Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

[SemperFit]

Pretty much at the end of my rope here. I lift 6 days a week right now. I've cut back on my calories and this week I gained weight. I've been lifting solidly now 5-6 days a week for 4 years. 2.5 of those years I was breast feeding. I'm back to 90% strength after a partial hamstring tear in November. I just put in a lot of hard work at the gym, eat sensibly, and have watched my physique get better over time. I have never dieted. I worked off the pregnancy weight over 2 years twice. I feel like I go through bulking phases and then shortly after I up the intensity in the gym for a few weeks--I see muscle gains and typically I lean out. I have had my chin to the bar now since January, and I should be seeing results. I have noticed more striation than I've ever seen. Which makes NO sense since the scale went up.

However, I was in the locker room last week and I was chatting with some other women and even though one mentioned I was their idol (I don't hear compliments and rarely believe they are true), and it was an uplifting conversation--I came away devastated. One of the women was guessing how much I weighed, and she guessed 5 pounds more than what I am now. I did not like the amount she said. I've also been told by loved ones I need to lean out. I'm just wondering how to do it without losing strength. In the last week about an hour into my workout I feel like crying, I wonder why I am there, and it would just be nice to hear someone say they have seen progress or that I'm doing well. I won't give up, but I am just tired of being fat. When I lift I do it pretty intuitively. I don't like writing down my workouts, and I go by feel. Especially bringing my hamstring back online--I go with whether I've hit a certain body part and it's complement, and what I think needs work that day. I am pretty methodical, and I change up the rotation about every 4-6 weeks. I'm just having issues this time. So I need feedback. I don't think I am objectively seeing where I am in this journey.

I will post physique pics in the next day. I just changed my profile pic to one taken fairly recent.

[SemperFit]

So there's 2 other points. I am not a good sleeper. I can be in bed for 7-8 hours, but only sleep 3.5 to 4 hours. So I know that affects how cortisol leaves my body. My other issue right now is that I am tired of protein shakes, protein bars, and I am not a big meat eater. So I know I need to keep my protein levels higher, but I've just had it. I had some kind of virus earlier in the week and the last few days I just don't feel like eating. I still show up at the gym do a HIIT workout for 30 minutes then lift for another 45mins-1hr. My daily caloric expenditure averages 3200. I've got an incredibly efficient, meaning slow metabolism--probably at 1600 cals a day. I also do taekwondo twice a week with my kids, but I don't count that as anything but fun.

[plugeye]

maybe your overtraining with the weights.

[Rodg64]

First , take a step back and try to look objectively at what you have been doing for the last couple months, evaluate it and see if you have been giving your body a chance to recover. You could be over training. The hamstring injury and virus could be signs of that or just coincidence. The sleep total is not helping in your recovery. Also, when you say you are changing up your rotation every 4-6 weeks, what exactly are you changing.

[plugeye]

women are sure different from men. imagine you are happy with your fitness & body.
a person compliments you to the point of blushing.
another guesses your weight incorrectly by 5 lbs & that affects you.
a mystery to me

[Doug]

So there's 2 other points. I am not a good sleeper. I can be in bed for 7-8 hours, but only sleep 3.5 to 4 hours. So I know that affects how cortisol leaves my body. My other issue right now is that I am tired of protein shakes, protein bars, and I am not a big meat eater. So I know I need to keep my protein levels higher, but I've just had it. I had some kind of virus earlier in the week and the last few days I just don't feel like eating. I still show up at the gym do a HIIT workout for 30 minutes then lift for another 45mins-1hr. My daily caloric expenditure averages 3200. I've got an incredibly efficient, meaning slow metabolism--probably at 1600 cals a day. I also do taekwondo twice a week with my kids, but I don't count that as anything but fun.

Take a read of the information in the link below

http://eating-disorders.org.uk/infor...-under-eating/

[SemperFit]

To me too. And, I'm one of them.

I agree, I'm probably overtraining. It's easy to say I will not lift for a week, but it is MUCH harder to do. I think what I'm going to do is take a break from the weights for one week, see where I am and then decide if I need a second week. I'd still like to do pull-ups, push-ups, wall balls, and cardio. Along with taekwondo commitment with my kids. Last year at this time I ran a hilly half-marathon, so I had my break from lifting really heavy as I increased my mileage in January, February, and March.

I had planned to train for another race, but then had the hamstring injury so my focus shifted to rehabbing that and regaining my strength and flexibility.

Today the weight dropped. So for whatever it's worth I must be doing something right. Maybe I was holding on to the extra weight due to being sick?

[SemperFit]

Definitely not an under-eater! I eat to fuel workouts. So the not wanting to eat was due to all the post-nasal drip making my stomach feel off. Thanks for the article though--good to read through and do a check.

[SemperFit]

I can't upload pics!