Calorie and protein needs for 5'6" female
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dhldc85
Posts: 16 Member
Hi,
I am currently on my fourth week of Stage 1. I am currently about 150 lbs. and 5'6''. for the last couple years I was eating a strict 1200-1400 calories per day diet. However, after fairly steady weight loss, my body plateaued about 1 year ago. I then decided that I would like to "tone-up" and work on more muscle definition. I then decided to try NROWL4W. I was scared to eat as many calories as what was suggested int the book, so I decided to eat at my maintenance calories which is 1900. On non workout days I eat about 1700-1800 calories and on work-out days I am closer to 1900. I have my macros set to 40C/30P/30F and have been meeting my protein goals for sure and usually exceeding the 30% protein daily (usually don't eat all of my carbs or fats). So basically I have noticed that my clothes seem to be fitting tighter. I don't like the scale so I avoid it and haven't weighed myself since I started the program. I am just wondering for other women who are about the same weight and height as me, is this normal to experience the tighter clothing just four weeks into the program, or I am probably just eating too much. I know the book doesn't rec. eating at a major deficit and I believe that years of doing so has screwed up metabolism. Should I just continue what I am doing and just give it some more time to see what happens? Any responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much :-)
I am currently on my fourth week of Stage 1. I am currently about 150 lbs. and 5'6''. for the last couple years I was eating a strict 1200-1400 calories per day diet. However, after fairly steady weight loss, my body plateaued about 1 year ago. I then decided that I would like to "tone-up" and work on more muscle definition. I then decided to try NROWL4W. I was scared to eat as many calories as what was suggested int the book, so I decided to eat at my maintenance calories which is 1900. On non workout days I eat about 1700-1800 calories and on work-out days I am closer to 1900. I have my macros set to 40C/30P/30F and have been meeting my protein goals for sure and usually exceeding the 30% protein daily (usually don't eat all of my carbs or fats). So basically I have noticed that my clothes seem to be fitting tighter. I don't like the scale so I avoid it and haven't weighed myself since I started the program. I am just wondering for other women who are about the same weight and height as me, is this normal to experience the tighter clothing just four weeks into the program, or I am probably just eating too much. I know the book doesn't rec. eating at a major deficit and I believe that years of doing so has screwed up metabolism. Should I just continue what I am doing and just give it some more time to see what happens? Any responses would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much :-)
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Replies
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I am 5'7" and at 151 pounds. I just started back working out and exercising a month ago after eating who knows how many but at least 2500 calories a day so I am pretty sure my metabolism was not damaged. You mentioned that you were on a low calorie diet for over a couple of years. Did you quickly shoot from that high deficit to your current deficit? If you did, that could be the cause for your clothes fitting tighter. I was reading that after your metabolism slows that you should slowly increase your calories by 100 or so a week. I am wondering if you simply increased your caloric intake too quickly? I do have muscle swelling after my Lifting days but not to the point that my clothes fit tighter. I am eating TDEE-20% and I also have my Macros at 40/30/30 like you. What I do though is I use my weekly totals which allows some higher calorie days which seems to be helping me, more for sanity. I am wondering too just how long it takes for our metabolisms to recover after being at too large of a deficit. Maybe as you continue your awesome lifting your metabolism will catch up? Are your clothes fitting tighter all over or just in the legs? Sorry, I am asking you more questions than you even originally asked! BTW I just started NROL last Sunday and had my fourth workout today so I am not as far into the program as you but in addition to lifting I also go to Kickboxing class 3 times a week as well as a couple of HIIT sessions a week. Are you sticking to what the book suggests and only lift?0
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Hi, Thanks for your reply. My clothes are fitting tighter in the thighs, stomach and hips (unfortunately). I did go from eating about 1400 calories per day to eating my now 1600-1900 calories per day right away, not gradually. I try to eat very clean though, with hardly any processed foods and hardly ever eat out. I also only drink coffee and water but nothing else. I am actually not doing any cardio. Unlike a lot of people who love cardio I don't. That's why I was so excited when I read that in stage 1 cardio is necessarily needed, but now I am thinking that I might need some. I love lifting weights, but maybe it is time to add some cardio???0
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I also love lifting but I really enjoy my kickboxing classes and in addition to adding strength I have a lot of heart disease in my family as well as I was born without a thyroid so I am really concerned about my cardiovascular health. So I broke the rules against the cardio..oops. I have not been seeing the number on the scale drop very much but I have gone down in size. Maybe just add some HIIT a couple times a week and see if that helps? I don't want to go against the program I just know what makes me feel better and I am not ready to give up my cardio.0
