Am i exercising too much?

longtimeterp · August 2011

I know it's a strange question, but i am not quite getting the results i want from my diet and exercise. At first it was working well and i shed a lot of weight, but it seems the last couple weeks since i started doing more stregnth training, ive been moving backwards. I've actually put on 3 lbs, though in doing so i've lost about 2% of my body fat, so it's not terrible, just not in the right direction. In general i run 3mi a day, and fit in 45-90 min of elliptical every other day if i can. In the last 2 weeks i have started doing power 90, i try to cycle 3 times a week between 6-10 miles, doing an hour of weights on m and w, and seeing my personal trainer for weights in the gym fridays, im also about to start swimming a few times a week. I've been eating around 1500 cal a day, with about 200g of protein. By the numbers i should be dropping lbs. im 259 at the moment so i have plenty to lose.

I enjoy the toning up, and i look slimmer, im just not any lighter and i really want to lose weight. building more muscle should burn more fat, and last time when i lost a lot of weight 10 years ago, i did it by spending a lot of time in the gym. but that was in my early 20's. i am just wondering if the muscle building is going to continue to outpace the fat loss with my new strength training regiment or is this because i just recently started really doing strength training and i should give it more than 2 weeks before judging? Has anybody else experienced similar issues?

coltonsmumma · August 2011

My guess is you need to eat more. That not very many calories for all of those workouts.

McWilkie · August 2011

You're gaining muscle mass which is what you want. You will lose more fat gaining more muscle, be patient with your body:) Also eat your exercise calories

hockeyd11 · August 2011

My first 3 weeks or so I was incorporating strength training into my exercising and wasn't losing any weight. I figured it must have been because I was gaining muscle and that was counteracting the weight loss. I was so frustrated since I made such a huge difference in my eating and exercise habits. I decided to cut back on the strength training and focus on cardio hoping that the pounds would start coming off. And they did! Even though I would love to strength train right now and get more toned, I'm going to work at getting to my goal weight first by sticking mostly with cardio, then I will start up the strength training again.

tinastanley · August 2011

Muscles weighs more than fat so if you are doing strenght training I wouldn't look into your weight numbers too much. I do cardio 6 days a week and lift weights 3 days a week. I am losing weight and I've went down 2 sizes. If you're weight isn't dropping but you notice your clothes are getting bigger you are doing something right. I'm not a fitness trainer or anything just know from my own experience. I would continue to strength train because the more muscles you have the more calories you burn. Atleast that's what I heard.

romade188 · August 2011

Well muscle weighs more then fat, so your weight training could be the issue for the gain, but it does seem like you are exercising quite a bit, and 1500 cals doesn't seem enough to me. You could be putting your body into starvation mode, because you aren't eating those extra cals that you are burning off. This in turn makes your body store the fat, almost like putting yourself in hibernation mode, because you aren't giving it the proper amount of nourishment. So, I would say add a few more snacks in during the day, and you will probably start seeing the weight coming off again. Good Luck.

shelbygeorge29 · August 2011

Muscles weighs more than fat

A pound is a pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of muscle is more compact than fat, but they still weigh the same.

The OP should be reaping the benefits of "beginner gains," that magical time when your body can both lose fat and gain muscle. I'd recommend taking out the tape measure to see if perhaps progress is being made there.

DRJJ2004 · August 2011

I personally, think you need to eat more as well. How many excercise calories are you getting per day? Are you feeling hungry at all? Your body may be going into starvation mode due to all the calories that you're burning. You have to find a happy medium between those excercise calories and eating. I'm not saying you should eat them all, but you may need more than you're eating now.
As for the strength training. You do need to strength train, because muscle is what works your metabolism. The more muscles, the higher your metabolism, the more you burn fat without working so hard.

I just got done reading a book that explains a lot about the workings of your body and what you need to do to lose weight. It's called...This why you're fat (and how to be thin forever) By Jackie Warner
I don't normally like any self help or non fiction books, but this one was very interesting to me. It was a pretty quick read. 200 pages of info and then examples and recipes in the back. Good Luck!

neva4saken · August 2011

I wouldn't say your exercising too much just how you are exercising. Yes muscle is heavier than fat, so when the fat starts to burn off and you are replacing it with muscle your weight may go up a little. You can balance with cardio, and good steady amount of cardio, it's lean muscle that you want, I was 340 two years ago and wanted to lose weight and tone, so i did way more cardio because it doesn't do any good to build muscle under the fat it will just push the fat out. I focused on cardio (fat burn cycyles) more in the beginning then did the core exercises which surprisingly builds strength. If your clothes are fitting looser than something is def going right for you. Fat unfortunately is one of the quickest things to put on and one of the hardest things to take off. Like everyone said keep with it, the body is still the best designed machine on God's green earth and it's design is to be worked and it will respond stay encouraged.

gentlebreeze2 · August 2011

I was exercising a lot and trying to keep my calories to around 1300. I lost weight for a while (55 lbs), but then I hit a plateau. I have sinced learned that I need to focus on my net calories, not total calories per day. For example, if you ate 1500 calories in one day, and burned 700 calories that would only mean 800 net calories. Your body doesn't like that, and will try to hang on to calories. I would try to keep my net calories at 1200.

Shalimarmandy · August 2011

Hard workouts tear your muscles and to repair themselves they retain water.... be sure to drink "tons" of water to help your body release the excess water and give yourself a rest day, one a week or so.

I don't think you are doing too much. I am trying to bump up my exercise in the past week and a half and in doing so I have stall weight wise but I had my SO measure me last night and I have lost inches so I'm content that I'm moving in the right direction even though the scale isn't reflecting that today - it will catch up!

Keep it up and good luck to you!

add - Check this out on the starvation mode thing- http://fattyfightsback.blogspot.com/2009/03/mtyhbusters-starvation-mode.html - just to give yourself another perspective on it. But if you are hungry you should eat if not then don't

tigersword · August 2011

You're not gaining muscle on 1500 calories a day. Retaining water, maybe, but not building muscle. It's sounds like you aren't eating anywhere near enough for the amount of calories you are burning every day.

Shalimarmandy · August 2011

Muscles weighs more than fat

A pound is a pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of muscle is more compact than fat, but they still weigh the same.

The OP should be reaping the benefits of "beginner gains," that magical time when your body can both lose fat and gain muscle. I'd recommend taking out the tape measure to see if perhaps progress is being made there.

A pound is a pound BUT a pound of fat is BIGGER than a pound of muscle.... take a "cup" of fat and a "cup" of muscle and weigh them the muscle would weigh more!!!

shelbygeorge29 · August 2011

Muscles weighs more than fat

A pound is a pound is a pound is a pound. A pound of muscle is more compact than fat, but they still weigh the same.

The OP should be reaping the benefits of "beginner gains," that magical time when your body can both lose fat and gain muscle. I'd recommend taking out the tape measure to see if perhaps progress is being made there.

A pound is a pound BUT a pound of fat is BIGGER than a pound of muscle.... take a "cup" of fat and a "cup" of muscle and weigh them the muscle would weigh more!!!

Which was why I said muscle is more compact than fat. It was mentioned several times in this post muscle weighs more than fat, it doesn't!

greekygirl · August 2011

I know it's a strange question, but i am not quite getting the results i want from my diet and exercise. At first it was working well and i shed a lot of weight, but it seems the last couple weeks since i started doing more stregnth training, ive been moving backwards. I've actually put on 3 lbs, though in doing so i've lost about 2% of my body fat, so it's not terrible, just not in the right direction. In general i run 3mi a day, and fit in 45-90 min of elliptical every other day if i can. In the last 2 weeks i have started doing power 90, i try to cycle 3 times a week between 6-10 miles, doing an hour of weights on m and w, and seeing my personal trainer for weights in the gym fridays, im also about to start swimming a few times a week. I've been eating around 1500 cal a day, with about 200g of protein. By the numbers i should be dropping lbs. im 259 at the moment so i have plenty to lose.

I enjoy the toning up, and i look slimmer, im just not any lighter and i really want to lose weight. building more muscle should burn more fat, and last time when i lost a lot of weight 10 years ago, i did it by spending a lot of time in the gym. but that was in my early 20's. i am just wondering if the muscle building is going to continue to outpace the fat loss with my new strength training regiment or is this because i just recently started really doing strength training and i should give it more than 2 weeks before judging? Has anybody else experienced similar issues?

Hi there,
Yes, you should give it longer than two weeks. You stated you look slimmer and you are losing body fat - this is what you want. The scale will follow in time and it's not the best indicator of fat loss. I lost more than 40 pounds of fat by doing a LOT of strength training, more than cardio. Sometimes when you lift weights your muscles swell and retain water. Don't worry about it, build muscle because muscle burns fat! I have a super high metabolism now. Keep up the good job!

Shalimarmandy · August 2011

Which was why I said muscle is more compact than fat. It was mentioned several times in this post muscle weighs more than fat, it doesn't!

Yes muscle is more dense and therefore if you have the same volume of the two, muscle weighs more. I understand your perspective but you are assuming that you are weighing the same weights and what would be the point of that - why would anyone grab two items that they know weigh the same and then say they are different that doesn't make sense. Unfortuantely your perspective is just not scientifically factual... Sure a pound of water is the same as a pound of Iron but iron does weigh more than water. Use the basic components in both and you will see that iron (55.84 u) in fact weighs more than water (H2O - 18.0152u) just like muscle weighs more than fat even at the molecular level so the previous posts saying that muscle weighs more than fat are correct. Sorry if you don't agree but it is a scientific fact.

Good luck to you all

bcattoes · August 2011

If your body fat % is lower and you are slimmer, why do you care about the scale?? You can always lie about your weight if you really want, but you can't lie about your size. I'd rather weigh 150 and be a size 6, than weigh 120 and be a size 12.

Am i exercising too much?

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