Trusting the Process
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I responded to your update but I'll put it here too.
Have you ever checked for diastasis recti? Its common after pregnancy http://www.befitmom.com/diastasis-recti.php
If you do have it, traditional ab work actually makes it worse.
As far as abs, abs appear with a certain body percentage. And, you may just have to give it time.1 -
I am impatient. I started weight lifting again a month ago after a 7 month unintended break. I had hoped I would loose 30 pounds and become buff in a week. But that has only happened once, then I woke up.3
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BTW @jerilynconn did you change your profile name on here or am I confused?0
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Yes I did.1
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Ok I'm having a freak out moment. Weight is up again. I have gained a total of 5 pounds over the last month. Still doing weight lifting 3 days a week and cardio 2 days a week. Each workout is about 30-35 minutes. I have been able to increase my weights and have increased calorie count to TDEE of 2000. Upper body/shoulders going slow but increasing. Lower body going well (butt shelf nearly gone, thighs smaller). Belly is the same. Thanks @jerilynconn for the advice of just hanging in and giving it more time for the abs.
I did check around and according to one site my body fat percentage is 49.77%. BMI is 29.3. Sick bed calorie is 1473. TDEE is 2026 and 15% cut is 1722. I have not been good at the 30% protein but getting there. I have been working in a meal at a time.
Breakfast is protein shake (Chocolate Shakology), 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (cows milk doesn't settle with me), 1 slice spelt toast and a fried egg.
Snack is now 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese, 1/2 cup pineapple chunks.
Lunch is 1 cup chicken chunks, 1 cup veggies
Just added snack of 1 can of tuna in water with 1 tbsp light mayo and 1 tbsp relish.
Dinner varies but usually meat and veggie. Have been eating out some due to my work schedule last few weeks and being out of town some.
I have been staying between 1700-2000, closer to the 2000 mark, on calorie count, just not always clean food. I am trying hard this week to keep on it. I am a creature of habit. I have breakfast set, snacks and lunch now set to improve the protein amount.
My question is: am I on the right track? I'm concentrating on increasing protein now that I have calorie count up. Does working out 30 minutes, 5 days a week along with my job add up to more intake calories or still concidered light activity? Deep tissue seems more like a strength workout and I'm tired and sore if I have done more than 3 hours of it that day. Relaxing massage and my elderly people are easy and I feel no workout from it. I am also doing more planks and push ups sporadically during the day. If I eat more protein my calorie amount goes down but evenings are hard for me with snacking habit.
I massage elderly on Mondays and are usually 30 minute sessions, very easy. It a lot of walking and a lot of driving around town to homes. Wednesday is elderly in the morning and office clients in the afternoon. So Wednesday afternoons can be from 2-6 hours of deep tissue massage work. Tuesday's and Friday's afternoons are usually slow but can be 2-4 hours of deep tissue massage work. Tuesday morning, all day Thursday and Friday mornings are open to give massages at a Rehab facility, mostly with spinal cord injury, brain injury and pain management clients. Average of 4-5 hours a week but has been up to 15-20 hours a week. Those clients are usually deep tissue.
I feel satisfied with 2000 calories and I have gained muscle but the scale goes up and up. I guess I just need a pat on the back and told. Yes everything is going as it should. Hang in there. ☹️0 -
@beverlyriley900
Yes, you are on the right path. If you didn't hop on the scale, would you have been satisfied with yourself today? If so, you are letting the scale define you.
Good job on the protein! If you love to snack, plan for it. I leave myself calories for popcorn every night (if I don't want it, I sub in cereal because I love it and it helps me meet my fiber goals). If I had to cut this out I wouldn't be happy and I'd be following what others consider to be "okay food on a diet" and "not okay food on a diet."
On a reset, its usual to gain some weight. Don't worry. Just keep going. You definitely could be in a higher energy bracket.3 -
Thanks. I needed the confirmation. It is a different mindset to get used to. Have a great day.1
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Sounds like everything is going perfectly.
How do you feel? How are your energy levels? Mood levels?
Your lifestyle sounds very active to me even without your workouts! You are way above lightly active so it sounds to me like you probably still haven't got up to your TDEE yet!
You say you have been eating out more which means more sodium which means scale weight gain. You can gain a little weight on your reset but if you increase your calories slowly this should be minimal.
Concentrate on one change at a time.
If you are good eating 2000 at the minute, spend a few weeks nailing your protein.
Then try adding more calories on each week and see where that takes you.
You are definitely on the right track and trust me, you are doing great!
Ichel
EM2WL ambassador and moderator0 -
Thanks, @empressichel and @jerilynconn. I feel pretty good. I am tired at the end of the day but I am a business owner and 46 year old Mom of a 3 year old very active boy. I try to play in the evenings with him once I'm home. Mood is good but on meds for menopause mood swings. (Gotta love the "happy pills") Over all I can tell I'm better, I just spend several months last year making gains on loosing the belly and now its back. In my head I realize that I was eating way too little but seeing that I look 6 months pregnant is hard on the ego. Muscle tone is getting better and I can see some muscle definition. I need to take the batteries out of the scale or hide it so I don't get on it. I take measurements this week so I hope that will make me feel better. I did go a head and bump to phase two with workouts. Increase weights and doing 6-8 reps a set before fatigue. Its is the "push" phase of the ChaLean Extreme program. I truly appreciate the advice and calming words.0
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Ok to make myself more accountable:
Today's numbers are:
TDEE 2026 total--I consumed 1521, I ate as much as I could
Macros--44% carbs, 27% protein, 29% fat
Apple Watch activity
Calories burned--549
Elevated heart rate time--47 minutes
Stood for some part of 14 hours
I will add more calories tomorrow. I have my package of raw almonds in my car and ill add a third snack. It was all clean eating today except for the chocolate/peanut butter wafer little Debbie snack and 3 dark chocolate Hershey kisses.0 -
Allow yourself to have those treats. Clean eating is okay if you want to do it, but it can cause you to be too perfectionist and later binge. Eat the foods that make you feel good, but allow treats, and hit that protein goal!2
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Yes, I agree with @jerilynconn I hit my protein goals most of the time, but I also have a piece of dark chocolate most of the time too!
The 2 things work together, that what makes this such a great lifestyle!
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator0 -
Yesterday numbers:
carbs 63%, fat 13%, protein 24%. I had a late night snack of butternut squash bread that was heavenly. That's probably why carbs are that much higher. I can't turn down good homemade breads like that. I purchased it at a out door local market.0 -
@empressichel @jerilynconn @TerezaToledo I was thinking that I read on someone's post that they did not really do a cut when they lost weight. They got to their TDEE amount and lifted weights and concentrated on building muscle. Am I remembering correctly? I have read articles where a woman was 166 pounds when she started her journey, got to TDEE and lifted weights. After time as she became healthier, she weighed 165 but looked SO much healthier and thinner due to the tighter muscles and improved muscle tone. I am wondering if I will hit my target zone of 138-151 pounds. I enjoy lifting weights, I may end up being a healthy 155-160ish range. What are your thoughts? @TerezaToledo I haven't seen you post in a wile, I hope all is well with you and your family.1
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@beverlyriley900 its called body recomp. Lots of conflicting info out there on it. Its possible, especially if you don't have a ton of body fat. Unfortunately, every one is different. Some people lose on a reset, some maintain, some gain. If you are enjoying the weights and the food and seeing changes in your body there is no need to stop that all and try a cut. Save the cut until you need to, if you need too.
That butternut squash bread sounds amazing. Breads are a favorite of mine.3 -
@beverlyriley900 Thanks for asking about me! Just some busy days (I wish there were more hours in the day, this thing of getting older and having a small child around can definitely slow one down).
@jerilynconn (love seeing your name here!) said it right, it's called body recomposition. Basically if you are patient you can eat at TDEE and keep lifting (periodizing workouts and increasing weights) and build muscle that overtime will burn more cals and burn fat. To be honest, that's pretty much how I got back to my pre pregnancy size. I did drop most of the weight quickly but my body by no means looked the same of was the same size. It's been about 18 months and as much as the scale didn't really change, I can see a big difference shape wise. Adrienne Osuna has been doing a body recomp and posting on Instagram and the difference in how she looks is huge.
This is an excerpt from an EM2WL article:http://eatmore2weighless.com/burn-fat-and-build-muscle/
"Body recomp(osition): Eat at maintenance, utilizing a periodized workout plan, nailing your basic macronutrient goals. This is the the only safe way to multitask, and as stated before it’s means that you are not looking for drastic changes in one way or the other. This is a much slower process because you will essentially not see huge jumps in muscle gain OR fat loss at any one time. This can be a pro/con depending on your mentality and thought process. If you are happy seemingly at a standstill for a few years — knowing mentally that you ARE making changes — then this is the best route for you."
Tereza
Team EM2Wl3 -
@beverlyriley900 I have had some success at body recomp. TDEE combined with strength training really does totally change the shape of your body.
Once I stopped weighing myself, 2 years ago. I found I could concentrate on getting stronger, having more food and a lovely and most welcome side effect is more muscle which means a smaller size, either at the same weight or even at a higher weight.
Ichel
EM2WL Ambassador and moderator3 -
Honestly, it seems like both ways will seem like a while without results, until we get rid of the diet mentality. I definitely still have some lingering and expect to *see changes* faster than what is possible.
Thanks for the article @TerezaToledo1 -
I am finally seeing with my eyes what you all have been saying. I hope to have it brain and heart soon. That way maybe it will sink all the way in. @TerezaToledo thank you for the article, it is great. I will be referring to it several times during my journey. I have decided to divorce my scale. He has not been honest with me especially the last month or so. For example, I did not gain 5 pounds yesterday. I could not have eaten enough to gain that. I did take my measurements this morning and I am down half inch over all.
Feb 2015 I was 233.8 inches over all, Sept 2015 I was down to 213 inches, back up to 225 Sept 2016 at the start of TDEE. Now I am at 224.5. So I will be divorcing my scale and gaining a better relationship with my tape measurement.3 -
I'd like to jump in and say that I too have divorced my scale. I found that I let it ruin any of the good feelings I feel by lifting. Now don't get me wrong, I still weigh, but it's not very often and I don't fret over it so much. I feel good and I feel strong and that makes me happy. This is probably the longest I've hung in there on an exercise program (going into my 3rd month without quitting) and I can tell changes are happening. They aren't fast and they aren't huge, but by gosh, I'm getting there. And you know what else? I eat. I try to eat healthy most of the time but I also eat junk occasionally. It may not be exactly the best way to tackle this but it's working for me and I have stuck with it so I'll take it. Thanks for starting this thread - it's an interesting read.5
