Having a difficult time maintaining, so confused.

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Replies

  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
    Firstly, congratulations! That's a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where you are from where you were.

    Depending on how long and how agressively you cut will play a large role in weight gain once you increase calories. 4 hours of cardio wasn't necessary, and definitely isn't necessary in the long term, but the damage was already done. If you cut to 1000 calories and 4 hours of cardio right away, that is extremely aggressive. As was posted earlier, at some point your metabolism adapted to that amount of cardio and few calories. Upping your calories to 2000 and 3000 on the weekend, coupled with a decrease in cardio, is kind of like overload for your body and metabolism. All of a sudden you introduce all this extra energy - energy (calories) that your body didn't have before. Your metabolism is used to 1,000 - where is the extra 2,000 calories going to go? Our bodies are extremely efficient and want to maintain energy balance. If you don't use it, or have adapted to using lower energy, those extra calories will be stored.

    However, also understand that in maintenance, you will have weight fluctuations. Water weight, food weight - anywhere from a +/-10lbs swing is possible, even more depending on other factors.

    Slowly upping your calories every week, while slowly decreasing cardio is recommended. You have to ease your body into it and slowly increase your metabolic rate. Weight training, while not necessary, will help tremendously in the process as well.

    Also, just saw your TDEE as I posted this. You unfortunately aren't there yet - its just an estimate but doesn't take into account how you arrived at your weight. You CAN get there, but you will need to take it slow.

    ^^good advice. Best of luck, OP.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    @Entaro, suggest you read this... I think it may help you get a handle on the changes you've seen and reduce your stress level a bit...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut
  • Yoshirio
    Yoshirio Posts: 242 Member
    I can't get past the four hours of cardio.I need a nap just from reading that..Good luck op!:flowerforyou:
  • Entaro
    Entaro Posts: 23 Member
    Slightly curious if anyone could help me with something related to this: When I was a kid I had hyperinsulinemia and when I met with doctors about it they told me I had a "thrifty genotype," and a slow metabolism.

    Is there a good way to gain an accurate measure of my basal metabolic rate? I worry about putting any faith in calculations without knowing about other factors that may be affecting them.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Your body has gotten accustomed to extreme cardio just to maintain... Once you cut back on the cardio, your weight will start to climb... I would replace any reduction in cardio with increases in weight training.....you need to build muscle to increase your metabolic rate...

    This sounds like good advice. You have done fantastically well. I am surprised that you can maintain that low a body fat without serious lifting. Those are VERY low calories for your activities. I think building that muscle will help with the stability. However, I am willing to bet that even if you ease into it, your body will bounce around with the adjustment.

    Might it make sense to stick with your calorie plan, do a baseline on your measurements, increase your strength training and drop some of your cardio and STOP WEIGHING FOR A MONTH? If you watch your measurement and your calories, nothing horrible will happen to your weight in that time period.

    I would also think about getting a very well recommended trainer who can work with someone like you. Can you get one through your insurance or your doctor, given your weight loss? Even if they don't pay for it, they may recommend one.

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