Hi everyone,

I'm a lurker who has finally come out of hiding. I am having a problem lifting now that I am restricting my calories.

Just two weeks ago, I was eating unhealthy. Think Culver's chilli and a full meal. By the time I would go to the gym in the evenings (before dinner), I easily had about 2,000 calories in me, and I felt like I had plenty of energy to lift heavy.

I've restricted my diet to about 1700 a day, but now I can't seem to lift as much anymore. For example, yesterday evening I tried to do my usual leg/core routine of (free weights only):

deadlifts (3 sets, increasing weight, decreasing reps)
squats ("")
step-up ("")
lunges ("")

Deadlifts and my first to sets of squats went just fine, but afterward I was exhausted! I could only do my warm up set of lunges I was shaking so badly. I had to go to the dressing room because I got dizzy.

Am I trying to do too much? That morning I did 1 hour of cardio. I already split cardio in the morning, lifting in the evenings. Should I just split days?

Is there anything I can do so that I can still lift heavy, but still restrict my calorie intake?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Are you eating prior to working out? Part of your problem may not be eating 30 to 45 minutes before you workout and eating complex carbs during that time as well.

If you are either not eating or if you are heavily restricting your carbs, that could be part of the problem. You should be fine with exercising in the morning and then lifting in the evening.

Hmmm if that was ME at your weight and I'd done an hour's cardio and that much lifting then I'd probably be wanting to eat 2000kcals.

Heck I even want to eat 2000kcals at the weight I am now!!!

I would say clean up those 2000kcals - no processed stuff, no ready meals, no sweets, no white carbs, plenty of protein and some complex carbs before you work out then you should be A-OK. You might even find that you'll be naturally eating fewer calories if you start eating more protein since it is very satisfying.

Also - do you do an hour of cardio and weights every day? If so then IMO you're probably needing that 2000kcals.

I do really notice a HUGE decrease in athletic performance if I try and restrict my calories too much. I know that I can't eat 1200kcals and do weights in the gym and 2 kickboxing classes, no matter how much I want to. Even on 1400 it becomes a struggle.

If you don't lift and do cardio every day, you might want to try zig-zagging your calorie intake. Say 1700 one day, 1900 the next, 2000 the next, 1700, 1900 etc etc.

Why not post a sample day's menu so we can check it out

Wow, I feel sheepish! Thanks Nelie, I've been completely forgetting to eat something before I go to the gym.

2frustrated: here is my fitday: http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJ...l?Owner=pajueb

I am working towards doing 30-60 minutes of cardio a day and every other day do some weightlifting or home squats, pushups, lunges, crunches, etc. Since currently I am sitting at a computer for 8 hours a day and only getting up to go to the bathroom, I am making even more of an effort not to stuff myself silly. Thanks for your help!

I used to get wiped out, dizzy, nauseous, etc when working out and I realized that it had been a few hours since I ate. Also, if it isn't a complex carb/protein mix before I exercise, I will also sometimes feel wiped out. So I know that is how my body works and it may be the same for you. Try having some complex carbs with protein before lifting and it should be somewhat better.

I do best lifting first thing in the morning, after a few cups of coffee. I am much weaker in the evening when I am dieting.

I would say there's quite a few refined carbs in there - like pizza, tortilla, cereal and even waffles (oh and I did see a doughnut, but what the hey sometimes even fitness freaks need doughnuts!)

I can't really see what meals you're breaking it up into. Are you eating 3 meals a day or 6 meals a day? 6 meals would help your energy crashes because it will stabilise your blood sugar.

Try adding oats into your diet instead of cereal (even Kashi I find tends to crash my blood sugar!) - how about some cottage cheese in there somewhere instead, perhaps, of the mozzeralla. I also don't see much fruit or veg in your diet - perhaps 1 banana a day and "dressing veggies". How about a big salad or a cup of spinach, kale, broccoli or cabbage with your evening meal? How about snacking on apples or grapes or cherries? I always have a huge bowl of fruit on my desk for such snacking emergencies!

And yes, eat some complex carbs and protein before working out. My pre-workout snack today was some multi-grain bread with goat's cheese. Not particularly diet-friendly since there's quite a bit of fat and I'm not fond of eating too much bread in a day, but I had them both left over from a little celebration last night, so I figured I can squeeze it in today since I'm upping my calories a bit because I have a hectic sparring schedule tonight!

Oooh and also you could try zig-zagging your calories, so that you get 2000 on lifting days and lower on other days and still average out at a reasonable fat-burning calorie level.

Archy -- I agree with nellie and 2F that it seems that you are not spreading your calories throught the day and are eating many refined carbs. Oatmeal and eggwhites are my saviour before a workout , after I usually have a protein shake and a fruit ...

Thanks for your help, everyone. I did my core/arms last night, and about 45 minutes before I ate some tuna with Kashi TLC crackers. It went well and I could finish all of my sets. My arms feel like Jello today, but that's normal.

2f - I am eating 5 times a day, and trying to incorporate more fruits. In 10 days I'll be in Peru and fruit is dirt cheap there, so I know I'll be eating a lot more. The tortilla is one of those whole wheat ones that doesn't fold right. My only excuse is that it's better for me than the white flour ones. And about the doughnut , won't happen again!

Thanks for your help!