5 months of NROLW and I'm frustrated - Page 2 - JP Fitness Forums

BobbieK · 04-30-2008, 08:30 PM

HI Diva,

I guess I mean I am in the 5th month....sorry. I started NROLW before Christmas. I had started the regular NROL book so I had at least 3 months of the first workouts in that book before starting NROLW . Bobbie

missjane · 04-30-2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DDRdiva

You've been doing NROLW for 5+ months? The book was released at the end of December... did you get an advance copy?

That just hit me, too! 5+ months on nrol4w? How?

Aoife · 04-30-2008, 10:17 PM

I'd say that from what I can tell from Leigh P.'s posts on the topic on recovering your metabolism after chronic under eating, that it can take quite a while, certainly more than a few months, to recover and get yourself healthy again.

From my own experience, after about 8 months of very low calories, it took about 3 months to be able to eat normally.

Silly Sally · 05-01-2008, 06:31 AM

I've got to chime in here and say that the program outlined in the book may not be as effective for some as it is for others.

I've had the same results as BobbieK; I'm BIGGER, and that ain't good. I'm also menopausal, like BobbieK. I think she's right about that being an issue. It certainly is for me.

Our bodies change and as they do, we have to keep tweaking, trying new things, play with intensities, change macro goals.

The plan as laid out in the book is a great starting place, though.

Now, tweak onward!

BobbieK · 05-01-2008, 06:49 AM

Great ideas everyone!!! Thank you!

I've gotten out of the frustration mode here....I feel like I will continue on,tweak the food and most importantly weigh and log everything for awhile. Bobbie

missjane · 05-01-2008, 06:50 AM

It might help if you post a sample day of your eats. We may be able to see something you aren't seeing and give some pointers.

DDRdiva · 05-01-2008, 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobbieK

HI Diva,

I guess I mean I am in the 5th month....sorry. I started NROLW before Christmas. I had started the regular NROL book so I had at least 3 months of the first workouts in that book before starting NROLW . Bobbie

Bobbie, thanks for the clarification. So you've been doing NROL/NROLW for about 7 months now? That's pretty dedicated! Maybe it is time to switch gears to something more fat-loss-oriented. You could do an endurance sport like running, cycling, rock climbing (good way to use your new strength) or do kettlebells or tough conditioning workouts - Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness and RossTraining - Bridging The Gap Between Ordinary and Extraordinary have some great ideas. (I lost weight doing Crossfit and Ross, but it was too intense for me to do for an extended period. I was trashed after every workout!)

Bytsi · 05-01-2008, 08:08 AM

To add to this weirdness (and to ask, I guess, a question)...
Yesterday I just wasn't that hungry (which is WEIRD for me, as I am usually always hungry and don't ever "forget" to eat

). I did eat, but after karate, around 9pm, I had to force myself to drink a PWO, which brought me to about 1400 kcal for the day (my usual is 1650 / 1850).

Now... the scale has been quite stubbornly stuck for over a month. I gained 1-2# since starting NROLW (depending on which day I weigh), and nothing has budged. It is ALWAYS within that 1# range. This morning, I weighed and was down 2#. It's not water, I don't think, because I did drink plenty of water yesterday (and every day)... the only major change is adding a touch of SS cardio (only 1 or 2 / week, only started 2 weeks ago), and of course the lower kcals for one day.

Huh?!?!?

I KNOW you can't gain or lose pounds overnight, but this is the first budge of the scale in over a month, and it just happened to coincide with a day when I was down about 300 kcal from where I should've been...

Maybe it's all a coincidence, but... ???? I'd love to hear if anyone else had experiences like this, or if there's any explanation other than totally random weirdness.

missjane · 05-01-2008, 08:13 AM

Well, since 2 lbs equals 7,000 calories, you are right that it didn't happen overnight. I'd say just it's the normal fluctuation of scale weight. The scale can fluctuate dramatically throughout the day. It's all about the trend of the weighings, and hopefully, the trend goes down (with some days up, some days down). It's all an average that you track. I liked the chart that realcdn had in her log showing that downward trend and how it's not ALWAYS going down. But, the big picture shows that it is.

jesca · 05-01-2008, 08:35 AM

I dunno, that's how I lose and gain weight. One day I will weigh myself and be the normal weight, and then the next day I wake up and weigh myself and I'm a pound or two lighter. It is usually a weekend day that that happens, but it usually sticks. I think that when I'm tired I retain more water and then getting that extra sleep helps me release it (could have something to do with eating more carbs and such when I'm tired - I've never figured out why this happens) but that's how it goes for me. Unfortunately, the opposite also happens, which is sort of how I got to where I am. When the scale goes up, you just hope it's water, but usually when it goes up, that weight sticks around

I just think every one is different and it doesn't matter how much you say that can't happen and that's not possible, some people just don't fall in that norm. I've been in this body 29 years and I still can't figure out everything that makes it tick, but what I have figured out is from consistent tracking and trending. You just have to keep your eyes on your page and do what helps you. And, what I have learned from this book is, to be really sure you can only change one thing at a time to figure out what's going on. It frustrates the hell out of me, but I just want to know what works for me, for once, and tracking and checking is the only way to sort it out.

LaraT · 05-01-2008, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bytsi

To add to this weirdness (and to ask, I guess, a question)...
Yesterday I just wasn't that hungry (which is WEIRD for me, as I am usually always hungry and don't ever "forget" to eat

). I did eat, but after karate, around 9pm, I had to force myself to drink a PWO, which brought me to about 1400 kcal for the day (my usual is 1650 / 1850).

Now... the scale has been quite stubbornly stuck for over a month. I gained 1-2# since starting NROLW (depending on which day I weigh), and nothing has budged. It is ALWAYS within that 1# range. This morning, I weighed and was down 2#. It's not water, I don't think, because I did drink plenty of water yesterday (and every day)... the only major change is adding a touch of SS cardio (only 1 or 2 / week, only started 2 weeks ago), and of course the lower kcals for one day.

Huh?!?!?

I KNOW you can't gain or lose pounds overnight, but this is the first budge of the scale in over a month, and it just happened to coincide with a day when I was down about 300 kcal from where I should've been...

Maybe it's all a coincidence, but... ???? I'd love to hear if anyone else had experiences like this, or if there's any explanation other than totally random weirdness.

Some people's weight does fluctuate that much day to day. Personally, mine does not and never has (I was a daily weigher for many many years...) You know your body best and how it reacts.

But my guess is it is the addition of the cardio and just accumulation of calorie deficit over time could have led to the loss. One day of lower calories wouldn't have much impact on the scale unless it was like a day of stomach flu. I can stay the same weight for weeks on end and then BAM down 2 lbs and it is 2 lbs that stays off, not some temporary fluctuation.

Bytsi · 05-01-2008, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaraT

I can stay the same weight for weeks on end and then BAM down 2 lbs and it is 2 lbs that stays off, not some temporary fluctuation.

Well, I sure hope THAT's the explanation! Maybe it was my fluffy fat "whoosh" or something

...

I do know it wasn't a 7000 kcal deficit, which is what makes it so weird - because I don't usually have a large variance from day to day (like Jane said, it's all about trends)... and I only weigh first thing in the am in my bday suit, after bathroom, before food...

Probably no good explanation - just hoping it stays off - and maybe takes some friends with it!

jvernacchio · 05-01-2008, 09:36 AM

Stepping on a scale daily only leads to frustration and anxiety. Its a waste of time.

Take your measurements bi-weekly, take a picture once or twice a month and compare, or step on the scale once a week. Scale weight fluctuates dramatically for women a couple weeks out of the month simply because of water retention for pre-and post period cycles. Don't let scale weight be your determining factor if a program is doing you any good.

kfisherx · 05-01-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bytsi

Well, I sure hope THAT's the explanation! Maybe it was my fluffy fat "whoosh" or something

...

I do know it wasn't a 7000 kcal deficit, which is what makes it so weird - because I don't usually have a large variance from day to day (like Jane said, it's all about trends)... and I only weigh first thing in the am in my bday suit, after bathroom, before food...

Probably no good explanation - just hoping it stays off - and maybe takes some friends with it!

Next time that happens make sure you take pics!!!

Aoife · 05-01-2008, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bytsi

To add to this weirdness (and to ask, I guess, a question)...
Yesterday I just wasn't that hungry (which is WEIRD for me, as I am usually always hungry and don't ever "forget" to eat

). I did eat, but after karate, around 9pm, I had to force myself to drink a PWO, which brought me to about 1400 kcal for the day (my usual is 1650 / 1850).

Now... the scale has been quite stubbornly stuck for over a month. I gained 1-2# since starting NROLW (depending on which day I weigh), and nothing has budged. It is ALWAYS within that 1# range. This morning, I weighed and was down 2#. It's not water, I don't think, because I did drink plenty of water yesterday (and every day)... the only major change is adding a touch of SS cardio (only 1 or 2 / week, only started 2 weeks ago), and of course the lower kcals for one day.

Huh?!?!?

I KNOW you can't gain or lose pounds overnight, but this is the first budge of the scale in over a month, and it just happened to coincide with a day when I was down about 300 kcal from where I should've been...

Maybe it's all a coincidence, but... ???? I'd love to hear if anyone else had experiences like this, or if there's any explanation other than totally random weirdness.

Think about how much your food normally weighs. Remember that once you eat it, that weight is now a part of your weight, and depending on what it was and how much is left over after digestion, may still be a part of your weight until elimination.

Now imagine one day you eat less food. What might happen the next day?

Prolly a number of factors, but likely a matter of external more than internal ones. The food you eat or didn't, the water/liquids you drank or didn't, etc.

realcdn · 05-01-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvernacchio

Stepping on a scale daily only leads to frustration and anxiety. Its a waste of time.

Take your measurements bi-weekly, take a picture once or twice a month and compare, or step on the scale once a week. Scale weight fluctuates dramatically for women a couple weeks out of the month simply because of water retention for pre-and post period cycles. Don't let scale weight be your determining factor if a program is doing you any good.

I agree that you shouldn't let scale weight be the determining factor. I suspect when you're within 20 lbs of where you need to do that measurements and pictures might be more helpful. For someone with a lot of weight to lose (as I do) it's the scale in the end that gives me the most satisfaction. I have pictures that are almost 50 pounds apart and I'm not being obtuse when I say that I really can't see much of a difference (if any). Measurements sometimes help, but I still seem to have issues with getting repeatable measurements, so I'm never quite sure that I trust them.

I don't particularly pay attention to the daily number, although I do log it (as Jane pointed out). Sometimes I can pick out pre and post period influences, but sometimes not. In the end as long as the overall trend is down, I don't care about the daily changes. I have a couple of different options for viewing the trends, and I've settled on what ends up being a 9-week view. It gives me enough of a trend to be helpful. Well, if they started bouncing back and forth madly with no eventual drop I'd have to address it, but I'm willing to wait 5 weeks before I call anything a plateau. (Thus accounting for pre/post cycle issues.)

I know, I know, I'm way too much of a stats person. I really can't help it, it's in my nature. At least I haven't opened Minitab and dumped the data in.