Newbie from across the Pond...

[oatie_cakes]

Hi All,
I have been “lurking” for a few days and decided to take the plunge and post!
Some info:
Height 5ft 7
Weight 133lbs
BF 22%
Age 29
My aim is to become more muscular and lower my body fat but I am a competitive rower (although a rather short and not particularly good one!) and hope that I can meet my goals without cutting back on my rowing training. I am actually only just getting back to full training, even then I have some problems as I have a condition possibly caused through contracting meningitis a year and a half ago that causes paralysis, but not unconsciousness, at high intensity training when my body is under lots of stress, a real bummer post race as I am usually in the first aid tent for a few mins before I recover and do it all again. It’s still being investigated so not entirely sure what it is yet
I have done some weight training in the past usually in the winter for rowing but it has been rather sporadic and not exactly focussed so I decided to check out some forums on female weight training and came across this brilliant site. I live in the country and my local gym is very small so trying to find sound advice is tricky.
Sat
1.5 hour row (sometimes twice so 2 x 1.5 hour row)
Sun am 1.5/2hour row
pm Weight training – rather unfocussed currently, only started 2 weeks ago! Usually tapering sets of 10, 7 then 5 reps with increasing weight until failure on the last 1-2 reps. Consists of leg press, seated row, chin ups (aided!) tricep dips, lat pull downs, front arm raises, side arm raises and bicep curls plus a core body workout (my coach has ordered the core body workout as I have a weak core for rowing)
Mon OFF
Tues 5 mile run (hilly)
Wed 1.5 hour row
Thurs Weights same as Tues
Fri OFF

Diet:
0730 Brekkie: Boiled egg and wholemeal toast
1030 Protein shake and banana
1300 Salmon wholemeal wrap with loads of salad (no dressing or sauces)
1600 Protein shake and apple and 5g Creatine and muesli bar
If rowing then 1 litre of half strength sports drink
2000 Chicken and sweet potato or rice and loads of veggies and some almonds or similar
2230 Half glass of milk (semi skimmed) watered down
Lots of water throughout the day

I know my diet is not optimal but I am unsure if I can cut the carbs down and complete my rowing training. I am also aware that this much cardio is going to have a negative on building as much muscle as possible but I am also hoping to strike a balance, after all I don’t know any good rowers without nice shoulders and a lean musculature over all!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to any comments/advice. Oh and I’ll get some pics up soon, once I locate my bikini hidden under the mountain of winter clothes

 

[mommalu]

Welcome to EF!! Stick around and these wonderful ppl will surely help you out.
Good Luck with your goals

 

[RADAR]

Welcome To elite, oatie_cakes has been gifted a 7 day platimun membership use it wisely.

From Yours truly

RADAR

 

[Bigpimpin10]

its really good to see more woman/girls coming in and joining the board..you will not be dissapointed! welcome!

 

[oatie_cakes]

Thanks for al the friendly replies, and the Plat! Will take some piccies soon and post them i think they probably explain more about what I want to achieve than words.

 

[Thandie]

Hi All,
I have been “lurking” for a few days and decided to take the plunge and post!
Some info:
Height 5ft 7
Weight 133lbs
BF 22%
Age 29
My aim is to become more muscular and lower my body fat but I am a competitive rower (although a rather short and not particularly good one!) and hope that I can meet my goals without cutting back on my rowing training. I am actually only just getting back to full training, even then I have some problems as I have a condition possibly caused through contracting meningitis a year and a half ago that causes paralysis, but not unconsciousness, at high intensity training when my body is under lots of stress, a real bummer post race as I am usually in the first aid tent for a few mins before I recover and do it all again. It’s still being investigated so not entirely sure what it is yet
I have done some weight training in the past usually in the winter for rowing but it has been rather sporadic and not exactly focussed so I decided to check out some forums on female weight training and came across this brilliant site. I live in the country and my local gym is very small so trying to find sound advice is tricky.
Sat
1.5 hour row (sometimes twice so 2 x 1.5 hour row)
Sun am 1.5/2hour row
pm Weight training – rather unfocussed currently, only started 2 weeks ago! Usually tapering sets of 10, 7 then 5 reps with increasing weight until failure on the last 1-2 reps. Consists of leg press, seated row, chin ups (aided!) tricep dips, lat pull downs, front arm raises, side arm raises and bicep curls plus a core body workout (my coach has ordered the core body workout as I have a weak core for rowing)
Mon OFF
Tues 5 mile run (hilly)
Wed 1.5 hour row
Thurs Weights same as Tues
Fri OFF

Diet:
0730 Brekkie: Boiled egg and wholemeal toast (Have oatmeal and egg whites. Skip the bread; the idea is to have whole foods)
1030 Protein shake and banana (Protein shake is good, especially post training)
1300 Salmon wholemeal wrap with loads of salad (no dressing or sauces)(Salmon with salad and brown rice is much better then the wrap)
1600 Protein shake and apple and 5g Creatine and muesli bar (Try having only one shake a day and the rest have whole foods. You can have chicken or turkey with veggies and sweet potato)
If rowing then 1 litre of half strength sports drink
2000 Chicken and sweet potato or rice and loads of veggies and some almonds or similar (You don't need the almonds here)
2230 Half glass of milk (semi skimmed) watered down(Have green tea)
Lots of water throughout the day (Great)

I know my diet is not optimal but I am unsure if I can cut the carbs down and complete my rowing training. I am also aware that this much cardio is going to have a negative on building as much muscle as possible but I am also hoping to strike a balance, after all I don’t know any good rowers without nice shoulders and a lean musculature over all!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to any comments/advice. Oh and I’ll get some pics up soon, once I locate my bikini hidden under the mountain of winter clothes

Hi Oatie_cakes and welcome!

I highlighted some suggestions above. This will increase your metabolic rate and will help you burn body fat.
Continue to drink lots of water and have green tea twice a day.

 

[oatie_cakes]

That's Extremely helpful, thanks so much Thandie.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Took some pics just now - hoping to follow your advice and post improvement next time. I really want to see what I can do with my body rather than just looking at bits of it and saying 'oh dear'!
I have been doing well with the diet in the main, apart from yesterday when my brother had an engagement party and after 2 glasses of wine I forgot completely my willpower and ate everything in sight . Then felt very bloated and not so good this morning. Luckily there are no more upcoming parties so I aim to stay on the straight and narrow. thanks for reading.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Well, the diet's been going pretty well as in staying clean but I am loosing my appetite! Is this normal since I have now switched to a diet higher in protein than before? In particular I am finding it hard to stomach my carbs. I am eating between 1500 and 1700 calories a day and recording everything I eat on fitday.com. Although during the day I am not hungry, I wake up hungry at night, but then have to force my breakfast down in the morning. Any advice/newbie experiences of this greatly appreciated!

 

[Thandie]

Well, the diet's been going pretty well as in staying clean but I am loosing my appetite! Is this normal since I have now switched to a diet higher in protein than before? In particular I am finding it hard to stomach my carbs. I am eating between 1500 and 1700 calories a day and recording everything I eat on fitday.com. Although during the day I am not hungry, I wake up hungry at night, but then have to force my breakfast down in the morning. Any advice/newbie experiences of this greatly appreciated!

You need to eat complex carbs. It will help you increase your metabolism; besides you're making your body work harder digesting all that protein. If you're eating 1500-1700 calories, that's a lot of protein you're consuming. If you want to lower your body fat, I'd suggest to lower your protein intake.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Hey Thandie, thanks for that reply, I am actually forcing my carbs down so I am managing a 50:50 calorie ratio from carbs and protien (if I exclude my fat intake), just not particularly enjoying it! When I say I am eating more protein than before I mean before I started on the diet I posted intially. I was preciously a high carb eater from being told to eat carbs all the time from my rowing coach! Sorry if I did not make myself clear. Is this ok?

 

[Thandie]

Hey Thandie, thanks for that reply, I am actually forcing my carbs down so I am managing a 50:50 calorie ratio from carbs and protien (if I exclude my fat intake), just not particularly enjoying it! When I say I am eating more protein than before I mean before I started on the diet I posted intially. I was preciously a high carb eater from being told to eat carbs all the time from my rowing coach! Sorry if I did not make myself clear. Is this ok?

I'd stick with about 140g protein 140c. Adjust as you see results coming along.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Ok, will do! Thank you so much , you have been extremely helpful

 

[ironwings]

Hi All,
I have been “lurking” for a few days and decided to take the plunge and post!
Some info:
Height 5ft 7
Weight 133lbs
BF 22%
Age 29
My aim is to become more muscular and lower my body fat but I am a competitive rower (although a rather short and not particularly good one!) and hope that I can meet my goals without cutting back on my rowing training. I am actually only just getting back to full training, even then I have some problems as I have a condition possibly caused through contracting meningitis a year and a half ago that causes paralysis, but not unconsciousness, at high intensity training when my body is under lots of stress, a real bummer post race as I am usually in the first aid tent for a few mins before I recover and do it all again. It’s still being investigated so not entirely sure what it is yet
I have done some weight training in the past usually in the winter for rowing but it has been rather sporadic and not exactly focussed so I decided to check out some forums on female weight training and came across this brilliant site. I live in the country and my local gym is very small so trying to find sound advice is tricky.
Sat
1.5 hour row (sometimes twice so 2 x 1.5 hour row)
Sun am 1.5/2hour row
pm Weight training – rather unfocussed currently, only started 2 weeks ago! Usually tapering sets of 10, 7 then 5 reps with increasing weight until failure on the last 1-2 reps. Consists of leg press, seated row, chin ups (aided!) tricep dips, lat pull downs, front arm raises, side arm raises and bicep curls plus a core body workout (my coach has ordered the core body workout as I have a weak core for rowing)
Mon OFF
Tues 5 mile run (hilly)
Wed 1.5 hour row
Thurs Weights same as Tues
Fri OFF

Diet:
0730 Brekkie: Boiled egg and wholemeal toast
1030 Protein shake and banana
1300 Salmon wholemeal wrap with loads of salad (no dressing or sauces)
1600 Protein shake and apple and 5g Creatine and muesli bar
If rowing then 1 litre of half strength sports drink
2000 Chicken and sweet potato or rice and loads of veggies and some almonds or similar
2230 Half glass of milk (semi skimmed) watered down
Lots of water throughout the day

I know my diet is not optimal but I am unsure if I can cut the carbs down and complete my rowing training. I am also aware that this much cardio is going to have a negative on building as much muscle as possible but I am also hoping to strike a balance, after all I don’t know any good rowers without nice shoulders and a lean musculature over all!

Thanks for reading and I look forward to any comments/advice. Oh and I’ll get some pics up soon, once I locate my bikini hidden under the mountain of winter clothes

Welcome to EF.

Your workouts look right on. Are they impacting your rowing in any way? Have you seen any strength gain in the past 2 weeks?

As always Thandie has great nutrition advice. I would add that it seems you could use more carbs to keep up with your demanding schedule. I personally would add whole grains to your meal plans. I know most ladies advise against them but you are an endurance athlete and I have always found them to be extremely beneficial to performance. I'm sure you know how you react to them so you ahve to be the judge of your own body but if consumed wisely they can be part of a healthy diet, sustained weight loss, and performance enhancing. If you chose to do so, find foods that have no more than 5 ingredients. Ezekiel bread is a good bread based option while whole wheat pasta is a great energy source if consumed lightly. Of course oatmeal, rice, quinoa, and any other whole grain works wonders.

Glad to see you here!

 

[oatie_cakes]

Hey, yep, I am definately getting stronger, I was doing some practice starts the other day in my boat and found myself to be more explosive off the start, undoubtedly related to my increased strength. Endurance, however, is another matter and I will eat more carbs and take my calories up to 2100 a day on rowing days, my rowing partner reckons we burn approx 800 calories an outing so I am sure I'll burn off the extra! My appetite is well and truly back so no trouble eating, I think I had an underlying virus as I was feeling lethargic and loss of appetite. I thought it might be due to the recent changes in diet but after weight training yesterday I was bouncing around the house full of beans and feel pretty similar today (my poor work collegues...). Also I love the green tea, and now nornal tea tastes funny to me! I'll post more pics in a month or so and hopefull will be able to see some difference. Thanks for reading

 

[oatie_cakes]

I took some new pics this evening, and found my Bikini
I can see some progress, 3.5 weeks since the last pics were taken and I could do with a motivation boost! My legs still need much work but this is where I store fat so going to take far more work too, I would like them to have a shape to them ! Any comments, ideas for legs much appreciated. And again, my rowing is getting better, I have some competitions soon so we'll see

 

[*ebony*]

I can see some progress, 3.5 weeks since the last pics were taken and I could do with a motivation boost! My legs still need much work but this is where I store fat so going to take far more work too, I would like them to have a shape. there is a thread called 'problem areas' here somewhere that has useful interesting tips.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

 

[*ebony*]

Thanks, I'll check it out!

oops, must accidentally deleted some of my post out or something. anyways i asked if you took new stats(weight, bodyfat). i can see a difference, you look awesome!

 

[ironwings]

You look great! Keep that motivation going, you inspire us all!

You are a lot like me - I hold my fat in my legs and derriere too! It takes tons of patience but as you continue to lose fat it will come off. I do best when I am eating low carb (staying away from starch) and getting cycling in several times a week. There is a cardio protocol that works really well for stubborn areas and has made a big difference in the shape of my lower body:

*5 minute warmup
*10 minute intervals on equipment that you typically do not use. Go as hard as you can during your "on" times. Intervals can be anything you want. 1 minute on, 1 minute off, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off - whatever. You may want to experiment to see what works best for you.
*5 minutes complete rest. Go to the bathroom, change your towel or simply stretch.
*20 minutes steady state cardio on any equipment or outdoor activity. Keep heart rate no lower thatn 60% of your max.
*10 minute intervals as above on any equipment you like.
*5 minute cool down or however long it takes you to recover to a resting heart rate.

Keep on keeping on....I'm glad you are seeing increased strength in your rowing. You may find by adding these intervals your endurance increases as well.

 

[rnch]

hi O C,

you have joined the BEST internet site available to learn all about nutrition, body shaping, cardio and strength training.

read and learn!

i am constantly amazed at what all i learn from this place....and not just about the above mentioned topics.

 

[needtogetaas]

WOW some ones making great progress. So good to have you on the forums girl. Please do keep posting here.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Hey, my weight has remained the same, but my BF has gone to 21%. A whole 1% off. I really hope my bodyfat scales are on the blink, I put my skinny boyf on them and his body fat came back as "error"! I guess I have found the photos far more useful than weight and bf measurement, and, hell, I care about how I look rather than some numbers! Thanks for all your encouragement guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[needtogetaas]

Hey, my weight has remained the same, but my BF has gone to 21%. A whole 1% off. I really hope my bodyfat scales are on the blink, I put my skinny boyf on them and his body fat came back as "error"! I guess I have found the photos far more useful than weight and bf measurement, and, hell, I care about how I look rather than some numbers! Thanks for all your encouragement guys, I really appreciate it.

Perfect I am glad you feel good. Thats what counts is feeling more healthy and reaching your goal of looking better for your self. You go girl.

How has the week been going for you?

 

[myway]

Welcome to EF! Sounds like you are off to a GREAT start.

 

[oatie_cakes]

Hey all, thanks for all the advice, been really busy recently (still fitting in the training tho!) and it's my 30th Birthday today which I am finding to be scary, lol . Glad before it I had made a start on getting the body I want as I feel far more positive now: more time = more progress!
Diet has been oooookkkaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy, few slip ups but when I do slip up it's only in very small quantities, not a huge blowout. My jeans have got a fair bit looser (nearly fell down the other day, well, had my butt not been so big ) but weight staying the same so hopefully that means a smaller butt/thighs and bigger back/arms! Two guys walking behind me the other day said they loved my lats...BIG confidence boost, yay
I tried that Cardio workout by you suggested Ironwings, using the treadmill, but went off far too hard and nearly expired by the end. Was great though to feel I was really hitting my lower body fat, my lower body was killing me the day after too!
Will add more pics in the next month or so too.

 

[Bigpimpin10]

nice keep going and happy belated!

 

[pitbullrocco]

welcome aboard! what pond did you cross?

 

[oatie_cakes]

Well, one day I'd like to row across the big pond but at the moment I am content with just trying to gain some muscle! Lol.