New diet plan, new journal

[ritucha]

Hi everyone! I’m Rita, 24 years old and a marine biologist from Portugal. I began training with weights 8 or 9 years ago (due to TV show American Gladiators), stopped in the meantime for some years, but anyway, I never took bodybuilding too seriously… Until last year. I decided to lose bodyfat (always around 18-20%) and begin to train really heavy. I now train with a male partner, 6 days a week, and increases in mass and strength are obvious. However, I still have two major problems: my diet and my bodyfat. Can’t remember how many times I tried to diet to lose fat last year; my diet used to work… but just for a day or two… Basically, I did everything right, but I couldn’t stop eating chocolate. And, of course, my bodyfat is still 20%... But one of my new year’s resolution is to lose 10% of bodyfat in 3 months, no matter what! I visualize myself being so lean, and I know my body would be just beautiful without these layers of fat, so now I’m really motivated to diet! Yesterday I found this forum and immediately thought, this is what I need to keep me going… I hope I can count with your support, critics and advices! And, the most important, as bufchk said “keeping a journal online is a sure way to be true to yourself knowing everyone else is watching�. This is, I believe, what will make me stay on my diet, with no cheating and no giving up.
This is my plan for the next 3 months (beginning next Monday):

1st month
cardio – 6 days a week (30 min AM, empty stomach + 30 min PM, after weight training)
weight train – 6 days a week, heavy, 3 sets per exercise, failure at 8-10 reps (I’ve doing like this for several months, and works for me)
diet – protein shake twice a day, lunch consisting of protein, vegetables and starch, 2 small meals consisting of protein and vegetables, and protein and carbs shake after weight training

2nd month
cardio – 45 min twice a day (AM and PM)
weight train – same as 1st month
diet – the same, without starches

3rd month
cardio – 60 min twice a day
weight train – same as before
diet – the same as 2nd month, but I’ll make the shakes with water instead of low-fat milk (I just hate protein shakes with water…)

And this is it! What do you think? Hope it will work! I’m looking forward for your support and hope you’ll motivate me and help me to get back on line if I cheat…
I’ll try to keep this journal updated.
Oh, almost forgot, i'm at 127 pounds and 5'3'' or 4'' (57 kg , 1,62m).

[ritucha]

one of my goals is to be a fitness competitor... well, fitness competitions in portugal are a joke. just 2 or 3 girls competing, and their routines and bodies can t even be compared to those of US amateur atlethes. hope this will change in the future...
i ll add my pictures (before pictures, that is) as soon as possible.

[ritucha]

this is a picture from April 2003... hope to post one in bikini soon.

[imperfectly_lou]

You are currently at 20% and want to go to 10% in 3 months, correct? I don't think that is realistic OR healthy to be honest.

Women who compete do go to those low levels of bodyfat but they are generally only down that low for a week or two. It simply isn't sustainable and it wreaks havoc on the female body.

Please don't think I am being harsh, because I'm not. I am just saying I think you need to be more realistic and reasonable in your goals and the way you go about achieving them.

[ritucha]

well, this is the plan for tomorrow. I don t know if it will work, because I m going to Lisbon (the capital of Portugal) on work for 2 days:

9:00 - cardio 30 min
10:00 - bread (2 slices) , 3 egg whites, protein shake
13:00 (in the bus to Lisbon) - chicken salad, bread (I really need starch at lunch)
16:00 - protein bar
19:00 (at parents house) - fish, vegetables
22:00 - protein shake

still have to calculate the calories and amounts of proteins, etc., but this looks good, don t you think?

[Emma-Leigh]

Hi! And welcome to the boards!

Good to see that you are really putting your heart and mind to the challange of weight training - Go the muscles! :D

Just a few little suggestions -

1/ You are overtraining. This is SERIOUSLY going to be compromising your gains and is probably why you have been stuck at 20%. Slow down and think about things. You have to give your body enough time to rest and recover from your workouts so you can get the maximal benifits.

2/ You are under eating. Strange but true. You need to eat to loose - if you don't, your body slows to meet your lower food intake and you stagnate.

Specifically:


1st month
cardio – 6 days a week (30 min AM, empty stomach + 30 min PM, after weight training)
weight train – 6 days a week, heavy, 3 sets per exercise, failure at 8-10 reps (I’ve doing like this for several months, and works for me)
diet – protein shake twice a day, lunch consisting of protein, vegetables and starch, 2 small meals consisting of protein and vegetables, and protein and carbs shake after weight training

Start with less cardio. You don't have anywhere to go from this and you will find it REALLY HARD to get the last bit of BF off towards the end of a cut. I would start with 3 to 4 days of 30 - 45 minutes ONLY. That is it. Once a day. Full stop.

Weight training wise - what do you do each day? What split do you do?

Personally, I prefere a 4 day split - gives you adequate time to rest between working out and this gives you time to grow muscles.... when you grow muscles, you increase your need for calories.... when you increase your need for calories your body will either draw those calories from your food - or draw on your fat stores to feed your body.... And that is what you want.

You also need to start with more food - calculate how many calories you need to maintain and make sure you hit a good level of calories for the first 4 weeks... You need to get your body used to getting adequate food so, when you start to taper it down, you respond.


2nd month
cardio – 45 min twice a day (AM and PM)
weight train – same as 1st month
diet – the same, without starches
Ok... You are right that after the first 4 weeks you should taper up your cardio but 45 min, twice a day is going into overkill. Don't do it.

Just up the cardio to 5 times a week, 45 minutes each time, ONCE A DAY!

If you do more than this all you do is burn away your muscle mass and your fat just stays there... Not a good idea.

As for diet - TAPER down your carbs during this month... and make sure you ADD FATS to compensate! Keep your cals at a pretty good level though...


3rd month
cardio – 60 min twice a day
weight train – same as before
diet – the same as 2nd month, but I’ll make the shakes with water instead of low-fat milk (I just hate protein shakes with water…)
For cardio I would now do 6 days a week. You NEED a day of full rest. Full stop. DON'T train every day - your cortisol levels will sky rocket and you will stop loosing fat. In this month you can also mix your cardio up - do 3 days of 60 minute sessions and add in 3 days of HIIT. HIIT will help to get those last few % of BF off.

As for diet - I usually suggest carb cycling in addition to lowering your cals slowly over the last few weeks... This is the only time I think lowering calories is appropriate - and only then for a few weeks while you prepare for a show. Otherwise it is better to keep your cals higher.


well, this is the plan for tomorrow. I don t know if it will work, because I m going to Lisbon (the capital of Portugal) on work for 2 days:

9:00 - cardio 30 min
10:00 - bread (2 slices) , 3 egg whites, protein shake
13:00 (in the bus to Lisbon) - chicken salad, bread (I really need starch at lunch)
16:00 - protein bar
19:00 (at parents house) - fish, vegetables
22:00 - protein shake

still have to calculate the calories and amounts of proteins, etc., but this looks good, don t you think?

WAAAAYYYY to low on the calorie side! My god! How are you surviving on this level of food!??

Calculate your rough calorie needs and work off that - So, at 57kg 20% BF =

Lean mass = 57 x 0.8 = 45.6
Daily basal needs = 1095
Daily active needs = 1095 x 1.5 = 1640
Total Daily requirements taking into account TEF = 1800

So, this is how much you need daily. If you are not getting near this level, then you need to re-assess your diet.

I would add more real food - especially more nutritious low glycaemic carbs - try for things like oats, sweet potato, rice etc


Good luck.

[ritucha]

I eat a lot!! Yes, that s true! Maybe I should add the quantities in this journal, but believe me, I eat more than 2000 kcal a day. That s why I must cut down the calories. The plan I made is for 1500-1600 kcal, with 40p:40c:20f. Whenever I can t do this, is because I eat too much, not less. I love to eat, if I could I would always eat grilled chicken and rice for lunch and diner, and drink milk with chocolate, and lots of fruit before bed, and bread with cheese and ham... ok, i m must stop this, i m getting hungry...
As I said to Lou in a pm, it is more important for me to maintain my muscle mass than to lose fat. If I see that I am loosing muscle, i ll stop this diet and work on a new one.

My workout plan is this (I ve doing this for more than 6 months and works for me; I always change the exercises weekly, except leg presses and squats, I always do these two):

monday - back, biceps, forearms, inf abs
tuesday - quads, glutes, calves, sup abs
wednesday - chest, triceps, obliques
thursday - delts, hamstrings, inf abs
friday - quads, glutes, calves (lighter than tuesday), sup abs
saturday - rest, or biceps and triceps, obliques

I saw this abs workout in Muscle & Fitness and it is great. Only 2 exercises each day... good for someone like me who hates to train the abdominal region.

I know I should be eating more real food. I do that when I m working at home, but at the university is impossible. There are no such things as healthy salads or sandwiches at the cafeteria; most stuff is fried and full of sugar. People in Portugal still have a long way to go and lots of things to learn about healthy diets and fitness lifestyles. But I m thinking about cooking all the food for the day the night before and bring it to the lab; I could heat it in the cafeteria s microwaves. Good idea, hum?

About my cardio, I ll have to change it. I just bought a new house, I ll be moving there in 2 weeks, and when I do, I can no longer do cardio in the morning before going to the lab. I ll only do cardio after weight training, but that s ok, I hate cardio anyway, what I really love is weight lifting. Oh, and I never do cardio on legs day.

My work trip to Lisbon was cancelled. I woke up at 10 am (too late), and have a thing in my leg (don t know the name in english) that really hurts. Don t know if i am going to workout this afternoon.
I m feeling a little depressed because I woke up late and DIDN T HAVE BREAKFAST!!! But what can I do, i m never hungry when I wake up.

Well, going to luch now. Tomorrow will be better...

[ritucha]

BAD, BAD, BAD DAY!!! I cannot believe this! It s absolutely unbelievable. Remember the thing I have on my leg (I must check the English name in a dictionary)? Well, it must be removed with surgery… The surgery will be tomorrow and it is very simple, I won t have to be in the hospital for recovery. But I must be quiet and cannot go to work and of course, no gym for 1 month!! Unbelievable…
But now I m really concerned about my diet. Now I must eat right, but I m so afraid to lose muscle, given that I cannot train. Do you think I should keep taking BCAA and glutamine, even though I ll not be working out? Please, help me in this tough moment of my life…
One good thing though, I ll have plenty of time to put my scientific papers reading in order, and to read some books, oh, and all the posts of this forum…

[imperfectly_lou]

I am so sorry to hear that Rita....... Is there any chance you can still do upper body weights? You may even be able to swim or cycle in a few weeks - ask your doctor but listen to your body.

I hope all goes well for surgery tomorrow

[ritucha]

hey girls!
my surgery went well, and i m feeling great. i ll see my doc next wednesday, let s see when i can go back to the gym... i can t even train by upper body...

[Emma-Leigh]

Originally posted by ritucha
hey girls!
my surgery went well, and i m feeling great. i ll see my doc next wednesday, let s see when i can go back to the gym... i can t even train by upper body...

:D I'm glad to here it all went well!

Fingers crossed that you can get back to training asap!

[imperfectly_lou]

I am so happy to hear surgery went well! I am keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

[ritucha]

hi everyone

I went to the doctor today. i can go back to the gym in a week and a half! i m so happy! it s sooner than expected... very happy today!