Losing Weight

[Summer 07]

Hey All!

So here's the thing...I'm 5'6 at 152...i use to be 175 about a year ago lost 15 and gained 5 back...recentley i started at lifetime (which i love!!) and i finally hit 153 as off a few days ago. It took me so long to lose that 10-12 lbs...about 2-3 months i just kept going up and down with my weight. I have a slight thyroid problem but i don't want to go onto the medication b/c i hear that once ur on it you have to take it forever. I want to lose 15 lbs by May and than another 15-20 by the end of june! I know its possible, i keep telling myself that but it takes me forever to lose weight. I've been on diet pills on and off but never stuck to it. I'm going to hit the *** sometime this week to find a pill (which i will stick with) i was wondering if anyone knew of any thing that works really good/fast. I workout Alot! I try to go to the gym every day i might miss a day or two once in a while. I usualyl do an hour of cardio if not more. And i do a video at home..i dont know if you guys heard of gunar peterson...its a good workout for all parts of your body and i do that every other day.
I eat pretty good...except the occasional slip up. I shoot for 1200 cals a day and i started today doing 5-6 meals a day.

I'm just looking for a little bit of boost....speeding metabolism or burning fat quickly. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! lol sorry this is so long! But Thanks to anyone who reads/responds!!

Hope everyone is having a great night! =)

[theface]

How hard core are you willing to go with fat loss supplements? I've personally seen decent results from 2-3 weeks of clen. If not you might want to do a lipoderm or sculpt topical stacked with some sort of thermogenic like lipo-6 or Redline.

[thesinner]

Here's just some things I noticed from your post. Enjoy:

1)You plan on losing 15-20lbs during the month of June? That's a lot of weight to be losing in just one month. Most health professionals will say 1-2lbs per week is an acceptable amount to lose.

2)Most diet pills (especially the ones they sell at ***) function through negative feedback loops, so it's not something you should be "sticking with".

3)*** is not the place to go to buy diet pills. Perhaps try one of the board sponors.

4) What does your typical 5-6 meals per day look like (foods, quantities, and times eaten). I'm not trying to call you out, but there's a good amount of people who say they eat clean, but when they post their meal schedules there's always room to clean up their diet a little more.

5) What are you doing during your 1+ hours of cardio? Again, not to call you out, but what one person can accomplish in an hour versus what another person can accomplish in an hour are two totally different things. (e.g. Johnny running for an hour @ 9mph vs. Jimmy running for an hour @ 6mph vs. Jerry walking for an hour @ 3mph) If you can give us the activities done, with either an energy expendature or distance traveled, that would help out a lot more in finding a solution.

[NCSU33]

1200 cals a day?? dear god man, if i recall correctly your body needs something like 1400 calories just for all of your organs to function properly

[thesinner]

1200 cals a day?? dear god man, if i recall correctly your body needs something like 1400 calories just for all of your organs to function properly

Keep in mind that this is a girl with thyroid issues. 1200 may not be good, but it is also not uncommon. I've reviewed diets for 170lb females eating less than 1000kcal per day.

Let's wait until she posts what her typical diet looks like before we start jumping to conclusions.

[NCSU33]

Keep in mind that this is a girl with thyroid issues. 1200 may not be good, but it is also not uncommon. I've reviewed diets for 170lb females eating less than 1000kcal per day.

Let's wait until she posts what her typical diet looks like before we start jumping to conclusions.

my girlfriend (has some anorexia issues) eats around 1200 when she is "dieting" and she talks about starving ALLLL the time

[Summer 07]

Thanks for all your responses!!

Here is what today looked like . .

7:15 AM: A small plum and a rice cake
10:00 AM: 1 and ½ eggs both yellow and white w/ a slice of whole weat toast
11:00 I did 45 mins to a workout video (Gunar Peterson “Core Secrets”)
12:30: Green beans and ½ a chicken
2:30: Apple & Rice Cake
4:30: I had a handful of pretzels and grapes
6:30: Other ½ of chicken with side salad
8:00: Than for cardio I do the mile in 11-12 mins at 5.0-5.5 speed than I walk uphill at 7.0 at 3.5-3.7 speed until I hit 30 mins.
Than I do the elliptical and try to keep my heart rate above 159 for 25 minutes usually burning 300 calories if not more.
Than I do another machine like the elliptical although there are no bars for your hands to swing back and forth. I do that machine for another 25 mins

I know I should cut back more on the carbs…Avoid the rice cakes/bread and the pretzels of course. Is this plan even some what okay if I decide not to take weight loss pills. If I don’t take the pills how much should I step it up with the eating habits and working out.

I do the cardio every day. And the video is every other day. I drink lots of water in fact as of last week I cut out all diet soda.

About the weight loss…I’m actually planning on losing 10-15 lbs By the first week of may. And then By the first week of may and the Last week of June im hoping to shed of another 10-15 lbs. So that gives me a good three months to shed 30lbs. I’m willing to do the work I just need the advice!

This site is pretty great thanks for all the responses again!!!! =)


Oh and one more thing…So is 1200 not enough cals?? Should I higher it to 1400 or should I lower it?
Have a good one

[thesinner]

I would try to spread out my calories a little bit more. The best (easiest) thing to do is to figure out how much protein/carbs/fats you want to be taking in each day, divide by 6, and that's about what you want to try to eat each meal.

Carbs aren't always bad, but chonic intake of high glycemic carbs can be detrimental to your goals. Some great carb sources are: brown rice, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes. Rice cakes and pretzels tend to have a fairly high glycemic index, which in turn will signal the release of insulin, which makes people gain weight. I also try to shy away from things that say "whole wheat" or "whole grain" in big letters on the container: it's more of a marketing gimmick than a health benefit (if you don't believe me look at the big, bold "Good Source of Whole Grain" on a box of Lucky Charms).


As far as the 1200 kcals. I would try going higher (say 1500 to start). Give it a try for 2 weeks, if you don't see any results, you can start dropping it by 100kcal per week. The problem with creating too large of a calorie deficit is that your body will go into "storage mode", meaning your metabolism will drop significantly (you will have a significantly low resting body temperature) and will try to store food energy as fat every waking chance it gets.

I'm not really good at guaging heights and weights with women. Do you have any estimate on bf%? An acceptable range for women is in the middle teens. 152lbs @ 5'6" doesn't sound all that far off (though I could be wrong), I'm just wondering if you have 30lbs that can be safely lost.

[karategirl]

Thanks for all your responses!!

Here is what today looked like . .

7:15 AM: A small plum and a rice cake
10:00 AM: 1 and ½ eggs both yellow and white w/ a slice of whole weat toast
11:00 I did 45 mins to a workout video (Gunar Peterson “Core Secrets”)
12:30: Green beans and ½ a chicken
2:30: Apple & Rice Cake
4:30: I had a handful of pretzels and grapes
6:30: Other ½ of chicken with side salad
8:00: Than for cardio I do the mile in 11-12 mins at 5.0-5.5 speed than I walk uphill at 7.0 at 3.5-3.7 speed until I hit 30 mins.
Than I do the elliptical and try to keep my heart rate above 159 for 25 minutes usually burning 300 calories if not more.
Than I do another machine like the elliptical although there are no bars for your hands to swing back and forth. I do that machine for another 25 mins

I know I should cut back more on the carbs…Avoid the rice cakes/bread and the pretzels of course. Is this plan even some what okay if I decide not to take weight loss pills. If I don’t take the pills how much should I step it up with the eating habits and working out.

I do the cardio every day. And the video is every other day. I drink lots of water in fact as of last week I cut out all diet soda.

About the weight loss…I’m actually planning on losing 10-15 lbs By the first week of may. And then By the first week of may and the Last week of June im hoping to shed of another 10-15 lbs. So that gives me a good three months to shed 30lbs. I’m willing to do the work I just need the advice!

This site is pretty great thanks for all the responses again!!!! =)


Oh and one more thing…So is 1200 not enough cals?? Should I higher it to 1400 or should I lower it?
Have a good one

Hi Summer,
Ok, there are lots of things to talk about here, so I will start off, and maybe add some more later.
First of all, stop obsessing about the number on the scales, it means nothing - try to find out your body fat percentage.
Most gyms will offer to measure it for you for free if you ask. A healthy range for females is between 18-22%.
If you are more muscular, you will weigh more, and the scales will move move like you wish they might, but you will look thinner and leaner.
Ok, let me try and put this into perspective, I am 5'6 and weigh in between 135-145lbs depending on whether I am taking creatine or not.
I am between 16-17% bodyfat, and I wear a size 2/4 in clothing.
If you just look at the numbers, my height and weight may seem like I need to loose a couple of pounds, but if you look at my body, I am lean and toned with most of my muscle groups defined but not bulky.
So, stop looking at the scales as a way to show improvement, but take some body measurements such as waist and butt diameter and track those instead.

1200 calories is very low with all of the cardio you are doing, I would suggest somewhere closer to 1500 if you want to cut fat, but stay sane
Cutting too many calories causes your body to think it is starving and it actually holds onto its fat stores, which makes it harder to shift weight.
Aim to eat between 1500 and 1800 calories a day, and burn 500 calories a day in activity. That will bring your overall intake-output ratio at around a 500 calorie defecit, which is great for long term fat loss.

Also, rather than doing all that cardio, try lifting some weights. This has two benefits, firstly it will tone you up and make you look lean and defined, secondly it will increase your lean body mass, and put more muscle on you. Muscle requires more energy during the day meaning that you will actually burn more calories even when sitting still than you would do with less muscle.
Be warned, muscle weighs more than fat, so if you are doing well, the scales may actually go up!!! But your body fat and diameter measurements will go down, which is why you need to track those instead.

I would change your morning breakfast from the plum and rice cake, which are both high GI and not very filling, to a serving of old fashioned oatmeat with a scoop of protein powder. This is a complex carbohydrate which will keep you full for longer, keep your blood sugar stable and prepare your glycogen stores for the long day ahead.

Take out the yolk from the egg, and add more egg whites. There are practically no calories or fat in egg whites, so you can eat lots of them (I probably eat 6-8 a day), however the yolk is high in fat and calories. Plus you will feel fuller for longer and 6 egg whites on a piece of wholewheat toast is a lot!

You don't write much about the chicken, so I will assume it is a skinless chicken breast, which is great for you.

Apple and rice cake? Man I am starving just reading your diet!!!
Switch for something more filling and useful like a sweet potato and a serving of nuts. They will prepare your body for the evening workout and the nuts have some essential fats.

Add a meal after your workout. Even if it is just a protein shake or bar, but your body needs the energy after your evening session so that it can repair itself overnight during what is probably an eight hour fast.

Ok, hope that helps.

[thesinner]

Good work karategirl

[Summer 07]

I do need to throw away my scale. And just stick with measuring myself instead- Thanks for the tip!

My BF% is 29. Which is awful. I really want to get that down to 20 or less.

Thanks for the tip about the Gylcemic index I’m going to stay away from the rice cakes now!

I have another question for you guys. How much strength training should I do a week?
And for abs is that okay to do everyday or for toning should I do it every other day? That’s were I really want the fat to go away.

I’m going to do what you guys said and stick to 1500 cals but spread it more! It sounds smart!

Thanks again all!!

[karategirl]

Try strength training three times a week and see how you do. You should do different body parts each time and feel sore the next day.
Aim to life enough weight to try and do three sets of ten, but fail at around number six by the third set.
Doing abs every day is fine, I try to work on a different ab workout each day to mix it up a bit.
Enjoy

[thesinner]

Just to add to karategirl's recommendation. When you are strength training, it is important to do compound exercises like the following: Squats, Stiff-legged deadlifts, Shoulder Press, Bench Press, Pull-downs, and Rows. I say this because 9 times out of 10, when I see a girl in the weightroom, she doesn't include ANY of these. Compound movements will burn the fat and give you the results you're looking for.

Good luck with your weightloss Summer.

[karategirl]

Just to add to karategirl's recommendation. When you are strength training, it is important to do compound exercises like the following: Squats, Stiff-legged deadlifts, Shoulder Press, Bench Press, Pull-downs, and Rows. I say this because 9 times out of 10, when I see a girl in the weightroom, she doesn't include ANY of these. Compound movements will burn the fat and give you the results you're looking for.

Good luck with your weightloss Summer.

I agree with the sinner, but didn't want to suggest them as I don't know her training experience.
There is nothing more dangerous that someone attempting a squat with poor technique, or trying to benchpress and getting trapped under the weight.
I suggest if you are going to try some of these free weight lifts, get a trainer to show you good technique to avoid serious injury.

[thesinner]

Nice call KG,
I just didn't want her to be one of the girls you see doing concentration curls, sidebends, the abductor/adductor and then hit the locker room.

[Summer 07]

Thanks for the tips!!!!

[Summer 07]

Hey all!

Since you guys give great advice i figured i should ask another question!

Since i want to lose 30lbs by the end of june/beggining of july i was wondering if this workout seems good. Or should i do more since i have 29% body fat.

I always workout at night...i cant do it in the morning i just dont have the energy for it. & it does'nt wake me up it makes me more tired. lol im def. not a morning person.

Treadmill: For the first 30 mins
i try to run the mile in under 12 mins at 5.5 speed
then walk uphill at 7.0 for the rest of the time.

I keep reading about all this HITT (i think thats right) i have no idea what it stands for. but i think i get what it means. Is it better to do that.
Like walk at 3.5 for 2 mins
Than run as fast as i can for a min or two
and keep going for 20-30 mins.

After the run/walk i usually hop on two machines Eliptical and another version of the eliptical for either 20/30 mins each

Then every other day i'll do a video "core secrets" which is great for the abs and has alot of exercises with weights for your arms.

And on the days i dont do the video should i weight train for 30 mins..just focussing on the legs??? Since im doing my arms with the video.?? In the video we do squats and a few other leg workouts but nothing too straining since there are no weights.

I <3 this site!!! I swear its amazing! I signed up for the fitday and its incredible. I put in what i ate today...and it showed i had 45% fat for the day (stupid peanut butter) i knew better too..but i was eating it w/ carrots...and did'nt realzie how much i was taking in lol. But oh well..i learned from my mistake!!!
I also saw my calorie intake was really low. its 7 pm. and i only had 723 calories? im pretty much guessing thats not good. But im not hungry...but i think after my workout ill just have another grilled/skinless chicken.

Oh ya and i measured myself today and weighed my self (lol but i wont do it again for atleast 2 weeks) I was 151.5 and my measurments were

Waist (below belly) = 34.5
Butt = 40
Thigh =23.5
Calves= 15.5

I dont know if i measure myself right but i put it as tight as it goes. and with my stomache someone told me to squeeze in and measure Y? i dont know...but lol i did that.

So Goal for tomorrow is no more than 20% fat!

Have a great night everyone!

[thesinner]

I keep reading about all this HITT (i think thats right) i have no idea what it stands for. but i think i get what it means. Is it better to do that.
Like walk at 3.5 for 2 mins
Than run as fast as i can for a min or two
and keep going for 20-30 mins.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is a technique that's gotten a lot of attention due to the fact that it burns more fat calories than regular running.

Since you like to start your workout on the treadmill, and from the impression I'm getting from you (as far as how much you could handle), I would think this would be a good HIIT getup:
1 minute @ 7-8mph
1 minute @ 5 mph
1 minute @ 3.5mph

Go through that rotation 3-4 times at the beginning of your cardio workout in place of your regular mile run, and then finish with your elliptical workout as normal. Personally, I swear by HIIT training, but we're all entitled to our own opinions.

And on the days i dont do the video should i weight train for 30 mins..just focussing on the legs??? Since im doing my arms with the video.?? In the video we do squats and a few other leg workouts but nothing too straining since there are no weights.

There's more to work out than just the legs and arms. You've also got exercises for your back, shoulders, and chest to focus on. I'm not really sure what all you're doing in your video, but I'd say if any muscle group still feels tired and sore on the weight-training days, you don't need to train them.