I can have abs? Vanity post by a lurker.

[lasqueen]

Hey all, so I posted earlier about abs, and have been lurking for a while, now I'm just going to come out and say it.

First off, all you ladies are such an inspiration. It's so refreshing to have strength and muscle be priorities over thinness. That being said, I have a sort of vain request.

I am looking to lean out (have been wanting to do this for a while, now finally hopefully committing to it by posting here.) I share the computer room with 2 housemates so I can't quite take more revealing photos on photobooth. However, I can say that I play soccer so carry much of my weight on my quads/glutes.

Stats: 5'4, 122ish pounds

Question:

How much bodyfat do you guys think I'd have to lose before I can see the abs (4-6pack)? Which would come first, losing the love handles or seeing more abs?
How much bodyfat% do you think I carry now? On another note, where should I concentrate strength training for a more bodybuilding physique?

[lasqueen]

anybody?? I'd really appreciate any advice I can get.


Hey all, so I posted earlier about abs, and have been lurking for a while, now I'm just going to come out and say it.

First off, all you ladies are such an inspiration. It's so refreshing to have strength and muscle be priorities over thinness. That being said, I have a sort of vain request.

I am looking to lean out (have been wanting to do this for a while, now finally hopefully committing to it by posting here.) I share the computer room with 2 housemates so I can't quite take more revealing photos on photobooth. However, I can say that I play soccer so carry much of my weight on my quads/glutes.

Stats: 5'4, 122ish pounds

Question:

How much bodyfat do you guys think I'd have to lose before I can see the abs (4-6pack)? Which would come first, losing the love handles or seeing more abs?
How much bodyfat% do you think I carry now? On another note, where should I concentrate strength training for a more bodybuilding physique?

[IsraFit]

It's a little hard to estimate like this, and i'm no expert, but i'd say you're at about 18-19%, which is very good. i do suggest u go and get measured.

soccer is a great sport for getting ripped, but from the pics, it looks like this is all about the diet now. u prob need to drop about 3-4% to start seeing what u want...focus on eating clean!!

[ftnsslvr]

Wish I could post something contructive to losing it, but it's been said already. Focus on eating clean.

You look good, and I don't think you will have to lose too much body fat to start seeing results.

I have a 4 pack at 5'2" sitting at 122-125 I had a test done (not sure the name of it) the one where you hold onto a game controler looking device with 2 handles, that put me at 24%. I've always tested lower then that on different tests that put me at between 17-19%

It's difficult to find out your body fat % by tests, let alone by eyeballing it.
Good luck.

[lasqueen]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice. I've always had sort of a poor diet, part of it due to time partially out of laziness. Time to snap out of it! I will post my diet for ytday (atrocious), double my efforts for today and post today food tomorrow. Hopefully this will keep me accountable. I'll also take a picture next Tuesday as well to measure progress.


10/21 food log
Morning:
1 handful of almonds (140)
1 handful of trailmix (200)
2 cups coffee

Lunch
Cream cheese sandwich (200)
3 Oreos (140)
Large apple (120)

Dinner
Broccoli with hummus (100)
Crackers (100)
Chocolate cupcake (200)
Bag of sun chips (200)

Eyeballed calories: 1400. Will get more nutrients today.


Wish I could post something contructive to losing it, but it's been said already. Focus on eating clean.

You look good, and I don't think you will have to lose too much body fat to start seeing results.

I have a 4 pack at 5'2" sitting at 122-125 I had a test done (not sure the name of it) the one where you hold onto a game controler looking device with 2 handles, that put me at 24%. I've always tested lower then that on different tests that put me at between 17-19%

It's difficult to find out your body fat % by tests, let alone by eyeballing it.
Good luck.

[IsraFit]

lol....sounds like my college diet...but NO! this will def not get you where u wanna go.

so, take a couple of days crusing this forum. tons of ladies post really good daily diets here. u need to mimic those. then, try login in your foods in fitday.com.

that will be a good strat. also, doubt u will be able to see such a change in a week. it will take your body sometime to show these changes...

[lasqueen]

Hey IsraFit;
Hah well I am in college. I've been lurking here for a while so I have a sort of good idea of what the bodybuilder diet should look like, it's just a question of implementation. Also, yes I know that I won't see really visible results in a week, but perhaps knowing that I will track progress will deter me from having that 5th beer on the weekends... (bloat will be visible, no?)


lol....sounds like my college diet...but NO! this will def not get you where u wanna go.

so, take a couple of days crusing this forum. tons of ladies post really good daily diets here. u need to mimic those. then, try login in your foods in fitday.com.

that will be a good strat. also, doubt u will be able to see such a change in a week. it will take your body sometime to show these changes...

[IsraFit]

bahaha i feel ya...drinking on the weekends (and the pizza that goes after that) is what stood between me and my goal lol...

good luck with that! at the end of the day it really is jus a question of commitment...

[PremierGirl]

you have like..... no protein ....
that's my first recommendation... and i think your body fat is pretty low( in a good way )
I'd focus at the moment on building muscle if the bodybuilding-like physique is what you want,
don't really focus too much on losing that last bit of fat that you're expecting to see abs

[lasqueen]

Hey all thanks for the advice! Proud to report that the eating was better today.. Timing wasn't so hot cuz I overslept and missed breakfast and then had class till 2 so my first "meal" wasn't till then..

Food log

Meal 1:
1 Pear (100c, 1g)
1 Banana (100c, 1g)
Balance bar (200c, 15g)
3/4 cup Natures path cereal (180c, 6g)

2 hrs soccer practice

Meal 2:
Squash (40c, 1g)
Quinoa (200c, 6g)
Green beans (40c, 2g)
Lima beans (40c, 2g)
Cheesecake brownie (140c, 1.5g)

"Meal 3"
Oatmeal raisin cookie with pb (210c, 6g)

"Meal 4"
1/2 bagel with 2 tsp pb (340c, 18g)

Total so far: 1450 cal, 59.5g protein

Will try to get more protein later (will be up late studying), am aiming for 54g (is this too low?) and 1800 calories. I have a tendency to undereat during the week due to stress and time and then overeat on weekends when I'm more relaxed and have more time. I might have a serving of nuts and another balance bar later tonight (if only these things weren't so expensive!)

I don't like strength training on days I have practice so I'll do some weights tomorrow.

[PBanonymous]

Hey all thanks for the advice! Proud to report that the eating was better today.. Timing wasn't so hot cuz I overslept and missed breakfast and then had class till 2 so my first "meal" wasn't till then..

Food log

Meal 1:
1 Pear (100c, 1g)
1 Banana (100c, 1g)
Balance bar (200c, 15g)
3/4 cup Natures path cereal (180c, 6g)

2 hrs soccer practice

Meal 2:
Squash (40c, 1g)
Quinoa (200c, 6g)
Green beans (40c, 2g)
Lima beans (40c, 2g)
Cheesecake brownie (140c, 1.5g)

"Meal 3"
Oatmeal raisin cookie with pb (210c, 6g)

Total so far: 1110 cal, 41.5g protein

Will try to get more protein later (will be up late studying), am aiming for 54g (is this too low?) and 1800 calories. I have a tendency to undereat during the week due to stress and time and then overeat on weekends when I'm more relaxed and have more time. I might have a serving of nuts and another balance bar later tonight (if only these things weren't so expensive!)

I don't like strength training on days I have practice so I'll do some weights tomorrow.


54 grams is WAY too low. I eat that by 10am everymorning! You should be consuming 1 - 1.5 grams of protein PER lb of body weight! THis is a must!

[lasqueen]

mortician83: I just plugged my stats into an online calculator and it told me I should eat 1800 calories a day and 54 grams of protein. I've looked at your pictures though and I'd much rather look like you than the average 5'4, 120lb american woman.

But wow, 120-160g protein? Looks like I'm going to have to put way more effort into food.

I'm planning my meals for tomorrow based on the cafeteria menus. Does anyone else think it's hard to try and get 5 (fruits+veg) a day, as well as proteins in in a day? I especially try to eat lots of fruits and vegetables cuz it's flu season and I want to get maximum vitamins. So I'm trying hard to fit protein in as well seeing as fruit barely has any protein. Also I think I sort of understand why most of ya'll eat so often now (the idea of trying to stomach so much protein in one sitting is daunting.) Maybe that's not the reason behind meal frequency though? I tried to plan things that I can just grab and eat on the go or things I could eat during class. We'll see how well I stick to it!

Meal 1:
2 eggs (160 c, 12g)
4 oz turkey breast (140c, 20g)

Meal 2:
Balance bar (200c, 15g)
Orange (60c, 1g)

Meal 3:
4oz fish (160c, 18g)
4oz broccoli (40c, 3g)
4 oz rice (160c, 2g)

Meal 4:
Cheeseburger (350c, 23g)
3 tsp peanut butter on toast (370c, 30g)

Meal 5:
Balance bar (200c, 15g)

Total: 1840, 127g protein



54 grams is WAY too low. I eat that by 10am everymorning! You should be consuming 1 - 1.5 grams of protein PER lb of body weight! THis is a must!

[IsraFit]

Ok, here's a couple of quick tips to hopefuly put u on the right track.
as rule of thumb, Protein in every (!!!) meal. try to spread equaly over your meals.
try to eliminate carbs (starchy/complex) from your last 2 meals of the day.
invest in a decent protein shake. that will really make your life easier.

and...cheeseburger...really?:)

[Emoore]

Also, if you're wanting to see a 6-pack, you'll want to spend some time doing concentrated ab work to really make those muscles POP! Stuff like weighted crunches and cable crunches and hanging leg raises.

[lasqueen]

Ok I will try to do that. Yea, cheeseburger, the cafeteria theme for tonight is "Stadium Thursday" So the entrees are popcorn chicken, pizza, and cheeseburgers. I figured that the cheeseburger was the least of the evils. I don't know, what would you guys do in this situation? I am tempted to skip the "real food" at dinner and just eat a meal bar? But I also don't really want to get into that habit (it just seems.. wrong.. but is it? I don't know) Cheeseburger vs. bar? There's a cvs on campus and no grocery stores near by. Will go grocery shopping this weekend and check out the cvs for some protein shakes (Thanks for the tips)


Ok, here's a couple of quick tips to hopefuly put u on the right track.
as rule of thumb, Protein in every (!!!) meal. try to spread equaly over your meals.
try to eliminate carbs (starchy/complex) from your last 2 meals of the day.
invest in a decent protein shake. that will really make your life easier.

and...cheeseburger...really?:)

[PremierGirl]

maybe if anything peel the popcorn chicken or just eat the burger from the cheeseburger....

[terracotta]

Also, if you're wanting to see a 6-pack, you'll want to spend some time doing concentrated ab work to really make those muscles POP! Stuff like weighted crunches and cable crunches and hanging leg raises.

Exactly what I was thinking :)

You're quite lean already, you will go much further if you try to build some muscle first. You can't really uncover a 6 pack if you don't have a good base under there to start with. Once upon a time I was very very skinny.. I could see ribs (I had trouble gaining when I was younger) but did NOT have any abs because I had no muscle to see.

[Glamorous]

I think you are actually very close to your goals.

You just need to tighten those reins on that food! EEEK! Allow yourself 1 cheat meal a week and for the rest, I'd really focus on planning meals ahead of time and meal preparation.

You can buy canned tuna or those pre-drained tuna packets and carry them on the go as a quick and easy snack. You can make a nice filling protein shake w/ fruits, berries, oats, cottage cheese, etc to fulfill your daily macro needs. Buy some chicken breast and cook it ahead of time for several days.

Those cupcakes, cheeseburgers, and meal bars/protein bars add up and provide little to no nutritional value.

[lasqueen]

Thanks guys! I'll make sure to pick up some protein shakes and canned tuna this weekend.

10/22 Food log

Meal 1
Turkey breast wrap with 8oz turkey (270c, 29g) This filled me up for a really long time.

Meal 2:
16 almonds: (128c, 4g) Wait, it looks like almonds aren't that high in protein? so weird that they have a reputation of being so!
balance bar (200c, 15g)

Meal 3:
2 servings trail mix (260c, 8g)
2 eggs (160c, 12g)
1 orange (60c, 1g)

Meal 4:
Totally forgot, my adviser is taking me out for ice cream tonight. Yea that's totally going to happen. (Avert your eyes)
Small ice cream: (~250c, 2g)

Meal 5:
2 eggs (160c, 12g)
16 almonds (128c, 4g)

Total: 1616 calories, 87g protein.

I accidentally napped through most of the afternoon/meals that could have been eaten then (Including "Stadium Thursdays!") I feel way better and well-rested, but I'm going to have to find some healthy snacks for tonight! Deli meat seems like a really easy way to get protein in as well..

Will be working out later tonight. All in all, though this probably seems like quite poor of a diet to many of you, it's been already MUCH better this week than in weeks past, and hopefully I'll continue to improve it!

[tiff_7_17]

Thanks guys! I'll make sure to pick up some protein shakes and canned tuna this weekend.

10/22 Food log

Meal 1
Turkey breast wrap with 8oz turkey (270c, 29g) This filled me up for a really long time.

Meal 2:
16 almonds: (128c, 4g) Wait, it looks like almonds aren't that high in protein? so weird that they have a reputation of being so!
balance bar (200c, 15g)

Meal 3:
2 servings trail mix (260c, 8g)
2 eggs (160c, 12g)
1 orange (60c, 1g)

Meal 4:
Totally forgot, my adviser is taking me out for ice cream tonight. Yea that's totally going to happen. (Avert your eyes)
Small ice cream: (~250c, 2g)

Meal 5:
2 eggs (160c, 12g)
16 almonds (128c, 4g)

Total: 1616 calories, 87g protein.

I accidentally napped through most of the afternoon/meals that could have been eaten then (Including "Stadium Thursdays!") I feel way better and well-rested, but I'm going to have to find some healthy snacks for tonight! Deli meat seems like a really easy way to get protein in as well..

Will be working out later tonight. All in all, though this probably seems like quite poor of a diet to many of you, it's been already MUCH better this week than in weeks past, and hopefully I'll continue to improve it!


If you are in school, as I have been and trying to eat healthy, it is so important to get a good quality protein as somebody mentioned. It's very portable you can have it anywhere including class! Get a magic bullet and make shakes like someone else said with fruit, cottage cheese, peanut butter, protein powder.

Deli meat does have protein but its processed still and contains a lot of sodium and other unwanted additives. That being said, from a convenience standpoint I lean on it as well from time to time but I try and get the least processed ones. Like when you say 'deli meat' please don't tell me you mean cold cut trio or something nasty like that...think turkey, chicken and lean roast beef.

Another thing I noticed about your 'better' eating day is you had more protein, but absolutely not one single serving of vegetables. Vegetables are really important! They are fibrous and have a lot of the nutrients that your body needs to perform properly. Even chopping up some bell pepper and getting some snow peas and carrying those around with you all the time is better than nothing. That's what I do on rushed days.

Good luck, its going to be tough but it is worth it in the long run!

[lasqueen]

Thanks for the tips!

Eats so far

10/23 food log

Meal 1
Green beans (29c, 1.5g)
Chili Lentils (91c, 7g)
1 oz tuna (29c, 5g) Ok I know it's really good for me and all but I cannot stand the taste of tuna.
Hummus (27c, 1g)
1/2c of FF Yogurt with sunflower seeds and raisins (100c, 10g)

(276c, 24.5g)

Meal 2
Cliff bar (260c, 9g)

Meal 3
Thai Chicken and noodles (~400c, 20g)

Meal 4
1c Raisin Bran with soymilk (270c, 11g)
Large fruit cup (~180c, 2g)

Meal 5
2 eggs (160c, 12g)
16 almonds (128c, 4g)
Balance bar (200c, 15g)

Total so far: (1874c, 97.5g)


Did some abs and weights today.

Meal 4 was kind of weak and almost breakfast-esque. I was just craving fruit.. and sugar. Maybe I'm addicted to carbs?

Tomorrow: grocery shopping. And better eats. No excuses cuz I got no class!

[lasqueen]

Bought some protein powder. 200 calories and 20g of protein per serving. I'm excited. Eats so far

10/24 food log

Meal 1:
1 cup mini wheats: (200c, 5g)
.5 cup oat bran: (150c, 3g)

(350c, 8g)

Meal 2:
4 oz steamed broccoli: (30c, 3g)
4 oz roasted peppers with carrots, squash, and zucchini (40c, 1g)
4 oz spinach with garlic (15c, 0g)
4 oz tofu (88c, 9g)
1 egg white (16c, 4g)
6 oz cottage cheese (106c, 20g) (wow, didn't know it had so much protein! I love cottage cheese!)

(279c, 37g)

Meal 3:
3 oz Plain yogurt with raisins (80c, 5g)
Greens smoothie (110c, 10g)
Pear (90c, 1g)
(280c, 16g)

Meal 4:
Protein shake (200c, 20g)

Meal 5
Chicken pesto wrap: (320c, 18g)
2 eggs (160c, 8g)

Meal 6
Protein Shake (200c, 20g)
Beer (~160, 0g)

Total so far: (1832c, 126g)

I suppose I could have timed this better, but I'm really excited to be able to easily supplement 20g of protein at a time! And really excited about my cottage cheese "discovery." Maybe I'll have another serving of cottage cheese and 2 servings of protein shake? It tastes pretty good. Tonight will likely also involve a large peanut butter sandwich. Or a peanut butter wrap. Or peanut butter in yogurt. Point being, there will be peanut butter!

[lasqueen]

It's 3am, I decided not to go to get burritos with the crew post-drinking. Proud of myself for this (maybe one day I can go get burritos with them but have the willpower to not actually get a burrito myself. This day has yet to come.) Decided to take pictures of my progress to keep myself on track. Yes this thread is becoming true to its title.

See no noticeable change except maybe the fact that looser pants = less obvious love handle. Also am standing closer to the camera so I look bigger :) (easy way to gain mass?) Also, I can see 2 ab-chunks! Weird that they're only on one side.. but more incentive to keep at it and forego the beer + burritos for now! (okay I had 1 beer tonight, but that's an improvement!) To be honest, the protein shake filled me up and I didn't even want more!

Please excuse the granny bra.

[Empythree]

Don't drive yourself insane with expecting to see too much change in just over a week. Cutting is a gradual process that requires consistency. Eventually when you stay consistent long enough it becomes a lifestyle and you won't even really want the burritos anymore.

[lasqueen]

Thanks Emptythree; As I was saying, I'm mainly taking consistent pictures to keep myself accountable (nothing like posting your pics on the WWW to do that). It's a constant reminder of my goals and helps me resist that burrito!

10/25 food log
Meal 1
1/2 c oatmeal: (140, 3g)
PB sandwich: (390, 12g)
glass of OJ: (100, 2g)

1.5 hour track workout for soccer

Meal 2
Protein Shake (200, 20g)
Orange (60, 1g)

Meal 3
4 oz Tofu (40, 4.5g)
4 oz collard greens (40, 3g)
4 oz steamed carrots (50, 1g)
1 slice ww bread (120, 1g)
1 cup yogurt: (110, 9g)
Sunflower seeds: (80, 3g)

Meal 4
Pear (90, 1g)
Protein shake (200, 20g)

Meal 5
Protein shake (200, 20g)
Orange (60,0g)

Meal 6:
2 eggs with hummus (210, 15g)

Total (2090, 115g)

[catzimm]

I am 33 69' inches tall and 150 pounds and yesterday i ate almost 2500 calories, i tend to follow the zone diet on 12 block program but i added a fat block for 3 meals. I have been doing this diet for about 3 months now and have dropped about 5% BF ( i have not had it taken lately but I am sure i am around 14% right now). I do crossfit 4-5 times a week and if you follow crossfit at all the zone is what "they" recommend. I like the "diet" cause it gives you a bit more flexiblity than some diets. (i hate calling it a diet, to me it is just how i eat now) But it has worked for to loose BF and thought i would share. Good luck...

[lasqueen]

Hey catzimm, thanks I'll look into zone but I heard it takes a lot of calculating to make sure the ratio is just right?

10/27 Food log

Meal 1
Wheat bread: (80, 5g)
Hummus: (80, 2g)
Egg white: (16, 4g)
2 oz cottage cheese: (25, 5g)

Meal 2
Oatmeal: (140c, 4g)
Orange (60c, 1g)

Weights, abs, and 3 mile cool-down run

Meal 3
Protein Shake (200, 20g)
Granola (140, 4g)

Meal 4
Vegetable stirfry with mushrooms (150, 5g)
Grilled chicken (150, 20g)

Meal 5
Balance bar: (200, 15g)
Protein shake: (200, 20g)

Total so far: (1441 calories, 105g)

Probably have a protein shake and some nuts later tonight to round off the eats!

[lasqueen]

Hey folks, it's been 9 days since I first posted, I got around to taking more revealing full body shots. The one with my arms up is blurry cuz I guess I couldn't back away from the camera and get my arms up in time before the picture took. I'd be happy with more definition all around (I have massive quads, I promise! you just can't tell... :P) Also please ignore my jersey tan lines.

[lasqueen]

This has become more like a journal I think, how would I go about moving it to the journal thread?

[ik4ndy]

Ok, here's a couple of quick tips to hopefuly put u on the right track.
as rule of thumb, Protein in every (!!!) meal. try to spread equaly over your meals.
try to eliminate carbs (starchy/complex) from your last 2 meals of the day.
invest in a decent protein shake. that will really make your life easier.

and...cheeseburger...really?:)

exactly..you should be having about 20g-25g of protein in each meal its the fat and carbs u alternate between so u eat your carbs wen u need them i.e when your training or when you wake up and limit fat around that time as it slows down digestion


Ok I will try to do that. Yea, cheeseburger, the cafeteria theme for tonight is "Stadium Thursday" So the entrees are popcorn chicken, pizza, and cheeseburgers. I figured that the cheeseburger was the least of the evils. I don't know, what would you guys do in this situation? I am tempted to skip the "real food" at dinner and just eat a meal bar? But I also don't really want to get into that habit (it just seems.. wrong.. but is it? I don't know) Cheeseburger vs. bar? There's a cvs on campus and no grocery stores near by. Will go grocery shopping this weekend and check out the cvs for some protein shakes (Thanks for the tips)

Like someone else said you could just grab tuna or some boiled eggs and maybe a pre- made salad and after you finish training just mix the two together..


Also don't lose hope.. just be patient it takes atleast 4-6 weeks to start seeing even the slightest change so i'd suggest you just keep working at it and eating right.. don't look much at them in the mirror for a few weeks as that may cause you fustration and soon enough your hard work will pay off.. goodluck!

[lasqueen]

Eats have been on and off this past month but definitely better overall than before I started posting here. Thanks to all who helped give me a jump start!
Here's a recent post-thanksgiving-dinner progress picture. Abs don't seem much different but the love handles seem to have shrunk a bit (I'm also at home so the lighting is very different, perhaps playing a role in this?)

[JustaGirl78]

I don't think your problem is a body fat problem, it's that you have no real mass there so leaning up is just going to make you look skinny.

Work on building some muscle.

[White_Chocolate]

I don't think your problem is a body fat problem, it's that you have no real mass there so leaning up is just going to make you look skinny.

Work on building some muscle.

^^I was about to say that^^ You're quiet lean already but I don't see any muscle mass at all! Looks like you're obsessed with your abs but you can't focus on just that and ignore the rest of your body. You will look emancipated if you lose more weight.

[lasqueen]

Thanks for the tips; to clarify, when I first posted here, most of the advice I got was to focus on eating cleaner. I'm not trying to look emaciated (I think that's what you meant?) or ignoring the rest of my body (though I'm not sure what you mean by this? ). I've been doing body weight ab exercises but maybe will start doing weighted ab exercises.

[thgonace]

Try tuna fish sandwhiches and whey. Don't think anyone likes the taste of tuna. Never bothered to go so in depth into what I eat but 2 cups of whey and a can of tuna is 75 grams right there. Add in normal stuff and you sould get in the protein ... I got no idea what a normal calorie intake is for someone your size.

[lasqueen]

One serving of turkey breast has 30g of protein? Wowza! And it tastes great too. Who knew Thanksgiving would be such a blessing for my transformation journey.
In any case, while showering it occurred to me that my guns looked a bit bigger. It's sort of hard to compare cuz the previous picture is a little blurry and farther away. Are the weights paying off or is this just photographic trickery? Note to self: be more consistent in photo taking.