I have a follow-up question to my over training. Since my body is used to working out so much how does it adjust when I start a more normal routine? By this I mean if my body was in a constant state of over training how does it know when to slow down. I have cutback on my workouts and even take a rest day. How should I adjust my caloric intake to offset my body adjusting? My goal is to loose about 10lbs.

thanks,
Jenny

To read Jenny’s first Q and A she is referring to, head to Q and A: Over Doing It

your body IS slowed- you dont want it to slow down, you want it to speed back up. over trained means it stopped working on you to protect itself, so even if you force it to workout, you arent going to get any of the benefits from it because it has slowed and stopped all of your body processes.

when it is able to rest- ie. not made to work out, it will start to trust you again, and start your body processes back up (burning calories, building muscle, etc.) Your bodies job is not to die, so if you make it work too hard, it thinks you re trying to kill it, and will do everything in its power not to let you. So it holds on to calories to preserve the energy (fat, calories) you are so desperately trying to burn off it.

Id keep your calories the same, because once your body kicks back in, its going to need them (you arent burning as many calories when you are over training, but when your body starts to work again, it will need those calories because it will be burning them) so you might lose weight by eating the same. If you find you arent, then I would lower them slightly, because you may be working out at such a high intensity/frequency, that even your slowed state is burning a lot of calories.

That was confusing.

Leave your calories alone, because you will need them when your body kicks in, but if you dont notice loss, I would re-do The Harris Benedict Formula and then figure out how many you need for your activity level. It takes a bit for your body to respond to rest, but not too long, so you should be able to do the equation and have it be accurate, because your body will be responding fully to the level of exercise you are doing.

OMG this is totally me

Hi Kelly,

-Magdalena

The first thing is that if you are scared you may relapse, you need to go back to therapy. Therapy isnt a one time thing- its a process so short check ins when you feel your self slip is a must. Your therapist that knows your history will be able to give you more specific ideas on how to handle your personal triggers.

Changes are scary and usually the reason people with EDs isolate themselves. The fewer number of factors you have to deal with, the easier it is to focus on your ED- whether you are trying to get better or still in the midst of your disease. Recognizing that this is going to be a problem for you is a good sign- being scared of a relapse is healthier than knowing you can rely on one when things get tough.

The best thing you can do to keep control is take away as many of the unknown factors as possible: which means planning, planning, planning. Plan out your meals and stick to them no matter what. People will look at you funny when you whip out a meal you brought with you at a party but who cares. If you trust them, tell them the truth that this is what you need to do to keep yourself healthy or if you don’t think they would react well or don’t want them to know, lie.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Something is going weird with my thyroid and I have to eat a special diet so my doctor can figure out what’s going on (I actually have to do this sometimes, so you can use it and know no one can call you out on it)

Im training for a race/event/competition, and need to eat strictly to be ready.

Im allergic to ______ and its easier to just plan ahead.

Im broke.

or tell people you are planning on becoming a personal trainer and want to start eating healthy, which isnt really a lie. try keeping a food journal so you are aware of what you are eating and can keep your calories consistent.

Set up your home with only healthy foods- don’t have anything you would binge on in the house.

The stress of life isnt going to go away with a binge, so deal with what is stressing you head on. keep a planner so you know what you need to do and when it needs to be done, and exercise is always a great stress reliever.

Binging is all about just making the decision not to, and planning ahead to make sure you aren’t triggered. With all the big life changes you are planning, though, I would seriously consider talking to therapist again. there’s nothing wrong in it- its just one more way you can plan ahead and head off the problem. Prevention is key.

LINKS!!!

Stupid Fitness Gadget: Ab Circle Pro
Kids and Coffee: a Grande Problem
Sonoma Giveaway ends tomorrow! Get those entries in!!
Kick Your Emotional Eating

Remember the days where I would blog everyday, dutifully, and if I didn’t it was because i was broken or sick or kidnapped?

And then remember when got all slackery and disappeared and would come back every once in a while to appologize, give you links to other places and then disappear again?

Yeah, well, here’s why:

BIG Changes: If you’ve been reading, I was worrying about my job situtation for a while. And like life often does, when things are the worst, it brings out the best. I used that fear to fuel me to make a change and do what I really want to do: write. So I devoted all my internet energy to emails and samples and follow ups and interviews and scored some awesome, stable writing gigs. The down side was there was no time or energy left for the blog. So now, I still train in the mornings, but the rest of the day is in front of my computer writing, writing, writing, napping, eating, working out, napping.

Horrible Time Management Skills: When I decided I would work from home, I had the best of intentions of actually working for hours at a time. Turns out, that’s hard to do when you have a dog, sunshine, a TV, facebook, and are halfway through the Twilight series.

I Got Pissed at the Blogosphere: I got SO SICK of spending my time looking at people take self portraits of themselves eating the same crappy bowl of oatmeal every morning. or the same glass of green juice. I know people love this, and obviously it is wildly popular to look at what other people are eating, or modelling their new workout gear, or taking any opportunity to take a picture of themself and splatter it all over the internet to have people comment on how awesometheyare/howgreattheylook/wantingtoknowwhatkindoftoiletpapertheywipetheirasseswith. I am obviously in the minority, but I like to spend my time looking at things that add to my life. If a blog can teach me something, spread awareness about something important, show me a different way of thinking or challenge me intellectually, Im all for it. I love that shit. I felt like i spent more and more of my time wading through the same blog over and over again under a different name to find those gems. And they are out there. But they are definately few and far between.

But now I’m back, and here’s why:

I Missed You Guys: Yeah, pretty much none of you guys followed my anywhere, even though I linked my little heart out, so you were sorely missed. I also miss reading your comments and your own blogs, which I honestly started to lose track of when I didnt have your links staring me in the face. I know everyone says this but i think I have pretty awesome readers: you dont yell at me for swearing, find my stupid humor mildly amusing, challenge me when you think Im wrong in a respectful way, and ask thought provoking questions/leave thought provoking comments. And that’s not BS.

If Something Makes you Mad, Do Something About it: I have a tendency to bitch without doing anything about it. I’ve posted pictures of myself occassionally, and after repeated requests, delved a little further into my personal life for you guys, but it never lasted long because 1) I think Im boring and 2) Im not comfortable being so narcissistic. I have a lot of knowledge to share that a lot of people are interested in and can benefit from and I would rather give everyone something they can take with them and apply in life: in their workouts, in the way they view themselves, and in the way they see other people. I would rather help in any small way i can instead of making you stare at my shit eating grin while i hold up my latest vegetable purchase.

Better at Scheduling: I realized i am very lucky to be able to work from my home. I also realized that I am an extremely anxious person and having work hanging over my head while I try and relax isn’t very relaxing. So I bust my ass a few hours in the morning and then spend the rest of my day doing things I was never able to do before: go for a walk in the middle of the day, do 2-a-day workouts (more on my new hard-core workout schedule later) read, cook things with more than 2 ingredients, and chip away at my BIG CHORE LIST. I honestly have that life balance thing I’ve always heard so much about. And I couldnt be happier. I have more time to devote to the things i love, and I love EGN.

MY LINKS:

Im hosting a giveaway on Kidglue.com- check it out!

Coke Is Making Carbonated Milk

Adorable Miss Ruby Reminds Us of the Dangers of Food Pushers

The Dangers of Competitive Eating

Are You Slowing Down Your Own Metabolism?

The winner of the Oikos Yogurt Giveaway is…..

Lacey of Common Objects and Everyday Events.

Congrats! Email me your address (kelly@everygymsnightmare.com) and I’ll get your loot in the mail!

I haven’t decided when the next giveaway will be. I think I’m going to bag it this week and then start over fresh next Sunday but I’ll keep you posted.

Weekend in Review

It feels like I didn’t even have a weekend.

Friday- Jerome and I went to my studio and worked out after it was closed. He had never been there before, and it was nice to have the place to ourselves. There are also a lot of exercises I can do there, but not at my gym, due to differences in the equipment and space. Then we watched Twilight (loved it! I have never read any of the books or anything, and it was super over-the-top and angsty, so i see why little girls everywhere freak out over it).

Saturday- BAD DAY. First, I discovered my ID was missing first thing in the morning. I ripped apart my apartment and my car and couldnt find it anywhere. Last I remembered using it was at a bar a week ago and was this close to driving there to see if anyone turned it in, but then i found it in my sweatshirt pocket. I still have no idea how it got there.

Then, I had to go down to Pearle vision and raise some hell. I know I mentioned it on Twitter, but I had to go order glasses last week, which I have never had before. Jerome gave me a pair of his old Versace frames so I wouldn’t have to buy any, and wouldn’t you know it, I get a call a few days later telling me they broke them and they will give me 50% of a new pair. Well, thats all fine and good, but I cant afford to 50% of a new pair of Versace frames right now, so I felt like I was getting penalized with cheap frames for not having extra money right now. So I politely bitched until they agreed to give me a credit and then I get to decide what kind I wanted to buy.

Anyhoo, ordered those, then Jerome had a huge beer pong tourney at his house that lasted entirely too long into the night.

Sunday- Easter! Im going to have chilli (weird, I know) with my mom and dad, then come home, pound out a few articles, and then hit the gym. I had way too much beer last night so I feel like a good, long, cardio sweat session is on the agenda. We will see how I feel after dinner though.

Food Journaling

Yeah, I stopped. I completely forgot for a day, and then realized I don’t really care, so I bagged it. Frees up a lot of time and purse space, and I know it won’t change how I actually eat, so who cares. Weigh ins are still every Wednesday so I can make sure I’m not losing any weight, and then the big day is April 22nd to test my body fat and Jeromes, well, everything. I can see a difference in him visually, so itll be fun to see the actual numbers.

Gymnastics

I have an interview on Tuesday to coach gymnastics on Tuesday! There is a little, non-competitive gym up the street from me, who turns out it owned by a coach from a rival high school team, that remembers me from high school days. It’ll probably just be a little part time thing in addition to my training (I train so early I have A LOT of free time). I miss gymnastics, and I’ve been out of the competitive game for so long I dont even know the code of points anymore, so a low pressure atmosphere will be fun. Wish me luck!

Happy Easter!!!

www.toothpastefordinner.com

What are you guys doing today?

Every Gym’s Nightmare, fitness, health, yoga, pilates, strength training, personal trainer, cardiovascular, cardio, exercise, wellness, weight loss, blog, blogging, fitness blog, weightloss blog,

I feel like I owe everyone an apology for neglecting the blog recently. I don’t know why, its my blog and I can do whatever I want with it, but I have been slacking recently, and I’m not sure why.

Ok, I think I am sure why.

1) I haven’t had a camera so a lot of the things i wanted to post about, i couldnt cause you would have no idea what I was talking about without a pic. BUT, my fabulous boy said i can use his camera, so now that’s not a problem. I just need him to show my how to upload the pics, now. Thanks, baby! That problem is solved.

2) I think I had SAD, and didnt even know it, until the sun came out the past few days and for some reason Im just happier. Work is nicer, home is nicer, Im outside, walking the dog more. I dunno, but sunshine makes me happier, thus bad weather zaps me of motivation, hence the seasonal blahs.

3) Stress. Money stress, more specifically. All my clients decided to go on vacation all at once, which means I’m working a lot less. Good for the first few days, but when you get the paycheck- not so exciting.

4) I also think I lost interest cause i stopped focusing on the ME side (my fave side) and stuck with the informational stuff. Which makes the blog feel like work. And Im not making any money off of it so I started to resent it. So, you will find more personal crap insights as well. Because venting makes me feel good.

So, back on track now, more frequent posts and less stress. Wahoo. Thanks for sticking it out with me.

Honestly, I dont get how people are so diligent with thier blogs. I either admire, or feel sorry for you. Not sure which one.

Daily Workout

I took the pooch for a long leisurely walk to the bank today, and after work (a whole whopping 2 hours worth) Im headed to the gym for 30 minutes of cardio, and lower body weights.

Tomorrow is weigh in day

If you recall, Im watching my food and working out more, kind of just to see what happens. Im never very cautious of my food, and really want to focus on training more. I’m tracking my body fat, hoping it drops a bit, but I’m weighing each week to make sure I dont lose any weight. I want to know that if my body fat drops, its because I gained muscle, not just lost weight. Last week I lost 2 pounds, which is ok, but I’d prefer to not lose that each week. I dont think I will, I think its just my body evening out from eliminating junk. Anyways, Im not trying to lose weight, Im trying to maintain it while I train more.

Superficial Motivation

Jerome and I were at the store last night and there was a huge dude walking in front of us.

Jerome said, “I want to have that face value intimidation factor like that guy. I want to get big so I have that intimidation factor.”

Ive told him before, “I don’t want people think of me as the skinny girl, I want them to think of my as the fit, muscular girl.”

Whats your completely superficial motivation? We all like to work out for our health, but health aside- what’s your superficial motivation?

Currently Eating….

Oikos Honey yogurt with Bear Naked Granola. Want your own? Enter my giveaway!

Every Gym’s Nightmare, fitness, health, yoga, pilates, strength training, personal trainer, cardiovascular, cardio, exercise, wellness, weight loss, blog, blogging, fitness blog, weightloss blog,