Is it possible that I'm not doing enough?

Here is my normal weekly workout schedule:

Monday: 45 min of total body strength training (I do the about.com strength training workout for beginners with 8lb weights for now.)
Tuesday: HIIT in the morning (I'm working with this HIIT schedule: http://musclemedia.com/training/hiit_table.as p and right now I am barely able to do 4 minutes of 30 second sprints w/ 30 second rests).
Wednesday: 45 min of total body strength training
Thursday: HIIT
Friday: 45 min of total body strength training
Saturday & Sunday: days off (but I get in at least 2 hours of casual walking/biking each day).

Also, at least 3x per week I take a moderate 30 minute bike ride, or play tennis, or go hiking etc.

Am I doing enough?  When I'm in the middle of a workout it feels really tough and I hate it and want it to be over, but as soon as I'm done I feel like I didn't do anything sometimes.  Also, on off days I feel guilty for not working out.  I have lost 5 lbs in about 7 weeks and I was hoping the weight would come off faster than that.  This probably also has something to do with how difficult I am finding it to stay under 1400-1500 calories per day (and 1200 on off days).  My average is more like 1700/day.  Should I just stick with this exercise routine and concentrate more on my calorie intake?  Should I up my exercising and keep eating 1700/day?  Should I be doing more "normal" cardio sessions (aka not HIIT) on my strength training days?  Something just doesn't feel right about the way I am doing things now.  Any advice?

???

It sounds to me like you get plenty of exercise. You are losing weight at a healthy rate and will continue to do so if you keep going the way you are.

If you want to lose faster, just cut back on 200 or so calories a day for a while.

 

Simple really!

I'm not going to be much help here, but I wanted to tell you that I feel like I'm in the same situation. We have a similar workout schedule only I work out everyday because of the guilt thing. I WANT to take a rest day, but I feel like I can't keep my calories low enough to be able to do that. I really struggle with eating less than 1500, I'm sure I'm around 1700-1800 too each day. I feel like I'm at a plateau here, but I can't really add much more workout so I guess in my case it's the food. Hope someone else can shed some light for you. I just wanted to let you know you're not alone on this:)

Sounds like you are doing to much strength training and not enough extended cardio.  Four minutes of fast sprints is doing nothing to access your fat cells.  You'd  be better off backing off the speed and extending the time that you are doing the cardio.  Get yourself a Heart rate monitor with a calorie burn on it.  You will be shocked at how little those sprints are doing for you.  Good Luck

Original Post by betzc:

Sounds like you are doing to much strength training and not enough extended cardio.  Four minutes of fast sprints is doing nothing to access your fat cells.  You'd  be better off backing off the speed and extending the time that you are doing the cardio.  Get yourself a Heart rate monitor with a calorie burn on it.  You will be shocked at how little those sprints are doing for you.  Good Luck

 What? There are more articles then ever out there about how interval training and weight lifting do way more for fat burning than steady state cardio. In fact steady state cardio is the worst way to lose fat. There are studies that prove this but I'm too lazy to google right now.

Original Post by sublimelife087:

Original Post by betzc:

Sounds like you are doing to much strength training and not enough extended cardio.  Four minutes of fast sprints is doing nothing to access your fat cells.  You'd  be better off backing off the speed and extending the time that you are doing the cardio.  Get yourself a Heart rate monitor with a calorie burn on it.  You will be shocked at how little those sprints are doing for you.  Good Luck

 What? There are more articles then ever out there about how interval training and weight lifting do way more for fat burning than steady state cardio. In fact steady state cardio is the worst way to lose fat. There are studies that prove this but I'm too lazy to google right now.

That's right.

The thing to keep in mind is that -

1. Anything works
2. Nothing works forever
3. One thing being good does not preclude somethign else being better
4. There is no "best", that depends too much on what your goal is

 Steaty state cardio really, really sucks for dieters, it just isn't very helpful for losing fat. Overweight people finish marathons all the time.

 That doesn't mean that steady state cardio doesn't have its uses, you had better be putting in your time if your goal is to run a marathon. It's just not very useful for fat loss, is all - activities that increase your metabolism and promotes increased fat utilization outside of exercise is better for you when dieting - and that's resistance training and interval training.

 Doesn't mean that resistance training is the answer to everything either- it won't do jack for your endurance and is only mildly helpful for your speed, so there's no one program that is "best" for everyone's goals.

 That said - right now, yeah, that looks like a good plan, you're doing a variety of things and not overdoing any one thing. The goal isn't to spend as much time as possible in the gym, the goal is to do enough to have a training effect and adaptive response that takes you closer to your goal. And that response happens outside of the gym when you're recovering from your workout, not while you're doing it.

 That's the problem with the cardio bunnies - they focus on what your body is doing while you're on the treadmill, and ignoring the adaptive response that happens outside the gym.

I love melkor -- you rock!!
 
that said, todeoination, I struggle with the same problem.   I workout almost every day.  I do strength training/lift on a Bowflex, jog with my dog, and ride a stationary bicycle.   I rarely take a full day off --  like you said, I get at least casual exercise even on my "rest days."

I eat anywhere from 1400-1700 cals and am now STUCK -- have been stuck --- from 173-168.    This "plateau" started almost day for day since I started lifting when we got the Bowflex.   I am hopeful that my body is gaining muscle and that is why I am staying the same on the scale.   BUT --- FRUSTRATING! 

Hopefully we will both get a move on soon, tode!!!!

im just curious on how your body is feeling after recovery? i want to add in another strength training day, right now i do 1 lower, 1 upper & 1 full a week, but wanted to do 3 full a week in a couple of months. do you lift heavy?

me?  lol

I was using old 10 lb hand weights before that, so yes?   for me, yes, but not heavy really, you know? 

100 lbs benchpress, 90 on biceps and triceps, probably the same for any shoulders/chest exercises....   I have messed up knees, so I have not yet incorporated the leg exercises.  I torqued my knee the first time I tried a leg extension.   I like the effects I am getting though.   I actually do have a bicep now, and you can feels and sort of see my tricep under the slight bat wing I still have.   My pecs are stronger and my shoulders are too.  It has helped my bowling of all things.  I can also do real pushups now vs. just girlie ones on my knees.  Now that rocks!!!

I do such a light workout, I do it every day sometimes.....  

rnjt: after a full body workout i'm pretty sore the next day, but not very sore at all a full 48 hrs later (one of the reasons i was wondering if i'm not doing enough).

it's true olivia, melkor is pretty much the best.  and it sounds like you and tweek know exactly what i am talking about.  i am sure i've started to gain muscle too (i am starting to be able see them now) so i hope that's what the scale is showing.

melkor: i understand what you're saying about goal-specific workouts.  so, here's my goal: to get down to about 110 from 135 (start weight 140) and to get more toned.  so, am i doing the right thing?

I do 5k about 4-5x week. Haven't lost anything.  Actually just got on the scales and gained 2 lbs in the last couple of days.  I am really trying to find the motivation to lift weights more.  I love doing HIIT

I believe I am going to start cutting down to only doing long runs a couple times a week and doing weight lifting and HIIT more.  I think you are doing great.  And if you do cut those few dam calories out it will help If you want a fellow HIIT friend feel free to add me.

hi, olivia, here are my thoughts about taking a day off just from the prespective of personal experience.  For me, a day off is a day off of vigorous exercise - no weight lifting, sprinting, or distance. 

I have a short bike commute to work, and ride or walk for errands. humans didn't evolve to be completely sedentary, our ancestors wouldn't have spent a whole day sitting.  I don't think a "day off" means sit all day.

Melkor is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! RRReverend!!

You didn't say how long you were doing the total body strength workout, but if it has been more than a few weeks, it's probably time to start lifting more weight, to failure, and limiting your weight lifting to no more than twice a week.

More rest will allow your body to recover and grow more muscle, i.e., get stronger and more muscle will burn fat faster.

Good luck

 

Another thought.. with all the excercising you're doing, and it seems to me to be a lot.. perhaps you're not eating enough calories, and your body is entering the starvation mode.. ?

Original Post by doliver442:

Another thought.. with all the excercising you're doing, and it seems to me to be a lot.. perhaps you're not eating enough calories, and your body is entering the starvation mode.. ?

Could 1700 calories really be too few?  I'm recording my intake religiously (even when I cheat) and I weigh EVERYTHING.  At most I have a 500 cal deficit per day.  Usually it's more like 200-300.  I think I may actually be eating too much.