Metabolism Reset - Eating at TDEE Support Thread
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The Reset is very physically and emotionally demanding and goes against ALL of our 'DIET CULTURE" thinking that's been ingrained in our brains.
I am finishing Week 2 and find that sometimes I just have to come here and read, re-read, and triple read the stickies to keep convincing myself that I am doing the right thing. I am seeing that what I'm feeling is perfectly normal and it helps that the "science" behind the EM2WL method makes so much sense to me that my doubts are quickly resolved.
Check in often and "get it all out" here......we are "whiner-friendly" here and have been known to lift a spirit or two when needed!
Helpful info and refreshing to know "whining" is allowed. Thanks!0 -
Hi Everyone!! I am only on the first week of this resent! My TDEE is 2308 calories. I've had a little trouble eating that many calories some days though. Is that normal for the first couple of weeks?? I think I need help figuring out foods to fulfill this......??
I've also gained weight this week already......which scared me but I don't wan to give up so I will just keep plugging along. I've been working out w/ Jillian Michaels DVDs, I mix them up between 6week six pack, metabolism boost, no more trouble zones, and also use the Biggest Loser DVDs as well (power sculpt and power walk) then most days I go to the gym during my lunch hour for 30 minutes and some days I walk/jog as well. So I do a mixture of things.
IS there anyone else here just starting out??? I'd really like support from newbies, even from those of you who have been doing it for a while, I would love to have some extra friends! :-)
Nicole
Hi Nicole and Welcome!
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on your amazing weight loss success~ it really is quite an accomplishment!!
That being said, I'm not sure HOW you lost the weight, but if it involved eating BELOW your BMR on a routine basis or the dreaded "VLCD" method, you may be in jeopardy of re-gaining some or all of it back due to metabolism damage.
Fortunately, you found us and are well on your way to preventing that!! The Metabolism Reset that is recommended at EM2WL is to HEAL your body from extended periods of Low Calorie eating. When you are in Reset, you are eating at Maintenance Level and therefore, a gain is expected (and may actually be necessary) for the body to heal and "reset" it's metabolism.
The Reset is very physically and emotionally demanding and goes against ALL of our 'DIET CULTURE" thinking that's been ingrained in our brains.
I am finishing Week 2 and find that sometimes I just have to come here and read, re-read, and triple read the stickies to keep convincing myself that I am doing the right thing. I am seeing that what I'm feeling is perfectly normal and it helps that the "science" behind the EM2WL method makes so much sense to me that my doubts are quickly resolved.
Check in often and "get it all out" here......we are "whiner-friendly" here and have been known to lift a spirit or two when needed!
I was eating 1500 calories a day prior to this (plus exercise days, eating most if not all my calories back), which is ABOVE my BMR by just a smidgen. I've done zig-zag methods also. It's been a slow loss (2 years), so I do not think I did anything wrong. Hopefully, this will prove it's method and I will lose the last 15-20lbs at some point :-)0 -
You know what I love about this thread? If you go back far enough, just about everyone who is now coaching others to hang in there and stick with the reset was considering quitting at some point and needed the same pep talk from someone else. It's so inspiring to see how we are all sticking with this and how amazing the support is on this thread! I just think everyone is doing awesome! Hang in there ladies. This is worth it for our long-term health. Let's think about giving our bodies some love!
I'm at the beginning of week seven! Woot! I'm getting soooo close. Just two more weeks before my cut. I'm so excited! I'm still struggling with the "great fatigue". Ugh. There's a break in the heat for part of this week, so I'm hoping that helps. I'm going to get back to running tomorrow, whether I feel like it or not.
This is going to be a crazy week for me, so I may not be around a ton. I have my boys' birthday party to plan this weekend and there's a whole lot that needs to be done around here. On a sidenote that has nothing to do with fitness and health, I made homemade fondant for the cake I'm making later this week. First time I've ever made it and I'm very happy with the way it turned out - both taste and texture wise. Woot!
How did you decide how many weeks to do? I am on day 2 and already up 2 lbs. So scared. I can't IMAGINE doing 8 weeks.
Well, there's a lot of stages to go through during reset. Most people gain initially. At some point your weight will level off and plateau - you might bounce around a bit from day to day, but overall you'll get to a point where you're pretty much staying within the same pounds with no overall trend up or down. If you are excited about cutting so that you can stop feeling stuffed, your body has not been properly reset. Many of us that are getting towards the end of our reset are actually sad about the idea of not getting to eat as much food. In other words, we feel content with our food intake and no longer feel stuffed eating so much. So cutting is going to be hard initially. This is a good thing. Really 8-12 weeks is ideal. You can do sooner, but think of the long term. You definitely wouldn't want to have to redo the reset because you went to cut a bit early!
You will not gain the entire eight weeks. Give your body a minimum of 4 weeks at TDEE. This is not the time to start tweaking the TDEE number. Pick the number and stick with it for a solid four weeks. Then see where you're at weight wise. If you're trending up or down, that's when you want to tweak your TDEE to get that number right. Keep going after that point. If you're weight has plateaued and you are enjoying your food, that means you're getting closer to cut. Also, many of us have found that weeks 5 and 6 are terrible. Fatigue is common as is wanting to go right to cut. But it's good to keep chugging along and push through - give it the full 8 weeks!
I feel like I'm rambling. I hope this helps!0 -
You know guys, it feels so god to get support on here.
I am really having rough days-feeling like I am hitting a wall. I can't even enjoy the food at the moment, cause I am so scared, it will make me even bigger. And I am also scared, that this will not work for me.
I know it is the right way to go. But I am doubting myself in a way. What if I do the cut in a few weeks time, and I wont be losing these pounds?
If this is the case, I think the men in white will have to come and get me......
*hugs* Hang in there! Your body will change at cut. Nothing will be instantaneous, but just keep trusting the process. I think many of us are hitting a wall right now. It's crazy how there's so much mental work involved in this reset. Pretty soon you'll be posting about all of your success on the CUT thread!0 -
You know what I love about this thread? If you go back far enough, just about everyone who is now coaching others to hang in there and stick with the reset was considering quitting at some point and needed the same pep talk from someone else. It's so inspiring to see how we are all sticking with this and how amazing the support is on this thread! I just think everyone is doing awesome! Hang in there ladies. This is worth it for our long-term health. Let's think about giving our bodies some love!
I'm at the beginning of week seven! Woot! I'm getting soooo close. Just two more weeks before my cut. I'm so excited! I'm still struggling with the "great fatigue". Ugh. There's a break in the heat for part of this week, so I'm hoping that helps. I'm going to get back to running tomorrow, whether I feel like it or not.
This is going to be a crazy week for me, so I may not be around a ton. I have my boys' birthday party to plan this weekend and there's a whole lot that needs to be done around here. On a sidenote that has nothing to do with fitness and health, I made homemade fondant for the cake I'm making later this week. First time I've ever made it and I'm very happy with the way it turned out - both taste and texture wise. Woot!
How did you decide how many weeks to do? I am on day 2 and already up 2 lbs. So scared. I can't IMAGINE doing 8 weeks.
Well, there's a lot of stages to go through during reset. Most people gain initially. At some point your weight will level off and plateau - you might bounce around a bit from day to day, but overall you'll get to a point where you're pretty much staying within the same pounds with no overall trend up or down. If you are excited about cutting so that you can stop feeling stuffed, your body has not been properly reset. Many of us that are getting towards the end of our reset are actually sad about the idea of not getting to eat as much food. In other words, we feel content with our food intake and no longer feel stuffed eating so much. So cutting is going to be hard initially. This is a good thing. Really 8-12 weeks is ideal. You can do sooner, but think of the long term. You definitely wouldn't want to have to redo the reset because you went to cut a bit early!
You will not gain the entire eight weeks. Give your body a minimum of 4 weeks at TDEE. This is not the time to start tweaking the TDEE number. Pick the number and stick with it for a solid four weeks. Then see where you're at weight wise. If you're trending up or down, that's when you want to tweak your TDEE to get that number right. Keep going after that point. If you're weight has plateaued and you are enjoying your food, that means you're getting closer to cut. Also, many of us have found that weeks 5 and 6 are terrible. Fatigue is common as is wanting to go right to cut. But it's good to keep chugging along and push through - give it the full 8 weeks!
I feel like I'm rambling. I hope this helps!
Definitely helps. Thank you! Practically8 weeks would be tough(clothing wise) and b/c we will be on vacation at the end of it. While eating like that on vacation would be fun i need to have clothes that will fit
im def. Committed to 4 weeks with the idea that i may need to do 2 to 4 more after that. Gonna be on here a lot for support i think 
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Guys, could you take a look at my numbers?
I'm 32 years old, 98 kg (216 lbs) and 1.77m tall. I usually ate somewhere in the region of 1600-1800 cals, depending on activity level that day. In feb/march I did a few weeks of lower calories, but had to quit due to an infection that spread to my kidneys. Since then I've been in the 1600-1800 region.
For 1-3 hrs exercise and 15% cut, Scooby gives me
BMR: 1764
TDEE: 2425
Cut: 2061
I think judging from the gap between my previous diet and my TDEE I would require some form of reset. Or do I have my facts wrong?0 -
Guys, could you take a look at my numbers?
I'm 32 years old, 98 kg (216 lbs) and 1.77m tall. I usually ate somewhere in the region of 1600-1800 cals, depending on activity level that day. In feb/march I did a few weeks of lower calories, but had to quit due to an infection that spread to my kidneys. Since then I've been in the 1600-1800 region.
For 1-3 hrs exercise and 15% cut, Scooby gives me
BMR: 1764
TDEE: 2425
Cut: 2061
I think judging from the gap between my previous diet and my TDEE I would require some form of reset. Or do I have my facts wrong?
You might benefit from a small reset for about 4-6 weeks, but you definitely wouldnt be what I would consider VLC.. you were at least hovering around your BMR mark.. so I would say, you could try a Cut of 15% from TDEE first, and see what happens, then decide if you want to try a reset for 4 weeks or so... Or jump right in and do a reset 0 -
I am still plugging along.. I am on a rest cycle right now, which is good and bad.. good because the heat jumped up on us this weekend and its way too hot to run, and Ive been busy working in the mornings, so no morning runs.. and no gym time for me... but bad because I HATE rest days... I just finished Stage 2 of NROL so I should be taking 7 days off.. but I will probably be back at it sooner..
Its Stampede time here, so its a huge outdoor carnival, for lack of a better description.. filled with corn dogs, mini donuts and all sorts of pancake breakfasts.. we are taking the kids to the grounds on Tues so I will get a walk in at least.. possibly to the gym later in the day for lifting..
This is the first time I am looking forward to not having to fear going and not eating anything. Normally I would have one single thing to eat while down there, but this year I can enjoy a few small treats and not feel guilty about it..
I am definitely looking forward to cutting.little over two weeks left...0 -
[/quote]
Well, there's a lot of stages to go through during reset. Most people gain initially. At some point your weight will level off and plateau - you might bounce around a bit from day to day, but overall you'll get to a point where you're pretty much staying within the same pounds with no overall trend up or down. If you are excited about cutting so that you can stop feeling stuffed, your body has not been properly reset. Many of us that are getting towards the end of our reset are actually sad about the idea of not getting to eat as much food. In other words, we feel content with our food intake and no longer feel stuffed eating so much. So cutting is going to be hard initially. This is a good thing. Really 8-12 weeks is ideal. You can do sooner, but think of the long term. You definitely wouldn't want to have to redo the reset because you went to cut a bit early!
You will not gain the entire eight weeks. Give your body a minimum of 4 weeks at TDEE. This is not the time to start tweaking the TDEE number. Pick the number and stick with it for a solid four weeks. Then see where you're at weight wise. If you're trending up or down, that's when you want to tweak your TDEE to get that number right. Keep going after that point. If you're weight has plateaued and you are enjoying your food, that means you're getting closer to cut. Also, many of us have found that weeks 5 and 6 are terrible. Fatigue is common as is wanting to go right to cut. But it's good to keep chugging along and push through - give it the full 8 weeks!
I feel like I'm rambling. I hope this helps!0 -
Well, there's a lot of stages to go through during reset. Most people gain initially. At some point your weight will level off and plateau - you might bounce around a bit from day to day, but overall you'll get to a point where you're pretty much staying within the same pounds with no overall trend up or down. If you are excited about cutting so that you can stop feeling stuffed, your body has not been properly reset. Many of us that are getting towards the end of our reset are actually sad about the idea of not getting to eat as much food. In other words, we feel content with our food intake and no longer feel stuffed eating so much. So cutting is going to be hard initially. This is a good thing. Really 8-12 weeks is ideal. You can do sooner, but think of the long term. You definitely wouldn't want to have to redo the reset because you went to cut a bit early!
You will not gain the entire eight weeks. Give your body a minimum of 4 weeks at TDEE. This is not the time to start tweaking the TDEE number. Pick the number and stick with it for a solid four weeks. Then see where you're at weight wise. If you're trending up or down, that's when you want to tweak your TDEE to get that number right. Keep going after that point. If you're weight has plateaued and you are enjoying your food, that means you're getting closer to cut. Also, many of us have found that weeks 5 and 6 are terrible. Fatigue is common as is wanting to go right to cut. But it's good to keep chugging along and push through - give it the full 8 weeks!
I feel like I'm rambling. I hope this helps!
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Ignore previous post.....
You are not rambling at all, Miss Wise One!! This is very, very valuable information and was VERY helpful to me!!
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: 0 -
bump.......:) loads of info0
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I think I've hit the dreaded "exhaustion" piece of reset. I felt like I had this nailed, 6 weeks in, tomorrow is the start of week 7, and I'd only gained 2 pounds and stayed very stable since then. Now it's like I can hardly get myself to work out. Part of it is working extra hours and lack of sleep the last few days. Plus I strained my shoulder/trap area. It's tight and definitely swollen. Hard to turn my head let alone do any heavy lifting or working out. So the scale is showing another 3 pound gain. Not happy at all about it. If it sticks around until my Wednesday weigh in I have to bite the bullet and put it on my ticker. So now I'm wondering if that means it's time for me to cut? Or do I stick the reset out the next two weeks? Or do I need to reset longer? Totally feel like I've screwed things up.0
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I would just stick it out. Why would you have screwed it up? You are injured, so take your rest. If you are changing your activity levels for more than 4 weeks, then you should change your TDEE too. Otherwise just keep doing what you do.I think I've hit the dreaded "exhaustion" piece of reset. I felt like I had this nailed, 6 weeks in, tomorrow is the start of week 7, and I'd only gained 2 pounds and stayed very stable since then. Now it's like I can hardly get myself to work out. Part of it is working extra hours and lack of sleep the last few days. Plus I strained my shoulder/trap area. It's tight and definitely swollen. Hard to turn my head let alone do any heavy lifting or working out. So the scale is showing another 3 pound gain. Not happy at all about it. If it sticks around until my Wednesday weigh in I have to bite the bullet and put it on my ticker. So now I'm wondering if that means it's time for me to cut? Or do I stick the reset out the next two weeks? Or do I need to reset longer? Totally feel like I've screwed things up.
I had to up my cals half way through the reset.
And I would be happy to just have put on 5 lbs-I gained double:sad: that amount0 -
Today is Day 1 of Week 2 of eating at TDEE for me. The great thing is, since I'm away from home visiting family for a month, my daily scale obsession is hard to maintain since I don't have a scale readily available in my bathroom. I really don't think that 'coincidence' could've come at a better time, because I actually feel amazing eating at TDEE. My body is loving the consistency and abundance of good food I'm feeding it, and even if there's a gain, I think having this initial week of this feeling of well-being will help me ignore any gains on the scale.
One thing that constantly keeps me going is this: in the past, whenever I have tried a new program or whatever to lose weight, I've always thought to myself - once I get to my goal weight, I can go back to eating normally. Which is a fallacy! Completely! If I stuck with a VLCD and then went back to a 'normal' eating regimen, I'd gain a whole bunch of weight back for sure! So, I'd rather gain some weight back *now* while I've still got the 'weight loss' frame of mind, fix my metabolism, and while doing that I can see for myself that eating 2480 calories a day will actually maintain my weight. So, TDEE of 2480 for the remaining 7 weeks - hopefully after the fluctuations my weight will stabilise, then cut, lose the last few kgs, and then up back to whatever my TDEE is then, KNOWING that eating more food won't undo all my hard work.
This new way of eating has really changed my life. I'm staying with my parents who are used to me constantly being on a VLCD and they actually comment on how much food I'm eating, even though they can see a clear change in my body.. It's actually quite funny!0 -
Today is Day 1 of Week 2 of eating at TDEE for me. The great thing is, since I'm away from home visiting family for a month, my daily scale obsession is hard to maintain since I don't have a scale readily available in my bathroom. I really don't think that 'coincidence' could've come at a better time, because I actually feel amazing eating at TDEE. My body is loving the consistency and abundance of good food I'm feeding it, and even if there's a gain, I think having this initial week of this feeling of well-being will help me ignore any gains on the scale.
One thing that constantly keeps me going is this: in the past, whenever I have tried a new program or whatever to lose weight, I've always thought to myself - once I get to my goal weight, I can go back to eating normally. Which is a fallacy! Completely! If I stuck with a VLCD and then went back to a 'normal' eating regimen, I'd gain a whole bunch of weight back for sure! So, I'd rather gain some weight back *now* while I've still got the 'weight loss' frame of mind, fix my metabolism, and while doing that I can see for myself that eating 2480 calories a day will actually maintain my weight. So, TDEE of 2480 for the remaining 7 weeks - hopefully after the fluctuations my weight will stabilise, then cut, lose the last few kgs, and then up back to whatever my TDEE is then, KNOWING that eating more food won't undo all my hard work.
This new way of eating has really changed my life. I'm staying with my parents who are used to me constantly being on a VLCD and they actually comment on how much food I'm eating, even though they can see a clear change in my body.. It's actually quite funny!
YOU GOT THIS GIRL!!! Your fresh attitude and positive frame of mind is so inspiring!!!
I had to break a "scale obsession" too and it is a WONDERFUL feeling!!
Good for you, Sweetie, keep up the good work!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: 0 -
YOU GOT THIS GIRL!!! Your fresh attitude and positive frame of mind is so inspiring!!!
^^^^^^This^^^^^^0 -
YOU GOT THIS GIRL!!! Your fresh attitude and positive frame of mind is so inspiring!!!
^^^^^^This^^^^^^
YES! That's an awesome update! It sounds like you're really seeing the benefits of EM2WL! Woot!0 -
Thanks for the help Raynn!
I have to admit I'm still ambiguous about the TDEE or TDEE-15%. My head has a tendency towards TDEE but my feeling screams that it's going to be too much. So stupid!
And it has to be 2400 cals of 'clean' food, right? No junk... that's going to be a lot!
But the fact that I'm dreading to do this is probably all the more reason to go ahead and up my cals. I hate feeling so insecure about this!
I plan to up my calories slowly for a few weeks and then maintain for 4 weeks. The whole process is going to take a bit longer but hopefully this way it can be an anxiety-free experience.
How do you all get your proteins up to the required number? Is everybody doing multiple protein shakes? I'd like to limit those to 1 a day. I have started to drink more milk and have a yoghurt as my afternoon snack, but it's still not enough to meet my protein goals (which I set at 30% of my current 1799 cals). I know that cottage cheese ought to be good, but can't stand the consistency.
If my question is inappropriate here, could you please point me in the right direction?
Thanks!! You're all such an inspiration!0 -
Hey guys! Starting my cut today! I know it's a week,well, technically two....early, but its right for me! I'll be going back to TDEE for around 6-8 weeks in around October to support some fitness goals. This group is amazing...keep on keeping on!0
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You know what I love about this thread? If you go back far enough, just about everyone who is now coaching others to hang in there and stick with the reset was considering quitting at some point and needed the same pep talk from someone else. It's so inspiring to see how we are all sticking with this and how amazing the support is on this thread! I just think everyone is doing awesome! Hang in there ladies. This is worth it for our long-term health. Let's think about giving our bodies some love!
I'm at the beginning of week seven! Woot! I'm getting soooo close. Just two more weeks before my cut. I'm so excited! I'm still struggling with the "great fatigue". Ugh. There's a break in the heat for part of this week, so I'm hoping that helps. I'm going to get back to running tomorrow, whether I feel like it or not.
This is going to be a crazy week for me, so I may not be around a ton. I have my boys' birthday party to plan this weekend and there's a whole lot that needs to be done around here. On a sidenote that has nothing to do with fitness and health, I made homemade fondant for the cake I'm making later this week. First time I've ever made it and I'm very happy with the way it turned out - both taste and texture wise. Woot!
Hi Everyone!
Sorry but I was way offline this weekend or I would have joined in on the "cheering section". ^^^^^^THIS is what I love about this group -- the support and the willingness to answer questions and provide cyber hugs or a kick in the pants makes this entire process so much easier.
To all the first weekers....it gets easier! I only signed up for 4 weeks initially but decided to just go for the 8 weeks. I am now entering week 6 and frankly I am nervous about cutting because I don't know where I want to cut my food intake :laugh: Oh what a difference 6 weeks makes. Also, put the scale away....don't stress about the gain - it's bound to happen but it won't last forever. And eat your protein...that is still a work in progress for me.
For the old timers - wow I can't believe we have stuck it out! For those that are starting your cut - I will be following your progress closely....can't wait to see you rock it out!
For me - this weekend was my lowest point where I was thinking okay I feel icky and sluggish and pudgy...and I am wearing my bigger sizes again so that's a bit of an ego bruise. I am avoiding cameras and swimming pools at all costs
. But I am determined to (for the first time in my get healthy journey) to stick it out for 8 weeks and then begin my cut at 10%. 0
