ECA stack problems - HELP!

[gypsy]

OK, here's what I do. I've been eating the same way for about 2 years now, and I have a huge cheat day on the weekend. A sample of what I eat in a day is this:

8:30am
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1 peach
1 non-fat yogurt
handful of peanuts

noon:
2 pieces of lite rye
1/2 tbsp mayo
chicken or turkey

3:00pm
1/4 cottage cheese
20 grapes
6 peanuts

5:30pm
fish, chicken, beef - some type of meat, about 4 to 5 ounces
cup of green beans
2/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce

9:00pm
same as 3:00

Working out, I run 3 miles 3 times a week, and I do weight training 3 times a week for about a half hour.

Like I said, I've been doing this same routine for well over 2 years now. I went from weighing about 126 to 106 in a few months (I'm 5'5"). Then I sat at around that weight and then I switched birth control pills and shot up to 110 in about 2 weeks time. I've since switched again, but it didn't change anything in my weight. I've only been weight training since January of this year, and I've become more cut and I gained 4 pounds - i HOPE is muscle. So I've been plateaued for what seems like forever, and my build is really disproportional to me - my upper half is way smaller then the bottom, my thighs are just ridiculous looking! Any advice would be SO greatly appreciated.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Where's all your protein? Do you just get protein from cottage cheese, some peanuts and one serving of meat? Yikes. Do you know how many calories this is? Sounds like WAY too few. Drop the yogurt in the morning and add a protein. Egg whites are good. You can't burn fat unless you EAT.

Do a search for "Spatts cutting diet" and you'll get an idea of some different meals.

How long have you been doing the same workout? 3 miles should take you, what, like 20-35 minutes at a constant speed? Your body has surely adapted to that. Change your cardio around. I'd add another day also, but that's because I know my body responds well to more cardio, others may disagree. Do one day of intervals, one day longer duration, one day shorter duration but a faster speed, another day intervals. or something like that. Or change machines (or if you are outside, run stairs one day, sprints around a track, bike or rollerblade, etc.).

 

[gypsy]

Yeah, most of my protein comes from the cottage cheese - if you look at my diet, it's The Zone - I'm eating 40-30-30.

 

[valerie]

Diet is the problem here. Not enough good food. Your wt at 110 for 5'5" is way too low. I'm 5'6" and 135lbs. Need to follow suggestions on this board and do research using search button. You could also have some allergy type problems from eating the same foods all the time. Good luck-Valerie

 

[FitFossil]

Lots of good advice given already. Another thing - don't get alarmed when people say "110 is way too low..." We're not here to make you huge, unless that's your goal. How a certain weight "looks" depends on body composition (%fat %muscle). Muscle is denser than fat. When you change your body composition to have more muscle and less fat, you'll weigh more, but with smaller measurements.

I also had the problem you describe about a disproportionate lower body. My upper body and lower body looked like they belonged to two different people! I'm 5'5" too and I now weigh 125, 10 pounds heavier than I was. I gained muscle and lost bodyfat. I dropped 2 pant sizes and went up a size in tops. Click the Gallery (little camera) button at the bottom of my post to see before/after pics.

Now rather than worrying about scale weight, I think it's cool because people are always surprised (like at the Dr's office) - they say how can you be so tiny and weigh so much? That new muscle weight means more metabolically active tissue. A few years ago, I never would've believed I could actually wear smaller pants AND eat more food. Muscle's the secret!

 

[gypsy]

Since I've been taking the ECA stack, I've been tempted to eat less because i can - cause it makes me not think about eating so much. But I'm eating anyway because I know it's counter-productive to eat to little. I don't want to get huge, and I really am not small looking at all for my height and weight. I seriously have saddlebags on the sides of each thigh, GOD I hate it. So I really should start lifting harder, I usually don't lift until failure (don't smack me). So last night I was all hyped up and felt like I could lift a house, so I really maxed out and I feel GREAT today with my sore muscles.

 

[leanchic]

The body part i work has to be sore, or i will be disappointed,a dn i will work harder the enxt time...i work my muscles till fatigue each time...rememebr no pain, no gain.....i love the pain..im a strange one lol!!

 

[NYCSquatter]

An ECA stack isn't a good sub for diet and lifting, but it has helped me. I'd recommend skipping the added junk and making your own stack from ephedrine hcl, 200mg caffeine, and aspirin.

The thing about diuretics is that your body, in its brilliant, self-adjusting way, responds by fighting water loss. Staying hydrated is actually the best way to prevent water retention. Unless you're eating a ton of salty food, it's probably the proprietary junk and dhea in there.

I just started taking an ECA stack called Luprinol 5 days ago, and since then I am more bloated then I've been in my life - AND I haven't had a bowel movement since! Sounds gross, but it's true and I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced similar problems with the ECA stack. Let me know, before I quick taking it altogether!!

 

[Joe's Girl]

[No message]

 

[Joe's Girl]

I Take The Stack too caffeine asprin and epredrine, I have so much energy plus I eat six times a day, I am doign my first bodybuilding competion in november, I was a size 15 now a size 4, 17 % bodyfat so far, loving the results getting stronnger. I have only been taking the stack for a month now, I train 4 on 1 off and jog everyday for 20-40 minutes. I live in vancouver. Anyone else doign the SWFC show?