Looking for friends - Fitbit User on reset

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bluemist248
bluemist248 Posts: 207 Member
Hi everyone!

I'm currently on week 2 of a reset - I decided to start one has I was fed up of plateauing at around 137-139lbs since August 2012 and feeling so hungry eating at a 250 cal deficit (a net of a mere 1400 for me as I'm 5ft 2) resulting in me either overeating by up to 1000 calories some days, or just about staying under my goal. I just got fed of being erratic and feeling hungry so I'm now resetting. I'm enjoying not being hungry and eating more frequently to be honest! I cook all of my own meals and I prepare my own snacks if I'm not eating a protein bar.

I have a sedentary job (student social worker - I sit on my butt at a desk for 90% of the time and then sit in a car, train or someone's house!) but I go to the gym 5 times a week for Body Pump 3x a week (using instructor-level weights or above it seems), Combat and Balance (a mix of yoga and pilates type exercises). I've set MFP to 'maintenance' and I use my FitBit to calculate exactly what my TDEE is on a daily basis and eat up to it. This'll include exercise calories (logged using a HRM and synced onto my FitBit).

I've gained a few lbs during the reset and my body fat % is up by around 2%, which I hope is evidence of how screwed up my metabolism was from a year of a 500 calorie deficit to lose the previous 50+ lbs and probably the reason why a 250 deficit did nothing.

I'm now looking for support from others from the EM2WL group and especially anyone who uses a FitBit as I'm already wondering how to set it to a 10% cut in 6 weeks time. Most of the people currently on my friends list are eating to a huge deficit and don't really get what I'm doing so it'd be nice to have some friends in the same boat! :smile:

Replies

  • goldengirl28
    goldengirl28 Posts: 130 Member
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    you can add me, being doing EMTLW since the beginning, I'm a fitbit user as well
  • SweetHarmony81
    SweetHarmony81 Posts: 123 Member
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    Hi there! I'm also in the middle of my reset.
    I am very sedentary (I work from home on my home pc all day!) except my time at the gym. I used to go 3x/wk to strength train and 2x/wk for LISS but now I have limited to only 3x/wk for weight training. Stopped the cardio so that I can re-introduce it when I eventually try to cut.
    I was a bit confused with my TDEE in the beginning as scooby and a few other calculators where putting me at 2050 (when I used light active in activity level), MFP was putting my at 1960. My fitbit has been anywhere from 2000 to 2400 (I also log the exercise calories I get from my HRM to my fitbit)! But usually is between 2150 and 2250. So I'm aiming for 2200. I hope it's a good estimate...
    I still can't cope well with the extra weight and I have to say I still feel uncomfortable with the extra kgs but I want to keep it until the end of the month and really hope that when I start cutting in beginning of May I will eventually see a change!

    Feel free to add me as well :-)
  • colleen3115
    colleen3115 Posts: 69 Member
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    Not currently doing a reset as I basically did a reset before mfp and gained 30 pounds over the course of a year... but I am eating close to TDEE with a small cut. I am lifting heavy 3 times a week. I am a fitbit user as well 24/7.
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
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    Hi,

    Please add me! I am a fitbit user and I'm just starting Week Two of my reset. I also set MFP to maintenance, and I did the same for Fitbit. I did have to mess around with the setting a bit at first to get it right. I also have many on my FL who eat VLCD so I'd love to have more EM2WL/reset friends!

    ~~Betty
  • Imaan2012
    Imaan2012 Posts: 156 Member
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    Hi,


    I got my FB yesterday and I'm still trying to figure out how I should set it up.

    I have my restweek coming up.
    Normally I lift 3-4 times a week.

    Can anyone explain to me, very very simple, how I have to set it up to:

    -eat at TDEE ( as I want to eat at TDEE for 1 week every 4 weeks)
    -to eat at 10-15% cut

    both including my lifting. Should I wear a HRM for my lifting or use MFP kcal estimations for the lifting?

    Sorry, I am a bit confused about it all. Just want to get this right before I go back to working out logging after my restweek.

    Thanks for your help!

    Imaan
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Hi,


    I got my FB yesterday and I'm still trying to figure out how I should set it up.

    I have my restweek coming up.
    Normally I lift 3-4 times a week.

    Can anyone explain to me, very very simple, how I have to set it up to:

    -eat at TDEE ( as I want to eat at TDEE for 1 week every 4 weeks)
    -to eat at 10-15% cut

    both including my lifting. Should I wear a HRM for my lifting or use MFP kcal estimations for the lifting?

    Sorry, I am a bit confused about it all. Just want to get this right before I go back to working out logging after my restweek.

    Thanks for your help!

    Imaan

    HRM not useful for lifting calories - inflated.
    FitBit would be deflated.

    MFP best bet, low and correct.

    I've got improvement coming on spreadsheet for just such a request, in the meantime, use what I outline in here.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952890-using-fitbit-calorie-adjustment-with-ipoarm?page=1#posts-14743761
  • Imaan2012
    Imaan2012 Posts: 156 Member
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    @ Heybales, thank you so much! Exactly what I was looking for!
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
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    Hi feel free to add me, been with EM2WL nearly a year and am a fitbit user.


    With setting your 10% cut goals, there are two main choices really:

    1. unsync your fitbit and set your goal to your cut value. This makes it quite simple because you have the same goal every day and the same macros to aim for. Some people will record exercise but put it as '1 cal burn' (MFP doesn't allow a 0 cal burn) so that you can keep track of your workouts but not have them add on extra cals. The downside is that you may then have to input exercise and food data on both fitbit and MFP sites which I found a bit of a faff.


    2. Leave your fitbit synced and set your goal to your cut value but be aware that fitbit will add on extra exercise cals which you largely need to ignore. The downside of this is that it does alter the macros as fitbit cals are added, but as long as you know roughly how many grams of protein / fats / carbs you should aim for before extra cals are added on then it's fine. The pros for this method is that if you have a high burn day you can see what your NET value is so if you've fallen below BMR you know to eat back some more cals - you should be aiming to always net over your BMR (I use this method).