Need advise on how to get my BB body back.

[Yasmine]

Hi Everyone!

I am so excited that I found this cite! You guys are great! I took some time to read through most of the posts and learned a lot . . . and the before & after pics are truly inspirational!

This is my problem - I need help getting my BB body back! This is the scoop. I am married and have 1 yr. old twin girls. Before I got pregnant I was into lifting and running. After a high-risk pregnancy and difficult delivery I gained a lot of weight and stopped exercising. To make matters worse, I developed anxiety and panic attacks. I finally went to the Dr. and he put me on Paxil about 6 weeks ago. I finally have a clear head again, but the Paxil has increased my appetite & I have a lot of water retention (I drink almost 2 gallons of water a day to get rid of it). Now that my head is clear . . . I can now see how much weight I have gained! It was like I had a blindfold on the last two years! I didn’t recognize myself. (I used to weigh 118 lbs. and now I am 150 lbs.)

Anyway, I am determined to get my body back! I just don’t know where to begin. I started a walking program but I can only last 20 minutes. Should I begin lifting now also? If so, how many reps/sets and how many days per week?

My diet is under control now, but my Dr. doesn’t want me to be on a high protein diet because I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He said to stick to whole grains, veggies, fruit & protein from fish, chicken & beans.

I would appreciate any advise you can give me!!!

Yasmine

 

[Yasmine]

Hi! Thanks for your reply! Your prograom looks solid! Since I am considered a beginner now, I guess I have to start slow and work up to that program, right? It's like I have to re-train my body all over again.

This is what my diet looks like:

5:30 Granny Smith Apple upon waking.

6:30 1/2 cup (before cooked) oatmeal with 1 small box of raisens mixed into it.

9:30 1/2 cottage cheese w/ 1/2 strawberries.

12:30 Usually a green leafy salad with 3 oz. of tuna or a grilled chicken. Whole Wheat crackers or pita bread.

3:30 Protein bar and raw veggies

6:30 6 oz. grilled chicken or fish, brown rice & green beans.

8:30 1 piece of toast (when I take Paxil)

I work full time from 6:30 - 4:30. I exercise at home either before dinner or after the twins go to bed.

I have no idea what my bf% is - I don't belong to a gym.

Thanks!!

Yasime

 

[Jenny_rock]

Hi, I am new here also, but indeed this Board is amazing .
If you can join gym, do so. They will set you a training program and it always motivate me to see others lifting and working out.
Tell us how "battle" is coming along.
Bye

 

[Gladiola]

My first guess, you are going to hear that you have too much fruit in your diet, & too many carbs relative to protein. By "Hi protein diet" your doc probably means don't do Atkins -> Ketosis. If you don't want to up the protein, try replacing some of the fruit with more veggies & brown rice. For the most part though, your diet looks pretty good - way better than the average!

I recommend www.fitday.com for keeping track of what you eat. Great for being sure you're getting enough of everything. I wouldn't worry about your % bodyfat now. You know you have gained weight in the form of fat & you would like to lose it, right? Going by the mirror & fit of your clothes is more than sufficient for tracking your progress

What do you want to do for workouts if you are not going to join a gym?

I highly recommend lifting now, b/c of all the reasons lifting is beneficial... if you want to work out at home you can get some resistance tubing & bands as well as some dumbells for weights. How many days per week is dependent upon your goals & how much time you are willing to put into achieving them. Strength training 3X per week would be a good start, in addition to walking at least 2-3X per week for as long as you can (20 min is fine - increase that duration & the pace at which you walk gradually). I just reccomend not trying to go overboard with a program that's too much for you. Your exercise should be a stress-reliever, not a source of stress b/c you're trying to do too much on top of all that you already do! Sets: ACSM recommends 3 sets of 8-12 reps to failure. Personally I do 2-3 exercises per muscle group.

 

[Gladiola]

If you can join gym, do so. They will set you a training program and it always motivate me to see others lifting and working out.

I agree the environment is best & motivating to be in the presence of others also working.
BUT - be careful with the training program they may set you up with if you DO join.
http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=117127
This thread shows how gyms don't set women up with the best programs & I was babbling on about WHY they do that. As an aerobics instructor, I work with the 'masses' - the average gym-going female. There is a VERY widespread fear of getting "big" and "bulky" and a belief that in order to be slim, toned, & firm, cardio is the way to go & there's a fear of working with weights.

These notions are so widespread, that gyms somewhat cater to them. After all, a gym is usually a for-profit business, &, to a certain extent, to make money, you gotta please your customers, right? So if you get a program, run it by us here, we'll help ya

 

[SteelWeaver]

Gee, I don't think she has THAT much fruit/sugar in her diet. I'd lose the raisins, strawberries OR apple, crackers, bread and toast. Even New@ has a little bit of fruit in the morning, and apples or berries aren't watermelon or papaya.

Oh, BTW, Hi Yasmine, welcome!

Spatts is right, you probably need more protein, and for your carbs to be low GI and complex, starchy and fibrous - yeah, it SOUNDS like fruit fits in there, except for the fructose ...

Try adding some egg whites to breakfast, have protein and starchy carbs with all your early meals, and protein with fibrous carbs for your later meals, flax oil or some other EFA for good fats. You could replace that protein bar with a protein pancake - there are about a thousand different delicious versions of these on this board and the diet board. Pop "protein pancakes" or "oatmeal pancakes" into the search engine. Ha ha - I just discovered them a few weeks ago, and have been reccommending them to EVERYONE - they're so easy, yummy and nutritious - and they fit into any diet!

Good luck!

 

[starfish]

Yasmine,

I noticed you mention that you take Paxil. For some people, it can make loosing weight really hard. Most people gain. I took it for a short while and started blowing up over night so I stopped.

I switched to Wellbutrin. So far I like it.. Most people lose weight on it. For me, it decreases my appetite. BUT it alos makes food tast different so I eat differently. If something has salt in it, it tastes SUPER salty and sweet stuff tastes SUPER sweet.. YUCK!! Even if I start to cheat, I can only stomach a couple mouth fulls.

Some people really like Paxil though.

 

[Yasmine]

This is the diet my Dr. is recommending. He said this diet is the best at increasing serotonin, naturally (rather than taking drugs like Paxil). But I don’t see how I can build muscle on this diet!

50 to 60 percent of calories should be from carbohydrates, 20 percent from animal or vegetable protein, and 20 to 30 percent from fat.

Breakfast: long-cooking oatmeal, fresh strawberries, orange juice, coffee or tea

Lunch: grilled chicken breast, string beans, green salad with olive oil and feta cheese

Snack: fresh apple

Dinner: pasta with basil & tomato sauce, steamed zucchini

He said to have little or no protein for breakfast and dinner. Lunch is when I should east protein.

I would like to get off the Paxil because I have been gaining weight with it! Maybe I will ask my Dr. about Wellbutrim.

As for exercise, I don’t really have any equipment at home. Before I got pregnant I belonged to a gym. I think I will buy a home gym. The only exercise video I have is a pilates tape, which I haven’t tried yet.

What do you guys think about this diet???

 

[luvs2workout]

Honestly --- the people that I know that have been on Paxil have GAINED wieght, not LOST it....I would definately talk to Dr. about switching....My father in law gained close to 40 lbs. in the 2 years he was on it - got off about 3 mts ago and has dropped about 20 of it

Why no protien for breakfast???? I dont think your diet looks bad...there could be some adjustments here and there (like adding some protien w/breakfast ) and you need to start exercising! Im sure you know, that exercise releases endorphins that help w/depression also - that is what kept me OFF of the meds

Take the twins for a long walk after dinner....there are so many things you can do at home, just w/a few cheap handheld dumbells.....dont forget pushups, squats, lunges, etc...things you dont even need wieghts to start off with!

 

[starfish]

I don't understand the diet your Doctor is recommending.. I've looked at diets and depression/anxiety A LOT.. You need much more good quality protein.. Turkey would be good..