Reset- How Long?

berthabunny

I have been reading all the EM2WL literature, here as well as on the website. Most people say 8 or so weeks for the reset. I have been doing EM2WL for a little over 3 weeks.
I have not gained much at all (149/150 to 151/152), and am now eating 2300-2400, although my TDEE is supposedly more like 2500-2600 (I might not be that accurate counting calories, but trying to overestimate rather than under, but hey, I'm human . I am thinking this might be TDEE or close enough due to estimating amounts)
I worked up to 2300-2400 from 1300-1400 in 2 weeks, and I was up to 1900-2000 in 1 week.
Do I need to stick with this for another 4-5 weeks, or would 1 or 2 be OK? What effects might each way have in the long run?

My goal weight is 130, preferably by mid-June, but I am convincing myself healthy for life (and being able to eat!!!) is better than 130, so I have convinced myself 135 would be just fine. That leaves me about 17 pounds.
My real goal is to be able to do pull-ups, which I cannot measure currently do to a sports injury But I know weight-to-strength ratio has a lot do do with that.

I know I have asked a lot of questions, but I need a plan to follow. I am the type of person who likes to follow lists and check off what I have completed, so a week by week plan (or something similar) would be perfect.

Thanks in advance and thanks to Gapwedge01 for all his advice so far.

heybales

So metabolism has been willing to move up that fast, that's great.

How fast is it willing to move down? Because remember, you were eating at 1900-2000 for a week and had no gain. Or loss.

So what happens if you move back to that level and body isn't convinced to maintain normal metabolism, or not for that long?

If moving quickly, it re-balances lower again, and you get no weight loss.

So then what, spend 2-3 weeks at that level and then move back up again?
And then another 2 weeks perhaps, or longer to make sure it sets in. And then lower again.

Go ahead and don't drag it out. Use extra 2 weeks to test movement going up, add 250 extra daily.
Should only be 1 lb of fat gain in 2 weeks if truly eating above TDEE.

If instant gain, then still water weight for some reason. Should be 1/2 lb a week, barely measurable if less than that.
But if gain is 1/2 lb in 2 weeks, then only 125 over real TDEE.

And want to stick there couple weeks minimum to assure body is ready to allow a deficit to be created.

Then as Gap mentioned in other threads, every 4 weeks eat at TDEE just to assure body no stress.

berthabunny

So keep adding and test out my TDEE.
Reevaluate after 2 more weeks (March 1). Hopefully will have found TDEE by then.
Start 15% deficit until 10 lb from goal weight, then 10% deficit to end with TDEE for about a week every 4 to keep metabolism up.

Sound right?
And what about tweener deficits, like 17.5%? Is a deficit of high than 15% a bad idea with only 22 lbs to lose?
Thanks

Gapwedge01

So keep adding and test out my TDEE.
Reevaluate after 2 more weeks (March 1). Hopefully will have found TDEE by then.
Start 15% deficit until 10 lb from goal weight, then 10% deficit to end with TDEE for about a week every 4 to keep metabolism up.

Sound right?
And what about tweener deficits, like 17.5%? Is a deficit of high than 15% a bad idea with only 22 lbs to lose?
Thanks

With 22 to go 17.5% sounds ok. I have 35 to go and I am at 20%. You are correct as you get closer to goal decrease your deficit. And at those small deficit levels it is even more important to measure accurately and log faithfully.
The thing about these numbers is don't get hung up on a nice round number. As I begin to incorporate my cycling calories I will decrease my deficit to a range closer to ~10-13%. Nothing wrong with tweener numbers. None of us really know exactly what our TDEE number really is. What Heybales described above is a good way to get close to it. Sounds like you are on track......good luck.

prettypaleo67

Hey there berthabunny,

We are pretty similar in size & goals. I'm almost 2 weeks in and have only "gained" 2 pounds eating at TDEE which is ~ 2100 calories. I do feel kind of pudgy and am anxious to start my cut too, but I underfed myself for SO long and I feel my metabolism is SO broken, that I'm going to force myself to stay the course here for a few more weeks.

I'll be watching your progress to see how it goes - you're doing great!

Gapwedge01

Hey there berthabunny,

We are pretty similar in size & goals. I'm almost 2 weeks in and have only "gained" 2 pounds eating at TDEE which is ~ 2100 calories. I do feel kind of pudgy and am anxious to start my cut too, but I underfed myself for SO long and I feel my metabolism is SO broken, that I'm going to force myself to stay the course here for a few more weeks.

I'll be watching your progress to see how it goes - you're doing great!

I think that is wise. Good luck.

prettypaleo67

Thanks! I mean, I've been slowly gaining weight over the past 6 months eating below my BMR (after exercise) and now I'm eating more and essentially holding steady, so I'm willing to do what it takes to get my metabolism restored so I can lose this last pesky ~15 pounds.

berthabunny

Hey there berthabunny,

We are pretty similar in size & goals. I'm almost 2 weeks in and have only "gained" 2 pounds eating at TDEE which is ~ 2100 calories. I do feel kind of pudgy and am anxious to start my cut too, but I underfed myself for SO long and I feel my metabolism is SO broken, that I'm going to force myself to stay the course here for a few more weeks.

I'll be watching your progress to see how it goes - you're doing great!

Thanks prettypaleo, I'm going to stick with TDEE, figuring out for a few more weeks, and we'll see. Glad to know someone else feels pretty much the same. We can keep each other in check about sticking with it

berthabunny

Update:
I am now a little heavier , not sure whether it's just water weight or not, but letting my mind adjust to the idea. Even if it were fat, I would still only be up about 3-4 pounds from starting weight. The last few days I was feeling bloated and didn't sleep well, so that probably has something to do with the weight increase as well.
A great thing happened today though!! I haven't been hungry the past few days, and was eating to keep my calories up and my macros adjusted (I am doing about 40/45% carbs, 20-25% protein, and 30-35% fat, very different from my old diet). Anyways, I have been eating tons of protein, and was full.

Well, the great thing, I am hungry!!!

I think I will stick to my plan of eating around TDEE, and finding it, for the next week, and then on March 1st make my first cut.
Somehow being hungry makes me super excited

Edit: I started using The Hacker's Diet Online (https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet/) to track my weight and how I felt (if bloated, etc). I find it helps me to see it the way Hacker''s presents the information.

Gapwedge01

Update:
I am now a little heavier , not sure whether it's just water weight or not, but letting my mind adjust to the idea. Even if it were fat, I would still only be up about 3-4 pounds from starting weight. The last few days I was feeling bloated and didn't sleep well, so that probably has something to do with the weight increase as well.
A great thing happened today though!! I haven't been hungry the past few days, and was eating to keep my calories up and my macros adjusted (I am doing about 40/45% carbs, 20-25% protein, and 30-35% fat, very different from my old diet). Anyways, I have been eating tons of protein, and was full.

Well, the great thing, I am hungry!!!

I think I will stick to my plan of eating around TDEE, and finding it, for the next week, and then on March 1st make my first cut.
Somehow being hungry makes me super excited

Edit: I started using The Hacker's Diet Online (https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet/) to track my weight and how I felt (if bloated, etc). I find it helps me to see it the way Hacker''s presents the information.

Sounds great!

berthabunny

Update:
I am now a little heavier , not sure whether it's just water weight or not, but letting my mind adjust to the idea. Even if it were fat, I would still only be up about 3-4 pounds from starting weight. The last few days I was feeling bloated and didn't sleep well, so that probably has something to do with the weight increase as well.
A great thing happened today though!! I haven't been hungry the past few days, and was eating to keep my calories up and my macros adjusted (I am doing about 40/45% carbs, 20-25% protein, and 30-35% fat, very different from my old diet). Anyways, I have been eating tons of protein, and was full.

Well, the great thing, I am hungry!!!

I think I will stick to my plan of eating around TDEE, and finding it, for the next week, and then on March 1st make my first cut.
Somehow being hungry makes me super excited

Edit: I started using The Hacker's Diet Online (https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet/) to track my weight and how I felt (if bloated, etc). I find it helps me to see it the way Hacker''s presents the information.

So I have continued to be hungrier, and have allowed myself to step over 2600!!
Trying to figure out if this is a good thing, and my TDEE might be higher (definitely possible with the exercise I do), and if that means I am closer to actually getting it right, or if this is a bad thing, and I am just having cravings?? I think I am truly hungry, and the other reason I decided to go higher today is because I didn't get enough protein in earlier and I wanted to get at least 1g per #LBM in even if it sent me a little high (I was at a friend's house, you kinda eat what you're served, and cereal was served for breakfast, I know, excuses, excuses...).
Anybody else have this happen to them around Week 5?

ETA: Also, I exercise between 11 and 15 hours a week, but Scooby says 'strenuous exercise', and I am not sure if 7 hours of that is truly 'strenuous', as well as not being 21h, but only 11-15h, which is a big spread. I have been getting up to 2500 for 10 at least 10 days, and was at 2400+ for another week before that. A tweener between 5-6h and 7-21h gets me a TDEE of about 2780. I guess I will continue upping and see what happens, even though I am gaining currently, but too much for it to be straight calories.