looking for assurance, advice and any tips
clairejackson83
Posts: 8 Member
Hello to all,
This time Last year i weighed 15 and half stone so i got myself the mfp app, joined a gym and went about losing weight the traditional way by eating less and moving more. I got to october time last year and was 4 and half stone lighter (yipee!!) since then the scales have not budged (not so yippee). Well i tell a lie they went up at xmas and then quickly back down within 3 weeks to 11 stone but no movement since. I know you are all going to scream at me but I've been down to eating 1200 cals a day and still nothing i just want to get to ten and a half stone as that will be a healthy weight for my height (I'm 5ft 3) . So now im starting to think ive ruined my metabolism so come across the eat more 2 lose weight theory. Ive downloaded and read the book and it sounds great to me but i have a few queries and wondering if anyone can help.
1) Currently i workout 5 times a week doing mostly cardio (running, aerobics, spin class) i have had some pt sessions in past so am familiar with strength and weight training and enjoy it i just end up defaulting to cardio through laziness. But do I move to just weight work and no cardio now and how much weight work do i need to do? An hour a time 3 times a week? And a couple of cardio sessions a week (i enjoy one of my aerobics classes way to much to give it up totally and have signed up to a 5k run soon so need to keep practicing my running a bit too) any workout advice much appreciated
2) i've calculated my tdee to be 2307 with moderate exercise with a bmr of 1489. Should this be less if i drop the cardio so go down to tdee with light exercise of 1700 cals a day? 2307 seems a ridiculous amount to eat. I'm sure i didn't eat that much over xmas and put on 4lbs in a week and the only exercise i did was walking the dogs for a couple of hours a day (they are quite old so we don't go too strenuous). I'm petrified of putting the weight back on and if i put 4lbs on a week for 4 weeks thats over a stone in a month then i am left with a stone and a half to lose -worse than back to square one. I appreciate i might put on a few pounds while i am eating more but my metabolism is still stuck in slow mode. How much weight should i expect to put on in first few weeks? Shall i ease myself into eating more say one week at 1500 then 1700 for a week then 2000 then upto 2200?? Or do i just bite bullet and go for it?
3) Now onto eating the extra calories it sounds great!!! My first thought is bring on the cake but im pretty sure thats not the way to go. I've set my macros to 40/30/30 so i presume i need to add in lots of lean protein (chicken and white fish) plus some healthy fats (avocados, nuts and seeds) plus some good carbs (sweet pots,brown rice, etc.) Again any meal plans or advice anyone has will be much appreciated. Im thinking eggs for brekkie, fruit mid morning, soup for lunch with some rice cakes and cottage cheese, snack on nuts or have avocado mid afternoon/pre evening workout then meat and veg for tea?? Any good???
4) what do i eat on rest days? The 2000+ cals or the bmr of 1500 ish?
I think thats my main concerns and i know i sound like many a girl before me but if anyone has any tips, advice or encouragement then please share.
Regards
Claire
This time Last year i weighed 15 and half stone so i got myself the mfp app, joined a gym and went about losing weight the traditional way by eating less and moving more. I got to october time last year and was 4 and half stone lighter (yipee!!) since then the scales have not budged (not so yippee). Well i tell a lie they went up at xmas and then quickly back down within 3 weeks to 11 stone but no movement since. I know you are all going to scream at me but I've been down to eating 1200 cals a day and still nothing i just want to get to ten and a half stone as that will be a healthy weight for my height (I'm 5ft 3) . So now im starting to think ive ruined my metabolism so come across the eat more 2 lose weight theory. Ive downloaded and read the book and it sounds great to me but i have a few queries and wondering if anyone can help.
1) Currently i workout 5 times a week doing mostly cardio (running, aerobics, spin class) i have had some pt sessions in past so am familiar with strength and weight training and enjoy it i just end up defaulting to cardio through laziness. But do I move to just weight work and no cardio now and how much weight work do i need to do? An hour a time 3 times a week? And a couple of cardio sessions a week (i enjoy one of my aerobics classes way to much to give it up totally and have signed up to a 5k run soon so need to keep practicing my running a bit too) any workout advice much appreciated
2) i've calculated my tdee to be 2307 with moderate exercise with a bmr of 1489. Should this be less if i drop the cardio so go down to tdee with light exercise of 1700 cals a day? 2307 seems a ridiculous amount to eat. I'm sure i didn't eat that much over xmas and put on 4lbs in a week and the only exercise i did was walking the dogs for a couple of hours a day (they are quite old so we don't go too strenuous). I'm petrified of putting the weight back on and if i put 4lbs on a week for 4 weeks thats over a stone in a month then i am left with a stone and a half to lose -worse than back to square one. I appreciate i might put on a few pounds while i am eating more but my metabolism is still stuck in slow mode. How much weight should i expect to put on in first few weeks? Shall i ease myself into eating more say one week at 1500 then 1700 for a week then 2000 then upto 2200?? Or do i just bite bullet and go for it?
3) Now onto eating the extra calories it sounds great!!! My first thought is bring on the cake but im pretty sure thats not the way to go. I've set my macros to 40/30/30 so i presume i need to add in lots of lean protein (chicken and white fish) plus some healthy fats (avocados, nuts and seeds) plus some good carbs (sweet pots,brown rice, etc.) Again any meal plans or advice anyone has will be much appreciated. Im thinking eggs for brekkie, fruit mid morning, soup for lunch with some rice cakes and cottage cheese, snack on nuts or have avocado mid afternoon/pre evening workout then meat and veg for tea?? Any good???
4) what do i eat on rest days? The 2000+ cals or the bmr of 1500 ish?
I think thats my main concerns and i know i sound like many a girl before me but if anyone has any tips, advice or encouragement then please share.
Regards
Claire
0
Replies
-
Very true, eat a little less than you used to, move a little more than you used to, that had you gaining or maintaining weight.
Problem is most make whole-sale changes and have no clue how much they used to eat to eat just a little less, and have no idea how much more they are burning when they move more.
So now no where near reasonable method of doing it, unsustainable long-term and many times short-term, and ill-effects either way.
You have ruined your metabolism, but you likely made it a whole lot more efficient than it used to me, and needs to be. Meaning you burn less than you could be otherwise.
1 - Yes, 3 x 1 hr strength training will actually help retain whatever muscle mass you have left, nothing but cardio encourages burning it.
2 - The type and time of the exercise does indeed play a role in TDEE, as you notice 1 hr running not the same as 1 hr of true lifting with sets and rests. But it would actually be similar with circuit style training. But it won't drop it that much.
Might try the spreadsheet on my profile page for getting better Activity Level estimate.
What do you have to compare 2307 TDEE to? Did you ever log what you used to eat when not exercising to see how many calories that was? Or has your only exposure to calorie levels been the 1200? Then you really have no informed opinion if 2307 is high or not.
In 1 week, gained 4 lbs of what exactly? Do you know how much extra you would have to be for that to be fat?
4 x 3500 calories/lb of fat = 14000 excess calories / 7 days = 2000 extra calories daily OVER maintenance.
So you ate 4000 calories daily for 7 days?
Or now you now know it was only on mainly water weight?
You will put on whatever water weight you initially lost when first starting a diet. You are topping off glycogen stores, with water, that have always been in a state of partial depletion.
You increase slowly, like were you really only eating 1200 in total, or you correctly ate back exercise calories, so you really ate more. Figure out that average GROSS eating level.
Add 100 calories daily for a week at a time. Do the math if fast weight gain. If it was truly extra surplus calories, it would take 5 weeks to gain 1 lb of fat. But starting new workout, you are increasing water weight.
Keep adding extra 100 to each day for a week at a time until at TDEE.
3 - I'll let others comment on diet, the spreadsheet will recommend minimum protein needed to help retain muscle mass, any over is extra and depending on your difficulty of getting it isn't needed really. Doesn't hurt, a little help potentially.
4 - TDEE is a weekly view, averaged back out to daily level. Did your weekly view include workout and rest days in it already?
That's why it's daily goal.0 -
Welcome and congrats on your decision to fuel your body properly!
In order to avoid some of the gains that tend to make so many nervous when starting this journey, you may try increasing your calories slowly, rather than jumping in head first. Personally, I upped my calories 100 at a time and stayed at each level for at least a week (and longer if necessary). At each level, I monitored the scale and did not go up another 100 calories until my weight stabilized at the current level. Some phases took longer than others --- there were several where I was able to bump my calories up after only one week but there were several where I stuck it out for a month or so prior to upping them again. As I recall, it felt like I spent for-ev-er at 1,900 calories before things stabilized... Just take your time and work you way up towards TDEE slowly, challenging your metabolism along the way. Chances are, you haven't "ruined your metabolism", but you may have slowed it down --- now you just have to work to speed it back up :-)
Sounds like you have your macros set up just right - and yes, try to concentrate on whole, unprocessed foods - your body will thank you! If you are having trouble getting up to your daily goal, don't be afraid to eat nuts, nut butters, avocado and full-fat dairy.
Definitely incorporate the strength training several times a week - that is what has made the biggest change in my body shape and size - it is truly empowering. Keep the cardio short and sweet - do some HIIT and get it done. You will get the benefits in 20 minutes vs. 1 hour plugging away on the treadmill or elliptical.
Feel free to add me if you want a shoulder to lean on along the way : )
Anitra0 -
Hi guys, thanks for your comments.
Anitra sounds like a good plan to up cals slowly. I have gone for 1500 this week but know i will have put on weight i can honestly feel it im so bloated!!! But im trying to remind myself to think long term. I'm adding protein at every meal so instead of just having soup at dinner i have soup made with chia seeds or pumpkin seeds then 100g of chicken breast on the side and its so filling!! i struggle to get anything else in as i just dont feel hungry, and have spent the best part of a year telling myself not to eat unless i am hungry and then analyzing if i am really hungry or not. I am like you say going down the nut route loving almonds, walnuts and pecans at the moment. i log them all in mfp but just dont look at cals per serving as 150 cals for a tiny handful seems crazy i could have a whole bowl of veggie sticks for that!!
Im doing strength training at least 3 times a week for 45 mins a time im comfortable on 5kg dumbbells and an 8kg kettlebell but it might be time to move up though to 6kg and 10kg soon. Im training for my 5k but have started doing sprint intervals for that rather than just straight steady pace. I wish my gym did hiit classes so bad they sound loads of fun!
Anitra you say you waited to stabilise until moving up but i still want to get down to 10 and half stone to please the doc that i am in bmi range for my height - will i never be able to loose weight again?
Thanks for all help though
Claire0 -
Someone explained it to me when doing a reset is if you put in heaps of weight almost over night then that is your glycemic stores filling up (might not have the right term there) which is a good thing (and should means it comes off too) keep upping cals until you gain slowly or 1lb over the week say - and then you can work out your real TDEE from that. once you find your real TDEE then you can introduce your cut and go from there
keep at it though you have done so well and yes I get the bloat that was me last week!! this week down 2lb and not feeling so fat - so its doing something - listen to your body
impressed on protein I am struggling to get my % anywhere near at the moment - but nuts!! good plan adding them to the weeks shopping list!!0 -
Someone explained it to me when doing a reset is if you put in heaps of weight almost over night then that is your glycemic stores filling up (might not have the right term there) which is a good thing (and should means it comes off too) keep upping cals until you gain slowly or 1lb over the week say - and then you can work out your real TDEE from that. once you find your real TDEE then you can introduce your cut and go from there
keep at it though you have done so well and yes I get the bloat that was me last week!! this week down 2lb and not feeling so fat - so its doing something - listen to your body
impressed on protein I am struggling to get my % anywhere near at the moment - but nuts!! good plan adding them to the weeks shopping list!!
Pretty close.
Under maintenance, those glycogen stores with water are always topped off except after cardio exercise and prior to eating after a fast overnight.
Which means it's a part of normal body weight that happens to fluctuate, so no need to hope it comes off, because it'll come right back.
To slowly gain 1 lb in a week, you'd have to eat 500 calories over true TDEE daily. That's a massively bad estimate of TDEE if that happens.
Even 1 lb in 2 weeks is 250 over daily, which is a little more reasonable, about 10% in some cases, but likely if you guessed correctly at the 5 levels, it shouldn't even be that bad.
The test is purposely eating 250 over what you think is TDEE when you've been there a couple a weeks, should only gain 1 lb slowly.
Really don't want to leave it at the end of your reset, because if you discover TDEE was actually higher, then you really didn't have a reset.0 -
Well after 2 weeks of eating at 1500-1600 cals a day still exercising but doing lots of weights ive put on 4 kilos!!! That's over 8lbs or more than half a stone!! I either have massive glycogen stores filled with water (must be on a par with a camel!) Or i have put it all on as muscle which is highly unlikely (and probably impossible) but also unproven as my body fat has gone up to 34% (from 30%)
Amazing just amazing!! Not sure what to do i worked so hard to get to 11 stone and now its all gone to pot!!0 -
Well after 2 weeks of eating at 1500-1600 cals a day still exercising but doing lots of weights ive put on 4 kilos!!! That's over 8lbs or more than half a stone!! I either have massive glycogen stores filled with water (must be on a par with a camel!) Or i have put it all on as muscle which is highly unlikely (and probably impossible) but also unproven as my body fat has gone up to 34% (from 30%)
Amazing just amazing!! Not sure what to do i worked so hard to get to 11 stone and now its all gone to pot!!
This can be the discouraging part, but now is exactly when you should not stop!
Look back at what you have figured your TDEE and BMR to be: "i've calculated my tdee to be 2307 with moderate exercise with a bmr of 1489." At this point, you are barely eating over your BMR, never mind your TDEE. Remember, in order to gain one pound, you have to eat 3,500 calories OVER your TDEE. What you are most likely dealing with right now is simply your body adapting and reacting to the new, increased intake (as well as a probably increase in exercise and related water retention... Remember weight lifting will cause you to retain water as your muscles repair themselves)
When I initially started upping my calories, it took me close to a year to get from 1,000 calories to 2,200, but I GOT THERE. I was miserable eating 1,000 calories, doing as much cardio as I could and not losing anything (never mind feeling like garbage!) so I committed to healing my metabolism and giving the process the time that it needs.
Take your time and work at it slowly - it is all about healing your metabolism and getting it back up and running where it should be, as it is most likely suppressed from a history of low cal dieting.... Invest this time in you!0 -
Well after 2 weeks of eating at 1500-1600 cals a day still exercising but doing lots of weights ive put on 4 kilos!!! That's over 8lbs or more than half a stone!! I either have massive glycogen stores filled with water (must be on a par with a camel!) Or i have put it all on as muscle which is highly unlikely (and probably impossible) but also unproven as my body fat has gone up to 34% (from 30%)
Amazing just amazing!! Not sure what to do i worked so hard to get to 11 stone and now its all gone to pot!!
Besides above great advice, look back over your weigh-in days.
Only valid weigh-in day for such a short period of time is morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from lost workout.
Does that apply to both days? Because you could easily have started with false loss, had false gain, and the combo was big whopper.
Also, your BMR will literally change through the month, so you need to wait a month anyway.
Carbs stores are about 2000 total, maybe 2500 if endurance training. That's 5 lbs max, and you always have some of that, so usually the max gain from that is 3 lbs, then that will stop.
Same with elevated sodium compared to other weigh-in day. That's why _normal_ sodium levels, not higher or lower.0 -
Thanks guys for the advice.
Weigh day is always sat morning (friday is rest day) and i have always stuck to that no sneaking in between.
Did have dessert friday night andcsugar does always make me bloat. Not sure how to measure my sodium levels.
I am going to stick at it - there isn't much of an alternative now unless i eat 1200 cals a day forever!!!
I'll stick at 1500 until i stabilise then go a bit more and keep at it that way - just got to make those extra calories good ones.
Any tips on minimizing the water retention caused by the weight lifting? I do drink my 2 litres of water a day.0 -
To try to minimize that water retention would be to try to fight against body's natural response.
Ony way would be to have an ineffective workout that wasn't hard at all, merely easy maintenance.
Then there is nothing to repair, no water needed for that.
But who wants to waste their workout time doing that?
That would be akin to saying you want to stop the false weight gain after eating a meal.
No, in both cases, you need to find a different time to weigh to not get the natural effects that are going to occur.
And your weigh-in day sounds perfect, though I have the same routine, Thu night last lifting session does still sometimes have me sore on Sat, but usually reduced by then, so no biggy, but I know it's some variable amount.
And even when you get to the point of not being as sore or sore at all, you can still be retaining water in muscles.0 -
Ok thanks just wanted to make sure i wasn't missing a trick with the water retention.
Graduated to a 10kg kettlebell today so gonna be sore tomorrow!!0 -
no answers from me other than support
keep doing what you are doing!
ditto on the weight gain too!! its really hard I understand - but we are doing the right thing! keep at it and keep upping those cals. I did mine quickly but yeah about 7lbs gain - joys but being rather higher than 11 I am hating it!!!
Have fun at kettlebells I use 8/10 for arms and 12/16 last week on legs - that 16 is a killer!! but all worth it 0
