So i checked, and seems like im an ectomorph..which must be true because i have to work really hard to gain any weight at all.

im 112 lbs, 5 4', 25 yrs old. I ve been living a very sedentery lifestyle. so about 3 months ago i decided to get off my butt and do something. the gyms were too far, i got frustrated so i started to walk instead, 3.5 kms (45 mins.). Then i started strapping weights to my ankles as well.I bought the lightest dumbells i could find and started, haphazardly doing whatever exercises i could figure My skin looked better and better, but then i started noticing a marginal depletion in energy, which kept getting worse. then recently i actually experienced some dizziness, and my joints started to creak (egad!!) I suddenly realised there was something wrong with my diet, which was the same but my level of activity had gone up!

i dont know much about %s and all but i checked fit day.com and i was actually burning more calories than i was consuming!!

calories eaten (today) 2093, 19% fat, 61% carbs, 20%protein.

oh ! i also practice pranayama and some asanas

i noticed you're really into nuitrition, so any help or advice! thanks girl

Yes, I'm "into" nutrition, but I tend to just remember the things that make sense to me and forget everything else. :lol: Also keep in mind that I tailor my nutrition to fit what makes me feel best, not what will result in optimal body composition. The diet plan I've enjoyed the most is Superfoods Rx. I get a lot of my nutrition information and recipes from World's Healthiest Foods. I've added those links back into my signature.

Strapping weights to your ankles is not something I've seen highly recommended. They're not heavy enough to build your leg muscles, and they won't provide a lot of extra cardio workout either. Better to climb stairs.

Energy depletion and dizziness is common when your calories are too low, but it could also signal a low blood sugar level even if your calories are at the right amount. For most people, I'd recommend increasing their carbohydrate consumption specifically, but if yours is already at 61% of 2093 calories, that's quite high already. Read up on the glycemic index (http://www.glycemicindex.com/) and see if that will help you out.

For a weight of 112 pounds, I'd estimate a normal maintenance level to be approximately
112 x 15 = 1680 calories based on a moderate activity level. If you're doing more cardio than that, you'll need to increase those calories to maintain your weight. I'm not sure which formula fitday uses.

I've never heard of pranayama or asanas, but, just from their names, they sound like something I could really enjoy.:)

fitday.com is off in their calculations of activities and BMR. Don't go by fitday on any of that. They're good for tracking what you ate today, and thats IT.

check the frequency of when you are eating, make sure you get 20% fat (certain vitamins require fat to be absorbed), and try to include a bit of protein at every meal. This may drop your carb ratio, but in general, unless you are endurance training 60% is high. Aim for about 25-30% protein for your daily totals. Eat every 2-3 hours or so (smaller meals) and make sure it has all three elements (fat carb and pro)

Also, check your hydration levels, make sure you are taking in enough water, but also on the flipside, not overdoing the water intake (aim for 64-120 fl oz per day.)



Judge what you are eating by your weight/progress. If you are losing weight, you aren't eating enough. Especially if you are trying to add muscle. If you are maintaining, you are eating equal to what you need to remain relatively the same (this is good for when you are just trying to tone. gaining muscle requires eating more than that usually.)

thanks guys!

i skipped my walk today ..i feel better, maybe i should bring it down to thrice a week. ive also decided to up my protein intake. Today i went out and bought myself Glucosamine+chondroitin for my joints.
Doing six meals a day is not easy, but i guess i could give it a go. maybe you ladies could help me out with a do -it -at home toning routine (half hour tops). .. and i could bring my walk down to a half hour brisk for cardio