|
2004/05/15, 06:04 PM
ok, i'll be honest, i'm really upset...
i have low BP to begin with. i've been working out like a dog, 5 days/week, for the past 3 weeks. i've been doing 30 min cardio (treadmill) and 35 min of light weight training each time. i've now added some ball/ab work and am doing that 7 days/week.
every time i'm done working out, i get so depressed that i don't want to leave my house for the rest of the day. this has been happening almost the same day i started.
also, my daily mealtimes have increased and decreased in portions, and i'm trying to eat as many whole foods (aka unprocessed) as possible.
i just stepped on the scale today and found that i've gained 12 lbs. i almost went bullestic... no, i DID go bullestic!
what am i doing wrong? i'm trying to SLIM DOWN for a wedding in 5 weeks and now it looks as though i will have to take my dress back and buy a BIGGER one!
:(
please help!
--------------
- - - - - - - - - - -
pax,
Robin
www.seraphimweb.com
|
|
|
|
2004/05/15, 08:19 PM
Hi Robin, so sorry you're experiencing such frustration :(
Are you measuring specifically how much you expend for your workout and how many calories you are taking in?? 30 minutes of cardio can mean different things - are you keeping your heart rate above 65% the whole time, or doing any kind of interval timing (65% for a minute, 75% for a minute, 90% for a minute, down to 65% to catch your breath for a minute then back up)??
When you weight train are you truly fatiguing the muscle? The last couple reps of each set should be hard to finish!
It is very common to adjust your eating habits and think you are doing well with them, but if you ACTUALLY TRACK each and every thing you eat each day for a week, you may be surprised to see alot of extra calories you didn't realize were killing your max.
Now don't get ballistic and don't give up.. just analyze what you're doing that's not working, and change it up! Change your cardio routine, change what weight training exercises you are doing and push yourself a little further than you did before.. you should be even more determined now that you have effort invested!!
--------------
: ] ~Danielle
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
~Benjamin Disraeli
|
|
2004/05/15, 11:34 PM
hi Danielle,
thanks for your reply. i'm still pretty upset. i am using one of those "True" treads and am doing the "weight loss mode" at level 5, but no running. i bump up the incline at the high points to 12% and maintain speed 3.2. when the 30 min routine is done, usually i've burned ~240 calories. the heart rate monitor handles say i'm "maxing" at about 159.
after that i alternate strength training workouts between abs/back and arms/chest. i work out 5x/week. i challenge myself and yes, it is difficult the last couple of reps in each set (3 sets of 15 each). i'm also doing the ab ball curnches every day.
as for diet, like i said, i try to eat as many "whole foods" as i can. i eat a lot of raw tomatoes if i'm hungry between meals and i eat a lot of tuna sandwiches (whole grain bread). today i splurged and ate a prefab breakfast biscuit that i nuked. when i "need" something sweet i have been eating an applesauce cup instead of reaching for chocolate.
in addition, most people feel energized after a workout and i usually feel depressed. my BP is usually about ~100/67 so i'm sure it's lower when i'm done with my workout. i've been crying a lot lately after i get home from the gym (a 2 min car ride or 5 min bike ride, depending on the weather).
so, that's my story. oh, and my parents were/are both extremely heavy northern european types, and up until today i was always lighter than my mother.
ugh...
thanks again,
--------------
- - - - - - - - - - -
pax,
Robin
www.seraphimweb.com
|
|
2004/05/16, 03:03 AM
Robin - 2 things
1 although you've put on weight are your clothes getting tighter? if not then some of the weight you've gained will be muscle not fat. If you exercise regularly scales are pretty useless at tracking your progress
2 Is it only after you've been to the gym you feel down? Do you have anyone you can talk to - see if they've noticed a difference in you - If so, should you be seeing a doctor about your mood?
|
|
2004/05/16, 11:09 AM
my clothes are fitting the same... no tighter, no looser.
it is only after i've been to the gym that i feel down. i guess most people with low BP either feel dizzy or faint, and although i've had a couple of dizzy spells, i found that eating a handful of dry granola and a cup of coffee before i go to the gym (usually in the morning) cured the dizziness.
thanks.
--------------
- - - - - - - - - - -
pax,
Robin
www.seraphimweb.com
|
|
2004/05/16, 12:45 PM
How many calories per day do you eat?? What's your weight training like?? Have you looked at an FT weight loss plan?
--------------
Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds.
Charlie
|
|
2004/05/16, 01:03 PM
Do you have a protein shake immediately after your workout? My gym has a smoothie bar, and I have found it worthwhile to take the time after my workout to buy the shake and sit down and have it right then instead of jumping in the car.
You may need to feed your body right away?
--------------
: ] ~Danielle
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
~Benjamin Disraeli
|
|
2004/05/16, 03:32 PM
daily caloric intake: i probably, HONESTLY, only eat about 1500 calories per day on average. on Fri & Sat nights i usually splurge and have 1-2 glasses of merlot.
our gym is in the middle of remodeling and they're going to have a juice bar when it's done. right now, they have about 4 coolers by the front desk that sell stuff, but it all looks like it's for men who are trying to bulk up.
on the 2 days i don't work out i usually garden and ride my horse. riding my horse is pretty intensive cuz he's young and we're training. i also belly dance on Wed nights for an hour, which also works up a sweat. so you see, i am a pretty active person. :(
should i NOT be alarmed that i've gained 12 lbs of muscle in only 3 WEEKS? does that not seem like a lot for a 34 year old woman?
thanks again,
p.s. how do i find the FT plans?
--------------
- - - - - - - - - - -
pax,
Robin
www.seraphimweb.com
|
|
2004/05/16, 03:57 PM
Robin, It may sound nuts but you may not be eating enough. You still didn't say what your strength training consists of. If you weigh 180 lbs, you need 1800 calories just to live. That means just to breathe, sleep and walk around. If you are eating 1500 calories, plus exercising your body thinks it is starving. In order to protect itself, it is preserving fat for survival and burning some muscle in the process.
The most surefire way to burn fat is to build muscle and speed up your metabolism. To build muscle you need to lift and lift heavy. YOU WON"T BULK UP LIKE A MAN. Ask any of the women here who have lifted for a period of time.
You need to start plotting your base calorie needs and adjust by the exercise you do. Your base calorie need is probably around the 1800 cals per day I mentioned. If you burn 300 during cardio, that takes you to 2100. Add in another 300 or 400 for weight training and you are probably at 24 or 2500 per day. Try that for a week or two and if your weight stabalizes, drop 250 cals per day from your diet for 2 weeks. If you lose weight, then you know what to do.
The main trick here is to lift. Lifting builds muscle. Muscle is the best calorie burner there is. Cardio will not build lots of muscle or burn lots of fat. Burning fat is a long term proposition. Try signing up for one of the FT exercise programs and use the nutritional guide. If you want a quick fix, this is the wrong place. If you want a lifestyle change that will make you lean and hard, this is it. Hope this helps and welcome to FT.
--------------
Foolish consistancies are the hobgoblins of small minds.
Charlie
|
|
2004/05/16, 08:37 PM
Charlies right.. I consume 1600 calories a day and I only weigh 120. Crazy as it seems, you need to eat more.
The protein shakes are not just for "bulk".. they're for feeding your muscles after you work them out. Search fitbuddy for post workout protein and read up on why.. very important to do so, and that will boost your caloric intake in just the right place!
They're also pretty good.. a little chocolat might be just the thing for keeping your mood up:big_smile:
--------------
: ] ~Danielle
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
~Benjamin Disraeli
|
