Upping the cals!!
lisamichelle123
Posts: 34 Member
Hiya,
So basically I've lost 23kg (50 pounds) and am about 7kg (15pounds) from my "ideal" weight. However, I have been doing the cutting calories and increasing cardio for about a year and have plateaued for the last 2 months or so. To try and break the plateau, I dropped to 1200-1400cals per day and burnt 700-1000cals (using a HRM - I do a LOT of exercise!!) 6 days a week.. Obviously, this means I was netting between 0-600 calories a day, which is terrible!!
So, I'm going to try EM2WL and up the calories. Here are my stats:
Height: 174cm / 5'8.5"
Weight: 84kg / 185lbs
BMR: 1675cals
TDEE: 2597cals
(moderate activity)
-15% cut: 2207cals
This is a huge number of calories for me after eating so low for so long, so I'm wondering if I should bump it up straight away or build it up over several weeks? I've also started New Rules of Lifting for Women and am dropping the cardio right back, so I'm worried I'll just blow up. Also, NROL4W recommends I eat 1800cals on non-lifting days and 2100cals on lifting days. I'm a bit confused about what I should do since I've always had it drilled in me to eat as few calories as possible but this is neither sustainable long term nor healthy. I want to be fit and strong, not skinny.
Any advice would be great! Thank you so much
So basically I've lost 23kg (50 pounds) and am about 7kg (15pounds) from my "ideal" weight. However, I have been doing the cutting calories and increasing cardio for about a year and have plateaued for the last 2 months or so. To try and break the plateau, I dropped to 1200-1400cals per day and burnt 700-1000cals (using a HRM - I do a LOT of exercise!!) 6 days a week.. Obviously, this means I was netting between 0-600 calories a day, which is terrible!!
So, I'm going to try EM2WL and up the calories. Here are my stats:
Height: 174cm / 5'8.5"
Weight: 84kg / 185lbs
BMR: 1675cals
TDEE: 2597cals
(moderate activity)
-15% cut: 2207cals
This is a huge number of calories for me after eating so low for so long, so I'm wondering if I should bump it up straight away or build it up over several weeks? I've also started New Rules of Lifting for Women and am dropping the cardio right back, so I'm worried I'll just blow up. Also, NROL4W recommends I eat 1800cals on non-lifting days and 2100cals on lifting days. I'm a bit confused about what I should do since I've always had it drilled in me to eat as few calories as possible but this is neither sustainable long term nor healthy. I want to be fit and strong, not skinny.
Any advice would be great! Thank you so much
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Replies
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Bump up to BMR level until no weight gain.
Take a rest week from exercise too, you need to totally unstress your body. When you start it back up, if the exercise is for weight loss, don't do so much. That may change your TDEE estimate then. Exercise is not where the weight loss comes - as you hopefully proved to yourself.
After no weight gain at BMR - bump up daily another 200 calories for a week.
Next week another 200.
Then again.
And really, think of that amount of exercise - is it sustainable. You don't want a weight loss routine, you want a sustainable life routine or you'll just be doing this again down the road as you fail to keep some level of exercise you can't sustain.0 -
Thank you very much. I forgot to mention I do cycle racing, so that's why I do so much exercise. Plus, I really enjoy it! I've exercised like mad for a long time now, but I had a year when I was out of action after breaking my ankle so that's why I'm trying to lose the weight. Exercise will always be a huge part of my life, but it's definitely in the kitchen where the weight loss (read: fat loss) happens 0
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Thank you very much. I forgot to mention I do cycle racing, so that's why I do so much exercise. Plus, I really enjoy it! I've exercised like mad for a long time now, but I had a year when I was out of action after breaking my ankle so that's why I'm trying to lose the weight. Exercise will always be a huge part of my life, but it's definitely in the kitchen where the weight loss (read: fat loss) happens
I cycle as well and when I do I eat back my burn, but it is a net TDEE less cut not the gross calories, because with TDEE you have already counted some calories during the ride.0 -
Thank you very much. I forgot to mention I do cycle racing, so that's why I do so much exercise. Plus, I really enjoy it! I've exercised like mad for a long time now, but I had a year when I was out of action after breaking my ankle so that's why I'm trying to lose the weight. Exercise will always be a huge part of my life, but it's definitely in the kitchen where the weight loss (read: fat loss) happens
Then you aren't even aware of how much you would benefit from a week off.
With frequent exercise, and diet, both being stresses, your body can use a break every 6 weeks.
Only walk, or if you can truly hold yourself to staying ONLY in the Active Recovery HR zone.
Especially as you are hoping your body will catch on and use the extra food, not store it incase the insanity continues.0 -
Thank you very much. I forgot to mention I do cycle racing, so that's why I do so much exercise. Plus, I really enjoy it! I've exercised like mad for a long time now, but I had a year when I was out of action after breaking my ankle so that's why I'm trying to lose the weight. Exercise will always be a huge part of my life, but it's definitely in the kitchen where the weight loss (read: fat loss) happens
Then you aren't even aware of how much you would benefit from a week off.
With frequent exercise, and diet, both being stresses, your body can use a break every 6 weeks.
Only walk, or if you can truly hold yourself to staying ONLY in the Active Recovery HR zone.
Especially as you are hoping your body will catch on and use the extra food, not store it incase the insanity continues.
Cheers for the help!! Definitely insanity, I feel much better already (only a few days without cycling my butt off!)0 -
Thank you very much. I forgot to mention I do cycle racing, so that's why I do so much exercise. Plus, I really enjoy it! I've exercised like mad for a long time now, but I had a year when I was out of action after breaking my ankle so that's why I'm trying to lose the weight. Exercise will always be a huge part of my life, but it's definitely in the kitchen where the weight loss (read: fat loss) happens
I cycle as well and when I do I eat back my burn, but it is a net TDEE less cut not the gross calories, because with TDEE you have already counted some calories during the ride.
Thanks
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Cheers for the help!! Definitely insanity, I feel much better already (only a few days without cycling my butt off!)
Try to make sure you ride a common route, with common wind and such, so you can be shocked how well your performance went up.
Mine always does after a rest week. Though the last several times were forced because I waited too long and got sick, and that's not really the same thing, the body forcing it to happen.0
