Over Exercising? What is going on?
Replies
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lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »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.
I'm seeing things that look like cup measurements, including for higher calorie foods like nuts and croutons. There are some meals that look like they might be estimates for restaurants or takeout (the Chinese, for example) and stuff like "1/12th of a cake" and "2 slices of bacon." We've got this: "Apple Pie - Apple Pie, 0.09375 slice." This is an example of an entry that is very unhelpful for you (what is a "slice" and how do you know you got .09375 of that amount?).
I would encourage you to weigh all your solid food. If you're eating out and estimating the calorie content, that's potentially going to slow down your weight loss. This isn't to say "don't do it" (most of us ate out sometimes when losing weight), but it's something to take into account when the scale doesn't respond like you thought it might.
When I cannot be accurate and have to guess, I try to take the higher calorie items listed in MFP. And that apple pie you mention was a bite. I try to overestimate the calories instead of underestimating them.
I don't know how else to do it? This is my best guess. How else could I do it?
Like Jane said, there's a balance. Chances are you don't want to end up like the bodybuilding pros who don't leave the house besides going to the gym and the grocery store for fear of putting unmeasured calories in their mouth (this isn't a joke, there are ones literally living like that). Luckily, you also probably don't need the kind of accuracy that is necessary for winning competitions and earning endorsements to keep that lifestyle going.
Somewhere less than that, but with more tracking than you did before you started will be a balance you'll strike.
The big advantage of weighing everything is how calibrated you become, and how much you end up thinking about what you're taking in. As both of those become more internalized, it becomes easier and more accurate the times you don't do them.
I was at a point where I could pick up fruit and know to about 5 grams what it was going to weigh as I lost around 120 pounds. This year when I did a cut, I logged next to nothing but kept track in my head, and occasionally weighed things that were odd to size, or if I was portioning out batch cooked meals. I still lost, and at a rate predictable enough for me to feel fine with it. It is a skill that one can build, but it is understandably frustrating at the beginning.2 -
I don't see Zumba burning 1000 calories. If I keep my heart rate at 180 for 60 minutes, I burn 500. I know that all people aren't the same, different body types and different amount of muscle burn different levels of calories, etc. But I'm certain that's where you're getting tripped up.
I say change your estimate and assume you're burning less, then see how the next 4 weeks go.3 -
Oh yeah age changes things. It's easier to lose muscle, slower to build it, and our metabolism gets slower. I'm 51 and things have changed a lot over time. It seems to me that we have to be much more scrupulous in weighing and logging foods than when we were young.1
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"lydiapassthedonuts wrote:
I'll add my workouts to MFP and I always record the lower estimate of my workouts.
Why are you manually adding your workouts when you have your Fitbit linked?
(TBH I don't think your Fitbit is a actually helping you at all.)4 -
Thank you for all your comments! I have a few things to improve and change. Hopefully, something will budge soon!2
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lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »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.
How is 30 minutes on the treadmill or 50 minutes of zumba 1000 calories???
It's a good thing you're only eating half of that because half of 1000 calories would be the highest amount you're burning with those activities.lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »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.
It's not accurate. It's not even a guide.
I burn about 200-250 calories per hour when I walk. I might manage 250 calories if I ran for 30 minutes.
I climb stairs (real ones) ... a solid 20 minutes of climbing stairs might be about 250 calories.
For me to reach 1000 calories would be a whole lot more effort than that!
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Weight matters when comparing calorie burn.
What may seem totally bogus may indeed be wrong - and yet reality may still be well above what you burn at your weight.
I burn more than you - but different and higher doesn't mean incorrect.2 -
Weight sometimes matters when comparing calorie burn, but not always.
The way you tell if your calorie burns are accurate or not is if you are losing weight. If you're not ... then probably not. If you are, then go with them.2 -
Everyone has already made so many helpful suggestions. My only addition...
You mention injuries hence the water aerobics / water walking but I would be wary of these exercises if you’re looking for calorie burn - I doubt they burn much at all. My own experience was no weight loss whatsoever despite twice weekly double aquarobics classes.
If you want to see faster weight loss by burning more calories I would recommend switching to swimming although even then be aware it’s not a massive burn. I do a tough Triathlon coached swim training class, 1hr long, typically 100 lengths of a 25m pool and my burn is usually 450 cals max despite HARD efforts, race pace sprints that leave you gasping etc. So casual breaststroke for an hour would be far far less, maybe literally just 100-200 calories for me on top of BMR.4 -
Hey I hear you completely! Age, injuries, and type of exercise do change things. I went to a nutritionist for the same problems. She suggested tracking my macros which is now why I do MFP instead of Weight Watchers. She also said instead of all the cardio I was doing to try more weight training. It took a while for me to follow through on the macros and right now I am nursing a knee injury so it will wait for me to heal.
I started at 230, just like you. Right now I am 178. I usually have over 12K steps and do 30 min of exercise videos every day. I eat 1500 calories every day and if I am hungry my exercise calories too. I'm in perimenopause and may get flo at random intervals and this plays havoc with my motivation and moods. Sounds like a lot of opinions on this post and not much true support. Friend me if you would like an accountability partner!3 -
lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »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.
You're obsese but not very obese, I am a good 25 pounds heavier than you and wouldn't expect to get anywhere near those burns for the activity you've listed. I'd expect maybe 500 cals for 2hrs water walking, around 350-400 for a Zumba class and maybe 200 for Yoga.
The only time I'm burning anywhere near 1000 calories for a workout is a couple of hours rowing out on the water against the tide and wind.
I'd consider disconnecting the Fitbit, manually logging exercise with more conservative calorie burns and logging your food more accurately.
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Oh yeah age changes things. It's easier to lose muscle, slower to build it, and our metabolism gets slower. I'm 51 and things have changed a lot over time. It seems to me that we have to be much more scrupulous in weighing and logging foods than when we were young.
Metabolism slows little as one ages. People tend to gain as they get older because of lower activity and no adjustment to caloric intake to offset.12 -
I don't expect to change anybody's mind ... BUT.
As I said, I'm not new to exercise and eating healthy.
When I was younger I used to work at the gym as an instructor. Before that, I lost 160 lbs JUST FROM WATER EXERCISES.
Not one person asked how hard I was working Moderate, light, intense? or what exercises I was doing in the water. Or if I was using weights, blah blah blah ... It makes a big difference in calories burned.
Even when I was healthy and fit, I was able to burn 500 calories an hour IN THE WATER. That was way before fitbits were a thing. I wore a heart rate monitor. WATER EXERCISE IS WONDERFUL. If you are doing water exercise and are not burning calories, change it. It is possible.
I know it works. That's why I do it.
I found out the reason I'm having issues is my thyroid is way off.
People, please be careful when responding to someone who was actually looking for help. It's really hard for some people to get the guts to ask for help out in public, especially when it involves weight. If you really want to help someone who is asking for help please be nice, be kind and courteous to each other.5 -
lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »I don't expect to change anybody's mind ... BUT.
As I said, I'm not new to exercise and eating healthy.
When I was younger I used to work at the gym as an instructor. Before that, I lost 160 lbs JUST FROM WATER EXERCISES.
Not one person asked how hard I was working Moderate, light, intense? or what exercises I was doing in the water. Or if I was using weights, blah blah blah ... It makes a big difference in calories burned.
Even when I was healthy and fit, I was able to burn 500 calories an hour IN THE WATER. That was way before fitbits were a thing. I wore a heart rate monitor. WATER EXERCISE IS WONDERFUL. If you are doing water exercise and are not burning calories, change it. It is possible.
I know it works. That's why I do it.
I found out the reason I'm having issues is my thyroid is way off.
People, please be careful when responding to someone who was actually looking for help. It's really hard for some people to get the guts to ask for help out in public, especially when it involves weight. If you really want to help someone who is asking for help please be nice, be kind and courteous to each other.
Hi
I read all the posts. I didn’t see anything unkind or discourteous. Some helpful comments that’s all. You have to take these boards for what they are, a bunch of people who do not know you and who will sometimes do their best to fill the gaps where info isn’t provided. That’s the way the human brain works.
Btw the fact you have thyroid problems doesn’t stop you losing weight though it makes it harder for some. You need to work out a way of creating a deficit. Either you were eating too much or over counting your exercise calories.13 -
Hi
I read all the posts. I didn’t see anything unkind or discourteous. Some helpful comments that’s all. You have to take these boards for what they are, a bunch of people who do not know you and who will sometimes do their best to fill the gaps where info isn’t provided. That’s the way the human brain works.
.
You are right. I had a *kitten* day. Thanks!
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It doesn’t sound like you’re over exercising, but that’s an awful lot of time to dedicate each day. If you have the time, and you’re enjoying it vs. feeling bored/obligated to spend that much time, it doesn’t seem it’s too much.0
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quiksylver296 wrote: »Weight loss is more about the amount of food you put in your mouth. Start logging religiously, using a food scale to weigh everything. No skipping, cheating, or forgetting.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634517/you-dont-use-a-food-scale/p1
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10697068/how-i-stopped-kidding-myself/p1
ETA: Oh, yeah. And your exercise calories are not realistic, at all... Try eating back a quarter, instead of half.
Nope weightloss for menopause women is a whole barrel of hardships as estrogen dropping makes them store fat it’s not so simple as energy in energy out
We have to work out harder to burn the same amount calories as a women I. Her 20 and 30s1 -
fitpal4242 wrote: »It doesn’t sound like you’re over exercising, but that’s an awful lot of time to dedicate each day. If you have the time, and you’re enjoying it vs. feeling bored/obligated to spend that much time, it doesn’t seem it’s too much.
I absolutely love it. At this time in my life, I do have the time to dedicate myself to the time in the gym. I found a groove I really enjoy.
A trainer at the gym mentioned over-exercising which is why I asked here.
Since asking here I visited my doctor and was told not to change it if I am happy with it.4 -
Nope weightloss for menopause women is a whole barrel of hardships as estrogen dropping makes them store fat it’s not so simple as energy in energy out
We have to work out harder to burn the same amount calories as a women I. Her 20 and 30s
Yup. Doctors have told me "I'm of that age" and will have to work much harder now than I did 20 years ago. They are right. It's not just about the calories in and calories out anymore.
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Your daily activities change over time. Your desire to engage in daily activities changes over time.
The number of daily activities you are willing to attempt (and can successfully attempt) in a day changes over time.
Each extra thing you do burns calories.
Your hormone levels influence your strength and desire to do things and the opposite is probably also true to an extend.
Your calories out change over time.
You have to work harder to consciously and unconsciously burn the calories you used to burn especially if your endurance and capacity for work and activity has decreased over time.
You are burning less calories not because of some magical age related physiological change while performing the same set of activities as before but because age influenced changes are acting in concert to reduce the total amount of your daily activities.
You can either operate under the reduced activity constraints which do amount to a substantial--but not overwhelming and not insurmountable--amount of calories.
Or you can try to mitigate the decrease.
There exists more than one person on these boards who in their 60s is burning more calories than they did in their 40s.
So in a way we do have to work harder as we age.
Because we have to consciously put in place conditions that will increase our activity back to what it used to be.10 -
Your daily activities change over time. Your desire to engage in daily activities changes over time.
The number of daily activities you are willing to attempt (and can successfully attempt) in a day changes over time.
Each extra thing you do burns calories.
Your hormone levels influence your strength and desire to do things and the opposite is probably also true to an extend.
Your calories out change over time.
You have to work harder to consciously and unconsciously burn the calories you used to burn especially if your endurance and capacity for work and activity has decreased over time.
You are burning less calories not because of some magical age related physiological change while performing the same set of activities as before but because age influenced changes are acting in concert to reduce the total amount of your daily activities.
You can either operate under the reduced activity constraints which do amount to a substantial--but not overwhelming and not insurmountable--amount of calories.
Or you can try to mitigate the decrease.
There exists more than one person on these boards who in their 60s is burning more calories than they did in their 40s.
So in a way we do have to work harder as we age.
Because we have to consciously put in place conditions that will increase our activity back to what it used to be.
Plus maybe work consciously on increasing our muscle mass back to what it used to be, or . . . what the heck, why not? . . . beyond. (It's a slow process, though, I admit.)
It's only something like 2-4 calories per pound of muscle (vs. fat) per day in metabolic activity; but it encourages and enables the increasing activity; strengthens bones (or maintains bone strength), which is a major factor in longevity and independence for women especially (broken hips can be a major step in a bad direction); and more.
I don't know how many calories I burned in my early 40s, but I'm pretty sure it was fewer per per pound of body weight then than now, and I was obese then (larger body burns more calories at rest than a small one, other things equal).5 -
lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »lydiapassthedonuts wrote: »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.
I'm seeing things that look like cup measurements, including for higher calorie foods like nuts and croutons. There are some meals that look like they might be estimates for restaurants or takeout (the Chinese, for example) and stuff like "1/12th of a cake" and "2 slices of bacon." We've got this: "Apple Pie - Apple Pie, 0.09375 slice." This is an example of an entry that is very unhelpful for you (what is a "slice" and how do you know you got .09375 of that amount?).
I would encourage you to weigh all your solid food. If you're eating out and estimating the calorie content, that's potentially going to slow down your weight loss. This isn't to say "don't do it" (most of us ate out sometimes when losing weight), but it's something to take into account when the scale doesn't respond like you thought it might.
When I cannot be accurate and have to guess, I try to take the higher calorie items listed in MFP. And that apple pie you mention was a bite. I try to overestimate the calories instead of underestimating them.
I don't know how else to do it? This is my best guess. How else could I do it?
Patience will be key. If you truly have to guess, then the calories in part is less accurate. When those "bite" situations are in your day, can you plan for them and have a "known calorie" alternative ready? Can you say no? You don't have to refuse the treats, just realize even bites can add up to calorie bombs. I bring foods I want to eat (where I know the nutritional profile) to potlucks and don't eat out a lot (using nutritional info from the menu to choose when I do). My friends and co-workers are used to me snapping pictures of the barcode and reading the label and inputting info into MFP.
Your exercise burns seem high to me, too. Burning even 10 calories a minute is really, really intense and most folks can't maintain that level consistently for an entire hour. Like cardio machines, the MFP estimates are based on a generic standard that most of us don't fit. They're not accurate for many. Fitness trackers can very. I wear a Fitbit and a Garmin (nerd alert!). The Garmin's calorie burns were higher and I synced my Fitbit instead--for me, they seem more accurate.
The 1200 calories also seem low based on your height and weight. At the same time, it seems like you might be eating more than you think. You said "weighing and measuring." I do very little measuring, because it's so much less accurate.
I didn't get it when I started, and folks here helped me figure things out like we're trying to help you. It's not criticism, it's a learning process. No one jumps in and gets it all right from the start.
I did lose all my weight in my 40's (at least peri-menopause, no real idea--all the plumbing was disconnected years ago and I have no way to tell) with medicated hypothyroidism. It took a couple years (I lost about 115 pounds) and happened in fits, stalls, and starts. But I kept going and it all came off and has stayed off.
It will for you, too. Just give yourself some grace and patience in figuring it all out. Calories are simple, the human behavior that goes along with consuming them--not so much.
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