Am I doing this backwards?

[selmareed]

Hello friends.

I’ve been in this community for a while as a lurker. I’m posting because I’m having trouble losing weight around my core from too much vegan junk food, eating at odd hours, or not getting enough consistent sleep and would like some help getting rid of the excess weight around my mid-section. For context, I also just got off an antidepressant a couple months ago that caused me to gain about 20lbs/9kg, so that’s probably the main reason I’m up in weight. I’m a 33/M, about 5’8” and weigh 195lbs/88kgs. Most of my weight is around my center. Prior to starting an antidepressant, I weighed about 175lbs/79kgs but I was also doing strength training for the 7th month in a row doing split workouts, i.e. - 2 upper and 2 lower days with a rest day in between but it went downhill when I start meds. I’d post pictures but I’m a bit self conscious about sharing at this point. My question is should I just focus on cutting my weight down at the moment or start implementing strength training back in while trying to cut down or is that counterproductive? All I’m doing now is jogging 2 miles 3-4 times per week during peak hours when it’s hot so I sweat more. Any tips or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tkm]

@selmareed Mentally, it will be easier to figure out your maintenance calories using a TDEE calculator and eat at maintenance while you get into a good lifting routine. After a few months of consistency and calorie tracking, you can decide whether to bulk or cut. Most people who try to do it all at once can't maintain it for long. Try to choose a path that is sustainable for your lifetime. Find exercise that you enjoy and be better with food, but not so strict that you hate life

 

[selmareed]

@tkm Thank you for the feedback. I just plugged in my info and it looks like I need about 2100 calories to maintain my weight so maybe if I aim for slightly less, around the 1900 - 2000 calorie range, I can lose more weight. You’re right about people maintaining it, but I was also trying to workout 4 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time. I think it was too much as I reflect on it now.

 

[tkm]

@selmareed I think 1900 is a very realistic and easy to accomplish calorie deficit. That is a very sustainable number that you can wrap your head and your appetite around

 

[selmareed]

@tkm Honestly, it’s easier for me to skip eating. I just need to figure out my fasting and eating windows, prep, and stick to the plan for at least 6 months. Also, thank you for the confidence in me

 

[whothat]

@selmareed I can turn my own weight loss or gain off or on like a switch based on which foods I’m eating. If I want to lose weight, I stick to mostly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If I want to gain, I do much more legumes, nuts, and processed food like seitan and protein powders.

My suggestion is to have a lot of calorically-void foods at the ready so you can fill up on those instead of the vegan junk food. This makes it so your hunger hormone (ghrelin) is kept at bay with the high volume but without the caloric overload.

 

[selmareed]

@whothat Good point. I’ve been indulging in a lot of the “meat substitutes” lately and think that’s where most of the weight gain is coming from. I need to implement more whole grains into my meals and portion out my protein differently to lean out. Thank you for your feedback!

 

[whothat]

@selmareed Heck yeah! You got this!

 

[kimsta]

@selmareed Don’t go running during peak heat hours you could die from heat exhaustion or get dehydrated, burnt… sweating more doesn’t mean you are burning significantly more calories I would cut the running a bit and do strength training. Then if you want cardio add it but as an extra. As it is summer in the northern hemisphere I recommend swimming as your cardio- it is easier on the joints and burns way more calories than running. Focus on eating volume (veggies and fruits) and proteins and you’ll lose weight easily. Do sustainable changes! No strict dieting because that won’t be sustainable and it is bad to be always losing and gaining weight!!

 

[kdudkey]

@selmareed Resistance training and weight/fat loss are not a binary. You can lose weight/fat by lifting weights. It’s just a different programming. I helped a coworker lose over 20 pounds this year through a regimen of kettlebell circuits and intermittent fasting.

You’ll be more consistent with and get more out of whatever you enjoy the most. So if that’s weightlifting then program and diet accordingly. If you’re cool with focusing on running right now then stick with that. Just make a plan and stick with it.

 

[selmareed]

@kdudkey Thank you, this was really helpful. I will try making a plan around one or the other and cut down the amount of time I’m working out down from 2-3 hours to 1-1.5 instead.