Need advice - what's wrong

jenb6723

Age: 33
Height 5ft 11 inches
Weight 160
Body fat% don't know
How often you work out: 6 days a week - doing Insanity and also prepping for fall Half marathon. I run or do the eliptical 4 days. Only on the pure cardio day of insanity do i skip other cardio.

I lost 15 lbs between April and now. My family, co-workers , friends all say I am looking great but I don't feel like I am toning up fast enough. I have a very light hunger level right now so I may be in a starvation mode but not sure how to tell. MFP does have me at 1200 since I have a desk job but I do eat my exercise calories back (at least some of them). Most days that ends up as 450-1000 calories from exercise. The high end is on the weekends when I have my long training runs.

I have given up diet soda and diet microwave meals due to the excess sodium and sugar so my meals are heavy on fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Bring it on experts - need some tips!!!

JesterMFP

Do you have MFP set for you to lose 2 lbs a week? If so, considering you're already at a healthy weight, that might be too aggressive a weight-loss goal for you. That rate of weight-loss is more appropriate for people who are obese.

What do you mean by "toning up"? Losing more fat or adding muscle? Or a bit of both?

Do you do strength training? (I'm not sure what's involved in Insanity...) It might be that to get the shape you're looking for, you might need to eat closer to your TDEE and do some strength training. And, I'm really no expert on this, but depending on how you want to look, the body shape you want to attain might not be compatible with your half-marathon goal. I saw this article posted on the forums recently: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_final_nail_in_the_cardio_coffin Might be relevant to your situation?

findfan4ever

Hi jenb,

Before I can offer any advise I need some information:

What are your fitness and personal goals?

What I mean by personal are those little self motivators that keep you going, for example: how your clothes fit, how you want to look, etc.

How long have you been exercising overall and on your current program?

What do you consider your fitness level? Beginner, intermediate, advanced, or in a middle ground, if you will?

Not trying to be personal or flirty, do you have long legs (I noticed your height) and do you have knees problems, no matter the severity?

You can send the answers to my inbox if you wish and send a friend request, too.

jenb6723

I don't mind answering

What are your fitness and personal goals? What I mean by personal are those little self motivators that keep you going, for example: how your clothes fit, how you want to look, etc.

The goal is to have a lean body overall. I have three kids, youngest is 3. I stayed a very healthy weight with each pregnancy and the weight came off easily but my stomach has never recovered. So the most important area is that middle section. How clothes fit is my number one more than a number.

How long have you been exercising overall and on your current program? I have been exercising 4-5 days a week literally since I was in my teens. The intensity has varied with different stages of life and this latest program is proably the most intense. I ran my first 1/2 marathon in early June so really kicked up the running as of April. Insanity started just two weeks ago. So right now the running is average 20 miles per week and that will ramp up every week until October.

What do you consider your fitness level? Beginner, intermediate, advanced, or in a middle ground, if you will? I am somewhere between intermediate and advanced.

Not trying to be personal or flirty, do you have long legs (I noticed your height) and do you have knees problems, no matter the severity?
I have VERY long legs - my inseam is 36 inches. Knees only hurt on some of my longest runs (8+ miles) and that is not even overy time. The rest of the time my knees are not an issue at all.