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Dear Dr. of GainzZz®,
I want to first thank you for all of the information you are providing. I love the podcast and seeing the videos you put up on the Youtubes. I've got some weight loss questions after reading TBAB and comparing it with other info you've put out there. I'll try not to write a book here, but a little history:
I started at 280 about 14 months ago. Lost some weight due to job changes and decided to start going to the gym and using MFP to track calories. I was 265 and was introduced to Starting strength when I started. I started doing that for a couple weeks but decided I really wanted to lose weight and felt I wasn't going to by eating that much (Rip's recommended 3500 calories). Eventually, I just went to lifting weights and rowing or using the stairclimber 5 days a week. I was consuming between 1600-1900 calories a day, and weekends were a bit more liberal to a bit over 2000 to try to stay sane. In mid-October I was down to 235 and I deadlifted 205x5 and exacerbated an old Inguinal hernia and the time was nigh to get surgery. This knocked me off of my stride for a couple months and my weight went back up to about 250. I didn't feel like I was eating excessively enough to gain back 15 pounds in that time period, but I did. It's like my body WANTS to be fat. Anyways, in December I started back to tracking calories and going to they gym 5 days a week. I went back to eating 1800~ calories and trying to keep protein about 120-140g per day. I decided that I'm tired of feeling absolutely terrible physically and mentally from so low calories and pushing myself at the gym and I haven't really done well to lose much weight during the past couple months due to this. Throughout my time training and learning I've seen videos where you or Rip say to just focus on getting the lifts up and eating right and the weight will control itself. I've finally decided that that's what I'm going to do, keep my lifts progressing and make sure I'm eating right. After reading TBAB, I took the numbers from Jim and entered it into MFP and followed it last week.
I am 28 years old, 6' 1", weighed in at 248 on Sunday, January 28th, and my belly is 43 1/4" at the umbilicus, but it's 44" just below that because i have a crease that follows my mid belly from being real fat.
I (tried) following Jim's diet of 3100 calories, 275g protein, 300g carbs, 85g fat. I say tried because most days I had about 150-300 calories left over with a rough average of 225 protein intake and about the same carb intake, also my fats were typically around 50g, I never went over 80. I was literally having a hard time eating that much food. I've been taking Creatine 5 days a week for over a month and this past week I took it all 7 days and will continue doing so. Now, a week after starting my novice LP, after weighing a few times, my weight has been 250 Saturday 2/3/18 morning, 253.4 on Monday 2/5/2018 evening, and 250.6 Tuesday 2/6/2018 Morning. Looks like my weight is going up, pretty quickly too.
I have the starting strength app. My LP has been going great. I squatted 125 Jan 29th and yesterday, February 5th, I'm at 155 and I plan on adding 10 lbs tomorrow. Deadlift has gone from 160 to 190, and I'm planning on adding 15 lbs. on Friday. I'm at 100 bench and 75 press.
Now, for my questions.
1.) Is my weight going up because I went from eating sub 2000 calories and the excess food is retaining more water (i.e. water weight)?
2.) Did I "wreck my metabolism" eating under 2000 calories for quite a while?
3.) Do I wait another week or two to see if I continue to gain and then reduce calories, or am I just going to continue gaining?
4.) Is it just possible that I'm at too high of a caloric surplus eating 2800-2900 calories?
5.) Should I just jump onto the "If it Fits Your Quesadilla" diet that I hear is all the rage?
I've added progression photos, Tuesday to Tuesday, the left photo in the split is last Tuesday and the right photo is today.
I know I'm asking a lot here without paying for coaching. I do appreciate any help you're willing to provide. Thank you!
I want to first thank you for all of the information you are providing. I love the podcast and seeing the videos you put up on the Youtubes. I've got some weight loss questions after reading TBAB and comparing it with other info you've put out there. I'll try not to write a book here, but a little history:
I started at 280 about 14 months ago. Lost some weight due to job changes and decided to start going to the gym and using MFP to track calories. I was 265 and was introduced to Starting strength when I started. I started doing that for a couple weeks but decided I really wanted to lose weight and felt I wasn't going to by eating that much (Rip's recommended 3500 calories). Eventually, I just went to lifting weights and rowing or using the stairclimber 5 days a week. I was consuming between 1600-1900 calories a day, and weekends were a bit more liberal to a bit over 2000 to try to stay sane. In mid-October I was down to 235 and I deadlifted 205x5 and exacerbated an old Inguinal hernia and the time was nigh to get surgery. This knocked me off of my stride for a couple months and my weight went back up to about 250. I didn't feel like I was eating excessively enough to gain back 15 pounds in that time period, but I did. It's like my body WANTS to be fat. Anyways, in December I started back to tracking calories and going to they gym 5 days a week. I went back to eating 1800~ calories and trying to keep protein about 120-140g per day. I decided that I'm tired of feeling absolutely terrible physically and mentally from so low calories and pushing myself at the gym and I haven't really done well to lose much weight during the past couple months due to this. Throughout my time training and learning I've seen videos where you or Rip say to just focus on getting the lifts up and eating right and the weight will control itself. I've finally decided that that's what I'm going to do, keep my lifts progressing and make sure I'm eating right. After reading TBAB, I took the numbers from Jim and entered it into MFP and followed it last week.
I am 28 years old, 6' 1", weighed in at 248 on Sunday, January 28th, and my belly is 43 1/4" at the umbilicus, but it's 44" just below that because i have a crease that follows my mid belly from being real fat.
I (tried) following Jim's diet of 3100 calories, 275g protein, 300g carbs, 85g fat. I say tried because most days I had about 150-300 calories left over with a rough average of 225 protein intake and about the same carb intake, also my fats were typically around 50g, I never went over 80. I was literally having a hard time eating that much food. I've been taking Creatine 5 days a week for over a month and this past week I took it all 7 days and will continue doing so. Now, a week after starting my novice LP, after weighing a few times, my weight has been 250 Saturday 2/3/18 morning, 253.4 on Monday 2/5/2018 evening, and 250.6 Tuesday 2/6/2018 Morning. Looks like my weight is going up, pretty quickly too.
I have the starting strength app. My LP has been going great. I squatted 125 Jan 29th and yesterday, February 5th, I'm at 155 and I plan on adding 10 lbs tomorrow. Deadlift has gone from 160 to 190, and I'm planning on adding 15 lbs. on Friday. I'm at 100 bench and 75 press.
Now, for my questions.
1.) Is my weight going up because I went from eating sub 2000 calories and the excess food is retaining more water (i.e. water weight)?
2.) Did I "wreck my metabolism" eating under 2000 calories for quite a while?
3.) Do I wait another week or two to see if I continue to gain and then reduce calories, or am I just going to continue gaining?
4.) Is it just possible that I'm at too high of a caloric surplus eating 2800-2900 calories?
5.) Should I just jump onto the "If it Fits Your Quesadilla" diet that I hear is all the rage?
I've added progression photos, Tuesday to Tuesday, the left photo in the split is last Tuesday and the right photo is today.
I know I'm asking a lot here without paying for coaching. I do appreciate any help you're willing to provide. Thank you!
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