Needing some feedback even if it hurts!!
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superreal40 wrote: »do any of you take true rest days or breaks from working out? literally have not had a reast period of more than 2 weeks in about8 years
I’m 52, if I don’t get at least one rest day a week I start seeing stress injuries. I try to get two days in a row of low-impact exercise whether walking, yoga, or something similar.
I wouldn’t want to take two weeks off completely but if you are feeling super stressed it might be a good idea to take a couple of cut back weeks - set your calories to maintain so you aren’t having to work out to get enough calories, then just do the minimum lifting and cardio not to lose fitness, instead of pushing it, and focus on sleep and hydration. When you come back you will feel much fresher.
A lot of people are extra stressed this past year, having to learn new ways of navigating the world to avoid a deadly virus, and basic daily activities such as work and shopping which have changed. Whatever you do, don’t beat yourself up about it, and remember your first priority should be getting through this tough time with your sanity intact!3 -
Take rest days. My rest days usually still include a leisurely dog walk, but I find the walk to be restful and good for my mental health. However, sometimes I have a day where I just want to veg out, so I do.
Again, put your stats in mfp and set it to lose .5 lbs a week. Eat that number of calories a day. Stop obsessing over every little detail. Stop driving yourself nuts with what you read online ESPECIALLY if you struggle determining what is a valid source of information and what is just some quack posting nonsense.
It isn’t a sprint to the goal. You CAN take breaks whenever you want. You probably need to eat more (what you posted above doesn’t even sound like it would equal 1000 calories). You NEED to sleep. Your body can’t recover if you won’t let it. Stress causes water retention and reading your posts you sound REALLY STRESSED.1 -
I don't believe you answered this... When you mentioned that you had gained weight, how much did you gain and over what period of time? I'm trying to figure out if you had a trend of gaining weight, or if you had a single weigh in that was + a few pounds or less?0
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Thanks to everyone.. super stressed.. dealing with a 15 year old hormonal teenager whose brain is under attack and making many trips out of town to drs for infusions along with living in a hotel and managing the other 2 kids a dog and a hubby IS stressful. After not ever taking breaks and not eating the best, I know it’s time to do something different..
Thank y’all truly4 -
superreal40 wrote: »do any of you take true rest days or breaks from working out? literally have not had a reast period of more than 2 weeks in about8 years
I think you will find that most people here take rest days. They are an essential part of a fitness and wellbeing goal. In addition to recovery and repair I am sure I am also not the only one that will tell you that rest days help push past plateaus. I am sometimes amazed at how much strength and endurance improves. Not every time but enough to sell the importance.
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rheddmobile wrote: »Okay, you have some confused ideas about food. Beer and junk food won’t stop you from losing weight as long as you remain under your calorie goal. You don’t have to eat only salad to lose weight, and in fact if you need nutrients other than the ones found in salad, salad isn’t necessarily the healthiest choice available. Ice cream contains protein and in reasonable portions can be a fine part of a diet. I would go nuts eating nothing but shakes as a protein source.
Please let this quoted post sink in OP. What you eat/drink isn’t the problem. A calorie deficit is all that is needed for weight loss. Don’t let this be another issue you worry about unnecessarily.
As an aside, I had a late term miscarriage in July, I was 4 months. My daughter didn’t survive. Since then I have been projecting my stress onto myself as well, stressing about every oz I gained from the pregnancy. Thinking I would be so much happier if I lost the 10-13 lbs and find myself less disgusting. Fact is, self love, compassion, consistency over a good amount of time, and balance on your diet, will be some of the most important things you can do for your body and mind right now. Everything will fall in place if you trust yourself and the process. Breathe.13 -
msalicia07 wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »Okay, you have some confused ideas about food. Beer and junk food won’t stop you from losing weight as long as you remain under your calorie goal. You don’t have to eat only salad to lose weight, and in fact if you need nutrients other than the ones found in salad, salad isn’t necessarily the healthiest choice available. Ice cream contains protein and in reasonable portions can be a fine part of a diet. I would go nuts eating nothing but shakes as a protein source.
Please let this quoted post sink in OP. What you eat/drink isn’t the problem. A calorie deficit is all that is needed for weight loss. Don’t let this be another issue you worry about unnecessarily.
As an aside, I had a late term miscarriage in July, I was 4 months. My daughter didn’t survive. Since then I have been projecting my stress onto myself as well, stressing about every oz I gained from the pregnancy. Thinking I would be so much happier if I lost the 10-13 lbs and find myself less disgusting. Fact is, self love, compassion, consistency over a good amount of time, and balance on your diet, will be some of the most important things you can do for your body and mind right now. Everything will fall in place if you trust yourself and the process. Breathe.
So very sorry for your loss. I lost twins 16 years ago at 4.5 months. Thanks so much for the advice. Loving myself is the hardest first step!9 -
maybe your putting on mass from lifting too heavy, and adding more muscle mass instead of leaning out. I recently just started doing more cardio same lifting wise, but higher rep lighter weight and that seems to be helping me.
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maybe your putting on mass from lifting too heavy, and adding more muscle mass instead of leaning out. I recently just started doing more cardio same lifting wise, but higher rep lighter weight and that seems to be helping me.
The average woman can gain 1 lb of muscle a month, so no, she isn’t putting on so much muscle mass that that is why she isn’t losing. She could be retaining water weight from lifting as her muscles recover, but not a whole bunch of muscle. If it were that easy, men everywhere would be ripped...5 -
I do cardio every day plus if the workout is cardio and weights I still do cardio.0
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Pick a maintenance calorie number and eat those calories for two weeks while easing up on the exercise. It sounds counter intuitive, but will help you flush water and lessen any metabolic adaptation your body has made in response to stress. Repeat this every six to eight weeks. You will not blow up like a balloon. Your energy level will increase and your body will begin to recover from the long term stress. Dieting is a stress on your body. Taking recovery weeks will make it easier mentally and physically. There is a thread about "Diet breaks and Refeeds" that you might want to search for. I think that it would be helpful for you. Also, check out Lyle McDonald's Body Recomposition website. His advice is science based and geared to fitness athletes.3
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superreal40 wrote: »Do 1890 calories sound right? Im just so confused as I have been all over the internet to find the most accurate calculator
You're making it unnecessarily hard on yourself. You can just use MFP's calculator.
https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032625391-How-does-MyFitnessPal-calculate-my-initial-goals-
Unlike other sites which use TDEE calculators, MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated for them and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p14 -
superreal40 wrote: »I do cardio every day plus if the workout is cardio and weights I still do cardio.
Can you plan to take a walk outside or at a nearby park one day a week? By walk I do not mean power walking and checking your time and distance. I mean a mile or two at a casual pace.
I suggest this because I am getting the impression that your exercise regimen is part of your stress management (even though it is highly stressful) and if you still have an activity but not cardio intensity you might be able to rest and still have an outlet.5 -
superreal40 wrote: »Do 1890 calories sound right? Im just so confused as I have been all over the internet to find the most accurate calculator
Why are you going all over the internet? You are on a site that does this for you. Plug in your stats and your weight loss goal and MFP will give you back a daily calorie goal. Then just make sure you accurately track your food and beverage intake by weighing and measuring EVERYTHING you eat/drink. Don't over think this and make it more complicated than it has to be.7 -
superreal40 wrote: »I do cardio every day plus if the workout is cardio and weights I still do cardio.
Can you plan to take a walk outside or at a nearby park one day a week? By walk I do not mean power walking and checking your time and distance. I mean a mile or two at a casual pace.
I suggest this because I am getting the impression that your exercise regimen is part of your stress management (even though it is highly stressful) and if you still have an activity but not cardio intensity you might be able to rest and still have an outlet.
Sometimes less is more...2 -
superreal40 wrote: »do any of you take true rest days or breaks from working out? literally have not had a reast period of more than 2 weeks in about8 years
While I like to be ACTIVE every day (for my mental health, back, and sleep,) sometimes this takes the form of a mellow walk or yoga practice.4 -
kshama2001 wrote: »superreal40 wrote: »do any of you take true rest days or breaks from working out? literally have not had a reast period of more than 2 weeks in about8 years
While I like to be ACTIVE every day (for my mental health, back, and sleep,) sometimes this takes the form of a mellow walk or yoga practice.
Active is good for me. It is not only what I want to be but also where I want to stop in calories burned. It doesn't always work. It is odd on that one day a week if I burn a lot of calories I have to consider it a fail. I do not need to be very active or above though. If I keep my CO activity contained I usually feel very rested on Monday. If I hit very active or above it feels linear. Some good came of it but not as much.
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Bloated etc can be an indication of why your weight is higher and does not always come from storing excess calories as fat. A doctor's visit to make sure your internal are operating normally (among all the other issues you're already facing) may be in order re the bloating.
An indication of degree of weight gain and time period (and frequency of weigh ins) may be in order to evaluate the amount of weight gained but to be honest your current setup is not conducive at all to a healthy weight reduction even if such were an appropriate goal.
You're too stressed, have too many things in the fire, and there is a high potential that your intervention will decrease as opposed to increase your general health level at this time and under these circumstances.... at least that's what it looks like from afar reading what you wrote.
Take a rest day. Try to eat at maintenance. Relatively healthy. But without seeking perfection.
And take care of yourself so you CAN take care of those around you. Taking care is not always equal to either being totally strict or totally permissive. But it definitely includes being flexible with yourself! Which it doesn't sound as if you've been so far. Sleep is good too...1 -
I am not a doctor, but from personal experience, one of your major problem is lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can lower your immunity, increase stress level, increase your appetite etc. Find a way to get more sleep, even a nap in the afternoon would be good.2
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