lower intensity = less appetite = thinner!

elaineyue

Cathlete
Just curious if anyone else has experienced this. For the last several months, I've been running 4-5 times per week, up to 30 miles per week, in addition to weights (mostly Bootcamp a few times a week). I rarely took a day off. No surprise, my knees have been bothering me. Also, I craved more food, especially carbs. I ate enough so as not to feel hungry, but I still tried to eat cleanly. There was no change in weight or inches.

So a week ago, I decided to give my knees a break. I haven't run at all; I just walk my dog and do the Lotte Berk Method (so far, 4 days in a row). My appetite has decreased significantly and I feel less bloated. My abs are already looking more cut.

So how do you all keep your energy level up if you're working out so intensely? I know it's not a good idea to restrict food when working out hard, but somehow I must be overcompensating. But I don't see how I can possibly keep up my running and eat less at the same time. I'm already cutting out as much processed sugar as I can. Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Elaine
 
Great post! I'm anxious to see more replies.

I had a similiar experience the first week in June when our family went on a camping vacation to Arches National Park. We did a lot of walking, but at a reluctant 5-year-old's pace (slower than molasses in January). The only intensity I got was when I was carrying him on my shoulders uphill. And I must mention that during those times I was very grateful to Cathe for all her leg-work with a barbell on your back.;-)

Anyway, I tried to eat super clean and not munch so I wouldn't get cravings. I had much less of an appetite and lost a couple of pounds. But now that I'm home, I've got the intensity bug again, and am looking for a way to find "balance."

Any ideas?

Carol F
 
Angie,

The Lotte Berk Method uses no weight, high rep, tiny movements to tone muscles. I know this may be the equivalent of heresy to the Cathe group (!), and I am in no way suggesting this is a better workout than Cathe's (I love Slow & Heavy as much as the next Catheite). However, it is a nice change of pace from lifting heavy weights.
 
Any time that I take several days off from working out, I'll drop 2-3 pounds; when I start working out again, back on it goes! How frustrating, but I think I read somewhere that it has to do with water retention in the muscles due to exercise. . . As for hunger, I try to eat a fair amount of protein, though the more I work out, the hungrier I get:)

L
 
I have experienced it. Very intense workouts in the beginning kept me from losing weight (fat) because my appetite escalated out of proportion. What I did was increase the intensity gradually and also decreasing my caloric intake gradually in the beginning and then, as the workouts became more intense, I increased caloric intake gradually too. Does that make sense?

Mariela
 
I'm always thinner when I'm exercising less. Like now, unfortunately. :( My clothes are looser, but I'm losing my muscle tone and walking up the subway steps is getting much more difficult. I'm too busy to exercise much or eat as well as I should. Lunch is now a Luna bar. The thin out-of-shape look is not my favorite. And while it's better than the fat-out-of-shape look, I'd rather be fit and feeling great.
 
I do low carb so I haven't had similar experience--I find when I'm working out more I am hungrier, but I still stay low carb & am definitely slimmer. To me diet is what dictates my size--any cardio exercise has almost no effect at all.

What I have noticed when I do less intense cardio workouts is my lifting workouts are much easier & I can actually lift more.
 
Something similar happened to me as well. Back at the beginning of may I had to take about a week off for finals and in that week I drop almost 2 sizes. All of my clothes were loose and I could start to see my abs.

That inspired and confused me because I had been working out consistantly for about 5 months at that point, with some results. So after finals I got back into it and the weight stayed off for the most part. My clothes were still loose just not quite as loose so I was closer to being 1 size less than when I started.

I think it also might have something to do with giving muscles time to repair. I think rest can be good for the body and when life demands it sometimes there is no other choice than a break.
Just my experience though
~Angel
 

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