Crossfit?

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marisa28a
marisa28a Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am new to MFP and quickly scanned these boards for a crossfit discussion and I couldn't find anything.
I am 5'2 and about 135 pounds wanting to get back down to 112-115 where I feel my best. I have been doing crossfit m-f and then a long walk on Saturdays (usually 3-4 miles) I have been doing this for about two months and I know what's holding me back is my diet so I finally have in and decided to track my calories and boy was it a wake up call. MFP has me eating around 1560 calories a day and before I was probably eating triple that.
My main question is about crossfit. Most everyday I feel like I am up high out of my fat burning zone. When I am done my face is bright red and I am whooped. I think I am only burning sugar and not any fat. I have sinus tachycardia so I really can't go off my heart rate (it's usually around 220-230 when I'm doing a brisk workout.
I really really love this sport and don't want to switch to something else but I really want to loose this weight so bad. Any suggestions? Should I just tone down the WODs? For some reason I just have never had cardio endurance. I am 38 years old and have been this way my whole life. Endurance never gets easier for me and I couldn't be a runner like I wanted to....I just huff and puff no matter how good of shape I am in. I am really into lifting weights but crossfit always throws some kind of endurance/cardio into the WOD everyday. Kills me and I don't think I could be burning fat could I?

Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    lose the bodyfat? caloric deficit.
  • determined_14
    determined_14 Posts: 258 Member
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    Also, when it comes to burning calories, a calorie is a calorie, whether it's carbs or fat or whatever. If you're eating to excess, all of those will be stored (become fat) eventually. If you're eating at a deficit, and trying to burn a few extra or get fit, or whatever your goals are through exercise, from what I understand, it doesn't really matter *what* you're burning as long as you *are* burning.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    Don't worry about "fat burning zone" or burning fat or whatever with your exercise. The more intense your workout is, the more calories you burn...that is a good thing.

    A calorie is a unit of energy...you require XXXX amount of energy daily to maintain the status quot and function optimally...the more active you are and the more rigorous your activities, the higher your energy requisites are going to be and the easier it is to maintain a reasonable energy deficit (because you can eat more and still lose weight).

    When you consume more energy than is required, that energy surplus is stored as body fat...these are your energy reserves. When you consume less energy than your body requires you burn body fat to compensate...it really doesn't have anything to do with what exercise you are doing or being in this zone or that zone or whatever.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Don't worry about "fat burning zone" or burning fat or whatever with your exercise. The more intense your workout is, the more calories you burn...that is a good thing.

    A calorie is a unit of energy...you require XXXX amount of energy daily to maintain the status quot and function optimally...the more active you are and the more rigorous your activities, the higher your energy requisites are going to be and the easier it is to maintain a reasonable energy deficit (because you can eat more and still lose weight).

    When you consume more energy than is required, that energy surplus is stored as body fat...these are your energy reserves. When you consume less energy than your body requires you burn body fat to compensate...it really doesn't have anything to do with what exercise you are doing or being in this zone or that zone or whatever.

    /thread
  • gio14
    gio14 Posts: 57 Member
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    Crossfit for burning calories... great! it usually burns a grip ton of cals so that will be great for your weight loss needs, remember calorie deficit is king when losing weight, and crossfit will almost always keep u at a deficit. Pace your self!! Having been in the crossfit circuit for almost 2 years b4 I pulled back, I would just recommend keeping your ego in check, cause competition takes over and u end up sacrificing form and r usually left with nagging injuries due to the high rep scheme involving Olympic lifts, its not the 12th snatch that will get u but the 30th when your form goes to Sh$t and your about to pass out. Forget about the damn time and leader board, remember ur there to workout not to win a competition and get hurt. If your new to it you'll see great results at first and ya the group camaraderie is fun, just remember why your there. Good Luck!

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