Reset -- How do I know if 8 weeks is enough?
fresh_start59
Posts: 590 Member
My info packet says that for a full metabolic reset, I need to eat "at TDEE for a minimum of 8 weeks."
Here is my dilemma ...
I am on week 3 and even though I eat something healthy every three hours, from the time I wake up until I go to bed, I am not eating at TDEE. (Now if I added in ice-cream, fried foods, etc, I could reach TDEE but I'd go WAY over on my fats).
I have forced myself to eat past my BMR every day, though a couple times it meant gorging on almonds, pomegranate juice, chicken breast and cheese shortly before bedtime. On average, in the first two weeks I fell short of meeting my TDEE by about 150 calories a day.
NOTE: Although I am working on moving a bit more, I'm still very sedentary, so the difference between my BMR and TDEE is only 350 calories.
Does it need to be 8 weeks AT TDEE? That is, will my first two weeks eating almost at TDEE count or do I need to start counting my weeks once I'm regularly consuming at TDEE?
"minimum of 8 weeks" ... how do I know if 8 weeks is enough, or if I need to make it 9 or 10 or 12?
Here is my dilemma ...
I am on week 3 and even though I eat something healthy every three hours, from the time I wake up until I go to bed, I am not eating at TDEE. (Now if I added in ice-cream, fried foods, etc, I could reach TDEE but I'd go WAY over on my fats).
I have forced myself to eat past my BMR every day, though a couple times it meant gorging on almonds, pomegranate juice, chicken breast and cheese shortly before bedtime. On average, in the first two weeks I fell short of meeting my TDEE by about 150 calories a day.
NOTE: Although I am working on moving a bit more, I'm still very sedentary, so the difference between my BMR and TDEE is only 350 calories.
Does it need to be 8 weeks AT TDEE? That is, will my first two weeks eating almost at TDEE count or do I need to start counting my weeks once I'm regularly consuming at TDEE?
"minimum of 8 weeks" ... how do I know if 8 weeks is enough, or if I need to make it 9 or 10 or 12?
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Replies
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I hate to tell you, but if you are not eating at TDEE, it's not a reset. BUT, your body will get used to more calories. Just keep eating more every day! Take a look at my diary to get some food ideas. It's easier than you think to get calories in!0
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I hate to tell you, but if you are not eating at TDEE, it's not a reset.
That is what I was afraid of. I guess I'll have to count the past 16 days as "gearing up for reset".
My body is used to eating one high-fat, low-nutrition dinner followed by late night snacking on high-fat, high-carb, low-nutrition foods. It is no wonder that I felt so depressed and had no energy to move!
Today was the first day in more than a year that I ate something solid (ie: not milk, not a diet shake, not juice) within an hour after waking. I had three turkey sausage links and I enjoyed every one! Hopefully I can keep moving forward, eating more of my calories in the first six hours of my day, so I can comfortably reach my TDEE before bedtime.0 -
I'll add that the overstuffed feeling will pass as your body adjusts to eating the proper amount of food. I like what one person said - it might have been Kiki but I'm not sure. If you're wanting to CUT because you feel so stuffed eating at TDEE all the time, you're not ready to end reset. If you're enjoying every last calorie and a bit sad about losing some of them, you're probably ready to CUT. It's definitely a more simplistic way of looking at things - kind of a rule of thumb - but I think most of us have found this to be true!0
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What the others have said.. you arent at TDEE and not at reset. Make sure to hit your TDEE daily and give it your all. The stuffed feeling does pass after time and is replaced by the HUNGRY feeling.. also a good sign you are eating right. And that will pass as well. Concentrate on eating full fat, high calorie, low density foods, like nuts and seeds and good oils.
Reset is a huge mental game and it sucks at times.. but keep at it, have faith and just enjoy eating food again:)0
