Am I working out too much?

charcharbec · October 2009

Okay... so.... still having trouble with calorie intake. I am not sure, if my body is adjusting to eating too few calories or if because I am eating too few, it's kicking my *kitten*. I think I have been working out TOO much (i know it doesnt seem possible right?) But the more I work out every day, the longer I want to stay at the Gym. Yesterday I burned like 500 cals, and took in like 1300. Thats a total of only 800 for the day. *sigh*. So, I THINK that I need to like, bump up how many cals I eat on work out days, and give my body a nice day off (which I tried to do over the weekend but I feel lazy when I don't work out).

What are any of your thoughts? Anyone have any awesome recipies that are maybe high in fiber and cals but low in fat and carbs? More nuts on days I work out? More protein?

What do you think?

July · October 2009

So much good stuff has been reported on nuts - if you can fit them in, you should!

mrsyac2 · October 2009

burning 500 calories doesn't seem like your workout too hard- I don't leave the gym unless I burn a bare minimum of 500 but I like to burn 700-900 calories at the gym when I workout.

How long have you been working out and counting calories?

Your going to get mixed reviews as far as eating your extra calories some do it some don't some eat some- You have to figure out what works best for you.

I don't go by what MFP says I customized my calories and my macro nutrients. I eat 1450 calories and tear it up in the gym if I am hungry in the evening (actually hungry where my stomach hurts or growls) I eat something I don't go crazy.

My sessions in the gym aren't to give me extra calories to eat a candy bar or ice cream or french fries ect.. I work to hard to do that to myself.

If you feel you aren't eating enough then kick up your calories or if you just started give it time. The weight didn't come on over night so it won't come off overnight.

TwinMama · October 2009

I hit a two week plateau that drove me insane (period time). I kept doing the right things even though I was angry and figured, "Why not eat the chocolate cake, I'm not going to lose the weight anyway!" If you are being really honest with yourself you know what the problem is. The work will show. Now I am down 5lbs, out of the blue. That is how the game works for women.
If you are in this for the long haul then you need to suck it up. You are only down 4lbs and have a long way to go. This is too early to get discouraged. How long did it take to put on the weight? It should take just as long if not longer to take it off. There is no magic bullet. Your calories sound a little too low. You do not need to kill yourself in the gym. Keep up the good work. YOU CAN DO THIS!

gwen2009 · October 2009

I rarely eat the extra calories I burn from exercising every day. Instead, I stick to 1200 cal/day mon- fri, and then on the weekends give myself a break from counting, and eat what I want..... within reason. WeightWatchers uses a similar approach with their point system and it has worked well for me.

sleepl8s · October 2009

when I need to make up calorie deficiencies, my go to foods are peanut butter or a handful of nuts, guacamole or avocado; or chicken with olive oil sprinkled on it. Hummus is also good. Use guac and hummus on your sandwiches and wraps instead of mayo.

charcharbec · October 2009

I am not discouraged. Just--- am scared of my body adding fat instead of burning it, if I work out as much as I like.

I do have a long way to go, that's true. I just find it hard to eat the 1200 calories. I mean I eat a lot during the day. Just eating a lot of veggies which are low cal. So they fill me up, and are good for me.

Sometimes I eat about 1300 cals maybe closer to 1400....and work out a ton.

I mean I know 500 calories isn't a lot, but that's not including weight lifting and such, because mostly thats building muscle yes?

Just want to know I am doing it right. I am not sure if I am or not.

Ripgirl · October 2009

First off, good for you for being so dedicated to your workouts - awesome!

If you are eating 1300-1400 grand total for the day, and are also doing a good workout every day then you're probably not eating enough and you will stop losing weight. Weight lifting does count, it still requires effort and depending on how you're doing it you're getting your heart rate up. I read not long ago in fact that squats are one of the most efficient exercises to burn calories as they recruit your largest muscle groups.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that 800 calories a day - which is what you are usually netting - isn't enough and your body will begin to fight to hold on to what it can. It doesn't sound like you're working out too much, it sounds like you're eating too little IMHO. If you're eating a ton of veggies yes, that's good for you except you are then missing out on a lot of other essentials, like protein and carbs to power you through your awesome workouts.

There are some great posts on the topic pinned at the gop of the General section, check them out and good luck!

mrsyac2 · October 2009

I am not discouraged. Just--- am scared of my body adding fat instead of burning it, if I work out as much as I like.

I do have a long way to go, that's true. I just find it hard to eat the 1200 calories. I mean I eat a lot during the day. Just eating a lot of veggies which are low cal. So they fill me up, and are good for me.

Sometimes I eat about 1300 cals maybe closer to 1400....and work out a ton.

I mean I know 500 calories isn't a lot, but that's not including weight lifting and such, because mostly thats building muscle yes?

Just want to know I am doing it right. I am not sure if I am or not.

I workout for almost 2 hours in the gym I do 45 min of cardio then knock the weights out- I don't lift light I lift heavy- (lets say motrin is my friend lol) your doing fine
weight lifting doesn't burn as much weight as you think during its the after effect that really starts burning the fat. thats why its so good to lift weights and its another reason why its hard to guage how many calories you actually burned doing it.

Stick to what your doing on off days you can take walks-

mrsyac2 · October 2009

veggies are great but you need complex carbs and proteins as well.

iplayoutside19 · October 2009

I have what I call a work-out week. It's usually 5 days, and doesn't always corrispond to the work week. By the end of my WW I'm tired, sore, and just ready fall on the couch and watch football.

I take a day off from cardio, and two days off from weights. The day after my off day I simply feel amazing, and ready to get after it again.

Remember rest, and sleep are also apart of being fit and healthy.

jlefton1212 · October 2009

If you are only getting 800 net calories per day, and are exhausted...then eat more!

Some people choose not to eat their exercise calories, or only eat half of them. Everyone is going to be different.

Think of the food as fuel. If you love to work out, you are going to need more fuel to provide the energy for these workouts. If you don't have enough fuel, pretty soon your body is going to become more fuel efficient and will burn less fuel so that it can sustain itself on the intake/output ratio that you have set up(which is when your metabolism SLOWS DOWN to accomodate the high calorie burn & low calorie intake combination). Fuel efficiency is great for your car, but bad for weight loss!

It sounds like you are making GREAT food choices -- CONGRATULATIONS! You should feel very proud that you are loading up on healthy natural foods. I would recommend working in nuts, beans, fruit, and avocado which are all natural but also higher in calories. Best of luck to you!!

Am I working out too much?

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