Question for those who are doing intense exercise

[LeighaMason 19]

I have started a intense cross training program. It is 3 days a week. My Body Bugg says I burn around 450 calories when I do it, my pulse is between 160 and 180 during the workout.

Before, when I was just walking on the treadmill and just starting to run I was eating 800 calories a day and losing 2 pounds a week. Then I upped it to 1200 a day the day before I ran. But, with this workout, I am eating 1200 the day before and then I am starving for the rest of the day after I work out (at 7am), I usually end up eating about 1400 calories the day I work out, (all good choices other than the occasional glass of wine). So that means my week is 1 day- 800 calories, 3 days - 1200 and 3 days 1400.

I have gained 2 pounds since I started, not Water weight, not 2 pounds all at once but a true 1-3 oz a day gain. Now the traditional accepted maximum muscle gain for women is .25 pounds a week so lets average up and say .5 of that 2 pounds is muscle. That leaves 1.5 pounds of fat regain.

My question is this: This is a 9 week program, I am on week 2, as the weeks progress will the added muscle start to overcome the added weight? Should I cut back on calories on the days I work out and just be hungry? (I feel an actual physical need to eat on those days as well as going to bed at 8pm because I am so worn out from the work.)

The workout is effective, I can see a change in my arms definition and I can tell a difference in my strength and endurance but it feels counter productive of what I am trying to accomplish if I am gaining fat as well.

[Jachut 487]

I think it will probably work out over time, but I would be feeling uneasy about it too. As you condition your body, and gain muscle, your metabolism will probably take care of those extra calories.

At the end of the day though, this is about health too and you're hardly stuffing yourself with rubbish - you're eating well and exercising. Logic would suggest that you simply wont get fatter from doing that.

But you have to work out what suits your body too. I decided some months back that long hours of cardio were not what was going to get me to the really low weight I secretly wanted, I've backed off, doing way more strength training and REALLY making an effort to change my strong anti-high Protein beliefs.

I've not lost any weight, in fact gained a pound or two and dont feel thinner. No, its not more muscle, I'm slightly puffier round the waist and tummy. I've given it a lot of thought and for MY body lots of cardio is what works. I do do strength training, I want to keep muscle on my body but without the long runs, I get fatter, end of story. I've readjusted my circuit style program to be a long run followed by a short sandbag session, and I feel better, fitter and thinner again.

So you do need to listen to your body, and find what suits you, not necessary believe everything you google or are told by a trainer. the internet is a endless source of claims tht you can TORCH fat, burn MEGA fat in 20 minutes of interval training, my trainer says the same thing. I include intervals in my routine becuase they make me really fit, but experience has shown me that for me, long steady state cardio works the best and keeps me the trimmest. But it does take a few weeks or more to really see how something is working for you.

Edited July 24, 2010 by Jachut

[juliansmom2003 3]

My workouts are pretty intense too. I notice when I lay off them and just do 2 days a week instead of 4, I lose weight. I am thinking working out like that really increases the muscle. Luckily, the support group I belong to also has the weigh ins right there and you can see the fat/muscle breakdown on the scale and it seems like it really is all muscle I'm gaining!

Is it possible that you're just gaining numbers due to the muscle--that your weight is just redistributing? I'm clueless with this stuff, but that might be it.

Your calorie burn during those workouts is about the same as the freaking celebrity tae bo cardio and turbofire I'm doing. Man I'm exhausted after, but SUCH a great feeling.

(And I definitely can't eat anything else. I'm sitting here still trying to get some Protein pudding down for the last 20 minutes :-( )

[LapNYC 3]

I wouldn't totally trust whatever you have measuring your calorie burn and your exercise calorie expenditure. Maybe the deficit isn't what you think it is. Also, even though intense exercise makes you hungrier, I think that generally it makes you overall hungrier. I wouldn't think that there would be such a dramatic difference between days that you do your training and days that you don't. Would you hate me if I said that thinking it's that completely cause and effect might be partly psychological? I honestly have no idea why you're gaining weight but the above is my best guess! For what it's worth, I've also been stuck at a pound above my low since I really picked up the exercise intensity and it doesn't make sense to me either. I chalk it up to the annoying body/metabolism/hunger I've always had reminding me that I don't have this all figured out. Best of luck to you. And if you find out what's going on let me know!

Oh - one more thing. Maybe three days a week is a little light. Can you add another day?

[onenuttynurse 0]

I am a addicted spinner , working out around 6 to 7 days a week of adv spinning. I also have gained 2 lbs, so what i did was laid off a little, and went to only spinning 4 days a week to mix it up a little and whammo...the weight came off......might want to try to mess it up a little and shock that metabolism.....

[BetsyB 9]

I notice when I lay off them and just do 2 days a week instead of 4, I lose weight. I am thinking working out like that really increases the muscle.

While it does build muscle, it doesn't do it quickly. What is more likely is that your muscles hold Fluid, and the days of rest allow that to leave your body.

During hard exercise, our muscles can't get all of their oxygen needs met from what we breathe in. So they use lactic acid fermentation--a process that produces both the needed oxygen and the byproduct lactic acid.

Lactic acid is what gives muscles the "pumped" look (and causes muscle soreness). This is the result of the body's tendency to maintain homeostasis. When there is more lactic acid in muscle than in surrounding tissue/fluid, Water moves into the muscle to "even things out."

With time, the Fluid is flushed from the body, and the number on the scale goes down.

This isn't to say that hard exercise doesn't build muscle. It just doesn't tend to do so at a rate fast enough to see daily differences on the scale.< /p>

[jalomum 1]

Now that makes sense :-)

[kcg 6]

Leigh, you`re doing so well, keeping to the cross training. I actually would have joined you but can`t locate the the site through the link to register.

I hope that you keep the routine up because it could be that you`ve just retained Water. Is it not that time of the month? I really don`t think that you would have gained such a high level of muscles within two weeks.

My advice will be that you keep up with the exercise but keep your calorie intake stable. Saying that I really don`t believe that eating up to 1400 calories a day should put weight on you, considering the amount of calories one has to consume to gain a lb.

Don`t be too discouraged, hun. You will be alright if you keep up the good work.

[bambam31 168]

LeighaMason, good job on your exercise progress! It will increase your metabolism and allow you to enjoy more food. What explains the weight gain? Well I'm with BestyB and kcg on this one. It's almost assuredly fluids. From your post I'm assuming this is a significant increase in intensity and calorie intake all at once. It will take some time for your body to adjust to that, and in the meantime the shock of it all causes a lot of people to gain fluids. Rest assured that it isn't a legitimate fat gain so long as you're not eating a bunch of simple carbs, and still have an overall weekly calorie deficit. It would help to limit Fluid gain by slowly increasing intensity and calorie intake, rather than an abrupt and sudden change.

This may sound weird, but the most effective way to rid yourself of extra Fluid - drink more fluid - preferably pure Water. I find myself holding the least amount of excess fluid when I drink a gallon of Water a day in addition to my other beverages. Unfortunately, that yields more trips to the restroom than I have time for so I frequently have to scale water intake back.

Muscle gain is an interesting topic. It's really hard to gain period, but especially so for women (due to hormones). Training the muscle you have and making it more efficient is much easier - and often confused with a muscle gain.

I know this is hard to do, but I would give your routine a solid 4-6 weeks in order to have a good evaluation period. Then you can make adjustments from there. If you have a good intense workout regimen going then don't worry about gaining a bunch of fat unless you're eating junky or extremely large amounts (which is hard for us to do).

Good luck and keep up the hard work!

Brad

[monkeymama 0]

Leigha- My workout haven't quite reached the super intense level- but for me it is a huge change cause I used to do no exercise... The scale kind of stalled for me and then I didn't work out for 4 days b/c of my foot and WHOA 6 lbs slid off my body.... So perhaps it is that Water theory mentioned before.

[LeighaMason 19]

I wanted to post an update on this.

First, the 2 pounds are gone, I haven't lost any extra but I am back to 138.

Today I went and bought some new clothes. They were all 6's or 8's. I started thinking, in 2000 I lost down to 139 by using diet pills and Adkins but I wore a size 10. Now I have been exercising and eating properly and I weigh 138 and I am much thinner.

So:

139 pounds + diet pills + no exercise = size 10

138 pounds + band diet + exercise = size 6 or 8

So if you are doubting exercise, remember there are benefits even if the scale is not moving. :wub:

[bambam31 168]

I wanted to post an update on this.

First, the 2 pounds are gone, I haven't lost any extra but I am back to 138.

Today I went and bought some new clothes. They were all 6's or 8's. I started thinking, in 2000 I lost down to 139 by using diet pills and Adkins but I wore a size 10. Now I have been exercising and eating properly and I weigh 138 and I am much thinner.

So:

139 pounds + diet pills + no exercise = size 10

138 pounds + band diet + exercise = size 6 or 8

So if you are doubting exercise, remember there are benefits even if the scale is not moving.

Congrats and keep up the hard work! :wub:

Brad