The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Hi! Looks like you guys are giving some great advice here. I am on the Abs diet currently but a little frustrated 3 weeks in. Up 2 lbs down 2.. and so on. Looking for some good advice on calorie intake. Currently at 1278, by their calculations. Thinking of upping it to 1400 because I am hungry and working out like a mad woman (more weights than ever). Used to run 4-5 miles/6 days a week but now MWF weight training, TTS with cardio (1-2 of those HIIT). I really love the 13 min workout too. Stats are 137lbs 5'7 31 years old female. Any advice is SSSSOOOO appreciated. I absolutely love my body and I love fitness I just want to see what's under the mommy belly again Thanks.
My problem is that there are a millon different places to calculate calorie needs. I've used both methods. It has me at 2004 calories for maintenance, 1604 for fat loss, 1204 for extreme fat loss. This came from freedieting. I don't know if this is my problem or what. It's frustrating though. I can feel my abs. I just want to see them! I am sure I am preaching to the choir though!
How many calories are you currently taking in? Are you losing? Are you gaining? Are you maintaining? If you diligiently track your calories for a few weeks (weigh everything and track), then you should be able to ascertain what your caloric needs are. If, after tracking, you maintained during those few weeks, then you've found your maintenance. If you lost, then you were in a deficit. If you gained, then you were in a surplus.
Maybe.... does the abs diet involve carb cycling? You will lose water (scale weight) FAST on the low carb days and it comes back when you carb up... neither the gains or losses represent fat. You can only compare the same day in the cycle to the next one. So if MTW are low carb then the Th morning weight is the one to count. Exercise is also a factor in water retention. I can drop 2-3 lbs by slacking on my exercise plan -- sadly, not fat loss. Check out Leigh's blog (leighpeele.com) for the articles on scale weight and see if that doesn't clear things up a bit.
The Abs diet is basically an introduction to clean eating and provides a start for overweight people or those who haven't dieted seriously before.
MissJane's got it... the calorie calculators are generalizations. It's better to track and figure out what works best for you.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
Seriously you guys are awesome to jump on to help so quick! I started 3 full weeks ago. I am up one pound, but I introduced weights for the first time this year really. Before this diet (Racerbill is right on the intro to clean eating) I ran 4-5 miles/6 times a week. No real strength training.
I gained 1 pound as of today but I am not sure what's going on and now all the chaos has my cycle starting 1 week early (yesterday). Sorry if that's TMI guys!
So I did the first 3 weeks at 1280 cals per day, which was something I got out of the book calculations. Did a super-ton of research online and found most put me at around 1400 to lose 1 1/2 lbs a week.
No carb-cycling, just healthy eating I stay at about 120 g protein on non-lift days; and 100 on lift days. Eat 6X day
I figured what better place to ask and you guys are really supportive and helpful to each other so Woot! Lucky me!
are you weighing your food on a food scale or guesstimating portion sizes? If you are not you could very well be eating way over what you think you are.
sounds like too much exercise on low calories. Many people here have found they lose best when actually cutting down the intense exercise. You are already at a healthy weight for your height so my guess is your body is not going to give up the weight very easily, especially with all that exercise.
Yikes... I am using measuring spoons and cups but no scale. I am afraid to weigh it since I don't feel like I am eating that much to begin with.
Say what?
A scale is the only way to track your actual intake because a spoon and cup measurement will be different every time thus you will not have an accurate calculation of your intake.
As for exercise, many people find that HIIT on a deficit is bad news. Maybe for cardio just do some longer easy walks and get more non-exercise activty in your daily life. Things like stairs instead of elevator, parking farther, getting up and moving during the workday, etc. Many people here (myself included) have been shocked to see how much this kind of non-exercise movement contributes to calorie burn.
I will take your advice to heart. I am going to have to slow down. I don't want to burn out or stop losing. I've been doing the abs diet for 3 full weeks and I really do feel the changes in my muscles but no a real loss of fat. I bet I am closer to 20% than 14% body. It's just that they used the calipers and the front of my thighs have no fat. It was funny to watch her try to find it. haha.. All my fat is on my butt and stomach. More stomach than anything else though. I will finish up these couple of weeks (till 7 Nov) on the Abs Diet (it comes with the workout suggestions not necessarily a plan) Maybe I will bump up my calories if I don't see some movement on my scale this week. I am up from 1280 to 1400 this week. Then scale back the intensity of my workouts. I may be trying to move a mountain but it's so motivating to be THIS CLOSE to goal!!!
Newb
Thanks.
Linear Mode
