Need Help/Advice as I'm getting discouraged
mommyto3crazyboys
Posts: 4
Hi, so a week ago I figured out my bmr and tdee, my bmr is 1435, and current tdee is 1722 (stats are 5'5, 143lbs, 30yrs old) I put sedentary as my level as I have not been working out at all in about 7 months. I haven't weighed in since starting but I had taken a waist measurement on my starting day to track progress that way. I'm currently eating between 1550-1640 cals a day for the past week and I've gained an inch in my waist. I'm paranoid about ballooning up (at my largest after my babies I was 230 and I felt horrific about myself) I don't care how much I weigh but I do NOT want to gain inches in my belly as that's the area that affects my self esteem the most and I'm already so flabby there from having 4 c-sections. My waist measurement was 34in when starting a week ago (which is depressing enough) but today it was between 35-36 in in the same spot. I'm feeling depressed and hopeless and so tempted to 'diet' again to get back down to where I was 8 months ago (31in waist and size 5 pants). HELP PLEASE!!!
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I'm sure more experienced folks will have advice, but did you measure at the same time of day? I measure often and sometimes my waist measurement can go up and inch or two in a day because I eat or drink. Seriously, the waist measurement is the worst way to track for me. Also, I can get a different measurement easily by standing differently or engaging my core (not sucking in). I wouldn't worry about it. If you are increasing your calories you could be adding a little water weight because your muscles are increasing their glycogen stores. Are you taking any other measurements? So far I notice real changes in my measurements over a few weeks or a month.0
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Did you eat more than 1722 (which is frankly a low-ball estimate for sedentary, MFP's would be better)?
Than water fluctuations.
Natural part of what the body does, likely because of eating more too.
Don't you want your body working well, and doing what it should be doing?
I'm doubting this sedentary though - 4 kids, and a family?
Unless you have a maid, and you sit around after work doing nothing, that is not an honest sedentary.
Be honest with this.
How much were you eating prior to a mere 1600?
And for how long?0 -
You are definitely NOT sedentary unless you have a maid as Heybales stated. I would put you at a minimum of the 1-3 hr level just with having 4 kids. The TDEE includes normal daily activity so unless you are sitting on your tush all day long, you wouldn't be sedentary. I put in this and you got 1973 for your TDEE and a 10% deficit (cause you don't have much to lose - you are already in the healthy weight area) gives you 1776 calories to eat.
You should only be eating at a deficit if you haven't been eating low cal for a long while.
As for measurements - it's a lovely way to see changes, but you also have to realise that you can be bloated, you can measure in the wrong place, etc. Like all things (including the scale), you should never depend on ONE measurement but on a trend.0 -
So from Dec 12th until end of Jan I was eating whatever and not logging cals (I was in a huge depression with my miscarriage and my body was trying to recover from the trauma of loosing so much blood and blood transfusions) While I was pregnant (13 weeks, Oct-Dec) I didn't log cals but was pretty sick so not sure how much I was eating on a normal basis but I gained 9lbs in that 13 week time frame. In February I stepped on the scale and weighed more than I did while I was pregnant and emotionally could not handle it due to it reminding me of what I lost and how I should still be growing my baby so I dropped my cals to 1200 and some days was even below that (I was logging everything then.) But it made my depression worse so after 3 weeks at that I decided to fix my body and eat more. I went to 1450 for 3-4 days then 1500 for a few days and now I'm at 1600 daily currently. I'm fluctuating between 141.6 and 145 currently. I feel better because I'm not starving 24/7 but I still can't fit into my clothes from before I was pregnant and I would really like to repair my body and be able to lose fat. I lost 70lbs in about 15 months from Jan 2013- April 2014 (started on weight watchers then switched to MFP, I was working out 5 days a week and set on a 1600 cal plan and would eat back a few of my exercise cals daily. So with my history what would you recommend I do from here, up my cals again even if I'm not working out?0
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first of all i am sorry to hear you had a miscarriage, i had 2 one in 2011 and one back in 2012 and i cannot describe the pain from them both. to be honest i have had problems with calories intake and water fluctuations. i have been fluctuating on the latter end of my cycle every month now for 4 months and i seem to hit the problem after ovulation. i then cannot lose any weight for 3 weeks. once the monthly is over with i immediatly drop 2lbs. its very strange but i have now learned not to weigh myself at that time of the month. i stopped logging when i was pregnant because i was so hungry all the time and then after i was still 7lbs heavier than i needed to be. i would give your body a few months to repair and stick to eating at your TDEE and then incorporate exercise slowly and adjust from there and keep at it for a few weeks and see if you notice a change. for me eating more was a shock and sometimes i dont make it to 1600 but i try to get as much nutrition in as 1200 calories made me feel so weak0
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So sorry about the loss also.
Your body is likely still healing.
Life lesson - always eat correctly for amount of activity.
- If in a diet, obviously less than you burn.
So your current eating levels should be based on current estimated TDEE based on current activity level.
Don't eat based on what you hope to do eventually - you will gain fat of course then.
But now isn't time for diet either, so slow increase to whatever an estimated TDEE is.
In which case for now, just set MFP to sedentary, maintain current weight, and meet the daily goals that are given.
If you happen to have the energy for a walk or such, log it at correct pace, and eat those calories back to maintain.
When you get to point you can have a steady workout schedule week to week, then switch back to average weekly TDEE deficit method and manual goal setup.0 -
Thanks Heybales and Rachylouise, I think you're right that my body is still healing from the trauma so that's why I am set on healing it in eating as well right now instead of killing it further by 'dieting'. MFP says that 1710 is maintenance for me at sedentary so I'll move up to that from my current 1600. What signs should I look for that it's truly maitenance for.me or that I need to up cals again? Also I should still keep the 40/30/30 ratio too, right? Because MFP guided was 50% carbs, 20% protein and 30% fat? Rachylouise I'm also so sorry to hear of your losses, this was my 5th loss and I wish no woman had to feel the pain of loosing a child. Thank you ladies for your help!
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Extra protein at maintenance isn't as important as when in a diet, but you can still attempt to hit the balanced ratios, probably would still help with feeling full.
As to testing maintenance, when you've been there for several weeks and no weight change (slight loss would indicate not sedentary), then you can do the 2 week 250 test.
Eat 250 more daily for 2 weeks.
Should only gain slowly 1 lb.
Then again, since you don't plan on being sedentary, trying to nail the TDEE for this level of activity isn't really going to be useful for the future.
Won't hurt though really.0
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