how long do you stay on a diet to see if its working for u?

[bluebandana457]

I was wondering how long i should stick with my current diet/workout before seeing if i need to change anything. i have upped my cals recenetly after reading new rules of lifting for women and did the number calcs, i have not been as weak and tired but i also notice that my stomach doesnt seem as flat. i did have a cheat last weekend so maybe im still bloated from that? but how long until you start to see results before you make changes? THANKS

[terracotta]

I give it two weeks. After a lot of trial and error, you will find what works for you. Are you counting calories? That's the only way I've gotten consistent results.

[bluebandana457]

yes,i log everything in mydailyplate.com

[CrazyEnough]

When increasing cals (good call btw!! ), the body will often need a few weeks to adjust. Meaning the scale can be quite the bitch!!lol 2-3 weeks of gauging everything from cals, to activity and measurements should be plenty.

[freebirdmac]

I stuck with my higher cal level and no cardio plan for 8 weeks. I did see my tummy was not as flat and it did bother me. But on the 9th week I dropped back to maintenance and the belly flattened out again in about a week. So don't worry. If you feel better and are making better muscle gains, keep it going. If you really feel the need to lower the cals, be conservative. Drop by 50 instead of 100.

BTW, that lower cal level was good for only 1 week then I started feeling lousy. Guess that new muscle needs more food! So I'm now consuming in between maintenance and the higher cal level.

[trainwithrae]

realistically you should be able to tell if something is not quite right after a full week, for good measure I'd wait the two weeks but I know my body well enough now that if nothing is happening after a week i need to make some type of adjustment assuming I have been consistent with the diet and training.

[jess1228]

I just started on NROL4W as well and am also feeling a bit "fluffy," but I I'm planning on sticking with this calorie level for at least a month (as the book suggests) before I decide if I want to change anything. I have heard the workouts get extremely demanding, and I am not sure if I would be able to give them my all if I cut calories too much.

You said that you are "not feeling as weak and tired" -- do you really want to live life -- and complete a very demanding workout -- feeling weak and tired? Give your body the food it needs!