HELP!!! I am new to EM2WL and I have gained weight!!!
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Dehanna
Posts: 6
Hello Everyone.
I started my healthy lifestyle journey at the end of November 2012. I was eating at 1200 calories for 3 weeks and lost about 6 lbs. Christmas holidays came around and I gained 5 lbs back, yuk, I know. So on January 7, 2012 I started back on 1200 calories because this is what MFP told me that I needed in order to lose 1.5 lbs a week. I then lost the 5 holiday pounds that I gained and I was happy thinking that I'm on a roll after 2 weeks of 1200 again. Keep in mind, in my ignorance and desperation to lose weight faster I didn't increase my calories when I worked out, I just figured that would mean more weight loss for me. But then I was hit with some information, I should not have started my healthy weight loss journey by decreasing my calories so much. So I then upped my calories to 1300-1400 last week and thought that I was doing well. Then Thursday came along and I found the EM2WL Group and I was interested in what I was reading. By Thursday of last week I was at 1600 calories and I was starting to feel bloated. I checked out the scooby site as suggested and found out that I was still not eating enough calories. My BMR was 1574, my TDEE was 2439 and my TDEE-15% is 2073, wow, scary!!! Two shocking discoveries: 1) at 1200 calories I was still in starvation mode and I wasn't eating enough calories for my body to function safely while at rest and 2) I had A LOT more calories to eat everyday. I thought to myself, whoa, what can I do now to nurture my body and feeble metabolism back to optimal health and strength??? Then I continued soaking up the EM2WL info and found out about the Metabolism Reset. But hold up...that means I have to eat double the calories, 2439, for 8-12 weeks to get my body to trust me again? I thought how in the world do I add another 1000 calories to my day? Then I said, I'll do it in increments. This weekend I attempted to increase my calories each day and start afresh today, Monday, January 28, 2013 at Reset. I weight myself this morning and found out that I gained approximately 1.6 lbs!!! I was not pleased. I didn't even make it to TDEE (2439 calories) last week, ( I got to as high as 2000 calories) and I have already gained weight!?!?! Whats happening here??? Please let me know how your experiences of a Metabolism Reset went. Also, feel free to add me as a friend, I need all the help that I can get. Today I will attempt to get to 2400 calories in a healthy manor and officially start my Reset. I have to be honest tho, I'm quite scared because I've already gained weight and I didn't even make it to TDEE-15%
I started my healthy lifestyle journey at the end of November 2012. I was eating at 1200 calories for 3 weeks and lost about 6 lbs. Christmas holidays came around and I gained 5 lbs back, yuk, I know. So on January 7, 2012 I started back on 1200 calories because this is what MFP told me that I needed in order to lose 1.5 lbs a week. I then lost the 5 holiday pounds that I gained and I was happy thinking that I'm on a roll after 2 weeks of 1200 again. Keep in mind, in my ignorance and desperation to lose weight faster I didn't increase my calories when I worked out, I just figured that would mean more weight loss for me. But then I was hit with some information, I should not have started my healthy weight loss journey by decreasing my calories so much. So I then upped my calories to 1300-1400 last week and thought that I was doing well. Then Thursday came along and I found the EM2WL Group and I was interested in what I was reading. By Thursday of last week I was at 1600 calories and I was starting to feel bloated. I checked out the scooby site as suggested and found out that I was still not eating enough calories. My BMR was 1574, my TDEE was 2439 and my TDEE-15% is 2073, wow, scary!!! Two shocking discoveries: 1) at 1200 calories I was still in starvation mode and I wasn't eating enough calories for my body to function safely while at rest and 2) I had A LOT more calories to eat everyday. I thought to myself, whoa, what can I do now to nurture my body and feeble metabolism back to optimal health and strength??? Then I continued soaking up the EM2WL info and found out about the Metabolism Reset. But hold up...that means I have to eat double the calories, 2439, for 8-12 weeks to get my body to trust me again? I thought how in the world do I add another 1000 calories to my day? Then I said, I'll do it in increments. This weekend I attempted to increase my calories each day and start afresh today, Monday, January 28, 2013 at Reset. I weight myself this morning and found out that I gained approximately 1.6 lbs!!! I was not pleased. I didn't even make it to TDEE (2439 calories) last week, ( I got to as high as 2000 calories) and I have already gained weight!?!?! Whats happening here??? Please let me know how your experiences of a Metabolism Reset went. Also, feel free to add me as a friend, I need all the help that I can get. Today I will attempt to get to 2400 calories in a healthy manor and officially start my Reset. I have to be honest tho, I'm quite scared because I've already gained weight and I didn't even make it to TDEE-15%
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Replies
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Keep the math facts in mind.
1 lb of fat is 3500 calories.
You gain 1 lb, you must have eaten 3500 calories MORE than your TDEE.
Lose a lb, less than your TDEE.
Anything else is water weight of one sort or another. Not even muscle as some may mistakenly try to claim - can't gain that fast either.0 -
Like heybales said, it is not real fat gain. It's probably water retention from exercise or from eating more. When you start increasing calories it is common to see a small gain that should equalize back out in time.0
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I just did a 6 week reset and I gained about 3 pounds. I gained that over the course of about 4 weeks, then I finally stabilized at the weight I'm at now for 2 weeks and today I'm starting a cut again. So yes, I've been there. I am there now! I suppose my advice to you would be to add calories very slowly. Start where you are now.. Add 100 calories to that for a few days, wait and see what happens, then another 100, wait and see what happens, and so on. You may gain a pound or two.
One thing that mentally and physically helped me with the weight gain is strength training. I could see my muscles becoming a bit more defined, and my shape changed (bigger in thighs and rear, smaller in waist). It wasn't enough that anyone other than me and my husband would notice, but it made me feel like the pounds I was gaining were going to muscle and muscle-food rather than fat.
Also, I tried to think about it as an investment. I was improving my metabolism and building some muscle so that when I did do a cut, it would be effective and get me the body that I want.
Anyway, point is I was just where you are a few weeks ago. I was freaking out too. And I felt better after my weight started to stabilize. And I'm excited now to be able to do a cut and hopefully see results after looong months of nada before my reset. Best of luck to you. And I'll send a friend request!0
