Help Needed.

[Heather072]

Okay. Where to begin... Decided it was time for a change, tired of the way I looked and most of all the way I had been feeling. I stepped on the scale and was shocked to see 136.8lbs, which is way too much for my petite female frame I'm only 5'3". Measured my body fat and was disgusted to find it at 33.7% (using an online formula and calipers). At this point I decided it was time to stop saying "I'll start eating better/working out more tommorow," and decided tommorow was today. That day I completely cleaned out my entire house of all non-healthy, junky, fatfilled foods and headed to the grocery store. This is my diet from this past week (the first week of my cut).

Day 1:
Meal1: Cheese, cottage, lowfat, 2% milkfat 1/4 cup
Milk2% 1 cup
Special K Red Berries Cereal 1 cup

Meal 2: 1/4 cup peanuts

Meal 3: Bread, light wheat, 2slices
3oz Lean Peppered Turkey
1 slice fat free swiss cheese
Watermelon, 1 cup
1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese

Meal 4: 1 cup sugar free peach jello

Meal 5: 4oz. Grilled Chicken Breast
1tbsp. Heinz 57 Sauce
1 cup steamed broccoli

Totals for the day: Cals:1100 Fat:36 Carbs:91 Protein: 108


Day 2.
Meal 1:2%Milk 1 cup
Special K Red Berries, 1 Cup
Meal 2: 1 cup sugarfree jello

Meal 3: 3 cups lettuce
1/4 cup shredded carrots
5 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup fat free cheese
4 oz. grilled chicken breast
4 tbsp. fat free dressing
1 cup watermelon

Meal 4: 1 oz Beef Jerky

Meal 5: 4oz Grilled Chicken Breast
1 cup steamed broccoli
1 tbsp. Heinz 57 sauce
1/2 cup sweet peas
1/2 cup corn

Meal 6: 1 sugar free jello

Totals for day: Cals:1133 Fat:18 Carbs:128 Protein: 121

Day 3:
Meal 1: 1large egg
5 tbsp eggbeaters egg whites
3 thin strips turkey bacon
1 slice light wheat toast

Meal 2: 1 fat free string swiss cheese stick

Meal 3: Grilled 8oz. Sirloin Steak
1 tbsp. Heinz 57
1 garden salad
4 tablespoons fat free dressing
1 cup mixed steamed veggies (broccoli, cauiliflower, &carrots)
Meal 4:1.8 oz Beef Jerky

Totals for today: Cals: 1121 Fat:53 Carbs:51 Protein: 110

This was pretty much my diet all week.. Cals ranged 980-1100roughly and I'm trying to get in as much protein as I can.. I have tried protein shakes/bars.. they make me terribly sick.. so I am trying to find an alternative (any sugestions would be appreciated).
Here has been my workout schedule:
Day one: 1 hour cardio
Crunches (3x50)
Side Crunches (3x50/side)
Day Two:Legs
Squats:Bar x15
5blbx15
10lbx15
10lbx15
15lbx15
Hacks 10lbx15
10lbx15
15lbx15
Leg Extensions 20lbx15
20lbx15
20lbx20
Kneeling leg Curls 10lbx15 Right 10lbx15 Left
5lbx15 5lbx 15
Seated Leg Curls50lbx30
60lbx30
60lbx30
60lbx20
70lbx20
Laying Leg Curls 30lbx25

Day Three: Arms
Standing Barbell Curls 2 sets x 15
Seated Barbell Curls 4 sets x 15
Seated Hammer Curls 2sets x 10 Right 2 sets x 10 Left
Standing Dumbell Hammer curls 1setx10 Right 1 setx 10 Left
1setx 15 Right 1 setx 15 Left
Preacher Curls 2setsx10
Tricep Push Down 3setsx15
Tricep Press 1setx20
1setx15
4setx10
Day4:Back
Lat Pull Down 3setsx15
Seated Cable Row 3setsx15
Iso Lateral Rowing1 set x20
2 setx15
Dumbell Row 2setx12 Right 2setx 12Left
Shrugs(seated)1setx20
1 setx25
Shrugs(standing) 2setsx20
Threw in some supersetted calve raises
Standing 1setx20 Bending 1setx20
1setx15 1setx15
1setx12 1setx12
Day 5:Chest and Shoulders
Laying Dumbell Press 3setx15
Incline Dumbell Press 3setx15
Lateral Incline Press 3setx15
Cable Fly's UP2setsx15
STRAIGHT 2setsx15
DOWN 2 setsx15
Shoulder Press 1setx12
2setx10
Standing dumbell Fly's 3 setsx10
Laying Dumbell Pullbacks 2setsx12
Cable Upright Rows 2setsx12

Cardio x 30mins

I weighed in today at 132.0. I know that doesnt mean that I've lost 4.8lbs of fat, but it was still good to see that at least it had went down some.. Is this good progress thus far? What do I need to change, if anything? I am very new to this.. and would appreciate and help/advice that you can lend. I would like to drop to around 115lbs and somewhere between 15-18percent body fat.

 

[Built]

Hi there!

I'm very glad to see you watching your diet and lifting weights - so few women know to do this.

Now - I've walked down this road and I've summarized how I did it. Have a peek at my blog and see what parts might help you.

Got Built? » Open Source Fitness - Get started here

What part in particular would you like help with? Your training needs some work - you are doing everything in very high rep ranges and there are far more effective ways to train.

Read the blog link - start at the top and work your way down. Let me know what I can do to help.

 

[Heather072]

Thank you, your blog seems like it will be a big help.. I guess what I need help with is knowing if what I am doing is the right thing to be doing? If my workouts are efficient for what I am trying to achieve? I am doing a lot of reps but I am not using a lot of weight.. Is that what I should be doing or vice versa? I would only dream of competing one day but I know I am a long way from that, nevertheless I am very excited to see what I can become..

 

[Built]

What would you like to compete in?

Regarding your training, try this for a month - Got Built? » Basic whole-body workout
Try to get your weights up. Stay away from machines, learn to do a proper squat and deadlift (I'm a huge fan of Romanian deadlifts). Keep your reps in the 5-8 range, lift as heavy as you can for the rep range that you are using.

Now, your diet. Are you tracking? FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal enter your food, post up your macros. We start there.

 

[Heather072]

In small local bodybuilding shows...

I am using fitday.. thats is the only way I'd ever be able to keep up with cals/fat/protein/carbs... and I find it very useful.. I will send you a link to view mine.

 

[Built]

Okay, for bodybuilding, you'll need something that actually builds your body.

Do you free squat? What's the heaviest you can squat, below parallel, for say 5 reps?
How about bench press and deadlift? Let's get you started on something more appropriate to your goals, based on where you are now.

 

[Heather072]

Yes, I free squat.. how much can I handle for 5 reps w/good form? :idk:
When I worked out before (not knowing what I was doing) with a few guy friends I was up to a around 30 (+/-)on each side.. but after that I was in a car accident and had to have knee surgery, and let that be my excuse as to why I wasnt in the gym for way too long (Had wreck 4/13/07 & surgery 5/18/07). So honestly, I haven't pushed too hard on hack's or squats since..Tommorow we are working legs so I will definatly push harder for fewer reps.

Deadlift.. never have done this.. BUT will definatly start that into the routine as of tommorow.

So to get my workouts more suitable for where I want to be and where I am now, you think my diet is okay? And basically do less reps with more weight?

(You dont know how much I appreciate this, I've never actually had the opportunity to speak to a female bodybuilder like this, the only bodybuilders I know are Men...and why they do help a great deal, speaking with a woman is so much better..)

 

[Built]

I TOTALLY understand. I was the only one I had met when I started.

Okay. Tomorrow, try the full-body workout. Do regular squats instead of goblet squats if you prefer. Use 5-rep sets for everything tomorrow.

Does that work? Are you comfortable with this?

Now, your diet. Can you please run a report for the last two weeks and post up the average?

 

[Heather072]

I have only been on the cut and using fitday for this past week. Here's the averages thus far.

 

[FitnessRubber]

Are you sure you're taking in enough calories to not kill your metabolism?

 

[KelJu]

What would you like to compete in?

Regarding your training, try this for a month - Got Built? � Basic whole-body workout
Try to get your weights up. Stay away from machines, learn to do a proper squat and deadlift (I'm a huge fan of Romanian deadlifts). Keep your reps in the 5-8 range, lift as heavy as you can for the rep range that you are using.

Now, your diet. Are you tracking? FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal enter your food, post up your macros. We start there.

Only shit! Nice blog. There is a wealth of information there even for experienced lifters. I like your take on carb-cycling.

 

[Heather072]

Are you sure you're taking in enough calories to not kill your metabolism?

:idk:
My maintain calories were roughly 2000 give or take..I am trying to eat every 3 or so hours, but with the work I do it is hard to even make time to gulp down 1cup of jello, beef jerky, or some nuts.. Breakfast on the weekends are easier because I actually have time to cook, so during the week I normaly measure out 1 cup of special k (red berries is my fave) and 1 cup fatfree milk. Lunches are usually either a salad with 4oz turkey or chicken and either cup of fresh fruit or fatfree cottage cheese. next another snack..then Supper is generally the same as lunch.. but i try to get two-three servings of veggies in as well as the 4-6oz turkey/chicken.. then one last snack about 2 hours later...

So I am eating ever few hours and thought that was the objective. Do you need to eat every few hours or do you have to have so many calories every few hours to keep your metabolism up??

Any and all sugestions are greatly appreciated...

I am eating a lot of food and staying full..but its mostly fatfree, low cal, foods....

 

[Built]

If maintenance is 2000 for you and you're trying to drop fat, I'd suggest no lower than 1600 on average. You can carb cycle if you like - higher on lifting days, lower on non-lifting days, but that should be rock bottom for your average calories, and you will need to take refeeds fairly often on 1600.

Your fats are flat out too low.

At your current weight and bodyfat, you have 90 lbs of lean mass.

So...

Let's plan out your new "diet".

Minimum protein is 90g - higher is fine, just don't go lower
Minimum fat is 45g - again, higher is fine, just don't go lower.
Minimum calories: 1600

There is no need to eat multiple small meals or to eat every three hours. Those are myths. Just plan out your day on fitday, pack it up and that's it.

Now.

If you want to try the one-day for the next month, you will be training three days a week. You can do a little cardio on as many as three of the off-days, but rest at least one, k?

We can set you up with some interval work and hill repeats.

What days can you make it to the gym? Give me four. Tell me which ones.

 

[Heather072]

Four days? Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri. Or even Sat or Sun for that matter...

 

[Heather072]

and how many carbs per day?

 

[Built]

Carbs don't matter. Just fill up your protein and fat "quotas", then fill up the rest of your calories however you want - given the fibre minimum of 25g. The rest of your calories can come from carb, protein, fat, or any combination. Hell, they can come from chocolate if you hit your minimums for protein, fat and fibre and don't go over on your calories.

Okay, the workouts. Try this:

Tuesday: weights, then 3-10 minutes of "8 seconds of doom" followed by steady-state spinning to total 20 minutes
Wednesday: hill repeats
Thursday: weights, then 20 minutes of steady-state cardio, any type
Friday: rest
Saturday: weights, then treadmill sprints - 3-8 minutes in total, followed by steady-state walking to total 20 minutes
Sunday: rest
Monday: rest

On the rest days, go for a walk if you like, but no lifting or dedicated cardio. Got it?

 

[Heather072]

Wow! That program looks great! Is it odd that I feel guilty for eating more calories today compared to last week? LoL, crazy i know. Too bad you aren't in Alabama.. I would definatly hire you! I am very excited to see what comes of this!

 

[Built]

Cool. Try this for about a month, then we'll re-evaluate. You can do regular squats instead of goblet squats and flat OR incline barbell bench instead of dumbbell bench if it suits you. NO smith machine, please - and be sure to go below parallel on your squats.

Any questions?