I know that I am going to make some enemies saying this, but I love, love, love to exercise. Running, jumping rope, lifting weights - as long as it isn't a team sport, I love it. BUT I just read the Eades's book Protein Power Lifeplan and they say that too much exercise will raise cortisol and insulin levels, thereby thwarting weight loss. What say you? Since the birth of my son a year ago, I have NOT been training heavily (where does the time go?) but I do work out every day of the week - either cardio or weights. I don't want to give it up. help!

2piecegal I haven't heard anything about that. I think exercise is a very good thing if you are eating enough carbs and calories. But, I must applaud you on your stamina. I wish I loved exercising as much as you.

2piecegal, I'm right there with you. It started innocently enough with walking every day, but I worked up to two hours of strenuous exercise six times a week until I overtrained myself into exhaustion, sleep deprivation, and food cravings. There IS a downside to too much exercise. You can get injured much more easily, you can start to lose muscle mass (from too much heavy cardio), you can gain increased appetite. The trainers I know recommend no more than 6 days a week and preferably 5, of routines that alternate cardio and weight training. In other words, don't do a heavy duty cardio and weight lifting on the same day, wait 24-48 hours between weight lifting sessions for the same body parts, and definitely take at least one day a week off.

exercising speeds up your metabolism which helps loose weight i thought

Keep exercising, just make sure that you are eating enough calories to support your bodies increased needs so you build muscle not lose it.

When you work out you tear muscle apart. It's during the rest periods your body takes protien and rebuilds the muscle, making it larger and stronger. Too little protien, calories or rest can make the muscles not repair well.

Having a higher lean weight means better circulation. That does raise metabolism as well as reduce the appearence of cellulite. Rember too lean weight isn't just muscle, it is bone density, blood volume, internal organs and so on. Strength training is one of the ways to help build bone density and fight ostiperosis later in life.

In the body for life forum they talk about eating before a weight session to raise cortisol. Check out the regular exercise forum and the body for life by doing a search on that word using the search function. If you belive those cortaslim comercials you don't have to worry about that until your past 40, but I tend not to belive things when they are trying to sell me something (esp diet pills)