Catalyst

[niki]

I've been working out, and losing weight for awhile, and am a new member here at IM. I've picked up a lot of information in the past week and am putting it to good use. I have never lifted weights seriously before, other than a few machines here and there, mostly to see what I could lift, as a teenager. My personal limitations and a bit of background are posted in the female forum. This is my foray into the realm of free weights. I am sick of spending an hour + a day doing cardio, and so is my knee.....

I decided to try out Built's BGB. Please keep in mind, I'm desperately learning acronyms, terms, and form as I go. I'm relatively well read on supplementation and nutrition, but not in the realm of bb. So gear your comments towards a total noob. I have no idea what is 'good' or not. I'm keeping track of things on fitday as far as diet goes.....I seem to land around 150g protein, 78 g fat, and anywhere from 50 to 80g carbs - depending on my day. I have past blood sugar issues, so use the carbs primarily to stay within normal ranges. My calories range from 1400-1700.

I've always gained muscle fairly easily, and have always been known as 'strong' for a girl. lol.....I guess we will see. I've definitely lost quite a bit of that strength over the years. I am currently 37 years and 245lbs. I've lost 90 lbs thus far. Primarily doing cardio, ended up in a 3 mo plateau, which a bb classmate helped me through beginning of Feb. Since then, a steady loss of 2-3lbs per week

So here's my first two work outs with free weights. I am focusing more on form than weight, but if it feels really light, I add to it. So it's bound to look ridiculous for the first few weeks. I'm just guessing on starting points weight-wise.
Day 1
I always warm up for ten minutes on the rowing machine, full resistance
Rack Pulls - 5x5, first set with the bar, then 110, finally 135. (note, FINALLY my back is (good) sore! Stupid machines)
Bent over rows - 3x8, 25, 30.
Flat bench - 5x5 - 95 (this is embarrassing, I did 150 in highschool just messing around)
Incline Dumbell press - 3x8 - 30
Calf press, seated - 2x20,1x12 - 400, 510
Cardio - 30 min stairbeast

Day 2 -(did day 4 of BGB due to technical difficulties)
Row, row, row your boat.....
RDL -5x5, bar, then 95
Skull crushers - 5x5 - 40
Cable press downs - 3x12 - 90 (these were easy)
Good Mornings - 3x8 - 65 (and hamstrings were sore within two hours, lol)
Cardio - 20 min bike

Day 3 - REST day
Ten minute warm up on the rowing machine full resistance
300 weighted crunches on some machine. 160 at 60, 140 at 50
Obliques - 100 per side, 70lbs
15 minutes on the elliptical, 20 minutes on the bike.
Sauna. sigh

Oh, yeah - I am sore. Good sore. Happy sore. Reminds me what I'm working for when I move, sore.

 

[omerta2010]

Congrats on losing 90lbs already.

Glad your going to be hitting the weights.

Will definately be following along with your journal.

 

[niki]

Thanks! Appreciate the encouragement. Glad you'll be following along.

Today was day three of BGB:
Warmed up on the rowing machine for 6 min
Military Press - 5x5 - 25, these, by the way, are awesome!
Standing side laterals - 3x8 - 15, 10 (ten was too easy, 15 was too hard, so I did 15 until I couldn't and quick finished off with 10s....not very satisfying)
Hammer high rows - 3x8 - 135
Reverse chins - 3x5, with counterweights, so probably with 65lbs, very slowly. I couldn't do a single pull up in highschool, when I weighed 125....so this does NOT surprise me....
Standing Calf raises - 3x10, 110. These are dumb. They hurt my knee, even tho' I tried not to lock em. The weight was non existent, but was afraid to go higher cause of the knee. doing calves on a leg press seems to work better for me.
Weighted crunches - 1x100 - 60, 1x40 - 70
Cardio - 30 minutes of bike, resistance 13.

I will definitely be adding some other exercises to this day, or upping the cardio....I didn't feel 'done'. I guess as I figure out beyond starting weights, and as I get form down I will feel more tired out by the work out.

On another note - I think I caught what is aggravating my knee.....when I warm up on the rowing machine, I was not tracking straight, but rotating knees slightly out at the deepest part. I stopped doing that yesterday and have already noticed an improvement. Makes sense, as it is the only thing I do EVERY day, and haven't been hitting treadmill for cardio in an attempt to give the knee a rest. Oh, and the hike I took three weeks ago during finals, while necessary for my soul, made my knee pretty pissed off at me.

Tomorrow is legs, and am totally stoked about it. I love leg day.....am I weird? Please don't answer that......I've been babying my knee for nearly two weeks, icing, biking, (and I really hate that bike), to give the squat thing a good honest try.....I don't even plan on doing weights, if the knee protests at the recommended goblet, non weighted squats. If I can do 5x5 I will be happy.....cause I get to leg press! heh

 

[JerseyDevil]

Awesome Niki. Very well thought out, it is obvious you did your research and put a lot of effort into it. Going by your post, it appears your macros are 20% carb (assuming 80g), 37% protein, 43% fat. Try going 15% carb, protein is fine, and 50%-55% fat, keep saturated fats under 20%, ideally 15%.

Don't worry about your numbers in the weight room, they are just a means to an end. Working hard to the best of your ability is what it's all about.

 

[niki]

JerseyDevil - just did an average on fitday over the past week and here's my numbers thus far: 1560 calories, protein - 143, carb - 63, fat - 79....I vary my carb consumption - but it averages out over the week to the number above.

Thanks for the input - I can use it! I've been reading like crazy so I have a good foundation before heading back to school and don't have the time....

 

[JerseyDevil]

That looks good. Keep doing what your doing. Obviously after losing 90 lbs, it works for you! I will be following your progress.

 

[niki]

JerseyDevil - actually keeping track of calories, etc is a brand new thing this week. I just kinda ate normaly the first day - ratios were pretty good, but noticed throughout the week I really have to try hard to consistently hit that high of a protein level. Helps with focus tho'. I also feel like I am eating SO MUCH, it is hard not to cut calories more. Today, at 7pm, after working out, I sat down to look at my calories to realize that I am at a 70g protein deficit! (thawing steak NOW!)

So, I finally got to do day two of BGB! (my day four)
Bicep curls - 3x8 - 25, 20
Hammer curls - 4x8 - 20
Squats - 5x5 - no weight, bar 1x, +10lbs 1x, +30 1x, 50 1x. And most importantly? NO KNEE PAIN!!!! Woot!
Leg press - warmed up with 245 8x, then did 4x8 - 335, 425, 525
Leg press - high foot placement - same as above.
Cardio - 30 minutes stairbeast.

I weigh in on Mondays....no losses today. This is my second week at 245. I only weigh in once a week - cause I get kinda neurotic about it....I also do my measurements, especially when I see no movement on the scale - and everything is the same, but I did lose an inch from my chest....(no boobs, lol, measured below the girls).....I have been focused on weights for two weeks now, so didn't really expect to see a huge loss. In the past, (teenage past) I've always gained muscle very quickly. I figure the more muscle I build, the faster I can burn off all this wretched fat!

And for those who have commented - thanks a bunch, it means a lot.

 

[JerseyDevil]

Don't be too focused on weight. If you lose girth around your waist..... then that is a GOOD thing. Fitday is a great tool, and pretty soon you will know exactly what you can, or can't eat. I have problems hitting my protein requirement as well. 2% cottage cheese is your friend. If you can get Friendship 2%, it rocks.

You might want to consider a PSMF diet. I have no experience with that, but if interested PM Built, and I know she will give you a ton of advice on how to set up and accomplish your goals.

Trust me. I will be here for the duration. I love your attitude and obvious commitment.

 

[omerta2010]

Keeping track of calories is hard, I can't do it without driving myself crazy.

I've found that adding a protein shake between a meals can help with the protein. Quite a few of the whey version you can get limited carbs, then I mix them with water and a tablespoon of heavy whipping cream will help make it taste like you used milk. Depending on the whey that usually ends up being: 40-60g protein, 4-8g carb, 10-15g fat.

It always helps me with the protein.

 

[omerta2010]

Trust me. I will be here for the duration.

Your going to make her think we're stalkers.

 

[niki]

Omerta - great tip! As I am sitting down (icing) going over my ratios today, and am again, shy of protein at 112.5 g.....that's with cottage cheese, tuna, greek yogurt, and ground beef today! I think I will take your advice tonight and just do a shake later. The rest of my numbers: 1320 calories, 60.8g fat, 48 g carb.

And naaah, I don't think you guys are stalkers.....lol!

Today was 'rest' day, which for me translates to abs/cardio.
Weighted crunches - 2x100 - 66lbs
Different weighted crunches -1x75 - 20lbs
Oblique machine - 100x - 90, per side
Kneeling rope/pull down/obliques - 10x90, 10x110, 10x110, 5x120, 10x130. Loved these - can you tell? Guess I better look it up to figure out what the heck the official name is, cause they are gonna continue to appear.
Cardio - 30 min bike
Nap, ice - 45 minutes of tennis three hours later. More ice.

Tomorrow, will begin my second week of BGB. Icing is preventative, as the knee feels pretty good....I really think that rowing machine was the underlying issue. Oh, and yesterday's workout? Ludicrous sore, all over - which tells me I am using everything, and not favoring, plus my form seems decent.

 

[JerseyDevil]

That is one intense 'rest day'!!!! One piece of advice, raise the weight on the ab stuff so you can only do 20 reps tops on each exercise. Abdominals are a muscle group like any other, no need to do a 1000 reps

..... then 30 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of tennis later? Sweet. You rock.

 

[niki]

Alright, back in school today - harder than ever to manage eating correctly.....tend to not eat at all, had only managed like 600 calories by 3pm in the afternoon....didn't make it to the gym til nine and only had an hour to work out.....I feel better, but still a bit frustrated....

Bench - 5x5 (95)
Incline dumbell press 3x8 (30)
Rack Pulls - 5x5 (135)
Bent rows - 3x8 (35)
Seated calves - 3x8 (90)? this is a weird machine - and i have no idea what to think about it, if I did it right, etc.
Decline cable flys 3x10 (25, 30, 35)
No cardio tonight, no time - grrrrrrr - I feel like something is missing.
No abs - grump. I hate being rushed. And that VERY small cup of coffee I drank before going to the gym tonight is gonna bite me in the ass when I try to go to bed.

On a posative note - discovered my gym now stays open until midnight - which will help during this last, ridiculously busy - insane hours, semester. Now, I know that I can get my workout in on clinical days, which is really cool.

So, I got a question. If I'm not hungry, and I'm eating every 3-4 hrs (so my blood sugars are level) - do I really need to push this protein thing? It just seems counter-intuitive to eat more.......I mean, are these ratios okay for the day: calories 1269, 58g fat, 34 g carbs, 127.8 g protein?

 

[JerseyDevil]

You are practically doing a CKD diet, without the carbup. Answer these questions and I can give specific numbers to shoot for.

1. Age
2. Weight
3. Height
4. Activity level. 1.0 being sedentary, 2.0 cardio everyday for 30 minutes. Weight trainers and moderate cardio you would be 1.5-1.6 for example

 

[niki]

You are practically doing a CKD diet, without the carbup. Answer these questions and I can give specific numbers to shoot for.

1. Age
2. Weight
3. Height
4. Activity level. 1.0 being sedentary, 2.0 cardio everyday for 30 minutes. Weight trainers and moderate cardio you would be 1.5-1.6 for example

Okay, will have to look up CKD diet to see what that means - there sure are a lot of acronyms to learn here! Already gave some of this info in my first post here, but here it is again: 37yrs, 245, 5'7", and a minimum of 30 min cardio every single day, plus weights, five days a week now.

My carbs go higher on some days, lower on others, but my averages fall into what everyone has suggested for me....I don't think my blood sugars would tolerate a 'carb up', but since I haven't tried, I have no idea. If I eat any kind of grain carbs, for example, I fall asleep.

 

[niki]

Today's workout, realized I needed to switch out biceps/tricepts since I switched days 2/4....AND I got here early to redeem myself after last night's fail..
Rdl - 5x5(135)
Bicep curls - 8x20, 8x25)2x)
Dips - 5x5(50)
Skull crushers - 4x8(40) 1x8(50). This is about where I realized I should only be doing tricep stuff to keep to the spirit of the thing...ah well - noob.
Good mornings - 3x8(135)
Hammer curls - 3x8 (25)
30 min bike, an hour of tennis this afternoon with my boys....

I am still leaving off the lunges, only because I know from experience that they bother my knee and. The knees feel great for now.....after 4-6 weeks, will slowly add them in and see what happens.

 

[niki]

Today's workout, realized I needed to switch out biceps/tricepts since I switched days 2/4....AND I got here early to redeem myself after last night's fail..
Rdl - 5x5(135)
Bicep curls - 8x20, 8x25)2x)
Dips - 5x5(50)
Skull crushers - 4x8(40) 1x8(50). This is about where I realized I should only be doing tricep stuff to keep to the spirit of the thing...ah well - noob.
Good mornings - 3x8(135)
Hammer curls - 3x8 (25)
30 min bike, an hour of tennis this afternoon with my boys....

I am still leaving off the lunges, only because I know from experience that they bother my knee and. The knees feel great for now.....after 4-6 weeks, will slowly add them in and see what happens.

 

[omerta2010]

As much as people hate it, you could get some protein bars for at school. That or take a shaker bottle and put your protein powder in and then just add water when it's time.

That's what I had a friend of mine do when he was going to school and it helped him keep losing weight and not get stuck.

Looks like you had a good workout, I get frustrated when I have to shorten things or leave things out as well. But one day won't blow up the whole thing unless you let it, just remember at least you went (which is better than most) and did everything you could fit in. Then the next day just keep at it and don't let the annoyance of the previous day bring you down.

Sort of like on my diet, if I end up having one meal that doesn't fit or puts me way over for calories for the day, I don't say "screw it" and eat everything under the sun for the rest of the day. I just get back on the wagon and finish the day per the schedule.

 

[omerta2010]

I do stepups instead of lunge's.

Until you can bring them in you could give them a try.

 

[niki]

Thanks for the input Omerta - will look into step ups.....I think I will keep a jar with protein powder in my car as backup, and a protein bar in my backpack too, just in case. I am not the best at planning ahead, and I really just need to get better at being self disciplined and packing enough. Its only four more months, but with 12 hr shifts, this is something I'm gonna need to get good at.

 

[omerta2010]

Hardest part of 12hr shifts is that you need to pack pretty much an entire day's worth of food. I had a friend who was a nurse and as long as she packed her food the scheduled breaks make it really easy to eat on schedule.

 

[JerseyDevil]

You probably won't like these numbers, but I can attest this diet works really, really, well. I do a 1 day carbup, but some prefer to spread it over 1.5 or even 2 days. The goal is to switch the body into fat burning mode after the glycogen is exhausted for 5-6 days. Because we are weight trainers we need to periodically reload the muscles with glycogen to fuel your workouts. This is basically a high fat, high protein, low carb diet. People on Atkins for instance usually lose as much muscle as fat because they never reload. This diet does a great job of holding onto lean mass, and burns fat. Some people actually gain muscle while losing fat.

Daily
Fat: 150g
Protein: 245g
Carbs: no more then 30g

Assuming 5 meals a day, the average would be:
Fat: 30g
Protein: 49g
Carbs: 6g

CarbUp
Fat: 99g (max per day for the entire carbup, if 2 days then 99g per day)
Protein: 210g (per day on carbup minimum)
Carbs: 833g (to restore your muscle glycogen, if carbup is 2 days then 416g per day)



Training on the Cyclical Ketogenic Diet: Effects of Cyclical Ketogenic Diets on Exercise Performance

 

[omerta2010]

Good article JD.

 

[niki]

Thanks JD. I am looking into it, school is back in session, so am somewhat limited time-wise. Also, pm'ed Built to give her my info, and we've gone back and forth a few times. I think I'm going to start weighing more frequently, in order to better track what is going on. On a posative note - am down a pound, and all my measurements are down, some of them a few inches.....So, looks like things are starting to happen despite the total switch on workouts.

I believe if I consumned that many carbs, even over two days, I would literally be sleeping/eating. There is NO way my blood sugar issue would tolerate that many carbs. Keeping my sugars normal is an absolute because it effects my test scores. Built suggested to me that carb ups may not be necessary until I get closer to goal weight anyway.....so, that's the direction I'm leaning right now.

Omerta - was wondering on the step ups - how high do they have to be to be effective? If they are easier on knees than lunges, that's great, but think I might need to ease in to even the step ups. I really am afraid of getting injured - it's happened so many times! I don't want to have to stop, or delay my progress.

Today is a rest day, so will be hitting abs/cardio.......

 

[omerta2010]

Just steal the risers from the aerobic room. Start out with a couple stacked and see how you feel. As your body adapts you can keep adding them to get higher. Most stuff I'd read the goal is to at least be at a point that your thigh is parallel to the ground. Starting low and working your way up may help strengthen the supporting structure of your knee as well since you have to balance.

 

[niki]

Today's workout:
Military Press - 5x5(30)
Hammer high rows - 3x8(135, 205)
Chins - 5x5 - 55.....first time doing these - did just negatives before, these are exhausting!
Standing side laterals (cables) - 3x8(20, 30, 40)
Bent over side laterals (cables) - 3x8(20)
Behind the neck hammers - 2x10 (90), 1x110)
30 min bike

After this workout my blood sugars dropped into the low 50's, despite me eating carbs beforehand. Am thinking the dietary changes are effecting the glycogen stores....since I have a history of hypoglycemia and have had numbers in the low 20's, will be making sure I have something on hand in the car.

My knee is acting up..... On ice now....today's workout was great tho'....felt really good.

 

[JerseyDevil]

Built suggested to me that carb ups may not be necessary until I get closer to goal weight anyway.....so, that's the direction I'm leaning right now.

Definitely listen to Built. She knows her shit. It does make sense to not do carb ups until you get closer to your goal weight. Keep us updated on what you ultimately decide. You are doing great.

 

[niki]

Today's workout:

Squats - 5x5 - 1x50)(2x110)(2x135) Went lighter today 'cause of the knee. First time I wrapped it for these, and the leg press -worked like a charm - iced when I got home, no pain!
Leg press and high foot placement leg press(20reps) - 3x8 (245, 335)
Bicep curls - 5x5 (25)
Hammer curls - 3x8 (25)
20 minutes of bike - again, trying to go a bit easier on the knee, which for some odd reason, doesn't really like the bike....

So, am following Built's advice and going for 100g fat, 100g protein, 50g carbs. Weigh in tomorrow, wish me luck!

 

[JerseyDevil]

So, am following Built's advice and going for 100g fat, 100g protein, 50g carbs. Weigh in tomorrow, wish me luck!

1500 cals, 60% fat, 13% carbs, 27% protein..... sounds like a good plan! Don't hold too much stock in a single weigh-in. I weigh myself everyday, and it is all over the place. This plan will work as long as you stick to it, and I'm betting you will!

 

[JerseyDevil]

So, am following Built's advice and going for 100g fat, 100g protein, 50g carbs. Weigh in tomorrow, wish me luck!

1500 cals, 60% fat, 13% carbs, 27% protein..... sounds like a good plan! Don't hold too much stock in a single weigh-in. I weigh myself everyday, and it is all over the place. This plan will work as long as you stick to it, and I'm betting you will!