Am I working out too much and eating too little?

rlyddon

I am 20 days into using myfitnesspal and my first two weeks was showing pretty good results at around 2-4 pounds a week lost. I am consistently leaving about 500-1000 less per day even though I am on the lose two pounds per week method. I work out doing a weight loss routine 2-3 times a week with a iphone app iFitness and am doing cardio classes 2-3 times as well only resting 1 or 2 days max a week. This week I have only had one day that I went over my calorie intake (because of drinking) and have gained eabout 2 pounds this week. Any idea what I am doing wrong? Just wanting to stay motivated to keep this going.

Thanks,
Ricky

JulieMorelli

I have read that you should take in the necessary calories to boost your metabolism. Try eating 5 small meals a day and limit the alcohol it's full of calories that basically turn to fat. Try not to get discouraged because that sometimes is our downfall too! Hope you lose 3lbs this week...you can do it.

missyhse

I agree, working out too much without replenishing your body can make you gain fat and retain water to protect itself.

Mollydolly10

It seems like you are probably NOT eating enough. It is okay to exercise that much, but you need to be eating to fuel yourself for that kind of exercise - otherwise your body is going to go into starvation mode and hold onto (and even gain) fat. If you are exercising that much, you need to be eating back your exercise calories, and making sure you eat after working out as well. This will keep your metabolism moving and will actually help you lose weight - as strange as it may sound at first.

Work on eating up to your calorie goal, you should NOT be 500-1000 below every day, that is a bad, bad sign. Eat at much as you are supposed to, and your body will work with you!

zumbalori

That is exactly what happened to me! I got really stuck and my trainer had me make her a food log. I printed my stuff from here for 3 days and gave it to her. She said I was eating WAY too little for the amount I work out. So, I actually work out less now because I simply cannot fit close to 3000 calories in. I have a HRM and some days, I burn over 1000 calories! That is plenty, I was doing that, plus weights, plus 20 minutes on a bike every day! YIKES I started working out less and eating more and I lost 10 lbs in about 3 weeks! =] I eat really super healthy so there just isn't that many calories in what I eat. I now eat 5-6 small meals a day to try to get them all in.

chrisdavey

make sure you are weighing in at the same time each week as fluid retention will fluctuate.

UpToAnyCool

Read something (sorry I don't have the link) that totally supports what MollyDolly posted about Starvation Mode.
I also hear that if you lose weight too quickly that sometimes what you are losing (unfortunately) is muscle, which in turn slows down your metabolism. The combined effect of the slower metabolism due to muscle loss plus the shortage of calories for fuel may indeed be switching your body into starvation mode.

Also, per MollyDolly's comment, I hear it's pretty crucial to be diligent about your post-workout eating (esp. protein).

But isn't it exciting news that you should probably eat more?
Good luck!

Lily_Rose

You are probably gaining muscle from working out so much. That might account for the weight gain.
Make sure that you're not just weighting in but measuring as well.
When I upped my exercise and started strength training, I gained some weight but my measurements were still consistently going down.

bigred727

now that could be 2 pounds of lean muscle mass... just because your gaining weight, dosnt mean its fat... you said your only taking breaks 1-2 days a week, well that will burn a lot of fat but your going to start gaining a lot of lean muscle... when you start working out, you lose weight at first, then you start to gain back weight witch is lean muscle, most of the time thats how it works, i take it your doing a little strength training each week, if you are thats probably the reason right there, not saying that is the case, but more likely that is...

mark996

Gaining 2 lbs in one week of lean muscle mass is unlikely. Drinking inhibits all progress, it's empty calories, you get nothing from it at all except calories. For those following a strict mass gaining routine taking in sufficient protein amounts could gain 1-2lbs a week, but that's starting out. This gentlemen has stated he's following a fat burning program, probably one that "says" it will up the metabolic rate, plus he's in a calorie deficit. Saying he's gained 2lbs of muscle is false hope for him. Start with your diet, stop drinking, and go from there.

bigred727

wow... didnt see your eating 500-1000 less calories than your supposed to... that will more n likely make you gain some fat back... i know it dont make sence now, but do some research about it... now if you do get your body used to eating that little amount of calories and start to lose weight, theres long term effects that will destroy your metabolism.. im telling from experience... im going through that right now, trying to get my metabolism back to normal... now i have to get my body used to eating the amount of calories its supposed to eat when its only used to eating 1200 to 1500 a day... your metabolism is not something you want to mess around with...

iambrandice

I also know that it's bad for your plan to be too unbalanced. By this I mean you shouldn't be like 800 calories under one day and then the next day go over. Try to be the same amount under or over each day. I also eat at least 1200 calories, but then I try to be just 100 or 150 calories under. But being too much under is bad, even if you are working out. That's why it adds your exercise calories into your allowed calories.

bsexton3

Ricky,

I did this at the start--eating less than supposed to and 2 pound a week goal. After a couple weeks, the weight seemed to stop. So, I changed my calories to losing 1 1/2 pound a week. That only changes the total of calories by 250. Now, when I am 200 calories under, I am actually at a 2 pound rate. I have been on MFP for 8 weeks and have lost 16 pounds = 2 pounds a week.

I eat at least half my exercise calories. But, I cycle a lot. So, on three hour ride days, I only eat about 700-1000 more calories.

Also, don't know your weight to height and BMI, but you are within 10 pounds of your goal weight. If you are that close to normal weight, it will take longer to come off. My wife lost 10 pounds in 6 weeks. Hasn't lost any in the past 2. But, she is in the normal weight range for her height.

Good luck. It seems different for everyone.

dinos

Hey Ricky, read this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

stormieweather

It takes a week to 10 days to see any results of your eating habits in fat loss/gain. And, a persons weight can flucuate by 1-5 or more pounds a day, just from water retention, waste expulsion, etc. Don't worry so much about what the scale says, pay attention to the trend and how your clothes fit. Good luck! :flowerforyou:

tipusnr

Be careful about using your heart rate monitor as gospel for calories burned. Remember that the time recorded on the monitor has already been accounted for in the daily count. Normally workouts don't last long enough for there to be a conflict but it CAN happen. I have gotten into the habit of pausing mine whenever I make any prolonged stops during a bicycle ride to minimize this.