5'3 and 144. Hoping a reset helps! Can anyone relate???

BluthLover

I am attempting a reset. Scared honestly to even try! But I am so sick of being hungry and hoping this helps! Problem is I was at my thinnest while breastfeeding. So I have no idea if thats what did it or not! Here's my brief history.

After first baby - got down to 140, no calorie counting. Running 5 hours a week total. Prob 25 miles a week. Some weights but very spotty.

After second baby. Got down to 122 in a year and stayed there a month or so after breastfeeding. Eating 2200 calories a day roughly. Indulging on weekends at one or two cheat meals. Very low intensity cardio 4/5 times a week. Incline for 40 min twice a week. Running at a 5 half hour a week 3 times a week. No weights. Maybe some bicep curls and squats.

Since then ...

Slow and steady gain up to now at 144. I've tried everything. I count calories and was eating 1600-1900 calories over the past year. Workouts much more intense. At least 5 times a week normally 6. I don't even know how to go into detail about all I've tried.

So here I am. 20 lbs heavier. Hoping a reset helps but no idea if it will!

Can anyone relate???!!

I get I was breastfeeding but that shouldn't account for 15-20 lbs right?

BluthLover

I'd like to add that my workout time has doubled from when I was breastfeeding. Intensity has gone WAY up. And i cut back calorie wise.

heybales

Is it as intense as you can do it every day?

Just keep in mind, if you are doing that merely for calorie burning, then just walk and eat less, accomplish the same thing.

Because frequent intense exercise is a stress, just like diet, lack of sleep, food allergies, ect.

Exercise breaks down if done right.
It's the rest, recovery, and repair that actually builds the body back up, if nutrition is there too.

Every day as intense as you can be is counter-productive.

You've heard of intervals, right.
What allows you to do the super hard push? The fact that it is brief and followed by a rest, otherwise if you kept trying to go as hard you'd quickly get down to even slower than your rest level and be lying on side of road trying to recover.

Same principle on daily basis. If you truly want a hard day to get full benefit from it, you must have easy day to allow recovery.

BluthLover

Yes I have heard of intervals and I've done them. I do not go as hard as I can every day, I guess I just meant my intensity level overall went way up. My workout routine right now is ...

Monday - 20 min run. 5.5 average hr 131 max 147. 1 hour body pump
Tuesday- HIIT 20 min 3/9mph 60/30 seconds. 40 min incline. Average hr 131 max 159. 384 calories. 4.17 miles total.
Wed- slow jog 6 min before Zumba. One hour zumba. HR monitor says average 122 max 164 calories 372.
Stairclimber 20 min. 150 calories average hr 144 max 154 - 86 min total. 522 cals total.
Thurs-Run 5.3 mph 30 min 2.5 miles and stairclimber 30 min 2.5 miles. Average hr 128 and max 141. Calories 391. Tried to keep hr around 130.
Friday- Zumba one hour. burned 410 calories average hr 132 max 174.
Sat- 20 min Run 5.3 1.75 miles. 40 min incline. 381 calories. Average hr 128 max 148
Sunday - rest.

Compared to when I was 122 while breast feeding ...
Monday- incline program for 35 min 2.12 miles
Tuesday- 30 min run 2.35 miles
Wed- incline for 35 min 2.13
Thurs- 30 min run 2.31 miles
Friday- 35 min incline for 2.11 miles.

I would do some squats a few times a week. Maybe some bicep curls.
That was a sample week. Some weeks I did more, some less. It would totally depend on my sons naptime! All I had was my treadmill!

heybales

Ah good, I see those terms and usually it means something else I was talking about.
Good variety.

Want to make those intervals closer to HIIT than regular intervals?
Those intervals you are doing won't have the same response. HIIT was the method for cardio only folks to get some benefit of a lifting like workout, just sport specific.
But it requires the same method, all out push with recovery and another.
You are doing an interval workout that will help increase your lactate threshold first, VO2max second, and strength last if any.
The hard time is too long for the rest time to truly push as hard to put a good hard load on the muscles that requires improvements, and you'll still get the LT and VO2 improvement too.

Make the hard time 30 sec on treadmill because of ramp-up time, 15 sec if outside since you can sprint immediately. Make the recovery level 3 x as long. Do about 8 sets.
You'll probably be able to make it faster too, and the recovery speed should be walking, which means even faster yet on the running part.

I'll bet you'll be shocked by the difference. And hurting if done right.

BluthLover

Thanks heybales !!

norcal_yogi

Yes I have heard of intervals and I've done them. I do not go as hard as I can every day, I guess I just meant my intensity level overall went way up. My workout routine right now is ...

Monday - 20 min run. 5.5 average hr 131 max 147. 1 hour body pump
Tuesday- HIIT 20 min 3/9mph 60/30 seconds. 40 min incline. Average hr 131 max 159. 384 calories. 4.17 miles total.
Wed- slow jog 6 min before Zumba. One hour zumba. HR monitor says average 122 max 164 calories 372.
Stairclimber 20 min. 150 calories average hr 144 max 154 - 86 min total. 522 cals total.
Thurs-Run 5.3 mph 30 min 2.5 miles and stairclimber 30 min 2.5 miles. Average hr 128 and max 141. Calories 391. Tried to keep hr around 130.
Friday- Zumba one hour. burned 410 calories average hr 132 max 174.
Sat- 20 min Run 5.3 1.75 miles. 40 min incline. 381 calories. Average hr 128 max 148
Sunday - rest.

Compared to when I was 122 while breast feeding ...
Monday- incline program for 35 min 2.12 miles
Tuesday- 30 min run 2.35 miles
Wed- incline for 35 min 2.13
Thurs- 30 min run 2.31 miles
Friday- 35 min incline for 2.11 miles.

I would do some squats a few times a week. Maybe some bicep curls.
That was a sample week. Some weeks I did more, some less. It would totally depend on my sons naptime! All I had was my treadmill!

...if i were you, i'd go back to a simpler workout routine (maybe your old treadmill one with some yoga or something) and just eat less.... and maybe just get a rough idea of your calories. lessen the stress of all of this.

BluthLover

Idk what to do anymore! I may lessen my workouts but I'm already upping calories so I'm just scared that lowering the workout intensity will make me gain even more!

walshmomma

lessening workouts and allowing for more recovery will flush out inflammation. You won't gain if you are decreasing your intake as you decrease you activity level.

BluthLover

True but I'm attempting a reset right now. I guess I could always lower the intensity of workouts instead of raising the calories ya know?

amd429

Thanks for asking this, seems like some good info on here. I think after my body revolution is done I'm gonna try the advice on here seems very informative!! Thanks haybales!

athenalove46

I'm no expert, but I'm 5 weeks into my reset. I was down to 115 at one point while doing Crossfit (unintentionally eating only around 1200 calories a day). That caught up with me quick once we PCSed (military speak for move). I've been hovering around 140 for the last 6 months.

To me, it sounds like you are physically doing way too much! You are probably burning more than what you can take in. I would calculate your calories to do a reset (I think everybody could benefit from doing one) and reduce your cardio as well as start lifting weights. You will see better results.

BluthLover

I'm no expert, but I'm 5 weeks into my reset. I was down to 115 at one point while doing Crossfit (unintentionally eating only around 1200 calories a day). That caught up with me quick once we PCSed (military speak for move). I've been hovering around 140 for the last 6 months.

To me, it sounds like you are physically doing way too much! You are probably burning more than what you can take in. I would calculate your calories to do a reset (I think everybody could benefit from doing one) and reduce your cardio as well as start lifting weights. You will see better results.

Thanks for the advice. I think I am gonna lower my workout intensity as well as raise calories. See what happens!

elvensnow

I'm no expert either but I wanted to chime in that I know breastfeeding does account for a LOT of calories. I know some women who would eat ~4000 calories a day and still LOSE while breastfeeding. Your baby needs a lot of energy!

So yes I see how it's easy to gain after that stops.

In my (not at all expert) opinion I would follow through with the reset, meaning 6-8 weeks of TDEE. Maybe go to a doc or fitness center and get your RMR tested if you want to be super accurate. But basically eat at TDEE until you stabilize and then start cutting slowly.

As for the exercise--I think it's okay as long as you honestly factor that into the TDEE calculations (don't put "sedentary" on there!)

Good luck.