How much is too much?

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amandaemory2
amandaemory2 Posts: 5 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone,

I started to get serous with my weight loss and new way of life after attending a Biggest Loser casting call in May and never got a call back. At first I only counted my calories and jog in the mornings 2 to 3x a week. About three weeks ago I got a gym membership at my local YMCA. I joined with a friend and we both committed to exercise as much as we can. My gym has different classes everyday at different times that I can join as many times as I want. So I gradually made it to to 3 to 4 classes a day burning about 500 calories per class. My friend does not go with me to every single one and I notice she starts to slack from time to time. On Wednesday she wanted to leave after 20 minutes of cardio, I did not. She said I was working out too much and that I was going to be hurting and not get the results I want. Mind you I am 302 pounds currently. I am a stay at home mom with a shopping habit so I keep myself at home. The only work out I get is at the gym. Is my friend right? am I working too hard? will it reverse the results I want?

Replies

  • Capt_Inzane
    Capt_Inzane Posts: 733 Member
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    Here's my opinion and I'm not exactly certain if anyone should listen but everyone's bodies are different and we all push ourselves differently at the gym.

    I would do what you feel comfortable with and as long as you're not hurting yourself or feeling any pain keep up with it. There's nothing wrong with hitting the gym hard (again my opinion I'm not endorsed or even know what the heck I'm talking about half the time).

    I remember when I lost a lot of weight rapidly I was going to gym 3 times a day 5 times a week but the downfall was I burned myself out and didn't keep up with it. Once you feel yourself slacking just remember to at least try to go a couple times a week. This is a marathon not a sprint to the finish line.
  • amandaemory2
    amandaemory2 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thank you and I agree. I don't feel its hurting me so why stop.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Whoa. Okay..... Where to begin. I'm on a phone so I'm keeping this brief. You're doing too much.

    Those classes aren't particularly hard, but doing 3-4 in a day is crazy time. You're going to give yourself a repetitive use injury. At 300 pounds, your main strategy for weight loss is a calorie deficit, not insane amounts of exercise.

    Also, you want to lose weight in a way that you can maintain. As soon as you can't do 4 hours of exercise all your weight is going to come back.

    45-90 mins of exercise daily, 6 days per week is the maximum you should be doing right now, and that's the high side
  • downsizinghoss
    downsizinghoss Posts: 1,035 Member
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    Unless you plan on living this way for the rest of your life, then it is a short term solution to a long term lifestyle problem.

    You don't have to kill yourself. You will burn out and then risk going back. Find a balance.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Are you saying that you're burning 2000 calories per day just from exercise? On top of what's likely a ~2500 calorie per day sedentary TDEE (give or take a bit, I ballparked your height and age)? How much are you eating per day?

    At best, you're setting yourself up for a major burnout and giving up before you've reached your goals; that activity level isn't sustainable for anyone. Moderately likely outcomes also include too large of a calorie deficit that will eventually lead to difficulties losing weight (yes, at your weight you can sustain a larger deficit but that won't last forever). At worst, you'll end up with a major injury.

    Exercise is good. Exercise is GREAT. Find a balance that includes a class, maybe 2 at MOST, 4-5 days per week. Switch up what you do to include some strength training if you're not already - it will be worth it.
  • amandaemory2
    amandaemory2 Posts: 5 Member
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    I appreciate the feed back from everyone. My calorie intake right now is 1850 per day. I am about 5'5" and 302 as of last Monday. the classes are hula hooping, yoga stretch, zumba, total body surge, and butts and guts its usually two per day some 3 to 4 depending because the yoga stretch is meant for the seniors. Like i said I really don't do anything else other than the gym. However I am new to all of this and feedback is always great. I try to read as much as I can about the way I should be doing things but sometimes you have to be careful with that because one resource says different from another.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    Hello everyone,

    I started to get serous with my weight loss and new way of life after attending a Biggest Loser casting call in May and never got a call back. At first I only counted my calories and jog in the mornings 2 to 3x a week. About three weeks ago I got a gym membership at my local YMCA. I joined with a friend and we both committed to exercise as much as we can. My gym has different classes everyday at different times that I can join as many times as I want. So I gradually made it to to 3 to 4 classes a day burning about 500 calories per class. My friend does not go with me to every single one and I notice she starts to slack from time to time. On Wednesday she wanted to leave after 20 minutes of cardio, I did not. She said I was working out too much and that I was going to be hurting and not get the results I want. Mind you I am 302 pounds currently. I am a stay at home mom with a shopping habit so I keep myself at home. The only work out I get is at the gym. Is my friend right? am I working too hard? will it reverse the results I want?

    your body knows better than any of us!!! your body will tell you everything! when its hurt, when its tired, when its hungry, when its thirsty, when its hot, when its cold... if you feel good with your workouts, then more power to you. your friend is not in your body, she knows nothing but her own capabilities!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    your body knows better than any of us!!! your body will tell you everything! when its hurt, when its tired, when its hungry, when its thirsty, when its hot, when its cold... if you feel good with your workouts, then more power to you. your friend is not in your body, she knows nothing but her own capabilities!

    this is well meaning advice and it sounds cute and all....but it couldn't be further from the truth.

    listening to our bodies is how most of us got fat. it's well know that by the time you feel thirst you're already mildly dehydrated and should have had something to drink a long time before. when i feel like i need a break from the gym i'm usually about two weeks past the point when i needed to have that break. don't listen to your body. listen to me. and what i'm saying is that all progress stops when you have to rehab an overuse injury for 6 weeks to 3 months. don't over do it.
  • jenniferfiedler
    jenniferfiedler Posts: 86
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    If you aren't hurting more than the normal morning after workout soreness I'd say more power to you. :) Good luck on your journey!
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I'm a stay at home mom too with lot's of time on my hands and a serious shopping bent as well. I get it. You wanna fill the time right? You don't wanna end up with piles of clothes and handbags or a sancho.

    This is not the way though. Just do one workout per day at the most, and maybe as low as 3 times a week. You can fit some strenght training or stretching or meditation in between if you're bored and to help keep your sanity as you get to goal.

    I personally lost 25 lbs so far just working out around 3 times a week average. Variety of yoga, pilates, hiking, treadmill (on incline when it got easy), stairs (actual stairs not stairclimber), stretching, elliptical, and walking, lots and lots of walking. All this while targeting a cal goal and eating back most of my cals. My ticker only shows 23 pounds lost because I am human and when I recently chose to weigh myself on the wrong day TOM messed with my scale and showed a 2 lb gain.

    I hope you will take my experience in a way as advice and just workout at a reasonable level. Try not to accuse your friend of slacking off or whatnot because just because you are more serious right now does not mean she isn't. She may just already have experienced overdoing it or watched someone do it and is trying to be careful. I wish she had told you nicer that you may be heading down a dangerous path with your body, but she is a friend and she may just be being straight out to get your attention out of real concern. Try to see it that way, and remain friends with her. There aren't too many people who have that kind of spine to tell you straight out. She's a keeper.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
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    your body knows better than any of us!!! your body will tell you everything! when its hurt, when its tired, when its hungry, when its thirsty, when its hot, when its cold... if you feel good with your workouts, then more power to you. your friend is not in your body, she knows nothing but her own capabilities!

    this is well meaning advice and it sounds cute and all....but it couldn't be further from the truth.

    listening to our bodies is how most of us got fat. it's well know that by the time you feel thirst you're already mildly dehydrated and should have had something to drink a long time before. when i feel like i need a break from the gym i'm usually about two weeks past the point when i needed to have that break. don't listen to your body. listen to me. and what i'm saying is that all progress stops when you have to rehab an overuse injury for 6 weeks to 3 months. don't over do it.

    no, listenng to your body is a realistic approach to a healthy lifestyle. listening to your body (not your brain). its your brain that got you fat, not your body. my body wasnt hungry for a bag of flaming hot cheetos, a 12 pack of corona, and the other 3000-4000 calories i was eating per day, that was my brain telling me that i wanted it. if her body is handling the exercise with no trouble, then good for her!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    Whoa. Okay..... Where to begin. I'm on a phone so I'm keeping this brief. You're doing too much.

    Those classes aren't particularly hard, but doing 3-4 in a day is crazy time. You're going to give yourself a repetitive use injury. At 300 pounds, your main strategy for weight loss is a calorie deficit, not insane amounts of exercise.

    Also, you want to lose weight in a way that you can maintain. As soon as you can't do 4 hours of exercise all your weight is going to come back.

    45-90 mins of exercise daily, 6 days per week is the maximum you should be doing right now, and that's the high side

    Listen to this advice, it is 100% correct and very solid. Doing 3-4 classes a day is insane and WILL result in problems sooner or later. Exercise is good but too much exercise is COUNTERPRODUCTIVE. Furthermore, you need to fuel your workouts. Eating 1850 and then burning 2000 a day in exercise means you're netting a negative calorie intake. You will be facing serious health risks sooner or later, on top of your injuries from working out too much. Very easy way to fail completely at your goal from burnout and/or injury and/or hospital stays.

    Exercise reasonably (45-90 is a good example as posted above) and eat at a decent caloric deficit (500-1000 calorie deficit a day at your present weight) and you will go far and are much more likely to succeed in the long term.
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
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    your body knows better than any of us!!! your body will tell you everything! when its hurt, when its tired, when its hungry, when its thirsty, when its hot, when its cold... if you feel good with your workouts, then more power to you. your friend is not in your body, she knows nothing but her own capabilities!

    this is well meaning advice and it sounds cute and all....but it couldn't be further from the truth.

    listening to our bodies is how most of us got fat. it's well know that by the time you feel thirst you're already mildly dehydrated and should have had something to drink a long time before. when i feel like i need a break from the gym i'm usually about two weeks past the point when i needed to have that break. don't listen to your body. listen to me. and what i'm saying is that all progress stops when you have to rehab an overuse injury for 6 weeks to 3 months. don't over do it.

    ^Listen to this. And be sure you're NETTING 1850, not taking in 1850 and then burning it all off working out.
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    I appreciate the feed back from everyone. My calorie intake right now is 1850 per day. I am about 5'5" and 302 as of last Monday. the classes are hula hooping, yoga stretch, zumba, total body surge, and butts and guts its usually two per day some 3 to 4 depending because the yoga stretch is meant for the seniors. Like i said I really don't do anything else other than the gym. However I am new to all of this and feedback is always great. I try to read as much as I can about the way I should be doing things but sometimes you have to be careful with that because one resource says different from another.

    Eating 1850 when you're burning 4500 every day sounds downright dangerous unless you're under a doctor's supervision. I still think that a more moderate and balanced approach to exercise would be highly beneficial.

    Since you're a SAHM, why not spend that time with your kids instead of sticking them in the gym daycare (I assume) while you participate in 4 hours of high-burn calorie classes every day? I get the shopping thing, but there's so much else you can do. Go for a walk. Go to the park. Go to the pool. Sign up for mommy and me classes. You don't have to spend money to leave the house and be active. Do one class a day and make a point to get out of the house to do some moving around every day.

    Moving more is admirable. What you're doing is setting yourself up for eventual failure. At 5'5" and 300lbs, you have about 150lbs to lose to get to a healthy weight. Even at maintaining the pace you are without any plateaus or metabolic slowdowns (unlikely) that's going to take at LEAST seven months . Do you really think you can keep this pace up for that long? Yes, injury is an issue, but I'm more concerned with you burning yourself out mentally and emotionally. No matter how much motivation you have right now, chances are HIGH that you end up hitting a wall and in your old bad habits. It's a million different kinds of cliche, but if you don't approach this as a "lifestyle change" (aka, losing weight by doing things that you feel you can do for the rest of your life) your chances of success are much, much smaller.
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
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    Unless you plan on living this way for the rest of your life, then it is a short term solution to a long term lifestyle problem.

    You don't have to kill yourself. You will burn out and then risk going back. Find a balance.

    THIS.

    It's great your motivated at the moment and even better you've found a friend to go with, but too many times I see people joining gyms and boot camps and going hard at it like you and then they burn out or quit. Like someone else mentioned, it's not a quick fix unfortunately, you should look at it as a lifestyle change. Calorie deficit and a bit of exercise everyday - at least 30 mins to start with.

    It seems like your trying to replicate what contestants do on The Biggest Loser with the whole 5 hours of exercise per day or whatever crazy amount they do! I have seen so many contestants lose the weight but as soon as they cannot maintain the exercise and strict eating after the show is completed, weight gain begins again. Your best bet would be to have a chat with a dietician and get on a great eating plan and keep up the classes and add in some weights. 45mins - 90 mins is enough, or 2 classes per day seems reasonable.

    Keep your head in the game, keep pushing and being motivated by your friend. I think it's good you do continue to go without her though on days she's choosing to slack off. Well done.

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