Routine/Nutrition advice

[amore]

Hi Ladies!

I am trying to get into better shape - put on more muscle and over all get cut after. My problem area is midsection. If I don't eat the right foods with the right proportions I bloat VERY easily and look basically like a ball. Plus my fat stores go to my lower stomach, butt and thighs 1st.

Starting up heavy workouts again after somewhat of a break for the last 4 months (heavy work schedule).

My diet will consist of oats, milk and some honey for breakfast. During the day, chicken or fish with vegetables. Some whey protein shakes (though I will try to get as much natural protein from sources like nuts, tofu and meat/fish as possible). Need to increase my water intake...

Currently: 22 age, 150 lbs weight, 5'8. Gained 15-20 lbs of weight over the last 4 months. Weighted 128 lowest, which was in January 2005 when I was in the best shape I thought. Don't think it's all fat though?? Not sure of my fat% (how do you calculate??), but from the cheap accu-measure calipers: 14-16 MM stomach side, 20-22 MM lower stomach (belly button->down), 6-8 MM bicep, 12-14 MM tricep, 8 MM back.

From the attached photo and my stats, what do you recommend for my routine and diet? I would love to do a competition one day and look "shredded" all the time...

;-)

Anna

 

[LeoKat]

I'm just bumping this for you. Hopefully someone knowledgeable will reply for you!

 

[amore]

Thank you Leokat ;-) That's very nice of you. I hope to get some good replies as I'd love to look like some of the women on here. I look up to you girls who can pump iron ;-))

 

[scorpiogirl]

My diet will consist of oats, milk and some honey for breakfast. During the day, chicken or fish with vegetables. Some whey protein shakes (though I will try to get as much natural protein from sources like nuts, tofu and meat/fish as possible). Need to increase my water intake...

Have you tried fitday yet to see where your macros are? Your foods look pretty good, but we need a little more to go on. Be careful with the honey - it's PURE sugar.

You said you did a few skinfolds with callipers? Do you have the book to go with it? It will explain how to calculate your bf%. If you don't have a book, maybe do a search on the web and see if you can find one to use as a guide. I would definitely find out your %.

Are you sure you want to build before you lean out? You will definitely put on more fat in addition to what you already have. There's just no way around it. I would suggest you cut first, then bulk.

Are you doing any cardio or weights now?

 

[amore]

Scorpiogirl, you're right, cutting will be best. Somehow the photo doesn't seem to show it, but I have too much lower body fat. BF per http://www.linear-software.com/online.html, 7 site fat caliper came to BF% right now as 23.23. Hope I measured right, LOL!

Currently starting up cardio - stepper machine, bike rides, some jogging. Please give me advice on frequency I should do cardio and other related details. Weights - lighter than I used to lift as I don't have the equipment at home (sold it when I moved), but I have a bench and free weights. Please advise on frequency and details of weight training as well..

 

[scorpiogirl]

Check your PM's - and PM me back!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Welcome!

There are several stickies at the top that detail diet and training advice. One is entitled "new to EF? start here" and the other is "links to top threads". They will help immensely.

Also, please DETAIL out your diet and training. The mroe detail the better. We can more easily guide you, if we know what you plan on doing.

 

[amore]

Ok... My nutrition is such - per fitday planned meals (I bought/downloaded the PC program - nice!):

About 1400 cals/day: 40p/30f/30c % of cals. 105g carbs, 136g protein. Sodium intake for tomorrow is 2,526 mg - is that too much? I notice that I have a big bloating problem normally and I think it may be a high sodium intake (at least prior to dieting). Any thoughts??

Meals:

Breakfast:
Oats (.25 cup)
Milk 1%: 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon honey
Egg whites: 6

Morning snack:
15g brazil nuts

Lunch:
100g chicken breast
9 spears (5") asparagus
Miso soup (25 cals)

Afternoon snack:
Flax/sunflower bread, 1 peice=95 cals
1/2 oz hummus
40 grams sardines in tomatos
1 grapefruit

Dinner:
Salmon, 100g
Honey: 1 tbsp
20g roasted almonds

Nighttime snack:
200g cottage cheese

Also: 1 peice of candy (40 cals):

for total protein of 136g, fat of 48g, cals of 1,373, carbs of 105 for the day.

cals burned 2,364 for a calorie reduction of 991 for the day.


Any advice would be great!

 

[amore]

Actually I am going to switch to 50/30/20 (protein/fat/carbs) as % of cals. Keep carbs at about 80g/day, protein at above 150g/day and fats at 40-50g/day, cal intake btw 1300 and 1400 daily.

Any suggestions?

 

[scorpiogirl]

Sodium intake for tomorrow is 2,526 mg - is that too much?

That's A LOT of sodium and probably the source of your bloat. Try reducing it for a couple of days and see if that does the trick.

for total protein of 136g, fat of 48g, cals of 1,373, carbs of 105 for the day

Get your protein up to 150 grams per day, fat looks good, carbs look good - try to stay between 1400-1500 calories.

cals burned 2,364 for a calorie reduction of 991 for the day

I'm not sure I'm following what you're trying to say here. Can you clarify?

 

[amore]

That's A LOT of sodium and probably the source of your bloat. Try reducing it for a couple of days and see if that does the trick.


Get your protein up to 150 grams per day, fat looks good, carbs look good - try to stay between 1400-1500 calories.



I'm not sure I'm following what you're trying to say here. Can you clarify?

well fitday.com - the desktop program calculates approx how many calories you burn through life, digestion, activity levels etc (calculates your metabolism), then it shows you how many cals you ate vs how many you burned. Also calculates that for me to be at 145 by Jan 1st I need to be at a "reduction" of about 980 cals a day, meaning that i need to burn 980 a day more than i consume.

I'll get the protein up! Thanks for the reply!!

 

[amore]

ok got the sodium down to 900 mg for the next few days. we'll see how this works. ;-)

the only way i was able to do that is by eating more meat/fish and reducing some bread that had sodium, miso soup and the sardines. But that takes my daily protein up to 180-200g/day. Is that too much protein?

Is there any way to change the title of this post to 'amore's log?'

 

[amore]

Can someone tell me about the supplements in the AF Store? I see a lot of you girls using T-rex for instance. Does the stuff really work?

 

[amore]

Oh I have added L-glutamine to my diet (what amount should I take dialy?), a multi-vitamin dailly, creatine (4.5g dailly - is that enough?) and green tea pills ;-)

 

[scorpiogirl]

well fitday.com - the desktop program calculates approx how many calories you burn through life, digestion, activity levels etc (calculates your metabolism), then it shows you how many cals you ate vs how many you burned. Also calculates that for me to be at 145 by Jan 1st I need to be at a "reduction" of about 980 cals a day, meaning that i need to burn 980 a day more than i consume.

Don't get too wrapped up in that part of it. In fact, erase that from your brain! If you want to lose fat - take your weight (150) x 10. That's how many calories you need per day. That's why I suggested 1400-1500 per day, but not to go below 1400.

But that takes my daily protein up to 180-200g/day. Is that too much protein?

The goal is to eat as many NON PROCESSED or WHOLE foods as possible. There are a lot of foods you can eat. You don't have to eat the same thing every day (although most of us don't go too far from it). 180-200 grams of protein a day is fine.

Is there any way to change the title of this post to 'amore's log?'

You can start your own log at any time - just start a new one with whatever you want to call it, but let's get the answers to your questions here first.

 

[amore]

Ok I just took some pics w/ the bathing suit on and ;-( After checking out all your pics, I don't feel too hot!! My hips area is way too wide and not proportional to the rest of my body. I look like a pear!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!

Also I bought something called "trainer plus" a supplement for losing weight and for suppressing appetite: Ingredients: 1 cap=DL Phenalalanine 30x 65mg, socotrina 3x, junipers communis 3x, cascara safrada 3x and a bunch of other weird homeopathic ingredients. Caffeine and ephedra free. .. Says "Lose up to a pound a day." So I took on a few hrs ago and I feel kind of as if I have a slight fever. I'm hot! Temp outside is 75 F here in Naples FL, so it's not that hot (house temp is about same I think). Also took about 800 mg of Green tea extract. I'm actually sweating a bit!! LOL

Taking in 1400 cals today or so:

Morning:
.25 cup oats
.5 cup milk 1%
1 tbsp honey
6 egg whites, no salt added

Mid morning
Brazil nuts, 16g

Lunch
1 slice bread (36g)
1 oz hummus
40 g sardines
4 g brazil nuts (1 nut LOL)

4 pm
100g chicken breast
20 g feta cheese
1 tbsp wine vinageratte

later planning:

200g salmon (gotta cook - i hate cooking!)
1 apple

then
100g chicken breast
150g cottage cheese

FOR sodium total of 1800 mg (it's that cottage cheese and feta!! have to have some!)

TOTALS: 1410 cals, 45g fat, 97g carbs (11 of which is fiber), 155g protein. ;-)

I've gotta shed that lower body fat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm miserable thinking about that pic! I look 1/2 way ok in black pants though ;-(( !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[amore]

Oh bought some of this stuff:

http://a1nutritionproducts.com/buy/natures_best/zero_carb_isopure_drink

It's the one protein that I like to drink. I have some other protein that's all natural w/ no flavor and by itself I JUST CANNNNOT take it down!! I think that 1/2 of one of these a day will be good. Instead of all that chicken. ;-)

i feel bloated today. I've been eating not that much (i'm endlessly hungry lol) and well given how i am eating my tummy should feel flat and it doesn't. Maybe it is the sodium.

HOW MUCH sodium a day should be my max??

 

[scorpiogirl]

Hey - everyone has to start somewhere! There is no magic pill, but the thermogenics will help (that's why you're feeling hot). Do a search on them to learn. And to answer the question about the stuff at the AF Store. Yes, the stuff works. I don't take Thermorexin (sp), but many of the girls (and guys) do and they say it ALSO supresses appetite! I take the Sesamax, which I absolutely LOVE!

I use to drink the Isopure Zero Carb powder, so I know they taste pretty good. Get some protein powder though. The premade drinks have to contain preservatives to be able to sit on the shelf. Do you like chocolate or Rocky Road? ON makes an awesome tasting protein powder you would love, if you do!

To help you get rid of your fat - DO CARDIO along with your clean diet and weight training! At least 3x per week. Do you have a gym membership? If not - get one if you can.

How much sodium per day? Shoot for ZERO! Less is better.

 

[amore]

scorpiogirl, you're a real sweeheart! thank you for the replies ;-)) I have gym equipment at home (some) and just bought more. Have a bench and dumbells which are heavy enough to make me feel the muscles the next day! just bought a squat rack and 210 lb of weights. i used to lift very seriously a year ago. jan 05 i weighed 128 and was pretty lean (skinny jeans!!) ;-) then i went through a major breakup w/ the fitness guy i was in love with (guy I moved to FL with) and well, got depressed a bit, and lost focus on the fitness. then a job which i would spend as much as 90 hrs a wk came and that did not help either. Oh and i did a detox diet "the lemonade diet" which consisted of no food, and a drink with water, lemons, maples syrup and cayanne pepper. probably went into starvation mode and when i started eating again, i went into eating too fast and gained back everything, plus more. oops! should have known better.

anyways, getting back into fitness now ;-) and it feels great! just took another one of those thermogenic pills a little while ago and am feeling kind of edgy as in a little too much fake energy, LOL. But feels better than a few hrs ago when i was kind of hungry and w/ little carbs left in me. Just ate an apple ;-) YUMMY!! so much for 99 carbs. up to 121 carbs for the day now. can't function too well though on under 100. memory/complex thinking/energy to do anything is way too low for my lifestyle on under 100.


scorpio girl, you put on weight also in your midsection/lower bod. what do you do to keep it off?? just diet and workouts??

 

[amore]

Oh, the protein you talk about "ON" where do I buy it? Is that the brand name??

 

[amore]

new pic - maybe i'll get the guts to post one in b suit. amazes me how great i can look w/ the right lighting w/ good black pants! LOL!

 

[amore]

ok.. some skin here! only so you girls can give me better advice on how to make the butt smaller! I hate my butt! can't believe i'm posting this! LOL

 

[jaded]

Oh, the protein you talk about "ON" where do I buy it? Is that the brand name??

Yup, ON = Optimum Nutrition. I like their chocolate protein shakes I buy mine online but the store I purchase from has a few Ontario locations and doesn't ship outside of Canada, so I'll let one of the other ladies advise you as to where to buy it

 

[mermaid]

i feel bloated today. I've been eating not that much (i'm endlessly hungry lol) and well given how i am eating my tummy should feel flat and it doesn't. Maybe it is the sodium.

How much water are you drinking? Your body will hold on to as much fluid as it can when not hydrated and that causes bloat. Lots of benefits to upping your water intake - a gallon a day is a benchmark for most. This is a good thread about it:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=431073&highlight=water+intake

 

[amore]

Oh, I drink a lot of tea, green tea particularly. I probably go through almost a gallon a day, judging from my 75% emptly gallon of water bottle. Should a gallon of PURE water a day, or would tea count?

I went on the ON nutrion site. There are a few variations there of protein (just whey, whey gold, pro complex).. Which would you gals suggest I use?

 

[amore]

just answered my q. about tea replacing water intake - reading that link now ;-)