Week Off??

berthabunny
berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
OK, so I am eating around TDEE this week (2650-2750 per day), after March and the first week of April on deficit. I am at the weight I started my deficit at, although it went down two pounds for about a week in there, then I started lifting, and it went up and has stayed up. I am currently five pounds heavier than my weight before reset, clothes fit the same, and I am definitely stronger, so it is work, even if the scale disagrees. I usually have 1h+ rowing in the morning 5 days/week, and lift 3 days/week (NROLFW), plus one day of a long run (4-5 miles, sometimes continuous, sometimes sprint/run/walk by telephone poles), and I swim twice a week for about 30 min.

My question: Next week there is no rowing, should I see what happens only lifting and eating that TDEE for a week? Or that with a small deficit (10%)? Or should I try to keep my cardio level the same as it has been and eat at a larger (15%) deficit?

Any ideas?

Thank you

My stats:
Girl
Age 19
Height 5'6"
Weight 154ish lbs
BMR 1500 ish
Current TDEE 2650-2750

Replies

  • Zylayna
    Zylayna Posts: 728 Member
    personally, it sounds like you do a lot of exercise on a regular basis, so I'd allow your body a little bit of a rest and not try to replace the rowing for the week. As for food, you will likely be fine for a week eating close to your normal tdee, but if you feel more comfortable dropping it a tiny bit that's fine too. Whatever you're comfortable with.
  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
    personally, it sounds like you do a lot of exercise on a regular basis, so I'd allow your body a little bit of a rest and not try to replace the rowing for the week. As for food, you will likely be fine for a week eating close to your normal tdee, but if you feel more comfortable dropping it a tiny bit that's fine too. Whatever you're comfortable with.

    I should continue lifting though, right?
    I am almost done with my fourth week of it, and still learning what 'heavy' actually means.
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    A week off won't have so much of an impact that you see a significant gain or loss of any kind. It's okay to make a change for a week.
  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
    Thanks Brad.
    And what about protein, eating at my current TDEE, I am eating about 1.3 grams per pound body weight to reach 30%, is that necessary, or could I just as well do less and eat about my bodyweight in grams? I have asked a similar question before, but still not quite sure on it.
  • natini
    natini Posts: 347 Member
    I have heard that you should eat 1 gram per lean body mass. I suppose you can eat 1.3 gram per lean body mass. You dont need to eat 1.3 gram per body weight. That would be a lot more. I think people confuse LBM with body weight.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    I have heard that you should eat 1 gram per lean body mass. I suppose you can eat 1.3 gram per lean body mass. You dont need to eat 1.3 gram per body weight. That would be a lot more. I think people confuse LBM with body weight.

    Ditto, and when you do that you usually severely restrict carbs.

    Well, not as severe as if you were doing 1200 and trying to do that many grams of protein. That could end up being 80% with so few calories.
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    I eat 1g / LBM
  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
    When eating at TDEE, 200+g comes to 30%, so it will be nice to cut back to 150 or so :) and cheaper to buy groceries too.
    Thank you!!
  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
    If you can't tell, I'm kinda dying here!! I really thought this was the answer for me, and still do, because it is simply eating the right amount. I am trying not to concentrate on my weight, and if I only get down to what I started out with, but am much stronger, I will be perfectly happy, and within the military weight limits, which is a necessity, not a choice.

    This was me last week, I am now beginning the vacation week.
    OK, so I am eating around TDEE this week (2650-2750 per day), after March and the first week of April on deficit. I am at the weight I started my deficit at, although it went down two pounds for about a week in there, then I started lifting, and it went up and has stayed up. I am currently five pounds heavier than my weight before reset, clothes fit the same, and I am definitely stronger, so it is work, even if the scale disagrees. I usually have 1h+ rowing in the morning 5 days/week, and lift 3 days/week (NROLFW), plus one day of a long run (4-5 miles, sometimes continuous, sometimes sprint/run/walk by telephone poles), and I swim twice a week for about 30 min.

    My question: Next week there is no rowing, should I see what happens only lifting and eating that TDEE for a week? Or that with a small deficit (10%)? Or should I try to keep my cardio level the same as it has been and eat at a larger (15%) deficit?

    Any ideas?

    Thank you

    My stats:
    Girl
    Age 19
    Height 5'6"
    Weight 154ish lbs
    BMR 1500 ish
    Current TDEE 2650-2750

    I just weighed myself (after my rest day), and am up to 157.4!!!
    This is really near my all time high and scares the h*** out of me :sad:

    How is this possible!! I ate around my TDEE all week, and was 513 calories under at the end of the week (didn't start TDEE until Tueday of last week), but I weigh 3 pounds more, and last time was right before TOM!

    There was no excessive sodium-potassium ratio, and I only went over sodium once (by 27 mg). I drank a lot of water (like at least 15 cups a day), although I am still constantly thirsty, any ideas why I am so thirsty?

    I have been more exact in filling out my diary these past few weeks, and started weighing food whenever I get the chance, which is why I now log up to my TDEE.

    I know mathematically it shouldn't be possible, but I cannot write it off again. I weigh 3 pounds more than I did at the start of my cut, and 8 pounds more than I did at the start of my reset, and my waist has gotten wider! :grumble:


    Did I not reset long enough originally? I only did four weeks, and only two of them were at my actual TDEE. Is it likely that my body only reset to about 2200, not 2600-2700?

    What should I do now?!
  • kirabob
    kirabob Posts: 481 Member
    When you lift, and eat enough, your body will use water to store glycogen to fuel the work your muscles are doing. That's a good thing - you need that glycogen and it's associated 'water weight.' Have you taken any measurements or progress pictures? The longer you lift, the better those tools will be at telling you how much you are progressing.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Always keep the math in mind. If fat, 3500 calories per lb.

    3 lbs x 3500 cal = 10500 cal / 7 days = 1500 calories daily excess if this was fat.

    Think it is any way possible you could have eaten 1500 calories above your TDEE each of the last 7 days?

    That can't even be obtained with poor weighing skills probably. Probably only if you forgot you had 4 Little Debbies each and every day.

    Your body with your exercise routine finally found some extra calories to do some good with, probably repairs it's been itching to do.

    Ditto's to glucose stores being topped off which only seems to happen totally when eating at TDEE.
    Same water weight loss you get when first going on a diet.
    So as you do an exercise vacation week (I think that's what you mean), and eat at TDEE deficit correct for that level, you'll probably lose that water weight again.
  • Zylayna
    Zylayna Posts: 728 Member
    Our bodies do weird things. Some times after a rest week I'll drop a bit, other times I won't move at all (like this time) and still others I'll gain a couple of pounds. No reasons that I can pinpoint, it just happens.

    One thing though that I've noted in my experience, when I have a week with little to no cardio but I still lift, my weight tends to go up a little. (it's like the cardio flushes out the water or something - I don't know). Usually a rest week for me is only walking, pilates, light jogs or things like that and it allows my body a chance to flush extra water retained from lifting so that I can get a better reading. If you lifted heavy that week, I personally wouldn't expect a scale drop since you focused ALL your energy into building muscle which tends to increase the water retention. Lifting heavy like that is awesome, but the scale won't necessarily reflect the good things happening in a positive way. If you do a true rest week (like the example I mentioned above) you are more likely to see a scale drop (not a guarantee of course, just more likely) simply because you are giving your body a chance to repair and shed excess water.
  • berthabunny
    berthabunny Posts: 251 Member
    Update:

    I lost .5-1 lb over the last week, eating around TDEE (ended up with over a 700 calorie deficit for the week though. I'm thinking I'll eat at about 2500 (TDEE -250) and see how it goes.

    Thank you for all the encouragement, explanations and help :) Much appreciated!