I am hoping someone can help me or give me some advice as to what I need to do or what I may be doing wrong.
I have been working out about 5, usually 6 days a week for almost two months now. I have gotten into the habit of taking a thirty minute cardio or strengh training class at gym during lunch hour, which usually burns about 200-350 calories.
Later on before I go home, I head back to the gym and run anywhere from 3-5 miles and/or switch up each day btwn a cardio/strengt/toning class or weights. I alternate days for the weights.
So in total im burning anywhere from 700-1300 calories a day.
I am logging in all foods that I eat daily with the help of a calorie counter...which advises that I (a 26 yr old female, 5'4, 145 lbs) eat at least 1500 calories a day.
I have lost some weight and inches cause when I first started I was 155LBS. I am not expecting a miracle over night but I just want to make sure that I am doing everything correct.
Do I need to eat more on days I burn 1200 calories??
I dont want body to go into "starvation" mode, and I eat 6 meals a day (healthy snacks, veggies, fruits in between 3 square meals).
Any advice and direction would be most appreciated....im trying hardest to keep on doing what I am already doing since I am seeing results...I just want to speed up the proceess...if at all possible?
You're harming yourself with the workouts. You don't need to do cardio / strength classes at Lunch, then another hour after work, of Cardio and weights stuff, it's overkill.
You can't expect your body to recover, from 30 minutes of moderate to high intensity Cardiovascular and resitance work, in about 4-6 hours, when it may well need about 24 hours to get over a hour session.
I'd can the Lunch time classes, and do the stuff after work, when you've more time to focus on it, and not stress about trying to get to the gym, change, workout, change, get back to office and fit in a Lunch as well, before or after training.
The potential stress you might cause, cramming all that into 1 hour, will not help much with your digestion, and just cause issues you don't really need, potentially with Cortisol induced Fat deposits round the Midriff. Slighty counteracting any benefit you might get working out.
If you want to go for a light stroll at lunch fine, where you might burn 50-100 calories max yeah, but don't do the classes I think, and also I think you're potentially doing enough calories wise.
Yes you need bear minimum 1,500 a day I feel, and more like 1,800-2,000, but with your burn off 1,200 a day sometimes, that's overdoing it.
You may be able to lose weight to some extent, burning more calories than you consume, as its a version of more out then goes in, but I don't think it's realistically the best thing, and you are sometimes burning nearly as many as you eat. So you need to.
A: Cut that burn, by reducing exercise capacity, to after work only. Give yourself more time to relax, and get into your workouts, and feel more focused and on it, rather than cramming 30 minutes, and a lunch, plus changing clothes twice, and travelling time into an hour.
B: Increase cals. You'll still be pretty active training 5 days a week, and 1,500 looks a tad low. I'd try for another 300 perhaps, raising to 1,800, which means if you eat 6 meals a day, simply add 50 calories to each meal, or about 5g Protein, 5g Carbs 1g Fats, if you want to keep calorie increases simple.
Also stick to 5 days max of training and Cardio stuff, and don't have the two days off back to back, you'll just potentially store Fat from the lowered Metabolic functions for two days.
Whenever you take the first day off, have the next about 3-4 days later, so you never workout in any way, for longer than 3 days straight.
When you do Cardio after weights if you do, make sure Cardio is not relative to weights workouts, make it different.
I.E. If you train upper body, don't do things like Rowing Machine, or stuff that works the Arms, as you'll probably be fatiguing the muscles you've worked even more. In that instance go for stuff like Exercise Bike and Treadmill, that don't impact much if at all on Upper body.
If you do Leg stuff, the best one is probably Bike, as you take the weight off the Legs, and should distribute it into the Seat or Saddle, and unlike a Rower, you won't be moving the Legs as much on an E B, or you shouldn't be.
Also I would like to see your nutrition.
Meal times, and meal types. You've been vague with things like Grains Fruits etc etc, and perhaps you're not making the best of your nutrition.
Remember, don't fall into the classic trap of healthy food equals small portions too, it doesn't.
So if you're someone who has small portions of Salmon, and a measly portion of Beans for Dinner, or just eat stuff like Apples or a Yoghurt for between meal snacks, (things like that), you're not going to be consuming calories enough, and risk things like possible deficiencies, or inadequate RDA or RNI values for Macro and micronutrients.
So posting meal times and types, will help us see ways to possibly improve your diet.
- yes far too much...quality over quantity
- wts 3/week
- interval cardio or sprints are even better 2/week
- patience and consistency are the secrets here
- as bossman suggested, post food intake
7:00pm one whole wheat tortilla with 6 BOCA Organic Soy "buffalo" wings, 2 slices of american cheese, ketchup
8:30pm one navel orange & 2 slices of pineapple
along with tons of water in between! I drink at least 12-16 glasses a day.
I am a pescetarian so I normally eat a lot of soy/meatless products or a piece of salmon with veggies for dinner.
As for the working out I dont mind the 30 min workouts during lunch. They really are not that strenuous and exhausting in opinion. When I do go after work its usually where I get most of work done and burn tons of calories.
Please let me know if I should change eating habits, and maybe add something else?
Also, I have struggled with an eating disorder in the past, I have over come that and now I am determined to lose weight but the healthy and proper way...not excessive dieting, starvation, bingeing, purging...etc. I know this may have had some sort of negative effect on metabolism but its been a few years now and I am ok with food and no longer have issues with them.
Just to add to that...the total calories consumed above is roughly 1575 calories.
The total amount that i burned working out for that day was
kickboxing for 28mins burned 275 cals
then ran 5.25 miles and did some weight machines for 1:44 mins which burned 929 cals. (weights consisted of inner and outer thighs, chest press, rotary chest, lats, & ab crunches with weighted pulley...all were 3 sets of 12-15reps )
belladiamondz wrote:
9am 1cup of cheerios with 1/2 cup of light vanilla soy milk (Add more Protein here. I'd have 3 Scrambled Egg Whites with a Yolk)
11am 1 cup of coffee with 1/4 cup of skim milk and 2 packets of splenda
1 medium banana (Wait 15 minutes after the Banana, and then have another Protein source. So the Protein source doesn't interfere with Fruit digestion)
1230pm 1 cup of decaf tea with 2 packets of honey
9 Cheddar Mini Quaker Rice Cakes (I'd ditch the Tea. Tannine can interfere with Iron absorption, same as Caffeine.)
2:00pm 1/2 whole wheat pita
romaine lettuce w/ sliced red bell peppers, chick peas, shredded carrots, cabbage & fat free sweet onion salad dressing (Chick Peas have Protein, but you need more, so look to add something else in here as well.)
4:00pm Light & Fit Nonfat Strawberry Yogurt (I'd add more Protein in here)
7:00pm one whole wheat tortilla with 6 BOCA Organic Soy "buffalo" wings, 2 slices of american cheese, ketchup (Change the American Cheese for Low Fat, and be careful of Ketchup as it may contain Sugar)
8:30pm one navel orange & 2 slices of pineapple. (Fruit can contain Fructose, which to some extent converts to Fat in the Liver. Have some other source of Carbohydrate, and make sure you get a bit of Protein here too.)
along with tons of water in between! I drink at least 12-16 glasses a day. (Seems fine)
Boss Man...
i have some questions about your suggestions...
you said to Add more Protein for breakfast, like Scrambled Egg Whites with a Yolk...what about egg beaters? is that suffice?
Then you said to Wait 15 minutes after the Banana, and then have another Protein source. ...wat do you suggest here??
Chick Peas have Protein, but you said i need more, so aside from maybe kidney beans or a veggie burger cut up and added to salad, what else could i add
4:00pm Light & Fit Nonfat Strawberry Yogurt (I'd add more Protein in here) .....like what??
8:30pm one navel orange & 2 slices of pineapple. (Fruit can contain Fructose, which to some extent converts to Fat in the Liver. Have some other source of Carbohydrate, and make sure you get a bit of Protein here too.)
basically...i need more PROTEIN! I dont eat meat, so what suggestions do you have for me that are high in protein,...i eat fish and soy products "mock meat".
I agree. You are exercising as much as many competitive athletes, who also eat enormous amounts of calories to fuel that activity.
It's best to balance your meals with a carb source, a protein and a small amount of good fats. For protein, whey powder, eggs, cottage cheese, lentils, soybeans are great. And yes eggbeaters are fine. Egg yolks do have some excellent nutrients that we don't tend to get other places, so having one now and again can be beneficial.
thanks for the protein suggestions SarahPT....now what should caloric intake be, should I stay at 1500? or go over that?
Also, any ideas on whats good to eat before and/or after a strenuous & intense workout?
