Shifting from Cardio to Lifting heavy...drop calories??

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ktsimons
ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a 49 year old female...I have a thyroid problem (taking meds) that keeps my metabolism low. I have calculated my TDEE at 2150 & I eat just over 1400 a day with one blow out day a week of 2100. I have read enough to realize that I need to lift weights, and probably that "heavy" sort, in order to make it to the next level. I have gone from 210 to 157 in the past year but I have all these fat spots - lower abs, under arms, knees, etc. I need to lift heavy to change my body comp, right? I understand this and & I am starting a class on Tuesday.

Here is where my confusion starts...I currently do some sort of exercise 6 days...boot camp, elliptical and hard walk/run and I log this exercise, but I know I shouldn't log weight training. SO - should I drop my calories since I have to drop 3 days of cardio?? I gain weight so easily and I am freaked out by substituting weights - which to me sounds like GAIN weight - for cardio! Does anyone that lifts remember their transition from a cardio junky to a weight lifter? Did you gain weight, did you lower your calories, does anyone that lifts have the metabolism of a slug, did lifting really help that? Remember the thyroid thing...I have tested the 'eat more' philosophy and it just doesn't work on my body....

Anyone got suggestions??

Replies

  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
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    Your going to need the strength, so I say eat 10 percent off your tdee.. u may get what we call "newbie gains" but your stool below the tdee so it's nothing bad. I train, message me if u have Any. ?
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    Thanks! I am expecting a bit of an initial gain, but I don't want to go too far UP!
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Body recomp, eat at maintenance and lift heavy ... You can still do cardio (do HIIT sprint work, intervals and such) to earn more calories to eat on your lifting days, just lift first, so you can give it your all since that's you main goal right now ... As long as you eat back your cardio calories, it won't hurt your efforts, unless you're looking to majorly bulk, which I'm assuming you aren't ...
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Are you hyperthyroid, and taking meds to suppress thyroid function? or Are you hypothyroid, and taking thyroid hormone?
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
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    Body recomp, eat at maintenance and lift heavy ... You can still do cardio (do HIIT sprint work, intervals and such) to earn more calories to eat on your lifting days, just lift first, so you can give it your all since that's you main goal right now ... As long as you eat back your cardio calories, it won't hurt your efforts, unless you're looking to majorly bulk, which I'm assuming you aren't ...

    Hypo - low, dead, almost non existent...then when they give me meds it rages in the opposite direction so I have to run slow in order to keep the heart palpitations under control. This is why I am leaning toward weight training...so many people say it is good for getting your metabolism in line, right??

    And, correct...no bulking wanted and I actually would like to lose another 15 pounds or so. But REALLY??? What I REALLY want is to get rid of the fat - who cares about what I weigh. Since that isn't happening with cardio, I will need to do something else...

    Sounds like you are saying I need to actually UP my calories a bit??
  • NaurielR
    NaurielR Posts: 429 Member
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    Your going to need the strength, so I say eat 10 percent off your tdee.. u may get what we call "newbie gains" but your stool below the tdee so it's nothing bad. I train, message me if u have Any. ?
    I agree with this. If you're eating at a deficit while weight training, you will not gain any real mass. When losing weight, your body burns off both muscle and fat. By combining weight training and a caloric deficit, you will hopefully push your body into burning mostly fat. This will preserve the muscle you already have, but not add any on. But you don't want to eat too little, or you will have no energy to lift.
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
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    I also am hypothyroid (Hashimoto's actually). Do you have your lab results? Is it under control? Are you on synthetic or natural thyroid meds? Do you supplement vitamin D? When my T3free and T4free are in range, I have no problem losing - I switched to armour thyroid a couple years ago and it has made a huge difference. That being said, I lift usually 4-5 days per week and usually do some short cardio intervals at the end - whether it's 20 mins HIIT or an incline walk etc...nothing too excessive. I definitely prefer lifting to cardio. I also started eating more protein (40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat usually) as well as more calories - my bodyfat has dropped steadily since changing all of this about a year and 1/2 ago along with lifting heavy. If your TDEE is really 2150 (mine is around 2200 and I usually eat 1600-1800 and sometimes more on weekends) and your levels are in range, you should definitely not be eating 1400 calories - eating too low along with cardio or even weight training (which can be very metabolic and burns calories not only during but also after) suppresses your thyroid, raises cortisol and only hurts you - your metabolism will adapt to that low very quickly. I did a gradual raise of about 100 calories per week when I did it.
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    Body recomp, eat at maintenance and lift heavy ... You can still do cardio (do HIIT sprint work, intervals and such) to earn more calories to eat on your lifting days, just lift first, so you can give it your all since that's you main goal right now ... As long as you eat back your cardio calories, it won't hurt your efforts, unless you're looking to majorly bulk, which I'm assuming you aren't ...

    Hypo - low, dead, almost non existent...then when they give me meds it rages in the opposite direction so I have to run slow in order to keep the heart palpitations under control. This is why I am leaning toward weight training...so many people say it is good for getting your metabolism in line, right??

    And, correct...no bulking wanted and I actually would like to lose another 15 pounds or so. But REALLY??? What I REALLY want is to get rid of the fat - who cares about what I weigh. Since that isn't happening with cardio, I will need to do something else...

    Sounds like you are saying I need to actually UP my calories a bit??

    I'm hypo too ... I take a T3/T4 combo (Levothyroxine/Cytomel), synthetic, natural didn't work for me, and neither did T4 only ... Heart palps? You might want to make sure your iron (ferritin) levels normal (low iron can cause heart palps) ... If you are on the right dose of meds, you shouldn't have heart palps ... Stopthetyroidmadness.com (great info there, they push the natural stuff a bit too much, but still great info ... You don't have to buy the book, FTPO (for thyroid patients only) is their FB group, and everyone is really nice and will answer your questions and give advice and personal experiences ...

    ETA: I am a runner, I run 5Ks in under 23:00 min ... I don't get heart palps ...
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
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    I also am hypothyroid (Hashimoto's actually). Do you have your lab results? Is it under control? Are you on synthetic or natural thyroid meds? Do you supplement vitMin D? When my T3free and T4free are in range, I have no problem losing - I switched to armour thyroid a couple years ago and it has made a huge difference. That being said, I lift usually 4-5 days per week and usually do some short cardio intervals at the end - whether it's 20 mins HIIT or an incline walk etc...nothing too excessive. I definitely prefer lifting to cardio. I also started eating more protein (40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat usually) as well as more calories - my bodyfat has dropped steadily since changing all of this about a year and 1/2 ago along with lifting heavy. If your TDEE is really 2150 (mine is around 2200 and I usually eat 1600-1800 and sometimes more on weekends) and your levels are in range, you should definitely not be eating 1400 calories - eating too low along with cardio or even weight training (which can be very metabolic and burns calories not only during but also after) suppresses your thyroid, raises cortisol and only hurts you - your metabolism will adapt to that low very quickly. I did a gradual raise of about 100 calories per week when I did it.

    Well put ...
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
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    Agree with going to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com, the best info you will ever get is there. And TigerBite is right, natural doesn't work for everyone - my mom is also hypo and she tried it and it was a disaster so she switched back. But if you are having palps, your meds are too high and being too high can be as bad as too low as far as not being able to lose...
  • DaveneGfit
    DaveneGfit Posts: 338 Member
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    Agreed!
  • ktsimons
    ktsimons Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    I also am hypothyroid (Hashimoto's actually). Do you have your lab results? Is it under control? Are you on synthetic or natural thyroid meds? Do you supplement vitamin D? When my T3free and T4free are in range, I have no problem losing - I switched to armour thyroid a couple years ago and it has made a huge difference. That being said, I lift usually 4-5 days per week and usually do some short cardio intervals at the end - whether it's 20 mins HIIT or an incline walk etc...nothing too excessive. I definitely prefer lifting to cardio. I also started eating more protein (40% protein, 40% carbs and 20% fat usually) as well as more calories - my bodyfat has dropped steadily since changing all of this about a year and 1/2 ago along with lifting heavy. If your TDEE is really 2150 (mine is around 2200 and I usually eat 1600-1800 and sometimes more on weekends) and your levels are in range, you should definitely not be eating 1400 calories - eating too low along with cardio or even weight training (which can be very metabolic and burns calories not only during but also after) suppresses your thyroid, raises cortisol and only hurts you - your metabolism will adapt to that low very quickly. I did a gradual raise of about 100 calories per week when I did it.

    I am going in on Wednesday for a full workup - i was taken off cholesteral & blood pressure meds about a year ago - i only take thyroid, D, fish oil and magnesium. I had labs done a few days ago and I am anxious to see the results of nothing by diet and exercise. I was on synthetic for 5 years or so then it seemed to stop working...on to natural (heart palps) then back to synthetic for this most recent 6 months (no heart palps). I seem to go for a year or more at a correct level then fly all over the place and get sick again, then pull it back into line. I have an awesome doctor...she see's me every 90 days during the crazy times just so she can tweak my meds...

    I have set my macros at your suggested amount...40/40/20 and will try that with a slow increse of calories. It will be nice to be able to eat a little more...lately, I have been really hungry.

    You ALL have given me a lot of good info and new ideas/websites to research - thank you!
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Body recomp, eat at maintenance and lift heavy ... You can still do cardio (do HIIT sprint work, intervals and such) to earn more calories to eat on your lifting days, just lift first, so you can give it your all since that's you main goal right now ... As long as you eat back your cardio calories, it won't hurt your efforts, unless you're looking to majorly bulk, which I'm assuming you aren't ...

    Hypo - low, dead, almost non existent...then when they give me meds it rages in the opposite direction so I have to run slow in order to keep the heart palpitations under control. This is why I am leaning toward weight training...so many people say it is good for getting your metabolism in line, right??

    And, correct...no bulking wanted and I actually would like to lose another 15 pounds or so. But REALLY??? What I REALLY want is to get rid of the fat - who cares about what I weigh. Since that isn't happening with cardio, I will need to do something else...

    Sounds like you are saying I need to actually UP my calories a bit??

    You can't "bulk" in a deficit. :happy:
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,754 Member
    Options
    I am a 49 year old female...I have a thyroid problem (taking meds) that keeps my metabolism low. I have calculated my TDEE at 2150 & I eat just over 1400 a day with one blow out day a week of 2100. I have read enough to realize that I need to lift weights, and probably that "heavy" sort, in order to make it to the next level. I have gone from 210 to 157 in the past year but I have all these fat spots - lower abs, under arms, knees, etc. I need to lift heavy to change my body comp, right? I understand this and & I am starting a class on Tuesday.

    Here is where my confusion starts...I currently do some sort of exercise 6 days...boot camp, elliptical and hard walk/run and I log this exercise, but I know I shouldn't log weight training. SO - should I drop my calories since I have to drop 3 days of cardio?? I gain weight so easily and I am freaked out by substituting weights - which to me sounds like GAIN weight - for cardio! Does anyone that lifts remember their transition from a cardio junky to a weight lifter? Did you gain weight, did you lower your calories, does anyone that lifts have the metabolism of a slug, did lifting really help that? Remember the thyroid thing...I have tested the 'eat more' philosophy and it just doesn't work on my body....

    Anyone got suggestions??

    If you haven't already found this group, go there, read the stickies and ask for assistance, there is a template of what they need to know in the stickies.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
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    I wouldn't make any big changes. I'd maybe add in another 100 calories a day, and make sure to get about 150-175 grams of protein a day*. Take measurements and pictures now, do that for 2-4 weeks, then take measurements and pictures again and evaluate how things are going for you. If you're dropping the fat you want to lose and still feel good, keep things the same for another 2-4 weeks. If the measurements aren't changing, cut out 100 calories of fat and carbs and try again. If the measurements are changing, but you aren't feeling like you are recovering from lifting sessions, add another 100 calories of fat and carbs and try again. Especially for you with the thyroid problem you will probably have to spend some time experimenting and making small changes to see what works for you.

    * The only caveat is that I have no idea what effect, if any, a high protein diet would have on a thyroid problem. I'd do some research here.

    I'd also recommend reading this: http://thefitcoach.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/584/

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