I'm on the verge...
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seobstar
Posts: 169
seriously....someone want to stop me? I'm on the verge of cutting calories b/c this is ridiculous! I finished the 8wk reset, did everything by the book as we are told here in this group and now I'm on to week 4 of my cut and I'm at the point of giving up. Yes, I feel better, lost the bloat from the reset and am fitting into my clothes again but I haven't lost a single pound of the 6ish that I gained during the reset. Now honestly, I could CARE LESS about scale weight, I'd actually prefer to weigh more so that I can EAT more in the long run but I'm really freakin' sick and tired of being in this spot. So frustrated that I can't seem to get past where I was before the reset. I've been doing heavy lifting and am loving that but the fat is just refusing to go away. Basically I feel like this whole entire thing does NOT work! I've read through pages and pages of the thread dedicated to people who made it through the reset and are now in cut and basically every.single.one of them is frustrated and saying they are seeing ZERO progress. How does that seem right? I know that I'm "only" in week 4 of my cut but seriously how much longer do we keep saying "give it time, give it time, give it time" and not start sounding ridiculous? I hate to sound so cynnical but I just don't get it? If my TDEE is 2400ish and I'm eating 2180 cals per week (cut) then how is the WORLD is it possible that I'm not losing fat? That I'm still wearing the same clothes I wore when I ate 1500cals before my reset? I'm considering cutting to 1800 (which really isn't THAT low) and going from there. I guess I'm just looking for someone to tell my why that would be so bad. I'm so beyond irritated!
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Maybe it's me, but wearing the same clothes while eating so much more is clearly a win. Give it time. You're doing great.0
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Did you take measurements? I bet that you HAVE lost fat and gained some muscle, resulting in the scale not budging but your clothes fitting once again. If there wasn't a change happening, your clothes would still be tight. It sounds like you are making progress, don't give up now!0
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Maybe try a 20% cut? I find that at 15-20% cut gives me better fat loss results than a 10-15% cut. Also are you eating clean? Drinking enough water? Have you tried playing around with your macros or tried fasted cardio? Even the small things can make a difference!0
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I'd try a little more of a deficit even 2000 calories (a little over 15%). Honestly why not try that before jumping to 1800? After my reset I tried 10% and had no changes for a few weeks then dropped to 15% and it's coming off consistently now. Give it a shot. Best of luck to you
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Have you taken any measurements from before/after your reset or recently? I ask because you say you're lifting, and that can screw with the scale something awful. Recovering muscle retains loads of water to repair itself, and muscle is more dense then fat anyway. So if you're lifting heavy and the scale is staying steady, then you probably are losing fat. Have you taken photos? The scale lies like a cheating boyfriend. Pictures and measurements will give you a much clearer picture of what's really going on.
That said, it's ultimately up to you how much you eat. Everything here is just guidelines, everyone's bodies respond differently, and it can take some experimentation to find that "sweet spot".0 -
I COMPLETELY understand your frustration. I was there and still am there on my bad mental days. HOWEVER...I am a sucess story of the reset which I think is really what you need to hear right now.
I was eating around 1300-1400 cal a day weighing 180ish lbs when my TDEE was more like 2600. Of course I wasnt losing weight and as a matter of fact im certain I lost a considerable amount of muscle during this time. I didnt really realize what I was doing until I joined MFP and found out about EM2WL. I went through the whole crazy process (6 weeks of it) and I was feeling ready to start my cut. I had measurements done and started my second 6 week fitness bootcamp and told myself over and over again that 'THIS HAS TO WORK OR I'M THROWING IN THE TOWEL'.
I really thought it wasnt working until between week 3-4 when the scale started bouncing around a little and then started SLOWLY dropping. Any movement was enough to keep me going. I made it through 7 weeks of cut (eating between 1850-2100 cal) and went for my post measurements and guess what?
I ONLY LOST 4 LBS (7 lbs if you count that I was still carrying around 3 lbs of reset weight) but I lost over 13 inches total and 4% body fat!!!!
I now care very little about the scale. It's a filthy little liar.
I just finished a rest week (which turned out to be more like 11 days) where I ate close to TDEE and kept exercise to a minimum and today I started my cut and 3rd fitness bootcamp again. I have all the faith in the world that I will see amazing results again now that my body has learned to trust me.
I know it sounds terrible, but really just hang in there. Make sure you are measuring/weighing and tracking everything. Use an HRM for exercise calories if you can and eat clean. Eating clean is the most important part to losing those inches and giving your body the nutrients again that it needs to trust you.
OH OH and before I forget....during my rest week I lost around 2.5 more scale lbs which I believe to be the amount of water my muscles were hanging on to for dear life. Please keep in mind that water weight can be the devil sometimes!
Feel free to friend me if you like and i'll help anyway I can (but please be patient as the next few days I will be spuratic logging (having lost my grandmother today) until I can get myself in order again. I hope this helps at least a little0 -
SeobStar I just posted about this same exact thing a couple of weeks ago. Not seeing the scale move or measurements. I have taken pics but I don't see the change either.I decided to take a week diet break and see what happens after that. So last Sat was my anniversary and that Sat and Sun I didn't worry about what I ate or drank or how much but after that until today I ate at TDEE with very little exercise and no weight lifting. So today was my first day back to weight lifting and a 15% cut, lets see how it goes. I am gonna give it my best shot this time and if I don't see any change I am like you and think I an gonna give up. =(0
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I totally understand your frustrations, I really really do... but why would you want to give up a lifestyle change that is much healthier for you and WILL work in the long run. Why go back to cutting calories, being hungry all the time, yo-yo-ing with your weight, all that horrible stuff when you can just do it nice and slow and steady and happily? I was SO cranky on VLCDs... I never ever want to see that side of myself again.
The science is there... no more than a 300 calorie deficit has been proven to work very very well for women. It's not about just eating more, it's about eating enough to sustain a good lifting/exercise program, and just enough of a deficit to lose (or change body composition) very verrry slowly. It's so you can sustain it for life. But you have to be patient.
I love photojunkie's success story. It is very inspiring!!0 -
Yup. You are me.
8 week reset. 5 or 6 weeks into cut and basically there has been zero change. The scale went down initially, then back up, and then down.. and currently up (TOM) so I have no idea what my "real" weight is right now. Inches have barely budged and I have done almost 5 months of strength training. I have come close to throwing in the towel on numerous occasions.
But you know what keeps me here?
I ate 1400 cals prior to joining EMTLW. I eat 2400 calories currently on Cut. Im not ballooning out and gaining a crap load of weight.
I know eventually things will let go. It seems for some, it can be a number of weeks INTO reset before the shift happens. Its almost like your body is saying "NOOOO!!!!!!! I loved all of that food for so long, dont take it from me!!!!" And it is fearful you might drastically cut even further. But I think it will realize soon enough that you are feeding it well, feeding it right.
I wish I could be one of the ones to say OMG IT WORKS!!!! IM DOWN XXX Pounds and XXX Inches, HOORAY!!!! But Im not. Im you. Waiting for the other shoe to drop already.
As frustrating and painful as it is... I know that Id rather eat 2400 cals and not see scale movement, than eat 1400 cals and get the same results.. so for now, that is what I am focusing on.. Not spending every single night worrying over an extra 20 cals I overate, or fitting in an extra gym session because I ate an extra slice of pizza.. those are the successes that matter right now. The scale and inches WILL change... they have to.. I do have faith they will... its just obviously not going to be on my timeframe...0 -
Oh wow!! I totally feel you!! LOL
I am day 3 into cut after, oh I dunno, 6 or 7 weeks of eating at maintenance. I simply cut 300 (between 15 and 20%) calories per day and we will see what happens, but I can vouche for the water retention - I lost 1.6 lbs in one week (after gaining 4 and still on maintenance) and it can't be explained by anything other than water being held by my muscles - which I have been absolutely building up with NROLFW. (I went from 40# db squats to 165# back squats in Phase 1) If you are lifting, don't quit!!
I'm just a newbie too, but sometimes in the midst of your eating more and watching the macros, you realize the foods that are your enemy...I have figured out that I needed to replace some of the dairy in my life and feel better with less grains...ignore the scale, pay attention to the food, and above all listen to your body!!
I totally understand what you are going through and it has crossed my mind before to just bail and drastically reduce the calories but I realize that I am just jaded by past quick fix diets that give you the satisfaction of watching the number shrink.
You are more than a number!!! Think...Strong and healthy....not pounds.
.
'Sides, do you really want to go back to those 1200 calorie diets? *shudder* I sure don't!! LOL0 -
Yup. You are me.
8 week reset. 5 or 6 weeks into cut and basically there has been zero change. The scale went down initially, then back up, and then down.. and currently up (TOM) so I have no idea what my "real" weight is right now. Inches have barely budged and I have done almost 5 months of strength training. I have come close to throwing in the towel on numerous occasions.
But you know what keeps me here?
I ate 1400 cals prior to joining EMTLW. I eat 2400 calories currently on Cut. Im not ballooning out and gaining a crap load of weight.
I know eventually things will let go. It seems for some, it can be a number of weeks INTO reset before the shift happens. Its almost like your body is saying "NOOOO!!!!!!! I loved all of that food for so long, dont take it from me!!!!" And it is fearful you might drastically cut even further. But I think it will realize soon enough that you are feeding it well, feeding it right.
I wish I could be one of the ones to say OMG IT WORKS!!!! IM DOWN XXX Pounds and XXX Inches, HOORAY!!!! But Im not. Im you. Waiting for the other shoe to drop already.
As frustrating and painful as it is... I know that Id rather eat 2400 cals and not see scale movement, than eat 1400 cals and get the same results.. so for now, that is what I am focusing on.. Not spending every single night worrying over an extra 20 cals I overate, or fitting in an extra gym session because I ate an extra slice of pizza.. those are the successes that matter right now. The scale and inches WILL change... they have to.. I do have faith they will... its just obviously not going to be on my timeframe...
Same story here. Read my recent rant on the Cut thread.......
And adding to my misery is preparing for an upcoming trip and having to "panic-shop" for BIGGER clothes AND BACK IN THE PLUS SIZE DEPARTMENT!!!!
Believe it or not, I have SOMEthing to suggest to you to try:
I went to Scooby, entered my numbers to MAINTAIN at Sedentary~no exercise (so enter current & goal weights as the same), then make that your Calorie Goal and EAT BACK your exercise.
Now you can fiddle with this any way you want as long as you don't make your Goal below your BMR.
I did this because my workouts had become sporadic because of family obligations, etc and eating at TDEE or even at a "set" Cut number didn't make sense to me. This way I only "eat back" what I burn on THAT DAY.
I should add that I haven't gotten on a scale lately and the reason I have to get bigger clothes is that I am mostly in 'gym clothes' the majority of the time and my "nicer" stuff that I would wear on vacation is what's too small right now~ and believe me, I'm only getting the very, very basics!!!
I have good moments too and they are significant, but some days.......well, ya know........0 -
You guys are seriously all so great! Thanks for the encouragement, the tips and then relating to me! It seriously helps! I think what I've decided to do is change my activity level to moderate 3-5hrs per wk (on scooby) instead of the level of 5-6hrs strenuous that I originally had it at and then do a 15% cut which for me is 1950cals per day. I work out 5-6 days a week for usually about 50 minutes total. I do a combination of heavy lifting and then short cardio sessions (20 minutes on either the bike eliptical or treadmil). I have been doing about 1900ish since Monday (so really only a few days) but I already feel better and the scale this morning showed a .2 pound loss. I know that's really nothing but honestly that's THE first time it's even THOUGHT about going down since I started my reset and then cut process over 3 months ago. Maybe 1950 (about 15% cut) is my sweet spot? We'll see in another few weeks!
I will never...ever. EVER go below 1800-1900 (and even THAT is pushing it) again!!! I know far too well the effects of not eating enough...been there.done.that.not going back! I am really only maybe 10 pounds from my goal weight an honestly don't care much about scale weight anyway so I just need to find that sweet spot were the fat starts to melt and I can see more tone/muscle/definition and less fat. I will NEVER stop lifting and I will definitely never starve myself again! I have one pair of size 6 jeans in my closet that I use more as a gauge than anything else. I'm terrible at measuring bc I can never seem to get it in the right spot every time and I HATE the scale so those jeans are my "goal". I know I'll get there....someday. Thanks everyone!
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You guys are seriously all so great! Thanks for the encouragement, the tips and then relating to me! It seriously helps! I think what I've decided to do is change my activity level to moderate 3-5hrs per wk (on scooby) instead of the level of 5-6hrs strenuous that I originally had it at and then do a 15% cut which for me is 1950cals per day. I work out 5-6 days a week for usually about 50 minutes total. I do a combination of heavy lifting and then short cardio sessions (20 minutes on either the bike eliptical or treadmil). I have been doing about 1900ish since Monday (so really only a few days) but I already feel better and the scale this morning showed a .2 pound loss. I know that's really nothing but honestly that's THE first time it's even THOUGHT about going down since I started my reset and then cut process over 3 months ago. Maybe 1950 (about 15% cut) is my sweet spot? We'll see in another few weeks!
I will never...ever. EVER go below 1800-1900 (and even THAT is pushing it) again!!! I know far too well the effects of not eating enough...been there.done.that.not going back! I am really only maybe 10 pounds from my goal weight an honestly don't care much about scale weight anyway so I just need to find that sweet spot were the fat starts to melt and I can see more tone/muscle/definition and less fat. I will NEVER stop lifting and I will definitely never starve myself again! I have one pair of size 6 jeans in my closet that I use more as a gauge than anything else. I'm terrible at measuring bc I can never seem to get it in the right spot every time and I HATE the scale so those jeans are my "goal". I know I'll get there....someday. Thanks everyone!
Great Comeback!!! I know we all have our moments! Stick it out. You can do it!0 -
Hey guys! I just wanted to pop in and remind everyone that forums like these often become a "troubleshooting" mechanism. So it will always"look" like "everyone is complaining" LOL. People that up their cals and live happily ever after, are doing just that...living happily ever after...somewhere other than here :laugh:
So the going trend will always be leaning in the higher ratio of "HELP!!!!!!" and "OMG, THIS CRAP DOESN'T WORK, YOU GUYS TOTALLY LIED" :mad:
:explode: :grumble:
rather than:
"Hey, I live in total freedom from bondage to low cals", "I never worry about anything, I go on vaca and eat whatever I want", "I'm sitting on the beach lookin hot right now" :blushing: ....because they are living their lives, which is the entire point of this process. To get your life back and get to the point where constantly thinking about weight loss, food, the scale and calories, is a thing of the past.
We'll usually see an update or two in the beginning of someones journey, but after a while, it just becomes a part of their lifestyle, and the newness of "I can't believe I'm eating this much" wears off.
Kinda like when someone is getting married or having a baby. There's that planning period and the, "yay! it's here!" moment, but eventually, it's just their life. There are good days and bad days, but they don't go sending out invitations or getting registries for it anymore.
If one were to look back on most of the people who were posting in the inception of this group, they would likely find that, a large percentage have drifted away, not because they quit, but because they can now focus on other aspects of their lives. They are living. And you can too. :flowerforyou:
Some of us troubleshoot longer than others (Lord knows I did :noway: ), and some out the pure kindness of heart, stick around to help others.
But most, come, get what they need, and keep it moving or go on to mentor others.
It's a process, but when we're doing it for the right reasons, you don't mind taking the time.
Glad to see you're having a better day :drinker:
Happy eating!
~Kiki0 -
I COMPLETELY understand your frustration. I was there and still am there on my bad mental days. HOWEVER...I am a sucess story of the reset which I think is really what you need to hear right now.
I was eating around 1300-1400 cal a day weighing 180ish lbs when my TDEE was more like 2600. Of course I wasnt losing weight and as a matter of fact im certain I lost a considerable amount of muscle during this time. I didnt really realize what I was doing until I joined MFP and found out about EM2WL. I went through the whole crazy process (6 weeks of it) and I was feeling ready to start my cut. I had measurements done and started my second 6 week fitness bootcamp and told myself over and over again that 'THIS HAS TO WORK OR I'M THROWING IN THE TOWEL'.
I really thought it wasnt working until between week 3-4 when the scale started bouncing around a little and then started SLOWLY dropping. Any movement was enough to keep me going. I made it through 7 weeks of cut (eating between 1850-2100 cal) and went for my post measurements and guess what?
I ONLY LOST 4 LBS (7 lbs if you count that I was still carrying around 3 lbs of reset weight) but I lost over 13 inches total and 4% body fat!!!!
I now care very little about the scale. It's a filthy little liar.
I just finished a rest week (which turned out to be more like 11 days) where I ate close to TDEE and kept exercise to a minimum and today I started my cut and 3rd fitness bootcamp again. I have all the faith in the world that I will see amazing results again now that my body has learned to trust me.
I know it sounds terrible, but really just hang in there. Make sure you are measuring/weighing and tracking everything. Use an HRM for exercise calories if you can and eat clean. Eating clean is the most important part to losing those inches and giving your body the nutrients again that it needs to trust you.
OH OH and before I forget....during my rest week I lost around 2.5 more scale lbs which I believe to be the amount of water my muscles were hanging on to for dear life. Please keep in mind that water weight can be the devil sometimes!
Feel free to friend me if you like and i'll help anyway I can (but please be patient as the next few days I will be spuratic logging (having lost my grandmother today) until I can get myself in order again. I hope this helps at least a little
Thanks for this0 -
I feel the same way about weight loss.0
