Would love some feedback and some guidance, please!

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Hello all,

I just completed my second week of following EM2WL, and I would really love some guidance to make certain that I'm on the right track. I'm 5'2" and 28 years old. I started my first day of EM2WL at 109.0lb; this morning, I was 111.2lb.

My measurements did change over the first week:

Chest (under bust): 29.5" (at start) --> 29.0" (end of first week)
Waist (at natural waist): 25.5" (at start) --> 25.25" (end of first week)
Stomach (over widest part; approx. 1.5" below belly button): 31.5" (at start) --> 30.5" (end of first week)
Hips (over widest part, under rear end): 35.0" (at start) --> 35.0" (end of first week)
Thigh (right, at widest part): 21.0" (at start) --> 20.75" (end of first week)
Upper arm (right, at widest part): 10.25" (at start) --> 10.25" (end of first week)

When I took my measurements this morning for my end of second week tracking, everything was the same except that my hips had gone down 0.25" and my thigh had gone up 0.25" (so probably inconsistency in measuring on my part).

The first week, I was aiming to eat 1600 per day, but ended up averaging 1750. The second week, I averaged 1800 per day (on purpose this time!). I've been doing Rushfit, a 45 minute strength/circuit training program based on MMA, six days a week and HIIT running one day a week. I also walk a lot; I walked for 370 minutes (@ 3.5-4 MPH) the first week and 470 minutes (@ 3.5-4 MPH) the second week. Other than that, I have a normal desk job.

As hard as it is to let go of, I'm not really concerned about losing scale weight, as I'm at a healthy BMI. I would like to lose inches and body fat. That being said, it's hard to see the scale go up two pounds, particularly with no movement inches-wise this week.

Basically, I would just like some guidance. Should I up my calories? Lower them? Keep the same? ANY and all advice from you folks who know so much more about this than I do would be VERY appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Replies

  • poplin
    poplin Posts: 15
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    Anyone? I trust the opinions of everyone here so much and I'm really second-guessing myself...
  • AnitraSoto
    AnitraSoto Posts: 725 Member
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    Personally, I would give it 6 - 8 weeks before adjusting your calories again - give your body some time to acclimate and adjust. That 2 pound fluctuation could be anything, and is almost certainly just water retention for some reason or another. Resist the temptation to drop your calories and just stay the course - it is a slow process, but it is so worth it in the end!
  • Tina180130
    Tina180130 Posts: 127 Member
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    Give the body time to adjust. If your looking to gain muscle and lose fat, then eat at maintenance, you will gain a couple of pounds per month on maintenance but, will lose inches. Keep doing what your doing and ignore the scales. Workout & eat right and the body will do the rest.
  • amanda_gent
    amanda_gent Posts: 174 Member
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    I'm kinda in the same boat as you, not overweight but wanting to recomp my body so fat naturally falls off. I'm in week three of reset - I agree to definitely stay the course so you don't have to start this all over again!
  • poplin
    poplin Posts: 15
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    Thanks for the feedback, guys; I really appreciate it! Now, a quick follow-up question:

    I'm definitely going to keep going forward, but given that I don't need to lose any weight (just body fat/inches) and that I'm doing strength/circuit training six days a week (about 4.5 hours a week) and HIIT once a week (about 25 minutes) in addition to 6-7 hours of dedicated walking a week, should I actually up my calories?

    Here's what Scooby gives me at moderate exercise (3-5 hours/week):

    BMR: 1291
    TDEE: 2002
    TDEE - 10%: 1801

    And at strenuous exercise (5-6 hours/week):

    BMR: 1291
    TDEE: 2228
    TDEE - 10%: 2005


    I'm currently eating 1800 per day. Is that a good level? What do you guys think?

    Thanks!
  • poplin
    poplin Posts: 15
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    I'll be annoying and bump my own thread again; given the info in my last post, would you guys stay at 1800 or up your calories?

    Thanks in advance!
  • AnitraSoto
    AnitraSoto Posts: 725 Member
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    I would say, based on the exercise you have posted, that you are strenuous, not moderate. I would say you should be at: TDEE - 10%: 2005
  • maruby95
    maruby95 Posts: 204 Member
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    I would go up to strenuous, or, maybe even more appropriate, I would decrease the cardio and stay at moderate. That's a LOT of cardio (especially if you include the walking), and it may hurt your weight lifting, whihc is your best frined for fat loss.

    Just a thought.
  • riouxt
    riouxt Posts: 104 Member
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    Are you doing full body workouts 6 days a week or splits? That's a lot of weightlifting. If you want to change body comp, you have to lift heavy. It is really important to include rest days to let the muscles repair and grow. You really should be pushing as hard as you can each strength workout to get gains. In order to get more muscular the body has to be stressed by lifting more weight so it responds with creating more muscle.