Intriguing, and terrifying at the same time.

ekball

Just found you all this morning and have to say I am completely intrigued at the concept of EMTWL. I am 39 years old and feel like I have come to a crossroad. I have done more physical activity in the past year and 1/2 than ever (started running, trained for and ran two 1/2 marathons, completed my first round of P90X and am on round two of a P90X/Running hybrid), have tried every "diet" known to man, and I continue in a frustrating pattern of maintaining/gaining - but never losing. Nothing is working for me anymore and I continue to wonder ...."WHY, dammit?!" I've chalked it up to my metabolism just being altogether screwed up, and just can't seem to figure out the magic combination to get me to drop this excess body fat.

Considering EMTWL, but after a LIFETIME of dieting, it is beyond scary and hard to imagine that it could actually work because let's face it....nothing else is working these days!

I've calculated my numbers (I'm rounding):
BMR - 1420
TDEE - 2200
15% cut - 1870

Now to get brave enough to try this. I am, admittedly, incredibly impatient. I don't know that I can handle a big gain as my body gets used to this. Afraid I will quit and throw in the towel.

I need to hear your stories. I need to hear from people in similar situations who have seen success. I have a LIFETIME of dieting under my belt (seriously, as in my first real diet was in the 5th grade. :-( So sad.) - the thought of upping calories to lose weight/body fat is just so foreign to me. But at this point I guess I am willing to try anything. I'm desperate.

mommamuscles

Hi there.
Your story is so similar to so many out there. This was the very best thing I did for my health, but it's taken me some serious time for my body to adjust. So you really have to ask your self if your looking for a quick fix or a long term solution. (no judging here,I get it).
I lost my first 50 lbs by starving myself and the next 50 by eating more. My story, and many others is found at www.em2wl.com
Check out the stickies and watch the videos.
Your numbers sound a bit right but it's possible you are underestimating your activity level. Take a look at how many hours a week you are spending I exercise. If it is more than 5, you should be in the very active category, if those numbers scare you, you may have to cut back a bit on cardio.
The other thing I would say is that you may want to entertain the possibility of doing a metabolism reset, since it seems like you have a long history of under eating.
It is a scary concept, but I think I'm the long run, you will be so glad you made the change!
Becca

techmom29

I just wanted to pop in and say "welcome to the group"! I realize how scary this can be. I started here in March, just three weeks from my son's wedding. (yikes). The biggest hurdle is the mental struggle, but as you read the stickies and let it all sink in, it will start to make sense and really resonate, I am sure.

Again, we are glad you are here. You will find this group very helpful and friendly. Once you have read the stickies, if you find you have questions, post back here.

Just a note...if you have been doing vlcd for a extended period, I'd strongly recommend starting at full tdee and doing a metabolism reset. (food for thought while you read up) :flowerforyou: