3 weeks into EM2Wl and i'm not losing anything.
TanKiwi2394
Posts: 21
It's been three weeks, and I haven't lost a pound, in fact i've been 2100 calories i've maintained my weight, the calculator says i maintain on 2500 calories, and ive tried 1800-1900 calories before and my weight would just stall there too. Should I up my calories again? maybe to 2200?
I work out weight train and caridio 4-5 times a week.
What gives?
I work out weight train and caridio 4-5 times a week.
What gives?
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Replies
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Also, a little more information about me
I work out 4-5 times a week I alternate between upper body workouts to lower, so monday ill do upper, tues i'll do lower, etc.
Uhm I do about 20-30 mins of HIIT or HI cardio. At least to the point where my shirt is completely soaked in sweat,
And then I weight train for about 30 mins, i do two exercises per muscle group, and i weight train seriously, as much as i can do in proper form 3 sets, 8 reps.
I can do a lot of weights, like in butterflies i can do 80 pounds, lat pull downs i can easily do 90 pounds, and i can easily leg press 300 pounds.
So i think i'm pretty fit.
But why isnt the fat coming off? Maybe i'm not eating enough?
Btw, these are the numbers scooby gives me
BMR: 1653
TDEE: 2562
15 % cut- 21770 -
Couple things would be helpful: age, height, current weight. Unless I know those, it's hard to tell if you need more or less calories!0
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Age: 18Couple things would be helpful: age, height, current weight. Unless I know those, it's hard to tell if you need more or less calories!
Height: 5'7
Current weight: 178 LBS
Goal weight: 1350 -
It might be too early to see changes. The body needs time to adapt to new situations.
You can increase your calories, or you can also try to eat at TDEE. For a week and then go back to your cut.
If you have been on low calorie dits before for an extended period of time you would benefit of doing a reset.0 -
You aren't eating near TDEE if your activity level is 4-5 hours a week. Scooby calculator says between 2562 for 3-5 hours of exercise a week for someone with your height, weight, and age.
What is your diet history? Were you on a low calorie diet before?0 -
You aren't eating near TDEE if your activity level is 4-5 hours a week. Scooby calculator says between 2562 for 3-5 hours of exercise a week for someone with your height, weight, and age.
What is your diet history? Were you on a low calorie diet before?
My Diet history, so 'ive been trying to lose weight for the past 2 years, 2 years go i was on a 1000-1200 calorie diet for about a year. I would keep gaining, and for the past 8 months I've decided to workout consistently (and i see progression in my fitness, just not in my weight) and i would eat 1600 calories for about 6 months. And just the past few months I've been eating 1800-1900 calories. It's only for the past month that i've discovered EM2WL, and have started eating 2100 calories.
I also gained about 20 pounds since from two years ago, over time and slowly. I'm sure some of it is muscle from weight training, but most must be from fat.0 -
You aren't eating near TDEE if your activity level is 4-5 hours a week. Scooby calculator says between 2562 for 3-5 hours of exercise a week for someone with your height, weight, and age.
What is your diet history? Were you on a low calorie diet before?
My Diet history, so 'ive been trying to lose weight for the past 2 years, 2 years go i was on a 1000-1200 calorie diet for about a year. I would keep gaining, and for the past 8 months I've decided to workout consistently (and i see progression in my fitness, just not in my weight) and i would eat 1600 calories for about 6 months. And just the past few months I've been eating 1800-1900 calories. It's only for the past month that i've discovered EM2WL, and have started eating 2100 calories.
I also gained about 20 pounds since from two years ago, over time and slowly. I'm sure some of it is muscle from weight training, but most must be from fat.
Gotcha. So you haven't done a reset? What I would do if I were you is slowly up my calories to TDEE (which is 2560) over a few weeks. Then I would eat at 2560 for 6-8weeks before trying to cut. Or you can keep eating at your cut and you might eventually start losing weight, but it sounds like from your history, you need a metabolism reset and you probably won't lose weight again until you do one. Check out the different forum stickies about it! I did one for 8 weeks and it made me feel so much better.
I doubt the entire 20lbs you gained is from fat if you've been exercising! Does your gym have a way of calculating your body fat %?
Honestly, the weight comes off slowly for people on this program. But if you think about it, it took you two years to gain 20lbs, so it would make sense that it might take two years to lose it!0 -
Okay! So basically just eat at my TDEE for awhile to fix my metabolism? Will i gain weight at all?Gotcha. So you haven't done a reset? What I would do if I were you is slowly up my calories to TDEE (which is 2560) over a few weeks. Then I would eat at 2560 for 6-8weeks before trying to cut. Or you can keep eating at your cut and you might eventually start losing weight, but it sounds like from your history, you need a metabolism reset and you probably won't lose weight again until you do one. Check out the different forum stickies about it! I did one for 8 weeks and it made me feel so much better.
I doubt the entire 20lbs you gained is from fat if you've been exercising! Does your gym have a way of calculating your body fat %?
Honestly, the weight comes off slowly for people on this program. But if you think about it, it took you two years to gain 20lbs, so it would make sense that it might take two years to lose it!
And still exercise 4-5 times a week, yes? And that kinda sucks to hear, i want to lose weight, but i dont want it to take like multiple years to lose 50 pounds.![:\](https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/resources/emoji/confused.png ":\")
oh well 0 -
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Okay! So basically just eat at my TDEE for awhile to fix my metabolism? Will i gain weight at all?Gotcha. So you haven't done a reset? What I would do if I were you is slowly up my calories to TDEE (which is 2560) over a few weeks. Then I would eat at 2560 for 6-8weeks before trying to cut. Or you can keep eating at your cut and you might eventually start losing weight, but it sounds like from your history, you need a metabolism reset and you probably won't lose weight again until you do one. Check out the different forum stickies about it! I did one for 8 weeks and it made me feel so much better.
I doubt the entire 20lbs you gained is from fat if you've been exercising! Does your gym have a way of calculating your body fat %?
Honestly, the weight comes off slowly for people on this program. But if you think about it, it took you two years to gain 20lbs, so it would make sense that it might take two years to lose it!
And still exercise 4-5 times a week, yes? And that kinda sucks to hear, i want to lose weight, but i dont want it to take like multiple years to lose 50 pounds. oh well
Yes you might gain weight, but you CAN keep exercising! Read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521728-upping-cals-what-to-expect-why-you-need-patience
I know it sucks to hear. You should definitely get your BF% tested to see if your goal is realistic. Maybe you only need to lose 20lbs rather than 50!
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You're freaking awesome
This is all pretty positive for me! Even though i haven't lost any weight, i'm glad to know i can eat 2100 calories and at least not gain any weight! So i'm excited to see what it's like to eat at my TDEE just to see some actual progress! 2 month TDEE journey starts today! Thank you so so so so much!0 -
make sure you take photos & measurements too! lifting heavy plus eating at TDEE you will gain or maintain on the scale (prob best to just chuck it out, seriously!), but you will be feeding those muscles like they've never been fed before so you will definitely see your body will change.0
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Good for you! You are so young, but you have it all figured out. Good luck on your journey.0
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Enjoy TDEE and when it is time to cut...SMALL CUT, start with 10% for 4wks, then do TDEE for a week then you can try 15% next 4wks, then TDEE for a week..etc. Keep the body guessing so it doesn't have a chance to adjust to a lower calorie intake.
Lucia0 -
Enjoy TDEE and when it is time to cut...SMALL CUT, start with 10% for 4wks, then do TDEE for a week then you can try 15% next 4wks, then TDEE for a week..etc. Keep the body guessing so it doesn't have a chance to adjust to a lower calorie intake.
Lucia
This is actually GREAT , timely advice. Those of us that have done this for a bit ( ME! ) sometimes lose sight that we absolutely do need to switch it up. Just this morning I thought to myself - SELF ! I think the ole body is getting used to these 1700ish calories and it's time to UP for a while. In fact, I think I'm gonna go close to 2200 for the rest of September.
OP - you've had some FAB advice. You are still young - so PLEASE learn to do this right, many of us didn't have the knowledge at your age, have PATIENCE. And .. I totally agree. I'm not so sure you need to lose 50 lbs. Since you are lifting heavy - I have a feeling you will hit your goal in terms of BF and how you look, how your clothes fit at a higher weight than you have your mind set on right now. It is truly a new world when you lean up your body with weights. Please be sure to take measurements monthly. That is a great tool to check progress vs. the scale.
I have a lower BF% than one would think at my weight - it's due to lifting and eating well and taking things SLOW. On average, I've lost .5 lb a week over the past year and have lowered my BF% from 40ish% down to 28% .
Have a GREAT day !0 -
You're freaking awesome
This is all pretty positive for me! Even though i haven't lost any weight, i'm glad to know i can eat 2100 calories and at least not gain any weight! So i'm excited to see what it's like to eat at my TDEE just to see some actual progress! 2 month TDEE journey starts today! Thank you so so so so much!
LOVE your attitude and your enthusiasm !!!0 -
Age: 18Couple things would be helpful: age, height, current weight. Unless I know those, it's hard to tell if you need more or less calories!
Height: 5'7
Current weight: 178 LBS
Goal weight: 135
i have the same stats but im 23 years old. i did the reset for about 3 months, then i cut to 2100 and the weight has been falling off ever since0 -
I went for 12 weeks without losing anything and then started losing again.0
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Also with your workout regimen make sure your goals include something other than the scale. You may reach your ideal body at 10 lbs heavier than you expected. Success is also measured by strength, endurance, BF%, resting heart rate, and how your clothes are fitting.0
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All the advice here rocks
Nothing more to add here, except....don't forget to take pics!!! :bigsmile: Often the progress is seen there or the tape measure waaaaay before the scale stops spewing lies
~Kiki0 -
So, everyone's TDEE can be different, right? If your maintenance appears very different from that given by the scooby calculator, isn't it possible that your maintenance is just lower? Is it always possible to increase it with a reset?
I ask because my maintenance also seems about 300 calories lower than what the calculators give me. I think my maintenance is 2500, but scooby gives me 2800.
36 yo female
CW 238 lbs
5'6"0 -
So, everyone's TDEE can be different, right? If your maintenance appears very different from that given by the scooby calculator, isn't it possible that your maintenance is just lower? Is it always possible to increase it with a reset?
I ask because my maintenance also seems about 300 calories lower than what the calculators give me. I think my maintenance is 2500, but scooby gives me 2800.
36 yo female
CW 238 lbs
5'6"
Yes everybody's TDEE is different that's what makes this such an individualized journey. The only way that you would know for sure-ish of what your maintenance would be other than trusting your instincts, would be to use a device such as a BMF (body media fit), fit bit, or getting your RMR tested.
But, yes eating more does raise your BMR the same way that eating less lowers it...so it is very likely that your maintenance is lower now. But that does not mean that if you eat where you're supposed to be that it will not go up. Most of us have a lowered BMR when we come into this journey and therefore we have a lower maintenance level as well but that is because our maintenance has adapted to the lower eating. It will also adapt to eating more.
The human body is an amazingly complex thing the way that it adapts to whatever you put it.
~ Kiki0 -
Thanks for your response, Kiki! My fitbit also gives me an average daily burn of around 2500 - 2550 calories, but I'm going to do a slow reset to see if I can raise that. Once I get eating at 2500 down (I was so happy with the extra food the first two weeks that I kind of, um... overshot my calorie goal), I want to try to add 50-100 calories per week to see how my body responds. This will probably take longer than 6 to 8 weeks, but this girl likes to eat, so it's worth it! (I'll do a 200-300 calorie cut after I discover my "new maintenance.")0
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Thanks for your response, Kiki! My fitbit also gives me an average daily burn of around 2500 - 2550 calories, but I'm going to do a slow reset to see if I can raise that. Once I get eating at 2500 down (I was so happy with the extra food the first two weeks that I kind of, um... overshot my calorie goal), I want to try to add 50-100 calories per week to see how my body responds. This will probably take longer than 6 to 8 weeks, but this girl likes to eat, so it's worth it! (I'll do a 200-300 calorie cut after I discover my "new maintenance.")
Lol you sound exactly like me. I just wanted to push the limits because I know that I like food and I needed to be able to eat plenty of it when I was maintaining...so I was willing to push it. It did take me a while though. But it sure was worth it! :drinker:0 -
Enjoy TDEE and when it is time to cut...SMALL CUT, start with 10% for 4wks, then do TDEE for a week then you can try 15% next 4wks, then TDEE for a week..etc. Keep the body guessing so it doesn't have a chance to adjust to a lower calorie intake.
Lucia
I like this idea. I've been doing 10% for 3 weeks now (on my 4th) and I think TDEE for a week fits right in with where I wanna go.0 -
Bump0
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This was a great read. I read this because I needed a pep talk to keep me going. Im close to 3 weeks of upping my calories and, depending on the time of day, I've either lost 2 pounds or gained 2. I guess that means I've maintained. About 6 weeks ago, in addition to running and swimming I added in HIIT, weights, and body weight workouts. Though the scale has not moved in 7 weeks now, my clothes are definitely fitting different. Im in this for the long haul but really really want to see the scale at a lower number. Im hoping for some downward movement in the next 2 months. Thanks for this post, it fueled me to keep going.0
