Encouragement needed...

[fixerupper]

Hi all,

This is my first post, though I've been browsing the boards for a few weeks and love the site. I am finally posting because I need some advice/support before I throw in the towel! You ladies are extremely motivating.

About me:

I'm 27 years old, 5'6" and about 130lbs with a BF probably around 20%. I'm athletic and an avid gym goer, though my usual routine was mostly boring hour-long cardio sessions that didn't do much for me.

My current goal is to lose some of the flab I've put on since moving in with my husband, who eats crap food 24/7 and somehow manages to LOSE weight. His waist is actually smaller than mine! Grrr. I have gained about 10 pounds over the course of 4 years...

I've been following a BFL regimen for about 3 weeks now. I am lifting hard (sore just about every day), doing HIIT cardio 2 days a week and a 1-hr low-intensity walk with the dogs every few days.

I'm also following the 5-6 meals a day, high protein and low carb/sugar. My major stand-bys are low-fat cottage cheese, turkey slices, tuna with mustard, etc. I am not 100% clean - I definitely can improve in this area, and am working ont it I have had a cheat day once a week, but overall I think my diet is pretty good. I started taking Hydroxycut about a week ago, and am not noticing anything (good or bad) from that.

The problem is this - I can feel my muscles improving, and can even see some changes in the mirror. Yay, right? But I am not losing any fat. I feel like I have hit some inbetween awkward phase where I am actually getting bigger due to the extra muscle and same amount of fat. It's extremely frustrating.

Deep in my heart of hearts I know I need to push through this, that if I keep building muscle that muscle will help burn the fat off and I will look and feel better in the end...... but when I look in the mirror, I am just totally not happy right now! Please tell me this is not all in my head - has anyone had a personal experience with this "awkward phase" and come out on the other side? How long did it take?! Or, any advice on kickstarting the fat loss? I need something to motivate me to stay strong and on my plan!

Thanks in advance for anything you can give me - I need it!

 

[Gymgurl]

Hey welcome and I am so glad that you posted! All the women here are great! What is your diet like would be my first question

 

[Daisy_Girl]

You have been doing this for 3 weeks?

Be patient. Seriously.

You are on the right track. You did not gain the weight overnight, nor will you lose the weight overnight. Patience grasshopper.

 

[fixerupper]

My diet is mostly good - except for my cheat meal, which I have been taking on Saturdays. At that meal I usually have something with a lot of sugar (like pancakes with syrup). And always feel like hell afterwards.... you would think it'd help me break the sugar cycle, but it hasn't yet.

For example, today I've had:

8:00am - .5 cup cottage cheese with celery, 1/2 a low-fat wheat english muffin, chai tea with 1 splenda and about 2 tsp. 1% milk

10:30am - coffee w/ 1 splenda, 1 scoop of whey protein with 1 cup 1% milk

11:30 - water!

workout - 12:30-1:30 (arms, abs)

1:30 - lots of water, baby carrots, 1 low-fat dannon yogurt

4:00 - 1 scoop of whey protein with water

At 6ish, I'll have more water, tuna w/ wheat pasta and non-fat mayo for "dinner" (heavy on the tuna, light on the pasta) and a small veggie-filled salad w/ low-cal dressing.

At about 8-8:30 I will probably have turkey slices and some veggies. And maybe a sugar-free popsicle

Tracking calories at Fitday, I'm usually between 1400 and 1550 a day. Should I up this? I have seen various formulas for good calorie intake, but 15x130 is almost 2000 cals/day and that seems like alot for me!

I know the weight won't come off instantly, and I am ok with that. I've done quick fixes before (starvation) and know that's not the route I want to take this time since it obviously isn't a long-term solution. I want to be toned and healthy, hence the focus on good gym workouts.

I guess I just need to know that this IS just an awkward phase of some kind.... that eventually the fat loss will kick in and that it's just not quite as quick as the muscle gain. Right now it feels like all muscle gain, no fat loss, and I feel like a hulk!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Caloric intake seems fine, but I think your macronutrient intake is off.

Where are your healthy fats? (besides the fish, I see basically NO fat)
You need more protein. Your first meal should have more fat.

You are heavy on the dairy, which can be fine. You should have some in there, but it seems to be your primary carb/protein souce. Not a great idea.

I would eat more like this (a general guideline):

Meal 1 (breakfast)
1/2c oatmeal or cream of wheat, made with water (or half water, half skim milk), sweeten with spenda. Can add cinnamon or 1/2 a banana
4 egg whites, 1 whole egg - can scramble with peppers, onion, mushroom if you like

Meal 2 (snack)
1/2c cottage cheese
12-16 almonds (unsalted)

Meal 3 (lunch)
3-4oz lean meat
small red potato or small amt of sweet potato or 1/2c brown rice
unlimited veggies (can drizzle 1tbsp olive oil or flax oil and balsalmic vinegar for flavor)

Meal 4 (snack, postworkout)
protein shake, made with water (or half water, half skim milk)
can also throw a couple berries in there if you wish

Meal 5 (dinner)
3-4oz lean meat
small carb portion - sw pot, br rice
unlimited veggies (drizzle with oil and balsalmic for flavor, if needed)

Meal 6 (nighttime snack)
celery and natty peanut butter (or apple slices)

 

[que_66]

Welcome to EF, Happy logging & Good luck with your goals!!!

I'll leave the diet advice up to the experts because I have a hard enough time just doing my own

I say would say take your body measurements, write them down and in a month or so re-check them. This helps me "see" progress that may not show up on a scale or in the mirror.

You can do this. All good things are worth the effort & the wait.
(Yes, I have to repeat that to myself constantly.)



DG - OMG Hula Baby is sooooooooo cute!!!!!!

 

[fixerupper]

Thanks for the input everyone! I'll work on my patience

Que - I'll take measurements tonight. I've got that on my to-do list anyway, along with photos for extra inspiration. I haven't been using the scale at all since starting the lifting b/c I know from experience that the #'s are pretty meaningless and can be discouraging. I've been 117 but totally flabby, 122 and super toned (my ideal), and now I'm 130 and a little bit of both! I've been using a tight pair of pants as my measuring stick thus far, but a measuring tape would definitely be more accurate.

DaisyGirl, now that you say that I am short on good fats. And heavy on the cottage cheese - it's just so easy to grab, no cooking! I'm a lazy cook but my habits are improving. I have started prepping a bunch of food on Sundays to eat throughout the week. I've learned that if it's not ready for the microwave by the time I get home from work at night, I probably won't eat it.

I'll have some salmon tonight, and slip some eggs and good fats in elsewhere as well. Thanks again for your help. Oh, and DG - Aloha Baby is adorable!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Kudos on realizing you have to prepare a bunch of food one day ..... That really is the only way to do it. I don't know ONE person who has time to prepare all their meals every single day.

I have always prepared all my meat on Sunday, but prepared veggies and potatoes daily. They get too dry and limp by weeks end for me. But I have also had luck doing meal prep in TWO batches, on Sunday and Wednesday. SUnday has always been my best day for cheats.

Thanks for the sweet words on my baby girl everyone - she is so stinking cute! I can't believe she is already 6 months old (well, she will be on Saturday!)

 

[Gymgurl]

darn already 6 months......way to cute DG!!

 

[takniteasy]

You have been doing this for 3 weeks?

Be patient. Seriously.

You are on the right track. You did not gain the weight overnight, nor will you lose the weight overnight. Patience grasshopper.

^^^^^^^
Double Ditto!! Give yourself another 3 weeks to see more changes. And please, please do not compare yourself to your husband. Men generally do not have as hard a time dropping weight due to having more lean mass and testosterone levels. Totally unfair, I know, but a fact we have to deal with. I think you will see tremendous results in the next couple of weeks.

Oh and welcome to EF! Lots of support from the ladies here no matter what your goal.