Feeling Flabby Again... WTF???

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Replies

  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing 30 lbs?

    I didn't calculate it for the first time until a couple of weeks ago. :)

    So you switched to TDEE-20% a few weeks ago? Is that correct?
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Today I woke up and I felt like flab central. It felt like it used to feel. Flabby and yucky and loose.

    If you didn't feel that way yesterday, then it's an emotional thing, not a physical thing.

    When I have days like that, I put on a bikini or something equally revealing and take some photos to compare them to the photos I took last time I felt good. Then I can see if I really had a backslide, or if I'm just being stupid. More often than not, I look the same as my last photos, sometimes better, and very, very rarely any worse. It's usually the smack upside the head I need to snap out of it.

    Not necessarily. I've gone through a couple of periods where suddenly I was flabby in areas I hadn't been before. It was obvious and measurable. After a couple of weeks to a month, it tightened up again. I think I just lost a lot of fat or water in a localized area and the skin needed time to catch up.
  • jaecamp1
    jaecamp1 Posts: 120 Member
    Congratulations on what you've done already!

    I think a lot of the feeling flabby vs feeling fit is more of a mental thing than a reality thing, for the most part. Some of it may have to do with bloating, just try and remind yourself that you are still in the smaller pants :) I went from a tight 22 to now a 12 and I still feel and see the same size most of the time. I think the brain takes longer to catch up sometimes.

    If my scale doesn't want to budge for longer than I'd like I will do a fasting day, or a few days of super clean eating. So far that's been enough to give my weight loss that little push and start the scale moving again.

    I've never thought of a fasting day... my changes have usually been thinking I wasn't eating enough. Do you just not eat anything???

    I will still have my coffee and water, but I try to keep everything else at a minimum. I usually end up with 3-400 or so calories on those days, but all clean stuff. Mostly raw veggies, and a little bit of meat for protein. Then pretty clean but normal calories for the next couple days.
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing 30 lbs?

    I didn't calculate it for the first time until a couple of weeks ago. :)

    So you switched to TDEE-20% a few weeks ago? Is that correct?

    Yes, up til then I was eating what MFP said to eat and I was so tired almost to the point that I couldn't finish my workouts, moody and felt awful. Since doing the TDEE calculation, I've been running over a 5K almost daily and sleeping better, etc.
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Congratulations on what you've done already!

    I think a lot of the feeling flabby vs feeling fit is more of a mental thing than a reality thing, for the most part. Some of it may have to do with bloating, just try and remind yourself that you are still in the smaller pants :) I went from a tight 22 to now a 12 and I still feel and see the same size most of the time. I think the brain takes longer to catch up sometimes.

    If my scale doesn't want to budge for longer than I'd like I will do a fasting day, or a few days of super clean eating. So far that's been enough to give my weight loss that little push and start the scale moving again.

    I've never thought of a fasting day... my changes have usually been thinking I wasn't eating enough. Do you just not eat anything???

    I will still have my coffee and water, but I try to keep everything else at a minimum. I usually end up with 3-400 or so calories on those days, but all clean stuff. Mostly raw veggies, and a little bit of meat for protein. Then pretty clean but normal calories for the next couple days.

    OK thank you... I'll keep that in mind. :)
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Today I woke up and I felt like flab central. It felt like it used to feel. Flabby and yucky and loose.

    If you didn't feel that way yesterday, then it's an emotional thing, not a physical thing.

    When I have days like that, I put on a bikini or something equally revealing and take some photos to compare them to the photos I took last time I felt good. Then I can see if I really had a backslide, or if I'm just being stupid. More often than not, I look the same as my last photos, sometimes better, and very, very rarely any worse. It's usually the smack upside the head I need to snap out of it.

    Not necessarily. I've gone through a couple of periods where suddenly I was flabby in areas I hadn't been before. It was obvious and measurable. After a couple of weeks to a month, it tightened up again. I think I just lost a lot of fat or water in a localized area and the skin needed time to catch up.

    I agree it could be emotional but I can see it in the mirror too. My thighs are wiggly jiggly. Worse than normal!! LOL Everything is very dimply and loose.
  • polo571
    polo571 Posts: 708 Member
    Start measuring inches and be consistent.
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing 30 lbs?

    I didn't calculate it for the first time until a couple of weeks ago. :)

    So you switched to TDEE-20% a few weeks ago? Is that correct?

    Yes, up til then I was eating what MFP said to eat and I was so tired almost to the point that I couldn't finish my workouts, moody and felt awful. Since doing the TDEE calculation, I've been running over a 5K almost daily and sleeping better, etc.

    One thing I should mention is that the fatigue started almost overnight. Up until then the 1400 calories I was eating seemed to be enough and then I felt sick all the time. Someone suggested I wasn't eating enough and I did some research. That's when I found TDEE. I wasn't losing at 1400 either so I figured it couldn't hurt to try. I guess I'm in my 4th week or so.
  • dangerousdumpling
    dangerousdumpling Posts: 1,109 Member
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing 30 lbs?

    I didn't calculate it for the first time until a couple of weeks ago. :)

    So you switched to TDEE-20% a few weeks ago? Is that correct?

    Yes, up til then I was eating what MFP said to eat and I was so tired almost to the point that I couldn't finish my workouts, moody and felt awful. Since doing the TDEE calculation, I've been running over a 5K almost daily and sleeping better, etc.

    With an increase of about 400 calories per day it's normal to put on a few pounds of water weight or it may appear that you are on a plateau. You need to give your body some time to adjust and you will start losing again. Ignore my suggestion to increase and then decrease calories. Stick to what you're doing and reassess after a solid month of TDEE-20%. Take your measurements and take pictures and do that again in a month.
    When I first switched to TDEE-20% I gained a pound and kept it on for a month. After about three weeks of not losing I took my measurements. I measured again 2 weeks later and had lost 5 inches. Then I lost that pound. Two days later I lost another pound. A week later I lost another pound. It worked! It just took a month for my body to adjust and to see it on the scale. That's when I started focusing more on my measuring tape. Just keep doing what you're doing and enjoy eating more and feeling better.

    I forgot to add that with TDEE-20% inch loss is success just as pound loss is. Your goal size and goal weight may not meet in the middle. You may reach your goal size 10 lbs heavier than your goal weight when lifting weights and eating TDEE-20%. Keep in mind that no one but you knows how much you weigh. It's only part of the equation.
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Start measuring inches and be consistent.

    Yes, I should. :) That way I could have another guide to go by.

    The problem is lost inches don't take the weight off of my knee. :( I really feel it would hurt less with less weight on me.
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Have you recalculated your TDEE since losing 30 lbs?

    I didn't calculate it for the first time until a couple of weeks ago. :)

    So you switched to TDEE-20% a few weeks ago? Is that correct?

    Yes, up til then I was eating what MFP said to eat and I was so tired almost to the point that I couldn't finish my workouts, moody and felt awful. Since doing the TDEE calculation, I've been running over a 5K almost daily and sleeping better, etc.

    With an increase of about 400 calories per day it's normal to put on a few pounds of water weight or it may appear that you are on a plateau. You need to give your body some time to adjust and you will start losing again. Ignore my suggestion to increase and then decrease calories. Stick to what you're doing and reassess after a solid month of TDEE-20%. Take your measurements and take pictures and do that again in a month.
    When I first switched to TDEE-20% I gained a pound and kept it on for a month. After about three weeks of not losing I took my measurements. I measured again 2 weeks later and had lost 5 inches. Then I lost that pound. Two days later I lost another pound. A week later I lost another pound. It worked! It just took a month for my body to adjust and to see it on the scale. That's when I started focusing more on my measuring tape. Just keep doing what you're doing and enjoy eating more and feeling better.

    Thank you for your post. This gives me some much needed hope. The first two weeks I think I screwed it up because I was still eating some of my exercise calories back not knowing that with TDEE-20%, you're not supposed to so I think I'm on the right track with that now but my patience is wearing thin. I still allow myself to go over a little on my friday night "date" nights out with my husband but only 100-200 calories. I thank you so much for the time you spent talking to me.. Hugs to you!!

    Thank you everyone!

    ... I'm still hoping for the whoosh...

    ... still hoping... :)

    PS - If anyone is looking for the TDEE calculator, here is a link... http://www.cordianet.com/calculator.htm
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member


    I forgot to add that with TDEE-20% inch loss is success just as pound loss is. Your goal size and goal weight may not meet in the middle. You may reach your goal size 10 lbs heavier than your goal weight when lifting weights and eating TDEE-20%. Keep in mind that no one but you knows how much you weigh. It's only part of the equation.

    Yes, I've thought of that. At my thinnest ever as an adult I was 147 and wore a size 10. Now still over 200 I'm in a 12. That's saying a lot for working out!! LOL

    One more question though... did you do your TDEE calulations based on the age and height calculator or the body fat percentage calculator?

    The numbers are quite different.
  • sunglasses_and_ocean_waves
    sunglasses_and_ocean_waves Posts: 2,757 Member
    Take pics of your progress. I stopped weighing myself, and frankly this time of year I have no idea what size I am. I probably gained 5 pounds over the summer.

    You're gonna have days when you feel fat, especially around your period. You just have to give yourself permission to be imperfect and keep at it. You're doing the right thins,. You just need patience.
  • bunbunzee44
    bunbunzee44 Posts: 592 Member
    deffinitely take pics and measurements of yourself! you might not notice it and the scale might not move a lot, but I'm sure there are things happening in your body. :)
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Yes I do need patience. A lot more patience. LOL

    I know good things are happening in my body and I know there is more to this than the scale so I'm going to measure myself and see how the numbers differ next month...

    One good thing that did happen recently? I went for my annual work physical. Last August my blood pressure was 145 over 101. Two weeks ago, I went for my physical and it was 108 over 70!!! Amazing!!! :)
  • CantStopWontStop92
    CantStopWontStop92 Posts: 165 Member
    Probably just a mental thing, don't fret:) You've seen a lot of success so maybe you're getting a bit ahead of yourself...? Perhaps? I know there are just those squishy days too. Those are the worst, just looking at my thighs sometimes I go "oh jeez I'm turning into the Pilsbury dough boy" which is often followed by my sister going "blubblubblub" and poking my thighs. So cheer up buttercup, you're doing just fine. Pretty sure this happens to everyone:)
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Just found this calculator and like it much better...

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • vcancel
    vcancel Posts: 96 Member
    Probably just a mental thing, don't fret:) You've seen a lot of success so maybe you're getting a bit ahead of yourself...? Perhaps? I know there are just those squishy days too. Those are the worst, just looking at my thighs sometimes I go "oh jeez I'm turning into the Pilsbury dough boy" which is often followed by my sister going "blubblubblub" and poking my thighs. So cheer up buttercup, you're doing just fine. Pretty sure this happens to everyone:)

    Thanks sweetie... if someone poked my thighs and went blubblubblub I'd cry. Then again I don't have a sister so maybe I wouldn't. Maybe it's just what sisters do... LOL
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    The main issue with TDEE calculators is that exercise alone does not a TDEE make, lol. I mean I walk 5 miles in average every day and do weight training twice a week but my activity level is apparently closer to lightly active anyway (even though technically I exercise every day).

    But I'm 157 lbs and eating 1650 a day, so I can't see how you can't lose at 1855, especially if you're weighing everything (one tip though, don't use measuring spoons and cups unless it's liquid or something that you can't weigh). I'm guessing your body is adjusting to eating more and it might take a few more weeks before you start losing again... don't give up.

    For what it's worth, I don't lose regularly either though. I stall for 3 weeks then lose all the weight in 7 or 10 days (I lost 3 lbs in 3 days this week). So stalls are normal to an extent.

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