ShapeFit.com

[amatlack]

Hi all,

I just stumbled in here, but I found most of the responses to the previous posts encouraging and well-informed, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

I was 238lbs and entirely sedentary in 2003, then started exercising. At my most fit...fall of 2005...I was 182lbs and eating a macrobiotic diet. I've got a large frame and have a lot of muscle...I was happy there at 182, even though it's a high number, because I felt like I'd accomplished something...and I felt able to do all the activities I wanted to do...felt fit, happy, healthy.

Then I went into the Peace Corps and was unable to continue my exercise or my diet regimen. I put on some weight, hopping back over 200.

I returned in January to the states. Since then, I've been working out religiously and eating pretty well, though not macrobiotic again...vegetarian (+ seafood), no whites, no refined sugars, all that stuff.

I'm stalled at around 193-196lbs, and this has been for a couple months. I have also had symptoms of fatigue and had to take 3 days off last week because my body just refused to exercise...felt like I was going to collapse...it's never happened before.

I went back to exercising like normal yesterday.

Here's my weekly exercise run-down:

M:
30 minutes treadmill @ 5.7; 3 1-minute intervals @ 6.2
25 minutes weight training

T:
1 hour Pilates on machines
1.5 hours karate

W:
30 minutes treadmill @ 5.7, varying incline
3 x interval "boot-camp-style" circuits
ab exercises

Th:
1.5 hours karate

F:
30 minutes treadmill @ 5.7; 3 1-minute intervals @ 6.2
30 minutes weight training

Sat:
1.5 hours karate


Diet sample:

Breakfast:
2 pieces yeast-free brown rice & wheat bread
~4tbsp vegetable hummus
4oz glass orange juice

Snack:
multi-grain fruit-sweetened bar

Lunch:
maple-syrup sweetened goat yogurt
fruit-sweetened granola
fruit
(Or something like a falafel sandwich when eating out)

Snack:
Kashi granola bar

Dinner:
organic baked ziti: veggies, spelt ziti, rice cheese, those kinds of things
(Or a rice, black-bean, roasted veg, guac, sour cream, cheese burrito when eating out)



So, sorry for the long post, but I have a couple of issues...mainly the weight loss and the fatigue.

I know the basic weight-loss concept: eat less and exercise more. But it's not working like it used to.

Thanks for your time, everyone.

[swanso5]

- the fatigue might not be exclusively too much training, it may lack of caloires, rest too much outside stress etc...you need to weigh all this up and eliminate what you think it may be
- fat loss is on the back burner until this is sorted...the body will deal with the dtress (by shutting down as you said) before losing bodyfat so the more fat you try to lose, the more stress the body goes under and the worse you get (fat and rest wise)
- yep too much training
- take out all cardio for now
- is karate essential or just for fun...cardio or karate i think but not for 90mins but how hard is it?
- for food go to diet section and read "read before posting..."
- you have no where near enough protein, fat too many carbs, too many bars (never has these again) and near to zero healthy fats
- you'll need protein substitutes (seeds, etc...fish, tuna, sardines????)...shakes
- fat loss should not involve eating less...more so eating right







Thanks for your time, everyone

[amatlack]

Thanks for the pointer to the "read before posting" diet thread...I'd seen someone ask for diet information related to a cardio question, so I figured I'd include it here...I'll do some more looking around before I post next time.

I worry about taking out all cardio because I have an extremely slow metabolism...I was told by doctors when I was younger that I've got an "efficient metabolism" and would "do well in a third-world country eating a bowl of rice a day."

Karate is both a good source of exercise for me and something I enjoy. It depends on the day how hard it is...it varies. Sometimes it kicks my butt and sometimes I don't feel like I got a workout at all. I never really know until I get there, which makes it a bit difficult.

Instead of bars, do you have suggestions for things to eat if you're stuck in a cubicle for 8 hours a day? (I should probably go read the diet section.)

I'll work on the protein...have heard that before, though not for a while...again, I should probably go read through the diet section, but I've always worried that protein bulks you up, and I don't want to gain a lot of visible muscle mass. Is that a myth?

[katiesuarez]

Is there any particular reason as to why you are adverse to meat?

[amatlack]

I stopped eating beef/pork/chicken a long time ago...now if I eat any of those, or even have a couple spoonfuls of beef stock or something, I get sick.

So I stick with the tofu/soy/tempeh products and seafood.

I do still occasionally eat eggs, but not often.

[katiesuarez]

Here is a good soy product:

http://www.amazon.com/Fearn-Soya-Granules-2-Pound-Canister/dp/B000KPWDOQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1216158088&sr=1-4

Check out the nutritional information. It has 22g of protein in ¼c. It's pretty good mixed in with yogurt.

How about dairy? Are you able to eat low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, whey, casein, etc...?

[swanso5]

- if you have a high metabolism then dropping wt shouldn't be a problem...doctors know hot to "doctior" but not much else
- your metabolism can decrease / increase depnding on your activity levles and meal frequency and if you've platued as it seems (although the fatigue thing is the problem) then it may have decreased
- are they classes or are getting taught (karate)?
- yes read the diet article
- protein doesn't bulk you up...it can if combined with many other factors but not on it's own

[amatlack]

Katie, thanks for the link. I generally try to stay away from cow dairy products...the human body doesn't digest them easily or well. I do still eat goat products, so I can get yogurt and cheese and whatnot, and I occasionally eat the soy/rice cheese products.

Swanso5, I'd be much happier if I had a high metabolism, but I have the opposite problem...hence the "fine on one bowl of rice a day." My metabolism is extremely slow, and I just had another blood test to check to see if there's anything I can do to help it along (not looking for a quick-fix or anything, but certain vitamin levels might be low, etc).

The karate classes are at a dojo and are taught by a sensei. It's Kyokushin karate, if you're interested in the details (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyokushin).

[swanso5]

metabolism is increased by:

very intense exercise (no jogging, high reps sets etc)

frequent meals (at least 6/day)

thermic calories (meat, crunchy veg etc)