Honeymoon period over, advice appreciated

logg1e · May 2014

Hi,

I'm 5'6'' female only a few weeks in to following MFP. My BMR is 1462. I started off with MFP's 1200 recommendation for a weekly loss of 1.5lb and although I later read concerns about this, it was working for me so I decided to stick with it so long as it worked:

Start weight: 11st 5lb
Week 1: 11st 3lb
Week 2: 11st 1lb
Week 3: 10st 13
Week 4: 10st 12
Week 5: 10st 12 (today)

I eat to my macros and have one or two 'treats' per day such as a Kit Kat. I have digital food scales and weigh my food, becoming more and more accurate. If I can't calculate it, I over-estimate. I don't count herbs or spices. I was really enjoying this process and have felt very focused and motivated.

In about week 3 I started lifting weights (Stronglifts 5x5) but with very light loads, aiming to get my form and good habits in place and to reduce muscle loss with the aim of starting it properly when I hit target.
In about week 4 I started doing some serious cardio and have done about 4 sessions which got my heart rate right up and the sweat pouring off me. Again, I really enjoyed this. I bought a heart rate monitor, generally round down and eat back most of the calories.

Some days, I can't plan my food. When this has happened I choose not to eat rather than eat something I know will take me over or that I can't estimate.

My body measurements and body fat percentage have all reduced.

Then things have seemed to stall. I feel miserable. I need advice on what to do next. My options appear to be:

1) Don't panic. It's only been a few days, it was working before it will continue to work. Stick with it (1200 calories, the exercise and weights).

2) Are you crazy? Eating 1200 calories has led to Metabolic Resistance. Continuing will lead to Metabolic Damage. Starting that cardio has just sent your body in to meltdown. You need to panic and either:
2a) Increase to 1500 and otherwise continue as you were.
2b) Have a Spike Day - boost the leptin levels and then continue as you were.

Thanks in advance, and I look forward to your exasperation and berating...

sbarella · May 2014

Don't panic, re-evaluate your goals (0.5 to 1 lb/week seems more sustainable and more calories will drastically improve your energy levels and adherence), don't worry about fluctuations, keep rocking.

RunMyOregonBunsOff · May 2014

My vote is for don't panic but increase your calories to 1500 ish so you aren't under your bmr for an extended period of time. I don't imagine you have done much damage at this point but it is affecting your energy levels.

logg1e · May 2014

Thank you RunMy and Sbarella - when you say "energy levels" do you mean my worrying about the scales?

Edit - I ask this because I am loving the cardio classes I have done and although I feel half dead immediately afterwards I also feel full of energy.

supermumincanada · May 2014

Maybe increase to 1500 plus excercise for a few weeks and see how that works, you will have weeks where you appear to be the same weigjht but there could be fluid retention or something causing it, I found mixing the calories about really helped, it keeps your body guessing. Worked for me xo

isabellybelly · May 2014

Don't panic. There could be other reasons the loss is levelling off - could you be getting your period? Salt intake increasing water retention? Newb muscle gains from first-time strength training? Give it a couple more weeks to observe before deciding what changes to try.

logg1e · May 2014

Thank you SuperMumInCanada. Do you just vary the calories between, say, 1200 and 1500? A week at a time?

I really thought it was water retention at first, but didn't think it would last a couple of weeks.

logg1e · May 2014

Thank you Isabella. I had all of those thoughts! So my plan was to give it four weeks and not change a thing. But then a couple of days ago I started reading in to it and last night stayed up reading about Metabolic Damage and was concerned I'd cause more damage by waiting.

isabellybelly · May 2014

Just re-read and saw you're eating back all your cardio calories. Consider you might be overestimating calories burned. One change to consider (again, after more observation to develop a hypothesis to test) is to eat back only half your calories. Good luck!

logg1e · May 2014

Thanks Isabelly. I bought a HRM and do round down. The dog walk I just call 15 minutes, although it's at least double that. Things like the spin class I feel that I have earned, so only round down a little(!)

Taking on board everyone's feedback that I have read so far, I'm going to try upping the calorie count by changing MFP from 1.5lb to 1lb loss. I will also only eat back half of the exercise calories (less exercise from here on as I'm back at work tomorrow).

chani8 · May 2014

You said you are eating most of your exercise cals, so that's good.

I vote for a spike day, but only go to maintenance cals for a day or two. Then drop back down to a deficit.

Reevaluate if you really want to keep at such a deficit. The closer you get to goal weight, the harder the leptin issue will fight you, so go slowly.

And otherwise, hang tight, because likely this is just water weight from intense exercise, or too many carbs perhaps.

logg1e · May 2014

Tried putting in a 1lb loss and it only shifts to 1260 per day. 0.5lb loss jumps it to over 1500 calories.

I've changed my mind and am going with option 1: don't panic, weight loss isn't linear etc. I'll give it a couple of weeks before making a change.

Nobody seems concerned that I'm hitting Metabolic Disaster, and that it's probably water retention from my period and sudden resistance work.

Madame_Goldbricker · May 2014

Definitely don't panic! Weight loss isn't linear some weeks you may even go up on the scales. Don't get fed up just keep on going. I'm the same height as you and as you can see from my ticker I'm quite a bit heavier. I eat 1500-1700 per day but I just log my exercise as 1 cal as for me I kept way overeating on the 50-75% range of eating my burn cals.

What works for one person may not work for the next. But its still all just a case of keeping to a deficit.

logg1e · May 2014

Thanks Chani. I have been unable to learn much about how to combat water retention, other than to drink more water. Do you (or does anyone) know any more detail? How long do you retain water for?

logg1e · May 2014

Thank you hmmm!

At 1200 I do feel I should eat back most of my exercise calories. Sometimes I don't eat them at all (e.g. if I did an exercise in the evening after planning and eating all of my meals). Sometimes I eat back every calorie (e.g. if I'm trying to earn pizza and chips). I think the Pizza & Chips might have to go to once a fortnight rather than once a week.

isabellybelly · May 2014

The biggest water retention factors for me are hormonal (bat**** close to my period), salt intake, and carb intake. I lose a ton of water weight approaching keto and actually get low blood pressure that I have to manage with increased salt, potassium and magnesium. Since I've started eating more moderate carbs, I retain water a little better and feel better all around.

The thing is, water weight isn't anything to be concerned about unless you're temporarily trying to lose an inch or two to fit into a dress. You want a healthy measure of water retention and worry more about fat loss and muscle gain.

Madame_Goldbricker · May 2014

Thank you hmmm!

At 1200 I do feel I should eat back most of my exercise calories. Sometimes I don't eat them at all (e.g. if I did an exercise in the evening after planning and eating all of my meals). Sometimes I eat back every calorie (e.g. if I'm trying to earn pizza and chips). I think the Pizza & Chips might have to go to once a fortnight rather than once a week.

Do you have an open diary? My food choices tend to be pretty dire yada yada so I can't comment on that much lol

I'm going to send you a FR if you don't mind ;-)

logg1e · May 2014

Isabelly - I think I do eat too much salt. I will read up on that and focus on maintaining a healthy intake for a bit. My water percentage has remained static at 51.3% (although my body fat percentage has decreased from 32% in week 1).

Can you tell me a bit more about "approaching keto"?

logg1e · May 2014

Hmmm, I've made my diary public for the sake of this discussion, but normally just to my friends. I like to keep a very small, select(!) friend list and am quite active on my logging and supporting Friends. Will read your message now.

agent99oz · May 2014

Whats your daily maximum total? Mine is 2080 - I do one day a week and have an eat up day - mostly I eat well during that day and have a really great big meal with things I may want during the week.

I think move back to a 1200 - 1300 cal a day (which I net) a day - this suits me...so I eat back my exercise cals - becareful not to over estimate these too

I lift and do HITT cardio and power swimming....

My diary is open - feel free to have a look, you are doing well so keep going

thirteeninches · May 2014

I agree with chani8 That was my exact experience. Once I increased exercise I saw a stall, but then steady drop began. For my body anyway, eating a bit extra every week or week and a half keeps the weight loss steady. Like most people, the scale varies up or down within a small range every day (I weigh daily, gaining or losing small amounts doesn't bother me so long as the overall trend is down) And I agree it is also useful to keep a close eye on salt/water retention and how much water you are drinking.

You've only just started, and are in the learning phase of how your own body works. It helps me to see it as gathering data before reaching conclusions, and knowing the chemistry of the body will follow through so long as there is a deficit and macros are eaten (and micros). So yes, don't panic

Edited to add-in response to your question about what to do about water retention.

If it is caused primarily by exercise, as it seems to be, do nothing except keep on exercising.

water retention is caused by the expansion and swelling of capillaries through out the body. When you exercise you are tasking your body to hold on to more oxygen, and the blood thickens and pushes harder, so the capillaries widen and lengthen with it. More space means more fluids can fill your blood vessels. It's a common occurence that some newly exercising people experience as an itchy feeling during the early stages of exercise-mainly as the capillaries are filling up. My son who really was greatly out of shape felt it as a mild burn along his back and legs. Though uncomfortable and stinky about the stalled loss, this is a good sign. Growth of blood vessels in your tissues means more oxygen to sustain you during workouts, and better health so be glad

As your blood vessels strengthen with continued regular exercise a new fluid retention balance is struck, the bloat goes away and weight loss resumes.

logg1e · May 2014

Hi Agent, thank you for replying.
I'm not too sure what you mean by "daily maximum total". My calorie count varies a lot, by just under 1200 if I can't exercise at all and am sat down all day due to work. The maximum I have hit (about three times) is 1800 due to all of this new cardio I'm doing. I have always netted below 1200 though.

13inches, thanks for the reply. I'm going to stick with it, as you say, as nobody feels I'm in danger of Destroying Metabolism and I don't need to panic. Fingers crossed for the next couple of weeks.

Honeymoon period over, advice appreciated

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