The Metabolic Slowdown Thread

[craggzyB]

Hey ...wondered if ya could tell me if i have a damaged metaboism or im i crazy para......

I was once 27...5ft 8..165lb i hired a well known up and coming body builder to do me a get ripped plan....it was very overtop training plus 4-5 30min cardio a day.....i followed his plan so didnt track kcal im guessing first weeks i was on like 1500kcals and up a little after that....after that finished and having eating just boring turkey steak and brochilli 4 8 weeks i felt deprived of foods and i went on a holiday
After and put on like 10lb in a week ....when i come bck i started my own diet/tracked everything, all the calculators said my maintenance was 2700 so i started my cut on 2100 with no cardio, weights 3x week...i wasnt losing **** so i slowly lowerd kcals weekly by 200kcal till i started losing 1-2lb a week at 1600kcals with 1 refeed a week i got back down to 143lb again and hit a plateau just before xmas...i took 2 weeks break with no gym and eating arond 2100kcals (but prob bit more as it was xmas lol ) and gained like 3lb so i dieted again on 1600kcals got to lowest ive been at 142.6 (but still strugglin with stubborn navel fat) so i have introduce 3 x 50min cardio sessions...were the 1st week scales didnt budge i looked lil leaner and calipers stated i lost 1mm fat on my navel.....my question is (after reading all this thread) im i eating to low??? And doing to much??? Everywhere saying dont eat lower then 1800kcals etc but i was eating 1800 and lost nothing till i got to 1600kcals....now thats stop im i doing to much with 3x 50mins cardio a week??? I really wana get those last two cuts out on lower abs but if it sounds like im doing more damage then good by ruining my metabolsim id stop now...i just wanted to finish last two cuts then 2weeks maintence and my 1st bulk.....surly im not doing as extreme as others have and surly i havent put my metabolsim under severe stress i am kinda light guy....im not doing no contest....i thought was doing allright till reading all this 1600kcals is way to low etc....my defict has never been more then a 1000....what would you guys suggested???have i let these post get me para??? And continue my last week of the plan im on??? Or do i need start reverse dieting ??? Ive never lost anyy strength/muscle on my cut...i did feel like utter **** last week but powered through it all and maintained weight in the bar....love to here someones opinion and lay mind mind at rest lol is it un heard off for a man to have a good cut on 1600kcals???more of women kcals aint it ha but if i wasnt losing till then what can i do lol thanks guys ope some1 can shed some light

[anatomie88]

I'm wondering if this is a good strategy to lose fat when I stop reverse dieting..

Stay on maintenance for 2 weeks, then cut calories by 20% and have one refeed day a week where i eat back at maintenance calories. Add in one or two sessions of cardio a week HIIT/hill sprints

Thoughts ?

[anatomie88]

Oops I meant to say 10% deficit not 20

[lee__d]

Hey ...wondered if ya could tell me if i have a damaged metaboism or im i crazy para......

I was once 27...5ft 8..165lb i hired a well known up and coming body builder to do me a get ripped plan....it was very overtop training plus 4-5 30min cardio a day.....i followed his plan so didnt track kcal im guessing first weeks i was on like 1500kcals and up a little after that....after that finished and having eating just boring turkey steak and brochilli 4 8 weeks i felt deprived of foods and i went on a holiday
After and put on like 10lb in a week ....when i come bck i started my own diet/tracked everything, all the calculators said my maintenance was 2700 so i started my cut on 2100 with no cardio, weights 3x week...i wasnt losing **** so i slowly lowerd kcals weekly by 200kcal till i started losing 1-2lb a week at 1600kcals with 1 refeed a week i got back down to 143lb again and hit a plateau just before xmas...i took 2 weeks break with no gym and eating arond 2100kcals (but prob bit more as it was xmas lol ) and gained like 3lb so i dieted again on 1600kcals got to lowest ive been at 142.6 (but still strugglin with stubborn navel fat) so i have introduce 3 x 50min cardio sessions...were the 1st week scales didnt budge i looked lil leaner and calipers stated i lost 1mm fat on my navel.....my question is (after reading all this thread) im i eating to low??? And doing to much??? Everywhere saying dont eat lower then 1800kcals etc but i was eating 1800 and lost nothing till i got to 1600kcals....now thats stop im i doing to much with 3x 50mins cardio a week??? I really wana get those last two cuts out on lower abs but if it sounds like im doing more damage then good by ruining my metabolsim id stop now...i just wanted to finish last two cuts then 2weeks maintence and my 1st bulk.....surly im not doing as extreme as others have and surly i havent put my metabolsim under severe stress i am kinda light guy....im not doing no contest....i thought was doing allright till reading all this 1600kcals is way to low etc....my defict has never been more then a 1000....what would you guys suggested???have i let these post get me para??? And continue my last week of the plan im on??? Or do i need start reverse dieting ??? Ive never lost anyy strength/muscle on my cut...i did feel like utter **** last week but powered through it all and maintained weight in the bar....love to here someones opinion and lay mind mind at rest lol is it un heard off for a man to have a good cut on 1600kcals???more of women kcals aint it ha but if i wasnt losing till then what can i do lol thanks guys ope some1 can shed some light

I mean, first and foremost make sure you're being accurate with calorie counting. Just the way you're explaining things around xmas (I understand it's a holiday) tells me you may be lax with calorie counting.

You are light in the 140s (if that's where you are now), but seem to be active enough to be able to eat more than 1600 calories (but again, 140s is kind of light)

Maybe change your goals, reverse diet and go into a slow bulk?

How long have you been dieting overall? You said when you were 27, so almost a year? 6 months?

I'm wondering if this is a good strategy to lose fat when I stop reverse dieting..

Stay on maintenance for 2 weeks, then cut calories by 20% and have one refeed day a week where i eat back at maintenance calories. Add in one or two sessions of cardio a week HIIT/hill sprints

Thoughts ?

Oops I meant to say 10% deficit not 20

A strategy like this can be viable, it depends on if you make a deficit or not on average.

[craggzyB]

[QUOTE=lee__d;1042330053]I mean, first and foremost make sure you're being accurate with calorie counting. Just the way you're explaining things around xmas (I understand it's a holiday) tells me you may be lax with calorie counting.

You are light in the 140s (if that's where you are now), but seem to be active enough to be able to eat more than 1600 calories (but again, 140s is kind of light)

Maybe change your goals, reverse diet and go into a slow bulk?

How long have you been dieting overall? You said when you were 27, so almost a year? 6 months?


Hey thanks for the reply back dude honestly means alot ....

And Honestly i track everything...my fitness pal is my bible...i dont eat nothing that aint tracked....i just meant at xmas i was bit more not so strict and relaxed....well begining of last year (when i was 27) i started "the bodybuilders" 8 week plan and like i say went on hol added 10lb came back dieted again for 9weeks and got stuck at same 143lb....then turned 28 and took break at xmas and so bout a year on/off...now dieted down again and i booked a holiday so i did 2 weeks of lyles RFL (cat 1) to speed things up a lttle (followed it exactly) refeed for the 2days it stated and then moved by in to dieting but then stuck 142.6lb...so i thought for final two weeks of my cut(im on my last week) i included 3x50min LISS cardio sesion really try get thos stubborn lower abs out iv always stalled at..just before i start my long awaited bulk..but then flicking through here i seen alot of people saying my kcals im on way to low/plus my meabolism etc is prob dead, so i got bit edgy...but i really wasnt losing nothing on 2100kcals till i got way down to 1600kcals..(obviously gutted lol).so surly thats just the way it is or i am lol and not me nailed my metabolism....i would love to reverse dieted dude (iv only just found out about it) but im in a bit of a pickle as this cut/plan im on now is for my holiday next week... i was going to finish this cut saturday,refeed sunday then move straight in to maintenace for a week (lyles way) then go holiday for a week...then when i come back two weeks maintenace then start as you say my 1st slow bulk....does that sound ok??? Love to here ya thoughts dude

Sorry its long, hope i explained it well....

Again thank you so much for your time much appreicated ...hope i aint ****ed me sen up lol....awesome thread to ...

[anatomie88]

Thanks for the reply
I'd have to be in a deficit and at the same time make sure I don't screw up my metabolism again. :/

[lee__d]

[QUOTE=craggzyB;1042477803]

I mean, first and foremost make sure you're being accurate with calorie counting. Just the way you're explaining things around xmas (I understand it's a holiday) tells me you may be lax with calorie counting.

You are light in the 140s (if that's where you are now), but seem to be active enough to be able to eat more than 1600 calories (but again, 140s is kind of light)

Maybe change your goals, reverse diet and go into a slow bulk?

How long have you been dieting overall? You said when you were 27, so almost a year? 6 months?


Hey thanks for the reply back dude honestly means alot ....

And Honestly i track everything...my fitness pal is my bible...i dont eat nothing that aint tracked....i just meant at xmas i was bit more not so strict and relaxed....well begining of last year (when i was 27) i started "the bodybuilders" 8 week plan and like i say went on hol added 10lb came back dieted again for 9weeks and got stuck at same 143lb....then turned 28 and took break at xmas and so bout a year on/off...now dieted down again and i booked a holiday so i did 2 weeks of lyles RFL (cat 1) to speed things up a lttle (followed it exactly) refeed for the 2days it stated and then moved by in to dieting but then stuck 142.6lb...so i thought for final two weeks of my cut(im on my last week) i included 3x50min LISS cardio sesion really try get thos stubborn lower abs out iv always stalled at..just before i start my long awaited bulk..but then flicking through here i seen alot of people saying my kcals im on way to low/plus my meabolism etc is prob dead, so i got bit edgy...but i really wasnt losing nothing on 2100kcals till i got way down to 1600kcals..(obviously gutted lol).so surly thats just the way it is or i am lol and not me nailed my metabolism....i would love to reverse dieted dude (iv only just found out about it) but im in a bit of a pickle as this cut/plan im on now is for my holiday next week... i was going to finish this cut saturday,refeed sunday then move straight in to maintenace for a week (lyles way) then go holiday for a week...then when i come back two weeks maintenace then start as you say my 1st slow bulk....does that sound ok??? Love to here ya thoughts dude

Sorry its long, hope i explained it well....

Again thank you so much for your time much appreicated ...hope i aint ****ed me sen up lol....awesome thread to ...

NP. I mean you seem to just have a lot going on, jumping from maintenance to an RFL to worrying about a vacation for a week. You gotta think long term. Don't even think of it as reverse dieting or bulking, just add calories as you slowly gain weight. I think you could use some time in a mass gaining phase.

Thanks for the reply
I'd have to be in a deficit and at the same time make sure I don't screw up my metabolism again. :/

Well, a small deficit is the best way to do that.

[craggzyB]

[QUOTE=lee__d;1042855233]

NP. I mean you seem to just have a lot going on, jumping from maintenance to an RFL to worrying about a vacation for a week. You gotta think long term. Don't even think of it as reverse dieting or bulking, just add calories as you slowly gain weight. I think you could use some time in a mass gaining phase.



Well, a small deficit is the best way to do that.

Thank you so much dude....your right...iv been such a douch, worrying about **** that just dont matter and probally do my self more harm then good....iv been waiting to add mass for ages but always worried to much about those last two abs i struggle with....iv had enough of them lol sick feeling like crap,dieting all time and eating next to zilch....i quit fat loss soon as i read your reply...time to stop thinking short term and looking at the bigger picture...thanks again so much buddy just what i need...you rock ...have a great day

[Juicehead88]

Hit the "reset" button?...

After a 30lb weightloss on a PSMF diet over a year ago, I have gained 15lb back...

5'11" @ now 196lbs... about 17% BF

I am doing the 'JasonDB' 5x5 workout 3/week
Cardio 2/week

should be losing on 2000 cal but actually gained about 6 lbs over 5 weeks, really pissing me off, I measure everything!

Would you guys recommend cutting the cardio and basically adding on 100/cal a week till I am back to maintenance while still doing the 5x5 workout?

At what cal/day should I restart the process?

[lee__d]

Hit the "reset" button?...

After a 30lb weightloss on a PSMF diet over a year ago, I have gained 15lb back...

5'11" @ now 196lbs... about 17% BF

I am doing the 'JasonDB' 5x5 workout 3/week
Cardio 2/week

should be losing on 2000 cal but actually gained about 6 lbs over 5 weeks, really pissing me off, I measure everything!

Would you guys recommend cutting the cardio and basically adding on 100/cal a week till I am back to maintenance while still doing the 5x5 workout?

At what cal/day should I restart the process?

I would have to call your accuracy into question. Stalling on low calories after a while is one thing, but gaining a pound per week? Something's off.

[Juicehead88]

I would have to call your accuracy into question. Stalling on low calories after a while is one thing, but gaining a pound per week? Something's off.

Here is a typical day of what I was eating...

Breakfast Sandwich
Arnold Bread Sandwich Thins - 100 cal
1/2 cup egg beaters egg whites - 70 cal
Jimmy Dean Turkey sausage (1 patty) - 80 cal
Protein bar - 200

Lunch
Usually a subway 6" roasted chick, all veggies, no cheese, no mayo, whole wheat - 350 cal

snack
muscle milk - 170 cal

Dinner
Chicken Breast (8 oz) - 320 cal
Veggie (broccoli w/ garlic) - a cup or so 50 cal?

snack
Protein Shake
1 cup almond milk - 40 cal
2 scoops protein - 200 cal
1 banana - 100 cal

=1680 cal

This was typical, I actually had to try to eat to hit the 2000 cal mark alot of times.

Keep in mind, I already didnt eat much before this. I was lazily working out as well.

I was doing the 5x5 workout at the gym when I began 3 times per week (about 40 min)
Mountainbiking 2-3 times a week as well at least 2 hrs hard

not sure wth is happening but i'm very frustrated!

edit;

The only thing I can think of (if not metabolic slowdown)

1. I am still a decently muscular guy and after getting back serious at the gym, I gained water weight?
2. Adding more carbs back into my normal diet made me bloat even more?

[lee__d]

I don't think water weight would account for 6 weeks of steady gain. You don't deviate from this diet on the weekends?

[Juicehead88]

I don't think water weight would account for 6 weeks of steady gain. You don't deviate from this diet on the weekends?

Maybe heading out to eat but I never broke say 2300 cal at the very most. IMO, at my activity level, maintenance should be around 2600-2800 anyway.

[Grendizer]

Updating!

Have been skipping workouts and such but keeps calories the same (the reason behind this is because i've just moved to san diego around a week ago so pretty unstable, but got stable 3 days ago lol), anyways.. started back again since 3 days ago, im down to 168.8LBS and i've increased my calories a lil-bit fast from 2,100 to 2,600-2,700 (doing a slow recomp/bulk) for a bit, I'm still feeling light, and waking up feeling much better and hungry like ****! keeping proteins to a min of 150g, fat to a min of 80g, and adding the rest of the calories for what I enjoy.. really enjoying eating at 2,6k-2,7k eating that yummy american food! and feeling better about myself, any suggestions if i should even increase more than 2700? i'm working out 3x/4x a week with no cardio, just a 30-40min heavy lifting session, will monitor weight anyway, and will increase accordingly!

[Grendizer]

Maybe heading out to eat but I never broke say 2300 cal at the very most. IMO, at my activity level, maintenance should be around 2600-2800 anyway.

I was NOT losing on 1500, and gaining on 1800-2000, let me tell you how i started LOSING at 2200:

the key is 'SLOWLY REVERSE DIETING' <<< secret of the world

increase from 1,5k -> 1,6k -> 1,8k -> then you can jump to 2k (stay at each caloric limit for atleast a week), and you will keep gaining weight yes, but when you reach 2,000 you will lose in day 4-6 i guess.

[Strahany]

Ok, update time.

After a few days of exact measurements of my caloric intake (as opposed to adding it up in my head as I went along) I found that I was pretty accurate, and was getting between 1800 (my old goal) and 2000 (my old maximum) calories per day.

So, given my intake, I decided I'd start the reverse dieting at 2200 calories per day, as that is only an increase of roughly 10%.

I changed nothing in my exercise routine and kept my amount of "accidental exercise" (such as walking instead o driving) the same so that this diet change was the only variable.

Anyway, enough of that; time for the result. Last week, I weighed in at 158.3 pounds, and after one week of reverse dieting at 2200 calories per day, I weighed in at 158.0 pounds. Both measurements were done first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating. I was even wearing the same clothes, just to make sure.

I'm a little surprised that there was no weight gain, but happy that it's the case.

So now my plan for this week is to increase that to 2300 calories per day, and we'll see how it goes.

If anyones has any questions, just fire away.

[lee__d]

Maybe heading out to eat but I never broke say 2300 cal at the very most. IMO, at my activity level, maintenance should be around 2600-2800 anyway.

I'd say get a good handle on your weekends. Maybe get some blood work done to make sure everything is in check.

Updating!

Have been skipping workouts and such but keeps calories the same (the reason behind this is because i've just moved to san diego around a week ago so pretty unstable, but got stable 3 days ago lol), anyways.. started back again since 3 days ago, im down to 168.8LBS and i've increased my calories a lil-bit fast from 2,100 to 2,600-2,700 (doing a slow recomp/bulk) for a bit, I'm still feeling light, and waking up feeling much better and hungry like ****! keeping proteins to a min of 150g, fat to a min of 80g, and adding the rest of the calories for what I enjoy.. really enjoying eating at 2,6k-2,7k eating that yummy american food! and feeling better about myself, any suggestions if i should even increase more than 2700? i'm working out 3x/4x a week with no cardio, just a 30-40min heavy lifting session, will monitor weight anyway, and will increase accordingly!

Push it up as far as you can imo. Makes future cutting easier and future bulking more fun.

Ok, update time.

After a few days of exact measurements of my caloric intake (as opposed to adding it up in my head as I went along) I found that I was pretty accurate, and was getting between 1800 (my old goal) and 2000 (my old maximum) calories per day.

So, given my intake, I decided I'd start the reverse dieting at 2200 calories per day, as that is only an increase of roughly 10%.

I changed nothing in my exercise routine and kept my amount of "accidental exercise" (such as walking instead o driving) the same so that this diet change was the only variable.

Anyway, enough of that; time for the result. Last week, I weighed in at 158.3 pounds, and after one week of reverse dieting at 2200 calories per day, I weighed in at 158.0 pounds. Both measurements were done first thing in the morning after going to the bathroom and before eating. I was even wearing the same clothes, just to make sure.

I'm a little surprised that there was no weight gain, but happy that it's the case.

So now my plan for this week is to increase that to 2300 calories per day, and we'll see how it goes.

If anyones has any questions, just fire away.

Great! Just keep adding slowly.

[coughs]

I've loss 2lbs by only adding 100 calories to my diet so when do I stop adding?

[lee__d]

Maybe heading out to eat but I never broke say 2300 cal at the very most. IMO, at my activity level, maintenance should be around 2600-2800 anyway.

I've loss 2lbs by only adding 100 calories to my diet so when do I stop adding?

The idea, imo, is to push your maintenance up as high as you can. Then sit there for a little bit and then cut or bulk again if you choose.

[profamer]

I wonder why some individuals seem to be more affected by it than others. Over the last 3 years I've spent more than 24 months cutting. A lot of it was anywhere between 1700 to 2000 calories, with 3x weights and 3x 45 minute cardio per week. My maintenance is still right around 2850, which is what it's been for quite some time (it was higher than that at 350 lbs, of course, but I was practically doing squats just by getting out of my chair).

[lee__d]

I wonder why some individuals seem to be more affected by it than others. Over the last 3 years I've spent more than 24 months cutting. A lot of it was anywhere between 1700 to 2000 calories, with 3x weights and 3x 45 minute cardio per week. My maintenance is still right around 2850, which is what it's been for quite some time (it was higher than that at 350 lbs, of course, but I was practically doing squats just by getting out of my chair).

I would guess much of it is genetic.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...on-part-1.html
^ that series is a good read

And, coming from a very high weight, one can maintain a deficit even longer.

[Learner2013]

Hey lee___d,

I was thinking of creating a new thread in 'Advance Fat Loss' section, but I reckon it's better to post here first. Please bear with me through this long post, because I want to provided as much background information as possible:

I am male, 26 years old, 5 feet 9.3 inches tall and weigh 179-182 depending on the time of the day. I have always been on the lower end of my weight all my life and never even weighed myself in years, but started putting on fat little by little since 2010-2011 and probably put on 15-20 pounds in the past three years. Due to the hectic schedule of full time study and part time job, I never paid much attention to my diet and don't usually eat at specific time. A missed breakfast here or just snacked during lunch at times. I was, however, quite active back then and my part time job at local convenience store was also physically demanding; no additional exercise or sports though. Because of working at the convenience store; potato chips, cold drinks and microwave snacks/meals were part of my regular diet back then. No a big fan of sweet treats though, so no chocolates, cakes or other sugar loaded desserts.

My eating pattern weren't changed much even after I started a desk job and left college (2010-2011) and my activity level has perhaps been 1.2 since then. I am not a careless eater and neither do I frequently eat at fast food restaurants. Most of my "convenient store food" was also cut down since I started my new job, a few packs of potato chips and 3-4 can of cokes a week at most.

Long story short, I started Atkins in January 2013 and lost 8-10 pound, most of which was obviously water weight, probably lost some fat and muscle with it as well. I tracked my calories through MyFitnessPal and was having difficult even reaching 1,000 calories a day. I had to gulp down butter or use extra cheese to even reach 1200 calories a day. I did it for about three weeks, but once I read more about nutrition and got myself equipped with the basic knowledge of human physiology, I instantly quit Atkins and started introducing carbs with more balanced diet with at least 1g of protein/LBM and moderate amount of fat (0.3g-0.4g per BW in pounds). I was first worried due to the weight loss stall after gaining water weight back (182), but thought I must just be miscalculating my calories (or just eating too much in general) and starting decreasing it little by little. Here is the break down of my weekly calories and deficit along with results:

01/02 - 10/02 (Average calories 1950 per day, working out 3 days a week on multigym)
11/02 - 17/02 (Average calories 1950 per day, working out 3 days a week on multigym)
18/02 - 24/02 (Average calories 1560 per day, working out 3 days a week on multigym)
25/02 - 03/03 (Average calories 1540 per day, working out 2 days a week on multigym - sold the multigym for free weights)
04/03 - 10/03 (Average calories 1470 per day, reduced calories due to no weight training equipment)
11/03 - 17/03 (Average calories 1365 per day, bought free weights and started '5x5' at the last day of the week)
18/03 - 24/03 (Average calories 1500 with one refeed day at 2600 [weight did go a little down after refeed but went up afterwards], 5x5 progressive training 3 days a week)
25/03 - Present (Reverse dieting, eating at 1650 and planning to slowly break into 1800-1900 next week, 5x5 progressive training 3 days a week)

Start Weight - 182 Lb
At 29/03 - 179.8 Lb first thing in the morning before eating anything
BF% - 20.5% - 21.1%
A conservative caloric deficit assuming 2300 as maintenance = 34,850 k/calories


Of course, I do understanding that water retention could be one of the reasons of masking fat loss, but I think 8+ weeks are a little too long for even such drastic water retention. Even if it IS water retention, slowly increasing my calories still won't negatively effect any fat that has already been lost and will perhaps help me restore my hormones level and undo any metabolic damage.

I am also calculating my caloric intake as precisely as possible without a kitchen scale, I even measure every single spoon of ketchup, salad dressing and quantity of nuts. I am also using RegiTracker from Robby and tracking weight and BF% every single day for reference purposes (not really obsessed with it).

My only question is, am I doing it right? Does it show from my history (especially the documented part) that my metabolism is indeed damaged and I am not just using it as an excuse?

Thanks for your valuable input and reading through this wall of text!

[lee__d]

Firstly, do your average calories from My Fitness Pal subtract the activity? MFP sometimes does this and it's likely quite inaccurate.I would ONLY track intake with MFP.

On face value, you should be losing at that intake with your stats + activity as it is quite low.

[Learner2013]

Firstly, do your average calories from My Fitness Pal subtract the activity? MFP sometimes does this and it's likely quite inaccurate.I would ONLY track intake with MFP.

On face value, you should be losing at that intake with your stats + activity as it is quite low.

No, just like you suggested, I only use it for recording calorie intake with 2400 per day set as a theoretical maintenance.

I am in 1750-1800 range now, initially went up to 181.8, but down to 179.8 again as of today. I will slowly move up to 2100+ within next couple of weeks and then stay at each 100 calorie increment for at least a whole week as long as my weight stays the same. I may even try to push it above 2400 to find the actual maintenance and calculate the deficit in future from that.

Sounds reasonable? Any suggestions?

[lee__d]

No, just like you suggested, I only use it for recording calorie intake with 2400 per day set as a theoretical maintenance.

I am in 1750-1800 range now, initially went up to 181.8, but down to 179.8 again as of today. I will slowly move up to 2100+ within next couple of weeks and then stay at each 100 calorie increment for atleast a whole week as long as my weight stays the same. I may even try to push it above 2400 to find the actual maintence and calculate the deficit in future from that.

Sounds reasonable? Any suggestions?

This sounds good. I would push it up as high as you can, and remember you should probably spend a few weeks at this new maintenance to be sure you re-stabilize everything. Good luck and keep us updated.

[anatomie88]

Just updating.. I seem to have lost ~3lbs and feeling slightly leaner! My cals have been at 1600-1800 .. Which is what I've estimated maintenance to be with low activity. I'm thinking of doing a calorie cycling type diet now, have lower and higher cal days. I've definitely seen improvements in strength and everything lately which is a great feeling.. I'm so happy I discovered reverse dieting... This thread is great

[lee__d]

Just updating.. I seem to have lost ~3lbs and feeling slightly leaner! My cals have been at 1600-1800 .. Which is what I've estimated maintenance to be with low activity. I'm thinking of doing a calorie cycling type diet now, have lower and higher cal days. I've definitely seen improvements in strength and everything lately which is a great feeling.. I'm so happy I discovered reverse dieting... This thread is great

Great. That still seems a little low, so you could even try to continue reverse dieting even higher.

[md1079]

This is my first post. My goal initially is to get to 15%, currently at 22%. I have a feeling my metabolism has suffered in the past through binging and cutting way too much and at the moment I am maintaining at around 2100 (192lb, 5ft 10). According to a lot of the calculations I should be maintaining anywhere between 2600 - 2800 given activity levels so a reverse diet might be in order.. what do you guys think? I dont want to be too hasty and go adding calories so maybe I could sit at 2100 for a few weeks and see what happens on the scale.

I know that creating large deficits over time dues to diet can cause problems, can the same be said for really cranking up work rate for example high intensity circuits (like the insanity program). So staying at 2100 and doing a bit more intense exercise is going to cause a similar deficit in the body but maybe not cause the same metabolic issues?

[Retoaded]

This is my first post. My goal initially is to get to 15%, currently at 22%. I have a feeling my metabolism has suffered in the past through binging and cutting way too much and at the moment I am maintaining at around 2100 (192lb, 5ft 10). According to a lot of the calculations I should be maintaining anywhere between 2600 - 2800 given activity levels so a reverse diet might be in order.. what do you guys think? I dont want to be too hasty and go adding calories so maybe I could sit at 2100 for a few weeks and see what happens on the scale.

I know that creating large deficits over time dues to diet can cause problems, can the same be said for really cranking up work rate for example high intensity circuits (like the insanity program). So staying at 2100 and doing a bit more intense exercise is going to cause a similar deficit in the body but maybe not cause the same metabolic issues?

I'd be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you are counting correctly and that you are truly maintaining at that level first....weighing food, counting everything, etc...

[md1079]

I'd be ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you are counting correctly and that you are truly maintaining at that level first....weighing food, counting everything, etc...

Faithfully measuring all of it.. In truth I am being a bit impatient probably need to wait a week or two to get a better estimate maybe. One of my biggest crimes in the past is being impatient, I would do a couple of days cutting and workouts, look at the scale and get frustrated, easy trap to fall into I guess