494 calories today (TDEE has me at 2697) when I clicked the button to post my diary it says If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.0 lbs in 5 weeks...I weight 165 now?!?!0
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Id love to get a BFM but theres just no way I can justify the cost:(.. sucks, cause I think that would make me realize a lot more what my numbers are and why I need this..0
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uuuuuh so I ate 2494 calories today (TDEE has me at 2697) when I clicked the button to post my diary it says If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.0 lbs in 5 weeks...I weight 165 now?!?!
Ignore that 5 week thing.. all it tells you is if you have a deficit on your cals, you will lose. it doesnt take into account those of us who custom set their cals..0 -
I thought it was super scary at first, but even after just a few days I feel so much better. More energy, more flexibility day to day, more pep in my step. I'm excited about my WLJ for the first time in years!
My only question: when you go into the cut phase, do you eat back exercise calories to net the TDEE -15%?0 -
uuuuuh so I ate 2494 calories today (TDEE has me at 2697) when I clicked the button to post my diary it says If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.0 lbs in 5 weeks...I weight 165 now?!?!
Ignore that 5 week thing.. all it tells you is if you have a deficit on your cals, you will lose. it doesnt take into account those of us who custom set their cals..
Ok thanks..Also my stomach looks like it is 6 months pregnant..is this normal?? My stomach was pretty flat before..I feel like I am going to explode0 -
I thought it was super scary at first, but even after just a few days I feel so much better. More energy, more flexibility day to day, more pep in my step. I'm excited about my WLJ for the first time in years!
My only question: when you go into the cut phase, do you eat back exercise calories to net the TDEE -15%?
from my understanding no you dont eat back your exercise cals because they were already factored into your TDEE0 -
uuuuuh so I ate 2494 calories today (TDEE has me at 2697) when I clicked the button to post my diary it says If every day were like today... You'd weigh 168.0 lbs in 5 weeks...I weight 165 now?!?!
Ignore that 5 week thing.. all it tells you is if you have a deficit on your cals, you will lose. it doesnt take into account those of us who custom set their cals..
Ok thanks..Also my stomach looks like it is 6 months pregnant..is this normal?? My stomach was pretty flat before..I feel like I am going to explode
Water retention can be a biotch:) In time it will go back down0 -
Ok thanks..Also my stomach looks like it is 6 months pregnant..is this normal?? My stomach was pretty flat before..I feel like I am going to explode
How long have you been doing it? The first couple weeks you can be bloaty from the added food. Are you watching sodium and fiber? 2500g and 30g respectively.
Try adding some lemon and/or cucumber to your water for the next few days. They will help de-bloat.0 -
I am so glad this became a thread. I love the positivity and support this group has!
I will be starting my full reset come Sunday. I will probably be eating at TDEE for at least 4-6 weeks. If I feel like I need to stay there for a while longer, I will.
Let's do this! 0 -
Bump, want to read more later when the kids are in bed !0
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I'm sorry let me clarify, I've been eating at my cut for the past 6-8 weeks and only maintaining.
Then your cut rate is actually your tdee. I would try cutting 15% of that
I was thinking the same thing! I just reset mine to 15% of what I was just eating, which is roughly 1600. So we'll see how that goes.0 -
I went ahead and ate full TDEE for the first 6 weeks after finding EM2WL to do a metabolic reset, since I had been eating 1200 calories (while half-marathon training AND breastfeeding) for soooo long. Then I tried to cut 15%, and couldn't cut it...haha... backed off to 10%, and some days I still end up closer to full TDEE. I've started to love eating too much. 0
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I went ahead and ate full TDEE for the first 6 weeks after finding EM2WL to do a metabolic reset, since I had been eating 1200 calories (while half-marathon training AND breastfeeding) for soooo long. Then I tried to cut 15%, and couldn't cut it...haha... backed off to 10%, and some days I still end up closer to full TDEE. I've started to love eating too much.
How did it help with your weight loss?0 -
For those who can't get a BodyMedia Fit to track cals burned, I ran my numbers on fat2fitradio.com and it gave me just 48 cals over what I have my TDEE set to (according to an average of 7 days' worth of data). So the numbers were very close!0
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I've been reading the posts/watching the videos and trying to absorb for some time, but I am ready to join the metabolism reset!
Stats:
Age: 39
Ht : 5'2"
CW: 128
GW: 123-125 - or whatever it takes to whittle down the muffin top!!!
BMR: 1323
TDEE: online calcs put me around 2000, but my BMF averages between 2200-2400
Last year I lost 37 pounds and by Sept. 2011 I had hit my goal weight range of the low 120's. But the muffin top remained. I was eating around 1800 cals and doing lots of HIIT throughout the fall/winter but the weight was creeping up. I did a mini-reset by eating around 2000 for three months and less exercise. Weight was stable between 126-127 but not going down. In March I started lifting weights, but also did a month-long cut in May, probably -20% off my TDEE. I lost maybe one pound. So I've been stuck at 128 and need to TRUST THE PROCESS.
I wanted to start my metabolism reset this week, for the next four weeks and then reassess, but even today I underate (approx. 1760 cals?). I think it is poor food planning, and I need to eat more earlier in the day so I don't cram bad-for-you cals late in the evening just to get my numbers up. Bad habit!
I am HATING the belly bloat, but will keep moving forward with exercising as much as I can while eating more. Like someone else said before, I don't want my body to accept 1800 as its maintenance number!!0 -
Day three for me today, another small loss. Interestingly enough that puts me right where I was two weeks ago and where i left MFP ticker set. I definitely have no trouble getting in my calories. I've missed milk, can drink a lot for the calories and protein. When I could find a protein supplement that didn't taste like dirt to me, but trying to get as much as I can from food sources is fun too. Good luck to all of you. Going to use some time this morning to research metabolism resetting and will post it when I can.0
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Some light reading and research, if you are wondering about the science of metabolism resetting.
My first reading assignment was the easiest, Kiki (31prvrbs) is one of our moderators here in the EM2LW group. It was the first thing I read that really made sense as to why the metabolism reset works. It's also one of the few true experiments I've been able to find on the subject. A few other people on MFP have written about why "starvation is a myth" using this as an example, but they seem to twist the result to fit what they are trying to say. Kiki makes it very clear.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/31prvrbs/view/the-starvation-experiment-208077
The second is "The Metabolism Repair Manual" by Leigh Peele. You can't just find the manual anymore, as far as I've been able to tell. It's part of a bigger $40 package at Leigh Peele's website now, her Fat Loss Troubleshooter guide. I'd be happy to email you some excerpts I've found, just message me with your email address. (I don't want to post them here, I don't want EM2LW to get in trouble for copy right issues, if there are any . . . I'm not great with legal stuff like that. LOL)
Good luck to each and every one of you!0 -
bump to save thread0
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Tossing my hat in the ring, and a bit scared, too
How long do you plan to eat at TDEE? -
Trying for 4 weeks.
Describe your reasons for doing a metabolism reset. -
with em2wl so far (11 days) I've been maintaining the same weight at a 15% cut level.
I am concerned i will be training my body that 1800 is maintenance, needing a cutt off THAT to lose. Not cool.
I have been quite happy at 1800-1900 calories. I only had 1-2 days of bloat.
While I havent done VLC for long before all this, I was definitely a yo yo and binging style dieter. On reflection, it seems I may need to retrain my body and gain its trust.0 -
I went ahead and ate full TDEE for the first 6 weeks after finding EM2WL to do a metabolic reset, since I had been eating 1200 calories (while half-marathon training AND breastfeeding) for soooo long. Then I tried to cut 15%, and couldn't cut it...haha... backed off to 10%, and some days I still end up closer to full TDEE. I've started to love eating too much.
How did it help with your weight loss?
I too am curious how this is working. I'm wondering if I may end up in your boat. I'm also training for a half and nursing, so my body really loves all of the food. I might have to ponder the idea of doing a smaller cut (perhaps 10% like you're doing) until after my half.0 -
Day three for me today, another small loss. Interestingly enough that puts me right where I was two weeks ago and where i left MFP ticker set. I definitely have no trouble getting in my calories. I've missed milk, can drink a lot for the calories and protein. When I could find a protein supplement that didn't taste like dirt to me, but trying to get as much as I can from food sources is fun too. Good luck to all of you. Going to use some time this morning to research metabolism resetting and will post it when I can.
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has no trouble getting in calories. There's so much shame in our culture regarding food that I feel like a bad person admitting that I like to eat! But I'm loving these extra calories.0 -
I am wondering if I only need a diet break. I hadn't been calorie restricting before joining mfp in januart 2012. It had been over a year since I had restricted calories. The lowest I was eating at since joining was 1400. I have slowly been upping calories in 50-100 calorie increments. I just upped to 1800 on 5/28/12.
I don't know that I really need a reset or just a 2 week break.
Any thoughts?0 -
Well, I'm on Day 3 and I seem to be on a downward trend weight wise. So I will continue for a few more days to see if the downward trend continues or if it's just my body picking a level to stabilize at. If it continues I'll up my calories, probably by 100-200, and see where that goes.0
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I am in - even though i am not sure how i am going to eat over 3000 calories a day
any tips?0 -
I am in - even though i am not sure how i am going to eat over 3000 calories a day
any tips?
I have to hit 2200 plus every day, I have a glass of milk with every meal. Calories, protein, but not a lot of extra fat. Definitely plan out your day, break up the calories in to 3 meals, two snacks. I do three snacks . . . lol. Again, focus on good quality lean protein. Of course, that's if you don't have kidney problems and are prone to kidney or gall stones. Good luck! And welcome. Are you doing a full metabolic reset?0
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