cnoellea-Beginning the Transformation

[cnoellea]

Day one has not officially started. On Monday I'm hitting the gym and I'm hitting it hard. I've been a novice in the weight lifting department for a number of years. I met my fiance while he was helping me train weights to get ready for a marathon I was doing. He's a bodybuilder and competing in his third natural competition next weekend, so I have a great coach.
Anyway... I have been struggling with my weight since the beginning of time (or so it seems) and I just need to start being more reasonable with my expectations because I'm an all or nothing person. Once I'm off the diet, forget it. I'm focusing on eating the right way for the weekend and then adding back exercise Monday.
I need a lot of inspiration and motivation from all you fantastic women. I'm going to compete in my first competition next year and I have no idea about nutrition and women's training. HELP!!
My Sample Diet:
B: 1 c slow-cooked oatmeal
6 egg white omelette with salsa and onions
1 T shredded cheese
Tea and 4 glasses water/crystal light
L: 1 large greek salad (w/o dressing)
5 oz chicken
1 piece fruit
4 glasses water/crystal light
D: 1-2 cups steamed veggies
5 oz chicken
4 glasses water/crystal light
coffee
D2: protein shake with water

Any advice you have would be awesome!
-cnoellea

[Emma-Leigh]

Hello and welcome! :)


My Sample Diet:
B: 1 c slow-cooked oatmeal
6 egg white omelette with salsa and onions
1 T shredded cheese
Tea and 4 glasses water/crystal light
L: 1 large greek salad (w/o dressing)
5 oz chicken
1 piece fruit
4 glasses water/crystal light
D: 1-2 cups steamed veggies
5 oz chicken
4 glasses water/crystal light
coffee
D2: protein shake with water

Ok - this is pretty reasonable for starters, because you are eating the right foods but you are not eating nearly enough food and you are not eating frequently enough. At a rough guestimate at the moment you are only getting about 75-80g of good carbs, ~100g protein and very little fat (under 20g). This is not even enough food for a 10yr old girl, let alone a training woman!!

What are your stats? (weight/height/Body Fat%) and how often do you train? These will help determine how much you should be eating. However, most females find they should be eating up around the 1500 cals mark for weight loss.

I suggest you check out Ivey Itch's journal and Samantha's journal (called My Journal) as they have some great meal plans you could get some idea's from.

Good luck!

:)

[cnoellea]

I'm 5'4'', about 150, 21-23% bodyfat depending on the day. I can't stomach 6 meals a day, but I could try to add a snack in there somewhere. I'm trying to keep the carbs low for the last half of the day. Thanks for the start-up advice!
-cnoellea

[cnoellea]

Diet:
B- Monica Brant's protein pancake recipe (tasty, we didn't use cottage cheese, just tofu, egg whites, and oatmeal)
44 oz water
L- Large salad with 1 c drained tuna over green and 1 T sharp shredded cheddar. Added 2 T fat free Italian dressing
1 orange
6 glasses water/crystal light + 1 tea
D- 3/4 c butternut squash, 3/4 c sweet potato, 2 T sweetened dried
cranberries.
D2- 1 large salad with 2 slices deli turkey, red peppers, tomato, onion, and 2
T light olive oil vinaigrette
6 glasses water/crystal light + 1 tea


I start officially training tomorrow and I'm so excited! My fiance is too, he's starting light training tomorrow so it will be good for him to focus on someone else for a week to make the time go by faster before his competition (bodybuilding) on Saturday. I think that I'm going to add a snack between Lunch and dinner and eat the second dinner a little later than 8 o'clock. Maybe switching it to a protein shake. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

[Ivey_Itch]

Hi! good luck in the gym tomorrow! You should really do the 5-6 meals a day! It really helps! Also..in your dinner.. where's the protein??!??! you gotta have protein! :) If you do go with the 5/6 meals, try to split up your calories equally in each meal.. here's the catch.. you need protein at least in each meal! Never eat just carbs :) Hope that helps some! Good luck tomorrow!

[cnoellea]

Today was my first day of intense weight training and it was great. My fiance set up a shoulder and chest day for me and I worked until my arms were quivering. Here was the training: [it's set up: weight(reps)]

Incline DB Bench Press 15(12) 17.5(12) 25(12)
Flat Bench Fly 12.5(12) 12.5(12) 12.5(12)
OH DB Press 12.5(12) 15(12) 17.5(10)
Lateral Raises 7.5(12) 5(12) 7.5(10)
Cable Fly 16.6(12) 16.6(12) 16.6(12)
Decline Crunch w/ 8 lb med ball (20) (20)
Hanging Knee Lifts 20 front, 20 each side (2 sets, 10 reps)

The Diet:
30 min low intensity cardio + 16 oz water
B: 4 egg white omelette with spinach and onion
-garnished with 2 T salsa and 1 T cheddar cheese
-16 oz water+16 oz crystal light iced tea+1 cup tea with splenda

L: 1 large salad
-3/4 c tuna
-2 T fat free Italian dressing
-1 med pear
-20 oz crystal light

D: 5 oz salmon with pineapple cilantro garnish
-2/3 c wild rice
-32 oz water

Pre-Workout: 1 light fat free yogurt
-1 T almond butter
-32 oz water

Post-Workout: 1 serving whey protein (25g) made with water
-1/3 c frozen strawberries
-1 light fat free yogurt

S: 1 c cottage cheese
-1 T peanut butter


I feel great, but I'm having problems with going to the bathroom. Sometimes I'm in class and it's just not a possibility and I'm fidgeting all over the place. Does anyone else have/had this problem? And will I acclimate to the extra water and not need to get up in the middle of the night so often to go to the bathroom? Thanks everyone! I'm so excited about my new training!!
-cnoellea

[cnoellea]

The workout: Quads and Calves
Leg Extension Machine: 50(20) 50(20) 55(20) - Man, could I feel those [burn!]
Leg Press Machine: 100(25) 120(25) 130(25)
Squats w/15lb DB 15(25) 15(25) 15(25)
Leg Adduction Machine: 70(25) 75(25) 80(20)
Calves on Leg Press 100(25) 100(25) 100(25) OW!
Seated Calf Press: 25(25) 30(25) 30(25)

The Diet:
30 min treadmill walk 4.0mph at 8% incline
B: egg white omelette with spinach, mushroom, salsa, and 1 T cheese
1 c oatmeal with 1 splenda
24 oz water + 8 oz crystal light
L: large salad with 1 c tuna & 2 T light Italian dressing
1 c honeydew/grape mix
16 oz water + 16 oz crystal light
Snack in mall: 1/4 c sugar free candy
Snack in car: 1/2 protein bar
D (pre-workout): 1 c cottage cheese
1 pear
3 oz grilled chicken breast
1 oz beef strip (seasoned)
32 oz water + 32 oz crystal light
post-workout: 1.5 servings whey chocolate protein mixed in water with 1 T
flax seeds
1-8oz light yogurt
=1680 kcals

I'm feeling pretty good. We were at the mall all day yesterday to get everything for Derek's competition on Saturday. It screwed up my eating a little, but it was good for him because he can't think about food much right now. My chest started feeling a little sore but nothing major. Other than that I think I'm doing all right. Any suggestions? Is 1700 kcals too many for a 150 lb girl? I'm hoping to stay lean. Thanks, everyone!!

[cnoellea]

I am feeling sore all over the place. It's nice to be reminded that those muscles are still there, I guess. I think I'm getting into the groove with the diet thing, I hardly ever have cravings anymore and when I do, nonfat cottage cheese works to quell that. It's daunting sometimes to think that I'm going to be working really hard for an entire year. I tend to be an instant gratification person.

How do you all deal with knowing you're going to be competing...but not for a long time? And what is a good, lean bodyfat percentage that I should try to stay near right now, when I'm not in complete pre-contest mode?

The Workout:
Seated Row 70(12) 70(12) 80(10)
Lat Pulldown 60(12) 60(12) 70(12)
Back Extension +10(12) +10(12) +10(12)
DB Curls-bilateral 12.5(12) 12.5(12) 12.5(10)
Hammer Curls 10(12) 7.5(12) 7.5(12)
Incline Lateral Raises 5(12) 7.5(12) 7.5(10)

Basic Crunch 20,20,20 (3 second crunch, pause at top)
Oblique Med Ball Taps 8lb ball 20,20,20 (10 taps each side)

The Diet:
-9:30 apple
1 c lf cc
32 oz water
-12:00 1 T almond butter
-1:30 2 c mixed salad
1 c tuna
2 T FF Italian dressing
1 plum
8 oz water +8 oz crystal +8oz diet soda + 1 tea with lemon
-5:15 5 oz sirloin
3/4 c cucumber
1/2 c cherry tomatoes
2 T ff honey dijon
3/4 c cooked carrots
8 oz crys
1/2 serving diet jell-o
-7:30 Pre Workout
apple
1 T PB
-9:30 Post Workout
1/2 ff cc
1/2 c frozen blueberries
8oz light key lime yogurt (froze it first...soo good!)
60 oz water
12:00 bedtime 1/2 c ff cc


Lots of suggestions would definitely be welcome!!

[someday]

I'm 5'4'', about 150, 21-23% bodyfat depending on the day. I can't stomach 6 meals a day, but I could try to add a snack in there somewhere. I'm trying to keep the carbs low for the last half of the day. Thanks for the start-up advice!
-cnoellea

i don't want to sound mean, but first you need to get real. if you are 5' 4" and weigh 150 you are not 21-23% bodyfat. measuring bodyfat is only a guidline, but if you are taking the time to do this journal, i would think you'd want to be accurate for your own records.

second, you say you are keeping your carbs lighter in the last half of the day, but you had yogurt at 9:30 at night. all carbs! there are many ladies that have laid out great beginner diets on this board. check them out.

best wishes and good luck to you!

[cnoellea]

I have access to some of the best equipment in the field working at a Sports Medicine Rehab conglomeration. I had my bodyfat done by calipers from a sports physician (20.6%) from a sports specialist nurse practioner at a marathon site (21.3%) and I have my own bioimpedence machine which ranges from 21% in the morning to 23% in the evening. Starting a sentence with "I don't want to sound mean..." and then saying mean things is counterproductive.

Second, the yogurt is only post-workout which I do between 8 and 10 pm because that's when I have time and carbs after exercise have been widely reported to be the best way to send protein into the muscles on the wings of glucose which can get there more rapidly.

Third, there are a great many beautiful bodies that are only 5'5'' and weigh 160 lbs off-season and yet won the 2000 Olympia. Research bodybuilding history before doubting my stats and abilities.

I only can use constructive criticism. Not body dysmorphia.
-cnoellea

[someday]

i was trying to be constructive. you can always find someone on these boards to tell you what you want to hear. take what you like and leave the rest. my intent was to be helpful, not mean spirited.

[bscrusher]

c, anyone who has access to a barbell and some plates has access to "the best equipment in the world"

bf% tests and calculations will only confuse you and distract you from forming meaningful goals or an effective program. leave them for now.

a person who does weight training correctly is a beginner for about six months, then that person is a novice. in another 6 months that person is advanced. i don't think you are a novice because you have not trained correctly ever. i am basing this statement on the fact that you do not train correctly now. if you had ever trained correctly you would have enjoyed your progress so much that you would have continued training that way, and you would STILL be training that way.

you are a beginner.

buckle up, here comes some more truth.

just because your boyfriend has the genetics to compete in bb does not mean you do.

just because your boyfriend competes in bb does not mean he is a good coach.

do you see how crazy it is that you have been supposedly "training" for years, and had this bb boyfriend for however long, and yet you "have no idea about nutrition and women's training"? does that make sense? not on this planet.

well, you are absolutely honest about one thing, you really do "have no idea" how to train.

you've got some big ideas c, and you are headed for big disappointment.

i get the feeling you have been seduced by this sports medicine rehab place, bedazzled, you are forgetting what is important, results. maybe that rehab center is a decent place, maybe they really help people, but it is the simple programs that are the most efficient for our purposes. you are letting that place distract you.

at 5'5" and 150 i bet you have decent genetics and a good amount of muscle.

when your program is right you will be making regular progress all the time. it will be predictable because it will be planned.

for the best muscle mass gaining program i know of, see what i wrote in the threads, "shoulders - what did i do?" posted by dbflgirl, and "split vs fbody - myths or not?!" posted by tango650.

[cnoellea]

bscrusher:
I never tried to say I wasn't a beginner, to weight training competitively, I def. am which is why I started this journal. I don't know what works for my body. Some can have a cheat day every 7, some every 20; some can carb deplete and still gain mass, some have to carb load before every session.
I never said I didn't know anything about women's nutrition, and if I did it was a misquote that I unintentionally made. I'm a nutrition minor looking to get a gard degree in the field after I graduate undergrad in Dec.
As far as the bells and whistles at the clinic, those are nice, but I'm not using them as my own guide, I was using them to refute the veritable attack I received from someday who tried to explain that I couldn't possibly be 21% bf.
All I want to know is:
-What are the kcals that a woman my size should have for gaining as much lean mass as possible without increasing too much fat mass? I know my basal, I know my activity factor, I just don't know the nuance of the weight lifting coefficient involved in gaining muscle v fat.
-What is a good bf% to stay at while 1 year out from my first competition?
-What programs do people use? I love my 4 day split, bscrush, thanks for asking.

Why is my journal so damned controversial lately? All I wanted was a place to put my training and have it looked at and compared. Not degraded and torn to pieces.

I hope some other newbies are having better journal responses.
-cnoellea

[bscrusher]

bscrusher:
I never tried to say I wasn't a beginner, to weight training competitively, I def. am which is why I started this journal.

I don't know what works for my body.

no you don't know, but i do.

Some can have a cheat day every 7, some every 20; some can carb deplete and still gain mass, some have to carb load before every session.

forget all that fancy crap, you are NOWHERE NEAR the level of training to get anything out of those considerations. you need to get on a sane program FIRST, and make a certain amount of progress.

I never said I didn't know anything about women's nutrition, and if I did it was a misquote that I unintentionally made.

part of you made that "mistake" on purpose. it's what is called a "freudian slip" it's when you make a mistake and accidently tell the truth.

I'm a nutrition minor looking to get a gard degree in the field after I graduate undergrad in Dec.
As far as the bells and whistles at the clinic, those are nice, but I'm not using them as my own guide, I was using them to refute the veritable attack I received from someday who tried to explain that I couldn't possibly be 21% bf.

All I want to know is:
-What are the kcals that a woman my size should have for gaining as much lean mass as possible without increasing too much fat mass? I know my basal, I know my activity factor, I just don't know the nuance of the weight lifting coefficient involved in gaining muscle v fat.
-What is a good bf% to stay at while 1 year out from my first competition?

forget all that nonsense too, again, you are nowhere near the level of training to begin thinking about these issues. you are a rank noob who has most likely never done anything right. you need to do things right for a while first.

-What programs do people use? I love my 4 day split, bscrush, thanks for asking.

welllll... your welcome c, although i never asked a question on that subject, or any other. time to actually READ my posts.

Why is my journal so damned controversial lately? All I wanted was a place to put my training and have it looked at and compared. Not degraded and torn to pieces.

your journal is not controversial. everyone so far AGREES that your program is TOTALLY WRONG, and that you have basically no understanding of what you are doing or where you are at. no controversy here. this forum is for a public exchange of ideas. if you do not want to be corrected when someone sees your mistakes, do not show them to anyone. you see other people read this thread. it is not just you and i. if i wanted i could tell you sweet lies and tell you everything you are doing is wonderful and that you will for sure win the miss olympia in 2 years. not only would that be a TOTAL waste of my time but it WOULD BE A LIE! not just to you but to EVERYONE who reads these threads in order to improve their knowledge and themselves.


I hope some other newbies are having better journal responses.
-cnoellea

noobs who are honestly trying to learn have all my respect and admiration, i will help them however i can. if you want to get real c, people on this forum can help you. if want to b.s... people are going to call you on it.

[cnoellea]

After reading a lot of messages from bscrusher and realizing that a lot more people disagree with his training advice than agree, I'm going back to posting without feeling like I'm incompetent. If any ladies would like to comment, I would love the advice from experience.

9:15 8 egg whites
2 T salsa
16 oz crystal + 16 oz water +1 tea + 1 diet soda
12:15 1 c shaved lean beef
1/2 c spinach
1 serving sf jell-o, 1/4 c sf pudding, 1 T whipped cream
4:15 1 c cottage cheese (lf)
1 c light yogurt
1 plum
1 T nat peanut butter
56 oz water
6:15 Training:
Incline DB Press 15(20) 20(15) 25(12)
Decline DB Press 17.5(20) 20(15) 25(11)
Lateral Raise 5(15) 7.5(15) 7.5(14)
Dip Machine 30(12) 40(12) 40(10)
Rope Extentions 40(15) 50(14) 50(11)

Basic Crunch 20,20,20
Leg Raises 20,20,20

7:30 1.5 scoops whey protein
1/2 c frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 T splenda/1 T unsweetened cocoa
2 T peanuts
10:00 1 can tuna (water-packed)

Total: 1261
Fat: 33 297 25%
Sat: 12 112 9%
Poly: 4 33 3%
Mono: 12 108 9%
Carbs: 66 238 20%
Fiber: 7 0 0%
Protein: 167 669 56%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

[Emma-Leigh]

If any ladies would like to comment, I would love the advice from experience.
You are not eating enough - especially in terms of good complex carbohydrates. You will never build or sustain your muscle mass on that type of calorie level, especially when you are diong fasted cardio in the mornings.

You are also waiting too long between meals - aim for 3 hours as a good start. That means I would try to add another meal into your day before your workout.


9:15 8 egg whites
2 T salsa
16 oz crystal + 16 oz water +1 tea + 1 diet soda
Add carbs... And why the diet soda?? That early in the morning??


12:15 1 c shaved lean beef
1/2 c spinach
1 serving sf jell-o, 1/4 c sf pudding, 1 T whipped cream
What is with all the false food? You are better off feeding your body and not trying to stop hunger with these things.
What about adding some complex carbs or increasing the healthy fats (drop the whipped cream).


4:15 1 c cottage cheese (lf)
1 c light yogurt
1 plum
1 T nat peanut butter
56 oz water
Ok - you drunk 3l of water in one sitting?? That is crazy - drink your water more constantly through the day - having it all in one go is asking for trouble!

This meal is ok otherwise...

[qutoe]6:15 Training:[/quote]
Add a meal in before this. You want some complex carbs and lean protein about 1 hr before a workout (no/very little fat).

I will not comment on your training for now... but was that chest/shoulder day?? If so then... Well... it needs work...


7:30 1.5 scoops whey protein
1/2 c frozen unsweetened strawberries
1 T splenda/1 T unsweetened cocoa
2 T peanuts
Where are your post-workout carbs?? You need your muscles to recover after a workout and this required carbs.

I would swap the strawberries for something that is actually going to offer you some form of energy - a banana or some yoghurt.

Then drop the PB from this meal (add it to meal 1 or 2) as you do not want to slow the digesting of your post-workout meal.

The cocoa is fine - chocolate is one of those things that causes an increased insulin response so it is a good addition in this meal.


10:00 1 can tuna (water-packed)
Add some vegetables and healthy fats.


As I said in my initial post - it needs work.

[cnoellea]

Thanks for the information Emma, this post was a lot more helpful than previous ones. I guess I was seduced by attempting to carb cycle, because of some recent issues of bodybuilding magazines I was searching (Physique competitors and the BodyBuilding articles)

Can you possibly show me a sample diet that was helpful to you in gaining lean muscle?