desperately need help

[mishvs]

Hello all

I have quite a distressing problem- its long but pls bear with me... Last year May I fell very ill with a virus and lost 11lbs in a very short time. Following that I lost an additional 22 lbs basically because I wasn't eating nearly enough due to the illness.

I was basically anorexic but I did eat-just not a lot and only chicken, fish and green veg. all day every day. I still managed to train but didn't put on any weight. This year April I was at my lowest weight of 90 lbs on my 5'8 frame. since then I have gained 11lbs. I am now desperate to put on more muscle weight but because my hormones are so supressed (tstosterone was so insignificant it hardly shwed up on test results!) I am not gaining muscle.

I am really ready to do something drastic to get a ripped, built physique but I can't get my body to do what I want. I am just very afraid of putting on fat. I want to look ripped and defined not bulky.

My diet is currently hovering around 1600-1800 cal. Loads of protien, moderate srtarchy carbs, supplementing with falx seed oil. Roughly 40/40/20 ratio. (I eat every two hours) As far as training goes I lift four days a week chest/tri, back/bi, legs, shoulders/abs.
I never used to do cardio but now because I am eating so much I have started to do it every day I lift for 20 mins and 40 mins on off days.

I know this is an incredible long post but I am at the end of my line and getting frustrated with this skinny body. If anyone can help me I really want muscles but without the fat!

If more info is needed, i will galdly post.

Thanks
Michelle

Height: 5'8
Weight: 102 lbs
Bodyfat: Had it checked at two different places: one was 11% the other was 20% I'm prob. somewhere in between though.

 

[JJFigure]

First, I understand your metabolism is pretty screwed up, but for a woman who is 5'8, 1600-1800 kcals isn't very much, especially if you want to put on muscle. That's basically my cutting range of kcals, and I'm 5'10. No matter how hard you're lifting, you'll probably only maintain weight at your current level of kcals. I definitely wouldn't be doing more than 2-3 30 minute cardio sessions/week at the top end of your current range of kcals.

Second, how are you lifting? How many sets and reps per sets? Do you train heavy, or do you take a volume training approach?

When you say loads of protein, what do you mean? For some people, 100 grams/day is a lot...

 

[mishvs]

I basically do 4 sets of 12 - 10 - 10-18 reps per each exercise. I'll do three exercises for each body part. I lift heavy- going to faliure not volume training.

As far as my diet goes I take in 140-160g protein a day. I was a bit concerned that this was too high so I have cut it more to 140g than 160g.

If you'd like an exact breakdown I'll be happy to post it. How many kcals should I take in then to gain muscle with min. fat?

 

[JJFigure]

On the training side, I'd drop your reps. To me, 10-12 reps is volume training. I tend to train in the 4-6 rep range - it's pretty hard for natural women to put on muscle, so we really need to train heavy. Working with heavier weights is also more fun, IMO. It's a little bit of an adjustment, so maybe drop to 8 reps for a couple weeks, then 6 reps, and so on. When you can do 8 reps a set, increase the weight.

As far as kcals, again, I suggest a gradual increase. If you're currently eating 1800 kcals/week, next week increase it to 1900 kcals, week after increase to 2000 kcals, and so on. If possible, take a bodyfat measurement at the end of each week, or at least weigh and measure yourself to see how your body is adjusting. Again, your metabolism is probably really screwed up, so just take it slow. Building muscle is all about patience.

I'd also keep your protein in the higher range - 160 is a pretty decent number - and make sure you're getting your EFA's.

Hopefully MS, Spatts, and BrickGirl will post too - they're great at this kind of thing.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Cut the cardio altogether. It's only working against your goals.

The notion that aerobics magically burn fat is a myth. It only burns caloies and it doesn't even do a good job of that. It will also eat up muscle.

Increase Omega 3's but also add some saturated fat to your diet. That's right -- SATURATED fat. It will add calories and simultaneously stimulate the thyroid to prevent fat build up.

Convoluted diet plans and macronutrient cycling and combining and timing is a bunch of baloney.


Lift heavier. Sleep more.

Folow this advice and you will grow.

 

[Nelson Montana]

There are a lot of factors involved in making progress. If someone makes gains they tend to attribute it to what they are doing at the time but the answer may lie elsewhere.

Case in point;

People think that ketogenic diets are magical. Sure, they work -- because you eat less when you're on them. It has nothing to do with ketosis.

Plus, what worked for you, Spatts might not work for another. From what I gather, you're a genetic exception.

My advice is simple Michelle. Follow it, and you will grow.

 

[mishvs]

I am afraid to cut cardio out - I really feel like I am gaining a lot of fat with the muscle, especially on my legs. It's incredibly scary for a recovering anorexic to suddenly stop all cardio and eat a lot. I don't have a problem with the eating but I just get very unmotivated when I see my figure getting "flabbier" and not more muscular.

Are there any supplements that I can take to help regulate my hormones. I would especially like to naturally boost my testosterone but I'm not too clued up on how to. Any advice here?

 

[JJFigure]

I feel for you - eating disorders are hard to overcome, and yes, I'm speaking from personal experience. But Nelson is right; cardio really doesn't burn that many calories, and it tends to interfere with the muscle building process. But I think if you gradually cut down on your cardio, you'll see it's not the big fat burner you think it is. Plus, it will help you make the mental adjustment if you take the "gradual" approach - both to increasing calories and decreasing cardio. I still think cardio is great for the heart and lungs, and makes you a better lifter in the long run, but if you want more muscle, you will need to back off a bit. The heavier lifting you will do burns a lot of calories; that's where your focus should be.

I can't help with the hormone regulation side though, but I'm sure someone else will.

 

[Nelson Montana]

Spatts: I agree with everything you said in your last post.

Michelle: AAAAARGH! This is so typical. Someone comes on "desperately seeking help". You offer it, and then their response is: 'Oh, I can't do that." Or, "I'm afraid to do that" Or, "I don't want to do that", or "I haven't got time to do that" or yadayadayada. Then they keep asking the same question until they get the answer they want to hear. Which is it Michelle? Do you want to solve the problem, or do you want to continue complaining? Take your pick.

 

[FitFossil]

Are there any supplements that I can take to help regulate my hormones. I would especially like to naturally boost my testosterone but I'm not too clued up on how to. Any advice here?

Welcome to the boards. I'm a recovered anorexic/bulimic. Spent 20 years battling that shit and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I won't waste anymore space on that subject. If you want to read more, you can in this thread - http://boards.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=146618

Now on to your hormone question. I highly recommend you read the book Natural Hormone Balance for Women by Uzzi Reiss. Eating disorders can really screw with your homones, so can things like birth control pills. This book covers testosterone (of which he is an advocate for women), estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, growth hormone, thyroid, pregnalone, etc. He talks about hormone management for all stages of life, and for special situations, not just menopause.

This book really opened my eyes about how little the general medical community understands about hormones. Sadly, much of what they know is information provided by the large pharmaceutical companies who use horse estrogens and progestin in their products, whether it be HRT or birth control. Because horse estrogen is stronger and has a different structure from human estrogen, it can cause problems. (Hence all the recent fuss about HRT.) Progestin is a synthetic hormone, which barely resembles natural Progesterone in either structure or function, and causes a host of unpleasant side-effects in many women.

Dr. Reiss advocates using bio-identical hormones, meaning of the same molecular structure as human hormones. (Though NOT the same as the over-the-counter products like "Wild Yam creme", etc.) Since a substance that already occurs in nature cannot be patented, there's no profit in it, so that's why large pharmaceutical companies don't manufacture it. They have to be made by a compounding pharmacy. Many doctors are unaware of these hormonal alternatives, but many are willing to learn - you just have to find the right Dr. The book discusses that as well. Good luck!

P.S. I have recently started testosterone replacement using a 2% creme from a compounding phcy - stay tuned for results.