I've been lurking around here, and hope it's not too forward of me to ask a question. I'm not a BFL'er though I did look into the program for a bit, and tried the challenge for 6 weeks.

I've successfully lost #'s and fat thru WW and exercise, and know the value of lifting on the body and the spirit. I lost focus for a bit, and some of the weight I lost crept back on. I'm getting married November 1st, and want to get back into shape by then. I've pulled out my old food journals to see what I was eating when I was losing, and I"m back on track with journaling all my food, and drinking plenty of water. My first time losing weight, I introduced exercise rather gradually. I started with walking, moved to some running and finally added in FIRM tapes. I liked the results that I got combining weights with cardio. I think BOTH are necessary for fitness. I've since moved on to Cathe Friedrich tapes.. I find them more challenging, and she's not afraid of heavier weights, which encourages me to push to the limits. (I prefer working out in my livingroom with a TV trainer, to going to the gym and having to wait for some of the guys to let me work in a set. )

Here's my question... when does the exhaustion from starting a weights program go away. I'm falling off my feet these days, and all I want to do is sleep. I don't recall feeling this tired a few years ago, but perhaps I only remember the fantastic results, not the pain to get there <g> (though I do recall the muscle soreness). Is the exhaustion normal? and how many weeks before it goes away? Or am I starting off too intense?

Here is the plan I've been following (tho, this week which is week 3, I've skipped a few workouts cause of the lack of energy).
Sa - 20 min yoga (stretching session) and cardio
Su - cardio/rest
M - Upper Body (using Cathe's Pyramid Tape which is similar to the lifting principles of BFL with decreasing the reps, increasing the weight)/cardio
Tu - Lower Body (using Cathe's Pyramid Lower Body Tape)
We - Yoga, cardio
Th -Upper Body/cardio
Fr - Lower Body

For Cardio, I try to get in at least 1 session that has intervals, the others can be long walks on the boardwalk, swing dance class or kickboxing. On days when I aim for cardio and weights, the weights are in the morning, the cardio in the evening. Same with the yoga/cardio split. Wed is yoga in the morning before work, dance class at night.. not intense but energetic and fun.

I'm averaging 8 or more hours of sleep a night, so why the exhaustion (which coincides with my program)??

Thanks for any insight

~Audrey

First of all, stop lurking and start posting! This isn't some kind of private club with secret passwords (although MrsJim IS working on a theme song!) All you have to do is jump in and post and KEEP posting. Really! think you’ll find this to be a great group of women (with the occasional guy) who are very motivating and well-informed and fun to hang out with! And you don’t have to do BFL — I am probably one of the few people who never even heard of it until well after I started lifting weights, so never have done it.

OK, your question about the exhaustion: I don’t think your schedule is too much, if you’ve worked up to it gradually. I myself do an hour of cardio a day and work out five days a week (back, arms, shoulders, legs, and chest). I have to say, though, that this is more than some people do. I found that I needed LESS sleep and had MORE energy as soon as I started lifting weights, so your experience is the opposite of mine. (Thinking back, I was doing about four days of cardio and working out about four days a week for the first six weeks and then stepped it up) Others, of course, may have a totally different experience, so this is just “me.”

I would perhaps take a look at what you are eating and whether you are eating enough to fuel your muscles. It’s a fine line that we walk with nutrition to try to lose fat while preserving and gaining muscle. I know that when I did WW, I ate way too many carbs (especially the simple carbs, such as sugars, flour, and processed foods) and not enough protein. Now I’ve found that protein is the key for me to maintain and build muscle and to keep from being too hungry. And it also could be that you simply are not getting enough calories to sustain your activity level. WW point ranges are designed for inactive people and are pretty low. I know that many people think that the Activity Points that you earn for exercise on WW are not sufficient for someone who is seriously working out and not just walking the dog. If you track what you eat, try to see how many calories it is and what % of them are coming from protein, fat, and carbs. A lot of people aim for a ratio of approximately 40% protein, 40% GOOD carbs, and 20% GOOD fats. When I first started this program (at 257 pounds), I was eating around 1600 calories per day and the weight was just flying off of me. I had to lower the calories as my weight dropped, of course (darn!). So perhaps see where you are with food?

I’m sure that others here will have some other thoughts for you.

Good luck with your program and your upcoming wedding and please join us in posting!

Meg

Audrey,

If you haven't coincidentally picked up a low grade, long lasting cold or other viral infection then the answer, and it's cure is simple.

You seem to be working out every day! Now no sensible programme asks for that, no matter how intense the programme is. You absolutely have to have rest days built into your exercise plan! There are numerous reasons for this:

1) in order to gain the benefit of ANY exercise you do your body has to have a resting phase e.g you do a lot of weights and 'break' the muscles as you should. In order for them to heal, re-knit and grow stronger you have to stop using them, usually for a 24-hour period. If you remember that cardio work also 'breaks' muscles you can see why your daily programme might be excessive!

2) your body is probably unused to intensive exercise workouts - you say that 'last time' you introduced exercise gradually, this time you have added it all i at once. You have made a classic decision - you have returned to your programme at it's end and expect your body to be able to pick up where youleft off. Cut back and introduce sessions gradually and you will get back there, but it will take time!

3) if you are also watching what you eat then you are probably not feeding your body with the right amount or balance of nutrients. This is especially easy to get wrong if your exercise is newly added to your daily life. Your body won't want to cope with food restrictions and added exercise all in one go.

What to do? Easy. Cut back on the exercise to say 3 days a week. Go back through your diet and make sure that your kcals cut plus your exercise addition doesn't add up to more than 500kcals per day - say 250 kcals food reduction and an additional 250kcals worked off with exercise. You need to work this out over a week (3500kcals per week) to allow for your resting days.

As you choose to increase your exercise you need to add in more kcals of food. Not only will you be exercising more but you will be making more of your body metabolically active (turning it from more fat to more muscle). This means that your daily requirements even lying down, will be increasing.

Let your body be your guide, as well as counting it up. If you feel the urge to sleep, eat more and/or exercise less until you get a good balance!

I can't give guidance on diet (I am not fully qualified) but I can give advice on the exercise planning:

Begin with 3 sessions weekly - it doesn't matter of what as long as you do both cardio and weights, choose to do more of the one you like most. So Mon- cardio; Weds - weights; Fri - cardio, Sat & Sun gentle walks, don't push it!

Then you can build this up to:
Mon - cardio + upper body; Weds cardio + lower body; Fri - cardio and a mix of both upper + lower; Sat + Sun leisure walks as before.

Building slowly up to
Mon cardio; Tues - cardio + upper body; Weds - cardio; Thurs - cardio + lower body; Fri - cardio; Sat + Sun continue with the leisure stuff.

If you pace the cardio workouts and vary them, swimming, walking, dance etc you will not overwork any one muscle group. Oh, and don't split up your sessions - do 1 a day. The split sessions you are doing now will only add to the overtraining pain and lethargy you are experiencing.

Let me know if you want any more explanation - hopefully I can help you get the results you want, it is my job! Just remind me not to drown you in the science bit!!

Hi Audrey and welcome!

I have to agree w/Stef, your program allows no recovery time at all! One of the key elements in building muscle is the rest and recovery time, without it, they never have time to repair and grow.

Try to ease up a bit, I think you're suffering now from Overtraining and I've been there myself. All it does is drag you down physically and mentally and you could get ill. Start by taking one day off and see how you feel. Maybe that'll be enough, but if its not, take 2. You'll only do yourself good!

And welcome to the board!

ps: I love Cathe and the Firm too.

I agree with all of the ladies but wanted to post that I have seen the firm tapes at Sams Club and thought about purchasing them. Mindi, you have them at home? You like them? DO you need the little fanny lifter thingy or would my step reebok work?
Welcome to the board Audrey!
Jamie

Audrey, nice to meet you. Post and read up - there is a ton of good info here. Be not affraid!


Now, about your tiredness - I think you're over doing it just a tad. No true rest day. This is a MUST. Physically and mentally. Muscles need rest to rebuild. Work them once a week - that will give them a good workout AND enough rest. I tried to work each muscle 2 x week and I was more tired doing that than anything I've ever done. (Thanks Mel) I would fall asleep at 6 PM.

Another contributing factor could be food. or lack of. Could you post a menu for us to look at? Maybe that will give some insight. You may not be eating the right foods for your activity level. WW eats are a bit on the light side. Drink plenty of water too - helps a lot.


WECLOME! Please let us know how you're doing.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.

I think I'm eating enough.. the scale isn't going down. I try to stay at the high end of my points and I do add in exercise ones when I need to. I'm also pretty good about getting most out of my points, going for high fiber and lower fat, and of course the "free veggies". The difference in my eating on WW and off is the extras and the junk. I get rid of the junk and try to make better choices. I big on fish and whole grains.

As for the exercise... I think I left out some details. 1st) I didn't go from couch sitting to the program listed, exactly. But before 3/1, I wasn't following a set exercise program so it's hard to figure out exactly what I was doing. I was definitely active, but not organized. In Feb, I tried the CTX rotation, which for those unfamiliar with Cathe are 5 intense cardio sessions followed by weights for one upper body part and then a 6th tape for legs (no cardio). I liked the idea of doing one body part a day, or even doubling up and doing 2, not all... except that did not give my shoulders enough of a rest. I have some injuries from a car accident 4 years ago and my shoulders are my weak point. No rest for them, meant horrible headaches and more visits to the chiropractor to get fixed. So, I switched to doing total body weight tapes, mixed with cardio days.. but I found that I'd be quite fatigued (muscle fatigue, not the exhaustion I have now) 1/2 thru and I didn't do justice to biceps and triceps (the last to get worked on most tapes) cause I just wanted to be done. The rest was working fine for the shoulders though.

Hence the current program of 2 days of upper body and 2 of lower, that are separate.
2nd) I *do* make sure I get a rest day, but sometimes its Sat, sometimes Sunday.. it floats. I don't consider the 20 min yoga session of stretching to be a workout.. (neither cardio nor strength, as I opt for a stress release tape or a stretch tape on this), so Wednesday's are "light", with Yoga and dance.

I get stir crazy if I'm not moving, which is why I guess I try to set up programs that keep me moving in some form for 6 days.

Jamie, you can certainly use the rebok step instead of the fanny lifter if you have enough risers. The fanny lifter is 2 parts, one 6" the other 8". for a total of 14" for the leg lifts. I have a cube from novelnotion.com that I got when I first started with FIRM tapes. It's quite versatile in that I can switch it around to various heights. That said, of course when the new mini-topper comes out for the step, I'm getting one.

Take it from someone who has been there, done that; if you are not eating enough your body will go into "fat-hoarding" mode. And it doesn't have to be under 1200 calories; I had this happen eating 1300-1400 (and I'm small, 124 when this happened).

When I bumped my calories up to 1500-1600, I started dropping fat (5 lbs in the first 6 weeks). When I cranked it up to 1850 I lost 9 lbs in 6 weeks.

So no, you don't have to eat *less* to lose fat; many times it's just the opposite.

Laura

Laura, that realization is starting to sink in. I'm looking over the "physical transformation" site for more info.

Has anybody here been on this program? I don't know very much about it yet.. I'm looking into the 5-day trial. It seems doable for me, as I'm a record-keeping junkie anyhow, keeping all my food and pts and exercise in spreadsheets <g>... and the food seems to be 50% healthy carbs 30 prot 20 fat, which is a better mix for me than 40/30/30. Since I don't eat meat, and fish is low in cal's, I have to too many supplements otherwise... and I'm not a big fan of eating chemicals instead of food.

I am also learning that my sleep has been interupted lately, and part is due to the increase in water that I'm drinking and part due to restlessness of my fiance who manages to wake me up while he stays sleeping. But I know that's just part of the exhaustion. The rest does coincide with my return to WW and a more formal exercise program, and think there is a correlation.