Q: Fix my metabolism, and lose fat by increasing calories?! I don’t get it. Why in the world would I do that?! I don’t want to risk gaining weight. I want this weight off NOW!!
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A: Increasing calories for fat loss can be scary. When approaching fat loss, we have to look at the big picture. We should not simply focus on losing the weight by fill-in-the-blank-occasion/date. Think of where you want to be when the journey is over. The body has an amazing ability to adapt to whatever stresses you put it through:
When we consistently challenge ourselves in the weight room, our muscles adapt — getting bigger and stronger.
When we consistently challenge ourselves with cardio, our bodies catabolize some muscle tissue to become faster and more efficient at the endurance activity.
When we consistently eat at a caloric deficit, our bodies naturally assume that the deficit is the new maintenance, and lowers your metabolism to meet the demand.
So we must take all the above into consideration when beginning our journey. We must decide where we want to be when it’s over; then set our goals, calories, and workouts in alignment with that plan. Someone who has under-eaten (read: dieted) for extended periods of time, must accept that their body may have adapted to a much lower-than-necessary calorie level. If this calorie level is well below what their body needs to survive, then fat loss may have stalled while the body tends to more important processes. Increasing calories and doing what we refer to a “metabolism reset” allows your body to take a break from the stress of dieting. It allows your body to become accustomed to eating proper amounts of food again, reminding your body of what maintenance level eating really is. When Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) returns to a normal state, a deficit can be reintroduced to resume fat loss goals.
Q: So I think maybe I will take it slowly – increasing calories to see what happens. How long do you suggest I do this for? I’m not scared to do it and really want to figure this out. I’m super dedicated to getting in shape and I will do whatever I have to do to make it work!
A: We suggest thatyou take your time increasing calories, to minimize shock to the body and give proper time for the mentality shift. There are some who feel that they will chicken out if they take to long — so they prefer to “rip-the-bandaid” and just get started. The choice is personal, as only you know yourself well enough to decide.
Personally, I did it very gradually.
Take the time to set up your true maintenance level and work from there. It really will feel like a guessing game until you do. Trust that it will feel so good to finally be in control. You won’t be starving yourself, only to have your weight shoot back up as soon as you eat normal again. It may seem (upfront) that this means you will take longer to lose the weight than the usual fast track (eat nothing, cardio madness) route, but consider the truth. If you’re at a plateau (now) anyway, how will you ever know if it really took longer? Perhaps (and most likely) you will just stay at or keep hitting the same plateau. You really have nothing to lose, and you don’t want to spend the rest of your life lowering calories.
As women, our metabolism starts decreasing every decade after 30, requiring us to eat lower calories. So you want to make sure that you start out at the highest end of that spectrum NOW. With no plan of action, sure — you may eventually come to the point where you have to eat 1300 calories and workout three hours/day to maintain your physique. Alternatively, you can put it off for a few more decades, or prevent it altogether by adding enough muscle mass and eating enough now.
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: Seems like more and more people are “bulking,” I guess I’m wondering if I’m missing out on some hidden benefit of it. I get that it helps to put on muscle (muscle building), but I don’t think I would ever see the need for it in my life. What is the point of bulking? It almost seems like another yo-yo dieting trap. I mean, I guess I understand for a person that’s skinny, or at goal weight, but I’m a lot farther away from my goal than I’d like to be, and can’t imagine purposely putting on extra weight. What type of person (other than a bodybuilder, lol) should consider bulking or muscle building?
A: Bulking (eating above maintenance, while lifting heavy weights) can be beneficial to a variety of people, not just the skinny ones, lol. When I first began my “bulk/cut” cycles, I wasn’t at goal weight either (although I’d be the first to admit, that it may have been a lot easier if I was). But, learning the the benefits of it, and reaching a certain point in my weight loss, I decided to go ahead and go for it, for several reasons:
The most obvious benefit is to add muscle mass, since muscle building cannot take place in a caloric deficit.
Eating in a caloric deficit for a long period of time, or doing excessive cardio can begin to eat away at precious muscle mass – doing an occasional bulk, can help to rebuild any lost muscle.
Long term deficit eating can also lower BMR, eating more will help to raise it, as will adding more muscle. Most people come out of a bulk being able to lose weight at a higher cal level than they previously did, as their maintenance level has increased. (The longer the bulk, the more our body adjusts to higher cal levels = higher BMR…The longer the deficit, the more our bodies adjust to lower cal levels = lower BMR)
Bulking, or even just eating at maintenance, allows the mind and body to recover from the stresses of deficit eating, and gives a mental break to the person who has been dieting for a while.
Bulking can help whether you’re planning on competing in a fitness competition, want to look muscular/”ripped” when you get to your goal weight, have reached a plateau, or just want to increase your metabolism. Many people get burned out or reach plateaus after eating in a deficit for a long time. They reach a point where nothing is working, they can no longer safely reduce cals, or maybe they are just tired of surviving on so little cals. This is when a metabolism reset is usually done: where a person has to increase their cals, and stay there for a while, until the body readjusts to the higher cal level (thus, creating a new maintenance). Then they can start to lose at a higher cal level. Using this time to also bulk (add muscle while eating in the surplus) can make it a bit more purposeful for the person, rather than just eating more with no other goals (which can be a tough mental battle for a person who is trying to lose weight). It gives a new goal, to take the person’s mind off of “I’m trying to gain weight on purpose, am I insane?!” and gives those extra calories a job to do: build muscle. The building of muscle will also increase the ones metabolism, as the muscle continues to burn cals long after the reset has ended. Thus making the metabolism reset process dual purpose, and a little easier to stick to.
So a person that is not at goal weight can do smaller “mini” bulks along the way to help keep metabolism raised, and to add a little more muscle insurance to what will be seen as the fat is melted away (most women notoriously under-estimate the amount of muscle they carry). Bulking can also be used for the person that is reaching/at goal weight, but not getting the “cut” that they thought they’d have at goal. Since we can’t cut what isn’t there, this usually means that there is not enough muscle there to “tone.” Bulk/cut cycles allows the opportunity to build the muscle, then go back to “cutting,” repeating until the desired result is reached. For all parties involved, bulking can give that added benefit of a higher metabolism and maintenance level cals.
Q: So…it is like yo-yoing? I just can’t imagine purposely putting weight back on, when I’ve worked this hard to get it off! I just can’t wrap my head around this. It sounds crazy..
A: I would not recommend bulking to anyone that is not ready for it mentally, the same way I would not recommend it to an obese person (unless, they’ve been under-eating for a while & have gone into starvation mode, in which case a serious metabolism reset is needed). I always tell people that when it’s time to bulk, you’ll just “know.” It’s hard to describe it any other way. Just know what the benefits are, and give yourself enough time to grasp it mentally before diving in. The results are definitely well worth it, but you have to know why you’re doing it and what you’re in for. Bulk/cut is not like yo-yoing, because the “gain” part of yo-yoing is usually unplanned and out of control. The bulking process is planned, you give yourself boundaries, and because you’re adding muscle to your frame, the weight comes on in completely different proportions. Your body comes out looking better after every cut cycle, and you’re not killing yourself to get results that will just go by the wayside as soon as you eat “normal” again, due to the increased metabolism. A bulk is not about packing on the pounds, it is about packing on the muscle. Every move is planned, as precise as you allow it to be, and, when done with incredible precision, fat gain is minimal. Yo-yoing, usually leaves you in worse shape after each “round.” Bulk/cut is quite the opposite.
Q: I’ve heard that some of those calorie calculators are not correct. I don’t want to eat too much. Is there any 100% method of finding out what my TDEE is? I’ve heard of the RMR testing is that the only way? Didn’t you say that you found maintenance without using a calorie calculator? How would I do that?
A: Yes, you are correct, I did not use a calorie calculator to find my maintenance, as the calcs weren’t as readily available then as they are today. The calculators have simplified things because they let you know ’round about what you should be eating. Using a BodyMedia FITor Fitbit, etc are also known methods for finding a more accurate number. I do feel that the way that I’ve always done it is quite accurate for me, because I am patient and take my time to figure it out, and I’m no longer afraid to eat too much (rather, quite the opposite). I actually use my “old school” method, still today, at least once a year, because it actually raises my metabolism, and I typically end up able to eat more than most calculators allow.
So I usually only recommend this method to people that I work with privately, as I can monitor them more closely, and push them to keep going when they feel they have “hit” maintenance sooner than I feel that they have. This method is also MUCH slower than the “calculate and jump in” method, and most people are in a hurry to get things moving. It also takes much more mental focus to keep going after each increase. This is because it will depend on how sensitive your body is and how it reacts to the initial calorie increase. Finding TDEE without a calorie calculator basically involves slowly upping your calories until you hit a “plateau,” riding it out, then upping again..and again…and again, until you start seeing “true” gains. This is a very lengthy process, and I use my bulking period as my time to do this, as I have more time to dedicate to it then.
We typically recommend jumping right in, if you can take it, mentally. However, I just recently did this again this fall, and took it reaalllyyy slow, lol. I like to use each month in my bulk as my measuring tool for cals, so what I did this time was (because I went into a deficit for a couple months in the summer time to “cut” a bit more, and had to come back up to maintenance for the holidays, lol – def didn’t wanna miss out on that good eating!) So I basically ate in a slight deficit over the summer, and then when I started STS in the fall, I used each Meso as a new cal level. So I was basically pyramiding my cals along with STS, in order to get maximum benefit from each month’s phase. Here’s part of a message, that I wrote to someone during that time (I was upping main calorie intake, yet also “eating back” exercise cals):
“Right now I’m at my highest cals (2020 before exercise, today was 2400!), Meso 2 I was about 200 lower, and Meso 1 was at the end of my cut, so I was around 1700 (before exercise). I would slowly up the cals each week until I was at the new cal level. Not saying that you have to take that long, lol, but just to give you an idea of just how slow you could go…
I would think that it could take up to a month or more, though to really know how your body is responding to the added cals. Some people might get scared off immediately because of a jump in the scale that has nothing to do with the cals. Sometimes you gotta just see it through, in order to know. Case in point: I started upping my cals toward the end of Sep/beginning of Oct. When I look at my weight progress chart, I see that my weight remained pretty steady until Nov. Between 11/12 and 12/2, I was up 2 lbs (I remember distinctly thinking I must have finally hit my max, because that extra 2 lbs was holding strong…until 12/12 when things magically evened out again and I was down 2 lbs again, but eating almost 400 cals more than before. I’m pretty sure I’ve hit my max now, (up 2 lbs again, lol), but I’ll give it a couple more weeks (when I’m on a rest week, so that there’s no extra water from the heavy lifting) before I make my final decision. If I’m still up, then I may cut back down very slightly, and consider it my new maintenance. If I’m gaining, I’ll cut back to the last number I maintained at.”
I hope I answered your question without really answering it, lol. It’s really up to the individual, and how much time you are willing to put into it. Many people have comfort and assurance when the numbers are already figured out for them and they just have to do the eating. Some people are more adventurous and want to test the waters, and others like me just wanna beat the system. Find the method that works for you, but be real with yourself. If you are thinking of not using a calorie calculator because you are wanting an excuse to eat LESS, then stick with the calculators/fitness devices until you are mentally prepared to eat more, or you may undercut yourself. My goal is always to lose weight while eat as MUCH as possible, which is why I choose to use such an experimental method. If you are already fully convinced in the “eat more” path, then this route may be perfect for you, as you seek out your exact numbers, or to push the limits a bit. If you do choose this method, you may just decide to do it in a shorter amount of time if you feel that your body will handle the increase, ok. Many people prefer to just get it over with, and get on track, sooner. Or you may want to take your time. It all depends on what you’re most comfortable with. Because I was already at goal weight, it may have influenced my decision to take my time this go round…That may not be the case for you….
Q: “I’m 5’9 166lb, 30 yrs old, and I’d like lose weight. Why do I need to find maintenance calories?”
A: The first thing that we teach clients, regardless of their goals, is how tofind maintenance calories. This one step is SO scary that most people run the opposite way and are not even willing to try. The reason we do this (other than to show people how little they’re usually eating) is because if you don’t know what your true maintenance is, then everything else is a guessing game. It becomes really hard to set up your macros, and you never really know if you’re eating enough (most dieters aren’t), or too much. When you don’t know, you just guess at a number, start eating below that number (for fat loss) and hope for the best. For some people it works, for a while. But then they plateau, and the only way to start seeing results again is to drop calories even further (or do more cardio – don’t even get me started), and the cycle never ends.
Confused about how to find maintenance calories?
By my calculations, your TDEE could be anywhere between (at the absolute lowest – as in super sedentary) 2040 and 3060 (super active). So, depending on how active you are, lets assume you fall somewhere in the middle. This would be around 2500 (may be higher or lower than what you get in a TDEE calculator). In this case, a 10-20 percent deficit would put you around 2000-2250, which as you can see is quite higher than your current cal goals. This could be an outrageous number…or maybe not. We would never know for sure unless you tested it out and found your true maintenance. We recommend this because most people that actually test it out, find that they can eat A LOT more than they were giving themselves freedom to eat. Because the body isn’t getting what it needs, it’s storing EVERYTHING, which counteracts everything that they’re working to accomplish.
In addition, we always recommend taking a week or so off from deficit eating for that same purpose. You need to make sure your body remembers exactly what “maintenance” is, so that it doesn’t assume that your deficit eating is the new maintenance (even when this happens there are ways to “reset” your metabolism and increase your maintenance – which we would absolutely recommend to anyone with an unreasonably low maintenance).
There are many technology tools that you can purchase to help you figure out your maintenance, such as Fitbit or BodyMedia FIT. You can also use the EM2WL calculator. Enter your information to determine your BMR and TDEE along with your Cut value. If you workout three to five times per week select “Moderate.” For the “Select Your Goal” option select “Lose Fat – 15% caloric reduction.”
So now, you should have your BMR, TDEE, and Cut Value (TDEE – 15%). But how to find maintenance calories? The only way to really find your “true” maintenance (here comes the scary part) is to EAT and test those waters out!
Get your calculations together, and get those cals up.
, in order to get maximum benefit from each month’s phase. Here’s part of a message, that I wrote to someone during that time (I was upping main calorie intake, yet also “eating back” exercise cals):
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