Getting Real..

[ninapp]

I need to get a bit real with myself and Im not even sure how to start.
I thought maybe posting my stats and progress might inspire me a little...

Hmmm.. so ive been working out for a while now.. a few years. I work out consistently, ie i go to the gym at least 4-5 times each week for at least a solid hour + stretching but my work outs are simply governed by what i feel like doing - it has been mostly a meditative thing for me, stress relief. One day it might be a 2 hour spin session, another it might be heavy weights..another day it might be not so heavy weights (if i lift heavy more than 2 days in a row i start to get run down and fatigued the whole day).
By now I figure if I am going to spend so much time in the gym I should at least look like I work out a little. My body fat is about 30% and hovers around there +-3. Really, its nowhere near acceptable given the hours I spend at the gym. I will go on some diet and lose 2-3kg and then just fall off the wagon again. My biggest downfall in terms of diet is fruit. Being carb sensitive i perhaps try to avoid carbs too much and end up exhausted and craving badly. I then reach for fruit as it 'seems' like less of a culprit than bread etc.. but I guess it really isnt.
So.. getting real with myself.. I have just started a nice clean 6 meal, high protein complex carb (quinoa, lentils, yam) diet. I am somewhat carb intolerant (PCOS) so i really try to limit carbs to the first meal and to the post workout shake.
My stats are
175cm (5'9?)
70kg (154lbs)
~28-30% fat .. 21kg of fat.. ugh...
Id like to get to 20% fat (before i reassess) so thats 7kg to lose, assuming I only lose fat..

If i get courageous I might post pictures!

 

[shirlene29]

so...bump


and, where did you come up with 30% ?
5' 9" 154 lbs.... I didnt bother to convert your kg and cm so I'll have to assume your math is on...


Im 5' 8" 174 lbs and even a crappy bmi calc doesnt come up with 30% on me

(Im 26% per the drs office/calipers, not awesome but not 30%!)

 

[RottenWillow]

Hmmm.. so ive been working out for a while now.. a few years. I work out consistently, ie i go to the gym at least 4-5 times each week for at least a solid hour + stretching but my work outs are simply governed by what i feel like doing - it has been mostly a meditative thing for me, stress relief. One day it might be a 2 hour spin session, another it might be heavy weights..another day it might be not so heavy weights (if i lift heavy more than 2 days in a row i start to get run down and fatigued the whole day).

Well it sounds like you're pretty active. Now that you are committing to a low GI diet I would expect to see you begin to lose some inches. You must stick to it though. Don't plan on any cheat days. Rapidly absorbed sugars always encourage bodyfat storage, so eating any refined carbs or simple sugars while you're trying to lose bodyfat is a total nonstarter.

Regarding carbs, my observation is our bodies treat carbohydrates almost like an illicit drug. They start out as being something our bodies recognize as nonessential, but then they develop a neurological (ie. serotonin) and physiological dependence on them, and consequently we feel like crap when we try to give them up, but we feel crappy (and maybe look crappy) if we don't give them up.

I will tell you this from personal experience. If you can stay completely off high GI carbs for a long enough time, those cravings will subside. I don't think I've eaten anything over about a 70 GI in probably 18 months. Now the idea of something very sweet, like birthday cake, actually makes me feel a bit nauseous. So in other words, chin up! It can and will get easier with time.

 

[ninapp]

Hey Shirlene... good question..
My last BF% measurement was taken by a pair of plastic calipers on the hip by myself... Sounds terribly inaccurate, i realise... not from the usual 746 places on the body with hardcore metal calipers However, in my own defence I used these plastic calipers a few times on the same day as using this electronic hand held device that somehow meaures body fat and they were within 1%.
From looking at your pic though, if youre 26% im comfortably nearing the 30...

RT - Thanks for the encouragement You know I think thats a spot on piece of advice. I live pretty low carb anyhow but i lack that consistency.. and with lo carb really one wrong step can unhinge the whole thing. I suspect that in my mind i eat far less fruit than in reality and that it does major detriment. I certainly dont eat refined/processed carbs.. just that damn fruit. I think I will take a month off fruit and see the change. I think I also need to start keeping a food diary to wake up to my habits a bit more ...

 

[RottenWillow]

Hey Shirlene... good question..
My last BF% measurement was taken by a pair of plastic calipers on the hip by myself... Sounds terribly inaccurate, i realise... not from the usual 746 places on the body with hardcore metal calipers However, in my own defence I used these plastic calipers a few times on the same day as using this electronic hand held device that somehow meaures body fat and they were within 1%.
From looking at your pic though, if youre 26% im comfortably nearing the 30...

RT - Thanks for the encouragement You know I think thats a spot on piece of advice. I live pretty low carb anyhow but i lack that consistency.. and with lo carb really one wrong step can unhinge the whole thing. I suspect that in my mind i eat far less fruit than in reality and that it does major detriment. I certainly dont eat refined/processed carbs.. just that damn fruit. I think I will take a month off fruit and see the change. I think I also need to start keeping a food diary to wake up to my habits a bit more ...

One thing I might add is to ensure you keep you heart rate in the fat burning zone. The fat burning zone for most of us is going to be under 120bpm. Unless you're exceptionally well conditioned, 105-110bpm is probably going to be about the sweet spot for you in terms of encouraging fat loss, and keep that fat burning workout to 45 minutes at a time.

 

[shirlene29]

absolutely on the HR, if you dont have one already invest ina good polar HR monitor

Ive found the chest strap stays in place well if the bottom elastic on my sports bra is over it, kindve holding it in place

 

[Tami Bellon]

Regarding carbs, my observation is our bodies treat carbohydrates almost like an illicit drug. They start out as being something our bodies recognize as nonessential, but then they develop a neurological (ie. serotonin) and physiological dependence on them, and consequently we feel like crap when we try to give them up, but we feel crappy (and maybe look crappy) if we don't give them up.

Oh how I hate the carb cravings!!!! lol

Are you familiar with Fitday? Log the food and you'll be surprised at what you thought - and what is actual.

 

[slat1]

I am extremely carb sensitive. I found that using quality fats in place of carbs helped me drop a ton of bf.