Here's my plan - critique please

[Cat_In_LA]

After going over all the advice & posts here that I can find I've tried to create a plan for myself & I totally welcome any advice or changes that you have for me. My goal is to lose fat & tone up - to go from 180lbs to a more healthy ( and better looking) weight/body. I'm 5'4" & 35years old. I don't know what my goal weight should be but I really want to look hot.

How's this???

Workouts:
Sunday - Friday
30 min cardio in the am on an empty stomach.
30 min cardio pm after weight workout

Heavy lifting (as much as I can do with proper form to make 12 reps only for 3 sets per exercise)
Monday & Thursday Upper body
Tuesday & Friday Lower body
Wed, Sat & Sunday off for muscle rest/rebuilding

Diet (meals about 2 1/2 - 3 hrs apart)
Sunday - Fri (Sat being a cheat day - not going too overboard)
3/4 C Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal with Splenda & 1 whole + 5 egg whites

NitroTech Protein shake made with H20

4oz ckn or turkey with 4 oz red potatoes (or brown rice) & 10 almonds

NitroTech Protein shake made with H20

4oz ckn or turkey with green beans or salad with 1 tbsp olive oil & vinegar

NitroTech Protein shake made with H20 & 1 tbsp natty p.b.

Occasionally use salsa, lo carb bbq sauce or ff sr cream to break up the blandness. Substitute eye of round for ckn or turkey sometimes. mix up the veggies & eat lots of them.

Now I have some questions:

Can I add veggies to any of my meals (greens, salads, peppers, etc.)

I have no idea if this will be right calorie-wise & the right mix of carbs/fats/proteins. I have taken bits & pieces from other people's plans.

Should I take Glucorel-R on my cheat days. I saw that Daisy Girl liked to use that.

Also is there anyplace for Lowfat Cottage cheese to fit in?

I will be taking a multivitimin/mineral & calcium. Anything else I should consider?

Also my schedule is screwy. I work from 7am - 6:30pm. So my workouts will need to be before & after. am cardio will be about 5:30am & pm cardio/weights will be after 7pm. My meals will end up being at something like 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm & 10pm. With bedtime being around 11:30pm.

Does this sound ok? Please please please any criticizm, advice, changes you would make are more than welcome. I want to become a whole new me ASAP!!! Thank you all in advance!!!!!

A Very Excited to Make a New Me...Cat

 

[Daisy_Girl]

So, correct me if I am wrong....but

Sun - cardio 2x a day
Mon - cardio 2x, upper body
Tues - cardio 2x, lower body
Weds - cardio 2x
Thurs - cardio 2x, upper body
Fri - cardio 2x, lower body
Sat - OFF

Correct?

Think about this.....

You are working out 2x a day AT LEAST. Combined with a good diet, you will definately start losing weight. For awhile. Then your body will adjust, your weight loss will slow, and you will hit a plateau. Then what? 2 hours of cardio a day? 3 workouts a day?

Don't pull out ALL the stops first off. Give yourself some "wiggle room" for when results slow.

You have gotten out of shape. ANY new, positive changes to training and diet will bring SOME results.

Let DIET do the most changes for you. Commit to the clean diet. The clean diet will make or break you....not more cardio or training.

I would do cardio in the AM for 30 minutes 5x a week. Do weights 3-4x a week. Don't add in ANOTHER cardio session until you hit a plateau. If you feel you have to do SOMETHING more, then do an extra-long stretching session or a low intensity yoga session (NOT a power yoga), hell, even an extra ab session.

Also, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) might be somethiing to add in later...once you get your stamina back.

Let me know if you have an questions....




(PS...why Nitrotech? )

 

[jenscats5]

Watch where you got your almonds -- there is a recall on whole almonds bought at Trader Joes and somewhere else I think. Not sure if it has hit the whole country but I'd hate to see you get hit with an illness....

I agree with Daisy -- cardio 2x per day is gonna wear you out & burn you out quick!! Plus you work & have kids? Eat correctly & let the diet work for you.

Veggies are hard to overeat and before bed is a good time to eat your cottage cheese. And watch the sugar in your sauces & condiments -- it can add up!! Try some of the Mrs Dash seasonings for a change of pace & other spices. Also check out the Muscle Food board here for more recipe ideas.

Good luck & welcome!!

 

[Cat_In_LA]

Thanks Daisy G & JenZ!!

This is exactly the kind of help & guidance I need. So how about this as a revised plan?? (until I hit a plateau & need to add something)

Cardio 30 min in the am M-F

Weights M T Th F (upper M, Th lower T Fr)
Should the weights be done in the pm as a separate workout or can I do them in the am with the cardio? I want to do what will give me the best overall results.

And I should be doing heavy weights, right? Even though I may look bigger at first until the fat starts to burn away?

How does the diet look? Clean enough? Maybe some fish, too in place of the turk or ckn sometimes.

JenZ I did hear about the almonds. And I threw some out because I wasn't sure if we bought them during the time that was going on. Thanks for the heads up.

So I would have cottage cheese before bed (last meal) with the protein shake or as it's own meal? I will watch the condiments, too. Good advice. I would like to try to have none but I would rather have a little of this or that condiment wise than binge later for some flavor. Does that make sense?

So thanks girls - I am really trying hard to get a good plan put together here that I will actually do on a regular basis. I was gung-ho about the cardio, wasn't I ?? I am just so excited to do something that will actually get me the results I want! I am finally committed to doing this all out & yippee! is all I can say!

Anything else I should add/change, etc?????

Cat

 

[Cat_In_LA]

(PS...why Nitrotech? )[/QUOTE]


Daisy Girl,

Nitrotech protein shakes because I saw that was what you said you liked to use. Is that not a good one for me to use? I honestly haven't been to the store to get any yet so I am open for other suggestions. I was just so inspired by your progress that I thought that may be a good choice, too.

Cat

 

[Daisy_Girl]

No, I love NitroTech. The protein powder is great (Tropical Fruit is NICE alternative to Choc and Van), plus their RTDs (Ready To Drink) Protein Shakes are a SAVIOR for me. Some MesoTech bars are like candy to me too.

Cons....... they can be expensive. MuscleTech is NOT known for their ease on the wallet. Do NOT feel as though you HAVE to use them for success.

I getcha on the gung-ho-ness. It gets us all. I too will put too much cardio in at first. Writing it out, making a plan and asking others to review it is KEY to success. We all need others input......it's hard to view it objectively.

IF YOU CAN, I would keep weights and cardio separate. So 3-4 days a week you WILL be going to the gym 2x a day, but for less time without the extra cardio. Also, you can always do AM cardio outside....run, walk, rollerblade, bike, jump rope, run stairs, etc.

As you gain more stength, you might find that you get better results lifting 1 less day too. Keep in mind you CAN do each body part 1x a week and get good results. So if the current routine gets too much, or just doesn't FEEL like a good fit, you can change your lifting program. Since you are lifting upper body and lower body 2x a week each, vary your exercises each time. For example, don't do the same exercises for upper body Mon and Thurs. Switch between Machines, DB, BB, Free Weights, and body weight exercises. The more you keep your body guessing, the less likely you will plateau AND gets bored!

ACK........... WHAT is this ALMOND issue? I'm lost...... (and apparently don't watch the news....)

 

[Cat_In_LA]

No, I love NitroTech. The protein powder is great (Tropical Fruit is NICE alternative to Choc and Van), plus their RTDs (Ready To Drink) Protein Shakes are a SAVIOR for me. Some MesoTech bars are like candy to me too.

Cons....... they can be expensive. MuscleTech is NOT known for their ease on the wallet. Do NOT feel as though you HAVE to use them for success.

I getcha on the gung-ho-ness. It gets us all. I too will put too much cardio in at first. Writing it out, making a plan and asking others to review it is KEY to success. We all need others input......it's hard to view it objectively.

IF YOU CAN, I would keep weights and cardio separate. So 3-4 days a week you WILL be going to the gym 2x a day, but for less time without the extra cardio. Also, you can always do AM cardio outside....run, walk, rollerblade, bike, jump rope, run stairs, etc.

As you gain more stength, you might find that you get better results lifting 1 less day too. Keep in mind you CAN do each body part 1x a week and get good results. So if the current routine gets too much, or just doesn't FEEL like a good fit, you can change your lifting program. Since you are lifting upper body and lower body 2x a week each, vary your exercises each time. For example, don't do the same exercises for upper body Mon and Thurs. Switch between Machines, DB, BB, Free Weights, and body weight exercises. The more you keep your body guessing, the less likely you will plateau AND gets bored!

ACK........... WHAT is this ALMOND issue? I'm lost...... (and apparently don't watch the news....)

Thanks Daisy! Your input really means a lot to me & I do appreciate the help. I will certainly mix up the exercises & am planning to keep a journal of what I eat & the exercises I do & when. Next week I will post what I've done for the past couple of days & see what you think. Going to the gym 2x a day is no prob & I can even do some at home. We have a Body Solid cage with (safety bars?) & free weight pulley system. Also a bench, Olympic barbell, full set of free weights & dumbell sets ranging from 5lbs to 50 lbs. So actually maybe I won't even have to go to the gym at night. I can most likely do my weights at home after work. & I can have Jay (my BF) spot me so I can use heavy weights. I'll just have to clear the clothes off of it first

How expensive are we talking as far as Nitrotech powder & rtd shakes? Could I use the rtds sometimes do you think? I am a nanny & lots of times I am in the car or in the middle of something when it is time to eat. I always do my best to be prepared but this may prove to be helpful iif it is do-able on occassion. Are there any others that you think may be good for someone in my situation?

Do you think I should start out with 3 days weights & add 1 more later? And I do want to mix up my cardio - ie rollerblading, jogging/running, etc. I am looking forward to this a lot. I am finally taking charge & doing something positive for me!!

The almonds: Not sure where you live but in L.A. it was in the news that an almond farm that supplies Costco, Trader Joes & one other store was concerned that some of their raw almonds that were in "X" batch may have been contaminated with salmonella. I believe that all offending almonds have been recalled & removed from shelves.

Smiles,
Cat

 

[Daisy_Girl]

The almonds: Not sure where you live but in L.A. it was in the news that an almond farm that supplies Costco, Trader Joes & one other store was concerned that some of their raw almonds that were in "X" batch may have been contaminated with salmonella. I believe that all offending almonds have been recalled & removed from shelves.

Smiles,
Cat

ACK....... I live in Vegas, get my almonds from Sams Club. Oh boy. But my BF has been eating them fine....no sickness yet.

RTDs save my life everyday. I work with kids too, so I am on the go constantly and rearely have time to fit in extra meals during the day outside of lunch. I drink them everywhere, easily.

Nitrotech ones are like $15 for 4. Might be able to do bulk deals at a supplement store. Powder is expensive, but not HORRIBLE. I am not sure on price since I don't have to buy it. Check online stores too.... www.dpsnutrition.com is good.

 

[Cat_In_LA]

Nitrotech ones are like $15 for 4. Might be able to do bulk deals at a supplement store. Powder is expensive, but not HORRIBLE. I am not sure on price since I don't have to buy it. Check online stores too.... www.dpsnutrition.com is good.

So do you only use the rtds & not the powder? I think I could handle the powder or the rtds. I see the powder for about $46 for 4lbs. Not too shabby.

If I decided to forego the shakes altogether what would you suggest as far as replacing those meals with? Also is 10pm too late to eat if I go to sleep at 11:30pm?

Glad to hear your BF is ok with the almonds. I believe they took them all off the shelves right away but if you have any that you are not sure of you can take them back to the store for an exchange or refund. They said it was a slight chance anyway so yours are most likely ok!

Cat

 

[Daisy_Girl]

I use both. But I rely on the RTDs more. I use the powder when home, RTDs when not.

It is always better to choose real food over supplements. The ONLY expection could be post-lifting, then a whey shake is good.

To replace, you can just repeat any meal. I try to limit my starchy carbs to 2 meals only, usually Meal 1 and 3. You can choose egg whites, Cottage Cheese, meat, fish....etc......plus a veggie or blend of different veggies.

10pm isn't too late, especially if you are only having a shake w/ a little fat and minimal carbs. It is just something small and slowly digested. Can do 2 scoops whey protein (NitroTech), 1/4c skim milk and rest water. The milk will slow digestion down. Or you can skip the milk, do all water and put 1tsp PB.

 

[Cat_In_LA]

So maybe what I'll do is sometimes have a powder shake in the evening after my weight lifting session but use food the rest of the time.

I'm a little freaked right now. Had my cholesterol tested about 1 year ago & it was high - about 240. Ugh. I did ok for awhile eating right & worked on lowering it but as the months have gone by I've slowly started eating more & more junk, which is obvious by my weight. Anyway, my gyn wants to take my chol on Thursday this week & I am soooo afraid it will be higher than it was a year ago. Even though my good chol was in the high range overall it was still way to high & I am terrified to have it taken on Thur. I am eating my clean diet from today on & I wonder how much of a difference the diet along with exercise can make in 4 days. I guess I'll find out. I am hopeful, though because everything I read on it says diet & exercise will lower most peoples chol to a normal range. It just seemed so much more real to me today when she said to me "You really need to lose weight because it is not healthy to be overweight & on the pill & I want to check your chol, too." I do realize this is totally reversible but today I feel so humbled & am an emotional wreck.

Anyway, I am off to do some cardio & then I am going to write up my tweaked version of my "New Me" plan. I'll post it then & see what you think.

Hope you're having a great day & also to anyone else who might be reading! Thanks for listening if you've read this far!

Smiles,
Cat

 

[jenscats5]

Hey Cat!! I like Optimum Nutrition protein powders. I've never used the RTD shakes so I can't comment on them. We have a store near us that sells supplements (kinda like GNC) cheaper then GNC. I get a 2 lb tub for around $15. If you're going to supplement, it may be worth your time to research a bit.

ON has a Double Rich Chocolate that is awesome!! And I like the Vanilla Ice Cream also. The guys over on the Diet Board (here) also have been raving about the Chocolate mint so I may try it.....

 

[Cat_In_LA]

Hey Cat!! I like Optimum Nutrition protein powders. I've never used the RTD shakes so I can't comment on them. We have a store near us that sells supplements (kinda like GNC) cheaper then GNC. I get a 2 lb tub for around $15. If you're going to supplement, it may be worth your time to research a bit.

ON has a Double Rich Chocolate that is awesome!! And I like the Vanilla Ice Cream also. The guys over on the Diet Board (here) also have been raving about the Chocolate mint so I may try it.....

Thanks JenZ. I will check out the ON powders. I am certainly not set on any certain one yet so any suggestions of what you like are very welcome. And I will search around for what will work best for me & the best prices, too. I never like to spend more than I have to.

Smiles,
Cat

 

[Cat_In_LA]

I use both. But I rely on the RTDs more. I use the powder when home, RTDs when not.

It is always better to choose real food over supplements. The ONLY expection could be post-lifting, then a whey shake is good.

To replace, you can just repeat any meal. I try to limit my starchy carbs to 2 meals only, usually Meal 1 and 3. You can choose egg whites, Cottage Cheese, meat, fish....etc......plus a veggie or blend of different veggies.

10pm isn't too late, especially if you are only having a shake w/ a little fat and minimal carbs. It is just something small and slowly digested. Can do 2 scoops whey protein (NitroTech), 1/4c skim milk and rest water. The milk will slow digestion down. Or you can skip the milk, do all water and put 1tsp PB.

OK. Here's what I'm thinking.

Sun - Fri
1) am post cardio 3/4 C cream of wheat or oatmeal w/splenda
1 whole + 5 egg whites (7:15am)

2) L/F cottage cheese (1/2 cup?), low GI fruit (10:15am)

3) 4oz ckn or turkey w/ brown rice & 10 almonds. (1:15pm)

4) 4 egg whites & grapefruit (4:15pm) (too late for grapefruit?)

5) 4oz ckn or turk or fish w/veggies or salad w1 tbsp olive oil & vinegar (7:15pm)

6) post lifting protein shake (10:15pm)

sleep around 11:30pm

Is this good or am I missing something??

Thanks,
Cat

PS After doing some chol lowering research I am going to add some soy milk & 1 C purple grape juice to my diet. Also psyllium fiber. These are supposed to really help lower cholesterol & make your heart more healthy. Plan to add them early in the day about meal 1-3 or so.

PSS What do you think about the Pure Protein Shake I listed the stats for on another post I made about RTD shakes?

Tx!

 

[Enie]

Hey Cat!! I like Optimum Nutrition protein powders. I've never used the RTD shakes so I can't comment on them. We have a store near us that sells supplements (kinda like GNC) cheaper then GNC. I get a 2 lb tub for around $15. If you're going to supplement, it may be worth your time to research a bit.

ON has a Double Rich Chocolate that is awesome!! And I like the Vanilla Ice Cream also. The guys over on the Diet Board (here) also have been raving about the Chocolate mint so I may try it.....

 

[Enie]

Thanks JenZ. I will check out the ON powders. I am certainly not set on any certain one yet so any suggestions of what you like are very welcome. And I will search around for what will work best for me & the best prices, too. I never like to spend more than I have to.

Smiles,
Cat

Try ordering your optimum whey off the net at musclesurf.com or vigoroursliving.com
I buy it four or five, five lb. containers at a time.

 

[Cat_In_LA]

Thanks enie. I'll have to check out those sites.

 

[grrl]

thanks for posting your plan of action, Cat.

I'm in a similar boat...
I'm 5'7" and currently 167 lbs.
I'm 31, and on Triphasil (birth control pill).

I was doing cardio 2x a day, and now I know from this thread that i was probably going way too overboard with minimal results.

I was looking into suplimenting my diet and workout with a fat burner, but of course I have no idea which one to take that won't screw up the effectiveness of my birth control pills, or give me adverse side effects.

And of course, when it comes to diet, I have no idea what the heck I should be doing. I have been cutting out all pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, tortillas, bread and of course all sweets and sugared drinks. I figured I'd go low carb (but not high fat) so I've been sticking to grilled fish, salmon, lean meat, jerky, eggs, and lots of green veggies (raw and cooked). And I take a multi vitamin and flaxseed oil gel caps.

But of course I have no idea if dairy is for the diet if I really want to lose weight...I usually have some cheese every day for calcium and an occaisonal dollop of reg. sour cream. And a slew of questions also come to mind when eating 4 small meals a day -- are beef jerky/pork rinds good or bad? Nuts good or bad? cheese sticks good or bad? protein bars good or bad? And so on....

so I have to say I'm impressed with your plan (diet and exercise), Cat.
I may have to follow in your footsteps!

 

[jenscats5]

thanks for posting your plan of action, Cat.

I'm in a similar boat...
I'm 5'7" and currently 167 lbs.
I'm 31, and on Triphasil (birth control pill).

I was doing cardio 2x a day, and now I know from this thread that i was probably going way too overboard with minimal results.

I was looking into suplimenting my diet and workout with a fat burner, but of course I have no idea which one to take that won't screw up the effectiveness of my birth control pills, or give me adverse side effects.

And of course, when it comes to diet, I have no idea what the heck I should be doing. I have been cutting out all pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, tortillas, bread and of course all sweets and sugared drinks. I figured I'd go low carb (but not high fat) so I've been sticking to grilled fish, salmon, lean meat, jerky, eggs, and lots of green veggies (raw and cooked). And I take a multi vitamin and flaxseed oil gel caps.

But of course I have no idea if dairy is for the diet if I really want to lose weight...I usually have some cheese every day for calcium and an occaisonal dollop of reg. sour cream. And a slew of questions also come to mind when eating 4 small meals a day -- are beef jerky/pork rinds good or bad? Nuts good or bad? cheese sticks good or bad? protein bars good or bad? And so on....

so I have to say I'm impressed with your plan (diet and exercise), Cat.
I may have to follow in your footsteps!

Hi Grrl! I personally am still consuming small amounts of dairy -- mostly skim milk. Some of the ladies don't consume it at all and some it bloats. It's up to the person whether to consume it or not. It does have sugars and can bloat you and some prefer to get their calories from food you can chew. Milk even tho it's a liquid is still a food.

I don't know anything about pork rinds except that aren't they deep fried pork skin? Watch the sodium in stuff like that....

Watch the fat in cheese sticks........some nuts are better than others. Walnuts are a good source of good fats. Peanuts are good too so is ANPB. Just watch your portions.

Protein bars are good for convienience but can contain a lot of crap. I personally don't buy into the net carb thing. To me a net carb is the total carbs less fiber. Try and save your bars as a last resort.

It also may help you to track your calories depending on what type of person you are. I have to do this to keep on track, Daisy for example can "eyeball" which I can't do.....A good and free website is www.fitday.com where you can track what you eat to see where you may need to make changes.

Try posting up an example of your diet for a day or two & we can advise you where to make changes.....Welcome to the site!!

 

[grrl]

jenscats5:

Thanks so much for the tips/advice.

May I ask what you like to snack on?

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Hi Grrl! I personally am still consuming small amounts of dairy -- mostly skim milk. Some of the ladies don't consume it at all and some it bloats. It's up to the person whether to consume it or not. It does have sugars and can bloat you and some prefer to get their calories from food you can chew. Milk even tho it's a liquid is still a food.

I don't know anything about pork rinds except that aren't they deep fried pork skin? Watch the sodium in stuff like that....

Watch the fat in cheese sticks........some nuts are better than others. Walnuts are a good source of good fats. Peanuts are good too so is ANPB. Just watch your portions.

Protein bars are good for convienience but can contain a lot of crap. I personally don't buy into the net carb thing. To me a net carb is the total carbs less fiber. Try and save your bars as a last resort.

It also may help you to track your calories depending on what type of person you are. I have to do this to keep on track, Daisy for example can "eyeball" which I can't do.....A good and free website is www.fitday.com where you can track what you eat to see where you may need to make changes.

Try posting up an example of your diet for a day or two & we can advise you where to make changes.....Welcome to the site!!

What jen said. Good advice.

Snacks...... cottage cheese, egg whites, beef jerky is fine (but high in sodium, and sometimes fat), celery and Natural Peanut Butter, Low Carb Tortilla and 1 tbsp hummus....etc.....

 

[jenscats5]

Thanks DG!! (hmmmm suggesing cottage cheese??)

Veggies + hummus are tasty!! And easy to make homemade without the tahini which as a lot of fat in it.....if you want a recipe let me know....

I also like to make "quesadillas" out of a whole wheat (you can use low carb or whatever you want) wrap. I toast them in the toaster oven and sometimes use a slice of FF cheese (30 cals) & dip in salsa.

Tuna pate is good too. Just mix tuna with some diced veggies and either olive oil + balsamic or if you have the room some mayo and dip with veggies...

Also check out the Muscle Food board for lots of great recipe ideas!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Thanks DG!! (hmmmm suggesing cottage cheese??)

lol....you know me too well! God I hate that stuff. But hey, some of you are crazy and actually like it.