possible to reach/maintain slim figure on "normal" diet?

lindustum
lindustum Posts: 212 Member
in Motivation and Support
Dear all,

It's been ages since I posted here, for good reasons. Looong story short: was always overweight/chubby, maxed out at 88kgs(194lbs) 10yrs ago, had some success with WW but kept bouncing around 74kg(163lbs) for years. Joined MFP 3 years ago, learnt all the things, finally lost those kilos and settled on 62-64kg (136-141) ever since.
I stopped tracking food and only log when I feel like I need a reality check. Otherwise, I'm maintaining without any calorie counting. MFP really was a game changer for me, even though my success story isn't one for the billboards.

Now, for years I have been happy to finally be a "thin" person. Not "skinny", I have broad shoulders and am the sporty type, but hearing people say "you were overweight once? no way!" took a long time to sink in. Clothes size is a 10 UK (38EU, 8US I believe). Basically small-medium. Fantastic! What a progress, down from XL and size 14/16UK.

Now, all this time, I had a belly left over. I didn't care because I was so happy. Now I'm not. I really would like to get rid of it. I'm not talking model-skinny, but it's an annoying bulge that makes me uncomfortable in a bikini (it's basically the fat ring).

Current stats:
63kg (138lb)
5"6 (168,5cm)
Female, late 20s

What do I do?
Weightlifting 2x week, road bike cycling 1x a week at 60mins (if weather permits, otherwise 3rd gym session or just hour-long walks, swift pace). Work is sedentary (PC job) but I have no car and have to walk and cycle everywhere, which keeps me going. Weightlifting is based on 5x5 routine but unfortunately I can't do compound lifts due to back injury, so it's a lot of shoulder, arm and leg work using free-weights. Finally managed 1 set of unassisted dips the other day, yay :)

I have my diary at 1800 kcal. So here is the thing. Once my weight drops to 61kg (134lbs), the belly disappears. Yes I have body fat, but I feel slim and absolutely fine with myself. So what's the problem?

I can't maintain that weight when I do my workouts, which I love doing. I get increased appetite, and when I start eating more, it seems to be too much (2000), yet if I don't increase food intake, I wake up at night, headaches from hunger. I'm sure the standard response would be- eat more chicken, more greek yoghurt, this, that- but tbfh I want to maintain a life style of normal eating, and not live of greek yoghurt for the rest of my life and ban bread and pasta because it has much higher carb ratios than other, better, protein-foods. I can only maintain the "slim figure" at times when, for example due to illness, I can't workout for 2-3 months. But I love lifting, looking buffed and toned and it gives me great self confidence.

So basically I ask for people who have been in a similar position, and how they got out of it. Was the dietary change necessary? I read alot about the bulking-cutting methods, but this seems to be life-consuming and not applicable to a lifestyle that's not totally devoted to fitness. Thoughts? I really feel like it's something I'm not getting.

Replies

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You will maintain your leanness if you are eating appropriate calories for your activity. If you're not maintaining your leanness you are simply overeating calories.

    I train hard and eat healthfully...personally, I don't find bread and pasta and whatnot to be unhealthful. I don't eat a lot of "junk" type of foods though as it is easy to overeat those things.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    You will maintain your leanness if you are eating appropriate calories for your activity. If you're not maintaining your leanness you are simply overeating calories.

    I train hard and eat healthfully...personally, I don't find bread and pasta and whatnot to be unhealthful. I don't eat a lot of "junk" type of foods though as it is easy to overeat those things.

    Hey there, cheers for the response. Yea, I seem to be eating too much, like I said. I just feel that the right balance to between too much and too little is hard to find when I am working out- hence the thread. I thought maybe people have some insights into what helped them getting there- some lightbulb moment, some particular food, those sort of things.
    I suppose I could have just gone and asked that very question rather than compiling a novel.
  • ekat120
    ekat120 Posts: 407 Member
    What about something like calorie banking or calorie cycling? Focusing on those things that let you eat less on some days (e.g., lots of chicken and stuff), and then more normally on other days. Just an idea without any backing behind it--I'm in no position to talk because I'm in the exact position, except an inch taller :)
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    You don't say If you are weighing food or measuring liquids. If you are not, get a digital scale and start doing so.

    You may just have to tighten up your logging. As you get strong hunger signals when you are working out, it is easy to miss including the odd thing that is popped into your mouth while on the go.

    You could play with the data you have in MFP to work out what your calories should be once you have ensured accurate logging.

    Are you using the MFP NEAT method to obtain your basic deficit, then eating back a portion of your exercise calories.
    Or
    Are you using an outside TDEE calculator that os including your calorie burn?

    If you are constant in your exercise you may want to do TDEE. It spreads your exercise calorie burn over the week.

    I have been maintaining 6 years. I raise and lower my calories according to my energy expenditure all the time. I don't log or weigh myself very often either.
    And I eat like a regular person.

    It just takes practice and being aware of portion sizes and the calorie density of food.

    Cheers, h.
  • lindustum
    lindustum Posts: 212 Member
    Thank you two for your responses! @middlehaitch Yeah I am measuring liquids. As I said maintaining without counting wasn't a problem, rather, losing after a period of maintaining was! I use TDEE.

    I finally managed to get one kilo off since the last time I wrote in this thread.

    What I did was I swapped my lifting and cycling workout around: 2xcycling and 1xlifting. On every cycling day, I do a bit of bicep curls and other small stuff that I don't do in the gym.
    I think that I'm simply not doing enough at the gym to warrant the calories. The straight-forward fatburning when cycling works better and fits in much more with my heavy carb diet. I find it much easier to stick to the goal (bar the odd Pringles-craze in my diary.. o:) )

    I thought I'd update since I know some of you are in a similar position!
    TL;DR: more cardio, around the same lifting as before.

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