I'm so lost :(

Lovesummer3473

So I signed up to be a member at that Leigh Peele website. That site is hard to manover around in to get information. I want to repair my metabolism but I'm a bit freaked out as I want to make sure I'm doing everything right. As one I don't want to gain a ton of weight and two I want to make sure I do everything right to see a loss again. I have 20lbs to lose and I'd like to lose them before March of next year. Can anyone give me a guide or direction as to where to start? I've been hovering around MFP trying to figure it out but still just don't feel like I know what I'm doing

Thanks!!

GoGoGadgetMum

Got to a site called scoobysworkshop.com and input your numbers in the calorie calculator for a start. See how you go with that then pop back here. We are all eating more than the conventional low cal diets and are very supportive.

I hope to see you soon

jyska

Hi and welcome! :flowerforyou:

One thing right off the bat....Leigh Peele's version and ours are a bit different. Make sure you do your reading/research and find out as much as possible about both methods, then choose one to go with. You can't really do both methods at the same time, due to the differences, but the basic end goal is the same.

Leigh Peele's metabolism reset may last 8 weeks, but only 1 of those weeks is at maintenance. Then you drop into a large deficit (I believe she recommends 35%? which is a 20% larger deficit than we recommend here). One thing to note that came to my attention with Leigh Peele's method is that many women were having to do the reset TWICE - so you may want to look further into that... Also, you have to be willing to give up the exercise for the first few weeks with her method as well....you can't 'sneak in' any extra walks, or 'new daily activities' to stay busy. I think she has at least three weeks of complete and utter rest! most of our exercise junkies on this forum couldn't stop for two days if they tried! lol...me included!!!

Here we recommend that you up your calories to maintenance for a reset and stay there for 8 full weeks. After 8 weeks, you would then drop down into a 10% deficit, then down again 5% more (so a -15% deficit). We never recommend any deficit larger than 15% because we don't want you to wind up having to do the reset again due to your metabolism slowing down to far again or because the deficit is so large that you wind up netting below BMR regularly. Instead, your metabolism would stay healthy and strong and you would only need a 1 week diet break every 8-12 weeks or so to keep it that way. The downside to our method, is that your initial weight gain may be higher than with the Leigh Peele method and the loss a little slower afterwards. (there's a video in the link below that talks about 'Why SLOW is so important' )

Now, all that being said...read through some of our stickies for more information. Start by watching some of the videos in the sticky threads http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/579855--new-vids-for-em2wl-faqs and then go from there! We're here to answer any questions and give you support in any way we can! :flowerforyou:

PLUMSGRL

Sorry, don't know about Leigh Peele.
But here is the Scooby site for you to calculate your TDEE and BMR. Make sure you pick the right activity level (go by the hours listed per week):

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

If you do the reset you'll be eating at TDEE for 6-8 weeks, then since you have 20 pounds to go do a 10% cut. Do not eat back exercise calories (they're already factored in). If you NET less than your BMR, eat enough calories to meet your BMR.
There are several stickies (red pins) that have to do with the reset, read them so you really understand what's gonna happen. Most folks gain some weight in the first 4-6 weeks (10 pounds seems to be the average), but it is not fat, so don't panic!
This is not a quick fix, but a lifestyle that many are enjoying.

Lovesummer3473

I think I'm just so frustrated and looking everywhere for answers that I'm desparate!! I've been looking at posts in this group and the eat more to lose more group. I really think I've messed up my metabolism and so I just want to make sure I do everything right so I don't gain an aweful amount of weight and then have even more to lose after the reset. Thanks for your input. I didn't realize there was a difference between what people are doing in this group and what Leigh Peele's website directs. That site is so hard to figure out as to where to begin. I am done with it and sticking with the advice from this group. Thanks so much!!

michellekicks

I understand your fear about gaining a bunch of weight... I haven't been "dieting" very long... just since January, and even then I've always gone with a small deficit to lose slowly. Since I'm a runner I know I need to eat to fuel my running or my runs just suck.

Having said that, I decided to go from a ~20% cut to eating at TDEE for 2 weeks to fuel up for a race I'm running on Sunday... so it hasn't been 2 full weeks yet and I'm up about 4 lbs.

You can't let the gain scare you. It does freak me out a little, and how it has been steadily increasing... every day I wanted to cut back down to see the loss again... but now I'm seeing a leveling off and, in fact, today I was down 1 lb from yesterday, so maybe I'm all done with the gaining.

My point here is this: I didn't even diet hard with a VLCD and I've seen a 4 lb gain in just under 2 weeks of resetting my metabolism. Don't let a few lbs scare you... this is a long-term endeavor to good health and fitness.

The math is true. The numbers don't lie. You have to be diligent to track everything as accurately as possible to get a true account of what you're doing so you know what works and what doesn't. But over all, this is the only healthy way to lose body fat and get to a healthy weight.

Lovesummer3473

That is what is so great about this site. You can always turn to others to help clairify questions or insecurities about what you are doing, not doing or thinking of doing. I need to do a little more research and truely feel like I know what I'm doing before I can totally jump in. I'm just so tired of this spare tire around my waist. I've been working out like a crazy woman and trying every diet possible just so I can get rid of my fat!! Granted like I said before I only have 20lb's to go but no matter what I do the scale doesn't budge. I'd be happy with the number on the scale if I felt good about my body. Don't get me wrong I'm not looking to look like a fashion model but I'd like to feel good in my own skin. Feel sexy and confidant naked and not be so self concious in a swim suit. Any other advice feel free to send it my way. Thanks

meggyh20

The thing I've seen over and over here about getting that body you can be proud of is that heavy lifting will help tremendously. Many of the women here are doing some kind of strength training program, the most popular being New Rules of Lifting for Women. What type of exercise are you doing currently? I just started New Rules and already love what it's doing for me/my body.

Lovesummer3473

I've been doing a weight lifting class since Oct of last year and was doing Chalean Extreme and Turbo Fire before joining a group fitness class called Pump Up. It is an hour long workout session with a complete body workout with weights and sometimes some cardio in there. You choose the amount of weight you want to pump and I pump heavy. Jan through April I was also doing a 1/2 hour bosu class that was a good cardio workout and then pump up afterwards. Most nights I would burn over 700 calories for the 2 classes combined. The pump up class I lift heavy so I'm doing good in that department. That is why I'm saying I'm working out hard but not seeing results and frustrated.