I have so much energy on some days, I can just go and go, on other days I just seem to lag. I'm doing 4-6 days a week of cardio, some form or another from riding bikes inside/outside, walking, dvds, etc. And 20-25 minutes of weight training 3 times a week. I'm 5'9 and dropped my calories down to 1200 a day average, sometimes 100-200 over. But I'm thinking maybe it's not enough especially on days when I want to work out harder. I like my cardio during the am or day sometime, and weights at night lke 8-9 pm while watching tv - I do dumbells and really like it. But lately I just haven't felt the energy and I don't know why. This can't be overtraining can it? I'll admit I did little exercise for about 6-9 months however before that I was more consistent. Obviously I'm more out of shape then I think. It might be I went into the intermediate weights too quick and I'll cut back from 3 sets back to 2 at least as I'm lifting quite heavy, I like feeling a little sore....
Anyone else have this happen - energy ups and downs?
I can't say that I have. Now that I'm accustomed to exercising and eating very healthily, I feel pretty energetic most of the time. It doesn't sound to me as though you're over-training, but how long are those cardio sessions? If they're 60 mins or less, I'd say you're fine.
You're not eating many calories for someone of your (our) height. Have you tried increasing to 1500-1600 to see if you still lose? A couple of years ago I dropped from 185-145 on 1200 a day with 60 mins cardio 5x a week. The weight came off very quickly and I was pleased. When I regained this last winter, I felt too lazy to drop to 1200 a day, and so I did 1800 instead, plus all the cardio. The weight actually came off at about the same rate. I'm a bit younger than you, but the same might hold true nonetheless.
How's your nutrition for those 1200 cals? Can you trace your energy levels to your protein/carb levels?
You might be right, I take vitamins off and on and when I'm consistent I do feel better.
It might be my calories aren't high enough, I could eat more and increase cardio to higher intensity. I've lost weight before (stupid me gained it back) and I didn't count calories so there's no way I was under 1500 a day like now that I'm watching it. A weight training book I was reading said cutting back too much could mean loss of muscle too, and I'm weight training some so I want more muscle not less.
Guess I just have to exercise more - 45 min to 1 hour more intense. I've been keeping cardio at 30 min or so mostly on my bikes - home and outdoors. Before when I really dumped weight I'd go and go with cardio twice a day and then dvds that really pushed at night. I was hoping I could lose more by cutting calories but I've hit a plateau already - 12 pounds down and now the scale doesn't seem to move like it was.
My energy is down too. So time to mix it up I guess.
Everyone has ups and downs, but that doesn't sound like much food for someone your height and age. If you are limiting yourself to 1200 or so calories, try to make it the most nutritional 1200 calories you can put in your body. Personally, I'd suggest upping it to about 1400 and see how that goes...and take a multi-vitamin!
I find that when I change my workout patterns, I'm exhausted for a few days and then back to normal. Normal means that some days, I have more energy than others but if I'm totally wiped out, I usually know why. General exhaustion without an explanation could be lack of enough nutrients, lack of sleep, overtraining (I don't think you are there, tho), insane stress levels (hmmmm....) or lots of other issues.
Yes it's hard to stay balanced nutritionally at 1200 calories, you are right - and I'm going to try to not forget my vitamins. There is some emotional stuff in my life, divorce, so that's draining me too - I seem to go in spurts as to how much that gets to me, so there's more to my emotional swings. The heat too, it's benn 90-100 degrees here for a long time this summer, drains everyone doesn't it? I did just change my workouts, I'm using the Body Sculpting Bible Express program, and I went up to the program more for intermediates, it rotates weight training exercises and this is the hardest week, the same week I'm more tired too - it's fairly intense actually and I'm getting toned up quick just with dumbells but since I didn't workout for awhile I maybe should have stuck with the beginner stuff longer, it's just that I'm enjoying seeing muscle again. Maybe I'm not losing weight because of the increase in muscle, the author claims you'll gain 3-5 lbs of muscle in a month or so, maybe I did. I can tell I've lost more then the scale is showing because I fit into some size 10 jeans again this week, I know from losing weight before - without much weight training - I'd have had to be down 5 more pounds at least for this. I can see that my arms especially are thinner and more toned, I can even feel hard shoulders. So maybe the author is right, being in shape isn't a number on the scale - because y ou can lose fat and muscle both, you don't want to lose muscle. He does suggest rotating between 1200 calories on some days, 1500-1600 on other days too, meaning since I like to eat, there's certain days I can eat more, especially on days I'm working out more. I just read a lot of people on this site were counting calories and doing 1200 but if someones wanting to be more of an athlete it's a different nutritional program anyways. I'm going to have to study up more because I'm about to buy more dumbells so I can continue to move forward with weights, I really enjoy the weight training so much more then cardio - so I'll have to eat protein and more carbs too - and you are right, I've been cutting carbs - although not like I did when I lost weight before a few years ago - I did the South Beach Diet and I know I was tired on that. I have to have energy for a three year old boy - he ran me 2-1/2 hours the other day, I chased him around on his new bike - so I'm going to have to eat or the kid is going to destroy me...
Ok, I'm eating a little more and took three days off from weight training, I think I lifted too much with little calories. And I'm taking my vitamins and supplements every day. Today I was able to lift weights and feel energy again. A weight training book said that if one gets exhausted to take 3-4 days off from lifting, then start again the routines.
I'm going to rotate between 1300 to 1500/1600 calories instead of sticking so strickly with 1200, some days I was below that. Ok I did lose 12 lbs in just two months but I lost energy and I lost some muscle. To build muscle I'm going to have to eat, and my goal is to strengthen my legs - gain muscle there and tone my upper half while losing fat.
So much energy some days, so little other days...
