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[Tatyana]

Hi Sandra and welcome

18% bodyfat is awesome for a woman, so you must be doing something right.

It is all about diet and training smart.

Please feel free to start a thread of your own if you want any specific questions answered or help with your diet

 

[MsSandra]

Hi Tatyana,
Thanks for the welcome.

I am actually interested in getting a certificate in nutrition since that is my weak point.
Are there any organizations that you would recommend?
Sandra

 

[Tatyana]

You may not need a certificate in nutrition, from what I have heard from people who have done degrees in nutrition etc, they have been quite disappointed by them.

I would recommend the e-book by Tom Venuto, Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle, it is awesome, and covers all the basic information you will need.

A few of the basic premises of his book are summarised in a thread in the women's section called 'help to sort out your diet'.

Personally, I would love to do some of Charles Polliquin's courses.

There are also a few other great author's I would recommend, you can find a lot of their writing on line or in books:

Chris Aceto

Will Brink

John Bernadi

I have also found these books a great source of further information



Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great - Stuart McRobert

Everything you wanted to know about fat loss - Chris Aceto

Fat Around the Middle - Dr. Marilyn Glenville

You on a Diet - Roizen and Oz

The True You Diet - Dr. John Briffa

Natural Hormone Enhancement - Rob Faigen

 

[littlebecca]

Okay I'm new at this message board so here goes my first try

 

[rnichole]

So, I figure its time to start taking care of myself, AGAIN.. ( I was recently called out by a very good friend of mine). I am by no means unhappy with how I look now, BUT I know I could be happier. I suppose I am here more so for the physiological side effects of getting in shape more so than the physical alone.

I have 2 kids a VERY stressful job, and it is all taking a toll on me.

Right now3 i am between 155-165; 5'4" size 8. ... but I do have alot of muscle left over from my pre-kids athletic days.. Ready to bring that side of me back out...

I am not into fast food, and really am not all that into sweets and stuff like that. Sushi and Pho' are my weaknesses, so i guess thats not too bad.

I recently cut out my alcohol intake completely, and that has already made a difference in how I feel, not to mention the calories..

My only medical concern is that i have a back that will give me issues from time to time. No, I'm lying. It hurst every day. BUT... with the right core training I am hoping that I can solve that issue as well.

Basically I am here for support b/c this is new to me. I havent worked ou tin about 6 or 7 years, so i need a good source of knowledge and motivation. Someplace i can ask all those dumb questions, ya know??

Such as: where do i get my body fat %???

 

[Rebecca D]

PLEASE DO NOT SKIP READING THIS! YOU WILL BE ASKED FOR THE SAME INFORMATION IN YOUR FIRST POST ANYWAY!

Everyone who comes to the EF Women's Board for the first time is coming with their own particular situation. Maybe you are just getting into the fitness lifestyle? Maybe you have been following a program and have stalled out? Maybe you are just browsing? Maybe you are 3 weeks out from your first figure competition? Maybe you are an experienced IFBB Pro?

There's so much information here but there are a couple of things you can do to help us answer your questions and get to know you as well as tell us what brought you here. It is very hard to provide useful information if we don't have a context for the questions and statements that you make in your first few posts so please consider doing and including the following:

1) Read the stickies at the top of this board. They are priceless as an introduction to the many facets of the world of women's fitness. You won't find better information in an encyclopedia.

- Links to all the really great & common questions & discussions:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=363631

- "10 Ways to F--- Up Your Diet" -- This is a short and to-the-point EXCELLENT exposure of those common sense things that can derail your diet:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4955757&postcount=1

- Some **really** useful exercise sites for those "what exercises work x muscle group?" or "WTF is a Smith Squat" questions:
http://www.exrx.net
[ur]http://www.e-weightloss-fitness.com/resources.shtml[/url]

- New addition (4/14/06) -- reference for stretching - extensive & no pix, but excellent ref: "Stretching & Flexibility: Everything you never wanted to know"
http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/

- RECIPES! NO! You don't have to be miserable with your diet and still get results!
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=364088

- Two reality check articles about "extreme fitness" - whether competition or just the extremes of diet/goal:
[*]Scott Abel - Metabolic Damage: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=493489
[*]Fat to Figure - 16 Weeks w/ a Figure Competitor (by Anthony Roberts): http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=493319
[/list] .

2) In your first post please include:
- your stats: weight, height, bodyfat%
- your goals -- what are you trying to accomplish?
- your current training & cardio schedule
- your current meal plan, including with each meal, portions, what you are eating and when you eat.
- any salient medical concerns

3) Consider putting your meal plan into a food counts program like www.fitday.com (FREE!) so you can have a real and accurate idea of what exactly you are eating. This will give you the total calories and macronutrient breakdown (% protein / % fat / % carbs) of your diet.

4) GET YOUR BODYFAT TESTED! Weight is just a measure of the earth's gravitational attraction to you as an object on it's surface. It is one data point in quantifying your physical existence, but WHAT MAKES UP THAT WEIGHT is more important. You are made up of lean muscle mass and bodyfat. Getting "lean and toned up" is the result of how the two work together. Bodyfat is only half of it....

5) TAKE PICTURES! This is how you SEE the progress you are making. Weight and bodyfat are one thing, but how you look is also an important way to track progress and really appreciate even the little signs of progress. Let it all hang out & then revel in your results!

6) If you want, start a training & diet log -- look at any of the several that are on this board to see what and how many of us are tracking and sharing our progress. The support that comes with this as an open forum can be the missing piece of your activities in the fitness world that make the difference for you!

7) ASK ASK ASK!

8) RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH!

Knowledge is power, so EMPOWER YOURSELF because it is YOUR BODY and YOUR LIFE!

9) And just enjoy the girl power!

Here's a late addition to this post -- one of the most common misconceptions about diet / nutrition is that you have to eat to lose bodyfat

• 
  The following is an excerpt I put in a thread started by a new gal coming to EF & wondering why the training is stalling out:
  
  The simplest thing to remember is that you have to EAT TO LOSE BODYFAT! Your body is a nearly perfect biochemical machine that WANTS to run efficiently. Its like fueling a Ferrari w/ high grade gasoline -- filling the tank when its empty, replacing the oil, etc, running it like it loves to be run at high speeds takign sharp corners and looking all sexy, running down all of its fuel and various maintenance items. Then replacing those items with exactly what it needs, cleanest sources available and in just the right amounts for optimized operation. BUT if you have all of that and then throw some mud in the gas tank, expect this amazing machine to run like crap. Thus you get the "plateau" you don't feel as energetic or vibrant any more, your results start to crap out and then you start to feel frustrated with all of your time in the gym because nothing seems to be working.
  
  Its easy to fix - clean the mud out of your gas tank. Get the good quality gas. Change your oil. Basic stuff to get you started:
  
  - Keep your processed food intake to a minimum - this includes Cheerios, ice cream, Ritz crackers, and yes, even wheat bread. Avoid "white" carbs -- i.e. white bread. Replace with good starchy carbs -- potatos, yams, brown rice (though I don't eat much of this), oatmeal (not the quick-oats but the old-fashioned oats, and not the flavored stuff that comes in packets either). Peanut butter - use Natural PB -e.g. Smuckers. The regular stuff has lots of sugars & stuff in it.
  
  - Eat protein at every meal. Chicken, fish, steak, turkey, eggs
  
  - Drink your weight in ounces of water (e.g. i weigh 150 lb, i drink 150 oz water) -- keeps you hydrated and your system flushed, helps to carry out the waste/ by-products of your body's daily processing functions
  
  - Fats - make sure you get some fats -- almonds, natural PB, fish, Essential Fatty Acid (EFA) pills, flax seed oil are all options
  
  - Eat 5-6 smaller meals - seperated by 2-3 hrs -- this is because your body can process proteins / fats & carbs from one meal wihin that time -- same as filling the tank on the Ferrrari, running it at top speed across I-75 from Miami to Ft Myers (across the FL peninsula east to west) to burn up all the fuel, and sitting for your next meal in another 2-3 hrs.
  
  - Save your junk food for a single cheat (or call it a "reward" ) meal or day after staying clean for a week. Its good to throw some junk in your system so it is able to process it occassionally -- i.e. if u eat 100% clean all the time, eventually your body has a hard time processing junk like too much salt, dairy, too many carbs, etc. and it just isn't fun. So every 5-7 days throw in some junk. Not a lot of junk, but some junk. IT also helps you keep from going nuts on a tight diet and also gives you room to plan your socializing.
  
  the Cardio Thing...
  Another challenge -- lots of women come from more of a cardio-centric background and wonder the best way to "lose weight" because the cardio thing isn't getting them "toned". Cardio can be a great tool, but in the stack of diet, training & cardio, its #3. Cardio needs to be used judiciously to attain goals because it can burn fat AND muscle and lots of women forget that - they are so focused on "losing fat" and see muscle as something Arnold Schwartzenegger has and they don't want - but the reality is that the primary components of your body are bone, fat & muscle. Bone is pretty much established already, but fat & muscle are the things that make up "how you look". If you consider that your body is a physical representation of how you fuel (eat) and what activities & stresses you demand of your body -- look at the extremes:
  
  - marathon runners = "lots of cardio lifestyle" = long, lanky, skinnyfat
  - sprinters = "short spurts" type activity = lean, tight, muscular
  
  Which look were you going for?
  
  To that end, here's part of a discussion I wrote regarding how to make a switch from the cardio focus to the lifting focus - and this can be a big mental challenge if you are one of those people who uses cardio to relax and just manage your day. I do that w/ lifting and have a constant struggle doing cardio because I don't enjoy it that much so the activities are slightly different but the switch in your focus is still a personal challenge that can be hard for each person to get their mind around & embrace because it is a change in habit, change in what you've conditioned yourself for and can be counterintuitive if you believe that not doing cardio will make you fat. The best way to start is to take it as an experiment and allow yourself 3 weeks to not worry about the results - if you don't like the results, you can always go back to what you were doing - but give yourself an honest 3 weeks of effort to try it. Then you can see for yourself what it does / how your body responds and also expand your own personal experience & perceptions as you go.
  
  Excerpt:
  
  I excercise 4-5 days a week. 30 - 60 min of mod. to intense cardio ( usually 40 - 45 min). I weight train for about a half hour.
  I have a hard time pushing myself sometimes. How much time is reasonable to spend on weights (busy schedule!! like everyone else right?)
  
  Don't worry about the time spent on weights but rather what you do w/ the time. You have 30-60 min for cardio -- which IMO is way too much for where you are at and what you want to accomplish. A guideline is to figure 3 exercises per bodypart, 3 sets per each exercise of 8-12 reps per set. That can give you an idea -- Usually if I'm doing 2 muscle groups together I will do one heavier / more and the other lighter / less and then reverse them on the next day Im' scheduled to do those bodyparts together. That way you can work both of them but not over work either. (That's just one way to approach... but the point is to give an idea of a way to quantify "how much" to do.) Or look at a couple days of the Shadow Project and use that as a guide to count the total number of reps / sets / exercises roughly for one day's workout. But time-wise, generally expect 45 - 60 minutes. I find I take a little longer on leg day but it usually ends up about 45 min (excluding talk time, waiting for eqpt, etc.) But don't cut your workout short or anything because of the time it takes (unless u do have to leave) - the point is to make the most of the time and to do your scheduled workout. Keep it intense, don't sit around and chat, etc. But also as you do the workout more, you will be able to speed up, get more comfortable w/ the different moves, etc. And always push yourself --- even ask for a spot if you need it -- that's always the way I challenged myself -- can i keep my form tight and complete at least 8 tight reps? Eventually you start to see just how strong the body (esp the female body!) can be.
  
  I'm doing something Ive never done before. Im going to the gym and heading straight for the weights. I'm going to try switching it up. 45- hour weights and 2-3 days a week HIIT. Its going to be a huge change for me but I need to gain muscle. I've looked over the shadow project and eventually I'm going to jump into that but I need to spend more time (time, whats that LOL) to look at it.
  
  Its always wild when you change how you are comfortable doign things - trust me -- I've been WEIGHT lifting for 25 yrs. I LOVE IT. Its addictive. I get off on how much I can lift and what my body can do and how it looks. It gives me a stress outlet like nothing else does. And I feel COMFORTABLE in the gym. Like its my natural environment. And yet I really need to do cardio now. I"ve got enough recurring aches & pains that I can't lift heavy unless I schedule a trip to my chiro & massage therapist to push everything back into place. And I detest cardio. And that's really all I should be doign at this point. BLAHHHHHH! LOL So yes I do understand! IMO however, cardio is cardio is cardio. Its fairly boring & repetitive. LIfting, however, presents a hyuge variety of exercises and challenges to keep it interesting. (I"m sure other people thing lifting is more boring than watching paint dry...) But its different and like I said - if you give it 3 weeks of honest effort, you'll see results. Anyone can give a commitment of 3 weeks to try something new. (I will continue telling myself that as well....!!!!)
  
  But what you are doing is exactly what you should do to get where you want to go. The cardio is going to be your enemy because what it produces is exactly contradictory to what your goals are. And its more important to fuel for and train for what your goals are. You can always go back to the cardio or modify it again some other way later but for now you have a different goal that you will not meet if you keep doing an hr of cardio every day.
  
  I've gained 2 pounds since I started which freaks me out (yes, I'm a slave to the scale but it DID help me loose 55 lbs!)
  
  This is one of the big mental challenges of "fitness" - the scale is not an accurate measure of "goals" and because we've been raised to consider an accurate measure, we draw many of the wrong conclusions from it that can actually affect how we feel about ourselves. Some people can deal w/ it, some can't. Feel free to use the scale, but please remember what it is telling you - a 2 lb change can be from water. And what does that imply about you as a person? You are now a 'fat ass'? Hardly. Its water for cripessake.
  
  If you want to use that number in a meaningful way then also get your bodyfat done or pay attention to how your clothes fit - e.g. -- tight in the waist, loose in the waist? Tighter in the quads / legs? etc. That gives you an indication of WHAT that weight is made up of -- muscle or fat or water. That's really what's important.
  
  Does anyone have any suggestions. I want to gain a few pounds of muscle and loose the roll of fat around the middle.
  If Im diligent about how long do you think till I start seeing results.(I'm a should have done it yesterday kinda girl..)
  
  What you are doign is exactly correct. Give it 3 weeks just to see what the change in diet & trainign can do. It takes 2-3 weeks for your body to show distinct changes due to diet & training - you can see transient changes over a couple days' time but that can easily be water or your body recovering from training or whatever. It really takes 2-3 weeks for any significant change in your daily life to show itself.
  
  The other mental challenge is to not get ahead of yourself and start digging around for quicky changes. Someone may say - sure you can drop 10 lb in a week --- well yes you can -- you can do a water depletion, do a crapload of cardio and take a diuretic like dandelion root and drop 10 lb of water weight in a week - physique competitors do it all the time for competition -- but they EXPECT to rebound a couple days later - always remember that your body deals in trying to maintain an equilibrium - that's why it takes a couple weeks of makign adjustments in your diet & routine, letting your body receive those changes and accommodate them and slowly adjust itself up or down to respond to consistent changes. Any wild changes (i.e. yoyo dieting) will result in a forced response for a while, but then your body will eventually so "nope I can't support this anymore, I ain't gonna do it, screw you, we're doing what I say now" and then your metabolism slows down, you start to not loose weight anymore, probably start to gain weight or get sick, feel like shit and end up worse off than when you started.
  
  And w/ the 2-3 week thing- its important to give what ever you are trying a real 2-3 week change to work - if you get impatient and start changing other things you won't really know what works or may again stall your progress by introducing conflicting components of diet / training because someone said "do this - you'll get quick results". Your body can't respond consistently to conflicting messages so it will either freak out or just stall and do nothing.
  
  I think you are completely heading in the right direction -- your goal is to build muscle -- don't worry about the bodyfat -- that will take care of itself in the process. Focus on teh GAINING part first. That means:
  - eat (aka "fuel") for your goal -- that means enough protein to support muscle growth - AT LEAST 1.2 x your bodyweight in grams of good protein -- and in the mix of your diet it should come out about 40% of your total -- protein / fats / carbs. Also get enough good quality fats & carbs to support the energy needed to lift. If you feel tired or can't sleep well w/ the change in training, look first at your carbs - make sure you are getting enough complex carbs and when you eat them to fuel your training & recovery.
  
  - training - LIFT! Don't be scared of it. Make it your own. Women so often cheat themselves out of strength because they think only sweaty musclebound meatheads use the free weights and women are supposed to circuit train. BULLSHIT!!!!!! Make that gym YOURS!
  
  - Cardio -- just a little - even the switch to HIIT will be a different sort of challenge. You may also notice a change in how your body responds to it instead of steadystate.
  
  - Enjoy it! Sometimes the day to day changes can be frustrating but if you focus on noticing how your body responds to each day's program -- i.e. its an experiment -- and it isn't over until 3 weeks from now. See how you feel, your energy levels, how well you sleep, etc. Its all very interesting to watch because you are making changes to the very fundamental things that make up you & your body -- your moods, how efficeintly your body burns energy and builds itself. Its really an amazing machine when you treat it the way it wants to be treated because it wants to run efficiently!

• 
  
  
  NEWBIE looking for workout advice and support. Have worked out for at past 12 years. 39 years old and mother of 3 (10, 8, 2). Started lifting heavy (for me) with my husband five years ago. I get in moods where I do bodypump classes and light weights with high reps, but I always return to the heavier weight.
  Stats: 5'5", 123lbs, estimate about 18% bodyfat.
  Goals: I want to add muscle size and strength, but not fat. Current lifts are: Squat 160lbs for 5 reps, curl 60lbs for 5 reps, and bench 100lbs for 5 reps. (Strong lower body but weak upper body. My arms are currently 11 3/4 inches and I want 12+ inch arms so bad but I have hit a plateau.
  Training: I train 5 days a week. M=Back, T=Chest, W=Legs, Th=off, Fri=Arms, Sat=Shoulders, Sun=Off. I do cardio for 30-60 minutes 3-4 days a week.
  Diet: I eat a pretty good diet. I am a housewife so it is easier, but having 3 kids makes up for that. I consume about 120 grams of protein/day and eat healthy. (Love my veggies). Typical day. Meal 1-Protein shake with skim milk, frozen blueberries and a little peanut butter. Meal 2 is after I workout and is usually a premade protein drink with water. Meal 3 is around 1:00 and is spinach salad with tuna (can) and brocolli. Meal 4 is after a nap around 3:30-4:00. Usually an apple with peanut butter or red grapes and cottage cheese or almonds and an apple. Meal 5 is supper and is where I get creative to include veggies in the kids diet. Usually a lean beef or chicken and salad with brown rice. Might make a cheese sauce with lowfat cheese and cauliflower in the blender. Meal 6 is more of a snack around 8:00 and might be almonds or a serving of soy chips. (I love oysters and might eat smoked oysters as my protein for a snack. Cautious about the fat though).
  
  Vices-a glass of red wine now and then, beer and pizza or chicken wings probably one night on the weekend, and dark chocolate I keep hidden from my husband.
  
  Supplements: Take a multivitamin and flaxseed. Before workout I take Saturn Rush--good buzz, average pump feeling. Will drink creatine and glutamine in grape juice after workouts.
  
  I guess my question is what do I need to do to take it up a notch. I would love to squat 185 five times. I would love to bench 115 five times and max 135. I would love to curl 60-70lbs 10 times. I would also like to do 10 pullups unassisted. (currently 4-5). Are these unrealistic goals for my age and size? What natural supplementation would get me there. (Not ready for roids). Example...a girl at the gym was using ZMA and Tribulus....waste of time or worth researching? Another guy suggested 6 oxo, but is that a good choice for a women? Not ready to try any of these yet, just looking for information. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with my body, just always looking to improve strength and size?
  
  
  
  Rebecca D

 

[Thandie]

Hi,

I am new to this board and looking for support with my fitness program.

I'm doing a figure contest in June (my second) and I need all the help I can get; and hopefully I can be of any help to others.
I had a training partner who was guiding me through this, but pulled out and now I'm a bit nervous doing this on my own.
I have been training for over 15 years, so I'm not exactly in the dark about this, but it would be nice to have some support.

My stats:
-Weight: 112lb
-Height: 5'6"
-Bodyfat: appx 12%
- Goals: getting figure contest ready for June.
- Current training & cardio schedule: 1 body part per day, Monday-Friday of strenght training & 4-5 days of cardio.
- Current meal plan: I have 6-7 meals per day consisting of apprx 150gm protein; 150gm carbs; 25gm fat.

#1- 4 egg whites scrambled, 1 c oatmeal, green tea at 5:15am
#2- 1 protein shake.
#3-Salad w/ grilled chicken, 1/2c brown rice.
#4-Oatmeal/eggwhite pancake.
#5-Grilled fish or chicken w/ vegetables & yams.
#6-Protein shake.

Some days I have more, depending of how many calories I need.
I have no salient medical concerns.

I have approximately 11 weeks before contest.

Thandie

 

[amie]

Hi There,
I am a Figure girl too... First thing that strikes me is you might want to add muscle weight. Fig judges seem to be going for a fuller look, At 5'6" I'd be looking at 125-135... lean strong 125-135. Your diet looks good for now. Maybe try adding some creatine to your diet and LIFT HEAVIER. I'd be happy to look at some pics if you wanna forward me some as you get a bit closer to your show.
Also,
try not to do too much cardiio while try to build muscle, if you lean out too soon you'll lose volume and look stringy on stage
Amie

Hi,

I am new to this board and looking for support with my fitness program.

I'm doing a figure contest in June (my second) and I need all the help I can get; and hopefully I can be of any help to others.
I had a training partner who was guiding me through this, but pulled out and now I'm a bit nervous doing this on my own.
I have been training for over 15 years, so I'm not exactly in the dark about this, but it would be nice to have some support.

My stats:
-Weight: 112lb
-Height: 5'6"
-Bodyfat: appx 12%
- Goals: getting figure contest ready for June.
- Current training & cardio schedule: 1 body part per day, Monday-Friday of strenght training & 4-5 days of cardio.
- Current meal plan: I have 6-7 meals per day consisting of apprx 150gm protein; 150gm carbs; 25gm fat.

#1- 4 egg whites scrambled, 1 c oatmeal, green tea at 5:15am
#2- 1 protein shake.
#3-Salad w/ grilled chicken, 1/2c brown rice.
#4-Oatmeal/eggwhite pancake.
#5-Grilled fish or chicken w/ vegetables & yams.
#6-Protein shake.

Some days I have more, depending of how many calories I need.
I have no salient medical concerns.

I have approximately 11 weeks before contest.

Thandie

 

[** Jade **]

Hi!

I'm new to this whole thing I've been browsing this site for a few weeks and realized I've got a lot to learn but I'm excited to start. I've also never participated in forums or posted anything so not sure if this will even work. I have pretty much had the same body my whole life ... no real changes to my weight maybe just a little more muscle sometimes.

I'm 20 years old and have been moderately active my whole life. When I say active I mean I've basically just done anything cardio and avoided anything to do with weights but I realize this has to change. Recently I have become alot lazier because my work out buddy moved away ahahaha and I'm a student.
My info:

Weight: 130
Height: 5'5
Body Fat: 21% ish ( I've gotten a few different numbers but this seems to be the average)

Workout:
My workout routine is pretty much just go to the gym (3x/week) and hit up the elyptical or jog for 30 minutes , do some type of ab thing and arms and stretch and then peace out (bad I know I just never know wtf to do). Recently its gotten worse and i just walk 3 times a week for 45 minutes.

Diet:
(changes but this is typical)

Breakfast- 2 scrambled eggs or cereal, toast, glass of milk

Snack- apple, fruit/veggie bar

Lunch- chicken or tuna sandwich, fruit, chopped up veggies

Snack- yogurt or trail mix or quick carb fix (bread with butter)

Dinner- carbs(pasta or rice), meat (chicken or beef), salad, steamed vegetable and then an awesome dessert (sometimes fruit usually ice cream or choclate) oh yes and a glass of milk

So where do I start?? I 'm def going to read "Body for life" and just wondering where I can find the link to the Shadow project (can't find iti)

Thanks everyone... sorry this is so freakin long

 

[** Jade **]

oops ... forgot something very important my goals. I want to get awesome abs, tight ass etc... basically i want to get toned, look fit, feel fit, and see what my body can do when treated right.

No medical concerns