I am excited to have found this site, please forgive my newness. I am a 38 year old female and have worked out for the past 8 years or so, but only over the last two have I "thought" i was pushing myself hard enough to get some results. I'm 5'8", 150 pounds with 32% (ugh) body fat. I have reshaped my body over the last two years, but can never never lose the layer of fat. For the past two years I kicked up the cardio, even doing the P90X workouts with a focus on the cardio tapes. Three months ago I rejoined the gym though with the intent on building muscle and backing down on the cardio, shortly after that I had surgery and had to stay down for 6 weeks, but I am up and back at it now. My weights are increasing and my arms are building.....no for the legs and butt! I keep my diet to 1200-1600 calories a day with mostly good food (fruits, veges, nothing processed, very little white stuff) but I do have a sweet tooth. Cutting that out is going to have to be my big goal this year because I am NOT giving up the beer! :lol: Wish me luck and I truly look forward to hearing the words of wisdom from this group!!

I am NOT giving up the beer! :lol:

Welcome to JSF. Might I make a suggestion? Go easier on the beer, and if possible switch to light beer. I know it's tough but you'll lose 2/3 of the calories and a ton of carbs by switching.

Thanks! I hear ya. Actually, I'm already driniking a 64 calorie light beer, can't get much lighter than that! And honestly it's not that much and not that often. :)

Yes, yes...give up the beer if you can. I try to give up any unnecessary calories. Give yourself a day, every other week or so for a treat, but then get back to the grind.

Post your diet too. My first cutting plan needed more veggies, which was pointed out by Ca$on. The more you share, the better folks here can assist.

:gl:

ok. Diet:

Breakfast - one egg, one slice multi grain toast, piece of fruit, 1 cup fat free milk
Lunch - 1/2 turkey sandwich on multigrain bread (no fructose corn syrup!) with small amount of mayo, piece of fruit.
snack - piece of fruit, half turkey sandwich
dinner - 4 oz meat, 2 cups veges, 1/2 cup or so of rice or other starch (not always, but maybe half the time), sometimes I also have a salad loaded with veges but no dressing.

Now the bad part.....I got in the habit of having dessert. I kNOW this has to stop, and that is my current goal.

Exercise: 3 days a week in the gym, 20 min on eliptical at level 12, 25 min or so on weight machines, followed by another 20 on eliptical at 12-15. Jog or another form of cardio 2 days a week. Workouts are typically done at the end of the work day before dinner.

Looking for comments, I'm sure there will be some. I used to know how to follow a food plan, but lately I think I have combined too many philosophies of food and I've come up on the wrong end.

ok. Diet:

Breakfast - one egg, one slice multi grain toast, piece of fruit, 1 cup fat free milk
Lunch - 1/2 turkey sandwich on multigrain bread (no fructose corn syrup!) with small amount of mayo, piece of fruit.
snack - piece of fruit, half turkey sandwich
dinner - 4 oz meat, 2 cups veges, 1/2 cup or so of rice or other starch (not always, but maybe half the time), sometimes I also have a salad loaded with veges but no dressing.

Now the bad part.....I got in the habit of having dessert. I kNOW this has to stop, and that is my current goal.

Exercise: 3 days a week in the gym, 20 min on eliptical at level 12, 25 min or so on weight machines, followed by another 20 on eliptical at 12-15. Jog or another form of cardio 2 days a week. Workouts are typically done at the end of the work day before dinner.

Looking for comments, I'm sure there will be some. I used to know how to follow a food plan, but lately I think I have combined too many philosophies of food and I've come up on the wrong end.

Hi there, got your PM. :)

Okay, first: diet. Take a look at Foley's sticky here (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=41991) and implement his recommendations. Your food choices could be improved and it's important that you eat enough, which I'm not sure you're doing.

Second, training: free weights and compound exercises will be your friend. I recommend focusing on gaining strength and doing a full body or upper/lower split workout. An out-of-the-box routine for beginners would probably suit you best. Look into Rippetoe's Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. Starting Strength is a great book that will teach you the major compound lifts. Cardio is good but if you're doing an intense weight training program, you have to be careful not to overdo cardio so that you can recover from weight training properly.

If you have questions, just ask. :)

Thanks! I'll take a look at that. I know I am eating the wrong diet, and I need to get myself back on track. It seems that no matter what I do though I just don't drop the BF%. I will keep reading!!! and I am definitely going to keep up the strength training.

Thanks! I'll take a look at that. I know I am eating the wrong diet, and I need to get myself back on track. It seems that no matter what I do though I just don't drop the BF%. I will keep reading!!! and I am definitely going to keep up the strength training.

I think that if you change what you're doing, you will be able to drop the BF%. You said "no matter what you do" but have you tried what I recommended? Your diet and your training aren't very good right now, but if you improve both you will get results. It's really all about consistency and patience. :)

I agree, and that's why I'm so glad I found this site. I am anxious to learn and have already printed out the nutrition link. Thank you so much!!

I agree, and that's why I'm so glad I found this site. I am anxious to learn and have already printed out the nutrition link. Thank you so much!!

No problem! And, like I said, if you have questions just ask. There's tons of very knowledgable people here who will be more than happy to help you out.

but I do have a sweet tooth. Cutting that out is going to have to be my big goal this year because I am NOT giving up the beer! :lol:

:tucool: my kind of gal!!

cut back heavily on the sweets. tweak the diet a bit. up the cals a bit. hit the weights hard. and boom ur gonna have a whole new bod. best of luck!!

update: I have really been studying all of the info here, and have already made big changes. I went to fitday.com and planned a days menu trying to hit 45p/35c/20f (knowing that I will blow it just enough to get down to 40/40/20 at the end of the day, which so far has been pretty true). Here is a sample:

M1 - 4 egg whites with 1/4 cup yellow pepper, apple, 1 slice multigrain toast
M2 - 1/2 cup ground turkey, 1/4 cup yellow pepper, 1/2 cup brown rice
M3- 4 slices turkey lunch meat, protien shake,
M4- apple, 3 oz tuna, 1 cup nonfat milk
M5 - chicken thigh (boneless/no skin), 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup cooked veges, salad with a drop of dressing
M6 - 1/2 cup cottage cheese

I belong to a gym that offers personal trainers. I met with one today. I'm not sure if he is the right one or not but I did find out that my body fat is 34%, not 32 as I had thought. He agrees with my 40/40/20 plan, but also said that I shouldn't be afraid of carbs. Anyone have any thoughts on that? He said some of his clients are as high as 60%. I would love to here some feedback on that point, and on my adjusted sample menu.

Thanks!

update: I have really been studying all of the info here, and have already made big changes. I went to fitday.com and planned a days menu trying to hit 45p/35c/20f (knowing that I will blow it just enough to get down to 40/40/20 at the end of the day, which so far has been pretty true). Here is a sample:

M1 - 4 egg whites with 1/4 cup yellow pepper, apple, 1 slice multigrain toast
M2 - 1/2 cup ground turkey, 1/4 cup yellow pepper, 1/2 cup brown rice
M3- 4 slices turkey lunch meat, protien shake,
M4- apple, 3 oz tuna, 1 cup nonfat milk
M5 - chicken thigh (boneless/no skin), 1/2 cup brown rice, 1 cup cooked veges, salad with a drop of dressing
M6 - 1/2 cup cottage cheese

I belong to a gym that offers personal trainers. I met with one today. I'm not sure if he is the right one or not but I did find out that my body fat is 34%, not 32 as I had thought. He agrees with my 40/40/20 plan, but also said that I shouldn't be afraid of carbs. Anyone have any thoughts on that? He said some of his clients are as high as 60%. I would love to here some feedback on that point, and on my adjusted sample menu.

Thanks!

how many calories is that??

as far as carbs a lot depends on the person. some do really well with high carbs. others see the best fat loss with low carbs. 40% is pretty moderate and will probably be a good starting point for you. then you can try adjusting them up and see if you still get results.

also don't be afraid of fats. nuts, avacados, olive oil, etc are great ways to get in some good fats. fish oil caps are also helpful. fats are important for hormonal stuff and also help keep u feeling full.

thanks. i shoot for about 1500 calories. I am sure to get my serving of fats each day too, whether it's fish, avodado, olive oil. It's in there. Depending on whether it is a work out day or not, i try to stay between 1400-1700 cal.

thanks. i shoot for about 1500 calories. I am sure to get my serving of fats each day too, whether it's fish, avodado, olive oil. It's in there. Depending on whether it is a work out day or not, i try to stay between 1400-1700 cal.

great!

you could probably get away with a bit more cals but u probably realize that.

as far as macros and carbs, like i mentioned, its just finding what works best for you. 40 c/ 40 p/ 20 f can be a good start. 40 c/30 p/ 30 f also works great for some. you can try a month at one then a month at the other and see which you like better and which gets you better results.

Yesterday was tough. I swear I will NOT lose my ambition. It's only been three days, that's ridiculous. I can't wait to get through this first week so that my mind will quit obsessing. I have cut back my sweets intake by atleast 90% (which is hugh). The weekdays should be easier. I have a hard time stuffing down all the food during the day, but then after dinner I am still hungry. That's when my mind turns to chocolate. I have been eating cottage cheese as a night time snack because I read that was a good choice. I am guessing that a chocolate protien shake (to calm the sweet cravings) would not be good because of the sugar?????? God, I feel like such a whiner!

Workout yesterday: 40 min cardio and leg presses at 130lbs.

Hi there!

It may help to throw in a cheat meal once a week to help you get your fill of whatever cravings you may have, while remaining strict the rest of the week. Many of us do that here!

You seem to be on the right track. Your second posting of the diet looks a lot better compared to the first one. 40/40/20 is a great ratio to start off with.

What is your workout schedule like? IMO, if you're going to start strength training, I would ease up on the cardio to allow your body for proper recovery time. Get plenty of rest, drink at least a gallon of water a day, and train hard!

I will be watching :tu:

thanks! that's great to know that others cheat too. :) I actually made the whole weekend without drinking a beer! I did have a glass of wine though.

Workout plan:

Tues - 20 min cardio warm up. weights (sorry, still doing machines, not free weights, but pushing hard)
Wed - 2 mile jog
Thur - 20 min cardio warm up, weights
Sat - 20 min cardio warm up, weights, 20 min cardio
Sun - 40 min cardio

Am I doing too much cardio? I am so used to doing cardio that I don't feel like I am getting anything without it. Although, that's stupid, because I have been getting anything with it, so who knows! I am 38, where should my heartrate be for effective fat burning?

Yesterday was tough. I swear I will NOT lose my ambition. It's only been three days, that's ridiculous. I can't wait to get through this first week so that my mind will quit obsessing. I have cut back my sweets intake by atleast 90% (which is hugh). The weekdays should be easier. I have a hard time stuffing down all the food during the day, but then after dinner I am still hungry. That's when my mind turns to chocolate. I have been eating cottage cheese as a night time snack because I read that was a good choice. I am guessing that a chocolate protien shake (to calm the sweet cravings) would not be good because of the sugar?????? God, I feel like such a whiner!

Workout yesterday: 40 min cardio and leg presses at 130lbs.
Everything you're describing sounds pretty normal. I love having cc (cottage cheese) as my snack. I have found ways to even may it seem like it's decadent. I add a spoonful of Walden Farms chocolate or marshmallow (my fav) calorie free syrup and it becomes my faux pudding :)

I wish that I could have sweets without falling off of the bandwagon, but I'm not that strong.

Whine away! Just don't give up :tu:

i'll never give up! The fact that I am still working out after 2 years of (thinking I was) being serious yet still not getting any real results, I'm not going to give up now!

BTW, yuck! can't stand sweet stuff in my cottage cheese, lol. good thing i'm a born cheesehead and don't mind it plain!

I am guessing that a chocolate protien shake (to calm the sweet cravings) would not be good because of the sugar?????? God, I feel like such a whiner!


many, many protein powders have 4 grams of sugar or less.

if you mix it with water.... or at least only 1/2 or 1/3 milk and the other 1/2 or 2/3 water.... sugar shouldn't be a problem at all.

mixing it and then letting it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or so really helps it get creamy and delish.... even with only 1/3 or less milk.

finding a chocolate flavored prot. powder you LOVE will really help when ur craving chocolate..... and i think is worth taking the time/money to find.

thanks. i shoot for about 1500 calories. I am sure to get my serving of fats each day too, whether it's fish, avodado, olive oil. It's in there. Depending on whether it is a work out day or not, i try to stay between 1400-1700 cal.

If you can't lose fat at that range, it is likely to be because:

1. You're not actually staying within this range, even if you think you are (e.g. flaw in accuracy for serving sizes, measurement, etc.)

2. You need a break from attempting a sustained deficit, which can be difficult to judge, and even harder to actually get someone to do.

3. You actually are losing fat, but it's slow enough to make seeing scale weight changes take longer than you want (e.g. LBM gains, water retention, etc.)

4. The effectiveness of your time in the gym needs to be examined.

5. You're doing something noticably absurd with your macros, which there are no signs to indicate you are.

Those aren't meant to be personal attacks in anyway, just a general viewpoint of the common situation.

On the whole "cheat meal" thing, I'd recommend you approach things here with more of a structured refeed plan (ie. not "I eat pizza 3x/week so my metabolism doesn't crash" :nope:). Too much emotional sillyness with the typical "cheat meal" baggage that gets into "I feel so bad about myself because I "cheated" on my diet". What you choose to accomodate the refeed is your call.

Personally, I don't see any reason for thinking a constantly maintained calorie deficit will provide better results than someone who is capable of setting things up so they're able to keep gym performance, and functioning in everyday life, as high/enjoyable as possible, while cycling into the overall deficit they need to meet their body composition goals.

This takes every bit as much discipline to make work right.

the protien powder I got is Syntha 6 and has 14g carbs. Is that too many for evening?

the protien powder I got is Syntha 6 and has 14g carbs. Is that too many for evening?

Did you read this?

many, many protein powders have 4 grams of sugar or less.

if you mix it with water.... or at least only 1/2 or 1/3 milk and the other 1/2 or 2/3 water.... sugar shouldn't be a problem at all.

mixing it and then letting it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or so really helps it get creamy and delish.... even with only 1/3 or less milk.

finding a chocolate flavored prot. powder you LOVE will really help when ur craving chocolate..... and i think is worth taking the time/money to find.

I believe that my problem up until now definintely falls under your point #1. I am going to watch this very closely for the month of January and see if that helps. Thanks!!

If you can't lose fat at that range, it is likely to be because:

1. You're not actually staying within this range, even if you think you are (e.g. flaw in accuracy for serving sizes, measurement, etc.)

2. You need a break from attempting a sustained deficit, which can be difficult to judge, and even harder to actually get someone to do.

3. You actually are losing fat, but it's slow enough to make seeing scale weight changes take longer than you want (e.g. LBM gains, water retention, etc.)

4. The effectiveness of your time in the gym needs to be examined.

5. You're doing something noticably absurd with your macros, which there are no signs to indicate you are.

Those aren't meant to be personal attacks in anyway, just a general viewpoint of the common situation.

On the whole "cheat meal" thing, I'd recommend you approach things here with more of a structured refeed plan (ie. not "I eat pizza 3x/week so my metabolism doesn't crash" :nope:). Too much emotional sillyness with the typical "cheat meal" baggage that gets into "I feel so bad about myself because I "cheated" on my diet". What you choose to accomodate the refeed is your call.

Personally, I don't see any reason for thinking a constantly maintained calorie deficit will provide better results than someone who is capable of setting things up so they're able to keep gym performance, and functioning in everyday life, as high/enjoyable as possible, while cycling into the overall deficit they need to meet their body composition goals.

This takes every bit as much discipline to make work right.

yes I did. I guess what I am really asking is whether or not you or anyone else thinks 14g is an unacceptable amount of sugars for before bedtime. I will look for one that has less, but was wondering if this was bad for evening hours.

Did you read this?

I believe that my problem up until now definintely falls under your point #1. I am going to watch this very closely for the month of January and see if that helps. Thanks!!

there is a cool little video by Leigh Peele in this article about our innaccuracies in measuring calories http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2008/12/the_measure_of_your_fat_loss

I believe that my problem up until now definintely falls under your point #1. I am going to watch this very closely for the month of January and see if that helps. Thanks!!

Invest in a digital kitchen scale. They're invaluable. :nod:

yes I did. I guess what I am really asking is whether or not you or anyone else thinks 14g is an unacceptable amount of sugars for before bedtime. I will look for one that has less, but was wondering if this was bad for evening hours.

i think it will be ok as long as you fit it into ur daily calories. you can lower the total carb count by just using water. 14g is less than a peice of fruit.

good point. I tend to have a problem living in the gray area. In my mind things are either good, or bad, so it makes it difficult for me to translate the tradeoffs. If I had really thought about it, it would be better to have the 14g in the protien shake than it would to bomb out and eat the chocolate!

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!


i think it will be ok as long as you fit it into ur daily calories. you can lower the total carb count by just using water. 14g is less than a peice of fruit.

good point. I tend to have a problem living in the gray area. In my mind things are either good, or bad, so it makes it difficult for me to translate the tradeoffs. If I had really thought about it, it would be better to have the 14g in the protien shake than it would to bomb out and eat the chocolate!

Thanks to everyone for the feedback!

no problem.

btw ur avatar makes me second look everytime cuz i think its nipples!! :lol:

I KNOW! I really have to dig out a different picture. It's horrid!! but good for a laugh I guess!

yes I did. I guess what I am really asking is whether or not you or anyone else thinks 14g is an unacceptable amount of sugars for before bedtime. I will look for one that has less, but was wondering if this was bad for evening hours.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pigme
the protien powder I got is Syntha 6 and has 14g carbs. Is that too many for evening?

Did you read this?


Quote:
many, many protein powders have 4 grams of sugar or less.

if you mix it with water.... or at least only 1/2 or 1/3 milk and the other 1/2 or 2/3 water.... sugar shouldn't be a problem at all.

mixing it and then letting it sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or so really helps it get creamy and delish.... even with only 1/3 or less milk.

finding a chocolate flavored prot. powder you LOVE will really help when ur craving chocolate..... and i think is worth taking the time/money to find.

I'll try to clear up a few things here. You ask if 14gms of carbs is too much in a protein powder. That depends on how many grams of protein in your drink. What you want is a protein/carb or protein/fat meal. You don't mention any fat in your drink so if it's a protein carb meal you want then maybe 14 gms of carbs isn't too bad. You may even want more carbs so you can add fat free or low fat milk.

It all depends on what your trying to accomplish with your meal. What you were told was 4 gms of sugar (you asked for carbs) can be found in many protein powders and even less in some others. Read the stickies if you're not clear on your macros. After you've read up on that you can decide if you want to sample some other protein powders for their properties.

so it's been a week now...whooo hooo. Ugh.

Good news: i've fairly well kicked the sugar cravings. I get through a whole day and manage not to snack or cheat! Now I have so much energy I'm not sure what to do with myself.

Other news: haven't dropped a single pound, although I feel like my body is firmer, which is a good thing. I honestly try not to pay attention to the scale, but I still look.

Workouts are going well, but I still don't think I am pushing hard enough with the weights. I am not getting soar from my workouts....does that mean I am not lifting enough????

I am still logging my food. finding it hard to get all of the protien i need in a day. So when I go back and adjust my food log for the day on fitday.com i am finding that my protien is closer to 32% (not 40%) and my carbs are up closer to 50. This may be a stupid question, but is that percentage off enough to make a HUGE difference? Also, I am having a hard time getting my calories. My goal is 1500-1600, some days I am only getting 1400 and others it jumps to 1700. Atleast the high days are on work out days so I am hoping that extra energy is doing me good. I'm probably way off base though.

Plan: to keep pushing the protien servings and work harder at the weights.

Question: I'm having a hard time finding a leg/glute exercise that I can really feel. What are the favorites out there for lifting/building glutes?

Workouts are going well, but I still don't think I am pushing hard enough with the weights. I am not getting soar from my workouts....does that mean I am not lifting enough????

not being sore doesn't mean ur not lifting enough..... but the fact ur questioning it might. as long as you are progressing every workout in either more reps, more weight, or shorter rest.... u should be fine. really push yourself every time u enter the gym.


I am still logging my food. finding it hard to get all of the protien i need in a day. So when I go back and adjust my food log for the day on fitday.com i am finding that my protien is closer to 32% (not 40%) and my carbs are up closer to 50. This may be a stupid question, but is that percentage off enough to make a HUGE difference? Also, I am having a hard time getting my calories. My goal is 1500-1600, some days I am only getting 1400 and others it jumps to 1700. Atleast the high days are on work out days so I am hoping that extra energy is doing me good. I'm probably way off base though.

Plan: to keep pushing the protien servings and work harder at the weights.

ur plan sounds great.

that percentage won't make a HUGE difference at all. some people lose weight at 60% carbs. but if your goal is to get 40 percent carbs and 40 percent protein just keep working on getting ur eating habits in line with this. it definitely takes some getting used to and as long as ur working towards making this a long time habit ur fine.

no need to overthink and give urself undo stress. just work hard towards getting close to ur goals.

the 1400 one day and 1700 the next is called calorie cycling and some people use that to lose fat. maybe just try to set a lower and upper cal limit and make sure you fall within that each day. its about being strict and working hard, but not being so strict you won't keep it up.


Question: I'm having a hard time finding a leg/glute exercise that I can really feel. What are the favorites out there for lifting/building glutes?

bulgarian split squats are a great one.

lunges, weighted step ups, deadlifts, squats, etc all hit the glutes.

exrx.net is a good place to learn about these lifts. (i think we might have given u that link already)

ur a week in and going strong!! keep working hard.... the scale WILL budge!! :tucool:

thank you for the support, i like your attitude! my calorie range is shortening up. I was bouncing between 1200-1800 so i'm down to 1450-1750 or so, atleast it is a bit more consistent, and I will keep working on it.

Thanks for the exercise tips, and the website. I don't recall getting that info before, but I will definitely check it out!

Going to the gym tonight, hoping to do some serious training!

so I had a good day today, got the right ratio, right calories, good workout at the gym.

I have been studying the nutrition report on my fitday and noticed that it seems to think I am getting 196% of the RDA for sodium. I think it is from all of the turkey lunch meat I have been eating trying to get my protien. I'm going to look for a lowfat, high protien replacement for the turkey slices. My calories eaten vs. calories burned shows a big deficit every day.....so i don't understand why i haven't lost a pound.

I realize I am a newbie here, and I promise I am listening to all of the advise, and reading all of the information i can possibly squeeze in to my brain. I am still working on removing the misinformation from the past from my brain. I thought that 3500 cal equaled a pound, and i thought that if you ate less calories than you were burning daily you would lose weight. I have been working the weights, and believe that I am gaining muscle, but how much could that possibly weigh!

I know, I'm whining again. Actually, not whining, just venting my thoughts in this journal.

I'm not quitting!!! I even told my husband NO today when he suggested we go to our favorite mexican food restaurant for dinner.:nono:

Best thing is that I feel good, have energy, am still motivated, and looking forward to a kick butt leg and butt workout this weekend!!!!:jumping:

I have been studying the nutrition report on my fitday and noticed that it seems to think I am getting 196% of the RDA for sodium. I think it is from all of the turkey lunch meat I have been eating trying to get my protien. I'm going to look for a lowfat, high protien replacement for the turkey slices.

if you get a ton of water and potassium in ur diet then the high sodium isn't really that much of a problem. :tucool:

My calories eaten vs. calories burned shows a big deficit every day.....so i don't understand why i haven't lost a pound.

i'm sure you've lost some fat. sodium will make u temporarily retain water as will hormonal fluctuations and dehydration. just have faith in what ur doing and the scale will eventually drop.

if you get a ton of water and potassium in ur diet then the high sodium isn't really that much of a problem. :tucool:


i'm sure you've lost some fat. sodium will make u temporarily retain water as will hormonal fluctuations and dehydration. just have faith in what ur doing and the scale will eventually drop.

+1

You'll be surprised how much leaner you will look and feel if you just drink a gallon of water a day. I eat plenty of lunch meats but because of all the water I drink, it doesn't really affect me. The more water you drink, the more your body is willing to let go, you will lose some water weight on the scale and feel more refreshed throughout the day.

Great news! I was worried about the sodium on paper, and even though the scale isn't budging I can tell a difference in my body and really didn't think I was holding too much water. I'm still going to try to find a protien source with less sodium but I won't be afraid of the lunch meat either.

I like the point of keeping the faith...so true...so true!! Have a great weekend everybody!!

I am such a loser!

I met with my personal trainer today and told him I wanted to work just but and legs. HE KICKED MY BUTT!!!! i honestly thought I was going to pass out. it was a really good work out, but totally proved to me that I do NOT push myself enough.

Ugh.

I'm not quitting!!!

Monday: things going well. Still struggling to get the right amount of calories, but drilling it down. Pushing the protien. Found out that a peanut butter and tuna sandwich is very good, lol! No worries, just using about a tsp of natural pb, not loading up the bad stuff. My legs are KILLING me from my workout on Saturday, but looking forward to my workout tomorrow. Hope to push my arms as much as I did my legs on Saturday. Scale still not moving, but whatever. The pain in my leg muscles HAS to be the pain of progress.

What I have learned this week:

**The gum I have been chewing wasn't sugar free (stupid me) and I added 5% carbs and 75 cals to my daily intake.

** I am good at measuring food, but really bad at measuring coffee creamer (fat free, unsweetened) which added an additional 40 cals to my day

**eating pizza after two weeks of eating very clean really makes me feel sick

It's been a good week. Scale still hasn't moved but I think I am beginning to learn why.

Also - had to put my dog to sleep today. That sucked.

If anyone has any comments on the averages chart below I am listening. This is a two week average from my fitday log. It looks to me like I am getting a lot of protien, but a lot of carbs and fat too. Am I being too critical? Enlighten me please....

Grams Calories 1,628
Fat 42.8
Saturated 12.4
Polyunsaturated 8.0
Monounsaturated 13.0
Carbohydrate 162. 4
Dietary Fiber 25.9
Protein 143.5
Alcohol 2.6

If anyone has any comments on the averages chart below I am listening. This is a two week average from my fitday log. It looks to me like I am getting a lot of protien, but a lot of carbs and fat too. Am I being too critical? Enlighten me please....

Grams Calories 1,628
Fat 42.8
Saturated 12.4
Polyunsaturated 8.0
Monounsaturated 13.0
Carbohydrate 162. 4
Dietary Fiber 25.9
Protein 143.5
Alcohol 2.6

Looks very balanced to me. How do you feel eating like this?

I feel pretty good, but I don't seem to be making any progress. I think I have been a bit short on my cardio in the last 10 days or so, but overall the scale isn't budging a bit, nor do I believe are my inches. Considering that I have cut out 95% of the sweets I was eating before January 1, I would have expected a bit more change in my body. I seem to be simply maintaining.

Focus on performance progress; sometimes it's the only way to stay sane when the scale isn't doing what you want it to.

Are there things you're doing in the gym your body wouldn't have been capable of 4 weeks ago? Don't EVER let what the scale reads this away from you. If the answer is "no, you can't", then why the hell not? :evil:

We could put you on the moon, and you'd weigh less, but look the same. ;)

Don't let the laws of gravity define your physique. :nope:

Yes, you are right. I am stronger. I have been able to increase my weights, and can do more push ups with better form. I will continue to focus on that for now. I am also learning that the "little cheats" can really throw off my ratios. It's all progress!!

It's been a crazy week and I haven't been to the site all week.

Made it to the gym today, pushing the weights and increased weight on a few today which felt good. I've adjusted my diet, and against what many have suggested, I have actually decreased my calorie intake a bit. I will still eat more on work out days, but I have found that if I stay a little lower (1400) I make better progress. I am still pushing the protiens and attempting to watch my ratios. Also, I have made a conscious effort to get my carb intake earlier in the day and really try to avoid them in the evening all together. I am seeing progress in my body shape, and that makes me happy!

Slept wrong last night and couldn't move my arm when I woke up this morning. I was really bummed because I had planned to go to the gym after work. Managed to work it out well enough to get to work, then made it to the chiro, a quick massage then off to the gym for a good work out!

Good day!

Good news today....weight hasn't changed but I am down almost 4% in body fat after just 4 weeks. Had a good work out today, did arms, shoulders, legs/butt and two 1/2 mile jogs with the dogs. I have dropped back in to a bad habit of not eating enough calories...today was a little better, but will try to hit 1500 each day this week. I don't usually supplement with protien bars or shakes in place of meals, but today was a little hectic and I knew I needed to get in the calories and the protien.

5 eggs whites, 1 yolk
1/2 piece multi grain toast
1/2 orange
1 slice bacon

iced coffee with soy

protien bar (20g protien)

protien shake

5 oz baked salmon with tsp pesto butter
1/2 cup brown rice (with other grains in it too, a mix)
1/2 cup brocolli
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 large beet

1/4 cup cottage cheese

day ended up 34p/37c/28f 1390 calories

I know the calories are still a bit low, but I will try to keep at 1500

todays menu:

Fat 39.4g (22%)
Carb 168g (41%)
Protien 142g (37%)
Calories 1,574

wow. so it's been weeks since I have logged anything in my journal, but here I am again. It's been a rough three weeks of travelling 3 days a week, pretty tough to keep a good diet, but did manage to get most of my workouts in and do relatively well on the food intake. Back to normal today...woo hoo!

Calories 1,650
protien 47%
Carbs 24%
Fat 29%

most weights have continued to increase. Need to make an appointment with the trainer to get my butt kicked again though, seem to be slacking a little. Plan to do weighted squats and lunges while watcing The Biggest Loser tonight. Wow, such an exciting life.

wow. so it's been weeks since I have logged anything in my journal, but here I am again. It's been a rough three weeks of travelling 3 days a week, pretty tough to keep a good diet, but did manage to get most of my workouts in and do relatively well on the food intake. Back to normal today...woo hoo!

Calories 1,650
protien 47%
Carbs 24%
Fat 29%

most weights have continued to increase. Need to make an appointment with the trainer to get my butt kicked again though, seem to be slacking a little. Plan to do weighted squats and lunges while watcing The Biggest Loser tonight. Wow, such an exciting life.

I think I may also be in a bit of a rut, where my workouts aren't as great or intense as they were a few weeks ago and I sometimes feel like I am pushing myself just to do it. But that seems to come and go from time to time. Just keep on pushing through it and think of how better you'll feel when you look back in a few weeks or months.

I know! I know I will feel better. All the travelling really screwed me up, and work has me all stressed out, so that isn't helping. I'm in a funk, and a good work out would really help that, but the funk is keeping me from doing it! It's a vicious circle, but I will get through it. Everyone says February is a rough month, but I thought that was for people that only work out in January. I'm consistent, but maybe I got screwed by February anyway! :)

yesterday:

1,415 calories
38p/26c/36f
no work out

today:

1,632 calories
31p/34c/35f
good work out

Monday after a HORRIBLE nutrition weekend. Potluck yesterday blew the sweets off the chart.

Today:

43p/42c/14f
1,254 calories
no work out.

ugh.

good day today. nutrition very good, a little low on calories but I will find something to fill another 100 cals before the day is through. Had a good workout, increased weights and sets on leg curls, biceps and shoulders. Moved over the 50% line on the assisted pullups (65lb assist at 150lbs) Did some ab work too. Finished with a 1 mile jog/sprint.

Calories 1,482
47p/36c/17f

update for Tuesday...added peanut butter and an orange.

calories 1638
44p/37c/19f

GramsCalories%-CalsCalories1,740
Fat57.2
Carbohydrate159.0
Protein145.2

good work out tonight, definitely feel it in the arms. Meeting with trainer on Saturday for a boost.

no workout today, it's Friday. Went out for sushi and didnt gorge myself, so that was a plus.

Finally got hubbyto take some pics. Now I am frustrated. I really thought I was doing better than this. But now I just know I really have to work harder on my back end. Appointment with trainer tomorrow will be good.

one more

lovely pooch :) and you are looking good in th photos,

why are you disappointed? scale not moving? measurements staying same? no increase in strength?

do you have any comparison photos? I looked back to the beginning of your journal but couldn't find them on page one :)

why are you disappointed? scale not moving? measurements staying same? no increase in strength?

do you have any comparison photos? I looked back to the beginning of your journal but couldn't find them on page one :)

yeah u look great!! you should totally join the bikini challenge. there are still 16 weeks left. :tucool:

[quote=Jedi;703249]lovely pooch :)

Thanks. Between the two dogs and the grandkid I couldn't keep all of them out of the pics.


and you are looking good in th photos,
Really? Thanks.


why are you disappointed? scale not moving? measurements staying same? no increase in strength?


Scale definitely not moving, measurements moving a little (will post further down) Strength is definitely better. So it's mostly good.


do you have any comparison photos? I looked back to the beginning of your journal but couldn't find them on page one :)
[/QUOTE

I had been meaning to take pics at the beginning of the year, and just never got around to it. I guess my biggest complaint is that I thought I looked better than this two months ago, and expected to see a less saggy butt by now, but the truth of it is that pictures tell the whole truth and I've obviously been in the dark not having taken the pictures earlier. I really should have taken the pictures earlier.

This picture was taken a year ago on vacation....not a very good comparison though....

yeah u look great!! you should totally join the bikini challenge. there are still 16 weeks left. :tucool:

I was looking at that, didn't know if I could join this late or not.

Met with the trainer yesterday. Measurements play out like this:

1/3/09 2/28/09

Bust 36.5 35
Waist 32 31
Hips 39 38
thigh 19.5 20
R Arm 10.5 10.5
L Arm 10 10.25
Calf 13.5 13.5
BF% 33.2 30.9
Weight 150 150


We discussed my workout and nutrition. On average I have been at 40-45%p/30-40%C/20-30%F. He said I need to push to keep fat at 20%. In regards to the work out, he thinks I removed too much cardio. Last year I had been doing all cardio (about 8-10 hours a week) and no weights, so far this year I seem to have switched to all weights with little or no cardio. So I'm going to add atleast 4 days of 30 min cardio and keep the 3 days of weights, lower the fat intake and see what happens.

I'm open to any comments on this approach.

weight the same with waist and hips down an inch is great!!


We discussed my workout and nutrition. On average I have been at 40-45%p/30-40%C/20-30%F. He said I need to push to keep fat at 20%. In regards to the work out, he thinks I removed too much cardio. Last year I had been doing all cardio (about 8-10 hours a week) and no weights, so far this year I seem to have switched to all weights with little or no cardio. So I'm going to add atleast 4 days of 30 min cardio and keep the 3 days of weights, lower the fat intake and see what happens.

I'm open to any comments on this approach.

personally i disagree with him. i see absolutely no need to lower ur fat... especially with ur total calorie intake under control.

what cal level does he plan to have you at??

and nope... definitely not too late for the challenge. its open anytime.... but everyones deadline is the first day of summer (jun 20). :tucool: if you want in just make a post/commitment and guava will send u the invite to the group page.

edit: just saw u already did. :lol:

i was torn with that too, because I've been listening to you with the higher fat content and it seems to be working for you, also your higher cal intake. He wants me down around 1550/day. I get really hungry if I add cardio to that little cals. I've been trying to stay between 1600-1700cals and keeping fat between 20-28%. I thought I would try it his way for a month and see what happens.

I thought I would try it his way for a month and see what happens.

:tucool:

it's 6:40pm, I still need 400 calories for the day, my fat is at 20% for the day, protien at 53%, so I missed my carb intake today, and now it's late and I don't want to eat carbs.

Anybody got any favorite snacks for late day they can suggest??

30 min cardio in a.m. before breakfast
1542 cals
45p/31c/24f

Anybody got any favorite snacks for late day they can suggest??

I like to use cottage cheese or quark (http://bodybygrub.blogspot.com/2009/02/spotlight-on-quark.html)later in the day. High protein, low carb and fat. I usually mix in some nuts or nut butter. Hard-boiled eggs are also good. :eat:

thanks. i'll check that quark stuff. Never heard of it before. I ended up going with a little cottage cheese and some peanut butter, ended the day in good shape.

Looking forward to a good work out tonight. Glutes still soar from Saturday's trainer visit, going to try to repeat that today and then up for cardio again in the morning.

Met with the trainer yesterday. Measurements play out like this:

We discussed my workout and nutrition. On average I have been at 40-45%p/30-40%C/20-30%F. He said I need to push to keep fat at 20%. In regards to the work out, he thinks I removed too much cardio. Last year I had been doing all cardio (about 8-10 hours a week) and no weights, so far this year I seem to have switched to all weights with little or no cardio. So I'm going to add atleast 4 days of 30 min cardio and keep the 3 days of weights, lower the fat intake and see what happens.

I'm open to any comments on this approach.I don't know so much about that. On low protein, I could probably go lower fat, but with so few carbs, I don't think you should also be limiting your fat so much.

And as for the cardio vs. weights business, I think a lot of that could depend on your target body fat percentage. For weight loss, cardio should possibly take precendence over weights, but when you get to the specifics of fat loss, or fat loss combined with muscle gains, I think weight training can't be beat. This kind of ties in nicely with what J_W was saying in the bikini thread. You might not lose as much scale weight with a focus on weight training vs cardio, but personally, I think it's a much smarter strategy on the road to building a better-looking firmer physique.

guava will send u the invite to the group page.:doh: Oops. I keep forgetting this part. Getting there.

And as for the cardio vs. weights business, I think a lot of that could depend on your target body fat percentage. For weight loss, cardio should possibly take precendence over weights, but when you get to the specifics of fat loss, or fat loss combined with muscle gains, I think weight training can't be beat.

I'm definitely learning that. I have lost weight before pushing the cardio, but did not lose bodyfat. Right now I plan to keep pushing the weights, but add more cardio also, nothing extreme, but definitely more than I was doing.



:doh: Oops. I keep forgetting this part. Getting there.
[/QUOTE]

no problem! thanks!



Today:

Great work out. Went through the leg supersets that my trainer showed me, and increased the number of reps in my sets. I feel it all over and LOVE it.

Cals: 1525
44p/34c/22f

no problem! thanks!Did you get the invite? I think I'm getting the hang of this. Too bad we don't get notices though. :confused:

Yes, I received and accepted the invite. Thanks!!

I really had a GREAT work out tonight. I always think it's a good thing when after a work out you find it hard to lift your foot to apply the break in the car. TOTAL JELLO! Adjusted workout to do what the trainer suggested and it is really feeling good. Guess he knows some things after all.

The scale even went down to 148.5 today, but i'm pretty sure it's temporary. it usually is.

Cals 1530

46p/33c/21f

food intake not too bad for a weekend. Went up north Saturday and worked at the property, needed additional calories and carbs to get work done.

Saturday:

1745 cal
25p/45c/28f

Sunday:

1486 cal
34p/37c/28f

weekly measurements:
attached.

Being this is the first time I have tracked measurements, I am surprised and skeptical about the changes for this week. I measured on the same day of the week at roughly the same time of day. My hubby did the measuring both times, but I am wondering how close to the same places he was when measuring. I guess I will see as the weeks go by.

Monday 3.9.09:

30 min cardio in a.m. with abs

cals: 1502
41p/35c/24f

good workout. 50 min weight workout. 20 min cardio.

1735 cals
45p/34c/21f

Wednesday: had a real hard time getting the cals in until circumstances lead me to eat 3 cookies and a small piece of cake. Prior to that though i was at:

cals 1352, 35p/40c/25f

I swear I am just as bad as those idiots on BL black team that went out partying on the last episode. Oh well....back to the gym today.

so far today should end up like this:

1688 cals, 30p/36c/35f, all with a really good work out.

This week was a 50/50 week. I hit every work out but had a hard time with nutrition. Early in the week I was struggling to get enough calories, and later I cheated a bit too much.

Saturday: 15.4 mile hike.

Sunday: birthday cake.

start again Monday with a.m. cardio.

This week was a 50/50 week. I hit every work out but had a hard time with nutrition. Early in the week I was struggling to get enough calories, and later I cheated a bit too much.

Saturday: 15.4 mile hike.

Sunday: birthday cake.

start again Monday with a.m. cardio.

glad the inches are creeping down even if the weight isn't. When I cut seriously I have to be pretty anal about weighing and measuring as I have to have cals pretty low to see success :)

have a great week, Pigme and bravo for your charity hike:tu:

glad the inches are creeping down even if the weight isn't. When I cut seriously I have to be pretty anal about weighing and measuring as I have to have cals pretty low to see success :)

have a great week, Pigme and bravo for your charity hike:tu:

Thanks! I have to watch my calories pretty close too. I'm finding that if I stick around 1500 I see the most progress.

Monday:

a.m. cardio
1552 cals
30p/38c/32f

Tuesday

good work out with weights, 20 min extra cardio.

1530 cals
43p/31c/26f

Thursday: good work out, weights not increasing but have increased number of reps and working back up again.

cals 1472
38p/38c/25f

weight this morning 146lbs

Monday:

p90x Core workout
1437 cals
30p/44c/26f
weight 149.5

Tuesday:

good workout at gym, weights and 20 min of additional cardio

1527 cals
47p/35c/18f
weight 147 (lost the beer bloat from the weekend! woo hoo!...and it's only tuesday!)

doing great woman.... keep it up! :tucool:

Wednesday:

cals: 1816
30p/46c/25f
jogged two miles

Thursday:
edited: neighbor got in car accident, spent evening at emergency room instead of gym. No work out.
1611 cals (intended) 1579 (revised)
44p/36c/20f (intended) 29p/45c/25f (revised)

definitely missed the mark on protien but did get 113g so that's not too bad. Will go to gym today (Friday) instead.

it's been four weeks and it was time to take pics again. I'm just not seeing the progress. I have really been working hard to lift my butt (litterally) and I really thought it would be more noticeable. I can feel the difference when I put my clothes on, or when I grab what is left of the sludge on my upper thigh, but I am still not seeing the difference in the pics.

The pics with the green top are from Feb, the others are new. I don't know how to make them smaller, sorry.

i can see a bit of a change. its hard with a different outfit and different pose. it makes the little changes harder to see. i find that if i change pose/bikini choice that it takes a longer distance between pictures to see a real difference.

how are you liking the lower fat??

how has ur intensity and strength been at the gym?? has ur strength increased at all???

you sound like ur definitely feeling the progress and can tell in ur clothes so i really wouldn't worry about pics. try to take them exactly the same and the differences will start to be obvious.

and sadly a month just isn't very long. :cry: for someone at ur bodyfat level..... its just not going to drop off in a month. especially if you want to have any kind of life (beer baby!!).

so just keep working hard and the changes will become apparent. slowly but surely. i'm sure of it!

Thanks. I try to get the same poses, but my photoagrapher doesn't get it and isn't real patient. I know a month isn't that long, and I will keep pushing it. I'm sure I cheated more than I should (beer!) but it was still a significant decrease from "normal life" which means I argue with that little devil on my shoulder about whether or not it is even worth it to cut out the beer (but i know it is). I'm not sure that I am feeling all that much stronger at the gym. Up til a month ago I had been doing reps of 8, the trainer told me to do 12, so i ended up dropping weight in a number of machines in order to get the three sets of 12 and I haven't really been able to add any in yet. I did add a bunch to my leg press yesterday, it had been pretty wimpy at 90lbs so I jumped up to 140, it felt good and I got 4 sets of 12 in. I think it's still the same old story of not pushing myself hard enough in the gym or in the cardio. I jogged 3 miles after posting the pics this morning, although with a couple breaks along the road. I need to find the inner animal in me that used to push harder.

[quote=dejavued;712599]i can see a bit of a change. its hard with a different outfit and different pose. it makes the little changes harder [

oops, i just realized i had added the wrong pose to the post. I changed the new ones to the same pose.

Thanks. I try to get the same poses, but my photoagrapher doesn't get it and isn't real patient. I know a month isn't that long, and I will keep pushing it. I'm sure I cheated more than I should (beer!) but it was still a significant decrease from "normal life" which means I argue with that little devil on my shoulder about whether or not it is even worth it to cut out the beer (but i know it is). I'm not sure that I am feeling all that much stronger at the gym. Up til a month ago I had been doing reps of 8, the trainer told me to do 12, so i ended up dropping weight in a number of machines in order to get the three sets of 12 and I haven't really been able to add any in yet. I did add a bunch to my leg press yesterday, it had been pretty wimpy at 90lbs so I jumped up to 140, it felt good and I got 4 sets of 12 in. I think it's still the same old story of not pushing myself hard enough in the gym or in the cardio. I jogged 3 miles after posting the pics this morning, although with a couple breaks along the road. I need to find the inner animal in me that used to push harder.

Do you use free weights at all?

yes, some, but not much.

yes, some, but not much.

I would strongly recommend moving away from machines and toward free weights and compound lifts.

:eek: From reading what all of you do, I kind of figured that. I'm kind of intimidated by them. My joints are double jointed or hyperextended or whatever, and it causes me to have to fight for form in everything I do. I don't mean that to sound like an excuse, it's just reality for me. I wish I had someone to work out with who was both serious and knowledgeable to push me and teach me. I'm not very good at learning by reading.

Is there anything in particular you had in mind?

:eek: From reading what all of you do, I kind of figured that. I'm kind of intimidated by them. My joints are double jointed or hyperextended or whatever, and it causes me to have to fight for form in everything I do. I don't mean that to sound like an excuse, it's just reality for me. I wish I had someone to work out with who was both serious and knowledgeable to push me and teach me. I'm not very good at learning by reading.

I would suggest that you buy Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, which explains in detail how to perform squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press and power cleans. You might even want to buy the DVD so that you can watch the exercises being performed correctly.

Is there anything in particular you had in mind?

See above ;). Squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press and barbell row are a very good place to start. And I guarantee that you will see much better results if you start doing those and use machines sparingly. Machines do have their place but if you're healthy they should not be the focus of your training. :nope:

:eek: From reading what all of you do, I kind of figured that. I'm kind of intimidated by them. My joints are double jointed or hyperextended or whatever, and it causes me to have to fight for form in everything I do. I don't mean that to sound like an excuse, it's just reality for me. I wish I had someone to work out with who was both serious and knowledgeable to push me and teach me. I'm not very good at learning by reading.


and i'd highly recommend taking lots of video and getting feedback on it.

you can start with a broomstick in ur living room. post it (downstairs if ur shy) and we can all help you through the form aspects. once you have good form drilled in the fun starts!

Monday March 30

1560 cals 36p/40c/25f

1/2 of a p90x plyometrics workout

Tuesday March 31

1518 cals 46p/38c/16f
weights and cardio at gym