Bruised, Battered and Starving!

If all the lifting is causing so much pain, why are you continuing to do it?

Walking is my main exercise, and bike riding. I have a few chronic injuries that limit what I can do, but I have figured out what works for me with out aggravating things.

Strangely enough, and maybe others have experience with this, but I have cut way, way, WAY down on processed sugars in my diet and my pain level has gone way down, too.

I haven't been here very long, but I've been doing a ton of reading, and just found the information about BMI and what a safe/expected weight loss should be. I just adjusted my weight loss goal from 2 pounds a week to one pound a week, and with the up in calories, I feel MUCH better. My husband was pointing out that I was grouchy, and now he says I'm not (any more than usual, any way!)

Are you tracking your exercise and eating your calories back?

Weight lifting is intended to hurt the next day or two or you are not breakiing down the muscle fibers. You have to give yourself 2 days to recover for each muscle group or you will not see improvements.

I do my upper body one day - rest a day then do my lower - rest 2 days - start again.

Other wise I a gree with you

I'm not a beacon of healthy food eating but I did notice you don't eat very many fresh veggies & fruits. The fruit cups are full of sugar, and many of the meals you have are full of sodium & very processed. I make it a habit of packing my lunch & including 2 fruits & 2 veggies as snacks. I also put in there low sodium string cheese and a hard boiled egg for protein. The fruits & veggies help maintain your hunger longer. Also with the process foods like the mac & cheese the carbs burn right up so you don't have anything to hold you over. Carbs turn to sugar which makes your blood sugar spike and then crash.


I agree with everyone about the bruising. Definately get it checked out. It could be associated with anemia or something more serious.


Good luck & take care:)

I can't see anyone else mentioning it, but you are tracking your sodium, and it's really too high! Try not using the dressings, that seems to be the bad guy here. Otherwise it's more fresh veggies, and a bit more fruit and possibl some nuts and seeds rather than protein bars.
Good luck!

I have to agree with most of above...How much protein do you have in your diet? Hungry is one thing but starving is another...it really depends on your body, your training and your goals. I would try maybe adding a bit more protein and see how that goes. Bruised is also not good at all. There is something wrong there. Also, make sure you are stretching and massaging like crazy after a workout! Get a foam roller and use it lots. It helps with the soreness.

Good Lord you are starving yourself.

Based on what you've stated about yourself (and assuming that you're working out 3-5 x week):

1. Your RMR should be coming in around 1800 calories/day. RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) measures the number of calories your body requires to maintain itself at rest. These calories are expended on bodily functions such as breathing and heartbeat, as well as the maintenance of existing muscle tissue. It will vary with age and body composition, so I've used a rough calculation.

A human body doesn't require any energy to store fat, but it does for muscle. Abrupt reduction in calorie intake leads to muscle and fat realignment. Put it to you another way - the body has a remarkable capacity for sustaining itself under adverse conditions. When it doesn't have enough calories from intake, it will get the materials and energy it needs from whatever it can find, as well as becoming more efficient in those scarce resources. You might be losing weight for a while, but it will come from both muscle and fat. Then you will probably plateau, because there are limits to the body's efficiency. Push it further, and you will really start hurting yourself. You should never consume less than your RMR, unless you are doing so under medical supervision for a very limited time. It doesn't sound like this is your situation.

2. Your TDEE is around 2800 calories. Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) quantifies the number of calories you burn in a day. TDEE is critical in tailoring your nutrition plan to desired fitness goals. For weight loss, you need to be in caloric deficit to your TDEE, not your RMR. Optimally, eating 80-85% of your TDEE should provide sufficient caloric deficit and allow you to nourish your body properly.

3. Macro balance. Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates are what we call Macaronutrients, or Macros for short. Different schools of thought on how they should be balanced. Personally, I'm more in the higher protein and fat, lower carb camp because that works well for me. You should take a look at how your calories are distributed amongst them, and consider upping your protein consumption and lower the carbs. Protein and fats generally provide greater satiaty, so they won't leave you feeling starved during the day.

You should be aware that your weight will rebound somewhat when you increase your intake, because your body has become more efficient and is now burning fewer calories to sustain itself. The good news is that you can fix this. It will take time, and a bit of patience as your body readjusts to a state where no longer needs to catabolise your muscle tissue to sustain itself.

In any case, find a good trainer to work with, to help you set your goals, develop an exercise program that works for you, and can mentor you through this process. Its worth the investment. I know mine is worth his weight in gold.

Good Lord you are starving yourself.

Based on what you've stated about yourself (and assuming that you're working out 3-5 x week):

1. Your RMR should be coming in around 1800 calories/day.

2. Your TDEE is around 2800 calories.

Realized my calculations were off and I couldn't edit the post since it was more than an hour ago.

Your RMR is around 1600 and TDEE is around 2500.