Weekly check in Mar 19th - 26th.

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  • methodless
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    Wow, I think my spikes are a little extreme now

    I tend to be a solid 1200-1600 on Mon-Thurs
    1700-1900 Friday
    2500-3500 Saturday
    2000 Sunday

    I also workout twice a day Mon-Fri

    My net calories yesterday was 486 and I didn't count some of my lighter exercises nor do I ever count calories from strength training
  • jenniebean1680
    jenniebean1680 Posts: 351 Member
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    Wow, I think my spikes are a little extreme now

    I tend to be a solid 1200-1600 on Mon-Thurs
    1700-1900 Friday
    2500-3500 Saturday
    2000 Sunday

    I also workout twice a day Mon-Fri

    My net calories yesterday was 486 and I didn't count some of my lighter exercises nor do I ever count calories from strength training

    I don't think those spikes are all that extreme at all. Especially if you're grossing 1200-1600 Mon-Thurs. Some weekends I will def go over 2500 on one or the other day. I was just thinking about averages.
  • methodless
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    Thanks :)

    It is working for me too when nothing for 2 years did.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    Jennie--sorry but those recommendations are bogus. I'd be eating 1400-1600 calories to maintain-right now I'm inactive so what should i eat? 1200? I don't think so.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Jennie - I think the spike sounds good if it's do-able and doesn't freak you out. I don't really do spike days, so I don't know much about them but it sounds good. And those numbers are a bit iffy, they're sort of an average and most of us just don't gain/maintain/lose like one another. Whatever you do, you have to stick with it for at least 4 weeks, I believe 6 is the ideal. Damn patience!

    Methodless - As a male, you should be netting more like 1600 minimum. And 486 net, far too low. 1000 is probably the lowest net you ever want. It might work now, but will it work long-term? At some point, you're metabolism will crash.

    Work sucks today. Can I go run my stress off?
  • methodless
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    I know 486 is far too low
    I'm a bad overtrainer LOL

    Cutting carbs means I've been way more full than before so I need less to be full, but it has also lowered the intensity at which I can do my workouts at

    I don't usually net as low as yesterday, but I do net quite low on a regular basis.

    Once I am closer to my goals. I will be re-introducing some carbs
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    Wow, I think my spikes are a little extreme now

    I tend to be a solid 1200-1600 on Mon-Thurs
    1700-1900 Friday
    2500-3500 Saturday
    2000 Sunday

    I also workout twice a day Mon-Fri

    My net calories yesterday was 486 and I didn't count some of my lighter exercises nor do I ever count calories from strength training

    wow..yesterday was SURELY starvation then--you were probably at 0 net once you take into account strength training and "light exercise." I really really really recommend that you eat more or drop one of those workouts M-F while eating the same way.
  • methodless
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    light exercise was probably close to 100 calories

    But yeah, I know you're right. I actually tried to eat a little more yesterday, didn't want to overeat

    A normal day is closer to 1000-1100 net for me

    I don't do any exercise on weekends, but my activity level is slightly increased (more walking around, lifting things, etc) so my net calories really spikes
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    methodless--you're a MAN--your net should NEVER be that low. I think you have a larger problem than you realize. That's the equivalent of me netting 500 calories daily.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    methodless--you're a MAN--your net should NEVER be that low. I think you have a larger problem than you realize. That's the equivalent of me netting 500 calories daily.

    +1 on this. The whole point of this community is to help others. You're doing yourself and your body a major disservice by doing what you're doing. I'm not sure what your overall goal is - whether it's weight or fitness or what, but the healthiest way to get (and stay there) is to do it slowly, drastic deficits might get you results, but at what cost?

    I tried drastic. Drastic lost me at a (barely) healthy weight, 27 pounds in 5 months. That's a lot. Then I went more drastic training for a marathon and gained 5-7 pounds by netting 600-800 as I wasn't "hungry". I truly wasn't hungry, but I had at that point taught my body to live on such a major deficit that I had killed my metabolism....and at that point you start to gain. Which basically defeats the purpose of starving yourself in the first place. And is much harder to come back from.

    Just some food for thought. You're obviously welcome to do as you like, just think about it in terms of the long-term please!
  • methodless
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    methodless--you're a MAN--your net should NEVER be that low. I think you have a larger problem than you realize. That's the equivalent of me netting 500 calories daily.


    Just some food for thought. You're obviously welcome to do as you like, just think about it in terms of the long-term please!

    Hey
    That's why I joined this group
    I did feel it was too low. I didn't think I was hurting myself to such a great degree, but I got suspicious when I saw women on the forums having trouble staying below 1600.

    I've only been doing this for about 4 weeks now, but the foods I have been eating as of late are just more filling for less calories, at first I thought it was just one of those few day funks where you don't have an appetite followed by a few days where you eat too much. That used to happen to me all the time. The biggest discrepancy is dinner, where I feel as hungry as I expect to when sitting down to eat, but finish and feel full after 300-400 calories.

    I am planning to work some dried apricots (or something else I can keep in the car for a longer period of time than bananas) as a post workout snack as I've recently noticed a low potassium intake. That should boost me to about 1250 net.

    I'm not trying to starve myself or create a massive deficit, 1 lb a week is fine! In fact, I'm happy with just toning up at my current weight. (Although I think I probably have 15-20 more lbs to go). On weekends, because the foods I eat are higher in carbs and sugar, I eat more and get more calories. That is why I end up spiking. The foods I eat are less filling.
  • NitaCB
    NitaCB Posts: 532 Member
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    Oh man. Every time I come back to this thread it just screams at me why we started it!!!

    We all have our weak spots, where we push so hard that we don't even realise that it's past what is normal and healthy.

    Methodless- I totally second everyone's ideas that you really shouldn't be netting that low. Depending on your activity level (regardless of exercise) unless you're extremely short, you shouldn't even be below 1400-1500 net. And that's at a squeeze. What you're doing is only going to mess yourself up more long-term. Listen to what Jill and Jennie and I are saying. All of us, for at least a while, ate far too little. Now we're trying to get our metabolisms back working as they should. And think, do you really want to have to live on 1600 or so (gross) just to maintain? I certainly wouldn't! I like food too much. :)
  • methodless
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    When I was having a lot of carbs, I was closer to 1800, but I was drinking a lot of my calories

    I'm not "extremely" short but I am short (5'5") well today, I know I will be netting quite high because of my evening plans.
    Saturday will be a big spike too

    Just FYI: MFP recommends net 1680 a day for me.

    Typically, I have 120-140g of protein, 60-90g of fat and 30-90g of carbs
    I'm pretty good with sticking to that from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    methodless--i was right one target--~1600 minimum net for you. I think you should really just DO it...don't accept less from yourself. you can do it and you'll benefit from it!
  • Dangerdat
    Dangerdat Posts: 31 Member
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    Why is your protein intake so high? Are you taking a gram of protein for every lb you weigh? I'm at 150 and MFP recommends 60-80 grams of protein per day. I'm 5'6 and incredibly active, hence why I joined this awesome group.

    (BTW I'm a breakdancer - retired, please don't youtube me)

    If your goal is to build muscle, then yeah, I could see the 120-140 grams of protein but if you're cutting or trying to lose weight, I'd reduce. Also, I'm going to guess you drink a lot of protein-rich shakes and once you cut that out, you'll have a huge surplus of calories that you can use for real food! LIKE 2 FREAKING TBSP OF SILLY PEANUT BUTTER!! OMG!!!
  • morningrunner
    morningrunner Posts: 112 Member
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    Jill - I tried NROLFW last summer and did it mostly from home. I just bought a bunch of weights and modified as necesarry. I'm only "meh" about weights in the first place, so I wasn't super anal about it. I definitely was not following the diet recommendations while I did it which is probably why I didn't see much in terms of results. This time, since I'll definitely be eating more, hopefully I'll do better? Also, it made me incredibly sore every time I did it, which is why I stopped...it really got in the way of running. I'm hoping eating more will also help with that. The scale never responded postively while I was doing it, which was another frustration and another reason why I gave up.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    Methodless - Is that to lose 1 pound/week? Keep in mind that as you get closer to your goal weight. You need to have less of a deficit. So if you're within 10-15 pounds (I'm assuming your goal is a healthy weight) you might want to see what MFP gives you for 1/2 pound a week. MFP has always given me 1200 and even when I was actually eating I shot for 1400 net. And that was as a 5'3 1/2 inch, 120 pound small-medium framed girl. 30-90g of carbs, shoot! That means you're probably not getting any fruits/veggies in (or much fiber in)...I could not live in your shoes :)

    Nita - I know. Ha ha. Reading people's posts are like "Holy man, I do that" or "I remember that". Granted I still do the bad stuff, but I'm as always, a major work in progress!

    Danger - I love your peanut butter obsession. And keep in mind that MFPs defaults for macros are pretty low for protein. It's only 15% protein, 20% is more ideal. I personally shoot for 50-25-25 as this runner needs her carbs! And real food for the win! I always use protein powder in baked goods, mostly because I can't handle the taste.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
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    why are we all here? to change right? I think it sounds like a lot of resistance which is understandable but you ALL realize there's a problem or you wouldn't be here. what are you willing to do to fix it?
  • NitaCB
    NitaCB Posts: 532 Member
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    why are we all here? to change right? I think it sounds like a lot of resistance which is understandable but you ALL realize there's a problem or you wouldn't be here. what are you willing to do to fix it?

    So so true Love. I'm willing to run at a much slower pace to bring my HR zones down much more where they should be, to solve my aerobic deficiency issues. That's my biggest thing. And I'm committing to having to do that for a good 3 months or so.
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
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    MR - I gotcha. Yeah try eating more and invest in a foam roller if you don't have one. That should help a bit. Also I swear by ice baths for recovery. Mostly after long runs, but I'm using them right now a lot to help my legs.

    Love - Problem? I don't have a problem! Yeahhh I wish. I think it's hard to realize it, but I think writing about it here and then re-reading my posts is quite enlightening. Yikes.

    Nita - You're nuts! Just kidding! That's probably something I should do, but I can't tackle that and trying to eat more at the same time. Will probably be a good thing for me to try in before I start training for my fall marathon in mid-June.

    Brother-in-law's parents (aka my sister's husband's parents) are in town for vacation. They picked me up and went to this whole-in-the-wall seafood place. I'm a seafood snob (I'm from New England) and this place was good, but I swear anything "grilled" in the South means half grilled/half friend. Stomach doesn't tolerate frying at all, just got home and already had to take Pepto. Had to guesstimate my food but I think I ate enough. Now I remember why I never eat out and why I get it from a few "safe" places. Going to eat a bit more to try and get closer to my max cals. Oh and I didn't freak out about going out for dinner and burned less than 400 calories today...and didn't freak out about that either. Baby steps.