No Result After Reverse Dieting?

Hi guys! I'm a 5'8" female.
I started my reverse last August until the beginning of this year (to speed up my metabolism). I went from eating 1,400 cal and doing about 4hrs of cardio/week to eating 2,200 cal doing no exercise at all (I stopped doing cardio gradually and started lifted weights until the beginning of November when I tore my hamstring while hiking).
When I ate more than 2,200 cal I would gain weight, and i did gain weight on purpose for a couple of weeks, towards the end of the reverse. I got to 2,300, stayed there for 2 weeks, and then stopped reversing. I went from weighing 145 lbs to weighing 150 (the majority of the weight was gained towards the very last 2 weeks).
So my goal was to start my cut at 1,700 cal while lifting weights 3x/weeks, with minimal cardio. That's what I've been doing since the beginning of the year.
So far I lost only 2 lbs... some days I wake up and weigh myself and realize I weigh 4 lbs lighter, but then the next day I gain 5. My weight has been fluctuating so much since I started my cut! But the total average lost is 2 lbs.
Has this been happened to you guys too?
I don't know if the weight is stuck due to the fact that I'm lifting heavy weights and am constantly sore, or if it's because my metabolism is messed up (but then I think, "how could that be if I were eating 2,200 cal without gaining weight, not too long ago"), or if maybe I need to play around with my macros, or start doing more cardio, or maybe I just need to be a bit more patient because maybe when the weight starts going down it really will?
2 weeks ago I started doing about 1.5hrs of cardio/week besides weight training and still... no changes in the scale.. I'm so frustrated and confused, to say the least!
This week I will start eating 1,625 cal/day, will continue to lift heavy weights 3x/week and will do 1 to 1.5 hr of cardio besides my walks with my dog.
I just wish I would start seeing the weight (or measurements) go down to keep me motivated. My measurements went down just a little bit.
Anyways... has this been happening to you too? Do you think this is normal? How has your progress been since you started your cut?
Please share your experience with me.
Thank you! ♡

Replies

  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    My calorie goal is gross. I don't add or decrease calories depending on exercise. (I based my cal amount on my maintanence minus 500).
    I'm not training for anything besides wanting to look good by my wedding date (April).
    Thank you for your input. Maybe like you said, i need to wait a little longer to decide where to go next.
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    edited January 2019
    Thank you RoxieDawn.
    I weigh myself once/day first thing in the morning, then I get an average at the end of every week.
    Hmmm... I'm not familiar with any weight trading apps... would you mind sharing the name of a good one?
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Thank you RoxieDawn.
    I weigh myself once/day first thing in the morning, then I get an advantage at the end of every week.
    Hmmm... I'm not familiar with any weight trading apps... would you mind sharing the name of a good one?

    Libra, Happy Scale, Trendweight... depends on the type of phone you have. I also use one via web called Weightgrapher.com
  • jasonpoihegatama
    jasonpoihegatama Posts: 496 Member
    Hi sounds like a lot of things going on! so you may have missed or overlooked something as you seem to have your diet and training down? Maybe water retention can make body weight going up and down so fast! The fact you had been building muscles could be why your not seeing the body weight fall off, where running is catabolic!
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    Hi sounds like a lot of things going on! so you may have missed or overlooked something as you seem to have your diet and training down? Maybe water retention can make body weight going up and down so fast! The fact you had been building muscles could be why your not seeing the body weight fall off, where running is catabolic!

    I decreased my cardio and upped my weight training. I'm trying to do minimal cardio to use cardio later on, when I hit plateaus or don't want to go lower in calories (at least that's what I've learned from what I've read about cutting after reversing anyway)...

    Yeah, I was thinking it could be water retention since I'm kinda new to weight training.... since I'm not afraid of carbs and have been weight training... maybe accumulation of water and glycogen in my muscles? That's why I was thinking maybe changing macros around. What do you think?
    I wish there was a way to measure water weight, lean mass and fat!!

  • jasonpoihegatama
    jasonpoihegatama Posts: 496 Member
    There is a full body scan you can do to take these reading water, mass, fat etc.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,420 Member
    How close are you to your goal weight? The last 20 pounds are just slow. It sounds like you're doing great - you've started losing on 1700 - that's about where I lost my last 20 pounds (5'7", now 140.) I was also eating 300-400 extra on exercise days. 1/2 pound per week I was set at and that was hard for me to stick with. I was hungry a LOT. It took me nine months to lose that last 15-20.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    My calorie goal is gross. I don't add or decrease calories depending on exercise. (I based my cal amount on my maintanence minus 500).
    I'm not training for anything besides wanting to look good by my wedding date (April).
    Thank you for your input. Maybe like you said, i need to wait a little longer to decide where to go next.

    but if you changed the amount of cardio you're doing then it changes your TDEE?
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    How close are you to your goal weight? The last 20 pounds are just slow. It sounds like you're doing great - you've started losing on 1700 - that's about where I lost my last 20 pounds (5'7", now 140.) I was also eating 300-400 extra on exercise days. 1/2 pound per week I was set at and that was hard for me to stick with. I was hungry a LOT. It took me nine months to lose that last 15-20.

    I'm 8 lbs away from goal. I think the mind game is what's messing me up! Thank you so much!
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    My calorie goal is gross. I don't add or decrease calories depending on exercise. (I based my cal amount on my maintanence minus 500).
    I'm not training for anything besides wanting to look good by my wedding date (April).
    Thank you for your input. Maybe like you said, i need to wait a little longer to decide where to go next.

    but if you changed the amount of cardio you're doing then it changes your TDEE?

    I included my cardio days when calculating my TDEE.
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    There is a full body scan you can do to take these reading water, mass, fat etc.

    But it's super expensive to take it, isn't it?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    My calorie goal is gross. I don't add or decrease calories depending on exercise. (I based my cal amount on my maintanence minus 500).
    I'm not training for anything besides wanting to look good by my wedding date (April).
    Thank you for your input. Maybe like you said, i need to wait a little longer to decide where to go next.

    but if you changed the amount of cardio you're doing then it changes your TDEE?

    I included my cardio days when calculating my TDEE.

    according to your OP you started at start of jan, on 1700 cals, just doing lifting.

    2 weeks ago you added in cardio, but stuck to 1700 cals, and this week you're reducing to 1625 cals.

    so what did you use to calculate your TDEE?

    if you're on the last 8lbs then a 500 cal deficit is too much, 250 is more appropriate. and it will be slow so you need to be giving it longer than a week or 2 to see if something is working.
  • SleepMoveEatRepeat
    SleepMoveEatRepeat Posts: 26 Member
    My calorie goal is gross. I don't add or decrease calories depending on exercise. (I based my cal amount on my maintanence minus 500).
    I'm not training for anything besides wanting to look good by my wedding date (April).
    Thank you for your input. Maybe like you said, i need to wait a little longer to decide where to go next.

    but if you changed the amount of cardio you're doing then it changes your TDEE?

    I included my cardio days when calculating my TDEE.

    according to your OP you started at start of jan, on 1700 cals, just doing lifting.

    2 weeks ago you added in cardio, but stuck to 1700 cals, and this week you're reducing to 1625 cals.

    so what did you use to calculate your TDEE?

    if you're on the last 8lbs then a 500 cal deficit is too much, 250 is more appropriate. and it will be slow so you need to be giving it longer than a week or 2 to see if something is working.

    Oh.. I see what you're saying.
    Yes, I think you're right.
    I figured the 1700 cal after subtracting 500 from my maintanence while reverse dieting. But like you pointed out, I wasn't working out.
    Yes, it wouldn't make sense to decrease calories (from 1700) since I wasn't doing any cardio while maintaining my weight at 2200 cal.
    Thank you so much.
    I just need to stick with this and be patient!