Chicken Feed - introduction & 12 week plan

[ChickenFeed]

Hi everyone! I’m a new poster on the boards, but have been a lurker on EF off and on for a few years. I feel humble posting here because so many of you are insanely fit and very knowledgeable about training and supplementation, but I hope to join in on the discussions and share my personal journey.

I’m technically a training newbie – I’ve started weightlifting plans in the past, but I usually end up overtraining by the second week and giving up. This time, however, I have spent the last couple of weeks adjusting to my diet and learning proper form (and recovery!). I’ve also gone through a significant weight loss before – I lost 60+ pounds a few years ago (using unhealthy methods) and of course, I also lost plenty of muscle and gained most of the weight back in fat. To say the least, it is frustrating to look at myself. Since I’ve had a heavy build all of my life, I got a huge confidence boost from losing weight the first time and I’m kicking myself for letting it get this out of control.


Starting Stats

Female, 25 years old
5 ‘7, 160 pounds
Estimated body fat: 36% (according to the Navy formula, I need to pick up some calipers!)
Body type: I store my fat pretty evenly – belly and hips are storing the most right now, but they are usually the first to go. I have thin bones, but a large frame if that makes any sense.

Goals

More than anything, my goal is to stay on track. I know the phrase “lifestyle change” is an overused cliché, but it fits. I just ended my 2nd week of a 12 week program and I already feel amazing. My energy is up and my mood swings have disappeared. My hope is that I can cut & bulk at the same time or at the very least, minimize any muscle loss. Most of what I’ve read says this is impossible, unless you are a beginner. Is this accurate?

No idea what weight and body fat % I should for. My lowest weight was 125 with measurements of 34DD-25-35, but even then, I looked flabby and my thighs & arms were still large. I’m not interested in competing, but I am aiming for my own ideal balance of femininity and muscularity. (meaning, I’ll train until I start losing my boobs). Like everyone else, I’d like to get there as quickly as possible, but I am making room in my life for the commitment.

Hopefully I haven’t bored you to death by this point – I’ll post my diet & training plans below. If you have any suggestions on how I should modify my approach or just want to say hello – please do!

 

[ChickenFeed]

Diet

This is hard for me. I think I have the ratios and foods down, but I have a terrible relationship with food. I’m assuming my calories are too low for my training schedule, but the thought of going over this range freaks me out. However, I don't feel hungry or deprived AT ALL and have been able to stick to this plan solid for the past couple of weeks, which is a huge accomplishment for a carb junkie.

1200 – 1400 calories per day – eating every 2-3 hours
90 – 105g protein
25 – 35g fiber
100 – 120 oz. water
40% Carbs 30% Fat 30% Protein

No white flour, white sugar or hydrogenated oils. No pasta or bread (exceptions below) No diet soda. Splenda and honey are primary sweeteners, aspartame on occasion. 1 serving of fruit per week. Diet has consisted of chicken breast, turkey breast, turkey bacon, egg whites, tofu, nuts, peanut butter, unsweetened soymilk, cottage cheese, yogurt, brown rice, oats, tofu shirataki noodles, Ezekiel bread, granola, hummus, beans, edamame, vegetables, natural peanut butter, nuts, dried & fresh fruit.


Supplementation

This is my initial plan compiled from research on the boards, I’ve only been taking the protein, vitamins & fish oil o far – any thoughts or suggestions on how I should modify the rest?

Optimum Whey: 2-3 servings per day, prepared with unsweetened soymilk, sometimes fruit
Creatine (Ethyl Ester): 2g twice a day with shake
L-Glutamine: 5g twice a day with shake
R-Dihydro-Lipoic Acid: 150mg 3 times a day
Thermorexin: Before cardio on empty stomach
Levorex: 3 times per day
Multi-vitamin (includes calcium) – twice a day
Fish Oil – 345mg twice a day

 

[ChickenFeed]

Training

I have a gym in my building with a multi-use cable machine, a full set of dumbbells, bench & cardio equipment. This is about all that I have to work with. I haven’t been successful with gym memberships in the past because of the time commitment & my hectic work schedule, but I’ll join again if I grow out of this equipment and I can figure out how to condense my weight training.

Cardio: Mostly HIIT (30 seconds high, 60 seconds low w/ warmup / cooldown) in the mornings before breakfast. Elliptical, bike, treadmill, jumprope, circuit training, boot-camp type exercises. Thinking I might incorporate longer sessions of moderate intensity in a few weeks to mix things up a bit?

Weights: Body for Life approach – 5-set pyramid + superset. (hope I am using these terms correctly!). However, this is not working out too well because it’s hard to find a good weight range to keep increasing the weight each set. I’ve been using the first 12 reps on the lightest weight – last set of reps are to failure. Although I am trying, I am not sure if I am practicing proper form because there aren’t enough mirrors.

I feel like this area needs the most work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ideally, I’d like to find a training facility to help me in this area (any reccos for good trainers in LA?)

Schedule

Monday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical
Chest: Pyramid Incline Dumbbell Press + 12 rep Superset Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Triceps: Pyramid Cable Pushdowns + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Kickbacks
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Tuesday
Quads: Pyramid Dumbbell Bench Squat + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Rear Lunge
Calves: Dumbbell Calf Raise, 3 sets, 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Wednesday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical

Thursday
Hamstrings: Pyramid Lying Leg Cable Curls + 12 rep Superset Flutter Kicks
Glutes: Dumbbell Forward Lunges, 3 sets 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Friday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical
Shoulders: Pyramid Seated Dumbbell Press + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Front Lateral Raise
Back: Lat Pulldown, 3 sets, 12 reps, Seated Cable Rows, 3 sets, 12 reps, Dumbbell Deadlift 3 sets, 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps
Saturday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical

Sunday
Rest!

 

[Bikini Mod]

Diet

This is hard for me. I think I have the ratios and foods down, but I have a terrible relationship with food. I’m assuming my calories are too low for my training schedule, but the thought of going over this range freaks me out. However, I don't feel hungry or deprived AT ALL and have been able to stick to this plan solid for the past couple of weeks, which is a huge accomplishment for a carb junkie.

1200 – 1400 calories per day – eating every 2-3 hours
90 – 105g protein
25 – 35g fiber
100 – 120 oz. water
40% Carbs 30% Fat 30% Protein

No white flour, white sugar or hydrogenated oils. No pasta or bread (exceptions below) No diet soda. Splenda and honey are primary sweeteners, aspartame on occasion. 1 serving of fruit per week. Diet has consisted of chicken breast, turkey breast, turkey bacon, egg whites, tofu, nuts, peanut butter, unsweetened soymilk, cottage cheese, yogurt, brown rice, oats, tofu shirataki noodles, Ezekiel bread, granola, hummus, beans, edamame, vegetables, natural peanut butter, nuts, dried & fresh fruit.


Supplementation

This is my initial plan compiled from research on the boards, I’ve only been taking the protein, vitamins & fish oil o far – any thoughts or suggestions on how I should modify the rest?

Optimum Whey: 2-3 servings per day, prepared with unsweetened soymilk, sometimes fruit
Creatine (Ethyl Ester): 2g twice a day with shake
L-Glutamine: 5g twice a day with shake
R-Dihydro-Lipoic Acid: 150mg 3 times a day
Thermorexin: Before cardio on empty stomach
Levorex: 3 times per day
Multi-vitamin (includes calcium) – twice a day
Fish Oil – 345mg twice a day

So far so good but it would be more helpfull if you gave us a breakdown of what you eat at each meal.

ie:

Meal one
2 whole eggs, 1 cup of oatmeal and handfull of strawberries.

Meal two
1 chicken breast, 1 cup of brown rice, steamed broccoli

Meal three
1 whey shake made w/soy milk, frozen blueberries, dollop of peanut butter, small yam

Meal four
steak, steamed veggies

etc, etc, etc...

As the day progresses and you become less active you can eliminate the slow-burning comp carbohydrates from your meal.

 

[Bikini Mod]

Training

I have a gym in my building with a multi-use cable machine, a full set of dumbbells, bench & cardio equipment. This is about all that I have to work with. I haven’t been successful with gym memberships in the past because of the time commitment & my hectic work schedule, but I’ll join again if I grow out of this equipment and I can figure out how to condense my weight training.

Cardio: Mostly HIIT (30 seconds high, 60 seconds low w/ warmup / cooldown) in the mornings before breakfast. Elliptical, bike, treadmill, jumprope, circuit training, boot-camp type exercises. Thinking I might incorporate longer sessions of moderate intensity in a few weeks to mix things up a bit?

Weights: Body for Life approach – 5-set pyramid + superset. (hope I am using these terms correctly!). However, this is not working out too well because it’s hard to find a good weight range to keep increasing the weight each set. I’ve been using the first 12 reps on the lightest weight – last set of reps are to failure. Although I am trying, I am not sure if I am practicing proper form because there aren’t enough mirrors.

I feel like this area needs the most work. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Ideally, I’d like to find a training facility to help me in this area (any reccos for good trainers in LA?)

Schedule

Monday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical
Chest: Pyramid Incline Dumbbell Press + 12 rep Superset Incline Dumbbell Flyes
Triceps: Pyramid Cable Pushdowns + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Kickbacks
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Tuesday
Quads: Pyramid Dumbbell Bench Squat + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Rear Lunge
Calves: Dumbbell Calf Raise, 3 sets, 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Wednesday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical

Thursday
Hamstrings: Pyramid Lying Leg Cable Curls + 12 rep Superset Flutter Kicks
Glutes: Dumbbell Forward Lunges, 3 sets 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps

Friday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical
Shoulders: Pyramid Seated Dumbbell Press + 12 rep Superset Dumbbell Front Lateral Raise
Back: Lat Pulldown, 3 sets, 12 reps, Seated Cable Rows, 3 sets, 12 reps, Dumbbell Deadlift 3 sets, 12 reps
Abs: Air Bike, 3 sets of 20 reps + bench leg lifts, 3 sets 20 reps
Saturday
Cardio: HIIT 20 mins, elliptical

Sunday
Rest!

This is an excellent start (as was your diet)!

The only modifications I would make is too much cardio to begin with. I would start out w/cardio only 3 times per week and only increase it in once your fat loss progress is halted. Make Wednesday another rest day.

And there is no need to train your abs every day. Every other day (2 x's p/week is more than enough). If your abs aren't so sore 48 hours after you have trained them initially then you aren't working them hard enough to begin with.

 

[ChickenFeed]

So far so good but it would be more helpfull if you gave us a breakdown of what you eat at each meal.

Here's a sample of what I've generally been eating on my lifting days, and plan to stick with. I have a little less protein on non-lifting days. I've modified this to include the new supplement schedule/plan. It's pretty structured but is necessary with my work schedule - I have to set reminders on my computer to remind me when to eat, or I'll get too busy and forget.

6am
Thermorex supplement
Cardio & Lift

7am
1 Cup (Prepared) Steel-cut Oatmeal w/ Splenda & Honey
Protein Shake (powder, soymilk, 5g glutamine)
2g Creatine, Multi-vitamin, Fish Oil, Levorex, 150mg R-alpha lipoic acid
3g Fat, 43g Carbs, 34g Protein

10am
40 Edamame pods
4g Fat, 12g Carbs, 9g Protein

1pm
Sandwich with sprouted grain bread, turkey breast, & a few baby carrots
3g Fat, 34g Carbs, 21g Protein

4pm
Protein Shake: (powder, soymilk, 5g glutamine)
10 Almonds
Levorex, 2g Creatine, 150mg R-ALA - r-alpha lipoic acid -
10g Fat, 8g Carbs, 21g Protein

7pm
Chicken Breast, Green Beans, Baby Carrots
Multi-vitamin, Fish Oil, Levorex, 150mg R-ALA
4g Fat, 24g Carbs, 28g Protein

9pm
Protein Shake: (scoop powder, soymilk)
1TB Peanut Butter
11g Fat, 7g Carbs, 21g Protein

TOTAL
1350 Calories
38g Fat (25%)
128g Carbs (38%)
133g Protein (39%)
35g Fiber

As the day progresses and you become less active you can eliminate the slow-burning comp carbohydrates from your meal.

This is good advice and makes sense - thanks for taking a look and commenting!

 

[ChickenFeed]

This is an excellent start (as was your diet)!

The only modifications I would make is too much cardio to begin with. I would start out w/cardio only 3 times per week and only increase it in once your fat loss progress is halted. Make Wednesday another rest day.

And there is no need to train your abs every day. Every other day (2 x's p/week is more than enough). If your abs aren't so sore 48 hours after you have trained them initially then you aren't working them hard enough to begin with.

Thanks! I'll do as you suggest and make Wednesday a rest day for a couple of weeks. My abs are sore for about a day - they seem to recover the fastest. Any ideas on how I can make my ab workouts a little tougher? Should I do more sets, higher reps, other exercises?

 

[MsBeverlyHills]

a couple comments about your diet. drop the creatine- women dont need it & it will bloat you, drop the soy milk & use non-fat milk or water. soy is basically terrible for you. i can find a few links that go into detail but generally stay away from soy & get your protein from whey.

at this point in your diet- your relying too heavy on protein shakes. I would only do those once a day max- eat real food now so you keep your muscle mass on while dieting.

good luck!

 

[fitness-rubber]

And there is no need to train your abs every day. Every other day (2 x's p/week is more than enough). If your abs aren't so sore 48 hours after you have trained them initially then you aren't working them hard enough to begin with.

This is a great point to keep in mind - one that I've been guilty of forgetting in the past...

 

[ChickenFeed]

Thanks MsBeverlyHills!

Unfortunately I am lactose-intolerant and can't drink lactose-free milk so it's either soymilk or water. I'm not sure what a good whey protein source is other than protein powders (I can only tolerate small amounts of cottage cheese & yogurt), which is why I am having 1-2 scoops of powder a day. But I'll look this up.

Although I've heard that soy isn't as effective other proteins, I thought it was myth that soy protein is bad for you? I'm curious to find out, because I love the taste & versatility of soy.