Thread: Please help my girlfriend with her diet

Originally Posted by alan84

Hi all. Recently I convinced my girlfrined to start training with me so she started yesterday. I want to set her on the right path in terms of diet and exercise. in terms of training, she will be doing a four day split consisting of a two upper days and two lower body days. I need help on her diet, I showed her the fitday.com and opened an account for her and entered her daily meals in. Her stats are as follows: hight 5.6 wieght 163lb age 19. she hasen't really worked out before. I calculated her maintanence calories intake, which came up as 2445 cal and to lose bodyfat I suggested that she runs a deficit of 500 cals. after entering her planned meals into fitday.com here are the macros: cals 1951, carbs 145 g, fat 75g, protein 161g. What you guys think of her macros and cals intake?? please give advice. Thanks in advance.

It looks fine - how does she intend to eat these meals? How many, what time of day etc?

What is she eating now - have you entered a typical day into fitday? If not, could you do so right now and report back with those macros?

What time of day is she hungriest?

Hi Built, thanks for the quick reply. She intends to eat three meals a day with one protein shake a day. The above macros are going to be her typical daily meal plan, from now on. The hungriest time for her is somtime in the afternoon.

Have her knock back a protein shake before each of her meals, along with 3-5 fish oil caps. Have her eat at least 1/3 of her daily protein in the first meal of the day, and leave most of her carbs for the last meal of the day, which she is free to eat as late in the evening as she pleases. I'd bump the protein up closer to 200g, and pay for it with a commensurate drop in carbs to about 100g. Alternatively, she could do 150g carb on lifting days, and 80g on non-lifting days.

Originally Posted by alan84

Hi Built, thanks for the quick reply. She intends to eat three meals a day with one protein shake a day. The above macros are going to be her typical daily meal plan, from now on. The hungriest time for her is somtime in the afternoon.

I'm still waiting for you to answer my question about how she's eating now - ie not the planned diet, but her diet before you changed it.

Great, I will advice her to do so. Thanks fo the advice

Originally Posted by Built

I'm still waiting for you to answer my question about how she's eating now - ie not the planned diet, but her diet before you changed it.

she was still eating 3 meals a day, she's not used to the protein shakes and she never counted her calories.

I know. Could you please enter a typical "former day" into fitday and report back>? I need to see how different is the current plan from her former diet.

Originally Posted by Built

I know. Could you please enter a typical "former day" into fitday and report back>? I need to see how different is the current plan from her former diet.

macros for a typical day would have been as follows: Cals 1458, fat 51g, carb 167g, protein 87g. She has lost some weight in the last three months because she has been under an uncontrolled deficit, she thinks she has lost around 10lbs without working out or any type of cardio.

Okay, she can expect to see her weight loss slow to a crawl if this has been her diet. Her protein was abysmal. Poor luv.

Originally Posted by Built

Okay, she can expect to see her weight loss slow to a crawl if this has been her diet. Her protein was abysmal. Poor luv.

That's true. However, I don't think that would be an exact typical day for her because she used to eating lots of junk food, such as chocolate and cakes... She is not fat or out of shape, she just doesn't have any muscles. It was hard for her to put an average day of eating into fitday becaus she used to eat differenty everyday and almost eat out for lunch and dinner most of the times tho.

5'6", 163 lbs and no muscle - she's not slim. I was 40% bodyfat at 5'7" and 170 lbs before I started lifting. She's probably at least 30% - 35% bodyfat. If she's 35% bodyfat, she's carrying 57 lbs of fat and 106 lbs of lean mass (for reference, I only carry 119 lbs of lean mass after ten years of heavy training). She'll have an athletic, "toned" look (no visible muscle, just firm-looking) at about 20% bodyfat, which if I'm right she'll hit at around 133 lbs, so she's looking to drop about 30 more pounds, right?

Originally Posted by Built

5'6", 163 lbs and no muscle - she's not slim. I was 40% bodyfat at 5'7" and 170 lbs before I started lifting. She's probably at least 30% - 35% bodyfat. If she's 35% bodyfat, she's carrying 57 lbs of fat and 106 lbs of lean mass (for reference, I only carry 119 lbs of lean mass after ten years of heavy training). She'll have an athletic, "toned" look (no visible muscle, just firm-looking) at about 20% bodyfat, which if I'm right she'll hit at around 133 lbs, so she's looking to drop about 30 more pounds, right?

Yup, you nailed it Built. That is what I thought as well. She is probably carrying 30% to 35% bodyfat and need to drop that down to at least low twenties. So would u think on the planned macros and consistent training she will be able to reach that goal? Do u think she should do cardio as well, maybe a Hiit version??

She's too fat and not well-conditioned enough for HIIT. Just run a deficit, have her lift three or four days a week using the full-body workout in my homework 1, and toss in some optional moderate-intensity cardio; for example, a 20-minute walk in the AM, fasted, and another 20-minute brisk incline walk or modest cycle after the workouts. That's it.

You can cycle high and low carb days for this or not. Just make sure she consistently runs a deficit and gets in at least 150g protein and at least 60g fat.

Originally Posted by Built

She's too fat and not well-conditioned enough for HIIT. Just run a deficit, have her lift three or four days a week using the full-body workout in my homework 1, and toss in some optional moderate-intensity cardio; for example, a 20-minute walk in the AM, fasted, and another 20-minute brisk incline walk or modest cycle after the workouts. That's it.

You can cycle high and low carb days for this or not. Just make sure she consistently runs a deficit and gets in at least 150g protein and at least 60g fat.

mmmmm Built!

Originally Posted by Built

She's too fat and not well-conditioned enough for HIIT. Just run a deficit, have her lift three or four days a week using the full-body workout in my homework 1, and toss in some optional moderate-intensity cardio; for example, a 20-minute walk in the AM, fasted, and another 20-minute brisk incline walk or modest cycle after the workouts. That's it.

You can cycle high and low carb days for this or not. Just make sure she consistently runs a deficit and gets in at least 150g protein and at least 60g fat.

Will do, thanks a bunch for your advices Built.