what is my body doing???

[emmab]

i read that the total muscle you can gain in a set period of time is dependent on how far you are from your potential. so i guess when you start you can build faster?
anyway, i am a recovering anorexic and trying to build muscle while gaining not too much fat. i have been doing some cardio but mainly weight training for about 3-4weeks now. i have noticed i seem to have changed FAST. my arms in particular seem to have added a good 2cm in this time, which both amazes and freaks me out. i am also gaining beyond expectations since started exercise
my dietitian said it is probably muscle gain, as i was in her eyes glycogen depleted before. i have noticed improved strength, but dont want to delude myself if it isnt possible to gain strength/mass that quickly
any ideas or thoughts
my routine is as follows (was designed for me with my complex needs re anorexia and osteoporosis)
5min warm up on treadmill/x-trainer etc
all weights are 3 sets of 12 and my weights are light cos i'm just starting and need to care re stress fractures
leg extensions 21kg
bicep curls 5kg
tricep pulldowns 8kg
dumbell upright rows 4kg
leg drops with fitball
bridges with fitball
tricep kickbacks 4kg
shoulder press 2kg
lat pulldowns 14kg
then 10-15mins on treadmill/exercycle
sometimes followed by 1km swim

i am a bit scared by how bigger i seem/feel and am worried it isnt really muscle but fat!
also, i do my workouts in the morning (after a light breakfast) then go to work, so what sort of post workout intake should i be having (if any)
thanks
btw i am 35yo female, 164cm and up to about 38kg from 33 in jan. dietitian reckons gain has been largely muscle but i fear she is protecting me!!!

 

[Sassy69]

Welcome! Congrats on moving past your situation!

The only thing I can say is don't be scared of what your body can accomplish. But also realize that it looks like your body is finally getting what it needs to run efficiently and its grabbing that & running with it. If you never did any training before and were constantly starving your body of the nutrients it craves to run efficiently, pretty much anything you do in the positive direction will get results. And don't get too worried about the fat / muscle thing. If you are eating a balanced diet & getting good quality exercise, your body will use it effectively.

Can you post up what is your current diet - very specifically - what does each meal consist of (portions, etc.) & when you eat (what time). Then we can help you more specifically.

 

[scorpiogirl]

i read that the total muscle you can gain in a set period of time is dependent on how far you are from your potential. so i guess when you start you can build faster?
anyway, i am a recovering anorexic and trying to build muscle while gaining not too much fat. i have been doing some cardio but mainly weight training for about 3-4weeks now. i have noticed i seem to have changed FAST. my arms in particular seem to have added a good 2cm in this time, which both amazes and freaks me out. i am also gaining beyond expectations since started exercise
my dietitian said it is probably muscle gain, as i was in her eyes glycogen depleted before. i have noticed improved strength, but dont want to delude myself if it isnt possible to gain strength/mass that quickly
any ideas or thoughts
my routine is as follows (was designed for me with my complex needs re anorexia and osteoporosis)
5min warm up on treadmill/x-trainer etc
all weights are 3 sets of 12 and my weights are light cos i'm just starting and need to care re stress fractures
leg extensions 21kg
bicep curls 5kg
tricep pulldowns 8kg
dumbell upright rows 4kg
leg drops with fitball
bridges with fitball
tricep kickbacks 4kg
shoulder press 2kg
lat pulldowns 14kg
then 10-15mins on treadmill/exercycle
sometimes followed by 1km swim

i am a bit scared by how bigger i seem/feel and am worried it isnt really muscle but fat!
also, i do my workouts in the morning (after a light breakfast) then go to work, so what sort of post workout intake should i be having (if any)
thanks
btw i am 35yo female, 164cm and up to about 38kg from 33 in jan. dietitian reckons gain has been largely muscle but i fear she is protecting me!!!

Welcome to EF, emmab!

If you're working with a dietitian, you may want to discuss post workout food with her as you seem to have special needs in this area.

Do you train at a gym? I would suggest having measurements done with callipers to give you an idea of bodyfat %. You can then use that number to gage whether you're gaining muscle or fat.

Whether your gaining muscle or fat depends on your weight, activity level, calories taken in broken down in % of protein, carbs & fat. Your muscle would probably grow at a nice pace having been depleted - providing you're eating the correct foods to feed them.

What exactly do you eat in a day and at what times. Example:

7:00 am
4 Egg whites, 1 yolk

10:00 am
3 oz Chic breast
1 Small apple

1:00 pm
1 oz Almonds
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese

etc., etc., etc..........

 

[emmab]

i am a bit ashamed to post intake as yet as i still have lots of disordered eating ie chewing/spitting o the shame!!!

i guess average would be
7.00 either 2 weetbix or 1 weetbix plus wheatbran or oatmeal

8.30 workout plus sometimes swim (3-4 times a week)

12.00 large (ie humungous!) salad with tuna and cottage cheese and one piece bread

3.00 2 corn thins with hummus or salsa or lite cheese

6.00 dinner is usually TONNES of veges, small bit pasta and some meat or fish or chicken

8.00 one serving nutrafibre (meal replacement info as follows)
Per Serving (32g)
Energy 443kJ (106Cal)
Protein 9.6g
Fat - Total 0.3g
- Saturated Less than 1g
Carbohydrate - Total 18.5g
- Sugars 13.6g
Dietary Fibre 4.1g
Sodium 84mg
Super Citrimax 205mg
Providing HCA (hydroxycitric acid) 123mg
Potassium 359mg
Calcium 276mg
Vitamin A 191mcg
Thiamin (Vitamin B1) 0.4mg
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 0.5mg
Niacin 5.7mg
Vitamin B6 0.4mg
Vitamin B12 0.9mcg
Vitamin C 17.8mg
Vitamin D 124IU
Folate 64mcg
Pantothenic Acid 1.3mg
Vitamin E 4.3mg
Iron 3.5mg
Iodine 49mcg
Magnesium 109mg
Phosphorus 243mg
Zinc 2.5mg
Chromium 29mcg




some days i will do a 1.5mile walk and some days i do free weights at home after dinner, after which i would have a protein drink worth 110 cals and all that is virtually protein as below

Calories 110
Calories from Fat 25
Total Fat 3 g
Sugars 1 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Total Carbohydrate 3 g
Sodium 220 mg
Dietary Fiber 1 g
Protein 15 g
Cholesterol 15 mg
Potassium 500 mg
Vitamins % minerals
Vitamin A 20 %
Biotin 20 %
Vitamin C 45 %
Phosphorus 45 %
Thiamin 20 %
Niacin 25 %
Calcium 25 %
Vitamin E 40 %
Vitamin B12 30 %
Vitamin B6 20 %
Iodine 20 %
Zinc 20 %
Iron 8 %
Magnesium 35 %


i would estimate i get 400 cals a day from my bad habits!!!

is bioimpedence analysis testing legit?? i had it done with my nutritionist using the metagenics machine. in jan and again end march. it showed i had gained 2kg muscle and neglible fat. also my toxicity and fluid etc were much improved, but i wasnt sure how much faith to put in it! my dietitian had said often the callipers people arent trained..one day she had six people do her and there was a variation of up to 15%!!! on her scales i dont register she gets an error message ie "body fat outside range of valid calculation"!!!

 

[Sassy69]

I understand (well I'm never experienced a hardcore eating disorder so I won't presume, but I know the food fear thing) your issues w/ the food, however to be ***REALLY*** honest w/ yourself first about what you are eating, and second, to make accurate assessments of how much you are fueling (eating) and how much you are burning, you really do need to at least honestly take a look at what you eat on a typical day. Your estimate may be completely off the charts or completely low-balled.

Just doing a quick persusal of the stuff you list, seems you are probably low on protein, low on good quality fats and you need to eat somethign after you train. Protein shake or whatever -- its a great time to put in a hi GI carb (e.g. a Gatarade + protein mix) because your body has just completley wiped out its glycogen stores and will soak up any replacement you give it and use it efficiently. I usually start experiencing those cold sweats right after I finish training indicating low blood sugar. So you are not only training but also going 4 hrs before you eat the next meal. I'd be exhausted & completely stupid in the head if I did that myself.

As far as accuracy of bioimpedance analysis - please understand that if you try to compare it to any other method of measuring you are not going to get the same results because they each don't measure the exact same thing. Each also has its own inherent inaccuracies - as your person mentioned w/ teh calipers -- they are completely limited to only measuring skin folds and are subject to how good & conistent is the person doing the measures, only accurate to the mm's on the caliper itself, etc. Bioimpedence can measure to more decimal places, but it is also dependent on the amount of water in your system at the time - did u just chug a big pile of water? Did you just train & are sweaty? Its measureing the resistance thru your body - so it measures fat in the "skinfold" as well as fat around your organs. But it won't measure exactly the same as the calipers. The best method of determining an "absolute" measure of bodyfat vs lean muscle mass is using the hydrostatic "bod pod" method that you can get done at the bigger universities or medical facilities.

For your purposes, you are more interested in tracking the RELATIVE CHANGES from measure to measure.

 

[slat1]

Welcome to Elite!
Keep posting here. You may want to start a log like a lot of the ladies so you can track your progress and get everyones feedback.
The women's forum is a tight knit community where everyone supports each other.

Good luck with your new routine!

Slat

 

[que_66]

How are things going emmab? You gettin things figured out?

 

[curgeo]

I think the main thing for you to do is try and program your mind to understand that if you put on weight, it is going to be muscle. It is easy for me to say because I don't have anorexia (anymore) and I equate putting on solid weight as good.

You are recovering, so you are talking to somebody on a consistant basis to help this? Make sure to continue to see somebody and make sure they know about training so they can work with you on this. I am sure your dietician has some knowledge right?

Just make sure to keep up with treatment and please do not worry about the scale anymore....make sure you look at yourself in the mirror for your confirmation that you are not gaining fat.

You are going to be fine and all the girls on here are great. Ask any question you like and I am sure they can help answer it.

Congrats on taking the steps toward recovery. You are going to be fine.