Lost weight w/o my normal exercise...???

autumnk921
autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just wanted to run something by ALL of you....I have been losing very slowly - At 3mths I had only lost 6lbs total (2lbs/mth)...UGH!!!

I started MFP on Jan 23rd 2012...It took me until mid April to lose 2 more lbs which was 8lbs in 4mths (still 2lbs/mth)...Somehow though, this week I gave myself a few days off from lifting & really exercising...I haven't lifted since Tuesday & only did some light walking & heavy cleaning on Thursday but somehow while not doing my usual stuff I finally lost some weight - the most that I have lost at one time on here....2.2 lbs this morning....Weird huh???? It almost makes me not want to exercise for a while except maybe a little walking & cleaning....

What do you think?? Just curious & need some opinions on this....I was at 1400cals/day just moved those to 1600 yesterday....I TRY to eat back my exercise calories but don't always succeed....Also, I am 5'2" & was 162lbs until today at 159lbs...My goal right now is to weigh 130lbs (29 more lbs to go)...Any input on this would be greatly appreciated so I can keep doing whatever it is that I FINALLY did right this week or the past couple of weeks!! My diary is open as well...I don't eat the best but I eat better than before.

Thanks for any input....I thrive on learning new things daily on here! :happy:

Replies

  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    So you were overtraining.
    Welcome to the Matrix Neo.

    Try only training for 3 days a week and get ample rest on the other days.

    Active rest like a brisk walk for 20-40mins can do wonders for the central nervous system in aiding in recovery.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    Over training is part and the other could be water. When you are working out (especially lifting weights) your muscles hold water. When you take a break they release the water.
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    glycogen/water stores! I need to take a break. it's just so hard to make myself not work out!
  • o_delaisse
    o_delaisse Posts: 193 Member
    You've given me hope - I can't exercise at the moment because I'm not well. Been off it for about a week or so.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    @Dan -- You know I should have just sent this in a PM to you - not sure why I didn't....Thank you for your advice once again!!

    Just to give you more info - In case you see something else I should do:

    Here is what I WAS doing: Weights 3x/week w/a little cardio after on those days as well - 1 hour tops all together. I clean my moms massive & messy house once a week for at least 2 hours which makes me sweat like crazy (almost as much as lifting)...I walk maybe once a week on my off days...I try to rest at least 1 full day or 2 if possible....But that is very hard b/c I am a SAHM with a 3yr old little man who is VERY active...So rest days are NOT really rest days...lol...Plus I cannot sleep a night without getting up at least 4-5 times a night...That in itself would help tremendously but without meds - & I don't want to take sleeping pills with my 3yr old at home in case of emergency - that is not going to happen...

    I really noticed that I was so very tired before, during & after my workouts - I mean exhausted tired!!....That is why I tweaked my calories back up to 1600 cals/day like you advised me before - I should have stuck with that - I just get impatient with results....I was also burning up to 800 calories on lifting days as well....And having trouble netting my 1400 cals/day as well on some days which I am really trying to improve since I have upped to 1600 cals/day now....

    **So with what you said about training only 3 days - is that for everything besides lifting as well except walking? - which I plan to do more of... Should I still TRY to eat back my exercise calories as well?**

    Sorry this is sooooo long winded...I just want to make sure I give you ALL of the info to get accurate feedback.....Thanks again!!:flowerforyou:

    ETA: I do use an HRM...I do NOT go by what MFP has set for calories on here....I believe it is just whatever people put in for themselves such as their weight, age, gender, time, their own personal stats which are not the same as everyone elses...I put my exercises into the database based on what the HRM says for my height, weight, age, gender... if someone else went by my numbers it would be off unless they were at least the same weight as me at the time....Just wanted to clarify this IMO....
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    @o_delaisse - I am glad this helped you out b/c now I know it is possible to lose weight w/o exercising constantly & taking a much needed break.....Hope you get to feeling better soon though. :)
  • jlsAhava
    jlsAhava Posts: 411 Member
    You may been overestimating the exercise calories you're burning.

    The MFP calorie goal is created assuming zero exercise in addition to the regular daily activity you input to create it. In theory, assuming you regularly stay below your daily calorie goal, there is no need to exercise achieve the 1-2lb/wk loss you set. There are a lot of benefits to exercising though. These include making the body stronger and allowing you to eat more and still lose weight! :happy:

    Do you use an HRM? If not, you may want to round down your exercising calories. A lot of people say that the burn estimates on MFP (and exercise machines) are too high. If you're overestimating your calories burned, then eating these logged calories back, you'll be reducing the cushion that the MFP calorie goal gave you and so will lose weight more slowly than you anticipate.

    Hope this helps! Best of luck!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Just remember that when lifting youll always want to add more to the bar and progress.
    Active rest like walking is great for cardio and LBM retention.

    If you plateau on lifting youll need to add more fuel on lifting days.
    I eat up to +20% above TDEE on lifting days but hit about -20 to -30% TDEE on rest days.
    As long as you progress in lifts and gain strength youll be fine for a while.
    But if you stall, add a couple hundred cals in the form of starchy carbs on the lifting days.

    Fuel when you need it!
  • theresabell67
    theresabell67 Posts: 97 Member
    You gave your body a rest and shocked it. I would recommend getting on the thread Eat More to Weigh Less. It will explain everything. Great job!
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    Thank you everyone for all of your help/advice with this!! I appreciate it....Alot of what has been said makes complete sense... :happy:
  • sandown12
    sandown12 Posts: 648 Member
    I think like said you could be over estimating calories burned
    I never eat exercise calories I've joined eat more too weigh less group on here as I wasn't losing well my calories were too low

    I also recommended joining the group and eat a set amount each day as worked out

    If your under or over eating you won't lose

    I came on here day after you and have lost 23lbs upto Tuesday

    I've a fitbit it helps see what we burn

    Take the wii that says I burn more than the fitbit this is why I don't eat exercise calories as you can't be 100% sure how many your burning if eating them back, exercise for me is to burn calories and to tone up and get healthy but that's me

    I hope you find the right way to lose also measure yourself monthly scales are evil ;)
  • lilyvale68
    lilyvale68 Posts: 96 Member
    I took a week off and lost weight as well. My trainer said that taking breaks from exercise has broken plateaus for her in the past. She suggested taking a break every 6 weeks. I'm back to working out again and can't wait to see what happens.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I took a week off and lost weight as well. My trainer said that taking breaks from exercise has broken plateaus for her in the past. She suggested taking a break every 6 weeks. I'm back to working out again and can't wait to see what happens.

    I do this with dieting too.
    Take a week off and eat at maintenance.
    It restores hormones and makes you less crazy.
  • iKristine
    iKristine Posts: 288 Member
    800 on weights? No. Is this what your HRM is telling you? You can really only go by that when doing cardio, and even then is not the most accurate device. You'd be surprised. You'd actually be better off going by the calculators here on weights, measuring your time by when your actually lifting minus resting.

    I weight train for an hour, with 30-60 sec rest inbetween sets and exercises. The most I ever recorded was 190 calorie burn. That was deadlift to failure day. Utilizing the largest muscle groups in my body simultaneously.


    It's water glycogen stores. You technically lost that weight awhile back, just didn't see it.

    I hope you mean 800 calories total in all activity throughout the day.
  • autumnk921
    autumnk921 Posts: 1,374 Member
    @iKristine - The numbers are for everything that I log that day....I put them all in at once usually...I do use an HRM b/c MFP is only calculating whatever the person that added that exercise to the database's stats are, not mine or anyone other persons as far as I know b/c when I am 160lbs & do 30 minutes of cardio it wouldn't be the same burn as someone who is 120lbs doing the exact same workout & I have no clue of the weight of the person who entered those numbers for that exercise....This is why I only use my HRM which I check regularly during my lifting, cardio, etc. to make sure that it is calculating correctly....I know that for me while I lift I actually sweat more & my heart rate increases more than when I do cardio...To me that is weird but it is true. Everyones body is different. At first I questioned this as well until I did a couple of tests to make sure that is was reading my heartrate accurately b/c believe me I don't want to add exercise calories that do not exist (I want them to be as accurate as possible. I have questioned on here many times if my heartrate being so high for such a long period is a bad thing...Also, it takes forever for my heartrate to go down after a good workout....I have even spoke to my doctor about this but my blood pressure & everything is actually very good....My resting heartrate is around 60bpm...But at times when working out it gets up close to 200 at times but I was told by my doctors that this is okay. I just wanted to clarify that YES, I have questioned these numbers & checked for accuracy as well....Thank you for your concern though & your advice. :)


    ETA: Also, I do put my exercise calories in here but I do NOT eat them back b/c I have it figured in my numbers(not everyone does it this way but I do so that way if my calories burned on any given day are NOT accurate for whatever reason, I am not eating too little or too much, plus it is just easier for me this way)....I try to eat a certain number of calories on different days depending on my activity level...I just put the exercise numbers in there b/c it is easier to track my exercise this way. :)

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