can the scale AND the tape both be liars??? so confused!
seobstar
Posts: 169
Ok, so some of you have read my story....I have been a VLCD for a very, very long time (struggled with anorexia in high school) and recently within the last 2.5 months have upped my cals from a chronic 1200/1500 to 2000ish, and am now currently doing a total metabolism reset and eating 2500per day (TDEE) where I'm in the middle of week 4....going for a total of 8 when I'll then do a 15% cut.
I haven't really gained much real weight in the 4 weeks that I've been doing the reset, just up and down the same 5 pounds that I've been struggling with for a freaking year! I lost 70 pounds after my last pregnancy 2 yrs ago and have been struggling to get the last 10 off for a year now. I did INSANITY in march/april (it's a 60day program) and totally believed that it would kill those last 10...nope...nada (quite possibly b/c I was only eating 1800cal per day and working out harder than I've worked out in my entire life...duh, wish I knew then what I know now). I lost lots of inches and toned up a ton doing INSANITY but didn't really lose any weight.
So, after doing the intense cardio that is INSANITY I've been incorporating heavy lifting into my routine for the last few months. I workout hard 6 days a week doing a combo of heavy lifting/running/HIIT classes, etc. My burns are usually pretty high and I sometimes wonder if my estimated TDEE (from scooby) is a bit low but anyway, my question for you guys is more about the heavy lifting WHILE doing the reset....I'm kinda sorta FREAKING out b/c I'm so deathly afraid of "bulking" up or being a bulky looking woman!! ughh, I could cry right now. I do NOT want to be bulky....I want to be fit and strong and have muscles but I do not want to be "big" and muscular. Am I going to get HUGE muscles while eating 2500cals a day and lifting heavy? will they look sleek and toned and defined once I start my cut and this extra PUDGE starts to come off? Someone please reassure me that all this lifting (which by the way I am starting to seriously love, it's addicting, i feel good doing it, i see and feel new muscles everywhere and my legs....my problem area... are seriously starting to take shape) isn't going to make me huge while doing my reset? I'm so scared...what am I doing to my body? I posted pics so you can all let me know what you think....the one on the left is my 60day success pic from INSANITY and then the one on the right is me right now...today, like 5 minutes ago. On one hand I love what I see, I feel like everywhere is toning up but on the other hand I'm afraid I'm getting bigger? am I???? also, I've been measuring and inches aren't changing at all (unless I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm doing measuring) but I DO feel like my legs/arms LOOK different? what's up with the scale being a liar and is the tape measure lying too.? oh my goodness. so sorry for this crazy rant! You guys are some of the most amazing supportive women and I just needed to vent I think....=(
I haven't really gained much real weight in the 4 weeks that I've been doing the reset, just up and down the same 5 pounds that I've been struggling with for a freaking year! I lost 70 pounds after my last pregnancy 2 yrs ago and have been struggling to get the last 10 off for a year now. I did INSANITY in march/april (it's a 60day program) and totally believed that it would kill those last 10...nope...nada (quite possibly b/c I was only eating 1800cal per day and working out harder than I've worked out in my entire life...duh, wish I knew then what I know now). I lost lots of inches and toned up a ton doing INSANITY but didn't really lose any weight.
So, after doing the intense cardio that is INSANITY I've been incorporating heavy lifting into my routine for the last few months. I workout hard 6 days a week doing a combo of heavy lifting/running/HIIT classes, etc. My burns are usually pretty high and I sometimes wonder if my estimated TDEE (from scooby) is a bit low but anyway, my question for you guys is more about the heavy lifting WHILE doing the reset....I'm kinda sorta FREAKING out b/c I'm so deathly afraid of "bulking" up or being a bulky looking woman!! ughh, I could cry right now. I do NOT want to be bulky....I want to be fit and strong and have muscles but I do not want to be "big" and muscular. Am I going to get HUGE muscles while eating 2500cals a day and lifting heavy? will they look sleek and toned and defined once I start my cut and this extra PUDGE starts to come off? Someone please reassure me that all this lifting (which by the way I am starting to seriously love, it's addicting, i feel good doing it, i see and feel new muscles everywhere and my legs....my problem area... are seriously starting to take shape) isn't going to make me huge while doing my reset? I'm so scared...what am I doing to my body? I posted pics so you can all let me know what you think....the one on the left is my 60day success pic from INSANITY and then the one on the right is me right now...today, like 5 minutes ago. On one hand I love what I see, I feel like everywhere is toning up but on the other hand I'm afraid I'm getting bigger? am I???? also, I've been measuring and inches aren't changing at all (unless I'm an idiot and don't know what I'm doing measuring) but I DO feel like my legs/arms LOOK different? what's up with the scale being a liar and is the tape measure lying too.? oh my goodness. so sorry for this crazy rant! You guys are some of the most amazing supportive women and I just needed to vent I think....=(
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Replies
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Check out Lucia and Kiki's pics. They do not look bulky
It takes a lot for someone to put on actual bulk. You would need to be eating more than your TDEE and it is just polain difficult for a woman to get bulky.0 -
Unless you are taking steroids you will not get bulky. Women cannot get bulky, they get sleek and sexy looking. Like HHM just said, look at Kiki and Lucia, they have been lifting for quite a while. Never in a million years would anyone ever say they are bulky, muscle bound women, they have strong sexy sleek bodies.
I think you should focus on a good strength program, you have a beautiful body, nothing to be ashamed of at all!0 -
To address the pictures - you do NOT look bigger now. You look great!
I like the way weight lifting makes me feel - I love being stronger. And not bulky at all. it has made my arms sleeker.
And, although it pretty much won't ever happen - IF (big "if"), you bulk up, then just reduce weights. Simple as that.
But you won't. :-)0 -
Also remember that you may never drop those 10 lbs because you have dropped fat but added muscle and your skeleton has likely gotten heavier from your workouts. If you've lost inches and you are stronger than you are having success. Only you see the scale and it might be time to stop relying on it as a measure of success. Also I cannot for the life of me take proper measurements--they say the same thing. However my clothing doesn't lie when it falls off me.0
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Uhhmm...Are you kidding??!!! LOL!
You look great!! Damn, your legs look so firm, lean and strong!! Seriously, you look awesome and no, you wont get HUGE muscles at all...its damn hard to get those, ask the huge guys in gym...they work extremely hard and long to look like they do.0 -
You look amazing!!! Don't worry you won't bulk up at all.
I've been wondering about my measuring skills too. According to them I haven't gone down a whole lot, but people keep saying I look slimmer, and my clothes fit a lot better. Like falling off of me better.
Lifting is the best exercise program I have ever started and I won't ever stop it!0 -
The scale and tape are both lying to me too
. I can visibly see the difference so I'm just ignoring them for right now.
You look amazing!0 -
Same with me. I have been bouncing around the same 3 lbs for months. Tape says I haven't really changed in months. Last night I pulled my pants off without unbuttoning and I know they weren't like that a month ago.0
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You look awesome! Congrats on your success so far!!! I am in the same boat trying to comprehend all the information about EMTLW. After an initial gain from upping calories, the scale is still lying to me and now the stupid tape measure is in on the joke against me too (It's a conspiracy! LOL!). But I FEEL different and I really think I am starting to LOOK different (better that is). Maybe one day the stupid scale and the stupid tape will give up their mind boggling games and finally show me what I've been feeling/seeing. But until then, I press on with EMTLW because I love food and I love eating and I believe in the science behind it.0
