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Newbie here...first couple days observations and background
mgebersold
Posts: 20 Member
Hi everyone! I'm new to the group and to the lifestyle of eating more ...on purpose anyways. I just wanted to post because I want to document how I'm feeling, thoughts, etc as I start this journey.
This will probably be a long post but maybe it will help someone else at some point . Thanks for reading.
A little background....
I've always struggled losing weight. Now, other than both pregnancies, I have never been what others would call extremely overweight but I've been unhappy with the size of my body for a long time now. In fact, the only time I have ever really loved my shape and size was after my first child. After my son was born though I just can't seem to lose size anymore. I may say weight sometimes but I always mean size. I could care less what I actually weigh but want that jean size down.
I'm 5 3 on a good day and have averaged 178 ish for about 8 months now. I really started to try everything after I had to buy size 14 jeans bc NOTHING else would fit. So a little about my journey from there.
In aug or sept I hired a friend of mine who was a personal trainer to come up with a eating and exercise plan for me. At the time I had been teaching Zumba for 3 to 4 hours a week and not seeing results. She designed a lifting plan...great stuff ..I love to lift bt afraid of bulkiness so have avoided for years. Eating plan was for 1300 calories a day. Big surprise. So I did this for a month straight. Workouts completely on point. Stopped teaching Zumba at this point. Eating would be on plan for about 3 4 days until I would just binge because i was so hungry. This made me feel like a huge failure every time. I was frustrated with myself and felt like I would never get to any goals because I didn't have enough willpower. That month I lost a couple pounds and inches. So I decide I'm going to continue. Did okay up until November. Still didn't really see anymore results except a few gains in the weight room. I kept bumping the same 8 pounds around. Never got out of the 170 for good. In November I was sick for weeks with what I later found out was walking pneumonia. I just couldn't kick it. Barely worked out ...tried to eat the plan but didn't make any progress. December . Started back to weights and at this point was doing jamie Easons workouts . Felt strong but still big. Still struggled to eat the few calories so I would have good days then binge, feel guilty, repeat. No progress. I sound like a broken record but that has been life for 6 months! Feeling great lifting but not seeing progress and blaming myself. No fun.
So at the start of this year I decide I am determined to figure this out. I move into phase 2 of Eason workouts which incorporate about 3 thirty min moderate cardio. Still trying to eat little amounts but now was eating clean ( unprocessed) foods. Was trying to hit. 35/35/30 pro carb fat. Felt better and less bloated but still no scale movement And few inches lost. Any loss would come right back if I ate more than 1500 calories in a day. At this point I decide I'm done with this 1300 a day junk. I am eating clean so I should eat more right? So I decide by myself to up to 1800 but wasn't sure whether i should eat back workouts or not. Felt much better eating more and scale inches pretty much the same. That was end of jan.
Beginning of feb I find the emtwl group and start researching. On feb 10 I decide to up to 2200 a day which is a10% cut. Been doing this for 3 days . Lifting heavy . Guess what I haven't gained anything yet. So I'm really trying to take the next month to listen to my body and find my numbers . I may look into a reset if I think i Need it. Tdee is around 2500 plus so I didn't want to rush the reset by upping too soon. I also ordered a bodymedia fit last night so i can get more accuracy. I feel much better and don't feel like binging on everything in sight but its great to know I can have some cheese or pb if i want it.
That's where I'm at now and I plan to write regular updates. Again for myself and maybe anyone else wanting to see the process.
Currents
Weight176
Size 12 jeans tops large
Calories 2200 aiming for more than 150 in protein and less than 200 in carbs
Weights . I lift as heavy as poss and do the following
Day 1 biceps triceps abs 30 cardio takes about hour and half total
Day 2 legs mainly quads no cardio takes about 45 mins
Day 3 chest cardio 30 about an hour
Day 4 shoulders cardio 30 about an hour
Day 5 legs more glutes hams no cardio ab .45 mins
Day 6 back abs no cardio ab 45 to hour
I also teach dance for an hour on Thursdays and randomly play racquetball with hubby for an hour. I stay home with two kiddos age 4 and almost 2.
I set my activity level at 5 to 6 hours on Scooby calc. I think bodymedia will help me in determining my real cal burn.
I have been trying to eat back. More cals I on days I do more than my Eason workout.
Sorry so long
If anyone who has been doing this a while has any suggestions or things i need to change let me know.
This will probably be a long post but maybe it will help someone else at some point . Thanks for reading.
A little background....
I've always struggled losing weight. Now, other than both pregnancies, I have never been what others would call extremely overweight but I've been unhappy with the size of my body for a long time now. In fact, the only time I have ever really loved my shape and size was after my first child. After my son was born though I just can't seem to lose size anymore. I may say weight sometimes but I always mean size. I could care less what I actually weigh but want that jean size down.
I'm 5 3 on a good day and have averaged 178 ish for about 8 months now. I really started to try everything after I had to buy size 14 jeans bc NOTHING else would fit. So a little about my journey from there.
In aug or sept I hired a friend of mine who was a personal trainer to come up with a eating and exercise plan for me. At the time I had been teaching Zumba for 3 to 4 hours a week and not seeing results. She designed a lifting plan...great stuff ..I love to lift bt afraid of bulkiness so have avoided for years. Eating plan was for 1300 calories a day. Big surprise. So I did this for a month straight. Workouts completely on point. Stopped teaching Zumba at this point. Eating would be on plan for about 3 4 days until I would just binge because i was so hungry. This made me feel like a huge failure every time. I was frustrated with myself and felt like I would never get to any goals because I didn't have enough willpower. That month I lost a couple pounds and inches. So I decide I'm going to continue. Did okay up until November. Still didn't really see anymore results except a few gains in the weight room. I kept bumping the same 8 pounds around. Never got out of the 170 for good. In November I was sick for weeks with what I later found out was walking pneumonia. I just couldn't kick it. Barely worked out ...tried to eat the plan but didn't make any progress. December . Started back to weights and at this point was doing jamie Easons workouts . Felt strong but still big. Still struggled to eat the few calories so I would have good days then binge, feel guilty, repeat. No progress. I sound like a broken record but that has been life for 6 months! Feeling great lifting but not seeing progress and blaming myself. No fun.
So at the start of this year I decide I am determined to figure this out. I move into phase 2 of Eason workouts which incorporate about 3 thirty min moderate cardio. Still trying to eat little amounts but now was eating clean ( unprocessed) foods. Was trying to hit. 35/35/30 pro carb fat. Felt better and less bloated but still no scale movement And few inches lost. Any loss would come right back if I ate more than 1500 calories in a day. At this point I decide I'm done with this 1300 a day junk. I am eating clean so I should eat more right? So I decide by myself to up to 1800 but wasn't sure whether i should eat back workouts or not. Felt much better eating more and scale inches pretty much the same. That was end of jan.
Beginning of feb I find the emtwl group and start researching. On feb 10 I decide to up to 2200 a day which is a10% cut. Been doing this for 3 days . Lifting heavy . Guess what I haven't gained anything yet. So I'm really trying to take the next month to listen to my body and find my numbers . I may look into a reset if I think i Need it. Tdee is around 2500 plus so I didn't want to rush the reset by upping too soon. I also ordered a bodymedia fit last night so i can get more accuracy. I feel much better and don't feel like binging on everything in sight but its great to know I can have some cheese or pb if i want it.
That's where I'm at now and I plan to write regular updates. Again for myself and maybe anyone else wanting to see the process.
Currents
Weight176
Size 12 jeans tops large
Calories 2200 aiming for more than 150 in protein and less than 200 in carbs
Weights . I lift as heavy as poss and do the following
Day 1 biceps triceps abs 30 cardio takes about hour and half total
Day 2 legs mainly quads no cardio takes about 45 mins
Day 3 chest cardio 30 about an hour
Day 4 shoulders cardio 30 about an hour
Day 5 legs more glutes hams no cardio ab .45 mins
Day 6 back abs no cardio ab 45 to hour
I also teach dance for an hour on Thursdays and randomly play racquetball with hubby for an hour. I stay home with two kiddos age 4 and almost 2.
I set my activity level at 5 to 6 hours on Scooby calc. I think bodymedia will help me in determining my real cal burn.
I have been trying to eat back. More cals I on days I do more than my Eason workout.
Sorry so long
If anyone who has been doing this a while has any suggestions or things i need to change let me know.
0
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