How to get a Victoria´s Secret model type body?

[Austrian_Babe]

Hi everyone,

I´m 5´8, currently 125 pounds, and finally got off my lazy ass to join a gym. Yay me! I´m constantly look up information on various workouts to achieve my goal: the Victoria´s secret model body (skinny & lean). I think I used to be (and am still a bit) skinny fat, due to being naturally skinny and being able to eat what I want (well, until I turned 22 at least..now I´m 25). I had my body fat % measured on a special scale (but I hear that´s not the most accurate way?) and it came out to 20%, after 2 months of working out. I thought it would be higher so I was quite happy, but then again I think I need to drop mode body fat.


So what I do at the gym is:

3 sets of 15 reps (with weights that are heavy to me, I can barely do 15 on my last set)
interval training cardio (I tried the actual high intensity interval training to burn fat quicker, but my endurance is just not good enough yet). I do cardio (around 40-50min) everytime I`m at the gym, after my weights routine.


My questions: is the low weight, high rep route really the way to go? I´ve been going to the gym since the beginning of January, and I am seeing results. But I´m impatient, and since I was slim to begin with I though my body would magically transform within like months. I figured if I go from a pizza eating couch potatoe to a fitness lover with a healthy diet I would see results SUPER fast.

Now am I just being impatient and should I give my body more time? Or am I doing something wrong? Do I need more cardio, or do the high weight, low rep route instead?

 

[musclemom]

Virtually 90% of how your body looks is diet. Working out gives you muscles, but it's only by eating right that you give your body the building blocks to build the muscles. Without the muscle, there's no toned tight look that everyone wants.

Before we even begin to address the workouts we need a detailed look at your diet, what you eat and drink, when you eat it, how much you eat. You can get a free calorie diary at Fitday.com and use that, but for now put down what you normally eat, on an average day, with as much detail as you can.

And you could very well be busting your ass at the gym but if you aren't doing it the right way it's a little like a hamster in a wheel, and again, if you're not feeding the machine properly, you could be working twice as hard as anyone, and get half the results.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

Virtually 90% of how your body looks is diet. Working out gives you muscles, but it's only by eating right that you give your body the building blocks to build the muscles. Without the muscle, there's no toned tight look that everyone wants.

Before we even begin to address the workouts we need a detailed look at your diet, what you eat and drink, when you eat it, how much you eat. You can get a free calorie diary at Fitday.com and use that, but for now put down what you normally eat, on an average day, with as much detail as you can.

And you could very well be busting your ass at the gym but if you aren't doing it the right way it's a little like a hamster in a wheel, and again, if you're not feeding the machine properly, you could be working twice as hard as anyone, and get half the results.

very true. I´ll be graduating from med school soon, so I know how to eat healthy. And I like eating healthy, but I can finish pretty big portions, and I can eat many meals a day. I still have my bad eating habits from when I weighed 110 lbs and could get away with eating chocolate every day. I have a fat tooth, and a major sweet tooth.
So if I´m being honest, I was probably consuming 2000 cals a day the first 1 1/2 months of my "diet" lol. It was healthier than before, but not as good as it can get. I have been eliminating my bad habits though, so hopefully I will loose more weight.

I had a mini training session with a personal trainer and she showed me the right way to use the machines...and since then I can finally feel the burn! So yeah, basically I was yanking at the machines, not using my muscle strength. So I guess until that training session I wasn´t reaching my workout´s full potential


I guess I was patting myself on the back for going to the gym and ordering pizza once a week instead of 3 times. Since I was already slim I was expecting miracles with minimal effort. Ugh, I gotta stop being such a baby

 

[musclemom]

Well, as I said, if you'd put down what/when you eat every day we can go over that and see if anything needs tweaking If your diet is perfect, then we'll look at your workouts.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

Well, as I said, if you'd put down what/when you eat every day we can go over that and see if anything needs tweaking If your diet is perfect, then we'll look at your workouts.

alright, here´s a typical day for me

breakfast: bowl of cereal (21g of carbs, 110 cals) with low fat milk

lunch: chicken or fish with vegetables (usually broccoli). Either cooked fresh (I can´t really cook though) or microwavable dinners (if it comes with rice or anything I only eat like one spoon of it)

dinner: whole wheat toast with low fat spread, turkey breast and low fat cheese. Sometimes a salad too. In my country we have bread for dinner a lot so it´s hard for me to give up bread. I try to not go crazy though

snacks: low fat yoghurt, bananas, apples, fiber crackers, cereal etc


My issue is that I get hungry frequently, that´s been the case since I was a baby. I need multiple small meals throughout the day, so of course I snack a lot but I try to keep it healthy.

 

[musclemom]

alright, here´s a typical day for me

breakfast: bowl of cereal (21g of carbs, 110 cals) with low fat milk

lunch: chicken or fish with vegetables (usually broccoli). Either cooked fresh (I can´t really cook though) or microwavable dinners (if it comes with rice or anything I only eat like one spoon of it)

dinner: whole wheat toast with low fat spread, turkey breast and low fat cheese. Sometimes a salad too. In my country we have bread for dinner a lot so it´s hard for me to give up bread. I try to not go crazy though

snacks: low fat yoghurt, bananas, apples, fiber crackers, cereal etc


My issue is that I get hungry frequently, that´s been the case since I was a baby. I need multiple small meals throughout the day, so of course I snack a lot but I try to keep it healthy.

You knew what you were going to hear:

1. Not enough food, period. I mentally roughed you out at barely 1200 calories, WAY too low, your BMR is 1400.

2. Nowhere near enough protein.

3. You're hungry all the time because you're eating a lot of carbs, no quality fats (nuts, omega oils) and insufficient protein.

Read this thread:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...e-fitness-womens-forum-start-here-678961.html

Then check this thread, which outlines a very simple diet scheme:

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...raining/beginning-again-diet-help-693017.html

I think your main problem is way under-eating. You're 25, 5'8" and weigh 125. Your BMR is 1400. You should be able to eat 500 OVER that and still lose weight, easily, even more, actually, with the exercise you're getting. The general rule of thumb of 10x to 12x your bodyweight in calories doesn't work for you, because you're nowhere near overweight. NOBODY of normal size (i.e., not a little person) should ever eat under 1200 calories. So, assuming you're barely eating 1200 calories (200 under your resting metabolic state), your body will not gain muscle, you'll find you have virtually no endurance, and your body will fight losing every ounce of fat. It will burn your muscle in fact to further lower your metabolism, because it perceives you are in a famine situation.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

You knew what you were going to hear:

1. Not enough food, period. I mentally roughed you out at barely 1200 calories, WAY too low, your BMR is 1400.

2. Nowhere near enough protein.

3. You're hungry all the time because you're eating a lot of carbs, no quality fats (nuts, omega oils) and insufficient protein.

Read this thread:


Then check this thread, which outlines a very simple diet scheme:


I think your main problem is way under-eating. You're 25, 5'8" and weigh 125. Your BMR is 1400. You should be able to eat 500 OVER that and still lose weight, easily, even more, actually, with the exercise you're getting. The general rule of thumb of 10x to 12x your bodyweight in calories doesn't work for you, because you're nowhere near overweight. NOBODY of normal size (i.e., not a little person) should ever eat under 1200 calories. So, assuming you're barely eating 1200 calories (200 under your resting metabolic state), your body will not gain muscle, you'll find you have virtually no endurance, and your body will fight losing every ounce of fat. It will burn your muscle in fact to further lower your metabolism, because it perceives you are in a famine situation.

First of all, thank you for your input!
I have to say I never calculated the cals I consume in one day, but I´m pretty sure it´s at least 1500 cals. What I listed doesn´t sound like much, but I don´t just snack once between meals like most people, more like twice or three times. And I eat like 3 cheat meals a week. I´m really not one of those girls who barely eat anything, I love eating way too much to be that way.

I agree that I´m not eating enough protein though! I was thinking the diary products and turkey breast +meat for lunch is enough protein but I guess it´s not?

 

[trex74]

just wanted to say I think some of the victoria's secret girls (i.e. allessandra d'ambrosio), while very pretty, just look bony, not healthy.
you're going to find a lot of great info here, so welcome!

 

[Austrian_Babe]

just wanted to say I think some of the victoria's secret girls (i.e. allessandra d'ambrosio), while very pretty, just look bony, not healthy.
you're going to find a lot of great info here, so welcome!

Alessandra is definitely too bony! Most of the other girls like Adriana Lima have great bodies though IMO..not to mention such gorgeous faces

 

[superqt4u2nv]

First of all, thank you for your input!
I have to say I never calculated the cals I consume in one day, but I´m pretty sure it´s at least 1500 cals. What I listed doesn´t sound like much, but I don´t just snack once between meals like most people, more like twice or three times. And I eat like 3 cheat meals a week. I´m really not one of those girls who barely eat anything, I love eating way too much to be that way.

I agree that I´m not eating enough protein though! I was thinking the diary products and turkey breast +meat for lunch is enough protein but I guess it´s not?

If you have never calculated them how do you know... I can guess my daily calorie intake but that is only after years of counting. Start recording your food ever day FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal is free tool.

A side from the fact there is not enough protein in your diet there is WAY to much processed food. Ceral, whole wheat breads, crackers etc are not part of a trully clean diet. I am also not a fan of most lowfat yogurts again way to processed however a plain greek yogurt made from goats milk is amazing for you.

Turkey breats lunch meat is overprossed and filled with additives. Simpliest way to eat clean is to plan it out. Cook it all head of time have it packed ready to go there is no way you will slip when doing that.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

If you have never calculated them how do you know... I can guess my daily calorie intake but that is only after years of counting. Start recording your food ever day is free tool.

A side from the fact there is not enough protein in your diet there is WAY to much processed food. Ceral, whole wheat breads, crackers etc are not part of a trully clean diet. I am also not a fan of most lowfat yogurts again way to processed however a plain greek yogurt made from goats milk is amazing for you.

Turkey breats lunch meat is overprossed and filled with additives. Simpliest way to eat clean is to plan it out. Cook it all head of time have it packed ready to go there is no way you will slip when doing that.

thanks for the suggestions. I would love to eat as clean and healthy as possible, but I know for me it´s not realistic right now. Maybe sometime later in life, but for now saying no to chocolate, pizza & co is hard enough. And I´m not much of a cook, actually I grilled fish for the first time the other day, and it didn´t taste like much lol

 

[superqt4u2nv]

thanks for the suggestions. I would love to eat as clean and healthy as possible, but I know for me it´s not realistic right now. Maybe sometime later in life, but for now saying no to chocolate, pizza & co is hard enough. And I´m not much of a cook, actually I grilled fish for the first time the other day, and it didn´t taste like much lol

I don't see the logic in how eating clean is not realistic. It is your choice what you put in your body and what you don't. If you don't have the diet all the way in check then you are limiting your results drastically.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

I don't see the logic in how eating clean is not realistic. It is your choice what you put in your body and what you don't. If you don't have the diet all the way in check then you are limiting your results drastically.

I mean it´s not realistic for most people (uncluding myself) to eat 100% clean on a daily basis, permanently.

And I am not looking for drastic results. I am already slim, and with mediocre diet and workout I have already reached my personal goal halfway...so I was just looking for advice on how to tighten up diet+workouts. And to be fair I have taken the advice I was given to heart and have started reducing my carb intake and increasing my protein intake. It´s a big adjustment, so I´m taking it step by step. If I start depriving myself of everything I like to eat I won´t stick with it

 

[shirlene29]

I second greek yogurt...higher protien...so sooo creamy and lovely...I love a teaspoon of honey in it (which is prolly sin, but whatev)


ok, if you up your protien and pick up some healthy fats you'll be satiated...you wont be dying for processed foods....try it for 3 weeks and see if your taste buds don't change utterly....

also, up your fiber...this keeps you from pigging out on junk and is good for uhm, upping your protien

if youre going to stick to bread go for a healthier bread than wheat (read its label, I bet it has corn syrup or sugar in the first five ingredients)


if your an on the go eater, i think id rather see you eat clean healthy fuel then totally processed junk...look into the kashi instant fewds

but this isnt body builder food, youre gonna have a hard time gaining muscle on that

and there are plenty of people here that DONT eat 100% clean on a daily basis permanently...personally, I prefer it and wish I could afford to







you mentioned no taste with fish, did you season it with anything? at all? if youre worried about cals (and you should be with your intake) seasoning is zero cal for the most part...spice it up!

 

[shirlene29]

everything I posted is easy, but theyre baby steps.....just wanted to add that

 

[superqt4u2nv]

I mean it´s not realistic for most people (uncluding myself) to eat 100% clean on a daily basis, permanently.

And I am not looking for drastic results. I am already slim, and with mediocre diet and workout I have already reached my personal goal halfway...so I was just looking for advice on how to tighten up diet+workouts. And to be fair I have taken the advice I was given to heart and have started reducing my carb intake and increasing my protein intake. It´s a big adjustment, so I´m taking it step by step. If I start depriving myself of everything I like to eat I won´t stick with it

You allow yourself one cheat meal a week that is what keeps you on track. Your viewing food as an enjoyment when it really is a means to an end. You may be slim doesn't mean you’re healthy clean eating is healthy eating and the best preventative medicine in the world.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

I second greek yogurt...higher protien...so sooo creamy and lovely...I love a teaspoon of honey in it (which is prolly sin, but whatev)


ok, if you up your protien and pick up some healthy fats you'll be satiated...you wont be dying for processed foods....try it for 3 weeks and see if your taste buds don't change utterly....

also, up your fiber...this keeps you from pigging out on junk and is good for uhm, upping your protien

if youre going to stick to bread go for a healthier bread than wheat (read its label, I bet it has corn syrup or sugar in the first five ingredients)


if your an on the go eater, i think id rather see you eat clean healthy fuel then totally processed junk...look into the kashi instant fewds

but this isnt body builder food, youre gonna have a hard time gaining muscle on that

and there are plenty of people here that DONT eat 100% clean on a daily basis permanently...personally, I prefer it and wish I could afford to







you mentioned no taste with fish, did you season it with anything? at all? if youre worried about cals (and you should be with your intake) seasoning is zero cal for the most part...spice it up!

In my country we´ve unfortunately not jumped on the low carb bandwagon yet. So there is no low carb bread (actually, we don´t have a lot of pre-packaged bread, you can buy loafs of bread but there is no way of knowing what´s exactly in it) or things like those Kashi bars I read about everywhere. Not sure about greek yoghurt, is that just yoghurt made out of goat´s milk or something? I think we do have that

Oh, and I´m a horrible cook, I have very little cooking experience and hate doing it because most times I don´t know what spices to use, so my food tastes boring and bland. I season my fish with garlic, lemon juice and a salt-herbs mix. My husband is American and he said that the spices here have like half the flavor of the ones you get in the US. Not sure if that´s true, but that´s what he said. My mother in law is on a low carb diet right now, and when I go visit her she´ll teach me some recipes ;-)

 

[trex74]

In my country we´ve unfortunately not jumped on the low carb bandwagon yet. So there is no low carb bread (actually, we don´t have a lot of pre-packaged bread, you can buy loafs of bread but there is no way of knowing what´s exactly in it) or things like those Kashi bars I read about everywhere. Not sure about greek yoghurt, is that just yoghurt made out of goat´s milk or something? I think we do have that

Oh, and I´m a horrible chef, I have very little cooking experience and hate doing it because most times I don´t know what spices to use, so my food tastes boring and bland. I season my fish with garlic, lemon juice and a salt-herbs mix. My husband is American and he said that the spices here have like half the flavor of the ones you get in the US. Not sure if that´s true, but that´s what he said

Don't let yourself use that as an excuse, it is easy to learn to cook, through trial and error, or by simply going online and learning the basics. If you prefer, go buy a basic cookbook. Don't be intimidated, just experiment one day (and have the pizza place on speed-dial if you really mess up LOL)
Tip: Often you just have to use a little salt and pepper to bring out the flavour of the food.
Some classic pairings include:
Fish: dill, lemon, parsley
Chicken: thyme, sage, rosemary. (I like it sauteed in a non-stick pan (no oil) with onions, green pepper, a bit of chili powder, cumin, and garlic).
Beef: pepper, "steak spice"
Lamb: rosemary
Very generally speaking, you can put any meat in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) and it will cook without burning if checked on every 20 minutes or so. It is "done" when there is no blood oozing out when pierced. For beef, you might want it a bit more rare, so don't cook the hell out of it. Chicken usually takes 45 minutes-one hour in the oven, depending on the size, and if it's a whole chicken (needs more time usually) or in pieces. Take out the giblets (bag of insides) that you find inside the chicken.
Learning to cook for yourself can be extremely rewarding, and this knowledge will last you your whole life.
Here's some links for you:
Cooking Techniques for Beginner and Intermediate Cooks
Cooking With Spices Explained For Home Cooks
How to use herbs and spices in cooking!
How to Make Oven Baked Chicken | eHow.com

 

[Austrian_Babe]

You may be slim doesn't mean you’re healthy clean eating is healthy eating and the best preventative medicine in the world.

I am healthy because I am active (at least I am now lol), of normal weight, don´t smoke, drink, do drugs etc. Heck, I don´t even drink coffee and have never taken any diet pills (and I sure as hell don´t plan to)

Clean eating is definitely healthy, but eating cornflakes, lunch meat and whole weat toast (as my only regular processed foods) is not gonna make me any less healthy.

 

[Austrian_Babe]

Don't let yourself use that as an excuse, it is easy to learn to cook, through trial and error, or by simply going online and learning the basics. If you prefer, go buy a basic cookbook.
Here's some links for you:

thank you! I think cooking will be more fun once I get some positive experiences from it, meaning I cook something that actually tastes good. Once I live with my husband I can hopefully adapt some of his cooking skills

 

[trex74]

thank you! I think cooking will be more fun once I get some positive experiences from it, meaning I cook something that actually tastes good. Once I live with my husband I can hopefully adapt some of his cooking skills

You'll be great. Everyone starts somewhere.
I am a pretty good cook now, but I have subjected my family to some AWFUL stuff.
I was making spaghetti sauce, I was about 13 or so, and I put whole cumin seeds in, trying to be exotic and sophisticated or something.
Well, while ground cumin wouldn't have made it too bad, the whole seeds sprinkled throughout the sauce made it so gritty, really strong tasting, and it was almost inedible.
I was so devastated, and I had made so much sauce that i felt guilty about tossing it out. My sister still loves to remind me about it, and I just laugh and laugh because it was absolutely hilarious...
Watching them eat it was torture, because I knew it was disgusting. They tried to be polite for a while....LOL

 

[shirlene29]

meh...I dont mean low carb.....pumpernickle or rye is healthier than wheat

 

[Austrian_Babe]

You'll be great. Everyone starts somewhere.
I am a pretty good cook now, but I have subjected my family to some AWFUL stuff.
I was making spaghetti sauce, I was about 13 or so, and I put whole cumin seeds in, trying to be exotic and sophisticated or something.
Well, while ground cumin wouldn't have made it too bad, the whole seeds sprinkled throughout the sauce made it so gritty, really strong tasting, and it was almost inedible.
I was so devastated, and I had made so much sauce that i felt guilty about tossing it out. My sister still loves to remind me about it, and I just laugh and laugh because it was absolutely hilarious...
Watching them eat it was torture, because I knew it was disgusting. They tried to be polite for a while....LOL

LOL that sounds yummy. I can cook two things at the moment (tomato soup and shrimp pasta) and I´m so proud of myself cause both actually taste good. My family loves those dishes, but when my husband tasted them I was totally pissed when he said he doesn´t like either

 

[Austrian_Babe]

meh...I dont mean low carb.....pumpernickle or rye is healthier than wheat

I actually like rye bread a lot!

 

[trex74]

LOL that sounds yummy. I can cook two things at the moment (tomato soup and shrimp pasta) and I´m so proud of myself cause both actually taste good. My family loves those dishes, but when my husband tasted them I was totally pissed when he said he doesn´t like either

Oh if you can make tomato soup and shrimp pasta, you can definitely cook other stuff too

 

[musclemom]

LOL that sounds yummy. I can cook two things at the moment (tomato soup and shrimp pasta) and I´m so proud of myself cause both actually taste good. My family loves those dishes, but when my husband tasted them I was totally pissed when he said he doesn´t like either

I didn't know how to cook much when I first got married, either. I knew how to roast a chicken and make biscuits, that was pretty much it.

One of the really traditional wedding gifts in America is a crock pot (also called a slow cooker). They always come with their own little cook book. That's where I learned quite a few things (what flavors go well together, and how foods react to cooking). And a really good SIMPLE basic cookbook, with classic recipes that aren't too outrageously long and solid explanations of how to select ingredients and various cooking techniques, is a must.

IMO, the trick with cooking isn't the cooking so much as learning how to treat the ingredients properly and what goes with what (Trex gave some good rules of thumb up there). Less is more. Once upon a time, I would overcook meats and vegetables, try to put in too many herbs, over season, make every pot in the house dirty, spend hours prepping and it would taste blech and I'd be heartsick. Now, 25+ years later, I know if I'm spending much more than 20 minutes prepping then I'm probably doing something wrong.