My Road to Becoming Fit

[SouthFire]

Originally Posted by transXisomer

Alright, here are some critiques of mine:

- what are your goals?

- Diet seems very carb heavy, depending on your goals this is probably not ideal

- Diet seems to be lacking fats

- What are your stats?

- Dinoiii and I don't recommend cardio

- Do you know your macronutrient breakdown? carbs / proteins / fats?

If I have to categorize my body type, from what I have learned and read my body type is an upper medium build. On some ways to determine body type it falls into the lower large category body type range but I consider myself in the upper medium range. I would like to have 20-25% body fat and would like my weight to be 145-150 and tone. I do not in any way want to look like Melissa Detwiller she looks like a man to me. LOL I hope that answers your question on goals.

I have changed my diet and it looks more like this now:

1 scoop Protein shake before workout if I get up in time.
Workout *
Breakfast -- a bowl of old fashion oatmeal & ¼c ff yogurt
Morning snack--- Low sodium V8 and fresh fruit
Lunch–fresh veggies, ½ can of tuna, & ½c cottage cheese
Afternoon snack—soy beans
workout *
Dinner – Lean meat and veggies
Snack – ¼ cup Cottage cheese

*As I have stated before because I have such a busy schedule and sometimes I do not get to bed until late I schedule to workout at two times during the day, this way I make sure I have time to workout.

This is still a work in progress but I have been trying to get more precise on my meals.

My stats are very sad to me but they are getting better. I am 5’ 8” and my weight fluctuates between 165-170, I carry this weigh, like most women, in my mid section. Hence the reason I try to do a lot of ab workouts. I have also started back up doing squats and lunges lately, I do not know why I stopped doing them a while ago but I have them back in my workout again.

Sorry I have no idea what my macronutrient breakdown is but hopefully the above diet gives you a better idea.

[SouthFire]

Originally Posted by transXisomer

What classes are you taking if you don't mind me asking?

Nope do not mind at all

My classes are accelerated classes and last only five weeks. The one I just finished up was PSY 370 Learning and the Brain and the one I am in now is EDU 321 Serving English Language Learners. I also started classes for my Teaching Certification currently I am in EDU285.

[SouthFire]

Originally Posted by janedoe

How's your new diet plan going?

I was told that the diet I posted above is WAY too low on carbs, and that instead of the 18% carbs that is in there, I should aim for something like 35%. LOL. I guess I was getting a little carried away. It's just SO hard to get those macros consistent on a day to day basis. But it is getting easier and easier as the days go by. So now it looks something like this:

1) 1 scoop of whey in water
*workout*
2) 1/2 scoop of whey, 3 spoons of FF yogurt with 1/5 cup of oats
3) 1/2 can of tuna in water, 3/4 cup of ff yogurt, 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter
4) 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, 1 small sweet potato, 10 almonds
5) 1/2 can of tuna, various raw veggies (celery, carrots, cucumbers), 1 tbsp of almond butter
6) Lean meat/fish cooked with 1 tbsp of EVOO, fiberous low carb vegetable
7) 1/4 cup of cottage cheese

I was also getting TOO many calories, averaging 1600 or more on a daily basis. I wasn't gaining any weight from it, but just maintaining, so I dropped the calories down to 1300-1400, and I am finally seeing the numbers drop a teeny tiny bit.

The diet is going well thank you, and I am happy to hear that your numbers are starting to go down for you. Congrats!!!

[janedoe]

Originally Posted by SouthFire

If I have to categorize my body type, from what I have learned and read my body type is an upper medium build. On some ways to determine body type it falls into the lower large category body type range but I consider myself in the upper medium range. I would like to have 20-25% body fat and would like my weight to be 145-150 and tone. I do not in any way want to look like Melissa Detwiller she looks like a man to me. LOL I hope that answers your question on goals.

I have changed my diet and it looks more like this now:

1 scoop Protein shake before workout if I get up in time.
Workout *
Breakfast -- a bowl of old fashion oatmeal & ¼c ff yogurt
Morning snack--- Low sodium V8 and fresh fruit
Lunch–fresh veggies, ½ can of tuna, & ½c cottage cheese
Afternoon snack—soy beans
workout *
Dinner – Lean meat and veggies
Snack – ¼ cup Cottage cheese

*As I have stated before because I have such a busy schedule and sometimes I do not get to bed until late I schedule to workout at two times during the day, this way I make sure I have time to workout.

This is still a work in progress but I have been trying to get more precise on my meals.

My stats are very sad to me but they are getting better. I am 5’ 8” and my weight fluctuates between 165-170, I carry this weigh, like most women, in my mid section. Hence the reason I try to do a lot of ab workouts. I have also started back up doing squats and lunges lately, I do not know why I stopped doing them a while ago but I have them back in my workout again.

Sorry I have no idea what my macronutrient breakdown is but hopefully the above diet gives you a better idea.

LOL... I don't want to look anything like her either. LOL. But whatever floats her boat.

Your diet is looking much better! My suggestions would be to add some healthy fats in your diet (olive oil, peanut/almond butter) and maybe add a source of protein to your morning snack. If I'm out and about, I'l grab a light string cheese and munch on that. They're relatively low in fat and have 8 grams of protein. They taste pretty gross, though.

Your goals sound great! You can do it!!!!

[SouthFire]

Originally Posted by janedoe

LOL... I don't want to look anything like her either. LOL. But whatever floats her boat.

Your diet is looking much better! My suggestions would be to add some healthy fats in your diet (olive oil, peanut/almond butter) and maybe add a source of protein to your morning snack. If I'm out and about, I'l grab a light string cheese and munch on that. They're relatively low in fat and have 8 grams of protein. They taste pretty gross, though.

Your goals sound great! You can do it!!!!

I love string cheese most people think I am weird but when I have an up set stomach string cheese settles it.

I have all the ingredients to make that almond butter and just have not had enough time to make it that along with Paladins homemade protein bars. I have not had the time to whip either up but I will this weekend and encompass the almond butter into my diet!!

I do take fish oil and flax seed oil in pill form everyday along with other vitamins so that helps too.

Thank you for all your support it has helped tremendously!!

[transXisomer]

Originally Posted by SouthFire

If I have to categorize my body type, from what I have learned and read my body type is an upper medium build. On some ways to determine body type it falls into the lower large category body type range but I consider myself in the upper medium range. I would like to have 20-25% body fat and would like my weight to be 145-150 and tone. I do not in any way want to look like Melissa Detwiller she looks like a man to me. LOL I hope that answers your question on goals.

I have changed my diet and it looks more like this now:

1 scoop Protein shake before workout if I get up in time.
Workout *
Breakfast -- a bowl of old fashion oatmeal & ¼c ff yogurt
Morning snack--- Low sodium V8 and fresh fruit
Lunch–fresh veggies, ½ can of tuna, & ½c cottage cheese
Afternoon snack—soy beans
workout *
Dinner – Lean meat and veggies
Snack – ¼ cup Cottage cheese

*As I have stated before because I have such a busy schedule and sometimes I do not get to bed until late I schedule to workout at two times during the day, this way I make sure I have time to workout.

This is still a work in progress but I have been trying to get more precise on my meals.

My stats are very sad to me but they are getting better. I am 5’ 8” and my weight fluctuates between 165-170, I carry this weigh, like most women, in my mid section. Hence the reason I try to do a lot of ab workouts. I have also started back up doing squats and lunges lately, I do not know why I stopped doing them a while ago but I have them back in my workout again.

Sorry I have no idea what my macronutrient breakdown is but hopefully the above diet gives you a better idea.

Hey Southfire,

Hmmm well looking over your diet it still does look heavy in the carbohydrate realm. Carbohydrates are the strongest out of any macronutrient in the ability to stimulate insulin release. Insulin is an anti-lipolytic hormone, meaning it is an anti-fat burning hormone. This is the reason why people carb cycle, because it allows other hormones to increase during the insulin absence to elevate lipolysis (fat burning).

The main thing in my opinion in a successful diet is to have everything down in my mind of how much of what I am eating. For example on a 35/35/30 macronutrient split (carbs to proteins to fat) 35% of my daily calories come from carbs, 35% come from protein, and 30% comes from fat. Now, we usually determine maintainance calories (the amount of calories you can eat and not gain or lose weight) by taking your bodyweight and multiplying by 15 for females and 16 for males. Then if you want to gain weight, a usual starting point is adding on 500 calories, if you want to lose weight, take off 500 calories. A deduction in 500 calories a day for 7 days (a week) is one pound of weight loss a week. Of course this will vary person to person, so from that point you can take off an additional 100 calories if you don't notice any weight loss, and so on. Another approach is a cyclical ketogenic diet by cycling your carbohydrate intake to lose fat at a faster rate to due low levels of insulin (anti-lipolytic hormone) and higher rates of fat burning hormones.

Now, from the looks of it, if you don't know your macronutrient breakdown, or how many calories you are eating a day, you are kind of in the dark on how your diet really is. A lot of people usually underestimate how many calories they are getting in a day as well. Simply, to lose weight you must eat below your maintainance calories.

If I take your weight of 165lbs and multiply by 15, I get 2475, subtracting 500 calories I get 1975 calories. So, you should be eating about this many calories a day for weight loss, and again adjusting it lower if you do not notice weight loss. But do not just use the scale for 'weight loss', look in the mirror, see how your clothes fit. Muscle weighs more than fat and if you are gaining muscle and losing fat, you can feel your clothes being loser, but not seeing a change on the scale.

Also, if you could completely list your training regimen, we can probably tweak some things to help you out more. And also your diet is just that, YOUR diet. I would not recommend trying something you know you will not like. You look like you want to lose about 20-25lbs. This is a very reachable goal, but will take some hard work on your part.

Also how close is your protein shake before your workout?

[B-natural]

good stuff TI, missed too much in the beginning, will be chiming in as we continue...

[SouthFire]

Originally Posted by transXisomer

Hey Southfire,

Hmmm well looking over your diet it still does look heavy in the carbohydrate realm. Carbohydrates are the strongest out of any macronutrient in the ability to stimulate insulin release. Insulin is an anti-lipolytic hormone, meaning it is an anti-fat burning hormone. This is the reason why people carb cycle, because it allows other hormones to increase during the insulin absence to elevate lipolysis (fat burning).

The main thing in my opinion in a successful diet is to have everything down in my mind of how much of what I am eating. For example on a 35/35/30 macronutrient split (carbs to proteins to fat) 35% of my daily calories come from carbs, 35% come from protein, and 30% comes from fat. Now, we usually determine maintainance calories (the amount of calories you can eat and not gain or lose weight) by taking your bodyweight and multiplying by 15 for females and 16 for males. Then if you want to gain weight, a usual starting point is adding on 500 calories, if you want to lose weight, take off 500 calories. A deduction in 500 calories a day for 7 days (a week) is one pound of weight loss a week. Of course this will vary person to person, so from that point you can take off an additional 100 calories if you don't notice any weight loss, and so on. Another approach is a cyclical ketogenic diet by cycling your carbohydrate intake to lose fat at a faster rate to due low levels of insulin (anti-lipolytic hormone) and higher rates of fat burning hormones.

Now, from the looks of it, if you don't know your macronutrient breakdown, or how many calories you are eating a day, you are kind of in the dark on how your diet really is. A lot of people usually underestimate how many calories they are getting in a day as well. Simply, to lose weight you must eat below your maintainance calories.

If I take your weight of 165lbs and multiply by 15, I get 2475, subtracting 500 calories I get 1975 calories. So, you should be eating about this many calories a day for weight loss, and again adjusting it lower if you do not notice weight loss. But do not just use the scale for 'weight loss', look in the mirror, see how your clothes fit. Muscle weighs more than fat and if you are gaining muscle and losing fat, you can feel your clothes being loser, but not seeing a change on the scale.

Also, if you could completely list your training regimen, we can probably tweak some things to help you out more. And also your diet is just that, YOUR diet. I would not recommend trying something you know you will not like. You look like you want to lose about 20-25lbs. This is a very reachable goal, but will take some hard work on your part.

Also how close is your protein shake before your workout?

I can’t thank you enough trans for opening my eyes I did not think I was eating that many carbs!! I spent the weekend tracking all the calories, carbs, protein and fats that I eat. Saturday I ate like I usually do Monday thru Friday, and got a huge surprise my carbs were a huge percentage of my diet. Also, I only eat, on a daily average basis, about 1230 calories. Sunday I ate like I normally do on the weekends and interestingly enough the way I eat on the weekends is a better percentage split for my macronutrient breakdown. Go figure huh, Calories, 1573 Carbs-98.9 / 33.5% Protein 132.4 / 44.8% Fat 64 / 21.7%. It is obviously not right yet but thanks to you it is getting better and I have a goal to work towards. I have to make sure it is a diet that I can stick to.

To answer your question, my protein shake does not have adequate time to get into my system before I workout in the morning. It might be best after workout rather than before. Thanks for making me aware of this.

This post was very helpful I learned so much from it. No wonder Dinoiii holds you in high regards. You are a very smart man that is for sure. I understand now why even though I only eat 1200-1600 calories on an average daily basis that I am not losing the weight I should be, before it did not make since. Hopefully with this new knowledge it will not be as hard to reach my goal.

When I get a better macronutrient slip figured out for my diet I will post it. I am very happy you decided to chime in here. You have been a wealth of knowledge for me.


Thanks Again

[transXisomer]

Originally Posted by SouthFire

I can’t thank you enough trans for opening my eyes I did not think I was eating that many carbs!! I spent the weekend tracking all the calories, carbs, protein and fats that I eat. Saturday I ate like I usually do Monday thru Friday, and got a huge surprise my carbs were a huge percentage of my diet. Also, I only eat, on a daily average basis, about 1230 calories. Sunday I ate like I normally do on the weekends and interestingly enough the way I eat on the weekends is a better percentage split for my macronutrient breakdown. Go figure huh, Calories, 1573 Carbs-98.9 / 33.5% Protein 132.4 / 44.8% Fat 64 / 21.7%. It is obviously not right yet but thanks to you it is getting better and I have a goal to work towards. I have to make sure it is a diet that I can stick to.

To answer your question, my protein shake does not have adequate time to get into my system before I workout in the morning. It might be best after workout rather than before. Thanks for making me aware of this.

This post was very helpful I learned so much from it. No wonder Dinoiii holds you in high regards. You are a very smart man that is for sure. I understand now why even though I only eat 1200-1600 calories on an average daily basis that I am not losing the weight I should be, before it did not make since. Hopefully with this new knowledge it will not be as hard to reach my goal.

When I get a better macronutrient slip figured out for my diet I will post it. I am very happy you decided to chime in here. You have been a wealth of knowledge for me.


Thanks Again

Hey there Southfire,

Glad I can help. It actually motivates me when I can help others get closer to their goals. Its really good that you tracked your calories, and found that amount. Now, my question is, with eating that amount, are you still losing weight, or more appropriately, losing fat?

Also, still not quite certain on your protein shake timing. You should allow ~2 hours of digestion time between your last meal (anything with a macronutrient, protein, fat, carbs) and your workout to allow for proper digestive transit and counter-regulatory hormone regulation.

Also, how is your training? There may be some things we can tweak, but if you are happy with your current regimen no need to post it then.