Prepped the night before, and baked in the morning, this Overnight Whole Wheat Coffee Cake becomes a go-to for holiday brunch or overnight guests. This streusel-laden delight made with all whole wheat pastry flour, provides a fiber boost that your guests will love with their morning (or afternoon!) coffee.
100% whole wheat coffeecake with cinnamon, brown sugar, pecan streusel and vanilla glaze. Prepared the night before, & baked in the morning creating ease for overnight guest entertaining, or holiday brunch.
Q: I’m seriously getting discouraged. I’ve tried EVERYTHING, and it doesn’t work. Even the things that you’ve said. I feel like I’ve been stuck since the holidays. I originally had my cals set at 1200, I was losing ok until the holidays then I hit a serious plateau after falling off the wagon, w/my holiday eating. I tried to get right back on track in Jan, but the scale wouldn’t budge. So I added a bit more cardio to see if that would help. After a couple weeks I got frustrated, and the extra cardio was making me SO hungry. I kept reading about people upping their cals, and since I was starving, and it seemed to make sense, I upped mine to 1400. February, I read your posts about bulking, and figured since I wanted to gain some muscle, and wasn’t seeing results w/low cals, I’d just focus on muscle building. So I upped my cals to 2300 and started lifting heavier in addition to my 60 minutes of cardio 5xs a week, which, after a week, I saw you tell someone that that was too much cardio, so I cut back. But I kept lifting heavy like you said. I was hoping to see some good muscle definition, but I just felt like I was getting bigger. After 2-3 weeks I couldn’t see any of my muscles, even the ones that I could see before. So I couldn’t take it anymore , I had to add the cardio back in, because, I think I need more than most people. Plus I know that you just don’t like cardio, so that’s your reason for not doing it. I also just really felt like I was eating WAY too much, and had to drop my cals, but I only reduced them to 2000, nothing crazy. I also decided to try out Paleo, because a lot of my friends are seeing success with it, to see if it would help me break my plateau, and with Paleo, I find it harder for me to get in more than 2000 cals. But in March, the weather just started getting so warm, that I dropped my cals to start my cut. I just couldn’t take bulking anymore, and I HAVE to get the weight off and start losing weight, I really wanna be able to rock tank tops and shorts this year. So I set my cals at 1600, and switched to higher rep weight workouts, and I read that HIIT cardio is better for weight loss, so I’m doing that now. But now I just saw that low-intensity cardio is actually better for fat burning? I’m just so confused and getting frustrated with it all! NOTHING is working!!
A: Wow! That was a mouthful, girl, lol. I certainly feel your frustration, it can be tough when you’re trying to find the key that will make it all click for you. And you certainly have tried it all…
all.at.once.
Your body doesn’t know whether it’s coming or going. Seriously, hun, not to knock your willingness to try new things, tweak here and there to find what works for you, and even listen to me (bonus points for that one)…but, you have to pick a plan and stick with it. Your consistency with any one program is key to finding out if it will work. But trying out 18 different things at once, and not giving any of them enough time, will only keep you in a cloud of confusion…with nothing to show for your efforts, including losing weight.
When you add in too many things at once, you have no idea which thing worked/didn’t work. Be wary of changing certain eating and workouts aspects at the same time, if they are both a change to your current routine. Say you’re currently doing no cardio, yet lifting weights 3 times a week and you decide that you’d like to see how your body would react to a larger deficit. You elect to lower cals or add in cardio. Pick one. Doing both at the same time, not only brings on a myriad of other issues that I’ve already written about, but confuses you when/if you see a drop on the scale that week. Which caused the drop? Less food? The cardio? Both?…Or worse, was a drop prevented due to the combo?
Also, consider not doing too many changes with your food at once. A few examples would be:
raising/lowering cals,
eliminating entire food groups (meat/dairy/grains),
changing macros considerably (low carb, low fat),
fasting
If you did them all at the same time, how will you have any idea which is working/not working? Suppose you only needed to change one of those things, but…because you start seeing results, you have to keep them all changed, because no one thing was pinpointed. So, now you put yourself in the position to either have started something that you can’t finish– setting yourself up for failure because it’s just too hard– or resign yourself to living a life of unnecessary deprivation.I know that it’s hard because there is just SO much info out there, and we’re constantly inundated with what others are doing that’s “working” for them, but that doesn’t change the basic tenant of fat loss. Consistency. There will always be a plethora of methods, techniques, and waves of thought that will pique your interest, but that does not mean that you throw all caution to the wind and jump on every bandwagon that comes your way…especially all at once.Yes, you should be willing and prepared to change your current regimen if it’s not working. Yes, you should be willing to listen with an open mind when someone presents an aspect of health/weight loss/training that is completely different from what you’ve been doing (especially when it is backed by sound research). Yes, your regimen should be ever changing, like the seasons of the year. Long enough to enjoy, yet ending just as you’ve become acclimated, with the promise of return in it’s due time.
But…
It should not be like a celebrity marriage, ending before it even begins. Doomed from the start because there are way too many outside forces involved, with the “newest” thing just awaiting the opportunity to catch your eye and lead you astray.
We all need to take the time to become in-tuned with our bodies and understand what action leads to what result. This ONLY comes from taking time with each individual change to understand the bodies reaction to it, see if it leads in the desired direction. Yet at the same time realizing that quick fixes will NOT last forever. So, when you hear something that sounds interesting, and you’d like to give it a try, take a moment and evaluate:
How long have I been doing what I’m currently doing?
Is what I’m currently doing working?
How does this “new” thing differ from my “current” thing?
How long is it taking other people to receive results using this new method? (max and minimum amount of time) And what are those results?
How much time am I willing to dedicate to this method?
What changes, relative to my weight/height/body composition/bodyfat % am I hoping to see?
How will I feel if I put in 4-6 weeks with this method and receive/not receive the results that I want? (Remembering that some changes require longer commitments than others)
If I find that this plan/method/idea works, for me/I’d like to give it longer than 4-6 weeks, how will I incorporate it in with other things that I’ve found to “work” for a fully comprehensive, personalized to me program?
Allowing yourself the time and thought process such as this, will not only help to steer you from the “lose 10 lbs in 10 days” nonsense mentality promoted by mass media, but will help you to be more prepared for adapting your regimen to different methods that you find yourself wanting to try. Giving yourself guidelines ahead of time, will also aid in keeping you committed and calm with your new changes, instead of second guessing yourself within a week, running to a new “tweak” or compounding on the current one. It will also help you to evaluate, how/if to incorporate it in with other changes that you’ve found that work. You may find many things that “work” along the way, but is not necessary to try/attempt them all (especially all at once). It is also, of the utmost importance, to always have the elusive “trump card.” In the dieting industry, these are known as “stubborn fat loss” methods. Don’t dive into these too soon in your journey, as “stubborn” means that you should already be fairly lean (as in visible abs), and are trying to get the last vanity pounds to move (as in competition or photoshoot lean). These techniques are NOT for the general fat loss community with lots of fat to lose.
In the game of fat loss, you NEVER want to throw all your cards on the table, from the jump.
Keep things fresh, always have a plan, but…always have another trick up your sleeve.
Because increasing calories always brings some concerns, I thought it might be helpful to have a synopsis of the process. We’re all different, and of course will respond in different ways, but at some point during the process we may feel like we are all alone in our reactions to increased cals.
We often hear the success story of the person that upped their cals and dramatically started losing weight again, and I find that this can often lead to calorie increasing being looked at just as any other “fad diet.‘ With claims sometimes sounding similar to those of magazines, “lose 10 lbs in 10 days” many want to jump on the calorie upping bandwagon and start shedding that weight again. And who could blame us, we’ve all obviously been there, losing and gaining the same pounds over and over again, and we just want it off and are “willing to try anything”
Or are we?
It’s very important to note that although many see success very shortly after upping their cals, that this is not the case for most. In fact it’s quite the opposite. I am a STRONG proponent of giving your body the proper fuel that it needs, but it’s extremely important for me to make this point clear:
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A QUICK FIX, YOU’VE COME TO THE WRONG PLACE.
Seriously, I’m not trying to be mean, just stating the facts. I know that many people are coming to this decision for different reasons, some are on those last few stubborn pounds, and others are just beginning their journey. Whether you have 5 or 100 lbs to lose, the process CAN work for you, but much patience and the correct frame of mind are required. Regardless of where you are or why you want to eat more, keep the main point the main point: It’s time to stop starving your body, and get/keep your metabolism on the right track. period. everything else that happens as a result (building muscle, losing fat, looking good, finally being able to wear shorts/bikini, etc) are just extra. Yes, we’re all a bit vain, in that we want to look good, and there is nothing wrong with that, but there are a zillion different “quick fixes” and starvation/over-exertion plans out there if that’s the route that you want to go (again, and again as you continue to re-gain the same weight), but I can assure you, this ain’t one of ’em.
So enough of that part of my ramble, and on to what to expect:
Upon starting this process, some dive in w/little to no knowledge, and some take it slow. What I’ve found over time, is that those who take the time to properly educate themselves and prepare for the mental aspect, have much greater success. Often those that dive in, thinking that they’ll up their cals and fit into that bikini by next Friday have a rude awakening. We see the success stories of those that up their cals, but we don’t see the mental transition that had to take place before/during the process.
Typically, a person is coming into this process after already having had “success” on lower cal diets, therefore this “success” (and I use quotes because they have typically re-gained the weight) will always be at the forefront of their mind as a “just in case this doesn’t work” option. So the first place of mental acceptance that a person has to arrive at is: IF YOU GAIN THE WEIGHT BACK, OR HAVE COMPLETELY STALLED, IT WASN’T A “SUCCESS.” A person who does not feel this way, will run at the first sign of trouble. You have to become completely convinced that super low cals, excessive cal burns through exercise, and eating under your BMR are no longer an option. Lowering cals, begets lowering them more during plateaus, and becomes a slippery slope, especially if you are already a too low of a cal level. You’ll eventually drop into that gray area, and your body either starts holding on to every morsel of fat, or completely stalls out. Think of it this way: WHEN YOUR CAR “RUNS OUT OF GAS,” IS IT “TECHNICALLY” COMPLETELY EMPTY? More than likely there is still some smidgen of gas in there, right?. But just not enough to make the large body of metal “go.” This is what happens to your body when you make it try to operate on bare minimums.
Now, let’s say that you “get” all that, and are ready to get this party started and start losing weight again, all while stuffing your face. I mean, we can eat like it’s Thanksgiving everyday and watch the lbs melt off? It’s a win, win, eh? Um….no. The next thing that a person will have to realize it that, the longer you have been in the super deficit/overexertion phase, the more patience you’ll need to have during your “re-feed” phase. Yes, ultimately you want those lbs to melt off, but some people need to take a couple of steps back first, and will actually GAIN some “scale” weight up front (the “scale weight” can be different for each person, sometimes it’s just bloat/water weight, sometimes a person has lost the weight unhealthily, and the body must first recoup before it can function properly).
The analogy that I like to use here can be understood by anyone who has a newer phone (be it Blackberry or iPhone), or other rechargeable device. When your battery runs out on your phone, it doesn’t matter what you do to it, there’s only one way to make it work again (other than putting in an entirely new, newly charged battery). You have to plug it in. Most phones or devices nowadays, will not start working the second that you plug them in. They often need a few minutes of “re-feed” charging before they will even *turn on*. Then once they’re turned on, you can’t just unplug them and walk away, you have to wait. Different devices take different amounts of time to charge, and different charging sources also come into play. If I plug my iPhone into the wall charger (when completely dead), it takes about 1-5 minutes before it can turn on, and then another 30-1hr before it’s completely charged. However, when I plug it into the USB on my PC, or car charger, it takes all.day.long. But, regardless of where I charge it, and how long the process takes, the end result is that it’s now charged, and I can unplug it, walk away and expect it to perform whatever command I give it. I can continue to expect this, as long as I continue to charge it properly from here on out (not letting it go completely dead again), for the life of the phone.
Such is the case for your body. Your individual needs may vary. Your recharge may be different from the next person, you may have to gain a couple of pounds (not turn on yet) until your body has had it’s set “internal” time of charging. Then you may have to sit at a standstill/maintenance (still plugged in) until your body is fully charged. Once you reach this point, you will be able to move forward (finally unplug), give your body commands and expect full compliance, as long as you treat it right, agreeing not to starve it again. Quality/sources of food (wall charger vs. USB) will also affect the variations in length to the process for different people.
If you’ve been a “low carber” for a while, then expect some water retention as you add healthy carbs back into your life. It’s ok. Your body needs carbs and has to learn to adapt to them again. In this scenario, probably 98% of the gain that you “see” will be water.
If you’ve been a low cal “binge-er” (eating low cals for an extended period of time, then having a “binge” ever so often in moments of “weakness”), then expect your body to react negatively at first. It will assume that this is just another one of your “binges” and that “starvation” is just around the corner, thus the desire to hold on to everything that comes through. Once it senses that it will receive regular feedings, it will react accordingly by actually letting go..
Remember, your body does not give a darn about your “weight loss” goals. It has one goal- survival. It’s up to you to convince it that you’re on the same team, and it will stop fighting you.
Some people see results in a week or two, some need 4-6 weeks or more for things to completely balance out. Know this going in, and prepare to be in it for the long haul. The first 2 weeks are usually the mental aspect of eating more and convincing your mind/body that you are on the right track despite scale fluctuations. Following weeks, may become easier as far as the eating aspect goes, but be prepared for discouragement if the scale is still not moving. This is normal, and not the time to run for the hills. Often times a person needs to eat in a hypercaloric (surplus) or eucaloric (maintenance) state for some time before their body believes that they are not “crying wolf.”
Give your mind/body enough time to be fully convinced. Remember that your life will (hopefully) last for several more years, giving yourself deadlines like “this summer” or “tank top season” does not register w/your body. If you plan on “eating more” for the rest of your life, then this will only be a very short time in the grand scheme of things.
You will hear me say, over and over to people that are on the “Eat More” or “metabolism repair” path:
Take your time, pace yourself, enjoy the journey, and don’t quit just short of the finish-line.
Trust the process. You can/will reach your goals.
This is your life, not The Biggest Loser. There is no cash prize for starving yourself, while working out 6 hours/day.
Q:How many weeks should you cut or bulk? I’m so confused as to how low and high I should go. How do I figure it out? I still have a lot of body fat on my thighs that I need to get rid of. I want to build my upper body but think I need to get rid of some of my fat first. Help! What do I do first?
A: When you’re first starting, your Bulk Cut Cycle length can be shorter, until you become more familiar/trusting in the process. I often suggest trying a month of each to start (alternating). As you become more comfortable with bulking, the longer time you can spend in it, the more progress you’ll see. Right now, I do it based on seasons. It’s more convenient for me to bulk during the holidays/cooler months, etc.. It’s much less “mental” for me then, LOL. So, my bulk runs 3-4 months, minimum, right now.
Cutting should be closely monitored and you should try your best not to undo your efforts from your bulk. That’s why I recommend alternating at first. During your cut keep protein levels consistent, cardio moderate (until close to the end), try to let the food do the work, and don’t slash the calories all at once. Give yourself wiggle room as you hit plateaus. My cut is usually during spring, never lasting more than my bulk in length (12-16 weeks is typical). I lose as slow as possible (~.5lb/wk), to prevent muscle loss.
During your bulk, take the opportunity to get your cals as high as possible, without overdoing it (200-300 cals over maintenance is a decent starting point). If you bulk for an extended period of time and find your body adapting to the higher calorie level, try raising them a bit higher to see how your body handles it. This will allow for a metabolism reset, allowing you to cut/maintain at higher levels than before. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to cut/maintain at more relaxed cal levels. Because you are lifting exceptionally heavy during your bulk (with lower reps) your body will be able to put those cals to proper use (vs having to budget them as when you’re in a deficit). A basic way of seeing how much you should eat during your bulk, to start, is to use the EM2WL calculator set to “gain muscle.” Women can gain a max of around .25lbs of muscle each week, so this will supply just the right amount of surplus to make sure minimal fat is gained. You can also use that as a reference for how long to bulk for (i.e. say you’re not willing to gain more than 5lbs, plan the bulk for ~10 wks/5lbs, whichever comes first). Even though it seems oxymoronic, because muscle takes up so much less space than fat, you can usually get quite far along in your bulk before the gain is noticeable. More women notice it on the scale before seeing the “gain” on their bodies. But the scale is usually enough to scare us, and make us wanna run, lol.
So, once familiar with the process, you may be better off bulking until you “feel” bulky (aka jeans get too tight, lol), then cutting a bit — and repeating as necessary. You’ll notice that the more you bulk, your cut doesn’t last as long as you planned, because most of the “weight” is muscle, and looks completely different (which is why the scale can’t determine your goals). I’m the same size as my previous “fat” weight, but about 5 sizes smaller, for reference.
Also, it’s perfectly acceptable to start your bulk before reaching “goal” weight. I did. I never have figured out what “goal” was. After so many bulk/cut cycles, my weight vs clothing size doesn’t even make sense anymore, lol.
Q: So I’ve been tossing around the idea of bulking to build muscle, and it’s got my mind spinning, lol.. That just seems crazy. Not there mentally yet… I have lost SO much weight, and the thought of putting on more just doesn’t sit right w/me yet, I guess. I know that you believe that you have to build muscle before you can cut/define it, but I honestly beg to differ, as I’ve never “bulked” and I know I see muscles. I’ve been doing most of the other things that you usually talk about: not starving myself (1800+ cals for deficit), lifting really heavy, moderate cardio here and there. And, because I’m still in a slight deficit, the scale keeps going down!
But most of all, I have gained so much definition…I would hate to lose what I have by going into a bulk…I am starting to get a headache with trying to figure out what I need to be doing. My goal is not so much the weight loss, as it is fitting back into my size 4 and looking toned, you know. I am almost there…I got on my smallest 6’s so I know I am a hair away from my 4 slacks…at that point, I just want to be cut you know what I mean. So, is there a loophole in your “eat at surplus to gain muscle” argument, or am I missing something/the exception to the rule?
Cutting w/higher cals + heavy lifting = amazing results
A: A bigger person actually carries a larger amount of muscle mass,* naturally (the bigger the person, the more muscle). This is due to the fact that regular everyday movements (i.e. getting up out of a chair, pushing yourself out of bed in the AM, picking up your child) are essentially strength training movements (squats, tricep press, deadlift/bicep curl) due to the extra mass on the frame adding “weight” to the movement. The problem is there also is an extremely high ratio of fat covering that muscle (as a person who has been “bulking” – eating at surplus/lifting in low reps with high weight– might develop some fat along with the muscle).
So because you started this journey at such a high weight, and have kept weight training in the mix, technically what you’ve been doing is “cutting.” You’re just doing it properly by eating right (1800 cals to lose is AWESOME, btw) and keeping heavy weight training involved. This is more ideal than the person that just slashes cals to the bare minimum, and ODs on cardio (who would plow through their muscle store a bit more quickly).
Keys to remember:
to build muscle (aka bulk) = eat at slight surplus, lower the reps, up the weights, cardio optional
to lose fat while maintaining/defining muscle (aka cut) = eat at a slight deficit, continuing to lift heavy, adding in cardio as needed
So what you’re doing now, is what I recommend for most people starting from a much higher weight. Eating just under maintenance, but still lifting heavy and consistently (cutting) until getting down to a more comfortable weight range (or until newbie gains cease), before beginning bulk/cut cycles. The exception to this is if a person has gone into starvation mode from starting this path on a “biggest loser” mission (hours of cardio/huge calorie deficit), and has hit a plateau. I would recommend that person to do a metabolism reset/mini bulk before resuming cutting at much a slower rate (less cardio/higher cals than before).
You’ll know when the time comes to bulk, when you’ve ceased getting any beginner gains. But, as long as you’re getting the definition, etc that you seek, you’re fine. It’s hard to describe until it happens, but you just know.
The exception to this, would be the completely sedentary obese person, who, do to non-movement has experienced extreme muscle atrophy.
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