How much is too much?

Sarauk2sf

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

AntWrig

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

veggieluver2

That was me five years ago. It got me no where, except injured.

I"ve learned cardio is overated. 30 minutes 5-6 days a week works for me. Some days I do HIIT. I'm dripping wet everytime I get off the bike or stairmaster. I also aim for 20-30 minutes of weightlifting 4 days a week. Eat clean 80% of the time. This has been working for me. Everyone's different, but I do think you are wayyyy overdoing the cardio.

I'm a 48 year old female, 5' tall and eat around 1600 cals a day.

jofjltncb6

To answer your thread title...

...what you're doing is too much.


Definitely dial back the cardio, add a rest day or two, and do some resistance training. Personally, I would drop all/nearly all of the cardio and instead do resistance training, (but I know that some people enjoy the cardio...and there's nothing wrong with doing some cardio). I would also consider bumping your calories up from 1700 and, if you decide to continue doing a lot of cardio, definitely eat back at least some of those calories.

As a fellow "all or none" kind of guy, I understand the compulsion...but you and I both know how this ends for you if you continue at your current pace. (Yeah, none.)

ETA: Whoops...I missed the point that you are already doing an hour of strength training. So yeah, just dial back the cardio, add those rest days, and eat more.

MoreBean13

I agree with all the other commenters and don't want to belabor their points, but in the words of my dad, "You're cruisin' for a bruisin'. "

I just want to point out one more issue. What is going to happen if/when you do get hurt and can't maintain this intensity anymore? You're looking at fast weight gain upon injury (or if some other life circumstance gets in the way). Your body is currently getting normalized to expect this much activity, and if you stop all of a sudden you're going to pack on lbs. I think you probably need to be realistic about the possibility that you won't be able to sustain this forever, and taper off the volume.

You might want to consider re-working what you do during that time to be more efficient in a shorter time. I bet if you don't have to conserve energy to go for 2 hours, you will be able to do some really bada$$ stuff in 45 minutes. I can tell you from experience, if you switch from long runs to shorter, higher intensity runs, it is most certainly NOT slacking off, even if it burns less overall calories.

jofjltncb6

I think we can answer the question 50 more times. KEEP THEM COMING!!!

^this



(heh heh....)

RunDoozer

So I just calculated my TDEE and it was 8200 and my BMR was 2270. So yea of course what everyone said is correct

taylorwaylor

*Eat more calories....
*Lift no more than 5 days a week
*DONT DO THAT MUCH CARDIO!!! (unless your eating like 3,000 calories a day)
*Just do an hour at most on non lifting days or on the same day...whaatever.

Good luck! But you really should eat more..When i first started this i was under eating and doing way to much cardio..it was fine at first, then my energy just went waaay downnnnn...It was terrible.

taylorwaylor

Ohh! And for some cardio, try HIIT! It burns fat better than indurance.

DopeItUp

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

No, ice cream inside of a poptart sandwich.

Sarauk2sf

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

No, ice cream inside of a poptart sandwich.

You been looking at my diary again?

scottb81

Currently I am doing 2 hours of cardio in the morning and and hour of strength training. And at night I am also doing another 1-2 hours of cardio. I keep upping the intensity on all these exercises and I always feel like I can do more when I'm done. How much is too much I am starting to get worried that I am on the track to hurting myself or not having a social life.

On a side note I have been doing this for about a month now and I have lost noticeable inches on my body. However, the scale is not moving at all. Literally not a pound. I am a 6'0 guy and im eating about 1700 cals a day. And no I havent binged a single time. Completely cut soda and fast food out of my life so not really sure whats going on. Maybe my scales broken

1. It will mess up your endocrine system, weakening your body.
2. Your weight will stall out due to the massive deficit.
3. You will get sick or burnt out which can lead to severe depression (this is what happened to me at one point)

No point in doing all that, seriously.

If you are pushing the intensity all the time that's exactly what will happen. Over time you will find yourself getting run down and weak and not wanting to exercise at all.

For the cardio -
If you feel you need to exercise that much then one of the cardio sessions each day needs to be low intensity and probably no more than around 45 min max. The high intensity shouldn't be more than around an hour no more than 2 or three times a week. If you are going more than an hour in one session keep it to medium or low intensity. Once a week rest or keep it to one session and short.

If you overload your body's ability to recover you will quickly plateau and improvements will stop. If you don't back off at that point fitness will decline.

DopeItUp

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

No, ice cream inside of a poptart sandwich.

You been looking at my diary again?

Creepin' is what I do, darling

MoreBean13

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

No, ice cream inside of a poptart sandwich.

You been looking at my diary again?

Creepin' is what I do, darling

Get a room, you two!

DopeItUp

I think i need to look more into what are acceptable calories and eat more of those. In the past I have tended to eat very poorly and eating less was the only way to keep my weight in check. Need to do a lot more research it looks like.

Acceptable calories are any food, preferably nutrient dense ones, that allow you to hit your macros which should pretty much be any food if you plan appropriately.

I would start off with PopTarts.

No, ice cream inside of a poptart sandwich.

You been looking at my diary again?

Creepin' is what I do, darling

Get a room, you two!

Is that the stink of jealousy I detect? :P

WendyTerry420

Your definitely doing too much cardio, in my opinion. I aim for 30 minutes a day.