Don't guess your cals, could undo all your hard work..

**Sorry for the length, did realize how long it was till I posted, but oh well, hopefully this will help some out there **

Hi all!

I just wanted to share my latest experience and give some hope to women with PCOS or anyone with metabolic issues. And honestly, after seeing all the debating about the low cal vs high cal, this should show you why you should find out YOUR CAL GOAL, not just guess. So this could prob help others too

Last year from April to July I lost 40lbs, eating 1400 cals and working out two hours a day. Went from 270 to 228 in four months. This is before I found MFP and before I knew anything about "the right cals for your body". Well my trainer set me up on MFP, but I didn't start using it till August. I figured the farther I dropped my cals, the bigger deficit, the more weight I would lose. And it worked for awhile. I had a BMF and would burn around 3500 cals a day, having almost a 2000 cal deficit, ensuring I should be losing quite a bit every week. And when I started, it worked. But as the weeks went on, the scale was not in line with my estimated losses with the BMF. I was starting to get discouraged that I wasn't losing even though I was working my tail off. I went from losing 5lbs a week, down to 2, and then none.

By the time I hit July I had so much momentum, I thought the pace I was losing would just keep going and I would have this weight gone in no time. Well July comes and goes, and the scale just stopped. Still eating 1400 cals, working out 2hrs a day, and nothing. My trainer told me to lighten my workouts, so I did, and still nothing. From July to October the scale would not move, no inch loss, no scale loss. I couldn't believe it. All the hard work I was putting in was getting me no where. At this point I have been on MFP awhile and started to see all the posts about Dan and the Road Map, The Eat more to Lose group, and after reading all they had to say, I kinda thought they may be onto something. I decided to change my cals to 20% from TDEE and give it a go.

Set my cals to 2000, wasn't gaining, but wasn't losing. The scale was NOT my friend. You can't help but feel a bit discouraged when the stupid thing won't budge, but Dan kept reassuring me, watch your inches and stay away from the scale! So I listened, after being stuck for months, I was humbled after my big losses had just stopped and at this point would be happy with ANY loss on the scale. But once I started the Road Map, I stopped worrying so much about the scale and in about a month I went down a pant size, but still being the same weight. I was shocked! Who knew you could get smaller and not lose a pound? (well all the IPOARM peeps lol)

Well after a month or two, still no scale loss, and then the inches stopped. I was at such a loss and couldn't figure out why this is happening again! Well needless to say, I fell off the wagon, my patience had worn thin and I just said *kitten* this, and started to let myself go a bit over the holidays. I was busy, work was crazy, and after being so disappointed for months, I just couldn't take it, I needed a break. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted........and now I am 20lbs heavier. Gained that much in the matter of about 2 to 3 months. Mind you for as many days as I ate bad, I had good healthy days too, but they didn't counter any of the bad.

I was reading around on the boards a lot and kept seeing all these women saying that because of the PCOS that you have a slow metabolism, that I should be eating less and that is why you aren't losing. So I was sick of guessing and I really didn't think I was going wrong with the higher cals because even though I wasn't losing, I wasn't gaining either anymore. But I had a feeling the calulators I was using wasn't giving me the right numbers or I was doing it wrong. So from this Jan to feb I had my cals around 1600, thinking it was an inbetween number and I would eat back some exercise cals, and this should work. Still nothing. That 20lbs I gained back is not going anywhere.

I had finally had enough. I saved the cash and went and got my RMR tested and got a Dexascan to get accurate BF%. What a shock it was to find out that I have not been eating NEAR enough. My RMR test came back at 2465 cals burned at rest. WHAT!? How could that be? I have PCOS, I have metabolic issues, there is no way my cal burn is that high. But it is. Now I can't prove it, but I do think me starting the IPOARM previously really was repairing my metabolism. I have been at such small amounts of cals compared to what I should have been eating. And now I know that the Road Map wasn't working as it should because I still wasn't eating enough. All those calculators I did were not accurate and that was where the issue lied.

But after these tests, it just confirmed to me that I was on the right path. I have a website that is linked to my test results that gives me my cals I am supposed to eat. Right now I am sitting at 2580. And I feel good. I follow a pescatarian approach and eat very clean, and have found no issues getting my cals up this high. Adding good healthy fats makes a big difference lol It has only been a week, but hoping for good things to follow. And I was told by the guy the same thing I have been told by Dan. Eat and lift heavy. The heavy lifting is starting this week

I took my measurements from a week ago, and I am already down a couple inches. What a difference it truly makes I am just hoping for even more success the longer I go.

Hope this helps some out there confused about their calories. I know how good it feels when that scale is moving, but the moment it stops and what your doing isn't working, it takes a lot of will power and patience to keep pushing forward and to try something new that may work.

Please find out what cals are right for you, if I never got mine tested I would have never known I was eating way to low. Don't just assume because you have a medical issue that you are in the norm of the issue. There are a lot of women with PCOS that do have slow metabolisms, but I honestly feel that they can be fixed with just a bit of patience and learning.

I told the guy that did my tests all my past info, and he said no wonder you haven't been losing, you are starving your body! I lost that 40lbs by forcing it off and once my body couldn't take more it stopped. And that is why I gained back 20 so easily. It scares me to think if I just listened to others that may have low metabolisms without finding out for myself. Would have probably stalled myself out even more. As much as you may think you know all you can, and the success you may be having now will last forever, it may not be true. Long term success is what is important and fueling your body the proper way is going to truly give you the results you need.

I just want to thank Dan and send a huge shout out to heybales, the brillant man behind all the numbers. Without learning about this and realizing it is about fat loss and not scale loss, I would still be as lost as I was last July.

And I am not saying everyone should eat as high as I do, nor am I just saying eat more! I am saying find out WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU!! It can truly make all the difference is how your weight loss journey pans out. This approach is not just for people close to goal weight, this approach is losing weight the PROPER way.

Hope this helps some of you out there in MFP world confused about all the cal talk that goes on