How to balance weights, cardio, & unhealthy cravings

_rachel_k · May 2014

I thought I was on my way to success but alas, I am actually moving backwards!

In the morning I was doing C25K (but now that work has slowed down, I'll be doing C25K plus a little extra cardio to total an hour) and an hour of weights following Arnold Schwarzenegger's Modern Guide to Bodybuilding.

When I first started the system I'm on, I lost a couple lbs in my first few weeks but now I find that I'm starting to gain (which is why I will be moving up to an hour of cardio in the morning).

I know it doesn't help that on the weekend I don't drink near as much water as I do during the week and indulge in more fat and carbs (I have intense cravings by the time the weekend comes and I have NO self control).

How do I find the right balance? Do I have my intense cravings because I'm not eating enough? (I do a physical food log and I eat roughly 1700 -1800 (40% carbs, 30% fat and protein) during the week (I am always hungry) and weekends I'm probably pushing 2000).

Is there a way for me to control my cravings (if I am eating enough)? I have been trying to keep more water on me at all times when I spend weekends with my bf but we're often out and about and I don't always want to pay $3 for a bottle of water.

Any tips, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

yopeeps025 · May 2014

Fight those cravings. We all have them. I tell my self that I can have mini celebrations along my weight lose to cure those craving. Since I have changed my lifestyle the cravings actually diminish. Tell yourself when I lose 5 pound I will eat whatever it is you crave. Then when you get down those five pounds you might in reevaluate by saying this was work to get here and I do not want this craving to slow me down.

pherring00 · May 2014

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not expert, but just adding more cardio isn't always the answer. For fat loss, it's sometimes the type of cardio you do that matters more. You can google HIIT training or check out the wiki link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

As for the cravings, I started my "diet" at around 1,800 cal / day (based on a doctor's recommendation). I quickly discovered that with my workouts, 1,800 wouldn't cut it, because of the cravings. I jumped my calorie intake up to 2,200 a day and I've lost 11 lbs since. The type of calories is extremely important. Those extra 400 calories are from veggies, which fill me up a lot more.

I'm not saying that's what you need to do, but if you're doing intense workouts, your body needs the fuel. Just my two cents.

yopeeps025 · May 2014

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not expert, but just adding more cardio isn't always the answer. For fat loss, it's sometimes the type of cardio you do that matters more. You can google HIIT training or check out the wiki link below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-intensity_interval_training

As for the cravings, I started my "diet" at around 1,800 cal / day (based on a doctor's recommendation). I quickly discovered that with my workouts, 1,800 wouldn't cut it, because of the cravings. I jumped my calorie intake up to 2,200 a day and I've lost 11 lbs since. The type of calories is extremely important. Those extra 400 calories are from veggies, which fill me up a lot more.

I'm not saying that's what you need to do, but if you're doing intense workouts, your body needs the fuel. Just my two cents.

Your correct and about HIIT that is one of the best ways to do cardio. It is also the most difficult to do since your workout is suppose to push you to really high heart rate levels.

auddii · May 2014

You said you eat roughly 1700-1800 calories. If you are estimating your calories and not measuring, you may be taking in more calories than you think (almost everyone underestimates calories unintentionally). I'd suggest accurately logging and making sure you are within your calorie goal. Then keep in mind that weight can fluctuate day to day, especially in women due to our hormone cycles. I didn't see how long it's been since you've been gaining, but cravings, weight gain, and TOM all go hand in hand.

Also, for everyday cravings, make sure you are eating the foods that will sustain you until your next meal and keep you feeling satiated. You may need to switch out some calorie dense foods for veggies or something else with fewer calories to provide more bulk and volume to your diet (keeping you feeling full longer).

ETA: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide

Also:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

vismal · May 2014

Are your cravings related to types of foods or amounts? Are you restricting foods throughout the week? A good strategy is to learn to eat the food you love/crave every day but to have them in moderation so they fit your calorie goals.

MireyGal76 · May 2014

An hour of cardio a day seems excessive, unless it's something you LOVE doing. the weight gain may be a number of things, including - water retention due to a new lifting program, cycle, salt intake, etc.

- log your food - you say you have a physical log... are you weighing and measuring your food? logging everything (including snacks here and there? They add up - crazy fast)
- do you use an HRM for measuring your burns, and do you eat back your exercise cals?
- what is your height / weight right now? what is your goal? What is the time frame?
- what does your goal body look like? (lean? muscular?)
- have you taken your measurements? If you are working on strength training, you may find more encouragement in the change in numbers as opposed to change in scale.

and

I love the tattoo!

_rachel_k · May 2014

yopeeps025: My weight loss is so slow, that 5 lbs could take me at least 2 months to lose. I barely last a week lol I have found the longer I try to lose weight, the more I restrict and the more I crave the junk food.

pherring00: At first the cardio in the morning was just C25K in order to get my endurance up because I'm participating in two 5K in the same day (one is a walk/run one is a 5k with obstacles). And with my slow loss on the scale and measuring tape I figured I needed to burn more calories.

auddii: I do weigh and measure my food for the stuff I pack when I go to work, but sometimes I'll help myself to the pre-packaged crackers in the lunch room (the little 2 per package you get with soups) or to the single serve cracker barrel cheese packages (I don't know how much each cheese weighs to know for sure how much calories I'm eating there). I'm trying to include a lot of protein with each mini-meal but I'm having a hard time finding low carb protein snacks (that I enjoy) so I don't have to cut out my breakfast oatmeal or a carb with lunch.

vismal: It's more the type of food (chips, buttery popcorn, pizza, chinese, etc) but when I start eating I can't stop. If I do manage to stop myself after a few pieces of chips or a couple handfuls of theater popcorn, I start thinking about it again and then I go for more.

MireyGal76: I don't REALLY enjoy any of the workouts I do, but I still manage to do them. I normally watch TV or Netflix while working out because I find I stay working out longer (it's hard to do that with weights).
By physical log I mean pen and paper. I do weigh and measure and log (not on weekends since it is never planned and I never have a scale with me).
I do not use an HRM, I pretty much go by my BMR and take what my elliptical says for calories burned and -40, and I do not eat back my exercise calories.
I'm 5'6 and have been between 185-188 for the past 3 weeks. My goal is just to make it to 170 right now, but my overall goal is 150-160 lbs. Time frame is ASAP (but not like 5 lbs a week).
I think I want a lean physique.... I just don't want to be fat anymore!
I took measurements yesterday. I haven't taken them since Feb 2nd and I am not overly impressed with the change in numbers at all so I'm pretending I didn't measure myself before.
And thanks... It's my favorite tattoo!

Aaron_K123 · May 2014

I thought I was on my way to success but alas, I am actually moving backwards!

In the morning I was doing C25K (but now that work has slowed down, I'll be doing C25K plus a little extra cardio to total an hour) and an hour of weights following Arnold Schwarzenegger's Modern Guide to Bodybuilding.

When I first started the system I'm on, I lost a couple lbs in my first few weeks but now I find that I'm starting to gain (which is why I will be moving up to an hour of cardio in the morning).

I know it doesn't help that on the weekend I don't drink near as much water as I do during the week and indulge in more fat and carbs (I have intense cravings by the time the weekend comes and I have NO self control).

How do I find the right balance? Do I have my intense cravings because I'm not eating enough? (I do a physical food log and I eat roughly 1700 -1800 (40% carbs, 30% fat and protein) during the week (I am always hungry) and weekends I'm probably pushing 2000).

Is there a way for me to control my cravings (if I am eating enough)? I have been trying to keep more water on me at all times when I spend weekends with my bf but we're often out and about and I don't always want to pay $3 for a bottle of water.

Any tips, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Gain what? Gain fat or gain water weight? If you aren't measuring your percent bodyfat it can be hard to know if gaining weight is actually an indication that you are gaining fat, could easily be additional water retention due to the change in your workout regime.

_rachel_k · May 2014

I want to say just water weight, (I have a weight watchers scale that does the BF analysis) but with my cravings and indulging on the weekends I'm worried it's more than just water

Aaron_K123 · May 2014

I want to say just water weight, (I have a weight watchers scale that does the BF analysis) but with my cravings and indulging on the weekends I'm worried it's more than just water

Bodyfat scales are extremely inaccurate since they rely on electrical impedance to determine body composition and electrical impedance will vary based on the level of sodium and water retention in your body. I would not trust a bodyfat scale reading of your percent bodyfat...a simple tape-measure around your waist will be more accurate and more reliable.

I cannot say if its water retention or fat but I don't think you can either unless you include measurements like tape-measurements as part of your monitoring of your progress. Scale weight is not necessarily a good indicator of what is working especially in the short term.

weird_me2 · May 2014

yopeeps025: My weight loss is so slow, that 5 lbs could take me at least 2 months to lose. I barely last a week lol I have found the longer I try to lose weight, the more I restrict and the more I crave the junk food.

auddii: I do weigh and measure my food for the stuff I pack when I go to work, but sometimes I'll help myself to the pre-packaged crackers in the lunch room (the little 2 per package you get with soups) or to the single serve cracker barrel cheese packages (I don't know how much each cheese weighs to know for sure how much calories I'm eating there). I'm trying to include a lot of protein with each mini-meal but I'm having a hard time finding low carb protein snacks (that I enjoy) so I don't have to cut out my breakfast oatmeal or a carb with lunch.

vismal: It's more the type of food (chips, buttery popcorn, pizza, chinese, etc) but when I start eating I can't stop. If I do manage to stop myself after a few pieces of chips or a couple handfuls of theater popcorn, I start thinking about it again and then I go for more.

MireyGal76: I do weigh and measure and log (not on weekends since it is never planned and I never have a scale with me).
I do not use an HRM, I pretty much go by my BMR and take what my elliptical says for calories burned and -40, and I do not eat back my exercise calories.

.

1) You are being too restrictive - re-work your plan and make the things you love fit. You said it yourself that the longer you try, the more restrictive you are. That is obviously backfiring on you.

2) Maybe try something other than a bunch of mini meals. It worked for you for a while, but apparently it's not working for you right now. You honestly sound a lot like I did when I finally realized mini meals wasn't working for me - I just never felt satisfied with what I had and when I had something I was avoiding, it was all but impossible to stop.

3) Log everything, even on the weekends. Even an estimated log of your food out will give you a much better picture than no log. Maybe you will do better to eat more calories daily and you won't find that you have the urge to overeat on the weekends/when the occasion arises.

Maybe cut back on the exercise. While exercise is good for your health, it's obviously not doing anything for your weight loss if you are over-eating because of it. Do your C25k plan, but try just sticking to the 1/2 hour for a while. I wouldn't say drop the weights altogether, but cutting everything back a bit until you feel in control and have a plan that is helping control your hunger might be more beneficial than just slogging through your workouts and overeating later.

lindsey1979 · May 2014

Do you find the cravings are particularly for carbs or sweets? If so, you may have an issue with glucose metabolism like insulin resistance. Those with IR can get mad sugar/carb cravings because of the excess insulin their bodies produce. You can get a simple blood test called A1C that checks for it. And, the only solution I know of, besides medication (usually metformin), is restricting the carbs overall to keep your blood glucose levels from spiking/crashing.

If you're confident that's not it, one of the things I've done to help cravings is eat more non-startchy vegetables. They're low calorie, often nutrient dense and super filling. I find the cravings are a LOT more manageable if I'm not actually hungry. If I fill up on veggies, I can have just a little of the thing I'm craving instead of overeating it. For craving sweets, I find that a good quality dark chocolate can help a lot.

_rachel_k · May 2014

Aaron_K123: so measurements won't display water weight?

weird_me2: I chose mini meals because I'm ALWAYS hungry, but you're right, when I want something and finally allow myself to have some, I keep going! How do you log meals when you eat out? If my bf cooks, it's not so bad but sometimes we go to a restaurant and the menu items aren't mentioned in MFP and I can not guesstimate how much food I'm eating by looking.
I may cut back to just 30 minutes in the morning because I would rather sleep that half hour lol

lindsey1979: the cravings are more salty, greasy, unhealthy carbs. I don't know if this is the same thing, but I went to the Dr to have my thyroid checked and he checked my glucose levels. I guess they were fine since I haven't heard from the Dr's office (even though I called them too).

weird_me2 · May 2014

Aaron_K123: so measurements won't display water weight?

weird_me2: I chose mini meals because I'm ALWAYS hungry, but you're right, when I want something and finally allow myself to have some, I keep going! How do you log meals when you eat out? If my bf cooks, it's not so bad but sometimes we go to a restaurant and the menu items aren't mentioned in MFP and I can not guesstimate how much food I'm eating by looking.
I may cut back to just 30 minutes in the morning because I would rather sleep that half hour lol

lindsey1979: the cravings are more salty, greasy, unhealthy carbs. I don't know if this is the same thing, but I went to the Dr to have my thyroid checked and he checked my glucose levels. I guess they were fine since I haven't heard from the Dr's office (even though I called them too).

For eating out, I don't find it too hard to estimate since I weigh everything at home. I think this probably just comes with practice. The more you do it, the better you will probably get. Deconstruct what you are having and log everything individually (or at least tally it up in your head and quick enter it). Google is also your friend if there's nothing else you can find that's even close.

I know you said you chose mini meals because you're always hungry, but I too was always hungry when I was trying to eat "mini meals". It wasn't until I found a combination of IF and eating bigger meals that I found a good solution for myself. Since what you are doing isn't working, keep trying new things. On the weekends, do you find that you need to eat all of the time, too?

Eat more veggies and fruits and also protein and fats...I learned that if I fill most of my meals with lots of lean protein, a good amount of fat and tons of veggies and some fruits then I stay satisfied all day long with my foods and have plenty of room at night for whatever I'm craving.

lindsey1979 · May 2014

Aaron_K123: so measurements won't display water weight?

weird_me2: I chose mini meals because I'm ALWAYS hungry, but you're right, when I want something and finally allow myself to have some, I keep going! How do you log meals when you eat out? If my bf cooks, it's not so bad but sometimes we go to a restaurant and the menu items aren't mentioned in MFP and I can not guesstimate how much food I'm eating by looking.
I may cut back to just 30 minutes in the morning because I would rather sleep that half hour lol

lindsey1979: the cravings are more salty, greasy, unhealthy carbs. I don't know if this is the same thing, but I went to the Dr to have my thyroid checked and he checked my glucose levels. I guess they were fine since I haven't heard from the Dr's office (even though I called them too).

Rachel -- Please look into what they should be testing for thyroid and glucose issues. I say this because I spent nearly a decade being told I was "fine" by several doctors (I had it checked every couple years as symptoms got worse), but never looked into it myself. I figured that the docs knew what they were doing -- boy was I wrong!

When I finally did look into it, I discovered that my doctors had done very few tests. I was so angry when I finally got to a real thyroid/metabolism specialist and saw the tests he did -- and the vast majority of them, none of my other docs did. Had they done them, I would have gotten the treatment I need 10+ years ago!

For thyroid, you need TSH, Free T4, Free T3 and both antibodies (TPO and the other one which I can't remember right now). Many will only test TSH which can be false negatives for many thyroid disorders, particularly Hashi's (which is what I have and is the most common hypothyroid disorder) -- my TSH levels are totally fine, but my FT3 and FT4 levels were wonky as were my antibodies. Oftentimes, the TSH levels won't get bad with Hashi's until the disease is considerably progressed --- to the point where significant thyroid function is lost/impiared. I've been told that for sugar, A1C is the best test as fasting glucose can vary a lot, whereas A1C gives you a look at sugar levels over the past 3 months.

Stopthethyroidmadness.org is a good resource for thyroid issues.

As far as the salty, greasy cravings, are you getting enough salts (sodium, potassium, etc.)? I ask because salty/greasy cravings are oftentimes a response to electrolyte imbalance of salts.

Like when you've been out dancing and drinking all night, you're super dehydrated from the alcohol and sweating, so you want water but you also crazy want salty, greasy food (because you need the salts to retain the water). After particularly sweat-heavy workouts like Bikram yoga or long hikes, I use a replenisher like Ultima replenisher. It gets all of the salts back into you without out all the sugar of gatorade.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultima-Replenisher-Lemonade-90-Servings/dp/B001JQLT18

lizziebeth1028 · May 2014

I thought I was on my way to success but alas, I am actually moving backwards!

In the morning I was doing C25K (but now that work has slowed down, I'll be doing C25K plus a little extra cardio to total an hour) and an hour of weights following Arnold Schwarzenegger's Modern Guide to Bodybuilding.

When I first started the system I'm on, I lost a couple lbs in my first few weeks but now I find that I'm starting to gain (which is why I will be moving up to an hour of cardio in the morning).

I know it doesn't help that on the weekend I don't drink near as much water as I do during the week and indulge in more fat and carbs (I have intense cravings by the time the weekend comes and I have NO self control).

How do I find the right balance? Do I have my intense cravings because I'm not eating enough? (I do a physical food log and I eat roughly 1700 -1800 (40% carbs, 30% fat and protein) during the week (I am always hungry) and weekends I'm probably pushing 2000).

Is there a way for me to control my cravings (if I am eating enough)? I have been trying to keep more water on me at all times when I spend weekends with my bf but we're often out and about and I don't always want to pay $3 for a bottle of water.

Any tips, suggestions are greatly appreciated.

It's been said many times on here - YOU CAN'T OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET. Of course exercise is awesome....but if you're still consuming too many calories you're not going to lose. You need to be consistently in calorie deficit.

Rogiefreida · May 2014

There's a reason why everyone says that you can't out train a bad diet, because you can't.

I've tried. It failed. I've done the good all week, then have some cheats on the weekend and watched the scale and my measurements just stagnate. When I started weighing and measuring everything, I started losing.

As far as cravings, if there's nothing physically wrong with you, then it boils down to willpower. It can be really hard to pass on treats, but you have to decide if you want to eat the treat or work towards your goal. If you can find a way to enjoy treats in moderation or work them into your calories/macros I would highly recommend that. I say if you can because some people do better with avoidance and cannot learn how to moderate, but everyone's different.

Best weapon I've found for diet is planning. Plan your meals. Bring water everywhere. Bring your own food if needed. Plan plan plan. Then make a back up plan. lol. :flowerforyou:

_rachel_k · May 2014

weird_me2: On the weekends if I'm alone, I devour everything in my apartment, if I'm with my bf I am still hungry between meals (he doesn't believe in mini meals) but I am more distracted so I don't think about it all the time. I stepped away from a lot of veggies in my day because I tend to get tired of them very quickly and move on to something else till I get tired of it and then circle back, so I'm trying to get back into it.

lindsey1979: I may have to schedule an appt with my Dr and look into these tests more. I'm not sure what they did with my blood!
As for potassium and sodium, I never really focused on those numbers. I just logged what I ate so far and thanks to my lasagna, my sodium is at 1983 mg (the year I was born!) and potassium is only 940 mg and at 1000 calories.

lizziebeth102: Well how much should I be eating? Essentially I should be at a calorie deficit to lose weight (my TDEE -20% is roughly 1900) but to build muscle I need to be eating more than 2000 calories....

Rogiefreida: I have a food plan for 8-5 Monday to Friday (the past few weeks have been 7-5 which wasn't fun) but then when I get home, things change! My lasagna is delicious and I want to have another piece today but I can't afford it so I will try find a way to get what I crave that's more manageable to my log. If I don't have anything, I think about it...... then go to bed early cause I'm about to drive to the store for chips lol I really need to work on the water on the weekends for sure!

lindsey1979 · May 2014

Rachel -- your calories should be fine given your height and weight. I'm 5'9" and 179 right now and I generally eat 1700-1900 (and burn 2300-2900 depending on the day).

If you're craving a lot of food, it's not because of a lack of calories (i.e. genuine hunger). If you were eating something like 1200, I could see that. But not at 1700-1800. Since you are so hungry, I think it has to either be from (1) lack of some nutrient (i.e. so you're craving more food with that nutrient rather than more actual calories), (2) lots of empty calories in your foods (usually this comes in the form of highly processed foods and carbs/sugar) or you have some other medical issue that you're not aware of yet (i.e. thyroid, insulin resistance, etc.).

Medical issues nothwithstanding, the two things I'd suggest are (1) eating more nutrient-dense foods (i.e. vegetables probably being the best, but also good proteins and fats) and (2) lowering carbs and see if this cuts down on your cravings (possible with a glucose issue). Otherwise, go to the doc, cause something is up.

_rachel_k · May 2014

My boss thinks that maybe I have a digestion issue. She wants me to take this oil that'll make me go to the bathroom........ a lot..... and will aid in my digestion and increase my metabolism........... She also tried pushing raspberry keytones on me.

I may revisit my dr and review the test results and find out what tests they actually do.

Sometimes my lunches MIGHT not be overly healthy (that's how I perceive my lasagna for sure) but I never really thought about other nutrients that I'm lacking causing my hunger/cravings. I will have to look into this.

A part of me wants it to be something medical so I can take a pill and it will make everything better, but I also don't want to be on medication for the rest of my life. Well at least I know I am eating enough!

How to balance weights, cardio, & unhealthy cravings

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