Question:
Having started lifting weights, should I be increasing my calorie intake?
I'm 3 months post lap RNY, down 70 lbs. This surgery has allowed me to turn into an exercise nut: I do cardio (treadmill, crosstrainer, etc) 6 days a week for 45 minutes each time, and now I have just started lifting weights with a personal trainer 3 days a week. I'm feeling great but tired. I'm limited to just 300-500 calories per day, which doesn't leave me with a whole lot of energy. I will be limited to that amount until I am 6 months post. I have not had any problems with eating anything except chicken. I limit my carbs and get about 60-65g of protein perday. My personal trainer is worried that I will not be able to properly do the program he has designed for me with the current amount of calories I eat. I want to follow my MD's and nutritionist's guidelines, but I also want to get my body in shape as well as smaller. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I just tell mt nutritional counselor that 300-500 calories a day is not enough? She says to keep it at that level but I don't think she realizes how hard I'm working at the gym (and i mean, I'm working HARD!!) Any suggestions will be helpful. — lizinPA (posted on May 9, 2003)
May 9, 2003
OMG!!!! There is no way that you can survive taking in only 300-500 cal.
per day with all the exercise that your doing! Your body is going to go
into starvation mode and hold onto every calorie it gets, and then no
matter how hard you work out you won't lose weight. And it's just plain NOT
HEALTHY! I'm no expert, but please, please talk to your MD and
nutritionists, let them know exactly what type of exercise your doing and
let them know your tired! Your protiens great! I want to know how you get
60-65 gr. of protien and only 300-500 cal.? GOOD LUCK and keep up the Good
Work!
Tambi- lap rny 5-23-2002 -147lbs.
— Tambi B.
May 9, 2003
Granted you aren't able to eat much now but you must increase you caloric
intake or you won't lose weight. Eat several small meals throughout the
day and drink a lot of water. I found myself hungrier after I started
working out and lifting. I needed to eat more--then I dropped weight.
Good luck. 212/120.5/108
— TP
May 9, 2003
I am in the same situation as you are with the exception that my
nutritionist wants me to increase the calories. I am 3 months post op and
was taking in only around 500 calories. I also am exercising. She had a
fit and told me to double my caloric intake or I will stop loosing weight!
I have been doing better but it takes 5 - 6 meals to get it all in. I hate
the tired feeling and will be glad when it goes away. Best wishes!
— Kim A.
May 9, 2003
You're working out on less than 120g protein in SUPPLEMENT? I don't know
how your muscles are surviving that! I don't work out HARD and I do a 30g
drink on my way to the gym and 30g in the locker as I dress. In my case,
that's in addition to 4-5-6 other protein drinks I get throughout the day,
though not everyone likes that level of protein. But surely, your basic
60g (in supp) and then 60 more, either side of the work out? And a carb
after, for recovery. Although I don't recommend a "recovery
drink" (50g carbs?), we plan for a half sandwich or something
reasonable healthy after to put the spark back in. I've never counted
calories at all, so I can't speak to that. I still weigh 110-115, only
work out for bone & muscle health (& rarely), but take in at least
1200 cal in protein supps alone.
— vitalady
May 9, 2003
Well, IMHO, you absolutely need to increase your calories! I doubt very
much that your doctor designed your 300-500 calorie limit with that kind of
post-op exercise regime in mind (if he did, with all due respect, he's a
nut job). I didn't use a personal trainer, but my exercise regime was
kinda like yours at that stage, and I was up to 800-1000 calories a day by
then, by using protein shakes (2 a day, @ 160 calories a shot, for 320
calories right there) in order for me to try to get enough nutrition in for
that level of activity. There are *no* circumstances under which I'd do
that regime on 300-500 calories a day, no way, no how. What you may find
(as I did when I overexercised while in the weight loss phase) is that
you'll get tired, tired, tired if you push too hard, too often for too
long. I was too compulsive to care while losing weight, but as I reached
goal, I started limiting my workouts to three to four times a week, and
found I got a lot more out of them (could run faster, jump higher, felt
great, etc.). Took me months to realize that, though. Now that I've been
at goal for awhile, and would like to train for a 10K, I am pushing my
workouts back up to 4-5 times a week, because my calorie intake is high
enough to support that *now*. Looking back, I can see I kinda overdid it
in those early months, but I really liked working out, so what the heck.
Enjoy, but don't beat yourself into the ground over it, and ferheavenssake,
at least add some protein shakes into your day for extra calories and
nutrition (and, I'd say, eat a bit more!).
— Suzy C.
May 9, 2003
Beth- I almost screamed when I read your post! lol Hun, you must be
starving!!! You are probably burning 500 calories alone while working out
everyday, you definately need to increase your calories, and on that
thought- you really don't need to count them at this stage. I know we are
all so conscious of our bodies and health at this point, but my surgeon and
nutritionist said not to bother with calories, I couldn't possibly eat too
much anyway. I didn't count myself until 6 months out. Now at 1 year I get
atleast 1200 a day and work out 3 times a week. I think this is one thing
you need to not listen to your doc about. I think at this point- listen to
your trainer- they're right, you can't exercise like that unless you eat
more. Eat when you are hungry- nothing wrong with that, it won't make you
gain. Also, do a protein-full meal or shake or bar before and after working
out, you'll have more energy. Otherwise there is no fuel to burn! And I
guarantee that once you start eating more, even twice as much as you are
now, you'll lose more weight. Your body is probably in such starvation
mode! I give much props to you for working out so hard, good for you- just
don't burn yourself out! :-) Goodluck to you
— Lezlie Y.
May 9, 2003
Hi Beth! You answered my post, now I am answering yours. You definitely
need to worry about your grams of protein, healthy carbs and healthy fats
when weight training otherwise you can be injured. For some general info
go to http://www.hussman.org/fitness/ or email me for more links if you
want. Up that food intake!
— susanje
May 9, 2003
Original poster here. THANK YOU!!! for all of the posts. I have contacted
my surgeon and he said he was not concerned at all about the amount of
exercise that I'm getting, that the personal trainer (who is certified and
a nutrition major)probably doesn't understand that I have plenty of fat
stores to burn. I'm really concerned. My gym is considering revoking my
membership unless I agree to take in more calories. Does this sound right
to anybody?
— lizinPA
May 9, 2003
FINALLY!! Someone else besides me realizes the benefits of weight-lifting
to lose weight!! And did you know that you continue to burn fat for
approx. 11 hours after lifting weights, which is WAY more than you do with
aerobic exersize? Not trying to sell a book here, but Bill Phillips' book,
BODY FOR LIFE would be an excellent purchase for you. You don't need a
personal trainer to do his program. I just do the weight lifting segment.
The book shows 2 or 3 exersizes for each muscle group as well as laying
everything out, as far as number of reps and sets. I do vary on that, from
time to time, as I burn fat faster if I do 4 sets of 12-15 reps on each
muscle group. E-mail me if you are interested and I can give you the
address of a good weight lifting website and they members there are
super-helpful. I think it would be out of line for the gym to revoke your
membership because of your inability to consume a certain number of
calories. Sounds like a police state! Get yourself a weight bench, 100 #s
of weights, a barbell, two dumbells and you're all set. And don't waste
your time with the leg lift thing on the weight bench. Squats, when done
properly, are much better for you and they work every muscle in your lower
body. Best of luck.
— cherryswitch
May 10, 2003
Increase your caloric intake, God no, not if you still need to lose weight.
Working out will maximize your weightloss, increase your metabolic rate
and help transform your body into a beautiful thing. Diane
— DianeN
May 10, 2003
Increase your caloric intake, God no, not if you still need to lose weight.
Working out will maximize your weightloss, increase your metabolic rate
and help transform your body into a beautiful thing.
Oh, by the way, if you decide to stop working out you may have to DECREASE
your caloric intake to make up for the decrease in the calorie burning
effect of weightlifting.
Also, don't forget the cardio...:-)
Diane
— DianeN
May 12, 2003
Okay, I'm going to buck the system a bit here...but I just had my 3 month
check up and the doctor looked a bit concerned at first when I told him
that I was taking in aprox. 400-500 calories a day and exercising exactly
like you are (5 days, 45 min cardio, 3 days weights). What he said though
was interesting. Not all of us have the same metabolism and not all of us
need the same amount of calories (even after bypass) to survive...if that
was so, there would be no weight issues. But since we all are different,
we need to listen to what our bodies are telling us. I still only eat
400-500 calories a day, but I am also still losing 2-5 pounds a week. Now,
if that were to slow down, I would definetly try to force myself to up it a
bit. So, I would say listen to your body. If you are feeling exhausted
when working out, I would try adding a protein supplement, or two even, in
addition to your meals and see if that helps your energy level, which will
also give you another 100-400 calories a day.
— eaamc
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