:) Hello there, I'm new here. I'll start with I'm 41 years old and the metabolism has slowed way down. I want a workout routine that will suite my needs and what I need is to lose about 50 pounds. I cannot tolerate carbohydrates such as breads, pasta's, etc. I've noticed when I eat these foods I tend to swell and bloat really bad. I need guidance as to what type of eating program I need to be on and what type of exercises I need to do in order to lose fat and gain muscle. I want to be so toned that nothing moves pretty much when I move!! :lol: Ok guys, lay it on me, what do I need to do?????????????

Thanxxxxxxx..Denise :)

Step 1

Give this thread a thorough read (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=1222). Come back in an hour. ;)

Step 2

Put together a plan, step back, evaluate, make any changes... then get back to us. You'll learn tons more more if you take a crack at it yourself, then we help you understand what's goin' on and see if we can't help you improve on your plan or goals.

Well to keep thing simple why not do your cardio of choice every day, and weight training 3 days a week. If you have a membership at the gym, have a trainer set you up with a program to follow. The gym has trainers for free for the first time, and that will get you rolling at least, until you know more of what you are doing.

I myself, take several group exercise classes a week. I used to bodybuild and found the weights and cardio to be very boring. Now I have changed my entire routine and the group classes really motivate me. I get my cardio workouts, my weight lifting and my muscle stretching done in all these classes.

As for diet, keep it simple. Don't eat any pre packaged or processed foods. No sugars or flours unless it is whole wheat flour. Give yourself a decent cheat day once every week or so to stane. Common sense is your best diet companion. We all have a really good idea of what we should not be eating in reality.

:) Hello there, I'm new here. I'll start with I'm 41 years old and the metabolism has slowed way down. I want a workout routine that will suite my needs and what I need is to lose about 50 pounds. I cannot tolerate carbohydrates such as breads, pasta's, etc. I've noticed when I eat these foods I tend to swell and bloat really bad. I need guidance as to what type of eating program I need to be on and what type of exercises I need to do in order to lose fat and gain muscle. I want to be so toned that nothing moves pretty much when I move!! :lol: Ok guys, lay it on me, what do I need to do?????????????

Thanxxxxxxx..Denise :)

Welcome to John Stone Fitness.

Don't be tied to what you have read and heard in the popular media. Different food plans have worked for different people. Try a low carb, high protein, normal healthy fat approach. Read here what others have tried.

Don't let your age deter you. (look at mine :lol: ) Read what the men have to say as well as the women. Try different food plans and see what works for you. Go to fitday.com to track your food intake. Start an online journal here. Take pictures of yourself and post them here. (Don't be embarrassed--look at the other journals. They all started out as "befores" and many (including myself) still are.) Work up to working out. Try first to be regular with one cardio session a week getting up to 2 x a week. Then add some weight training: a body pump class once a week, say. Find exercise you like to do. It took me a several months to build up to any form of regular exercise, but it really took off when I came on this site. More exercise would be better of course, but that seems to be a minimum.

My personal story with high grains, high carbs and low fat diets was not good and I talk about it here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=90896#post90896).

I switched to a low carb, high protein with healthy fats food plan. (45Protein-25Carbs- 30 Fat split, approximately).

Slowly over time I worked up to 2-3 times a week cardio, 1-2 x a week weights and 1-2 times a week Pilates

I am not consistent with my food or exercise, but getting more so over time. My progress has been slow but always in a positive direction. I never experience yo yoing up, just hit long steady states on food and weight.

Nevertheless, slowly over time I have lost 35 pounds and dropped from being too big for a size 16 to now a size 10 starting to be to big for me and 8's are looking pretty good and coming around the corner.

Good Luck and welcome to John Stone Fitness

:claphigh:

Thank You Justitia,
This isn't my post but it sure sounds like me (the original post). I am 37 and starting out...trying to lose 54 lbs. I have been informed that I don't eat enough so I am trying to figure out how to eat more.
I found this site by reading an article about body types...I am apparently mesomorph with a hint of endomorph (because I have the "fluffy round belly right now!). I do gain muscle quickly and there is a lot of muscle under my flab...I know it's there. People are amazed at my strength, but I am trying to figure out how to get the flab part to go away.
I have been doing 3 days per week of stability ball toning with weights but I think I need to increase the weight some because I don't feel like I am using weights. Cardio is my problem. I walk about 1 mile in 20 min. approximately 3 times per week,(weather permitting, there is a walking path at my work) and am not good (not coordinated) enough to do aerobics classes, not to mention that I am not too fond of aerobic classes. I have been dancing in my house for about 1/2 hour on the opposite days of the ball toning/training.
I recently signed up for fitday.com and have found that I am only eating approximately 1000 calories per day. I think I am eating a lot, then I put it in the food diary and viola... 1000 calories.
Any advice (from anyone) on how to eat more calories? I understand that my body isn't going to let anything go easily unless I give it something new. I am trying very hard to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day.
A typical day for me (weekday, because I tend to forget to eat on weekends) is:
Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs with cheese
2 or 3 slices of bacon

mid morning snack
protien bar or fruit

Lunch
soup or turkey wrap with salad

mid afternoon
protien bar or fruit or yogurt

Dinner
usually an easy to prepare all in one type of dish like chicken/pasta/veggie skillet dish or luncheon type steak (fairly lean)

I am not too good at drinking water (coffee addict) but I have increased my water intake to about 20 oz. a day. I have changed my evening coffee to decaf and I drink 1 or 2 diet sodas per day.

Should I try to add a protein drink or something higher in calories during the day as a snack?

I never realized that lack of food could be my biggest problem!

BTW:
Female
37 y/o
5' 4"
190 lb

My goal is 140 which according to charts is still overweight for me, but I know I look good there, feel good there, and as I mentioned, there is a good bit of muscle under my flab. At 160 lb I wear a size 12/14 comfortably and at 140 lb I wear a 10/12. Sure, I would like to wear an 8 or even get back into a 5 but lets just get me out of 16 first! :D
(at least that's how I am trying to take this in steps so I don't get discouraged).
Any adivce would be GREATLY appreciated! In the mean time, I will keep reading!
Thanks!
Jen

Probably you will have to plan to build up to what will start being effective for you. It seems you spend enough time on exercise but not effective enough exercise. Also you will have to change and increase your food quantity. You have probably slowed your metabolism eating the way you do.

I have been doing 3 days per week of stability ball toning with weights but I think I need to increase the weight some because I don't feel like I am using weights.

As one gets older stability exercises are important and great! But I suspect what you do is not enough to count as real weight training. See if you can find a good gym near your house that offers Body Pump and the other forms of BTS classes (Body combat in particular) (check out the posts by BustmyButt. She talks a lot about them.)

Right now you want to do what they call "cutting", fat loss with minimal loss to muscle. So I would start reading posts in the fat loss section.

Cardio is my problem. I walk about 1 mile in 20 min. approximately 3 times per week,(weather permitting, there is a walking path at my work) and am not good (not coordinated) enough to do aerobics classes, not to mention that I am not too fond of aerobic classes. I have been dancing in my house for about 1/2 hour on the opposite days of the ball toning/training.

Yeah, you definitely need to increase your cardio. effort. Not quantity so much as quality. Walking 1 mile in 20 minutes is not going to do much for you. First you need to be doing at least 30 minutes 1. to get your heart rate up (20 minutes) and 2. to sustain it (at least 10 minutes more, many say, --personally, I find another 25 minutes essential). 1 mile in 20 minutes (3 miles an hour) is probably doing very little for you in this aspect as well. But you need to get a good heart rate monitor and use (at least to start) the simple heart rate calculator to find what heart rate your exercise should get you up to, discussed here (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/moser9.htm) Scroll down to the simple formula. Once you learn your own body, you will find what seems most effective to do.

There are basically 2 apporaches to cardio HIIT and Empty Stomach Cardio. My usual rule of thumb is to do what works best for you--i.e., if you find you are willing to do it consistently--it works for you. I personally prefer Empty Stomach Cardio and I generally do it for at least 45 minutes, at least 2x a week, and I have found a heart rate level that is comfortable for me that happens to be higher than the formula I linked to just above. But for you I wouldn't go over the formula until you know your body better. HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training, is an alternative. You can search for threads here debating the merits of each approach. Some do one, some do the other, some mix it up. What works for you, i.e., you do it and you at least don't mind doing it -- is the best rule.


I recently signed up for fitday.com and have found that I am only eating approximately 1000 calories per day. I think I am eating a lot, then I put it in the food diary and viola... 1000 calories.
Any advice (from anyone) on how to eat more calories? I understand that my body isn't going to let anything go easily unless I give it something new. I am trying very hard to eat small meals and snacks throughout the day.

Too low!!! Too low!!! Too low!!!

Check out the Harris-Benedict formula here (http://www.weight-loss-i.com/calorie-needs-harris-benedict.htm)

A typical day for me (weekday, because I tend to forget to eat on weekends) is:

MUST EAT EVERY DAY--make yourself and then it will come naturally.

Breakfast
2 scrambled eggs with cheese
2 or 3 slices of bacon

Bacon has all kinds of bad chemicals in it. Cheese should be real cheese not processed american cheese. I would get rid of the bacon.

mid morning snack
protien bar or fruit

Most protein bars are terrible for you--search here for threads on protein bars and read about them (or how bad they are--hidden chmicals--misreported nutrition, etc. etc.)

Lunch
soup or turkey wrap with salad

Soup--too little--if its canned--probably filled with unhealthy chemicals and little nutrition. Depends what's in the Turkey wrap. Natural, organix is best--but especially natural (not processed, no chemicals.)

mid afternoon
protien bar or fruit or yogurt

Again, lose the protein bar. Your mid day meals should have protein in them-- people here don;t think too highly of yogurt--bad sugar in it--substitute low fat cottage cheese instead. You can mix it with stuff to make it taste better. Purchase high quality protein powder to use instead of protein bar. All the Whey, the banner on this site--has the best, best-tasting and cheapest protein powder around I find. The banner ads here are only allowed by John Stone )a real person) because he found they are high quality and good prices--and most people here agree. But search threads for protein powder to get other recommendations.


Dinner
usually an easy to prepare all in one type of dish like chicken/pasta/veggie skillet dish or luncheon type steak (fairly lean)

Except for certain brands you find in health food stores--these are mostly bad for you, if they are pre-prepared stuff. If you are making it yourself, most people recommend staying away from processed food, particulalry flour products such as bread and pasta. Find healthier starches. Search the nutrition site.

I am not too good at drinking water (coffee addict) but I have increased my water intake to about 20 oz. a day. I have changed my evening coffee to decaf and I drink 1 or 2 diet sodas per day.

Lose the coffee (no more than 1 cup a day) buld upt to a minimum of 64 0z of water a day--I know it is tough--but read my comments in the thread here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=92232#post92232) and here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=86156#post86156)

Should I try to add a protein drink or something higher in calories during the day as a snack?

Yep!!!

I never realized that lack of food could be my biggest problem!

Yep !!!

BTW:
Female
37 y/o
5' 4"
190 lb

My stats when I started though I was 43 years old when I hit 190 and stayed there for 8 years.


My goal is 140 which according to charts is still overweight for me, but I know I look good there, feel good there, and as I mentioned, there is a good bit of muscle under my flab. At 160 lb I wear a size 12/14 comfortably and at 140 lb I wear a 10/12. Sure, I would like to wear an 8 or even get back into a 5 but lets just get me out of 16 first! :D
(at least that's how I am trying to take this in steps so I don't get discouraged).

Great Goals! Don't be impatient. Build up over time.

Any adivce would be GREATLY appreciated! In the mean time, I will keep reading!
Thanks!
Jen[/QUOTE]

Definitely keep reading!!!! Build up slowly--find what works for you.

:gl:

Jentheartist:

I think Justica has a lot of good points, I think your diet really needs a big over-hall if you are going to see consistent losses and keep the weight off.

A couple of comments though:

Try to eat real food rather than protein shakes, bars etc.. Even soups and pre-packed stuff. These have a lot of calories and don’t really fill you up or get your metabolism going.

Don’t snack – eat full meals – 5-6/day. Each meal should be based around a protein source with veggies and/or fruit. A piece of fruit by itself is not a meal, not is a protein shake.

For carbs, keep them low GI.

Do not drink calories. Coffee won’t hurt too bad at this stage - concentrate on getting the other stuff right, then try to reduce the 'perks'.

Start eating right, don’t worry about loosing weight to start with. Start with a good number of calories for several weeks. You might find if you change your diet, you start loosing weight. I would keep upping the calories to maintain weight, then once you have realized you can really eat quite a lot (in fact you might feel like you are absolutely stuffing yourself), start to reduce calorie intake.

I would start at trying to eat 2200-2500 kcal/day + some exercise. What you eat, and when make a huge difference. A calorie is not simply a calorie.

These are great recommendations, and Jen, you should pick up on every one. The only modification is that I would use the formula I linked to for calculating calories. For women (and as you are about my height but younger) I think you will find around 1700-2000 or so calories is more appropriate. Over 2000 would be appropriate if you were exercising extremely heavily. But of course you have to find your individual level over time.

Jentheartist:

I would start at trying to eat 2200-2500 kcal/day + some exercise. What you eat, and when make a huge difference. A calorie is not simply a calorie.

Thank you SO much!
You made some good points and I really appreciate it! I will look into the Body Pump, I followed a link from another of your posts and it looks like fun.
I will begin to make the modifications and see what works for me as you suggested. I know it's not going to be an easy war to win, but I will win it!
Thank you again for all of your suggestions, I will print the post out and refer to it while I am improving!
Jen

Thank you NEdge

In the past couple of days since my post, I have managed to get up to 1500 calories a day...but now I realize with the wrong food!

You had said:
Don’t snack – eat full meals – 5-6/day. Each meal should be based around a protein source with veggies and/or fruit. A piece of fruit by itself is not a meal, not is a protein shake.

WOW Really? Full meals...I had actually taken 1600 calories and divided it up for about 5 eating times per day, and came up with 320 calories per eating time. I think with veggies and fruit I can stay in this range and have some protien as well. But farther down you recommend a lot more calories than 1600, I think I will have to build up to that because I am already walking around really full! One thing I have noticed is I am now hungry for dinner. Not starving but before, I rarely even thought about dinner because I wasn't hungry.
I have read some articles on the GI in Carbs and think I can handle keeping them in the low GI range, but I noticed off of Fitday so far, Carbs have been dominate in my day. I have to balance that more with protien right? I have seen 40/40/20 a lot in everyone's posts. Right now I am more 50 carbs/30 protien/20 fat...

You said:
Start eating right, don’t worry about losing weight to start with. Start with a good number of calories for several weeks. You might find if you change your diet, you start loosing weight. I would keep upping the calories to maintain weight, then once you have realized you can really eat quite a lot (in fact you might feel like you are absolutely stuffing yourself), start to reduce calorie intake.

I would start at trying to eat 2200-2500 kcal/day + some exercise. What you eat, and when make a huge difference. A calorie is not simply a calorie.

Ok, I'll build up to this level and keep it more healthy and less "pre-packaged"... I already try not to eat after 8:00 at night and usually go to bed around 10:30 - 11:00. Is that what you meant about timing the food intake?

Thank you very much for all of your help and suggestions!
Jen

These are great recommendations, and Jen, you should pick up on every one. The only modification is that I would use the formula I linked to for calculating calories. For women (and as you are about my height but younger) I think you will find around 1700-2000 or so calories is more appropriate. Over 2000 would be appropriate if you were exercising extremely heavily. But of course you have to find your individual level over time.

Thank you again! I have used the formula on the site and you're pretty much right. To maintain my weight would take about 2200, and to lose (from another site I think) it was suggested to cut 500 calories.
Thanks!

:) I cannot tolerate carbohydrates such as breads, pasta's, etc. I've noticed when I eat these foods I tend to swell and bloat really bad.
Thanxxxxxxx..Denise :)


It sounds like you may be intolerant or allergic to gluten. . . . Trying going off of foods that contain gluten for a week and see how you feel. . . . It may not help you lose weight, but it will help you feel better physically