Officially close to breaking point

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PrincessNikkiBoo
PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
…and I don’t want to be. :cry: :sad:

I’m physically exhausted, and consequently I’m emotionally exhausted too. My relationships are becoming strained, I have no time for myself and I’m walking around with giant bags under my eyes because of my routine.

Every Monday – Friday I work from about 8am to 5:30pm. I walk to work every morning, and do some form of exercise every evening whether that’s swimming for an hour and a half or a work out DVD or even walking the 40 minutes home again.
Saturday to Sunday – I get up silly early and do my work out video before my other half gets up, or try make him do some form of exercise during the day with me that he doesn’t really want to do.

I am basing my life around my exercise, burning around 400-600 (more on swimming days) from work outs every day. It feels like I have no life, I can never have a sleep in, between work too I never have any time to see my friends.
I’m at breaking point, which is why I’m proposing a new routine that I think will help and I’d be interested in your opinions on it.

Monday:
- Walk 40 minutes to work
- Swimming after work

Tuesday:
- 5am work out (I can see friends after work/other half)
- Walk to work

Wednesday:
- 5am work out (I can see friends after work/other half)
- Walk to work

Thursday:
- Possible 5am work out (I can see friends after work/other half)
- Walk to work
- Possible swimming after work

Friday:
- 5am work out
- Walk to work
- See my other half after work

Saturday:
- Light exercise (e.g. walking around town) / rest day

Sunday:
- Rest day

I thought this way; I’m still doing a considerable amount of exercise but I am also managing to fit in seeing friends / family during the week. Weekends I can focus on recharging my batteries for the next full on week. I thought it might also be more manageable when I decide to switch to maintenance mode, since I have around 9lbs left to reach my first huge goal. If I really am feeling the need for an extra work out I could fit in a 5am work out one morning before swimming.

If everyone thinks it is a good idea, I’m going to try my best to stick to it. I know my body really does need the break.
Interested in your opinions. I feel really guilty at the minute, that I’m letting myself down for even thinking abouy not doing work outs 7 days a week.
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Replies

  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    I workout 4 times a week
    it's plenty
    nobody NEEDS to workout 7 time a week
    take a brake

    If I were you, I would walk everyday like you do, but cut othere activities to every other day

    you can swim 2 a week, have dvd workout 2 a week, it will be enough.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
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    I agree with Martucha
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    You are overdoing it. I think it's a very good idea to cut back so you don't make yourself sick.
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
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    You're getting burnt out because you aren't giving yourself any time to rest. I'm glad to see that you are making at least 1 day a week a "rest" day with this new plan, though. Everyone needs a break, even from exercise.

    This looks like a solid plan. It also looks like alot less during the week than you were doing, so don't be surprised if you have a minor weight fluctuation as your body is adjusting to it.
  • p0kers0ph
    p0kers0ph Posts: 250 Member
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    Why are you making your life miserable by what you are doing.
    Just work out 3-4 times a week and be done with it.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
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    i walk at work for 40mins 5 days a week

    i do water aerobics 2 to 3 times a week
    i lift weights 2 to 3 times a week

    sunday is my rest day
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    I workout 4 times a week
    it's plenty
    nobody NEEDS to workout 7 time a week
    take a brake

    If I were you, I would walk everyday like you do, but cut othere activities to every other day

    you can swim 2 a week, have dvd workout 2 a week, it will be enough.

    If fat loss is your goal then this is spot on. Keep your diet tight though.

    If your goals are athletic and you are working towards a competition the advice would be different (and of course would factor in a lot of eating to support that goal...)
  • em435
    em435 Posts: 210 Member
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    I agree with the others. Exercising to the extent you have no time to socialise is just not sustainable, especially if it's taking significant time away from your partner.

    Try looking into short and intensive workouts that you can do instead of walking or swimming for hours and also see if there are any activities that you can do with friends/family.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    I workout 4 times a week
    it's plenty
    nobody NEEDS to workout 7 time a week
    take a brake

    If I were you, I would walk everyday like you do, but cut othere activities to every other day

    you can swim 2 a week, have dvd workout 2 a week, it will be enough.

    If fat loss is your goal then this is spot on. Keep your diet tight though.

    If your goals are athletic and you are working towards a competition the advice would be different (and of course would factor in a lot of eating to support that goal...)

    It is just a fat loss goal at the minute
  • findesme
    findesme Posts: 2 Member
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    I try to workout 5 times a week , but it doesn't always work.
    I think that 7 days a week is far too much. Your body needs a break!!

    If I were you, I would walk everyday like you do, but twice a week would do no more exercise, apart from that.
    You should be proud of yourself i think that you have achieved a lot!! :)
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    Thank you for the tips... please keep them coming. I'm so fed up I need to break out of this cycle!

    I think the plan for the rest of the week is to go swimming tonight and do a DVD tomorrow, then have a complete weekend off and start a new routine from there.

    With the responses so far, I think I'm going to aim for around 4 days exercise a week on top of the walking I generally do.

    Hopefully I won't feel as bad as I do now, that way! :sick:
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    I try to workout 5 times a week , but it doesn't always work.
    I think that 7 days a week is far too much. Your body needs a break!!

    If I were you, I would walk everyday like you do, but twice a week would do no more exercise, apart from that.
    You should be proud of yourself i think that you have achieved a lot!! :)

    Thank you! I may be slightly addicted to working out, which is amazing since 6 months ago I did none at all!
  • millyvanilli321
    millyvanilli321 Posts: 236 Member
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    Please give yourself a break! There's no need to exhaust yourself and make yourself miserable doing this. You've obviously worked really hard and come a long way, which is fantastic, but your body needs time to rest to get stronger.

    If it helps, my routine is a run and 30 day shred on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays and a 45 minute swim on Fridays. That burns over 500 cals 3 x a week and slightly fewer on a friday. and I get monday and wednesday nights totally free! With your walking 40 mins each way to work every day, I say give yourself a week day off too ;)
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    Please give yourself a break! There's no need to exhaust yourself and make yourself miserable doing this. You've obviously worked really hard and come a long way, which is fantastic, but your body needs time to rest to get stronger.

    If it helps, my routine is a run and 30 day shred on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays and a 45 minute swim on Fridays. That burns over 500 cals 3 x a week and slightly fewer on a friday. and I get monday and wednesday nights totally free! With your walking 40 mins each way to work every day, I say give yourself a week day off too ;)

    I think I'm just petrified that I will slow the loss down completely or put it all back on. Silly, but it is a hard habit to break out from. :frown:
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    4-5 times a week is more than enough if fat loss is your goal.

    Keeping your diet tight will become more important though as you won't have the additional "calorie burn" from exercise to keep your calorie deficit in check. Don't be tempted to slash calories though - you're probably not eating enough in the first place if you are overly exhausted.

    When you are close to goal as you seem to be it's more efficient to have a moderate deficit but take a little longer to shift the last few pounds then try and beat your body into submission.

    Good luck!
  • deales
    deales Posts: 13
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    It sounds like you're addicted to exercising, and scared of the consequences if you stop doing some of them...

    I have lost a stone since July 17th and you know what..........I occassionally do some exercise. I dont have a regime and I certainly, definitely do not do exercise every day. I do it when I feel like it. And I am happy with this, especially when I'm losing weight slowly, changing my eating habits and doing exercise when I fancy it.

    If you do exercise when you don't want to be doing it, or you feel like it's ruining your life, then it's always going to be a chore and you'll never sustain it.

    Lighten up; enjoy your partner, enjoy your life, enjoy your friends and enjoy doing exercise WHEN YOU WANT TO. If you're doing exercise to burn off calories, perhaps you're just eating too much. If you want to lose weight, you have to eat healthier and slightly (not massively) less.

    Keep your chin up honey xxx
  • Fozzi43
    Fozzi43 Posts: 2,984 Member
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    Could you do a few HIIT sessions a week rather than swimming or classes? You can burn a lot in only twenty minutes?
  • rocky163
    rocky163 Posts: 3
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    Shorten your workouts to one hour or less and take the weekends off completely. You'll be surprised at how much better you feel and will want to get back to working out.
  • PrincessNikkiBoo
    PrincessNikkiBoo Posts: 330 Member
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    Thank you for all of your suggestions
  • hookandy
    hookandy Posts: 278 Member
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    If you are walking 40mins a day, then I would count this as exercise, so already you have done 3+ hours a week.

    Don't make your life a chore, we are trying to make positive changes not to kill ourselves. Might be worth swapping some of your work outs for family and friend related exercise. I play tennis and squash with the other half, and go sailing on the weekend.

    I would also try and make sure that I was eating enough to fuel all your exercise. The lack of sleep alone would drive me nuts.

    Relax, take care of yourself. That is the point of this isn't?

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