Bit of a problem, requesting help. Please read.

Pandasarecool

So, lately I have been feeling really overwhelmed and like I can't do anything. So, I have a few questions

1) Am I exercising too much
Here is what I do just about every day: 30 day shred (I am on level two and DYING), Be fit in 90 on you tube (Here is the link, I am almost done with month two http://www.youtube.com/user/BeFitin90 ), and some days I walk 45 minutes with my dog.
Do you think I should stop doing 30 day shred, and finish up be fit, and then move on to 30 day shred from the beginning? I am not seeing a whole lot of progress, and I wonder if I could be overdoing it. Does this seem like too much? Or am I Overestimating how hard this is.

2) How are my macros?
My diary is open, how do my macros for a typical day look? Sugar, carbs, fat, protein, sodium?

3) Should I be seeing at least some progress?
I am on month 2 of 3 of be fit in 90, and I can tell I am stronger, and my arms are looking quite a bit more toned, but that is it. Is this normal? Will it take a LOT longer till my stomach doesn't hang, and I have a bit of visible abs? What about my flabby legs? Is it possible to not be seeing as much progress as I should if I am overdoing it?

4)How are my food choices? (Stupid question, is an ounce of almonds a serving size? Does it really matter as long as it fits my macros?) (I love almonds and nuts.)

5)Why am I always so tired and feel so run down? I am trying to eat more, and sleep 8 hours a night, but I am really feeling depressed and miserable lately.

60 I haven't had my period in about 5 months, is this normal? Or am I overdoing exercise or something?

FYI. I am 18 years old, 5'7" 127 pounds female. I would like to see a toned 125 pounds. Haven't lost hardly any weight in a month or so.

I appreciate any honest answers/opinions. Please try not to be horrible and mean, I am just trying to figure out what is wrong with me. I have always hated the way I look, I still think I am fat, at 127 pounds. I didn't feel nearly as bad when I was 160 pounds. I was happy then, but now I'm miserable almost every day. I wake up dreading working out and how I am going to eat right. No matter how much exercise I get in I always tell myself, now that CAN'T be enough to make me look good, especially if I wasn't drenched in sweat and in excruciating pain.

Sorry for the long post, I've just been feeling like I am doing something wrong lately and would like to get everything cleared up and get some expert-ish advise.:frown:

smantha32

You probably are exercising too much if you're not getting your period. But you should probably go get a physical. There might be something wrong that someone here couldn't possibly tell you.

AMHouse85

Looking at your foods I would think you need to eat more if you are exercising as much as you say.

Pandasarecool

You probably are exercising too much if you're not getting your period. But you should probably go get a physical. There might be something wrong that someone here couldn't possibly tell you.

My doc. told me that if I don't get it next month, I have to go to a specialist. Thanks for the help though.

Also, how much exercise is considered too much??? I normally get an hour to an hour and a half each day. I don't do a lot else during my days though, as I am a student and only work as a waitress 3 nights a week. I feel that I should be doing more though...

erickirb

You are not eating nearly enough. with so little to lose your weekly weight loss goal should be to lose no more than 0.5lbs/week and on top of that you should be eating back the cals you burn from exercise.

Too large of a deficit will lead to the loss of lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking at losing.

itgeekwoman

For the amount that you are working out, you aren't eating enough to keep your muscles fed. You stated that you have muscles, defined abs and so forth. Re-evaluate your calories to ensure that you are eating enough.
Good luck

ditalini

Definitely consult a doctor. You are on the lower end for your height/weight and burning a lot of calories in exercise. You may actually be in starvation mode instead of being in that fat burning zone. Good luck!

Pandasarecool

Looking at your foods I would think you need to eat more if you are exercising as much as you say.

For some reason though, I feel like I should be exercising MORE because I see people on here burning a TON of calories...

auddii

*Not an expert*

Looking through your diary, you appear to be eating between 800-1200 calories a day and not eating back your calories burned through exercise. Toned abs seem to come from a combination of working out the muscles, feeding your body enough to allow your muscles to get bigger, and dropping body fat percentage. My guess is that you are not eating enough.

Granted, I'm in the eat at least your BMR camp. It seems about half of the forum thinks that's a horrible idea and half thinks it's the best thing ever. Take your pick, but I would say you are under eating, and your muscles aren't going to get bigger (having a "toned" look means you can actually see your muscles, which means they need to be bigger than what they are now).

erickirb

Looking at your foods I would think you need to eat more if you are exercising as much as you say.

For some reason though, I feel like I should be exercising MORE because I see people on here burning a TON of calories...

The amount you burn has nothing to do with weight loss, or fat loss, it is the caloric deficit that matters. the smaller your deficit the slower your loss, which is good, as slower weight loss tends to come from a higher % of fat loss vs. muscle loss.

Pandasarecool

Definitely consult a doctor. You are on the lower end for your height/weight and burning a lot of calories in exercise. You may actually be in starvation mode instead of being in that fat burning zone. Good luck!

Is 250 a day really a lot? I actually don't know if this is the correct number. For 30 day shred, I always just put in 150 calories, don't know if this is too much or too little. I see some people burning as much as 250 on 30 day shred per their HRM (I want to get one, but don't have money at the moment.)

mabelbabel1

You are just not giving your body enough fuel/food to function....that about sums it up.

You really must eat more, that's why you're feeling so exhausted and fed up......your body is running on empty.

Eat a normal healthy well balanced diet, increase your cals. I would suggest weightloss is not what you need right now, but a greater understanding of food and how your body works is.

Look after and love yourself x

jbwegner

I am certainly no expert, but it seems like you need to eat a bit more for the amount of activity you are doing. That is a lot of exercise for one day, and on many of those days you are eating less that 1200 calories. I think you should add in some more lean proteins and healthy carbs. Plus 127 is quite thin for 5'7''. I bet you have a beautiful body. Don't kill yourself trying to get to that magic number. Just focus on your health! A big part of that is giving your body the nutrition it needs! :flowerforyou:

Pandasarecool

*Not an expert*

Looking through your diary, you appear to be eating between 800-1200 calories a day and not eating back your calories burned through exercise. Toned abs seem to come from a combination of working out the muscles, feeding your body enough to allow your muscles to get bigger, and dropping body fat percentage. My guess is that you are not eating enough.

Granted, I'm in the eat at least your BMR camp. It seems about half of the forum thinks that's a horrible idea and half thinks it's the best thing ever. Take your pick, but I would say you are under eating, and your muscles aren't going to get bigger (having a "toned" look means you can actually see your muscles, which means they need to be bigger than what they are now).

Will doing the same program that I am doing (Maybe even a bit less) But upping my calories, help me to get more toned?

AllonsYtotheTardis

First - love the profile picture.

Please remember that most of the people who are burning a ton of calories - they are at a much higher body weight than you are. The heavier you are, the more calories you will burn for the same activity level. Don't compare yourself with someone who weighs more than you, it's not a fair comparison.

I took a look at your diary, and for the amount of exercise you are doing, you really are not eating enough. That's most likely why you are tired.

Next point... You should consider getting into bodyweight strength training, and then lifting weights. At your size, you are at a good weight - sounds like you just want to change your body composition, and cardio alone will not do that for you. If it was me, I would trade the 30day shred for strength training.

christabel6

It sounds like you're doing too much exercise to be honest and perhaps cutting back to just a dog walk and one workout a day would be plenty. Have you had a fitness assessment and someone look over your diet plan, and are you eating all your exercise calories back? You will probably need to up the level of protein in your diet if you're exercising so intensely.

You haven't said what is a realistic weight goal for your height and frame size. You need to make sure you're getting enough to eat because you might be putting your body into starvation mode and that's why you're not losing weight.

Bear in mind if you're not eating enough protein your body will be using muscle to keep you going rather than burning fat. Like the above poster I think you need to get some proper advice. It's demoralising working so hard and seeing no reward for it.

auddii

Looking at your foods I would think you need to eat more if you are exercising as much as you say.

For some reason though, I feel like I should be exercising MORE because I see people on here burning a TON of calories...

Everyone is different. I weigh a lot, and so I burn more calories walking down the block than someone else might jogging down the block. I also need to lose 70 lbs. Don't compare yourself to others. Work to make yourself healthier. From the description of the problems you are having (tired, no period, etc.) it sounds like what you are doing is not healthy for YOU. I'd listen to your doctor and possibly contact a nutritionist as well. Does your doctor know how much exercise and how many calories you eat?

kwest_4_fitness

I would agree with getting a physical. I would also question losing additional weight. If your doctor indicates you’re at a healthy weight for your height (which based on much of my own research you are - I’m 5’7 and shooting for 139 lbs on a medium size frame), then maybe try for more strength training/toning and less focus on weight loss. I applaud you for your focus and commitment. And congratulations on going from 160 lbs to 127 lbs!! Time to get your happy back, girl!!

erickirb

*Not an expert*

Looking through your diary, you appear to be eating between 800-1200 calories a day and not eating back your calories burned through exercise. Toned abs seem to come from a combination of working out the muscles, feeding your body enough to allow your muscles to get bigger, and dropping body fat percentage. My guess is that you are not eating enough.

Granted, I'm in the eat at least your BMR camp. It seems about half of the forum thinks that's a horrible idea and half thinks it's the best thing ever. Take your pick, but I would say you are under eating, and your muscles aren't going to get bigger (having a "toned" look means you can actually see your muscles, which means they need to be bigger than what they are now).

Will doing the same program that I am doing (Maybe even a bit less) But upping my calories, help me to get more toned?

most likely yes, as you will lose less muscle by eating more

jnetholmer

I suggest seeing your doctor too for a check-up. Also you seem to be getting yourself depressed over the situation and that could really be bad for you. I think sometimes your body hits a plateau where it gets used to doing something and you stay in a holding pattern for a while. You could try changing something up to try to burn fat in different areas. I am no expert when it comes to what yo uare eating or how you are excercising, so I can't really give any more insight than that, but I think you need to do what makes you happy. Maybe take a break and let your self relax for a day or two to let your body recover. When your body is tired and stopping your period, it seems that it is trying to tell you something is wrong. I hope you find the answers you are looking for.

Pandasarecool

I am certainly no expert, but it seems like you need to eat a bit more for the amount of activity you are doing. That is a lot of exercise for one day, and on many of those days you are eating less that 1200 calories. I think you should add in some more lean proteins and healthy carbs. Plus 127 is quite thin for 5'7''. I bet you have a beautiful body. Don't kill yourself trying to get to that magic number. Just focus on your health! A big part of that is giving your body the nutrition it needs! :flowerforyou:

Thanks for the advise, the days that it is so low was by accident, as I was SUPER busy those days. I just wish I could see my body as 'beautiful' I still feel fat...

Weezoh

You can't compare calorie burns to other people, Age, Gender, Weight, Muscle Mass, wind direction, phase of moon. . .. all will affect the numbers.

My wife hates me because I can burn 1400 calories on a bike ride where she only burns 400. I still have 80 pounds to lose, she's at her goal weight, she's a foot shorter than me, the whole hormonal/chromosome difference. . .

alexroet

first of all, if your goal is 125 and you're at 127, you need to give yourself a break. You want to lose two pounds, not 100.
At 5'7" your ideal body weight would be (around) 135.
I find it hard to imagine that you have a huge saggy stomach.
So my hunch is that you are just way too hard on yourself.

I can't see your diary so I don't know what you're eating, but what's your calorie goal? How long have you been working on this?

but bottom line- that definitely sounds like too much exercise to me. 30min + 90min + 45 min walk every single day?
And not getting your period could be (but isn't necessarily) a bad sign.

If you haven't talked to a doctor, I'd recommend it. You may have a hormone issue. You may have a psych/body image disorder (hard to say without pictures). (you may want to google Body Dysmorphic Disorder and see if it sounds like you). Or you may be perfectly fine- but just being harsh on yourself.

I'm all for being healthy and having your ideal body- but you also need to have healthy expectations, and go about it in a healthy way.

I don't mean to be harsh and negative- but I suspect you're being overly hard on yourself. You're 18! Too young to be overly stressed and obsessed with dieting, especially when you're already at a normal (even low-normal) weight.

auddii

*Not an expert*

Looking through your diary, you appear to be eating between 800-1200 calories a day and not eating back your calories burned through exercise. Toned abs seem to come from a combination of working out the muscles, feeding your body enough to allow your muscles to get bigger, and dropping body fat percentage. My guess is that you are not eating enough.

Granted, I'm in the eat at least your BMR camp. It seems about half of the forum thinks that's a horrible idea and half thinks it's the best thing ever. Take your pick, but I would say you are under eating, and your muscles aren't going to get bigger (having a "toned" look means you can actually see your muscles, which means they need to be bigger than what they are now).

Will doing the same program that I am doing (Maybe even a bit less) But upping my calories, help me to get more toned?

As I said, I'm not an expert, and I'm at the beginning of my journey, so I'll defer to others with experience. It also depends on how you define "toned". I found this story very inspirational: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

If you look at her after photos and you consider that "toned" and that's what you're going for, look at her meal plan and calorie intake. She's not "toned", she's ripped (just not in a scary way).

knk1553

1. that doesn't seem like too much to me, but if you did just start exercising you may want to cut back until you get used to it. My workouts vary from 30 mins to 1.5 hours 6 days a week, but one of those days is usually just an hour of deep stretching and core work. Im at work so I can't look at the be fit in 90 video, but I used to do the 30 day shred and run for 30-45 mins 5 days a week my senior year of undergrad.

2. Go in a manually set your macros to 40/30/30 carbs/protein/fat, IMO MFP sets your protein too low and your carbs too high, 40/30/30 is what I see recommended most places for macro totals.

3. Take measurements, often times when you're close to your goal you don't lose weight, just inches. I've only lost about 6-7 lbs, however I've lost inches and seen a substantial difference in how my clothes fit/hang/look on me. I also take pictures as well. Make sure you're doing weights that are heavy enough as well. Also, you should focus on your diet, a good body is about 70% diet and 30% exercise. You can do crunches all you want but until you lower your body fat through diet you won't see any abs. I really highly suggest going with pictures and measurements though, you usually don't see change on yourself because you look at yourself everyday. I look at my before pictures and go wow I really did come a long way since then even if I don't see it.

4. I follow IIFYM (if it fits your macros), if I want it, I eat it, as long as it fits in my macros/caloric needs. With that being said, I still prefer to keep my diet mostly natural, unprocessed foods majority of the time. I aim to eat clean 80% of the time, and the other 20% of the time is what I want as long as it fits into my macros.

5. Your depression could be unrelated to your diet/exercise. I would suggest talking to a doctor or a psychologist about this. Are there other things going on in your life that are causing stress to you? Exercise should increase your energy and endorphins as long as you aren't overdoing it.

6. When did you start losing weight? How quickly did you drop your 30+ pounds? You're 4 inches taller than me and weigh the same as me, however weight looks different on neveryone and you're still at a healthy weight. If you dropped your weight really quickly then that could be why, there could be other reasons. Has your period always been regular before this? did you start taking birth control around the same time? Did you switch birth control? Was your period really light before? Talk to your doctor about this I would suggest.

It sounds like you have more going on in your life than just weight loss that is causing you to feel down, depressed and lose self esteem. This would be a time that would be good to go talk to a psychologist/therapist if you're feeling this way, theres a good chance it isn't related to your diet/exercise and if you're suddenly feeling really self conscious and if you find yourself severely restricting and dropping your goal weight lower and lower, you want to address this before it becomes a bigger problem.

Also - you can try eating more, the closer you get to your goal weight, the closer you need to get to eating maintenance calories

Hope that helps! Feel free to PM me, I am far from an expert on nutrition, but those are some general guidelines/tips I've learned along the way!

Pandasarecool

What does everyone think about stopping 30 day shred and finishing up be fit in 90, THEN moving back to 30 day shred, plus a walk every other day or so? Would that be enough to tone up, if I work hard on upping my calories? I am just so scared that if I up my calories, and down how much exercise I do, I will lose the bit of muscle I have, but if I am understanding this right, the opposite is true? If I eat more, exercise just a bit less, I will see more muscle development? Is it possible to have a toned body without lifting super heavy and going really intense (like insanity or P90X)?

gothicfires

I hope you realize that 5'7" and 127 pounds is already a fantastic body. You don't need to loose two more pounds. You don't have your period because your body needs fuel and body fat.

It's a hard concept to believe now now, but only a few hundred years ago your weight would be considered sickly because being that thin, no one would trust that you could carry or bear a child. A woman who was the modern 'overweight' would have been found more attractive because her body could support reproduction.

a woman's body is meant to have a certain amount of fat on it to be healthy.

So now you should be enjoying your size and gradually shape your muscle. You don't need to loose more weight.

SideSteel

You need to see your doctor.

samanthawarren

I am no expert so this is just my 2 cents. If you are miserable then you definitely need to change something. I looked at your food diary and it doesn't seem extreme to me, except when you factor in all of the exercise you listed below you are not feeding your body enough to give it the energy it needs to accomplish all of these workouts.

When I was your age (many moons ago) I was very active. I used to run 4 days a week, play basketball or tennis almost everyday and in the summer swim everyday. Golf on weekends, skiing in the winter, you name it I did it. I also worked out, sometimes twice a day(my run or athletics would be one of those times) I was pretty cut. I felt great, but I was also eating twice what you are. I also was a person who needed 9 hours of sleep a night to feel my best. When you are young sometimes you do need more sleep, everyone is different. I don't know how tall you are so I don't know if your weight goal is realistic, but your muscles need enough protien to repair themselves when you are working out a lot. My typical breakfast back then was 2 fried eggs, toast with butter, homefried potatoes with garlic and onions or a large bowl of oatmeal, orange juice and milk. I am serious, I could down that no problem. I didn't eat like that all day, but breakfast was big for me. I also got plenty of lean protien the rest of the day.

I was in great shape until my early 30's when health problems changed that. I guess my point is everyone is different, but you really need to find a balance that isn't wearing you out or you will not be able to make fitness part of your long term lifestyle. You should probably consult your doctor and explain what you did here and let them give you some suggestions. Also they can tell you if there is another reason why you don't feel so well.

OK so maybe that was more than 2 cents, more like 5 cents.

BeSophisticate

There is nothing WRONG with you.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, than yes, you are probably trying to do too much all at once. Exercise should make you feel great, powerful, etc. not depressed.

Also, you are already on the verge of being underweight. I'm not 5'7", but the bottom end of the scale for my height is actually under weight for me. I know this, because I was down there once and my bones were breaking spontaneously. I kid you not. You are likely not at a healthy weight for your body type, which could very well cause you to miss periods.

My recommendation is to toss your scale in the garbage. Also, you might cut all the way back to basics on your exercise and then add them back one at a time to find a level that's going to work for you without making you depressed. You are likely over training, which can actually slow your progress. Meaning, if you do less than you are now, you may actually see faster progress.

I'm not trying to lecture. I'm concerned because I've been where you are and I caused permanent damage to my heart even though I was never "technically" under weight. Weight charts don't know everything. BMIs don't know everything. Your own personal ideal weight depends on your overall build. Your ideal weight is where ever you feel healthiest and it sounds to me like your target just isn't it.

michelejoann

First Point: You really should be asking a TRAINED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL these questions. A good majority of us here are not experts, but are on the same weight loss journey as you are.

Second Point: You might be overworking yourself. Have you consistently being doing all of that exercise the whole time? Perhaps your body is too conditioned to what you are doing. Maybe you need to change it up, and rest a little bit. I have had trained medical professionals (in a weight loss research study through the University of Pittsburgh) tell me multiple times that what calories you put into your body matter more than what you expend out. Perhaps eat at or under your calorie goal and cut back a little on the exercise? Don't over eat, though.

Third Point: Our bodies get fit much faster than our minds. What you see in the mirror and process in your mind is completely different than what reality actually is. It's a cruel trick. I still think I'm a 240+ fat girl even though I'm less than 200 pounds now. Also, from personal observation, I've noticed dramatic mood/emotion changes in people that have lost a lot of weight. Sometimes in their personality. I've had friends (and even in my own family) get thin and then divorce their spouse. Crazy.

Lastly: I'm the same height as you and I'd give ANYTHING to be even 150 pounds. I could safely say you probably are doing alright.