Need Guidance
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livvleto
Posts: 4
Hi everyone!
I hope someone here can help me out because I'm feeling very frustrated. First, I'll give you some background:
About February 2011 I decided to lose weight. I was 5'3" at 180 lbs. I did the VLCD thing and did impressive amounts of cardio every day till I got down to about 135-140. This lasted until about November 2011. I crashed and burned on the VLCD over the holidays and gained some back, I can't remember how much. So I went back on the VLCD and got down to 130 at the lowest, but bounced back to 135, plateauing once again. In July of 2012, I heard about EM2WL and decided to try it. I did not start with a metabolism reset for the first six weeks and saw no results. I posted my frustrations on this board and someone recommended I do a reset, so I did for six weeks. Then I went back to 15% cut and got down to about 135 lbs in November 2012. Once again the holidays came around, but I only gained about 5 lbs. I have since lost those 5 lbs, but for the life of me I cannot seem to get below 135 lbs. I have not lost inches, or if I have, it has been very minimal. I may have lost some inches around my waist, but none around my hips and thighs. The one thing I can say is that I have seen an increase in strength.
Also, I have lost nothing over the past three months. About six weeks ago, I redid my calorie needs on the Scooby workshop and it came back telling me to eat about 200 cals less than I previously had been. Originally, my TDEE was about 2100 cals, and my cut was about 1900. As of about 6 weeks ago, my TDEE was about 1900 and my cut was about 1750. I have been eating these last numbers ever since and have seen no results.
My question is: I have been doing EM2WL for 10 months, why can't I lose anything? I have been taking breaks and eating at TDEE regularly. Basically I have been at a standstill for nearly two years and I'm exhausted. I am about 15 lbs away from my goal weight. I am so ready to break through that brick wall if only I knew how. Can anyone please tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks.
I hope someone here can help me out because I'm feeling very frustrated. First, I'll give you some background:
About February 2011 I decided to lose weight. I was 5'3" at 180 lbs. I did the VLCD thing and did impressive amounts of cardio every day till I got down to about 135-140. This lasted until about November 2011. I crashed and burned on the VLCD over the holidays and gained some back, I can't remember how much. So I went back on the VLCD and got down to 130 at the lowest, but bounced back to 135, plateauing once again. In July of 2012, I heard about EM2WL and decided to try it. I did not start with a metabolism reset for the first six weeks and saw no results. I posted my frustrations on this board and someone recommended I do a reset, so I did for six weeks. Then I went back to 15% cut and got down to about 135 lbs in November 2012. Once again the holidays came around, but I only gained about 5 lbs. I have since lost those 5 lbs, but for the life of me I cannot seem to get below 135 lbs. I have not lost inches, or if I have, it has been very minimal. I may have lost some inches around my waist, but none around my hips and thighs. The one thing I can say is that I have seen an increase in strength.
Also, I have lost nothing over the past three months. About six weeks ago, I redid my calorie needs on the Scooby workshop and it came back telling me to eat about 200 cals less than I previously had been. Originally, my TDEE was about 2100 cals, and my cut was about 1900. As of about 6 weeks ago, my TDEE was about 1900 and my cut was about 1750. I have been eating these last numbers ever since and have seen no results.
My question is: I have been doing EM2WL for 10 months, why can't I lose anything? I have been taking breaks and eating at TDEE regularly. Basically I have been at a standstill for nearly two years and I'm exhausted. I am about 15 lbs away from my goal weight. I am so ready to break through that brick wall if only I knew how. Can anyone please tell me what I'm doing wrong? Thanks.
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Replies
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I'm not trying to question your goals, but why the specific weight goal? If you are 5'3, then you are normal for BMI and if you are gaining strength that's great for your metabolism. Is it a goal you've always had for yourself? Did you like your appearance best when you were at that weight? Just curious--I'm sorry things aren't going the way you want them to! :ohwell:0
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I suppose the weight goal is not really that specific. I said 15 lbs because that's what I think I'd be comfortable losing. It could be 10 or even just 5. These are mostly just vanity pounds, I know, but I'd feel happier with slightly smaller hips and thighs and a flatter stomach. I just wish I knew how to obtain them.0
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Honestly, sounds as though you really just want to burn off some fat. I'd say forget the scale and start a serious strength training program if you aren't already. If you are then you need to progressively train so that you are shocking those muscles.
I'd honestly suggest eating TDEE and lifting heavy....your body will transform.0 -
Oh and HIIT between your lifts sessions will help.0
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I already strength train three days a week, MWF, with HIIT on T and Th in between, taking my rest days over the weekend. If I really amp up the strength training, does this seem like a good regimen?0
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Sounds like you're getting into the body-building tweaking range where macros start to get more and more important... What's your split?0
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40/30/30 But I consistently don't hit my protein and go over on carbs.0
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Are you challenging yourself? Do you change weights and rep patterns?
A great program is Cathe STS. It's worth every penny.
Also make a concerted effort to hit your protein. Focus on protein and the other macros tend to fall in line.0 -
Since you did VLCD for so long, that can really burn up the muscle mass.
Did you do Scooby with the Most accurate option, and use the Katch BMR method where you supply BF%.
With less LBM, your BMR is lower, and so is everything else.
TDEE included. You could even alternate, TDEE 24 hrs after lifting, TDEE-10% the 24 hrs prior to lifting.
And skip the HIIT. If your are doing the lifting correctly, it's not possible for you to truly do HIIT anyway, and intervals you do end up doing the day after lifting really well, is just going to kill or minimize the recovery your body really needs. Actually, it'll prevent the next day's lifting from being as strong as it could be.
So all it's doing is preventing you from getting the most out of the lifting, and adding unneeded stress to your body.
Once you skip it, you'll be amazed at the progress on the lifting. Just walk fast instead, get good blood flow to aid recovery.
Adjust TDEE level as needed, as walking only counts for half the time, so 3 hrs walking weekly, is really 1.5 hrs in the TDEE level.0
