Educated crowd - what am i doing wrong?

C

candy602

Member
Stats:
Height: 5 2'
Weight: 115
small bone structure

I have been eating clean and exercising daily for many years now. I eat 6 or 7 small meals a day combining complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats. I do 1 1/2 hours of cardio per day and 20 minutes of weight lifting concentrating on one body part per day. I really need to lose 15 pounds and tone up. No I am not crazy, I have a very small frame and my legs look very chunky at this weight. And, no I don't have any body image issues etc.. I have been eating 1,200 calories a day for as long as I can remember but I can't lose one pound. Recently I tried raising my calories to 1,400 per day and I have actually gained two pounds of fat not muscle. Does anyone have any idea why I can't lose weight? Any suggestions on how to break through this plateau? Any help would be appreciated.
Candy
 
Candy....sometimes your body gets used to the cardio and doing too much won't help. IMO I would add more weight training and cut back a bit on cardio. Add more fruit and veggies and alot of water and see if it helps...:)...Carole
 
Candy,

I know you don't want to hear this but it sounds like your body is trying to tell you something. Maybe it's "cut down on the cardio and add more weight training". IMHO, 1.5 hours of cardio is way too much!

If you think about it, you're probably burning approx 600 calories (conservative estimate) each workout. You're only taking in between 1200 and 1400? Your body has to be in starvation mode and hanging on to every bit of fat it can.
 
I'd definitely mix up your routine - 90 minutes of daily cardio is a lot and might offset any muscle gains. Try cutting down to shorter cardio sessions - you could do one or two low- to moderate-intensity sessions (45-60 minutes), one high intensity session (30-45 minutes) and an interval cardio session (30-45 minutes). You could also mix up your weights work - try two body parts per day, or mixing upper body workouts, lower body workouts and total-body. If you want to build muscle, you'll have to lift heavy enough to hit muscle failure.

On the diet question, I don't know that 1200 calories is enough to fuel your body through those long cardio sessions, even for someone as petite as you are. If your body isn't getting enough fuel your metabolism goes into starvation mode and slows down to conserve all the extra energy (and body fat) it can. May I ask how long you tried eating 1400 calories? If you were only taking in that extra 200 calories a day and changing nothing else, you'd need to eat that for 35 days to put on two pounds (7000 extra calories). It's more likely that you put on some water weight or your muscles replenished with glycogen rather than two pounds of straight fat.

I'd try increasing calories again, anywhere from 1300-1600, and ignore the scale. See how your clothes fit, see how you FEEL, check your energy level. You can also try cycling your calories - give yourself a low day of 1200, a high day of 1800, and mix up the other five days.

Allison
 
Thank you all for your advice. What I am hearing is less cardio, more weights, and increase calories. It is just so hard to fathom that exercising less and eating more will make me lose weight. I will give it a try and keep you posted on progress. Thank you again.
Candy
 
The key is that you have to find the good balance between diet and exercise. If you consume too little food and burn too many calories, your body will go into starvation mode like the other posters said. This slows down your metabolism instead of speeding it up.

I know it sounds funny, but you really do need to make sure you are eating enough to support your exercise habits or it will backfire on you.

HTH. :)

~Wendy~

I smoked my last cigarette on March 17, 2004 at 10:00 pm!

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN

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EDD: 05/19/05
 
I don't have anything to add about what to try (the above suggestions look good to me) but I know what you mean about small bone structure...the scale sure doesn't tell the whole story, does it. I am very small (but tall) and when people hear I want to lower my bodyfat (lose weight, gain some muscle) they think I am nuts when I tell them what I already weigh. I have stopped telling them! I am a size 4 and they think I am off the deep end when I say I have a high bodyfat (well not high, but it ain't low). It is true and it can happen! You might consider having your bodyfat tested to see where it is at.

Jen
 
First off I think 5'2", 115 lbs is just fine. I'm 5'3" & weigh about 112, I'm very petite, & when I weigh less than this I look kind of sick.

That said, I agree w/everyone else that you're overdoing cardio. I would cut it down to 45 minutes, 5 days a week.

Also, you didn't mention your age, but I've had a tougher time losing weight as I got older. I think my metabolism has changed. Low fat, low cal just doesn't work for me anymore. You might want to look into a low carb diet like Atkins, or South Beach or the Zone if Atkins is too restrictive for you.
 
candy, how much water do you drink a day... I drink 3 to 4 liters a day... and eat alot of citrus..... if you are not drinking at least 3 liters of water, I say up it.... and you may be trying to over do it in cardio...... I am 5'2" and weight 102... and very small frame... Rhonda
 
Candy, I take in about the same amount of calories you do and I am not starving... so for these that think your starving, you would know if that were the case... they know what works for them, what works for them doesn't for you.... Rhonda
 
I agree with other posters. Increase your weight training (and do it first, before your cardio), and reduce your cardio. Instead of doing more cardio, make sure to vary your cardio, as the body seems to adapt faster to cardio than to weights (and you can increase the intensity of a weight workout by upping weights, while it's harder to increase the intensity of cardio workouts.

Also, eat sufficient calories, in about 5 or 6 meals/snacks per day (no more than about 500 calories per meal). That way, your body will not "think" it is starving, and will be more willing to give up the fat.
 
Rhonda,

You lost the weight you wanted using this method. Candy is not. That is the difference, IMHO.
 
You don't want to lose 15 lbs. I'm 5'0" and very small framed too. I weigh 104 and don't want to go a bit lower. I don't think I'd go less than maybe 107 or 108 if I were you.

It looks to me like you're doing too much cardio and not enough weights. Maybe go to 45 - 60 minutes of cardio 4 days a week, then 30 - 60 minutes of weights 2 -3 days. Building up your muscle mass will increase your resting metabolism. You'll become a "fat-burning machine". I can't remember where I heard that...but it's true.
 
Hi Candy! Do you believe in recovery weeks? Because there sooo important. That's the time when you see results. Try doing all the suggestions from everyone else. Do 3 weeks of less cardio more weight training + upping your protein (perhaps eating just fish, eggs & legumes for protein), veggies & fruit & then the 4th week (recovery) could look like this:

Sat: Hardcore Extreme (1, 2 or 3) your choice
Sun: Muscle Max
Mon: 1 segment of Core Max + 1 segment of Stretch Max
Tues: Low Max
Wed: Muscle Max
Thurs: Hardcore Extreme (1, 2 or 3 your choice)
Fri: Rest

HTH, Kathy:D
 
Thinking further: I think that if the scale is ....whatever...and you still don't have the look you want, it is likely that you need to swap some fat for muscle. If you are not naturally very muscular you may need to up your calories and go heavy with the weights and see where that takes you.

The scale is one indicator, but it doesn't tell the whole story. BF level is better, IMHO
 
To answer one posters question I am 32. I can't thank you ladies enough for all of the advice. It is just what I need. Sometimes I think I consume way to much health, fitness, and nutrition information and end up more confused than anything. Thank you gals for being straight with me. Starting tomorrow the calories are going up, cardio is coming down, and weights are going to be more of a priority.


Candy
 
Candy,

May I also add for you to vary your cardio. If you are doing 1 1/2 hours of the SAME cardio every day your body adjusts, becomes more efficient and burns fewer calories than someone who is unfit.

Challenge your body by cross-training and doing intervals. Intervals are fantastic for burning fat and keeping your metabolism revved up.

Good luck and keep us posted!
 
I thouhgt the same as Wedy did when reading your post. You may have put your bod into S... mode. 90" of cardio EVERY day is really not necessary and you run a great risk of OVERUSE INJURY.

Mix things up completely make a totally different rotation, change your TYPE of cardio and concentrate on weight training.

Perhaps you might want to get advice from a professional about an ideal weight for your self. I did see that you are small framed, but if you have good lean muscle perhaps your ideal weight is more than you think. Also, forget the scale. Do your clothes fit well? Perhaps you might like to try using your body measurements as a guide to your ideal body size, and only take them monthly. It can be very negative being a slave to an ideal number on a scale. Besides, I'm sure you look fantastic already:7:7!!!

Judy
AKA "Likes2bfit"
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Hi Candy! The recovery week that I posted to you was a rotation to start AFTER your recovery week. YIKES is right! When I rechecked the rotation for recovery I put in the wrong one! I'm sooo sorry. Your recovery week is to look like this:

Day 1: Core Max (just 1 segment)
Day 2: Stretch Max (just 1 segment)
Day 3: Low Max
Day 4: Yoga
Day 5: High Step Challenge
Day 6: Stretch Max
Day 7: Rest

If you don't like yoga, you can do pilates instead.

Again I apologize. I need more sleep! LOL Kathy :D
 
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