Nutrition for Max Energy and Fat Loss

[L.Millar]

I'm a 37 year old female, I am close to 5'5, and currently weight 128lbs to 130lbs depending on the day, and have a medium build.

I weight lift 6 times per week, 3 sets, 8 to 12 reps, 2 or 3 exersizes per muscle group.

I have a very active lifestyle during the week working 8 hours a day at several private stables, cleaning horses stalls, feeding, raking, restocking paddocks with hog fuel, sweeping etc...its a long day but a labour of love.

My question is this...what diet should I be following for maximum muscle growth, for a more leaner body, and to maintain a my much needed high energy level?

Here is a rough outline of what I eat currently:

06:45am Bowl of Vector (meal replacement cereal)
08:30am "Instant Breakfast" meal replacement
10:00am Fruit/Veggie Leather
12:30pm Sandwich (homemade egg or tuna) or "Instant Breakfast"
03:30pm Frozen Pasta or Eggs (scrambled with flax bread)
06:00pm (Pre work out meal) Baked potato with salad
08:30pm (Post work out) Banana with yogurt

Bad habit but I usually sneak a chocolate bar too, I will stop that today though, promise.

All in all I think it works out to be about 2200 or so calories give or take depending on the day.

So far my energy is fine, a lull in the late afternoon but pleny after dinner to lift weights. I am losing fat, and getting results but want to be sure I remain as healthy as possible.

I don't care to eat meat very often, and try to incorporate beans, lots of egg whites etc.. into my week as well. My husband has "whey protien supplement powder" so I do grab a scoop of that with milk most days too, usually early in the day mixed into a "Instant Breakfast" as that keeps me fuller longer while working.

Its really hard for me to find time to eat between 7am and 3:30pm, so what ever I do eat is on the run, hence the meal replacements. This is also when I need the most energy as my job is non stop exersize.

What do you think? On the right track or could I do more to maximize my energy, and fat loss?

Please let me know if you need any more info to help me out, I'm new to the forums and am doing my best to learn the ropes.

Thanks and all the best

L.Millar

 

[dontsurfonmytur]

06:45am Bowl of Vector (meal replacement cereal)
08:30am "Instant Breakfast" meal replacement
10:00am Fruit/Veggie Leather
12:30pm Sandwich (homemade egg or tuna) or "Instant Breakfast"
03:30pm Frozen Pasta or Eggs (scrambled with flax bread)
06:00pm (Pre work out meal) Baked potato with salad
08:30pm (Post work out) Banana with yogurt


u need to have some protein in ur last 2, maybe 3 meals. A banana and yogurt post workout aint gonna cut it. also I suggest eating a small snack before bed also, some kind of slow digesting protein and some good fats. And I dont think "instant breakfast" is too healthy either. Also i would cut the cereal, switch to Oats, eggs, fruit, etc.

 

[L.Millar]

Thank you for that info, makes perfect sense, and I'll do exactly as suggested.

L.Millar

 

[Tom_B]

Firstly You need to get your training taken care of. Doign what your currently doign is seriously overtaining .. espically if you Job is as active as you say it is. I did see a thread you posted in the trainign section .. so I'm assuming you did get it sorted out and it's no longer the 6 days a week thing ...
Secondly if Your trying to lean out while building some muscle I'd recomend something more like calorie and carb cycling compared to a linear diet .. you might find you have better results. But due to your Age and Sex , genetics are against you and your going to find this an extremely hard task to do ..
Ok so with that said ..

06:45am Bowl of Vector (meal replacement cereal)
08:30am "Instant Breakfast" meal replacement
10:00am Fruit/Veggie Leather
12:30pm Sandwich (homemade egg or tuna) or "Instant Breakfast"

Ok I know Your on the go during this time and finding time to eat is hard .. but currently what your eating isn't going to cut it.
Bowl of Vector = crap.
Instant Breakfast = crap. (even if your putting whey in it)
Sandwhich = not to bad .. dependin gon the type of bread your using and the other things on it.
If your going to have a sandwhich try looking for ' Ezikel 4:9' Type bread or 'Mana' bread or 'Essense' Bread. If you can't find any of these your next best bet would be stuff with very very little ingredients. Stuff liek Rye bread , Pumperknickel bread etc.
Then add some type of meat (chicken , tuna etc.) put some veggies on it and have some form of EFA's (some nuts , homemade Mayo etc.)
And No matter what type you get I'd limit it to 2 pieces a day.
For the other meals Check This thread out espically Emma's Post
Just make sure Each meal has some form of Potein and EFA (essiental Fatty Acid) +/- Some Carbs (depending your days total)
Also to make things easier you can try spreading your meals out a bit farther .. 4 hours max.

03:30pm Frozen Pasta or Eggs (scrambled with flax bread)

Drop the Pasta and bread (that is if you had some bread earlier) and replace them with another Low GI , high fibre carb source.
The Eggs are fine .. watch the amount of Yolk though.
Add some Veggies here.

06:00pm (Pre work out meal) Baked potato with salad

How long afterwards are you training?
If under 60 minutes I'd have a shake of Fat free , no sugar added yogurt, rolled oats, some type of fruit (A berry , or banana) , Some whey powder
If Over 60 minutes The potato with salad is fine (although I'd be tempted to have either a yam or Sweet potato). Just make sure you also add some type of protein here as well ... some Fat free no sugar added Yogurt coudl also be beneficial.

08:30pm (Post work out) Banana with yogurt

Ok .. This (along with pre workout) should be your biggest meal(s). Make this a shake .. You can try somethign like
Skim milk (or low fat no sugar added chocolate milk), some rolled oats +/- a high glucose fruit (Banana, grape .. etc.).

You should also have another meal ... nornally most will have a meal of Protein , healthy fats, and carbs an hour after their PWO shake. But ..this is probably close to your bed. So about an hour before bed Have some 1% cottage cheese + some type of fat (PB will mix well) ... Also you might want a bit of carbs here .. liek say 25 - 30G worth .. (including the ones in the Cottage Cheese).


Basically try to get somewhere between 160 - 170 G of protein through out the day (25-30G per meal) , 40-65G of fat throughout the day and fill the rest in with some carbs.
Becuase Your very active you can Keept your fat and protein on the lower side to increase your carbs to help with Energy.

But ..

I am losing fat, and getting results but want to be sure I remain as healthy as possible.

Is the Key. Obviously what your doign is working, so why try and fix something that's not broken?

 

[L.Millar]

Tom B

THANK YOU for the EXCELLENT post and information!!!

I have lots to learn about fuelling my body, and you have given me tonnes of food for thought.

My job is truly as active as I say, I don't know how I do it, I think when you love what you do, the energy and enthusiasm keeps you going.

I'll plan out a better diet this week and post it, hopefully you will see it and can offer advice on the changes I have made.

I have been seeing progress, but I think (in regards to the fat loss, muscle gain) its more due to the added exersice and with my diet not being perfect, would only continue for so long...if that makes sense. A better diet geared towards a high energy lifestyle, plus muscle building is something I will need to continue the changes further and remain healthy.

As for the training, I have sort of got that sorted out, but there is such varing advice and info, so far all I have really changed is my routine, from the break down I posted, to a Push Pull routine, 3 days on, one day off. Still 6 days a week, which is still advised by some, and ill advised by others? Confusing...but I'll figure it all out with more reading, and help.

Wow so much to consider, you are all so helpful!

L.Millar

 

[Favre]

I think 6 days a week of working out is too much for you. 4 -5 is plenty. If you had no job and could just lift and lay on a couch all day then things would be different.

Hope you get your eating plan worked out, there's been some good suggestions. Just remember lean protein at every meal. Any meal without it is flawed. Also, invest in a couple of shaker cups. They make meals on the go extremely convenient. You can grind up oats in a coffee grinder, mix with some protein powder in your shaker cup, then just add water when its time to eat. This is perfectly suitable for one of your meals at work and takes about 20 seconds to pour the water in, shake and drink. Tastes pretty damn good too.

 

[Tom_B]

hahah I wish I loved my job .. your lucky.
Yup sure after you got a new meal plan post it and we'll offer our critque again Remember like Favre said try having a protein source at each meal .. I know you were using alot of whey, but your going to be better off with using The whey powder around your workouts, any other time your better off with a whole food approch (although some extra whey here and there if your in a niche isn't going to hurt )


6 Days a week is WAY too much ..cut it back to 3 -4 x weight a week and 2 - 4 cardio sessions a week ... becuase your job is so active I wouldn't push myself to hard in the gym. Your just going to lead into problems ..
So something like
Push
Pull
Leg

Or
Push
Pull
Leg
Full Body

Or
Light Pull
Heavy push
Heavy Pull
Light Push

Or
Full Body
Full Body
Full Body

+ numerous other things will work

Cardio .. well that's up to you. I wouldn't do it on the same day as my weights, espically sinc eyour so active during the day. You'll overwork your body. So I'd limit it to 2 or 3 sessions a week ... don't go overkill. You don't really need ..

 

[L.Millar]

Thank you again Tom and thanks Favre.

I am working on my diet as I speak, planning, plotting and counting carbs, protien etc...lol.

I'm going to post about training again, I guess I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around only lifting 3 times a week (working each muscle group once.)

Cardio I'll add as soon as I can get some new runners, I used to run, and with all the walking I do, it will be no problem to pick up a light jog 3 or 4 times a week.

I'll keep you all posted. Thanks.

L.Millar