introducing myself

[foreigngirl]

Hi everyone, I am new here. Just wanted to say something about myself: I am 5 foot 1, weighing 140lbs. 2 months ago just had a baby (c-sect) and for about 3 weeks now I've been working out Mon-Wed-Fri. I still havent lost the weight, I've been 140lbs since 1month ago and its very frustrating. I think I eat kinda clean: in the morning I have 2 eggs with wheat toast and 2 pc of turkey bacon, 2 hours later I have a protein bar, 3 hours later I have 1 pc of grilled chicken breast (or 2 eggs again) and then around 6-7pm I have meal replacement drink (I add some whey protein in it, too) and thats it for the day. My beverage is only water. What do the girls think I should do to loose this baby fat a liitle bit faster?
Thank you for all replies

 

[Raina]

Welcome! Congrats on having the baby! It sounds like you're lean on calories and probably healthy fats too. You might want to try www.fitday.com to start recording what you're eating for a while and get a more accurate idea of what you're really taking in. You want to make sure your calories don't get too low.

Are you nursing?

 

[foreigngirl]

No, I am not nursing. I have to let the dad get involved, too, you know. But, I was just worried that maybe that meal replacement is messing everything up for me, cause it has like 240cals. My husband has me on a strickt weight lifting regime. I am tired as it is after running after a 3 year old and taking care of the baby...maybe my lack of sleep is the down factor? I am way too confused

 

[Raina]

What kind of meal replacement are you using? There are lots of different ones (and just regular protein powders too) that you can try that have all different ranges of calories and nutrient contents based on your goals.

Lack of sleep is never a good thing but a mom with an infant has her whole own set of challenges with that.

 

[Cutiebaby]

you had a c sect 2 months ago and started working out 3 weeks ago???? dang must have healed fast!!!!! heres the ? is it "baby" fat or stratched skin and what are you doing to lose it?

 

[foreigngirl]

I am using the Met-rx protein supp powder and also I am taking the Any Whey protein (without flavor). Is this good or should I make a change? I have only my husband to guide me, but I need to talk to girls, cause I think its a bit different...

 

[foreigngirl]

Its baby fat. Thank God I dont have strech marks...But I am still scared to start doing sit-up, so I just sit on a bench and do leg raises. And it's still there, thats why I am totally aggravated with it

 

[Sassy69]

Hey girl! Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!

My first comment is to not be hard on yourself for the weight -- your body just went through 9 months of stress plus one big catastrophic event so it may be askign for some time to recover, esp after the additional trauma of a c-section. I've never had a baby and I can't say that for a scientific fact, but I don't think its impossible that you need to give yourself some leaway because of what you're asking your body to do, on top of the stress of just taking care of the little joy ball.

Can you start by reading the sticky at the top called "Are you new to EF Ladies Board - START HERE" -- there's a short list of detail that you've given some of , but especially the specific daily meal plan and the food counts detail that you can get out of a food counts program like www.fitday.com (its a free account online - takes a few minutes to set up your food definitions, but it is very easy to use and very useful!) so that we can know for sure just how much you are eating and what exactly you are eating.

Diet is usually the one place to start to look at to achieve your goals. Weight, btw, is only a measure of the total mass of your body's muscle, skeleton & fat. So its almost irrelevant when you are talking about "losing weight" -- you really want to decrease your bodyfat and/or increase your muscle.

Just eyeballing your diet, I think you are way under-eating, especially for the energy you need to keep up with Junior. Your body is thinking it's in a famine-mode where there simply isn't enough food around, so it has adjusted its metabolism down a bit to preserve the energy sources it has (bodyfat). And thus, you aren't burnign fat efficiently. I'll also add that generally I recommend eating as much REAL food as possible. The protein bar probably isn't killing you, but there are better sources of less-processed food available. I also see very litte fats in your diet and very little carb. Do you feel tired or flaky all the time? (Symptom of too little carbs.)

And finally you should get your bodyfat measured so we can talk about how much of you is muscle and how much is truly fat. Using the scale to judge your progress is just not the way to go. In the first part of my prep for a bodybuildign show, I lost 8% bodyfat but the scale didnt' budge more than 2 lb from 160 lbs for 3 months of intense dieting, cardio & training.

 

[Cutiebaby]

Its baby fat. Thank God I dont have strech marks...But I am still scared to start doing sit-up, so I just sit on a bench and do leg raises. And it's still there, thats why I am totally aggravated with it

i hear you...just had my baby 9 weeks ago..3 kid and my stomache is as they say "used".....i had a problem with my muscles not going back into place after i had him so i just got the ok friday to do sit ups and such....i think weight gain from a baby is the worst to lose....i wirked hard after my 1st baby and it took me about 5 months to get to where i wanted to be after doing sit ips and walking a lot..i didnt see any results for a while because i didnt do any excersizing during the preg....did you?

 

[foreigngirl]

I'll do that, I mean, measure my body fat %. My husband was telling me the same thing - that I am not eating enough. But, silly me, I wa thinking if I eat more I wont get anywhere and anyways I dont really have that big of an apetite. Thats kinda bad...

 

[foreigngirl]

No, I didnt exercise while I was pregnant. The only thing I did was eat clean - no junk food (my husband is a health freak). But I think so too: the baby fat is the most stuborn one out of all - it just dont want to come off easlily...it sucks

 

[Sassy69]

You have to eat to lose bodyfat - -that's one of the biggest misconceptions out there. Your body is an almost perfect machine that wants to run efficiently. So you get results by fueling it with what it needs. You get the most optimal efficiency by fuelign it most optimally. If you saw a typcial bodybuilding competitor's diet you would probably think they were nuts, but that is one of the examples of an almost completely optimized diet designed to manipulate metabolism so the competitor can look a certain way at a certain time of day on a competition day.

But if you feed yourself too much or too little of what your body needs to run optimally, it is goign to adjust its burn rate up or down based on what its given and what it burns and then store whatever is leftover as fat. No waste anywhere. But at the same time, you don't want excess or too little.

When you put everything into a food counts program like fitday, that will SHOW you what you are and arent' eating.

 

[Cutiebaby]

No, I didnt exercise while I was pregnant. The only thing I did was eat clean - no junk food (my husband is a health freak). But I think so too: the baby fat is the most stuborn one out of all - it just dont want to come off easlily...it sucks

i found that excersizing during preg made it easier to lose the weight gain faster..i walked all day when i was preg with the 2nd and i ate like a pig with the 2nd i gained the most with the 2nd yet because i walked i lost it a lot faster than then the other ones....my last preg i didnt eat much and i wasnt really huge yet it took longer to reduce my weight gain....i have lost almost all of the weight but in certain areas i need to tone up in!!! how much did you gain during your preg?

 

[foreigngirl]

i found that excersizing during preg made it easier to lose the weight gain faster..i walked all day when i was preg with the 2nd and i ate like a pig with the 2nd i gained the most with the 2nd yet because i walked i lost it a lot faster than then the other ones....my last preg i didnt eat much and i wasnt really huge yet it took longer to reduce my weight gain....i have lost almost all of the weight but in certain areas i need to tone up in!!! how much did you gain during your preg?

I was 132lbs when I got preg and ended up 160lbs. The first month I went down to 138-140lb just by itself and thats where I am today. I am not that worried about the weight, You have to be worried how u look like in the mirror and the changes are small.
Wow, u have 3 kids...How old are they?

 

[foreigngirl]

You have to eat to lose bodyfat - -that's one of the biggest misconceptions out there. Your body is an almost perfect machine that wants to run efficiently. So you get results by fueling it with what it needs. You get the most optimal efficiency by fuelign it most optimally. If you saw a typcial bodybuilding competitor's diet you would probably think they were nuts, but that is one of the examples of an almost completely optimized diet designed to manipulate metabolism so the competitor can look a certain way at a certain time of day on a competition day.

But if you feed yourself too much or too little of what your body needs to run optimally, it is goign to adjust its burn rate up or down based on what its given and what it burns and then store whatever is leftover as fat. No waste anywhere. But at the same time, you don't want excess or too little.

When you put everything into a food counts program like fitday, that will SHOW you what you are and arent' eating.

So, I just click on the link that u gave me and fill out my meals and it will show me what actually I'm doing, huh?

 

[Cutiebaby]

I was 132lbs when I got preg and ended up 160lbs. The first month I went down to 138-140lb just by itself and thats where I am today. I am not that worried about the weight, You have to be worried how u look like in the mirror and the changes are small.
Wow, u have 3 kids...How old are they?

6 almost 7..1 and 1/2 and 9 weeks....yes weight wont go down because you replace it with muscle

 

[foreigngirl]

6 almost 7..1 and 1/2 and 9 weeks....yes weight wont go down because you replace it with muscle

Wow, you must be running around like crazy. Well, there it is - your cardio

 

[Cutiebaby]

Wow, you must be running around like crazy. Well, there it is - your cardio

tell me about it...then i work in a nursing home nights so there is my lifting!!!! lol...beats paying a gym membership......is this your first baby?

 

[Sassy69]

So, I just click on the link that u gave me and fill out my meals and it will show me what actually I'm doing, huh?

www.fitday.com

Take a look.

 

[foreigngirl]

tell me about it...then i work in a nursing home nights so there is my lifting!!!! lol...beats paying a gym membership......is this your first baby?

no, I have a 3 year old, too; this one is 2 months, so I totally know what u r talking about.
You cracked me up with that post

 

[Sassy69]

Exactly what Ischia said -- it definitely takes time to first get past the misconceptions about diet & nutrition, then it takes even more time to figure out how to get a program to fit your lifestyle. Like Rhealite said - the strict diet looks scary and how the heck do you stick to it? You have to make a few compromises, but you shouldn't be miserable doing it. One of my realities is that I don't make significant progress if I dont' stick to a diet 100%. That's my reality and I can choose to cheat some, but i also then have to expect to not reach my goals as quickly. Note also that I've been lifting for 23 yrs but didnt' really understand the diet until about 7 yrs ago, and successfully implemented the whole program for competition results 2x.

Once you figure out the foods that will get you to your goal, the foods that you like and the foods and preparation methods that fit your budget, your schedule and your patience, then the challenge becomes how do you pack & carry it all with you? What are some of the emergency tricks you can do, etc. It is most definitely a change in how you view eating and food. But once you get past that, it becomes part of your lifestyle and MUCH easier to deal with.

 

[Cutiebaby]

no, I have a 3 year old, too; this one is 2 months, so I totally know what u r talking about.
You cracked me up with that post

hard work....gotta make myself laugh or i'd go insane...half way there now.... dont worry about what you look like...your body will come back soon..

 

[foreigngirl]

Exactly what Ischia said -- it definitely takes time to first get past the misconceptions about diet & nutrition, then it takes even more time to figure out how to get a program to fit your lifestyle. Like Rhealite said - the strict diet looks scary and how the heck do you stick to it? You have to make a few compromises, but you shouldn't be miserable doing it. One of my realities is that I don't make significant progress if I dont' stick to a diet 100%. That's my reality and I can choose to cheat some, but i also then have to expect to not reach my goals as quickly. Note also that I've been lifting for 23 yrs but didnt' really understand the diet until about 7 yrs ago, and successfully implemented the whole program for competition results 2x.

Once you figure out the foods that will get you to your goal, the foods that you like and the foods and preparation methods that fit your budget, your schedule and your patience, then the challenge becomes how do you pack & carry it all with you? What are some of the emergency tricks you can do, etc. It is most definitely a change in how you view eating and food. But once you get past that, it becomes part of your lifestyle and MUCH easier to deal with.

I was told that I should eat small meals in between 2-3 hours and to cut down carbs after 3pm and not to eat anything after 7pm, only drink water. Should this work?

P.S. I will check out that link

 

[Sassy69]

Yep those are good general guidelines if it helps you get a program established. Some will argue about the eating after 7 pm. The idea is that your body will metabolize fsts, proteins & carbs within 2-3 hrs, so you give it just enough of those components one sitting to process for that period of time, and then refuel again, and continue over the course of the day. Some will argue that if you are "fasting" between your last meal fo the day and the first of the next day --- depending on your goals, this may or may not be a big deal. When I say goals, please keep in mind that I'm a competitive bodybuilder and I tend to base many of my habits on the goals of that rather extreme sport. There are no canned rules on how you HAVE to eat. You use the rules of thumb that help you achieve your goals.

 

[foreigngirl]

hard work....gotta make myself laugh or i'd go insane...half way there now.... dont worry about what you look like...your body will come back soon..

I kinda wanted it to come back in time for summer...You know how it is - you go to th emall, look at all the small tiny clothes and you are dying to fit in them, but those love handles will stick out like crazy...

 

[Cutiebaby]

I kinda wanted it to come back in time for summer...You know how it is - you go to th emall, look at all the small tiny clothes and you are dying to fit in them, but those love handles will stick out like crazy...

lol i hear ya!

 

[Raina]

What I do to make things easier is really prep food twice a week. I make a whole bunch of stuff and measure it out into tupperware. My fridge is always packed with options for good stuff and if I'm on the go, I just throw a handful of things into a little soft cooler and I'm set.

I was "skinny fat" for a looong time because I wasn't eating anywhere near what I should have been. It wasn't until I paid attention to what I ate and made sure I got enough protein, cals, and fat that I really dropped fat. Prior to that I lived on a high carb low calorie diet and I looked and felt awful.

 

[foreigngirl]

What I do to make things easier is really prep food twice a week. I make a whole bunch of stuff and measure it out into tupperware. My fridge is always packed with options for good stuff and if I'm on the go, I just throw a handful of things into a little soft cooler and I'm set.

I was "skinny fat" for a looong time because I wasn't eating anywhere near what I should have been. It wasn't until I paid attention to what I ate and made sure I got enough protein, cals, and fat that I really dropped fat. Prior to that I lived on a high carb low calorie diet and I looked and felt awful.

Well, when I first came to the USA, I was 45kgs (between 95 and 100lbs). After I came I gained a lot, cause I was not moving around like I used to: it was like - get in the car and get out of it, sit down....Now, after 6 years of unhealthy lifestyle I am really sick of it. My fridge is always full with goodies: fruits, vegies, turkey, chicken...all the healthy stuff. Its that after a whole day of cooking I think I get full only from smelling it I dont work, I'm a stay-at-home mom with 2 kids, so I have 24/7 access to the fridge...
I'll have to post my work-out too, so you girls can have an idea what I have to work on...

 

[foreigngirl]

lol i hear ya!

But thats enough - time to get the body looking GOOD and NOT getting pregnant ever again...

 

[foreigngirl]

I went to that site FitDay and it turned out that I am taking between 955-1300 cal a day and I am burning 635 on an average day!!! Can that be a problem or aint that big of a deal?

 

[*Bunny*]

I went to that site FitDay and it turned out that I am taking between 955-1300 cal a day and I am burning 635 on an average day!!! Can that be a problem or aint that big of a deal?

Hey girl...Welcome & good luck...

There are tons of good rec's (the stickies) at the top of the forum...
CLICK ME

1st impression...you need to eat more than 955 cals...

What was fitday macro breakdown (the %'s for Pro/Carb/Fat)

 

[foreigngirl]

Hey girl...Welcome & good luck...

There are tons of good rec's (the stickies) at the top of the forum...
CLICK ME

1st impression...you need to eat more than 955 cals...

What was fitday macro breakdown (the %'s for Pro/Carb/Fat)

cals 955
fat 25
carb 111
protein 75

I know I got to take more protein. I am also taking multi's, fish oil, flax seed oil, whey protein, glutamine, l-arginine

 

[Sassy69]

cals 955
fat 25
carb 111
protein 75

I know I got to take more protein. I am also taking multi's, fish oil, flax seed oil, whey protein, glutamine, l-arginine

So this is the total cals & the grams of f/c/p?

Can you post up the percent (%) of each f/c/p?

 

[foreigngirl]

So this is the total cals & the grams of f/c/p?

Can you post up the percent (%) of each f/c/p?

protein 32%
carbs 44%
fat 24%

My husband is telling me that I have to take 140gr of protein (I weigh 140lbs). Is that true?


This is my work out:

Monday:

Squats 3 sets 10 reps with 15lb dumbell
Lounges 3 sets 10 reps 15 lb dumbell
leg extensions 4 sets 15 reps each leg
military press (for shoulders) 3 sets 10 reps 10lb dumbell
shoulder raises horizontal 3 sets 10 rep 10 lb dumbell
shoulder raises vertical 3 sets 10 reps 10lb dumbell
shrugs 4 sets 10 reps 15lb dumbell

Wednesday:

incline chest: 4 sets 10 reps (10lbs dumbell)
decline chest 4 stets 10 reps (10 lbs dumbell)
laying flat chest (?) 3 sets 10 reps (10lb dumbell)
overhead triceps 4 sets 10 reps (15lb dumbell)


Friday:

bicep curls 3 sets 6 reps (15lb dumbell)
bicep hammer 3 sets 6 reps (15lbs dumbell)
back dumbell rows 4 sets 10 rep (15lbs)
back lateral raises 4 sets 10 reps (10lbs)


I do this at home, cause of my infant....I cant get to the gym at all


After my workout, I drink a glass of water with a spoon of glutamine and a scoop of whey protein (17gr) and the protein bar (20gr of protein)