Need Help

[NicoleB]

STATS: 5'4" 138lbs, 30% BF
I currently am trying to drop body fat and feel like I have hit a plateau.
I am doing cardio about 5 to 6 days a week sometimes twice a day, only for about 30 to 40 minutes each time. If I don't I feel like crap. I am hitting the weights two or three days a week.

DIET:
8am
1/2 cup oatmeal and !/2 serving of fruit
10am
about 4 to 6 oz of chicken or turkey and 4 oz of veggie (ie. broccoli, green pepper, cabbage)
12/1230p
4 hard boiled egg whites, 4 oz veggie
2/230p
4 to 6 oz chicken or turkey and large salad
4p
6 oz can of tuna fish, with mustard, and some type of veggie
6/630p
4 to 6 oz of chicken or turkey with large salad

If anyone can assist me in what they think I need to adjust. I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[The Shadow]

the diet look pretty good.


Are you on thyroid??

 

[*Bunny*]

Maybe switch the cardio to 3-4 days of HIIT and hit the weights 4-5 days ?

 

[NicoleB]

I am not on thyroid. And how long do you suggest doing HIIT, 20 to 30 minutes???

 

[msam76]

Follow what bunny said, definately increase lifting days.

 

[*Bunny*]

I am not on thyroid. And how long do you suggest doing HIIT, 20 to 30 minutes???

Ladies/gents, feel free to jump in here...

Im guessing the consensus will tell you that if you can do more than 20 min of HIIT then your not working hard enough... aim for a warm up and cool down of 8-10 minutes and intervals for 20...

For example You can do 30 seconds HARD, 60 seconds recovery as one cycle... do no more than 20 minutes of those...

3 x a week should be ENOUGH with 1 day to do what ever you want, yoga, pilates, swimming, rollerblading etc.. something not so KILLER

the 2 x a day may be working against you at this point,I mean what else can you do, 1 hour 2 x a day, 2 hours 2 x a day.. it's really unnecessary IMO.

 

[Sassy69]

Couple things I have questions about :

- can you put that meal plan into a food counts program like www.fitday.com and post up what are the macronutrient ratios - % protein / fats / carbs? Looks kinda low on fats. Also when you have these large salads are you putting dressing of some sort on them?

- try changing up the cardio to HIIT -- that's a significant change in your cardio style if you are normally doing a lot of steady state cardio. Give that a run for 3 weeks and see what the changes are. And up the training a bit more - 2/3 days per week doesnt' seem like it really adds much. 3 days / week maybe but not 2. (Of course I'm a gym junkie who needs to just say no to the weights at least 1x/ week...)

 

[NicoleB]

Sassy- I am getting 43/35/20 protein/fats/carbs and as far as the salads I am putting either just lemon juice or vinegar on them...
I tried the HIIT this morning for cardio and loved it, although it was tough getting through 6 cycles, but I don't think the 150 lunges I did yesterday helped.

 

[wlmcrae]

What is your calorie count? My own experience is that I can't drop a d*** thing if my calories are too low - I have a 'sweet zone' for food & exercise where fat just melts off, but I have to get enough calories in to get to it. (I tend to undereat all the time.)

 

[NicoleB]

they vary day to day but on average 1500 to 1600 daily

 

[jenscats5]

For how long have you been doing this routine/eating plan??

 

[Sassy69]

If its been a while, I'd either suggest a complete change up or consider doing a carb cycle for a while.

 

[NicoleB]

I have been doing this for about 6 months. I have heard of a carb cycle but not super familiar with it, can you explain a little, please. thanks

 

[Sassy69]

One thing - if you've been doing the same diet for quite a while your body has most likely adapted to it and no longer really responds to it - thus a plateau. A carb cycle is basically taking advantage of your body's short-term response to having a regular and expected source of energy (carbs) and then you cut the amount of carbs you put in for a few days but your body doesn't actually recognize the drop in expected carb intake as a signal to slow down metabolism to match the lowered expected amount of carbs. Then just before it decides to slow down metabolism, up your carbs again and repeat.

Here's a good thread about it:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490722&highlight=carb+cycle

 

[*Bunny*]

Sassy you think a carb cycle is the way to go 1st? Along with the HIIT or one of the other? I know you like to look to diet 1st but it may be a good idea to save one of those for later, do you agree?

I think the cardio 2 x a day is overkill.

 

[Sassy69]

Just a suggestion - kinda think the diet needs a jump start. Maybe a big fat carb up & change it up some. Not saying its only a carb cycle change - can include a change in cardio too. If there's a stall out going on some dramatic changes cant' hurt.

 

[NicoleB]

thanks sassy I will def. read the carb cycle post, and I have also decided to drop my cardio down to once a day and just doing HIIT...I have tried it the past two days and feel great.
Again thanks for your, you and Bunny's advice.

 

[*Bunny*]

Sassy, totally agree. Nicole, keep in touch let us know how you're doing car