Shedding excess winter weight has never been an issue for me—until now. Having trained and run triathlons and races, I had always been able to figure out what needed to happen to get my body back into the shape I needed it to be in.
But this year, I was going crazy trying to figure out what was going wrong. It only took me three different health care practitioners to tell me that my training routine was actually what was holding me back.
Weight Loss & “Overtraining Syndrome”
After some tests, the third practitioner told me that my cortisol levels were high upon waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. This kept my body in a “hold on to your fat” pattern of functioning, and my training was actually causing my metabolism to get stuck where it was! There is even a name for it: Overtraining Syndrome. Some athletes are able to utilize this cortisol in their endurance training, but my body had gotten used to functioning this way.
As it turns out, the only way I was going to be able to get a handle on losing weight again was if I took a break from all of my training. It sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But as with most things, moderation is key. With the emotional stress I had been under, adding more exercise to it just made my body snap into this holding pattern.
Knowing Your Body is Key to Recovery
I wanted to share this information with you because it may be helpful to you, especially if you are confused about your inability to lose weight with exercise and diet. Knowing the reason why my body was being so stubborn was very helpful for me. Now I’m able to plan my next steps after race season, knowing that my metabolism needs to be shaken up. The change in routine—tweaking my diet a bit and exercising just a little differently—will help me get back on track.
Have any interesting insights in diet and exercise? I’d love to hear them! Contact me today or comment on this blog.
