The Struggle is Real
tj0861
Posts: 48 Member
Hey, folks. I've been on EM2WL since June 2016, and started lifting in November 2016. Up a total of 20 pounds since last June, but the inches have begun to drop since the lifting began. Just creating this little thread to keep myself accountable and remind me where I was and where I am going.
Since starting with the weights, the amounts I'm lifting have increased dramatically. I'm feeling stronger, and even if I can't SEE them, I can feel the muscles under the fluff. And of all things, my BUTT has grown. Whaaaaat? Okay, I know, it's the muscle pushing the fat out, but my initial reaction was stunned surprise.
I think I'd gone beyond TDEE, which is interesting, since I started in June 2016 living on 800-1000 calories a day, 5 years out from vertical gastric sleeve (bariatric) surgery in 2011. Now I can knock out 2300 in a day easily if I plan well. So I've cut back a little, and while I'm still not seeing any poundage lost, at least it's stopped going UP. Whew!!! Let me tell you, seeing the numbers I have for the last year have frightened me; I do not want to go back to that 300-pound person I was 6 years ago.
Since starting with the weights, the amounts I'm lifting have increased dramatically. I'm feeling stronger, and even if I can't SEE them, I can feel the muscles under the fluff. And of all things, my BUTT has grown. Whaaaaat? Okay, I know, it's the muscle pushing the fat out, but my initial reaction was stunned surprise.
I think I'd gone beyond TDEE, which is interesting, since I started in June 2016 living on 800-1000 calories a day, 5 years out from vertical gastric sleeve (bariatric) surgery in 2011. Now I can knock out 2300 in a day easily if I plan well. So I've cut back a little, and while I'm still not seeing any poundage lost, at least it's stopped going UP. Whew!!! Let me tell you, seeing the numbers I have for the last year have frightened me; I do not want to go back to that 300-pound person I was 6 years ago.
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Sounds like you are making great progress!0
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Wow insipiring work. I am new here and starting my journey this week0
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Massive progress! Don't discount that at all.
If you keep lifting, if you keep fuelling, you won't go back to the 300 pound person of 6 years ago. You may put on 'weight', but you aren't going to be the same shape. What matters? I can totally relate to feeling muscle under the fluff. I look at my upper arm and it is big, but it's changing shape.
This thought often messes with my head - what if I never lose another pound in my whole entire life, I stay at 250lbs until I die, but I eat 3200 a day, I am stronger, I sleep better, I keep adding weight to the bar and lifting more, I stop the lifelong habit of biting my fingernails because they are so damn strong and healthy now that I physically can't, my hair is healthy, my blood work is good, I weigh the same but look COMPLETELY different....would that be good enough for me?
There is so much going on inside our skin. One number can't tell you how well you're doing. Keep going!!5 -
Very positive post Firefly. Do you got pics you'd like to share to motivate doubters...including me at times.1
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Today I bought a fitbit. Hopefully it will be a useful tool.0
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With Fitbit, just make sure you are manually entering your Weight Lifting workouts on Fitbit, and take their calorie estimate - it's low, and that's right.
And be aware if HR-based device, the first 2 weeks is it trying to figure out your resting HR and how much you workout, so it knows when to start using HR-based calorie burns for exercise, and your figures to use.
So right now it may apply HR-based for easy daily walking if HR goes up too high - and that's inflated calorie burn.2 -
Well, according to it, I burned less than 2100 calories yesterday, so I'd say my TDEE has been inflated. Will watch it over the next couple of weeks and see what it does.1
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And not everyone is going to hit a rough 5 level TDEE chart.
Not when there can be a range of 150 - 250 between levels, majority of course are going to be somewhere in-between, and it fluctuates, as you'll likely notice as we come into spring.
As they mention snow forecast for tomorrow after 65 F 2 days ago.0 -
Well, according to it, I burned less than 2100 calories yesterday, so I'd say my TDEE has been inflated. Will watch it over the next couple of weeks and see what it does.
Use the fitbit to help gauge your tdee.. but remember if it is saying 2100, it is NOT able to account for the calories burned with your weight training. If you have been eating 2300 and stabilized in your weight after a year, then 2300 is likely closer to your TDEE and dropping to 2100 will be a cut amount
Kelly
Team EM2WL1 -
True ... but I seem to be stabilizing at 2100, so not going to complain, and will sit here for a little bit and see what transpires. Meanwhile, I keep doing what I've been doing as far as working out, increasing weights a little at a time, and getting in a bit of cardio when I can. I'm not obsessing over the treadmill or the elliptical, I really prefer that walk on my afternoon break. And looking forward to gardening some soon!!0
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True ... but I seem to be stabilizing at 2100, so not going to complain, and will sit here for a little bit and see what transpires. Meanwhile, I keep doing what I've been doing as far as working out, increasing weights a little at a time, and getting in a bit of cardio when I can. I'm not obsessing over the treadmill or the elliptical, I really prefer that walk on my afternoon break. And looking forward to gardening some soon!!
Oh I am SO happy when gardening season comes around!
Still my favourite form of exercise! (aside from weights of course!)
Ichel
Team EM2WL0 -
@tj0861 This update is incredible! I love that you started your thread and you lifting results, BAM! Hello young and perky bootay! You will definitely need new jeans!
You came a long way are are doing such an amazing job, be proud of yourself!
Fitbits are fun little gadgets, can be truly helpful, but they don't always are 100% accurate when you lift (they don't know how much muscle you built and how much it takes to maintain that muscle, for example). Watch the trend, listen to your body and experiment with different calorie levels. Remember when always want to start higher so we have leeway to move if we don't see the results we want. The goal is to be your strongest and leanest self while eating as much as you can, right?
I'm thrilled for you!!!
Tereza
Team EM2WL Certified Trainer and Coach3 -
And please, keep updating!
Tereza
Team EM2WL Certified Trainer and Coach0 -
Been a busy week .... still at 2100-ish, but I was sick and whiny and missed Wednesday at the gym. Yesterday I was so fried by 5 that I barely made it through the weights, and said to heck with the cardio; I just could not make myself do that as well. Tonight I will probably blow through every calorie I can find; we're going with friends to a buffet dinner at Harrah's Casino in Cherokee (it's Celtic food this month, so experimentation is the word of the day). Anyway, I'll know more end of month when I face the scales again and run measurements. Still, the lifting is going well, and I'm happy. It's spring again this week, so let's play in the yard tomorrow ...
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"The lifting is going well and I'm happy"
Nothing more to say really!
Enjoy the buffet!
Ichel
Team EM2WL2 -
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How's Celtic food like?
How are you feeling?
Tereza
Team EM2WL Certified Trainer and Coach0 -
empressichel wrote: »Enjoy the buffet!
Ichel
Team EM2WL
Buffet was interesting.
Oh. That good eh?
Maybe you need to create one in your own home?
Hate food disappointments.
Ichel
Team EM2WL0 -
I wasn't too impressed with the food. I was happier with the American foods. Other than having some sort of crud the last 2 days, I'm feeling great.2
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But one thing .... saw my doc this week, and she's really unhappy with me doing anything overhead (i.e., lat pulldowns) because I do have a rotator cuff injury. What can I substitute?????0
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Ugh, pulls are usually the safer side of the shoulder for rotator cuff issues.
Not really another way to engage the lats well, though you could ask about impingement issues and what direction best for hands.
Is your Dr workout minded, or like many ready to just dismiss doing something if potential issue?
Hand grip with thumbs pointing backwards, not towards the head as traditional.
Hands closer together, not stretched out as wide as most lat bars are. Almost shoulder width, like for benching.
In front of head, never behind, for bar path. Should be case anyway.
May even make arm angle half way between a straight down and row, like 45 degree if that makes sense - still engages the lats, as well as back.
But, if any of the pulling hurts, nope.
Most upper body compound moves use the shoulder girdle, hard to find isolated that won't.0 -
@heybales, actually, she's very proactive on lifting weights and eating appropriately and all the things we're working on here, as well as very athletic in her own life. I did promise, if nothing else, not to increase the weights on the pulldowns and stay where I am for a while so as not to hurt it any further, and if ANYthing hurts, to stop!! I'll talk with the trainers at the gym as well and see what they recommend.0
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The things I mentioned are all the ways to minimize impingement BTW, based on my experience and research years ago on torn rotator cuff I had surgery on.1
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I had to give up everything overhead for the past year due to my rotator tear. Honestly, its not worth it. If you have pain lifting anything overhead, it is best to stop doing it. Only now I have been cleared to bring it all back in, and Im still taking it really slow.
Things my physiotherapist had me do as we started improvement with the tear, were lateral raises with a band, internal/external rotations, wall pushups, and a whole bunch of stretches. For where my tear is my main problems were anything overhead. I was still able to do barbell rows, dumbell rows, and as things started healing, chest press and chest flies. These are things that will still encourage shoulder movement, but (for me) didnt cause further injury or issues.
In the grand scheme of things, backing off of shoulder work is not going to set your progress back any.. but continuing to push through an injury with a rotator issue CAN cause some serious problems if something happens. I took what was just inflammation with my shoulder two years ago... didnt listen and ended up tearing it, which set me back another year.. So make sure you think about repercussions of working through this kind of injury. The shoulder is so unstable, it can be torn with the slightest of movements. So tread with caution.
Kelly
Team EM2WL2 -
The thing is, it doesn't HURT. I think she may just be overcautious. What DOES hurt is my left knee (I know, a whole different issue). She examined that when I was in last week said there didn't appear to be any serious damage (I twisted it pivoting to sit down, how's that for stupid easy?) but she thinks it may have sheared off just a tiny scrape of the bottom of the cartilage. Says it will eventually smooth itself out, but if it gets worse or doesn't get better to let her know. And don't go quite so deep on the leg presses until it clears up. So I'm working around that and the extremely tight IT band on that side. I tell ya, gang, I'm just falling apart in my old age!!! But I'm going to keep at this! I'm seeing some shifting and feeling better, and that's the big thing. Plus I'm down 3 pounds!!!4
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Wow .... I've obviously been busy. Monthly weigh and measure .... both are unchanged. We've been busy in the yard, etc., and doing the weight workouts. I'm wondering if maybe I need a smidge more calories? I'm topping out at about 2100 to 2200 fairly consistently, but some days when I'm gardening I see on the fitbit that it says I've used considerably more calories than I've taken in. And I know it doesn't properly count the lifting. So maybe I need to add? Team? What say ye?0
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Are you doing more than you were 6 weeks ago?
Merely reflect on that.
You probably know very easily - and you really need to be able to discern that anyway - because it goes both directions.
Keep eating at summer activity levels going into winter - and like vast majority you'll gain fat.
Oh - if you want Fitbit to be more accurate - manually log your lifting as Weights.0 -
Thats why its important to take your average for the week/month, rather than look at the day to day. If you are averaging a certain amount on fitbit, and you know its not including your weight training, then you know right there your TDEE is higher than fitbit tells you, so yes, increasing your cals is needed.
Kelly
Team EM2WL0 -
Thats why its important to take your average for the week/month, rather than look at the day to day. If you are averaging a certain amount on fitbit, and you know its not including your weight training, then you know right there your TDEE is higher than fitbit tells you, so yes, increasing your cals is needed.
Kelly
Team EM2WL
Working on that!!!!0
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