Is this amount of exercise excessive?

Is this about of exercise Excessive?

  • No, I do the same amount of exercise (or more) and I'm perfectly healthy.

    Votes: 2 66.7%
  • Just a bit but you have nothing to worry about.

    Votes: 1 33.3%
  • Yes.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    3

veganDreama

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I go to the gym every day. I also walk round the park at least 7 times (up to 21 times) in a day. I walk whatever the weather conditions and whatever I'm feeling (up to a point). I'm told going to the gym every day is excessive by some of my com guides but I'm not sure. Most of this exercise is in order to stop me gaining weight. I have a BMI of 21. I also do other exercise as well: Climbing on Tuesday, trampolining on Wednesday and ice skating on Thursday plus walking up and down 3 flights of stairs.
 
Yes, it is excessive. Sounds more like a controlling behavior of an eating disorder (I lived with one for years and I would also exercise excessively).
 
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A few questions:

How far is one lap around the park?

What is a com guide?

How long of a time do you spend at the gym in a day?

How intense is your exercise?

Do you vary intensity from session to session?

Other than thinking about it, have you any l problems from what you're doing not having any "rest & rebuild" days, like strain injuries?
 
Once you answer Bob's questions I may have more to add.

but for now the only thing that sends up a red flag is that you don't seem to have a day off. Every good exercise plan I've seen includes a day off. Oh, it's ok to walk around the park 7 days a week. but once you get into higher exercise levels it is essential to have a day off. You are even allowed to walk around the park on your R&R day. But strength training at the gym 7 days a week is not optimal. You would actually benefit by going less.

One other thing, A BMI of 21 is not bad. It might also be misleading. A lot of people think BMI is interchangeable with Body Fat Percentage (BF%). And for many people it is. but if you do strength training your BF% is probably less than your BMI. (the concept is that if you are muscular - the BMI index mistakes muscles for fat, and of course muscles weight more than fat, Per cubic inch). There are many good BF% calculators on the net. Here is one.

The rule of thumb for women is that a BF% of 18 and below is too low.
"For women between age 20 and 40, 19% to 26% body fat is generally good to excellent. For women age 40+ to 60+, 23% to 30% is considered good to excellent.
https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

So it looks like you are probably good to go.
 
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Eating excessive food is harmful and also excessive exercise is also harmful. Take proper schedule from a physicain or gym master to have a well balanced exercise. Do not punish yourself with exercise.
 
How far is one lap around the park?

I'm afraid I don't know the distance of one lap. I would be curious to know but it takes between 12 and 20 minutes depending on my energy level.

is a com guide?

A com guide is someone who takes me to places and can do the deafblind manual on my hand.

long of a time do you spend at the gym in a day?
I'm at the gym for about 2 hours. Sometimes more sometimes less. At the moment I spend 25 minutes on each machine and then their is the weights. It varies how long I take on the weights as sometimes I'm a bit sluggish.

intense is your exercise?

That varies on my mood. I always push myself to do a certain number of laps. Today I have so far done 19 laps and spent most of the day in the park. I'm going out later to do another 6 laps.

you vary intensity from session to session?
Yes. If I'm angry or upset I tend to push myself harder.
 
Yes, it is excessive. Sounds more like a controlling behavior of an eating disorder (I lived with one for years and I would also exercise excessively).

I'm not sure I do have an eating disorder. I used to be over 200 pounds and I'm afraid if I just let go I'll be obese again as it's happened a few times. I'm afraid of gaining weight but not really intending to lose it.
 
But strength training at the gym 7 days a week is not optimal. You would actually benefit by going less.

I'm not really into it for strength training. I'm just trying to stop myself gaining weight and get rid of some of that flab on my tummy. People think I'm thinner then I am because I'm boney in places and flabby in others that aren't so visible.
 
Eating excessive food is harmful and also excessive exercise is also harmful.

I don't think I do eat excessively. Last night I licked a pot of cashew nut butter after I'd finished it which made me feel out of control. I just feel I need to exercise out any junk food I eat. a fifth of a packet of low fat crisps makes me want to exercise the excess calories away and even a few handfuls of pumpkin seeds even though I know pumpkin seeds are good for me in moderation.
 
Until 4 years ago, I used to have a commute of 78km (or just under 50 miles). That was the round trip. I wouldn't do that more than 4 times a week though. I would cycle at the weekend with my husband usually around 125-130km (75-80 miles) because his commute was only 22 miles (35km) return, done 5 days a week. Just occasionally I'd also go out with a friend to push my limits and do a +100 miler (160-170km). My weekday commute was to act as career for my parents and their large garden. I did what they couldn't, so all the heavy lifting, heavy duty stuff. Constantly on my feet etc.
Needless to say I was very fit and could eat whatever I wanted pretty much, but I always had 1 rest day every week, no matter what.

For me, that was normal for 2-3 years. Prior to that (excluding my time cycle touring including a 12 month tour) my normal was cycling to and from work (15 miles round trip cross country, after storms it was more of an assault course carrying your bike to work). I'd swim at work during the lunch hour (usually managing 1km but sometimes after work doing much more ). All holidays were active, mountaineering, hiking , winter hill walking, cycling, cycle touring etc . I grew all our own veg, and they'd always be a weekend bike ride but usually only a morning ride because the garden took a lot of work. I started hill walking and mountaineering (including winter stuff) as a child, so active holidays were the norm for me.

I guess it depends on what your normal is. To me it isn't excessive the amount of exercise you're doing. To a lot of others it will be.

But and this is a big but, what you've written afterwards in replies to people, does read as worrying.

It does reads as someone with an eating disorder who needs assistance and this is from someone who had an undiagnosed eating disorder at school and had taken decades to deal with it. I'm still receiving help for it even now when a lengthy stay in hospital has meant I need to lose 15kg just to get back to being a "normal" BMI again, forget trying to get back to my preferred weight range of 60-65kg. It is help that is long overdue and something that would have helped me long ago if I had ever been have enough to raise it. Please talk to your GP and see what help you can get. Print out this thread and let them read your replies.
I'll point out now, I'm from the UK. Spent a part of my childhood in Stoke on Trent.
 
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veganDreama,

If I recall correctly , in a different post you said that you used to be heavier. You described yourself as being boney in some places with a flabby tummy, that is characterisic of people who have lost a lot of weight. If you were quite a bit heavier and for a long time, you may not be able to exercise the tummy flab away.

I am impressed by the amount of exercise you do, and I am in no way qualified to say anything about it one way or another if it's excessive. I personally do exercise, but in no way do I really know what I'm doing. People who do know about fitness, exercise physiology, etc. may be able to give you direction that would make your exercise more effective for your goals, or if you are doing any disservice to yourself by over exertion.

I suppose it comes down to if you are doing yourself no harm, it doesn't interfere with your life and you enjoy it or at least, the results-- my opinion is, ( which again, is only an opinion) it's probably a good thing.

All the best,

Bob
 
I don't know if that's excessive amount, but like people have said, one day off might be beneficial, and I promise that it won't make you fat. One day off is important, because it enables the body to heal. On your day off, if you want, you can take a walk and stretch, for example, or pamper yourself a little and take a warm bath.

I think that it's normal for you to be worried that you lose control again, if you have been overweight before... Maybe, in the past, your loved ones have pointed out that you looked a little chubby? And also, in the past, maybe doctors have told you to count calories and monitor your weight?
Back then counting calories was necessary, for your health. But now, even though it's hard, you can maybe try to forget, every now and then, to count calories? Because now, that you are at a healthy weight, you don't have to be so conscious about what you eat. The process might be hard, at first, if you have been told for years that you must keep count of every single bite. But if you can do that, I think it might help you feel more relaxed.

Food is a fuel, and if you eat healthily, like I'm sure you are, it won't make you gain weight. Exercise is good too, but to do it just to stay thin, or to even punish oneself for eating little bit of something fatty, sounds like an ED to me... For example, when I exercise, my goal is to stay healthy and take care of my body.

By the way, congratulations for losing all that weight! It must have been hard and a long journey.
 
I wonder if you exercise so much, not because of ED (even though I consider that as a possibility as well), but because that way you get stimulus...? Since you are deafblind, you won't get stimulus from your other senses, than touch and taste (and smell). Maybe that's why you used to over eat as well?
I don't know what hobbies deafblinds can have... But I'm happy that you stay active and take care of yourself.

About the possibility of ED...
Over eating might also be a sign of ED, but one that often goes undiagnosed. People usually disregard overweight people as lazy, but the thing is that, they don't know what is behind the problem.
It's typical for those who are prone to having eating disorders, to have a past of physical, or sexual abuse. The point I'm trying to make is... Having an ED isn't just about being shallow (wanting to be thin), problem usually goes deeper.. Even those with ED, don't ususally think about the cause until their physical state gets really bad, and they are forced to rehabilitate. If you think you might have triggers from past trauma, maybe somekind of therapy might be helpful?
I'm sorry for this, but I'm just stating facts. Jeez... This got dark fast.
 
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I wonder if you exercise so much, not because of ED (even though I consider that as a possibility as well), but because that way you get stimulus...? Since you are deafblind, you won't get stimulus from your other senses, than touch and taste (and smell). Maybe that's why you used to over eat as well?
I don't know what hobbies deafblinds can have... But I'm happy that you stay active and take care of yourself.

Thanks for your reply.
I have partial vision. very few deafblind people are profoundly so. Joe from upstairs is also deafblind and he is almost completely blind with partial hearing) My sight is just a bit blurry and I can only read very large print but it does help me get about. I used to be almost completely blind and deaf for a while but luckily part of my vision was restored.

I like speed walking when I have the energy to walk really fast. I also take pride in managing to walk to the gym independently and use all their machines. The running machine and the cycle machine I use actually have large print displays so I can read them and to time myself on the rowing machine I use my vibrating watch.

I've had eating disorders in the past. I once slimmed down to 6 stone 7 (91 pounds). I've also been obese off and on. I'd get to a certain weight and people would tell me I had to lose some of it so I had to cut out all the food I really liked but I managed somehow. Then I would stop dieting and end up obese again. This time I'm trying to stay slim without being too underweight.
 
By the way, congratulations for losing all that weight! It must have been hard and a long journey.

Thanks, yes it was hard. I made that journey countless times only to pile it back again after I stopped dieting, so this time I want to be more careful not to repeat the pattern.
 
It does reads as someone with an eating disorder who needs assistance and this is from someone who had an undiagnosed eating disorder at school and had taken decades to deal with it.

Wow, your exercise schedule sounds quite impressive! I used to swim too until I got really sensitive to the cold. I could perhaps try again some time.

Yes, I have also had eating disorders in the past. The doctors know about me and I also see a couple of shrinks every now and again to check I am doing ok. Not so much about eating disorders rather then because several years ago now I was in a bad place. I used to think my home was invaded by intruders and people were trying to smuggle animal matter in my food. I spent several months in a special mental ward for mentally ill deaf people. So I am on sertrilain and Olazaphine and I'm seeing a shrink tommorrow for a check up. I could maybe talk about this tommorrow although I definitely want to continue going to the gym and to the local park to do my exercise.
 
If I recall correctly , in a different post you said that you used to be heavier. You described yourself as being boney in some places with a flabby tummy, that is characterisic of people who have lost a lot of weight. If you were quite a bit heavier and for a long time, you may not be able to exercise the tummy flab away.

Oh dear, I suppose the flab is here to stay then and people have started getting on my case about not losing any more weight. I've been very heavy off and on for over a decade. I gained a lot of weight, I lost weight then I gained it back again whenever I stopped dieting.