I had posed a question on another thread/topic regarding my diet and exercise routines. Unfortunately, I was unable to check the responses before the system crashed so I hoped no one minds if I repost a summary of my problem...
I've been pretty diligent in my diet and exercise for the last 6 months and have not been able to lose a single pound. I workout 6 days a week, both cardio and strength training, and I eat roughly 1350 calories. I realize that amount is pretty low given the amount of exercise that I do, but when I tried to increase it to 1500 calories, I started gaining weight. SusanB mentioned that she thinks I'm overtraining...she's probably right in that I exercise too much, but I like pushing myself that "extra inch." I'm sort of stuck in a rut because I'm afraid that if I either cut back on my exercise or increase my calories, I'll start gaining weight again. Can anyone give me any advice on how to get out of this hole?
The only thing you can do is try something different. It is very difficult to tell if you are overtraining by the limited amount of information that you have given. If you think you are, then give your body a rest- try cutting out some of the strength training- only do it every other day and maintain your cardio. Instead of doing all of your cardio at the same time break it up through the day to give your metabolism a boost throughout the day.
Is your diet just calorie counting? Try increasing your protein.
Your best bet is to post with what you eat on an average day and what exercise you do. You will get better feedback this way. Good Luck and don't give up!!
I remember your post, and in it you listed the amount you work out and a sample of what you eat in a day. In my opinion, I'd say you're definitely overtraining, and not eating enough to support it.
In my reply, I had noted that you are "normal" according to the BMI charts. So, naturally it will be hard for you to lose weight. I also said that given how much you exercise, your body is probably frantic to get enough material to build lean muscle, bone, etc., let alone keep up with the energy demands.
I also said that you could be gaining lean body mass when your weight increases. The scale just tells you pounds--it doesn't say what those pounds are.
My suggestion is that you find out your body fat percent. It could be that your physical trainer has equipment that can give you an estimate based on impedence--but the best way to test body fat % is either via calipers with a trained person doing the measurements, or the immersion method.
I would then encourage you to cut down somewhat on the amount of exercise you are doing and increase your calories. Focus on lowering your body fat percent, not on dropping pounds on the scale. Yes, you could gain some weight at first. But don't let that scare you into punishing your body!
For awhile (three weeks, maybe four, I think) I increased my workouts, trying to drop more quickly. Well, my weight loss stalled. Plus I felt worn out and hungry ALL the time...
We have had others on the site who have reported that they lost more easily by not being so extreme.
Thanks for the quick responses and advice!
Just to provide some context: I eat roughly 1350 calories a day consisting of 30% protein, 45% carbs and 25% fat (mostly the good kind). I workout 6 days a week which includes 6 days of cardio either running, spinning, or elliptical and 4 days of various forms of weight training either in a class or with a personal trainer. My total daily workouts are about an hour and a half, maybe two hours if I'm motivated enough.
Jay- I guess my next question is if I am overtraining, how do I get out of this cycle without putting on pounds? I know that I'm still at a healthy BMI, but I've gained about 30 pounds over the last 3 years which I would really rather not keep. I know you said not to worry about the scale, but I've already put on more weight than I'm comfortable with and I'm starting to run out of clothes that fit. Do I decrease my exercise first, increase my calories or some combination of the two? How much of a change is sufficient to make an impact, but won't cause my body to store everything as fat. Oh, and just as a side note, unlike you, I am NEVER hungry. I have to force myself to eat sometimes just to make sure I get calories into my body.
Thanks again for all your help! You have no idea how much I appreciate this! Everyone else I've asked for help and advice (including doctors) have just shrugged their shoulders and told me to give it time.
Ever had your thyroid checked? That can slow your metabolism considerably and cause you to hold on to weight. If you were hypothyroid, you might feel run down, "foggy", tired or frequently cold, in addition to the stubborn weight...
I remember your post as well and I seem to recall you said you were doing up to 2 hours of hard working out a day on 1350 calories? That's not nearly enough calories to support that level of working out. I also seem to remember that I thought you weren't getting enough protein - which, although the percentages are right, at 1350 cals, it would be very difficult to get enough to support your levels of activity.
Like Jay, I wouldn't be surprised if you had gained weight because you're overworking your body.
It's possible that you need a break. Really a break from the training, pushing, dieting ... all of it. I'm not saying go whole hog or quit training, etc. But maybe take some time off of the "extra inch" mentality for a little bit.
The scale may go up a little. But I think you might have to retrain your body here before it's going to go back down.
It sounds like you've been to doctors already and that your tests come back normal. Is this the case?
Again, have your body fat percent checked--see where that is at. Not everyone has the same body!
I read once about a football player who was always being told he had to get his weight down. He just couldn't do it, and his performance was less than expected. When they tested his body fat, it was 2%. This isn't enough for anyone, even an athlete. He was then allowed to increase his weight to give him a higher body fat %, but still within athletic range--and his performance improved and he felt better. So, different body types may have different needs.
Also, I'm a bit concerned about your not feeling hungry. Often certain eating disorders begin this way--dissatisfaction, lots of exercise, not enough food, and not feeling hungry.
I'd slow down on the exercise first, while keeping your calories the same so you don't feel like you are eating too much. Don't go for two hours, say--just as an idea. Try going down to 45 minutes of cardio instead of an hour. Go to lower weights--try increasing sets instead of increasing weight.
These are just my own ideas, I'm not a trainer, dietitian, or medical professional. You'll have to try different things and see what happens.
One last suggestion--and that's all anyone here can really offer you--I think you need some red meat! Woman cannot live by egg whites alone!
And I think the last truly brilliant idea I posted was about tweaking. Chances are, that the thing you do that will make all the difference will be something small. Changing up your exercise routine, lifting heavier for shorter periods, doing your cardio in intervals, switching up your percentages to 40/40/20 ...
Keep in mind that you aren't very big. Do you need to get much lighter? Maybe all you need is a nice heavy lifting routine that will make you smaller but not necessarily lighter.
I have seriously been to like 6 doctors and not one could tell me why I wasn't losing weight even after I told them how much I was exercising and what I was eating. They ran all the tests, but when they came back fine, they just shrugged their shoulders and told me to give it time! I received better advice here then I did from these "professionals." I finally feel like I actually have hope at losing weight.
Look up calorie cycling, and interval training. They can be used to break out of your weight loss plateau, read the book "Burn the fat, feed the muscle" I highly recommend it
Thanks for the quick responses and advice!
Do I decrease my exercise first, increase my calories or some combination of the two? How much of a change is sufficient to make an impact, but won't cause my body to store everything as fat.
You might want to experiment a bit. Try eating 100-200 more calories a day for a few weeks while keeping up your exercise routine and see what happens. You may even want to scale back on the exercise while you do this.... Not sure, you'll have to determine for yourself what sounds right to you. Don't panic if the scale creeps up a little at first. Your body will probably have to adjust to getting more food.
Thanks for the tip on calorie cycling, but I don't think it would work for me. I already do a version of calorie cycling in that I usually eat a little less during the week and a little more on the weekends so it all balances out, but on Monday I will have usually "gained" a few pounds wherein then I proceed to "lose" them over the course of the week so that on Friday I usually weigh the same amount I weighed the previous Friday.
Hm. But what you're doing isn't calorie cycling then. CCing is a pretty specific routine of mixing up your cals to keep your body guessing. I've done it before and it works really well for me, but I don't have the discipline to manage my calories to that degree on a daily level. It's easier for me to stick with one number across the board.
I'm pretty diligent in my calorie tracking...i'm totally ocd...so it's not a problem. i'll have to take a look around and see what information i can find. maybe i'm not doing it correctly. thanks!
onsecondthought, I've noticed that you've mentioned a lot of things that you don't think will work. What are you willing to try? Let us know what you decide to do, and how it goes with that.
Overtraining???
Everyone else I've asked for help and advice (including doctors) have just shrugged their shoulders and told me to give it time.
This isn't enough for anyone, even an athlete. He was then allowed to increase his weight to give him a higher body fat %, but still within athletic range--and his performance improved and he felt better. So, different body types may have different needs.
idea I posted was about tweaking. Chances are, that the thing you do that will make all the difference will be something small. Changing up your exercise routine, lifting heavier for shorter periods, doing your cardio in intervals, switching up your percentages to 40/40/20 ...
