Why do I even bother doing cardio?

[hornedfrogs07]

2 weeks ago monday I started doing cardio 4x/week, trying to get myself back down to ~205. Originally, I was 225, and the 2 weeks before I started doing cardio, I'd dropped to 220 just from my diet changes alone........well, 2 weeks into it, I'm up to 230. This seems to happen every time I do cardio on a regular basis...................hell, I gained 15lbs during cross country season my senior year of high school, running about 30 miles per week.

I think I'm the only person alive that can do cardio to GAIN weight.

 

[syko]

yous just a freak of nature....you belong at ripleys museum in daytona, FLA!~

 

[inked1]

has your diet changed now that you are doing cardio?

 

[Mr. dB]

The cardio makes you hungrier.

 

[hornedfrogs07]

has your diet changed now that you are doing cardio?

If anything, I've cut even farther back than I did before I started doing it. Whereas I was eating over 4000-4500 cals per day to bulk, I cut to about 3500 before cardio and I probably get in 3250 now.

The only thing that has ever worked for me to lose weight and fat was almost starving mysel for about 6 months (lost ~50lbs and about 20% BF in 5 months), but I absolutely refuse to do that now.

 

[inked1]

so let me get this straight
1 you are still lifting as heavy/ hard and often as you were pre cutting
2 you have reduced calorie consumption
3 you are doing cardio 4 times per week
.........and you are gaining weight

how is this possible, bump for an answer

 

[hornedfrogs07]

so let me get this straight
1 you are still lifting as heavy/ hard and often as you were pre cutting
2 you have reduced calorie consumption
3 you are doing cardio 4 times per week
.........and you are gaining weight

how is this possible, bump for an answer

Don't know, but I weighed in at 232 tonight. Believe me, I wouldn't bullshit about something like this..........I'm pissed as hell that I can't lose weight, since my goal at the first of the semester was to be back down to 205 and 10% by Xmas......I drug my ass starting to do cardio, but my diet has been better overall than it was previously.

Only thing I can figure is something in me stimulates more water retention due to the increased workload on the CV system. I know plasma volume expands in response to cardiovascular exercise, but (A) I haven't done enough cardio to elicit a large response, and (B) There's no way in hell that I'd be holding 1.5 gallons of excess water in my blood. I haven't noticed any visible water retention, but I'm sure that that accounts for at least some of the weightgain.

 

[Mr. dB]

I think sometimes it's harder to lose weight in the fall than any other time of the year. It's as if the body will go against your will to continue bulking and fattening up for the winter.

 

[Ifrit]

Go by your heart rate. I know it is common sense but you use more carbohydrates than fat for fuel if you are above it so naturally you will be hungrier if you run at full speed. Sure either way you are burning calories which is the main goal in fat loss but if you want to eat like a pig and blow what you just did for an hour then go ahead. Keep a cheat day in there because that makes it all tolerable.

 

[daan69]

Try doing your cardio in the morning....

if you really want to see results buy a heart rate monitor from a sporting goods store... (doesnt have to be the most expensive as long as it works)... try to keep your heartrate between 60-80 percent of your max heart rate (to find your approximate MHR subtract your age from 220)....

I like to keep my heart rate at about 150 BPM (about 75% of my MHR) and it allows me to prolong my cardiac exercise....

you might find that you need to start allot slower than you would expect... but give it a few weeks and it will pick up.... oh yeah and it sucks running this time of year