coripc33
12-07-2004, 12:29 PM
I have been doing the Firm videos for quite some time now, and I am very happy with them. I lost approx. 14 lbs. so far, and I can tell that my clothes fit a lot better. However, I have been reading this board for a while, and I am wondering if I am overtraining. I have been doing the videos every day - I am trying to do the cardio ones every other day, and the weight ones the other days. I exercise at least 1 hour every day.
Now... every few weeks or so I have to take a business trip for about 5 days, and during that time I am not working out (except for maybe 30 minutes every other day for abs - since I don't have the equipment with me). I also escape my diet during that time, and I indulge myself with either prime rib or mashed potatoes once or twice when I'm away. I was afraid at first that, when I came back, my weight would be up again, but it turns out that it stays the same, if it's not lower.
So... should I take a break when I am home, or is 1 hour a day OK? I am afraid I have hit a platteau, and I want to start losing weight again (I have been stuck at my current weight for approx. 2 weeks now). The thing is that I feel very guilty when I am not exercising, that is why I am trying to push away the "rest" day, and it seems that no day is a good day to just skip the exercise.
FYI, my diet consists of a light lunch (a chicken salad) and a light dinner (usually some chicken with some veggies). I eat apples all day (4-5 giant ones), and during the evening I have a small cookie or something similar for desert. I drink a lot of water, and maybe 2 cups of coffee in the morning.
Please give me your opinion on what I should do to start losing weight again. I want to lose another 15lbs or so... I am a 37 year old female, 5'3", 138 lbs. I don't look very big, but I want to squeeze into my skinny jeans again. :) Thanks in advance.
Now... every few weeks or so I have to take a business trip for about 5 days, and during that time I am not working out (except for maybe 30 minutes every other day for abs - since I don't have the equipment with me). I also escape my diet during that time, and I indulge myself with either prime rib or mashed potatoes once or twice when I'm away. I was afraid at first that, when I came back, my weight would be up again, but it turns out that it stays the same, if it's not lower.
So... should I take a break when I am home, or is 1 hour a day OK? I am afraid I have hit a platteau, and I want to start losing weight again (I have been stuck at my current weight for approx. 2 weeks now). The thing is that I feel very guilty when I am not exercising, that is why I am trying to push away the "rest" day, and it seems that no day is a good day to just skip the exercise.
FYI, my diet consists of a light lunch (a chicken salad) and a light dinner (usually some chicken with some veggies). I eat apples all day (4-5 giant ones), and during the evening I have a small cookie or something similar for desert. I drink a lot of water, and maybe 2 cups of coffee in the morning.
Please give me your opinion on what I should do to start losing weight again. I want to lose another 15lbs or so... I am a 37 year old female, 5'3", 138 lbs. I don't look very big, but I want to squeeze into my skinny jeans again. :) Thanks in advance.
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phillydude
12-07-2004, 01:45 PM
I think what you are doing is fine. It's OK to do cardio 5-6 times a week... the "overtraining" thing is really more for weight training programs.
As far as the diet, you might want to look at changing up the frequency of your meals. Have you looked at your average daily caloric intake? There are specific formulas which will help you determine how much you need to eat to continue to lose weight which factor in the amount of exercise you are doing. Eating the right number of calories and doing it over a long period of time (i.e. lots of small "meals") will yield the best results.
My guess is that you are hitting a plateau because you are actually UNDEReating, and your body is now holding onto fat because it thinks you are starving yourself. Believe it or not, you might lose more weight by eating more of the "right" things.
As far as the diet, you might want to look at changing up the frequency of your meals. Have you looked at your average daily caloric intake? There are specific formulas which will help you determine how much you need to eat to continue to lose weight which factor in the amount of exercise you are doing. Eating the right number of calories and doing it over a long period of time (i.e. lots of small "meals") will yield the best results.
My guess is that you are hitting a plateau because you are actually UNDEReating, and your body is now holding onto fat because it thinks you are starving yourself. Believe it or not, you might lose more weight by eating more of the "right" things.
coripc33
12-07-2004, 02:27 PM
Thank you very much for your answer. :) I realized after I posted that I probably used the term "overtraining" loosely. :) I meant that I was worried it was too much, but I am so happy to hear it's not - yay!!! I will go workout right now without being worried. :):):)
I think I understand what you are saying about my diet. The truth is that I am so worried that I will eat too much, that I often don't eat enough. :) I used to eat a lot of junk before I started working out, and now I am watching everything that goes inside my body. I have noticed however that, when I eat more than I usually do, the weight stays off or goes down a little bit. I guess I should start trying to eat more often during the day - the problem is that I cannot eat breakfast no matter how hard I try! I do it for a day or two, but then I'm back to skipping it. I also don't like cereal (of any sort, except for maybe cream of wheat), and I hate milk. Are there any specific things outside of what I just mentioned that I can try adding to my diet? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thanks. :)
I think I understand what you are saying about my diet. The truth is that I am so worried that I will eat too much, that I often don't eat enough. :) I used to eat a lot of junk before I started working out, and now I am watching everything that goes inside my body. I have noticed however that, when I eat more than I usually do, the weight stays off or goes down a little bit. I guess I should start trying to eat more often during the day - the problem is that I cannot eat breakfast no matter how hard I try! I do it for a day or two, but then I'm back to skipping it. I also don't like cereal (of any sort, except for maybe cream of wheat), and I hate milk. Are there any specific things outside of what I just mentioned that I can try adding to my diet? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated - thanks. :)
phillydude
12-07-2004, 02:55 PM
Here's the "big three" foods most people will tell you are the "best" things to add to your diet when you are trying to lose weight while maintaining "proper" nutrition. Of course, there are also people who don't particularly like any or all of them, so they might not work for you.
1) Eggs, especially egg whites. Hardboiled is best. Cheap and easy to make. Portion controlled and convenient to transport as well. Tons of protein!
2) Tuna, especially canned. Packed in water is best. Again, portion controlled and fairly cheap. Tons of protein as well as those "good" Omega fats.
3) Cottage cheese, especially low-fat or non-fat. Portion controlled, surprisingly filling, and tons of protein too.
Just a few ideas for you... feel free to post up if you have more questions.
1) Eggs, especially egg whites. Hardboiled is best. Cheap and easy to make. Portion controlled and convenient to transport as well. Tons of protein!
2) Tuna, especially canned. Packed in water is best. Again, portion controlled and fairly cheap. Tons of protein as well as those "good" Omega fats.
3) Cottage cheese, especially low-fat or non-fat. Portion controlled, surprisingly filling, and tons of protein too.
Just a few ideas for you... feel free to post up if you have more questions.
phillydude
12-07-2004, 03:37 PM
I worked up some numbers based on the information you gave us.
First, let's look at your basic caloric intake needs. At 5'3", 138lbs, and assuming you work at a desk job (sitting most of the day), you need about 1950 calories per day to maintain your current weight.
Next, lets take some guesses as to your current caloric intake.
Lunch: Chicken Breast and Small Salad with Fat Free Ranch Dressing
Calories - 225, Protein - 25g, Carbs - 20g, Fat - 4g
Dinner: Chicken Breast and Green Beans
Calories - 200, Protein - 25g, Carbs - 10g, Fat - 4g
Snack 1: Apples (four)
Calories - 320, Protein - 0g, Carbs - 80g, Fat - 0g
Snack 2: Snack Bar (I'm substituting this for the cookies)
Calories - 225, Protein - 15g, Carbs - 30g, Fat - 7g
SUBTOTAL: Calories - 970, Protein - 65g, Carbs - 140g, Fat - 15g
Let's add 10% to this total to adjust for things we missed in the analysis.
TOTAL: Calories - 1067, Protein - 71.5g, Carbs - 154g, Fat - 16.5g
OK... so far you are working on a daily caloric deficit of about 950 calories, or 6650 calories per week. Without any exercise, you would (in theory) lose about 2 pounds per week, since 3500 calories = one pound.
But since you do aerobic-type exercise for about an hour a day, you need to subtract an additional 350 calories or so from your caloric intake total, giving you a deficit of 1300 calories per day, resulting in theoretical weight loss closer to 2.5 pounds a week.
Your body, however, will only support weight loss of about 2 to 2.5 pounds a week without going into "starvation survival mode," which probably explains why you have stopped losing weight recently. Your body adjusts to the intake levels by speeding up or slowing down your metabolism to burn calories efficiently. So you have one of two options: stop exercising (not recommended) or eat an additional 350 calories every day (recommended).
Tell me if I'm close with these numbers, and then we'll figure out what you should add to your diet to bring your nutrient profile into better balance.
First, let's look at your basic caloric intake needs. At 5'3", 138lbs, and assuming you work at a desk job (sitting most of the day), you need about 1950 calories per day to maintain your current weight.
Next, lets take some guesses as to your current caloric intake.
Lunch: Chicken Breast and Small Salad with Fat Free Ranch Dressing
Calories - 225, Protein - 25g, Carbs - 20g, Fat - 4g
Dinner: Chicken Breast and Green Beans
Calories - 200, Protein - 25g, Carbs - 10g, Fat - 4g
Snack 1: Apples (four)
Calories - 320, Protein - 0g, Carbs - 80g, Fat - 0g
Snack 2: Snack Bar (I'm substituting this for the cookies)
Calories - 225, Protein - 15g, Carbs - 30g, Fat - 7g
SUBTOTAL: Calories - 970, Protein - 65g, Carbs - 140g, Fat - 15g
Let's add 10% to this total to adjust for things we missed in the analysis.
TOTAL: Calories - 1067, Protein - 71.5g, Carbs - 154g, Fat - 16.5g
OK... so far you are working on a daily caloric deficit of about 950 calories, or 6650 calories per week. Without any exercise, you would (in theory) lose about 2 pounds per week, since 3500 calories = one pound.
But since you do aerobic-type exercise for about an hour a day, you need to subtract an additional 350 calories or so from your caloric intake total, giving you a deficit of 1300 calories per day, resulting in theoretical weight loss closer to 2.5 pounds a week.
Your body, however, will only support weight loss of about 2 to 2.5 pounds a week without going into "starvation survival mode," which probably explains why you have stopped losing weight recently. Your body adjusts to the intake levels by speeding up or slowing down your metabolism to burn calories efficiently. So you have one of two options: stop exercising (not recommended) or eat an additional 350 calories every day (recommended).
Tell me if I'm close with these numbers, and then we'll figure out what you should add to your diet to bring your nutrient profile into better balance.
ChappyBoy
12-07-2004, 04:11 PM
2) Tuna, especially canned. Packed in water is best. Again, portion controlled and fairly cheap. Tons of protein as well as those "good" Omega fats.
3) Cottage cheese, especially low-fat or non-fat. Portion controlled, surprisingly filling, and tons of protein too.
I would add Chiken breast and a whey isolate. If you want to go truly hardcore, drop all dairy. The lactose will make you hold some water and it's really not the highest PER.
3) Cottage cheese, especially low-fat or non-fat. Portion controlled, surprisingly filling, and tons of protein too.
I would add Chiken breast and a whey isolate. If you want to go truly hardcore, drop all dairy. The lactose will make you hold some water and it's really not the highest PER.
coripc33
12-07-2004, 04:50 PM
Wow, that is quite the analysis, thank you very much! :) Yes, this does look like what I am taking in, and I understand what you are saying about eating some more stuff! Good to hear about the dairy - not one of my favorites - but I can definitely increase the calorie intake from tuna (not a big fan, but I like it better than milk - even though cottage cheese is OK with me). I can also add some eggs or some chicken breast. Also, it seems like I really am having too many apples, yes? It just looks like too many carbs - let me know if I am wrong (used to be a fan of Atkins regimen; I still think it's OK, but I don't follow it anymore, I am more of a South Beach kind of person when I can, even though they don't seem that far apart from each other :)).
I do a in-front-of-the-computer kind of job, but it's at home, so that is why I can exercise during the day. So your calorie calculations seem right on the spot.
Please advise on how I should add the extra 350 calories a day, hopefully this will jump start my weight loss once again.
Again,thank you very much for your input, you are all so very helpful! :bouncing:
I do a in-front-of-the-computer kind of job, but it's at home, so that is why I can exercise during the day. So your calorie calculations seem right on the spot.
Please advise on how I should add the extra 350 calories a day, hopefully this will jump start my weight loss once again.
Again,thank you very much for your input, you are all so very helpful! :bouncing:
phillydude
12-07-2004, 05:22 PM
Since you are familiar with Atkins and South Beach, I'm sure you know about the different ratios of Carbs/Protein/Fat which are out there. I tend to favor a 40/40/20 split, which should yield a total protein intake of approximately 1g for every pound of body weight.
So if you use that as a guideline, and want to tweak your diet, I'd say that adding a tin of chunk light tuna in water (150 calories, 32.5g PRO, 0g CARB, 1.5g FAT) and six hard boiled egg whites (105 calories, 21g PRO, 0g CARB, 0g FAT) will get you close in both calories and protein intake.
I'd suggest using a fat free mayonaise product to make tuna salad and/or egg salad and add those two items as separate "meals" during the day. You could have the egg salad as a sandwich (open face on one slice of wheat toast?) for "breakfast" and the tuna salad with a few crackers in place of one of the apples (maybe post-workout?)
As far as the apples go, they're not a bad thing at all... especially if you have one 15-20 minutes before you do your aerobic workout. A protein shake would also be a great addition to your daily nutrition, but if you aren't looking to start adding "supplements" to your diet, it's not really necessary since you are not currently weight training.
So if you use that as a guideline, and want to tweak your diet, I'd say that adding a tin of chunk light tuna in water (150 calories, 32.5g PRO, 0g CARB, 1.5g FAT) and six hard boiled egg whites (105 calories, 21g PRO, 0g CARB, 0g FAT) will get you close in both calories and protein intake.
I'd suggest using a fat free mayonaise product to make tuna salad and/or egg salad and add those two items as separate "meals" during the day. You could have the egg salad as a sandwich (open face on one slice of wheat toast?) for "breakfast" and the tuna salad with a few crackers in place of one of the apples (maybe post-workout?)
As far as the apples go, they're not a bad thing at all... especially if you have one 15-20 minutes before you do your aerobic workout. A protein shake would also be a great addition to your daily nutrition, but if you aren't looking to start adding "supplements" to your diet, it's not really necessary since you are not currently weight training.
coripc33
12-07-2004, 07:37 PM
This is great - thank you very much! :) I appreciate both of your input, it will be followed starting tomorrow. I will make the tuna salad and the egg salad, and I will see how everything turns out.
One last question - does plain yogurt seem like a good thing to have? I like that one, or maybe buttermilk (low fat) - what do you think?
Thanks again, you've been really helpful! :)
One last question - does plain yogurt seem like a good thing to have? I like that one, or maybe buttermilk (low fat) - what do you think?
Thanks again, you've been really helpful! :)
Jess75
12-08-2004, 01:15 AM
Hey guys, I have a question cause I'm going shopping tomorrow. I want to lose 5 pounds, and I also workout to the Firm videos which IS weight training, and I also do hard core cardio in between. I try to stay away from meat, and only have like 4 servings a week at dinner. Anyways, I think I eat too many carbs cause I love fruit, and fat free pretzels are one of the snacks I choose when I'm kinda hungry for a little snack. Although I do eat a high protein low carb cereal in the morning, and usually have a protein shake for lunch, and snack on fruit or yogurt, or something like that. I get my veggies from organic veggie juice and steamed veggies at dinner. Anyways heres my ?'s
1. Should I buy low fat or fat free cottage cheese? What do you buy?
2. Should I buy egg beaters or stick to my regular organic eggs that have 4.5 gr of fat per egg.
3. I looove tuna and kinda obstain from it because of the mercury it contains. I usually have tuna once a week...I heard that it's safe to eat 2x a week, what are your opinions on that?
You guys have been a great help! :)
1. Should I buy low fat or fat free cottage cheese? What do you buy?
2. Should I buy egg beaters or stick to my regular organic eggs that have 4.5 gr of fat per egg.
3. I looove tuna and kinda obstain from it because of the mercury it contains. I usually have tuna once a week...I heard that it's safe to eat 2x a week, what are your opinions on that?
You guys have been a great help! :)
phillydude
12-08-2004, 09:56 AM
Jess, I generally buy low fat 1% cottage cheese, unless the fat free kind is on sale or something. I'd stick with the organic eggs, unless you want to spring for the Egg Beaters "egg white only" stuff. As far as tuna, I eat it every day. Mercury schmurcry... if it was unsafe, they wouldn't sell it. Besides, when I was a kid we used to break open thermometers to play with the mercury, and it hasn't affected me at alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllll...
Jess75
12-08-2004, 11:15 AM
Jess, I generally buy low fat 1% cottage cheese, unless the fat free kind is on sale or something. I'd stick with the organic eggs, unless you want to spring for the Egg Beaters "egg white only" stuff. As far as tuna, I eat it every day. Mercury schmurcry... if it was unsafe, they wouldn't sell it. Besides, when I was a kid we used to break open thermometers to play with the mercury, and it hasn't affected me at alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllll...
What was the last part of the sentence, thanks alot! :D Oh, do you suggest anything else? I'm gonna get chicken, lean beef, and that's it actually. Even though I was trying to cut out sat fat and cholesterol, I'm going to try this increased protein idea. Thanks :)
What was the last part of the sentence, thanks alot! :D Oh, do you suggest anything else? I'm gonna get chicken, lean beef, and that's it actually. Even though I was trying to cut out sat fat and cholesterol, I'm going to try this increased protein idea. Thanks :)