Lot's of rambling questions...sorry

Y

Yvonne

0
OK. I've been reading this forum a lot the last few days and I'm trying to remember as much as I can but I'm definitely not there yet so please bear with me.

Here's my stats:
age 37
wt. 160
ht. 5'9"

I started lifting weights consistently about 3 weeks ago using "The Body Sculpting Bible for Women"; 3 days a week. If you want me to I'll post what my workouts look like. I'm not sure I understand what splits mean so I don't know if that's what I'm doing or not.

At 168 lbs, I started eating 1200 cal at their advice but have since discovered (really I knew better but followed it anyway) that 1200 is too low. I did lose 8 lbs initially which was water I'm sure but since then nothing. This last week I've worked my way up to 1700 cal although yesterday I barely made 1500. So for the last 2 weeks I've stayed at 159/160 lbs. I hope this makes sense.

My diet is very clean. I'm trying to eat 40/40/20 at each meal, with the exception of pwo, and I'm drinking about a gallon of water a day.

I originally was hoping to get down to at least 150 lbs by July 4th weekend for our trip to CA. But now I'm wondering if I'll even make 155. (My ultimate goal is 140/145 with an awesome body by the time I hit 40!) The scale doesn't really bother me even though it's made me it's slave but I've been measuring myself and I'm confused. I can see quite a bit of change in muscle definition but my waist and hips are not going down at all, and no my clothes are not fitting any better. If I'm gaining some muscle and the scale isn't budging then shouldn't my measurements be going down some? Could it be because I'm eating more? I'm usually so full now that I can barely get it all in by the end of the day.

My cardio, run/walk, right now is only 20 min 3 days a week. I'd like to work some HIIT into it. I've read different things on this board about cardio. Some say not too much or you may lose muscle and others say up to an hour if you want to lose fat. :confused:

I'm totally rambling. I do have more questions but I'll leave it at this for now. I hope you guys can decipher all of this. Please help!
 
Yvonne-
I'll try and answer some of your questions to the best of my ability, then perhaps others will chime in too!

Without knowing the specifics of exactly what exercises, weights, reps, sets... you are doing and exactly what your meals look like, here are somethings I would check-

sodium
protien to carb ratio
hidden sugars
food allergies/intolerences-esp. wheat or dairy
msg
fiber
stress
rest

What was your diet before? What was your workout before? What are both now?

Sometimes our bodies just need time to adjust to any big changes. If you read stories of other people's transformations, time and time again you hear them say that they experienced the biggest changes in weeks 8-12. The changes are happening-you said you can see them! And if things are changing on the outside, imagine how much they are changing on the inside!

Sandy
 
Thanks for your reply.

My diet before...that last few months I let myself go with a bite here a meal there, too much coffee. I also hadn't worked out for several months. I'm normally about 155 and a pretty good diet but like I said, I let myself go these last few months.

My diet now:
Meal 1- Banana, Whey, Oatmeal
Meal 2- Cottage Cheese Fat Free, Red Cole Slaw (home made)
Meal 3- 3 Women's Bread (good mix of fiber and protein; I eat it in a pinch)
Meal 4- Red Cole Slaw, Chicken breast, Oatmeal, Ezekiel Sesame, Tomatoes
Meal 5- Sweet potato, whey drink, cottage cheese
total=1746 cal, 159g protein

I usually have a couple teaspoons FSO also. And I try my best to keep the cals pretty even at each meal but that's kind of tough sometimes. Again I also try to use the 40/40/20 approach at each meal and drink lots of water.

For my workouts I do 2 sets of each usually using 10 or 15 lb weights and about 12-15 reps except for the standing calf raises, 25r, and push ups, 20r.

Day 1- Monday
Dumbell Rows (one arm)
Push-ups
rest 90 sec
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Standing calf raises
Rest 90 sec
Dumbbell Curls
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
Rest 90 sec
Dumbbell Squats
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts
Rest 90 sec

Day 2- Wednesday
Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell Lunges (I have a love/hate relationship with these)
Res 90 sec
Ballet Squats
Stiff legged Deadlifts
Rest 90 sec
Standing Calf Raises (one leg)
Upright Rows
Rest 90 sec
Standing Calf Raises (two legs)
Triceps Kickbacks
Rest 90 sec

Day 3- Friday
Dumbbell Rows (two arms)
Flat Dumbbell Flys
Rest 90 sec
Bent Over Lateral Raises
Standing Calf Raises (two legs)
Rest 90 sec
Hammer Curls
Lying Dumbbell Extensions
Rest 90 sec
Ballet Squats
Dumbbell Lunges
Rest 90 sec

What is this kind of work out called?

On Tues, Thurs, Sat I do my abs workout and cardio (walk/run for 20 min working on going up to 30-45 min). Sunday is rest day.

Thanks for the critique!
 
It looks like you are pretty much hitting every muscle group 3 times a week using supersets. Is that right? And I am assuming it is straight from the "Body Sculpting Bible? And you said it has been a couple of months since you worked out, right? (Don't mind me, just kinda thinking out loud!)

How do you feel when you are done lifting? How do your muscles feel at the end of each set? At the end of each superset? How long does it take you to complete the circut? Do you do any aerobics-never mind I see 20 min HIIT, sorry.

Does the cole slaw have any dairy in it? Cottage cheese can cause bloating and fluid retention for some people. Cabbage can too. I would try and cut out the dairy first and possible the cabbage and see what happens. If I really wanted to ramp things up, I would also exchange all of the complex carbs in meals 4 and 5 and replace them with veggies. Lastly, if that didn't work, I might exchange the bread for a sweet potato and lean protien or a protien shake and fruit.

Keep increasing the intensity of all your workouts as you get stronger. Each workout should definately challenge you.

When I was first starting to workout I would walk around a 3.5 mile path we have here in the forest preserve nearby, while I walked I imagined all the fat just melting off my body and with every step I took, I would leave a puddle of grease behind. Kinda gross (sp?) if you think about it, but for me it worked. Something powerful happens when you can create vivid pictures in your brain and tie them in with emotions!

Sandy
 
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Thanks, Sandy.

I'll try cutting out the cottage cheese. Bummer I just stocked up, too. The cole slaw only has Vegenaise with grape seed oil and a little Stevia Plus to sweeten...yum! But I thought cabbage was a diuretic? And it was one of the veggies I enjoyed. I'll try cutting that as well.

I feel great after my workouts. Weak and yet strong. The first couple of weeks I used pretty light weights to get me back into the swing of things, but with the 10 and 15 lb weights I'm right at the end of not being able to complete a set so I feel pretty good about that right now. I always forget to see how long it takes me to get through the whole workout but I'm guessing it's about 30-40 minutes, not including warm up or cool down.

So if I replace the complex carbs for meals 4 and 5 should my calories be less for those meals? I hate being stuck with a ton of left over calories at the end of the day. Very frustrating and quite unusual for what I was used to in the past. I guess I couldn't do the 40/40/20 for those either, right?

Thanks for the encouragement! I love the gross fat melting behind you analogy!

Yvonne
 
Alright, your workouts sound good as long as they keep challenging you.

I only mentioned the cabbage because it can cause gas (TMI?) and bloating, especially if you are eating a lot of it.

As for the number of calories for the last two meals, if it were me, I think I would just switch out the complex carbs for an unlimited amount of vegetables-watch the amount of dressings, butter or salt on them though. I wouldn't be "married" to reaching a certain calorie count for a couple of days, but instead go by how I felt. If I got hungry after dinner, I would try some fat free turkey ham, egg whites or whey protien mixed in water. And I would also chart my moods, energy levels, the way my body responds...One way I can tell if a food I am eating is causing inflammation is in my fingers. If my knuckes or fingers are a bit puffy, or my rings a bit tight, I know my body is holding on to water and I probably ate something I should not have.

It usually takes a 2-5 days for inflammation to begin leaving the body, so I would start by make some changes and then just chart what happens. You can see what your calorie count is and your macronutrient breakdown is, but don't try and force anything, just try and be more of an objective observer for a few days and depending on how your body responds, you can then go back and tweek some more.

Sandy
 
Okay, I am not trying to be the devil's advocate here, but, I 've heard that lowfat/nonfat cottage cheese is a beneficial food. I personally do eat it. Sandy you really do seem to have you act together between your workouts and your diet, what is your reasoning behind the cottage cheese ? I am asking nicely, please do not take it the wrong way. I'm always willing to learn. :)
 
jpc, great question.

The reason I suggested trying to drop the cottage cheese for a short period of time was beacuse some people are sensitive to dairy and aren't even aware of it.

A while ago I first dropped all dairy from my diet and lost 5 pounds in 1 week, next I dropped all wheat and lost an additional 5. All of this was without altering anything else. Will this work for everyone? No, but I think it's worth a try. After being without dairy and wheat for a while, I found that I can add them back in limited amounts. Like the wheat, If I limit it to no more that 1 high fiber serving per day and have a larger sized protien that wheat, I am fine. Like a chicken breast on 1 slice of Natural Oven's bread that has 60 cals, 4 grams of protien, 11 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fiber. If I have a regular sandwhich with 2 slices of bread, it sets me up for bloating and cravings.

Other than an occasional slice of FF cheese, I haven't had any dairy except whey in a few months. I am running an experiment tonight on myself and mixing whey with skim milk. I am doing this as the last meal of the day, about 1 1/2 hours before bed so if it does set me up for cravings, it's almost bed time and I won't have to white knuckle it for long!

Every Body is different and sometimes I think it can be helpful to "experiment" with things and see if they have any effect. If you don't notice anything different, than you can be 100% certain that that food is good for you and that your body is able to assimilate all of the vitamins and minerals out of it without causing inflammation. Inflammation can be a sign that you have ingested something that is not being fully digested by the body. The body holds on to water to dilute the "poison" or undigested materials.

So IMHO, it's worth a try especially if nothing else is working!

Sandy
 
Sandy,

Thanks for this advice. After only one day of removing the cottage cheese and the cabbage I lost 1/2 inch in my waist! Who knows if it really was the cottage cheese and/or cabbage but I'm up for a good experiment! It actually makes this whole process of losing fat a little more fun.

What about adding enzymes to the diet? Do you think that would help in the digestion? I have some and have taken them when I've noticed gas with other foods (certain veggies) but I thought I'd see if removing the food first had any affect.

I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Yvonne
 
1/2 inch?? That's great, congratulations!

I would just stick with removing the "suspects" first and see what happens. After about a month, you could try a small serving and see what happens without the enzyme. If you have no reaction, try and add it back but only on an occasional basis. If you see any reaction, I'd again go back to not eating it for a while and let it kinda clear your system, then, if you really miss it, try it again with the enzymes. It is best to try and experiment with changing only 1 or 2 variables at a time, that way you can be sure of your results!

Keep us posted and happy experimenting!

Sandy
 
sandygrady said:
jpc, great question.

The reason I suggested trying to drop the cottage cheese for a short period of time was beacuse some people are sensitive to dairy and aren't even aware of it.

A while ago I first dropped all dairy from my diet and lost 5 pounds in 1 week, next I dropped all wheat and lost an additional 5. All of this was without altering anything else. Will this work for everyone? No, but I think it's worth a try. After being without dairy and wheat for a while, I found that I can add them back in limited amounts. Like the wheat, If I limit it to no more that 1 high fiber serving per day and have a larger sized protien that wheat, I am fine. Like a chicken breast on 1 slice of Natural Oven's bread that has 60 cals, 4 grams of protien, 11 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fiber. If I have a regular sandwhich with 2 slices of bread, it sets me up for bloating and cravings.

Other than an occasional slice of FF cheese, I haven't had any dairy except whey in a few months. I am running an experiment tonight on myself and mixing whey with skim milk. I am doing this as the last meal of the day, about 1 1/2 hours before bed so if it does set me up for cravings, it's almost bed time and I won't have to white knuckle it for long!

Every Body is different and sometimes I think it can be helpful to "experiment" with things and see if they have any effect. If you don't notice anything different, than you can be 100% certain that that food is good for you and that your body is able to assimilate all of the vitamins and minerals out of it without causing inflammation. Inflammation can be a sign that you have ingested something that is not being fully digested by the body. The body holds on to water to dilute the "poison" or undigested materials.

So IMHO, it's worth a try especially if nothing else is working!

Sandy
Click to expand...


Thank you for taking the time to answer Sandy. I understand where you're coming from. You definitely have to experiment to see what works best for you in both diet and exercise. Thanks again !!
 
Day 2 eliminating cottage cheese and cabbage-
Inches lost since yesterday:
1/2" upper waist
1" lower waist (at navel)
1" hips
1/2" upper thigh

My butt stayed the same but as long as the shape is changing I don't mind a little thickness there. :D

My weight has been bouncing around with the same 1 lb for the last 2 weeks. We'll see what this week brings...
 
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