Weird

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Leigh14
Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
Just wanted to share a weird!

All my life I've heard of people saying their pants were getting tighter when they ate. Some even unbuttoned them after a big meal.

I have never experienced this!!

Until last night ...

I went out to dinner with some friends who were visiting from another state. I got a 6 oz. steak, a side salad, green beans and a roll. They got appetizers and I also had a Jalapeno popper and a boneless buffalo wing. I drank a glass of water, but had already had almost 100 oz. of liquid throughout the day. THEN, it happened ... my pants were tighter! Like, a LOT tighter. Miserable, even. When I got home, I couldn't wait to get out of them! This morning, even my shoes were tighter. I must've retained water like crazy!

Just thought it was kinda weird. :laugh:

In other news ... I really haven't lost anything - STILL - at cut. I took a diet break, ate at TDEE for about a week, went back to cut last week and did cardio only, extended my cardio-only to this week as well, and plan on getting back to weights next week. Seriously contemplating getting a FitBit ... just gotta come up with the moola, lol.

Replies

  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
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    I think there is a cheaper fitbit now...for $59...saw it the other day...does all the other does, except does not track sleep/ stairs...

    I feel your pain darlin'.... going through a very emotional time ( a sad break-up with my boyfreind/best friend in many ways of 3.5 years on and off...) and either not wanting to eat anything at all.. or partaking of too many carbs.... and still stuck in idle.
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    $59 isn't bad! I'll check that out. Thank you for the info!

    I'm sorry about your break-up. :frown: I understand the emotional ups and downs ... they're terrible! Don't give up. I know everything happens for a reason, even if we don't understand it. God bless and hugs!! :flowerforyou:
    I think there is a cheaper fitbit now...for $59...saw it the other day...does all the other does, except does not track sleep/ stairs...

    I feel your pain darlin'.... going through a very emotional time ( a sad break-up with my boyfreind/best friend in many ways of 3.5 years on and off...) and either not wanting to eat anything at all.. or partaking of too many carbs.... and still stuck in idle.
  • holleysings
    holleysings Posts: 664 Member
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    Just wanted to share a weird!

    All my life I've heard of people saying their pants were getting tighter when they ate. Some even unbuttoned them after a big meal.

    I have never experienced this!!

    Until last night ...

    I went out to dinner with some friends who were visiting from another state. I got a 6 oz. steak, a side salad, green beans and a roll. They got appetizers and I also had a Jalapeno popper and a boneless buffalo wing. I drank a glass of water, but had already had almost 100 oz. of liquid throughout the day. THEN, it happened ... my pants were tighter! Like, a LOT tighter. Miserable, even. When I got home, I couldn't wait to get out of them! This morning, even my shoes were tighter. I must've retained water like crazy!

    Just thought it was kinda weird. :laugh:

    In other news ... I really haven't lost anything - STILL - at cut. I took a diet break, ate at TDEE for about a week, went back to cut last week and did cardio only, extended my cardio-only to this week as well, and plan on getting back to weights next week. Seriously contemplating getting a FitBit ... just gotta come up with the moola, lol.

    Regarding why you still haven't lost anything...are you keeping a spreadsheet separate from MFP to calculate your calories and macros over a week? I started doing that to get a better picture of my cut progress and it was eye opening. I started focusing on week-long goals rather than the daily one and noticed that there are a lot of changes I need to make to cut successfully. It also helped me make sure that I was actually eating at a cut EVERY DAY. And not just fudging it or ruining my cut progress with one day of over eating. However, I do have a fitbit, so I have a very good idea of what I burn every day. Just something to think about!
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    Regarding why you still haven't lost anything...are you keeping a spreadsheet separate from MFP to calculate your calories and macros over a week? I started doing that to get a better picture of my cut progress and it was eye opening. I started focusing on week-long goals rather than the daily one and noticed that there are a lot of changes I need to make to cut successfully. It also helped me make sure that I was actually eating at a cut EVERY DAY. And not just fudging it or ruining my cut progress with one day of over eating. However, I do have a fitbit, so I have a very good idea of what I burn every day. Just something to think about!

    Nope, I'm not keeping a separate spreadsheet. I saw one floating around on this forum, but I'm horrible with Excel and am really unsure how to use it.

    I keep running options through my head. Gluten free? Low carb? More cardio? Less cardio? More weights? Less weights? For now, I've extended my 'cardio-only' phase from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I thought that when I stopped lifting weights, I'd lose water weight and glycogen weight, but from what I can tell, I haven't lost anything. My clothes are still really, really tight and I feel gross in my body. I'm afraid that my cut number has become my TDEE number and I will have to reduce my calories more to lose. I thought I'd combat that with the one-week exercise break I took a couple weeks ago (I ate at TDEE or above for about 5 days and didn't exercise for a full 7), but all that did was made me gain. SO, I'm just kind of cruising along here.

    I know I need to eat more veggies, so I prepped some for this week. I can't bring myself to eat them now ... they just taste horrible. I chose carrots and broccoli, both of which I don't eat a lot of normally ... so I am going to try to choose some different veggies for next week that I'll actually eat, lol. Since I'm not really eating the food I prepared this week, I've had a few things thrown into my diet that I wouldn't normally eat. I don't like not having a plan!

    My boyfriend and I are talking marriage soon, plus babies, LOL. I really, really, really want to be a healthy wife and mother! Not to mention, I'd love to be sexy, too! :laugh:
  • holleysings
    holleysings Posts: 664 Member
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    Regarding why you still haven't lost anything...are you keeping a spreadsheet separate from MFP to calculate your calories and macros over a week? I started doing that to get a better picture of my cut progress and it was eye opening. I started focusing on week-long goals rather than the daily one and noticed that there are a lot of changes I need to make to cut successfully. It also helped me make sure that I was actually eating at a cut EVERY DAY. And not just fudging it or ruining my cut progress with one day of over eating. However, I do have a fitbit, so I have a very good idea of what I burn every day. Just something to think about!

    Nope, I'm not keeping a separate spreadsheet. I saw one floating around on this forum, but I'm horrible with Excel and am really unsure how to use it.

    I keep running options through my head. Gluten free? Low carb? More cardio? Less cardio? More weights? Less weights? For now, I've extended my 'cardio-only' phase from 2 weeks to 4 weeks. I thought that when I stopped lifting weights, I'd lose water weight and glycogen weight, but from what I can tell, I haven't lost anything. My clothes are still really, really tight and I feel gross in my body. I'm afraid that my cut number has become my TDEE number and I will have to reduce my calories more to lose. I thought I'd combat that with the one-week exercise break I took a couple weeks ago (I ate at TDEE or above for about 5 days and didn't exercise for a full 7), but all that did was made me gain. SO, I'm just kind of cruising along here.

    I know I need to eat more veggies, so I prepped some for this week. I can't bring myself to eat them now ... they just taste horrible. I chose carrots and broccoli, both of which I don't eat a lot of normally ... so I am going to try to choose some different veggies for next week that I'll actually eat, lol. Since I'm not really eating the food I prepared this week, I've had a few things thrown into my diet that I wouldn't normally eat. I don't like not having a plan!

    My boyfriend and I are talking marriage soon, plus babies, LOL. I really, really, really want to be a healthy wife and mother! Not to mention, I'd love to be sexy, too! :laugh:

    I'm pretty sure the only thing you have to do with the spreadsheet floating around is to input your numbers. The formulas are already set up, so it's not complicated. I would highly recommend doing that. If you can't find that link, let me know and I'll try to find it!

    Also, from what I've seen in your diary, you majorly lack consistency macro-wise. Bodies do best with a consistent routine. Now, I know I'm not perfect, so one of the reasons for keeping a larger spreadsheet was so I could make sure I am consistent and hold myself more accountable. You need to stick with the same routine for 6-8 weeks exercise wise and macro wise. Stop making this a head game and relax.

    I would also recommend tracking your water consumption. It's possibly you feel "tight" because you are not drinking enough water. I drink 11-20 cups of water a day and really don't have a problem holding onto water weight when I lift weights.

    Being healthy has nothing to do with the number on the scale. There are numerous studies out there showing that some obese people are healthier than people at a normal weight if they exercise regularly.

    I'm sorry this has been such a tough road for you, but you can work this out! Give your body time to settle into something before you change everything again.
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    Okay, I've downloaded this spreadsheet and plugged in all my numbers (I think). It calculated the following:

    Katch-McArdle - BMR = 1867, Maintenance = 2426, Cut @ 15% = 2063
    Mifflin-St Jeor - BMR = 1798, Maintenance = 2337, Cut @ 15% = 1987

    I've been doing 2150, according to the Fitness Frog calculator. Maybe I should reduce by 100 calories and see what happens?

    I know my macros have been all over the place lately. And I know that affects my body negatively. I've had WAY too many carbs lately and that kills me because I am a huge protein lover! I typically plan my meals every week and this week has been kinda pulled from a hat.

    So ... with this spreadsheet ... I just keep tracking my weight from week to week while staying consistent with calorie intake, workouts and macros?
  • holleysings
    holleysings Posts: 664 Member
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    I would definitely decrease by 100 calories to see if that helps.

    Yes to consistency! I also check my macros weekly on the MFP pie chart on my phone to make sure I really hit the percentages I'm aiming for. You can also do that daily and as the week progresses to keep yourself on track. That's the one thing I do not like about the website, no cute pie chart that I've found yet.

    You'll figure this out! :flowerforyou: I'm glad you're being persistent with it rather than giving up.
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    Thanks! Starting TODAY. :smile: 100 calories won't make that big of a difference in my eating ... compared to the 1200-ish I used to eat, I'm pretty much stuffing myself! :laugh:

    Pie chart? Wow! I *just* did a quick search on the app and found that. LOVE! Great find; thank you for mentioning it, I'd never looked at that before.
  • CanGirl40
    CanGirl40 Posts: 379 Member
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    I would definitely decrease by 100 calories to see if that helps.

    Yes to consistency! I also check my macros weekly on the MFP pie chart on my phone to make sure I really hit the percentages I'm aiming for. You can also do that daily and as the week progresses to keep yourself on track. That's the one thing I do not like about the website, no cute pie chart that I've found yet.

    You'll figure this out! :flowerforyou: I'm glad you're being persistent with it rather than giving up.

    Hi, Yes, I don't understand why they don't have that pie chart feature on the computer...just app! Love the pie chart.

    Holleysings, you seem to know a LOT...can you check out my diary and give me some advice...?
  • LuluProteinFueled
    LuluProteinFueled Posts: 261 Member
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    Just posted this on a different topic Leigh, but given your discussion over carbs, thought you may find it helpful:

    Further, I am a big believer that the protein/carb macros are uber-importance. I have seen people at cut recently not getting the results they're expecting and IMHO (without any judgement) I think it may have a lot to do with their carb intakes. The role that carbs (especially high-GI) play in getting our bodies to produce insulin, and then said insulin causing us to store fat is not mentioned a lot around the traps. Read more here: http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/Insulin_Weight_Loss. Basically, for people who already have insulin resistance, more than 40% of their carbs will be turned to fat because more insulin is making its way around the body. Unfortunately insulin resistance is more common in people who are overweight. I've read a lot about this because my Dad is a formerly overweight, former diabetes sufferer who is now slim and has no trace of diabetes. He did it all himself! Now a huge low-GI eater :)
  • holleysings
    holleysings Posts: 664 Member
    Options
    I would definitely decrease by 100 calories to see if that helps.

    Yes to consistency! I also check my macros weekly on the MFP pie chart on my phone to make sure I really hit the percentages I'm aiming for. You can also do that daily and as the week progresses to keep yourself on track. That's the one thing I do not like about the website, no cute pie chart that I've found yet.

    You'll figure this out! :flowerforyou: I'm glad you're being persistent with it rather than giving up.

    Hi, Yes, I don't understand why they don't have that pie chart feature on the computer...just app! Love the pie chart.

    Holleysings, you seem to know a LOT...can you check out my diary and give me some advice...?

    I would LOVE a pie chart on the website. And a more friendly recipe creator. It's easier to create recipes on my phone since on the website you cannot change the quantity once the ingredient has been entered without deleting it.

    Yeah, I've just had a lifetime of watching my parents yo-yo diet, participating in some, paying attention to what my body is asking for, and figuring out what works best for my body. That's really what matters! What works for me won't necessarily work for anyone else. But I figure I can offer advice to help others figure out what works. What sort of advice are you looking for? Are you struggling to meet a certain macro?
  • Leigh14
    Leigh14 Posts: 871 Member
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    Just posted this on a different topic Leigh, but given your discussion over carbs, thought you may find it helpful:

    Further, I am a big believer that the protein/carb macros are uber-importance. I have seen people at cut recently not getting the results they're expecting and IMHO (without any judgement) I think it may have a lot to do with their carb intakes. The role that carbs (especially high-GI) play in getting our bodies to produce insulin, and then said insulin causing us to store fat is not mentioned a lot around the traps. Read more here: http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/Insulin_Weight_Loss. Basically, for people who already have insulin resistance, more than 40% of their carbs will be turned to fat because more insulin is making its way around the body. Unfortunately insulin resistance is more common in people who are overweight. I've read a lot about this because my Dad is a formerly overweight, former diabetes sufferer who is now slim and has no trace of diabetes. He did it all himself! Now a huge low-GI eater :)

    Thank you for this!! I researched insulin resistance, I know how too many carbs make my body feel and there are several people in my family with diabetes! I hate the stigma going around with "low-carb diets," but I believe I do need to start watching my carbs. I know that when I've had a overly-carb-rich day, all I feel like doing at the end of the day is diving into a box of cereal. AND no matter how much cereal I eat, I'm still hungry! :laugh:
  • reagentmel
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    I'm fairly new to MFP, been reading A LOT! Thankfully, found EM2LW fairly quickly, along with Dan's "Roadmap" and got off the 1,200 calories per day I started out with. That is NOT how I want to live my life!

    I'm making my first post here, because in reading through the EM2LW posts, and all of the frustration with resets and scale weight, I was thinking the whole way through that some of the frustration may come from carb issues and insulin resistance, and then someone mentioned it here. I actually read "The Insulin Resistance Diet" and was researching insulin and carb issues before I happened upon MFP, and have been using the link and balance approach with my carbs while tracking calories and balancing macros with MFP. The scale isn't making big moves, but I'm eating foods I always thought were taboo for weight loss, and the scale isn't going UP, which it had been like crazy before paying attention to carb / protein balance for EACH MEAL, not just in a day's time. I'm only doing cardio at this point, and am seeing inch loss and clothes fitting better. I definitely recommend the book for those who are potentially insulin resistant, and experiencing frustration when you feel you're doing everything right. It just might make the difference (FYI, I'm doing numbers according to MFP, not following calorie recommendations in the book, but am using the max carb grams at one sitting and balancing with protein, which is the main point of the book).
  • LuluProteinFueled
    LuluProteinFueled Posts: 261 Member
    Options
    Just posted this on a different topic Leigh, but given your discussion over carbs, thought you may find it helpful:

    Further, I am a big believer that the protein/carb macros are uber-importance. I have seen people at cut recently not getting the results they're expecting and IMHO (without any judgement) I think it may have a lot to do with their carb intakes. The role that carbs (especially high-GI) play in getting our bodies to produce insulin, and then said insulin causing us to store fat is not mentioned a lot around the traps. Read more here: http://www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/Insulin_Weight_Loss. Basically, for people who already have insulin resistance, more than 40% of their carbs will be turned to fat because more insulin is making its way around the body. Unfortunately insulin resistance is more common in people who are overweight. I've read a lot about this because my Dad is a formerly overweight, former diabetes sufferer who is now slim and has no trace of diabetes. He did it all himself! Now a huge low-GI eater :)

    Thank you for this!! I researched insulin resistance, I know how too many carbs make my body feel and there are several people in my family with diabetes! I hate the stigma going around with "low-carb diets," but I believe I do need to start watching my carbs. I know that when I've had a overly-carb-rich day, all I feel like doing at the end of the day is diving into a box of cereal. AND no matter how much cereal I eat, I'm still hungry! :laugh:

    You're welcome! Oh wow, yes that is definitely a response from your body indicating that it has overcompensated on insulin from an overly-carb day, pulls out all the insulin it has, sends it around your body to counteract all the sugar in your blood, leaving you with low blood sugar again, craving more carbs.

    Sounds like looking into your carb macro is definitely worthwhile here. I do not advocate low carb diets, but I do advocate lowER. I started out with 40% carb but when I very happily realised I had plenty left over each days, I am now down to 30%. And let me tell you, I was a former carb queen!! lol.

    My best tips to you are to very literally plan out your protein to hit your protein macro every day. Ensure you eat it at every meal. Even if I have fruit as a snack, I will always eat some cheese or greek yogurt with it. Carbs seem to fall into place a lot more easier that way. Also, Quest bars are my saviour! They are high in protein and quite low in net carbs.

    I never, ever thought I could change my diet around to be less carb-based. Honestly, I used to devour entire bags of mixed lollies because my sugar cravings were out of control. I used to think a high level of carbs was inescapable. But once I started focusing really hard on my protein, everything changed. Feel free to have a browse of my diary if you're looking for some ideas on how to plan your day with a little less carb, without feeling like you're missing them. And I still eat pasta some days too! :drinker:
  • LuluProteinFueled
    LuluProteinFueled Posts: 261 Member
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    I'm fairly new to MFP, been reading A LOT! Thankfully, found EM2LW fairly quickly, along with Dan's "Roadmap" and got off the 1,200 calories per day I started out with. That is NOT how I want to live my life!

    I'm making my first post here, because in reading through the EM2LW posts, and all of the frustration with resets and scale weight, I was thinking the whole way through that some of the frustration may come from carb issues and insulin resistance, and then someone mentioned it here. I actually read "The Insulin Resistance Diet" and was researching insulin and carb issues before I happened upon MFP, and have been using the link and balance approach with my carbs while tracking calories and balancing macros with MFP. The scale isn't making big moves, but I'm eating foods I always thought were taboo for weight loss, and the scale isn't going UP, which it had been like crazy before paying attention to carb / protein balance for EACH MEAL, not just in a day's time. I'm only doing cardio at this point, and am seeing inch loss and clothes fitting better. I definitely recommend the book for those who are potentially insulin resistant, and experiencing frustration when you feel you're doing everything right. It just might make the difference (FYI, I'm doing numbers according to MFP, not following calorie recommendations in the book, but am using the max carb grams at one sitting and balancing with protein, which is the main point of the book).

    Oh wow, fantastic results!!! who cares what the scale says if your inches are moving!! I'd love to know what your carb macro is set to.

    Yeah I've been thinking I might start being a bit more vocal with it.... Occasionally I post about it on my newsfeed but maybe we should start bringing more attention to it on the forum.

    I just LOVE that since paying attention to your carb macro, without changing calories, you are now getting results. I think this could be the missing link for some other people too.