Newbie Help please

ladym0208

Hi everyone

I'm new here, I have been following weight watchers since November last year and have lost 61.5lbs so far. I am 14lbs away from my goal weight and a healthy BMI (25). Generally WW has been good but I have concerns about maintenance now that I am so close, I can't see myself counting ProPoints for the rest of my life. Although I have never been this light in the past I have yo-yoed in the past and just don't want it to happen again. Looking at the info I have found so far on EL2LM it seems great and like something I could easily maintain and not feel restricted (Yay food!!!). I just really want to know that I am doing something good for my body each day and to rid myself of the food fears that I have developed over the years.

I have calculated my BMR (1485)
and my TDEE (2302)
and my calorie goal (1956) based on -15% suggested
(Im 29, 5ft 3.5 and weigh 155lbs)

My questions are

- do I need to reset? I have been averaging around 1,500 cal per day for the last few months. I exercise for around 3-4 hrs er week and this is a mix of cardio and light weights (i.e body pump) for around 45 mins to 1 hr each time

- I also do a fair amount of walking maybe 1hr + each day so should I calculate this as well and eat the extra calories if it takes me under my BMR?

- is body pump enough of a weight lifting exercise or should I look to be doing more (gradually) ?

- Should I add a protein shake to my day i.e after a workout?

I don't plan on starting for the next few days so that I can do some more research, but I have to say looking at some of the results on here I am very much looking forward to making the change.

Thanks in advance x

rosied915

Congratulations on your impressive loss so far!! Over 60 pounds in less than a year is amazing, even for WW.

Since your BMR is 1485 and you've been eating approx. that number along with exercising (are you eating your "exercise points?"), we could probably put you in the VLCD (Very Low Calorie Diet) category.

The length of time you've been on WW along with the amount of calories you've been eating probably qualifies you for a Reset.

This is easier SAID than DONE. In Reset, you will eat your TDEE (2300) for a period of 6 weeks or more. For you, this is about 800 calories more than what you eat now.

You mention how close to "goal/maintanence" you are and that you don't want to be "counting Points" forever~ EM2WL is NOT to get you closer to your GOAL WEIGHT. As a matter of fact, you will move AWAY from your goal weight before you get near it again.

EM2WL is a method to HEAL A DAMAGED METABOLISM from lengthy periods of time (YEARS for me) of VLCD. The SCALE is NOT the measure of our success although from time to time we use to see how we're doing.
Here we use an OVERALL MEASURE of success and a lot of the time, it has NOTHING to do with a scale~like we are sleeping better, we're stronger, we've stopped losing hair, we've stopped our emotional addiction to food/eating.

A Reset, which is the period of time where we are "Resetting" our metabolism can be very, very difficult emotionally. MOST of us GAINED weight during this time~ some just a few pounds and others, like me, a LOT. On some of us it wasn't noticable, on me it was dramatic.

Most of us will hang in there because we want to be DONE with dieting and the "non-scale" changes to our bodies is worth it. For me it also included a profound impact on my emotional eating issues.

I would suggest that you think some more on how you're going handle the likely weight gain~ even if you go to Cut-15%.

I've been here since April and am a firm believer in the theory but there have been some VERY difficult times for me and many others and I just want to prepare you for it.

I hope you get a lot responses so you will be able to make a well-informed decision.

ladym0208

Thanks for the reply....

I don't really mind the idea of moving away from my goal weight before I reach it. I just feel that WW will not be sustainable for me in the long run and I would really like to learn how to properly look after my body so if that means a gain before I lose its something I am prepared for but I don't think I will lose sight of my overall goal (if that makes sense) as that is also important for my health.

I will probably only weigh myself once per month, but I feel like I am in a pretty good space with regards to the number on the scale as a gain does not scare me as long as I know I am doing something good for my body (i.e not just eating junk and being inactive...) but I guess you can never be fully prepared so thanks for the tip!

I think you're right in that a reset is in order, I will probably add a few high cal but healthly snacks (nuts etc) and have larger amounts of protein with each meal and see how I get on....

azalais7

Just to add on, no, body pump isn't really much of a strength workout--lifting heavy is the way to go. Check out New Rules of Lifting For Women, or this free online program: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-livefit-trainer.html.

rosied915

Thanks for the reply....

I don't really mind the idea of moving away from my goal weight before I reach it. I just feel that WW will not be sustainable for me in the long run and I would really like to learn how to properly look after my body so if that means a gain before I lose its something I am prepared for but I don't think I will lose sight of my overall goal (if that makes sense) as that is also important for my health.

I will probably only weigh myself once per month, but I feel like I am in a pretty good space with regards to the number on the scale as a gain does not scare me as long as I know I am doing something good for my body (i.e not just eating junk and being inactive...) but I guess you can never be fully prepared so thanks for the tip!

I think you're right in that a reset is in order, I will probably add a few high cal but healthly snacks (nuts etc) and have larger amounts of protein with each meal and see how I get on....

OK then~ your plan and outlook sound PERFECT!:drinker:

You are 100% correct about ANY "diet" being the "answer" for the long run.:bigsmile:

Protein IS the key~in my opinion~ and I've also added almonds and Protein BARS to my menu~ shakes can be "gagsome" at times for me. And I also have larger servings of ALL proteins in general. A lot of people here will tell you not to worry about ANYthing else but hitting your Protein Macro for the day and the rest will fall into place~ a good idea, I think, a good place to start on this new lifestyle.

And as Azalais stated, a lot of us lift heavy and I do New Rules Of Lifting for Women (NROL4W) too. I feel VERY empowered when I do those workouts and I should note here that some of the weight that you may or may not gain is MUSCLE which is what we WANT!!

Good Luck and keep in touch, OK?:flowerforyou:

riouxt

Rosied915 has it cased. Being a former WW myself, I understand the mindset and reliance on the scale for feedback about results. It's such a hard habit to break, so good for you for having a healthy outlook on the changes a reset might take. I'm going into my third week of reset and have been hitting the weights with new rules for a month and will be finishing my long distance running this Sunday in the half that I've been training for. I have not gained any weight from upping my cals from 1400 in July to 1650 for the beginning of August and I finally bit the bullet and went whole hog into reset (2300 cals). First off, not gaining is rather unusual on reset but I attribute it to my race prep. The extra cardio I have to do is probably offsetting the gains. However, a reset and weightlifting program requires you to abstain from cardio at the start so you aren't confusing the body by trying to build muscle (heavy lifting) while tearing it down (distance running). Although my weight hasn't changed I've already lost inches on my hips, stomach and chest which wasnt happening with running alone. I was a group power instructor for years (similar to body pump) and although saw initial changes, was not lifting enough to cause muscle tearing to build new muscle, but only working the existing fibers to be better at working. Classes can be a good place to start if you're new to lifting because technique is critical when lifting heavy. So if you are brand new to lifting and have access to pump classes it wouldn't hurt to try there to start. But...a trainer would be my first suggestion because you would be getting specific instructions for the functional and critical moves like squats and dead lifts. Hit your protein numbers. That was and is still my #1 goal each day along with drinking vats of water and eating veggies. Good luck!!