OK, It has been about 7 Weeks--Now What?
sugarplumj
Posts: 107 Member
I have been eating at TDEE-15% since mid-May, gained a few pounds back, feeling a bit blubbier in the tum, but feeling ok. I am still several sizes from my goal (trying to avoid the scale, going for pant size). So now what? I seemed to have leveled off weight wise, and things fit me, but maybe a tiny bit snugger, but I need to start getting smaller again.
So, I turn to you my lovely EMTWL friends!
So, I turn to you my lovely EMTWL friends!
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What are you doing exercise wise? I started at the beginning of May, have not really lost much. About 4 weeks ago I started working with a trainer to lift weights. I had done weights before with this trainer but had stopped so I felt the need to have a trainer work with me. I don't want to injure myself plus I need someone to crack the whip!!! I did my measurements at the beginning of June and again today. I have lost inches, 11 inches overall. Everywhere. Most exciting is 2" off my waist and 2" off my hips!!! Yay me.
I am also eating at TDEE -15%. I am quite happy to see progress in inches, I don't plan on getting on the scale until August 1st. I think you should just keep at it. Do your measurements. If you are not lifting weights consider adding it to your schedule and dropping some cardio to make room for strength training. I hate cardio, I am doing 3 sessions of 1 hour of lifting a week. The only cardio I get is parking farther from the door at work, taking the stairs at work and that is about it!!! I am not young either, I am 54 years old and menopausal. Not that that should be an excuse but it does say that even though I am older, I am not going to let it slow me down. I actually feel more energetic than I did 20 years ago, could it be because I am eating enough food. ;D0 -
How did you eat before EM2WL? What does your exercise look like?
For me I've found it's a bit of trial and error. The calculators are just estimates so each person has to find their sweet spot. You may be over/underestimating food or exercise calories.0 -
How did you eat before EM2WL? What does your exercise look like?
For me I've found it's a bit of trial and error. The calculators are just estimates so each person has to find their sweet spot. You may be over/underestimating food or exercise calories.
That's what I have been thinking lately, but I have no idea how to experiment and fiddle with these things, and how much time to give it.
I am doing Tracy Anderson Method 6 out of 7 days a week-1/2 hour each day, it's mostly strength, a bit of cardio. My cardio is pretty low-mostly walking. I have also started doing Core Barre (1 hour long), which is intense, low impact cardio/strength, but it is infrequent. I don't belong to a gym, and for multiple reasons (financial, mainly) don't see myself joining on anytime soon.
I started eating 1200 cals a day last September. As you all know, it worked until it didn't. Ha. I ate back exercise cals, but I was very conservative with documenting caloric burns.
I wouldn't mind seeing a loss in inches. I am stunned that I have increased to this many cals and for the most part maintained. Though, I do have this new belly fat thing which is very new to me--I am mostly a hips/bum/thighs fat carrier.0 -
I think you might be a good candidate for the full reset!0
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I think you might be a good candidate for the full reset!
That's what I was afraid of hearing! ha. How far into your full reset are you, HHM?0 -
I can only give you my own experience for how I went about figuring out what works for me.
Started on MFP in December just following program MFP gave me based on wanting to lose 1 lb/wk. That set me at a 1700 cal net goal. I was on exercise restriction from hernia/surgery/recovery, so I was eating 1700-2100 calories/day. I followed this from December to mid-March. I lost about 15 lbs in 10 weeks, so more than what MFP estimated I would lose. This meant I had a larger cut than MFP was calculating, i.e. my TDEE was higher than MFP said, or I wasn’t logging all of my activity properly.
Then I was finally off restriction and began working out 3 days a week and was eating back my exercise calories, but still only averaging 2100 or so calories. I hit a plateau for 6 weeks. One of my MFP friends who is a huge inspiration to me posted a blog post about how she calculates number of calories to eat. I had my ah-ha moment and researched TDEE and BMR.
What I found was that my calculated TDEE was pretty high at 2700 and so was my BMR at 1650. I increased calories to 2300, but still only ate 2200 or so. And I increased my workouts to more strenuous workouts to 6 days a week and bought a HRM to track my burn (average daily burn was 600-900 calories). I was still under-eating at 2200 calories and I hit a brick wall in terms of being able to work out. That’s when I joined EM2WL.
I was SO tired all the time and my workouts were suffering. Then I got sick and took a week off. I decided to cut my workouts back from 6 per week to 3 per week and increase my calories to 2400. When I did this I lost 2 lbs in that month which roughly corresponded to the cut value of ~0.5 lb/week. Now I knew that at 3 days a week my TDEE was about 2700.
I have since increased back to working out 6 days/week. I figure my TDEE is likely closer to 2900 or possibly higher (I'm doing less cardio now at 6 days though than I was when I did 6 days before dropping to 3 days). I am attempting to target 2500-2600 in calories, but still struggling to get there, mostly because I haven’t figured out how to eat that much food! I am about 8-10 lb from goal weight, but since I’m lifting, I’m not sure I’ll ever hit a weight goal. I am more focused on dropping BF%, which is trending in the right direction for me.
I'm getting nervous about knowing how and when to maintain. If I keep my current workout schedule I'll have to eat even more food to maintain and I don't know how I'll do that!!0 -
I'm getting nervous about knowing how and when to maintain. If I keep my current workout schedule I'll have to eat even more food to maintain and I don't know how I'll do that!!
you raise a pretty interesting point.
let me say this: I don't consider myself a lazy person, but truly 30- 45 minutes a day for a workout is all I can really handle. It's not about the actual workout, but the time factor is HUGE for me. I live in a city where I spend a lot of time commuting (major negative, but I do get a lot of reading done). So I am trying to find a good balance.
Can you recommend an HRM? I might have to take the plunge with this as I have never used one. It might be time.
Thanks for your feedback/input!0 -
Go for POLAR - for sure.
I have POLAR FT4, does the job!0 -
Go for POLAR - for sure.
I have POLAR FT4, does the job!
Thanks!
Do you use it only for workouts, or are you also able to get a rough estimate for daily caloric usage?0 -
Go for POLAR - for sure.
I have POLAR FT4, does the job!
Thanks!
Do you use it only for workouts, or are you also able to get a rough estimate for daily caloric usage?
Workouts only, do not trust it for an accurate resting reading.
It gave me about 3000 for resting over a 24 hour period - my fitbit gave me around 2050!
HRM not made for resting heart rates.0 -
Go for POLAR - for sure.
I have POLAR FT4, does the job!
Thanks!
Do you use it only for workouts, or are you also able to get a rough estimate for daily caloric usage?
Workouts only, do not trust it for an accurate resting reading.
It gave me about 3000 for resting over a 24 hour period - my fitbit gave me around 2050!
HRM not made for resting heart rates.
ooooh, so one has to have both in order to get accurate readings for both arenas. thanks you!0
