Critique my "Program"

Julie_in_PA

Julie_in_PA

New member
Ok ... so if ya'll wouldn't mind - I'd like to have my "Program" or eating/exercise routine - critqued. I am just interested to see what everyone here thinks.

First thing in the morning I have an herbal Tea. It's a Mediterranean Detox Tea. It has Green Tea Leaves, Licorice Root, Chamomile Flowers, Anise Seed, Angelica Root, Clove Stems, Milk Thistle Fruit, Artichoke Leaves, Turmeric Root & Schizandra Fruit in it. I add 2 spoons of organic sugar to it ( a HUGE improvement considering I once used 5 heaping spoonfulls of sugar in hot tea !)

Then I exercise on my treadmill. I walk for ATLEAST a mile. The most is 3 miles.

Next I make my protein shake - which is my breakfast since I'm not a big breakfast eater. I make my protein shake with water, a banana, ground flax seeds, aloe vera juice, and ice cubes.

Sometimes between breakfast and my lunch time walk I'll have a snack of fruit (apples, grapes, bananas) OR whole grain crackers.

Then around lunch time I go for a 4 mile walk/jog outside with my neigbor. Alot of hills included.

When I get back from that - I will either eat a late lunch, or if I don't feel like eating - I have another protein shake as my lunch. IF I EAT LUNCH - I would have something like - a tuna fish sandwich on whole grain, whole wheat bread, or a tomatoe sandwich, or even just a whole tomatoe.

Then a couple hours later is when I make supper. I try to make something healthy such as fish and a salad, or chicken stir fry (with NO MSG), or something along those lines.

About an hour or two after supper I do my toning exercises with weights. One day I'll do my upper body, and the next day would be lower body - that's my rotation. I use 10lb weights for everything, and an exercise ball. I do either 2-3 sets of 20+ reps OR I just don't count and just do it for 1/2 hr - 45min.

ALSO - SOME NIGHTS (when I think about it - like perhaps 3 days per week) I ride my stationar bike for approx 30min before I do my toning exercises.

I don't eat after approx 7pm - 8pm at the absolute LATEST - but normally not after 7pm.
 
How many calories a day are you getting? If you aren't already, use a program like to keep track of calories and nutrients - i'm not seeing a lot of fiber in you diet...

Read the stickied threads in the exercise forum you will get some valuable information regarding workouts...
 
OH - and I also take vitamins, etc.

Daily I take Mega Vitamin for Women, Cod Liver Oil Capsules, Evening Primrose Oil Capsules, Flaxseed Oil Capsules, and also Fiber Capsules.
These are all the Vitamin World Brand. I take all of them (except the multi) 3 times per day. I get atleast 24g of fiber per day from my capsules alone (plus I try to eat some foods with fiber like apples, etc.)
 
I HATE calorie counting. SO I just estimate the average of what I normally eat - like what I listed above. And figure I'm getting approx 1,300 or so calories per day. That with the protein shakes as my breakfast and lunch replacement, and an average supper, plus my snacks (fruit, etc.).

So about 1,300 or so.

And like I just mentioned also - I do try to get alot of fiber. I get 24g from my fiber capsules, plus i try to eat fiber filled fruits, and try to work some fiber into my suppers as well (like the stir fry we had last night - had lots of broccoli, carrots, etc. in it).
 
OH - and to answer your question about just eating my fiber ...
I'm not a big eater. I am not a breakfast person, and alot of times I am not a lunch person either. Which is why the protein shakes come in handy for me. I mainly am just a dinner person. I also have a hard time eating snacks - but I make myself sometimes just so I get my helping of fruit,etc. Plus I wanna keep my metabolism running on high. SO since I'm not a big eater - it tends to be hard for me to get all the fiber, etc. that I need. Which is why the fiber capsules, and vitamins come in handy for me - so that I KNOW that I got my vitamins, fiber, essential fats for the day.

And even if I WOULD be interested in eating lunch - I have a hard time choosing what I want to eat. Like I would prefer a tomatoe sandwich or a tuna fish sandwich, etc. but most sandwiches need a condiment (such as salad dressing or mayo, etc.) and I don't want to consume that. I don't even like eating the LIGHT Mayo. And if I have a salad - well then I need dressing on it - and I don't want to be eating that either. So basically - I would probably eat lunch if I could figure out what I'd LIKE that would be healthy and "lean" enough to eat. But since I have such a hard time figuring out what I can eat - it just seems so much easier to have a protein shake. I enjoy them, and they fill me up. SO that's why I am not a big lunch eater.

The whole breakfast thing - I never was a breakfast eater. I made myself eat breakfast most the time - because I know that it's never good to skip breakfast. But I just hate eating breakfast sometimes ! So I LOVE having a protein shake for breakfast.

So I hope this answers your questions about eating my fiber, etc. and helps give a little more insight to "why" I do what I do. :)
 
height/weight/age -

and what are your goals?
Click to expand...

Height is 5'7"
Weight is 194.5lbs
Age is 26yrs old

I've alreayd lost 20+lbs since May. I did weigh 217lbs

My goals are :
Lose atleast 20lbs by February (going to Florida)
LONG TERM GOAL is to lose 55lbs - 60lbs and be approx 135-140lbs
MOST IMPORTANTLY I want to be in GREAT Health with alot of energy
And I want to be tone - I don't want to look thin and frail
 
It sounds like a great program to me!
I'm the opposite.... I wake up ready to eat every dinner leftover for breakfast & for some reason I have never been able to make myself drink any sort of fitness or health shake. I wish I could find one that I liked. Could you post the receipe for one?
 
Well - I use Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme Protein Shake. It's DELICIOUS. But it is a bit high in calories if you don't "work it into your calorie intake." I mean - If I were drinking the shakes, PLUS eating my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in food - I would most likely be taking in to many calories. But since I'm not a breakfast or lunch person - the protein shakes are YUMMY and EASY for me - or someone like me. And since I drink my protein shakes as a MEAL REPLACEMENT - then by the end of my day - my calories total out at approx 1300 for the day - which is about right for me and my goals.

SO basically - if you're gonna drink the higher calorie protein drinks that I like - that are FABULOUSLY TASTING - then make sure you don't go OVER your daily alloted calories by doing so - just work it in with your calorie intake, etc. and you should be fine :)

But here's what I use - and it's YUMMY !

Muscle Man Protein Shake - Vanilla Creme (can be bought at GNC, Vitamin World, etc.)
I mix it with WATER - NOT Milk (to save on calories and fat)
I add ONE banana (a GOOD natural sweetner)
2 oz of ALoe Vera (good for your digestive system, etc.)
sprinkle with ground Flax Seed (which I think actually tastes yummy also) (good for your bones, hair, skin, nails, etc.)
and I also add a few ice cubes to make it real cold


It's SOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY ! And IF you want to work out the calories to where you can mix it with milk - then milk makes it taste like a regular milk shake. I just don't because of the extra calories - I want to make sure I have enough calories left for supper, etc.

Let me know if you try it. :)

You can get a small container of it just to try the stuff - just in case you DON'T like it. Small containers of it don't cost much at all.
 
OH and btw - about my "program" I forgot to mention that I drink between 75 - 100 oz of water per day. The ONLY thing I drink besides water is my herbal tea in the morning. Otherwise - WATER ONLY
 
With the amount your exercising and your stats, you seem to be eating way too few calories. Take a look at this for a caloric intake recommendation.

Julie_in_PA said:
And even if I WOULD be interested in eating lunch - I have a hard time choosing what I want to eat. Like I would prefer a tomatoe sandwich or a tuna fish sandwich, etc. but most sandwiches need a condiment (such as salad dressing or mayo, etc.) and I don't want to consume that. I don't even like eating the LIGHT Mayo. And if I have a salad - well then I need dressing on it - and I don't want to be eating that either. So basically - I would probably eat lunch if I could figure out what I'd LIKE that would be healthy and "lean" enough to eat. But since I have such a hard time figuring out what I can eat - it just seems so much easier to have a protein shake. I enjoy them, and they fill me up. SO that's why I am not a big lunch eater.
Click to expand...

Why don't you want to eat mayo and such? You shouldn't have to cut things completely out of your diet and mayo is actually full of more good fats than bad.

As for my critique:
This isn't a diet I would follow. It just doesn't seem good for long term use: tons of exercise and little calories is not something i could adhere to. You may have seen some rapid weight loss over the past couple of months, but that will likely come to a halt soon. You said you want to raise your metabolism, but it seems more like you are lowering it. It's like trying to make a fire hotter by adding less wood.
 
Thanks for the link :) According to my stats - it says for extreme weightloss I should be consuming approx 1552 Calories/day

I am currently consuming approx 1300 or so (a little more than that some days). So I'm not MUCH lower than what that site suggests. I would say on average I get between 1300 - 1400 cals a day.

And to be completely honest - I have been feeling WONDERFUL ! :jump: I have SO MUCH ENERGY ! Sometimes I really don't know what to do with it all ! At the end of my 4-5 miles walk - I'm ready to walk another few miles. Sometimes I'm ready to ride bike, jump on the trampoline - anything I can think of because I have so much energy ! I've been feeling awesome !

Mainly what I mean by eating healthy foods - I've been VERY particular. I try to stay away from as many preservatives, additives, chemicals, etc. as possible. I don't eat/drink ANYTHING with aspartame in it, or any other artificial sweetners. I drink ONLY water (and an herbal tea in the morning) I use ONLY organic sugar, organic (free run, antibiotic free) eggs, whole grain whole wheat bread, organic sauces (WHEN I use sauce), basically - I try to do EVERYTHING organic and whole grain as I can. Even if we have any type of noodles - I get the whole grain noodles.

I've mainly been eating fruits, vegetables, chicken and fish and have been consuming alot LESS starches, red meats, etc.
I try to stick with LOW GLYCEMIC FOODS ONLY. And I also stay away from ALL Trans Fats.
I use ONLY Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive oil when I use oil at all. And I rarely have to use butter for anything - but if I do - it IS BUTTER - never margarine or shortening, etc.

I don't eat ANY pork whatsoever, and RARELY eat read meat. The most red meat I eat is perhaps once per week - if that.

I stay away from ALL junk food. chips, candies, cakes, the whole shibang - I stay away from it all. I simply don't put it in my grocery cart - problem solved.
On the other hand - if it's been a few weeks since I've had a sweet, and if we're at someone elses house - and they offer me a slice of cake or something - I won't DEPRIVE myself. I'll eat it. But that's just for SPECIAL OCCASSIONS. I never bring the stuff home !

Anyway - that's the basics of WHAT I eat :) Hope I didn't bore ya ;) LOL - I like to ramble.
 
I commend your effort. You've obviously put a lot of thought and work into your program. I do agree to some degree though, that it may be difficult to maintain for a long period of time. And if you're exercising as much as you say, you probably should eat a bit more.
 
Thanks. I know it really does sound like something that would be hard to maintain for a long period of time. But to be honest - I think for my personal situation and eating habits - I wouldn't have a hard time maintaining the amount of calories I'm eating. My problem from time to time is WHAT I'm eating. For instance - from time to time I feel the so called "need" or a "craving" for sweets, or for some greasy french fries. That seems to be my biggest problem - atleast when compared to maintaining my eating habits and exercise habits. Not that I DO cheat. Cause I don't. I only allow myself a sweet or something that's not healthy for me - but I crave it - just once in a "blue moon". Like perhaps once a month or something. Just so I don't feel deprived. Because I'm afraid that if I DON'T allow myself a cheat now and then - that I WILL end up feeling deprived and will "burn out" with my program.

But again - I'm not a big eater. Infact - the reason why I ever gained my weight is because I went through a depression (only once in my life) when I lost a baby. I put on 30lbs due to the depression and emotional eating alone ! Then never took it off. Infact, I gradually gained lb after lb over the years after that - just not caring. THEN got pregnant with my daughter and developed preeclampsia and was put on bed rest - and gained almost 50lbs with THAT pregnancy - on TOP of the previous 30 + lbs ! So I ended up (at the time of my daughter's birth) being in the area of 245lbs !!!!
And before all this weight gain - I once weighed 135lbs.
My big problem was that I ate all the WRONG things ! I just didn't care there for a while. I'd stuff my face with high fat pizza, little debby cakes, ice cream, chips, donuts ... all the wrong foods.
It was just a period of my life that I felt overwhelmed and turned to food for comfort. I never had that happen BEFORE my baby loss, and NOW for about the past 3 years (since I had my daughter) - I've been "over it" and wisened up and started eating healthier foods. But it can take a long time to take off all that weight :( So from time to time I would diet/exercise, and then get burnt out and "fall off the wagon." But over this past year or so I've really stuck my nose into some good nutrition books, and websites, etc. and I've learned SOOOOOOOOO much ! And I'm proud to say that although yeah - I've still had a mishap or two - this is the longest that I've "Stuck to It" and that is motivation in itself. So I'm really really confident that I can make this my "life style" and not just a "temporary diet". I'm confident that I can stick to this program.
And also - if I'm feeling hungry - I do snack on something healthy (fruit, or whole grain crackers, etc.), OR if I feel somewhat tired or drained - then I know that I need to eat a bit more calories to "keep my fire burning" :) One thing that I KNOW that I wouldn't be able to stick to for life - would be COUNTING CALORIES, or anything else. For myself - I find it easier to do if I just eat healthier and know the approx amount of calories I'm eating.

So ALL THAT being said (lol - I'm bad for rambling on and on ... sorry) - I will remember your's and other ppl's advice on here about not getting enough calories, and I will add a few more - HEALTHY ONES - to my daily routine. But since I don't COUNT calories - I'll just try to add a few healthy snacks in between my meals or something :)

Thanks :jump:
 
I don't understand how you can only need 1200-1300 calories. Your stats are very similar to mine except you're a couple of years older and an inch taller and I need at least 1750. You also seem to exercise more than me. I go the the rec maybe 4 times a week and walk around campus about 3 miles/day to get to all my classes.

Nevertheless, on a 1500 calorie minimum, those 200cals you're not getting are very important so at least try to add them in. For a while I was eating only 1500 calories myself, which felt to me like I was practically eating all day, and had stopped losing so I upped it to 1800 for normal days and 2000 on days I work out. On that calculator, the number of calories you want to be eating is the fat loss number not the extreme fat loss number which is not recommended.
 
Holy Cow.

Wow.

What I don't understand is how you have TIME for all of that. I mean, I guess it's beacuase of my hectic schedule, but it takes everything I have just to get my gym routine in the morning after I drop the kids off at school. If I don't do it then, it doesn't happen.

And I wish I could have that much control over what I eat.

I envy your time and committment, but I think that if I had the time, my food intake/exercise program would be different as I'd add more weight training for building muscle mass (which burns more calories) and I'd make it a point to eat at least a light protien/fiber filled small meal 3 times a day.

Either way, good luck to you! I hope you reach your February goal.
 
Time isn't a problem for me :) I'm a stay at home mommy and a farmer. I clean my house EVERY day, take care of my 3yr old and my hubby (who's LIKE taking care of another 3yr old), and also my farm work (feeding and watering 3 dogs, 1 pony, 4 cats and 7 goats - and cleaning up poop, etc.).

But no matter what - I ALWAYS make time for my workouts. I TRY to do them first thing in the morning - then my weight training in the evening when everyone's sitting around watching tv.
For my morning walks - I get my Grandma (who's my neighbor) to babysit my daughter during my walks. If she can't watch her - then I just walk on my treadmill at home.

And I do weight train. I weight train 3-5 days per week. But NORMALLY (unless I'm having a weird week) - I get 5 days in. I do enough reps/sets every night to ensure that each time - the next day my muscles are somewhat sore - so I know that I "got something." So when I hit my stride to where I can easily do the sets/reps without getting sore - I ADD more sets/reps so I'm STILL making progress.

As for eating - I get lots of fiber :) I get the recommended 25-30 grams of fiber per day - sometimes more. I make sure of that. And I get LOTS of protein - my shakes that I drink after workouts have 32g of protein per serving. I drink 1 - 2 serving per day (breakfast and sometimes lunch). Plus I normally have something with fish or chicken for supper. I also try to get all my other vital vitamins and Omega 3's etc. :)

Anyway - I am determined to lose my weight and to tone. So I just make sure that I make time to do it.
When I worked (before having my daughter) I would walk/jog during my breaks. I'm bullheaded - when I get determined to workout, eat healthy - I do it no matter what. Sometimes ppl call me obsessive, or bullheaded - oh well. lol
 
I think you may be getting more than 1300 cals a day. Otherwise you'd be too tired to continue your routine. Since you don't actually count then there is really no way to tell. If it's working for you then kudos!!
 
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