new here and need advice

sethtt94

Hello all im semi- new to this group, but been on MFP and tracking off and on for the past few months but not too accurately. But Im at a point I need some advice and im sure this is asked all the time or something similar. Im 20 yrs old, about5'7 and my weight fluctuates between 123 ( fasted) to about 126. I'm averaging around 1450-1980 cal so an average of that. Im currently doing Craig Capurso 30 days out program (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/30-days-out-craig-capursos-extreme-cut-trainer-training.html). But recently I have been having problems. I'm tired some of the day everyday, and my body feels more tired than usual, with 8-10 hrs sleep. Today I got to the gym to do my leg workout for the week and after two sets into squats left because I literally felt to exhausted to go on. ( I NEVER MISS A WORKOUT OR LEAVE THE GYM LIKE THAT) but I just couldn't go on. My parents are worried telling me to take the whole weekend off and that I had better start eating more asap. What do you guys think? I Plan on going back tomorrow to finish that workout, but Im not sure what to do. The thought of eating more and putting on fat physiologically inst helping. Do I need to do a reset? Eat more, workout less? I'm so lost so some help would be great! Thanks! (P.S. sorry its so long)

heybales

Exercise if done right tears the body down.

It's the rest for recovery or repair that builds it back up, stronger if your diet allows.
And deficit eating makes it take longer.

And rest isn't just sleep, it can take 24-36 hrs to recover from a good lifting workout.
Don't recover though by working the same muscles or the body hard again, and your next one won't be good, just be tired.
Can't lift as good on tired muscles, as you've seen now. Was that a good workout - of course not.
Now envision your whole workout routine being exactly like that, but at such a minor level you still think you are getting a good workout, because it wears you out, and you feel like you gave it your all.
Repeat viscous cycle until you aren't getting nearly as much out of your workout as you could.
And why do a good workout if you can't get as much out of it as you can?

So first, doing any kind of low or lower carb diet?

Considering how underweight you are, what is your goal exactly? (healthy weight 133-163 depending on frame size)

I'm hoping you say get stronger and gain muscle.
If it's to lose fat too - you won't accomplish that being so underweight already, not without a major fight on your hands doing a bunch of stuff very dead on correct, and even then it'll take a long time.

Because your estimated BMR is already 1540, that's if you slept all day.
So the days you eat around 1450 aren't even taking care of that, and the fact you got up to eat means you did burn more than BMR.

When you eat more and lift, you don't just add on fat, especially if it's minor increase in eating.

At this point, if you have been eating at that low level and working out - you are NOT getting all you could from your workout.
Your body has likely had to slow your daily metabolism down to compensate for not enough food.
It is NOT going to want to make any improvements that require more energy to sustain, if it's not getting enough already.
Force it to anyway, and it'll just be robbed from other places. That would be organ damage as others have found out, or hair falls out, or nails and skin grow terribly.

Where did you get your calorie eating goal from?
Because it's woefully off, especially since you could still be growing at age 20, but not doing this to yourself, much harder.

How long are the workouts, and are they really lifting style - sets and rests and reps below 15 and heavy weight to almost failure? Or more circuit training with minimal rests and cardio between to keep the HR up?

How long have you been eating this low on this current program?

And what was prior eating level with what workouts, and for how long?

And yes - you likely will need a reset. Guys do recover quicker, being young and not nearly as abused a body helps too.

But if you want max benefit from your workouts, and why else do them, and you are already underweight, you need a full burning metabolism and unthreatened unstressed body that feels like making improvements your workout is asking for.

sethtt94

Alright thanks forth reply. Ive been consuming around 140-190 carb per day. Ive talked to some different people and all have suggested a new workout and nutrition plan. I have taken the last three days off from the gym and counting calories ( Hopefully this wont set me back ) and plan to start fresh tomorrow, new calorie goal and workout plan. If you have any suggestions on how many calories to start out at or a new intense workout plan that would be great!

heybales

So not low carb, but probably lowish enough for strong workouts to get weak from, besides just generally undereating.

So intense workout, or smart workout?

Because if you go intense day after day, that will backfire and will soon not be intense enough to ask body to improve, just intense enough to increase stress level.

Smart means you are intense one day, next day easy to allow recovery, and then intense again. And the only reason you can get just as intense again is because you had a recovery day.

You still didn't mention what your goal was besides exercise and eating right - but is that right for weight maintain or gain of muscle?

Use the spreadsheet on my profile page. Stay on the Simple Setup tab and Progress tab only for use.
Read over the example stats there, can play with numbers in yellow cells to see how that changes final results. Then delete all sample data in yellow cells.
Enter your stats, enter your measurements, use the bodyfat % given, enter higher goal weight hopefully to be healthy (sadly it's a weight loss calculator, not weight gain).
Then enter the increased daily activity you might have, and what your workout time and type is.
I'd suggest 3 x weekly 30-45 min lifting, heavy for you, only way to gain muscle mass, which you need.
Then 3 x weekly high cardio 30-45, but this is only going to be easy jog or bike, but more than walking.
Your Results gives TDEE now.

Eat 250 more than that daily, so when instructions say what to change in MFP, use the higher figure. That should cause a slow 1 lb weight gain in 2 weeks. Still follow advice under Your Results.

And if you have been eating way below that TDEE, then start increasing from current eating levels slowly, 200 extra daily for a week at a time until at TDEE level, and stay there for a couple weeks, before increasing that final 250 more.

Then go over to Progress tab, delete sample data there.
Log your only info shown for today, 2 last columns are 2 personal measurements you want to track, say chest or biceps or whatever.

Every 2 weeks on valid day (as shown on Simple Setup tab by where you enter your weight), get new weight and measurements, see if TDEE changes enough to matter, and if it does, add 250 more.