Short girls and hard time closer to goal
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I mean my BMR. The trainer used a scale that measure lean body mass/body fat, and calculates BMR based on those factors and age. By the way, metabolism slows way down as we age. Also, I own a food scale and weigh and measure everything.
Yeah but you aren't looking to create a deficit from your BMR. You're looking to create a deficit from your TDEE, which is going to be quite a bit higher than your BMR 'cause, well, you're not in a coma. (Presumably).
Agree that it's tougher for smaller, older ladies. But you still don't need to eat 1000 calories or less to lose weight as long as you're getting a reasonable amount of exercise.0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
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I mean my BMR. The trainer used a scale that measure lean body mass/body fat, and calculates BMR based on those factors and age. By the way, metabolism slows way down as we age. Also, I own a food scale and weigh and measure everything.
Yeah but you aren't looking to create a deficit from your BMR. You're looking to create a deficit from your TDEE, which is going to be quite a bit higher than your BMR 'cause, well, you're not in a coma. (Presumably).
Agree that it's tougher for smaller, older ladies. But you still don't need to eat 1000 calories or less to lose weight as long as you're getting a reasonable amount of exercise.
I believe she is talking about netting around 1000 to lose, based on context. She says that is lower limit and then she is adding in exercise. If that is what she is doing, 1000 is not unreasonable.
I believe that the 1200 calorie floor does older smaller women a disservice, since starting at 1200 and adding exercise calories and eating them back will not produce much of a deficit. Even at my age and weight, (47 and 131) NETTING 1200 does not produce much of a deficit.
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I believe she is talking about netting around 1000 to lose, based on context. She says that is lower limit and then she is adding in exercise. If that is what she is doing, 1000 is not unreasonable.
I believe that the 1200 calorie floor does older smaller women a disservice, since starting at 1200 and adding exercise calories and eating them back will not produce much of a deficit. Even at my age and weight, (47 and 131) NETTING 1200 does not produce much of a deficit.
Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying that BMR actually is pretty irrelevant in the context of weight loss, because you can be an active person with a low BMR but higher TDEE, or a sedentary person with a TDEE close to BMR.
My BMR is estimated somewhere in the range of ~1200. But with daily activity and light exercise, my TDEE is in the 1800-1900 range, and I can create a pretty good deficit eating 1450 or so. True, that'll decline as I get older, and I agree that *some* women do need to dip below that 1200 calorie range to lose weight. But it's not unusual for women with low BMRs to maintain at hundreds of calories higher than that, just by staying moderately active.0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
If I can add something, in regard of weight training and bulking: I recall @PwrLftr82 saying in another thread that she’s done two bulks/recomps, going from 114 to 127 and looking even more awesome after (at 5’6”) - I hope you don’t mind me calling you out, but it sounds like the three of us could really use some input from someone who’s done it! What’s a good time to bulk? Is it better to go down in weight first, or does it work from a higher starting weight? How big should the surplus be? How does cardio impact gains, if at all? Any thoughts would be really appreciated. And sorry for being creepy - I had just read your post yesterday and remembered it . 0 -
I believe she is talking about netting around 1000 to lose, based on context. She says that is lower limit and then she is adding in exercise. If that is what she is doing, 1000 is not unreasonable.
I believe that the 1200 calorie floor does older smaller women a disservice, since starting at 1200 and adding exercise calories and eating them back will not produce much of a deficit. Even at my age and weight, (47 and 131) NETTING 1200 does not produce much of a deficit.
Yeah, I get that. I'm just saying that BMR actually is pretty irrelevant in the context of weight loss, because you can be an active person with a low BMR but higher TDEE, or a sedentary person with a TDEE close to BMR.
My BMR is estimated somewhere in the range of ~1200. But with daily activity and light exercise, my TDEE is in the 1800-1900 range, and I can create a pretty good deficit eating 1450 or so. True, that'll decline as I get older, and I agree that *some* women do need to dip below that 1200 calorie range to lose weight. But it's not unusual for women with low BMRs to maintain at hundreds of calories higher than that, just by staying moderately active.
Yes, that sounds like me. But I have to be pretty determined to get in about 15 miles of run a week plus some walking and strength training. If I stop running, basically I have to stop eating!0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
If I can add something, in regard of weight training and bulking: I recall @PwrLftr82 saying in another thread that she’s done two bulks/recomps, going from 114 to 127 and looking even more awesome after (at 5’6”) - I hope you don’t mind me calling you out, but it sounds like the three of us could really use some input from someone who’s done it! What’s a good time to bulk? Is it better to go down in weight first, or does it work from a higher starting weight? How big should the surplus be? How does cardio impact gains, if at all? Any thoughts would be really appreciated. And sorry for being creepy - I had just read your post yesterday and remembered it .
Hahaha...no worries! The key to bulking is to start from a low enough body fat %. My first bulk I started at 14% body fat (which was way too low for me) and bulked for 20 weeks, gaining 6 lbs total (after initial water weight was shed) 4 lbs were LBM, 2 lbs were fat. Second bulk wasn't as clean for a variety of reasons, but I ended up at 130 (after initial water weight shed) and have cut/recomped down to 127 and 17% bf.
Keys to bulking:- Lifting - I recommend you find a program you like and just do it (first bulk I did a 5-day/week bodybuilding split (Power, Muscle, Burn), second bulk I did a 4-day/week powerlifting plan (Wendler's 5/3/1))
- Cardio - Do cardio if you ENJOY it, but remember that any extra calories you burn are more cals you have to eat in your surplus. I used to be a runner, now I just take a walk at lunchtime.
- Food - Eat in a 250-300 calorie/day surplus. Weigh in weekly. If you're gain about .5 lbs in a week, you're good. If you're losing, increase your cals. If you're gaining faster, reduce your cals a bit. If you plateau, wait a week before changing your intake. The more you gain, the higher your intake will need to be.
- Macros - Protein about 1g/lb bodyweight, fat, at least .4g/lb bodyweight, the rest in carbs. In a bulk, carbs are your friend.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
If I can add something, in regard of weight training and bulking: I recall @PwrLftr82 saying in another thread that she’s done two bulks/recomps, going from 114 to 127 and looking even more awesome after (at 5’6”) - I hope you don’t mind me calling you out, but it sounds like the three of us could really use some input from someone who’s done it! What’s a good time to bulk? Is it better to go down in weight first, or does it work from a higher starting weight? How big should the surplus be? How does cardio impact gains, if at all? Any thoughts would be really appreciated. And sorry for being creepy - I had just read your post yesterday and remembered it .
Hahaha...no worries! The key to bulking is to start from a low enough body fat %. My first bulk I started at 14% body fat (which was way too low for me) and bulked for 20 weeks, gaining 6 lbs total (after initial water weight was shed) 4 lbs were LBM, 2 lbs were fat. Second bulk wasn't as clean for a variety of reasons, but I ended up at 130 (after initial water weight shed) and have cut/recomped down to 127 and 17% bf.
Keys to bulking:- Lifting - I recommend you find a program you like and just do it (first bulk I did a 5-day/week bodybuilding split (Power, Muscle, Burn), second bulk I did a 4-day/week powerlifting plan (Wendler's 5/3/1))
- Cardio - Do cardio if you ENJOY it, but remember that any extra calories you burn are more cals you have to eat in your surplus. I used to be a runner, now I just take a walk at lunchtime.
- Food - Eat in a 250-300 calorie/day surplus. Weigh in weekly. If you're gain about .5 lbs in a week, you're good. If you're losing, increase your cals. If you're gaining faster, reduce your cals a bit. If you plateau, wait a week before changing your intake. The more you gain, the higher your intake will need to be.
- Macros - Protein about 1g/lb bodyweight, fat, at least .4g/lb bodyweight, the rest in carbs. In a bulk, carbs are your friend.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.
This is so fantastically useful, I’m saving your post - thanks so much! It looks like I have a while to go until I consider doing a bulk (at least 8 more lbs). Going down in weight is just such a nuisance at this point, but I suppose patience is the name of the game. If you’ve got any thoughts on weight loss while lifting at a deficit, I know I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, gotta keep at it! Thanks again! 0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
If I can add something, in regard of weight training and bulking: I recall @PwrLftr82 saying in another thread that she’s done two bulks/recomps, going from 114 to 127 and looking even more awesome after (at 5’6”) - I hope you don’t mind me calling you out, but it sounds like the three of us could really use some input from someone who’s done it! What’s a good time to bulk? Is it better to go down in weight first, or does it work from a higher starting weight? How big should the surplus be? How does cardio impact gains, if at all? Any thoughts would be really appreciated. And sorry for being creepy - I had just read your post yesterday and remembered it .
Hahaha...no worries! The key to bulking is to start from a low enough body fat %. My first bulk I started at 14% body fat (which was way too low for me) and bulked for 20 weeks, gaining 6 lbs total (after initial water weight was shed) 4 lbs were LBM, 2 lbs were fat. Second bulk wasn't as clean for a variety of reasons, but I ended up at 130 (after initial water weight shed) and have cut/recomped down to 127 and 17% bf.
Keys to bulking:- Lifting - I recommend you find a program you like and just do it (first bulk I did a 5-day/week bodybuilding split (Power, Muscle, Burn), second bulk I did a 4-day/week powerlifting plan (Wendler's 5/3/1))
- Cardio - Do cardio if you ENJOY it, but remember that any extra calories you burn are more cals you have to eat in your surplus. I used to be a runner, now I just take a walk at lunchtime.
- Food - Eat in a 250-300 calorie/day surplus. Weigh in weekly. If you're gain about .5 lbs in a week, you're good. If you're losing, increase your cals. If you're gaining faster, reduce your cals a bit. If you plateau, wait a week before changing your intake. The more you gain, the higher your intake will need to be.
- Macros - Protein about 1g/lb bodyweight, fat, at least .4g/lb bodyweight, the rest in carbs. In a bulk, carbs are your friend.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.
This is so fantastically useful, I’m saving your post - thanks so much! It looks like I have a while to go until I consider doing a bulk (at least 8 more lbs). Going down in weight is just such a nuisance at this point, but I suppose patience is the name of the game. If you’ve got any thoughts on weight loss while lifting at a deficit, I know I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, gotta keep at it! Thanks again!
Just keep lifting, eat your protein, and don't lose too fast. The faster you lose, the more of a chance that you're losing LBM along with your fat. It's not a race.0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
If I can add something, in regard of weight training and bulking: I recall @PwrLftr82 saying in another thread that she’s done two bulks/recomps, going from 114 to 127 and looking even more awesome after (at 5’6”) - I hope you don’t mind me calling you out, but it sounds like the three of us could really use some input from someone who’s done it! What’s a good time to bulk? Is it better to go down in weight first, or does it work from a higher starting weight? How big should the surplus be? How does cardio impact gains, if at all? Any thoughts would be really appreciated. And sorry for being creepy - I had just read your post yesterday and remembered it .
Hahaha...no worries! The key to bulking is to start from a low enough body fat %. My first bulk I started at 14% body fat (which was way too low for me) and bulked for 20 weeks, gaining 6 lbs total (after initial water weight was shed) 4 lbs were LBM, 2 lbs were fat. Second bulk wasn't as clean for a variety of reasons, but I ended up at 130 (after initial water weight shed) and have cut/recomped down to 127 and 17% bf.
Keys to bulking:- Lifting - I recommend you find a program you like and just do it (first bulk I did a 5-day/week bodybuilding split (Power, Muscle, Burn), second bulk I did a 4-day/week powerlifting plan (Wendler's 5/3/1))
- Cardio - Do cardio if you ENJOY it, but remember that any extra calories you burn are more cals you have to eat in your surplus. I used to be a runner, now I just take a walk at lunchtime.
- Food - Eat in a 250-300 calorie/day surplus. Weigh in weekly. If you're gain about .5 lbs in a week, you're good. If you're losing, increase your cals. If you're gaining faster, reduce your cals a bit. If you plateau, wait a week before changing your intake. The more you gain, the higher your intake will need to be.
- Macros - Protein about 1g/lb bodyweight, fat, at least .4g/lb bodyweight, the rest in carbs. In a bulk, carbs are your friend.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.
This is so fantastically useful, I’m saving your post - thanks so much! It looks like I have a while to go until I consider doing a bulk (at least 8 more lbs). Going down in weight is just such a nuisance at this point, but I suppose patience is the name of the game. If you’ve got any thoughts on weight loss while lifting at a deficit, I know I’d love to hear them. In the meantime, gotta keep at it! Thanks again!
Just keep lifting, eat your protein, and don't lose too fast. The faster you lose, the more of a chance that you're losing LBM along with your fat. It's not a race.
I need to keep reminding myself that it’s not a race - patience is hard for me, but I know it’s essential. Thank you 0 -
taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
0 -
arditarose wrote: »taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
I completely agree on how important it is! I definitely won’t stop lifting, it’s my favourite thing to do (although I also like running). Just like you said, though, I find I’m getting tired at 1300 cals. On the other hand, upping this would mean it will take even longer to lose those extra lbs before I can do a bulk. I think I might up my calories and/or start eating back some exercise cals to make it more sustainable.
What’s your plan of attack?0 -
arditarose wrote: »taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
I completely agree on how important it is! I definitely won’t stop lifting, it’s my favourite thing to do (although I also like running). Just like you said, though, I find I’m getting tired at 1300 cals. On the other hand, upping this would mean it will take even longer to lose those extra lbs before I can do a bulk. I think I might up my calories and/or start eating back some exercise cals to make it more sustainable.
What’s your plan of attack?
I'm not sure how tall you are but 1300 doesn't sound like enough, especially if you're not eating exercise calories back. How fast are you losing?
The past few weeks I had to bump mine down to 1400 for a few days a week, then I'd have a high day or two up at 2000+, which I hoped would average about 1590 net per day, with a .5 lb a week loss. It got me past that 136 hump. Personally I can't keep that up long, so I'm going back into maintenance for a few weeks. If I'm happy in May this way, I'll keep on trying a recomp-if I decide I want to drop a few more pounds I'll go back into a deficit. I'd prefer to just lose the fat and bulk in September but I really don't like deficit eating anymore and think I look pretty small/alright here. We'll see.0 -
taycupcake wrote: »- Still have a lot of fat and the goal number is just a number. I'm way more focused on overall appearance so no worries there. But not settling for where I'm at
heh
-True. I'm a heavy lifter so I've got the strength training down. I'm thinking I need to up cardio cause I rarely do it.
- yes I do. My tdee is apparently 1580 so I just have so little room for error. It's awful!
You're a heavy lifter right?
Change things up a bit. Go for exhaustion reps.
Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption should help you a fair bit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excess_post-exercise_oxygen_consumption
0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
I completely agree on how important it is! I definitely won’t stop lifting, it’s my favourite thing to do (although I also like running). Just like you said, though, I find I’m getting tired at 1300 cals. On the other hand, upping this would mean it will take even longer to lose those extra lbs before I can do a bulk. I think I might up my calories and/or start eating back some exercise cals to make it more sustainable.
What’s your plan of attack?
I'm not sure how tall you are but 1300 doesn't sound like enough, especially if you're not eating exercise calories back. How fast are you losing?
The past few weeks I had to bump mine down to 1400 for a few days a week, then I'd have a high day or two up at 2000+, which I hoped would average about 1590 net per day, with a .5 lb a week loss. It got me past that 136 hump. Personally I can't keep that up long, so I'm going back into maintenance for a few weeks. If I'm happy in May this way, I'll keep on trying a recomp-if I decide I want to drop a few more pounds I'll go back into a deficit. I'd prefer to just lose the fat and bulk in September but I really don't like deficit eating anymore and think I look pretty small/alright here. We'll see.
Yeah, I’m thinking of moving to a .5/week loss. I’m 5’4” @ 133lbs now. I lost about 8 pounds in the past two months or so (with consistent tracking only for about 4-5 weeks), but would rather eat a bit more to have better recovery times and just generally feel better. I’m definitely not particularly small at this point, lots of wobbly bits left. As I see it, I need to give it time and keep lifting. It’s really helpful to see what other people are at! A winter bulk is a solid idea, and if I make progress on reducing my bf by September I’ll definitely do the same.0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
I completely agree on how important it is! I definitely won’t stop lifting, it’s my favourite thing to do (although I also like running). Just like you said, though, I find I’m getting tired at 1300 cals. On the other hand, upping this would mean it will take even longer to lose those extra lbs before I can do a bulk. I think I might up my calories and/or start eating back some exercise cals to make it more sustainable.
What’s your plan of attack?
I'm not sure how tall you are but 1300 doesn't sound like enough, especially if you're not eating exercise calories back. How fast are you losing?
The past few weeks I had to bump mine down to 1400 for a few days a week, then I'd have a high day or two up at 2000+, which I hoped would average about 1590 net per day, with a .5 lb a week loss. It got me past that 136 hump. Personally I can't keep that up long, so I'm going back into maintenance for a few weeks. If I'm happy in May this way, I'll keep on trying a recomp-if I decide I want to drop a few more pounds I'll go back into a deficit. I'd prefer to just lose the fat and bulk in September but I really don't like deficit eating anymore and think I look pretty small/alright here. We'll see.
Yeah, I’m thinking of moving to a .5/week loss. I’m 5’4” @ 133lbs now. I lost about 8 pounds in the past two months or so (with consistent tracking only for about 4-5 weeks), but would rather eat a bit more to have better recovery times and just generally feel better. I’m definitely not particularly small at this point, lots of wobbly bits left. As I see it, I need to give it time and keep lifting. It’s really helpful to see what other people are at! A winter bulk is a solid idea, and if I make progress on reducing my bf by September I’ll definitely do the same.
Wow. I have no been able to lose a pound a week since I was well up in the 140s. I see people doing that and I just...can't. Not that I wouldn't love to. Just doesn't work with my mind or training. Anyway, if you lose slower you'll hold on to more LBM and might like how you look better. Give it a try!0 -
taycupcake wrote: »- Still have a lot of fat and the goal number is just a number. I'm way more focused on overall appearance so no worries there. But not settling for where I'm at heh
-True. I'm a heavy lifter so I've got the strength training down. I'm thinking I need to up cardio cause I rarely do it.
- yes I do. My tdee is apparently 1580 so I just have so little room for error. It's awful!
You're a heavy lifter right?
Change things up a bit. Go for exhaustion reps.
Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption should help you a fair bit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excess_post-exercise_oxygen_consumption
The science behind this is very simple - leaving yourself with lactic acid in your muscles requires energy to break down. That energy will come from the first readily available source - glycogen - but that's all spent (which is why lactic acid exists) so it goes to the next readily available source - triglycerides (fat).
Not only this, but it forces mitochondrial development (the little things inside your muscles that are responsible for utilising energy). This eventually snowballs, meaning the more you do the more you burn, increasing each time.
Note - you WILL feel hungry after a workout like this. It's your bodys way of telling you "my normal energy is spent, feed me!" If you don't feed it too much it'll dig into fat stores.
Chris0 -
arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »arditarose wrote: »taycupcake wrote: »Hey OP, just wanted to say I hear you on this. I’m 5’4” at around 133 (GW 123ish) and it’s a really pain getting there at this point. I got excited to see you also lift - I’ve been doing Starting Strength for a while now and just love it. I also add in a few weekly runs for cardio, and don’t eat back calories. I ate at 1200 for a while but that got old so I upped to 1300, except it’s killing me how slow my progress is. Besides, I really want to gain muscle too, not just strength, so I’m really torn about the best caloric intake. How do you balance food with weight training?
Well here's the deal for me. When I started lifting my noob gains were great. I gained a lot of strength pretty fast but being in a deficit it eventually stopped and I started feeling more tired and was having trouble lifting which was when I took a break. My plan was to drop another 5 pounds and get down to 125 and then do a slow bulk back to 130 so I could put some muscle on but I'm starting to think if my added cardio doesn't help I might need to do a slow bulk anyway to get my body running more efficiently. If you want to put on muscle, you have to to eat at a surplus, but to lose fat you obviously need a deficit. If I'm lifting and dieting I just make sure I'm getting at least 100g of protein a day. Also before I took a break I was carb cycling, doing less carbs on non-lifting days. How long have you been lifting? Progress will be slow on a deficit, but you should see some change in about 8 weeks I would say (though everyones different).
This was me before lifting:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/29/82187722/progresspic/cZUQUQyCsvsneWbtXdjAZbZSAOCeLYdByGew-610xh.jpg
and this is me after 8 weeks:
http://imagecdn.bodybuilding.com/img/user_images/growable/2014/03/30/82187722/progresspic/dwhcOhejKKacfjrXzIyXzseolmimZAyUxWoz-610xh.jpg
First, that’s awesome progress. Second, I’m definitely in the same boat as you and @arditarose .
I’ve only gotten back into MFP about 6 weeks ago, as I decided it’s time for the last bit of weight to come off, but I had done strength training before about a year ago. I’m still seeing good strength gains at a deficit as well, but it’s getting slower, and it takes me a really long time to recover after a workout. I also eat well over 100g protein per day (magic ticket? I don’t know, but can’t hurt!).
Funny enough, my grand plan is also to get down to 125ish and then start focusing on weight training and do a slow bulk. I am also slightly horrified of the idea of gaining weight on purpose. However, pushing so much on both weights and cardio, while on low cals, is getting really hard on my body - I’m just physically fatigued. Not really sure what to do. I’m tempted to up my cals, but then my weight loss would be even slower. I don’t even know, so I’ll stop talking now. Nice to see I’m not alone
Are you focusing on weight training now though? If you do it now you can save some LBM while you get down to your goal weight, which is really ideal.
I completely agree on how important it is! I definitely won’t stop lifting, it’s my favourite thing to do (although I also like running). Just like you said, though, I find I’m getting tired at 1300 cals. On the other hand, upping this would mean it will take even longer to lose those extra lbs before I can do a bulk. I think I might up my calories and/or start eating back some exercise cals to make it more sustainable.
What’s your plan of attack?
I'm not sure how tall you are but 1300 doesn't sound like enough, especially if you're not eating exercise calories back. How fast are you losing?
The past few weeks I had to bump mine down to 1400 for a few days a week, then I'd have a high day or two up at 2000+, which I hoped would average about 1590 net per day, with a .5 lb a week loss. It got me past that 136 hump. Personally I can't keep that up long, so I'm going back into maintenance for a few weeks. If I'm happy in May this way, I'll keep on trying a recomp-if I decide I want to drop a few more pounds I'll go back into a deficit. I'd prefer to just lose the fat and bulk in September but I really don't like deficit eating anymore and think I look pretty small/alright here. We'll see.
Yeah, I’m thinking of moving to a .5/week loss. I’m 5’4” @ 133lbs now. I lost about 8 pounds in the past two months or so (with consistent tracking only for about 4-5 weeks), but would rather eat a bit more to have better recovery times and just generally feel better. I’m definitely not particularly small at this point, lots of wobbly bits left. As I see it, I need to give it time and keep lifting. It’s really helpful to see what other people are at! A winter bulk is a solid idea, and if I make progress on reducing my bf by September I’ll definitely do the same.
Wow. I have no been able to lose a pound a week since I was well up in the 140s. I see people doing that and I just...can't. Not that I wouldn't love to. Just doesn't work with my mind or training. Anyway, if you lose slower you'll hold on to more LBM and might like how you look better. Give it a try!
You know, I’m not really sure it’s worth it. There’s definitely something to be said about slow and steady! I will for sure change my approach... as soon as I stop being sick. I’ve been down for the count for a week now thanks to a sinus infection, but I try to look at it as an opportunity to reassess. Thanks for your input!0
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