Hello everyone! I am nubie. My story is I lose 25 pounds in 5.5 months. I still have long way to go. I do lift weight, 2-5 days a week, when I can. I do aerobics days I don't lift weights. I work out after school about 3 or 4 pm. I have snack before lifting weights and then I have dinner. Don't like breakfast much. Is that a problem? I hear different stories about breakfast. Any help that you can give for what kind of diet would be best is helpful to me.
Welcome to elite we can best help you if...
There are a few of things you can do to help us get to know you so we can answer your questions:
1) In your first post please include:- your stats: weight, height, body fat.
- Your goals: what are you trying to accomplish? Do you have a date in mind?
- Your current training & cardio schedule: What’s your routine and how often you train?
- Your current meal plan: including how many meals, portions, what you eat and when you eat.
- Any salient medical concerns...
2) Read the stickies at the top of this board. They are important introduction information regarding women's fitness.
Such as training, dieting, and weight loss.
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...e-fitness-womens-forum-start-here-678961.html
3) Consider putting your meal plan into a food counts program like FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal (FREE!) so you can have a real and accurate idea of what exactly you are eating. This will give you the total calories and macronutrient breakdown (% Protein / % fat / % carbs) of your diet.
You can also get your calories, Protein, carbs and fat count at:
CalorieKing - Diet and weight loss. Calorie Counter and more
4) GET YOUR BODYFAT TESTED! You are made up of lean muscle mass and body fat. Getting "lean and toned up" is the result of how the two work together. Body fat is only half of it. It’s best to know where your body fat % is so you can work accordingly.
5) TAKE PICTURES! This is how you SEE the progress you are making. Weight and body fat are one thing, but how you look is also an important way to track progress and really appreciate even the little signs of progress. Believe me, sometimes we think we’re not making progress, but when you see the pictures from when you first started and 2, 4, 6 months later, you’ll be astounded of the changes you’ve made and that will give you enough motivation to continue.
6) Start a training & diet log – You’ll find that we all share and support each other on the forum and that will help you with your success.
Yes lifting weight will bring better results please see the following articals as to why
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...ining/weight-training-information-600068.html
By Keith Albert, one of Poliquin's guys..
Six reasons why aerobic work is counterproductive
Getting Maximum Results
As a Strength Coach and a Personal Trainer for 15 years, I’ve had a chance to see many fitness enthusiasts workout at many gyms in my local area and throughout the country. At any given gym or fitness center, the one thing that I notice is how you see the same people doing the same workouts month after month, year after year. The amazing thing is that these people continue to look the same or they are actually looking worse aesthetically. This is especially true with the constant Performance of continuous aerobic work.
What’s sad about this is that they feel like they are doing everything necessary to get the result they are looking for. They are resigned to the fact that this is how it’s going to be and there isn’t anything that can be done to correct their deficiencies. If you were to ask them what results they would like to get out of their workout, the number 1 answer is “losing weight or getting thinner.”
When I am asked what it takes to look “fitter,” the first question I ask is: “How long have you been doing your current training program?”
The usual answer I receive is “somewhere between 6 and 12 months.” The typical program they follow is “30 – 60 minutes of continuous aerobic work 3 to 5 times per week.”
Our training tells us that this is not a good approach to take for the client seeking improving results over time. World renowned strength guru Charles Poliquin has identified 6 reasons why aerobic training is counterproductive to fat loss:
(1) Continuous aerobic work plateaus after 8 weeks of training so anything more is counterproductive.
This is quite an “eye opener” for most people who immediately recognize that they may have been wasting their time for such an extended period. To quote Charles, “using this principle in preparation for the 92 Olympics, the Canadian Alpine Ski team actually surpassed the Cross-country team on aerobic scores as measured by third party University labs.” Who wouldn’t want to perform as well as the Canadian Alpine ski team?
(2) Aerobic training worsens power locally and systemically – in other words, it can make you slower.
If you are an athlete or a “weekend warrior” who likes to participate in athletic events or team sports that require speed and jumping ability, this is the last thing you want from a cardiovascular training program. Coach Poliquin adds that “the more lower body aerobic work you do, the more your vertical jump worsens. The more upper body aerobic work you do, the more your medicine ball throws worsen.”
(3) Aerobic training increases oxidative stress which can accelerate aging.
According to Endocrinologist Dr. Diana Schwarzbein (author of The Schwarzbein Principle II ,) “oxidation” is a process that forms free radicals in the body. Normally the body can neutralize free radicals with substances known as antioxidants. It is only when there is an excessive build-up of free radicals that the body cannot neutralize all of the free radicals. This leads to changes to your metabolism which can accelerate aging.
(4) Aerobic training increases adrenal stress which can make you fatter and produce other undesirable health consequences
According to Dr. James Wilson (author of Adrenal Fatigue – The 21st. Century Stress Syndrome,) “normally functioning adrenal glands secrete minute, yet precise and balanced, amounts of steroid hormones”. When one does too much continuous aerobic exercise, the adrenal glands are stressed in a way that can upset this delicate balance which could lead to adrenal fatigue. Adrenal fatigue is associated with such symptoms as: tiredness, fearfulness, allergies, frequent influenza, arthritis, anxiety, depression, reduced memory, and difficulties in concentrating, insomnia, feeling worn-out, and most importantly- with respect to this article - the inability to lose weight after extensive efforts.”
(5) Aerobic training increases body fat in stressed individuals by contributing additional stress.
If you are already going through a lot of stress in your life then adding more “stress” by doing too much continuous aerobic work will actually add more body fat thus making it hard to reach a weight-loss/body fat goal.
(6) Aerobic training worsens testosterone/cortisol ratio which impedes your ability to add fat burning lean muscle.
When the testosterone/cortisol ratio is lowered your ability to add lean muscle tissue, which helps to increase caloric expenditure, is again hampered making weight loss much more difficult. Coach Poliquin notes that “continuous aerobic work is basically exercise induced castration!”