What Am I Not Doing Right with my workout/food
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ashleyeatsbetter
Posts: 34 Member
I got off of Nutrisystem a few weeks ago after doing it almost to the book for 3 months. I lost a whopping....6 lbs. I have gotten back on an old meal plan that seemed to work for me (helped me lost a little body fat, kept muscle) but I don't seem to be losing anything even though I have been sticking to it for about a month.
Now please don't be mean and tell me that it takes longer than that because I know that and that isn't my quetion- my question is, if I'm taking in about 1200 calories daily(maybe 300 extra on weekends from allowing myself two beers), am I exercising too much to lose weight? I usually do 2-3 spin classes(two are hour long, on is 30 minutes of HIIT spin) and usualy 2 hours of zumba a week. On the weekends my bf and I play outside by doing pickleball or walking. On Nights I do Zumba AND spin, I burn between 600-800 according to my fitbit. IS the amount of exercise with the low calories hurting me instead of helping me??
Now please don't be mean and tell me that it takes longer than that because I know that and that isn't my quetion- my question is, if I'm taking in about 1200 calories daily(maybe 300 extra on weekends from allowing myself two beers), am I exercising too much to lose weight? I usually do 2-3 spin classes(two are hour long, on is 30 minutes of HIIT spin) and usualy 2 hours of zumba a week. On the weekends my bf and I play outside by doing pickleball or walking. On Nights I do Zumba AND spin, I burn between 600-800 according to my fitbit. IS the amount of exercise with the low calories hurting me instead of helping me??
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Replies
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What are your stats and how much are you eating per day calorie wise?0
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gapeaches444 wrote: »What are your stats and how much are you eating per day calorie wise?
I am 180lbs, 5'6 and a 27 yo female. I am trying to lose weight as my body fat percentage is %36.
I'm taking in about 1200 calories daily(maybe 300 extra on weekends from allowing myself two beers)1 -
Are you weighing your food? All of it? The number one cause of not losing weight is underestimating how much you're eating.
Otherwise check this article out it might help you: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/not-eating-enough-calories/14 -
Are you weighing your food? All of it? The number one cause of not losing weight is underestimating how much you're eating.
Otherwise check this article out it might help you: https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/not-eating-enough-calories/
Yes! I eat 1 silk non dairy yogurt with 1 Oz walnuts, 2 rice cakes with a 100 cal pack of cashews (two snavks- each gets 1 pack nuts with one rice cake),lunch is a healthy choice steamer meal, and dinner is 2 cups green beans with 4 Oz grilled chicken. I weigh my stuff because I've overestimated in the past.4 -
are you drinking water? I thought I was doing all the right things too, never lost a lb..started low carb and drinking so much more water..have lost 10lbs so far..good luck to you2
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In short, no. Eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing weight. However, given your stats and activity level you should be eating more than 1200 calories as that is the bare minimum for women and unless you're short, sedentary and elderly you really dont need to be that restrictive to lose weight.7
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It takes a month to get fat and six months to lose it.6
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BethHarrell55 wrote: »are you drinking water? I thought I was doing all the right things too, never lost a lb..started low carb and drinking so much more water..have lost 10lbs so far..good luck to you
I typically drink 64-96 Oz of water daily!1 -
Maybe you have the problem I have. If I exercise, weight loss does not show up.
When you workout your muscles "swell" and my muscles hold onto that water. I was in a bootcamp type gym and actually gained 10 lbs, along with gaining inches. My clothes really don't fit now. I quit and lost 3 lbs the first week.2 -
Maybe you have the problem I have. If I exercise, weight loss does not show up.
When you workout your muscles "swell" and my muscles hold onto that water. I was in a bootcamp type gym and actually gained 10 lbs, along with gaining inches. My clothes really don't fit now. I quit and lost 3 lbs the first week.
Interesting! Maybe I shouldn't workout as much for a few weeks and see if that helps!0 -
ashleyeatsbetter wrote: »I got off of Nutrisystem a few weeks ago after doing it almost to the book for 3 months. I lost a whopping....6 lbs. I have gotten back on an old meal plan that seemed to work for me (helped me lost a little body fat, kept muscle) but I don't seem to be losing anything even though I have been sticking to it for about a month.
Now please don't be mean and tell me that it takes longer than that because I know that and that isn't my quetion- my question is, if I'm taking in about 1200 calories daily(maybe 300 extra on weekends from allowing myself two beers), am I exercising too much to lose weight? I usually do 2-3 spin classes(two are hour long, on is 30 minutes of HIIT spin) and usualy 2 hours of zumba a week. On the weekends my bf and I play outside by doing pickleball or walking. On Nights I do Zumba AND spin, I burn between 600-800 according to my fitbit. IS the amount of exercise with the low calories hurting me instead of helping me??
If you're only eating 1200 calories and burning 600-800 then your net calorie intake is a very unhealthy 600-400 calories. Your cortisol levels are probably through the roof as you are substantially over-stressing your body.
You're majorly jacking with your hormones and raised cortisol levels can impede fat loss.4 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »ashleyeatsbetter wrote: »I got off of Nutrisystem a few weeks ago after doing it almost to the book for 3 months. I lost a whopping....6 lbs. I have gotten back on an old meal plan that seemed to work for me (helped me lost a little body fat, kept muscle) but I don't seem to be losing anything even though I have been sticking to it for about a month.
Now please don't be mean and tell me that it takes longer than that because I know that and that isn't my quetion- my question is, if I'm taking in about 1200 calories daily(maybe 300 extra on weekends from allowing myself two beers), am I exercising too much to lose weight? I usually do 2-3 spin classes(two are hour long, on is 30 minutes of HIIT spin) and usualy 2 hours of zumba a week. On the weekends my bf and I play outside by doing pickleball or walking. On Nights I do Zumba AND spin, I burn between 600-800 according to my fitbit. IS the amount of exercise with the low calories hurting me instead of helping me??
If you're only eating 1200 calories and burning 600-800 then your net calorie intake is a very unhealthy 600-400 calories. Your cortisol levels are probably through the roof as you are substantially over-stressing your body.
You're majorly jacking with your hormones and raised cortisol levels can impede fat loss.
wouldn't necessarily impede fat loss but would impede perception of fat loss....
OP I'm 1 inch shorter was the same age and same weight doing about the same amount of exercise (calorie wise) and eating the same amount of food as you. for months I didn't see any scale progress.... upped my calories to 1800-1900 because I figure "why eat so little if I'm losing nothing" and instantly felt better. my workouts were better and I lost a load of water weight as my cortisol levels (and other hormones) balanced back out because I was screwing up my body by doing that amount of exercise without proper nutrition.
I started to eat to fuel my body and have felt 1000% better ever since.
I'm not saying starvation mode is real. I'm saying that hormone imbalances from exercising too much for your current intake is real and can cause a perceived stall in fat loss (not to mention long term issues like hair loss, muscle loss, permanent hormonal damage).
If you are truly eating that much and exercising that much you're likely losing fat and muscle and that's being masked by increased water retention resulting from stress on your body.7 -
"I don't seem to be losing anything even though I have been sticking to it for about a month."
Please quantity these items. what is "don't seem to be losing" what does the scale say over the last four weeks? You have been eating 1200 calories, using food scale, for how long? four weeks? four full weeks?
unless there is an undiagnosed underlying health issue, you are most likely eating more than you think you are.
eating too little while unhealthy and bad long term; won't stop weight loss.
new or increased exercise can lead to muscles retaining water to repair themselves temporarily. how long ago did you make a change to your exercise schedule?
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Teabythesea_ wrote: »In short, no. Eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing weight. However, given your stats and activity level you should be eating more than 1200 calories as that is the bare minimum for women and unless you're short, sedentary and elderly you really dont need to be that restrictive to lose weight.
Girls can hold up to 20 lbs of additional water weight. Given the OP is eating very little and working out for multiple hours, it's quiet possible that she is increasing cortisol levels and subsequently holding onto additional water. So yes, eating too little can cause a person from losing weight.
OP, while you should make sure your tracking is appropriate, you shouldn't be aiming for such a low calorie target while you are that active. I would start eating around 1600-1700 and see how you respond.5 -
Teabythesea_ wrote: »In short, no. Eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing weight. However, given your stats and activity level you should be eating more than 1200 calories as that is the bare minimum for women and unless you're short, sedentary and elderly you really dont need to be that restrictive to lose weight.
Girls can hold up to 20 lbs of additional water weight. Given the OP is eating very little and working out for multiple hours, it's quiet possible that she is increasing cortisol levels and subsequently holding onto additional water. So yes, eating too little can cause a person from losing weight.
OP, while you should make sure your tracking is appropriate, you shouldn't be aiming for such a low calorie target while you are that active. I would start eating around 1600-1700 and see how you respond.
Okay... I think we both know that OP, like most others on these forums, is talking about fat loss when they refer to weight loss. In which case, no. They will not stop losing fat from eating too little or over exercising.
I suppose what I should have said is eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing fat.0 -
Teabythesea_ wrote: »Teabythesea_ wrote: »In short, no. Eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing weight. However, given your stats and activity level you should be eating more than 1200 calories as that is the bare minimum for women and unless you're short, sedentary and elderly you really dont need to be that restrictive to lose weight.
Girls can hold up to 20 lbs of additional water weight. Given the OP is eating very little and working out for multiple hours, it's quiet possible that she is increasing cortisol levels and subsequently holding onto additional water. So yes, eating too little can cause a person from losing weight.
OP, while you should make sure your tracking is appropriate, you shouldn't be aiming for such a low calorie target while you are that active. I would start eating around 1600-1700 and see how you respond.
Okay... I think we both know that OP, like most others on these forums, is talking about fat loss when they refer to weight loss. In which case, no. They will not stop losing fat from eating too little or over exercising.
I suppose what I should have said is eating too little and exercising too much, while they can be unhealthy, will not prevent you from losing fat.
Even that isn't necessarily true. Adaptive thermogenesis is a real thing. And while its not as prevelent in those who have a good amount to lose, it still can occur. It also doesn't address other issues which can be caused by hormonal issues.
TDEE and the components are not static numbers and a variety of things can come into play. And i fully support ensuring logging is 90%, it still doesn't address the issue of under fueling which can lead to a variety of issues.
I have personally been effected by down regulation of EE driven by under fueling my body. And personally saw it improve once i increased my caloric intake to an appropriate level based on my activity.
Its the issue i have with blanket statement.2
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