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beamie2687
Posts: 95 Member
Hello everyone!
I joined this group over a year ago, but I don't think I was truly ready for the experience. So, in essence, I'm sort of an in-between starter.
I started a weight loss journey many pounds ago. I had a very cliche breakup (not eating, not sleeping) and I lost weight quickly and in the worst way possible. I ended up joining Weight Watchers and having pretty moderate success, reaching my lowest adult weight of 155. I worked out (mostly cardio and wrongly using machines) most days of the week just to get rid of my extra emotional adrenaline. It worked, but it was completely unsustainable.
Afterwards, I started P90X and found EMTWL. I think I loved the idea, but wasn't terribly good with implementation. I found my TDEE calories to be over 2400 (a huge step up from 1300 that I was eating before, even WITH eating exercise calories back). I tried a reset, but of course wasn't educated enough to really do it right. With P90X and my TDEE calories, I gained a significant amount of weight (over 30lbs - though only about 12-14 was from the combination... the rest was from what I can only imagine was readjustment from not eating to actually eating again). I ended up doing what I'm sure a lot of us do - I became an obsessive freak. I tracked everything, I lied about my tracking to make myself feel better, I weighed myself everyday. Eventually it became too much and I just decided to quit cold turkey. I ate what I wanted and I exercised when I wanted... to the tune of 20 more pounds!
Now I'm over 200lbs, the highest I have every been! A few months ago, I rejoined MFP but I knew I could never do low-cal again. I was constantly hungry and angry (or, hangry) and weak. I have also recently taken up weight lifting. I end up working in the gym 3-4 times a week for about an hour (usually 20-30 minutes hiit cardio, plus free weights), and I'm thinking of adding yoga once a week to keep me calm while I study for THE BAR.
I have been keeping my calories around 1800, but not truly caring if I go over by a little. However, recently rechecking my TDEE it turns out that my BMR is 1720, only 80 calories less than I'm eating. I know I should up my calories, because I'm usually hungry even at 1800, but the scale hasn't been budging. I have maintained a constant weight, though my pants are fitting a little looser!
So, really my question is this: Do I absolutely need to do a TDEE reset? Or is the fact that my body is changing ever so slightly in the last 3-4 weeks enough evidence that I'm okay where I am? My TDEE (according to scooby) is 2679, but my actual question is do I need to do a reset, or can I start with a cut?
I am positive there are a million threads on this already, and I swear I searched, but I am just as confused as I was last time I tried. Once bitten, twice shy. I definitely can't afford to gain another 12-14 lbs because I don't do this the right way!
If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it. My diary is purposefully not open because of my previously mentioned obsessive personality. When I open it, I lie. Sorry for the inconvenience, but generally my cals and macros are 1800 with 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat.
I joined this group over a year ago, but I don't think I was truly ready for the experience. So, in essence, I'm sort of an in-between starter.
I started a weight loss journey many pounds ago. I had a very cliche breakup (not eating, not sleeping) and I lost weight quickly and in the worst way possible. I ended up joining Weight Watchers and having pretty moderate success, reaching my lowest adult weight of 155. I worked out (mostly cardio and wrongly using machines) most days of the week just to get rid of my extra emotional adrenaline. It worked, but it was completely unsustainable.
Afterwards, I started P90X and found EMTWL. I think I loved the idea, but wasn't terribly good with implementation. I found my TDEE calories to be over 2400 (a huge step up from 1300 that I was eating before, even WITH eating exercise calories back). I tried a reset, but of course wasn't educated enough to really do it right. With P90X and my TDEE calories, I gained a significant amount of weight (over 30lbs - though only about 12-14 was from the combination... the rest was from what I can only imagine was readjustment from not eating to actually eating again). I ended up doing what I'm sure a lot of us do - I became an obsessive freak. I tracked everything, I lied about my tracking to make myself feel better, I weighed myself everyday. Eventually it became too much and I just decided to quit cold turkey. I ate what I wanted and I exercised when I wanted... to the tune of 20 more pounds!
Now I'm over 200lbs, the highest I have every been! A few months ago, I rejoined MFP but I knew I could never do low-cal again. I was constantly hungry and angry (or, hangry) and weak. I have also recently taken up weight lifting. I end up working in the gym 3-4 times a week for about an hour (usually 20-30 minutes hiit cardio, plus free weights), and I'm thinking of adding yoga once a week to keep me calm while I study for THE BAR.
I have been keeping my calories around 1800, but not truly caring if I go over by a little. However, recently rechecking my TDEE it turns out that my BMR is 1720, only 80 calories less than I'm eating. I know I should up my calories, because I'm usually hungry even at 1800, but the scale hasn't been budging. I have maintained a constant weight, though my pants are fitting a little looser!
So, really my question is this: Do I absolutely need to do a TDEE reset? Or is the fact that my body is changing ever so slightly in the last 3-4 weeks enough evidence that I'm okay where I am? My TDEE (according to scooby) is 2679, but my actual question is do I need to do a reset, or can I start with a cut?
I am positive there are a million threads on this already, and I swear I searched, but I am just as confused as I was last time I tried. Once bitten, twice shy. I definitely can't afford to gain another 12-14 lbs because I don't do this the right way!
If you have any advice, I'd love to hear it. My diary is purposefully not open because of my previously mentioned obsessive personality. When I open it, I lie. Sorry for the inconvenience, but generally my cals and macros are 1800 with 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat.
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Replies
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The TDEE reset in the end usually leads to faster loss time.
Otherwise you eat at TDEE - deficit level and it takes forever for your body to speed up metabolism such that you really create a deficit.
And then even longer to create the level of deficit you'd think should have.
Suggest the spreadsheet on my profile page, because depending on BF%, your BMR may be lower than age, weight, height based.
Also, think about the actual time for the P90X, how much weekly time is the easy stuff, how much is closer to circuit training in general, ect.
Stay on Simple Setup tab with all the stats you have memorized, and measurements you should have.
Progress tab to for logging your measurements.
Get best TDEE estimate, and then either take the TDEG given (somewhere between 10-20% depending on amount to lose) or do straight 15% off.
And you increase calories from current eating level slowly up to TDEE - 100 extra daily for a week or two at a time.
You don't just eat straight up if there is good chance you have suppressed metabolism.
Body changes are good, that would seem to indicate losing fat while making improvements if weight is the same - and that means body feel comfortable enough making improvements that will need more energy, while it's burning away fat.
That would seem to indicate maintenance level eating, so it'll be interesting to compare what spreadsheet suggests TDEE is compared to what you eat in total on average (not NET).0 -
Hey Beamie2687 welcome and welcome back
Being that I have just completed my reset and am now on cut I can totally say you do need a reset purely for the mental aspect of this - quite a few of us are posting daily journals on our ups and downs with reset and the mental side of things - and wow is it mental over everything else - pop over read a few and I suggest maybe start you own journal - because one day when you refer back to it its pretty inspiring!
Have a read through some of them - be warned we get chatting LOL so some can be quite long - but the ups and downs are pretty interesting PLUS you can see with each person when they reach full TDEE and are ready for a cut
http://forums.eatmore2weighless.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=20
The weight lifting is fab though - keep on with that and use that anger
and the more weight lifting you do whilst in reset the better - why because you are building muscle - and muscle is what helps get rid of that pesky fat!
Anyway good luck either way
Add me as a friend if you like
Sarah0
