Going to the gym twice in one day?

Not really something I do -- I would stay longer if I had more I wanted to do, but I wouldn't want to spend the travel time twice and have to get all sweaty and take a second shower.

I've got lots of suggestions for things to do:

You could research a lifting program, if you're not currently on one. You could research recipes, shop, and prep meals.

Or maybe it would be helpful to do something not directly related to your physical health, especially if the over-exercising history is related to letting the pursuit of physical health take over your life completely. So, you could also:

Clean your house. Start a new hobby or revisit an old one. Pick a subject you want to learn more about and order an e-book or find an online course. Balance your checking account. Get all your paperwork together for your income taxes. Visit, call, write, or email a friend, relative, or acquaintance you'd like to get to know better or someone you think might be lonely. If you're religious or spiritual, pray, read, or engage in whatever other practices might be part of your beliefs. If you're not, consider meditating or following a guided relaxation program (I'm sure you can find some on YouTube or an app).

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

nope.

plenty of people do, which is fine. but more than likely, its something they built UP to. You are in the honeymoon phased where its all new and shiny and pretty. that newness wears off, though you are quite likely to continue to enjoy it.

get into a sustainable routine. Keep at that several months. Then see if you want to add in an occasional, or even consistent 'second' workout.

going all 'gung ho' is how most people burn out and stop doing it altogether.

I'll agree with this, especially having read in posted in OP's thread about an appropriate calorie count. Don't get too ambitious, OP. Better to err on the side of less and see how you feel after a month. You'll run the risk of psyching yourself out if something doesn't go right and slip back into bad habits again.

have you ever been to the gym or exercised twice or more in one day and if so, why?

Sure. But I didn't do it when I was just starting to be active: That would've been a recipe for fatigue, burnout, and possibly even injury.

Nowadays, I'll go to rowing team practice when there happened to be spin class that morning; I sometimes weight train later in the day after rowing or spinning; sometimes a beautiful day needs a long bike ride or long walk with a friend even if I rowed that morning; and during the Concept 2 Holiday Challenge, I often need to do a rowing machine workout on a day when I've gone to spin class (when I need to do it right after spin class, it's still frankly pretty tiring, even though I've been doing this kind of stuff regularly for over a decade). For a while, I took a kettlebell class right after a spin class, too.

Repeating myself: I didn't do this when I was new to working out. Gradual ramp-up of exercise duration, frequency, and intensity is a better plan, when first getting started.

Do you have any suggestions for fulfilling that need to be doing something "productive" when there's nothing to do?

Nothing to do?!?

How about a new non-exercise hobby (needlework, sketching, jewelry-making, learn to play a musical instrument, etc.)? How about redecorating a room in your house? Read a book? Phone or write a friend you haven't seen in a while? Organize your sock drawer? Go window shopping to start planning your new wardrobe for when you reach goal? Do some food prep, maybe learn to make some new food to freeze? Write in your journal (or start one, if you don't journal already)? Buy or make birthday cards for friends/family who have birthdays in the next month or two? Go grocery shopping, buy a veggie you've never had before, let the Internet tell you how to cook it, and see if you like it? Read the "most helpful posts" sections in the MFP forums?

There are like a zillion possibilities!