Can you lose weight by eating maintenance and working out (without eating exercise calories back)?
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Relaxingmind
Posts: 55 Member
I lost my first 30 pounds or so mainly by reducing the amount of calories I ate with daily walks. Then I added a few days of light cardio exercise and ate a little bit more calories and eventually lost the next 15 pounds. I'm aiming for 15 more to go and have switched to intense cardio and added heavy lifting. But its gotten to the point where creating a deficit by eating less is becoming too difficult. Even on days with high protein and nutritious foods like green veggies and lots of water, I still am very hungry. I have even been getting recent carb cravings despite 30-35% of my calories coming from carbs. I'm wondering if I can just switch to maintenance and lose the last of my weight through exercise?
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Replies
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Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
3 -
Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
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This is exactly what I'm doing now. I've done it in the past but it was slow going, probably because it is difficult to get a precise calorie burn, even though i have a fitbit which overestimates IMO. Right now i am eating my maintenance calories and "trying" to leave at least 500 calories in the green every night, which in reality is probably only 250 or 300 at the most. I also only have around 4kgs left to lose, so it's going to be slow whichever way i choose.
I'll be curious to see where I'm at in 2-3 weeks, by then I'll hopefully be able to get a better handle on how many exercise calories to leave behind..0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low? 115 would be considered slightly underweight for your height. When you are already at a healthy weight, yep it gets super hard to eat at a deficit because you get to a point where you aren't giving your body enough fuel for the basics.
So IMHO I think eating maintenance level and letting any deficit come from exercise is your best bet. And on days when your exercise makes you really hungry, eat more. Expect it to be really slow, and consider that you might want to reconsider your goal weight if you don't lose anything in 4-6 weeks. Doing recomp where you aim to maintain your weight but lower your body fat % might end up being a better plan. It's amazing how different your body can look at the same weight but lower BF%, so if you're not really aiming for a weight but more a look that might work better. Good luck!5 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low?
This was my first thought too..
2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Then I'm out because 115 is not an appropriate goal for someone who is 5'6 and is already at a relatively low weight IMHO
If you have issues with the way you look it will more probably be down to musculature, and solved through training, or body dysmorphia4 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low? 115 would be considered slightly underweight for your height. When you are already at a healthy weight, yep it gets super hard to eat at a deficit because you get to a point where you aren't giving your body enough fuel for the basics.
So IMHO I think eating maintenance level and letting any deficit come from exercise is your best bet. And on days when your exercise makes you really hungry, eat more. Expect it to be really slow, and consider that you might want to reconsider your goal weight if you don't lose anything in 4-6 weeks. Doing recomp where you aim to maintain your weight but lower your body fat % might end up being a better plan. It's amazing how different your body can look at the same weight but lower BF%, so if you're not really aiming for a weight but more a look that might work better. Good luck!
Would I be able to reach my desired pant size with recomp without losing weight? Most of my remaining unwanted weight is on my lower half.0 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »I lost my first 30 pounds or so mainly by reducing the amount of calories I ate with daily walks. Then I added a few days of light cardio exercise and ate a little bit more calories and eventually lost the next 15 pounds. I'm aiming for 15 more to go and have switched to intense cardio and added heavy lifting. But its gotten to the point where creating a deficit by eating less is becoming too difficult. Even on days with high protein and nutritious foods like green veggies and lots of water, I still am very hungry. I have even been getting recent carb cravings despite 30-35% of my calories coming from carbs. I'm wondering if I can just switch to maintenance and lose the last of my weight through exercise?
Yes, because you've created a calorie deficit through exercise. However, no matter what you do, those last pounds are going to come off slowly.
Also, when you actually want to maintain, you will either need to eat your exercise calories back or you will need to stop exercising. I suggest the former and not the latter.
ETA: I just saw your posting where you are 5 ft 6 at 130 and aiming for 115. This is five pounds underweight.. I also suggest you look into body comp and not lose any weight, as this would be unhealthy. You may weigh the same or more, but you will get smaller.
By the way, numbers on the scale and pant size are irrelevant in the face of making sure you stay healthy while trying to manage your weight.
As for weight being on your lower half, that could be the way you are built due to genetics. I suspect that "weight on your lower half" is more your perception than anything because you are already in a healthy weight range for your height.1 -
If you eat at maintenance (equal your calorie burn), you neither lose nor gain weight. If you less than you burn, then you lose weight. Adding exercise increases your burn, so you're technically eating at a deficit. Math doesn't change when it comes to CICO.
Eating at maintenance while you exercise would result in no weight loss.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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It's how I lost the first 15 pounds, along with utilizing IF to keep my appetite in check. (I used my goal weight maintenance). Now that I have 19 left to go, I set my goal here to 1/2 pound a week. The two numbers are within 50 calories of each other.0
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Relaxingmind wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low? 115 would be considered slightly underweight for your height. When you are already at a healthy weight, yep it gets super hard to eat at a deficit because you get to a point where you aren't giving your body enough fuel for the basics.
So IMHO I think eating maintenance level and letting any deficit come from exercise is your best bet. And on days when your exercise makes you really hungry, eat more. Expect it to be really slow, and consider that you might want to reconsider your goal weight if you don't lose anything in 4-6 weeks. Doing recomp where you aim to maintain your weight but lower your body fat % might end up being a better plan. It's amazing how different your body can look at the same weight but lower BF%, so if you're not really aiming for a weight but more a look that might work better. Good luck!
Would I be able to reach my desired pant size with recomp without losing weight? Most of my remaining unwanted weight is on my lower half.
Depends on your frame, genetic predisposition and musculature
Also brand and store...clothes sizes are incredibly variable
Who knows?
Muscles pull you in, lift and sculpt your body irrespective of weight
In fact with a decent musculature you will probably weigh more not less
Weight is irrelevant
What is your size goal at 5'6?
I'm 5'8 ..weigh considerably more than you (my BMI is around 24..at 160lbs) and my skinny jeans are a US 4
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If you eat at maintenance (equal your calorie burn), you neither lose nor gain weight. If you less than you burn, then you lose weight. Adding exercise increases your burn, so you're technically eating at a deficit. Math doesn't change when it comes to CICO.
Eating at maintenance while you exercise would result in no weight loss.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
What I meant is eating equal to sedentary calories while exercising. An earlier commenter above mentioned that, too. You should know what I was implying. No need to correct me.2 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low? 115 would be considered slightly underweight for your height. When you are already at a healthy weight, yep it gets super hard to eat at a deficit because you get to a point where you aren't giving your body enough fuel for the basics.
So IMHO I think eating maintenance level and letting any deficit come from exercise is your best bet. And on days when your exercise makes you really hungry, eat more. Expect it to be really slow, and consider that you might want to reconsider your goal weight if you don't lose anything in 4-6 weeks. Doing recomp where you aim to maintain your weight but lower your body fat % might end up being a better plan. It's amazing how different your body can look at the same weight but lower BF%, so if you're not really aiming for a weight but more a look that might work better. Good luck!
Would I be able to reach my desired pant size with recomp without losing weight? Most of my remaining unwanted weight is on my lower half.
Depends on your frame, genetic predisposition and musculature
Also brand and store...clothes sizes are incredibly variable
Who knows?
Muscles pull you in, lift and sculpt your body irrespective of weight
In fact with a decent musculature you will probably weigh more not less
Weight is irrelevant
What is your size goal at 5'6?
I'm 5'8 ..weigh considerably more than you (my BMI is around 24..at 160lbs) and my skinny jeans are a US 4
I'm actually same size as you (size 4) but my thighs, bum, lower back, etc is all soft. I never wear short shorts because even though they do fit circumference-wise, too much may be exposed due to "sag". This is driving me nuts...0 -
It's all just fiddling around with the numbers. All that matters is the deficit, whether you're getting there by eating less, exercising more or a combination of both. I personally wouldn't like this method as I exercise in an inconsistent way, but if your exercise is more consistent it should work.
All you're doing is the TDEE method, really. You're just taking the sedentary maintenance number and using that as TDEE minus a deficit. Unless your exercise is very consistent your deficit will vary from day to day but if that doesn't bother you, fire away.
1 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »If you eat at maintenance (equal your calorie burn), you neither lose nor gain weight. If you less than you burn, then you lose weight. Adding exercise increases your burn, so you're technically eating at a deficit. Math doesn't change when it comes to CICO.
Eating at maintenance while you exercise would result in no weight loss.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
What I meant is eating equal to sedentary calories while exercising. An earlier commenter above mentioned that, too. You should know what I was implying. No need to correct me.
No, when people have to guess what other people mean, and whether they even understand what they're saying, that's how misunderstandings occur. There's no harm in someone asking you to clarify when what you say doesn't make any sense.1 -
Relaxingmind wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »Relaxingmind wrote: »Technically Yes
But literally no...because eating at maintenance implies you have factored in your exercise
What you're doing is eating at a level you would eat if sedentary and not factoring in purposeful exercise
The issue with exercise calories is
Difficult to measure accurately...take bio feedback over time
Weight training is even more tricky to measure and you can't use an HRM but it's great for composition
You're going to get hungry on an intense workout regime because your body needs fuel
If you don't exercise will you feel guilty?
What about rest days?
Try it and see if it works for you
Thanks! I will give it a try. I'm 5'6 and 130 by the way. My goal is 115. It gets harder as I get closer, I've noticed.
Is there a reason you are aiming so low? 115 would be considered slightly underweight for your height. When you are already at a healthy weight, yep it gets super hard to eat at a deficit because you get to a point where you aren't giving your body enough fuel for the basics.
So IMHO I think eating maintenance level and letting any deficit come from exercise is your best bet. And on days when your exercise makes you really hungry, eat more. Expect it to be really slow, and consider that you might want to reconsider your goal weight if you don't lose anything in 4-6 weeks. Doing recomp where you aim to maintain your weight but lower your body fat % might end up being a better plan. It's amazing how different your body can look at the same weight but lower BF%, so if you're not really aiming for a weight but more a look that might work better. Good luck!
Would I be able to reach my desired pant size with recomp without losing weight? Most of my remaining unwanted weight is on my lower half.
Depends on your frame, genetic predisposition and musculature
Also brand and store...clothes sizes are incredibly variable
Who knows?
Muscles pull you in, lift and sculpt your body irrespective of weight
In fact with a decent musculature you will probably weigh more not less
Weight is irrelevant
What is your size goal at 5'6?
I'm 5'8 ..weigh considerably more than you (my BMI is around 24..at 160lbs) and my skinny jeans are a US 4
I'm actually same size as you (size 4) but my thighs, bum, lower back, etc is all soft. I never wear short shorts because even though they do fit circumference-wise, too much may be exposed due to "sag". This is driving me nuts...
Get a programme
Books
Strong Curves
New Rules of Lifting for Women
Structured online programmes
http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength
Why?
this is staci from nerdfitness...she weighs 11lbs more in the pic on the right
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
If you can't bring yourself to do free weights yet then do a decent bodyweight programme
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
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The reason you're so hungry is because your body fat is low enough that your body resists further weight loss by increasing hunger. Time to look at fitness and muscle development and stop trying to pare yourself down even more, in my opinion.1
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