confused... and despondent

[Letts]

I have been working out for a year and a half. I had a year of personal training and have been training on my own for about 6 months. It has taken me this long to finally see muscle while I am training (of which I am very proud). The last couple of months I seem to be a lot bigger... as my clothes are too tight. My bum looks great it's really firm but I have this tyre around my middle which I have never had in my life. I see definition appearing in my body but I feel so fat. If I am working out at least 5 days a week a try and do at least 3 cardio sessions a week. I eat really healthily ie a lot of salads and supplement my diet with Whey protein shake - the only bad thing I consume is the odd glass of coke.
I am bulging out of the top of my pants and I am not sure if I should just give it up as I look fat and go back to starving myself and not training and look thinner..... I put such a lot of time and effort into it and I feel so despondent. Is it normal to go up a size in your clothing?

I am 5'9 and weigh 165 pounds.

Any help or advise would be appreciatate as I feel desparate.

[Aurora]

Hmmm.... It has to be something in the diet. Is there anything that you have added in the past little while that wasnt there before? Even the smallest things can make a difference. Write down everything you ate for the past few days, in sequence, and maybe a second set of eyes will catch something.

[imperfectly_lou]

Diet is at least 80% of the game.... as Aurora suggested, write down an average day's diet for us and we can make some suggestions!

[Letts]

Hi,

Thanks for coming back to me. Below is what I have eaten the last 4 days. There is more variety in my meals this week as I usually just have salad for lunch everyday.
I had a body fat test at the gym last night and they told me I have 31% bodyfat - I am horrified!! Looking at me I don't look fat. They also told me that I am very dehydrated - I drink a litre of water a day.

I would be grateful for any advice, thanks
Letts


Monday

Breakfast - Cereal

protein shake
decaf latte
Lunch - chicken breast, lettuce tomato, boiled egg, bean salad

low- fat yogurt
Dinner -
bowl of soup & slice rye bread
protein shake
handful of fat free pretzels

Tuesday

cereal
protein shake
decaf latte
Lunch - Bagel with pastrami & cheese
cup of vegatable soup (I don't usually eat breads)

low- fat yogurt

Dinner - 2x slices thin beef
small pasta salad
handful of peanuts

Wednesday

Cereal

Protein shake
decaf latte

Chicken fillet in pita bread
Banana & low fat yogurt

Asparagus soup
handful of fat free pretzels

Thursday

Cereal
Protein Shake
decaf latte

Small Pasta salad - pesto, tomatoes & pinenuts
glass of coke

handful of cashew nuts

Chicken breast fillet & veg
glass of coke

[imperfectly_lou]

First off, a litre of water a day is not adequate and I am not surprised you are dehydrated.

Basic guidelines for water

2 litres a day
Plus 250mls per 15mins of exercise
Plus 250mls per caffeineted beverage (including coke)

so as you can see, 3-4 litres is more appropriate for us active girls!

You are also not eating enough. What you have posted is probably less than 1,000cals per day. Your body thinks it is starving and is hanging onto the fat to compensate.

[Aurora]

agreed, plus not near enough protien.

[RippedUp]

godsilla, one more like that and you are gone.

[godsilla]

nobody can tame godsilla so dont even try ripped up.

[RippedUp]

Don't be so confident.

[MsFit]

I must have missed it, but if you can't be tamed, you can be shot. Thanks for patroling Ripped Up.

[mirror]

I saw it. but couldn't see 'alert a moderator' button -is there one?

[imperfectly_lou]

I saw it and hit "Report this post to a moderator" It is on the right hand side of the message

[Letts]

Thanks for the advice, I will have to start eating more and start putting more effort into preparing meals.