Ladies.....Please Help!

[SaraO]

I have been reading the boards for quite awhile now, and all of you give great advice.

I need some help with my diet / training. My work schedule has just been changed to 1-9 everyday. That means I have the entire morning to train & prepare my meals for the day.

Here's my problem, I will be really motivated one week, then soon as I take a day off I feel horible & have a real hard time getting back into it. More of a mental thing I guess.

So, will you all please help me with a traing / diet program?? Would it be best to do my cardio on an empty stomach 1st thing in the morning, then go back to the gym to weight train? Or, do cardio & then have a protien bar & then weights????

I am 5'8', 130 lbs, 20.7% BF, I have a 'toned' look, but I want definition. I would love to be at 17% BF. I have been weight training pretty constanly for the past two years. I know how much dedication it takes, and I'm willing. Please help me with a program, or a good site to look up. I like all food, I just need to know the correct measurments, what food, at what time....etc.

Thank you all so much!

 

[FigureSkater]

I've always been told cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach is the way to go (if you can) because you burn more fat that way.

(I also find that it wakes me up, I have a better workout because it is early, and I have more energy throughout the day--I have to do my cardio after work now because my university gym does not open early enough during summer, and by the time I get to the gym after sitting at a desk all day, I have to drag myself through my workout!!).

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Post up a sample day's diet and we can help there definately. I know I have posted my basic, sample cutting diet many times.... will look for it and post it here. DIET is where the results come from, this is where you need to focus your work on.

Training-wise......cardio 1st thing, before eating is good. Sounds like you can do that pretty easily. BUT, will you be lifting in the AM too? You need to eat before lifting. So, I would eat a small-ish breakfast....maybe 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg, and 1/4c Oatmeal about an hour before training. Also, don't do too much cardio...let DIET do most of the work until you hit a plateau. THEN add some more cardio.


Well, this is what *I* would do, but I do not know your current training program.

Monday
1st thing - eat small breakfast
Hour after eating - lift Chest, Shoulders, Triceps

Tuesday
AM-empty stomach-HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
5min warm up, 20min intervals (1 min hard, 1 min recovery, repeat), 5min cool down
Abs

Wednesday
1st thing - eat small breakfast
Hour after eating - lift Back, Biceps

Thursday
Repeat Tuesday

Friday
1st thing - eat small breakfast
Hour after eating - lift Legs

Saturday
30-45 min moderate Cardio (walking, Aerobics class, rollerblading, etc...something kinda fun and different)
Abs

Sunday
TOTAL REST

Let me know your thoughts and if you have Qs.

 

[SaraO]

Thank you both so much!

I always started my day at 8:00, but I will have to adjust now that my schedule has changed.

Heres my basic diet how my program looked before....

Cardio in the am 40-60 min.

Meal # 1 - 5 egg whites (Already here I go wrong with the carb choice. With all the low carb hype I would omit the fruit or oats I should eat)

Meal # 2 - 1 can tuna or 1 chicken breast with mixed greens

Meal # 3 - 1 protein bar (Gensoy low carb crunch or Trioplex)

weight training - Here I think I'm wrong again - I would train chest on Tuesday, legs on Wed. Bi's & Tri's on Thurs, legs on Sat. & back & shoulders on Sun. Daisy girl - I think I will follow your lifting routine & split bi's & tri's..... - thank you...

Daisy girl - do you think I could also split my hamstring / Quad training, maybe Hams & glutes 1 day, calves / Quads / thighs 2 days after? I wonder if results would be better like that..

Meal # 4 - One of : lean pork / chicken / salmon/ halibut , veggies -spinach, mixed peppers, asparagus

Meal # 5 - protein shake ( 33 gr. P / 0 fat / 1 carb) with some mixed nuts, and a piece of fruit, or lean deli meat for protein source.

So all day I will do ok , but in the pm lately I have been snacking like a hog. I'm pretty sure it;s because my carbs are too low??

I really appericate any advice!!

Thanks & sorry such a long post.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

This is my basic, sample cutting diet. The portions were geared for me, but they should work for you too, since I was only a few lbs heavier than you are now. You would have to adjust Meal 1 a little, as I doubt you want to eat that much before weight training. But keep the shake as Meal 2 after weight training. This diet will work well for your cardio days though - no changes (unless you want to change them!).

Meal 1
5 Egg Whites, 1 Whole Egg, 1/2cup Oatmeal

Meal 2
3-4oz Lean Protein, 3oz Yam/Potato
~16 Almonds

Meal 3
3-4oz Lean Protein, Unlimited Green Veggies
~1 tbsp Olive/Flax Oil

Meal 4
Post-Workout Whey Shake

Meal 5
3-4oz Lean Protein
Unlimited Green Veggies

Meal 6 (optional)
Protein Shake w/ Olive/Flax Oil

Fluids.....drink AT LEAST 1 gallon of water a day, preferably more

 

[FitFossil]

...Here's my problem, I will be really motivated one week, then soon as I take a day off I feel horible & have a real hard time getting back into it. More of a mental thing I guess...

A suggestion that worked for me. Keep a training log. The night/week/whatever BEFORE your workout, write down your workout. That way, if you find yourself wavering about getting to the gym, remind yourself that you spent all that time writing everything up and how bad you'll feel having to leave all blanks for that day. Also periodically go back through your workout log to look at the progress you've made.

Another thing that gets me motivated is looking at pictures in Oxygen magazine.

Lastly, remember that rest is good. That's when your body rebuilds so it can come back to your next workout even stronger. More training is not always better. Your body doesn't grow in the gym, it grows when you're resting.

 

[SaraO]

Thank you all for the replys!

I have been following a diet very similar to Daisy Girls, and it is working great, I have one cheat day where I go out for a nice dinner, but that just makes the week easier. I can't wait to see the results in a few months from now. How bad is it to have a cheat day? Should I only do it every few weeks? Do any of you have a cheat day?

 

[semi1979]

You should have a least 2 meals before you weight train. Daisys diet looks great, but I would eat at least 2 meals befor you train. As far as a cheat day if you dont compete a cheat is fine,though, if you go way overboard that can prevent you from losing weight. I have a cheat day in the off season, when Im on my pre contest diet there are NO cheat days. Another tip.. eat most of your carbs at breakfast then your second biggest carb meal should be post workout. Avoid sugars before you work out, theyll make you crash. If you want sugar eat them after your workout and most importantly TRAIN HARD!

 

[jenscats5]

Here's a sample of a diet I've been following off & on, with suggestions as to what types of carbs to have:

M1 25g carb (oats)
M2 15g (apple, berries, grapefruit)
M3 25g (brown rice, sweet potato, oats veggies)
M4 15g (veggies, grapefruit, berries, apple)
M5 10g (veggies, leafs)
M6 5g (leafs)

The zig zag should keep things interesting and is just a suggestion. Try something for 6-8 weeks & if it doesn't work, try something else....

You do need carbs -- but you don't need processed, refined carbs.....you also need fats, but certain types (flax, olive oils, avocado, nuts, etc) and protein....

 

[Raina]

I'm going to agree with the other ladies. Part of getting lean is making your body sure that it's going to be getting food on a regular basis. Years ago someone told me it was better to miss a workout than a meal...that was sure backwards to how I'd always thought. I personally don't avoid carbs most of the time, but I am careful about chosing healthy ones. A clean diet doesn't have to be boring!

As for the motivation, I agree with FitFossil. That's actually my plan for tonight. I go onto fitday.com and set up menus for the next couple of days, run to the grocery store, and prep for a couple of days. If you write out your goals and look over them often, it can really keep you motivated. Plus looking at your progress over time, in terms of pictures, measurements, or strength is also inspiring and can keep you on track!

 

[SaraO]

You ladies are all awesome!

Thanks for the great advice, and motivation!