Thoughts?

120weeks

Let's say you have a friend who has not been dieting but is obese. She tried for a few weeks to lose weight and was very successful. She netted about 800-1500 for 10 weeks following the plan MFP laid out for her (as best as she came to understand it). She lost 16 pounds over 10 weeks and essentially never "plateaued". She heard about EM2WL around that same time and the philosophy was in exact alignment for how she wanted to live the rest of her life!

She did not feel a reset was necessary for her because 1) she was starting from scratch (only 10 weeks in) 2) has 100 pounds to lose total (give or take a few to put her at the highest range of the "normal" range) and 3) was thrilled with her 1.6 average weekly loss but knew that wouldn't last forever....She wants to do something that can last a lifetime. Her BMR is 1920, TDEE 2900 and she ate a cut of 20% (her plan until she could get to the halfway mark of her loss).

After 6 weeks on EM2WL, and not weighing herself, she took a hard look in the mirror and began to overthing things. If someone asked her do you THINK you are gaining weight, losing weight, or maintaining, she would have no clue what to answer. She felt tighter in some areas but her face was bloated. So, she measured herself and over 6 weeks, no change in waist or hips BUT she lost 1 inch in her arm.

So, curiousity grew and the next morning, she weighed herself. Over six weeks, a loss of 5 pounds. Very nice! No complaints BUT a question....since she doesn't really know her TDEE (no one really does without a monitor)....she wants to still aim for a slightly higher loss than .8 pounds a week and most importantly, she wants to lose inches again. She is a very reasonable person!

So, what do you tell her?


And yes, I am talking about me, haha. Thanks so much for your wisdom. I have a personal coach who believes that it's very possible my metabolism is not as high as the calculators are giving me credit for. And, with continued dedication to lifting and proper eating, my metabolism will one day be as efficient as it should be.

PLUMSGRL

Well Girlfriend,

This is not a race, but a way of living. Taking a bigger cut (you're already pretty high with 20%), could actually have the opposite affect, weight gain:noway: . Giving you this link to an article of a research posted in Oxygen magazine:

http://www.oxygenmag.com/Community/Expert-Q-A/How-does-starvation-versus-eating-fewer-calories-affect-fat-loss.aspx

It's also advisable to eat at TDEE for a week, every 8-12 weeks (gives your body a break).

Hope that helps:flowerforyou:

mommamuscles

I think I would tell you to hang on. You're getting there! I had a lot of weight to lose as well, and I still have a considerable amount of fat to lose to get to my goal. But truly, slow and steady wins the race. I have alot of regret for the way I lost weight in the beginning...too many episodes of the Biggest Loser, lol.

I think if you focus on muscle building right now you will find that you will lose the weight at a faster pace. You just have to wait for it.

So hang in there. You will see the results you want. Just takes time, patience, and perseverence. This is for life, not a quick fix. I had to get to a place where I realized that all the quick fixes I sought after were not getting me any healthier, fitter, or even thinner. I actually just kept getting bigger and bigger.

You are on the right track!

trosewine

You are doing great!! I agree with the other posters that truly to make it a lifestyle change, patience is necessary. Strength training should help and also doing a diet beak every once in a while should be highly considered.

BUT, for those with a lot to lose, you can probably sneak in a higher deficit without negative effects (e.g. metabolism slowing or muscle loss) as long as you are netting BMR at least. I wouldn't do it long term, but a possibility is to have a couple days a week with a higher deficit. But really, you are so doing the right thing and seeing progress...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!