When, and if to add fat burners? Diet check..

[Ashley1980]

I am REALLY grateful for all the time you have put into helping me out with answering my questions. I am gonna take your word on it, and give it a go. I just logged everything I ate into fitday, as well as just added a bunch of custom foods that I am eating here at home. My macros will be at 40/30/30, which Im hitting today, but Im low on calories, so I'll be having a good size dinner
Im going to stick to it for 3 months and see what happens! Im totally motivated now, especially after seeing those pics of myself on screen (blah) Can I ask for your help in one other area? I know this is the diet section, but as for weight lifting..If I just do the basic compound lifts (squat, bench, bentover rows, DL's) with maybe adding a few things I want to improve on such as assisted pullups and dips, and push ups...three times a week for the next three months, think this will be enough, with the hopes of seeing just a little bit of change in my body in a few months?

 

[musclemom]

I am REALLY grateful for all the time you have put into helping me out with answering my questions. I am gonna take your word on it, and give it a go. I just logged everything I ate into fitday, as well as just added a bunch of custom foods that I am eating here at home. My macros will be at 40/30/30, which Im hitting today, but Im low on calories, so I'll be having a good size dinner
Im going to stick to it for 3 months and see what happens! Im totally motivated now, especially after seeing those pics of myself on screen (blah) Can I ask for your help in one other area? I know this is the diet section, but as for weight lifting..If I just do the basic compound lifts (squat, bench, bentover rows, DL's) with maybe adding a few things I want to improve on such as assisted pullups and dips, and push ups...three times a week for the next three months, think this will be enough, with the hopes of seeing just a little bit of change in my body in a few months?

Oh, this forum isn't just diet, this is weight training too, competition, the whole enchilada. One stop shop for everything a girl needs

I'm glad to hear you're committing to give yourself time, too. You really need to give yourself a good four to six weeks to really see if something is working or not, routine wise, diet wise.

Trust me, dear, if you JUST do compound moves, and you do them seriously, you will see changes.

Incidentally, if you haven't found it yet, here's another site that's all weight training, written by a woman, with some of the best instruction on form there is and it's fun, too, I'm sending you directly to the section where she has different training programs: Workout ideas :: stumptuous.com

 

[Ashley1980]

OhMyGosh you are a life saver! I came across that website MONTHS ago, and for the life of me couldnt figure out nor remember the name or how I came across it... It's very informative, and I this time saved it to my favs, and just picked a routine...starting tomorrow Going to go buy a new food scale, small notepad and pen for my workouts, and will be logging everything I do and eat as well as taking monthly photos over the next few months (at least). Wish me luck, and thanks a TON for all your help, I'll probably have more questions in the near future

 

[musclemom]

OhMyGosh you are a life saver! I came across that website MONTHS ago, and for the life of me couldnt figure out nor remember the name or how I came across it... It's very informative, and I this time saved it to my favs, and just picked a routine...starting tomorrow Going to go buy a new food scale, small notepad and pen for my workouts, and will be logging everything I do and eat as well as taking monthly photos over the next few months (at least). Wish me luck, and thanks a TON for all your help, I'll probably have more questions in the near future

Ask all the questions you like, hon. And the other thing you want to do is take a good tape measure and measure yourself, from the neck down (neck, upper arm, chest, bust, waist at the narrowest and bellybutton, hips, thigh, calf), keep that with your training material, too. It is very hard to trust the scale, it can mess with your head. Hormonal fluctuations can cause water gain/loss, and even a good heavy session of weight training can cause your muscles to hold a couple extra pounds of water (another reason why we really try to discourage scale use). But you can trust those measurements and you will be able to compare month to month photos.

 

[RottenWillow]

Was wondering how and when I should add a fat burner? I hear a lot of people take them, and I see them advertised in every fitness I read. If you are eating less calories than you are burning, wouldnt you lose weight, even without them? Will a fat burner help give me energy? Do I need to be doing a lot of cardio? I am going to include what I ate yesterday, please tell me what I should add (or take away) from my diet ...

Egg whites, Turkey sausage, 1/2 english muffin w/ tab of butter

Sm. Skinny latte (skim milk & sugar free vanilla)
apple
Few peices of Beef Jerky

chicken breast
one slice low fat pepper jack cheese
steamed broccoli

Chicken
spinach salad with cucumbers , onion, bell peppers, banana peppers, tomatoe
fat free italian, (will sometimes use sweet onion from subway)
(I use very little dressing, I dont measure, but even my husband will ask "can you even taste the dressing??)

hot coco w/marshmellows (blah!)


Im trying really hard to include protien in just about every meal/snack I eat. I feel like I usually eat pretty good...until the evening. I dont know what happens but I seem to have no self control and I will eat something sweet if its around (like the coco..which I wouldnt have bought, but the hubby and kids BEG for it now that its getting cold) or if were out and about and hubby buys snacks for him and the kids I can't seem to say no...

I realize I have to work on that...but if I take out the pm "treats" what adjustments should I make? I have read to build muscle I need to bulk, but Id really like to get rid of the fat I have first, about 10lbs. Would love some input!
Ashley

And that's the absolute worst time of day to start consuming carbs in any quantity, and especially excessive amounts.

Your body is able to store a fixed amount of glycogen in your liver and skeletal muscles. If those stores are full, any glucose that ends up in your bloodstream that isn't pretty much immediately needed for energy consumption will get moved into your fat layer. In the morning when you first rise liver/muscle stores are at their lowest levels of the day since you haven't eaten in 8+ hours. You can also deplete those liver/muscle stores with extended, vigorous cardio. Probably something like 45 minutes of keeping your heart rate at 120-140 bpm.

You should consume healthy low GI carbs at breakfast to refill those stores. You should also consume low GI carbs after that long, vigorous cardio session. By dinner time though the liver and skeletal muscle stores of glycogen have been refilled and it becomes more likely that any carbs consumed will be stored in the subcutaneous fat layer for reserve energy. Yes this can happen even when your total caloric intake for the day is actually below the total amount of calories your body needs for energy that day. The timing is critical.

At breakfast I think 50g of low GI carbs would probably be a very safe limit. After long, vigorous cardio probably 100g of low GI carbs would be safe. By safe I mean very little chance your body will need to store the glucose in your fat layer. Carb consumption should taper down to essentially nothing by dinner time.


So I leave you with this:

it's not just the total number of calories you consume each day when trying to reduce body fat, it's the source (protein, fat, high GI carb, moderate GI carb, low GI carb) of the calories and the timing of the calories.

 

[musclemom]

And that's the absolute worst time of day to start consuming carbs in any quantity, and especially excessive amounts.

Your body is able to store a fixed amount of glycogen in your liver and skeletal muscles. If those stores are full, any glucose that ends up in your bloodstream that isn't pretty much immediately needed for energy consumption will get moved into your fat layer. In the morning when you first rise liver/muscle stores are at their lowest levels of the day since you haven't eaten in 8+ hours. You can also deplete those liver/muscle stores with extended, vigorous cardio. Probably something like 45 minutes of keeping your heart rate at 120-140 bpm.

You should consume healthy low GI carbs at breakfast to refill those stores. You should also consume low GI carbs after that long, vigorous cardio session. By dinner time though the liver and skeletal muscle stores of glycogen have been refilled and it becomes more likely that any carbs consumed will be stored in the subcutaneous fat layer for reserve energy. Yes this can happen even when your total caloric intake for the day is actually below the total amount of calories your body needs for energy that day. The timing is critical.

At breakfast I think 50g of low GI carbs would probably be a very safe limit. After long, vigorous cardio probably 100g of low GI carbs would be safe. By safe I mean very little chance your body will need to store the glucose in your fat layer. Carb consumption should taper down to essentially nothing by dinner time.

So I leave you with this:

it's not just the total number of calories you consume each day when trying to reduce body fat, it's the source (protein, fat, high GI carb, moderate GI carb, low GI carb) of the calories and the timing of the calories.

Thank you so much, RW, I didn't know about the fixed amount of glycogen. See, you DO learn something new every day!

Now I have a question, what about fats? (like nuts). It seems for me fats are a better substitute than protein for carbs (does that make sense? In terms of satiation). If I'm trying to cut the carbs it seem I can eat pounds of chicken and still be hungry in 20 minutes, but adding the right fats (raw nuts and avocados especially) really seems to quell that.

 

[RADAR]

Thank you so much, RW, I didn't know about the fixed amount of glycogen. See, you DO learn something new every day!

Now I have a question, what about fats? (like nuts). It seems for me fats are a better substitute than protein for carbs (does that make sense? In terms of satiation). If I'm trying to cut the carbs it seem I can eat pounds of chicken and still be hungry in 20 minutes, but adding the right fats (raw nuts and avocados especially) really seems to quell that.

Nuts are calorie dense and is an excellent way of getting those micro nutrients just a palm full is all thats needed to add Omega 3 oils,and a good way of getting extra clean calories.(as long as you don't overdo it!)

 

[musclemom]

Nuts are calorie dense and is an excellent way of getting those micro nutrients just a palm full is all thats needed to add Omega 3 oils,and a good way of getting extra clean calories.(as long as you don't overdo it!)

I can't take concentrated omega oils (like in capsules) they cause weird problems for me, so the only way I get omegas is with nuts.

Oh, yeah, I measure those bad boys. 1 oz of raw pecans and I've shot 1/2 my fat allowance for the day!

 

[RottenWillow]

Thank you so much, RW, I didn't know about the fixed amount of glycogen. See, you DO learn something new every day!

Now I have a question, what about fats? (like nuts). It seems for me fats are a better substitute than protein for carbs (does that make sense? In terms of satiation). If I'm trying to cut the carbs it seem I can eat pounds of chicken and still be hungry in 20 minutes, but adding the right fats (raw nuts and avocados especially) really seems to quell that.

Feeling satiated with dietary fat consumption is actually a healthy and completely natural reaction. Only problem is the prevalence of unhealthy fats (partially hydrogenated oils, saturated fats, etc) in processed foods.


Raw nuts are a fantastic way to satiate the appetite, get needed calories, and completely avoid blood sugar spikes. Probably the best readily available nuts are almonds. Avocados have a decent lipid profile....not much saturated fat, but not much polyunsaturated fats either.


The very best naturally occurring dietary fats are the polyunsaturated fats and the worst ones are the saturated fats. Mono unsaturated fats are ok in moderation.

 

[cw801]

My goals are to lose access fat and build more muscle, so I'm not just "skinny". Looking at me clothed one would not think I have any weight to lose, but trust me, I have more than a few pounds of fat in my midsection and thighs. This fat is what Im really insecure about and my first goal..to lose it. I dont keep track of macros. Honestly Im confused how to figure out what I need and exactly how much.

This is exactly how I am.....I am 5'10" and was "skinny fat" when I got on here to ask the ladies for help. Now that I understand macros, and when to use them, I have cut body fat and built muscle. I also realized I was eating too little, and had to really work on upping my GOOD calories in order to build the muscle I wanted to replace the fat! Good luck!!