A tricky question here. Solutions?

[candytpw]

Started paying some extra effort in my exercise 3 months ago.
Including 40mins HIIT 3~4 times a week, weight training twice to 3 times a week, active recovery on a stationary bike once every 3 days.

Problem is, my menstruation stopped. The amount of menses was greatly reduced 2 months ago, and i have already skipped 2 periods since then. Figured that I am probably working out too much.

I can't afford to stop exercising because I've got a really serious water retention problem, PMS thing. On average 6 pounds water weight during ovulation, and 3~4pounds during the whole Luteal Phase. Skipped my exercise last night for the sake of my knees, but got 2 pounds water weight on already... Couldn't get into my usual trousers this morning....

Would it still be too much if I reduce the cardio to 1 hr a day, varying in intensity every day?

 

[GoofyNewfie]

If you've already hit a low body fat % that explains why your cycle stopped. Figure competitors, female bodybuilders, and other female athletes that have to reduce their body fat % down in to the single digits are known to stop.

Exercise won't eliminate water retention. Chat to your doctor and/or a nutritionist and examine your regime(s) to figure out an effective way to combat that. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it but if it is something you feel you must deal with then make sure you take the healthy approach.

Your exercise routine is pretty intense. It certainly shows how dedicated you are. Do you find you have to do this amount all the time? Just curious. Would this level of physical exercise help you maintain or is this a program for losing?

 

[candytpw]

If you've already hit a low body fat % that explains why your cycle stopped. Figure competitors, female bodybuilders, and other female athletes that have to reduce their body fat % down in to the single digits are known to stop.

Exercise won't eliminate water retention. Chat to your doctor and/or a nutritionist and examine your regime(s) to figure out an effective way to combat that. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it but if it is something you feel you must deal with then make sure you take the healthy approach.

Your exercise routine is pretty intense. It certainly shows how dedicated you are. Do you find you have to do this amount all the time? Just curious. Would this level of physical exercise help you maintain or is this a program for losing?

I'm sure my BFR isn't low enough to bring about the halt... subcutaneous fat is still visible around my thighs, arms and butt.

i jog or cycle for a little more than an hr just to sweat. i'm aware that it isn't a cure, but helps take pounds off every time. I'm taking neurobion to help flush out the water, but that just isn't enough. I'm gonna tackle that later when I can afford long term treatment from specialists. (fresh graduate waiting to be paid)

oh yes, it's a plan for losing. i've still got 9 pounds to go. currently 124lbs, 161cm.
honestly, i have difficulty judging if that's really too intense... that's y i'm having difficulty deciding on how much to cut, which would be sufficient enough to burn the amount of calories needed to help me lose the fat but not over-doing.
it usually wears me out a bit after the HIIT, but feel energized again after several hrs and i can hop on a bike again and cycle for another hr. Never once experiencing muscle cramps except for my first HIIT session and 10K run. I really lack the knowledge of judging the limit... not trained afterall...

 

[Emerald1]

I know I may not answer your main question but I hope I maybe help you in some way today ^_^

I wanted to bring up something since you mentioned you do 40min of HIIT.

HIIT is done around 15 minutes tops.
Most people start out between 5-8 and work their way up to 15.

Even Tabata (much like HIIT and is an intense workout) is only 4 minutes long.

HIIT is short burst of intense, give-it-your-all work followed by an active rest period.

I've been doing HIIT for almost 2 years now and I go 15 minutes. I do 20 rounds of 30sec of work and 15 seconds of rest.

read this thread clearing up the misconceptions of HIIT.
clearing up HIIT

http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-0412101-214442/unrestricted/king0417.pdf
Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity i... : Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

From LiveStrong:

High Intensity Interval Training

Accelerate your weight loss with high intensity interval training, or HIIT. This method involves short, intense bursts of activity followed by a longer period of moderate activity or rest. If you're a beginner, warm up for five minutes with a gentle jog, break into a sprint for 60 seconds and rest for 120 seconds, recommends IntervalTraining.net. Repeat this cycle five times for a 15-minute workout. Vary your times to accommodate your level of fitness. HIIT also works well with other exercise routines. For instance, you can apply HIIT to your walking, cycling or swimming workout.

 

[candytpw]

I know I may not answer your main question but I hope I maybe help you in some way today ^_^

I wanted to bring up something since you mentioned you do 40min of HIIT.

HIIT is done around 15 minutes tops.
Most people start out between 5-8 and work their way up to 15.

Even Tabata (much like HIIT and is an intense workout) is only 4 minutes long.

HIIT is short burst of intense, give-it-your-all work followed by an active rest period.

I've been doing HIIT for almost 2 years now and I go 15 minutes. I do 20 rounds of 30sec of work and 15 seconds of rest.

read this thread clearing up the misconceptions of HIIT.
clearing up HIIT

http://etd-submit.etsu.edu/etd/theses/available/etd-0412101-214442/unrestricted/king0417.pdf
Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity i... : Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

Thx for your advice!
i didn't make myself clear... that 40min is actually 2 20min sessions.
i usually sprint at 12.5kph for 30seconds and rest at 8kph for 90seconds. repeated 10 times. HR reaches >180 during the sprints.
take a 5 min break, then i'd go on the elliptical or rower for another 20min. guess i could last that long because it wasn't really intense enough? shall I simply shorten my resting intervals then?

anyway, i'm cutting the HIIT now. recently feeling a bit tired. dun want any burn outs.

 

[LiveLeanTips]

Skipping cycles is a problem. Talk with your doctor. You may have an imbalance of your sex or thyroid hormones. You may not be able to get rid of the subcutaneous fat in your butt and thighs. Even if you starve yourself, which you may be essentially doing by overtraining, that fat may not go away. There has to be good blood supply there to mobilize the fat stores, and those areas do not have the best blood supply subcutaneously. With continued training and a healthy diet, with a substantial calorie deficit, the remaining 9 pounds might come off over time, but should not be at the expense of a loss of cycles. I have read an e book called Be Lean by Romy Seleznov Nelson that addresses this issue. She was a body builder and dealt with these issues. You might find her insight useful.

 

[candytpw]

Skipping cycles is a problem. Talk with your doctor. You may have an imbalance of your sex or thyroid hormones. You may not be able to get rid of the subcutaneous fat in your butt and thighs. Even if you starve yourself, which you may be essentially doing by overtraining, that fat may not go away. There has to be good blood supply there to mobilize the fat stores, and those areas do not have the best blood supply subcutaneously. With continued training and a healthy diet, with a substantial calorie deficit, the remaining 9 pounds might come off over time, but should not be at the expense of a loss of cycles. I have read an e book called Be Lean by Romy Seleznov Nelson that addresses this issue. She was a body builder and dealt with these issues. You might find her insight useful.

Thx! i'd get a check up right away then. I've suspected that my hormones are the major major cause for some time already. It really hinders my weight loss a lot. I've got really serious PMS too. have almost every physical symptoms possible, from aches and water retention to blurred vision.

Thanks so much for the tips!