help! need nutrition guidance!

njhotsauce79
njhotsauce79 Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
I am 142 lbs. 5'0", female, 33yrs old. I have been doing insanity for almost five weeks now (will be starting month two on Monday). I got the insanity DVDs from someone else so I don't have all the paperwork that came with it. I am not losing much weight. I've lost 3 lbs so far in almost 5 weeks!! I don't seem to be losing inches either, even though I do see my stomach flatter and feel so much better. I am not counting my calories every day, but I eat approximately 1600 on a daily basis and I do my best to keep it clean. Like 1 cup of oatmeal in the morning with 1 cup of milk (2%), and sometimes I add two eggs to my breakfast. Then for a snack I will have a banana and some peanut butter. For lunch a bowl of soup and a turkey sandwich or a can of tuna with a tomato (chopped) and two serrano peppers and some lime juice to it (sometimes I have a few crackers too). then for snack is almonds and some fruit, (orange, pear, grapefruit... etc). I feel great and not lack of energy at all. for dinner, it's chicken or fish, grilled or baked, or a baked potato with tons of broccoli, very little cheese and very very little sour cream... or a bowl of vegetable soup (loaded with green beans, cauliflower, cabbage, celery, tomatoes) and some chicken... anyway, you get my drift. I normally don't eat after dinner, so it's a total of three meals plus two snacks = 5.
Am I not eating enough calories?

I do insanity 6 times a week, I run 2.5 - 3 miles three times a week (either run or elliptical), and I do a 30 minute workout three times a week in the afternoon right before my run (or after depending on space), to work my legs, my arms, etc (I alternate days for upper body and lower body and those three days I work my core).

can anyone guide me?

Replies

  • sapalee
    sapalee Posts: 409 Member
    It's hard to know without seeing your diary but I would guess (from advice I've been given from many sources, and you may hear the same here) is that you could be overtraining and/or not eating enough? Although on a calorie counter website 1600 looks like a pretty good number. Maybe 5 weeks is still a little early to see big results? Clothes fitting better and feeling better are great signs.
  • agrzybow
    agrzybow Posts: 38 Member
    I think having a cheat day every once in awhile is fine, even good and necessary, but having quite a few days where you are guessing the calories are around a certain amount is probably not very accurate. I would record everything you are eating every day for at least two months and I think you will have better results. You could be over or under eating.
  • NNAhuja
    NNAhuja Posts: 669 Member
    It's hard to know without seeing your diary but I would guess (from advice I've been given from many sources, and you may hear the same here) is that you could be overtraining and/or not eating enough? And maybe 5 weeks is still a little early to see big results? Clothes fitting better and feeling better are great signs.

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^this
  • Goosiesnougs
    Goosiesnougs Posts: 420
    Diet sounds great, but are you eating your protein? You workout a lot and there should be protein in every meal.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Weight is only one way to measure yourself. You should also get a tape measure for your thighs, stomach, etc. That may be mnore motivating for you.
  • thetrishwarp
    thetrishwarp Posts: 838 Member
    As stated, hard to tell without seeing your diary - but it doesn't sound like you're eating enough. Considering how much you're saying you work out, you're burning an insane amount of calories in a day! If you're only eating 1600 and potentially burning 1000+, you're not giving yourself the energy needed to sustain your workouts. Further, your body will cling to all the fat is has to prevent itself from starving. Though it sounds counterproductive, eating more calories CAN help you lose. You can achieve this with high-calorie, yet healthy, foods such as nuts. :)
  • jennyb612
    jennyb612 Posts: 83
    Sounds like you're motivated and on a great regimen - congratulations!! Try tracking your intake religously for a week so that you know for sure what your calories look like.
  • njhotsauce79
    njhotsauce79 Posts: 13
    Thank you everyone. I did start a journal yesterday. I ate 1545 calories, with too much carbs and not enough protein. I got in 197g of carbs (healthy carbs) and 75 grams of protein and 59 grams of fat (also healthy fat), but maybe a bit too much.
    Today by the time I eat my afternoon snack and dinner, I will have eaten a whooping 1276 calories, 163 grams of carbs, 74 grams of protein and 43 grams of fat. The thing is, I am super full from lunch still and I ate it almost two hours ago and my afternoon snack is due to be eaten in about half of an hour. I want to go run at 3 and I cannot eat too close to working out. which is ok, because I can eat my almonds and asian pear after working out. For dinner it's not a too healthy choice today. It is baked potato with 1 and a half cup of broccoli and very little cheese. No sour cream nor butter. I realize what you guys are saying about not eating enough if I am burning all those calories; it makes sense... the only problem is that I don't think I can eat anymore!! I didn't have a problem eating too many calories when I was eating unhealthy because it was all high glycemic index foods so I could always make room for more. However, eating the healthy stuff for over three weeks now, I get full and don't get hungry by the next time the next meal comes.. so I have to force myself to eat. So I feel I'm eating a lot, but when I measure everything, I see that I am not eating enough. I do have to say that I do feel good and with energy. I can tell the difference from when I eat unhealthy. I don't drink soda or sugary drinks, only water and sometimes milk (2%), very seldom though. And I am drinking 80 oz of water per day. I don't count the water that I drink in the morning when doing insanity (that is approximately another 10-12 oz).

    For instance, the first weekend of Insanity fell on Easter and I ate too much on my rest day (Sunday). That Monday I had trouble working out, and was feeling all sluggish. I still didt it, but I felt it...

    I am tempted to cut down on the 30 minute TRX program working legs, arms, core and maybe toning down the 30 minute run to a walk or something less rigorous, but then once I get to the gym or if it's a pretty day, I feel bad not giving it my all. It's like I have all this energy and time to burn it and I am not.

    Another thing that maybe I am lacking is sleep... I am only sleeping 6 hours a day, and I think I am one of those people who needs their 8 hours. I am feeling it very much this week. Even though I am alert, I do have that feeling like I could go to sleep for a quick cat nap and feel even better.

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