Jump to content

Day 31 and GAINED weight


mrslady

Recommended Posts

I just completed my first whole30. I weighed myself this morning (day 31) and gained 4lbs. I am surprised. Need some guidance about why/where to go from here. I followed the meal template almost exactly (though sometimes I think my veggie servings were too large). I drink at least a gallon of water a day, and get 7-8 hrs sleep a night. I exercise at a moderate pace for about an hour a day. I am coming from a restrictive diet (history of eating disorders), which consisted pretty much of veggies, fruit, oatmeal, and occasionally some eggs or tofu for protein. I counted calories. I ate almost no fat, no grains (except quinoa and oatmeal), and very little protein. I ate a lot of PB2. My portions of veggies and fruit were large (they had to be...that was the main part of my diet). I like volume. My goal on whole30 was to try to get my relationship with food to a more healthy place, but now I am completely discouraged that I've gained weight, and am considering going back to the calorie counting.

Some sample days:

M1: 4 cups spaghetti squash, 2 hard boiled eggs

1 banana, 2 thumbs coconut manna

M2: steamed veggies, shredded chicken (1.5 Palm size), splash of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 avocado, 1 Apple

M3: mixing bowl sized salad with olive oil and vinegar and a can of tuna/salmon/sardines in water

Another day

M1: baked sweet potato, veggies (onion, kale, mushrooms) sautéed in coconut oil, 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 banana

M2: veggies sautéed in tiny bit of olive oil, half a jar of compliant tomato sauce, 2 eggs (shakshuka), 1 Apple with 2 thumbs almond or coconut butter

M3: large serving soup made with 1-2 palms chicken, half a head of cabbage, half an onion, tomatoes, carrots, and 2 c bone broth, with either 1/2 avocado or heaping handful olives as fat

I added a fruit with or immediately after dinner 2-3 times a week.

The weight gain is driving me crazy. I know it looks like I was underfed based on what I was eating before (and in some sense I agree, based on such limited fat and protein intake), but I have plenty of padding around my thighs and belly, and DO NOT WANT to gain weight. Open to any suggestions!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How are you feeling in terms of overall health?

How are your stress levels?

How are you sleeping?

How old are you? Are you on medication of any kind?

Did you see any NSVs? Did you take measurements, or sense any changes in shape?

 

You mention yourself that you're coming from a history of eating disorders & restrictive eating. It's quite possible that it will take your body longer than 30 days to adjust to the changes & actually TRUST that this new eating regimen is a permanent thing. In the meantime it is highly likely to have decided to hold on to everything it could so as to create some food stores for what it's come to think of as the inevitable 'famine'.... Many people in your scenario extend to 45 or even 60 days so as to see more improvement - perhaps this is something you should consider. 

Your meals don't actually look too bad. I think you simply just can not undo the impact that the restriction of the past 10-20 years has had on your body in 30 days, and right now your body is prioritizing healing & nutrition & reaching a happy, healthy place before it is willing to shed.

The 'crazy' you're feeling at the lack of weight loss will not be helping...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Overall I'm feeling pretty good (up until this morning and the dreaded scale). I'm sleeping better and I've noticed a slight increase in energy. Stress levels are manageable, maybe slightly better than pre-Whole30. 

 

I am 27 and not on any medication (other than a fish oil supplement, a folic acid supplement, and an occasional benadryl for allergies). 

 

My biggest "NSV" has been letting go of calorie counting. That has been very freeing. My clothes still fit fine even with the weight gain, but nothing is looser than it was pre-Whole30. I didn't take measurements, which I am now regretting, but I did take before and after pictures. Other than my hair being slightly longer in the after pictures, there is almost no discernible difference at all. 

 

Do you think I should continue going exactly as is (without reducing portion size or fat intake) for another 30 days? And if so, do I need to continue to avoid the scale? I would be absolutely crushed if I went up even more after another 30 days. 

 

Also, I eat one two-thumb serving size of either almond or coconut butter every day. Should I reduce that to a few times a week? Or maybe I need to limit my intake of "sweet" vegetables like sweet potatoes, acorn/butternut squash, spaghetti squash? Just not sure, and again, with my history of eating disorders (been "in recovery" from binging/purging/starving for almost six years), it's very hard for me to tell what I should and should not limit. I guess I am still trying to develop a sane and healthy relationship with food.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, my advice would be to step away from the scale - permanently - that number tells you nothing but your gravitational pull on this earth, and you were feeling good until you stepped on to it.

Be kind to yourself. You've had 30 days of feeding your body nutritious, wholesome food - you've done good!

 

You're sleeping better, you have increased energy, your stress levels may be better than preW30, and you're free of counting calories - and you've admitted that that feels good!

Ok, so going forward here's what you do:

You do NOT reduce your fat - you could probably do with a little more in some meals - you need it to help you feel full, you need it for brain health, and you need to eat fat to lose fat.
You do NOT reduce your portion sizes - you could even eat a little more - especially protein - when eggs are your only source for example, a serving is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping.
You DO limit fruit & nuts/nut butter consumption to every other day at most.
You also limit starchy veg to one fist sized serving per day - try keeping it until meal 3.

You then replace the starchy veg with lots of other power greens like spinach & kale.
Fruit if you want it use as a condiment only - a few berries sprinkled into a salad.
You make sure you are drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily.

Give it a week and see how you are feeling and come back with an update and we can tweak some more....

I honestly think that all it will take is some tweaks and a little more time.

Hope this helps.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

This is my worst fear. I'm terrified I'll weigh more when I finish my round of this.

 

Perhaps you put muscle on from all the working out you're doing? That could be why you've gained weight.

Okay... what if you DID weigh more?  But what if the number on the scale was more but your pants were looser.  What if you weighed more but you slept better, your skin was glowing, your mood was stable and you felt like a million bucks?  Seriously... we know that weight loss is a major contributing factor to people undertaking the Whole30 but we want to encourage you to consider the other improvements that may completely negate a one or two pound increase on the scale... 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

This is my worst fear. I'm terrified I'll weigh more when I finish my round of this.

 

Perhaps you put muscle on from all the working out you're doing? That could be why you've gained weight.

 

What if you do weigh more -- but you're sleeping better, and your clothes fit better, and any aches and pains you've had go away, and you're no longer craving sugar, and you can go to a party and not eat junk food just because it's there if you don't want it? Would weighing a few pounds more really be such a horrible thing then?

 

Or what if you game the system -- I'm not saying you would, but we have people who seem to try to -- and you eat way more fruit than is recommended, and you skip breakfast a lot, and you don't add fat to your meals because you're scared of gaining weight, and at the end of 30 days, you do weigh less, but you still crave sugar, and you still don't feel great, and you're not any stronger than when you started or you're not having better workouts, you're not sleeping better? Would that be success just because you lost weight?

 

These are the two extremes, of course, but I mention it just to get you to think about it. Believe me, I get that many of us have weight to lose and we do want that to be a result, but you really do have to consider more than just that number on the scale. And it really bothers me that so many people believe that weighing a little more is such a terrifying, horrible thing that they just cannot imagine anything worse. At my heaviest, I weighed 337 pounds -- and I can absolutely assure you that is not the most horrible thing that has ever happened to me in my life. Not that I recommend that anyone aim to weigh that, I wasn't happy about weighing that, but there are plenty of things that could happen in life that are way worse than gaining a few pounds over the course of a month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What if you do weigh more -- but you're sleeping better, and your clothes fit better, and any aches and pains you've had go away, and you're no longer craving sugar, and you can go to a party and not eat junk food just because it's there if you don't want it? Would weighing a few pounds more really be such a horrible thing then?

 

Or what if you game the system -- I'm not saying you would, but we have people who seem to try to -- and you eat way more fruit than is recommended, and you skip breakfast a lot, and you don't add fat to your meals because you're scared of gaining weight, and at the end of 30 days, you do weigh less, but you still crave sugar, and you still don't feel great, and you're not any stronger than when you started or you're not having better workouts, you're not sleeping better? Would that be success just because you lost weight?

 

These are the two extremes, of course, but I mention it just to get you to think about it. Believe me, I get that many of us have weight to lose and we do want that to be a result, but you really do have to consider more than just that number on the scale. And it really bothers me that so many people believe that weighing a little more is such a terrifying, horrible thing that they just cannot imagine anything worse. At my heaviest, I weighed 337 pounds -- and I can absolutely assure you that is not the most horrible thing that has ever happened to me in my life. Not that I recommend that anyone aim to weigh that, I wasn't happy about weighing that, but there are plenty of things that could happen in life that are way worse than gaining a few pounds over the course of a month.

 

The last thing I want is to gain more weight. But if I do and I feel better, I'll be upset, but I'll just have to live with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For anyone with a fear of the scale, I want you to look at the photo on this page: http://saltwaterfit.com/why-the-scale-doesnt-tell-the-full-story/

 

Especially if you come from a background of restriction, eating less and stressing can actually be the things holding back your weightloss, not food.

 

Stress brings on loads of stress hormone cortisol and it's job is not to help you lose weight, it's to survive the stress/threat, bodies rarely think weightloss is good for survival, so try not to stress. If the scale is a source of stress, get rid of it, out of the house. Something that brings on that level of stress, fear, panic or terror is not your friend. Keep it far away.

 

A doctor can even weigh you and not tell you the number if you want to be monitored for medical reasons, without any stress (my doctor knows not to "hint" or "respond" after my weigh in).

 

High cardio or high stress (physical) workouts can also increase cortisol, so keep this in mind as well.

 

I got much better results from ditching "chronic cardio" in the mornings (when cortisol is naturally high) and replacing with "lifting heavy things" in the afternoon/evening (when cortisol is naturally lower).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, my advice would be to step away from the scale - permanently - that number tells you nothing but your gravitational pull on this earth, and you were feeling good until you stepped on to it.

Be kind to yourself. You've had 30 days of feeding your body nutritious, wholesome food - you've done good!

 

You're sleeping better, you have increased energy, your stress levels may be better than preW30, and you're free of counting calories - and you've admitted that that feels good!

Ok, so going forward here's what you do:

You do NOT reduce your fat - you could probably do with a little more in some meals - you need it to help you feel full, you need it for brain health, and you need to eat fat to lose fat.

You do NOT reduce your portion sizes - you could even eat a little more - especially protein - when eggs are your only source for example, a serving is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping.

You DO limit fruit & nuts/nut butter consumption to every other day at most.

You also limit starchy veg to one fist sized serving per day - try keeping it until meal 3.

You then replace the starchy veg with lots of other power greens like spinach & kale.

Fruit if you want it use as a condiment only - a few berries sprinkled into a salad.

You make sure you are drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily.

Give it a week and see how you are feeling and come back with an update and we can tweak some more....

I honestly think that all it will take is some tweaks and a little more time.

Hope this helps.

 

One question - why wait until M3 for the starchy veg? What I've learned in the past is that breakfast should be the "heaviest" meal, with lunch a little smaller, and dinner a little smaller than that. (I am often terrible at actually following along with that guideline...I usually have a big breakfast, small lunch, then big dinner.) 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One question - why wait until M3 for the starchy veg? What I've learned in the past is that breakfast should be the "heaviest" meal, with lunch a little smaller, and dinner a little smaller than that. (I am often terrible at actually following along with that guideline...I usually have a big breakfast, small lunch, then big dinner.) 

The sugars in starchy veg (& also in fruit) can impact your blood sugars making you feel hungrier sooner, particularly when eaten first thing in the morning having fasted overnight. In sports nutrition circles the many people recommend that you earn your carbs - ok, so we're talking Whole30 here, but I think it's a good rule of thumb for weight maintenance purposes if you want your body to learn to tap into it's fat stores efficiently.

Also, many people report that keeping their starchy veg back to meal three helps them sleep better.

I'll just highlight again that I said to go for one fist sized serving of starchy veg per day - you can have other veg along side it but unless you are particularly active you shouldn't need more starches/sugars than that provided you're getting enough fat, and if you are particularly sedentary you could reduce this to one serving every other day. If you're active then feel free to add a little more.

See how you go for a week or so, and then we can help you tweak again as necessary.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For anyone with a fear of the scale, I want you to look at the photo on this page: http://saltwaterfit.com/why-the-scale-doesnt-tell-the-full-story/

 

Especially if you come from a background of restriction, eating less and stressing can actually be the things holding back your weightloss, not food.

 

Stress brings on loads of stress hormone cortisol and it's job is not to help you lose weight, it's to survive the stress/threat, bodies rarely think weightloss is good for survival, so try not to stress. If the scale is a source of stress, get rid of it, out of the house. Something that brings on that level of stress, fear, panic or terror is not your friend. Keep it far away.

 

A doctor can even weigh you and not tell you the number if you want to be monitored for medical reasons, without any stress (my doctor knows not to "hint" or "respond" after my weigh in).

 

High cardio or high stress (physical) workouts can also increase cortisol, so keep this in mind as well.

 

I got much better results from ditching "chronic cardio" in the mornings (when cortisol is naturally high) and replacing with "lifting heavy things" in the afternoon/evening (when cortisol is naturally lower).

This is eye-opening. Thanks for sharing. I have been doing an hour or so of cardio first thing every morning (immediately after breakfast) for years. Doing my first round of Whole30 and reading all the responses to my original post has completely shaken up everything I thought I knew about nutrition and exercise. 

 

Since I've been open to trying a whole different way of eating, I guess it's time to be open to a whole new way of exercising also. I have always done low impact exercise. Walking is my number one, but I also practice yoga frequently (I am a registered vinyasa yoga instructor and teach a few classes a month). I have never really lifted weights (other than dabbling occasionally with 5 or 8lb hand weights for a couple weeks once or twice a year, which always ends up feeling pointless).

 

So my question is, where do I start? I do NOT want to join a gym, but my husband does own a weight bench, a set of heavy hand weights, and a barbell with weight plates. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

Since I've been open to trying a whole different way of eating, I guess it's time to be open to a whole new way of exercising also. I have always done low impact exercise. Walking is my number one, but I also practice yoga frequently (I am a registered vinyasa yoga instructor and teach a few classes a month). I have never really lifted weights (other than dabbling occasionally with 5 or 8lb hand weights for a couple weeks once or twice a year, which always ends up feeling pointless).

 

So my question is, where do I start? I do NOT want to join a gym, but my husband does own a weight bench, a set of heavy hand weights, and a barbell with weight plates. 

 

Walking is a fabulous form of exercise - you're moving, which is great.  You can periodically pick up the pace, lift your knees higher, walk sideways, walk up hills and stairs to change up the intensity.

Regarding strength, you can start with lifting your own body. Wall push-ups, floor push-ups, tricep dips, and planks don't require any weights. Do the bridge pose in yoga, or any other yoga poses that strengthen your core.

 

From there, you can add in hand weights.  Then, for relatively little money, you could explore things like ankle weights (I like the graduated kind where you can adjust the weights), and exercise bands around your ankles.

If and when you feel ready, you could advance to the barbell and plates (or use the plates alone for lifting). Use slow and controlled movements, while engaging your core

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You aren't alone, I used to do early morning "chronic cardio" on an empty stomach :rolleyes:

You don't need to join a gym to do weights and you don't even need to lift actual weights, just heavy things.

Weights doesn't mean you will bulk up like a navy seal either.

 

I know a farmer who carries around farm equipment for his weight workouts, just while doing a walk, buckets of water, bags of seed, he purposefully doesn't move these around with machines anymore, he moves them by hand and has walk routes so he can do farm tasks while working out and walking (clever!). He doesn't like the gym and he likes being outdoors, so it works for him.
 

People make fun of it sometimes, but "baby yoga" where people lift their babies up while lying down is a kind of weight lifting.

 

Weights depend a lot on the structure of your skeleton/frame/tendons. I have strong hyperextension (super flexy joints), so I need to maximize control (avoid "free weights"). I have found (by complete fluke) a TotalGym is perfect for me as it limits my range of motion automatically, giving me enough control to lift much heavier weight and do more exercise, without dislocating or spraining, as my joints don't "wobble" while I'm bearing the extra weight. It's better for me than most gym equipment as most people have normal joints.

 

I do more leg work (it's a kind of squat, but works differently on the machine than standing up as the TotalGym makes you lift your own bodyweight) as my arms/hands/fingers are more risky. I discovered I actually have terrible problems with "holding" small weights in my hand like the tiny dumbbell style which requires you to grip them in your hands or they will fall, it's long periods of gripping which are painful. Switching to a kind that straps on my hand or arm and doesn't require me to hold it, completely different! No pain, no injuries, no numbness. There are other kinds like a liquid filled ball that rests in your hands without gripping (great for people with arthritis!), but you can't wave it around like a mini dumbbell, you will drop it (these are often used in walking workout videos), it's a bit like exercising supporting a very tough bird egg, it's not heavy really, but you feel it later.

 

The TotalGym has rails which move only back and forth, so they stop my dodgy knees from coming apart at awkward moments, if I did those same exercises freeform, I would have no external control and my body's control is insufficient to avoid injury. This is similar in some ways in concept to the Pilates Reformer machine (there's probably many that do similar things).

 

If you don't have any joint/bone/tendon issues, you have a lot of options. If you do have an existing issue (such as an old elbow injury) you may want to talk to a physiotherapist on what is safest (as if you're planning on doing it a lot, high risk stuff will eventually result in an injury) before you make any radical changes.

 

Some of the walking workout videos recommend holding tin cans from your pantry (personally I am too clumsy and these hurt when dropped on my feet lol), you could carry a bag of something semi-solid like rice. It doesn't really need to be proper equipment, but you can get kettlebells, some people just carry them, others lift them. If you're completely new to lifting, I wouldn't do anything heavy without supervision, it can be hard to "feel" when you're doing too much or doing it wrong when it's new. You'll know if your form is off if you get weird aches, like your left top shoulder or something strange. Lighter weights are more forgiving if your form isn't great. Jerky movements are generally more injury inducing than slow movement. Since you know yoga I think you'll find the form part fairly easy :)

 

If your husband is a good teacher and has good form, doing some small handweights is a good start. I found my tolerance was low at the beginning (I got sore quickly OR it felt like nothing and then I'd overdo it), but it grew pretty consistently. Reps (repetitions) are a part of weights, I'm no expert on reps, I just count my totals and keep a bit of a written log so I can track my progress. I tend not to be very good at the pauses in between reps (I find I tend to feel more lazy when I do 10-rep-pause-10-rep-pause and I'm more likely to stop for no real reason), but I take small pauses when I feel the need.

 

Small movements repeated over and over can actually be a surprisingly good workout, so you can do a low weight with lots of reps, or a higher weight with fewer reps and even alternate between these. If there's one I really want to do, but find it really hard (usually heavy and for me upper body is much harder), I keep going at it until I can do 1, then keep doing 1 until it feels easy (this might be days or weeks, that's okay), then go up 1 more, rather than trying to do a lot all in one go, some days you get a sudden jump in capability where you just keep going until you're tired and suddenly you've gone from 5 to 20 or 50, even though those early 1 reps were so hard. It doesn't get easier, you get stronger :)

 

On a side note, I also found my food needs changed a little when I moved away from cardio, this doesn't happen to everyone but if you feel like you want slightly different foods, you may need more muscle food.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You aren't alone, I used to do early morning "chronic cardio" on an empty stomach :rolleyes:

 

Do you still do cardio? I can't imagine giving up walking when it's such a way of life for me, though I am starting to wonder if the extra hour of sleep in the morning would actually be better for me than waking up at 5:15am to power walk. Do you strength train on a daily basis, and just focus on a different body area from day to day? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you still do cardio? I can't imagine giving up walking when it's such a way of life for me, though I am starting to wonder if the extra hour of sleep in the morning would actually be better for me than waking up at 5:15am to power walk. Do you strength train on a daily basis, and just focus on a different body area from day to day? 

Yes, yes it would... Strength training is the way forward for sure.

Muscle burns almost twice as much energy as body fat does, even at rest.

On the exercise note, have you been taking any kind of a postWO? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, yes it would... Strength training is the way forward for sure.

Muscle burns almost twice as much energy as body fat does, even at rest.

On the exercise note, have you been taking any kind of a postWO? 

I haven't eaten between meals at all. I generally haven't felt the need to, since I am usually exercising right after eating breakfast or dinner, and don't feel hungry afterwards. 

 

Generally a weekday looks like this:

5:15 - wake up

5:45 - breakfast

6:20-7:20 - cardio (power walking or elliptical)

12 - lunch

5:30 - dinner

6:30 - maybe 30 minutes of yoga or some more cardio (I don't always add in more exercise at the end of the day, maybe three times a week)

 

On weekends, I add in either an hour of yoga or an hour of pilates each day, plus maybe a longer hike. 

 

Maybe if I were doing more strength training and less cardio, I would feel differently? About how often do you strength train, and for how long? Cardio seems easy to "count" (I can count steps taken or miles walked). I worry that I would never know when I was "done" working out if I moved to strength training. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, so going forward here's what you do:

You do NOT reduce your fat - you could probably do with a little more in some meals - you need it to help you feel full, you need it for brain health, and you need to eat fat to lose fat.

You do NOT reduce your portion sizes - you could even eat a little more - especially protein - when eggs are your only source for example, a serving is the number of whole eggs you can hold in one hand without dropping.

You DO limit fruit & nuts/nut butter consumption to every other day at most.

You also limit starchy veg to one fist sized serving per day - try keeping it until meal 3.

You then replace the starchy veg with lots of other power greens like spinach & kale.

Fruit if you want it use as a condiment only - a few berries sprinkled into a salad.

You make sure you are drinking the recommended half an ounce of water per pound of body weight daily.

 

Can I butt in and ask something about these suggestions? 

 

I am so confused about the fruit, nut, starchy veg stuff in Whole30. Are all of these suggestions because the original poster is afraid of gaining weight or because these are baseline suggestions for all Whole30ers? 

 

I thought:

-too much fruit is discouraged because it wakes up the sugar dragon? And the nutrients can be gotten elsewhere (from vegetables) 

-Nuts/nut butters are discouraged because they can also awaken the sugar dragon and they are just not the best fat?

Is this correct? 

And what about the starchy veggie? 

 

And are these suggestions for strict Whole30 or if you wanted to continue a Whole30 lifestyle afterward? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can I butt in and ask something about these suggestions? 

 

I am so confused about the fruit, nut, starchy veg stuff in Whole30. Are all of these suggestions because the original poster is afraid of gaining weight or because these are baseline suggestions for all Whole30ers? 

 

I thought:

-too much fruit is discouraged because it wakes up the sugar dragon? And the nutrients can be gotten elsewhere (from vegetables) 

-Nuts/nut butters are discouraged because they can also awaken the sugar dragon and they are just not the best fat?

Is this correct? 

And what about the starchy veggie? 

 

And are these suggestions for strict Whole30 or if you wanted to continue a Whole30 lifestyle afterward? 

Regarding the first bullet point, this is a judgement call. We don't want fruit pushing vegetables off your plate, and if you have issues with a sugar dragon, you want to limit fruit on a Whole30. The recommendation is 1-2 servings a day, where a serving is fresh fruit the size of  your fist.

 

On the 2nd bullet point, it would be more accurate to say that nuts/nut butters (and seeds for that matter) are recommended to be limited as a fat choice, since they can be food without breaks for some, and there are better fat options available.

Starchy veggie consumption is highly individual.  In general, more for athletes, active people. Less for those who are diabetic or insulin-resistant.  For people wanting to lose weight, you can still have starchy veggies, but if you're not in either of the aforementioned categories, you may find you need to limit consumption to no more than a fist-sized serving daily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't eaten between meals at all. I generally haven't felt the need to, since I am usually exercising right after eating breakfast or dinner, and don't feel hungry afterwards. 

 

Generally a weekday looks like this:

5:15 - wake up

5:45 - breakfast

6:20-7:20 - cardio (power walking or elliptical)

12 - lunch

5:30 - dinner

6:30 - maybe 30 minutes of yoga or some more cardio (I don't always add in more exercise at the end of the day, maybe three times a week)

 

On weekends, I add in either an hour of yoga or an hour of pilates each day, plus maybe a longer hike. 

 

Maybe if I were doing more strength training and less cardio, I would feel differently? About how often do you strength train, and for how long? Cardio seems easy to "count" (I can count steps taken or miles walked). I worry that I would never know when I was "done" working out if I moved to strength training. 

Absolutely this.

You also need to factor in a rest day, and maybe an active recovery day - have a read at >this article< which explains it all a bit more.

My schedule varies according to work/kids/life, but I aim to strength train at least 3 times a week (usually 4), and I'll fit in 3 short intense cardio sessions too (usually with some kind of intervals) - but I only actually train 5 days a week so two of those days are a bit of a long, full on mix, and one of the five is usually a little more gentle. My strength training sessions last around 45mins.

If you're working hard enough at strength training, ie. lifting heavy enough, you'll know when you're "done".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely this.

You also need to factor in a rest day, and maybe an active recovery day - have a read at >this article< which explains it all a bit more.

My schedule varies according to work/kids/life, but I aim to strength train at least 3 times a week (usually 4), and I'll fit in 3 short intense cardio sessions too (usually with some kind of intervals) - but I only actually train 5 days a week so two of those days are a bit of a long, full on mix, and one of the five is usually a little more gentle. My strength training sessions last around 45mins.

If you're working hard enough at strength training, ie. lifting heavy enough, you'll know when you're "done".

So helpful!!! Thanks! Will give this a try as I tweak my food over the next few weeks. 

 

Also tracked down a tape measure so I can take measurements today and use that instead of the scale. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would also just like to add that there is a big difference between taking leisurely walks around the neighborhood, or going for a beautiful hike in the woods ~ and "power walking" or using the elliptical machine for an hour straight at the crack of dawn.

 

The sleep would do you more good ~ no doubt about it.

 

I don't think anyone here is telling you to stop walking altogether ~ but don't feel that you "need" to do it in the fashion you've been doing.  You may be doing more harm than good.

 

If you enjoy walking on the treadmill -- you don't have to stop -- but maybe do it at a slower pace, while watching TV or reading a book -- and don't time it.  Do what feels good and natural to your body.  Some days this may just be a few minutes, some days this could be an hour.  But let it happen naturally, not forced.  There really is a difference in your overall health and well-being.

 

A few of us here are doing a "2016 miles in 2016" challenge ~ just to see if we can do it.  It's been motivating to help get us moving more, for sure.  I dusted off the old clunker treadmill and put it in my living room.  But I was so happy to see that the display on it does not work at all.  It is just completely blank.  So I don't know how fast I am going -- and I don't know how long.  I listen to my body, and I do what feels right.  This is for fun and health, not to add stress.

 

It may take you awhile to get there, but you'll get there.   :)

 

I also wanted to throw out a recommendation for Bret Contreras' book:  Strong Curves

 

He has programs from beginner to advanced, things you can do at home or in the gym, and the best part is that there are detailed instructions and full-color, real-human pictures in the back for EVERY move.  It is like my weightlifting bible.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you still do cardio? I can't imagine giving up walking when it's such a way of life for me, though I am starting to wonder if the extra hour of sleep in the morning would actually be better for me than waking up at 5:15am to power walk. Do you strength train on a daily basis, and just focus on a different body area from day to day? 

 

I still do walking, but I used to do running/stationery bike/elliptical/etc I find walking is "nice cardio", my body doesn't get stressed by it. I'm not sure if mine is quite a power walk, but I don't get that "MUST stop and rest" feeling, which was constant with my "chronic cardio".

For me, the extra sleep would be better too. If you're getting less than 8 hours, reducing sleep to fit in exercise may tip you into stress mode.

 

I had a *big* improvement from moving my workouts to later in the day, as my cortisol is very high in the morning and that means I don't get a lot of the benefits of the exercise.

 

I mostly do legs and a little bit of the others when I feel the need or just when I feel like it. Leg squats seem to give me the best feeling workout and the best benefits, but everyone is different. I don't find that my legs bulk up more under more work, so I don't need to rotate in that regard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...