I'm really concerned about how extreme your plan sounds. It's not good for anyone to OVERexercise--that just breaks down muscle, leaves you tired, wears your body out.
Exercise isn't meant to be punishment! It's meant to help you be healthy, not wreck you!
It's much better to have a more reasonable period of exercise and stay with it for the long haul. For example, just do 1 hour in the morning. Make it 40 minutes cardio and 20 minutes weights. Make sure you don't use the same weights every day, that is, alternate leg workouts and arm workouts, etc.
That's what I do--and also, I take a walk for half an hour every day. I have limited time for exercise because of my job, but I've been keeping up with the gym and the walk for months now. I do it 5 or 6 times a week, but I take a day off from the gym every three days.
It might be good to talk to your parents about your plan--or to a counselor or other trusted adult, if you're not comfortable talking to one of them.
Good luck--don't overdo it--that's unhealthy... IMO
Jay
Yeah I mean I plan to do 1hr a day after this week. I'm calling this week Bootcamp week. idk. I don't want to damage my health. just push myself a bit. (okay a lot but i do listen to my body)
Last edited by sweetlovin; 04-21-2008 at 06:29 AM.
Yeah, on those weight loss shows they seem to be working out all the time--but the thing is, they have supervision and medical monitoring, and who knows how real it is anyway. I mean they do exercise a LOT, but on TV they only show them grunting and gasping and at their limit, and I'm pretty sure it's not like that for hours on end...
OK, let us know how your bootcamp week goes! And listen to Mommy Jay and don't overdo!
I'm not a fitness expert but 3 hours a day seems way too much!
You could burn yourself out or injure yourself by the end of the week then not be able to exercise the week after-then you'll be back in the "i didnt exercise last week so i'll do more this week" frame of mind-surely not a good thing?
I'm not trying to put you off but mayby only do a couple hours a day or 3 hours 3 or 4 times a week with rest days in between?
I think it's good you're splitting it up at the very least. I've read that you shouldn't exercise more than 2 consecutive hours... and certainly not every day of the week!
I hope your bootcamp week goes well! Don't burn yourself out! You don't want to hate exercise by the time you make it to next week
I'm about to head out to Bally's and do about 3 hours of exercise. not consecutively (I'm stretching and such). I have two classes 1 hr long, and I am going to go on the elliptical or treadmill for an hour after.
I'm doing this class called Urban and Sculpt. It involves a trampoline and weights then yoga fitness which is self explainable. I will update later!
btw. I did an hour this morning. I woke up at 4:00, and somehow dozed off for an hour. i was like whatt? I looked at the time and it was 4:50. It was so insane. I felt like I literally blinked my eyes and opened them and 50 minutes went by. Anyway I have to do an extra hour today to catch up for only doing 2 yesterday. So by the end of today. I will have completely 6 out of 21 hours.
The more you exercise, the more you need sleep. People who train hardcore NEED 8+ hours of sleep a night for their bodies to regenerate. If you're waking yourself up to go exercise and not getting enough sleep, you're working backwards because eventually your body will rebel.
The more you exercise the more you NEED recovery time. One thing I've learned as I've started lifting more and doing more strength training is that what builds muscle and makes you healthy is NOT the actual workout - it's how your body heals from the damage your workout causes. When you don't allow your body to heal and become stronger, you just build damage upon damage and actually weaken your muscles.
The people who go thru "bootcamp" type exercising are NOT doing it while trying to live a full regular life schedule that includes school, work, etc. The bootcamp exercise experience *IS* their work for the time that they're doing it. Yes, even on the Biggest Loser, they work out 6 to 8 hours a day, but that's ALL THEY DO ... work out, eat, sleep.
You cannot maintain a 3-4 hour exercise schedule and still go to school full time. It's not healthy and you're going to harm more than help.
I would say 2 hours per day max, making sure that you're always cycling so you never work the same set of muscles 2 days in a row. If you want to do a marathon day on Saturday or Sunday, more power to you, but make sure you can get in lots of sleep as well.
I'm about to head out to Bally's and do about 3 hours of exercise. not consecutively (I'm stretching and such). I have two classes 1 hr long, and I am going to go on the elliptical or treadmill for an hour after.
Stretching between hours doesn't mean you aren't doing 3 consecutive hours. Your body needs to rest and to refuel. And PhotoChick is totally right. Working out 3+ hours a day is fine if that's the only kind of physical stress your body has to endure, but you're a growing teen! You go to school everyday! On my best week I get 10hrs in six days, just under 2 hours each day I'm at the gym and that is tough. You have to give your body some time to relax. Working out too hard in the gym and restricting your calories too severely can even have the opposite effect on your weight. How would you feel if you did all this work and at the end of your "bootcamp" week had gained a pound because you didn't give your body the appropriate rest?
You can't get stronger if you don't give your muscles time to repair themselves. Just something to think about
Before I reply to the above posts (which i haven't read yet)... update
Just got back from the gym. I did 2 1/2 hours
I arrived at the gym earlier then I expected. The class I wanted to do was at 6 and I came at 5:30 so I managed to do 25 minutes on the elliptical. Burned about 200 calories (I don't know how accurate those calorie things are but seems about right)
the urban and sculpt was HARD. omg. I think I burned AT LEAST 700 calories. It's nonstop jumping, kicking, and bouncing. But I did realize that I am in great shape compared to the rest of the group. I pretty much did the workouts nonstop with maybe 1 or 2 water breaks. It's surprising how fit I am considering how long it's been since I've had a consistent exercise routine.
It didn't involve weights though which I thought was what the "sculpt" part meant. The toning involved a yoga ball which we twisted left and right while jumping, squats on the trampoline, and lots of ab work towards the end.
I LOVED this class and definitely will do it again. The trainer said I did awesome and could not believe it was my first time.
Then came yoga. Surprising was that the yoga class was EXTREMELY hard. I couldn't do anything! I tried my best though. It was incredibly relaxing and I felt great after.
Then after that class, I definitely wanted to go home. I was starvingggg. But I had to stay an extra 40 minutes. I knew there was no way I could do more cardio because I was way tired so I just did some abs for 10 minutes and sat out on the bench until my mom came.
then I came home and ate rice, beans, cabage and a brownie (small piece!) I was on SBD but I need to plan it out more. I still haven't had the time to go grocery shopping but AS SOON I go to the store, I'm straight back on phase 1. I'm committed to actually following a diet for once.
so
1hr video in morning
+2 hours in classes
+35 minutes in other
-----------
3hrs 35 minutes
6.5/21!
Feels like I have a lot left!
Last edited by sweetlovin; 04-22-2008 at 10:06 PM.
ok...the more i read your replies the more worried i get about you. You are extreme in your methods...and with that will come injury. You did quite a lot...very impressive...i know i wouldn't have made it. But that being said..your dinner is not enough for as much as you burned...where's lots of carbs and not a whole lot of protein..which you need if you are building muscles. And like another poster said..you need rest. You're body can't continue at this pace. Its not healthy and you will hurt yourself. Also, you do need 8 hrs of sleep when working that hard. If you don't give your body that much rest, then you will hurt you weight loss/muscle building. I second the opinion about you seeking out some counseling at school. You really are doing some crazy extreme methods that you/your body won't be able to maitain. You need to slow down and think about your body. Please this is a plea from someone who's been there and has seen what damage you can do. I definately encourage you to continue to eat healthy and exercise...but exercise and eat properly to a way that won't cause harm to your body. good luck!
Stretching between hours doesn't mean you aren't doing 3 consecutive hours. Your body needs to rest and to refuel. And PhotoChick is totally right. Working out 3+ hours a day is fine if that's the only kind of physical stress your body has to endure, but you're a growing teen! You go to school everyday! On my best week I get 10hrs in six days, just under 2 hours each day I'm at the gym and that is tough. You have to give your body some time to relax. Working out too hard in the gym and restricting your calories too severely can even have the opposite effect on your weight. How would you feel if you did all this work and at the end of your "bootcamp" week had gained a pound because you didn't give your body the appropriate rest?
You can't get stronger if you don't give your muscles time to repair themselves. Just something to think about
Good advice and I know I should listen but I just don't want to stop now.
Idk, I'm the type of person that if I make a commitment to something, and don't follow though, I just get really upset with myself & beat myself down, so I feel like I have to finish this week just because I already made the commitment to 21 hours and the ticker is kind of pressuring me I feel like I have to move the bar down each day.
But you're right. If I ended up not losing a pound this week, or worse, even gaining, I would be reallyyy upset.
I've noticed I'm more awake in school nowadays ever since I started exercising and I pay attention more.
I did overexercise today though. I'll admit that. I was so tired when I came home. I'll try to tone it down tomorrow a little. Maybe 1 hr of intense exercise and 2 hours of light exercises
Last edited by sweetlovin; 04-22-2008 at 10:49 PM.
ok...the more i read your replies the more worried i get about you. You are extreme in your methods...and with that will come injury. You did quite a lot...very impressive...i know i wouldn't have made it. But that being said..your dinner is not enough for as much as you burned...where's lots of carbs and not a whole lot of protein..which you need if you are building muscles. And like another poster said..you need rest. You're body can't continue at this pace. Its not healthy and you will hurt yourself. Also, you do need 8 hrs of sleep when working that hard. If you don't give your body that much rest, then you will hurt you weight loss/muscle building. I second the opinion about you seeking out some counseling at school. You really are doing some crazy extreme methods that you/your body won't be able to maitain. You need to slow down and think about your body. Please this is a plea from someone who's been there and has seen what damage you can do. I definately encourage you to continue to eat healthy and exercise...but exercise and eat properly to a way that won't cause harm to your body. good luck!
Sometimes I think I have to choose an extreme, I don't think I'll ever be a "normal" eater. I keep thinking I can but I don't really have a normal. I can't really think of a time where I wasn't thinking about food or making the right choices, or burning calories.
I still think about it now but now i have different extremes. Lately I've been binging or eating away my boredom or loneliness. I think it may be from moving to a new state and not knowing many people.
My theory is that I have to have an extreme and I think I'd rather be exercising my *** off everyday and eating normally and losing weight then starving myself or binging my face off or occasionally purging (done all of above). Frankly, I wish I could eat normal and exercise normal. but idk. Maybe I'm just not normal lol. But I want to get as close to normal as possible and this is my attempt.
Photochick: You actually made some really valid points. I never really thought about all of that stuff. It's just this week though and I will tone it down after. (2 hours most of the week probably would be a good routine for me)
Though speaking of sleep. Still failing in that department. I'm getting a little over 5 hours tonight unfortunately then workouts and school again (ugh school). Caffeine anyone? (and im not even a big coffee person). But Thursday. I have a half day and school starts 3 hours later so I'll get some more sleep. then weekend soon. 31 days until summer!
Night!
Last edited by sweetlovin; 04-22-2008 at 10:57 PM.
Hey sweetlovin, I've been reading along about your progress... and I've come to the conclusion that you just don't know enough to be doing what you're doing.
I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I don't know of any trainer or of anyone who knows about real physical fitness, who would recommend what you're doing with this exercise regimen. It's nuts, IMO! You have chosen to insist on following through on what I think is a BAD plan... Why would you force yourself to do that, when you can just as easily, and more easily, follow through on a GOOD plan??
You don't get any bonus points for doing damage to yourself. Cut back on that made-up goal of 21 hours. Really, sweetlovin, Anybody can "make up" a number--that doesn't mean it's something you actually have to do or even should try to do.
Seriously, think about it. Talk to some people. Sounds like you're on the road to some serious problems here.... I don't want to see you go that way.
Sometimes I think I have to choose an extreme, . . . I still think about it now but now i have different extremes.. . .
My theory is that I have to have an extreme and I think I'd rather be exercising my *** off everyday and eating normally and losing weight then starving myself or binging my face off or occasionally purging (done all of above).
SL -- sounds to me like you could use a good counselor. Is there anyone you could take to either at school or in your family? Perhaps the school could recommend someone? I've read your posts; sounds like you are setting yourself up for a disaster. I know you said this '21 hrs of exercise' is for one week, but from your posts it seems to me as if this could become something more than just for a week. You've had eating troubles in the past -- this exercise thing sounds just like that only instead of food you're applying it to the exercise.
Sensible, reasonable exercise; sensible, reasonable eating -- moderation -- will get you your results w/out harm and will keep your health intact. 'Extreme' methods cannot and will not last and will harm instead of help. Please consider talking to someone in person. This website is great but talking to a real person may really help you out.
Sensible, reasonable exercise; sensible, reasonable eating -- moderation -- will get you your results w/out harm and will keep your health intact.
Exactly. Moderation. Moderation is sustainable. You can learn to not go from one extreme to another, that's like the definition of a yo-yo dieter. People who starve themselves on a really restrictive plan and end up bingeing afterwards. That's what you're doing, only with exercise. I've done it too. I've gotten up at 4:30 in the morning and gone running three times a day for an hour in an attempt to lose some weight I wasn't losing. Nothing happened. Restrictive plans aren't something you can continue for you the rest of your life and that's why people gain back weight they've lost. You don't still want to be going from one extreme to the next when you're 30 do you?
I get the not feeling "normal" about food. Every morsel I've put in my mouth since I was 14 I've been aware of the calories. I've done the math in my head, regardless of whether I was bingeing or not. I hate eating out at restaurants because I hate not knowing exactly what I'm eating. BUT I still have a piece of chocolate on occasion, I still had a few drinks with my friend on her birthday. You can train yourself to practice "normal" eating habits. It's completely psychological and it takes a while to become accustomed to it but you can do it.
Why not revise your goal to...12hrs. That's 2 hours six days a week which is still very impressive. Changing your goal doesn't mean you failed, it just means you gained some knowledge and took things into account you hadn't before. You revised it. 12 hours of exercise in one week would be very admirable.
SL -- sounds to me like you could use a good counselor. Is there anyone you could take to either at school or in your family? Perhaps the school could recommend someone? I've read your posts; sounds like you are setting yourself up for a disaster. I know you said this '21 hrs of exercise' is for one week, but from your posts it seems to me as if this could become something more than just for a week. You've had eating troubles in the past -- this exercise thing sounds just like that only instead of food you're applying it to the exercise.
Sensible, reasonable exercise; sensible, reasonable eating -- moderation -- will get you your results w/out harm and will keep your health intact. 'Extreme' methods cannot and will not last and will harm instead of help. Please consider talking to someone in person. This website is great but talking to a real person may really help you out.
yeah well I've had most of those eating disorder problems a while ago. I'm fine now and haven't really had a big problem with them for a year now. Of course it's never fully over and it relapses but I've gained all the weight back and I'm at least trying to do things the healthy way. I don't want to talk to anyone about it with a counselor or therapist. I just. don't want to lol. I'm over it and I went to a therapist last week and hated it.
I'm just trying to lose the excess weight I didn't really need to gain from before.
updating...
Anywho, this morning I did 1 hr of exercise. 20 minutes of a walking DVD and I did a kids workout video which was oddly, pretty high paced, then some ab work. I am suppose to do two in the morning but I was REALLY tired from yesterdays workout. that urban rebounding class was a lot of cardio. But I'm off to complete two hours at Bally's. They are offering a class called Hi Lo. I believe it's interval. Couping high intensity with low intensity movements.
then theres a class called power flex. Not sure if I will do that one today. Might just brisk walk around my neighborhood for another hour. We will see. I still need to go grocery shopping. I've just been eating in moderation lately. I haven't been as tempted to eat when I exercise as much as I do.
I ate quite a bit today, well not really actually. Just lots of small snacks and things. I had cereal/toast with coffee for breakfast because of lack of food in the house, then mixed nuts as a snack, steamed rice with teriyaki chicken for lunch, p/b nature valley granola bar. maybe a chicken salad for dinner when I get back.
Pretty hungry now but I want to exercise because when you workout when you exercise, you burn more fat. Atleast thats what "they" say. lol
I'll reply more later. bye
Last edited by sweetlovin; 04-23-2008 at 04:45 PM.
And listen to Mommy Jay and don't overdo! 
