Super Stuck & Super Lost (thx in advance)

E

enjoysadvice

0
i've read alot within these threads and decided to post one on my own and see if any of you very knowledgable people can help me? my story...

i was 160 lbs, i'm 5'5'', 30 yrs old, and now i weigh 140. though i am proud of my 20 lb loss (and i've lost inches) but, i am a slow loser (about 2 lbs/mo if i work very very hard - which is fine) but i have been stuck between 139-143 for about 2.5 months now. i THINK i need to lose 10 lbs and weight 130 but also really would LOVE to not worry about the number as long as the fat goes down and the muscle amount increases. I dont even know what the 'right' amount of weight is for a girl who is 5'5'' and wants to look muscular? i cant seem to find that info..it is all based on overall body weight and not how much if you are muscular. :confused:

regardless, i am not very muscular. i am stronger after the past year of focusing on this goal but i still have that gross layer of fat over my muscles. i can do heavy weights and so-called challenging routines/dvds, etc but i still have this layer of fat over my muscles that i would LOVE to get rid of.

i apologize for the long post but i want to give as much info as possible...

i used to eat 1200 cals and yes i lost weight, hit a lot of plateaus and realized i was eating way too little for the amt of exercise i was doing. i upped to 1500 cals and still only lost a few pounds and havent seen much change so last week (1 week only) i have been eating at 1700-1800 cals/day.
i TRY to eat 5 meals / day but i get stuck in the 'world' and it doesnt always happen....

looks something like this: :confused:
goleancrunch (kashi) & skim milk for breakfast
hard boiled eggs (2) & yogurt & fruit for snack
salad and turkey/cheese wrap for lunch
almonds/cottage cheese for snack
chicken or shrimp/other fish w/ veggies (& rice or pasta if i am under calories) for dinner
i also enjoy my occasional glass of red wine w/ dinner but i count in towards my cal count for the day :eek:

exercise consists of:
running 4.5 miles w/ my 3 dogs (yeah, it is interesting) or
elliptical either longish session of intervals (built in) for 45-60 min or
elliptical HIIT for 30 minutes (10 min warm & cool down) or
various dvds (slim in 6 series, the firm series, body by gilad, tae bo)

the cardio is 4-6 x / week and I dont know what is RIGHT for weight loss and muscle burning, i just try to change it up so i dont hit plateaus yet i am anyways, so i am obviously doing something wrong. :confused:

weight training:
i dont belong to a gym so i dont know my body fat % (i know i need to find out) but i have swiss ball, dumb bells various weights and resistance bands and try to do 2-3 full body workouts / week (but truthfully i am lost as to what i should be doing here as well b/c i dont think what ever i do is working anymore) :confused:

lastly, i do pilates but more for mind/body and it has helped coordination.

any help on what i can do to lose again or build muscle so that i can actually see the muscles vs. the layer of fat on top would be most appreciative! I am willing to work hard, i just feel like i am doing the wrong things & dont know what to change. :eek:

thanks to any and all that have suggestions...
 
Last edited:
Focus on eating more protein, a bit more calories, and hitting the weights with a split routine and lifting heavy. Focus on building muscle... not losing fat.

Try something like this:

M/Th = Upper Body 5 Set Pyramid Routine and 10 Minutes Interval Cardio
Tu/F = Lowe Body/Abs 5 Set Pyramid Routine and 10 Minutes Interval Cardio
W/Sa = 30 Minutes Medium Intensity Cardio One Day and HIIT the Other
Su = REST

Now, you should start out by focusing on proper form and technique. Use lighter weights until you feel comfortable. Once you got it... lift heavy.

Vary your reps for the 5 sets. Try doing 12, 10, 8, 10, and 12. Adjust the weight of your dumbbell too. Lift heavier weights when doing 8 reps. It takes some note taking and getting used to, but it works.

Eat a little more than your daily caloric intake for maintaining your current weight. I'll PM you a calculator so you can see your numbers. Try adding like 200 more calories (mostly from protein).

This combination should get you on track to build lean muscle. The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn just by being you. The faft will go away naturally.

Try it and see if it helps.
 
Thank You

Thanks for your response, Trainer Lynn. I appreciate it. I will try what you are saying...

so to be clear, eat a little more than the amount says to MAINTAIN on that calc that you PM'ed me?? It says to maintain to eat 2100 cals?? I am only eating 1700-1800 now. I should up it even more - and this is b/c I want to gain more lean muscle which will in turn reduce the fat layer on top???? (thanks for your help as i am obviously lost)

and pyramid weight training is what you described as the reps amount changing - 12/10/8/10/12 - correct? do you do the interval cardio afterwards?

one more questions - how long should the pyramid routine take per day, for example for the day for upper body to target all areas - it will be how long? 1/2 hour roughly? again, want to make sure i am doing enough.

so i really am doing extra cardio for no reason (other than pure heart conditioning)? that is interesting. does it HURT my goals to add runs in here and there (to get my dogs exercise and relieve some stress)?

thank you again.
 
Last edited:
so to be clear, eat a little more than the amount says to MAINTAIN on that calc that you PM'ed me?? It says to maintain to eat 2100 cals?? I am only eating 1700-1800 now. I should up it even more - and this is b/c I want to gain more lean muscle which will in turn reduce the fat layer on top???? (thanks for your help as i am obviously lost)
Click to expand...

Yep, it has worked for me. I put your numbers in and checked "Lightly Active" and got a maintenance level of 1941. So I'd aim around 2000-2100.

and pyramid weight training is what you described as the reps amount changing - 12/10/8/10/12 - correct? do you do the interval cardio afterwards?
Click to expand...

I do about 10-15 minutes of interval cardio after my pyramid routine.

one more questions - how long should the pyramid routine take per day, for example for the day for upper body to target all areas - it will be how long? 1/2 hour roughly? again, want to make sure i am doing enough.
Click to expand...

It'll take around 30-45 minutes. It may be a tad longer in the beginning because it takes time to learn the process and get your weight sizes down.

so i really am doing extra cardio for no reason (other than pure heart conditioning)? that is interesting. does it HURT my goals to add runs in here and there (to get my dogs exercise and relieve some stress)?
Click to expand...

So long as it doesn't interfer with proper resting.
 
Thanks Lynn, You've been super helpful. I'm going to give it a whirl! 2000 cals is WAYY more than i am used to but i've been building up and at about 1800/day so i'm getting there ;).

appreciate the advice!
 
With all due respect, some of TrainerLynn's recommendations are a bit cookie cutter...

Pyramiding the weight as recommended increases fatigue for your "money sets"

Instead, do a low rep, light weight warm up. This will ward off fatugue and eliminate lactic acid build up. Then move into your work sets.

It would be good to get an overall idea of your total volume for your workouts (sets, reps). Volume should be reduced on a diet. I am also weary of all the intervals and HIIT while training your legs twice a week. This will lead to acute overtraining and systematic fatigue.

Diet recommendations are ok, but real world results always trumps formulas.

Okay, all done.;)
 
No offense taken. We all have different opinions and any advice on these boards should be cookie cutter (IMO). There's no way we could drill down to specific advice without possibly confusing/harming the majority of readers on thse boards.

You'll see (the longer you're on these boards) that I always recommend basic fitness/nutrition programs based on my own experience. People will agree/disagree with others all the time. No problem from me :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top