New to group! Endorphin crass and calorie question
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CandyBryson
Posts: 58 Member
So I am new to this program but can already tell I am going to LOVE it but I had a calorie question and a few others maybe someone could give some advice. I am putting my scale away, because I got on it this morning ( 2 days after my 1st rules workout) and was sad to see the scale go up. here is a little info though. Started change on Oct. 1st, to date I am just shy of 30 lbs did some routine I found online (A- squats, Row, shoulder press B. Dead Lift, pull down, bench press plus 1 hr cardio) but didn't really know what I was doing. I see some progress, but someone recommended this book and I am in love. I wanted to die during the 1st work out but loved it too. Which brings me to my 1st question, I had never experienced a Endorphin crash before, but I did after that workout. as high flying I was after the work out I was dead low about 2 hours later. Please tell me this will stop or that there is a way to prevent it. I even had a muscle milk shake! Also, I hate following meal plans, I just can't do it. I am pretty good usually at tracking my food. I am currently eating 750 calories below my TDEE. On exercise days I some times eat some back, but only if I am hungry. I am eating 1480 calories and my TDEE is 2230. Should I change that? I don't find myself hungry often, I am pretty good at making good calorie choices. I would like to follow my Macros better but I have 3 small kids am a single mom and I work and go to school full time. I don't think I can do much more than what I am already doing diet wise.....Sorry this is long. Thanks for reading!
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Hi there. I can't give you much advice on how much to eat as I have until very recently been one of these people who don't manage to eat more than 1200cal per day (and then binge on junk food to boot). Anyway, I am currently aiming for TDEE-20% according to the scooby workshop calculator (http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/) which is about 1700 daily for me.
I have just realised that after my first workout I must have experienced exactly what you described. I was almost too zonked out of my head to make my dinner (I do my workouts after work). I am almost at the end of stage one, and I have only experienced that kind of crash one other time.....so in my experience it does get better, and doesn't happen too often. I don't know the science behind it, but hopefully someone else will be able to give you some proper advice.0 -
Not sure why you think it is an "endorphin crash". If your 750 calorie deficit is too large, you could be hitting the wall because your body just does not have enough energy. I generally aim for a 500 calorie deficit.
Kudos to you for finding the time to workout in the midst of school, work and kids!!!0 -
I did find that I was pretty tired the day after a workout when i first started, but nothing like you describe. I think it's normal to get a "high" from lifting- I know I do. I personally don't think you will get much out of the program as far as strength gains and progress if you are eating more than a 500 cal deficit. Your body needs plenty of protein for muscle repair. I started at the 300 cal deficit provided by the book and lost fine.0
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Lou recommends that you should never aim to cut more than 300 calories per day from your TDEE especially not in the beginning of the program. Simply because the program is intensive and cutting maybe 800 or even 1000 calories AND adding the double stress of these intense exercises is going to be counterproductive. If you think about it the object of the program is to stimulate muscle growth and make the body spend more fuel, not less. He explains very well that if you are cutting calories you basically are just undermining your efforts. Hitting a wall seems to me to be an obvious indication that you need to eat more. Try to eat at least 1900-2000 calories and see if you don't feel more energized during workouts and if the crashes stop afterwards. I suggest you reread the nutrition part of the book, he explains very well IMO why eating properly works better than cutting calories.
HTH.0 -
Not sure why you think it is an "endorphin crash". If your 750 calorie deficit is too large, you could be hitting the wall because your body just does not have enough energy. I generally aim for a 500 calorie deficit.
Kudos to you for finding the time to workout in the midst of school, work and kids!!!
If that had happened while I was working out I would think more of it as hitting a wall, But the workout had been over for hours! I don't usually suffer from depression, but that's the only way I can describe it, post workout depression.0 -
I agree with others who say it may be an energy crash related to your calorie deficit instead of an endorphin crash. I am HUNGRY for 24 hours after working out hard with this program. I am also TIRED in the evenings afterwards.
Get lots of sleep, treat your body well and maybe reduce your deficit on NROL days to give your body a little more energy.0 -
I think that is my best Idea for now. I definitely don't want to short my body when I am working out so hard but I worked really hard at losing the 30 lbs and the thought of eating so many calories is really scary! so maybe keeping it a little lower on non workout days would be a good compromise?0
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I see what you mean. But generally I think it is a great idea to do what the body asks for (rest, eat etc) if you are tired, extra hungry etc. Some people seem to be able to eat 800-1200 cals a day without feeling hungry - I am not one of them. If you feel like you are in tune with your body's needs, I'd think it's best to just follow that because the body WILL need added fuel to sustain itself on this program. I have found in the past that when I am gaining strength and/or mass in the gym, I get REALLY hungry and my body is starving for protein. So I have just done what it has asked of me and it has worked out fine for me. I know not everyone is the same, so I'd just give the added calories a try for like 2 weeks, first I'd take a measurement and weigh myself and then reassess the situation in two weeks (and not use the scale in the mean time). If you are really scared of adding the calories you could cut the extra amount in half and then add the rest to your diet in two weeks time if it works out OK.
Oh and yes, you could cut calories on non-workout days, Lou actually recommends that you add 200 calories or so on workout days (the Post workout shake) and eat a little less on the non-wo days. Some ppl seem to be really hungry then, so if you happen to be one of them, I'd just eat more and trust your body to cue you in the right direction. Just stick to wholesome foods. I don't think anyone gets really fat on salmon, spinach and aspargus
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Lol I re-read the Nutrition chapter again, and I am going to try to stay around 1500 on non workout days ( because I really don't do anything) and bump it up to 2000-2100 My maintenance calorie intake is 2330 and the book said I could cut 300 from that. I will see how I feel. after my 2nd workout this week ( Wednesday and then Saturday) I am freaking starving so I will prob get pretty close to the 2000 mark. As long as I can resist the urge to weigh in I think I can keep from freaking out lol.0
