Hello Need advice on getting fit and strong

[Starpsl]

Hello. I was searching for a place where I can get some encouragement and tips as I get fit again. Although I am not aiming to complete or build the biggest muscles I can, I do want to get really buff, build my body to the best of my ability and be strong. I figure you guys know how to stay lean and strong.

I have always been active. I believe I have quite a bit of muscle already since I have a strenuous job and lift people a lot during the course of the day. I have put on a ton of weight over the past few years. I was over weight at about 180 but ballooned up to 290 over the past five years. I was working two jobs plus in college full time. I wasn't eating an enourmous amount of food but I realized the food I was eating was sky high in calories. I was fit and thin for the first 20 yrs of my life. I would like to get there and stay there.

I always struggled to keep weight off. I have had a physical and my thyroid checked and all is good. My doctor once said my thyroid was slightly hypo but not enough for meds. Recently another doctor said I may be insulin resistant at this point. So I am trying to figure out if I should lean toward a low carb diet while counting calories or just focus on a healthy diet and count calories.

I want to start training with weights again and burn the fat off while keeping and building muscle.

Right now.

290lbs
5'7" tall
Female

and not sure which way to go with my diet or exercise plan. Full body every other day and cardio in between or what.

Thanks for reading.





I

 

[Arnold]

Welcome to our bodybuilding & fitness community

Starpsl welcome to IM!

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[Starpsl]

Thankyou, I will.

Star

 

[Built]

Hi there

First up, good for you for finding this place and asking for help.

May I ask what your current diet is like? If you're not sure, please go to FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal and start a free account. Just enter a "normal" day and post up the macros - that's the numbers to the left of the "pie chart" that list the calories and total grams of protein, carb and fat.

You may do VERY well to cut your carbs. I started with Atkins when I was obese and insulin resistant, and it worked like a hot damn. I also started weight training at this time and the combination was a Godsend.

Let me know how I can help.

 

[Starpsl]

Thanks. I have lost a lot of weight on a lower carb diet and gained it back when I got busy and started eating whatever was convenient. I was thinking about going back to the salads with chicken breast or eye round steak, and berries and raw veggies but wasn't sure if it would be easier and more satisfying for me to just eat a well balanced diet and count calories.

Right now I have been trying to stay below 1500.

Breakfast is cereal, skim milk, and berries

Lunch is a tuna salad sandwich with romaine and a tiny amount of mayo, diet soda.

snack is celery with peanut butter

Dinner is chicken breast or other lean meat grilled and 1/2 cup of rice or potato with 1 cup salad or steamed vegetables like brocolli

Snack after workout is skim milk and low fat cookie.

I have been losing weight and have energy. It is not as fast as I would like though

The diet I lost weight on the first time was much higher in protein and good fats since I used olive oil on my salads. I did not eat any dairy or starches at all. I felt really good but craved comfort type foods like pasta and potatoes.

If I go back to the salad and lean proteins and low carb fruits then once I am thinner I will have to learn how to add back some starches and other favorite foods in small portions to avoid gaining fat back.

It was a faster weight loss than what I am doing now. I really need to get some of this weight off fast.

How did you deal with wanting higher carb foods Built? Did you have a little one day a week and eat lower carb most of the time? I want to do it right this time and learn how to have some carby foods and not blow it. I know I can get the fat off I just need to learn how to keep it off.

I am also excited about getting into weight training.

Thanks for the advice and your thoughts

 

[Built]

Listen, at your current weight, the MOST IMPORTANT THING is to get that weight OFF.

How fast are you losing now?

 

[Starpsl]

three pounds a week. I am working a busy job running around all day and lifting people in and out of wheel chairs. The time I lost with the lower carb diet I was walking a hour a day followed with exercises like crunches, leg lifts etc. for a half hour. I was losing seven pounds a week. I hadn't added cardio or other than some body weight exercises yet this time so I really don't know how much I will lose with the diet I am currently eating with more cardio and the weight training. I will be doing some free weights at home to start. We have a bench and some weights. This week I will have time to start adding more exercise.

 

[Starpsl]

Well the thing is I know I will take it off faster with the low carb diet but I have really not been wanting to eat as much meat. I am trying to eat foods high in fiber to stay full.

 

[Built]

You don't have to eat meat - you can eat eggs, egg whites, fish, tuna, cottage cheese...

I do like the fibre thing. 3 pounds a week is remarkable progress. You KNOW that won't continue, right? Enjoy it while it lasts.

Re what to do about wanting carbs? There's a few options here. One is to plan a one-hour cheat meal every, say, ten pounds, with a distinct start and finish time.

Another is to gradually ease into having a small amount of preworkout carb, since you'll be better able to metabolize it when you exercise. We all become "normally" insulin-sensitive when we train.

Either of these options sound like they could work for you?

 

[Starpsl]

Yes. I think I can more of the protein foods you mentioned. What exactly do you mean by "We all become "normally" insulin-sensitive when we train. " ?

I thought about having a cheat meal once a week. I could base it on pounds lost.

Thanks for the suggestions. I am going to sit down and plan some menus for this week and look into the sticky info here for training and diet info.

 

[Arnold]

please continue this thread in the diet/nutrition forum.

thanks