Explanation Please

Trying to understand my current weight loss roller coaster. Started at 216 in May, now 189 this morning. Been eating:

1800 or so calories
200g protein 150g carbs 45g fat on average

On habit from past I drop to 1600 on non workout days and eat those extra on deadlift and squat days but weekly average is 1800. So 2 days at 1600 2 at 2k and 3 at 1800.

Never had weight loss ride like this one. No weight loss for 10 to 14 days then bam, wake up one morning 5 to 6 lbs gone. Now it's 2 to 3 but it's been that way whole way through. Almost like my body fights to hold on then says fuck it and let's it go and then starts fight again. Never lost in chunks like this. Thoughts other than I am insane? Already know that.

Cardio right now is cutting grass once a week, rowing 5k once a week and doing 10x40 yard pushes in street with a loaded prowler once a week.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NuckinFutz68

Trying to understand my current weight loss roller coaster. Started at 216 in May, now 189 this morning. Been eating:

1800 or so calories
200g protein 150g carbs 45g fat on average

On habit from past I drop to 1600 on non workout days and eat those extra on deadlift and squat days but weekly average is 1800. So 2 days at 1600 2 at 2k and 3 at 1800.

Never had weight loss ride like this one. No weight loss for 10 to 14 days then bam, wake up one morning 5 to 6 lbs gone. Now it's 2 to 3 but it's been that way whole way through. Almost like my body fights to hold on then says fuck it and let's it go and then starts fight again. Never lost in chunks like this. Thoughts other than I am insane? Already know that.

Cardio right now is cutting grass once a week, rowing 5k once a week and doing 10x40 yard pushes in street with a loaded prowler once a week.

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Some of it's been water weight, you could in theory be losing fat mass but been holding water. Wieght loss is easiest to gauge by doing weekly weigh ins verse daily sometimes.

Yeah I do fluctuate daily but use Friday mornings as my reference days. Definitely lost some fat. Belly button almost made travel channel for cave exploration. Now it's barely pinky first digit. Maintained most my strength throughout. Water weight can be a challenge for me at times. HCTZ is in one of my blood pressure pills and I have days of perpetual thirst and every 30 min bio breaks. Never thought of that till now.

When using stuff like hydrochlorthiazide weight can fluctuate greatly, so that's a factor.
Other than that, I'm a firm believer in upping the activity level more than dropping calories, but one (usually) has to do both of ofcourse.
Try to stay in the "fat burning zone" more of your day, add an extra walk or other light activity.
(Providing your main training is good, if not, improve it)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NuckinFutz68

Trying to understand my current weight loss roller coaster. Started at 216 in May, now 189 this morning. Been eating:

1800 or so calories
200g protein 150g carbs 45g fat on average

On habit from past I drop to 1600 on non workout days and eat those extra on deadlift and squat days but weekly average is 1800. So 2 days at 1600 2 at 2k and 3 at 1800.

Never had weight loss ride like this one. No weight loss for 10 to 14 days then bam, wake up one morning 5 to 6 lbs gone. Now it's 2 to 3 but it's been that way whole way through. Almost like my body fights to hold on then says fuck it and let's it go and then starts fight again. Never lost in chunks like this. Thoughts other than I am insane? Already know that.

Cardio right now is cutting grass once a week, rowing 5k once a week and doing 10x40 yard pushes in street with a loaded prowler once a week.

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Lol what do you mean your confused on why you lost weight... Probably cuz you say your daily calories is 1800. That 200 calories less then recommend for the average person to function properly that doesn't workout etc. are you seriously confused why. You need at least 3500 calories a day probably to gain some mass considering your burning a lot training etc lets even say 2500-3000. But your eating 1600-1800 lol. Not to be an ass but that's probably why. Your body got use to it even if you gained weight at that intake before. It's all about change that brings changes . and the more mass the higher your natural metabolism is

Marsoc,

Not confused I am losing but how I am losing. I have never lost in chunks like this before. I was usually steady stream weight loss couple pounds a week at most. Now I go 10 to 14 days with no loss and then overnight seem to drop weight and start cycle again.

Water weight as mentioned may be my major culprit with HCTZ.

Man I would love to eat big like that again but I need to get rid of the large amount of fat I laid down taking it easy and being a pussy cause I hurt my back.

TDEE according to the cutting 101 told me:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 85.7) + (5 x 165) - (6.8 x 48) = 1740 x 1.55(Moderate) = 2700

so before I used the Light and it came to 2392. I subtracted 500 and came up with 1800. I know bad math, cheating to the lighter side but I was really tired of my belly poking out farther than my chest in pics.

Guess I could up to Moderate and go to 2200. I sit at a desk all day now and talk on meetings and write documents and presentations. I do take a 30 minute walk at lunch when I can.

Using those numbers once I reach a lower BF (at least get down to 14 or so) I will raise 500 and see how it goes and then another 500 till I start gaining fat too quickly. Dont really care how much I weigh as much as I want to get to and stay under 15. Ideally float over and under 12 depending on goals at that time. You know winter summer spring break week etc.

I am an old powerlifter so to speak from way back. I competed at 148 when I started and ended up in 198lb class back then. I followed Rickey Dale Crain methods. So I know how to push myself but use a little caution now to prevent injuries. I have only been back to lifting since May. I was already asked to leave the local rec center and had to find a real gym. Mumbling to yourself and looking angry as you pace then lifting intensely evidently was not allowed.

Thanks for the input made me re-check my calculations in TDEE. Have to think about making calorie adjustment. Still losing weight, strength still climbing but more slowly now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NuckinFutz68

Marsoc,

Not confused I am losing but how I am losing. I have never lost in chunks like this before. I was usually steady stream weight loss couple pounds a week at most. Now I go 10 to 14 days with no loss and then overnight seem to drop weight and start cycle again.

Water weight as mentioned may be my major culprit with HCTZ.

Man I would love to eat big like that again but I need to get rid of the large amount of fat I laid down taking it easy and being a pussy cause I hurt my back.

TDEE according to the cutting 101 told me:

BMR = 66 + (13.7 x 85.7) + (5 x 165) - (6.8 x 48) = 1740 x 1.55(Moderate) = 2700

so before I used the Light and it came to 2392. I subtracted 500 and came up with 1800. I know bad math, cheating to the lighter side but I was really tired of my belly poking out farther than my chest in pics.

Guess I could up to Moderate and go to 2200. I sit at a desk all day now and talk on meetings and write documents and presentations. I do take a 30 minute walk at lunch when I can.

Using those numbers once I reach a lower BF (at least get down to 14 or so) I will raise 500 and see how it goes and then another 500 till I start gaining fat too quickly. Dont really care how much I weigh as much as I want to get to and stay under 15. Ideally float over and under 12 depending on goals at that time. You know winter summer spring break week etc.

I am an old powerlifter so to speak from way back. I competed at 148 when I started and ended up in 198lb class back then. I followed Rickey Dale Crain methods. So I know how to push myself but use a little caution now to prevent injuries. I have only been back to lifting since May. I was already asked to leave the local rec center and had to find a real gym. Mumbling to yourself and looking angry as you pace then lifting intensely evidently was not allowed.

Thanks for the input made me re-check my calculations in TDEE. Have to think about making calorie adjustment. Still losing weight, strength still climbing but more slowly now.

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Hmm unsure. Personally I'm an easy gainer. But I can lose also with effort. I notice variations in my bmi almost daily. Unsure on specifics since i don't have a weight scale or body fat caliper etc. but I'll notice mass gains or my fat lower so I notice the muscle more , both or one of the two I guess...Almost like every other day or so. Some days I'll seem to carry a little more by my love handle area or Inbetween my arm pit and my lower outer chest is where my fat is mainly stored it seems. Unsure.
Have you been on cycle. I never tried a cycle so I can't explain that. But is it possibly from your gains I.e mass or metabolism increase from a cycle that everything is revved up and now your like an effiecent fat burning machine lol. Unsure if that is healthy or not. Are you losing muscle mass as well or just fat or bulk weight from dieting. ...sorry forw the conclusion I jumped to. I figured there was something to it. I kind of just was yapping away lol

Sure no worries. Have not cycled since 90s. Starting to see some mild separation at deltas and tris. Veins on shoulders and arms. So definitely leaner, probably lost some muscle, but I like this forums idea of getting fairly lean and then pursuing lean gains. staying 6 to 8 lbs off ideal lean-ness and doing carb cycling to dial in with some extra cardio in something I will try. Anniversary in March followed by Spring Break hopefully in Cancun. Would like to have decent abs for that so I got time.

Plotting and planning for a possible cycle but things have changed so much I got a lot to learn first. Austinite posts for now and reading Marcus HIT. Maybe over holidays since it would be to hard to cut then anyway then start cut in mid Jan again. Reading so far says to get 15% and under to even think about cycle. And if I am making progress maybe I wait to Jan and run cut cycle instead.

Yeah. I personally like to build my abs like any other muscle. But i heard you can train them every day as well as calvs. But instead of just losing fat to show them abs i like bulding them muscles. Weighted ab machine super setted with decline or incline sit ups or whatever it's called where your head is down knees elevated up laying like 50 degrees or so. Pretty steep, like mr Arnold S. Said. He doesn't like to do obliques much cuz it makes your love handles look bigger cuz the mass on the side. To late for me. Mine are pretty big lol. But side bends regardless cuz I'm all about efficiency and not aesthetics (training for a special forces program SFAS) figured looks will come with proper intensity and diet. Dedication etc.
but yeah make them abs grow and pop up like hills on a countryside drive.
I use to to do a crazy session of crunches, oblique side sit ups, leg raises plus crunches. And started to develop real nice back in the day. Still see them even though I'm an easy gainer. Vaguely. Lol. Vaguely.