Am I overdoing it?

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ouandi
ouandi Posts: 135 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been working out 6 days a week, doing three days of intense circuit training and Gillian Michaels DVD in between. I'm also following the 1200 calories diet but eating back all my calories. I have lost 6lbs in less than three weeks (I'm sure a few of those are water lbs).

I feel like total crap. I'm exhausted almost hungover feeling. I slept almost 12 hours on Saturday and went to bed last night at 9pm I was so tired. I'm hungry every evening before bed. I ate a ton of calories Saturday to try and feel better. So what's going on? Is MFP underestimating the calories I'm burning during circuit training and I need to eat more calories? Do I need to cut back on the exercise? Maybe my BMR is higher than it thinks?

Here's a little history, I'm 5'5" tall, 156lbs, size 8, I have always done at least 3 days a week of weight training for many years so I'm in good shape muscle wise. I always eat a ton of calories (that included LOTS of junk food) and generally maintain somewhere around an overweight 160lbs for a few years now.

Thanks for helping! Any tips is appreciated! I don't want to give up this time!

Replies

  • 01divey
    01divey Posts: 50 Member
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    i would say that 6 days a week intense circuit training may be a little overdoing it. add on top of that the Gillian michaels dvd, and eating only 1200 cals. your bound to be tired. i'd say that 3-4 days would be plenty of excercise per week. remember its more about your diet and eating clean than the excercise. focus on your food rather than beating your body up 6 days a week.
    ive only just realised this over the last 3 months and im seeing better results than i have over the last 4 years.

    (im pretty fit, 185lbs, 13-14% bodyfat and have been training/working out for a number of years now. ive tried cardio 7 days a week, 2 days a week, many variations and realised its more about your food and total calories)

    good luck!
  • MoLove2025
    MoLove2025 Posts: 135 Member
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    i think you are overdoing it.....try cutting one of the workouts out and see how you feel. i also suggest upping your net cal from 1200 to around 1500 or higher if you are going to do both workouts. You are tired because a net of 1200 is to low when you are working out so hard.
  • jennalink807
    jennalink807 Posts: 226 Member
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    Maybe try netting more? I net 1600, and although I only lose a lb a month or so, my bodyfat % has gone down from 29 to 23, and i went down 4 pant sizes. I feel great, never feel deprived, and usually get to eat around 2000 calories with the exercise i do. When you only have 15-20 lbs to lose, 1200 might just (probably is) a bit too low. Slowely raise your calorie intake over the next couple of weeks, then see what happens. That would be my advice :)
  • Aerohead21
    Aerohead21 Posts: 333 Member
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    Can you make your diary viewable? I think it would help if people could see what you are eating :) usually MFP overestimates exercise calories in my experience.
  • gorguslyjealous
    gorguslyjealous Posts: 78 Member
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    I think the fact of it all that you need to do is LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. If you're feeling exhausted, beat up && like you're pushing yourself too hard - maybe it's because you are. If you are eating back all of your work out calories it's probably not going to be an effective way for you to see results quickly, if at all. My recommendation would be to maybe try to focus on your diet, getting enough rest (getting on a set schedule if you're not already) and see how you feel. After that I would say make sure your BMR is correct - find a simple calculator online and see what your BMR is and maybe use that as a target to go under for your deficit instead of focusing on what MFP is telling you. I know for me MFP isn't always 100% correct, and the calories it tells me I burn during work outs isn't always right- it's just an estimate. You have to do what works best for you && right now it sounds like your body is telling you you're doing too much. Just try to take a step back, you can always increase the exercise if you need to - but it sounds like your body needs a break!
  • 01divey
    01divey Posts: 50 Member
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    sorry, read your first line wrong. still 6 days a week may be overdoing it.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I think you're not eating enough. You're quite close to your target weight, so go with the calories MFP gives you to lose 0.5 - 1lb a week - I bet it's more than 1,200!

    It sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes eating more will help boost weight loss, and your exhaustion speaks volumes.

    Also Jillian Michaels DVDs and circuit training are very similar. You might want to swap out a couple of session to be steady-state cardio or resistance training only to give your body a break.
  • jonski1968
    jonski1968 Posts: 4,498 Member
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    Have a full week off...Rest, recuperate and you`ll feel great..
  • brendansmom1
    brendansmom1 Posts: 530 Member
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    I think you're not eating enough. You're quite close to your target weight, so go with the calories MFP gives you to lose 0.5 - 1lb a week - I bet it's more than 1,200!

    It sounds counter-intuitive, but sometimes eating more will help boost weight loss, and your exhaustion speaks volumes.

    Also Jillian Michaels DVDs and circuit training are very similar. You might want to swap out a couple of session to be steady-state cardio or resistance training only to give your body a break.

    Yeah, what she said. LOL
  • FattyMatty99
    FattyMatty99 Posts: 1 Member
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    I might suggest that your are dehydrated from your "hungover" and "exausted" statements. The Mayo Clinic web site suggests that women should consume (about) 2 liters of water a day. If you are working out that much then you probably need 3 liters. That is alot of water, but your body needs it. 3 liters is 12 x 8 oz cups a day.

    As far as your MFP calculations go, are you counting litterally everything your put into your body? Every sauce, drink, snack, etc...? My calculations seem to be right on.

    Also with your workouts, could you be gaining some muscle mass which will add weight?
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    I would stick with the 1200 calorie a day. That seems like a good number and just go with that.
    If you don't want it, then sorry your just going to have to stay the weight that you are. It really sounds like you are not working out enough. You can't expect to loose weight with just food. You might want to try watching other workout DVD's or even getting a Wii and playing that. I have tons of games on Wii that I enjoy.
  • kerriBB37
    kerriBB37 Posts: 967 Member
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    I sent this as a message then I realized others might be able to get some beneficial information so I will post here as well :)

    Anyways, I'm Kerri.. I'll be 30 this year, I'm 5'8" and 166 # currently. I've lost almost 45 pounds so far.. it was ONLY after I learned my body that I began losing any weight. I am just like you. I LOVE working out and I do so 6-7 days a week, usually for at least 60 upwards to 3 hours a day. I just really like being at the gym and sweating. I feel it helps me take out the stresses of the day, and I feel better about myself. I dont think there's such a thing as "overdoing it" BUT you do need to fuel your body and listen to your body though, that is KEY. One of my best friends is a biochemist..she got her phd and now practices in a lab and is specifically focused on exercise and the way the body interactions with foods and stuff. ONLY when I started listening to her did I see any results. She is a marathon'er, triathlete, etc. SO I respect her as a friend and professional.
    Here are her basic rules of thumb:
    1. TO LOSE weight, your MINimum calories per day should be your current weight x10... SO I am 166 so I aim for 1660 cals a day. PLUS eating back 60-80% of your exercise calories
    2. For every 1g protein, no more than 5-6grams of carbs should be present
    3. Do a warm up of at least 5 minutes and at least 5 minute cool down so that your body adjusts and doesn't store fat (cortisol) due to its fight or flight response..
    4. fuel during LONG (1hr+) workouts.. I bring a banana or protein shake with me to the gym
    5. 1 day a week ONLY you should be doing HIIT training, which is where your HR gets up so high it's in anaerobic levels.. here you will feel light headed, dizzy, sick, etc.. just pop in and out of this zone. don't stay there.. FOR ME, I do super fast sprints for 10 minutes a day to get to this zone
    6. Take a multivitamin daily
    7. Interval training is the best for weight loss.. run/walk; circuits, etc.
    8. If your body needs a break day "rest day" give it... if you don't want to, then just walk as your exercise
    9. USE A HEART RATE MONITOR! you must get one if you're going to be so specific with your training and food intake.. Polar makes the best one and can be found for under $100 online. She says not to even bother with anything if you can't accurately figure out your burns per day. So much rides on how much you burn at the gym.
    10. Change your MFP goals re: macronutrients to a different ratio than what it sets for you (you can edit your goals manually under settings).. change it to 40/30/30..this is the golden ratio.. 40% protein, 30% carbs, 30% fat.. also DO NOT pay so much attention to fats, your body needs them. I don't buy anything fat free.. because it immediately makes you hungry a few minutes later! regular cheese, regular sour cream, etc. it's fine!

    So to me, it sounds like you need to up your calories a bit and though I havne't looked at your diary, maybe up your protein too? that helps me.. I am for at least a 100g of protein a day
  • shelbysmom08
    shelbysmom08 Posts: 36
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    slow down!
  • Femtec74
    Femtec74 Posts: 347 Member
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    If you just started, 6 days a week is a lot. I think you may be at risk of burning yourself out quickly. Listen to your body, slow down and try to make your workouts more fun - try mixing up your program. I get that you want to dedicate yourself to the mission, but take it at a good pace. Also - make sure you eat back at least half of what you are burning. Your body needs fuel to keep going.
  • DavidWagnon
    DavidWagnon Posts: 3
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    You seem to be using MFP's estimates on calories burned during exercise? If so, I highly recommend getting a heart rate monitor which also calculates calories burned. I have found that MFP's estimates are reasonable, but depending on the day I can do more or less by a couple of hundred calories. Do that three times and you can be off by 600 calories (in the extreme case). You obviously have discipline and wisdom; isn't this a great place to get wise counsel? I know I'm loving it.
  • ouandi
    ouandi Posts: 135 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the advice. I love to exercise and when I get to the gym I have trouble just slowing down. I tend to get hyped up and then I go "all-out" if you know what I mean. Even when I do steady-state cardio I'll do 45 minutes on the step-mill and if anyone know what that is it's a rotating staircase and it's crazy cardio! Plus I'm already in really good fitness shape so I assumed to lose the fat I have to step up the exercise. My scaled says I have around 33% body fat which is really high. So I'm trying to maintain my muscle mass and lose the fat.

    To answer some of the questions, I ALWAYS eat back my exercise calories. I feel sick when I don't. And then when I don't exercise I have serious trouble staying at 1200 calories unless I eat tiny, tiny meals and then I feel sick again. So I use the exercise to get my calories up so I can eat more. It's a vicious cycle.

    And to me circuit training is the most fun I could have. I loathe cardio, hate running/walking. Would rather lift weights every day then do any cardio so circuit training keeps my heartrate up without the dread of cardio.

    I'll open my diary so everyone can see it. You'll see on Sat. I have a spike day (which I haven't been recording). It's for my sanity and my families sanity. My husband is a mere 130lbs and can't lose anymore weight so we eat out a lot on Saturdays. It also keep my metabolism going hence the 6.6lbs lost in three weeks.

    Thanks everyone!
  • tobirhae
    tobirhae Posts: 108 Member
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    I totally feel you. I've been feeling much the same way. I'm about 5'8" and about 173 pounds. I've been working out 5-7 days a week for about a month now. Before that it was 3 days a week, at least. I'm not have luck losing much weight, but honestly I'm not that concerned about that. I feel better about myself now. But over the past week or two I've noticed that I have no energy beyond my workouts. I manage to gather the energy to workout and then have energy for about an hour after and then crash. And I have 3 1/2 year old twins at home, so it's really hard when I crash but still have to take care of them.

    I'm not sure what to do about making ourselves feel better. I have doubled my dose of vitamin D, but I also plan on making myself a doctor's appointment to get some blood work done and just make sure everything is in line with where it's supposed to be. I figure that's the best place to start.

    Feel free to friend me if you'd like. It sounds like we could be good support to each other.
  • tistal
    tistal Posts: 869 Member
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    A lot of junk food can make you feel like crap too.
  • nikkylyn
    nikkylyn Posts: 325 Member
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    Listen to your body. If your hungry EAT girl. Good stuff but still. I think 1200 kinda low. Are you at least eating your bmr, you should aim for that. Good luck.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    you sound similar to me in terms of the types of work outs that you like doing and the tendency to push yourself.

    i think the amount you workout is fine (but then again i tend to have 7-9 intense workout days without taking a day off).

    you should probably increase your calories. try a gradual increase like 100 calories and see what that does. i started off with MFP's calorie estimate for me and it was also at 1200. i felt tired and barely lost anything. Now I'm eating around 1600 calls (might increase it to 1700). I feel great, I recover like I should from my workouts and I'm not hungry. Also, I'm losing an average of 2 lbs a week.

    also i listen to my body. on days i'm not hungry i dont eat as much, but on days when i am i will eat until i'm sated.

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