I'm at a loss. Advice and suggestions please!

clocklady
clocklady Posts: 111 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. Some quick background. I am 5'10" 144/146 pounds depending on the day. Up until last fall I averaged 135 pounds with no effort. I developed a binge eating problem due to depression about an autoimmune skin disorder and gained 12 or so pounds in three months.

In December I dedicated myself to MFP. I'm not going to lie, I still struggled with binge eating from time to time (I've been binge free for over a month now, though). In December aside from MFP I also started Turbofire. I was doing six days of intense cardio a week. After eight weeks I didn't see much difference. I got the urge to run and started running a bit as well as doing Turbofire. Then I also started supplementing with P90X strength workouts.

I have tried low calories, I have tried high calories, I have tried zig zagging and still not much has changed. I do have more muscle tone, especially in my legs, but I haven't lost any fat that I can tell. I did have a bit of loss a few weeks ago, but that has stalled.

On Thursday I was so fatigued I barely made it through my day and realized I am probably over training. I had a nagging headache for two weeks (very unusual for me to have a headache), I had trouble sleeping at night, and I was very fatigued. All signs of over training.

So my questions is what the heck do I have to do? I have been doing strength training with weights for three weeks and only feel worse for it. Do I need to back off cardio a bit? I love to run so it is a no go to stop completely. Should I not run on the days I do strength? Should I take two days off a week instead of one? I am open to any suggestions because after three and a half months of busting my *kitten* and basically getting nowhere I'm getting a bit flustered.

It also doesn't help that my husband has effortlessly lost 24 pounds without exercising and just eating less. Grrr.

Help please! :)

Replies

  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
    Anyone?
  • Pinoy_Pal
    Pinoy_Pal Posts: 280 Member
    Whenever I feel overtrained, I take week off of exercise completely. I still maintain a healthy diet, but will treat myself to an occasional treat here and there. The vacay from all the workouts seems to always reboot my body.

    :o]
  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
    Thanks, I may give that a try. I've taken it easy this weekend so far. I think I may be a bit of an exercise addict as I can't stop thinking about what workouts to do next week. Maybe that's a sign so chill out, also. :)
  • hoffo83
    hoffo83 Posts: 51
    you may need to eat more if training that much. you may be feeling fatigued due to a lack of energy through foods. try eating little and often, 5-6 times a day when training that much. sometimes the body will store fat if not getting enough intake of food. i used to be the same but by eating little and often (but actully eating more than i was) i found i was loosing more fat.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    If the fatigue continues, especially if you have any bouts of vertigo or achy joints (not muscles), I'd ask your doctor for a Thyroid test. Those were all symptoms I had before being put on medication for an underactive thyroid. Try the other suggestions here, first, though. Fingers crossed you can handle this with nutrition.
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    I havent been in this situation, however I think you're right when you mentioned you may be overtraining. Also, make sure on days where you DO do intense workout(s) you are eating enough (eating your exercise calories). And maybe (I didn't check if I could see your diary, so sorry if I'm redundant) you should bump your calories up since you are so active. I'm set to 1/2lb a week and have been for the last 6 or 7lbs... and I've had my fastest weight loss since I started this whole thing.

    I'm sure it will feel weird and "lazy" to cut back, but I think your body will thank you for it.

    Maybe keep it under 1hr per day of whatever you feel like doing? & I would choose more strength vs more cardio, too.

    good luck!!!!!!!

    edited to add - and of course the closer you are to your goal weight, the harder it is to shed those pounds. you only set out to lose 12lbs, so your body is HOLDING ON will all it's might to that fat!! stupid bodies :P

    but anyway, this means you really have to feed it right and exercise moderately in order to see results. in your body's opinion, you're probably at a great weight and it's happy sitting RIGHT THERE. add more strength, do less cardio, and eat plenty.
  • Bodhizephyr
    Bodhizephyr Posts: 48
    See your Doctor.
  • Maggie821
    Maggie821 Posts: 55 Member
    You didn't mention meds for the autoimmune disorder, but could that be part of the weight gain? Definitely check with your doctor first!

    Sounds like you are really pushing yourself hard, and your body is saying enough! More fuel, reduce the calorie burn and again, see your doctor!!!

    Good luck!
  • reka74
    reka74 Posts: 70
    I see you have a nice vegan diet. Do you take the necessary vitamins?
    Other than that give yourself a break. You have a healthy weight, diet and lifestyle. Enjoy life
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
    Fourthing the 'see your doctor'

    Did you take measurements at the start? Looking at your diary this might be one of the situations where you're gaining muscle if you're strength training.

    I wouldn't do any intense cardio until you talk to your doctor. Your body is telling you something LISTEN to it and get advice from an expert.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,247 Member
    Hi all. Some quick background. I am 5'10" 144/146 pounds depending on the day. Up until last fall I averaged 135 pounds with no effort. I developed a binge eating problem due to depression about an autoimmune skin disorder and gained 12 or so pounds in three months.

    In December I dedicated myself to MFP. I'm not going to lie, I still struggled with binge eating from time to time (I've been binge free for over a month now, though). In December aside from MFP I also started Turbofire. I was doing six days of intense cardio a week. After eight weeks I didn't see much difference. I got the urge to run and started running a bit as well as doing Turbofire. Then I also started supplementing with P90X strength workouts.

    I have tried low calories, I have tried high calories, I have tried zig zagging and still not much has changed. I do have more muscle tone, especially in my legs, but I haven't lost any fat that I can tell. I did have a bit of loss a few weeks ago, but that has stalled.

    On Thursday I was so fatigued I barely made it through my day and realized I am probably over training. I had a nagging headache for two weeks (very unusual for me to have a headache), I had trouble sleeping at night, and I was very fatigued. All signs of over training.

    So my questions is what the heck do I have to do? I have been doing strength training with weights for three weeks and only feel worse for it. Do I need to back off cardio a bit? I love to run so it is a no go to stop completely. Should I not run on the days I do strength? Should I take two days off a week instead of one? I am open to any suggestions because after three and a half months of busting my *kitten* and basically getting nowhere I'm getting a bit flustered.

    It also doesn't help that my husband has effortlessly lost 24 pounds without exercising and just eating less. Grrr.

    Help please! :)

    What is your bodyfat percentage, do you know?

    If it is low, you will find it extremely difficult to lose much more weight, because there is not much fat to burn off, this is when you will, indeed, start to go into your own muscle.

    I suspect low bodyfat % may be your issue here. What are your measurements like?
  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
    I'm not on any meds, so that's not an issue. I am not afraid to eat and have my cals set at 1/2 a pound a week plus I do eat back exercise cals. I bought an HRM to make sure I was getting accurate calorie burn for that very reason. I eat 5-6 times a day. I get cranky if I go too long so three meals a day is out. :)

    My diet is super healthy and I do supplement with a b complex, vitamin d, and vegan omega 3 capsules. Recently I have also started adding protein powder to my morning green smoothies sometimes both before and after a hard workout.

    I did go to my doctor. He said, "Well, you did just turn 30." So basically cause I'm getting older it is totally acceptable to gain weight. That visit was worthless. I mentioned that I exercise and eat right and he didn't even bother to ask me to elaborate. For all he knows exercise meant walking to the car and eating right meant a side of canned green beans with a chicken fried steak.

    I check several online TDEE calculators for my current weight and my desired weight with an activity level of exercise 5 days a week. A difference of about ten pounds. Do you know what the calorie difference was? 70 cals a day. That's it. That seems crazy to me. I'm so sick of trying to crunch numbers and figure this out. It just leaves me more confused.

    I'm thinking this week I will stick to five days of exercise a week with the sixth day being something low intensity like an extended stretch session. Plus no cardio on weight days.

    Since 80% or more of what I eat is fruits and veggies should I be eating even more? Lately the only non fruit or veggie things I eat are gluten free breads that I make myself. (This weekend has been a little different since I'm out of town, but I packed a lot of my own food so I didn't starve at my in-laws. They aren't vegan.)

    I don't know what my body fat percentage is. I carry most of my extra fat in my legs, so any measurement pinching my stomach skin doesn't seem accurate to me. Is there a way to take measurements of different parts of my body to figure that out?

    I am at a healthy weight. I just know that this isn't my ideal weight. They only reason I gained these extra pounds is from over eating from frustration and depression. I've snapped myself out of that thankfully.

    Thank you everyone that has responded so far I truly do appreciate your input!

    Edited to add: I did take measurements and hardly anything has changed. Maybe a quarter inch off my thighs and waist.
    Waist: 26 inches, Hips 36 inches. A 21 inch waist is normal for me, 34 inch Hips is normal for me. So I'm a ways away from where I was in August of last year. :(
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I would put your concerns (about your body) on pause for a while and stick to your strength training program. Re-evaluate after a few months of it. Since you've only been lifting for 3 weeks, it's a bit early to evaluate.

    Lifting heavy and adding weight over time will help your body composition, and given that you don't have much excess fat (based on your photos and numbers), resistance training will become increasingly important, IMO.

    I second the recommendation to see a professional regarding your possible ED issue.
  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
    I would be thrilled to swap the fat for muscle even if that meant I gained weight. I think you are right about concentrating on weights. It's a bit intimidating since I feel like I'm wading into unknown territory. I picked up New Rules of Heavy Lifting for Women and plan on doing those workouts.

    I've considered seeing someone about the eating. I really feel like I've got it whipped now, but if it pops up again I won't hesitate to seek help.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    I would be thrilled to swap the fat for muscle even if that meant I gained weight. I think you are right about concentrating on weights. It's a bit intimidating since I feel like I'm wading into unknown territory. I picked up New Rules of Heavy Lifting for Women and plan on doing those workouts.

    To be clear, when I said "adding weight over time" I meant adding weight to the bar (getting stronger), and not necessarily adding bodyweight.

    Coincidentally, many people will need to add bodyweight as well, but that's more of a case-by-case thing. I poorly phrased that.
  • clocklady
    clocklady Posts: 111 Member
    I figured thats what you meant. I guess my response was kind of confusing too. :)

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