Preserving Muscle, Losing Fat

[Oatmeal]

Hi Everyone

I spent last year losing 55 pounds by conventional means - basically cutting calories until it started coming off and was stupid. I did not make sure of nutritional value. So, I backed off and am eating better now, but can tell I am startng to inch up again.

I have been reading and getting smarter and plan to go back to dietting again, but adding in a mild workout a day and working up to less "mild".

My question is, will it help me to start drinking one of the protein shakes after I exercise, to avoid losing muscle further? I bought a jar of whey protein to try this as an add to my basic caloric reduction effort, with this idea in mind.

I am not much of a meat eater and while not diabetic, my sugar levels get a bit shaky at times when I am dietting aggressively and this seemed like a decent idea to try.

I am presently 5'8 and 165. I care less now about losing pounds than about tightening this abused body up and getting healthier. If I can healthily get to about 145-150, I'd be thrilled, but I am just an ordinary 49 year old woman whose metabolism crashed about four years ago and packed on 60 pounds in what seemed like overnight (menopause train wreck) wanting to avoid being older and overweight and a slob, basically, not a body builder in the way many of you are. I also cannot afford much in the way of supplements, etc., and so am trying to reach my objectives within my means at the grocery store. I figure it will be a good thing if I maintain this weight, but add muscle and lose the fat/flab.

In this context, would the whey shake after exercise be a good step?

Thank you for your time,

Oatmeal

 

[Metallibanger]

Having protein right after working out is a must. Can you post your diet?

 

[KelJu]

Read the stickies in the diet and nutrition forum.
Diet & Nutrition - IronMagazine Bodybuilding Forum

There is a ton of information of great information there. I just started my carb-cycling plan a few days ago, and I am already starting to lose fat. I don't seem to be losing any muscle, but some of my power is decreasing. Carb-cycling takes a while before you see massive fat loss, but you typically don't loss any muscle if you follow the program correctly.

Read the stickies, design a diet plan, and post it so others can offer advice.

 

[Oatmeal]

Having protein right after working out is a must.

Good, then it sounds like I'm on a better track.

Can you post your diet?

That is the problem. I basically starved myself and what I did eat was high fiber. You can't imagine how upset I was to become a porker so suddenly. I had nerve damage in my legs and was not very mobile either, but I wanted the fat off.

On the plus side, I replaced all sugar with Splenda, no sweets in the house, and fiber is not a bad thing. I am now taking vitamins as recommended by my doctor for me and I drink a lot of soy milk ( a gallon or more per week). I am now able to walk quite long distances and the mobility is not the problem it was. I am back to working finally and doing worlds better.

On the many negatives of my efforts last year, I ate once a day (evenings)and not much then. Now, of course, I realise I was making a problem worse with my metabolism by doing so. *Please don't beat me* I am wiser now and seeking to learn the right things to do for me. I want to tone up and take the last ten excess pounds off at it's own pace while getting in better shape.

The main thing my doctor criticized was the lack of protein. I don't eat much meat, prefer vegetables and grains, so the idea of adding a protein shake to my daily diet might be a good compromise for me.

I plan to try a bowl of whole grain or granola type cereal for breakfast with soy milk, work out, have a protein shake for lunch, walk again, eat a light dinner, and perhaps decide on a smart snack after that before bedtime to forestall the munchy effect. My hope is that with the increased exercise, my dormant metabolism will start moving again and I can eat more and still stay slimmer.

Thank you for your reply. Metallibanger. I'm sure you guys get tired of answering the same newbie questions day in and day out, even if it is new to us.

Oatmeal

 

[Metallibanger]

You said you're not diabetic but you have problems with sugars. Can you eat fruits and white bread? Also, why do you drink soy milk? Soy raises estrogen, which is a bad thing unless you're a woman. And don't worry about people getting tired of answering questions, that's the purpose of these forums

 

[Oatmeal]

You said you're not diabetic but you have problems with sugars.

My Dad is severely diabetic and overweight, my Mom is overweight and beginning now to show signs of diabetes as she nears 70. I went to a doctor and asked him about it and he did blood tests and said I was NOT diabetic but there were signs that I could also develop it later. He wasn't specific, but he said medicine was beginning to notice things detectable in pre-diabetics bloodwork. He told me then that what I do today decides a lot of how my health status is ten years from now, regarding this disease.

When I saw him, I was weighing in at 220, trouble with my legs, and occasionally having trouble with hypoglycemia. In my first post I referred to That Age, I am female and menopause happened like a train wreck, suddenly and triggered the weight gain and a total change from how I'd been and felt all my life until then. I'd never had a weight problem before, etc.

Can you eat fruits and white bread? Also, why do you drink soy milk? Soy raises estrogen, which is a bad thing unless you're a woman.

Yes, I can eat them, but do not prefer white breads. Soy milk is wonderful for me as I am now post menopausal and never took hormones. I prefer soy to regular milk taste-wise. It also boosts calcium which is good at my age.

And don't worry about people getting tired of answering questions, that's the purpose of these forums

I appreciate it. I am reading up on lowering fat and when I come up with a plan for changing my habitual way of eating to do that, I will post my diet as was asked. But a diet as such doesn't work well for me. I do best in just changing what I buy and eat totally. The more I learn, the more I am appalled by what is in some processed and fast foods. Finding this forum is a great asset for me.

Oatmeal

 

[Metallibanger]

Good luck Oatmeal

 

[juggernaut]

during my contest phase, a pwo is whey and oatmeal, with alpha lipoic acid. From what I have read, ALA can be beneficial for diabetics.