Need some advice.

[dobberjean]

Hi everyone!!

Wow...where to begin...i started working out when i was 15 years old. i began with soup cans for weights but i have since moved up to 12 lb dumbells. i had lost about 20 lbs and kept it off all through college, but once i graduated and started working at a desk job, i have gained back 20 lbs. to compensate for the time i spend at my desk, i upped my workout time from 45 minutes to 2 hours each morning..i mix up my workouts as much as possible to keep from platuing and getting bored, which i have been doing consistently for 3 years now. my question is i still have quite a bit of body fat. i don't know how to get rid of that. i run 6 miles a week, i do kickboxing, step, jumping rope, lots of weight lifting, circuit training, but i guess i am disappointed that i am not seeing the results that i thought i would have. has anyone else feel like this?

 

[competition bound]

RE: Hi Dobberjean!!

What are your eating habits like? I'm not implying that you're eating too much, I'm worried that you're eating too little and putting yourself into starvation mode. When that happens, you body hordes all food it consumes and your metabolism slows to near nothing. You sound like you're a workout queen! So I'm wondering if either you're not eating enough to fuel your body, or too much. Anyway, it's just my $.02!! But I hope that this may help with something you might not have thought of.


Aimee

 

[lynn]

Hi-
Could some of the weight you have gained be muscle? Gosh, based on what your workout schedule is, I can't imagine it wouldn't be.
And it is really true, muscle does weigh more than fat!!! (Even though it is a killer to step on the scale and see the numbers stay the same of even go up!)
Maybe you could keep a food journal on what you eat...it sounds kind of dorky, but it really helped me realize the quanitity and quality of what I was fueling my body with everyday.
Hang in there..

Lynn

 

[kristina]

Sooo there with you

Hiya! I am the workout Nazi, and I have been as low as 135 (put me in a size 6) and high as 220 (size 16). I am very dense, very short (5'3") and gain weight very easily. The working out has never stopped through it all. About 4 years ago my Doctor put me on an allergy control diet, of all things, and I happily lost about 60 lbs from my heaviest 220, a lovely side benefit. Ate more, really, I just was limited to what I could eat. I kept it off until a year ago, 20 of it crept back in the last year. I am holding at a size 10, working to get back down the 15 or so lbs that would put me comfortably back in an 8. FRUSTRATION! FRUSTRATION! :-mad But, you just keep going. :-jumpy

I suggest you do an evaluation--but you have to be painfully honest with yourself.

What's changed and what is the same since you starting gaining?

1. Are you eating enough? (3 -5 small meals/snacks a day is great)
2. Are you overtraining? (You have to give your body time to recover or it stops responding. Look at how you are stacking your workouts)
3. Are you eating more than you think you are? Office jobs are killers for that, I know, I am a paralegal and God Bless America there is food at every juncture of my day.
4. Are you working out smart? If you have always worked out, but now are getting older (Ouch, I know) and have a sedentary job...maybe you need to up the intensity, not the duration.
5. Is what you are eating sneaking up on you? High complex carbs, too much sugar, all as important as fat. Alot of "fat free" foods are LOADED with salt and sugar.
6. Do you drink the mimimum 8 glasses per day of water? Really important, even moreso if you sit on the touchie all day.
7. Are you on any new meds? Birth control, allergy stuff, etc etc
8. Have you changed when you eat? More at night, skipped breakfast, bigger meal later, etc etc
9. Is there any other new medical condition that is going on?

Sharing my problem, I found when I did the above evaluation that I had started eating too many complex carbs and fruit...and too much of foods that I am allergic too...and indulging in the Friday happy hour more than usual. I also had to kick start my metabolism, picked a totally new exercise regime and weight training routine. It stopped the alarming upward swing, now I have to stick to it and get back down where I want to be.

If you can honestly say none of the above applies to you, time to see your doctor. Have your blood levels checked, make sure you don't have a thyroid problem, talk about your frustrations. You should not have to work out 2 hours a day to stay in shape unless you are a professional lifter or something. That's way too much stress on yourself. :-tired


I truly empathize with you. I wish you the best of luck....check in and let me know how you are doing.

 

[Rose031]

Are you sure you aren't overtraining? I remember Cathe mentioning dimished returns after a certain amount of time that could turn into negative returns for all that hard work. I know the amount of training would vary from person to person, but sometimes, believe it or not, less is more. If you aren't training for elite athletic competition, I'd see about cutting back on your workout time while keeping your intensity varied from workout to workout. You might want to consult a Personal Trainer to find ways to get the most workout bang for your time buck. Might just be the shake up your body needs. I hope this helps.

Rose