Thread: Another new airhead!!

Welcome...

Originally Posted by KittyKat

I am doing weights 3x a week (three way split) and cardio (high interval running or stepper) 3x a week.....

This sounds good! You can always 'shock' your body by changing up your cardio and keeping your body guessing - swap a session for long slow distance or jump on a different machine... The body adapts to what you give it - so never give it enough time to adapt and you will not stop improving.

I think i'm carb sensitive too as when I did very low carb/low carb diet (not clever ) last year I lost a stone but have since gained it back eating carbs again as I felt so lethargic at the gym without them. But now I am stuck although I run hard!!!

Well - you probably gained the weight back because your calories increased when you increased your carbs again - laws of thermogenics - unless you eat more than you need, you can not 'gain weight'.

You can loose weight AND keep a healthy and sensible level of carbs in your diet - you just have to make sure your calories and other nutrients are appropriate for your needs.

Im not sure how many cals I should be consuming or in what ratio of fat/protein/carbs??? I am female 5'8; 74kg; 24.1%..(28 years old)

Well, with these stats it means you have a mass of:
74kg = 163 pounds
lean mass = 163 x 0.75ish = 122 pounds

So - If you are pretty active in your daily life (walk around a bit, not sitting all day) then I would start out with something like:
1.2 to 1.5g of protein per LBM = 150 to 180g (say ~160g)
Fats at 0.3 to 0.4g per LBM = 36 to 50g (say ~40 to 45g)

I would then start with something around 180 to 200g carbs (total) and see what happens. If you get no progress after a few weeks, then decrease your carbs slightly and monitor yourself again.

So that would be:
Protein calories = ~160 x 4 = 640 cals
Fat calories = ~40 x 9 = 360 cals
Carb calories = ~190 x 4 = 760 cals
TOTAL = 1700-1800 cals

I am currently eating;

Breakfast-60g porridge (oatmeal)
-200ml skim milk (and a bit of water)
-Decaff coffee with drop of milk

Ok - I would add a complete protein to this meal. You want protein in each meal as this will keep you satisfied! So, would you add something like 1% cottage cheese or a scoop of protein powder? So if you eat about 5 to 6 times a day you want to aim for something close to 25 to 30g of protein in each meal - that means, once you take into account your milk a small scoop of powder (~20g) or 0.75 cups cottage cheese.

You might also want to decrease that milk to 0.5 to 0.75 cups.

Then, would you start to take fish oil capsules (not cod liver oil - just fish oil). If you did - then take 2 capsules with breakfast to increase your essential EFA.

Snack- apple

Once again - you want to add some complete protein. What about if you add some tuna? Or come cottage cheese? You might also want to add something else - as this is not really a 'meal'.

post work out shake- part carb part protein (150 cals) usually after lifting days.

Ok - is this a 'premade' shake?? Arggg.... When this runs out, get yourself a GOOD whey protein isolate (no carbs) and add a banana instead.

Lunch-tuna baked potatoe (are they abad idea?) and salad/or chicken or cottage cheese salad

Yeah - I would drop the tuna baked potato.
What about salad (things like lettuce, cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, green beans, celery etc etc) with some grilled chicken breast (no skin) and some chick-peas (~0.75 cups) and some fish oil caps (2 caps).

Dressings - make you own with lemon juice/lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper... etc. Don't get those ff things from the supermarket..

Snack-apple

Ok - I would add something to this again - what about you have some high fibre, low GI carbs (eg: lentils or kidney beans) and some potein as well (eg: add a chopped hard boiled egg and some egg whites - but if you REALLY can not stand eggs, then some tuna or chicken would be fine...). You can also add some steamed vegetables to the mix to increase the fibre.

Dinner-chicken breast and steamed veg/or salad or salmon/tuna steak with veg or salad.

Sounds good - just make sure the cuts are lean and stock up on the vegetables!!

Snack-low fat fruit yoguart

Go for natural, no sugar added, no fat yoghurt and add some cinnamon, cottage cheese, walnuts and raspberries instead.

-Drink herbal tea and diluted no-added sugar juice with water through out day.

Herbal tea is great. Ditch the juice and go for straight water - if you CAN'T drink it, squeeze some lemon juice into it.

-Dropped drinking decaff coffee and skim milk allday to save calories this week, although I do have a skim cappacino occasionally.

Ok - another alternative is you take the milk out of your breakfast and allow yourself to have the coffee!

But the occasional cappacino is fine.

-Have a cheat meal on weekends (to keep me sane) and abit of chocolate (should I drop this? )

Just as long as the cheat meal is not excessive then this should be fine - it is all a matter of calories in v's calories out. If you treat yourself in moderation you will not run into any problems.

-I really dont like egg whites either make me puke!!

Have you tried them with things added? Or just by themselves?

I have just bought some protein bars and protein shake powder today but I am unsure were to incorporate them in my meal plan...if atall!!

Save the protein bars as paper weights - they are glorified junk food and, at best, should be reserved for 'emergency' situations only.

Protein powder, as long as it does not have carbs added, is great and should be used PWO (in addition to a good carb) and can also be used as a protein in a meal.

eg: A quick meal can be a shake where you mix oats, blueberries, skim milk and pp in a blender.

Best Weight Wishes, KittyKat!
Just stopping by to say Hi
and dig ur User name!

What can I say??? Thank you so much for your advice!!!

You really did answer all my questions

I am very grateful as it must of took you some time to type all that stuff out.......much appreciated

You really sound as if you know your stuff, have you been lifting for a long time?

I would replied sooner but it was after 1am in the UK and I needed some sleep...except I didn't get much as I was thinking about my programme in the gym and wether somebody had replied to my forum message

I have got loads to learn but i'll be taking your diet advice on board....

All the best!!

Hi MissFitall....

Thanks for saying Hi!!! Hope your okay xxxx

Originally Posted by KittyKat

Hi MissFitall....

Thanks for saying Hi!!! Hope your okay xxxx

Big Pur-rrr-rr!
catchya' around!

Originally Posted by KittyKat

You really sound as if you know your stuff,

Emma is one of the nutrition Godesses here do what she says and you will suceed

Kitty Kat welcome aboard and remember there is no such thing as a "same old questions" we are all here to help that's what this forums is all about.

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support!!!!


Im starting today on the road to improvement!!!!!

xxxxxxxxxx