Ok...I need some courage!

uwdawg07
uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, here's the deal. I've been stuck in a stupid plateau for what feels like forever, and I want to try eating a bit more calories, as well as calorie cycling to see if that will help. I probably need to cut back on my exercise too - but that's not happening!

So I want to start using my TDEE number instead of BMR. I've been eating around 1200 calories a day and burning between 650-800 with exercise. Yesterday I only netted 300 calories. That is not okay!

The problem is, I'm terrified to eat more. I'm so scared I'll put on weight because my metabolism is so slowed down. I've been eating this low for about 18 months, and I've lost 92 pounds.

I have engagement photos in one month - should I wait until after to start eating more? I would be so upset if I put on weight for the pictures. I went and bought a bunch of cute and tiny clothes!

So should I wait, and if I do put on weight, is it usually just temporary? And help give me the courage to actually do this!! I'm terrified. As lame as that is.

And here are my numbers, so you can make sure they are correct, or see if I'm way off.

5'3
27 years old
121 pounds ( a lot of muscle)
currently eating about 1200 calories a day
exercising: 1 hour brisk walk, then 60-75 minutes of cardio or cardio/weights - 6 days a week

Using sedentary, my TDEE is 1615, BMR around 1340. So I'm thinking of bumping up my calories to around 1400 and keeping up with the exercise.

Thanks for any input and motivation!!

Replies

  • trixiemou
    trixiemou Posts: 554 Member
    Hi, Its sounds to me as though you already know what you need to do. You have reached your plateaux so if you do not change something then you are likely to stay there. On the other hand upping to 1400, sounds to me like a good place to start. There are a number of threads on here that have concentrated on what happens when people do not eat enough and that to me has much scarier prospects, certainly healthwise.
  • bpotts44
    bpotts44 Posts: 1,066 Member
    Sounds like you are already pretty lean. Have you considered switching to maintenance? 120 lbs and 5'3 with lots of muscle sounds like a good place to stop cutting to me.
  • Annehin20
    Annehin20 Posts: 1 Member
    :smile: Hey Girl,

    I am in the same shoes as you and getting married next year. Easy and light calories to add on are cottage cheese (low fat), celery, grapes, and of course eggs to name a few. I'm sure you're aware of this since you've been busting your butt for 18 months. The only thing you don't want is to look too skinny and drawn in your engagment pics. You'll look back and think " what did I do to my self?" I say go for it, add the 200 hundred calories, because keep in mind even after you've completed your work out your body is still burning calories.
    What workouts are you doing? I'd love to try them. I'm fairly thin, with little muscle and need to be more toned.
    I'm 26
    120 lbs
    5'3"
    Size 4

    So when I say I'm in the same shoes, I totally meant it :). Good Luck.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    you've lost a lot of weight and are at a healthy weight it appears, so congrats! At this point the remaining weight loss is going to be different than when you had a lot of fat reserves, as you are seeing. When you were 92 lbs overweight, your body didn't care if you had a 300 calorie net because there was plenty of energy reserves. (btw, you were supposed to eat at least some of those exercise calories back so you don't net 300 calories!)

    The first and foremost thing I would do if I were you is eat your tdee for a week or two (eat exercise calories too). You'll probably gain a lb or so, but it won't be fat if you are eating your tdee - it is just food and water weight. After a big, long weight loss like you have experienced, its a good idea to do this on occasion anyways. The point is your body needs a little break and needs to get out of the mode of conserving calories, be cause you are not in a survival situation and food is plentiful. And again - EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES! This part is pointless if you don't.

    After a week or two, set a moderate deficit of around 250 calories, maybe 500, from your tdee including your exercise and stick to it. The weight will start coming off again. The only disclaimer, if you use the tdee method you have to be committed to actually exercise the amount that you told it how much exercise you do.

    Good luck, and congrats again!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Rather than focus on the the number on the scale, why not start focusing on body composition and body fat percentage? Is 6lbs really going to give you that look you are going for? Or, would you be ok with weighing the same amount but wearing a smaller size? Having less jiggle?

    Switch to maintenance, hire a trainer, and start working on sculpting the body you want with heavy weights rather than stressing over 6lbs.
  • Carrie3B
    Carrie3B Posts: 45 Member
    I'm all for upping your calories but it scares me a little to do so right before you pictures. I have also recently hit a plateau and so I decided to go low(er) carb--meaning eat all my veggies and some fruit but no starches. Even though I haven't lost weight, I have lost body fat and my muscles seem to be popping a lot more. Everyone has told me I look leaner. Maybe try something like that for a couple of weeks to see if it makes a difference! Good luck and congrats on all the weight loss!! :-)
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