Getting Lean, Please Help

mabdoo

mabdoo

Cathlete
Ok, I think I have read so much on fitness and nutrition that I don't know what I should do because of all of the conflicting info. I need to lose the fat covering the muscles. I know that I have to eat clean to do that. But what do I need to do for exercise? Do I need more cardio or HIIT or do I need to lift more/heavier? I do not build muscle easily and would love to be able to see my muscles. Right now I eat somewhat clean. No matter how hard I try I can't follow Tosca Reno's plan day-in day-out without going crazy...I need to eat wheat bread once in a while. For workouts I do one body part per week with either GS or Pyramids. I do 2 cardio workouts per week. I have 2 very little ones and can only do 5 days per week. Please offer suggestions. Thanks.
 
Have you ever tried doing one of Cathe's rotations? I know they are 6 days a week, but you could modify it to 5, lots of people do. Eating white bread every now and again will not kill you. But do pay attention to your eating. Change it up try something different. You might just be suprised!

Good luck!!
 
Hi---

This is always a difficult question to approach because there are so many other factors - like stress, sleep, your age, etc. But I can help in one respect: you do not have to give up bread completely. You do not have to work out for 2 hours per day. You do not have to kill yourself if all you want to do is shed some fat and build/support muscle.

My recommendation (I am NOT an expert, just a person who has experimented on herself and read a lot) is to focus on your diet. You may want to consult a nutritionist who specializes in athletic nutrition. Members of this forum drew my attention to Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and Tosca's book, which I found somewhat helpful. The trick is applying what you learn and getting the results you want.

I decided to really take my nutrition seriously recently, and I think it's making a difference. I have more consistent energy throughout the day, don't "bonk out" in the middle of workouts, and I am shedding fat (slowly but surely).

Here's a sample daily menu from my nutritionist (please note the presence of Ezekiel bread with almond butter, which, when toasted, is delicious!):

2 scoops mixed with 6-8 oz of cold water
1 TBS of Flaxseed oil
1 cup of frozen berries of choice
B Vitamin 1/2 tsp in water
WATER

Ezekiel Bread 1 slice
Raw Almond Butter approx 2-3 tbs

WATER

1 serving Mary's Gone Crackers
4-6 oz of turkey, fish, or chicken
2 cups dark green leafy salad w/ any veggie topping
Small amount of avocado or handful of walnuts
2 tbs of dressing (preferrably vinegarette)

2 Hard Boiled Egg Whites
LaraBar
WATER

1/3 cup cooked Quinoa
1 and 1/2 Turkey Burgers (trader joes)
2 cups of veggies. Ex. Asparagus, Cauliflower
Broccoli, Spinach. Grilled or Steamed



If still hungry may have 1/2 cup Fage Yogurt (make sure there is less
than 7 grams of sugar per serving)
1Mix with 1/2 cup of Organic Unsweetened
Apple Sauce or other fruit



I'm not ever so hungry that I'm deranged. I still have ridiculous sweet cravings, but I can resist because I'm eating frequently and I'm getting enough carbs, fat, protein in my diet. HTH!

Lisa
 
Mabdoo, I'm there now. In fact, I just emailed fitness expert Chad Waterbury asking HIM what he thinks I should do now, since I've been frozen in place for nearly 9 months. I, too, know I need to clean up my diet but it's tough. I live alone and don't have the time or inclination to cook full-scale meals. I'm confused about what I should have in my fridge and cupboards that I can grab and eat fast (oh God, not ANOTHER plain bone-dry chicken breast!) and I think my diet is canceling out all my hard work because I'm not really sure what's okay for a quick bite (besides the obvious fruits and veggies). And sticking to a workout type long enough to actually tell what really works has been a problem, what with my erratic and often demanding work schedule... I tend to put on serious muscle in my lower body (yep, I'm a girl with a butt... a dead giveaway) and was finding that Cardio Coach was working great for both cardio and leaning out my lower body, while I continued to do a 2-day split for upper body. Then there was a lot of talk (here and all over the fitness media) about the advantages of doing full-body workouts over splits. Then I got a cold, then I had sinus surgery... fell off the wagon and am trying to get back on but not really sure what I should be doing. You think you're confused?! You are so not alone. I can't do it right now but, I swear, as soon as I can afford to re-join a gym I'm hiring a personal trainer with a strong background in nutrition and try to get this mess straightened out.
 
Thanks for the advice everyone.

Stacey, I am glad I am not alone. I really do try and eat good but with 2 little ones it is hard to get into the kitchen to cook. When they nap I start dinner but it is also tough living with a very picky vegetarian who only eats carbs and hates veggies. I end up making dinner for me and my daughter and another one for my hubby. It does drive me crazy. I know I should eat more veggies so I eat a lot of salads not too mention I am so sick of chicken. Lately the more I read the guiltier I feel about everything I eat which does not help. Things that I always thought were healthy apparently aren't, like whole wheat bread. I used to make things out of Cooking Light magazine but those aren't clean either.

I guess I am making a lot of excuses but I will be damned if I am going to start making 3 meals at dinnertime. Also, what happens when I go back to work and don't have as much time?

Sorry for the rant but I am ready to just give up and eat like a normal person and not count everything that goes into my mouth and stop just before I am full but yet I get disgusted when I see the pregnancy fat.
 
You might consider a good personal trainer. I have been going to one and she has been very helpful. Many of the things I thought were right were wrong for me. There is too much information out there, much of it conflicting so working with someone who is properly certified and knows their stuff can steer you clear of all the bunk and get you on the right path.
 
mabdoo said:
I guess I am making a lot of excuses but I will be damned if I am going to start making 3 meals at dinnertime. Also, what happens when I go back to work and don't have as much time?
Click to expand...

Easy! Hubby goes back to making his own dinner. :)
 
Ms. Mabdoo....it takes time so please do not get discouraged. I felt the same as you when I started out. I've found that eating "cleaner" take an adjustment but can actually be much simpler and <gasp!> tastier. I am quite fond of Martha Stewart's little "Food" magazine. The recipes are fairly simple and many of them quite healthy (and easily tweaked to meet your needs and taste). I bet your husband could be duped into eating them as well ;)
 
mabdoo said:
.

I guess I am making a lot of excuses but I will be damned if I am going to start making 3 meals at dinnertime.

QUOTE]

Hey in our family we go by the moto "You get what you get and you don't have a fit." I might get the usual "Ugh, . . . .spinach no please no!!" but I know that they won't starve if they don't eat what they get. Also don't be so hard on yourself. Cleaning up your diet is not any different from setting fitness goals. Most people can't up and start running 5 miles when they've never run before. Make small changes, . . . and introduce the kids to something new and clean every week. Another rule in our house is no dessert unless you finish your dinner. I always make sure dessert is something great like a single scoop of Hagen Daz or a chocolate chip cookie. Dessert is always given in moderation. Once the kids get used to seeing healthy food all the time you'd be surprised how they catch on. When you have kids you notice that things always tend to get harder before they get easier. Good Luck!!
Click to expand...
 
mabdoo:

I am going to suggest that you change up your routine and loosen up on your eating plan.

You burn more calories per weights workout if you involve the larger muscles of the body in explosive moves, or in circuits, with little to no rest. If you work legs in several routines per week, you are automatically upping the calorie burn. All you have to do is vary the exercises that you do. You could do legs with chest and back one day, do legs with biceps, shoulders and triceps another day, and legs and total upper body another day.

You are better off doing HIIT twice per week rather than making every cardio session a long, slow slog.... Low Max is ideal because it involves intervals and is leg intensive, thereby increasing the calorie burn. You want to make sure you are changing the type of cardio that you do, so step blast one day, KPC another and Drill Max/spinning/power walking another.

Since you are a hard gainer, like myself, and need to add muscle, I suggest doing alternate routines of circuits (as described above) with heavy weight lifting like Cathe's S&H. You could each in alternate weeks, or do two weeks of each then swap to the other.

You do not need to work out every day to see changes. 4 or 5 workouts per week is plenty nor do you have to go all-ou-intensive on every session. The body needs break sometimes.

I would personally toss in the trash any book that tells me I can't eat bread, can't eat this, can't eat that. The whole culture of dieting is intrinsically frustrating and sets you up for failure. Sometimes I am not convinced that "clean eating" is any better. Personally, I don't need to eat cake, donuts, fried chicken, etc but if you are someone who does, then you need to be able to have these foods occasionally, so that you don't crave them all the time. Someone who is satisfied does not crave junk. A little junk sometimes is an OK thing. There is NOTHING wrong with wheat bread, unless you are allergic to gluten. I eat it daily, as do both my kids and my super skinny husband. It does not make you gain weight. Well, 20 slices per day might....

There is nothing inherently bad with any food, except foods that are pretty much 100 % fat or sugar. What matters far more is portion control. Eat what you like within reason but just not too much of it. Learn about portion sizes and practice it. And if you do over indulge in high fat or sugar foods one day, that's OK, but given that calories in should equal calories out and there are only so many hours a person can exercise per week, then you will need to compensate the next day by eating slightly less or eating a lot of lower calorie foods like fruit and veggies. It's a question of balance.

Clare
 
Thanks for all the advice. Actually my kids are not the problem. My 20 month old eats what is put in front of her, none of which is bad, and the baby still only has formula. It is my husband who is hard to please. Actually he says make what I want for me and if I don't make something for him he will order out or take care of it himself, but that ends up being a mustard sandwich, yuck! I just hate cooking and having him eat crap but I guess that is the way it is going to have to be.

As far as exercise I just have to make a rotation and stick with it. I only have about 10 cathe dvd's but I can also try and follow one of hers and make substitutions. Thanks again.

Mabdoo
 
Mabdoo,

I agree with everyone else on the cooking for family front. You make what you need to eat and let hubby fend for himself. If he wants to eat a mustard sandwich :)eek:!) then he eats a mustard sandwich. You have to take care of yourself. Who else is going to?

I also agree with Clare. Moderation is key. If you absolutely cant say no to certain foods (I can't) then don't bring them into the house. If hubby has to have snacks on hand, buy him something you don't like. My hubby buys dark chocolate and spicy chips. Unfortunately, I don't like dark chocolate (it's good for you so why would I like it?) so I won't touch it.

Eating entirely clean is difficult. There are plenty of websites that have good, MOSTLY clean recipes. I have been making them for my family and they have all been a big hit. I am on Weight Watchers and am following the Core plan (which stresses healthy eating). Here is a website that has great recipes I have pulled form: http://www.freewebs.com/hwc1973/.

In relation to your workouts, why don't you post the names of the dvd's you have? I am sure one of the great ladies (or gentleman) on here would be happy to suggest a rotation that uses the dvd's you have.

Carrie
 
Afreet said:
Hi---

This is always a difficult question to approach because there are so many other factors - like stress, sleep, your age, etc. But I can help in one respect: you do not have to give up bread completely. You do not have to work out for 2 hours per day. You do not have to kill yourself if all you want to do is shed some fat and build/support muscle.

My recommendation (I am NOT an expert, just a person who has experimented on herself and read a lot) is to focus on your diet. You may want to consult a nutritionist who specializes in athletic nutrition. Members of this forum drew my attention to Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle and Tosca's book, which I found somewhat helpful. The trick is applying what you learn and getting the results you want.

I decided to really take my nutrition seriously recently, and I think it's making a difference. I have more consistent energy throughout the day, don't "bonk out" in the middle of workouts, and I am shedding fat (slowly but surely).

Here's a sample daily menu from my nutritionist (please note the presence of Ezekiel bread with almond butter, which, when toasted, is delicious!):

2 scoops mixed with 6-8 oz of cold water
1 TBS of Flaxseed oil
1 cup of frozen berries of choice
B Vitamin 1/2 tsp in water
WATER

Ezekiel Bread 1 slice
Raw Almond Butter approx 2-3 tbs

WATER

1 serving Mary's Gone Crackers
4-6 oz of turkey, fish, or chicken
2 cups dark green leafy salad w/ any veggie topping
Small amount of avocado or handful of walnuts
2 tbs of dressing (preferrably vinegarette)

2 Hard Boiled Egg Whites
LaraBar
WATER

1/3 cup cooked Quinoa
1 and 1/2 Turkey Burgers (trader joes)
2 cups of veggies. Ex. Asparagus, Cauliflower
Broccoli, Spinach. Grilled or Steamed



If still hungry may have 1/2 cup Fage Yogurt (make sure there is less
than 7 grams of sugar per serving)
1Mix with 1/2 cup of Organic Unsweetened
Apple Sauce or other fruit



I'm not ever so hungry that I'm deranged. I still have ridiculous sweet cravings, but I can resist because I'm eating frequently and I'm getting enough carbs, fat, protein in my diet. HTH!

Lisa
Click to expand...

that sounds pretty doable ..where do you buy Ezekiel bread?
 
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