Raynn - Hang in there! Easier said than done though. You are likely retaining a lot of water from your weight training. But I completely get what you said - I think in the other forum - about not caring what the scale says on one hand, but knowing that the amount of weight you're carrying is hard on your body and unhealthy. I completely get that sentiment. I don't have an easy answer for you at all, but I know you're doing everything right and your body will respond.

Thanks Crystal. I know due to my overindulgence of Amaretto on the weekend, weight lifting and a run yesterday, water retention is definitely at play... Part of me is getting tired of that being the "excuse", you know? Yes there is water retention, but things should still be trending downwards and its not.. driving me bonkers!!
Giving it another few weeks before I decide what my next option is... not sure what to do if I get to that point though...

Hi everyone! I'm at the end of my 6th cut week. Technically, I've only lost 2 pounds of the 4 that I gained during reset. But my waist has come back to its pre-reset measurement. However, my belly and hips have not! I have to say, however, that I am beginning not to look at the number on the scale as a "FAIL". It was a recent post of Kiki's, The Evolution of a Bicep http://forums.eatmore2weighless.com/showthread.php?tid=196 (I don't know if you need to be a registered member of the EM2WL forums to see this post or not) that has me very encouraged to focus on how I look and how my clothes fit. For me, I'm already within my ideal weight range but would like to shed the belly fat. I think it can be done, but it's going to take a while. Perhaps until next summer. But I'm not going to give up on this and will put in the hard work to do it.

I've noticed from my graphs that despite the constant fluctuations, there IS a downward trend happening, albeit slight. Of course I have to throw a few wrenches into the plan, like knowing I'm supposed to take a diet break starting this weekend. I really should, just to give my body some rest, so I'm taking my calories up from the 1900-2000 range (a 15-20% cut) to approx. 2200 (I'm not going my full weekly average TDEE of 2400) and will just eat carefree with caution for at least one week. LOL! Another wrench is that I can't go to the gym to lift heavy weights until all my kids are back in school, which is the 2nd week of September. I am resigned to do Bob Harper DVD workouts every other day in my basement, and that's ok. I've been a disciple of Jillian Michaels for a long time, but her workouts had destroyed my deltoids and shoulders. After lots of rest and rehab, I have found that doing Bob Harper workouts have helped bring my range of motion back, almost pain-free. And his workouts are HARD. I thought I was sweating it up with Jillian, but I am literally dripping with sweat within 10 minutes of a Bob workout. I think my body appreciates the change of exercise.

Ok, that's it for now. Gotta get the rugrats into the bathtub!

Thanks for your thoughts on activity level. For now I am staying at the same moderate level. This way I feel I should be at the high end of moderate which hopefully gives me some wiggle room. After Thursdays HIIT I was hungry and had gone over about 100 or so, so I am hoping that it will work out if I eat cut then on HIIT days if I am extra hungry then I can afford to eat a tad extra.

I feel for all of you struggling. I was doing okay then TOM came and has tripped me up. I also ate out 3 times in one week and had more cake than any person should consume in one sitting :noway: I am doing better this week but feel so fat and even my shorts were tight today. This is 2wks after TOM so I can't blame that.

@Raynn1, part of the reason I would like some more calorie room is because at about 2400 cals I could get all my macros in great, but since I dropped to 10% cut, I work so hard to get my protein in that I have been slacking on a good variety of vegetables for the 1st time ever. I make my own protein bars, brownies, snacks but they take place of vegetables. I even struggle with sodium which is usually the least of my problems.

I am just so ready to lose, over being ready that I have been getting discouraged and feel the same about thinking about cutting calories. I think about all these years of constant workouts and calorie counting and all the thought and time put into being slimmer and I am still heavy....I just don't understand why its so hard to lose when I work so hard at it!! :sad: :sad:

I am sure I am just having a bad few weeks and really, I need to just get over it. Some things happened recently to several people I am close to/family that are far more worse than my weight issues. I guess I look at it as many of the other more important stuff going on I don't have much control over, but I work so hard and try everyday to lose fat and I can't even do that!:explode:

Well thats my whine for the day...hopefully I can move past this quickly. I think its just the time of year, too.

Hello everyone! I read all of your posts with regularity and thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Christina but you can call me Chrissy or Love

I am thinking of doing a cut come sept 1st and continuing it for 6 weeks--maintenance for a week and then cutting again for another cycle. Only 6 weeks at a time and 2 sessions before a full 2-4 weeks off. I don't want to diet longer than 6 weeks. I have he knowledge to get to my ideal body but my hormones are completely screwed up.

I'm in the process of getting ALL of my hormones checked to rule out pcos, hypothyroidism, estrogen deficiency, and progesterone deficiency.

You are all doin so fabulously and I hope I get to know you better!!

Has anyone calculated their calorie range based on sedintary and then added back exercise calories? My activity levels slacked way off during reset and I was way overeating. I feel more in control doing it this way but I don't want it to be "wrong."

I definitely think you could do it this way and it's not "wrong" as long as you're sure to eat back those exercise calories so that you're not ending with too large of a deficit. There's not one set way to track this stuff - if it works for you and it sticks to keeping that deficit around 15% you're good to go!

I'm really really hoping for a drop sometime this weekend. After reflection I know that part of my problem is me right now. I've not been getting out for my weekday runs. I had a couple of weeks in a row where my only run was my long run on the weekend. Granted that burns somewhere between 1300-1400 calories in one go, but having my activity level set at moderate and only getting out the door one day a week is not cutting it! I had a run Tuesday and if I can get this baby to sleep I'm hopefully heading out the door within the hour for a run. Then I'll have my long run Saturday. I'll be doing 10 miles this Saturday. I can't believe it. If anyone had told me at the beginning of this year that I would run this much I think I would've laughed! I've always had a secret ambition to run a half marathon and now I'm so close to it. I feel lucky to have gotten this far. It's a little over a month until my half and I know I'm going to be ready. It's such a great feeling!

Hi all! First time posting here although I've been a peeper for a little while just wanted to share my progress. I have slowly lost 8 lbs. with many stalls. Never really did vlcd but have had to increase many times. Finally stalling for good. I Finally did a 6 week reset eating 2100 and sometimes many more on the weekends. I have been cutting for a few weeks now. I started at about 10% but still ate more on the weekends so I'm assuming this is why I didn't lose anything. Just this week cut down to 15% and stepped on the scale this morning and I'm down about a pound from about a week and half ago! I tried to stay away from the scale and didn't want to weigh till the end of the month but I was feeling lighter this morning- I couldn't resist!

Seems you are on the right track, well done

Hi Everyone!

So I am still making way through my 10% cut - I am finishing my 3rd week and couldn't tell if you I have lost anything or not because I have decided to not step on the scale until the end of the month.

Then that week, I am going to up my calories to TDEE and possibly take a break from working out....I will decide that once I see how my numbers are.

Mentally - I am so-so. I slacked off on my workouts both yesterday and today - there is stuff going on that I have no control over and it is driving me a bit batty. But I think I just need to release it and "do me" - I can only control what I can control right?

Eating - some days are better than others -- need to definitely get back in the planning mode. Protein & sodium continue to be a bit of an issue for me.

Does anyone have a go to site for quick dinners?

carrie, this is one Ive had bookmarked since back in my WW days, but she has a ton of great recipes and low cal type of stuff.. pretty tasty:)
http://www.skinnytaste.com/

AFM - doing ok. the scale is moving back down the last day or two. Still not back to where I was in my first week of cut, but down is at least better than up. Heading to the gym this afternoon after I take my kids to the grandparents for the weekend. Got my GFs bridal shower tomorrow, which I am throwing and a baby shower on sunday to attend. So hopefully I can keep things in check and in control on the eating front. Least with the bridal shower, I know exactly what is on the menu and can work it for me:)

Happy weekend!

Rosied--CONGRATS! That's awesome progress. I usually retain water when I lift so your loss might be even greater than that!

I am with Raynn. I did a 6 week reset and gained 5 lbs, now have done 4 weeks on a 12% cut and have lost no inches and no weight. I exercise in the moderate range ( I strength train 3 days a week for upper body and 2 days for lower) and about 1-2 hours of cardio. My eating is mostly clean and macros pretty much meet with protein. I am at a loss and am about to call it quits.