Not Losing; Plus Need Exercise Class Advice

SierraFatToSkinny

I've come to the sad conclusion that I've overestimated how much I burn.

When I started out in this round of weight loss (New Years) I had also taken up backpacking. Unseasonably warm weather was a boon for me! And for the weight coming off.

I was consistently eating 2200 calories a day and 3k on hike days. And losing.

Well, intermittent rain, a beaten down body, and me starting C25K made me decide to cool it some with the backpacking.

I knocked down my eating to about 2000. Then 1975. Then 1950. Then 1900. And eat back my exercise calories. (I deduct 40% off the top and eat those back.)

I'm sore from my C25K right now, so I'm probably retaining water in my legs. I've maybe run too often. I've been doing the program since the February 21st and I'm at Week 5 Day 2 currently.

Which gets me to the question. I'm going to take a rest day tomorrow. However, I still want to work out. Maybe an exercise class and then yoga class afterwards.

My choices for an exercise class are Cycling or BodyPump.

Or should I avoid a class altogether and have a full recover day.

But I want to eat more... I'm knocking my calories all the way back to 1500. I'd like a few extra calories exercise gives me.

I'm feeling a little lost. And just disappointed about how my weight loss has stalled.

Advice?

Edit: 5'8" and 268.

TavistockToad

just take a rest day, its most likely water weight, you don't need to cut your calories way back. do some yoga, stick with 1900 cals.

be more patient

GrayRider61

I agree, just take a rest day and chill. Also, sometimes you might want an active rest day which could include playing tennis, softball, frisbee, anything just for fun. Sounds like you're on the right track but don't fixate on numbers quite so much. Keep up the good work.

tcunbeliever

I always yoga/stretch and walk on my rest days...you don't have to be completely sedentary for muscle recovery, and light cardio will actually boost circulation and speed recovery...just listen to your body and don't overdo it, if your sore muscles start to feel like fire it's time to back off or slow the pace.

not_a_runner

I am pretty sedentary on my rest days aside from walking or foam rolling, I usually just bite the bullet and eat less (1500 on my off days right now).
As for your losses slowing, C25K is a lot shorter duration than hiking so it makes sense you can't eat as much. Sounds like you get the idea. You've lost weight too, so you already need slightly less calories as a result of that. It definitely sucks though. I started out on 2100 and now I've got to get at least 1800 or below for a pound per week. And be consistent AF. Couple days off and it sets me back a lot.

jennybearlv

Wait. You have been doing C25K for 3 weeks and you are on week 5? As a 3 time C25K graduate I have to say that you are doing it wrong. You should only be running three days a week and completing every session before moving to the next. If you are not doing that, you are not doing C2K5. I know you are a skilled hiker, but if you haven't run in the last year or been a serious runner in the past you need to slow things down to prevent injury. If you want more of a challenge you could take your runs to the trails, whether permitting.

If you want to exercise daily cross train. I lift on three of my days off from running and stretch or leisurely walk on my fourth day. You could cycle, take a class at the gym, do yoga, anything but run.

Also, how long ago did you adjust your calories down? Weight loss is not linear and it is hard to know if adjustments have taken effect for a few weeks. I can tell you it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound and if your math adds up you will lose. If you feed MFP all the correct data on how much you are eating, how much you exercise, and how much you want to lose it does the math for you and will give you the results you are looking for.

MeanderingMammal

SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »

Which gets me to the question. I'm going to take a rest day tomorrow. However, I still want to work out. Maybe an exercise class and then yoga class afterwards.

It may be that we have completely different definitions of rest, but to me it suggests actually resting...

And if you are, as your post suggests, doing C25K every day then re-evaluate your planning. There is a reason that its intended to be done every other day.

AllanMisner

Three P's:
1) Progression - add volume at a reasonable rate. I think you're doing too much too soon.
2) Persistence - you've nailed this one, but at the cost of reasonable progression.
3) Patience - it took time to gain the weight, it will take some time (maybe not as long) to lose it.

Allan Misner
NASM Certified Personal Trainer
Host - 40+ Fitness Podcast

SierraFatToSkinny

Regarding C25K. Out of 16 days I've run 11 times.

The first couples weeks were quite easy and I doubled up on one of the days with two sessions. I also didn't feel the need to take breaks.

I recently accidentally skipped a day because my phone died from the cold at the start of a run and when I managed to turn the phone back on it had checked that day's run and I moved on to the next run not knowing it was the wrong day until after I finished it. I just continued forward instead of going back and completing the easier day.

I can tell I'm going to need more breaks from running. Last night my legs ached. (Which was the first time I had that consequence, btw.)

I'll heed your advice and ease up some. I plan to finish this month and I'm on track to do that with an every other day run.


I've been dieting and working out for just over two months now and have lost 12 pounds. Of which only a pound in the last three weeks.

Makes me think I'm wrong about my daily burn. I'm tightening up my logging too. I've been playing it too loose with the liquids.


I'll take a walk instead of heading off to a exercise class.

MeanderingMammal

SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »

I can tell I'm going to need more breaks from running. Last night my legs ached. (Which was the first time I had that consequence, btw.)

Your CV fitness improve pretty quickly, but the mechanical improvements to your connective tissue and skeletal structure take more time, and needs rest to allow the development. The nature of over use injury is that you don't know about it until it's too late to do anything. You're then off running until it heals.

VintageFeline

So you significantly changed your workout schedule in the last few weeks and are now sore. No losses during those weeks is totally expected. I wouldn't panic too much until you hit more like 6 weeks with no appreciable losses. In short, chill! With everything!

GottaBurnEmAll

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »

I can tell I'm going to need more breaks from running. Last night my legs ached. (Which was the first time I had that consequence, btw.)

Your CV fitness improve pretty quickly, but the mechanical improvements to your connective tissue and skeletal structure take more time, and needs rest to allow the development. The nature of over use injury is that you don't know about it until it's too late to do anything. You're then off running until it heals.

This. And you said you were on Week 5, Day 2?

Oh dear.

Everyone who's ever done C25K knows what the next day means.

Take a rest day, and please, do the program properly. It's not about burning calories, it's about having your body adapting to running. Once your body is properly adapted to running, then you can worry about calorie burning.

kk_inprogress

GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »

MeanderingMammal wrote: »

SierraFatToSkinny wrote: »

I can tell I'm going to need more breaks from running. Last night my legs ached. (Which was the first time I had that consequence, btw.)

Your CV fitness improve pretty quickly, but the mechanical improvements to your connective tissue and skeletal structure take more time, and needs rest to allow the development. The nature of over use injury is that you don't know about it until it's too late to do anything. You're then off running until it heals.

This. And you said you were on Week 5, Day 2?

Oh dear.

Everyone who's ever done C25K knows what the next day means.

Take a rest day, and please, do the program properly. It's not about burning calories, it's about having your body adapting to running. Once your body is properly adapted to running, then you can worry about calorie burning.

QFT. You're doing yourself harm by not listening to the program. It works for a reason.

Nony_Mouse

Adding to the chorus of people telling you to do C25K the way it's intended. Three times a week. That's it.

Take a rest day. A proper rest day. If not two. Gentle (as in hatha, not power) yoga is fine, and will probably help your soreness.