I seem to be getting weaker

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Replies

  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    @Fittreelol‌, my bet is aliens are to blame. Maybe wine
  • LazyFoodie
    LazyFoodie Posts: 217 Member
    I'm not expert but from what I've read and from my own experience, it seems common to stall or even lose some strength when eating at a deficit.

    I started in Oct too. Went along fine until weights got heavy around Nov then started stalling and feeling like I was getting weaker. Sometimes I was able to make a little bit of a gain but was happy sometimes just not to back track. Then I took 3 weeks in Dec and early Jan off from logging, did less cardio and basically stopped trying to lose weight for those week. Magically all my lifts were amazing. Made great progress. Got back to my diet and started doing more cardio again in 2nd week of Jan and lifts were still going great until end of Jan/ early Feb. Now it stalling everywhere again. I think it just happens and when it does you have to pick what you want to focus on- strength or weight loss.

    I'm not sure why your original posts says you are not losing fat though? It seems like from your Jan to Feb numbers, you did lose weight and inches? It may just be too early for you to actually see. You lost 0.5lbs every week. Congrats! If by not losing fat and gaining inches you mean you are only looking at one or two weeks then hormones, water etc can all be masking your progress. Look for longer term trends like your Jan to Feb weight and measurements.

    I think 0.5lb a week is great. It is enough that after a few months it will be a huge difference and the internet says that is a good rate of loss for muscle retention. However, 1200-1350 cals seems pretty low for someone that lifts and does cardio to only be losing at .5lbs a week even if you are only 5'2.

    Could you be losing faster than .5lb a week and not realizing it due to water retention? Do you weigh everyday? Maybe try weighing everyday for a few weeks to see what your fluctuations are. My weight goes up and down by 5lbs depending on if I ate a lot or a little the day before so if I only measured once a week and did it on a "heavy" day, I might think I gained during a week where I actually lost weight.

    Personally I think you should only increase calories though if you realize you are losing actually more than .5lbs a week or want to lose at a slower rate to better focus on your lifts. It does not make any sense to eat more to lose more weight. If you have been really accurate with your logging, over time, your own body tells you the calories you actually need much better than any calculator.

    Other than eating a deficit, think about if you are getting enough protein for recovery, enough rest, enough sleep etc. Are you stressed out? Stress can do crazy things to a body...
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    I did lose inches and weight between Jan. and Feb. but since Feb 1 my weight and measurements went back up. Basically where I started. It was late and I was tired when I posted the Jan.& Feb measurements. Someone asked if I measured and I lazily just posted what I'd already posted in the SL Measurments thread. I explained right above those recordings that everything is back up again.I should have posted my most recent measurements in the same way and then it'd be clear why I am worried. Hips are back to 40", waist is 30" again, thighs are back to 22". Weight is 135. My sleep is broken a lot by my 3 yr old. She thinks it's okay to get up at anywhere between 3:30-6AM.
  • LazyFoodie
    LazyFoodie Posts: 217 Member
    It seems like you have some empty diary days since Feb 1st. Maybe you are eating a lot more than 1200-1350 and have been in maintenance or over in calories? I would get thyroid checked if eating 1200-1350 and exercise cals are not crazy inflated and not losing any weight. I lose about 0.5 to 1 lb a week if I average 1850 cals a day at about 145-150lbs.

    If you are eating maintenance or over in calories then losing strength seems odd. Maybe you need to see what happens over the next few workouts. Sometimes we have bad days or weeks. You never know. There is probably not much you can do about a three year old waking up in the middle of the night. could be something else though if you are feeling well rested enough. Maybe your body is trying to fight off a cold. Are you consistent with your workouts? Taking a week off could possibly leave you sore/ weaker.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Repost from my wall:
    I don't want to jinx it but I have made an effort to eat more (within reason) and dropped 3 lbs. I have been consistently lifting heavy 3x/wk and added a bit more cardio/body weight exercise in weekly. My lifts had been stalling so I concluded that I needed to eat more. Hope that this is the case cuz I love to eat, lol! Also, BF scale showed a 1% drop in BF. I don't expect the number to be accurate but is useful to show changes.

    @nancy274‌ When I say I upped my calories I meant making sure that I am eating back my exercise calories to just reach my calorie goal. There were many days where I was under my BMR-oops. I am eating at a deficit but not a huge one because of my age, size, not much to lose.
  • giusa
    giusa Posts: 577 Member
    edited February 2015
    Sumiblue wrote: »
    I have been consistently lifting heavy 3x/wk and added a bit more cardio/body weight exercise in weekly.

    If you don't mind me asking...what type of cardio/body weight did you add? I was considering adding *something* but wanted to avoid HIIT, thinking of light cardio like walking.

    I was thinking of this thread...I have been reading a lot of StrongLifts Archive and he did mention in one of the replies to up your food intake as you increase your weights.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    FYI, my lifts have been a bit better, too. Got to 120lbs on squats. When I first complained here 115 seemed really heavy. @ guisa, I am doing a 30min. Kettlebell routine (fitness blender) or lately doing a 30 min. Fitstar workout. It's an app but so far I have just done the free workouts. Gets a sweat going. I only do cardio 2x/wk.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Thanks, @crabada! Basically, I followed your advice and began using MFP's tools correctly
  • Had to scroll back up and see what I wrote. :) Glad to be of service!
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
    edited February 2015
    I just love you ladies because reading this thread has made me go and review my goals. I have been lifting for the last few weeks but my mfp calories were set to 1350 to lose 1.5lb a week and I have been working out 5 days a week:

    Monday: Strength
    Tuesday: Taekwondo (90 mins)
    Wed: Strength/Jog (30 min)
    Thur: Taekwondo (90 mins)
    Sat: Strength

    This is probably why I've been starving in the evening. So I went back and changed my goal to lose 0.5lb a week and my calories a day are now upped to 1770. I'm still learning and want to know if, with my weekly workouts, do I need to become best pals with protein and carbs and am I on the right track?

    I am in training for my black belt and being the only woman out of 5 of us I want to feel and be strong. I look forward to your responses ladies.

  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    Graceious1 wrote: »
    I just love you ladies because reading this thread has made me go and review my goals. I have been lifting for the last few weeks but my mfp calories were set to 1350 to lose 1.5lb a week and I have been working out 5 days a week:

    Monday: Strength
    Tuesday: Taekwondo (90 mins)
    Wed: Strength/Jog (30 min)
    Thur: Taekwondo (90 mins)
    Sat: Strength

    This is probably why I've been starving in the evening. So I went back and changed my goal to lose 0.5lb a week and my calories a day are now upped to 1770. I'm still learning and want to know if, with my weekly workouts, do I need to become best pals with protein and carbs and am I on the right track?

    I am in training for my black belt and being the only woman out of 5 of us I want to feel and be strong. I look forward to your responses ladies.

    You should always be friends with protein while losing. On the Eat, Train, Progress group, sidesteel and Sarah recommend that you eat 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass or 0.7-0.8 grams per pound of body weight. For example, if you weighed 200 pounds with 30% body fat, your protein goal should be at least 140 grams. (Protein and fat goals are minimums, not maximums unless you have a medical condition that dictates otherwise.)

    And carbs are great for energy, especially with the amount of working out you're doing. It's also good practice to watch you macros and see how your workouts go (and how your weight loss goes) and adjust as needed.
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
    Thank you @xcalygirl
  • xcalygrl
    xcalygrl Posts: 1,897 Member
    Graceious1 wrote: »
    Thank you @xcalygirl

    You're very welcome!!