Continue maintenance or start the cut?
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katnoir1
Posts: 128 Member
A little while ago, I decided to start eating at maintenance, increasing my intake over a few months (not quite sure how long it took). I've had several health issues over the last few months, and I thought perhaps it would be best to go into maintenance until everything else got sorted out. As some background, I was averaging a 15% daily cut and also practice 16:8 intermittent fasting. For about 3 weeks now I have been approximately eating up to my TDEE (calculated using @heybales spreadsheet).
After 3 weeks, I have to say I feel pretty darn awful. My sleep cycle has been shot to hell, partially due to night sweats and partially because I can actually feel myself digesting all that food (even though I finish eating 2-3 hours before bed). I've been cycling through days of little to no hunger followed by days of intense hunger where nothing I eat seems to satisfy me. My weight is higher than ever before, I'm bloated, and all traces of muscle definition have virtually vanished. I'm feeling pretty darn sorry for myself.
I'm pretty ready to throw in the towel and start a slow cut, but I thought I'd post here first and see if anyone else has had this experience? Is this all normal and I just need to ride it out, or am I correct in assuming that something has gone awry?
After 3 weeks, I have to say I feel pretty darn awful. My sleep cycle has been shot to hell, partially due to night sweats and partially because I can actually feel myself digesting all that food (even though I finish eating 2-3 hours before bed). I've been cycling through days of little to no hunger followed by days of intense hunger where nothing I eat seems to satisfy me. My weight is higher than ever before, I'm bloated, and all traces of muscle definition have virtually vanished. I'm feeling pretty darn sorry for myself.
I'm pretty ready to throw in the towel and start a slow cut, but I thought I'd post here first and see if anyone else has had this experience? Is this all normal and I just need to ride it out, or am I correct in assuming that something has gone awry?
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I completely know how you feel!!! Been there done that...I was so frustrated with EVERYTHING: counting calories, stressing about increasing calories every two weeks, wondering if I'll really find my tdee, gaining weight (fat or water weight), clothes not fitting, self esteem going down the crapper, weighing food, stressing about weigh in day, the list goes on! I went as high as 2800 calories, yup 2800!!! Insane right!? I looked back on my weight trends and found that my tdee was probably around 2400. So I ate that a while. And it seemed to stabilize there. The good thing that came out of eating 2800 was that it was over the holidays and I didn't "gain" anything over that period of time. So that's a HUGE plus.
How long have you been eating at your calorie amount? You are seeing a steady increase of weight?0 -
I would say that what you're going through is completely normal! From what I've read, your night sweats are probably a good sign that your metabolism and body are getting used to eating food again. I'd like to hear what others say but I'd recommend you continuing your progress to finding your TDEE while tracking your weight to check for actual weight gain, not just water weight so that way when you do start to cut, you know what you're cutting from - your actual TDEE, not an estimated TDEE.0
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@ambsnic17 I've been averaging around 1750 for the last 3-4 weeks, which is approximately my TDEE (according to the calculator anyway). My weight seems to go up in fits and starts, staying stable for a little while then suddenly jumping up.
@Jennifer_Lynn_1982 I'm going to redo all of my TDEE calculations in the next week to make sure I can get as close an estimate as I can. Then I guess I go from there. Although it is unfortunate that this process seems to be the norm, there's a little comfort in knowing I haven't totally lost the plot lol0 -
I've not yet started my cut, but have nearly completed 10 weeks of reset and I can definitely relate, having gained 10-13lbs over the course of the past 10 weeks.
Honestly, it took me 5-6 weeks eating at or slightly above my TDEE before my body started to relax and the bloat began going away. I also took a digestive aid for a short time which seemed to help a bit. I'd definitely recommend sticking it out for the full reset - your body should relax once you find your TDEE and give it the right nutrition for an extended period of time. At least, that's been my experience.0 -
Just suggest you be honest in the Just TDEE spreadsheet with daily activity and averages.
Like 2 to 3 days of 60 min is 2.5 x 60 = 150 min.
3 days of 40 to 60 min is 3 x 50 = 150 min.
True, if values are really down at the low end like that - not much difference. But you start having bigger amounts and that can be noticeable.
Nights sweats can also be because you gave your body a good workout, and it has enough raw materials to effect a good repair process - which usually happens when we sleep. Hence increased metabolism which is just heat.
The increased food still causing bloating could be you have a food sensitivity that wasn't bad enough when eating very few calories, but now eating more it's enough to cause problems.
Usually though people find that removing the stress of a diet causes them NOT to be so sensitive to foods that were an issue prior.
Unless you still got a lot of stress in life stacking up.0 -
I don't want to take away from the OP, however you mentioned night sweats. I don't have night sweats but I've been having some awful hot flashes every once in a while. (Not premenopausal or anything) @heybales - is this a sign of increased metabolism?? I find that interesting you mentioned her night sweats that that could be an indicator.0
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@ambsnic17 Same here. This has happened at least a couple times as of late (after eating lunch, most noticeably)...0
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@fitwithwhit88 I'm curious to hear an explanation!0
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Thanks all. I'll stick with it for what's left of the 8 weeks and hope for the best.
@heybales I do have food sensitivities that I'm aware of and managing, but of course there's a good chance I may have more. There's so much going on with my health at the moment that it's hard to attribute a symptom with a cause....0 -
I guess even night sweats could be hot flashes that happen to be at night.
But usually night sweats are you went to bed and have correct bedding for the temp you feel then - then this repair process goes on for decent period of time and increases metabolism and temp and so now warmer than bedding is needed for - so you start sweating.
When I know it's going to happen I go to bed slightly cold and it's not as bad.
But that is like longer periods of increased metabolism from repair, like hours.
Some of the same thing can happen if you burned a lot of carbs in muscles and your next meal is shuttling them off to the muscle with attachment to water for storage - that is increased metabolism that isn't as long as repair is, 1-2 hrs maybe. But since only after eating while insulin is elevated, may not notice at all since body is also dealing with processing the food.
And that's a slight increase - perhaps more or longer depending on what the meal was composed of.
Lots of protein with needs by the body, or no need and conversion to glucose, is increased metabolism too.
But usually hot flashes are very brief, and not related to any of the above. Still could be hormones and effect of eating say, but now a whole range of possibilities if shorter.
@katnoir1 - and you could have food sensitivity only when the amount is high enough. Shoot - water is lethal if you drink enough. So it could be something has increased in quantity right along with calories, but you can only deal with smaller amounts of it, not that it needs to be cut out.
Like some reports are saying a slight majority that try to do gluten free isn't because of celiac's disease, but rather whatever level they ate at was too much for them, lower would be fine. Especially since it includes other grains that don't have gluten anyway.0
