Reporting on progress - feeling good :)
_Amy_Budd
Posts: 378 Member
Hi all,
So I've been doing this EM2WL thing for just over a month now, and even though the scale is up, my measurements are down, and overall I'm feeling really good about this. I just wrote a blog post that gives details, but here are the highlights:
After more than a year of severe caloric restriction, it's very likely that I've trashed my metabolism. This makes sense - considering the incredible slowing down - and then grinding-to-a-halt of my weight loss, despite continued perfect Primal living and a well-rounded and consistent fitness regime.
So the first change that I made is to figure out a healthy daily caloric intake. First step with that was to learn the science and the math from the incredibly smart women who modertate the "Eat More to Weigh Less" group. Lucia and Kiki. Next step was to get a Bodymedia Fit, so that I could truly KNOW my TDEE, and figure out how to eat accordingly.
Now, I *love* the Bodymedia Fit (or BMF for short), and I *love* the whole concept of repairing my metabolism and fueling my workouts. I admit that I am struggling with the idea of a full metabolic reset - which would mean eating at maintenance (my full TDEE number), because I am *so* active that I don't know how I could possibly eat that high. But I've been doing pretty well at eating at a 15-20% cut of TDEE, and not lower than that. Well, some days it's lower than that, but those days are happening less often - and the reason for it is a high activity day, not a low eating day. It's a process, and I'm working on it.
One of the things that helps is that I keep a detailed daily Excel spreadsheet of my TDEE, calories eaten, net calories (as per MFP), daily caloric deficit (as per BMF), daiy TDEE cut (as per BMF), and daily grams and percentages of carbs/fat/protein, along with a daily comment on how I'm feeling and the exercise I did that day. I've got corresponding charts to help me visualize the data, and all of this is really helping me to feel like I'm being thoughtful and thorough.
So I've been doing this "Eat More to Weigh Less" thing for just over a month. And the scale is definitiely up. I'm not going to lie - there are days where that frustrates me greatly, but I keep reminding myself that I'm not living a lifestyle that would translate to adding back those pounds as fat - it's much more likely that it's just water and muscle and adjustment to correcting my metabolism.
Some good news on that front today - took measurements, and pretty much everything is down! A couple stayed the same, but none of them went up. And the REALLY good news - I entered my measurements into the US Navy body fat calulator - and I'm not obese! My body fat percentage is safely in the acceptable range! (FYI - "acceptable" body fat for women is between 25-31%, and I currently fall at 27%.)
If you want to check out the full blog post, it's here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/4milesat40?month=201205
Thanks again to Lucia and Kiki and everyone else who posts their questions, concerns and successes here. The information and anecdotes are so valuable, and I've learned a lot.
Amy
So I've been doing this EM2WL thing for just over a month now, and even though the scale is up, my measurements are down, and overall I'm feeling really good about this. I just wrote a blog post that gives details, but here are the highlights:
After more than a year of severe caloric restriction, it's very likely that I've trashed my metabolism. This makes sense - considering the incredible slowing down - and then grinding-to-a-halt of my weight loss, despite continued perfect Primal living and a well-rounded and consistent fitness regime.
So the first change that I made is to figure out a healthy daily caloric intake. First step with that was to learn the science and the math from the incredibly smart women who modertate the "Eat More to Weigh Less" group. Lucia and Kiki. Next step was to get a Bodymedia Fit, so that I could truly KNOW my TDEE, and figure out how to eat accordingly.
Now, I *love* the Bodymedia Fit (or BMF for short), and I *love* the whole concept of repairing my metabolism and fueling my workouts. I admit that I am struggling with the idea of a full metabolic reset - which would mean eating at maintenance (my full TDEE number), because I am *so* active that I don't know how I could possibly eat that high. But I've been doing pretty well at eating at a 15-20% cut of TDEE, and not lower than that. Well, some days it's lower than that, but those days are happening less often - and the reason for it is a high activity day, not a low eating day. It's a process, and I'm working on it.
One of the things that helps is that I keep a detailed daily Excel spreadsheet of my TDEE, calories eaten, net calories (as per MFP), daily caloric deficit (as per BMF), daiy TDEE cut (as per BMF), and daily grams and percentages of carbs/fat/protein, along with a daily comment on how I'm feeling and the exercise I did that day. I've got corresponding charts to help me visualize the data, and all of this is really helping me to feel like I'm being thoughtful and thorough.
So I've been doing this "Eat More to Weigh Less" thing for just over a month. And the scale is definitiely up. I'm not going to lie - there are days where that frustrates me greatly, but I keep reminding myself that I'm not living a lifestyle that would translate to adding back those pounds as fat - it's much more likely that it's just water and muscle and adjustment to correcting my metabolism.
Some good news on that front today - took measurements, and pretty much everything is down! A couple stayed the same, but none of them went up. And the REALLY good news - I entered my measurements into the US Navy body fat calulator - and I'm not obese! My body fat percentage is safely in the acceptable range! (FYI - "acceptable" body fat for women is between 25-31%, and I currently fall at 27%.)
If you want to check out the full blog post, it's here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/4milesat40?month=201205
Thanks again to Lucia and Kiki and everyone else who posts their questions, concerns and successes here. The information and anecdotes are so valuable, and I've learned a lot.
Amy
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Replies
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Wow, what an awesome update! Hun, the scale never tells the whole truth, if I went by the scale this morning, I would just give up...I am up 6lbs from last week...lol. But it didn't move me, why, because it is water and whatever else going on, clothes fit the same, body is toning up...so who cares! You keep on pluggling along...you are doing awesome!!!!:drinker:
Lucia0 -
Awesome awesome! Thank you for sharing your progress!!! You're so positive and I'm so happy that you're seeing progress in a variety of ways!
I also love your idea of the spread sheet! I may do that too!
Keep going, you're doing great!!0 -
Thanks, ladies! I wanted to share the positive results, because I know that reading about the progress of others helps me stay committed to the EM2WL way!
Amy0 -
Thanks for sharing your progress
I too am at the stage of gaining, but as Lucia said-who cares.
The most important thing is that we feel better, stronger and have back our energy.
Way to go)) 0 -
Thank you! That is a fabulous post that inspires and communicates all that is great about this process. I, for one, have sworn off the scale. I refuse to get on it/go near it. End of. I don't want it messing with my mind while I do this. One week in, and feeling very good indeed. :happy:0
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Thanks for your super motivating post!!! Good to see that one's not alone!
I am also about 4 to five weeks in and saw a little gain by now. but the scale only went up about 2lbs, jeans a bit tighter, but I do not worry too much. I am actually surprised how much more I eat and essentially nothing 'BAD' happens. I slowly start to loose that fear of eating too much and thinking I might get fat! So now I actually enjoy planning my meals out the day before and adding little healthy bits (like nuts, fats and so on) to them to make up for my morning workouts! Plus: even though I have gained, I feel that something is changing, and in a good way!
I screwed my metabolism up before (even though I was eating very clean and every three hours) by exercising too much and not eating my cals back. I did not have the guts yet to change my calorie goal to TDEE and do a full reset, so at the moment I set it safely above my BMR and eat all my cals back, which most days brings me to about TDEE-15% or - 20%, around 1600 to 1700, on strenous workout days even more. I'll stick with that for a while and if I do not lose or gain anymore, I'll kick myself in the butt and up the calories more. I have not a lot to loose, but I want to lose it for good!
Who's in the same situation at the moment? Could use some friends that are at the same stage for mutual motivation!0 -
Great stuff ... legendary even .... I love hearing news like this and you should be so proud!
Well done ... i'll keep plugging away too!
:flowerforyou:0
