Tips for someone struggling on a deficit

Iuliaxna09 · November 19

I am 5’4, 129 pounds, 18 and active. I go to the gym 3 times a week. Pilates once a week and get 10k steps 5 days a week. I also do cardio after every strenght training session. On weekends i do stretching, walk a little etc. I am quite informed on health and overall fitness. I am currenyly vegan due to Orthodox Nativity Fast, since i am fasting. I eat 3 meals a day.

I’ve calculated my TDEE and it says 2000-2100 calories for maintenence at my activity level. But since im in a deficit i am eating 1400 calories which is quite agressive but eating more just doesnt make me lose weight. When i lost weight for the first time i only ate one or two(intermitten fasting) meals a day which was probably not enough. I lost from 143pounds to 127 in around 1 and a half, 2 months. And i got into a plateau. I was so frustrated. So angry. I kept doing but i wasnt losing weight. And if i were to lower my calories it wouldve been tooo low. Then i gained back 5-6 pounds and lost them again now. And now im 129 pounds. Going to the gym. Eating 3 meals. 110g protein, 140g carbs and 50g fats and 1400 calories. All calculated. Ive managed to lose 1-2 pounds but im still stuck at 129. I know its because i havent went to the gym after gaining thise 5 pounds and my body is getting used to the high activity level.

I am just frustrated because my weight either goes up or is stuck. And if i up my calories i gain weight. Its so annoying.

I need tips and help.

Retroguy2000 · November 19

Your TDEE estimate of 2000-2100 is probably high, as evidenced by your actual weight change at lower calorie levels.

According to this, if you're generally sedentary e.g. desk job, your TDEE would be 1600-1700. Obviously this could be much higher depending what you're doing.

https://www.sailrabbit.com/bmr/

Lifting doesn't burn many calories, and whatever cardio you're doing may not be burning as many as you think.

First you should double check that your tracked calories in are as accurate as possible. This means the correct database entries, correct portion size, everything tracked including sauces, non zero calorie drinks, etc. From there, if your weight is constant, that's your maintenance.

tomcustombuilder · November 19

If no loss or extremely slow loss after 4-6 weeks at a calorie amount then your weekly calorie amount is too high regardless of how big a deficit you’re calculating.

helenwoods468 · November 20

Your TDEE definitely sounds high. What I notice about your diet is that you're on a high carb low fat diet. You're protein is at a good level given the amount of exercise you do - any less and you'd be impacting muscle strength and growth.

What I'd suggest you do is experiment between high-carb/low-fat and low-carb/high-fat. Everybody is different and some people manage their weight better on a lower carb higher fat diet.

You may also want to look into what you are eating that is making up the 140g of carbs. I'm a vegetarian and I eat pretty clean - I cook most of my meals from raw ingredients, and very rarely eat anything pre-made. If it comes in a can or jar, I scrutinise the ingredients to make sure there are no hidden sugars, fats, or unhealthy additives.

It may also pay to have a look at how you're training. It sounds like you're doing a lot of high intensity that gives you an elevated heart rate. If you're looking at exercising mainly for weight loss, you need to keep you heart rate down, which shifts you into burning fat as apposed to stored carbohydrates. Excess carbohydrates eaten get converted and stored as fat, so that's what you want to focus on.

If you have a decent smart watch or training watch, try working at a lower intensity for a couple of weeks and see if that makes a difference. My training watch estimates calories burned during exercise as a percentage of fat and carbohydrates, and for me, exercising at lower intensity always results in fat and weight loss.

But just because that works for me doesn't mean it will work for you - every body is different so you need to experiment to see what works for you.

Finally, I know it can be a frustrating journey, but having negative self talk doesn't help. So give yourself a break and try not to get angry. You may not appreciate it, but you've only been in your body for 18 years, and only a few post puberty.

So you still need to learn how to work that body of yours. You've barely got your training wheels off, but if you experiment, stay hopeful, and keep up with the dedication, you'll get there.

Good luck.

claireychn074 · November 20

I’m going to give you a different opinion to everyone else. Your original rate of loss (16 pounds in 6 weeks) was waaaaay too fast for someone who doesn’t have a lot to lose.

Your TDEE sounds right to me: we are all different but at 126 pounds and 5’3 I maintain on c2,200.

If that is right for you, then you are running a significant deficit at 1400 and exercising that hard. You are likely holding onto a lot of water as your muscles are struggling. Your body is stressed as *kitten*.

I would personally choose a low rate of loss - 1/2 pounds a week - and stick to that for several months (it’s worked for me).it would maintain muscle, keep your energy levels up and reduce the risk of you absolutely tanking when training.

Just my tuppence worth!

Tips for someone struggling on a deficit

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