Success without strength training?

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misskym
misskym Posts: 52 Member
I've been doing EM2WL since the end of January. I started my EM2WL journey at 170.5 and I am now 163.9. I've lost 3.5 inches from my waist, 2 inches from my hips, and 2 from my abdomen. I feel like this is good success when I look at it on paper, but I also feel like I've plateaued. It's been two or so months since I've lost any inches at all, and part of me feels like I won't be successful at this without strength training. Unfortunately for me, weights just aren't an option financially. We can't afford buying new or used weights, nor can we afford a gym membership. I haven't been as active this past month, so I adjusted my activity level and lowered my TDEG accordingly.

I don't know if I am doing something wrong. I use Heybale's spreadsheet for my activity level, but I still feel like I'm in a plateau. Is it possible to lose inches if I am not lifting heavy? Will I be able to use my body weight to lose inches? I don't necessarily care how much weight I lose - I care more about how many inches I lose! If I can use just my body weight, what are the best ones to begin? I have been trying to do this on my own, but I think I need some guidance right now!

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Sure can, the lifting just assures it's only fat loss.

    Any resistance training for that matter, even the body weight exercises (probably classify those as low or medium cardio depending on how intense they are for you) will help retain muscle mass.
    And then enough protein as recommended, and reasonable deficit as TDEG is, will also help retain.

    How far apart are the two bodyfat calc results?

    You can also be losing inches other than these measurements, but weight should be dropping to for that matter.

    At least you've started from the high end if honest in the activity calculator, so it may be needed to drop some calories.

    Then again, sounds like you just finished a month of eating more than really needed.

    Remember to apply the reminder under Your Results, if you miss a planned workout, drop 100 cal's that day unless it sends you under BMR.

    Have you had a diet break since January, just a week off?

    What amount of deficit does the TDEG give your from TDEE?
  • misskym
    misskym Posts: 52 Member
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    I did take a few weeks eating at what I thought was my maintenance, approximately 2000 calories. I didn't gain during that time.

    I do think that I ate more than I should've for a month while my activity was lower than usual. I've only dropped it within the last two weeks or so. Initially, before I altered my numbers in your spreadsheet, my TDEE was 2133. I am a little confused about your spreadsheet calculations. I use the numbers in "Eating For a Future You" So, my TDEE was 2133 and the spreadsheet states that 5% of that number should be my TDEG. The listed TDEG is 1851, but 2133 - 5% is 2027. I ate around 1950 calories during the month I ate "more." My TDEE now, based on my lowered activity level, is 2068. The spreadsheet has 5% from that listed as 1795, but it really should be 1965, shouldn't it? In any case, I'm eating a little over 1800 calories right now. I lost about 8 ounces since lowering my calories from ~1900 to ~1800.

    My bodyfat is listed as 36.05 Navy, 23.00 Covert Bailey, and 29.52 average of the two. I have filled in all of the measurements for those numbers. When I started, I was at 41.18 Navy, 25 Covery Bailey, and 33.09 average. I haven't re-measured any of my measurements other than my abdomen, waist, and hips, which have been the same for the last two months.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ah, so the EFFY method is smaller deficit. It will take longer. And being closer to maintenance means max benefit to exercise improvements. Improvements have weight gain as result almost always. But should see inches still.

    So current TDEE is 2133, but goal weight TDEE minus 5% is used as current TDEG 1851.
    Or with new activity level you changed to.
    Current weight TDEE is 2068
    Goal weight TDEE is 1889 (not shown)
    Goal weight TDEE-5% is your TDEG at 1795.
    So about 200 calorie deficit daily.
    That means very small margin of error, confirm you do weigh foods, or have for couple weeks to see how far off measuring and packages can be compared to weight.

    So that spread in bodyfat calc's using mainly different body parts means you aren't getting a real great estimate right now.
    Navy from 41.18 to 36.05
    Covert from 25 to 23

    Avg from 33.09 to 29.52

    I would trust the Navy side of the range more since it moved the most. Not all the way up to that end, but more.

    Along with your adjusted activity level, I'd suggest using a bodyfat % in the cell of 33% (avg of 36 Navy & 29 avg).

    Until those 2 calcs come within 5%, which it appears they will eventually (Navy moving faster than Covert), keep doing that avg method (Navy + avg)/2.

    So that will lower calorie goal too.
    Just be aware this is a slower method because of less deficit.
  • misskym
    misskym Posts: 52 Member
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    I do weigh my food and have for a few months, since I know my deficit is very small.

    I see now how my TDEG is 1795 in the spreadsheet. I didn't realize it was 5% from my *goal* weight TDEE, not current TDEE. Since I have been using current DEE - 5%, would you recommend I lower my calories to *goal* weight TDEE - 5%? The deficit would be slightly larger than what I am doing now.

    If I do body weight strength training exercise, should I count that as cardio or weight training in the spreadsheet? I am going to reconfigure my activity level and re-take measurements to see if I can get a more accurate number.

    Why would you think I am not getting a real great estimate right now? Would it be because I possibly measured wrong?
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
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    When i first lost weight, i only ran. My thought process was that I would burn the fat first and then build muscle. I was ignorant back then.

    Did I lose some muscle. Probably. Was I unhappy with the end result? Definitely not. Was there a more optimal approach. For sure.

    If the gym and weights are not an option. Google something like "bodybeight workout". Moving your bodyweight is still resistance training, especially if you are new.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Oh yeah, use the TDEG given under EFFY as your goal eating level, no need to do the math yourself.

    The strength training depends, as ryry mentioned, at the start it could very much be a heavy lifting routine for you.
    Meaning you can manage about 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps, or less, with good form, and then too difficult beyond that.
    If at that level to start with, and you take 1minute minimum rests between the sets to recover, than count as lifting.

    When it gets easy enough you are doing 15-20 reps without an issue for great majority of exercises and rest is minimal because you don't need it, you can either add weights, or start counting it as probably high cardio if it feels that intense.

    As to why the BF calc's show such variance - merely different body types.
    People gain and lose their fat in different spots.
    And some people have body shapes that will always have some part out of norm compared to the others.
    You look at those measurements, you can probably tell which measurement is out of whack right now.
    Could be a small wrist paired with normal sized forearms. Could be big calf paired with smallish thigh or hips.
    And it may have nothing to do with fat, may just be body shape could never allow for good estimate on those calcs.
    Those 2 are usually considered the best, testing well for vast majority, forget the stats right now in couple studies that included them.