Confused after reset
Options
grandpoobah12
Posts: 138
Here I am once again, feeling lost but now and then...
I breathe it in to let it go...
I am not freaking out. I feel a little strange that during reset and a little after, my weight is up and down and up and down all over the place.
My weight is up, my measurements are up, 3 kg or so and 2cm on waist, 5 cm on hips. And yet, I don`t feel bloated. My clothes still fit. I had to take in the waist on a couple of shorts I bought in April. I`ve really been eating at maintenance since April. But tracking from 3 weeks ago. My cellulite looks better. As in there is less of it. In pictures I look the same. minus some cellulite. My sex drive is better! I thought it would never come back.
I really didn`t think I was eating too little at around 1700. I never lost weight and 2000 was no better. 3 years I`ve been trying to lose weight after an extreme starvation diet and 50 lbs lost in 2 months. I gained the 30 or so lbs back in 6 months and stayed there up and down for 2 years. All the while doing strength training and averaging about 1500~2000 cal per day. Too little most said.
I`ve written on this forum many times and a lot of people helped me figure out my level. Should be 2400 to weigh 160 at my height, age and activity level. I took a diet break because I am not losing weight at that level. I weigh 186 now. Up in total 3 to 4 kg from April.
The changes I have made since reset would be to drink more water, and do a full body strength workout only twice in a week. I didn`t do any special cardio this week. I lost 2 kg in two days and gained one kg the next day. So I am down one since diet break where I gained 3 kg in about 6 days. I was stable for the first week. My scale has my body fat at 38 percent. At 182 lbs my body fat was 36%. When I compare it to body fat pictures 35% seems about right.
My pattern is to go up and down a lot, but the general weight trend is slowly up and up. I am not cutting right now. Eating at maintenance. Fit bit has it at about 2400-2700.
I hope I am gaining muscle, I have always been a strong girl. But no one can gain that much in such a short time.
does anyone have an idea why I look better and fit into the same clothes they seem to be a little looser, but have gained inches everywhere and 10 lbs of weight overall? I really didn`t think I could fit into my jeans today being that much bigger on the hips. but they fit fine. Is it the spandex? It would still feel tight, am I right?
Am I doing the right thing continuing to eat at maintenance? Since my general weight trend is up over 4 months are my calories too high? Or am I repairing damage and I should just go with it. I just take longer, much longer than the average resetter.?
I breathe it in to let it go...
I am not freaking out. I feel a little strange that during reset and a little after, my weight is up and down and up and down all over the place.
My weight is up, my measurements are up, 3 kg or so and 2cm on waist, 5 cm on hips. And yet, I don`t feel bloated. My clothes still fit. I had to take in the waist on a couple of shorts I bought in April. I`ve really been eating at maintenance since April. But tracking from 3 weeks ago. My cellulite looks better. As in there is less of it. In pictures I look the same. minus some cellulite. My sex drive is better! I thought it would never come back.
I really didn`t think I was eating too little at around 1700. I never lost weight and 2000 was no better. 3 years I`ve been trying to lose weight after an extreme starvation diet and 50 lbs lost in 2 months. I gained the 30 or so lbs back in 6 months and stayed there up and down for 2 years. All the while doing strength training and averaging about 1500~2000 cal per day. Too little most said.
I`ve written on this forum many times and a lot of people helped me figure out my level. Should be 2400 to weigh 160 at my height, age and activity level. I took a diet break because I am not losing weight at that level. I weigh 186 now. Up in total 3 to 4 kg from April.
The changes I have made since reset would be to drink more water, and do a full body strength workout only twice in a week. I didn`t do any special cardio this week. I lost 2 kg in two days and gained one kg the next day. So I am down one since diet break where I gained 3 kg in about 6 days. I was stable for the first week. My scale has my body fat at 38 percent. At 182 lbs my body fat was 36%. When I compare it to body fat pictures 35% seems about right.
My pattern is to go up and down a lot, but the general weight trend is slowly up and up. I am not cutting right now. Eating at maintenance. Fit bit has it at about 2400-2700.
I hope I am gaining muscle, I have always been a strong girl. But no one can gain that much in such a short time.
does anyone have an idea why I look better and fit into the same clothes they seem to be a little looser, but have gained inches everywhere and 10 lbs of weight overall? I really didn`t think I could fit into my jeans today being that much bigger on the hips. but they fit fine. Is it the spandex? It would still feel tight, am I right?
Am I doing the right thing continuing to eat at maintenance? Since my general weight trend is up over 4 months are my calories too high? Or am I repairing damage and I should just go with it. I just take longer, much longer than the average resetter.?
0
Replies
-
It really is a mind game, isn't it? If I were you, I would just continue doing what you are doing... Your weight is still just fluctuating, and you are not consistently continuing to gain over time, so you are most likely still eating at or below TDEE. With that history of extreme starvation dieting, it may just take your body longer than others to finally settle in and trust you. For some, that process has taken as long as a year when the damage was severe.
With the strength training, you are most likely experiencing some re-composition, thus the positive changes in your body. That is awesome that you are seeing changes in your body and feeling better!
I am very much the same way - sometimes my measurements will be up, but my clothes will continue to fit better, therefore, I always go by how my clothes fit and how I feel and look.
Just stay strong and continue to tweek your numbers - your FitBit has you burning 2400 to 2700 calories a day. Just try to stay consistent and give it the time it needs...0 -
I'm sorry! I know it's so confusing! So basically you have been eating more since April? Weight and measurements have gone up but you feel better and look better? Are you wondering if you should cut or not?0
-
I agree with Anitra. Sometimes it is just hard to hang in and trust the process. Don't let the scale be your guide to weather you are successful or not.
FitBit is a nice gadget, but if anything, it will underestimate your burn. Especially if you are doing strength training, as it will not count any afterburn. So keep your intake rather on the higher end.
Better fitting clothes and better looking is what we are looking for. Strength training is helping you with body recomposition and that's most likely what you are experiencing.
Just keep doing what you are doing. If you decide to cut, don't cut more than 300 kcals from your TDEE, that will be plenty.0 -
I'm sorry! I know it's so confusing! So basically you have been eating more since April? Weight and measurements have gone up but you feel better and look better? Are you wondering if you should cut or not?
Yes, I was wondering if I should cut because I am 3 kg up from April.
I quit (reset) last time because I thought I didn`t do that much damage to my body with just one starvation diet, since it had been 2 years (last year) since it. I did do little short term starvations in there so I guess I just perpetuated everything.
I`ll be listening to everyone`s advice though. I do think Fit Bit underestimates because it really only counts pedometer steps. It`s fabulous to hear I should eat more but wow that`s a lot of food. Sounds like I never needed to be on a diet in the first place?? 2700 calories a day, awesome.0 -
With your FitBit burns between 2400 and 2700 a day, can you run a weekly or monthly average? I have a BodyMedia Fit, and can run reports averaging my burns over time. If you can do that, run a report for the last month, get an average daily burn over that time and go with that number and just keep it consistent.
My burns tend to be very inconsistent --- I weight train Mon - Fri (and maybe a little walking here and there) and do all of my cardio on the weekends with either run/walk intervals or some hiking (and often some mowing and yard work on top of that). My burns during the week can be as low as 1700, and then the two weekend days up around 2800. When I run a report, I am usually around an average of 2100 to 2200, so that is what I have been targeting as my goal as I am maintaining at this moment...0 -
Ditto with the Fitbit. I'm actually burning less than what I thought. My workout days are HUGE...but I don't do THAT much moving around outside of the gym. On my non-workout days or just one class, my burn isn't that big. Teaching 9+ fitness classes a week my TDEE is still only around 2400 or so. It probably underestimates a bit...they are all just tools....but I was thinking I could eat a lot more than I actually could...add in the small measurement blunders or bites here and there and there goes the deficit! It's so tricky!0
-
Fitbit had me in around 2800 TDEE for an average, but the BMF had me at 3200.. So while fitbit is a nice thing to have, you are likely burning a bit more than it says. Whatever number you are eating now, I would try increasing by 100-200 and see what that does.
Like the others said, you are looking leaner and clothes are still fitting.. so why let the scale tell you, you arent succeeding? Wouldnt you rather be looking leaner and lighter with a ten pound gain on the scale, than looking no different with a ten pound loss?
Keep doing what you are doing:)0 -
Anitra* If I run a weekly average I get 2600. A monthly average is around 2800. I do a lot of outdoor sports on the weekend and have an active job during the week. I routinely burn about 3200 on weekends with hiking and playing dance central with my kids.
Greysmom* I remember comiserating with you about reset and how you gained some weight during it. Seems like you got a handle on it and have lost weight now. How did you get through it? I didn`t lose weight five years ago with just exercise, I love walking and jogging and working out with weights, group classes, but most of my activity comes from NEAT. UP and down the stairs at home, riding bicycles with the family, walking the dog, chopping down trees, lifting things at home, vaccuming. Lately I have been taking it easy so that I can get the right amount of calories in but as soon as the kids go back to school I`ll be wanting to take a walk for an hour a day, I miss it! I definitely do not eat 3000 cal a day. I see you eat your average with all the fitness classes you teach. Did you start to lose weight slowly once you got at the right number of calories for you?
Rayann* You seem to be doing great! I really only wanted to lose 20 lbs but your right looking fitter is the goal above all. Sometimes it is hard to tell with all my belly fat. I think the cellulite on the back of my legs looks better (my husband does too). My waist is bigger but I can tell that is because I am getting my core strength back. It`s easier to bend down and pick up the buckets of water or whatever. I don`t feel as exhausted the 20th time I am going up the stairs to get something. After the starvation diet I sometimes had to pull myself up the banister. But the body fat% on my scale just keeps going up and up with my weight. I look better I think but the scale weight (we know not to look at it, stupid scale) and body fat go up by a lot. Now it says my body fat is consistently at 39% . Barring fluctuations I look a solid 35%. It`s not the greatest scale and only sends the pulse through the bottom half of a person. I have heard that these are inaccurate.
I think I am gaining core muscle, I am pretty sure I can tell that. I just have to hope that the fat will come off later. I still look fat, and I think my tummy fat is getting smaller but it is too soon to tell. I just think it`s hard to be in that limbo place where you think it`s working but just aren`t sure yet.
Just hang in there for another year I guess. I really want to see results that others can see too. We all do.
By the way, I forgot to say that I am 5'9" with a quite strong build. I am just as strong as my husband and maybe stronger when it comes to some kinds of lifting. He is 5'8" and about 155 lbs and 15% body fat. I know he is a man and we shouldn`t compare. What I mean is that I am not a small girl. I have always tended to have a lot of muscle. It is just covered with fat. I want that fat to go away. I really don`t care about the scale anymore. Thanks for breaking me of that habit. Now the body fat percentage is killing me!0 -
What cut percent are you using? 10/15%?? I am 5'8" 191 today 1 month into metabolism reset, I know my body fat is about 30 plus. Based on what you are saying about your clothes fitting better but being heavier I think you are gaining muscle which is slowly making you smaller.
I don't have details but I read alot and I think you should :
1. Take photos, to look at the difference
2. Start looking more closely at your macros
3. keep going, sounds like your doing great, but like all of us what the result now
4. Keep going
5. trust its working... you can tweak the macros and make this work0 -
Repairing metabolism in case studies (not a group study, individual worked on specifically) can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks. Usually no longer.
What will take longer is if you have an inflated BMR and TDEE estimate, and you keep eating to it, eventually all the lifting and weight gain makes that eventually become your TDEE. It's not that your metabolism finally repaired, rather you gained enough to make it your TDEE.
Considering 90% of your BMR is based on amount of LBM, you could very literally keep the same BMR and TDEE as your weight lowers for a long time, but eventually the weight loss will slow because you are now eating at TDEE level.
Not because of undereating if you started at the right level, always better to start high and adjust down.
Same thing on weight gain, but if you start high, basically eating in excess, you will pack on the weight. If lifting at least some will be LBM and probably muscle mass, but some will be fat too.
I'd suggest that's not the best way to do it.
Get as great an measurement or estimate of bodyfat% as you can get.
Get as good a TDEE estimate as you can get.
Eat to that.
May have to increase slowly because eating a lot more is just a shock to your system as a huge sudden deficit.
After 4 weeks at increased level, get an RMR test. Because you may honestly have a very valid high or lower RMR than expected for your amount of LBM. Could do endurance cardio, so lower, could have slightly bad thyroid functions, so lower, or higher. May naturally be high or lower.
Now, besides the RMR test, if you hold at higher level for 6 weeks with no gain or loss (little gain better than little loss) and then take your deficit, should see the amount of loss expected. If not then time to examine did you go high enough, or not low enough.
But gotta confirm starting on high side.
And you'd have to be eating in excess to be gaining 1 lb of muscle a month. Whole lot slower if eating at maintenance.
But you can gain LBM (of which muscle is merely a part of) faster than that, and that is still increased metabolism.0 -
I am not cutting but eating at what I think is my TDEE. Gained 0 kg the first week of diet break/reset, 3kg the second week and 2 kg the third.
Hey Bales, you have such great advice. But I have starved myself every week and ate normal every weekend for 3 years.
I maintained doing that. Now I am not eating more than 2500 per day. Fit bit says I burn 2400-2700 per day.
Can you really gain 2 and 3 kg a week at this level? Seems doubtful but I have only hope to go on.
I guess I am gaining enough to make it my real TDEE if it wasn`t before. Ha ha!
I am doing a full body , weight workout twice a week, just walking and daily activity in between.
I`ll hang in there for the 8 weeks then. Body fat has gone up 4-5% in 3 weeks.
Maybe I just think I look better. The numbers sure look worse for my health.
I`ll just have to stick out the 8 weeks and start all over again.0 -
You shouldn't keep gaining that much weekly. Of course can't be fat, unless your have so little LBM that BMR calcs are very inflated, so much so you have huge excess.
I've seen that when there is 200+ lbs to lose and lifetime of yo-yo dieting has caused loss of muscle mass, not 14 kg for really not that bad of a diet.
Though, depending on your exercise during that week of starving, it could take literally 2 good intense workouts to almost deplete muscle glucose stores, by the 3rd day, you are breaking down some muscle mass for glucose conversion. I've done it, and that was trying to pay attention and not do it.
Even if you didn't get to that level, lowered glucose stores with water is lowered metabolism, so your metabolism slowed down all week long, then you ate a bunch more on weekend. Some likely going on as fat to replace whatever was burned during the week.
Glucose stores top out, that shouldn't keep going up.
Shoot, even eating elevated sodium levels has a max amount of water retention, not like you'd keep gaining water there either.
Lifting has max amount retained to for healing.
So I would not expect it to keep going up by that amount weekly. Unless you had an invalid weigh-in you are basing the gains on, meaning false weight loss and that number is lower than reality.
So part of the gain isn't really.
Is BF% by scale and BIA method, or measurements of many spots?0 -
Body fat is by scale and probably a little inaccurate. Has been a little high in the past but it never jumped like this. Maybe water retention.
I did see a fabulous article about taking care of your body after dieting that I will post up in the group. I think I just need to be talked down from the ledge every now and again. Saw a 1.5 kg drop today with no change in eating.
My body is not used to the continued feeding. Yes, I was working out hard during the week. I can`t believe how stupid I have been. I really did not lose weight for 3 years and just kept doing different versions of it. I thought I was over eating on the weekend but I wish I would have known about glucose then .
dang, stupid, stupid, stupid.
Now I just wonder, without diet, how will I ever get the fat off. I am already active. Hopefully after a couple months of taking care of myself, I will drop weight by doing nothing but the exercise I love. I hate counting calories!0 -
While you are eating at maintenance and lifting - you are burning fat off darling.
And that increased LBM and likely some muscle mass too, will help greatly when you do create a deficit.
It'll be good, you may even a whoosh effect in your near future. Many times a carb refeed or just eating enough causes body to drop some stored water for whatever reason it was holding on to it.0 -
Yeah!!! 0
