Frustrated

H

Hy_001

0
Hey guys an gals :)
I’m 5’4’’ and currently 120 lbs. About a month or so ago I set myself a goal to lose 10 lbs, well, get down to 50 kgs which is about 110 lbs. At the start of that goal setting I was 121.5 lbs… I went down to 117.7 and now I’m back up to 120…
This is really frustrating for me because I do not eat sugar (cakes, biscuits, etc) and I exercise regularly. An ‘easy’ day will be like a 3 kilometer run. Last time I checked I had 24% body fat… however that was a month ago and I think I have lost a fair bit cos I’m starting to see abs slightly.
What I REALLY want to get rid of is the fat on my hips and butt and inner thighs (lol which girl doesn’t?!) but it just isn’t working. Running, weights, cardio workouts, ab workouts… nothing works! I drink green tea and just upped my water intake but still, its just frustrating me no end. Granted, I could probably do with cutting down fat intake but honestly I don’t think its that much. I can’t afford to go to a gym or buy special foods, but I have a huge supply of almonds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds which I munch every day. I’m also a student with limited time – also working on a building site. I could probably spare 30-45 mins a day. Sometimes a lil bit more but that’s the average. If ANYONE has any ideas or tips… well anything would be very much welcomed :) this is my blog…
Thanks,
Hy :)
 
Watch your portion size. That is critical, keep the portions small. Personally, I feel portion size is more important then no sugar. Calories in / calories out is still the game. Not a lot of people talk about it but I know from my own experience calories are the ticket. The fitness business sells us a lot of BS! There's no money in telling people eat right and excrecise. The money's in suppliments, protien bars, powdered food etc...

Also try cardio in the am on an empty stomach.
 
Hey :)

As far as portion sizes go I think I'm doing pretty good... however it is winter here atm and I tend to get hungry at dinner time... its hard eating small at night really.

The thing is, right now I dont really want to gain muscle as such. I have plenty of muscle hiding away cos I used to be a gymnast and its still lurking there somewhere. I'm just wondering if perhaps I'm overdoing it?

Anyway, thanks for the tips :)
 
eat protein. it cuts down hunger a LOT more than carbs and/or fat substances. also, drink TONS of ICE water. not only does water prevent the body from burning protein which helps fix and build more muscle, but the body needs to burn fat calories in order to heat the water up... so the colder the better. you'll have to go to the bathroom more than ever, but it'll boost you metabolism 30% or so... the effect happens about 10 minutes after you drink it and lasts 40 minutes.
don't eliminate carbs, but cut down to a minimum.
also, eat fish. its got fat in it, but its good fat that your body needs and can't produce by itself. not to mention fish is absolutely PACKED with protein. my parents always keep around a bottle of flaxseed oil gels, which is what i use... its not as good as fish oil though!
careful how the fish is cooked, because i work at a restaurant and they deep fry some of it... but the blackened fish is what i get because its cooked on a griddle... all natural fish oil :)
either way cut down on what you eat, but protein will cut down hunger a lot more than anything else will.

whatever you do, stay away from simple carbohydrates though... like sugars and candy. they release insulin in the body, and reduce glucagon. basically, glucagon lets your body burn fat and insulin makes the body store fat (and use the simple carbs in place) other carbs do the same thing, but simple carbs simply make a large burst of insulin and that's bad for fat loss. still though, don't eat many carbs at all. :D
 
Last edited:
Thanks :) Yeah yesterday I signed up to fitday.com and man its quite eye-opening! Its odd how the seemingly 'natural' things like seeds have soo much fat in them!
I've got a big bottle of cold water right beside me and I'm sipping it as I type :)
I lifted weights yesterday (power half hour arm workout with Tony Horton from beachbody.com) should I do some cardio today like HIIT running?
 
I didn't read everything you wrote, but maybe you should try lifting weights before cardio. lifting weights at 4 sets per exercise is usually good. I see a lot of girls in the gym do 1 set per exercise and then move onto the next exercise.

I always lift before I do cardio because I know i'll be stronger than if I run/swim before I lift.

Try swimming for your cardio. Laps are the best way I get my HR up.
 
Yeah I would swim but haha our pool has a hole in it and the water in the bottom is skody greenish blackish... and besides its winter here :p
 
Let me give you some help... you need to post your exact workout and menu. Then post you exact stats (age, height, weight, body fat % and goals). Put it all in one post.

FitDay.com is a great place to count how many calories you are taking in. However, they HUGELY over estimate calories out. So use what's good about it and forget the other parts.

You don't seem to have a regular routine in place. It seems kinda here and there. If that's the case, you need a regular routine. You need to give it your all for at least 6 weeks. Then evaluate your progress and change the necessary things.

Personally, when you said running 3km is your light day... it made me wonder what your hard day is. You could be over doing it. I don't know because you didn't post your routine :)

Yes, there is a bunch of BS spouted by a lot of people. However most people in the fitness industry are just trying to help others lose fat. Being healthy is not rocket science, but a lot of people need some guidance and motivation.
 
Hy_001 said:
Yeah I would swim but haha our pool has a hole in it and the water in the bottom is skody greenish blackish... and besides its winter here :p
Click to expand...

you need to find a good indoor pool. That's the best way. Jumping rope works well for me too even though im not very good at it.
 
Age: 18
Height: 5'4.5''
Weight: 120 lbs
BF%: (according to electronic calculator in April) 24% - but I'm pretty sure its less cos I'm starting to see abs...
Goals: Get down to 110 - have a 6-pack...

According to fitday.com yesterday I had 2250 calories in total.
grams cals %total
Fat: 79 710 33%
Sat: 23 210 10%
Poly: 17 155 7%
Mono: 33 297 14%
Carbs: 232 812 37%
Fiber: 29 0 0%
Protein: 161 645 30%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

If I do no exercise but want to get to 110, I need to consume 1432 calories.
If I do 30 mins exercise and want to lose, I need to consume 2089.
If I do 60 mins exercise and want to lose, I need to consume 2340.

Do I have too much fat in my diet? Too much protein?

Yesterday because I couldnt leave the house (babysitting) and it was dark, I had to opt for running up and down stairs a few times. (lost count but I think it was for about 20 mins). Then I went on my bike for 18 mins - its one where the handles go back and forth at the same time - and I did HIIT... 1 min at 28-32 kmph, 1 min at 58-70 kmph.

Btw I think fitday is quite good at calculating output - I think it depends what sort of 'lifestyle' you put yourself down as. When I put down 18 mins hard cycling it only said something like 100 calories. But my machine says I burnt 400. So I thought it underestimated! Anyway, something to trial..

I don't have a regular routine as such because of many factors! I can't afford going to a gym, I'm a student, I have a few jobs, and have to drive kids around sometimes too. At the moment I'm trying to start doing arms - weights - on MOndays, running or cycling HIIT on Tuesdays, Legs on Wednesdays, running or cycling HIIT on Thursdays, and abs on Fridays. Not sure if I need to do more HIIT on Sats...

THanks for your help :)
 
I'd give the same advice...get into a regular workout routine that includes strength training, cardio and proper rest. It appears your diet has too much fat in it. You don't mention anything about what and when and how much you eat... so I don't know.

Your weight is fine for your height. Since your goal is to reduce body fat even more, you will need to get on a regular and consistent fitness and eating plan. No doubt about it.

Restricting your calories... not sure that's a good way for you to go. You're already small. I'd focus on eating more calories to build muscle. That will automatically increase your metabolism and burn fat.
 
As you note in a previous post - those seeds and nuts, though good for proteins also have some fat in them too. The food plan I'm on gives me about 21% fat (of about 2300 calories/day). This is spread over 6 meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner interspersed with 3 snacks), which I try to eat at the same times each day. I think the regularity helps as it keeps the body's metabolism going by caloric intake at regular intervals. I'll post the particulars in my diary hopefully later today.

Keep up the good work.
 
Well everything I eat is natural. Why do natural foods have to have SO much fat in them? 'Low fat' foods taste foul and the fat they have in them are th fat thats not so good for you. Other than eating just tuna and melon and grapefruit lol what else is there?!
I dunnooo.... every day has a completely different routine to the one before it so its extremely difficult to stick to a certain plan eating wise.
What foods are good to eat then?
 
Oh yeah - from my belly button to about an inch or two below it is like a belt of fat that goes like all the way around. Its just sitting there! Below that nothing but skin lol and above that hardly anything... its just there.. and it goes all the way around, hips, back.
 
If you're looking to get protein without without the added fat, give nonfat cottage cheese a try. I put my food plan up in my diary which might have other suggestions.
 
HY_001,

It's just a matter of you finding what works for you and what doesn't. What works for one person may not work for you. Some foods you'd think would be great for you (like nuts) because they are from the Earth.

And here's the thing... the ARE good for you. BUT AND THIS IS A BIG BUT... we are not really natural anymore. We sit for far too long. We have an over abundance of food. We are mentally stressed. We go through more emotions in a week than we used to in a lifetime.

These things affect your body and it's needs. Back in hunter-gatherer days... you wouldn't have acess to a tub of nuts. So you'd not realistically eat a tub of nuts.

I know you're frustrated. But you need to get on a regular and consistent menu and fitness program. Period. Give it an honest try for a month or 6 weeks. Then re-evaluate things.

Edited to Add: I posted 5 tips to fat loss already. It has a good place for you to start. Each meal has a carb and a protein. Chicken/Wild Rice or Cottage Cheese (counts as Protein)/Blueberries or Tuna on Whole Wheat Bread or Oatmeal/Egg Whites or Any Other Protein and Carb Combo.
 
Last edited:
Thanks Lynn :)
I'm trying to find a whole lotta low-fat food... if I cant find any cheap stuff I think i'll just stick with oats and tuna :p Nar, just kidding.
Like I think I mentioned before - I have quite thick legs (which I hate) and far 2 squishy rear - So you must be right - too much fat in my food!
I tried your glute exercises this morning - they're awesome :D

What's your opinion of rollerblading? (another reason why its really hard to get a routine going is we're in a small rented house at the moment with hardly any space - we're building and about to move but yeah its like all cramped and no space and no motivation) At the new place there's an abundance of bitumen roads and hills and valleys - is rollerblading good for the butt?

Thanks for all your help so far :)
Hy
 
Rollerblading is great :)

It's mostly a cardio exercise though. Which is fine. It will work the butt muscles and the legs, but mostly a cardio workout. Hiking is another good one I love for the bootie. Because of the constant lifting and stepping up it actually works the legs and butt nicely.
 
Well... I've been REAL bad the last couple weeks... assignments building up, concerts, productions, and to top it all off, the flu... haha... so yeah I ate really bad and didn't work out, but dumbly enough I lost like half a pound. Whaaaat?! (I should do it more often :p)
So starting Sat I'm gonna work REAL hard and put pedal to the metal, etc...
Summers coming... gotta shape up lol.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top