Looking for a little help in the right direction...

[Katie4Metal]

Hello everyone! A friend of mine suggested that I check out this site for any bodybuilding questions that I might have. Here's my back story: I have always wanted to be a FBB ever since I was little. After some things happened, I decided to stop lifting weights for personal reasons. Several years passed (and several pounds gained) and here I am, 24 and determined to complete my life long goal. Needless to say it's going to be a lot harder then when I was younger because now I need to work off a lot more weight then I had before. For the past couple of years I've been lifting weights off and on, however I've been neglectful of doing cardio. I'm getting tired of not being able to see my muscle progress because of my pudgy body. Two and a half weeks ago, I started to put muscle growth on hold and work solely on losing the body fat. Here's my current situation:

Age: 24
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 196
Body Fat: 35%

Food:
4 - 5 meals a day
1400 - 1500 calories
60% carbs 20% protein 20% total fat
Example:
oatmeal and orange juice breakfast
EAS protein plus 1 Tbls instant coffee lunch and snack
smoked salmon, long grain rice and broccoli dinner
lots of water and some green tea periodically

Exercise:
5 days a week
1 hour cardio
1 hour resistant training (give or take)
30 minutes warm up/cool down

I take a multi and fish oil vitamin every day
I am on the depo provera bc

My goal is to get down to a 13% body fat before I start really working my muscles hard again. I want to achieve this goal ASAP and am willing to work as hard as it takes to do so. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions to help me out with this. Should I change my diet? Since I want results quick, should I try taking something to help burn the fat? Should I switch my bc?

All of your help is GREATLY appreciated!

 

[Tami Bellon]

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...me-womens-forum-please-start-here-605241.html

 

[slat1]

I think a great starting point would be to make this thread a journal and track your meals and you workouts each day. That way the ladies could see what is in good shape and what needs improvement. It would also help other who are reading by you inspiring them with your journey!

 

[Katie4Metal]

Thank you for the help. I had my body fat check done about three weeks ago and I'm going to do a hydrostatic weighing next Tueday. I've never done that before and I'm kind of excited about it.

 

[Cutiebaby]

Welcome to Elite fitness. Please don't ever hesitate on asking for assistance or advice. The women here are some of the best and most knowledgeable ones that I have seen. Good luck in your goals!

 

[needtogetaas]

I think a great starting point would be to make this thread a journal and track your meals and you workouts each day. That way the ladies could see what is in good shape and what needs improvement. It would also help other who are reading by you inspiring them with your journey!

YES YES!!!!!! we are waiting to help you. Also i love coming to ef and watching the log threads. Watching some one keep up with them and seeing them months later with all there new goals met and new ones set.

 

[sbt2082]

Welcome and glad to have you here!!

 

[Katie4Metal]

Thank you for all of your support! I will make sure to keep you all updated and I'm sure I'll have many more questions on the way!

 

[Katie4Metal]

I actually do have a question. Right now I am currently taking the depo provera bc but I was wondering if it was slowing down me reaching my goal. I know that it's pretty much a shot of estrogen so I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a different bc. Or if it's not necessary for me to switch right now.

Thank you!

 

[Tami Bellon]

Speaking from personal experience, I never had a problem with the Depo shot. I was on it for 4 years and did not have a problem with weight gain. Reportedly,women on this shot usually gain 3-5 lbs per year while on it. Like most things, I think that's individual.

Depo is not an estrogen shot, it is Medroxprogesterone. If your diet is clean and you're eating the right amounts for your goal and you're training regularly, I don't see this creating problems with fat loss the way the pill does.

Those things being said....you are under eating. At 196 lbs, you should be getting AT LEAST 1960 calories per day. 20-25 grams of protein at every meal.


I wrote this because so many women I spoke with said the same thing....."Oh, I eat healthy! My diet is great, but I can't figure out why I can't lose weight." When I ask them what they eat for breakfast?.....a bowl of cereal and some fruit. When I ask where the protein is, they say...."well, I have milk with my cereal." ...... this is one of the reasons I was led to write the following:

A problem most women face is the "scale". We get too hung up on the number that appears. What we should be focusing on more is the way our clothes fit and what we see in the mirror.

The way you eat on a daily basis is your "diet". The short term quick fixes that people use to drop "weight" quick are unhealthy and you lose the WRONG weight, which is why they can’t figure out why they stay flabby. What I mean by that is that you sacrifice your lean body mass in the process. Muscle is GOOD weight. The more muscle you have, the faster your body will burn fat, which increases metabolism. You want to drop FAT not muscle. This gives the "hard body" look that we strive for. If you lose muscle with your fat, and then end up gaining more fat on top of that, you have no solid base under there and it just adds jiggle on top of jiggle - not the desired reflection we like to see in the mirror! lol

Cardio is NOT “the” answer. An hour a day of cardio is too much. At that rate, you are doing what I stated above - burning your GOOD weight too. Your body is eating its own muscle for fuel after 30-45 minutes if you haven't had food within an hour or so prior.

You need to lift heavier weights. By that I mean weights that are REALLY burning at 9-12 reps. If it were easy, we would all have hard, lean bodies. Ladies, don't worry, you will not wake up "buff". I've had to train my A** off to look like I do. You aren't going to get "bulky", you do not have the testosterone levels needed for that to happen. It's hard and it takes time, patience, determination and self-discipline.

Diet accounts for 80% of your goal. You have to get the right nutrients to reach it. Too many women eat bowls of cereal, breads and fruits alone for breakfast - this is not ideal. There needs to be a SIGNIFICANT protein source at every meal. Five grams is not significant. I'm talking 20-25 grams. This will help you build up the solid base you need. Also, most women try the low fat diets - another mistake - as that only jacks up your carbohydrates. They have to replace the fat with "something" and its usually carbs.

Those are the basics in the words of Tami Bellon