On the other hand, dumping on too much wood can just put out the fire completely.

Sarah Ann, I've read BFFM and lots of other books. I know all the calculations. I also know that for myself, at 51 years old, even with about 80-90 minutes of heavy lifting and cardio 5 times a week, I maintain on 1500-1600 calories and don't lose unless I stay around 1400 very clean calories, and do a lot of cardio in addition to my 5 day lifting split.

If you were eating 1200-1400 and plateauing, I would definitly suggest adding more calories. But I think that 1900 is probably your maintenence level at your current weight. If you are having a lot of fatigue, I'd suggest an exercise rest, then maybe a thyroid test and other bloodwork if a week's rest doesn't help.

But...we are all an experiment of one! Try adding. If that doesn't work, you'll know that you've gone in the wrong direction.

Mel

The problem with bonfires is that they don't store excess 'wood' when you add too much - nope, they'll burn it until it's gone. We all know that our bodies aren't bonfires and that they DO store excess calories as fat. If we eat more calories than we use, we get big butts. Bonfires don't. :D

My body is stupid and only understands calories in/calories out ... if I eat more calories, I gain weight. If I cut back on my calories, I lose weight. If I do less exercise, I gain weight. If I do more exercise, I lose weight. I'd love to be one of those who lose when they eat more, but much as I try to convince my body about the subtleties of stoking my metabolism with more calories -- nope, doesn't work for me. :shrug:

My maintenance and losing calories are right in line with Mel's (perhaps because we're the same age?) I definitely gain when I go over 1600/day, even with an average of 90+ minutes of exercise/day. Every metabolic calculator that I've seen puts my calories up to 50% higher than what's actually true for my body. They're good for a giggle but don't give me much useful information. If your maintenance calories are 1900, I think you're quite lucky!

I agree with all the posters who say don't be afraid to experiment. Forget theory, calculators, and what works for other people. So long as you're tracking what you're eating and how much exercise you're doing, you'll discover very quickly what your maintenance and weight loss calories are. :)

I got diagnosed with an underactive thyroid about two months ago and I'm on medication for it - that was before the tiredness started.

I think I'm going to go back to having 6 meals a day - I'd cut back to 5 or even sometimes 4. I'm trying to think back to what changes I introduced about the time I started feeling tired. Looking at my diary I can see that the tiredness and the plateau started about the same time so now I'll go back through my food diary and see if I can tie that in to the pattern somehow.

I'm not eating any less or any more calories nor am I eating less 'clean' calories - I'm just eating them in a different arrangement - but I'm doing the same amount of exercise, possibly more.

DH is a bit concerned about my tiredness and wants me to go to the doctor - apart from that his suggestion is to get out my menus for the past couple of months and simply re-create the exact same meals at the same times as I was having them on weeks when I felt great (and lost a pound or two) and see if that makes a difference. If it doesn't then I'll have to think of reducing my calories which I prefer not to do because I think I'll get even tireder.

First I want to say about the comment on your blog "be careful what you read" and "consider the source" ....
Then I want to say that you've gotten some good info here in this thread from some awesome sources.
And then I want to say ... some medications can be weight dependent. It makes sense if you think about pouring ink into a glass of water. One drop goes a long way in a little glass but doesn't make much of a difference in a big glass. If you have lost weight since you've had your prescription altered last, you do need to check with your Doc.

Sarah, I know you're doing BFL. Where are you in the 12-weeks? Could you try not doing any exercise beyond your dog walks for a week? Your body could just need a break - and in a week you shouldn't lose much ground weightwise (that you're lifting). I traveled enough in the last 6-8 months that I had exercise breaks about every 6 weeks. I always came back feeling more enthused about exercise, and being able to pick back up where I'd left off.

The man says reassess every week, so yesterday was the day.

It took me a couple of days to get geared into the calorie range and then of course I'm human and didn't stick real well.
Average in- 1980 (two days were far too high)
30protein/42carbs/26fats

Average out- 2069
Biked four days, lifted 4 days, worked 2 days

The changes I marked in the record sheet provided in the book we so miniscule and so apt to human error ... I doubt there really was any change.

So all in all .... I need to work on my food especially the percentages and I'd rather hover around 1800 cals. And he does recommend more cardio if you seem to have stubborn fat. I was shooting for form and recommended reps etc this week so I know I could have lifted heavier. I'll try that too.

Originally Posted by WaterRat:
Sarah, I know you're doing BFL. Where are you in the 12-weeks? Could you try not doing any exercise beyond your dog walks for a week?

Today is the first day of week 10 for me - its my rest day but I STILL feel exhausted and went back to bed for a couple of hours this morning. DH has persuaded me that I need to visit the doctor about this.
Good idea about the dog walking! Why didn't I think of that :?: I'd do my normal 2 hour walk and then pick up where I left off with the lifting at the beginning of week 11.

Originally Posted by Mel:
On the other hand, dumping on too much wood can just put out the fire completely.


Mel

agreed, and that's where it gets a little sticky. when you're at the point of adding more calories, you gotta do it really slow and with only a couple hundred calories more a day and then re-evaluate after a couple of weeks.

:wave: A word about the neuro-liguistic programming bit!

IT WORKS! :dancer:

I have my 5 or six affirmations. Eg: I am happy and thankful now that I weight 10 stone (140lbs), I am happy and thankful now that I am 18% body fat etc... I've been writing them down twice a day for about a week now, and yesterday I had a mini-breakthrough!

We were out on a road-trip :eek: and I knew we were being treated to fish and chips for lunch :faint: So I decided to have the fish and chips :T and then I waited until I felt hungry, and waited, and waited... And I didn't eat again till 8.30pm!! I still didn't really feel hungy, but there's that bit in the book about eating every 3 hours, and it sounds quite scary if you don't! :lol: The best thing was that we ate out at half 8, BUT we shared a big vegetarian platter thing with quorn sausages, garlic bread, fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, mayo etc etc! :rofl: I had about 2 quorn sausages (yummy and high in protein, low in calories!), 1 piece of garlic bread and one onion ring. I didn't eat and eat till I was stuffed, I didn't even feel compelled to finish off the things that were left when we were both full. I'm very proud of myself, even though we ate greasy things, I listened to my body and I didn't eat anything that made me so full I felt sick, it didn't trigger a binge, and best of all - my calories for yesterday were under my calculated "Maintenance" calories! :D

I like this book! Must carry on reading!

Could someone please tell me where the link to the e-book is... thanks

Misti, I think I put Tom Venuto in a google search.

Tom Venuto eats white potatoes :cb: I knew there was a reason I had't cut them out yet ;) :D :lol:

BFL allows white potatoes too. I wouldn't skin them though. I need to reread BTFFTM, if i can find it.

White potatoes are one thing, french fries are another, pass the malt vinegar please. :dizzy:

I was talking to my BF last night about food and stuff in general. I said something about not being able to have fried foods anymore (gall bladder stuff) and he said he forgot that I wasn't doing fried foods anymore, just because we don't have them very often. Occassionally, I would have a red robin burger and fries. No more... fries... red robin burger... maybe once in a while :)

On another note, I just found BTFFTM. 340 pages... I forgot how long it was.