How long do you go with no results? When to change?

graysmom2005

Hey guys. I'm seeing a LOT of posts lately of people's drawers falling off of them, and inches going down etc. LOL! That's so amazing. So happy for the EM2WL family!

I was hoping I would be a success story, but so far, like everything else I've tried...I'm not seeing any results. Weight gain, inches up, body looking worse in pictures.

So I'm almost done with week 6. Going into 7. At what point can you determine that this isn't working and something needs to change. I know I can lose this weight by dropping down to 2000-2200 again..but I don't know which way to go...whether to do that? Or do a 10% cut instead of 15% and brave an even bigger weight gain? NOTHING positive is happening, so I don't know how long to carry on. I know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. :laugh:

nyspotlight

I sent you over a question with my friend request, but then I saw your answer on one of these boards. So you do have a bmf? I just got mine and have only been wearing it for a day. But I was just trying to see that your TDEE must be pretty accurate then?

My other question is - How do you feel? I'm not asking because I think if you feel great then that is "reward enough." I just wonder if you feel gross and tired and bloated, etc. How is your hunger level? Looking for body cues that you might wanna eat either more OR less?

graysmom2005

Hey friend! I DO have a BMF, yes. My average over the past month is 3000-3100. I felt fine before I started this. I was still eating 1800-2200, but I stalled at 153. Again. And thought maybe I needed to eat more. So I'm not eating a ton more right now. I fill that with full fat greek yogurt etc so the amount of food isn't a ton more. I did feel super bloated at first though. I feel gross when I can't put my shorts on for sure. My hunger level is about the same now...I was super hungry at first, but that has tapered so it's about the same. Usually at the end of the night I'm eating something JUST to add calories.

seobstar

I know you probably do NOT want to hear this and believe me, I am sooo not trying to be rude! BUT, if you aren't willing to do the metabolism reset (eating AT YOUR TDEE) like suggested then maybe you can't expect to see results like others are seeing who ARE doing the reset? Could that be the problem? If you're like me, you've worked out HARD for a very long time and really actually never fueled your body properly? If we're going to do the damage to our bodies then we've got to be willing to do what it takes to fix them the right way! Please understand I'm so not trying to be rude, I've just seen lots of your posts lately and it seems to me that maybe the only thing you haven't "tried" is the one main thing that is highly recommended here....the reset! Hang in there, this is so tough!!

graysmom2005

I don't think you are rude. :flowerforyou: Here is the thing. When I first started this...a mere 7 weeks ago...eating your full TDEE was not what was recommended. It was eat at your cut. Then lots of people weren't seeing results...so THEN doing a reset was what was told. I problem is...and I truly don't want my fear/skepticism to sound like disrespect to the heads of this group because they are amazing fit women...but because this is so new...I actually haven't seen any success stories YET with the reset. It is mostly people saying they are pushing through, but are having a hard time and gaining weight. We are a few months out to see whether this reset really works for everyone and if weight IS lost, it doesn't end up being just losing what was gained during the reset. Does that make sense? If this group was a couple of years old and there were tons of threads filled with people who did the reset and ended up losing all their gain, plus the rest I would jump in with both feet...but since we are all in experiment phase...I just don't know whether this is going to work for everyone..including myself. And since I'm supposed to "look" the part of being a fitness instructor, I don't have the luxury of gaining 20 pounds and still perfoming my job well and looking how I "should".

There is a massive, massive change that I'm wrong, as I know either Lucia or Kiki did the reset and it did work for them...but it's just so early for everyone else that I'm just scared. I take a very low dose of an antidepressant to help with pain for a condition called IC that I have, so losing weight that I gain (including what I already have) is very hard to lose. So that is the hesitation.

crystalwelshroberts

I hear ya! I have had similar doubts and concerns. I am at 10.5 weeks eating more. The first 4.5 were eating at my 15% cut , then I got my BMF When everyone else started doing resets I tried to up my cals to a full reset but it is averaging at about a 5-10% cut for the last 6 weeks. I have just NOW noticed a .5 inch loss from my waist. I get that it is a much longer slower process but the alternative for me is not an option! For the last 15 years I have lost and gained the same 30 pounds 6 times. I for one am off that roller coaster because it gets harder and harder to lose it again. On VLCDs maintaining is hard for me since I sit at a desk 8-10 hours a day. I guess I'm saying the up side to eating more and losing slowly is way better than the downside, heavier for a while.

Are you gaining inches? I'm not talking pounds, I'm talking inches?

seobstar

I don't think you are rude. :flowerforyou: Here is the thing. When I first started this...a mere 7 weeks ago...eating your full TDEE was not what was recommended. It was eat at your cut. Then lots of people weren't seeing results...so THEN doing a reset was what was told. I problem is...and I truly don't want my fear/skepticism to sound like disrespect to the heads of this group because they are amazing fit women...but because this is so new...I actually haven't seen any success stories YET with the reset. It is mostly people saying they are pushing through, but are having a hard time and gaining weight. We are a few months out to see whether this reset really works for everyone and if weight IS lost, it doesn't end up being just losing what was gained during the reset. Does that make sense? If this group was a couple of years old and there were tons of threads filled with people who did the reset and ended up losing all their gain, plus the rest I would jump in with both feet...but since we are all in experiment phase...I just don't know whether this is going to work for everyone..including myself. And since I'm supposed to "look" the part of being a fitness instructor, I don't have the luxury of gaining 20 pounds and still perfoming my job well and looking how I "should".

There is a massive, massive change that I'm wrong, as I know either Lucia or Kiki did the reset and it did work for them...but it's just so early for everyone else that I'm just scared. I take a very low dose of an antidepressant to help with pain for a condition called IC that I have, so losing weight that I gain (including what I already have) is very hard to lose. So that is the hesitation.

I absolutely TOTALLY get it....I have some of the same fears/hesitations as to whether this is really going to work and have seriously scoured the boards trying to find just one success story of someone who actually truly lost all their weight after doing this whole method (reset, then cut, etc) and haven't found a single one. Then, I realized that the group was recently just started so that's probably why there isn't one yet...haha! Anyway, I'm trusting and having faith in it for now because honestly? The alternative sucked! I absolutely cannot EVER go back to eating 1500cal per day again..never, never, never! And I wasn't losing at 2000 either so upping to TDEE was the next option. The whole thing is so frustrating and mind boggling!

crystalwelshroberts

The trend I am seeing on this forum and with my friends is that the people who do large amounts of cardio, need to have a smaller cut to see results. I am training for a tri and can't wait for it to be over so I can test my theory July 8th my cardio is hitting a wall (for a while anyway

Oh by the way, all the trainers at my gym eat 1200 cals a day - no way they are netting what their body needs teaching 3-6 classes a day. All the fit lifters get that you need to fuel your body to be fit

My heart goes out to you! I really get where you are coming from, the fear gets the best of me too sometimes. I agree you should not do what you've been doing! I think you should reduce your cut a bit more...just for 3 more weeks. Can you commit to 3 more weeks?

graysmom2005

I'm going to meet with a fellow instructor/trainer and see what he says. He said just from watching me, he doesn't think it's my diet at all, but just some tweaks in my routine. I told him I want inches and fat GONE. I don't care about the scale. Basically my two options are to lose these 8 pounds by going back down to 2000 a day (which isn't suffering..but I loves me some food. LOL!) OR going up to 2700 and seeing what happens there. I could end up gaining even more and it will take me months to lose it. It always does. Sort of at a crossroads...but I'm paralyzed. Looking forward to hearing what he says. Anywhere but this board I've been told 22-2400 should be good for me...so maybe it's my workouts? Seriously tired of trying to figure it out! *facepalm* Thank you SO much for helping me talk through this, guys! XO

nyspotlight

I wonder if it your workouts. A lot of the people having success here are heavy weightlifting. And I know you said you don't have time for that.

Just a guess.

It's my TOM so I'm feeling heavy and awful. No advice from me today. :-)

Saelina

Have you added in your strength training yet? Strength training has been recommended to you a couple of times, but I haven't seen you mention adding it in. I realize you exercise a lot with your job, but your body should be accustomed to that and its probably not a challenge for you physically.

graysmom2005

Have you added in your strength training yet? Strength training has been recommended to you a couple of times, but I haven't seen you mention adding it in. I realize you exercise a lot with your job, but your body should be accustomed to that and its probably not a challenge for you physically.

I teach bodypump which is strenghth training, but I'm going to try and add in strong lifts and see if that helps!

Saelina

good to hear about the strength training the ones shedding inches seem to have all gone that route. couple things I want to bring up though..

I DO have a BMF, yes. My average over the past month is 3000-3100. I felt fine before I started this. I was still eating 1800-2200, but I stalled at 153. Again. And thought maybe I needed to eat more. So I'm not eating a ton more right now.

I know you are upset but think about it logically for a few minutes. Look at the numbers you burn and if you were previously eating 1800 - 2000 calories, and burning that much.. you were only eating 66% of what your body required to maintain.the weight. Yet, you stalled. That alone should make you think about how slow your metabolism must have gone to sustain that much activity off of so little calories.

Now you've increased, somewhat... (not to the recommended 15% though) and your body is able to put on with such a minimal increase, that's still a large deficit from your TDEE. I'd imagine that's just further evidence of how much your metabolism has slowed down.

Basically my two options are to lose these 8 pounds by going back down to 2000 a day

My guess is that you may at first lose the 8 lbs, maybe even a few more... Just remember your body was able to adjust to 1800- 2000k a day, (why you were in a stalled state at 154). In addition to that, given the fact that your minimal increase in calories caused immediate weight gain, it seems like you'd have to plan to pretty much stay at those cals forever to avoid ever gaining weight.. because the same thing will happen again once you increase again.

So i think you are correct that you have a decision to make... Fix your metabolism (go up to where you are supposed to be), or yo yo for years to come (back to 2k lose a little, eat more and gain, rinse /repeat)

At the end of the day though, you need to do what makes you happy and what you can live with since it's your body and your life.

cinico

Is it an option to not exercise as much as you do? :sad: I know probably not! :bigsmile: I am considering cycling my calories, do you think that would help?

nyspotlight

I'm thinking about doing stronglifts after Chalean Extreme - halfway through with CLX.

If you do it after bodypump you can probably skip or shorten the warm-up sets for stronglifts since your muscles are already primed. You spend a lot of time int he gym as it is!

graysmom2005

I'm thinking about doing stronglifts after Chalean Extreme - halfway through with CLX.

If you do it after bodypump you can probably skip or shorten the warm-up sets for stronglifts since your muscles are already primed. You spend a lot of time int he gym as it is!

Haha! Yes! The quicker the extra workout the better! I can maybe do it after Monday Pump, or on Tuesday before Combat, and then Thursday when I'm off.

Saelina. Thank you for your post. You make excellent points. I have been eating at 15% actually...which is why I was wondering whether to go back down a bit OR go to a 10% cut instead. Which would be 2700. HELLO! :laugh:

Saelina

My apologies.. I looked at your diary which had it set to 2400.. so I assumed that was what you were using as your cut. That's 20% of 3000.

HeidiHoMom

I know you are sceptical and you mentioned because this is new...but this group is actually not a new concept at all (nor is the idea of the reset). In fact it is what most do on Bodybuilding.com.

For most people it seems 6-8 weeks is the magic number for seeing results but those who are in better shape take longer...upwards of 10 weeks.

crystalwelshroberts

I was wondering whether to go back down a bit OR go to a 10% cut instead. Which would be 2700. HELLO! :laugh:

Which ever you choose stay with it long enough to get results! Your body performs daily ALOT and has for years being undernourished (like mine) It will take weeks to adjust.

We all want you to succeed and stay at the size you want!! But I also selfishly want you to stay with us

ANewLucia

good to hear about the strength training the ones shedding inches seem to have all gone that route. couple things I want to bring up though..

I DO have a BMF, yes. My average over the past month is 3000-3100. I felt fine before I started this. I was still eating 1800-2200, but I stalled at 153. Again. And thought maybe I needed to eat more. So I'm not eating a ton more right now.

I know you are upset but think about it logically for a few minutes. Look at the numbers you burn and if you were previously eating 1800 - 2000 calories, and burning that much.. you were only eating 66% of what your body required to maintain.the weight. Yet, you stalled. That alone should make you think about how slow your metabolism must have gone to sustain that much activity off of so little calories.

Now you've increased, somewhat... (not to the recommended 15% though) and your body is able to put on with such a minimal increase, that's still a large deficit from your TDEE. I'd imagine that's just further evidence of how much your metabolism has slowed down.

Basically my two options are to lose these 8 pounds by going back down to 2000 a day

My guess is that you may at first lose the 8 lbs, maybe even a few more... Just remember your body was able to adjust to 1800- 2000k a day, (why you were in a stalled state at 154). In addition to that, given the fact that your minimal increase in calories caused immediate weight gain, it seems like you'd have to plan to pretty much stay at those cals forever to avoid ever gaining weight.. because the same thing will happen again once you increase again.

So i think you are correct that you have a decision to make... Fix your metabolism (go up to where you are supposed to be), or yo yo for years to come (back to 2k lose a little, eat more and gain, rinse /repeat)

At the end of the day though, you need to do what makes you happy and what you can live with since it's your body and your life.

Wow this is so on point.

Greysmom I've mentioned a few times to you that it just seems like you really aren't eating enough. You burn so many cals so your deficit is huge. Because I've walked and am walking this path... I know cutting is not the answer to fix the problem. I'm currently eating 2420 daily and I workout maybe a 3rd of what you do. I so understand your dilemma. Me personally I would reset or get my deficit to 300 daily. But you have to do what makes you happy...

Saelina

Graysmom,

For what it's worth.... I know EXACTLY how you are feeling in regards to your job. I was a professional dancer, I competed in ballroom and latin dancing.. having to wear those skimpy little costumes and was constantly starving myself to try to look "good" on the dance floor. I was constantly told by judges I needed to lose more and I was too fat. I danced anywhere from 6 - to 10 hours a day. I followed Weight Watchers recommended 1200 calories, and many times only ate once a day. I constantly battled weight gain. For the life of my I couldn't figure out why, with that much activity, the minute I ate more I gained weight.. Even at my lightest (116 lbs), I still had belly fat. I would immediately balloon if I had a competition break and slowed down to 3-5 hours of dancing a day or increased my meals.

I went through this battle from the time I was16 until 29. Gaining and losing over and over again. While my partner and I were successful and became US Champions, in my mind I was always the fat / flabby girl on the dance floor. I eventually stopped competing professionally because the weight battle got the best of me and I decided I just couldn't keep up my drive having to struggle so hard. I just decided i was meant to be fat, I was done, and just would teach. (weight gain!) A few years later I stopped teaching / dancing all together. (Bring on the major weight gain!)

When I found this group, it all finally made sense. As they say... hind sight is always 20/20 but.... a couple months of metabolism reset, then applying how eat, lose, and maintain my weight healthily and correctly, could have saved me YEARS (over a decade) of low self esteem, frustration, and misery.

To be honest, it makes me sad to think how different that era of my life could have been if I only I knew then, what I am learning now.