Amount of exercise per week?

NotBearyFit

Hi everyone, I just started calorie counting and going to the gym two weeks ago! I’m eating between 1200-1700 calories daily, up to 1900 on weekends sometimes, and exercising about 4-5 days a week. Each gym session I do 30 minutes of cardio on a stationary cycle and then do weight. My Apple Watch calculates that I burn about 350 calories per session or more. I’m always finding myself really exhausted after hitting the gym for two days in a row, to the point that I’m too tired to go on the third day. I’m 5’7, female and weigh 295 lbs currently. Do you think that I should lower my days of weight lifting to alleviate the exhaustion or do I just keep with it and should I eventually stop feeling exhausted? Any tips are appreciated!

lsp7856

I also have this struggle where I lose willpower to go hard at the gym (or even show up) after 2 days in a row, BUT I recently started paying attention to my macronutrient percentages (protein-carb-fat ratio). If you use the MFP app and go to your diary, scroll all the way down to the black Nutrition Button next to Notes. I quickly found I don't get nearly enough protein daily. Once I increased my protein intake, I feel like I have an energy level that is off the charts.

You are definitely going to the gym enough times a week, so go you! If you actually eat some protein within an hour after working out, you end up repairing some of the strain you put on your muscles and gain your energy back so you're not worn out the rest of the week. That is my tip for you! Otherwise, just change up your cardio exercises so you're not bored and dreading getting back on that bike each day!

estherdragonbat

Do you work out the same muscles each day, or are you alternating between upper body and lower? In general, your muscles need a day's break between workouts, so if you're doing full-body, it should be one day on, one day off. Or you can do Monday upper body, Tuesday lower, Wednesday upper, etc.

(Core CAN be done every day. I personally do it on upper body days only.)

malibu927

Definitely cut back to lifting 3 days a week with a program like Stronglifts 5x5 or New Rules of Lifting for Women. Also make sure you're fueling your workouts. 1200 calories is VERY low for your stats.

Calliope610

Going from 0 to 4x/wk workouts is hard on a body that isn't used to that type of intensity. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a good work out routine.

I've been walking, hiking, cycling and lifting on and off for a couple of years, but whenever I slack off for a while and have to re-boot, I do it slowly. I will start with consistently walking, then about 2-3 weeks later, add weekly hikes to my daily walks. Then, once my body has acclimated to that work load, I add in my cycling.

I am just now ready to add in my lifting and yoga.

Perhaps, instead of going "balls to the wall" all at once, do cardio 2x/wk and strength training 2x/wk. Once your body is used to this load, increase the load gradually. I think you will find this much more productive, sustainable and enjoyable.

ETA - you may also be risking injury when your body isn't properly rested or fueled. I also question your daily calorie requirements as I think they are too low.

nowine4me

Assuming your goal is weight loss, focus your efforts on hitting your calories target (1700 seems much more reasonable than 1200) and do what you can for exercise. Strength trading 3x per week is ideal.

NotBearyFit

Thanks for the tips everyone. I alternate between different muscle groups to let them rest and repair. I’m thinking it’s just like some said that it’s difficult from going to zero to balls to the wall lol Some days I eat quite a bit less than usual because I’ll be exhausted and just sleep until the next day without eating dinner. Most days I try and eat around 1500-1700 but some days it does go well below that. I’ll try lifting 3x a week for now and see how I feel! Once I can get through that, I’ll increase it as I go!

MelanieCN77

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Deviette

You're exhausted because your body isn't used to the amount of work you're doing, change is tiring. I've had it whenever I've upped my exercise amount. A few years ago (when I was training just to train, not for weightloss) I upped my Judo from 2 days a week to 4. I physically had to stop after the new sessions and pick up some energy drinks because I was genuinely worried I was going to fall asleep at the wheel on the drive home. I was so tired. After about a month I went down to only have one after the more intense session. After two months, I realised I wasn't drinking it for the energy, and stopped all together. This worked for me and I was able to push through until my body got used to it (I did the same thing recently again when I upped my mat time). But I wouldn't necessary recommend it, it's not exactly a healthy way of going about things.

Habits are hard, so if you want to get into it, you might find it easier to take it super easy on the third day. Make sure you go to the gym, but have a chill warm up, a gentle cardio, and a lighter than normal strength. Make sure you do the same amount of time you normally would, but make it less intense. And build it up over time. You'll get used to it!

AnnPT77

NotBearyFit wrote: »

Thanks for the tips everyone. I alternate between different muscle groups to let them rest and repair. I’m thinking it’s just like some said that it’s difficult from going to zero to balls to the wall lol Some days I eat quite a bit less than usual because I’ll be exhausted and just sleep until the next day without eating dinner. Most days I try and eat around 1500-1700 but some days it does go well below that. I’ll try lifting 3x a week for now and see how I feel! Once I can get through that, I’ll increase it as I go!

Phasing in exercise more gradually would be a better strategy, then . . . and might even help with weight loss.

One of the risks of over-fatigue is that we drag through our day, doing less of everything. We put off home chores, walk less on shopping trips, fix simpler meals (or skip them, like you're doing), play with the kids or dog less, etc., etc., all day long. You mention sleeping more: While sleeping enough is important for weight loss, exercising so much you only want to sit/sleep excessively is a bad sign (we don't burn a bunch of calories while sleeping, obviously).

For most of us, the biggest source of calorie burn is our basal metabolic rate (BMR - basically the calories we'd burn in a coma to keep the body running). Second biggest is daily activity (called NEAT or non-exercise activity thermogenesis in technical terms). Intentional exercise is usually third in magnitude.

So, if one overdoes the exercise, netting that 350 calories, but drags through the rest of the day, you can be reducing the NEAT component by a decent-sized chunk of what you burn during exercise, offsetting the caloric value of that exercise. Furthermore, as time goes on, the exercise intensity can suffer because of fatigue, reducing burn further.

Underfueling the excessive exercise (say, by skipping meals) only makes the fatigue deepen, and makes the overall situation worse.

This sort of thing isn't likely to prevent weight loss, but it can for sure slow it down (alongside your just feeling worse). You may actually get a better combination of weight loss rate and feeling good by exercising a bit less, at least until your body adapts and can handle more exercise without excessive fatigue. If you feel better, you're more likely to be able to keep losing weight slowly for the long haul, and the long haul is what's required. Fast weight loss is a bad plan.

Exercise should be fun. If it's fun, we're more likely to do it. Other than maybe a short period of "whew!" right after the session, routine daily exercise should leave us feeling energized for the rest of our day, not exhausted and dragged out.

There's no specific amount of exercise that's always too much for anyone and everyone. But any of us who are new to it should ideally be ramping up gradually. "Too much" exercise is any amount that leaves you too tired for daily life, that doesn't allow you overall life balance (enough time/energy for family, job, friends, home chores, other hobbies, etc.), or that impairs rather than improves overall health or fitness. How much this is differs for every individual.

Cherimoose

Another possibility is maybe you need more sleep each day. Exercise increases the need for quality sleep.

cwolfman13

Going from zero to training 4-5x per week is likely too much...fitness is something that is built over time. Your fitness regimen should ultimately be something that is reasonable and sustainable...you don't have to be and really shouldn't be balls to the wall all of the time.

kshama2001

NotBearyFit wrote: »

Hi everyone, I just started calorie counting and going to the gym two weeks ago! I’m eating between 1200-1700 calories daily, up to 1900 on weekends sometimes, and exercising about 4-5 days a week. Each gym session I do 30 minutes of cardio on a stationary cycle and then do weight. My Apple Watch calculates that I burn about 350 calories per session or more. I’m always finding myself really exhausted after hitting the gym for two days in a row, to the point that I’m too tired to go on the third day. I’m 5’7, female and weigh 295 lbs currently. Do you think that I should lower my days of weight lifting to alleviate the exhaustion or do I just keep with it and should I eventually stop feeling exhausted? Any tips are appreciated!

Where did you get 1200 calories from? That's awfully low for your stats. When I plugged them into MFP with a weekly weight loss goal of 2 pounds per week I got almost 1500 calories. And remember, that is before exercise.

I'm your height and started at a lower weight than you and got through lunch the first day when I realized 1200 calories wasn't enough for me.

Under eating can definitely lead to fatigue.

But, as others have said, ease into it rather than trying to go from 0 to 100 immediately.

monicabroussard9072

I'm drinking slimfast and exercising everyday

DancingMoosie

I'd try a full body lifting routine 2-3x per week, alternating days with cardio in between, and then a day off. So, maybe lift M/W/F, cardio T/Th/Sat, Sunday off? Or try less to start, like 2 days on, one off...