Increased intensity in workouts and stopped losing weight. H

brookesready
brookesready Posts: 52 Member
edited September 27 in Health and Weight Loss
In the last couple of weeks I have increased my cardio workouts. I do a mix of the stair stepper, treadmill and ellipticle for at least an hour every day. I also strength train daily. I have a clean diet and keep my ratios at 50 (carbs) 30 (protein) and 20 (fat). My calorie goal is 1200 net per day. I burn about 400-500 calories with each workout and have been eating back my exercise calories which put me at about 1600-1700 of actual calories consumed, but always net at 1200. I have stopped losing weight and have gained 2 lbs back. Before I was only losing maybe .5 to 1 lb a week. I'm starting to think I shouldn't be eating back all of my exercise calories? I am only about 10 lbs away from my happy weight which I know could be a factor. I feel like I am doing everything right and healthy so this is really frustrating to me... any help would be greatly appreciated!

P.s. I'm 5'3 and have a desk job.

Replies

  • Starkle09
    Starkle09 Posts: 238 Member
    ive had the same thing happen...try taking ur measurements instead of just stepping on the scale. you could be gaining muscle and still losing inches.
  • brookesready
    brookesready Posts: 52 Member
    I take measurements every 2 weeks and the inches have stopped as well.
  • spirited_angel
    spirited_angel Posts: 142
    Will be intresting to read responses to this as im in teh same position!!I had lost over 12st and i did this by working out but never eatting my exercise calories!!Yet now im maintianing i got told to up my calories and always eat my exercise calories and have now put weight on!!!I want to get back to my happy weight which a stone less than i am now!!
  • spirited_angel
    spirited_angel Posts: 142
    I take measurements every 2 weeks and the inches have stopped as well.
    Snap!!i have put on an inch!!
  • Fat2FitChick
    Fat2FitChick Posts: 451 Member
    Sometimes when you increase intensity you have to increase your caloric intake. You burn more calories when you up your intensity so your body may need more fuel. This was the case with me!
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    Eat all of the calories MFP gives you in a day and spread those extra calories back in during your day. I tend to log my workouts before I go to the gym so that helps me distribute the extra calories. If you're not eating back what you burn off on those days you will NOT lose. Your body is going into starvation mode, that's why you are not losing. Weight watchers works the very same way. There's a lot of posts on here about eating back your exercise calories, and I know it's controversial but that's how you lose the pound/week and keep it off.
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
    If you are not taking at least one day of rest that is a big reason you stopped losing. You have to give your body a day to heal itself. You will also retain more water if you do not. Also, the minimum is 8 cups of water daily, but when you're working out, you need more than that. I would say at least 10 cups for you. Sometimes we just have to give our bodies a couple weeks to get used to our new routines also and then will start losing again. Don't worry, you are doing great, just make sure you get a day of rest.
  • TVanD
    TVanD Posts: 9
    the scale is not always a good indicator if heath - you may be gaining muscle which weighs more than fat but looks better on the body - try measuring yourself and see if you lost inches -
  • Driagnor
    Driagnor Posts: 323 Member
    Have you had your body fat percentage measured? It's possible that you're gaining muscle mass which is heavier than fat. It could also be that your body has reached an adaptation phase to your training - try changing the reps / intensity, or the cardio exercises that you do.

    Also, how are you measuring the calories burnt from your cardio? MFP tends to estimate on the high side, so maybe try eating back slightly fewer of those for a week and see if that helps out.
  • ChristyP0303
    ChristyP0303 Posts: 212 Member
    My trainer says I should NOT be eating my calories back. I am allowed 1200-1300 calories a day. I burn 200-300 calories at the gym per day. If I'm going to burn a little more than that I can have a little more calories but not much.
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Eat all of the calories MFP gives you in a day and spread those extra calories back in during your day. I tend to log my workouts before I go to the gym so that helps me distribute the extra calories. If you're not eating back what you burn off on those days you will NOT lose. Your body is going into starvation mode, that's why you are not losing. Weight watchers works the very same way. There's a lot of posts on here about eating back your exercise calories, and I know it's controversial but that's how you lose the pound/week and keep it off.


    Me too i log my exersie in the morning and eat slightly bigger meals that day!
  • spirited_angel
    spirited_angel Posts: 142
    My trainer says I should NOT be eating my calories back. I am allowed 1200-1300 calories a day. I burn 200-300 calories at the gym per day. If I'm going to burn a little more than that I can have a little more calories but not much.
    Hmmmmmmm my intructor says if ya workout ya should eat more calories!!She says ya wouldnt run a car on no fuel how do you exepct to run ya body on no food!!
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    Also you might find this helpfull

    Are you eating to enough?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit


    This is just a part of it! please read the link above


    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle tone, and reducing fat. This means is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode)


    Also this might be helpful http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/00trayn/view/how-to-bust-a-3-month-plateau-87677



    Good luck on your journey
  • spirited_angel
    spirited_angel Posts: 142
    Eat all of the calories MFP gives you in a day and spread those extra calories back in during your day. I tend to log my workouts before I go to the gym so that helps me distribute the extra calories. If you're not eating back what you burn off on those days you will NOT lose. Your body is going into starvation mode, that's why you are not losing. Weight watchers works the very same way. There's a lot of posts on here about eating back your exercise calories, and I know it's controversial but that's how you lose the pound/week and keep it off.


    Me too i log my exersie in the morning and eat slightly bigger meals that day!
    yup i started to log my exercise for the day in the morning so i know exactlyw hat i should be eatting!If i wait i find at 9pm im way under my calories!!
  • brookesready
    brookesready Posts: 52 Member
    Eat all of the calories MFP gives you in a day and spread those extra calories back in during your day. I tend to log my workouts before I go to the gym so that helps me distribute the extra calories. If you're not eating back what you burn off on those days you will NOT lose. Your body is going into starvation mode, that's why you are not losing. Weight watchers works the very same way. There's a lot of posts on here about eating back your exercise calories, and I know it's controversial but that's how you lose the pound/week and keep it off.
    [/quote

    I log my workouts as well as my food for the whole day in the morning.
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
    Your body needs rest in order to see results. When you lift weights your muscles "rip" & they need 24-48 hours of rest to rebuild & that is when you see results. Plus, & i speak from experience if you do not take rest days you are prone to injury.
  • brookesready
    brookesready Posts: 52 Member
    Have you had your body fat percentage measured? It's possible that you're gaining muscle mass which is heavier than fat. It could also be that your body has reached an adaptation phase to your training - try changing the reps / intensity, or the cardio exercises that you do.

    Also, how are you measuring the calories burnt from your cardio? MFP tends to estimate on the high side, so maybe try eating back slightly fewer of those for a week and see if that helps out.

    I have no had my body fat measured. Thats a good idea though! Also, I wear a Polar HRM so I know the calories burned is accurate.
  • jennro7781
    jennro7781 Posts: 208
    My trainer says I should NOT be eating my calories back. I am allowed 1200-1300 calories a day. I burn 200-300 calories at the gym per day. If I'm going to burn a little more than that I can have a little more calories but not much.
    Hmmmmmmm my intructor says if ya workout ya should eat more calories!!She says ya wouldnt run a car on no fuel how do you exepct to run ya body on no food!!

    Mine too!!! Exact same analogy too! Lol
  • brookesready
    brookesready Posts: 52 Member
    If you are not taking at least one day of rest that is a big reason you stopped losing. You have to give your body a day to heal itself. You will also retain more water if you do not. Also, the minimum is 8 cups of water daily, but when you're working out, you need more than that. I would say at least 10 cups for you. Sometimes we just have to give our bodies a couple weeks to get used to our new routines also and then will start losing again. Don't worry, you are doing great, just make sure you get a day of rest.

    Okay, I will have to take a rest day. I have been workout out hard 6 days a week and the 7th day I still do some sort of exercise whether its walking my dog or doing 30 day shred. Thank you for the advice!
  • agent300
    agent300 Posts: 73
    i would suggest getting a heart rate monitor if you can because the calories you burn is probably over estimated. just try to eat fewer calories for a week and see what happens. HA NEVERMIND TO THAT....


    also, to everyone in the thread who says "you are just gaining muscle mass" please read this:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/234432-if-you-think-you-gained-muscle-read-this
  • parvati
    parvati Posts: 432 Member
    My trainer says I should NOT be eating my calories back. I am allowed 1200-1300 calories a day. I burn 200-300 calories at the gym per day. If I'm going to burn a little more than that I can have a little more calories but not much.
    Hmmmmmmm my intructor says if ya workout ya should eat more calories!!She says ya wouldnt run a car on no fuel how do you exepct to run ya body on no food!!

    Since she is eating 1200 cals a day & only burning 200-300 calories she should not be eating all of her calories back...& that absolutely does NOT leave her with an empty tank.
    A little bit of a calorie defficet is good. Plus, she did state that if she was going to burn more calories then she would eat more calories. If she was burning alot of calories during her workouts then yes she would also want to increase her caloric intake that much more.
    Her (educated) trainer is correct...
  • allegram
    allegram Posts: 117
    Cut back on the strength training, at least. You will usually retain lots of fluids whem you are doing strength training that often. I know, for myself, that I can be doing everything on track but overdoing it with the weights will add .8 - 2 lbs! (which eventually goes away, but still....
  • robertf57
    robertf57 Posts: 560 Member
    You know, if it is working , try something else!

    Cut back a couple hundred calories for a few weeks. Decrease your carbs. Do something different.
  • NAMsMommy
    NAMsMommy Posts: 132 Member
    What about water? How much do you drink. I have found I loose less when I don't drink as much... That is just me though. And although you are using a HR monitor, maybe just start by doing 100 less calories per day, see if that helps...
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Cut back on the strength training, at least. You will usually retain lots of fluids whem you are doing strength training that often. I know, for myself, that I can be doing everything on track but overdoing it with the weights will add .8 - 2 lbs! (which eventually goes away, but still....

    This ^^^ is pretty much what I was going to say. Make sure you're getting plenty of water and maybe take a rest day or two. I do 10-20 minutes of strength training after my cardio Mon-Fri and on the weekends I only do cardo (if I do anything). It seems to help let that muscle rest and recover.
    Also, make sure you're getting plenty of protein and potassium in your diet to help with recovery.
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