IIFYM

Megan8181

Hi All. Totally confused.. I started to count my macros instead of just cals. I was a pig for a year. Not eating excessively (much) but more ****e food... Pizza wine.. (I was travelling). I exercised but not consistently. I guestimate about 1700 - `2000 cals a day. I was exercising about 3 to 4 times a week. 30 to 60 min runs.. Weights inconsistently 3 to 4 times a week upper and lower body segments.. Any way.. I started to focus in October.. got my macros calculates by an on line coach based on my activity (projected) at 3 days a week 30 min cardio but LOTS of weights. 5 to 6 days 40 mins to one hour split in to legs, back and shoulder, chest, arms, legs again and repeat. Heavy lifting. 8 to ten reps... Moving fast.. I got 1700 aprox.. 150 carb 150 protein and 62 fat aprox. I lost about 4 lbs and a bit of bloat but that was it after 4 weeks of weighing and counting. Literally EVERYTHING... Then lost nothing. I upped my cals... 1850. More protein and fat less carbs.. Gained. Again .. nothing. She then lowered me to the weight I want to be .. 68 kg.. I feel thats when I look my best.. FOR ME.. Although its more about the measurements for me.. I just want to be back to where I was.. I currently am 75 kg.. NOT MOVING.. What am I doing wrong... I am currently at 1550 ... 145 carb.. 118 protein and 60 fat..... should I lower? In your experience. I am working HARD.. Like.. im pushing it.. not pansying about.. I SWEAR.. and i weigh and measure everything..

cmyk

Hi Megan, maybe it's just me, but that post reads pretty frenetic so the first thing I'd advise is to relax a little about it all, I'm tired just reading it ; )

Next thing I'd say is that fat loss is never perfectly linear, especially for women. It's also very much just an estimate, that changes hourly/daily/monthly etc. along with changing as you get leaner/smaller.

You mention losing 4lbs after 4weeks @1700 and then nothing, how long did you give it before upping your calories to 1850? Are you only tracking this on the scales?

Brian?

cmyk wrote: »

Hi Megan, maybe it's just me, but that post reads pretty frenetic so the first thing I'd advise is to relax a little about it all, I'm tired just reading it ; )

Next thing I'd say is that fat loss is never perfectly linear, especially for women. It's also very much just an estimate, that changes hourly/daily/monthly etc. along with changing as you get leaner/smaller.

You mention losing 4lbs after 4weeks @1700 and then nothing, how long did you give it before upping your calories to 1850? Are you only tracking this on the scales?

The voice of reason, as ever .

Megan8181

Thanks guys ... I gave it 8 weeks in total. 3weeks no change and then one week lost and then nada. And ur right;) very stressful esp since I tried so hard. I measure myself also. I could see a diff albeit small in my clothes but nothin where I wanted it to be ya know.

cmyk

Megan8181 wrote: »

Thanks guys ... I gave it 8 weeks in total. 3weeks no change and then one week lost and then nada. And ur right;) very stressful esp since I tried so hard. I measure myself also. I could see a diff albeit small in my clothes but nothin where I wanted it to be ya know.

Were your measurements coming down at all? Usually clothes fitting better is a good indication of body composition changes. Depending on how badly you ate before the diet, most people usually see a good initial drop in weight before it slows down a little.

Ordinarily I'd say you'd have found your maintenance but 1700cals @75kg is at the lower end of what I'd set for dieting. How were your weekends? Most people are pretty good mon-fri but come the weekend an overshoot of calories means you're just 'breaking even' for the week?

What height are you too, to give us some idea of body composition?

Megan8181

Fair play cmyk really appreciate it. So yeah I'd say it wasn't atrocious after May but from dec to May it was pretty much what I wanted hence the 8kg increase but I was eating 1200 kal per day for years up to that and mostly carbs n fats not tracked and very little protein. From May on it was as u said mon to fri not so bad... Weekends I'd substitute a fair bit of my cala to alcohol and then had excess of about500 -700 guestamate. But from October I really focused. I saw about a full inch from my hips and little from chest but nada from the waist. I wasn't smuggeling myself into my clothes just fit a bit better. Still tighter than I'd want. I'm about 6 inches bigger all round. I'm 5 5 and a bit it's so frustrating so I appreci ur insight. Science would show me that I need to be eating more but it's just not working. I had a metabolic test done years ago. 2012 and my maintenance was 1500 approx BMR ...... So I was ok with upping it to 1700 but it just plateaued. So I set it at the weight I wanted to be which was 68kg (not that that weight has any significance but I feel good at that) and stuck:/ know ppl have said I look like I lost but it's prob how I'm carrying myself as the clothes are the same

cmyk

Megan8181 wrote: »

But from October I really focused. I saw about a full inch from my hips and little from chest but nada from the waist. I wasn't smuggeling myself into my clothes just fit a bit better.

That's progress Megan, waist may just be the last place you happen to lose it from?

Megan8181 wrote: »

my maintenance was 1500 approx BMR ...... So I was ok with upping it to 1700 but it just plateaued.

Out of interest, how was that measured?

Megan8181 wrote: »

So I set it at the weight I wanted to be which was 68kg (not that that weight has any significance but I feel good at that) and stuck:/ know ppl have said I look like I lost but it's prob how I'm carrying myself as the clothes are the same

So you set your cals at maintenance level for a 68kg person, and if so, is that where you are now, and for how long?

Megan8181

cmyk wrote: »

That's progress Megan, waist may just be the last place you happen to lose it from?



Out of interest, how was that measured?



So you set your cals at maintenance level for a 68kg person, and if so, is that where you are now, and for how long?

Yeah waist is my trouble area.. it would be typical eh!!! So I saw my club had a guy come in to test metabolism and VO2 max testing. It basically was fasting for 12 hours and sit and breath into a mask!!! No idea how it works!!!

So right now im on 1559 and 140 carb 60 fat 120 protein. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks. I have seen a tiiiiny change. but nothing dramatic or hardly noticeable ya know.. Just i feel less bloated!!!

cmyk

Megan8181 wrote: »

So right now im on 1559 and 140 carb 60 fat 120 protein. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks. I have seen a tiiiiny change. but nothing dramatic or hardly noticeable ya know.. Just i feel less bloated!!!

That's still low for a 68kg person. Are you very sure you've taken in only 1500cals everyday for the last 21 days?

Bear in mind you're not going to see big changes in only 3 weeks too.

Megan8181

100% Sure.. 1500 -1570. AND I feel so full. I literally do NOT want another bite lol. Do you reckon to stick with it for a little longer?

cmyk

Megan8181 wrote: »

100% Sure.. 1500 -1570. AND I feel so full. I literally do NOT want another bite lol. Do you reckon to stick with it for a little longer?

I definitely wouldn't be dropping it any lower, do you still have enough energy and recovery from your training? Can you post a typical days eating?

johnybean

I would have thought that your calories are quiet low, have you taken proper account of the activity multiplier when calculating your calories? If you are working out up to 5 days a week then your multiplier should be over 1.375 which would bring your calories over 2,000. Also, scales can be deceptive when trying to ascertain weight loss as you will also be putting on mass if you are doing heavy weights sessions 3-4 times a week.

Just saw that you are at 1559 cals per day at the moment, that is too low and I dont believe you are taking the activity multiplier into consideration, your calories are too low for your activity level.

Megan8181

Sure .. So today... 5 egg whites 2 slices of mc Cambridge
split my lunch in to two sections 170g round steak mince cooked in water with half a beef stock cube and oinion 200g cauliflower 300 g sweet potato with 10g of coconut oil to cover.
Too tired to cook so 2 eggs 4 whites and slice of mc Cambridge
Greek youghart. O% (fage) 145 gram of blueberries
I'm grand I crave sugar a lot. But rarely hungry. I feel super bloated if I eat much more to be honest. I don't think I can fathom eating 2000 but .... If needs b!!!!! Do u think I should change the training or eat more

Brian?

I'm not really in a position to comment on much of your diet. But why egg whites and not whole eggs? Why low fat yoghurt? Fat and protein are great for satiety.

Megan8181

Brian? wrote: »

I'm not really in a position to comment on much of your diet. But why egg whites and not whole eggs? Why low fat yoghurt? Fat and protein are great for satiety.

To be honest.. I have a weird thing on egg yolks.. (I have no idea what it is!!!!) I sneek it in lol... My macros are givin me 52 g of fat. I get it through other stuff throughout the day.

cmyk

Megan8181 wrote: »

Sure .. So today... 5 egg whites 2 slices of mc Cambridge
split my lunch in to two sections 170g round steak mince cooked in water with half a beef stock cube and oinion 200g cauliflower 300 g sweet potato with 10g of coconut oil to cover.
Too tired to cook so 2 eggs 4 whites and slice of mc Cambridge
Greek youghart. O% (fage) 145 gram of blueberries
I'm grand I crave sugar a lot. But rarely hungry. I feel super bloated if I eat much more to be honest. I don't think I can fathom eating 2000 but .... If needs b!!!!! Do u think I should change the training or eat more

You mention using an online coach, do they have you on any re-feeds etc. at all? It just doesn't add up for me.

If I'm right in saying that you're doing strength training 5 to 6 days per week with cardio on top of that for 3 of the days @1500cals per day I'd expect you to be burned out within a fortnight?

As an aside the day you posted above only comes out at about 25g of fat, unless you're missing the oil/butter you're cooking your eggs in?

Are you based in South Dublin at all?

Megan8181

cmyk wrote: »

You mention using an online coach, do they have you on any re-feeds etc. at all? It just doesn't add up for me.

If I'm right in saying that you're doing strength training 5 to 6 days per week with cardio on top of that for 3 of the days @1500cals per day I'd expect you to be burned out within a fortnight?

As an aside the day you posted above only comes out at about 25g of fat, unless you're missing the oil/butter you're cooking your eggs in?

Are you based in South Dublin at all?

Yeah that all correct!!! I know right !!!!!! Hence I'm all over the place. Ur right it's a bit more but... I gave up processed foods for lent.. All treats coke zero ect. I didn't hit my fat goal. Im not burnt out no... Tired after work but grand actually!!!! I'm North side

Megan8181

Megan8181 wrote: »

Yeah that all correct!!! I know right !!!!!! Hence I'm all over the place. Ur right it's a bit more but... I gave up processed foods for lent.. All treats coke zero ect. I didn't hit my fat goal. Im not burnt out no... Tired after work but grand actually!!!! I'm North side

Also I don't have refeeds I just got someone to do numbers for me as I didnt trust the online calculator. She gave me the original 1770 an 1680 aprox