Kelli Andrews

I'm new here. Actually, I'm looking for info on weight loss supplements. I just see so many ads out there and I don't have the information I need to discern between them. HALP plz!

Prince

Kelli Andrews welcome to IM!

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Built

Welcome!

First up - how much weight are you looking to drop, and how is your diet and what is your training like?

Prince

yes, it's crazy...that is why several companies got hit with huge fines for false claims recently...there are several good products, but this is assuming that your diet/training are in good order?

• SBMuscle.com - Discount Supplement Superstore
• AlltheWhey.com - Bulk Protein Powders
• CEM Products - Research Chemicals & Supplements
• MusclePharm - Complete Nutritional Arsenal
• BigBackGrips - If you lift weights you've got to try these grips!

Irons77

Welcome to IM

Soreness is weakness exiting the body.

nadirmg

what's up kelli.
welcome to IM

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

Kelli Andrews

geez. everybody's so friendly and helpful.

built - I'm not trying to lose a ton. I weigh 139 right now, and I'd like to drop another ten pounds before summer. My training is just cardio (30 min stair or bike 5x/week) and a little bit of lifting for the back of the arms (dumbbell press 15lbs x 10 x 5) my diet is pretty good. chicken, fish, veggies, rice. about 1100 calories a day.

I've never taken ANY supplements before, so I wanted to get some info from other people first.

**Pete**

Hey Kelli!

I'm new too, but I signed up for the same reason. Lemme know what the group tells you.

nadirmg

uh-oh... you said the c-word.
now built is gonna tell you to drop the cardio and start lifting weights.

1100 cals a day??!?!! :nails: eating only that much AND doing cardio is going to lose you some of that weight. but it will be muscle and not fat that you'll lose.

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

Kelli Andrews

hey nadirmq, imagine you're talking to a six year old (not that six year olds should be trying to lose weight)

should i be eating more? that's confusing. should i be working out less? also confusing... my head hurts

nadirmg

Ok. Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day to maintain itself. Let this number in your case is 2000 calories a day. To lose weight you want to be eat at a deficit (below) 2000 a day. To gain weight you would eat at a surplus (above) 2000. With me so far?

Simply eating below 2000 will get you the weight loss you're looking for, but most likely the weight you will lose is not fat but muscle! Muscle is more readily available to convert to energy when your body is in deficit mode. So instead of using fat for energy it eats up more muscle. Still with me?

Now. In order to preserve your muscle that you've got you need to be getting a certain amount of protein AND healthy fats. Yes. Fats. I know what you're thinking but you need fats to absorb the nutrients in the veggies you eat. Plus fats are important for muscle as well.

Think of the protein and fats as your muscles food. Keep the muscles fed and there's no problem. If you're muscles don't get enough food your body thinks, 'I need more energy - and I've got more muscle than I can support' and so your muscle gets turned into energy.

SO. That's why you need to be eating more. If your goal is to decrease your body fat percentage.

Now. Cardio is going to help you burn calories and keep you in a caloric deficit but it also robs your muscle of the protein and fat calories that they need to maintain themselves.

But there's another way besides doing cardio to use calories AND stimulate the muscles so they grow. Lift weights. As your muscles gain strength and size they'll need more energy to support themselves. And assuming you're getting the right amount of protein and fats THIS is when you start burning fat.

I highly recommend you check out Built's homepage. She's got some articles on all these things that would help you out a lot, in my opinion. The diet and work out routine that I'm now using are all her ideas.

Built's article on Carb Cycling would be a great place for you to start. Check this out and keep the questions coming

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

Fifty-one

Hi Kelli! Don't let the talk of lifting weights scare you off. Betcha didn't know that lifting weights burns more calories than cardio did you?

What you can do with weights is shape and tone your body. Not every woman who lifts is out to look like a pro bodybuilder.

Want a flat tummy, abdominal exercises will get you there. Want shapely legs instead of tooth picks? Weight training is key. Want tight buns and good posture? Hit the weights until your body looks like you want. Dieting and cardio will give you a thin body, but not a shapely body

With good eating habits (sounds like you're there already), you probably won't even need a "weight loss" suppliment.

Built

Think of the lifting as something that directs calorie traffic. You'll basically "divert" the calories to feed muscle that has to move heavy things. If you don't have enough calories coming in to feed the whole body, but endure the muscle gets what little you ARE eating, well, guess what has to go?

That's right. The fat.

Lifting doesn't actually burn that much in terms of WHILE you work, but there is an "afterburn" from it, as your muscles repair themselves. The bigger deal here though is that lifting convinces the body to become lean rather than simply "smaller and softer" - which is what a very low calorie diet and plenty of cardio - like you're doing - will produce.

You can lay aside any fears of getting bulky from it.

For one, you're a woman. Muscle mass is VERY hard to gain for women. I've been trying for YEARS and I have probably gained about 15 lbs of lean mass in the last seven years. And I've been REALLY trying.

For another, you're DIETING. Muscles are NOT made of air - you need extra food to grow muscle.

I'm glad you're here.

FitnessRubber

welcome!

Fitness Rubber
http://www.fitnessrubber.com

Kelli Andrews

Thanks so much for all of that information. You guys are great!