Down from 185 to 155, now hard to maintain

[dlee7283]

I have been using the app LoseIt! which has seriously changed my eatings habits but I feel like I am getting a borderline eating disorder going on. I have been eating about 1450 calories a day as a 5'7 man and 34 year since the beginning of November and it has worked well for me. I would burn about 200-400 calories a day at the gym when a got up to the 1600 mark certain days but usually I have been able to have days where I take in 1100 and am able to make it through the day even though I beginning to eat 2300 a day now and there was a day I ended up getting 3500 just from being so hungry the last week. I still eat the same things I did to lose the weight to begin with but now my body is craving things like Chocolate and Peanut Butter and even flat out Bread and there is no way to portion those type of foods into anything under the 400 calorie limit and feel full for 6 hours.

my go to foods to feel me up are egg whites, I will eat a dozen a day and feel good but now even those arent working. Its like my body is demanding I eat more fattening foods and I find everything I am craving in the dreaded 700-1200 calorie range like a big Hamburger or Crazy Bread. I know this is ok sometimes but I feel eating this will take away from me enjoying fruits such as plums,bananas and pears. I just know if I get to liberal I could easily put on 10 pounds acting like I deserve to eat more now.

Should I drink more water to offset this. Everything I was doing isn't working as effectively now. I am just trying to keep my lean muscle, not bulk up at the gym for 2 hours like these 3,000 calorie plans act like is ok after a cut. I only stay in the gym for 30 minutes a day because of work.

Any tips after extreme dieting after the 3 month mark would help.

[Heisman2]

How did your lifting numbers change during your cut? How many grams of protein did you average daily during your cut?

[dlee7283]

I mainly focus on building type 1 muscle, havent gotten to to extreme weights yet. I just wanted to lose weight

my day was usually

3 tablespoons of peanut butter powder
12 egg whites
1 black bean chipotle gardenburger
grilled chicken breast from wendy's with 1 bun

rest of the day was 5 diet cokes with the crush 10 calorie packets thrown in( I was drinking 3 energy drinks a day, had to make a compromise)
oatmeal(200 calories)- some days
popcorn(200 calories)- some days
2 100 calorie pringles packages
1/2 cup of metamucil

now I am craving bread and alot of it, like Pita especially. my calorie thing is saying i burn 2600 calories a day resting but that doesnt seem right, i feel for my age and doing light cardio i am probably at 2200,2300. I always conservative on what i think my body needs.

So i feel like after a certain point protein doesnt keep you full. Carbs sure dont as much but the flavor profile of white rice is all i think about somedays with terikayi chicken. I gorge on white rice when I eat it so I have to be careful as a sushi habit is what got me puffy to begin with years back.

I dont eat alot of dairy, mainly soymilk with no sugar if I have to but the craving for cheese and almonds has been especially high lately, u just cant eat a small amount and feel full is the problem. You gotta be willing to eat 600-800 calorie worth of it to feel full it seems.

Basically what food do I need to incorporate going forth to maintain on a daily basis, Not really cheat foods, just foods that I might be missing out on that make you feel full. I am done with Tuna Fish and Herring for now.

[Heisman2]

So, how did your lifting numbers change during your cut?

[ErikTheElectric]

Eating 1,400 calories isn't going to get you anywhere. At certain points, and body fat levels.. your body doesn't like where it's at.

If you keep fighting it, your body is going to fight back.

[Mikeez0]

@OP Stop starving yourself, your body is simply craving fats and carbs, not exactly chocolate. Eat everything in moderation, keep in mind you need at least 70 grams of fat a day.
Just a real question. How is your libido on such a starvation diet?

[Mrpb]

Start lifting on a proper routine. Start eating a proper diet. Read the stickies.

[BrightonBomber]

You've gone too extreme and your diet is awful, no fruit, veg in the form of popcorn, you're probably malnourished, that combined with your very low calorie intake is resulting in your body screaming at you to eat anything to address this, so you are getting these mad cravings.

You've basically crash dieted and as is often the case you're now feeling the bounce back from that which will manifest itself in binges like the day you ate 3500 cals. You can keep self sabotaging yourself or you can do what others have said and get on a more moderate, balanced, sustainable weight loss plan.

So read the stickies, maintain a smaller deficit, eat a healthy, balanced diet and then prevent yourself from going crazy trying to fight constant cravings.

[AussieAthletics]

Bump yourself up to 200-2100 calories for a week with getting atleast 70g of fat and see how you feel/weigh after the week.

[okayest]

Don’t try to make a meal solely out of chocolate, cheese, nuts or bread if you want to eat them and be full. Include portions alongside less calorie dense foods.

Did you even mention a vegetable once? Those should be the basis for meals if you have a big appetite and not a lot of calories.

[R5GT]

This would happen to me every time i crash dieted, I would lose the weight fast and then find it near impossible to maintain, despite trying my hardest to do it, i thought all the people that gained weight back after a diet were the ones who stopped tracking and exercising afterwards and that i would have no problem sticking to maintenance since i had the discipline for a large deficit maintenance would be easy and feel like i was eating loads. WRONG There is definitely some kind of rebound effect the body has after a crash diet. Layne norton has talked about it in some of his videos.

My advice is simply give your self a week or two of just eating in a surplus and let your body normalize again, a good 500kcal per day so what if you gain a couple of lbs in 2-3 weeks, Let your body normalize then go in a sensible 500kal deficit and be back where you was without these negative side effects.

[JackMan017]

Tips/Advice
Lay off extreme dieting
Aside from eating proteins & fats, eat a good amount of carbs from veggies with lots of fiber (i.e. broc, asparagus, zucchini, spinach, eggplant, etc..) Can't stress that one enough, will help you "feel" more full.
Move your eating schedules if need be, and see how you feel. (Not saying to do this permanently, just be flexible with it and how you feel during times)

[dlee7283]

thanks for all the advise, it terms out veggies was what I was missing. I had about 2 1/2 cups of sweet peas this morning steamed and they filled me up alot more than I thought they would. I had been eating creamed spinach early in my weight loss with udon noodles but I was feeling super bloated all day from the sodium of the seasoning. Turns out it was the noodles causing it which have alot of empty carbs even mixed with spinach. I hope to incorporate spinach again with the sweet peas.

As for an earlier question my libido I rarely have gotten horny with the massive decrease in calories but the one night I had 3500 calories with rich fatty foods I found myself having it again. In a way ive enjoyed it as I dont find myself a slave to it along with foods like I did. Would like to find a new balance on this as well though.


My goal is 145 but I will try to maintain now with a variation in diet that doesnt starve me as much yet doesnt overdo it or make me feel entitled to eat more.

[zorpit]

You’ve made great progress. Great transformation. As others have stated, instead of fighting the cravings and ending up binging, take a week of purposely eating more cals. Keep it healthy and controlled. Focus on getting an adequate amount of fats.

If you’ve been eating 1400ish, jump it up to 2k. Start tracking your macros if you haven’t already been doing so. Really focus on getting those daily fats in. Maybe 60g a day or so. They will help with your hormones and cravings. Get 150g of protein a day too. You will gain some water weight from this. Expect it. Don’t let it discourage you into going back to cutting. Go the whole week. Otherwise you’ll just end up back where you are now and probably end up binging.

After a week of that you’ll feel much better and be able reassess where you want to go from that point. Cut more, maintain, or lean bulk.

I’ve been in the same scenario. Get that controlled week in and you’ll feel much better. You’ve trained yourself how to lose weight, now you have to train yourself how to maintain. Good luck.

[PeterDInga]

hthis ^

[culican]

My goal is 145

You have an eating disorder.

[ErikTheElectric]

You have an eating disorder.

Refrain from posting crap like this. You have no basis or reason to diagnose someone with a disorder over an internet forum.

[dlee7283]

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These are my latest results. Thank to everyone for the advice on what I needed to tweak. You can see my weight struggle I've the years on my profile.

What helped me was oatmeal mixed with pea protein and Splenda along with steamed sweet potatoes.

Also fixed my heavy carbs craving by allowing cibiatta bread into my diet in moderation.

I drink a lot of cold brew coffee with almond milk. I also allow myself a small bag of yogurt pretzels. I also still eat alot of popcorn lol

I got totally burned out on eggs and green beans though.

[Nedo]

Sounds like you lost 30lbs in 2 months, that is far too aggressive and no wonder you are starving your balls off. I would keep it to no more than 1lb a week at your stats. You should find that your hunger cravings aren't as bad. Most people will have some level of hunger on a cut, that is normal. You are not eating enough, nor are you eating smart for being in a deficit. You need to experiment and eat foods that fill you up. Protein is the most satiating macro so ensure you are getting atleast 0.7g/lb.

Work in an olive oil based salad into your macros. Salad does decent in terms of satiety. You eat no veg anyway!

I would ditch the plumbs and bananas too unless you feel they fill you up. For me, apples and pears fill me up the most.

Consume the fiber prior to meals, this will also help with fullness and not overeating. You can also drink water prior to meals to assist with this.

Nothing wrong with a cheat meal here and there IMO, just don't go too crazy and never leave cheat food in the house until you are ready to have a cheat day. Out of sight, out of mind.

[Tommy W.]

You need to go back to maintenance for awhile. Endless cutting never works. Just relax the cals a bit. You may gain a couple of lbs however when you go back to cutting you'll be fresh and ready to go to the next level, personally I wouldn't lose any more fat regardless. Being super lean is not healthy in the least.

[dlee7283]

You need to go back to maintenance for awhile. Endless cutting never works. Just relax the cals a bit. You may gain a couple of lbs however when you go back to cutting you'll be fresh and ready to go to the next level, personally I wouldn't lose any more fat regardless. Being super lean is not healthy in the least.

I ended up going back into maintenance in September 2019. I was able to gain back weight over time at a slower healthier pace but after the 2021 holiday season where I drank alot of wine and ate alot of carbs (Pizza/Peanut Butter) along with not watching my calorie tracker; I must have easily gained 7-10 pounds. I have had covid twice but that should only account for like 5 pounds overall IMHO.

I was down to 142 at one point, I have a picture of me at 145 in July 2019 where I was probably near my leanest. In January 2022 I am at 169 and I believe I have "dirty bulked" long enough. I thought gaining weight would help with muscle building yet I learned some of this is genetics. I was at 210 at my highest in my adult life so I am glad I am not like 190 now facing a bigger uphill battle.

I started noticing that the weight( prob 15-17 pounds, over a slow period of time) creped back on about a year ago and last summer I noticed my abs were gone. I started walking everyday 10k-20k steps to counteract this but the calories in and increased hunger from just walking prob increased my calories so I was still eating 300 calories over maint each day. I started to eat like a normal person as people said I was skinny enough in late 2019 yet we all know a "normal" person can easily gain 20 pounds in a year from just eating whatever and not watching what u eat.

I did learn a few things.....

-When u get super lean ur sex drive gets way down if ur in a deficit for over a year. It was nice to take a break from this as I focused on other things during that time.

-Too much protein isn't always good, I feel like carbs really benefit brain health. I noticed alot more depressing days than I did when I stopped my deficit. Could be just from not enough calories though.

-You buy and can wear cloths u never thought of wearing. Instead of shopping for huskier men's jeans at Walmart u go to department stores and seek out higher quality cloths


-People that were use to u heavier actually treat u differently compared to you much thinner. It was actually a negative experience in some ways as some people slowly just stopped talking to me.

-People that were overweight who saw that my method could drop weight without surgery or drugs didn't really care. They continued to be fat even though knowing me for a long period of time and knowing I was heavy at one time. Some people just can't be reached

I have actually enjoyed life at how I feel 165-170 yet I know I wont be happy at this weight long-term so I am going back into a deficit with what I know now. I think 155 is a good starting point and then re-access how I feel mentally. I feel like including more carbs in my diet this time around but get rid of some of the microwavable meals that can put weight on longterm at night. I am not going to lie though, When I was 142 I felt superhuman in what I was doing in some ways.

Also just using this thread to help other people and track my progress.

[AdamWW]

I ended up going back into maintenance in September 2019. I was able to gain back weight over time at a slower healthier pace but after the 2021 holiday season where I drank alot of wine and ate alot of carbs (Pizza/Peanut Butter) along with not watching my calorie tracker; I must have easily gained 7-10 pounds. I have had covid twice but that should only account for like 5 pounds overall IMHO.

I was down to 142 at one point, I have a picture of me at 145 in July 2019 where I was probably near my leanest. In January 2022 I am at 169 and I believe I have "dirty bulked" long enough. I thought gaining weight would help with muscle building yet I learned some of this is genetics. I was at 210 at my highest in my adult life so I am glad I am not like 190 now facing a bigger uphill battle.

I started noticing that the weight( prob 15-17 pounds, over a slow period of time) creped back on about a year ago and last summer I noticed my abs were gone. I started walking everyday 10k-20k steps to counteract this but the calories in and increased hunger from just walking prob increased my calories so I was still eating 300 calories over maint each day. I started to eat like a normal person as people said I was skinny enough in late 2019 yet we all know a "normal" person can easily gain 20 pounds in a year from just eating whatever and not watching what u eat.

I did learn a few things.....

-When u get super lean ur sex drive gets way down if ur in a deficit for over a year. It was nice to take a break from this as I focused on other things during that time.

-Too much protein isn't always good, I feel like carbs really benefit brain health. I noticed alot more depressing days than I did when I stopped my deficit. Could be just from not enough calories though.

-You buy and can wear cloths u never thought of wearing. Instead of shopping for huskier men's jeans at Walmart u go to department stores and seek out higher quality cloths


-People that were use to u heavier actually treat u differently compared to you much thinner. It was actually a negative experience in some ways as some people slowly just stopped talking to me.

-People that were overweight who saw that my method could drop weight without surgery or drugs didn't really care. They continued to be fat even though knowing me for a long period of time and knowing I was heavy at one time. Some people just can't be reached

I have actually enjoyed life at how I feel 165-170 yet I know I wont be happy at this weight long-term so I am going back into a deficit with what I know now. I think 155 is a good starting point and then re-access how I feel mentally. I feel like including more carbs in my diet this time around but get rid of some of the microwavable meals that can put weight on longterm at night. I am not going to lie though, When I was 142 I felt superhuman in what I was doing in some ways.

Also just using this thread to help other people and track my progress.

Jesus Christ… why did you bump this?

[snailsrus]

So you stopped lifting and started to eat normally? Well I’m sure your mental health thanks you.

[Strawng]

Jesus Christ… why did you bump this?

LMAO something tells me OP might be a bit of a neurotic type...

So you stopped lifting and started to eat normally? Well I’m sure your mental health thanks you.

His newfound "mental health", and I use that term loosely, will only last til he embarks on another stupid deficit. To be fair, I suppose it's good he waited 4 fuking years to try it again.

[EliKoehn]

I just see this as an update on his own personal situation since so much time has passed. What's the problem with that? :/

[faithbrah]

I just see this as an update on his own personal situation since so much time has passed. What's the problem with that? :/

my guess is adam didn't see it was the OP who bumped, and neither did i. it's so rare to see