We've heard it before - mini breakdown

Cinbad3178

I posted this on the EM2WL website, but I'm so afraid that no one will see it to help me out (or give me encouragement).

Without really knowing where to post this for someone to reply, I decided this was the safest place because there has to be SOMEONE who has been where I am. I am sure you've ALL heard this same rant, but please let me know that I'm okay and on the right track. I just need support.

I attempted to type all of this out and after about 4 paragraphs (no joke), my Ipad shut off. I considered it a sign from the Lord that I wasn't to write all of that for all of you to pity me (lucky!) and decided I'd just give all of you the quick Clif's Notes version.

I freaked out today. Like literally 10 minutes ago. I looked at myself in the mirror, got disgusted, tried on my workout outfit so I can get in an Upper Body exercise and froze.

"How did I get so big so quickly?"

"How did I not notice this until now?"

"Why has no one told me?!"

Needless to say, I'm concerned that it's only my 4th week and I'm up 10 lbs, and a total of 13 inches all over my body. Is this normal? Is it possible that I'll get up to my old weight of 235 before this reset is over? I seriously, seriously would NOT be able to handle that. I'm trying not to be dramatic, but my history with depression, anxiety, and basically bipolar tendencies doesn't help.

I just recently married the love of my life and while he's totally on board with my deicision to start this program, I"m worried neither he, nor I, knew what we were getting into when we decided to this. I don't need him to think his new wife is letting herself go!!

Every post I checked said nothing about gaining ten full pounds in a week and no more than a couple inches.

I used to have GREAT definition in my arms/shoulders/stomach and now ALL of that is gone. No kidding. I'm so defeated, and it's only a month in. What am I doing wrong? Can ANYONE give me any insight?

Thanks and again, my apologies for the whining. I'm just so scared and have no one else to talk to.

deevatude

are u on a reset?

Cinbad3178

Hi yes deevatude I started the reset on October 29th.

Greenrun99

I can't see your diary, and I don't think I seen any posts from you on here about where your at and what you used to do.. But its not uncommon if you lost a ton of weight doing very low calories to suddenly start gaining weight.. Now 10 lbs in a month.. that might be a bit much (water weight, bloating, etc etc) but why not post a breakdown of what your following and what your stats are?
(So height/weight/age, BMR, TDEE, What your eating currently, activity level)

Raynn1

Unless you consumed an additional 35,000 extra calories on top of what you were eating over the course of the month, your 10 pound gain is NOT fat.
Breathe....:)

What is your past history? How much weight have you lost? Did you come from a VLCD prior to deciding to eat more?
As Greenrun said, its hard for us to be able to help unless we know more information... what is your BMR/TDEE/Cut? What are you eating? Can you open up your diary so we can see? What are your exercise routines like? How is your sodium intake?


While it is not common for users to gain 10+ pounds on reset, it DOES in fact happen. Not everyone is treated the same when it comes to our bodies. If you had been previously eating VLC, your body is in shock right now that you are feeding it more, so its hoarding everything, because it has no idea if you are going to starve it again. Once again, you did NOT gain 10 pounds of fat. Water retention is likely the reason for a good portion of that gain.

I know ifs frustrating, embarrassing, frightening and upsetting, but think long term. This is not a diet. This is finding a way to fuel your body, eat MORE in order to lose weight, and its not an easy thing to do. We are so ingrained to believe that weight loss is a number on the scale, but it is not. Weight loss is a PRODUCT of fat loss. Are you lifting weights? that can also be a huge source of the gains.

Anyways, if you can fill in the blanks, then we can help out a bit more.
I know it sucks, but it does get better, I promise

Noor13

You already got some very good advice.

Everybody is different, and everybody does gain differently. I know hoe frustrating it can be, but you have to have to long haul in mind. You did not become overweight in a short time span. And if you want to do it right, you wont be losing it in a short time either.

The reset is a mind game and it can be really hard. But stay strong and hang in there. Once your body has realized what is happening it will stop storing every morsel of food. I can not tell you when you will stop gaining, but I am telling you to keep going.

Cinbad3178

I want to first apologize for not getting back to any of you sooner....things have been crazy at my end. Here's what I wrote a fellow EM2WLer so i figured I'd just paste it here instead of writing it all over again. As far as the diary, I'm not sure how to make it public unless someone is my friend?

Thanks for the help so far ladeis and for taking the time to help me out. It's nice to have support since I'm really not getting much at home

Here are my stats:

Started EM2WL after my honeymoon at the end of October (the 29th, to be precise)
31 years
5/4”
Currently 157lbs (up from 147 when I started EM2WL)

Measurements:
Neck: 14”
Chest: 37” (+3)
Under Bra Waist: 32” (+4”)
Waist: 33-34” (+4”)
Rt Thigh: 26” (+1)
Lf Thigh: 26.5” (+1)
Rt Calf: 16.5” (+1.5)
Lf Calf: 17” (+2)

TDEE per Scooby with Moderate exercise selected is: 2300 with 40/30/30 ratio
I have only really been getting about 2000 at the most because I just find it difficult to eat that much (healthy stuff) right now without guzzling down a million protein shakes!

Moderate exercise:
(typical week…sometimes I’ll switch up the days, but never work same body part back to back):

Mon: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body A: 40 mins
Tues: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body A: 40 mins
Wed: Pilates/Yoga/Walking: 30-40 mins
Thurs: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body B: 40 mins
Fri: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body B: 40 mins
Sat: Walking/Yoga/Pilates – some sort of movement 40-60 mins
Sun: Complete Rest

I am gluten-free and have to limit my dairy because can also have problems with lactose. I stick with lean meat (chicken, occasionally lean beef, venison/elk, fish, occasionally pork), eggs, whey protein powder rice, potatoes (both sweet & regular), quinoa, oats, healthy nuts (raw walnuts are my fave), all-natural almond/peanut butter, spinach, cauliflower, peas, green beans, etc, and at least some sort of chocolate each day (whether that be a gluten-free cookie or a few Hershey kisses).

So, I looked back at my eating habits the past few weeks and realized I’m not getting as much protein in as I’d like and I’m still finding it hard to eat my TDEE (to fulfill the reset requirements).

I’ve been trying to get a better night sleep but still find myself only catching 5 hours most of the time. Need to work on that.

I’ve been also trying to get my water in and have been at least hitting 10 cups/day, although I am capable of doing more.

Currently with my 10 lb weight gain, I have also gone from a comfy size 8 to a barely-buttoned 10 and slowly creeping to a 12. I’m afraid to go that far, so have been living in leggings, tights, dresses, and such items that don’t have anything to do with denim.

Thanks again for your help and my apologies for the delay in this response.

Hope you all have a great holiday!

Cindy

heybales

Moderate exercise:
(typical week…sometimes I’ll switch up the days, but never work same body part back to back):

Mon: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body A: 40 mins
Tues: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body A: 40 mins
Wed: Pilates/Yoga/Walking: 30-40 mins
Thurs: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body B: 40 mins
Fri: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body B: 40 mins
Sat: Walking/Yoga/Pilates – some sort of movement 40-60 mins
Sun: Complete Rest

I’ve been trying to get a better night sleep but still find myself only catching 5 hours most of the time. Need to work on that.

Currently with my 10 lb weight gain, I have also gone from a comfy size 8 to a barely-buttoned 10 and slowly creeping to a 12. I’m afraid to go that far, so have been living in leggings, tights, dresses, and such items that don’t have anything to do with denim.

Good program.
So lack of protein could have some impact, but probably enough anyway when going by grams. Sleep can be pretty big factor actually if you show any signs of lack of sleep.

So I would suggest that your actually time at that activity is a BMR multiplier of 1.38, if rest of your workweek is sedentary level.
If your job or day is actually on your feet moving somewhat, that would raise that level depending on how long.

Lifting just doesn't burn the same calories as 40 min of cardio for instance, so you should eat less. It may indeed burn more during recovery for 24 hrs, but that is fat burn, and why replenish fat stores?
And the walking, yoga, pilates just isn't a big burn either, and mainly fat during the workout.

So weekly 160 min lifting, I split the difference of 50 min light cardio yoga/pilates, 50 min moderate cardio for walking 3.5 mph.
So while that is 4.33 hrs weekly, the intensity just doesn't deserve Moderate level in that 1919 study table for TDEE.

This is using the spreadsheet of course.

Not enough of correct stats to estimate BF% though, and you don't mention it. That could easily be a difference of 100-300 between BMR estimates of accurate and inflated if you can estimate your BF%.

Mifflin BMR - 1412 (probably inflated until you know your BF%, but may be avg and expected too)
TDEE - 1944 (based on above 1.38 multiplier)
Deficit - since you are doing an excellent routine of heavy lifting the whole body, and minimal cardio that could chance breaking down muscle, you could easily take a steeper deficit and maintain muscle and LBM. Studies have shown women taking 50-60% deficits and maintaining LBM and RMR levels. But that extreme is terrible for maintaining later, and they are under strict supervision.
So if you want fat loss and maintain current LBM/muscle, you could take a 25% deficit.
If you want to possibly increase LBM (not likely muscle though with a deficit and doing the lifting already), take the 15%.
So eating goal would be 1463 everyday with steeper deficit.

Your lifting probably burns 130 calories during the 40 min session. The most active walking level 3.5 mph for 60 min would burn 300 calories for your weight. The yoga/pilates less than that.
But, remove the already accounted for TDEE of 1944, or 54 cal for 40 min, 81 cal for 60 min.
So lifting burns 76 calories over and above what the TDEE had you burning anyway, and walking cardio is 219 calories.

So while that goal looks close to BMR, the weekly avg is fine.
Or just use those calorie counts and NET above BMR if desired. Or take the 15% deficit and no worry about it at all because you'll have a much bigger buffer anyway.

So you have stopped gaining at this point, mainly during the initial increase of calories?
Or still gaining that would seem to indicate eating over TDEE?

Because 1 month for 10 lbs is pretty good gain. Even if you count initial 4-5 lbs water weight. You haven't gained muscle in that time as your BMR must have been suppressed, and your body isn't going to build muscle if still suppressed. Other LBM mass including water sure, not muscle.

norcal_yogi

bump....and please open your diary for more input/feedback.

Gapwedge01

Moderate exercise:
(typical week…sometimes I’ll switch up the days, but never work same body part back to back):

Mon: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body A: 40 mins
Tues: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body A: 40 mins
Wed: Pilates/Yoga/Walking: 30-40 mins
Thurs: Weightlifting (Heavy) Lower Body B: 40 mins
Fri: Weightlifting (Heavy) Upper Body B: 40 mins
Sat: Walking/Yoga/Pilates – some sort of movement 40-60 mins
Sun: Complete Rest

I’ve been trying to get a better night sleep but still find myself only catching 5 hours most of the time. Need to work on that.

Currently with my 10 lb weight gain, I have also gone from a comfy size 8 to a barely-buttoned 10 and slowly creeping to a 12. I’m afraid to go that far, so have been living in leggings, tights, dresses, and such items that don’t have anything to do with denim.

Good program.
So lack of protein could have some impact, but probably enough anyway when going by grams. Sleep can be pretty big factor actually if you show any signs of lack of sleep.

So I would suggest that your actually time at that activity is a BMR multiplier of 1.38, if rest of your workweek is sedentary level.
If your job or day is actually on your feet moving somewhat, that would raise that level depending on how long.

Lifting just doesn't burn the same calories as 40 min of cardio for instance, so you should eat less. It may indeed burn more during recovery for 24 hrs, but that is fat burn, and why replenish fat stores?
And the walking, yoga, pilates just isn't a big burn either, and mainly fat during the workout.

So weekly 160 min lifting, I split the difference of 50 min light cardio yoga/pilates, 50 min moderate cardio for walking 3.5 mph.
So while that is 4.33 hrs weekly, the intensity just doesn't deserve Moderate level in that 1919 study table for TDEE.

This is using the spreadsheet of course.

Not enough of correct stats to estimate BF% though, and you don't mention it. That could easily be a difference of 100-300 between BMR estimates of accurate and inflated if you can estimate your BF%.

Mifflin BMR - 1412 (probably inflated until you know your BF%, but may be avg and expected too)
TDEE - 1944 (based on above 1.38 multiplier)
Deficit - since you are doing an excellent routine of heavy lifting the whole body, and minimal cardio that could chance breaking down muscle, you could easily take a steeper deficit and maintain muscle and LBM. Studies have shown women taking 50-60% deficits and maintaining LBM and RMR levels. But that extreme is terrible for maintaining later, and they are under strict supervision.
So if you want fat loss and maintain current LBM/muscle, you could take a 25% deficit.
If you want to possibly increase LBM (not likely muscle though with a deficit and doing the lifting already), take the 15%.
So eating goal would be 1463 everyday with steeper deficit.

Your lifting probably burns 130 calories during the 40 min session. The most active walking level 3.5 mph for 60 min would burn 300 calories for your weight. The yoga/pilates less than that.
But, remove the already accounted for TDEE of 1944, or 54 cal for 40 min, 81 cal for 60 min.
So lifting burns 76 calories over and above what the TDEE had you burning anyway, and walking cardio is 219 calories.

So while that goal looks close to BMR, the weekly avg is fine.
Or just use those calorie counts and NET above BMR if desired. Or take the 15% deficit and no worry about it at all because you'll have a much bigger buffer anyway.

So you have stopped gaining at this point, mainly during the initial increase of calories?
Or still gaining that would seem to indicate eating over TDEE?

Because 1 month for 10 lbs is pretty good gain. Even if you count initial 4-5 lbs water weight. You haven't gained muscle in that time as your BMR must have been suppressed, and your body isn't going to build muscle if still suppressed. Other LBM mass including water sure, not muscle.

Another great read. Thanks Heybales for another good insight!