Just starting - is this normal?

[cw801]

Hi Ladies!

I read that in my first post I am supposed to include some info, so here goes:
Weight - not sure (I don't use a scale) - I'd guess 135lbs
Height - 5'10"
Body Fat - not sure (new trainer said prob between 15-18% - will find out next week)

Goals - losing fat - gaining tone/definition (I think I'm what is called skinny/fat?)

Current Training:
-Cardio - 4 days of a HIIT for 20 min / 1-2 days of moderate intensity cardio (45 min)
-Weights - Lots of drop sets for upper body - squats/lunges/bench steps for legs/butt
I go to the gym at 5:30 am and do about 30 min of weights, followed by either 20 min HIIT or 45 min of Mod Cardio, depending on the day
I do weights every day that I train - I am on a 4-day on/one day off schedule right now (just starting)

Current Meal plan:
I try to eat clean - I stay away from processed foods as much as I can, along with red meats - I would eat a lot more fish, but my husband HATES fish, so I'm sort of SOL on that one!

Whey Protein shake after morning workout w/ 1/2 banana and skim milk
1/4 cup (uncooked measurement) steelcut oats for breakfast w/ a couple of raisins - no milk
Small snacks throughout the day include: baby carrots, handful of almonds, 1 serving of Greek yogurt, 1 cut-up chicken breast, 1/2 apple, strawberries, hardboiled egg, etc.....not every day, but these are the snacks I usually choose from when I get hungry.
Lunch - Salad with 1/2 chicken breast - salsa for dressing - 1/2 cup of black beans
snack between lunch/dinner (see above list)
Dinner - eggwhite omelette with fresh mushrooms, onions, bell peppers - salsa on top
snack - 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, or baby carrots, or something small - low carb

OK.....here is my question for you ladies. I am 38, but have always had to stay fit for my off-road racing / motocross career. Racing motocross for the past 7 years has helped to develop my upper body/back as well as my cardio endurance.

I have JUST recently decided to start incorporating weights into my gym workouts (have been into fitness since I was in college).....I am looking to lose fat, and REALLY tone up my body!! I told my husband my new project is to get the "perfect butt", because my butt has always been the one part of my body I like the LEAST, and I love a good project!

Not only do I race off-road, but I also do promo's for my sponsor, the Tilted Kilt - which means I have to make sure my body looks good all the time. Hence, my devotion to cardio...however, cardio isn't giving me the results I want anymore, and I want to add weights and REALLY get in the best shape of my life! (I'm 38, but I refuse to give in to Mother Nature)

I know to burn fat, you must gain muscle.......my BIGGEST fear, however, is that I will trade my size 7 in Junior's jeans for something larger - and I really don't want to do that!! I want to lose the fat, gain the definition and have an amazing rear end, but stay the same size I am now! Is that possible??

I have been incorporating weights into my workouts for a full 8 days now, and I went to put on my favorite jeans last night, and ***Gasp***, they were TIGHT! Does this mean I'm NOT losing fat? Or does this mean I'm gaining some muscle? I dont use a scale, I use how my clothes fit and how I feel to gauge weight loss or gain, so maybe that will help you understand why this threw me for a loop? Is it normal to get a littel bigger when starting weights? Will it go down as I lose fat?

Any suggestions?

PS - I have an appt with a personal trainer next Friday, who I am going to instruct to train me like he would a fitness model.....but whether or not he knows what he's doing will remain to be seen. I will update you all on the training schedule he gives me.....perhaps you can help me tweak it if it seems off-base?

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Hi Ladies!

I read that in my first post I am supposed to include some info, so here goes:
Weight - not sure (I don't use a scale) - I'd guess 135lbs
Height - 5'10"
Body Fat - not sure (new trainer said prob between 15-18% - will find out next week)

Goals - losing fat - gaining tone/definition (I think I'm what is called skinny/fat?)

Current Training:
-Cardio - 4 days of a HIIT for 20 min / 1-2 days of moderate intensity cardio (45 min)
-Weights - Lots of drop sets for upper body - squats/lunges/bench steps for legs/butt
I go to the gym at 5:30 am and do about 30 min of weights, followed by either 20 min HIIT or 45 min of Mod Cardio, depending on the day
I do weights every day that I train - I am on a 4-day on/one day off schedule right now (just starting)

Current Meal plan:
I try to eat clean - I stay away from processed foods as much as I can, along with red meats - I would eat a lot more fish, but my husband HATES fish, so I'm sort of SOL on that one!

Whey Protein shake after morning workout w/ 1/2 banana and skim milk
1/4 cup (uncooked measurement) steelcut oats for breakfast w/ a couple of raisins - no milk
Small snacks throughout the day include: baby carrots, handful of almonds, 1 serving of Greek yogurt, 1 cut-up chicken breast, 1/2 apple, strawberries, hardboiled egg, etc.....not every day, but these are the snacks I usually choose from when I get hungry.
Lunch - Salad with 1/2 chicken breast - salsa for dressing - 1/2 cup of black beans
snack between lunch/dinner (see above list)
Dinner - eggwhite omelette with fresh mushrooms, onions, bell peppers - salsa on top
snack - 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, or baby carrots, or something small - low carb

OK.....here is my question for you ladies. I am 38, but have always had to stay fit for my off-road racing / motocross career. Racing motocross for the past 7 years has helped to develop my upper body/back as well as my cardio endurance.

I have JUST recently decided to start incorporating weights into my gym workouts (have been into fitness since I was in college).....I am looking to lose fat, and REALLY tone up my body!! I told my husband my new project is to get the "perfect butt", because my butt has always been the one part of my body I like the LEAST, and I love a good project!

Not only do I race off-road, but I also do promo's for my sponsor, the Tilted Kilt - which means I have to make sure my body looks good all the time. Hence, my devotion to cardio...however, cardio isn't giving me the results I want anymore, and I want to add weights and REALLY get in the best shape of my life! (I'm 38, but I refuse to give in to Mother Nature)

I know to burn fat, you must gain muscle.......my BIGGEST fear, however, is that I will trade my size 7 in Junior's jeans for something larger - and I really don't want to do that!! I want to lose the fat, gain the definition and have an amazing rear end, but stay the same size I am now! Is that possible??

I have been incorporating weights into my workouts for a full 8 days now, and I went to put on my favorite jeans last night, and ***Gasp***, they were TIGHT! Does this mean I'm NOT losing fat? Or does this mean I'm gaining some muscle? I dont use a scale, I use how my clothes fit and how I feel to gauge weight loss or gain, so maybe that will help you understand why this threw me for a loop? Is it normal to get a littel bigger when starting weights? Will it go down as I lose fat?

Any suggestions?

PS - I have an appt with a personal trainer next Friday, who I am going to instruct to train me like he would a fitness model.....but whether or not he knows what he's doing will remain to be seen. I will update you all on the training schedule he gives me.....perhaps you can help me tweak it if it seems off-base?

Can you plug your daily food into FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal that will give us a better idea of your macro break down. Just looking at what you listed so far my guess is not eating enough protein to support muscle growth.

So hear is the thing it is rare that someone will lose fat and gain muscle all at the same time. It takes freak like genetics or steroids to do that. So if you want more muscle you may have to pack on a little extra fat at first and then once the muscle is on you can cut off the fat. This is a long process it doesn't happen over night.

 

[cw801]

Thanks so much for the reply! Ok, I plugged in what I ate yesterday - pretty basic for me.....here is what I got:

Calories - 1350
Fat 40.7
Carbs - 124.7
Protein - 124.90

Just looking at that, is my carb/protein ratio off? Not enough total calories for the day?

Since I have never really used weights on a regular basis, this is what I was wondering....if I should expect to NOT lose fat right away, and actually gain a little? I'm borderline obssessive when it comes to getting any bigger - meaning, I freak out easily if my clothes start to fit differently, which is honestly what has kept me from committing to a program like this before. If the assurance that the process works is there, I can just take a risk and do it.....and hope that it works for MY body as well! I am at a point in my life right now, that I am willing to take a chance.

I am not afraid of hard work, pushing myself, or pain....it's just the trust in the process that I tend to struggle with, I guess.

 

[OMEGA]

.. Weclome

 

[nefertiti]

Welcome to EF, girl!

 

[cw801]

Thank you!

 

[musclemom]

Hi CW, and welcome to EF.

Honestly, at your height, assuming a normal frame size, you're already underweight. And thank you for providing your age, your BMR is 1392. Your body thinks you are in a famine. You're going to have a very difficult time losing even an ounce of fat, in fact, every extra calorie is going to be hoarded AS fat.

Generally speaking, a normally active person can safely eat 500 calories over their BMR and lose weight. That puts your caloric needs in the 1900 range. I know we generally tell people 10 to 12 times their body weight to cut, but we need to reevaluate that when a person is normal weight or virtually underweight. Honestly, it doesn't sound like you need to cut (tough to tell without photos) it sounds like what you really want is to recomposition. And to give you some perspective, I know a figure competitor who is an inch shorter than you, her COMPETATIVE weight is in the mid 150s, her NORMAL weight (and she isn't overweight) is in the low to mid 180s. Now, she may have a larger frame than you but still ... do you see where I'm going?

While your desires are admirable, you're going to have to be willing for your body to go through some changes. To gain muscle you have to be taking in some extra calories. You're already eating UNDER your bare minimum of calories to maintain body function and if you've been eating like this for a while your metabolism is going to be sluggish (stepping down metabolism to conserve energy). What you need to understand is that muscle is metabolically wasteful (in terms of our bodies point of view). You need to be consuming extra calories to build muscle, because your body will not create metabolically wasteful material if it already is getting signals that there's barely enough to go around. Extra weight is virtually always gained, it is the nature of the beast. After you gain muscle you cut the fat with the least muscle loss through careful diet (very high protein, careful control of macros, frequent feedings) and exercise.

Whether you decide to get into figure shape or not, you need to think about upping your calories. For your height, with the amount of exercise you're getting, and your body isn't changing, this isn't a situation that sustainable over the long term.

 

[trex74]

Hi and welcome,
You are going to get some really good advice here.
keep us updated, I'm interested to see your progress, we are almost the same stats-I'm 5'9 and beginning to add on lean body mass too.
going to focus on that more in the fall though, so i'm curious to see how you do.

 

[cw801]

This is great feedback - thank you!

I would like to add that I am starting to see some changes that I like, and some that I am struggling to accept.

Likes: Shoulders and arms are getting some better definition - I already have some genetic vascularity, and I have these great little shoulder/bicep veins that are getting more visible. Body feels tighter when I feel it, and I'm already feeling stronger and adding reps to my weight routine.

Dislikes - my thighs are getting a little bigger and it makes my pants feel funny. For me, since I have always relied on my clothes to tell me if I'm gaining weight or not, this is a very uncomfortable feeling for me. The rational part of me, which is prevailing, tells me that it's because I am changing the shape of my body, not because I am getting "fat". The irrational part of me is clamoring in the background that I am turning into a heifer.

Waiting: My butt doesn't seem to have changed much - lol! Baby steps, right??

I have been told before that I don't eat enough - but for me to eat 1900 calories, I feel stuffed and full and unfomfortable. I want to eat enough of the GOOD foods, but it seems that it takes a lot more good food to reach that caloric level than bad foods.....what would you suggest I do in order to add to my daily intake? An extra protein shake? More nuts or chicken?

And thanks for the feedback -it's very much appreciated!

 

[musclemom]

I have been told before that I don't eat enough - but for me to eat 1900 calories, I feel stuffed and full and unfomfortable. I want to eat enough of the GOOD foods, but it seems that it takes a lot more good food to reach that caloric level than bad foods.....what would you suggest I do in order to add to my daily intake? An extra protein shake? More nuts or chicken?

And thanks for the feedback -it's very much appreciated!

Well, first of all, don't jump straight from 1300 to 1900, step it up, increase your calories by 200 a week or even every other week. You want to consume whole foods as much as possible, not protein powder. As you build muscle your body and start bumping your metabolism your body is going to devour that fuel. Try to keep the shakes to a minimum, maybe one after workout or before bed, that's it. You can boost protein consumption a little with powder if you get the unflavored whey and add it to foods (as I do in the breakfast illustration further down).

No matter what your caloric intake, the general rule of thumb is dietary macros as follows: 40% (in grams) of your calories in Protein, 30% in carbs and 30% in fats. Which would look like this:

1350 calories: 135 g. protein/101 g. carbs/45 g. fat.

1550 calories: 155 g. protein/116 g. carbs/51 g. fat

1750 calories: 175 g. protein/131 g. carbs/58 g. fat

1900 calories: 190 g. protein/142 g. carbs/63 g. fat.

Divide your daily calories by 5. At 1900 calories, that gives you five meals of 380 calories. Those are tiny, tiny meals, seriously. Let's start with breakfast: 1/4 c. of oats is 150 calories. You need to come up with about another 230. You should add a protein component (as odd as it sounds, about 3 ounces of chicken breast is about what you need, but most people opt for protein powder. I happened to like my oats savory instead of sweet). Anyway, take your oats, add a scoop of plain whey protein powder, 1 full ounce of raisins instead of just a few, and say four or five pecan halves, and you're right at 380. You've got more carbs, and some healthy fats, and an overall more satisfying meal that is going to stick with you until your next meal in three to four hours. Now take that basic idea and do the same thing for the other four meals, pick the primary component of the meal and build around it.

Another component is you need to eat regularly (3 to 4 hours, max) and drink water like a camel getting back from the Mojave, about 1 to 1.5 gallons a day. And generally speaking, low or no carbs after 6:00 p.m. Try to get the bulk of your carbs in before all workouts.

So start out with having a slightly bigger breakfast (protein powder doesn't take any room, really, and 1 ounce of raisins is two of those tiny boxes you put in a kids lunchbox) and work from there.

 

[cw801]

Wonderful!! Thank you! I finally feel like I have something I can actually incorporate! I have been careful with what I eat for a long time, but have never tried to actually transform my body, so the macros and percentages are exactly what I need! I also like the idea of stepping up the calories gradually - I do think my metabolism has been slowed for a loooooong time - it will be good to get it back up again. I think doing it gradually will keep me from suddenly gaining and freaking out and derailing my whole program!

Thanks again - this is great - I am putting all this in my Blackberry right after I post this!

 

[musclemom]

Wonderful!! Thank you! I finally feel like I have something I can actually incorporate! I have been careful with what I eat for a long time, but have never tried to actually transform my body, so the macros and percentages are exactly what I need! I also like the idea of stepping up the calories gradually - I do think my metabolism has been slowed for a loooooong time - it will be good to get it back up again. I think doing it gradually will keep me from suddenly gaining and freaking out and derailing my whole program!

Thanks again - this is great - I am putting all this in my Blackberry right after I post this!

Here's some things you might want to consider:

1. Buy a digital food scale. Splurge a litte, expect to pay in the range of $30. It is sooooo much easier to weigh food down to the gram, takes the guesswork out of EVERY thing. Once you get used to knowing what portion sizes look like you'll be able to eyeball any amount of food within a half ounce or so.

2. Buy a tape measure and take THOROUGH measurements, start with your neck, work down (i.e., neck, chest, bust, upper arm, waist, hips, mid thigh, calf). Recheck these numbers every month or so.

3. If your personal trainer does caliper skin fold measurements, those would be great and is a reasonably accurate method of measuring body fat.

4. Don't be too hard on yourself. You might go up a size or two, maybe more, in clothes. You really need to hold onto the big picture and remember what you ultimately want to look like and do what is necessary to get there. If you want some muscle, you might gain some thickness. Focus on the overall aesthetic and end result.

 

[cw801]

Checking out scales tonight.....!! Getting measured on Friday for body fat.....and the tape measure.....that is on my list of things as well!

A size or two? Permanently?

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Checking out scales tonight.....!! Getting measured on Friday for body fat.....and the tape measure.....that is on my list of things as well!

A size or two? Permanently?

Probably not muscle is more dense and compact then fat so once you put on muscle then you can focus more on taking off the fat.

 

[cw801]

Whew!

 

[cw801]

Well, got my scale, and I was surprised to see how much chicken is actually in a 3oz serving!! I have been underguessing that for a while now!

 

[cw801]

Well, thought I would post a little update.....I have been eating as carefull as I can over the past month or so, and going to the gym pretty much religiously every morning. When I travel for races, I scope out local gyms in whatever city I am in, and try to fit in workouts when I have a couple of hours free. So far I am still able to wear my jeans/pants and haven't had to buy a size up, but it's getting close - lol! And.....I haven't given up on the process because my clothes are getting tighter - which is a huge mental step for me! I can tell a big difference in the muscles in my arms and legs - wish I could see a bigger change in my butt muscles, but I will step up the leg/glute exercises and see what happens. I have worked hard on my macros (I check daily during the week, throughout the day, to see where I'm lacking and what I need to do to balance it out for the day) and on eating enough, and I am actually getting hungrier throughout the day than I ever have been. I am taking this as a good sign......hopefully my poor, almost stopped metabolism is ramping up.......

I am still struggling with my calories, but usually eat around 1600 per day. I am trying to up that to 1750, but...baby steps. I feel stronger, and I like how that feels.....

Quick question for you ladies.......how long do you build before you go to a cutting stage? I don't have a competition date to work for, but I am still training like I do......I don't want to build indefinitely, and I don't want to spend too short of a time building before I start focusing on cutting out the fat....any suggestions?

 

[trex74]

Thanks for the update-we're close in size so i'm following your post
I can't answer your question, but i too am intersted in any answers. What I was going by was when i look like i have a lot of muscle (proportioned well though), then i can trim off any extra fat.
I haven't been seeing any increase in fat though...

 

[cw801]

I haven't really been seeing an increase in fat - more an increase in mass....with that fat I had previously on top, maybe? I definitely like the muscles I am seeing/feeling.....that is very motivating for me!

 

[cw801]

Well, I thought I'd post up an update....since I have been actively lifting weights, and most importantly, watching my macros and eating as clean as I possibly can, I have been seeing some real changes. And the really fun part is.....so have some of my peers who haven't seen me in a couple of months! I have recently switched my focus from building to cutting, and watching my carbs and eating lots more proteins.....and I can't believe it, but the fat is actually coming off, and I have some nice muscles starting to show! I love wearing strapless anythings now, because I love my arms/shoulders.....and for the first time in my life, I am really starting to like my legs! I have probably lost about 5 lbs from when I started this whole serious training business - and it is all fat, since I have also put on a bit of muscle since I started, as well!

I am soooo excited! It just makes me want to be even more strict with my diet/training and step it up even more! I also have some of my guy friends asking me workout/diet tips now.....that, to me, is a huge compliment! Thanks to everyone on here who has helped me out with my macros and workout tips.....I know that some of that input was very much a part of the results I am seeing!

I will update again in a while.....in the meantime - thanks again!!

 

[RADAR]

Excellent,I'm glad things are going well

 

[RottenWillow]

Well, I thought I'd post up an update....since I have been actively lifting weights, and most importantly, watching my macros and eating as clean as I possibly can, I have been seeing some real changes. And the really fun part is.....so have some of my peers who haven't seen me in a couple of months! I have recently switched my focus from building to cutting, and watching my carbs and eating lots more proteins.....and I can't believe it, but the fat is actually coming off, and I have some nice muscles starting to show! I love wearing strapless anythings now, because I love my arms/shoulders.....and for the first time in my life, I am really starting to like my legs! I have probably lost about 5 lbs from when I started this whole serious training business - and it is all fat, since I have also put on a bit of muscle since I started, as well!

I am soooo excited! It just makes me want to be even more strict with my diet/training and step it up even more! I also have some of my guy friends asking me workout/diet tips now.....that, to me, is a huge compliment! Thanks to everyone on here who has helped me out with my macros and workout tips.....I know that some of that input was very much a part of the results I am seeing!

I will update again in a while.....in the meantime - thanks again!!

Awesome progress.

I'm really pleased to hear you're seeing real tangible results that are getting you pumped up. A word of caution, when it comes to dieting what we think of as stricter is not necessarily better. Stick with what you're doing now until (and it will happen) you plateau. When that does happen update us and we'll have a look at what little change you need to make your body start adapting again.

 

[cw801]

Thanks RW......I will be sure to post up here when that happens!

This whole thing is exciting for me, because I had damaged my metabolism from years of eating way too little......I was so freaked out to start eating more and put on any weight, but just finally sucked it up and did it anyway, and having faith in the process. It's just amazing that the process actually works! I gained a bit at first......because I upped my calories to try to heal my metabolism. For someone like me who had an eating disorder in high school, and has always been borderline since, taking that blind leap of faith was extremely difficult, especially as I saw some weight gain happening. To NOT quit at that point and go back to what I knew (eating way too little and doing cardio with no weights) was very hard......but I'm so glad I stuck it out and pushed through it, because it's finally paying off. Whew!

Thanks again for the support/help here......you guys are awesome!

 

[RADAR]

learning to eat is half the battle