At a loss for cutting... feedback please! =)

[skinnyme]

Hi,
I'd also posted this in the Women's Diet and BB forum, but I would love advice from anyone.

Hi,
I'm 5'7" and weight 148 lbs, at 22% BF. I really want to cut 15 lbs of fat, so I'd decided to keep my calories around 1650. However, I've been reading articles about how a good number for all women to eat around is 1800, do you think I should up to that level? I'm 19, and a college student - so I'm running around campus all the time and also working at a job that requires me to be on my feet (5 hrs/3 days a wk).

I'll be heavy-lifting for about 3x/wk, and HIIT cardio in the morn with an empty stomach at 2x/wk.

A typical day, newly altered (Thanks Daisy_Girl!):

9:15 :: Breakfast: 3/4 cup oatmeal, 1 scoop whey PP, 1 Omega-3 egg, 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (sweetener) = ~450 calories

11:45:: Snack: 1 container nonfat yogurt, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 tbsp almonds = ~200 calories

2:15 ::Lunch: whole wheat light bun, turkey burger, lowfat cheese, lettuce/tomato, veggies and hummus = ~400 calories

5:30 :inner: Chicken breast, veggies = ~300-400 calories

8:00 :: Snack: Cottage cheese (1/2 cup), peanut butter 1 tbsp

Total: 1600-1700 calories

Here is some background about me:

The proposed diet is actually pretty new - I'd just started following it about 10 days ago. However, by "dieting" forever, I mean that I've been low-carbing, restricting and then binging, intaking diet pills (Zantrex, Lipovarin). I used to weigh a hefty amount - about 220, a couple years back, but then I went on Atkins, anorexia-style, and lost a good 90 lbs very fast (the last 50 I lost in 80 days, a lot of muscle, I'm sure). However, I regained the weight very fast also, probably from 130 back up to 170. Since then it's been 2 years, and I've lost down to 145-148 range, but I've been stalled - for the past 8 months, and it's getting very frustrating. I'm wondering if I'd screwed up my metabolism forever?
*I've been able to maintain 145-148 on about an 1800-2100 cal diet. I usually try to eat 1800 max but, as we all know, we cheat ourselves into thinking something is a smaller portion and also conveniently forgetting about the bites of stuff in between.

Before I was also just walking after dinner about 1 hr a day. Only very recently have I incorporated HIIT cardio and weight training.

So my exercise routine is as follows:
*weight training = 45 mins HIIT = 20 mins

Monday: weight training - playing with the machines at the gym - I'm going to start doing high intensity/fewer reps.
Tuesday: HIIT cardio in the morning with an empty stomach (and then 4 1/2 hrs at a job where I'm standing and walking around, however)
Wednesday: weight training
Thursday: HIIT cardio
Friday: none (6 hrs at work, I nearly passed out the second I got home yday) - I count it as a double cardio session, haha.
Saturday: weight training
Sunday: light cardio - probably just walking around. Also will let myself have dessert today.

As for other cardio, I'm in college so I'm always running around campus to get from one class to another.

Hopefully, I'll be able to maintain a 1600-1700 cal diet - I know how to eat well now, actually I hate putting processed crap into my mouth and I love eating good carbs, protein, and fat, and real food (it's funny but sometimes I'll crave broccoli!). I really want to lose these last 15 lbs though - I know I can weigh 130, and I know that a scale shouldn't measure anything, but I'm positive I have a nice 15 lbs of fat that I need to get rid of.

I'm also taking Thermorexin 2 a day(or SAN Tight! 2 wk cycles), Gugglebolic Extreme 3 a day, and I'd just recently purchased Levorex and Glucorell-R (waiting for them in the mail!).

So my questions are as follow:

--> Do you think I'll be able to lose these last 15 lbs in 2 months?

--> Does my diet/training schedule sound good?

--> Will the fat/skin around my midsection get even more squishier? Should I consider plastic surgery afterwards?
(I don't know, but I definitely have extra skin around my midsection (my bellybutton is a sad face), and I have stretch marks galore.)

--> Have I ruined my body/metabolism forever..?

I'm just really sick of looking at my body and wanting to cry, and then do so much restricting and work (like I've even tried eating nothing but 1300 cals of cream cheese all day to take off the fat) and then ending up with nothing.

Any input would be great, thanks!!

 

[pintoca]

Coupe of suggestions:

1. Don't put deadlines on your fitness goals: Shoot for an approximate date, but don't feel bad if you gave your all and you still miss the self-imposed date. As we advance, it becomes harder to loose fat. IT takes years to get a nice body.

2. there is no "good number" for either men or women. There is only what is good for you. Try the calculator I posted before and it will give you some guidelines. The absolute minimum a woman should go is BMR or 1200 cals/day. Below that you are hurting yourself.

3. If you plateau, ask yourself:
a. Have I been giving it ALL to my diet? How is the cheating doing=
b. Can I increase my activity? (the little things add up).

4. In general cutting cals when you plateau, will most likely make things worse.

5. For some people, cardio 2x/Week and even no cardio is enough, for most of us, once we get serious about bf%, we need to do at least 4-5 times/week (I personally use to do cardio 6 times/week). So increase frequency. If you were doing HIIT only, try switching to steady state at a moderate-high pace (75% MHR) for 45 min/session. Shocking your body into something new usually helps breaking a plateau.

With your current stats, I could recommend you to go with a split program, carbo cycling that would like:

Your BMR is 1500 cals/day
Your TDEE is 2330 cals/day

shoot for 1700 cals/day on your low carb days with a 45% Prot, 25% carb, 30% fat (good fats) ratios. Do this on Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat.

Go for 2000 cals on your carb up days with a split of 35% Prot, 50% carb, 15% fat. THis is for Thu, Sun.

Arrange your training of large muscle groups (back, legs) for the day (or around) the carb up days.

The calculator will tell you how many grams of each is this.

Last but not least, MONITOR your bf% weekly and make adjustments if you are loosing LBM.

With a program like this I am sure you can drop some additional fat.

Pintoca

 

[jenscats5]

The basic "rule" for fat loss is: 10-12 times your current bodyweight.

For example: If you weigh 100lbs now; 100x10=1,000; 100x12=1,200 --> That would be your calorie range.

Do NOT depend on your scale weight as a judge of results. A woman on Shadow's Plan has lost 2 pants sizes & gained 6lbs. As you lose BF & add muscle, you may not necessarily lose pounds.....

Take pics now & after following your plan for 6 weeks. See if you notice any difference. Post them in the Women's Forum & we will tell you if there's a diff.

I would keep your HIIT cardio as it is for now..... only add more when you plateau.... If your diet is tight, you should be fine....

 

[pintoca]

I definitely need to go over to the Women's forum and have a look at Shadow's Project. I keep reading about it... I might be missing out big time on that...

 

[jenscats5]

I definitely need to go over to the Women's forum and have a look at Shadow's Project. I keep reading about it... I might be missing out big time on that...

It's good stuff man..... Lots of results....

 

[pintoca]

It's good stuff man..... Lots of results....

Somebody needs to think about a 10.000 Posts dedication!!!

Congrats.