Posting on behalf of my girlfriend

[paintballproam]

Im posting this on behalf of my gf. she trained off and on durring 2008, and steadily since feb 2009.

starting stats
5'6
175lbs
bf% ?
bench=45x5
squat=75x5

current stats
5'6
140lbs
bf% around 28% using calipers
bench=95x6
squat=95x15 or 135x5

Trying to make sure shes getting the right amount of calories per day. her progess grinded to a halt at about 150lbs, she than began taking Slim Xtreme and dropped down to 139.5lbs in the first week, and has since then stayed right around 143lbs (sheo started SX just over 2 weeks ago)

training varies, but she prefers a high volume split that someone set me up with a while back. mon chest/tri, tuesday back/bi, wednesday rest, thursday shoulders, friday legs. She usually does cardio 5-7days a week, sounds like a lot, but she likes it i guess.

Shes deffinatly gained a LOT of muscle since shes started lifting.

How many calories a day should she be getting?

 

[Tami Bellon]

That depends. What's her goal?

 

[Thandie]

Im posting this on behalf of my gf. she trained off and on durring 2008, and steadily since feb 2009.

starting stats
5'6
175lbs
bf% ?
bench=45x5
squat=75x5

current stats
5'6
140lbs
bf% around 28% using calipers
bench=95x6
squat=95x15 or 135x5

Trying to make sure shes getting the right amount of calories per day. her progess grinded to a halt at about 150lbs, she than began taking Slim Xtreme and dropped down to 139.5lbs in the first week, and has since then stayed right around 143lbs (sheo started SX just over 2 weeks ago)

training varies, but she prefers a high volume split that someone set me up with a while back. mon chest/tri, tuesday back/bi, wednesday rest, thursday shoulders, friday legs. She usually does cardio 5-7days a week, sounds like a lot, but she likes it i guess.

Shes deffinatly gained a LOT of muscle since shes started lifting.

How many calories a day should she be getting?

What is she eating now and what are her goals.
I'd not recommend training 7 days a week. That's overkill and it will only hinder her progress. Resting/recovery is as important as training..

 

[paintballproam]

first off, her goal is too loose weight, probably get into the mid to high teens for bf% that is her number one goal, then once shes down to her ideal bf% she wants to build up her butt more

she trains mon/tues/thurs/friday and does cardio about 5-6 times a week, 60mins at a time

right now shes getting around 1800cals a day

 

[Melaina]

I think her calorie amount looks good for her fitness activity, although I think 60 minutes of cardio is BLAH... she's better off doing HIT at 20 minutes then wasting 60 minutes of her life but that's me. How old is she?

I am very proud of her and I am sure you are too, she's making great progress. It would be nice if she joined EF and talked to us herself (Although we don't mind you being here but it's always good to help out a gal 1 on 1)

 

[paintballproam]

I think her calorie amount looks good for her fitness activity, although I think 60 minutes of cardio is BLAH... she's better off doing HIT at 20 minutes then wasting 60 minutes of her life but that's me. How old is she?

I am very proud of her and I am sure you are too, she's making great progress. It would be nice if she joined EF and talked to us herself (Although we don't mind you being here but it's always good to help out a gal 1 on 1)

first off, yes im very proud of her especially since her older sister begain loosing weight the same time she did. her sister believes in the ever so healthy 400-500calories a day+puking+laxitives and says lifting weights will make you too big and bulky......
so im VERY happy shes doing this the smart way!

she hates the cardio, but she figured it would help her loose more. If she could do 20 or 30minutes shed love it. she is 20 btw

Her goal really is to loose weight so i want to make sure her diet/training/cardio is geared towards weight loss

 

[Thandie]

first off, her goal is too loose weight, probably get into the mid to high teens for bf% that is her number one goal, then once shes down to her ideal bf% she wants to build up her butt more

she trains mon/tues/thurs/friday and does cardio about 5-6 times a week, 60mins at a time

right now shes getting around 1800cals a day

I should have been more specific. I meant, what are her macros. How much protein/carbs/fat she's consuming? How many times a day does she eat?

1800c might be good, but that depends how much she's burning. Everyone is different. Some people have a slower metabolism, but that doesn't mean she can't improve it. I'm currently eating 2000c and I'm losing slightly. However, other times I need a lot less to lose.

Yes, you should have her join us. She'll learn a great deal just by reading other posts and doing search.

 

[Melaina]

She's quite young and her natural metabolic levels should still be fairly high as long as she hasn't damaged her system like her sister has. It's not doing just 20-30 minutes... it's high intensity 20-30 minutes. Some people do 60 seconds, some do 90 seconds... your girl may want to start with 60 seconds and work her way up. She needs to get on the treadmill or elliptical and go 60 seconds as hard and fast as she can, then do 60 seconds at a slower rest pace (but still keeping her heart level up).... on off.... She will probably be burned out at 10 minutes but that's ok.... she can build herself up to 20, 30...etc. I am a fan of bike... no matter WHAT anyone says. I crank it to the highest level possible and then do a steady speed for 45 minutes. This has NOTHING to do with cardio... it's simply leg muscle endurance building and should NOT be used in lieu of cardio... but when I just don't FEEL cardio I'll do that. I love the burn in my quads. If she isn't already she should start doing weight lifting, her preference may be the universal machines and THATS OK.... a low weight, high rep regime would be best for her NOW and then she can address her future goals and change accordingly.

And someone needs to buy her sister this book: Amazon.com: Overcoming Bulimia: Your Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Guide to Recovery (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) (9781572243262): Randi E., Ph.D. McCabe, Traci L., Ph.D. McFarlane, Marion P., Ph.D. Olmstead: Books

 

[paintballproam]

She's quite young and her natural metabolic levels should still be fairly high as long as she hasn't damaged her system like her sister has. It's not doing just 20-30 minutes... it's high intensity 20-30 minutes. Some people do 60 seconds, some do 90 seconds... your girl may want to start with 60 seconds and work her way up. She needs to get on the treadmill or elliptical and go 60 seconds as hard and fast as she can, then do 60 seconds at a slower rest pace (but still keeping her heart level up).... on off.... She will probably be burned out at 10 minutes but that's ok.... she can build herself up to 20, 30...etc. I am a fan of bike... no matter WHAT anyone says. I crank it to the highest level possible and then do a steady speed for 45 minutes. This has NOTHING to do with cardio... it's simply leg muscle endurance building and should NOT be used in lieu of cardio... but when I just don't FEEL cardio I'll do that. I love the burn in my quads. If she isn't already she should start doing weight lifting, her preference may be the universal machines and THATS OK.... a low weight, high rep regime would be best for her NOW and then she can address her future goals and change accordingly.

And someone needs to buy her sister this book: Amazon.com: Overcoming Bulimia: Your Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Guide to Recovery (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook) (9781572243262): Randi E., Ph.D. McCabe, Traci L., Ph.D. McFarlane, Marion P., Ph.D. Olmstead: Books

thank you very much, i think you missed some of my post tho, shes been weight training consistantly since feb, free weights, shes deffinatly made great strength gains and shes gained muscle mass and density.

alright, well then ill deffinatly have her do hiit then. how many times a week? how low is too low for her calories?

 

[Melaina]

Eh, I did miss that I am sorry.

No female should ever go below 1200 calories, ever. But it's really what her body can handle. She can drop down to 1600 calories and as long as she still can maintain the same energy level to be able TO work out she will be fine. It really depends on her diet though... dropping 200 calories is as easy as taking a condiment out of the diet, or a drink. It would be nice to see her actual meal plan break down... or at least an estimate of it. If dropping 200 calories means losing a vital aspect of the diet... good lean protein, fiber or healthy carbs then I would opt out.

 

[future]

HIIT maybe 3 days a week for now. On the other days do 45 minutes at 125-130 beats per min. TOO LOW would be 2/3 her bodyweight in calories. A guideline to start is 10x's your bodyweight. So around 1700 calories a day for her. That can be a plus of minus slightly. That should help. Feel free to contact Tami who is a trainer with The Source Check, a board sponsor here.

 

[future]

Eh, I did miss that I am sorry.

No female should ever go below 1200 calories, ever. But it's really what her body can handle. She can drop down to 1600 calories and as long as she still can maintain the same energy level to be able TO work out she will be fine. It really depends on her diet though... dropping 200 calories is as easy as taking a condiment out of the diet, or a drink. It would be nice to see her actual meal plan break down... or at least an estimate of it. If dropping 200 calories means losing a vital aspect of the diet... good lean protein, fiber or healthy carbs then I would opt out.

What if a girl is 95 lbs? Again everyone is different. WE have the guidelines for structure but still needs to be flexible for indiviual need.

Good tip on the fiber! Gets lost in the shuffle.

 

[paintballproam]

Her diet, hmm, shes never hungry so dropping 200cals wouldnt be a big deal.
breakfast pbj on 35cal a slice whole grain bread
mid morning protein bar
lunch turkey sandwhich with light mayo on whole grain bread
post workout=protein shake
dinner varies, but usually 4ounces of lean meat, a veggie, and sometimes a carb source
she usually has a protein shake before bed as well.

sometimes she has a lean pocket in the afternoon, not always tho.


Not the best diet but there it is

 

[Melaina]

What if a girl is 95 lbs? Again everyone is different. WE have the guidelines for structure but still needs to be flexible for indiviual need.

Good tip on the fiber! Gets lost in the shuffle.

Oh I was responding based on the weight that I already knew. If she is plateauing at 1800 calories with the amount of cardio she is already doing... decreasing the calories slightly may help her hurdle the plateau.

Again, it would be nice to see where the calories are coming from! If you can get 5-6 great meals on those calories.... better then starving all day and then blowing 1500 calories at McDonalds.... you know?

 

[future]

Ah!

I would still consider changing the macros around. Her diet is anything but balanced.

 

[Melaina]

Her diet, hmm, shes never hungry so dropping 200cals wouldnt be a big deal.
breakfast pbj on 35cal a slice whole grain bread
mid morning protein bar
lunch turkey sandwhich with light mayo on whole grain bread
post workout=protein shake
dinner varies, but usually 4ounces of lean meat, a veggie, and sometimes a carb source
she usually has a protein shake before bed as well.

sometimes she has a lean pocket in the afternoon, not always tho.


Not the best diet but there it is

I always post too soon, LOL

It's definitely not bad but it could definitely use tweaking. I am no thandie, she's amazing but I can tweak what is already there. First off get rid of that protein bar in the morning. Protein bars are GREAT for some people but most bars (ie: GNC, Store bought... are PURE CRAP, you can get more from a Snickers bar)... for a female doing weight loss, it's not necessary. That breakfast is very unfilling and she's taking in ALOT of fat. Peanut butter has 16g Fat for 2 Tbsp. 1/c C of quick oats flavored with fresh berries... or ideally egg whites with mixed vegetables ... or a combination of the two (Thandie might take out my fresh berries, but they make the oats so much more appealing, LOL Lunch grilled chicken with a salad would benefit her better then processed lunch meat on more carbs. I do know what it's like to crave a good sandwich and we're all human. If she's like me... maybe eat the sandwich every other day, or two days and the salad with protein in between. Get rid of that stupid lean pocket, LOL. Even the "whole grain light" ones are useless... they just remove more filling and say they're light. Vegetables, some fruit or even a few almonds would better benefit her and fill her over until dinner.

 

[Melaina]

When does she work out?

 

[paintballproam]

I always post too soon, LOL

It's definitely not bad but it could definitely use tweaking. I am no thandie, she's amazing but I can tweak what is already there. First off get rid of that protein bar in the morning. Protein bars are GREAT for some people but most bars (ie: GNC, Store bought... are PURE CRAP, you can get more from a Snickers bar)... for a female doing weight loss, it's not necessary. That breakfast is very unfilling and she's taking in ALOT of fat. Peanut butter has 16g Fat for 2 Tbsp. 1/c C of quick oats flavored with fresh berries... or ideally egg whites with mixed vegetables ... or a combination of the two (Thandie might take out my fresh berries, but they make the oats so much more appealing, LOL Lunch grilled chicken with a salad would benefit her better then processed lunch meat on more carbs. I do know what it's like to crave a good sandwich and we're all human. If she's like me... maybe eat the sandwich every other day, or two days and the salad with protein in between. Get rid of that stupid lean pocket, LOL. Even the "whole grain light" ones are useless... they just remove more filling and say they're light. Vegetables, some fruit or even a few almonds would better benefit her and fill her over until dinner.

the protein bars she has are Pure Protein brand, 0sugar and 20g protein i think
"that breakfast is very unfilling" actually, just the opposite for her, she gets very full from just that
she hates oats/oatmeal
does not have the time in the morning to make eggs
grilled chicken i think would be a big pita for her to do
she gets fresh deli meat btw

soo her diet is pretty much crap?

 

[Thandie]

ah!

i would still consider changing the macros around. Her diet is anything but balanced.

+1

 

[paintballproam]

Ok, after telling her all of your responses, this is what she asked me to say for her :

"Then what should my diet look like? What exactly should i eat?"

 

[Tami Bellon]

Actually, she shouldn't go below 10x her body weight. If she's 140 lbs, no less than 1400 cal should be the lowest (give or take a hundred cal).

Just skimming over this.....she's doing too much cardio.

Please read:

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

 

[Melaina]

Gooood response Tami

 

[Melaina]

If she grills chicken in the evening she can heat it up at work for a few days and I don't care if the deli meat is from the deli or the package.... it's processed, it's high in salts and sulphites. It's a good waste of good protein. I just tweaked the mealplan and you came back with a response to everything why that wouldn't work, if you're not willing to have options... then what are you really asking for? There are a lot of tricks to working through meals. If a slice of toast with peanut butter is fullfilling, that's great.... but it's not nutritionally fullfilling. Thandie has a "female intros" sticky you may want to browse... you will see a lot of valuable information!

 

[Tami Bellon]

I always post too soon, LOL

It's definitely not bad but it could definitely use tweaking. I am no thandie, she's amazing but I can tweak what is already there. First off get rid of that protein bar in the morning. Protein bars are GREAT for some people but most bars (ie: GNC, Store bought... are PURE CRAP, you can get more from a Snickers bar)... for a female doing weight loss, it's not necessary. That breakfast is very unfilling and she's taking in ALOT of fat. Peanut butter has 16g Fat for 2 Tbsp. 1/c C of quick oats flavored with fresh berries... or ideally egg whites with mixed vegetables ... or a combination of the two (Thandie might take out my fresh berries, but they make the oats so much more appealing, LOL Lunch grilled chicken with a salad would benefit her better then processed lunch meat on more carbs. I do know what it's like to crave a good sandwich and we're all human. If she's like me... maybe eat the sandwich every other day, or two days and the salad with protein in between. Get rid of that stupid lean pocket, LOL. Even the "whole grain light" ones are useless... they just remove more filling and say they're light. Vegetables, some fruit or even a few almonds would better benefit her and fill her over until dinner.

I'm thinkin' 3 egg whites, 1 whole egg scrambled, with broccoli mixed in for breakfast. Some sample diets:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/w...odybuilding-training/sample-diets-657003.html

These are for the average person who doesn't compete. Too stringent and no flavor could be a setup for failure if she's not use to a clean diet. These are not "one size fits all" diets. They were made for a client of mine a couple of years ago. Most of the time, we prefer to see 5 or 6 meals. This girl was only eating 2x a day so 4 meals for her was all she could do for her first step in the right direction.

 

[Thandie]

If she grills chicken in the evening she can heat it up at work for a few days and I don't care if the deli meat is from the deli or the package.... it's processed, it's high in salts and sulphites. It's a good waste of good protein. I just tweaked the mealplan and you came back with a response to everything why that wouldn't work, if you're not willing to have options... then what are you really asking for? There are a lot of tricks to working through meals. If a slice of toast with peanut butter is fullfilling, that's great.... but it's not nutritionally fullfilling. Thandie has a "female intros" sticky you may want to browse... you will see a lot of valuable information!

^^ I agree. Deli or package products are still processed. Always go with whole foods.

Cooking every couple of days make things easier. I bake yams and chicken and make rice every couple days. It saves a lot of time.

Also, check the "Shopping guide, Non-GMO" sticky.

 

[Melaina]

One of my co-workers is a bodybuilder and we were talking one day and he either cooks up some sweet potatoes and fresh green beans at home and re-heats them or also uses the microwavable steam bags and makes his own protein bars... he will eat one in the late am, have his sweet potato and vegetable, drinking his protein and then another home made protein bar in the afternoon. Goes home works out, then has a high protein dinner....etc.

Speaking of chicken I found this amazing baked chicken recipe yesterday. I need to go find it. I love bbq chicken but really, in the winter baking is so much easier.

 

[Tami Bellon]

Speaking of homemade protein bars, Needtobuildmuscle's premade bag makes it soooooo easy for people who aren't sure how to make them. You can make them sugar-free.

Here are a few of the recipes, if you are interested:
Recipies - Needtobuildmuscle Board



....and the video thread at the top of those threads show the one we decided to make because we don't usually have honey in the house. Liquid beef aminos are a great substitute because its sweet (glycerine based) and it has added protein.

 

[Thandie]

Speaking of homemade protein bars, Needtobuildmuscle's premade bag makes it soooooo easy for people who aren't sure how to make them. You can make them sugar-free.

Here are a few of the recipes, if you are interested:
Recipies - Needtobuildmuscle Board



....and the video thread at the top of those threads show the one we decided to make because we don't usually have honey in the house. Liquid beef aminos are a great substitute because its sweet (glycerine based) and it has added protein.

Great! Didn't know there were so many variations. I have a client who's looking for a protein bar low in sugar and fat. Thanks for posting it..

 

[Tami Bellon]

Great! Didn't know there were so many variations. I have a client who's looking for a protein bar low in sugar and fat. Thanks for posting it..

We've got NINE bags of it sitting here. It doesn't last long! lol

If you ladies can think of other recipes, that would be great! Needto would like as many as possible