Hi M2M...Just wanted to say Hi! And when I eat Pizza I swell up. I seriously dont think I will ever eat pizza again...Anyway I hope you have a great day, on with the fruits! You look so great in your pics, I just cant get over it! If you lose much more youll be a twig anyway

I guess you can count that as a break. It all depends what your caloric intake was at that time.

You are gaining all this weight, you can't create something out of nothing. Which is why I suppose you are assuming that you are eating borderline maintenance right now.

And if I remember correctly, when I first came around here, you are were eating too few cals relative to what I would recommend. So I am sure you have some metabolic slowing now, as a result.

You can try cutting calories, but don't go below 8 per pound. If you find yourself having to do that, you are getting into dangerous territory. Instead, if this is the case, you have found the point where it is time to correct your metabolism. This may mean taking steps backward in order to make continued progress in the future.

I think we have talked about this before, and I told you this time would come. I could be wrong.

Good morning, just wanted to pop in and say hello, I hope you can figure out what's happening with regards to the calories and weight gain. The body can be pretty frustrating..lol. Have a great day
Michelle

Deb, I was skeptical when Steve advised me to take a step backward in order to move forward, but it turns out he was dead on.

Might be worth a try. . .

Hi Guys,
I did take a step backwards around mid January. I was eating between 1000-1200 calories - I've slowly upped them since then to 1800-2000. I lost about 7 pounds while I was slowly upping my calories - but then 6 weeks ago, I stopped losing and for the last week started gaining. That's why I don't think this is a plateau but rather I'm hitting my maintenance level. My maintenance level could be lower then what would be normal due to 8 months or so of a very low calorie diet.

I knew when I started upping my calories that the weight loss would slow - I was prepared for that. I wasn't prepared to start gaining.

I plan on having 10 calories per pound of body weight and see if the weight will start coming off again.

Monday Workout

Walk
4.13 mile 46.46 minutes 11.25 minutes per mile

Exercises
Crunches
5 sets x 10 Reps
Bent Knee Push Ups
5 sets x 10 Reps
Regular Push Up
1 set x 8 Reps
One Arm Rows
5 sets x 5 reps @ 30#
Lunges
5 sets x 5 reps @ 60#
Pull Up
1 set x 1 rep
Half Ass Pull Ups (Start from chin up position lower body slowly)
1 set x 5 reps
Tricep Bench Dips
5 sets x 10 reps

Love this!

I've really got to get into doing muscle maintenance. Now that I've gotten into walking again, I feel like "why bother going to the gym?". But it's really necessary.

Other than gaining 3 lbs, how are you feeling with what you are eating and doing?

M2M, good workout. I'm so tired from just reading your workout, I'm not sure if I will have enough energy to do my own workout tonight. IMPRESSIVE!!!! GO M2M!!!
Kim

A quick trip in here to say Hello and have a great Monday!!

By backwards, I mean a total break from dieting. at 1800-2000 cals, you were most likely still in a deficit. Being in a deficit, even though it is not as large of a deficit, is not a break. At least not the kind I am talking about.

This is fine, just don't get wrapped up in playing the "chase your metabolism down" game where you constantly battle an ever slowing metabolism. Eventaully, you will have to throw a "fix" into the mix.

10 calories per pound is totally sane though. See how this treats you.

Thanks for your input Steve,

OK - what I don't understand though, is if I'm gaining, how can I still be in a deficit?

Good to know I'm still sane

I think I'll plan on cutting back to 1600-1800 a day vs 1800-2000. If I average 1700 calories then I'll be at 10 calories per pound.

After 6 weeks of not losing, it gets demoralizing and while fixing my metabolism is important, so is continuing to lose weight. My system is better then it was on 5 calories per pound no doubt!

That is why I said, borderline maintenance. You can't gain while in a deficit.

As you lose weight, your metabolism slows. Couple this with the fact that you did extreme dieting for a prolonged period of time not too long ago, chances are, your maintenance is below average.

That said, my only point with all of this banter is to tell you that, once you get down around the 9-10 cals per pound range and still are not losing weight, it is probably time to reset things. This is when you will have to take some steps backwards.

Urgh...I feel like I have been taking steps backwards to get to this point.

I was consuming 4-5 calories per pound and it seems my gain point is about 11-12 calories per pound which stands to reason because of the VLC diet.

I don't want to go too much backwards, I'd rather NOT gain a heap a weight in this process

Everyone has to take steps backwards in this process.

You thought you were doing things correctly by starving yourself at 4-5 calories per pound a bit ago. Then, IMO, you took steps FORWARD to fix the mistake, by upping your cals over time. In the process, you actually lost some weight.

Now, you are getting up toward your maintenance, it appears, which is low relative to the average. Is this bad? Yes and no.

Yes, b/c you don't have much room to wiggle. I wouldn't recommend dropping below 8 cals per pound. If 10 cals per pound doesn't work, you can try 9 and then 8. After that, you can tell you have too much metabolic slowdown. If/when that is determined, back pedaling is your only option. You will have to jump up your caloric intake for a period of time in order to reset things. Help create a more efficient metabolism.

If you had a maintenance of 15-16 cals, look how much room you have to wiggle in terms of creating a deficit!

And I don't really like the term "backwards." I wish I didn't use it.

Look at me. I am currently "bulking." I gained some fat in the process in order to put on some additional muscle. Did I take steps backwards simply b/c I put on some fat? No. This journey is always transitional and in flux. Nature of the beast.

IMO, correcting a metabolism (not that you have to yet, and for your piece of mind, I wouldn't yet) is just a transition. You are changing direction, but assuming they are backwards steps means that the only way to move forward is to watch the scale go down, and that is flawed thinking.

oh the plight of my life............
M i hope you are having a good day..........ya know you are so close to your goal and I am sure you are getting frustrated with your scale, but steve is right..........I have been on a diet for so long ( most of my life ) that i don't even know what maintence is..........but i am really tring to understand how to feed the metabolism fire........and it is a lot of work............no wonder i was fat for so long only eating twice aday and usually late afternoon and evenings...........watching you is a good education for the rest of us..........ya know they say lead by example.........and you sure do girl!!!!
laters
STAR