Last week of reset/changing activity level

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bethad5
bethad5 Posts: 176 Member
So Sunday starts my last week of reset! I'm currently eating at my TDEE for 5-6 hours of strenuous activity. A couple days this week I was a couple hundred below my TDEE and I could totally feel it - no energy to do much of anything, struggling through workouts. This makes me nervous to continue my current exercise regimen and eat at cut, since cut means I'll purposely be eating less.

I currently do 5 hour-long cardio sessions at the gym. I'm going to be honest here: I hate it. I have to force myself to go every day. From January to about April, I did hour-long sessions every day, only taking I think one rest day in that entire four months - I loved it - but I am just so burnt out. I don't know if it's because I feel so fat and bloated from resetting or what, it just isn't motivating anymore.

I am going out of town today through Sunday the 4th (which should technically be my first day of cut). I'm almost 95% sure there is no way I can meet my 5-6 hours of activity level. I'm also unsure if I can eat 2655 cals a day. But here's the thing: I want to lower my activity level to moderate, the 3-5 hour level. Ideally I want to start NROLFW, but I might stick with shorter cardio sessions and incorporate Jjillian's 30 day shred at first (I literally do NO strength training at all right now. I think it might be better for me to start with 30DS at home and then start NROFLW afterwards. I might just be rationalizing away my fear of doing NROFLW, not sure ;))

but - with it being week 8 of reset - should I jump down to my full TDEE for moderate activity this Sunday, eat that for the week, then do the cut from there on Sunday the 4? Or should I eat at my full TDEE that I've eaten throughout the whole reset, for strenuous activity? I posted another thread and jyska made a good point: it seems jumping from full TDEE at strenuous to cut TDEE at moderate would be a pretty huge jump and I don't want to freak my body out too much.

Replies

  • crystalwelshroberts
    crystalwelshroberts Posts: 147 Member
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    I see your dilemma. I'm interested to know what people advise...

    For the record, I just love NROLFW. I just got back from vacation and couldn't wait to get back to it!! I'm starting stage 3 soon.
  • bethad5
    bethad5 Posts: 176 Member
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    bump?
  • bossymomd
    bossymomd Posts: 38 Member
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    I'm a newbie (on since April) so I'm not sure I qualify to reply to this. But I think 5 hour cardio sessions are just plain nuts.....is that something you'll be able to do the rest of your life? I think all of the decisions we make about our health and fitness should be in "long term" thinking.

    Patience is really a virtue here...we all want it to happen tomorrow....not gonna happen. Go back to your hour/day and love it again. Good Luck....
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,376 Member
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    l would go with what you have planned on going down to moderate activity before you go to the cut amount...The only thing is, are you only going to be at this level until the 4th or are you planning on going back to your activity level after that b/c with what you have planned to do later still sounds like you would be at the strenuous level to me...

    You really should cut your cardio down to 30 mins like you said or at least every other day maybe with a day or two of rest in there somewhere...You seem to be doing a whole lot of cardio and I would suggest starting the lifting definitely - It doesn't have to be NROLFW - You can go with something else to start with for now and work your way up if it makes you nervous (which sounds very reasonable to me)...My advice would be to lift 3x per week, every other day and do cardio 2-3x/wk with at least one day to rest...Two if possible and keep your activity at moderate...See how that sounds to you.

    30mins per day for 5days would put you at moderate activity level ...Take a week or two of doing this new schedule to find out how many hours you are really going to be doing and go from there with your activity level...

    Best of luck to you!! :flowerforyou: