Help with macros/calories/deficits please!

cassidyjd626
cassidyjd626 Posts: 21 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys!

(I was told to post this here to hopefully get some assistance from long time lifters!)

I've been a part of MFP on and off for a couple of years. When I was young I was always very fit and in shape (115 lbs and a runner), but I got pregnant young and lost that quickly. I've finally taken the time to focus on myself, and I'm proud to say that I lost roughly 75lbs from September 2015- July 2016!
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I must have hit a plateau or lost my mojo, because all I've managed to do is put on weight since then! When I lost all the weight I was lifting light with minimal cardio and eating 1,000- 1,200 calories a day. Now I've been lifting heavy and eating 1,400- 1,600 calories counting macros (50p/30c/20f) and I feel like I just keep looking worse, so I'm looking for some tips!
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How many calories should I be eating? Am I on the right track to start really changing my body? I love lifting and want to continue do so, but I need to burn fat as well. I would love any advice!

Because I want to end this on a positive note, seeing my gains is a great motivation!
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Replies

  • Misspinklift
    Misspinklift Posts: 384 Member
    You seem to be on the right track to me. I am doing the same thing your doing and I lost a lot that way too. I start at 180 and now I'm 135. Your doing great
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    You look great. You gained 5lbs. You may be eating more than you think. If you want to look a bit leaner, continue your lifting and make sure you're back in a deficit. If you've been in a surplus and training with a progressive overload you may have gained a bit of muscle, you'll look great with a little cut.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,571 Member
    Also keep in mind...were you sucking in your stomach in the 140 pic? How bout in the 145? The lighting is different and you had a tan at 140.
  • KickboxFanatic
    KickboxFanatic Posts: 184 Member
    edited January 2017
    First, great job on your initial weight loss!! *high five*

    Let's take a look at your current calories/macros/acitivity level. How tall are you? How old are you? Do you have a desk job or are you on your feet moving around all day?

    Are you weighing all food and tracking meticulously? I'm having a hard time with the math of a 75 lb loss over 10 months with only ingesting 1,000-1,200 calories. At that ingestion rate, to lose .5 lb a week we either have our intake estimates wrong or we're dealing with an extremely low metabolism. We just need to figure out exactly what happened there. I haven't gone over to your profile yet, is your diary open?

    When did you start heavy lifting? Are you following a program? Are you doing any cardio in addition to your lifting?
  • KickboxFanatic
    KickboxFanatic Posts: 184 Member
    Also, did you jump from the 1,000-1,200 calorie limit straight to the 1,400-1,600 values or did you slowly work your way there? And did you increase at the same time you started lifting?
  • cassidyjd626
    cassidyjd626 Posts: 21 Member
    KickboxFanatic wrote: »
    First, great job on your initial weight loss!! *high five*

    Let's take a look at your current calories/macros/acitivity level. How tall are you? How old are you? Do you have a desk job or are you on your feet moving around all day?

    Are you weighing all food and tracking meticulously? I'm having a hard time with the math of a 75 lb loss over 10 months with only ingesting 1,000-1,200 calories. At that ingestion rate, to lose .5 lb a week we either have our intake estimates wrong or we're dealing with an extremely low metabolism. We just need to figure out exactly what happened there. I haven't gone over to your profile yet, is your diary open?

    When did you start heavy lifting? Are you following a program? Are you doing any cardio in addition to your lifting?

    I'm 5'3", 24 years old and I have a desk job. I have Hypothyroidism so yes, I do have a very slow metabolism. I weigh all food in a food scale, and anything measured in volume I measure in a measuring cup. I've been lifting for most of my weight loss, but I started pushing to lift heavier more recently. Right now I've been adding in 20'minutes of cardio after every lifting session to increase my calorie deficit.
  • cassidyjd626
    cassidyjd626 Posts: 21 Member
    KickboxFanatic wrote: »
    Also, did you jump from the 1,000-1,200 calorie limit straight to the 1,400-1,600 values or did you slowly work your way there? And did you increase at the same time you started lifting?

    Yes I jumped, and yes I increased at the time I started lifting heavier. I have lifted throughout my entire weight loss journey.
  • KickboxFanatic
    KickboxFanatic Posts: 184 Member
    Are you working with an endocrinologist for your hypothyroidism? If you're starting to gain again, they may want to check your blood work and see if your meds need readjusting.

    If those check out, I would say that you ramped up your calories too fast. Having been at an extremely low calorie intake for that length of time, plus your thyroid issues, your metabolism may have been slowed down even further.

    Although, the calorie jump paired with the heavier lifting could be causing your muscles to retain more water for recovery. If the increase in calories is mainly from carbs, that could also lead to additional water retention. What is your macro split in grams? Did they change with the calorie increase?
  • DaveDR7
    DaveDR7 Posts: 49 Member
    Hi Cassidy
    Congrats by the way, fantastic effort.
    Surely if you're lifting weights and possibly doing less cardio (?) you'll be putting muscle mass on?
    I have no idea what timescale the last 3-4 pics were, are they monthly (?), if so and in that time you have been concentrating on lifting, you've probably put that 5lb on across your thighs, arms and back, also your shoulders.
    So have you seen an increase in your daily calorie burn, having to increase your carbs and protein to compensate for the extra weight exercise?
    I think weight exercising affects your body fibres differently, so you just might not be burning as many calories for the same calorie intake, but you are increasing muscle mass.
    Is it possible to increase your Cardio work outs again, before weight training, but be careful not to get fatigued.
    Have you maintained or accidentally increased your water level intake going from Cardio to strength routines? Possibly a little bit of water retention?
    Do you keep a diary of your food/water/calorie intake every day? Have you changed it to suit the exercising you're doing now?
    If you still after weight loss, then the mixture of the right dietary food and continuing with Cardio, alongside your weight training, would be a must?

    Try 10 - 15 mins intensive Cardio in the morning to late morning and weight training in the evening, before a protein meal. Then sleep!

    You might still end up putting weight on (but it's probably muscle), but check your measurements, remember you're designing a new body with your training!

    Keep it up, don't give up!

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Making the big jump from the low cals to the new higher calorie allotment can often times lead to weight gain. Especially after a long time in a deficit. That is probably the culprit. Your hypothyroidism is certainly a wild card too, dieting down along with that, then suddenly increasing calories..very likely the cause of the weight gain. So drop your calories down some, then increase them in smaller increments, hold a week, increase etc until you reach where you are eating as much as you can without gaining.
  • tarothelp
    tarothelp Posts: 167 Member
    Your macros look good! Maybe try lowering the cals a wee bit see if that works?
    But OMG you are a total ROCKSTAR!! You look amazing so proud of you!!
  • cassidyjd626
    cassidyjd626 Posts: 21 Member
    Thanks all! I lowered my calories a lot (I'm sitting around 1,000 now) and increasing cardio to see if I can burn off some fat before building more muscle. I definitely feel a lot less bloated, and I've lost a couple pounds already. You guys are a great resource!
  • for_ever_young66
    for_ever_young66 Posts: 2,877 Member
    Wow. Amazing transformation and quite inspiring. Whatever you're doing, it's working. Keep it up!
  • natasor1
    natasor1 Posts: 271 Member
    Great job, now will be hardest part: your last 10 lbs. If u ate like woman of 140 lb your will be 140 lb woman. Now try to turn to a diet of short 5'3'' 130lb woman. It has to be no more than 1000-1100 cal a day. It's just enough for young woman with sitting all day long job. You are not a bricklayer or a roofer. 60 min exercise a day wont do the trick.
    U also may try to workout on empty stomach in the morning. Drink little coffie before. For your thyroid u can eat more seaweed or take thyroid supplements. Iodine in your food will activate your thyroid, just give it little time.
  • 73Lupito
    73Lupito Posts: 10 Member
    Looking awesome! Keep up the great work.
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