My dilemma re: exercise

I have been struggling a bit lately.  I started working out back in December and have been great about seeing the trainer 2-3 times a week to do weight training and getting cardio in 4-5 times a week.  The issue is that a few weeks ago I started to get really run down and dizzy.  Also, my body fat percentage has been staying the same or increasing while I continue to lose weight.  This means I am losing muscle mass.  Actually there was a two week period where I was working out really hard that I lost 5 lbs of muscle.  My focus is on getting my body fat percentage down to a healthy range and when it is there I will stop losing, but if I continue to lose muscle, I will never make it there.  Does anyone have any advice on what to do?  Should I stop the cardio that seems to be eating my muscles because I do not have enough calories to fuel it?  Do I try to increase my calories (I am about 900-1000 a day right now and get 60-75g of protein)?  If so, how much?  Do I just carry on doing weights and cardio and stop worrying about losing muscle mass? My body fat percentage was 45% when I started and now is 38%.  A few weeks ago it was at 36.5%.  This was measured using the scales that run the current through you.  Is it also possible that these are inaccurate and I am stressing for nothing?  I did the navy body fat test that takes your weight and measurements to calculate it and it came out at 28%.  For reference, I am 5'8", 193lbs, and wear a size 10-12 on the bottom and a L top. Since I started working out, you can really see an improvement in muscle definition and I have actually gained inches on my legs and my arms have stayed the same.  My middle is where the fat remains, so this doesn't concern me.

Your help is greatly appreciated. Tonya

Hey Tonya, Most Bodyfat test are inaccurate. But I think you're protein intake is a little low. I'd add a protein drink of 20 - 30 grams of protein before and after your workout.  That shouldn't raise your calories that much so you'll still be losing fat and it would help hang onto the muscle. Good luck Earl

Hi Tonya, It's been a while since I was that newly post-op, but it seems to me that the place you're at now is where things really started to be different and difficult for me.  I was just beginning to run and went for  quite a period of time when things seemed much harder than I thought they should be. It's not uncommon to lose muscle when you're losing that much weight partly because we no longer need to move the same amount of mass around.  The other reason is that we really don't ingest enough calories to get/keep the glycogen stores we need for exercise at that point in time.  Your body can use fats for energy when you aren't exercising, but not when you are. I'd say you need to eat more complex carbohydrates so that you can build glycogen stores to use during exercise.  Your muscles can't use fats for energy when you workout, but they can use protein.  It's possible that you're getting dizzy because you don't have glucose available since it's all being used.  It may help you to eat a snack before you workout to give your body something to use. I don't know if you've had your iron levels checked, but that can also make a difference.  When I first began my marathon training, I ended up with low hematocrits.  Once I started taking iron supplements my hematocrit was in the normal range and I also felt like I had more energy. I don't know if this helps you much, but these are the things I know and what I can remember from my past. Linn

Based on the amount of exercise that you are doing, it really sounds like you are not taking in enough calories.  So your body may be breaking down muscle tissue and using it to meet your energy needs. 

I'm much further out than you (my surgery was 10/25/2005), but I'm similarly sized (5'7" and about 184 pounds today).  My average daily calorie intake is 2100-2300, composed of 250-275 grams of carbs, 125-150 grams of protein, and about 55 grams of fat.  I'm doing cardio 5-6 times per week for 45-60 minutes per session, plus I'm lifting weights 4-5 times per week (sessions broken up into upper body and lower body work). 

Regarding the body fat composition, these monitors can vary quite a bit, so I wouldn't worry about that too much.  (I think a 3-7% error ratio is relatively common.)  Also, your readings can vary signficantly based on the time of day, how well hydrated you are, etc.  I have a body composition monitor, but I only use it every 3-4 months to see if I'm still generally trending in the right direction over longer periods of time.   Keep up the great work, Tonya - sounds like you've got a fabulous routine going.  Isn't it great to actually see the results of your hard work???? Kellie