Eat more to weigh more, apparently.

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Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    My TDEE -20% is 1300 calories, which I've been meeting daily.

    Your calorie count is 1300, you are probably underestimating your activity level.. Sounds like you are moderately active, so there is very little chance you have the right amount. You need to have patience and be true about your activity and eat correctly for your body or else you will be stuck in your plateau.. You won't be able to reduce your BF% if your deficit is too great because as you can tell your just losing muscle that you maybe trying to build.
  • Rays_Wife
    Rays_Wife Posts: 1,173 Member
    bump
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I would listen to this:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk
  • cassiepv
    cassiepv Posts: 242 Member
    This thread was made for you....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/113609-relatively-light-people-trying-to-get-leaner



    ^^ me too ! Thanks for the link
  • Eatkansasbeef
    Eatkansasbeef Posts: 71 Member
    Bump
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    not just strength training dollface - WEIGHTS!!!

    dont let me catch you lifting something that weighs less than your purse like 30 times!

    ^^^^ if you want to lose body fat, and fast (well relatively fast) lift heavy weights!

    i did cardio for almost a year and was 10lbs away from goal, without the body i wanted. in 3 months of stronglifts 5x5 my abs have popped out of nowhere, i have cleaner lines down my body (fat is redistributing) and my thighs are sleeker, less lumps and bumps. i would be satisfied with this body if i didn't lose any more weight.

    Yes. SAME. 100% - well 90% - I enjoy seeing how much better my body is gonna get
  • laccy40
    laccy40 Posts: 136
    OP, I feel your pain. I'm 5'7" but I was also eating under 1000 cals most days. I thought I was doing everything right, but somehow I I turned it all on its head so I was cutting portions of good stuff to allow extra rubbish. The result was I wasn't very overweight ( maybe 10lb) but with 40% bf and massively depleted muscles. I am slowly learning to undo the damage I've done. I'm now eating 1950 cals and just started lifting 3 x a week. I've cut cardio right down but even then I'm not sure if I'm eating enough to catch up with myself. But my bf% is now about 28% so it's great news. My point is, you might have to eat at tdee for 4-6 weeks to give your body a real rest before you start over. The eat more to weigh less group has great advice about this.:flowerforyou:
  • samantha1242
    samantha1242 Posts: 816 Member
    not just strength training dollface - WEIGHTS!!!

    dont let me catch you lifting something that weighs less than your purse like 30 times!

    ^^^^ if you want to lose body fat, and fast (well relatively fast) lift heavy weights!

    i did cardio for almost a year and was 10lbs away from goal, without the body i wanted. in 3 months of stronglifts 5x5 my abs have popped out of nowhere, i have cleaner lines down my body (fat is redistributing) and my thighs are sleeker, less lumps and bumps. i would be satisfied with this body if i didn't lose any more weight.

    Yes. SAME. 100% - well 90% - I enjoy seeing how much better my body is gonna get

    Great username and pic. That is all.
  • pouncepet
    pouncepet Posts: 72 Member
    OP, I feel your pain. I'm 5'7" but I was also eating under 1000 cals most days. I thought I was doing everything right, but somehow I I turned it all on its head so I was cutting portions of good stuff to allow extra rubbish. The result was I wasn't very overweight ( maybe 10lb) but with 40% bf and massively depleted muscles. I am slowly learning to undo the damage I've done. I'm now eating 1950 cals and just started lifting 3 x a week. I've cut cardio right down but even then I'm not sure if I'm eating enough to catch up with myself. But my bf% is now about 28% so it's great news. My point is, you might have to eat at tdee for 4-6 weeks to give your body a real rest before you start over. The eat more to weigh less group has great advice about this.:flowerforyou:

    Thank you for sharing! Its inspirational and wonderful to know our bodies can recover from abuse we put it through. This is also a great reminder not to allow myself to get sucked into eating ridiculously low amounts of calories in pursuit of a NUMBER. I am in pursuit of health and an attractive body.

    Hope the OP is doing good and finding this method paying off.
  • HotrodsGirl0107
    HotrodsGirl0107 Posts: 243 Member
    I was on 800-1000 cals a day for years and believe me, it does a number on the metabolism. Like me you probably lost a lot of lean mass along with fat at that low of an intake. I basically had to do a metabolic re set which took about a year. I ate at maintenance and even gained some weight back but eventually my body started to accept that more food would be on its way and I started to slowly lose on 1400 to 1500 cals (at the time that was 20%TDEE I was 250lbs and 5'6"). As I lost and and got closer to my goal I raised my calories to 15%TDEE then 10%TDEE with 10lbs to go and when I hit goal I transisioned to maintenance which is now 2400 cals a day. (At one time I was maintaining on 1200 cals. NOT NORMAL)

    With 15lbs to lose 20%TDEE might be too aggressive you might be more successful on 15%tdee. . It will take time no matter what because of the likely damage caused by under eating for so long. Be patient and focus on that fat%. Lifting heavy or any any kind of strength training will help tremendously.

    Above all else BE PATIENT. If you would like to add me I would love to help you or anyone else transision into a healthy balanced diet/ lifestyle. Starvation is not needed to lose and be happy.

    Good luck!!!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Patience, young grasshopper. Stick with it and there will be results.
  • bethanytowell
    bethanytowell Posts: 256 Member
    15lbs from goal weight. <1000cal/day for 10 years. 30% BF

    TDEE - 20% under these circumstances sounds too aggressive to me. Just slashing calories doesn't work for you - you already know that. If you want a long term fix then you probably should be thinking less about losing fat for now and and more about recovering some of the muscle you've lost. That might mean more food, less cardio, and getting really serious about strength training. Also I would advise putting your scale in the protective custody of a friend for a while so that it would be around to mock you as you get things sorted out.

    This right here is exactly what i would say as well.
  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
    If you've been eating that little for that long, your metabolism has adjusted because your body expects to be fed at that level. You're going to see an initial weight gain, but stick with it a while longer and let your body adjust. The weight should eventually start coming off, but it's going to take a little while. Don't give up.

    Yeah. I'm growing a bit resentful of weight watchers, because I feel as if they've ruined my body some how. Thank you for the encouraging words.

    I feel you....I was in the exact same boat as you a few months ago. I went through a similar situation where I ate very little for a couple of years. I was frustrated to no end then I found the road map. I tried it and it took me about 4 months for my body to adjust. I gained several pounds at the beginning and then I stalled. I was so obsessive with the scale that my husband hid it from me and I started taking measurements. I am at the point now that it's FINALLY working. I'm not loosing much on the scale per se BUT I am loosing a ton of inches. Don't give up...I had to realize that I had to be patient because I really screwed up my metabolism by highly restricting my caloric intake.

    *Oh yes, and I started lifting heavy too and have noticed a big change. :) Best of luck!

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