Anyone had success with reducing their cardio and hitting calorie goals more often?

Ooci

Hi everyone

I'd be interested to hear from anyone who felt maybe excessive cardio burns were slowing down their weight loss. I eat more on my tennis days and I find it very difficult to stay within goal. If I do tennis for 2 hours AND work hard on the garden 3 or 4 hours then I have really no idea how many extra calories I can have, I probably eat around 2200 to feel satisfied. That's probably too many at 5ft0.

I know I overeat, that's very plain.

I'm just wondering if I did less I might be able to eat less and lose more. We aren't talking about the basic level (raise heart for 20 mins minimum three x per week). I'm talking about the days I do an hour of cardio tennis, which pushes me to the max, followed by an hour and a half tennis lesson which includes drills and doubles, and then possibly my friends may want to play a 2hr game of doubles in the afternoon, and I've still got sacks of chicken feed to unload and long paths to sweep at home, or I'm painting and decorating at home which means up and down a ladder constantly. Those are the days that really make me seem to overeat and not lose. Anyone else find the same thing?

Sued0nim

get a fitbit or similar to give you an idea of how much extra movement you're making .. an IDEA not an exact count .. it can link to your MFP account and tell you exactly how many extra calories you should eat

going by hunger signals is not good for those of us who have been overweight .. I would never rely on my hunger

If you find you're still eating too much .. by not losing weight .. cut back how much extra you eat

Ooci

rabbitjb wrote: »

get a fitbit or similar to give you an idea of how much extra movement you're making .. an IDEA not an exact count .. it can link to your MFP account and tell you exactly how many extra calories you should eat

going by hunger signals is not good for those of us who have been overweight .. I would never rely on my hunger

If you find you're still eating too much .. by not losing weight .. cut back how much extra you eat

Thanks rabbitjb - I should get one I know! My friend has the new Garmin one and it looks so useful. Totally agree the hunger signals are no good at all. I could eat 3000 a day and still feel wildly hungry during periods of the day, I just want food.

cheshirecatastrophe

For me, it's not a question of overall cardio but intensity and type.

If I swim that day, forget it. I'm gonna eat the house. Weightlifting and interval training (running speedwork) are also deadly. In terms of long, steady-state efforts, biking makes me hungry IMMEDIATELY afterwards, and takes me awhile to "fill up." Running long gives me a few hours' buffer, but then the runger kicks in and is, if anything, worse than the bike.

Easy recovery runs? No appetite boost. And I've never weighed *less* in my adult life than when all I was doing was walking all the time, because I just wasn't hungry.

PrimroseFlower

Yes! I do the same thing. The days that I jog on my treadmill, I eat in the 2000 range. I guess with this amount of calorie burn, there will be hunger associated.

Ooci

Interesting, very interesting. Thanks Primrose Flower and CheshireCatastrophe! This confirms my opinion. A little raising of the heart is crucial, keeping active is crucial. The kind of exercise I've been doing may not be my friend for weight loss.
Totally second that the slimmest I've ever been was when walking all the time. When I lived in London I was very slim and walked miles I did not feel this intensity of hunger.

Ooci

And just to add to that, I go on a cycling holiday every September to France. 60k a day and I ALWAYS come back 5lb heavier from the excessive munching on croissants and tartes aux fruits.

20yearsyounger

I'm guessing that you play tennis that much because that's what you love to do? I wouldn't stop it because you feel as you aren't losing weight. You just need to find the right number to eat at. A lot more good is happening than you think. I played competitively for a number of years and I barely gained weight. Maybe you just need more water.

Foxgym

Interesting, I can only add that intense (HIIT) style workouts will always make me hungry. I have read it's the bodies natural compensation tendency to want to fuel more after physical stress, I need to give the vending machine a wide bith. There is a huge popular meme for us to all be pushing ourselves 'no pain no gain' there is no argument that intensity is a vital part of stimulating progression to fitness....But too much and we are also stimulating our hunger! in the shadow of the popular light of intense workouts, boot camps, 5x5s, crossfit, HIIT etc quietly sits the vital importance of consistent low intensity exercise, walking, a gentle swim, yoga and many more, movement that is de stressful NOT STRESSFUL. I have found these to be the true foundation of health, along with a clean diet, if we focus on longevity there are numerous studies to bear this out, just look at the elderly in a chinese park, doing tia chi. Exercise is a stress, it can be a good stress or a bad one, I have found it's a balance act.

20yearsyounger

I do agree with you Foxgym. Most of my workouts are in Zone 1-2 and I focus a lot more on what I like to do not which exercise will burn the most calories. It still do the occasional Zone 4 but much less. For me the higher intensity released too much cortisol and added more stress versus reducing it.

Ooci

20yearsyounger wrote: »

I'm guessing that you play tennis that much because that's what you love to do? I wouldn't stop it because you feel as you aren't losing weight. You just need to find the right number to eat at. A lot more good is happening than you think. I played competitively for a number of years and I barely gained weight. Maybe you just need more water.

I play because I love it yes, but I'm just a beginner who started last April. I'd never played any sport before. And yes it's been wonderful for me and I guess I'm just being greedy to be discontent about not getting more loss.

Before tennis



After tennis




In total I lost 43 lb - but only 7lb since October despite a lot of tennis.

I drink masses of water, at least 4 litres a day. I get incredibly thirsty!

Yes I do need to find the right number to eat at.

Ooci

Foxgym wrote: »

the vital importance of consistent low intensity exercise, walking, a gentle swim, yoga and many more, movement that is de stressful NOT STRESSFUL. I have found these to be the true foundation of health, along with a clean diet

Totally agree.

evileen99

I am also a gardener, and I wear a BodyMedia Fit. I burn 250-350 calories an hour when I'm out doing all that garden stuff. You may not be overeating on gardening days at all.

Ooci

evileen99 wrote: »

I am also a gardener, and I wear a BodyMedia Fit. I burn 250-350 calories an hour when I'm out doing all that garden stuff. You may not be overeating on gardening days at all.

Wow that is a massive amount. No wonder I get so flipping hungry! Not a professional gardener but I've got 4 acres and 30 hens - it's a lot of work.

Liftng4Lis

I do 3 days of strength with a little cardio warm up, 2 days just straight cardio and actually find I eat more on the day after strength, (happens to fall on cardio).

maxit

Ooci wrote: »

20yearsyounger wrote: »

I'm guessing that you play tennis that much because that's what you love to do? I wouldn't stop it because you feel as you aren't losing weight. You just need to find the right number to eat at. A lot more good is happening than you think. I played competitively for a number of years and I barely gained weight. Maybe you just need more water.

I play because I love it yes, but I'm just a beginner who started last April. I'd never played any sport before. And yes it's been wonderful for me and I guess I'm just being greedy to be discontent about not getting more loss.

Before tennis



After tennis




In total I lost 43 lb - but only 7lb since October despite a lot of tennis.

I drink masses of water, at least 4 litres a day. I get incredibly thirsty!

Yes I do need to find the right number to eat at.

You look great

Ooci

Thanks Maxit! Well done on your terrific loss too!