Feel like I'm regressing...

FloEd

I started CrossFit in January and I was very out of shape and overweight. I went 2x week consistently. I lost a little weight the first few months and definitely gained strength (cardio is another story, it's getting better but VERY slowly). At that point, I was not on MyFitnessPal and I was not restricting my calories.

I started restricting calories about 2 months ago. The weight has been coming off, and I've continued CrossFitting 2 - 4 times a week. I feel so much weaker now! I did PR my back squat today, but it was a struggle. The last few weeks, the WODs have been killing me and I've really been scaling a lot.

I do eat back my exercise calories and I did get a heart rate monitor to make sure I was good there. Has anyone else had this happen? I'm sure part of it is the fact that it is August in Houston and the heat makes working out harder. But I just feel weaker over all, push-ups are harder, ring rows are harder. I still eat crap food, but I do eat less of it :-) Could that be the problem, the crap food I'm eating? Am I losing muscle instead of fat?

Abells

Do a "deload" week -- def helped me and I came back and PR-ed my DL right off the bat -- felt loads better!

De-load = http://www.liftbigeatbig.com/2012/05/deload-week.html

crashri

I have definitely found that on nights when I eat poorly, I definitely feel worse at the box the next day, so I would definitely look at that. I know that I have been cutting a lot of carbs out of my diet and that has helped with weight loss, and body shape without reducing my protein intake to help me feel full and strong.

Long story short, I think the food you are eating is probably a big part of it. It you are eating crap food (i.e. fast food) that has a lot of sugar and carbs so if you are now cutting that out you may feel like you are weaker and have less energy and you are not doing a good job rebuilding the muscles you are tearing when you workout.

FloEd

Thanks guys! Now that I think about it, we usually eat the worst on the weekends and then I CrossFit on Monday morning so that probably has a lot to do with it. Will try to experiment with food this weekend and see how it goes next Monday. I also realized that I stopped drinking the protein shake after workouts because I didn't think it was doing anything. Duh.

I am trying resting too (not quite the deloading described in the article since I'm not even sure how to do that) but taking today through Sunday off and will just try to walk, maybe a little jump rope work.

Found out my husband feels the same as I do as far as regressing, but he is not restricting calories, just eats the same crap I do so I'm thinking food quality.

Will try to report back!

dcparrott

I agree with what your eating affecting your performance. When I eat junk My performance in the wod is very bad. I also found when I eat an apple and drink a bottle of water before the workout my performance is better.