Over Exercising? What is going on?

I am a woman "of that age". Since hitting perimenopause life has been a REAL STRUGGLE. I have over 50 lbs to lose and I don't see it doing what I think it should be doing.

There are many factors that could be causing this and I would like to get some ideas of what I need to change / look in to.

According to MFP, I get 1200 cal a day. I'm not very active unless I go to the gym.

My schedule:
Monday: body works with abs class (no impact, uses 5 lb weights at most, 50 minutes), treadmill 30 minutes
Tuesday: water aerobics / water walking, 2 hours
Wednesday: zumba 50 min, yoga 50 min
Thursday: water aerobics / water walking, 2 hours
Friday: day off, just a short walk, errands stuff
Saturday: zumba 50 min OR water aerobics / walking walking 90 min
Sunday day off

I am limited to my activity due to injuries (old knee injuries and plantar fasciitis), so many modifications are needed during land classes. I try to burn around 1000 calories while at the gym. If I eat those back I'll only eat half.

When I'm not at the gym I have a very sedentary life behind a computer. so pretty much my only activity during the week is at the gym.

So, when I was younger and doing this I would have been in shape by now. I know getting older changes so much about how the body works.

I'm within my calories, I try to eat healthy. And I work out.

My issue: I'm not losing weight. I've changed my workout routine to see if that would do something. It pretends to lose weight one week and then I'm up again the following weeks.

I drink my water, I stay within my daily calories.

What can I change? What do I need to change?

If I talk to doctors, what kind of doctors do I need to talk to?

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Replies

  • How are you estimating that you're burning 1,000 calories at the gym?

    Are you using a food scale to weigh your food?

    I'm using a fitbit, I know it's not accurate, but I use it as a guide.

    I weigh my food.
  • I am not seeing anything in your description of your workouts that would be burning 1000 calories, I'd probably estimate about half of that at most unless you're very obese.

    I AM obese. I weigh 230. My doc wants me down to at least 165. And that just gets me into the high end she wants me at.

    Even according to MFP I can burn 900 calories in a Zumba class. My fitbit is pretty darn close to what MFP estimates. I never eat all my calories back. IF I do eat them, it's only half. So on a high-calorie day I may eat up to 1600 calories. I rarely do that.

    I rarely eat out, I cook my own food, am very diligent on weighing/measuring.

  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    How long have you been eating in a deficit? How long have you been doing this exercise? Have you not seen ANY weight loss on the scale or just less than you expect (your original post states both so it's unclear)? Do you use a weight trending app to help you see through the scale fluctuations?

    Look at the chart posted by @GaryRuns
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    How long have you been doing this? It isn't unusual, especially when adding exercise in for it to take some time to start dropping weight. In fact, when I start adding new, high calorie burning exercises, I can usually count on 4-6 weeks where I gain weight before I start to lose.
  • How are you estimating that you're burning 1,000 calories at the gym?

    Are you using a food scale to weigh your food?

    I'm using a fitbit, I know it's not accurate, but I use it as a guide.

    I weigh my food.

    If the results you're seeing aren't matching your calorie burn estimates (and assuming there are no errors in estimating your calorie intake), then you now know the Fitbit is over-estimating your calorie burn.

    How long have you been doing this and not losing weight?

    I have lost SOME weight over the past year. So it is doing SOMETHING. But the past 2 months I seem to be losing and gaining it right back.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    How are you estimating that you're burning 1,000 calories at the gym?

    Are you using a food scale to weigh your food?

    I'm using a fitbit, I know it's not accurate, but I use it as a guide.

    I weigh my food.

    Just to be clear - that is what Fitbit is saying the workout is burning?

    Or that is the calorie adjustment you see on MFP?
    (which is more than just the workout calories, but any increase in activity above whatever level you told MFP)

    And if you selected say Sedentary on MFP - that adjustment of extra calories may not be dead on correct for the high number you see - but 0 extra is also dead on wrong.

    You do more, you eat more.
  • kshama2001 wrote: »
    I wouldn't consider that over-exercising, but you may indeed be over-estimating your calorie burns.

    Please change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    done.