well... okay... 5'3" and 3/4, but with a good hair day it is a definite 5'4"... ;)

so I have lurking around for awhile and thought I would post...

first, let me say what a great site this is!! :tucool:

here are some stats:

34 yrs old
142 lbs
bf = ?? last time I had it tested I was 3 lbs lighter and at 25%, which needless to say I really want to improve on.

my overall goals are to reduce my body fat to 20% or less. I am not terribly focused on the weight numbers... but gotta say when "that number" comes up I begin to make some bargins with the scale... :lol:

workout:

wk#1 chest/back/shoulders/abs:
-flat bench 3-4 sets 10 reps 65, 75, 80
-situps

3 sets/10 reps
-weighted row (magnum machine row) 70, 80, 90 - alternating close and wide
-incline bench (dumbells) 15, 20, 25
-crab crunches

3 sets/10 reps
-lat pull downs 70, 80, 90
-pec flyes 50, 60, 70
-decline bench crunches

3 sets/10 reps
-seated dumbell shoulder press 15, 20, 25
-lying dumbell pullovers 15, 20, 25
-seated knee ups

3 sets/10
-standing dumbell lateral raises
-standing dumbell front raises
-roman chair crunches

WorkOut #2
legs/biceps/triceps/abs

3 sets/10
-squats with 45 bar in smith rack
-seated knee ups

3 sets/10
-reverse lunges (or) split squat lunches with 45 bar in smith rack
-lying leg raises for abs

3 sets/10
-quad extensions 10, 15, 20 slow & press
-hamstring curls 30, 35, 40 slow & press
-standing calf raises 10, 10, 10

3 sets/10
-hip adductor machine 40, 40, 40 slow & press
-hip abductor machine 40, 40, 40 slow & press

(sometimes)
3 sets/10
-stiff legged dead lifts with db 12, 15, 20

3 sets/10
-bicep curls w/bar 20, 30, 30 (don't laugh)
-tri skullcrushers 15, 17.5, 20
-seated knee ups

3 sets/10
-bicep hammer curls 7.5, 10, 12 (another humorous attempt)
-tri v bar press downs 60, 70, 80
-more abs of sometype

soooo... I have been following this format for quite a while... I hurt my neck by waking up one morning (don't ask) and had to take a break for awhile... so I had to start over again. I have been back to this particular routine for about 1 month. I follow the BFL format of working doing WK#1 MF and WK #2 W then the next week WK#1 W and WK#2 MF so they have a chance to rest.

Overall, I am pretty happy with the results that I am getting. However, the bicep thing... well, I just hate doing them because it is so embarrassing to be that weak in that area.

On Tuesdays,Thursdays:
HIIT running for 24 minutes
-hot tub and steam room just for fun :cool:

As for my eating, pretty standard each day:

7 am- 1 cup low carb/splenda sweetened yogurt, 2 c water, 1 TB flax oil, 1 scoop whey protein, all blended (220 cals does not include flax cals)

9:30 am - same as breakfast
12:00 - either another shake, an EAS low carb bar (peanut butter or caramel apple), or grilled chicken, green beans, cantaloupe/strawberries, or maybe oatmeal

2:30 - another shake
4:00 - workout
5:30 - either another shake, an EAS low carb bar (peanut butter or caramel apple), or grilled chicken, green beans, cantaloupe/strawberries, or maybe oatmeal
7:30 - another shake or nothing

I figured my BMR to be 2184.46 and since I am shooting for losing 2 lbs a week, I calculate my calories per day at 1184.46. I think each day, I am pretty darn close to that.

I typically workout with my brother and we grip about our inherited genetic blunders of a sucky metabolism... but we get it done!!

I would appreciate any comments on my plan.

For weight, it seems so many of you 5'4" are around 120 with awesome BF %.... except for that 10% bf 137 lbs idol of mine!!! You rock!! :bow: I figure for my bodyframe, it will probably take me losing a good 20 lbs of BF.. so I continue down my journey...

anyway... I think I have babbled enough!! :o

For the weight training and everything you are doing, eating less than 1200 is just not a good idea. It's not enough, and you are likely to be putting your general health at risk. Lowering your immune system, decreasing your lean mass, etc. The last thing you want is to considerably slow your metabolism because you are burning up your muscle. It's a vicious cycle. 2 lbs a week is a sort of maximum, and is generally unrealistic unless you are really seriously overweight. You should probably up your calories to at least the 1400 range, and consider your goals carefully, and how much time is required to meet them in a reasonable manner, without sacrificing long term management of your weightloss and fitness.

Congrats on delurking! :tucool:

my goals are really to decrease my body fat percentage, but I also don't want to sacrifice my LMB that I have worked for. I have always struggled with my weight, but I have to say that this is probably the first time in my life that I am as strong as I am. Never thought I would bench almost 100 lbs! Of course, if I could manage a decent number of push ups (like maybe 10 for starters?)... but I digress... :lol:

I agree... 2 lbs a week for me is almost really impossible. And I agree with you that 1184 cal/day seems really low. Perhaps I did the calculations wrong? When I did the calcs I weighed 143 not that 1 lb makes any difference in the big picture, but just to show how I came up with the number...


655.0 + (64.86 * 9.6) + (1.8 * 161.93) - (4.7 * 34)
BMR = 1409.33 x 1.55 (3-5 weekly)
BMR = 2184.46 - 1000 (2 lbs/wk)
giving me 1184.46

do you think I would see better results with around 1584? Gotta admit that I do find myself pretty hungry, but I thought I should at least give the calculations number a try for a few weeks. However, I don't want to eat into the LMB I have already built up.

I am not in a big hurry to lose it... with the agreement that when I lose it, it will not hop a cab back with friends!! :lol: But I guess I do get a little frustrated when my brother loses 3 lbs week on average (which I try to promise myself I will not let it get to me :rolleyes: )

Thanks for the response Savyart!!

I'm your height and about your age and I NEVER went below 1500 calories - went from 168 to 122-125 and have maintained for almost a year now. I'm now 16% BF and wearing mostly size 2. So there's no need to eat so little! :)

Also, you aren't eating enough real food. I'd cut out most of the shakes except PWO and incorporate more food into your eating plan. Cut out the bars also if you can.

Chicken breast, oats, rice, cottage cheese, egg whites - all can be made into interesting meals, believe it or not. And I'm an active nurse working in a busy clinic and I bring my little tupperware to work, even on maintenance.

Good thing about not dropping the calories so low is that on maintenance you actually get to eat a decent amount of food. I know plenty of people 'maintaining' on 1600 cals and working out a few hours a day. Bleh! I am at 2000-2200 and still going strong.

Forgot to mention - that 1500 cals a day was not including a free day that was probably in the 2500-3K range. I don't do that anymore, but if you average it out, I had even more than 1500 cals/day! :)

well.. I'm 5' 2 1/2" and weight around 139 right now... I cycle my calories during the week.. on weight training day's I've been getting around 1450 or so and on cardio only day's I try to keep it to 1300 at most... it's worked really well for me... on my cardio only day's the only thing I change is the amount of carbs I take in... it's not true carb cycling at this point as I do still eat carbs on my low day's but it's a less severe form of carb cycling... closer to competition I'll do a full carb cycling program for two weeks... the only carbs I'll take in on the low/no carb day's are veggies... but I only do up to two day's off at a time and then do a few day's with in a sporadic fashion (no patern) ;)

Thanks for the advice Chameleon and featherz!!

the main reason I have so many shakes or bar is due to my job. I work in a computer lab where food and drinks are not allowed and I am in there for 2 1/2-3 hours at a shot, then I have about 5-10 minutes usually to get from one lab to another. Thus, I bring the shakes (hidden in my work cart) because I can drink them quickly on the way to the next lab. I thought that was better than skipping. I have the tupperware and do pack all of my lunches and stuff, but again... time has been a factor during the day.

Perhaps a better alternative would be to have a regular meal in the morning rather than the shake. A shake for about mid-morning, my packed lunch, another shake in the afternoon, and then a regular meal for dinner. Skipping the bars if possible.

and I realized at 3 am this morning that my cals would be 1684 not 1584... the things that come to mind at that time of the morning... :lol:

Interesting that you drop cals on cardio days, never really thought of doing that. I always have tried to stay pretty consistant with only varying maybe 100 cals a day. I make sure to get my free day in once a week... I look forward to it almost. :o Probably because my cals were too low for me and my body was saying... just eat something would ya!! :drool:

Just curious, do either of you subscribe to the belief on not eating prior to cardio? My former trainer said it should be on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning before eating, or at least 2-3 hours after last meal and to not eat again for at least 1 hour afterwards... which lead into a 5 hour stretch sometimes without eating. He was a big follower of BFL and even placed, so I figured he would know...

I have done stretches of fasted cardio, but it didn't seem to make any difference for me. And I always eat afterwards. :P All of my weight was lost doing non fasted cardio. Many will disagree with me, but I think it's a 'YMMV' situation. I feel like crap doing fasted cardio while others feel wonderful and drop fat like no one's business. Just keep in mind you CAN lose without doing fasted -- and if you do it fasted, make sure it's lower intensity.

I work in an area where there's no eating allowed as well - I sub in bars only if I have a meeting, but there's always somewhere I can sneak in a meal. Even on maintenance, they are small enough and don't require cooking so I can eat em quick. :P

Thanks for the advice Chameleon and featherz!!

the main reason I have so many shakes or bar is due to my job. I work in a computer lab where food and drinks are not allowed and I am in there for 2 1/2-3 hours at a shot, then I have about 5-10 minutes usually to get from one lab to another. Thus, I bring the shakes (hidden in my work cart) because I can drink them quickly on the way to the next lab. I thought that was better than skipping. I have the tupperware and do pack all of my lunches and stuff, but again... time has been a factor during the day.

Perhaps a better alternative would be to have a regular meal in the morning rather than the shake. A shake for about mid-morning, my packed lunch, another shake in the afternoon, and then a regular meal for dinner. Skipping the bars if possible.

and I realized at 3 am this morning that my cals would be 1684 not 1584... the things that come to mind at that time of the morning... :lol:

Interesting that you drop cals on cardio days, never really thought of doing that. I always have tried to stay pretty consistant with only varying maybe 100 cals a day. I make sure to get my free day in once a week... I look forward to it almost. :o Probably because my cals were too low for me and my body was saying... just eat something would ya!! :drool:

Just curious, do either of you subscribe to the belief on not eating prior to cardio? My former trainer said it should be on an empty stomach, preferably in the morning before eating, or at least 2-3 hours after last meal and to not eat again for at least 1 hour afterwards... which lead into a 5 hour stretch sometimes without eating. He was a big follower of BFL and even placed, so I figured he would know...

that sounds like a good idea (the bold section above)... I do fasted cardio in the morning but my cardio at night is not fasted... I eat about an hour before I go to the gym and then either just hit cardio (cardio only day's) then eat about an hour after (3 hours total between meals) or hit the weights then cardio and drink my PWO shake after the cardio... don't let it go 5 hours between meals... getting enough nutrients and food into your system is much more important than doing fasted cardio.. IMO ;)

I always found myself to be very light-headed when doing the HIIT cardio especially in the morning on an empty stomach... I think I will give your suggestion of non-fasted a go. I agree that YMMV, but I think I will make the tweeking to my meal plan and this to the cardio. Then, give it a good month to see where things are.

Thanks for your opinion. BTW, your stats are awesome! Quite inspiring!! :db:

I always found myself to be very light-headed when doing the HIIT cardio especially in the morning on an empty stomach... I think I will give your suggestion of non-fasted a go. I agree that YMMV, but I think I will make the tweeking to my meal plan and this to the cardio. Then, give it a good month to see where things are.

Thanks for your opinion. BTW, your stats are awesome! Quite inspiring!! :db:

when ever I've done HITT in the morning I make sure I have a protien shake before I leave for the gym... just protien and water though... don't add any carbs until after :tucool:

thanks for the tip!

thanks for the tip!

anytime ;)

What are PWO shakes? :o

PWO= Post Workout Shake

:)

What do you put in your PWO shakes? I have seen several different variations...

What do you put in your PWO shakes? I have seen several different variations...

I use protien powder and dextros in a 1:2 ratio

PWO= Post Workout Shake

:)

Thanks! Is it a brand though, or just any protein shake?

Thanks! Is it a brand though, or just any protein shake?

it's just a protien shake with dextrose... sometimes people use maltodex___ (not sure if it's maltodextrose or not.. it's somethign like that :p ) too.. I just use dextrose