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In this video, I go over 5 signs that it might be time to increase your calories and take a break from dieting.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Why taking a break can feel like a failure
00:38 – Sign 1 – Pseudo-dieting
02:12 – Sign 2 – Cutting too low
03:27 – Sign 3 – Performance
04:55 – Sign 4 – Degraded Life Quality
06:17 – Sign 5 – Mental effects
07:21 – Importance of recharging
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About this video:
How do you know when is the right time to stop a calorie deficit and start eating more? Maybe you’ve been dieting for 6 months or 1 year, and you’re not at your goal yet, but you’re stuck in a plateau. Calories are low, metabolism has slowed down, and you’re losing strength in the gym, but you still have a lot of weight to lose. What is a valid reason to increase your calories and take a break?
In this video I go over 5 signs you should consider a break from the diet and start eating more calories. If you’re experiencing 3 or more of these I would highly recommend you reconsider your approach. This is the what I wish someone told me when I first started my fitness journey. It would’ve saved me from a lot of frustration, especially in the early days.
About me:
My name is Mario Tomic. I help entrepreneurs and busy professionals get lean, gain muscle, and create systems for a sustainable healthy lifestyle long-term.
I started my fitness journey 15 years ago and have been coaching for 10 years. Most people don’t know that my native language is Croatian and that I worked in computer science before starting my fitness company.
Disclaimer: Mario Tomic is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Mario Tomic will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this video, including but not limited to economic loss, injury, or illness.
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How do you know when it’s time to stop cutting and increase your calories? Here are 5 signs to consider. Enjoy! -Mario PS. If you’re interested in coaching with me, check out https://go.tomic.com/coaching-lose-love-handles
I’m about 6 weeks into a calorie deficit, and so far I have one sign; performance in the gym. I’m at 169 lbs, 5’9 3/4” and my scale is going down. I can definitely see results every week. My exit for this cut is around 160lbs, where I’ll enter a reverse diet.
I got here by hitting the like button on every video from this guy that I watch
2:20 Literally my problem right now. I'm also 5'10 178cm and currently at 68kg. I was trying to figure out if I should stop cutting because despite losing 44lbs or 20kg now I still barely see my abs. I assume I just have a lack of muscle.
5:40!!! I have heard a lot advice via all these YouTube channels. This video describes way to continue while maintain your priorities & living as the best version of yourself! Progress not perfection!!! Thank you! I really needed to hear this! 🙏
Thanks you
Solid advice
If you're not at your goal weight after a year, you stink at this. Don't give up but understand that you need to do better. Unless you're someone who needs to lose over 100 pounds. That's a different case altogether.
Thank you so much. I had absolutely no idea diet breaks were a thing and have been in a gradually decreasing deficit now for 18 months. Although in that time ive lost 20kg Ive been in a plateau for months now feeling like im doing everything right but getting no results. Ive hit 4/5 of these signs and although im feeling anxious about increasing my calories after so long solely focusing on reducing them, i can tell its definitely necessary both physically and mentally.
Guys my blood pressure went down 120/80 to 90/70 i have a hard time be careful
Lol, this might be me. I'm 5'10 and have gone from 180 pounds to 146, and I'm still trying to lose that last little bit of fat around my abs and lower back. I know that eating more and building muscle is probably the right move, but man it's hard to switch from working so hard to make the scale go down just to start watching it go up again!
Im stuck for 2 month, in stuck in 103kg and in 5'7
I just started, go away Boogeyman from YouTube! 😅
Im down 50 pounds over about 5 years
10 pounds at a time then a break / maintenance
Wasn’t planned that way. Just started with a 10 pound goal. Then kept repeating
I am 5'10" and just spent the last year and a half getting up to 148lbs. Was skinny fat when I started and am still carrying that same fat. I started a cut about a month ago because i was struggling to continue eating in a surplus. Current goal is to get to 140lbs and asses before deciding if i should cut another 5lbs (only willing to go down to 135) or go into maintenance before starting a slow bulk again
The first point you mention doesn't refer to someone who is maintaining a caloric deficit, but rather to someone who is in a deficit but breaks it by eating things they shouldn't every now and then.
Someone 178cm/65k would be considered to be in pretty good shape in Japan. It's interesting how standards differ.
I just had my weekend of diet. Ate 3000 calories per day, drank on 3 days in a row. And now I'm back at it. Party's over boys!
Give yourselves some leeway every once in a while.
I am 178 cm to i have cut from the start 1500 kalories but i am hungy now and i lost wegth from 97 kg to 86 my maindense is 2300 do i go back to that
183 – 112 = 71, 71 * 2.2 = 156.2 . I can be 156.2 pounds and still be healthy? If I was 156.2 pounds I think people would definitely wonder if I was ok.
Whenever I feel stuck, I watch your videos, and they always make me feel like I'm on the right track. Thanks!
I'm 179cm tall and weigh 63kg right now, but people aren't saying I'm looking sick or anything. They mostly compliment me and I'm definitely not muscular. If anything, I still think I'm too fat. Progress at gym is also very slow, but at least not stale, I guess?
Absolutely loving your videos – thank you. Certainly helping me dude, thank you!
Interesting. My body goes automatically in to maintenance when my weight is low enough. My body does not get to the point where i feel hunger, but i am stopping loosing weight automatically on same diet. But i know that i am at maintenance because I see more veins and lower ab definition week after week. I think there is some form of natural brakes kicking in when body weight is low enough.
I'm still good to go! I like going hard for 1-2 months, then go on maintenance for 2-4 weeks, then go hard again (700-1000 kcal daily deficit). I do have a deadline this time, I made a bet that I'll have a six-pack by my 30th birthday. I still have over four months left and only need to lose 5-8 kg, already lost 11 kg since the start of the year.
The problem is maintenance calories still feel like heavy restriction. It takes almost the same amount of willpower and discipline (for me) to eat at maintenance as it does to eat in a 500 cal deficit. It feels like the only way to fix this is to go surplus, and before I know it, I'm 20 lbs heavier and still hungry af. Hunger signals never go away for me no matter how much I eat.
Im on a 1000 calorie deificitbut gaining muscle because i used to be obese
NDL
I don't trust the navy calculator for bodyfat % because my eyes see at least double what the calculator says.
However, I have noticed that if I don't plan out "dietary energy" now I get extremely lightheaded, suffer from very strong bouts of brain fog, and in some rare cases a loss of short-term memory or sudden loss of train of thought.
Navy calculator says 14%, and I don't believe it. I still feel a layer of softness over my abdominal area. I can't quit until my skin matches what my work into it all promotes.
I am down from 86 to 76 kg with 181cm and I am stronger than before. 3 months in now
Bro I’d Be below 140lbs no way 😂
I’ve been in a deficit for 7 weeks now. I’ve experienced inflammation in my gut could that also be a sign to go into a slight surplus?
I play some padel and tennis and I noticed my attentino span drops dramaticalyl after few weeks of cutting. I could still run around, but my focus to select shots and all just drop. Now that im eating just above maintanence, but because i gym and do racket sports my weight is stable in fact i feel like im losing fat and building muscle v slowly.
After 6 months i discovered potatoes instead of rice and my mental fatigue is restored. Top that with frozen veggies and chicken breast or white fish. Volume eating at its finest!
You need to talk faster , maybe we can actually catch everything you're saying whizz Ed
Not everyone has the genetics to maintain single digit body fat. Chasing aesthetics rarely leads to long term satisfaction. I prefer to challenge myself to improve strength and performance metrics. But we all have different goals. I just hate seeing people unhappy and frustrated.
I'm down to something like 14-15% bf (lost about 15kg). Probably in the best shape I've been for 20yrs. Am now "under orders" by my personal trainer to start eating more so I can build even more muscle! Slightly challenging change of mindset for me but after watching this video I "get it". 👍
First cut here went from 170 down to 160 after 5 weeks. At 170 I was probably 18% bodyfat. I’ve had lots of muscle aches stiffness daily last 2 weeks. Anyone else had this?