I'm gonna do that! (Progress log)
semproniana
Posts: 20
Hello there!
My name's Julia (I'm from Spain so my English will sound weird to you sometimes), and firstly let me say a big "AT LAST!" for all this EM2WL thing. I'm willing to try it, I have been doing my research for several weeks and I'm committed to share with you my progress along this journey.
Let's start with my fitness and dieting background.
Four or five years ago I decided to lose weight. I was 5'7'' (172 cm) and 206 lbs (93 kg). How did I do it? Easy, killing myself with cardio (spinning classes, steps, etc etc) and eating 1000 kcal a day. I lost 73 lbs (33 kgs) in more or less 6 months. You guessed what happened, don't you? I started developing ED, I was tired, fragile, always cold, you name it. I went through endless plateaus, I went through gains and binges, and i decided to change it.
It went like this for more or less 2 years, until I discovered weight lifting. I increased my intake (1500 kcal) and started giving a chance to HIIT, crossfit like routines and lifting. I was in the best shape ever. I was 130 pounds (60 kgs) and lean. But, during the weekends I went though binges and I decided to enrol Paleo, then Keto, then IF, and then everything together. You see, I had always been scared of carbs, I only ate oats, bread or rice before evening, I gave up fruit for a long time. So... I suppose you know what is going on. My ED went on and on and on. All those diets only fed my obsessions and compulsive behaviour.
And what does one do when everything fails? Start again! Oh yes. After Christmas I was weighing 155 lbs and feeling miserable. Cranky, obsessed with food, tired... So why not start low-cal, weekend bingeing, and killing myself with cardio again? I did it. NO LOSS. Then I started thinking, hey maybe it's my metabolism, HAVE I ruined it? Did I change anything? Nope. Just pushing myself.
This has been going on until this summer. 3 weeks ago I started Train to Be Awesome by Nia Shanks (I workout 4 days a week in phase 1) cause I like her style and I want to see an improvement in my performance (unassisted pull-ups here I come!!!) but I want to lose fat to!!!!! So, a change in my diet is needed. Now I have been trying to increase my calories but I just can't, I feel gross at aiming at 1900, but I want to have my cheat meal on saturdays too!!! (anyway, lately as I have increased my intake I have less cravings than before, as I am baking healthy things and getting my fix!).
So why am I telling you all this? Because I want to do this right!
Here are my recent stats:
Weight: 151 lbs (68 kgs)
Height: 5'7'' (172 cm)
Training: 4 days a week Nia Shank's Train to be awesome (40 minutes strenght traing based on compound lifts and conditioning, low reps) and aiming for 10k steps on rest days except sunday (I neeed a rest). Somedays I do yoga or light swimming. So I assume I'm moderately active.
The scooby calculator tells me my TDEE is 2300, but man... I'm so afraid of eating at my TDEE that I go for the 15% cut, that is 1900 (though I normally can't eat more than 1700.
What shall I do? Shall I go up to my TDEE? I will keep you updated weekly. Thanks for reading me and thanks for existing!
My name's Julia (I'm from Spain so my English will sound weird to you sometimes), and firstly let me say a big "AT LAST!" for all this EM2WL thing. I'm willing to try it, I have been doing my research for several weeks and I'm committed to share with you my progress along this journey.
Let's start with my fitness and dieting background.
Four or five years ago I decided to lose weight. I was 5'7'' (172 cm) and 206 lbs (93 kg). How did I do it? Easy, killing myself with cardio (spinning classes, steps, etc etc) and eating 1000 kcal a day. I lost 73 lbs (33 kgs) in more or less 6 months. You guessed what happened, don't you? I started developing ED, I was tired, fragile, always cold, you name it. I went through endless plateaus, I went through gains and binges, and i decided to change it.
It went like this for more or less 2 years, until I discovered weight lifting. I increased my intake (1500 kcal) and started giving a chance to HIIT, crossfit like routines and lifting. I was in the best shape ever. I was 130 pounds (60 kgs) and lean. But, during the weekends I went though binges and I decided to enrol Paleo, then Keto, then IF, and then everything together. You see, I had always been scared of carbs, I only ate oats, bread or rice before evening, I gave up fruit for a long time. So... I suppose you know what is going on. My ED went on and on and on. All those diets only fed my obsessions and compulsive behaviour.
And what does one do when everything fails? Start again! Oh yes. After Christmas I was weighing 155 lbs and feeling miserable. Cranky, obsessed with food, tired... So why not start low-cal, weekend bingeing, and killing myself with cardio again? I did it. NO LOSS. Then I started thinking, hey maybe it's my metabolism, HAVE I ruined it? Did I change anything? Nope. Just pushing myself.
This has been going on until this summer. 3 weeks ago I started Train to Be Awesome by Nia Shanks (I workout 4 days a week in phase 1) cause I like her style and I want to see an improvement in my performance (unassisted pull-ups here I come!!!) but I want to lose fat to!!!!! So, a change in my diet is needed. Now I have been trying to increase my calories but I just can't, I feel gross at aiming at 1900, but I want to have my cheat meal on saturdays too!!! (anyway, lately as I have increased my intake I have less cravings than before, as I am baking healthy things and getting my fix!).
So why am I telling you all this? Because I want to do this right!
Here are my recent stats:
Weight: 151 lbs (68 kgs)
Height: 5'7'' (172 cm)
Training: 4 days a week Nia Shank's Train to be awesome (40 minutes strenght traing based on compound lifts and conditioning, low reps) and aiming for 10k steps on rest days except sunday (I neeed a rest). Somedays I do yoga or light swimming. So I assume I'm moderately active.
The scooby calculator tells me my TDEE is 2300, but man... I'm so afraid of eating at my TDEE that I go for the 15% cut, that is 1900 (though I normally can't eat more than 1700.
What shall I do? Shall I go up to my TDEE? I will keep you updated weekly. Thanks for reading me and thanks for existing!
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Replies
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Hi!
So first things first, I have a really similar background to you! When I found EM2WL, I probably was at my lowest mental state (trying so hard to re-lose those 10lbs I gained back!)
You definitely fall into the moderately active category, but you'll have to experiment and track your progress once you hit maintenance calories to determine whether you need more or fewer (online calculators are only the ballpark). Up your intake slowly and stay off the scale for a few weeks -- really. You could gain kilos of water weight, but that will go away after a while. Eat at your maintenance for a little while and enjoy! As you lose weight, your maintenance will drop a little bit, so Scooby recommends recalculating every once in a while (not to obsess, but to monitor when progress seems to stall).
I eat around 2300 to maintain my weight, and even though I'm also 155 and needing to lose fat, I stopped "dieting" when I got serious about my weight training this spring. Eventually I'll go back to a slight deficit, but first I want to hit my lifting goals for this summer.
Feel free to friend me, and best of luck! :flowerforyou:0 -
Unless the swimming is long, or the walking is long (it only counts half time for the TDEE chart), I'd suggest round down from Moderately Active to nearest 100, sounds high for strength training, which doesn't burn nearly as much as cardio for equal time.
Perhaps 2300 was already rounded down, in which case perhaps 2200 would be better.
Then take 15% deficit, or 1870.
You really sound in between levels, and since the whole 5 levels is based on a formula for hours, there's no reason to not take an in between level.
And then rethink what food you can eat to hit that eating goal. You may have set to many limitations on what you will eat, or perhaps still thinking low carb is needed, or low fat is perhaps.0 -
Thanks for the answers, both are really useful!
Having this said, tomorrow I will start aiming at 2000 calories, slowly increasing until 2200. Next week I will be strenght training 4 days and on the weekend I will go on a trekking trip, maybe spend two days walking in the woods, lakes and stuff. I will not pay attention to calorie counting as much, i will try to eat intuitively, though I'll make sure I have fruits, nuts and proteins for healthy snacks.
My question for the future is, you see, on saturdays I always have a "cheat meal" (or two), maybe nachos, maybe pizza, maybe icecream, maybe my grandma's pasta dish, you name it. Must I get rid of it? Yesterday my boyfriend and I went training, walking, ate well all day, but at night we went crazy on the chili and the oreos, haha! i don't want to stop that, but maybe I assume I should go easy on the amounts? This is what common sense tells me.
Well, I will make sure I check-in often so you can see how it's going.
This saturday morning stats:
Weight: 67 kg (147 lbs)
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome
Non-training days: 10k steps, light swimming
1 rest day
Aimed for 1900 calories, but not achieved!
Hunger: normal
Crankiness: lower than when VLCD
TMI: started TOM on Saturday0 -
If you have some workout done on your cheat meal day - do NOT include the workout in your TDEE estimate.
That way, on that day, you totally eat back the exercise calories because it wasn't included already and spread out over the whole week.
Or, lighten up on breakfast (or skip) and lunch, and allow most the calories to fall in to the 1 meal. Perhaps borrow 100 from day before and day after.
So you go in to the red on Sat by 200, but stay green by 100 on Fri and Sun.
Still balance within a 24 hr time block. You body doesn't know midnight and arbitrary changing of days and calorie counts.0 -
If you have some workout done on your cheat meal day - do NOT include the workout in your TDEE estimate.
That way, on that day, you totally eat back the exercise calories because it wasn't included already and spread out over the whole week.
Or, lighten up on breakfast (or skip) and lunch, and allow most the calories to fall in to the 1 meal. Perhaps borrow 100 from day before and day after.
So you go in to the red on Sat by 200, but stay green by 100 on Fri and Sun.
Still balance within a 24 hr time block. You body doesn't know midnight and arbitrary changing of days and calorie counts.
That sounds logical and easy to do! I will definitely work on that!!!0 -
Ok, since Heybales is already helping you, I don't have anything to add, but I do have to say your English is amazing. You should be teaching American kids how to speak and write! Sorry to get off track:)
Best wishes as you begin this much healthier way to lose weight!0 -
Ok, since Heybales is already helping you, I don't have anything to add, but I do have to say your English is amazing. You should be teaching American kids how to speak and write! Sorry to get off track:)
Best wishes as you begin this much healthier way to lose weight!
Thanks for your kindness. Actually, I work as an English teacher in Spain!0 -
Ok, since Heybales is already helping you, I don't have anything to add, but I do have to say your English is amazing. You should be teaching American kids how to speak and write! Sorry to get off track:)
Best wishes as you begin this much healthier way to lose weight!
Thanks for your kindness. Actually, I work as an English teacher in Spain!
Ditto's to ability. You could probably get a job easily in many high schools as dual English/Spanish teacher. They are always needing to cut back and do more with less.0 -
Hello again!
As I told you I went on a trip to the mountains, did lots of trekking, uphill walking, and getting absolutely exhausted. The thing is, I went crazy with the food, specially yesterday night and today afternoon. I ate a lot of bread, cheese and sausages, and today I ate a lot of cookies and chocolate, anyway, though, I tried to be nice the rest of the tine, but I was ravenous! Now I'm in a carb coma, I don't feel like having anything for dinner, I just want to sleep and go training tomorrow! Thus, i haven't weighed this week, but I feel horribly bloated, and awful. So, let's move on to next week. Any advice will be really appreciated!0 -
Good plan, the extra sodium and water retained can take a week to drop off eating normal levels.
The extra exercise, especially if hot, could have retained more water than you'd normally need for increased blood volume.0 -
Well, the beginning of the week has been quite hard. After a Sunday without resting I started my gym routine, and my workouts have not been amazing at all. I was tired and could not make it to the end, but at least I tried. I have worked out for three days in a row with no rest, aiming at 2000 kcal. My hunger is ok, but I am too tired to see any improvement. Anyway, this week I will be able to work out only 3 days out of 4, but I assume the walking and trekking I will do tomorrow and on Friday will make up for it!
The thing is, tomorrow I go on a trip to Southern France, and so it will involve a lot of walking and sightseeing again. It will only last until Friday night, and I will make sure I rest during the weekend.
Regarding the food, I will try not to go over my goal, but I know on the weekend I have a dinner, so I will do what heybales advised me, trying to be nice until the time comes, not having any snacks and maybe sneak in a little workout with my TRX or a long walk. This time, I have learnt, during the trip (4 hours in a car) I will keep drinking water as if my life depended on it, snack on good protein sources (turkey ham, nuts and a bar are the things i have packed for those two days), and not allowing myself to get hungry!
I don't know whether I should weigh-in or wait until next week, I know the number on the scale tends to affect me negatively.
Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks for reading me!!0 -
Today I weighed myself and I'm up 1 kg, I worked out 4 days and stayed in my calorie range. Maybe is DOMS, I feel very sore. I don't know whether I should lower my intake or keep on going. Again, I have a dinner party today... All these appointments are messing with the diet.
This saturday morning stats:
Weight: 68kg
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome
Non-training days: 10k walking, rest
2000kcal a day0 -
Invalid weigh-in day - throw the figure out, it's useless. Because you aren't going to be able to wait 2 months for invalid figures to become meaningful by giving a trend line.
Therefore don't even use it.
Valid weigh-in day to minimize known expected water fluctuations.
Morning after rest day eating normal (not lower not higher) sodium levels, not sore from last workout.
Keep going, can't base any decision on invalid weigh-in, otherwise you'll be going nuts in maintenance mode thinking a 2 kg change means you need to change your diet.
And with dinner party, sounds like tomorrow morning won't be valid either.0 -
Thanks, I will follow your advice!0
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More updates: this week has been insane. I tried Crossfit at a local box and it killed me. Anyway, I stuck to myh workout, though the last day I just couldn't finish it, you know... TOM! Again, maybe it gives an invalid number again, but well.
This saturday morning stats:
Weight: 68kg
Training days: 3 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome + A Crossfit workout + a spinning class
Non-training days: walking, rest
2000kcal a day
I went for a beer on saturday night, ate hamburguer and nachos, but walked 15,000 steps and felt like it. I'm wondering something now: have any of you started eating what we consider "off-limit" foods in a normal day to day basis? (I don't mean everyday, but not putting it back for the weekend, but enjoying it when you want).
Another question, should I go for a full reset? (my TDEE is 2300 kcalories).0 -
I eat chocolate every day and I'm losing a pound a week.0
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I weighed again after rest day and I'm up 1 kilogram. That puts me on 69 kg. This week I have started eating around 2100 calories. I suppose this is what happens in reset! I will keep you updated. Next week I'm starting phase 2 of my workout program, which will be a 4 day split. Should I make it a whole body workout? Thanks for reading me!0
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I weighed again after rest day and I'm up 1 kilogram. That puts me on 69 kg. This week I have started eating around 2100 calories. I suppose this is what happens in reset! I will keep you updated. Next week I'm starting phase 2 of my workout program, which will be a 4 day split. Should I make it a whole body workout? Thanks for reading me!
If starting lifting, 3 x full body would be best, use the other day for yoga or pilates or cross training that won't interfere with the repair from the lifting. Notice studies referenced under Untrained section.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Research.html
You'll need those days with rest days between of course.
If lifting over a year, then 2 x upper & 2 x lower body split would be just fine.
So 5 days 1 kg?
Yep, would have to be water weight, you can't be eating that much over maintenance for it to even possibly be fat.0 -
I don't have much to offer in the way of advice, but I love that you're updating like this and really working hard to figure out what works best for you body!! You're doing great so far!0
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It's me again! This week i have been working towards eating 2100, and man somedays it was impossible! I'm making up my mind to go for a full reset and start eating at my TDEE (2300 approx if scooby is right... should I trust it? should I buy a fitbit?). As Heybales wisely pointed out, the gain was probably water weight, so I'm back at 68 kg (after a rest day normal sodium intake) this week.
I also started phase 2 for Nia Shanks' Train to be awesome (4 day split workout). I'm working on strenght gains (though I'm so slow at barbell squats...)
My week stats!
Weight: 68kg
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome + yoga for rest day + maybe a bodypump class?
Non-training days: walking, rest
2100kcal a day
Anyway on saturday it's my birthday (man, I know it feels like every week is an excuse, but this is LIFE and I' m gonna enjoy it!) so I'll be out for a hamburguer, nachos and cocktails at the hard rock cafe. But I'll make sure I do a little fasting beforehand, I'll sneak a little HIIT, and I'll eat less tomorrow Friday to compensate.
Feel free to say/ask whatever you want!
The only thing is, shall I go for the real deal and start eating at my TDEE? *drumroll*0 -
Suggestion besides HIIT on the expected bigger eating day.
A 30-60 min cardio session, as hard as you can go for that time.
That will drain the glucose stores very well (don't do it fasted or you won't have the energy to do it hard), meaning whatever you eat with carbs (except alcohol) is going for storage first.
This is not normally a good training method, but it's a great workout for eating big later.
Despite being invalid weigh-in, you might be curious to see the before workout weight, and after workout weight, after you have rid the body of extra water.
Drink plenty of water with the carbs, or it'll attach to what you got and leave you dehydrated, and that and alcohol is bad combo because it does the same.
Great news on the weight leveling out.
And I need to remember that training program for those that ask. Better than bodypump you think?
I'd give another week at figuring out how to hit 2100 easily before increase to 2300. Plus stabilize after the weekend fun.0 -
Absolutely going to follow your advice. I have eaten my normal breakfast (oats banana and whey), now making sure I drink enough water. I normally go for 3 litres a day, should I double it?
The training program is a 4 day strenght training split, though it revolves around compound movements. There I go for strenght gains 6-10 reps per set, moderate rests) though it ends with jump rope and this type of finishers. Bodypump is fun, but I tend to sacrifice form over speed, and I want to really give a nice focus on each of the parts I train.
I will keep you updated.0 -
Hey! You thought I was going to miss this week? No way!
So, this week after my birthday strange things happened.
I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (had a long walk on saturday before dinner), and my weight fluctuated a lot. On Thursday (after rest day) I was 69.5, and I thought it was because of the sodium and the lack of bowel movements since SATURDAY! (Should I take digestive enzymes?).
Then, after leg day (that is Friday) I was 69.5, with massive DOMS. One day later, on Saturday I was 69. Was it the water intake? The sodium? Who knows.
My week stats!
Weight: 69kg
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome + rest day + walking 20000 steps before a dinner.
Non-training days: walking, rest
Aimed for 1900 kcal a day
Should eating 1900 kcal (I felt terribly full) be considered ok when I can't eat any more? This week I'm doing my best to hit the 2100…I'm afraid if I don't eat enough I will never reset my metabolism.
Also, should I do anything specific on Rest days? Power yoga, hiking… I don't want to sink in the sofa… But I don't want to overexercise...0 -
Walking is great for recovery, especially legs, gets blood flowing and aids healing. Of course 5 hrs of mountain hiking isn't the same.
You can't eat any more of the foods you have limited yourself to.
Perhaps it's time to expand, perhaps your view of whatever you eat is based on some suggestions that aren't true.
Like, do you do low fat stuff? Usually means more carbs were added, plus fat is needed for good hormone balance and vitamin absorption.
200 calories is 2 servings of almonds during the day sometime, or less of the flavored ones. Hmmm, wasabi.
So is the TDEE level still correct for the new routine?
Correct the sore weigh-in day had retained water from the DOMS, so lighter than that really.0 -
You can't eat any more of the foods you have limited yourself to.
Perhaps it's time to expand, perhaps your view of whatever you eat is based on some suggestions that aren't true.
I think I don't understand, I can't or can I? (wow my sentence is hellish I know). I'm struggling to eat new things: wholewheat pasta, quinoa, organic chocolate, more nuts, potato, cheese... But sometimes I have to fight the VLCD monster in my head.
Today I weighed in after rest day and I was 70 kg. I have been really hungry these days and have been eating 2100 as much as I could. I will keep you updated properly!
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Well, many times people say they can't eat any more food, even though they know they need to.
But they have limited themselves from not eating certain foods, and therefore made it harder on themselves.
And sometimes those limits aren't even good ones to have, like some go all low or non-fat stuff.
So good to see you are eating a variety, and it's a mental thing if actually hungry.
That's probably a sign the workouts are causing the body to try to make more improvements, and of course it wants more energy to accomplish them.0 -
So, again I'm late for the log day!
I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and my weight fluctuated similarly to last week. On Thursday (after rest day) I was 70, and I went crazy.
Then, after leg day (that is Friday) I was 69.7, with massive DOMS. One day later, on Saturday I was still 69,7. Was it the water intake again? The sodium again? On Sunday my TOM started, so maybe I was bloated from PMS.
My week stats!
Weight: 69.7 kg
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome + rest day + a little yoga.
Non-training days: walking, rest
Aimed for 2100 kcal a day (I went over 100 calories on saturday and sunday, but compared to my binges, that is a victory).
Is it ok if I try to make it a IIFYM approach when the weekend comes?0 -
I believe if you are getting enough nutritional value in, IIFYM works just fine. But poptarts and protein shakes only is other extreme where macros are hit but little to no micro-nutrients.
If that means increased sodium compared to normal, then that means increased water retained compared to normal, may have to find another valid weigh-in day.0 -
Heya Julia, just to wish you good luck with your journey
I wonder, have you been measuring yourself? I say this because with all my weight losses and gains, atm I weight 2kg more than 3 months ago, but my measurements are the same. The scale can be really deceitful.
Also, we're kinda neighbours eheheh I'm from Portugal ^^ hard to maintain calories with so much good food around =P I'm kinda dying for bread with cheese and chorizo right now0 -
Hey there! Thanks for reading me all along! Let me tell you the ups and downs of the week. During the last week, I tried to eat exactly 2,100 calories, trying to get my macros on point. The things, I always go overboard with the sugar (by 5 or 10 grams, is it something to worry about?), and seem to be short on the fats, must work on that!
I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and my weight fluctuated much more than last week. Take into account I was on TOM since last Sunday. On Thursday (after rest day) I was 70.7, and I went crazy AGAIN.
Then, after leg day (that is Friday) I was 70.8, with DOMS (WHY?!?). One day later, on Saturday I was still 69,8. I must understand WHEN to weigh-in to stop going crazy!
My week stats!
Weight: 69.8 kg
Training days: 4 Nia Shanks' Train to be Awesome + rest day + a little yoga.
Non-training days: walking, rest
Aimed for 2100 kcal a day (I went over sugar limits calories on sunday, but I'll keep trying).
Should I incorporate spinning classes? By the way, it's been 5 weeks following the same training, I want to keep with it for 1 week more. What should I do after that? NROL/NROLW? Starting cardio? Keep focusing on strenght?
By the way, thanks Nadoriel for your advice, I will start measuring myself when I get a good measuring tape!0
