Am I doing too much, or eating wrong, or both

[zone67us]

I have hit a wall. Thanks for any advice. I am 5'11 with a thick frame. In the last 6 months, I have gone from 220lbs down to about 182 strictly through cardio. Several weeks ago, I changed things up a bit. I now lift (very intense) 3 days a week alternating upper and lower body. I also play basketball twice a week (full court, very intense) and then run once a week. I am working out intensively 6 days a week. I have now gone from 183 up to 187.

Here is my problem. I know I don't eat like I should. Low calorie is easy, it is eating protein that is tough. My wife and I are both carb people and don't do a regular protein meal. I now have a very low energy level and am pretty worn out. So my question is, would I feel better by easing up on my workouts a bit, or, making a better effort to eat protein (I hate those shakes by the way). My best guess is to add a bit more protein and drop down to lifting twice a week with 3 days cardio.

I am not trying to get huge. I just want to be slender (which I'm not) with a decent build. I'm lost folks. Thanks.

[stretchMk]

hi.
I was a hater on those protein shake before until I found one (isopure) which taste pretty good but just a little pricezy. You could try different shakes with different favors (there are a lot out there, and I am sure you will find one that is ok to you.) If the shake is an absolute no, then maybe you should eat more egg (eggwhite to be exact) since boiling eggs up are easy and easy to the stomack, also, rich protein source. Also, sometimes when my energy level is down, i drink sports drink instead of water, they help too.

[Rats!]

mix your protein shake with milk.. should be no problem washing one down first thing in the morning.

What, exactly, do you mean by being "carb people". Open a bag of chips and eat that? Eat mostly fruits and veggies? Or do you eat mostly starches (potatoes, rices, noodles)?

Vegetarians mix foods (like beans and rice) to get complete proteins. You could do some research into that lifestyle and see if it helps to increase your protein intake.

As far as protein shakes go, I don't consume them for flavor either. It is simply an easy way to get extra protein.

[CF-OC_gal]

I might suggest that if you made a sudden change in your cardio routine you might be gaining. Were you 5-7 days cardio before down to one a week now? If so that is a big switch. (Even considering b-ball as a cardio workout) You likely need to respond with your eating habits.

You definately need to get your protein requirements in there. Try 1-1.5 grams per lb bodyweight per day to start with if you are not already there. Then allow 15-30 % of your diet in fats, fill in the rest with carbohydrates. You'll probably need to have a target calorie amount to shoot for to do this calculation. (try for a maintenance value)

You can use fitday.com to help keep track of all this. It makes it easy to know just what you are doing with your nutritional intake therefore easier to diagnose

[Lady C]

Actually, I bet you have no idea how many calories you are intaking.

Brat hit your main point. You cut way back on your cardio WITHOUT modifying your diet. Try tracking your intake for at least a week eating just like you are now using Fitday. You will find it VERY revealing and educational.

Then modify your diet based on your weeks worth of information.

[zone67us]

Hey folks,

Thanks for the advice. When I say carb people, I speak mainly of potatoes, rice, bread, and pasta. I actually have not decreased my cardio. The b-ball I play is full court for almost an hour. It is very intense and I was just considering it cardio. Is that wrong?

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by zone67us

The b-ball I play is full court for almost an hour. It is very intense and I was just considering it cardio. Is that wrong?

I would consider BBall cardio.

I still think you need to track your diet more. Do you have any idea how many calories you are eating? My bet is you are not eating enough of the right kinds of foods.

Full court bball for one hour, played by a 180 pound player, will expend approximately 485 calories.

One hour of intense weight training only expends 325 calories.

60 minutes of running at 6 mph (that is a 10 minute mile) will expend 860 calories.

Here is an interesting read on losing some extra body fat.