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Thread: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

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    Featured Member Kaiyla's Avatar
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    Default Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    With so much conflicting advice out there, it is impossible to know if I am doing this right.
    I am 5'0, 110lbs, and am trying to drop 10lbs (but I'd settle for 7 or and tone up. I tend to carry weight in my hips, thighs, lower belly and arms. I don't know what body type that is (ectomorph?), but I have it. I wanted to check with those who are in the know, and make sure I am going about this the right way. Here my workout/eating details:

    Workout Program:

    6a.m Monday-Friday:
    Jog/walk (I am trying to build my endurance up to a full jog) for 40-45 minutes.
    1p.m. Monday-Friday:
    Lift weights for 20-30 minutes, alternating one day upper body (arms/abs), one day lower body (butt/legs).

    Food Intake:

    Breakfast:
    Designer Whey Protein Shake
    7 Reduced Fat Triscuits with a few teaspoons of hummus

    Lunch:
    1 and a half brown Rice Cakes with Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
    1 apple/or salad

    Before Gym:
    another protein shake

    After Gym Snack:
    1 egg 2 egg whites (boiled)

    Later afternoon snack:
    1 yogurt with chopped strawberries

    Dinner:
    Steamed broccoli
    Lean Cuisine, or pasta (if I'm starving) with shaved parm

    Desert:
    1 Blow-Pop

    I have a really horrible sweet tooth and I LOVE my spaghetti so to get these things down to where they are, has been a challenge. I'm also a vegetarian, if that matters at all.
    Does this program look good? The work-outs make me feel great and very motivated. However, a male friend told me I should cut back my morning run to 10 min and "work harder" by Doing High Intensity Interval Training for those 10 minutes. I feel so conflicted, and just want to know if I am doing this right before I get so frustrated that i drop it.

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    Member Vikki Vyle's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    I cant really say if your regiment is good or not but from what I see it looks okay.
    I noticed you're lifting weights-remember muscle weights more than fat so try not to set a weight goal. All ppl have different bodies so do whats best for you & not what some other chick does or weghts. There's nothing wrong with carrying a little extra on the hips and thighs, thats what gives you curves & shape
    Keep in mind that the first place women lose weight is the boobies

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    Featured Member Kaiyla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    The part about weights causing weight gain, I am going to have to make myself more comfortable with. I've been doing this for a week and I stepped on the scale yesterday and found out that I gained a pound.

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    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    You're not eating enough food and you're doing way too much cardio.

    Your friend is right, 10 minutes of HIIT is better than 45 minutes of jogging.


    Here are some articles that might help:
    http://www.figureathlete.com/free_on...es_you_fat&cr=
    http://www.figureathlete.com/free_on...last_stand&cr=
    http://www.figureathlete.com/free_on...e_your_fat&cr=

    I fully expect someone to call me an idiot and tell you you'd be better off just drinking lemonade for a month but that's bullshit. The information in these articles will get you in shape and keep you that way instead of yo yoing you back and forth like some stupid fad diet.

    I've put on a lot of muscle and I've gone from a size 8 to a size 4, don't be afraid to lift heavy weights. It will enable you to reach your goals and actually still eat food. And you won't get "too big" unless you train hard for many, many years, eat like a cow, and inject yourself with steroids, so please don't worry about that.

    Also, it's better for you to do total body workouts than a upper body/lower body split. Splits work great for men, but we're women. You only really need to do 3 total body workouts a week, about an hour each and you'll see results. Incorporate squats and deadlifts into each workout. You can't really "tone" anything, you either have muscle or you don't, and you have fat covering it or you don't. If you build up the muscles in your lower body and lower your body fat, (which you can do when you're new to weight lifting) the muscle will give you good shape, and stripping the fat off will reveal that shape. In order to do what people think of as "toning" you are basically removing fat to make your muscles show through.

    Your lower belly will come together as you lower your body fat. As for your arms, I like to do the military press. In fact, I think a great program for you would be starting strength.

    Starting strength is just two different workouts you perform 3 times a week.
    Workout A
    Squats 3 sets x 5 reps each set
    Bench Press 3 x 5
    Deadlifts 1 x 5

    Workout B
    Squats 3 x 5
    Military Press 3 x 5
    Rows 3 x 5

    For the weight, go as heavy as you can while still keeping good form. It should be hard. If you can manage to do 5 reps, then it is NOT too heavy, even if it was difficult. When it gets a little easier, increase your weight.

    If you worked out Monday, Wednesday and Friday, you would do A B A, and then B A B the next week. I don't even do cardio and I maintain 18% body fat, but if you want to do it, make it HIIT, it will be more effective then steady state cardio.

    Your weight will probably go up because it's extremely low now, but muscle is tighter and more compact than fat so you won't look heavier. You will have to eat to feed the muscle though, if you eat clean, you can pretty much eat as much as you want. Just avoid any processed foods. The articles will give you some ideas on what you should be eating.

    Good luck to you, as much as you're working out, you obviously have the drive and dedication to succeed. I used to work out every day until I discovered weight lifting, now I just don't need to.

    Oh, and ditch the reduced fat peanut butter and get some natural peanut butter (no sugar) Skippy makes one that doesn't seperate that tastes really good. As crazy as it sounds, you need fat to lose fat.

    Sorry my post is so long, but this is something I'm really insane about. Good luck to you!
    Last edited by MarvelGirl; 02-15-2009 at 09:24 PM.

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    couple things...

    mostly, that plan looks pretty good, maybe a couple more servings of fruits/veggies (you should aim for 5 a day of fruits and veggies combined). it's all about how you spend your exercise time.

    hiit (interval training) can be great, but you shouldn't do it every day, and you shouldn't do it the same day you lift weights. especially not when you first start. it's hard. stick to what you've got, and add hiit if you feel ready/interested in about a month.

    personally, i'd keep the cardio around 30 minutes, and do weights for a longer period of time (30-45 mins). weights are way better for losing weight (especially those little bits of "soft" weight that sit around, as opposed to a bunch of extra weight) than cardio. what matters is how you do the weights. and if you keep the rest short, you'll be breathing good and hard and sweating, sure feels like a cardio workout.

    what sort of routines (moves, reps, weights, etc) are you thinking of using?

    in the long run weights don't actually cause weight gain. sure a few pounds over time, but it takes plenty of work for a woman to gain even a pound of muscle. and you certainly won't gain weight from muscle while on a weight loss diet/exercise plan. your body can only do one at a time. if you have an extra pound right now, it's probably from the inflammation of the muscles repairing themselves.
    -love everyone but keep them far from your soul-

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    Featured Member Kaiyla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Thanks Marvel and She Sells. Thankfully your advice does not contradict what I have researched so far, and that makes things a lot easier on me.
    Marvel, how would you go about doing the HIIT to begin? My bf says that it is one minute high intensity running, one minute of jogging. Is he correct? I also like the work-out you recommended, however I have been using the gym for a few years on and off? Would I need a workout just a little more difficult?
    She Sells, you said less cardio, more weights. I want to try to do this. In the morning, I have 45 minutes to run (before I go to work), and then I take my lunchbreak and do the weights..but all I have is 25 minutes in that time-span. Hopefully I can make the best of both these work out times. So I shouldn't lift weights on my HIIT days? If I did HIIT Monday, Weds and Fri, that would mean I'd only be doing weights on Tues and Thurs. Would that be enough?
    This is still a little bit frustrating...it feels like to reach my goals, I have to perfect this "science" of eating exactly right, and doing the exactly right workout..Oy.

    Thanks for the advice ladies!

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    Senior Member tripletranny's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    I think the more muscle you have the better you look, you will have a better shape and with that extra muscle you have you burn more calories so it would be easier to lose fat. i dont know much about training and diet but one of my male friends does bodybuilding and he looks amazing, but i think you have to really lift hard and also take care of your diet. If you dont have a personal trainer you should get one, that way you wont have to learn from your mistakes you'll get it right first time.

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    Featured Member MarvelGirl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    For the HIIT, I would say it should be more like 30 seconds of full out sprinting, and then one minute of jogging. I'm not going to say your boyfriend is wrong though because there are so many different schools of thought especially when it comes to specifics.

    As for weights, if you're used to the basic lifts like squatting and deadlifting, then go ahead and add a few more exercises at the end of the program if you'd like. I add some ab work on the end, but I avoid training the obliques because that can actually thicken your waist. I also like to do pull ups or chin ups to failure at the end but I don't know if that really helps me much, it just makes me feel good, like I'm accomplishing something, lol.

    The best thing you can do is be consistent. Some people stress about eating perfectly and having the perfect exercise regime, but those people often fall off the wagon and sabatoge all their hard work because it's damn hard to be perfect, lol. It's better to consistently get to the gym at least 3 times a week, and eat clean 90% of the time then to drive yourself crazy trying to do everything right. We don't really know as much about fitness and good nutrition as some of the "experts" want us to believe. So, a lot of it is just trial and error. Eventually you'll figure out what helps you to look really cut. For instance, I lean out really well when eating lots of dairy, that's not normal but it works great for me.

    Another thing, while 10 minutes of HIIT should destroy you (I know it destroys me), weightlifting does not have to cause soreness to get you results. A lot of people think they need to feel the "burn". When I do new exercises, I usually get soreness at first while my muscles get used to the new movement, but at this point, I rarely get sore. It really doesn't need to hurt. It might hurt, which is ok, but it's not a requirement like many people seem to think it is.

    Also, if you're legs get really sore the next day from squatting, start taking a 5 minute brisk walk on the treadmill after lifting. My husband and I discovered that it really helped when we were starting out.

    As for HIIT and weights in the same day, normally it would be better to split them up but since you're doing the cardio in the morning and weights at lunch, that's better than doing them right on top of each other. I think you'd be fine with cardio twice a week, but I admit that I'm biased as I hate cardio. If you enjoy running, the psychological aspect of that cannot be denied. I think that it's fine to do both on the same day since you're putting several hours between the two.

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    Veteran Member justifymylove's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    ^^ MarvelGirl, that is really interesting stuff, thanks for the info!

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    As far as food goes, I have a couple ideas you might be willing to try.

    You love pasta, I do too (pasta-holic over here!). Would you be willing to try substituting spaghetti squash for spaghetti? Here's a breakdown between the two:

    Squash, 1 cup
    42 calories
    0 total fat
    10g total carbs
    + vitamins and minerals

    Spaghetti, 1 cup
    221 calories
    1.3g total fat
    43.2g total carbs

    So, with spaghetti squash, you could technically eat a little over 5 cups and be calorically the same as 1 cup of spaghetti! Plus, it's chock full of vitamins and minerals to fuel your body. I like mine with either garlic/olive oil/grated romano cheese, or with a red sauce.


    Another option to try is, if you can handle spinach and beans, add those to your pasta alfredo. You wind up eating more beans/spinach and less starchy pasta, and it leaves you fuller longer. Plus all the great fiber and protein!

    As for sweets, how about primal peach patties?

    Caveman cookies:

    They're made with fruit instead of flour/sugar/chocolate. Satisfies a sweet tooth, but lots healthier.

    Hope that helps a little bit!

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    Featured Member Kaiyla's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Marvel that is awesome advice, thanks. I think you're right. Going by what works for me and what makes me feel good will keep me going longer than being super strict and holding myself to unrealistic goals.
    I am excited to give HIIT a try and also relieved to hear that it's okay to do that and the weights in the same day. I run at 6:30am and lift weights at 1:45pm, so hopefully that is enough time.
    I never knew working the obliques could make the waist thicker...bummer! I love ab-work and incorporate a ton of different moves to work the abs..I'll just have to be a little more careful.
    RedPinup, I have never heard of spaghetti squash, I'll definitely have to give it a try. If it tastes anything like regular pasta or has a similar consistency, it'll work for me.

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    Veteran Member justifymylove's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Spaghetti squash is delicious and a great substitution. There's also whole wheat spaghetti with salba, which I recently switched to- it fills you up faster and has mega-fibre. Very tasty and also a healthier choice if you're going to eat pasta.

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Quote Originally Posted by MarvelGirl View Post
    don't be afraid to lift heavy weights.
    You tell 'em! Who wouldn't want a body like this:





    Throw out the worthless scale too. What matters is actual bodyfat, not weight. To easily and accurately check bodyfat, get an accumeasure:

    http://www.accumeasurefitness.com/

    They are cheap and easy to use.
    Last edited by Will; 09-14-2009 at 08:39 AM.
    A cunning linguist...

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Workout looks good but diet looking a little too protien/fat based for weight loss. Try more veggies and lean meats rather than protien shakes and peanut butter. This diet looks more like a males who wants to baulk up to me. Eggs, lean meats, veggies and a small amount of fruit...you will see results just stick with it at least 12 weeks.

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?


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    Senior Member Candy Girl's Avatar
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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Pls try weaning yourself off all sugar and white flour pasta/ bread. Take long walks when you can. You're on the right track, sweetie.

    Keep us posted.


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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Quote Originally Posted by MarvelGirl View Post
    Also, it's better for you to do total body workouts than a upper body/lower body split. Splits work great for men, but we're women.
    Why are total body workouts a better idea for women? It's an interesting idea, but I've never heard this before.

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    Default Re: Are there any fitness freaks who can help me out?

    Technically (like most people by age 25) you are a mesomorph, not naturally heavy and not necessarily skinny per. However the label is irrelevant, because ALL humans were designed to move.

    However one bit of advice, use a distance based approach for your walk./run meaning the goal s/b for example achieving a distance of lets say 3 to 4 miles a day (most days of the week) In other words you might have a monthly goal of 100 miles a month - which you can make up if miss some days.

    I would forget about 100% running, better to alternate walk and job (e.g half and half) -because it does 2 things 1. cuts injuries by a huge amount 2. makes it much more pleasant

    I've done this for years - plus i swim avg 2 days a week - substituting this for walk/run days.

    Eventually you won't even have to count miles or days - it will become natural and your body will actually crave exercise, and you will just hook up the IPOD or Walkman and want to get out there and move - its not even a chore, you actually truly enjoy it.

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