Some Advice?

A

Aeris

0
Hello! I'm new to both weight loss and the forum, so thanks in advance for all your advice.

Here's my situation: I'm 26, 5'8'', 148 lbs (today anyway), about 26.7% bodyfat. I'm about 10-15 lbs off where I want to be, I think - I say that just because I was around 130-135 four years ago, and looked about like how I'ld LIKE to look now! (And the few times I used to drop below 130 I didn't look healthy - scrawny, skeletal, anorexic-looking - I don't want to look like that again, just thin!) I was substantially more active then, and ate whatever the heck I felt like, but I didn't usually care for super high saturated fat things - didn't like how they made me feel (but don't mistake than for a general plan of healthy eating). So, life happened, desk job, grad school, quit dancing yoga, etc and BOOM. Up to sizes and 20 lbs and half my clothes don't fit. I was still eating anything I wanted, whever I wanted, but I'd stopped GAINING weight a year or so ago, so I'd stabilized somehow.

SO - Labor day I decided to do something about it finally. I want to drop those two sizes, and I want to do it ASAP!! Gave up the cigarettes, gave up soda (probably drank 1.5 liters of Dr. Pepper daily). Then about a week later I did a tiny bit of reading about calories, etc, and went nuts - cut to around 900 calories a day, did that for about a week. Yes, now I realize that was stupid, but I jumped in the lake with my clothes on. Thought I could speed up the process, ha! Had a crappy scale too, but I think I lost a few pounds, anywhere from 4-7 in the two weeks after Labor day. Got a better scale a week and a half ago. Starting exercising in earnest, and upped my calories to around 1200 - which I read somewhere was the lower limit. I thought this meant I wouldn't depress my metabolism, but now I keep reading that "1200 calories is what they feed coma patients." Anyway, from last saturday to Monday I had around 1200 calories a day - with one 'cheat' day in there where I had more (read about calorie cycling). Also did 45 minutes or so of cardio every morning (except one rest day - Friday). Started trying strength training, but don't TOTALLY know what I'm doing - let's say I've been feeling the impact since last Wednesday or so, so I must be doing something right.

Okay, now I know I'm not going to do this in a week, but over the past week and a half I've GAINED a pound! And I'm not shrinking, so I don't think I'm changing my bodyfat percentage really - I only have access to a bodyfat scale every so often, and it went from 26.8% last Tuesday to 26.7% on Saturday, which I consider to be statistically insignificant.

Okay, so I finally decided, maybe I'm still supressing my metabolism - so yesterday I went up to around 1900 calories - I figure that should kick start me, right? But how long should I stay at 1900? (I think I figured out that with exercise I'd need between 2150 and 2400 to break even (the activity figures are vague, and I can't tell which I fit into on some of the calculation lists)).

Oh, and I'm doing the whole 5 meals a day thing, lots of protein, etc. I don't think I'm a particularly carbohydrate sensitive person, as I used to eat TONS of bread, crackers, chips, etc when I was a teenager, in college, etc. It's not like I started eating more of that stuff when I gained weight - but I am trying now to limit the carbs if only to get the protein up, and choose good natural carbs, only fruit for simple, whole grain for bread, eating lots of veggies, and as much protein as I can stomach. Oh, I'm vegetarian too, which makes that a little harder, but egg white, non-fat milk, and SEITAN are my new best friends.

So, am I doing this right? if so, when the @#$@#% will I see results of some sort! (The measuring tape is far more important than the scale, but I'd like to see SOME results SOMEWHERE!!) Is it going to be slower because I only have 10-15 to lose? I'm okay with a pound a week, which is what I keep reading, but that's not happening now!!

I'm going to try HIITS as soon as I feel like my body can pull it off. I did a baby version yesterday and was proud of myself. Hurt like anything.

Any advice, comments, recommendations??
 
You have the right idea and I my be telling you things you already know. But just in case...

Start with a full body strength training routine three days a week. M-W-F as an example. Pick an exercise and do 3 sets of 8 reps for each muscle. Be sure you focus on form first. Once you get used to the exercise lift a heavier weight. Do not be afraid of lifting heavy weights. You won't "look like a dude".

On the days you do not strength train, try doing interval cardio. So on T-T-Saturday try 15 minutes of a jogging/sprinting program. Do it in a 2:1 ratio. 1 minute jogging followed by 30 seconds of sprinting.

Keep one day of rest.

The nutrition is key. Eat at least 5 times per day. Each meal should have a protein and a good carb. I'm also a vegetarian. Here are some ideas:

Eggs and oatmeal
Salad topped with cottage cheese (protein)
Black Bean Burrito (I like Amy's brand)
Tunafish on hemp bread (loads of protein)
Wild or brown rice stir-fried with veggies and tofu
Protein shakes/bars
Seitan or Tempeh (both good sources of protein)
Kashi GoLean cereal

Using the stats you provided... I would eat around 1500-1600 calories per day.
 
Lynn, thanks so much for the reply!

Strength Training - I keep seeing people suggesting full body 3 days a week - is that really better than splitting things up? I feel like I can't do all the exercises I want to do (I think I do stuff slow or something, or maybe I'm taking a long time because I have to check my notepad on what to do next!), so what I was doing was doing half the body one day and half the next.

I keep hearing that I won't "look like a dude" :) I actually would not mind one bit, however, looking like the chick from Terminator 2. Ha!

Similar question with the cardio - you suggest doing it three days a week. Right now I'm doing 6 (obviously I'm trying to do cardio and strength training on the same days, different times of the day - is that bad?). Obviously I'm not doing intervals yet, because I suck and am working up to it, but is it BETTER to do only 3 days a week rather than 6? If so, I'm all for trying it, but if there is any benefit in doing it more often, I'm for it (I'm a little obsessive, and impatient, so the more I can do the better I feel in a way.)

Definitely doing the one day of all rest. And doing some cheat meals here and there (like once a week).

So glad there's another veggie here! Ah, Amy's black bean burrito - excellent idea!
I don't really eat tofu though - seem to have developed a slight soy allergy (not typical - makes my MOUTH ITCH!) how's that for ironic.
Some of this process is a little disturbing because I've NEVER ingested as much full dairy/egg foods as I do now. I used to be vegan (would always like to go back to it someday), so it feels weird to be eating an egg-white omelette and putting cow's milk on my cereal. But hey, I figure I only have to be *this* hardcore about it until I lose the fat, then I can just go to 'sensible eating'. (I was actually a healthy eater ONCE - for a year, when I was vegan - because when you're vegan you HAVE to think about it; so much easier to be lazy as a vegetarian.)

Oh, and I can't really sprint (at least not yet - gasp, gasp, pant, pant) - what do you think of arc trainers/ ellipticals for a similar sort of interval push?

THANKS A MILLION!
 
Strength Training - I keep seeing people suggesting full body 3 days a week - is that really better than splitting things up? I feel like I can't do all the exercises I want to do (I think I do stuff slow or something, or maybe I'm taking a long time because I have to check my notepad on what to do next!), so what I was doing was doing half the body one day and half the next.
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter if you do a split or full body routine. The trick is to done one method for 4-6 weeks and then change the method. I started out with a full body routine and then went into a split routine. I like split routines better.

I keep hearing that I won't "look like a dude" I actually would not mind one bit, however, looking like the chick from Terminator 2. Ha!
Click to expand...

Nice goal to strive for!

Similar question with the cardio - you suggest doing it three days a week. Right now I'm doing 6 (obviously I'm trying to do cardio and strength training on the same days, different times of the day - is that bad?). Obviously I'm not doing intervals yet, because I suck and am working up to it, but is it BETTER to do only 3 days a week rather than 6? If so, I'm all for trying it, but if there is any benefit in doing it more often, I'm for it (I'm a little obsessive, and impatient, so the more I can do the better I feel in a way.)
Click to expand...

It depends on how much you are doing and at what intensity level for those 6 days. For an example: if I do a full body routine I always end with a 10 minute cardio interval program. On non-weight days I do 20-25 minutes of cardio intervals. So techniquely I do 6 days of cardio, but three of those days are only for 10 minutes.

If I do a split routine I am also doing cardio 6 days a week. But on weight days (4 days per week) I only do 15 minutes of intervals. On non-weight days I do 25-30 minute interval sessions.

So I usually do 6 days of cardio, but some days are light.

Oh, and I can't really sprint (at least not yet - gasp, gasp, pant, pant) - what do you think of arc trainers/ ellipticals for a similar sort of interval push?
Click to expand...

You can do intervals on anything: treadmill, elliptical, swimming pool, bikie, etc.

So glad there's another veggie here! Ah, Amy's black bean burrito - excellent idea!
I don't really eat tofu though - seem to have developed a slight soy allergy (not typical - makes my MOUTH ITCH!) how's that for ironic.
Some of this process is a little disturbing because I've NEVER ingested as much full dairy/egg foods as I do now. I used to be vegan (would always like to go back to it someday), so it feels weird to be eating an egg-white omelette and putting cow's milk on my cereal. But hey, I figure I only have to be *this* hardcore about it until I lose the fat, then I can just go to 'sensible eating'. (I was actually a healthy eater ONCE - for a year, when I was vegan - because when you're vegan you HAVE to think about it; so much easier to be lazy as a vegetarian.)
Click to expand...

There are A LOT of vegetarians on this board. A few vegans and a few raw foodists. I agree that vegans tend to be healthier than vegetarians. It's also hard for me to be a vegetarian because I do think it's easier to eat animal meat and lose fat...
 
Yeah, at least if all this stuff about protein requirements is really on target, it is a bit difficult as a veggie - particularly for me, since my bf refers to me affectionately as a 'bread-atarian'.

Thanks for all your input!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top