Meghan's Journal ...Beginner! [Archive]

Meggie

05-28-2005, 06:04 AM

I'm new in here and don't know any of you yet but I've been keeping up with a few of the journals and am very interested in receiving help and comments from the ladies in the forum. I haven't exactly started working out yet; I plan on starting monday. For now I'm trying to plan a workout and my meals. My boyfriend helped me plan a workout which he thought would be beneficial for me just starting out but I am going to post it and if anyone has any comments or thinks something should be changed please let me know:
Monday - Chest:
Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Press
Peck Deck Fly
Cable Crossovers

Tuesday - Back:
Chin-Ups
Lat Pull Downs
Seated Cable Rows
Dumbbell Rows
Lower Back Machine (I don't exactly know the name of the machine but basically you rock back and forth and it's suppose to work your lower back)

Wednesday - Legs:
Machine Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Thigh Abductor/Adductor
Butt Master
Hamstring Curls
Seated Calf Raise

Thursday - Shoulders:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Front Delt Raise
Side Delt Raise
Rear Delt Flies
Shrugs

Friday - Arms:
Tricep Press
Tricep Pressdown
Dip Machine
Dumbbell Curls
EZ-Bar Curls
Cable Curls

I plan on doing at least 30 minutes of cardio four days a week and abs monday, wednesday, and friday. I'm not sure of how much weight I can do for each exercise yet but I'll just figure that out as I go along and for each exercise I'm going to do 3x12 reps.
As for a meal plan, I haven't really decided yet because I'm not sure of what foods I should be eating but I'm sure with help it'll be easy to figure out. I have, however, been reading some of your meal plans posted in the forum and have a slight idea of how to go about planning one.
Other information you might want to know:
I am 19 years old, 5'5" and weigh 125 lbs. I gained 10 pounds away at university (damn cafeteria food!!!) so I usually weigh 115lbs and would prefer being at that weight again. Any and all comments are welcome so please feel free to help me out!
Thanks, Meghan

freakeefranky

05-28-2005, 07:30 AM

welcome! :) i'm turning 19 in october!!!! yay i have a young friend *cough cough* well besides abbs n briar! lol

it's better that u dun put cardio with weights on the same day..your musccle gains will be affected. how about something like this

monday-chest, arms
tuesday- cardio, abs
wednesday -legs
thursday-cardio, abs
friday-back,shoulders
sat-cardio ,abs(just bear in mind that u dun need to work abs 3x a week,
2x is sufficient.but it's up to u)
sun-rest

make sure u rest.that's when the muscles are built,not when u train...but it does help of course :D

it's up to u how u divide it up but doing cardio n weights alternatively allows u to rest n gain muscle more effectively.

re food plan, check out everyone's journals...u'll pick up some things.anyways basic 'rules'

1) for breakfast u wanna start off with something that'll make up for the fast during the night....WARNING: briar n abbs n kiwinovice,me and many others r oatmeal maniacs....so 1/2 or 1 cup of oatmeal is a great way to start the morning...mix in some raisins, or protein powder... for ur protein intake u could have some egg whites...

2)always pick natural foods,with the exception of cottage cheese perhaps,u can allow two servings a day.

3) 6 to 7 meals a day keep ur metabolic rate up so go with that.

4)some ideas-
carbs-bananas, apples, OATMEAL, try to avoid too much bread-processed stuff, sweet potato, pasta, potatoes......
protein- tuna, egg whites, cottage cheese, lean cuts of meat like chicken breast..
healthy fats-flaxseed oil, salmon fish loads of other stuff u can check out at bodybuilding.com or other threads...these r just the basic ones

5)avoid the obvious bad foods-sugar ,processed crap...some ppl will tell u to stay off milk...i'm not sure why..maybe u'll have to ask someone else...i think it's the milk sugars or fat content in milk...

6) avoid carbs 2 to 3 hrs before bedtime...

7)have someting sustainable for the night,i like taking a handful of nuts ie walnuts or almonds...just to keep ur metabolic rate through the night

*oh yea i think u mean hyperextensions for the lower back rocking back n forth

anyway hope that helps!

Meggie

05-28-2005, 07:50 AM

FreakeeFranky,
Thanks for the information!
Is it better that you workout every second day or is that just what many people prefer? And if you do two body parts a day, how many exercises should you do for each?
Thanks for the tips on nutrition! I have been reading other journals and have gotten some ideas. I'll just have to incorporate some of those ideas into my meals I guess! I noticed that a lot of people eat cottage cheese but to be honest, I tried it for the first time the other day and I thought it was the most disgusting thing that I have ever tried!!! I understand that it is a good source of protein so does anybody have any ideas on what I could do to make it taste a little better? Maybe mixing it in with something else or something along those lines?

Meggie

05-28-2005, 12:01 PM

I'm going to post my meals so far today just to see if anyone has any comments or helpful tips and I'll post the rest later tonight:

Meal 1 - 10:00
1 cup of Fiber One
0.5 cup Skim Milk

Meal Two - 12:00
0.5 cup of Oatmeal
approx. 60 raisins
1 tsp Brown Sugar

Meal Three - 2:30
2 oz Tuna (water packed) with 2 tsp Mustard
1 oz Almonds (20)

Meal Four - 5:30
7 oz (~200g) Alaskan Pollock
1 cup Green Peas

So the total now is:

Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1047
Fat: 28 256 26%
Sat: 4 34 3%
Poly: 7 67 7%
Mono: 14 127 13%
Carbs: 139 376 38%
Fiber: 45 0 0%
Protein: 90 359 36%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Tips?

IronMaiden1522

05-28-2005, 01:47 PM

Hey Meggie

Try mixing your cottage cheese with things. I love mine mixed with fruity yogurt. Protein pancakes are also my new fave. I got the recipe from someones journal (cant remember who)

.5 cup of oatmeal
.5 cup of cottage cheese
4 egg whites
.5 scoop of whey (vanilla is good)
some cinammon and maybe a little vanilla extract

mix all together and make like you would normal pancakes with some no fat cooking spray. Then I topped mine with some sugar free jam and they were sooo yummy!

some people put cottage cheese in shakes, I havent tried it. I also like it warmed up with some diced tomatoes and salt and pepper.

Just experiment with different things. its one of those foods that grows on ya!

Meggie

05-28-2005, 02:21 PM

The pancakes sound really good Jenny. Thanks for the recipe!
Also, I have a question for anyone who would like to answer...If I decide to have a protein shake around 8:30-9:00 and want to mix it with skim milk and a banana or strawberries, would that be too many carbs for that late at night?

abbs

05-28-2005, 03:00 PM

Hey Meggie, welcome :)

Some suggestions -

I'm going to post my meals so far today just to see if anyone has any comments or helpful tips and I'll post the rest later tonight:

Meal 1 - 10:00
1 cup of Fiber One
0.5 cup Skim Milk

You need some protein here, either 3-4 egg whites or some protein powder mixed in with your milk. Also need some healthy fats, eg - almonds, walnuts, flaxseed oil, natural peanut butter

Meal Two - 12:00
0.5 cup of Oatmeal
approx. 60 raisins
1 tsp Brown Sugar

Oatmeal is good, if you have the raisins you dont need the sugar (and I think 60 raisins is too many) Add another kind of fruit, perhaps some berries (they are lower on the glycemic index than raisins) and also need a protein source. Egg whites or protein powder go good with oatmeal.

Meal Three - 2:30
2 oz Tuna (water packed) with 2 tsp Mustard
1 oz Almonds (20)

Tuna and almonds are great, now just need a carb source - add some brown rice, sweet potato or some kind of beans to this meal.

Meal Four - 5:30
7 oz (~200g) Alaskan Pollock
1 cup Green Peas

Good, if the Pollock doesnt have a lot of fat I would add some fats to this meal (avocado, olive oil, nuts etc)

So the total now is:

Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1047
Fat: 28 256 26%
Sat: 4 34 3%
Poly: 7 67 7%
Mono: 14 127 13%
Carbs: 139 376 38%
Fiber: 45 0 0%
Protein: 90 359 36%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Tips?

Once youve added the rest of your meals we can see what your totals are.

Briar

05-28-2005, 03:11 PM

i think you need more meals, 4 is not enough!!! try aim for 6

My times and typical food are ike this.....
6am oats/whey/berries

9am oats/whey/egg whites

12 tuna/brown rice

3pm cottage cheese/almonds

6pm chicken/oliveoil/veges

9pm cottage cheese/almonds

Try not to have a protein shake before bed, as it gets used pretty fast and you really need to eat something that is going to last you throughout the night, Try Cottage cheese and nuts as the cottage cheese is slow releasing proetin and the nuts keep you satisfied from the fats and it should get you through the night ok!!

When i used to just have a shake for pre bed i would wake up usually abour 30-60min before i was due to get up as i was STARVING and my stomach needed food, i had that yucky empty hollow feeling, then i switched to CC and almonds and i no longer get that!! :D

Briar

05-28-2005, 03:14 PM

you can work out more than every second day just make sure that your not doing similar things on consecutive days.

My week

MON - Quads/Hammies/Calves
TUE - Chest/Tris
WED - Cardio/Abs
THUR - Back/Bis
FRI - Cardio/Abs
SAT - Shoulders/Calves
SUN - Off

i used to do shoulderon fri cardio on sat but i introduced a new exercise that worked my shoulders and back so i needed a day rest inbetween back and bis and shoulders

abbs

05-28-2005, 03:30 PM

My boyfriend helped me plan a workout which he thought would be beneficial for me just starting out but I am going to post it and if anyone has any comments or thinks something should be changed please let me know:

Monday - Chest:
Flat Bench Press
Dumbbell Incline Press
Peck Deck Fly
Cable Crossovers

This looks good but I would change the peck deck fly to dumb bell flies (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBFly.html). The dumbbell flies have a more natural range of motion than the pec dec machine.

Tuesday - Back:
Chin-Ups
Lat Pull Downs
Seated Cable Rows
Dumbbell Rows
Lower Back Machine (I don't exactly know the name of the machine but basically you rock back and forth and it's suppose to work your lower back)

I think you only need one lat move (chin-ups/lat pull downs), you could do one exercise one week and the other exercise the next week. Same with the cable and dumbbell rows, alternate them weekly. To work your lower back you could try doing deadlifts (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift.html). With deadlifts you have to make sure you have the correct form or you can injure your back, so you could perhaps introduce this exercise later on once youve gained a bit of muscle strength and co-ordination, or you could give it a go with a very light weight and make sure you have someone who can check your form (a trainer or bf if he knows it)
Another exercise which would be better than the lower back machine is [url=http://www.stumptuous.com/badgms.html]hyperextensions (scroll down the page a bit), these are good for beginngers (before you move onto doing deadlifts) and I think they are better than the lower back machine as they use and strengthen the posterior chain (hams, glutes, spinal erectors) as the range of motion is better than when using those lower back machines. Once you build up strength you can do these weighted, by holding a dumb bell or plate as you do them.

Wednesday - Legs:
Machine Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Thigh Abductor/Adductor
Butt Master
Hamstring Curls
Seated Calf Raise

Drop the thigh abductor/adductor and butt master. Instead of leg press perhaps you can do lunges (as leg press and squats are basically the same move, but squats are far superior).

Thursday - Shoulders:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Front Delt Raise
Side Delt Raise
Rear Delt Flies
Shrugs

I dont think you need the front delt raise as you already hit the front delts in the shouler press (and they get pretty hard on your chest day too).

Friday - Arms:
Tricep Press
Tricep Pressdown
Dip Machine
Dumbbell Curls
EZ-Bar Curls
Cable Curls

I think you have too many exercises (your bis and tris also get hit hard on back and chest day), Id stick with two for bis and two for tris (you can rotate them on a weekly basis) and if you want you could do abs (only need to do abs once or twice a week so you could fit them here)

sherdi

05-28-2005, 03:35 PM

Welcome! I am new to this site here too, and just wanted to wish you the best.

As far as your eating goes, I don't think you are eating enough. As Abbs has said make sure you eat a good quality protein for breakfast (well every meal needs to contain a complete protein like eggs, egg whites, protein powder, lean meats like tuna, chicken breasts, fish, turkey,etc).

Also I would get rid of any sugar products like the brown sugar. If you must have sugar, use splenda or any sf syrup like sf pancake syrups, davincis, toranis etc.

Your post workout meal is also very important. Try to eat a good, highly absorbed from of protein like whey protein powder with some carbs like a banana, you should hardly have any fat in this meal so that the carbs and protein are easily assimulated.

Great planning so far though! keep it up!

freakeefranky

05-28-2005, 06:05 PM

cottage cheese on its own isn't great i agree...much like oatmeal on its own..yuck

have u tried the pineapple flavoured ones or the ones with diff types of veg/onion n chives ones? i think they're 97-100% fat free...they're so YUMMY

Meggie

05-28-2005, 06:09 PM

Abbs -
So basically what you are saying is that I should have a sufficient amount of crabs/protein/fat in each meal? And yes, 60 raisins did seem like a lot but thats what came out in my handfull and just for the hell of it I counted them! haha They're very tiny raisins, not the size of those that come in the boxes. My father went nuts at the bulk barn one day and bought a ton of them!
After seeing what you ladies had to say about the workout I might make a few minor adjustments before I start it, and I'll post it again for you to see.

Briar -
I know I know 4 meals is not enough but I'm just getting started so bear with me and I'll get the hang of it soon!! :) The number of meals that a person has will depend on what time they wake up right? I see that you wake up very early in the morning whereas I may not wake up until 9:00-10:00. If that's the case, would only 5 meals be alright?
Just to let you know...I like the way you have your workout set up so to begin, I might follow the way you have things planned.

Sherdi - Thanks for the tips!

Meggie

05-28-2005, 06:12 PM

have u tried the pineapple flavoured ones or the ones with diff types of veg/onion n chives ones? i think they're 97-100% fat free...they're so YUMMY

No, I haven't tried them. My parents buy pineapple and strawberry flavored cottage cheese for themselves, they come in the same containers as yogurt, is that what you are talking about?

Briar

05-28-2005, 06:18 PM

yea feel free to use my workout thats why i posted it for you!!!

Yes 5 meals would be enough aslong as you are getting the right amount of cals. I wake up at 6 no matter what and then i go back to bed if i dont need to be anywhere, i do it just so i can get my 6 meals in a day!! But thats just me. So since you are only having 5 they each will need to be higher in cals!!!

abbs

05-28-2005, 06:33 PM

Hi Meggie, yep basically all meals need to be balanced, except for around your workout when your pre and post workout meals should avoid fats.

With your meals just space them out about 3 hours or so, and if it only works out to be 4 meals than thats fine (if you sleep a lot then this maybe the case ;) ). As Briar said, as long as your getting your cals in for the day and eating regularly it wont matter.

Meggie

05-28-2005, 07:47 PM

Ok, so for legs I took Abbs' advice and removed the thigh abd/add and the butt master from my workout and added dumbbell lunges. Does this look any better? -

Hack Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Dumbbell Lunges
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Rasie

And is there a difference between standing leg curls and lying leg curls?

Ok, and for chest and triceps I've noticed that a lot of the exercises done for chest also work triceps so I've decided to do them both on the same day...How does this look? -

Flat Bench Press
DB Incline Press
DB Flyes
Dips
Cable Crossovers
Tricep Press
Tricep Pushdown

Too many exercises?

I'm also going to do back and biceps on the same day...

Lat Pull Downs
Pullups
Seated Cable Rows
Lower Back Machine
Dumbbell Curls
Cable Curls

Ok, and then there is shoulders:

Seated Dumbbell Press
Front Dumbbell Raise
Side Delt Raise (on the machine)
Rear Delt Flys
Shruggs

Does this look any better?

Paichka

05-28-2005, 09:37 PM

Hey Miss Meggie!

This is a good mix of exercises but you have a TON of volume in there. Remember -- when it comes to weight training, less is usually more.

Hack Squats
Leg Press
Leg Extensions
Dumbbell Lunges
Leg Curls
Seated Calf Rasie

Drop the isolation exercises like leg curls and leg extensions -- if you're busting your butt (ha!) on your compound exercises, your quads and hams are getting plenty of work. Here's what I would do:

Squats (ass-to-grass)
2 warm up sets (12 reps -- lightish weight, 50% of maximum)
1 acclimation set (8-10 reps -- heavier weight, 75% of maximum)
4 working sets (4-6 reps -- heavy weight)

Dumbbell Lunges
3 sets, 6-8 reps

Plie Squats or Bulgarian Squats
3 sets, 6-8 reps

Step Ups
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps

Calf Raises
3-4 sets, 8-10 reps

Ok, and for chest and triceps I've noticed that a lot of the exercises done for chest also work triceps so I've decided to do them both on the same day...How does this look? -

Flat Bench Press
DB Incline Press
DB Flyes
Dips
Cable Crossovers
Tricep Press
Tricep Pushdown

Too many exercises?

Yes, a few too many. :) I would do three chest exercises and two triceps isolation exercises. I would alternate whether you begin with your flat bench or with your incline/decline bench. So like this:

Flat Bench Press
2 warm up sets (12 reps -- light weight)
1 acclimation set (8-10 reps -- moderate weight)
4 working sets (4-6 reps)

Incline Press (dumbbell or bar)
3 sets, 6-8 reps

Flyes (cable or dumbbell)
3 sets, 8-10 reps

Dips (are you doing these on the dip machine or on off the bench?)
3 sets, 12 reps off a bench or to failure off the machine

Skullcrushers
3 sets, 8-10 reps

Lat Pull Downs
Pullups
Seated Cable Rows
Lower Back Machine
Dumbbell Curls
Cable Curls

You don't need both lat pulldowns and pullups -- they work essentially the same muscle groups in the same way. I'd drop the lat pulldowns entirely and focus on the pullups. I'd also replace the lower back machine with good mornings or deadlifts.

Deadlifts
Pullups
Cable Rows

Dumbbell Curls
Cable Curls

Ok, and then there is shoulders:

Seated Dumbbell Press
Front Dumbbell Raise
Side Delt Raise (on the machine)
Rear Delt Flys
Shruggs

Hmmmm...there's a couple of different ways you can play this. If you're doing a lot of compound exercises over your other days, you really don't need a whole day just for your shoulders. You could throw in 2 shoulder exercises on your leg day, for example -- but in terms of your anterior delts, those get hit on your chest day, your rear delts get hit on your back day, etc. I usually train my shoulders on my chest day -- 2 exercises, something like standing lateral raises or overhead military press. I like the overhead exercises because they force you to use your core to stabilize yourself.

You also don't seem to have an ab day -- do you work abs when you work cardio? If you want a shoulder day, you could work abs that day as well.

just my 2 cents, take it for what it's worth!

Sunny

abbs

05-28-2005, 11:19 PM

Bump on Paichka's advice.

And Ive just realised that I didnt post the link properly before for the hyper extensions. You can do the hypers to start off with then progress onto deadlifts or good mornings as Paichka suggested -

hyperextensions (http://www.stumptuous.com/badgms.html)(scroll down the page a bit, and good mornings are also on that page too)

and just incase you need, here are deadlifts (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBDeadlift.html) and good mornings (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/GluteusMaximus/BBBentKneeGoodMorning.html)

Meggie

05-29-2005, 06:13 AM

Meggie

05-29-2005, 12:22 PM

WOW! That's all I can say, wow! I just got back from doing legs at the gym and they're like rubber! I'd say it was definitely a good workout. This is what I did...
Hack Squats 20lbs/12 20lbs/12 20lbs/12
Leg Press 20lbs/12 20lbs/12 20lbs/12
Dumbbell Lunges 30lbs/12 30lbs/12
Leg Curls 20lbs/12 20lbs/12 20lbs/12
Seated Calf Rasie 45lbs/12 45lbs/12 45lbs/12 45lbs/12

I had never done lunges before so they kind of came as a surprise for me...Man do they work!!! I thought my legs were going to give out after the second set so that's all I did, next time I'll try to work in the third set. I did four sets for calves because I figured that since I was only doing one exercise that was actually made for calves that one more set wouldn't hurt. I wasn't going to do leg curls since a few people said to leave it out of the workout but I didn't feel like I was working my hamstrings well enough so I decided to do it. I think I destroyed my quads though!!!

Let me know what you think ladies.

Ok...Heres how my meals went today:
Meal One - 10:00
0.5 cup Oatmeal
5 Strawberries
1 oz Protein Powder

Meal Two - 1:00
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
2 Whole Eggs
1 tbsp PB

Meal Three - 4:00
1 FF Yogurt
1 oz Protein Powder
0.5 oz Almonds

Meal Four - 6:00
0.5 cup Pork Chop <--- Is this any good?
0.5 cup Green Peas
1/3 cup Brown Rice

And the totals so far are:
Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1332
Fat: 44 399 31%
Sat: 10 91 7%
Poly: 11 101 8%
Mono: 19 168 13%
Carbs: 159 557 44%
Fiber: 20 0 0%
Protein: 79 316 25%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

I know there's not enough protein but the day isn't over, I'll fit it in later tonight. It's really discouraging reading those totals. I know I'm just starting out but I'm the kind of person who needs everything to be perfect right away and since the percentages are bad I feel like I'm not doing or eating anything right.
Also, I have a question about protein powder...My boyfriend gave me some of the protein powder that he uses, it's egg white protein, is there any difference between that and normal protein? Or is one better than the other?

Meggie

05-29-2005, 04:15 PM

I've decided to try organizing my meals the day before. This way I'll know how much carbs/protein/fat I'll be getting as opposed to eating then figuring out carbs/protein/fat. I'm going to post the meals for tomorrow so let me know how they sound:

Meal One -
1 cup Oats
2 oz Protein Powder
5 Strawberries

Meal Two -
4 Egg Whites (omlet)
1/3 cup Tomatoes
1/3 cup Green Peppers
1/3 cup Fat Free shredded Cheese

Meal Three -
1 Fat Free Yogurt
1/3 cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1 oz Protein Powder
--->I've decided to try mixing cottage cheese with something else to see if it will taste any better. Has anyone ever mixed it with yogurt before and how does it taste?

Meal Four -
7 oz Haddock
Vegetable Salad

Meal Five -
1 oz Almonds (~22)
2 oz Tuna (half a can)
2 tsp Mustard

So the day will end up looking like this:
Calories Eaten Today
source grams cals %total
Total: 1542
Fat: 38 342 23%
Sat: 6 51 3%
Poly: 13 115 8%
Mono: 17 150 10%
Carbs: 154 522 36%
Fiber: 24 0 0%
Protein: 149 598 41%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Question:
How do some of you make your protein shake? Just curious to find out other ways of making them.

IronMaiden1522

05-29-2005, 04:25 PM

Has anyone ever mixed it with yogurt before and how does it taste?

That is one of my fave things ever!

Don't get discouraged about your totals. i am the same way and I want everything to be perfect at once. But looking through my own journal I can see my progression to eating better and getting the right percentages, so dont worry it will come and dont worry if everyday isnt perfect!

sherdi

05-29-2005, 04:34 PM

Your menu plan looks good. I love yogurt and CC too! I usually mix it with some sf syrup, a little bit of cinnamon, and chop 1/2 apple in it too.

Not sure when you would be working out, maybe an idea to insert your workout in between your food so that you and others make sure your PWO nutrition looks good! Great work!

You are doing really well!

Meggie

05-29-2005, 06:33 PM

Sherdi,
Tomorrow my workout is going to be between meals one and two.

abbs

05-29-2005, 06:40 PM

Paichka,
I wasn't fond about doing good mornings or deadlifts right away because I'm not sure I would be able to handle it strenght wise just yet but as I progress they will be added. And yes, I am doing abs. I'll do abs on the days I do cardio. I didn't include the days for any of the workouts yet, I just wanted your opinions. So on the days I'm not strenght training I'll do cardio and abs, and as you said, I might include abs on shoulder days as well.

Abbs,
For the hyperextensions on the link you provided, the gym I go to doesn't have that machine. The machine that I was referring to is somewhat similar though: you are seated and you rock yourself back and forth. Would these be the same?

Thanks ladies!

Thats strange that your gym doesnt have it! Perhaps its hidden in some dusty corner somehwere... anyway to start off with do the lower back machine, I dont think its as good as hyperextensions because you are not using your posterior chain (hams glutes, spinal erectors) but its a good place to start. Once you have built up the confidence I would definitely ask someone to show you how to do deadlifts (plus good mornings and/or stiff-legged deadlifts to target hams and lower back). I have seen amazing results since putting deadlifts into my routine. They strengthen your back very quickly and provide an excellent all over body workout.

abbs

05-29-2005, 07:02 PM

Also, I have a question about protein powder...My boyfriend gave me some of the protein powder that he uses, it's egg white protein, is there any difference between that and normal protein? Or is one better than the other?
Whey protein powder is the best after your workout. Its fast absorbing so thats what you need as soon as your workout is over (you want to get those amino acids into your muscles a.s.a.p). Egg powder is slower abosorbing, so if you want to use this you are better to have it at another time, for example mixed into your breakfast oats, cereal, milk etc. However I try to limit the use of protein powders (except for pre, post workout and sometimes in breakfast) as I believe whole foods are best, they are more satisfying and give you a sustained release of protein through the day.

Meggie

05-29-2005, 07:10 PM

Whether it's protein from powder or foods, is it still giving you what you need? So many questions, I know! ...Just trying to learn.

I started messing around with a workout for tomorrow, I'm doing chest and triceps, does this look any good?
Flat Bench Press
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dips
Dumbbell Flyes
Tricep Press
Tricep Pushdown

Paichka

05-29-2005, 08:23 PM

That looks just fine -- what rep ranges were you thinking of?

>15 -- endurance
8-12 -- muscle building
4-6 -- power/strength range

Obviously the above is a bit of guesswork, different people will have different success with these ranges, but it does help for guidance. I like to have a couple of warm up sets followed by 3 working sets on my "base exercise" (flat bench in this workout's case), and 3-4 sets for the rest of the exercises.

Sunny

freakeefranky

05-30-2005, 01:27 AM

looks ok to me...like paichka said, decide what do u want to do ie build muscle or build strength/maintain...

protein from natural foods will always be the best. the only type of protein i take that's kinda processed is prob cottage cheese n whey protein shakes. tuna , egg whites , lean meat r still the best choices

abbs

05-30-2005, 03:19 AM

Whole food protein sources (the healthy ones) have a number of advantages over protein powders -
- they are more thermogenic (they utilisie energy i.e. cals to digest) so raise your metabolism more than easily digestable powders
- they are more filling, keep you feeling fuller for longer and hence make fat loss easier.
- they are slower digesting so will drip feed your body nutrients, so you have more chance of absorption and utilisation. Shakes and the like (especially whey) well be absorbed quickly and there is only so much protein etc that your body can take at once.
-and will provide your body with things (nutrients etc) that powders can't

So most of your meals should really be in whole food form, and powders used when you need something fast absorbing (i.e. before morning cardio, after workouts) or when you are on the go, cupboards are bare, running late etc etc etc

Meggie

05-30-2005, 04:58 AM

That looks just fine -- what rep ranges were you thinking of?
>15 -- endurance
8-12 -- muscle building
4-6 -- power/strength range

I was planning on doing 12 reps for each exercise. I want to build muscle and burn fat.

Meggie

05-30-2005, 09:01 AM

I just got back from the gym and this is what I did...

Flat Bench Press 0/12 0/12 0/12 (I couldn't put any weight on the bench press...Weak yes!)
Incline Dumbbell Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Dips 90/12 90/12 90/12 (Not on the dip machine, on the bigger machine where you can do chest/tricep and back)
Dumbbell Flyes 25/12 30/12 30/12
Tricep Press 15/12 15/12 15/12
Tricep Pushdown 20/12 20/12 20/12

I had meal one at 9:00 and meal two at 12:45 when I got back from the gym.

abbs

05-30-2005, 02:32 PM

You are new to weight lifting right? So 12 reps is a good place to start, but after you have trained for a while (perhaps 6-8weeks?) you would drop the reps a bit to around 8 (and up the weight), and then work up to 12 reps. Once you get to 12 reps up the weight again and drop back to 8 reps. Its important to get your form correct before going too heavy.

Eventually you can go as low as 6 reps with very heavy weights on some exercises (like chest, back, legs).

freakeefranky

05-30-2005, 04:43 PM

ooo that's pretty useful info abbs... i could try that actually...well i'm on week 5, so two more weeks of this program then i'll up my weights

Meggie

05-30-2005, 05:44 PM

Yes Abbs, that is very useful information. So, ideally, I should stick to this routine for about 6 weeks then up my weight in the same exercises? Or should I switch the routine completely adding new exercises?

Just to finish off my meals for the day, I had meal three around 3:30, meal four around 6:30, and now I just got home from work so I'm going to have my last meal now. --I posted my meal plan for today in another thread just incase anyone is looking to check it out!

Tomorrow is going to be a day for cardio and abs. How much cardio should I be doing a day if I'm only doing it 2-3 times a week? And how many exercises for abs would be enough?

abbs

05-31-2005, 02:46 AM

I don't think its necessary to change the exercises after 6 weeks, going heavier and lowering the reps will challenge your muscles anyway. As you are a beginner I would think it better after the first 6 weeks to try for that lower rep range in those same exercises, then maybe look at introducing some new exercises later on. Im not entirely sure but its something we can research!

For cardio, it all depends on the kind of cardio you are doing. If its HIIT cardio then 15mins max plus warm up and cool down. If its moderate intensity then 30-40mins is enough. If its low intensity (i.e. brisk walking) than you can pretty much do as much as you want.

For abs, I would say 3 different exercises is enough.

Meggie

05-31-2005, 09:13 AM

I just got back from doing abs and cardio and boy did I work up a sweat on the stairmaster!!

So far today my meals have gone like this:
Meal One - 10:00
1 cup Fiber One
1/2 cup Skim Milk
1 Fat Free Yogurt

Meal Two - 1:00
4 oz Tuna in Water
1/2 Grapefruit

...I'll post the rest of my meals as the day goes continued in this thread.

abbs

05-31-2005, 03:55 PM

IronMaiden1522

05-31-2005, 04:04 PM

Hey Meggie,

Seems like you are catching on!!! Keep it up. And listen to Abbs! :D

Meggie

05-31-2005, 07:31 PM

Well, I think I sort of depressed myself today with the way I ate so I'm just going to forget about today, not even post it, and just think that tomorrow is a new day, the start of a new month, and I'm going to reach my goals! I think it's just so hard not eating some of the foods that I am used to eating. I have to get used to mostly eating the same foods day in and day out. To me it seems that I don't have much of a variety to choose from and it's dull. I guess it's just something you have to get used to. I'm someone who, unfortunately, lacks in will power!!! No matter how hard I try to eat clean, my carbs and fat always seem to dominate over protein. I just can't seem to get enough protein in my diet.

Well, we'll see how tomorrow goes I guess! Right now it's 11:30 and it's time for bed, early start tomorrow morning...Goodnight all!

Meggie

06-01-2005, 06:42 AM

Well it looks like I might not be able to make it to the gym today. I had planned on getting up early and going to the gym but I had a horrible sleep last night so I didnt wake up until nearly 10:00! Since I have work this afternoon today might end up being my day off, instead of saturday. I'll feel so guily if I don't go though...Hmmm we'll see what happens.

So today is a new month and for this month my goal is to stay strict to my diet and my workout plan. I'm going to go everyday as planned with one day off each week. My plan will go like this:

Sunday - Legs and Abs
Monday - Chest and Triceps
Tuesday - Cardio and Abs
Wednesday (with the exception of this week, possibly) - Back and Biceps
Thursday - Shoulders
Friday - Cardio and Abs
Saturday - off

I'll post my diet for today at the end of the day, when I get home from work. As mentioned in the previous thread, I'm going to try to keep my fats and carbs lower and up my protein. I'm not a big eater to begin with so I'll probably end up with three good sized meals and two "snacks" which will probably consist of such things as yogurts, almonds, etc.

But for now, I'm going to try to make it to the gym within the next 20 minutes. If I can do that, I'll have enough time to do my workout and be ready for work in time. Have a great day ladies! :)

Meggie

06-01-2005, 07:34 AM

Ok, so today is definitely going to be my day off which is depressing since I was really excited to go. But oh well, some rest will do me good I guess. It is such a gorgeous day today, the first in such a long time, so this too is depressing because I have to work all day! :( Ohhh the joys of the real world! haha

I heard somewhere the other day that a protein shake is a meal replacement. Is this true?

Meggie

06-01-2005, 09:12 AM

Ok, I'm going to post what I've eaten so far today so I don't forget.

Meal One - 10:00
1 cup Oats
3 oz Protein Powder

Meal Two - 1:00
4 Egg Whites
1/4 cup Tomato
1/4 cup Green Pepper
1/2 cup Low Fat Shredded Cheddar Cheese

I'm not quite sure how the rest of my meals are going to go since I'll be at work all afternoon/night. The downfall is that I work in a cafeteria :( so I'll have to make due with what is available to me there. There are lots of healthy choices so it shouldn't be a problem. I was thinking about making a chicken wrap but I'm not sure if there are any whole wheat wraps. I'll post later so you can check it out. I'll also post all the totals later tonight.

PS: How many grams of fat should a person my weight/height, 125lbs and 5'5", have per day?

Meggie

06-01-2005, 05:54 PM

IronMaiden1522

06-01-2005, 06:17 PM

Meggie,

dont worry soo much, it will come and your food and your macros aren't even bad! every day cannot be perfect.

abbs

06-01-2005, 11:55 PM

How many grams of fat should a person my weight/height, 125lbs and 5'5", have per day?

Around 0.3 - 0.4 fat gms per lb of bodyweight -

so 37 - 50gms is a good range to aim for.

abbs

06-02-2005, 12:01 AM

Ok, so I had to deal with what I had at work for the rest of my meals...Which wasnt very much!

Meal Three - 4:00
1/2 cup Chicken
1/2 cup Lettuce
1/2 Tortilla
1 tbsp Caesar Dressing

Meal Four - 6:00
1/2 cup Chicken
1/2 cup Lettuce
1/2 Totilla
1 tbsp Caesar Dressing

Meal Five - 9:30
2 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter
1 Small Banana

Totals:
Total: 1628
Fat: 58 523 33%
Sat: 13 113 7%
Poly: 23 203 13%
Mono: 19 170 11%
Carbs: 157 538 34%
Fiber: 22 0 0%
Protein: 126 502 32%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Well, I'd say it was a healthy day all and all but not in the sense of fat/carbs/protein. They ended up being pretty even as far as percentages go.
I ate healthy but didn't follow most of what I've learned on here. I only have work for a few hours tomorrow morning so it'll probably be better.

I have to get some sleep for work in the morning, night ladies!

Don`t worry so much about the percentages, but instead focus on the grams you are getting.. So today your cals are good, protein is good (about 1gm per lb of body weight), carbs look good too. Its only your fat that is a little high (should aim for 37-50gms per day). I would change the ceaser dressing for a healthy fat source, like some avocado or olive oil. Or if you can, buy some fish oil pills and add those to your diet. Also are the tortillas whole wheat? What other carb choices do you have? I think you need to have some fruit in there and some other kinds of veges. So you did pretty well, dont be too hard on yourself :)

freakeefranky

06-02-2005, 12:31 AM

dun fret over everything....we all had to start somewhere...and our menus and days were nowhere near perfect. take it easy. you'll learn as u go along. i think uve done pretty well so far :P

re protein shakes...myoplex apparently is a meal replacement but i wouldn't rely on protein shakes so much. just stick to natural foods. less complicated. protein shakes taste like crap compared to real food anyways...genetically engineered n synthetic smelling lol

vitacube02

06-02-2005, 12:41 AM

I started a 90 Transformation contest on the first. I am going to do the same but Im going to use some video and document the workouts, meal plans, supplements, etc. Check the first entry if you like.

http://www.tobee.biz/launch/index.asp?item_number=proformance_challenge

Meggie

06-02-2005, 04:04 AM

I would change the ceaser dressing for a healthy fat source, like some avocado or olive oil. Or if you can, buy some fish oil pills and add those to your diet.

Where can you buy the fish oil pills? Where I'm at, there's a GNC in the mall but there's also local health food stores in town. I know you can get protein bars and such in the grocery stores, would the fish oil pills be available there?

abbs

06-02-2005, 04:05 AM

Where can you buy the fish oil pills? Where I'm at, there's a GNC in the mall but there's also local health food stores in town. I know you can get protein bars and such in the grocery stores, would the fish oil pills be available there?

They should be available in the grocery store, where all the other vitamins etc are.

Meggie

06-02-2005, 04:07 AM

Great...Thanks Abbs! How many should be taken a day? And if you are taking the fish oil pills, do you need as much fat from food in your diet?

abbs

06-02-2005, 02:12 PM

On the bottle it will probably say take 3 a day, but ive seen it recommended to take 6 a day. You can split these up and take 3 twice a day, or 2 three times a day. Each pill will give you 1 gm of fat so if you are already getting enough fats then I would decrease something in your diet, especially sat fats or omega-6s. We usually get plenty of omega-6s in our diet (from nuts, grains, vege oils, meat, dairy) and its usually the omega-3s that are lacking, so thats why it is recommended to supplement with fish oils. The optional ratio of omega 6- to omega 3 is 1:1 but in the US most people have a ratio of 20:1.

Meggie

06-04-2005, 05:52 AM

I haven't been on the internet in a while so I wasn't able to post. On thursday I did back and biceps:

Pullups 90/12 90/12 90/12
Seated Cable Rows 45/12 45/12 45/12
Lat Pulldown 50/12 50/12 50/12
Lower Back Machine 105/12 105/12 105/12
Dumbbell Curls 15/12 15/12 15/12
Cable Curls 15/12 15/12 15/12

On friday I did shoulders:

Seated Dumbbell Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Standing Upright Dumbbell Row 20/12 20/12 20/12
Side Lateral Raise 30/12 30/12 30/12
Rear Lateral Flyes 25/12 25/12 25/12
Shruggs 30/12 30/12 30/12

I also did cardio and abs on friday. This was suppose to be done today but I have quite a busy day today and may not be able to make it to the gym so I wanted to get them in just incase. I've been pretty busy with work the last couple of days as well. I've been called into work the last two days so my diet wasnt all that great since I didn't have the time to prepare anything to take with me. I had to eat what was available to me at work. I didn't keep track of my diet the last two days so they will not be posted.

Abbs, I plan on getting the fish oil pills and starting them today. Is there any particular brand that is better than another? Or are there even different brands?

Meggie

06-04-2005, 06:09 AM

Meggie

06-04-2005, 07:44 AM

I was just wondering what protein powder everyone uses. I was also wondering if it's better to order protein from bodybuilding.com or if going to, say GNC, is better? I HATE the protein powder that my father has right now. It's Whey but its vanilla and the taste is disgusting. Actually, it tastes nothing like vanilla. I was wanting to buy some sort of chocolate flavored protein to see if that tasted any better.

Also, does anyone use fat burners and are they worth using?

Meggie

06-04-2005, 11:32 AM

PinkJeanie

06-04-2005, 12:46 PM

Hey Meg!! I'm 19 too! :) Your meal plan for tomorrow looks good. You are about the same size I am, so try to keep your calorie intake per day at LEAST above 1800. I'm staying b/w 1800-2100 right now and it's working great.
I would say that the best tasting protein shake out there is Muscle Milk. If you mix it with skim milk it tastes exactly like a milkshake from dairy queen! Right now I am going through my second container of it. I'm usuaing "mocha joe" right now. I mix 1 scoop of the mix, 1 cup of skim milk, and ice up in a blender and the outcome is something similar to a starbuck's frappuccino!!! My boyfriend uses the cookie's'n'cream flavor. The next flavor i want to try is pina colada. Here's a link to it:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/cs/milk.html
Keep in mind that 1 serving of this stuff is actually 2 big scoops. I only use one scoop, so be sure that you cut the calories/fat/carbs/protein in half when you calculate your daily intake. As far as costs... right now GNC has muscle milk on sale for $31.00, and if you have a Gold Card it's only like, $25.00.
If you are lifting, I would recommend getting some L-Glutamine too, to help w/recovery.
Check out my Journal if u want! (Kelli's Journal!!!)

abbs

06-04-2005, 02:37 PM

I was reading through an article last night that is posted on bodybuilding.com and it gave an example on how to calculate how many grams of carbs/fats/protein a person needs per day. I was just wondering if anybody else does it this way. This is what he had posted:

Therefore, a high caloric base may be in the order of your bodyweight multiplied by 15. So for instance, since I am 210 right now, my caloric intake will be in the order of 3150 calories per day (210 x 15). The ratios that I feel work best to start with (and for the off-season) are a 40% carbs, 40% proteins, 20% good fats ratio.

In My Case, I Would Need:

(3150 x 0.4) / 4 = 315 grams of carbs
(3150 x 0.4) / 4 = 315 grams of protein
(3150 x 0.2) / 9 = 70 grams of good fats

So then if I was to do these calculations for myself it would be:
(1875 x 0.4) / 4 = 187.5 grams of carbs
(1875 x 0.4) / 4 = 187.5 grams of protein
(1875 x 0.2) / 9 = 42 grams of fat
Also, I don't understand where the 4 and 9 come from (what he is dividing by).

I don't think ratios or 'x by a number' calculations to get protein/fat/carb requirements are a good way to workout your daily needs. A persons daily fat/protein/carb requirements should be based on their lean mass, and also their goals and activity level etc need to be taken into account. The multiplying your bodyweight by a number doesn't factor in your bodyfat percentage, for example a person who weighs 200lbs but has 10% bodyfat will need a lot more protein to maintain their muscle mass (180lbs lean mass) than a person with 30% bodyfat at the same weight (140lbs lean mass). The '4' and '9' represent the amount of calories in each fat/carb/protein gram.
So 20% of 1875 equals 375 cals of fat, as there are 9 cals per gram of fat, you divide by 9 to get the number of grams you should eat.

Here is a general guideline of how to work out your daily needs -

protein - 1- 1.5gms per pound of lean mass
fats - 0.3-0.6gms per pound of lean mass (0.3 is the absolute minimum for health)
carbs - this will vary according to goals etc, but I think around 1.5-2gms per pound is a good starting point for someone wanting to gain muscle and lose bodyfat. You can adjust this to reach your desired calorie level.

Now I don't think I know your bodyfat level? Lets assume its 20%, that gives you a lean mass of 100lbs. -

protein (150gms) = 600 cals
fat (40gms) = 360 cals
carbs (200gms) = 800 cals
TOTAL = 1760 cals (45%/34%/20%)

In this case it has come out similar to the above calculations, but this won't always be the case so its always best to go off lean mass. These figures are only guesstimates, and you don't have to stick to them exactly. You can have a bit more fats if you like, less protein, or less/more carbs etc. If you are very active and seeking to maintain weight then you would probably need more calories then this. I would say at this calorie level (around 1600-1900), if you are weight training and doing cardio then you will lose bodyfat (and gain some muscle). If you are not getting the results you want, then you can adjust your calorie intake.

abbs

06-04-2005, 02:54 PM

I've planned my meals for tomorrow. Let me know if anything looks off or should be changed please:

Meal One
1/2 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

Meal Two
4 Egg Whites
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
1/2 Grapefruit

Meal Three
~10 Strawberries
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard

Meal Four
2 Small Chicken Breats
1/2 cup Brown Rice

Meal Five
1 oz Almonds (not salted)
1 cup Yogurt
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

The totals turn out to be:
Total: 1815
Fat: 38 342 20%
Sat: 6 54 3%
Poly: 9 83 5%
Mono: 17 152 9%
Carbs: 179 639 37%
Fiber: 19 0 0%
Protein: 184 735 43%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Is anything to high or too low?

I don't see many fats, Im assuming thats because you are supplementing with the fish oils? As far as the brands go, as Ive been in Japan for 3years I can't give you any advice on that, but as long as its fish oil (and not cod liver oil) and each capsule has about 1gm of fat, then should be fine. Someone correct me please if Im wrong!

Meal 3 looks a little small, I would add some carbs here. Perhaps take the yoghurt from meal 5 and put it into meal 3, then replace the whey powder with cottage cheese. If I remember correctly, you don't like cottage cheese? Perhaps you could chop up the almonds and mix them in with the cottage cheese, then perhaps add a little bit of yoghurt and some cinnamon? Or have another slow digesting protein source like egg whites.

Meggie

06-04-2005, 03:05 PM

I don't see many fats, Im assuming thats because you are supplementing with the fish oils?

I had time to go to the grocery store just a few minutes ago, my vehicle was gone all day, so I went to check out the pills. I got omega 3-6-9's? I didn't see the fish oil pills, however, there were salmon pills (salmon oil maybe)? Are the omega pills just as good as the fish oil pills?

Meggie

06-04-2005, 03:10 PM

Meal 3 looks a little small, I would add some carbs here. Perhaps take the yoghurt from meal 5 and put it into meal 3, then replace the whey powder with cottage cheese. If I remember correctly, you don't like cottage cheese? Perhaps you could chop up the almonds and mix them in with the cottage cheese, then perhaps add a little bit of yoghurt and some cinnamon? Or have another slow digesting protein source like egg whites.

I HATE cottage cheese. I tried mixing it with yogurt one day and I didn't find it any better. I think I came to the conclusion that it's not so much the taste of the cottage cheese, but it's texture. I HATE how it feels in my teeth. I know that sounds funny! haha I honestly don't think that I can incorporate this into my diet. My sister was eating it the other day and I really thought I was going to vomit just watching her eat it! Sorry ladies! haha

abbs

06-04-2005, 03:15 PM

I had time to go to the grocery store just a few minutes ago, my vehicle was gone all day, so I went to check out the pills. I got omega 3-6-9's? I didn't see the fish oil pills, however, there were salmon pills (salmon oil maybe)? Are the omega pills just as good as the fish oil pills?

You really only need to supplement omega-3s, as we usually get enough omega-6s and 9s through diet. What does the label say the breakdown of the pills are?

Im not sure about the salmon pills...they would be better than the omega3-6-9. Im assuming that normal fish oil pills consist of oil taken from more than one kind of fatty fish, so I guess that would be better than just salmon pills. Not really sure on that one! Perhaps try a health food shop? In the meantime it wont hurt to take the ones you have already bought, but Id be interesed to see how much they contain of each fatty acid.

abbs

06-04-2005, 03:19 PM

Yeah I think people either love cottage cheese or just plain HATE it. The cottage cheese here in japan is this kind of yummy dried stuff, (its full fat though!) I can just eat it plain as it tastes really good. Its not like the normal cottage cheese at all.

So I guess for the night time meal stick with the whey, but if you can try to mix it up and have some slower digesting protein at night (it will last through the night better than whey). Or another alternative is to buy a casein or soy protein powder to have at nighttime. Casein and soy powders are slower releasing than whey, so if you are going to have a power at night, Id go for those. But ultimately I think whole foods sources will be better...(chicken, egg whites etc...)

Meggie

06-04-2005, 03:23 PM

Ok, my mistake...The pills are only omega-3's. For every four capsules it contains 18 calories, 0.4g omega-3 polyunsaturates, 1.2g monounsaturates, and 0.4g saturates. So altogether they provide 2g of fats. The pills are called Terra Nova Omega-3 (seal oil). If these are no good I can always return them (I didn't open them yet because I wanted input on them) and look for the fish oil pills.

Meggie

06-04-2005, 03:29 PM

Meal One
1/2 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

Meal Two
4 Egg Whites
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
1/2 Grapefruit

Meal Three
~10 Strawberries
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard
1 cup Yogurt
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder (I know there is protein in the tuna but I mix the protein powder with my yogurt)

Meal Four
2 Small Chicken Breats
1/2 cup Brown Rice

Meal Five
1 oz Almonds (not salted)
4 Egg Whites

And the totals would be:
Total: 1734
Fat: 37 332 20%
Sat: 6 54 3%
Poly: 9 83 5%
Mono: 17 152 9%
Carbs: 150 532 33%
Fiber: 17 0 0%
Protein: 193 771 47%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

If I was to take out the protein powder in the yogurt, the totals would be:
Total: 1667
Fat: 36 326 21%
Sat: 6 54 3%
Poly: 9 83 5%
Mono: 17 152 10%
Carbs: 148 523 33%
Fiber: 17 0 0%
Protein: 180 721 46%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Are either any better?

abbs

06-04-2005, 04:06 PM

Either menu looks fine, it just depends how many cals/protein you want. Your plans are quite high in protein, you don't need that much protein for muscle growth so if you want to have more carbs Id lower the protein. Carbs are very important for muscle growth as they provide you with the energy to workout and stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy.

Now about the pills....Ive been doing some research and I dont know which is better fish oils or seal oil!!!!!!!! Perhaps you could post something in the nutrition section? They both seem to be good, but I dont know which to recommend!!!!!!!! Some websites say the seal oil is better as it has DPA (a fatty acid) which the fish oils have very low concentrations of.....so I dont know which is better.

Meggie

06-04-2005, 05:28 PM

Some websites say the seal oil is better as it has DPA (a fatty acid) which the fish oils have very low concentrations of.....so I dont know which is better.

Well for now I'll start taking the seal oil capsules and if any information is found stating that fish oil pills are better than the seal oil pills I'll just switch over to those.
If anyone find any such information let me know! I'd like to be taking the right ones! haha

Kelly -
Thanks for the information on the protein powder! I have been following your journal just never stopped to post. As for the L-Glutamine, what exactly do they do (why are they beneficial)?
I need all the motivation I can get to stick to the healthy eating so since you and I are both 19 maybe you can be that motivation! As in knowing that I have someone (about my age) doing what I am doing! I have no friends who are interested in any of this so I'm pretty much doing this on my own...With a little help from my boyfriend when he is not away working!
I'll be keeping updated on your journal, hope you do the same!

abbs

06-04-2005, 05:41 PM

Ive posted a thread in the nutrition section so we might get some feedback. Im interested to know which is better. I would take the seal oils as they do sound pretty good, and they are probably just as good as the fish oils (if not better).

Meggie

06-04-2005, 05:57 PM

Meggie

06-04-2005, 05:59 PM

Meal One
4 Egg Whites
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
1/2 Grapefruit

Meal Two
1/2 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

Meal Three
~10 Strawberries
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard
1 cup Yogurt

Meal Four
2 Small Chicken Breats
1/2 cup Brown Rice

Meal Five
1 oz Almonds (not salted)
4 Egg Whites

Would switching meals one and two as I did above make more sense since I plan on working out between meals one and two? - I've read in other journals that having protein powder is best after a workout since your muscles need it asap.

Briar

06-04-2005, 06:06 PM

this is what i would do

Meal One
4 Egg Whites
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
1/2 Grapefruit
MORE CARBS BEFORE WO

Meal Two
1/2 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
GOOD MAYBE MAKE A SHAKE AND ADD A BANANA AS WELL AS OATS

Meal Three
~10 Strawberries
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard
1 cup Yogurt

Meal Four
2 Small Chicken Breats
1/2 cup Brown Rice

Meal Five
1 oz Almonds (not salted)
4 Egg Whites
COTTAGE CHEESE NOT EGGS THEY WONT KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Briar

06-04-2005, 06:08 PM

What Are The Times Of You Meals!!!

Meggie

06-04-2005, 07:21 PM

What Are The Times Of You Meals!!!

I'm not quite sure yet since I don't know what time I'll be waking up in the morning. But I'm pretty sure it's going to be:
Meal One - 9:00
Meal Two - 12:00
Meal Three - 3:00
Meal Four - 6:00
Meal Five - 9:00

It will be something along those lines.

Briar

06-04-2005, 07:43 PM

oh thats ok i was thinking you would be up earlier and then i was going to suggest adding in another meal!!! :D

Meggie

06-04-2005, 07:51 PM

oh thats ok i was thinking you would be up earlier and then i was going to suggest adding in another meal!!! :D
Oh god no, I'm usually never up before 9:00 unless I have to be up for work. Do I have the right idea having the protein and carbs after my workout?

For anyone interested...
My boyfriend came home today after being away for a week working. He brought home two books for me. The first book is called "Eat Smart, Lose Weight". It gives TONS of healthy recipes. The second book is called "The Calorie, Carbohydrate, and Cholesterol Directory" by Martha Schueneman" (I'm not sure who wrote the first book, I'm assuming it's just a mix of different recipes from different people). The second book lists practically every food you could possibly think of, telling how many calories, carbs, fats, etc. etc. are in each food. It's amazing!!! I'm very exciting to read through. I'll be very informed after going through this book!
Just thought a few people would be interesting in checking out these books!

Briar

06-04-2005, 08:01 PM

yep have pretty much no fats pre or post workout!!! have carbs and protein!!!

If you have fats before your workout make sure it is about 2 hours before!!!

You will have to post recipies etc once you have tried them out!!

Meggie

06-04-2005, 08:04 PM

You will have to post recipies etc once you have tried them out!!

Yes, I'll definitely do that!
It's time for bed though, goodnight!

Briar

06-04-2005, 08:12 PM

night :D

PinkJeanie

06-04-2005, 09:49 PM

Meg-- just search L-Glutamine on bodybuilding.com and it will tell you everything you need to know.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/glutamine.html

Also, as far as taking oils as a supplement, you are best off with Total EFA:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/sun/efacaps.html
It pretty much as all of the oils...fish oil, flax oil, etc. in one pill. I was at GNC in ST. Louis today and the guy working there said that Total EFA is the best thing out there. He also said that the STL Cardinals players take it and come in all the time and buy more. I would suggest taking the Total EFA, and still taking an extra 300mg of CLA daily. THis is your best bet. If you have any questions, just search the product name on bodybuilding.com and read about it. You'll never get anywhere unless you take the time to sit and read. The more you read about lifting/supplements/weight loss, the better off you will be, i swear to it.

Meggie

06-05-2005, 04:33 AM

Meg-- just search L-Glutamine on bodybuilding.com and it will tell you everything you need to know.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/glutamine.html

Thanks for the link! I'll definitely get some but I'll have to wait until monday, same goes for the protein powder.

You'll never get anywhere unless you take the time to sit and read. The more you read about lifting/supplements/weight loss, the better off you will be, i swear to it.

I've been reading a lot lately, thanks for the little spurt of motivation!

Meggie

06-05-2005, 04:44 AM

Meal Five
1 oz Almonds (not salted)
4 Egg Whites
COTTAGE CHEESE NOT EGGS THEY WONT KEEP YOU GOING THROUGH THE NIGHT

If you scroll up a few posts you'll see that I HATE cottage cheese so that is why it is not in my diet. Like Abbs said, it's something you either love or hate and unfortunately (knowing that it is good for you) I HATE it!

Briar

06-05-2005, 05:02 AM

opps must not have seen that!!!! sorry :D

Meggie

06-05-2005, 05:43 AM

I've decided that I can't slack off anymore. Starting TODAY I am going to follow a stict, healthy diet. The last few days have been hectic with work and I've slacked off a lot; not at the gym, just in nutrition. If I want to get serious about this I need all the will-power I can get (of which I have none) and as much motivation and encouragement that I can get from you ladies! Now I'm serious about this...Everyday when you are checking out journals, remind me what I need to do (and be harsh if you have to!). I'm doing this by myself so this forum is the only motivation that I'll be getting.

I think I'm going to take my measurements later today but as far as finding out what my bf% is, I don't think I can. The gym I work out at has one of those scales, which I hear are not accurate, so I'm guessing it wouldn't do me any good to check it out on one of those. And I don't have or know anyone with calipers. On monday I could possibly check out a few places to see if they are being sold anywhere. I've seen a few people post websites which calculates your bf%, are they accurate?

So I had meal one at 9:15 and now it's time to get ready for the gym. Today is leg day, ouch!!! I'll post my workout and measurements (if they are done by then) when I get home from the gym.

Have a great day ladies!

freakeefranky

06-05-2005, 07:54 AM

don't get tanita scales!!! i fond out i was 16% with calipers (more accurate) but the stupid scale said 20...calipers r cheaper n a better option. definitely.

Meggie

06-05-2005, 09:57 AM

don't get tanita scales!!! i fond out i was 16% with calipers (more accurate) but the stupid scale said 20...calipers r cheaper n a better option. definitely.

Do you know where you can buy calipers? I'd like to buy a pair but I'm not sure where they are available.

Meggie

06-05-2005, 10:03 AM

I went to the gym this morning. It was leg day. This is what I did:

Seated Calf Raises 45/12 45/12 45/12 45/12
Hack Squats 20/12 20/12 20/12
Leg Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Leg Curl 20/12 20/12 20/12
Lunges 20/12 20/12 20/12 (This time I used the 10 lbs dumbbells so that I could the 3 sets in. Last time I used the 15 lbs dumbbells and I could only do 2 sets.)

I also did a few ab exercises today. Can anyone give me a few good exercises for abs? When I am doing my abs it feels like whatever I am doing is working but they never seem to hurt the next day. I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if the exercises I am doing just aren't working.

Oh, and I had meal two when I got home from the gym.

Paichka

06-05-2005, 10:03 AM

Meggie,

BB.com had a good set of calipers for cheapish -- or else you can probably find some at a specialty sports store if you have one. You might try Sports Authority if you have one in your region, or if you have Grizzly Fitness, etc. I ordered mine from bb.com though.

Make sure you do some reading before you use them. Calipers can be just as misleading as scales if they're used incorrectly. Your best bet is to just track the DECREASE in bf%...the only way to be really sure about your percentage is to get your bf tested professionally at a gym or local university.

good luck!
Sunny

Meggie

06-05-2005, 10:07 AM

Your best bet is to just track the DECREASE in bf%...the only way to be really sure about your percentage is to get your bf tested professionally at a gym or local university.

I was going to get it tested at the gym but they only have the scale. That is why I am looking to buy a pair of calipers. How long did it take for them to arrive when you ordered them?

Meggie

06-05-2005, 11:34 AM

My meals are changed again, just for myself I'm going to post them again:

Meal One - 9:15
4 Egg Whites
1 slce Whole Grain Bread
1/2 Grapefruit
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 12:15
1/2 cup Oats
2 tbsp Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

Meal Three - 3:15
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard
10 Strawberries
2 Seal Oil Pills

Meal Four - 6:00
3 oz Pork Chop
1/2 cup Brown Rice
1/2 cup Mixed Vegetables

Meal Five - 9:00
1 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna
2 tsp Mustard

Paichka

06-05-2005, 12:13 PM

Well I'm in Iraq right now, but I got mine in 10 days. I think anything within the states you'll get in 1-2 days.

Sunny

Meggie

06-05-2005, 12:18 PM

I think anything within the states you'll get in 1-2 days.

I'm in Canada so I'm guessing it'll take maybe 2-3 more days from the US?

Meggie

06-05-2005, 12:56 PM

My father plans on bbq'ing pork chops tonight instead of having chicken. I was just wondering how bad pork chops really are so I don't feel so guilty if I decide to have one?

abbs

06-05-2005, 02:14 PM

Meggie

06-05-2005, 02:17 PM

Hi Meggie, diet is looking good, just thinking you need some fats in one of those first two meals. Id probably add some fats to meal 2 (if its not pre/post workout) to help slow the digestion down of the whey. Perhaps mix in some nuts or natural peanut butter with the oatmeal?

Meal two was my post workout meal. That is why I added the protein powder to it (after reading that your muscle need the fast digesting protein after working out).

Meggie

06-05-2005, 02:34 PM

Ok...I think I have a major problem ladies! HELP!
My meals for today are posted in a previous thread. Meal four was changed because my father insisted on having pork chops for supper instead of the chicken that I was planning on having. I did my meals for the day on www.fitday.com and this is what the totals appear to be:

Total: 1189
Fat: 33 301 27%
Sat: 6 56 5%
Poly: 6 58 5%
Mono: 16 148 13%
Carbs: 120 408 36%
Fiber: 18 0 0%
Protein: 103 414 37%
Alcohol: 0 0 0

Plus I had 2 seal oil pills so that gives me 1 gram of fat and 18 calories. So it will actually be 1207 calories, 34 grams of fat, 120 grams of carbs, and 103 grams or protein.

As you can see, my calories are SOOO low. I don't understand how this happened though because when I had planned it with the chicken my calories ended up being ~1800. Does the difference between 2 pieces of chicken and one pork chop make that much of a difference in calories? I need some help here. I don't know what to do about this. I'd like my calories to be where they should be!!!

Briar

06-05-2005, 02:45 PM

have some

more veges
more tuna
more Almonds
an extra pork chop
peanut butter
have the chicken aswell
have a protein shake

try up fats and protein and maybe a bit of carbs

Meggie

06-05-2005, 02:50 PM

have some

more veges
more tuna
more Almonds
an extra pork chop
peanut butter
have the chicken aswell
have a protein shake

try up fats and protein and maybe a bit of carbs

I'd like to keep my fat under 40 grams a day though! So I do not want to up my fat too much. And isn't it bad to have carbs late at night? I thought you were suppose to focus on a little bit of fat and protein before bed?

Briar

06-05-2005, 03:00 PM

ok then if you dont want high fats or more carbs

You still have 6 grams of fat till you reach 40
then eat lots of, veges, more tuna
a few more Almonds/peanut butter
you can still have the chicken/anothe chop or a protein shake

Meggie

06-05-2005, 03:02 PM

What if I added a cup of yogurt and 3 tbsp of protein powder and still had the almonds (remove tuna and mustard)? I know the yogurt and protein are carbs before bed but I need to up the calories somehow and I'd rather up my carbs than my fats?

So if I was to do this the totals would be:

Total: 1465
Fat: 35 309 22%
Sat: 6 58 4%
Poly: 6 56 4%
Mono: 16 146 11%
Carbs: 170 607 44%
Fiber: 18 0 0%
Protein: 118 473 34%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Briar

06-05-2005, 03:03 PM

keep in the tuna aswell then you will get more protein and higher cals

Meggie

06-05-2005, 03:07 PM

keep in the tuna aswell then you will get more protein and higher cals

That scares me...A lot of food so late at night! But if I was to do that the totals would be:

1537 calories
36 grams of fat
170 grams or carbs
133 grams of protein

Briar

06-05-2005, 03:14 PM

that looks heaps better, just maybe have it in two small lots, have you got time to do that like 1 or 1 1/2 hours apart

aprilai

06-05-2005, 03:17 PM

don't worry about eating more foods late at night [although it IS more ideal that you eat more foods earlier in the day] your caloric intake is low, so you won't gain any fat. also you just trained today, so i'm sure your metabolism is revved up from today's training! the cals you eat today will feed and help restore your legs.

about ab exercises - even though you dont' feel any soreness doesnt' mean they weren't worked well. if you see any changes on your abdomen then it means that you did work them well. soreness is not an indicator of an effective training. unless your form was wrong or you used inferior ab exercises then that's a differnet story. what kind of ab exercises did you do?

direct ab/core exercises that i really like are:

flags
ab wheel rollouts
rope crunch
decline crunch
windmills
bent press
saxon side bends
weighted side bends

emma-leigh also has a very effective and great list of more exercises.

sherdi

06-05-2005, 03:27 PM

I agree. Don't worry about eating later at night, especially if you calories are low, better to eat late, than your body eating your hard earned muscles! :D

Meggie

06-05-2005, 03:38 PM

I agree. Don't worry about eating later at night, especially if you calories are low, better to eat late, than your body eating your hard earned muscles! :D
Yeah... You guys are right.

And Briar...I think it's possible for me to split it into two different meals. I had supper at 6:00...So maybe 8:30 and 9:30? I'll just have to decide what I'll have when.

Meggie

06-05-2005, 03:42 PM

direct ab/core exercises that i really like are:

flags
ab wheel rollouts
rope crunch
decline crunch
windmills
bent press
saxon side bends
weighted side bends

emma-leigh also has a very effective and great list of more exercises.

I'll have to look up some of those exercises.

-> Emma-Leigh, I've read so many of your posts and you seem to be full of knowledge...If you happen to see this I'd love to hear some of the exercises you'd suggest.

Meggie

06-06-2005, 04:46 AM

Meal One - 8:30
4 Egg Whites
1 slice Whole Grain Bread
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 11:30
1 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder

Meal Three - 2:00 (off to work 3:00-9:00 so it has to be quick snack)
1 oz Almonds

Meggie

06-06-2005, 04:47 AM

I had planned on getting protein powder and L-glutamine as Kelli had suggested but I just don't have the time until wednesday. I have work both today and tomorrow and between going to the gym and getting ready for work in time, there's no time for the mall! So wednesday I plan on going to the mall bright and early to pick some up!

PinkJeanie

06-06-2005, 06:27 AM

Meg-- I'm glad to hear that you are taking my advice! Those two sups. are essencial for muscle growth and development. Just be sure that you take it consistently. I take 500mg of L-glutamine with breakfast, and another 500mg right after my workout. I do the same with the protein shake, and sometimes I'll also have one before bed.

Meggie

06-06-2005, 07:23 AM

Meg-- I'm glad to hear that you are taking my advice!

I'll take any advice that I can get, thanks!!! I do use protein powder now, it's just that it's vanilla and I hate the taste of it. I'm going to go to the mall wednesday and pick out another flavor.

I just got back from the gym. Today was chest and tricep day:

Flat Bench Press 0/12 0/12 0/12
Incline Dumbbell Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Dips 90/12 90/12 90/12
Dumbbell Flyes 25/12 35/12 35/12
Tricep Press 15/12 15/12 15/12
Tricep Pushdown 20/12 20/12 20/12

I also did 20 minutes of cardio on the stairmaster. I had planned on doing 30 minutes but I was so tired and hungry that I thought I was going to pass out if I did any more! ...Bummer! So now it's off I go to have meal two!

Meggie

06-07-2005, 05:04 AM

Ok...So I'll honestly admit that yesterday was not a good day at all. It was my sister's birthday (she turned 17) and my father came home with ice cream cake!!! uh oh :( So yes, when I got home from work I had cake! I just couldn't resist. It had been so long since I had had ice cream cake that I just caved when I saw it. haha Oh well, what can you do I guess! I'll just be extra good today. I'm not sure how my meals are going to be just yet so I'll post them later.

Today is cardio and abs day and to make up for my slip yesterday I think I'll be doing extra extra cardio to burn off all that cake!

Meggie

06-07-2005, 07:40 AM

I just got back from the gym. I did cardio and abs:

I did 30 minutes on the stairstepper:
5 minute warm-up
20 minutes HIIT with one minute intervals
5 minute cool-down

I did a 30 minute moderate walk on the treadmill:
5 minutes @ 3.2, no incline
10 minutes @ 3.5, no incline
15 minutes @ 3.8, incline @ 2.0

Total Calories: ~400

For abs I did:
Crunches - 4 sets x 15 reps each
Knee / Hip Raise on Parallel Bars - 3 sets x 15 reps each
Standing Barbell Twist - 3 sets x 50 reps each

Meggie

06-07-2005, 07:44 AM

Meal One - 8:00 (pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 11:30 (post-workout)
Protein Shake:
113g Strawberry Yogurt
10 Strawberries
5 oz Protein Powder

*Question: Does the protein shake replace a meal? Or do people usually have a shake and then have an actual meal about an hour or so later?

Meal Three - 1:30
4 Egg Whites
0.5 cup Oats
2 Seal Oil Pills

Meal Four - (I'll be at work so it will be between 5:00 and 6:00)
1 small Chicken Breast
0.5 cup Brown Rice
2 Seal Oil Pills

Meal Five - 9:30 (after work)
4 oz Tuna
4 tsp Mustard
1 oz Almonds

*And I'm going to add almonds to either meal three or meal six, I'm just not sure which one yet. I guess it all depends on how hungry I am after I have meal three. Where would they fit best? Any comments on this meal plan?

The totals are: (without the seal oil pills)
Total: 1619
Fat: 35 315 21%
Sat: 5 45 3%
Poly: 9 80 5%
Mono: 16 140 9%
Carbs: 155 536 35%
Fiber: 21 0 0%
Protein: 171 683 45%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Calories with seal oil pills will be 1637 and the fat will be 37 grams. I wanted to have my calories around 1700 today but this is the closest I could get them without having carbs or fats too high.

Any suggestions?

Meggie

06-07-2005, 08:49 AM

Could someone critique my meal plan for the day. I don't want to continue with it if it is no good! I feel like I have quite a bit of carbs in there. But I am fine with how the fat and protein looks. Any suggestions would be great please and thanks!!!

aprilai

06-07-2005, 11:51 AM

Meal Two - 11:30 (post-workout)
Protein Shake:
113g Strawberry Yogurt
10 Strawberries
5 oz Protein Powder

*Question: Does the protein shake replace a meal? Or do people usually have a shake and then have an actual meal about an hour or so later?

the shake does replace a meal. i would take out the yogurt, yogurt is much slower digesting than milk, and you want all of your nutrients in at this time. you can replace it for milk, and add some more carbs like a banana

Meal Four - (I'll be at work so it will be between 5:00 and 6:00)
1 small Chicken Breast
0.5 cup Brown Rice
2 Seal Oil Pills

eat between 3-4 too, this is 3:30-5hrs apart, a VERY long period of time and your last meal must've been digested long before already.

*And I'm going to add almonds to either meal three or meal six, I'm just not sure which one yet. I guess it all depends on how hungry I am after I have meal three. Where would they fit best? Any comments on this meal plan?

if you continue to hve meal 2 as PWO, then don't eat a meal with fats before or after it.

everything else looks good

Briar

06-07-2005, 03:11 PM

Meal One - 8:00 (pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 11:30 (post-workout)
Protein Shake:
113g Strawberry Yogurt
10 Strawberries
5 oz Protein Powder

I AGREE WITH MAYBE CHANGING TO MILK AND ADDING A BANANA, CHUCK IT IN THE FREEZER BEFORE YOU GO THEN WHEN IT COMES TO MAKE YOUR SHAKE CHUCK IN THE FROZEN BANANA!!! SOOOOO GOOOD :d

*Question: Does the protein shake replace a meal? Or do people usually have a shake and then have an actual meal about an hour or so later?
I HAVE A SHAKE (JUST WHEY AND WATER) AND 1/2 A BANANA AS SOON AS I LEAVE THE GYM IN THE CAR ON THE WAY HOME, THEN ABOUR 30-40MIN LATER I HAVE A PROPER MEAL OF CARBS AND PROETIN

Meal Three - 1:30
4 Egg Whites
0.5 cup Oats IF IT FITS IN I WOULD HAVE MORE CARBS HERE AS THIS IS THE FIRST MEAL AFTER YOUR WORKOUT TAKE OUT THE FATS TO, YOU SHOULDNT HAVE FATS ABOUT 2 HOURS EITHER SIDE OF A WORKOUT ONLY CARBS AND PROTEIN
2 Seal Oil Pills

Meal Four - (I'll be at work so it will be between 5:00 and 6:00)
1 small Chicken Breast
0.5 cup Brown Rice
2 Seal Oil Pills
GOOD

Meal Five - 9:30 (after work)
4 oz Tuna
4 tsp Mustard
1 oz Almonds
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM GREAT

*And I'm going to add almonds to either meal three or meal six, I'm just not sure which one yet. I guess it all depends on how hungry I am after I have meal three. Where would they fit best? Any comments on this meal plan?

MEAL 6 FOR THE ALMONDS OR MORE AT MEAL 5

The totals are: (without the seal oil pills)
Total: 1619
Fat: 35 315 21%
Sat: 5 45 3%
Poly: 9 80 5%
Mono: 16 140 9%
Carbs: 155 536 35%
Fiber: 21 0 0%
Protein: 171 683 45%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

LOOKING GREAT OTHERWISE

abbs

06-07-2005, 04:00 PM

Calories with seal oil pills will be 1637 and the fat will be 37 grams. I wanted to have my calories around 1700 today but this is the closest I could get them without having carbs or fats too high.

Any suggestions?

If you are trying to reach 1700 cals then you don't need to worry about having higher carbs. High carbs will not make you gain weight, excess calories will. So if you want to be hitting 1700, definitely add some carbs for energy (as you already have a good amount of protein and sufficient fats).

Meggie

06-08-2005, 04:44 AM

Thanks for the suggestions ladies! I think I'm scared to put my carbs any higher because of all the hype going around stating that carbs make you gain weight. I'm not sure about todays meal plan yet but I'll post it a little later.

I was SUPPOSE to go to the mall today to pick up some protein and L-glutamine but I've been called into work today and friday, which were suppose to be my days off! :( What can you do I guess. *MONEY*

I'm also not sure if I'll be making it to the gym today. I've been so tired lately from working so many days straight. Plus the "person" that I work with doesn't make it any easier either. While I work my a$$ off trying to get the cafeteria clean and keeping up with all the work we have to do, they sit on their a$$ behind the counter and did NOTHING! So when it's time to go home I'm exhausted and it's been the same thing the last few days. I've tried to get enough sleep but in order to get to the gym I have to be up earlier than usual. We'll see how I feel though, I might make it. If not, then I'll take today off and go saturday (which was suppose to be my day off).

Meggie

06-08-2005, 05:15 AM

What is BMI (body mass index)?
Apparently mine is 21?!

Meggie

06-08-2005, 08:03 AM

So I did decide to take the day off the gym. I am just way too tired today and it probably wont do me any good to go to the gym with no energy.

I find it very hard eating the same foods over and over again so today I'm trying to add a few things into my diet which I will post and any suggestions are welcome.

Meal One - 8:15
1 cup Fiber One
1/2 cup Fat Free Skim Milk
1 Medium Banana

Meal Two - 11:30
2 slices Whole Grain Bread
4 oz Tuna
4 tsp Mustard
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Three - ~2:30 (I'll be heading off to work so again it has to be a quick snack)
113g Fat Free Fruit Yogurt
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Four - 5:30
1 Large Tortilla
2/3 cup Cheddar/Mozzarella Cheese
0.5 cup Vegetables (mainly green pepper and tomato, maybe onion or mushroom)
1 cup Chicken

Meal Five - 9:30 (after work)
1 oz Almonds

I know it was mentioned by someone earlier that I eat something else between meals four and five but it's pretty much impossible for me to eat at that time as I will be busy at work. As you all know I work in at a cafeteria so between serving customers and doing all the cleaning I really have no time. But I might be able to split meal four into two meals if, by chance, it is not a busy night. As for the almonds at 9:30, I'm hoping I won't be too hungry after work. I'll be going to bed around 10:00-10:30 so I'm not really up to eating so close to bed.

Totals are:
Total: 1426
Fat: 34 306 22%
Sat: 7 66 5%
Poly: 7 61 4%
Mono: 15 132 10%
Carbs: 179 552 40%
Fiber: 41 0 0%
Protein: 129 517 38%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

And question for anyone who may be able to give me an answer:
I came across a website that someone had posted in another thread, www.exercisefriends.com I believe, and it had a calorie calculater. All you had to do was fill in your weight and height and it calculated how many calories you should be eating a day to maintain your current weight. For me it calculated that I should be having at least 2000 calories a day. THAT'S CRAZY! Has anyone else ever tried doing this before on that website? I just thought that was way too many calories for me to be having everyday. If I ate that many calories I'd be scared I was going to gain weight. So I'm just curious as to whether it is accurate or not.

GHGirl7205

06-08-2005, 09:45 AM

I just wanted to say hello and *hugs* to you too... have you ever heard of Myspace.com? I am on there and I'm in a fitness group and General Hospital group. The fitness group is actually where I heard of this site : ) but the GH is very interesting to chat about what is going on in General Hospital. Thanks for the moral support hehe Off to do a couple blocks around the park for my lunch break! : )
Nikki

Meggie

06-08-2005, 10:06 AM

...have you ever heard of Myspace.com? I am on there and I'm in a fitness group and General Hospital group. The fitness group is actually where I heard of this site : ) but the GH is very interesting to chat about what is going on in General Hospital.

Yes I have heard of myspace.com but I never took the time to check it out. It sounds very interesting, I'll have to check it out after work! And no problem about the support, I'll give all I can as I need plenty as well!

Megin

06-08-2005, 11:55 AM

And question for anyone who may be able to give me an answer:
I came across a website that someone had posted in another thread, www.exercisefriends.com I believe, and it had a calorie calculater. All you had to do was fill in your weight and height and it calculated how many calories you should be eating a day to maintain your current weight. For me it calculated that I should be having at least 2000 calories a day. THAT'S CRAZY! Has anyone else ever tried doing this before on that website? I just thought that was way too many calories for me to be having everyday. If I ate that many calories I'd be scared I was going to gain weight. So I'm just curious as to whether it is accurate or not.

Hey girl!!! Thanks for posting in my journal...Yea, I love spelling my name "Megin" I am a horrible speller as you will soon find out, so it absolutly fits my personality. I really spell it Megan

Mmm, personally, I wouldn´t trust the computer calculations. Sometimes they come close, but you need to remember that every one´s metabolism and body responds differently to things. There are multiple ways to figure out how many cals you should be eating.
Mmm, also 2000 is really not that much for someone who works out...check out some of the other journals and you will see that most are hanging around 1800-2200. Those are common numbers for people trying to gain LBM...as long as your food is clean, you will find that you are able to eat so many much more than before!!

Hope that helps!!

aprilai

06-08-2005, 12:22 PM

^ i agree with megin! those calculations are very general, but 2000 cals isn't a lot especially for your size and lifestyle. if you increase your calorie intake slowly,you might find that you can eat at that range and can maintain it and perhaps lose fat as long as you continue to eat, train and rest well.

your calorie intake is low today, you should try to increase it some more. how about add a cup of cottage cheese for your last meal?

Meggie

06-08-2005, 05:54 PM

Hey girl!!! Thanks for posting in my journal...Yea, I love spelling my name "Megin" I am a horrible speller as you will soon find out, so it absolutly fits my personality. I really spell it Megan

Ohhh ok I thought it was actually spelt Meg"i"n...I thought it was kind of strange! haha I know a lot of people that spell it Megan. I'm actually 1 of 2 people I know that spell it Meghan. It sure is a popular name though. I used to hate it but I guess I've gotten used to it by now.

Meggie

06-08-2005, 06:00 PM

So tomorrow is PAY DAY! and I finally get a day off for myself. I think I'll for sure be heading in the mall sometime tomorrow to pick up a different flavor protein and possibly some L-glutamine.

I thought those calculations were a little off. As of now I can't imagine myself eating that much. But maybe I'll be able to increase my calories slowly as I begin to see a little progress.

Oh I also had a question, well not a questions per se just a verification...The legal age in the US is 21 correct? I noticed that Megin has turned 21 and most of her posts are about going out on the town and such. I'm from Canada and the legal age here is 19!!

Paichka

06-08-2005, 09:33 PM

Meggie,

I recommend Whey Gourmet or Met-RX Vanilla, either of those flavors are really good. What other supps are you looking at?

Oh, and BMI is a kind of useless indicator of body mass -- it's based only on your weight and height, so people with a lot of muscle tend to have a higher BMI. Bodyfat percentage is a better indicator of overall health.

Sunny

Meggie

06-09-2005, 04:38 AM

What other supps are you looking at?

I'm really not sure of what other supplements to get. I was just going to go with the protein powder and L-glutamine but if any has any other suggestions it'd be great!

I recommend Whey Gourmet or Met-RX Vanilla, either of those flavors are really good.

I don't really like the vanilla flavor. I was going to go with some sort of chocolate, something along that line. But I guess it all depends on what GNC has in store when I head in. Does anyone recommend any other flavors?

Meggie

06-09-2005, 08:24 AM

Today was back and biceps day. I did (in order of how they were done):

Pullups 90/12 90/12 90/12
Cable Rows 45/12 45/12 45/12
Lat Pulldowns 50/12 50/12 50/12
Hyperextensions 105/12 105/12 105/12
Alternate Dumbbell Curls (15lb dumbbells) 30/12 30/12 30/12
Cable Curls 15/12 15/12 15/12

I also did abs (I decided that I am going to do abs every second day) and cardio:
30 minutes on the stairstepper (HIIT)
-1 minute intervals
-5 minute warm-up
-5 minute cool-down

I must say that this really works up a sweat!!!

Meggie

06-10-2005, 07:27 AM

Today was shoulders day:

Seated Dumbbell Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Standing Upright Dumbbell Row 20/12 20/12 20/12
Side Lateral Raise 35/12 35/12 35/12
Rear Lateral Flyes 25/12 25/12 35/12
Shruggs 30/12 30/12 30/12

I had planned on doing a little bit of cardio but by the time I was finished my workout the cardio room was JAM PACKED! So I decided it'd be a little too warm to do any cardio today. I guess it won't hurt?

aprilai

06-10-2005, 01:33 PM

instead of doing the military press seated, do them standing up. doing seated overhead presses compresses the spine dangerously.

moon girl

06-10-2005, 01:41 PM

I don't like whey gourmet protein at all... I tried raspberry and orange creamsicle and I didn't like either of them. I also don't like GNC 'home brand' chocolate, just FYI :)

I recently bought RCA whey in banana flavor and that stuff is divine *drools*

freakeefranky

06-10-2005, 05:31 PM

I recently bought RCA whey in banana flavor and that stuff is divine *drools*

ooooo really?gotta try that...i'm not too fond of choc either

Meggie

06-10-2005, 05:52 PM

instead of doing the military press seated, do them standing up. doing seated overhead presses compresses the spine dangerously.

Military Press? I don't understand...I don't do this?

abbs

06-11-2005, 01:37 AM

Military press = shoulder press

Meggie

06-11-2005, 05:16 AM

Military press = shoulder press

Ohhh ok!

Meggie

06-11-2005, 05:54 AM

aprilai

06-11-2005, 06:05 AM

Meggie

06-11-2005, 06:31 AM

don't question every bite of food you eat.

I just thought I'd get someone else's opinion on them. Unlike coffee and tea I figured they were full of sugar and fat. Trust me, I don't question everything I eat. If I did, I'd be eating nothing.

terracotta

06-11-2005, 06:48 AM

How bad is it to drink a french vanilla cappucinno every once in a while? I LOVEEE them and haven't had one in a while but was just wondering what was so wrong with them. I looked one up on www.fitday.com and for a 6 oz cappucinno it showed that there was 58 calories, 3 grams of fat and protein, and 5 grams of carbs.

nonono a fitday cappuchino is expresso + steamed/frothed milk.

A french vanilla cappuchino from tim hortons (which I'm assuming you mean) is VERY bad for you. They are just full of sugar. I suggest dropping them.

Here is the link to the tim hortons nutrition info:
http://www.timhortons.com/en/menu/menu_info.html

A 10 oz (medium) cappuchino has 250 calories (YIKES).

If you like it a lot go buy a milk frother (they are like 20$ at canadian tire and make "real" capuchinos with coffee + frothed milk). I think those taste better anyway. And I don't put sugar in them.

freakeefranky

06-11-2005, 06:51 AM

Trust me, I don't question everything I eat. If I did, I'd be eating nothing.

lol me too! i'm not an expert in this area(nutrition) ,perhaps abbs n briar could help u... but i agree with aprilai...so long as u have them as TREATS not as part of your diet then it's fine...after healthy eating,ur body deserves an extra bit of fat and caffeine...no harm..some of us have free days where we can eat whatever we want for that ONE day..the body for life program suggests once a week, but i have mine once every two weeks. i don't crave a lot of junk anymore though i did at first, and it feels good to reward urself after working hard...

abbs

06-11-2005, 03:17 PM

Bumping what everyone else has said, YES you can have it once in a while so dont worry about it! It won't hurt your progress at all. And allowing yourself the things you enjoy will make it easier to stick to your clean eating the rest of the time.

Briar

06-11-2005, 03:18 PM

if you can limit them to a treat maybe once or if you really love them 2 times a week but you just have to make sure they fit into your daily cals!!! 250cals is alot thats a whole meal almost, i agree on the trying to make you own at home idea!! you can always order/buy the divinci syrups everyone talks about on these boards and im sure they have a vanilla one and there you go a home made Vanilla Capaccinno. :D

abbs

06-11-2005, 03:23 PM

If its the 58 calorie one then yeah its OK, but if its the 250 calorie one then as Briar suggested I would make it part of daily cals...but I wouldnt have it very often, Id definitely go for a lower sugar option.

Megin

06-12-2005, 05:06 AM

Oh I also had a question, well not a questions per se just a verification...The legal age in the US is 21 correct? I noticed that Megin has turned 21 and most of her posts are about going out on the town and such. I'm from Canada and the legal age here is 19!!

Yup, 21 is the legal drinking age in the States.
Since I am in Spain, its like 18 here I think, so it wasn´t really a big deal. lol :)
Yea, Canada is different as well. Sigh, the US doesn´t much approve of the alcoholic beverages.

Meggie

06-12-2005, 06:23 AM

Ok...Ladies...I think I just found my inspiration: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pauline.htm#top

WOW is all I can say!!! This is what I would love to look like. She is in such good shape. She's not too big and doesn't look masculine like other women I've seen. She's still so feminine.

Ok...I'm hooked now, that's all I needed to see! haha
:)

Meggie

06-12-2005, 10:11 AM

Yes, today was the day! ...It was my favorite day of the week!!! :rolleyes: ...Today was LEG DAY!:

Hack Squats 20/12 20/10 20/10
Leg Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Lunges 20/12 20/12 20/10
Seated Calf Raises 45/12 45/12 45/12 45/12
Leg Curl 20/12 30/10 30/10

I didn't have much energy today at all (I'll post my meal plan later). My boyfriend was packing this morning to leave for another week away to work so my eating wasn't very well organized as I was gone most of the morning helping him and saying goodbye. I think the no energy (lack of carbs) was the reason I could only do 10 reps for some sets.

Meggie

06-12-2005, 10:16 AM

I'm doing this and I'm sticking to it! After reading several articles by Pauline Nordin and viewing some of her pictures I've decided that I can do this! And I'm not going to let myself be discouraged anymore. This is what I want and I'm going to achieve it!!!

Meal One - 9:00
1 cup Oatmeal
2 oz Whey Vanilla Protein Powder (I STILL haven't gotten another flavor)
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 12:30 (this is where it's not...good, this is pre-workout)
1 oz Tuna
1/2 Protein Shake:
1/2 cup Fat Free Skim Milk
1/2 scoop Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 Medium Banana

Meal Three - 2:15 (post-workout)
1/2 Protein Shake:
1/2 Fat Free Skim Milk
1/2 scoop Whey Vanilla Protein Powder
1/2 Medium Banana

Meal Four - 3:15
3 oz Tuna

Meal Five - 6:15
1/2 cup Corn
1/4 cup Brown Rice
1 Medium Chicken Breast
1 tbsp Ketchup
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Six - 9:15
1 oz Almonds
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Total: 1562
Fat: 37 335 22%
Sat: 7 62 4%
Poly: 9 82 5%
Mono: 16 140 9%
Carbs: 139 484 32%
Fiber: 18 0 0%
Protein: 170 681 45%
Alcohol: 0 0 0

Meggie

06-12-2005, 10:27 AM

I've seen it said a few times that some people, when logging their meals into www.fitday.com, do not inclue vegetables. Is this true? Do you not include them at all?

PinkJeanie

06-12-2005, 11:56 AM

I record EVERYTHING on fitday.com... that includes veggies of course! Why would someone not include them?? That's like saying that you did not eat them!

Meggie

06-12-2005, 12:01 PM

I record EVERYTHING on fitday.com... that includes veggies of course! Why would someone not include them?? That's like saying that you did not eat them!

That's exactly what I thought but I noticed it in another journal so I thought I'd ask about it.

aprilai

06-12-2005, 12:15 PM

Meggie

06-12-2005, 02:01 PM

Is there a certain brand of glutamine that is more beneficial than another? I'm thinking about ordering that and protein powder online because I just have no time lately to get into the mall. It's annoying! :(

abbs

06-12-2005, 03:50 PM

it depends on how strict you are.

most vegetables like lettuce and spinach are so low in cals, you have to A LOT for them to equal to 100cals. even then, i don't believe you can get fat from vegetables. most of the carbs from vegetables is fiber. i count them as free calories.

I agree. Most vegetables will give your body hardly any energy by the time your body has digested them because of the fiber content and the energy used up in the digestion process. I eat a lot of veges and only count about 100cals towards my daily totals (this excludes starchy veges like corn, potato etc). In my opinion if you are eating less than 3 cups of low cal veges I wouldn't bother to count them, but if you eating up to 6 cups then just count about 100cals. If I counted all the vege cals I ate then I think I would slow down my metabolism because it doesn't provide your body with enough energy.

Briar

06-12-2005, 11:00 PM

Hey Hun i think you cals are a little low for you!!!! Was there a reason for this or is this the amount of cals you are comsumong everyday :D

Meggie

06-13-2005, 04:32 AM

Hey Hun i think you cals are a little low for you!!!! Was there a reason for this or is this the amount of cals you are comsumong everyday :D

I didn't intend for them to be this low. It's just the way it turned out when I planned my meals last night. However, it could still change - it was sort of just a quideline for me so I had an idea of what I was having.

Meggie

06-13-2005, 05:39 AM

Before breakfast I did 40 minutes of moderate walking on the treadmill, I was going to go for a walk outside but it started raining this morning:
5 minute warm-up @ 3.2
15 minutes @ 3.5
15 minutes @ 3.8
5 minute cool-down @ 3.2
It gets pretty warm doing cardio in a small confined room!

I'm now having meal one (9:30) so my day is going to be a little later today which means that I'll have to reorganized the meals I had planned for today. I'll re-post all of my meals later today as well as my workout; today is chest and triceps day.

Ok...Here is my workout for today, I did chest, triceps, and abs:
Dips 90/12 90/12 90/12
Flat Bench Press 0/12 0/12 0/12
Incline Dumbbell Press 20/12 20/12 20/12
Tricep Pushdown 20/12 20/12 20/12
Tricep Press 15/12 15/12 15/12 (starting using the newer 15 lb dumbbells for the last set, apparently they are heavier)

Meggie

06-13-2005, 06:02 AM

boy does my butt hurt from my leg workout yesterday!!!

Meggie

06-13-2005, 06:21 PM

Ok, so I know I said I was planning on getting protein etc. etc. about a week ago but work was so busy I had no time. I now have two days off so I am going to head in the mall early tomorrow to pick up whatever I need and if something is not there then I plan on ordering it online. I just wanted to ask one more time if anyone had any suggestions on supplements.

I am already taking a multivitamin and seal oil capsule everyday.
I plan on getting protein: I hear that cookies and cream muscle milk is good. Any other suggestions?
I also plan on getting glutamine as Kelly had suggested before. Is there any particular brand that is better than another?
Are fat burners worth taking? I sort of have the urge to try them but I'm not sure if they're worth it.

Any other suggestions would be great! I really don't know anything about this stuff.
Thanks!

freakeefranky

06-14-2005, 12:42 AM

boy does my butt hurt from my leg workout yesterday!!!
one time my coach made me do so many explosive jumps in gymnastics training, the next day i nearly fell in the toilet bowl cos my legs n butt had no strength left lol

Meggie

06-14-2005, 04:25 AM

one time my coach made me do so many explosive jumps in gymnastics training, the next day i nearly fell in the toilet bowl cos my legs n butt had no strength left lol

HAHAHA Franky that is so funny! lol I did the exact same thing...I kind of had to lower myself down! lol!

Meggie

06-14-2005, 06:34 AM

Well I'm now heading in the mall to pick up some things so since I had no suggestions on supplements I'll be deciding on this myself. I just hope I get the right stuff. I'll let you know what I get when I return.

freakeefranky

06-14-2005, 06:53 AM

:D it was a memorable moment hehee...just hope it doesn't happen again..good luck with the supplements...didn't realise u needed help! soz!

Meggie

06-14-2005, 10:45 AM

I just got back from the mall. I had planned on getting muscle milk after reading so much about it but the GNC here didn't have any. They only carry whey protein so I got Whey Gourmet Cookies and Cream. I'll try this and see how I like it. It has 2 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbs, and 21 grams of protein in one scoop. I also got l-glutamine but the only brand there was GNC. Is there any difference here or just the fact that it is cheaper? I was also going to get a fat burner but I decided that I would see how the dieting works first and if I don't get the results I am hoping for then I might pick one up and give it a go.

Any comments on what I got?

Meggie

06-14-2005, 03:07 PM

I need some guidance on how to take the glutamine. I bought the GNC brand which has 90 capsules per bottle (600mg each). On the bottle it says to take one a day. When is the best time to take glutamine?

Meggie

06-14-2005, 03:28 PM

When is it best to do cardio if you are going to do weights and cardio the same day? I've read 1) that it's not good to do cardio before breakfast on an empty stomach, 2) cardio should not be done before weight training, 3) cardio should not be done after weight training, 4) cardio should be done 8 hours apart from weight training if being done the same day. So then, when do you do cardio? On the days I have to work (3:00pm-9:00pm) I only have the morning to do my workout.

sherdi

06-14-2005, 03:34 PM

I love Whey Gourmet! :D With regards to cardio, if you are doing HIIT cardio you shouldn't do it on an empty stomach, but if your cardio is moderate (say a fast walk) you could do as soon as you got up. If doing HIIT and also wanting to lift on the same day I would leave at least 5-6hours between the two, say do one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Just make sure you eat before HIIT and also make sure you eat enough carbs for both. I have also heard cardio should not be done before weight training because it it catabolic. How about alternating your cardio with your weight training. This is what I do now and find it helps. I do 3 weight and 4 cardio sessions per week (2 HIIT and 1 moderate). I am by no means an expert but hopefully this will help! Good luck! :)

abbs

06-14-2005, 03:52 PM

Bump on everything Sherdi said. Treat a HIIT session as if it were a weights workout, make sure you have protein/carbs before and after. And I agree that it is best to alternate cardio with weight training day, if I do HIIT in the morning and then go lift in the afternoon I don't have as much energy. But again, its a personal preference so see what works for you and fits in with your schedule. (low-moderate cardio on the mornings of lifting days would be OK I think).

Meggie

06-14-2005, 03:54 PM

(low-moderate cardio on the mornings of lifting days would be OK I think).

Would it be okay on an empty stomach though or should I eat something before hand?

abbs

06-14-2005, 04:04 PM

Personally, the only thing I would remotely consider doing on an empty stomach is walking, but even then you might still run the risk of burning muscle for energy. So I think its always best to fuel yourself before hand as I really don't see the point in doing fasted cardio.

Meggie

06-14-2005, 04:15 PM

I've been trying to work out a meal plan that I can stick to but I'm finding it hard trying to keep the ratios at a good balance. Does this look okay?

Meal One - 9:00 (pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - 12:00 (post-workout)
1 cup Skim Milk
1 scoop Whey Gourmet Cookies and Cream
1 Medium Apple

Meal Three - 3:00
1 cup Oats
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Four - 6:00
2 Small Chicken Breasts
2 cups Lettuce
~1 cup Vegetables (cucumber / green pepper / tomato)
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Five - 9:00
0.5 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard

~
Total: 1750
Fat: 39 349 21%
Sat: 9 83 5%
Poly: 10 91 6%
Mono: 14 128 8%
Carbs: 159 522 32%
Fiber: 28 0 0%
Protein: 190 759 47%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Meggie

06-14-2005, 07:03 PM

I'm heading to bed now but I'm still waiting for someone to explain the glutamine to me; when I should take it etc. etc. If anyone could, I'd like to know in the morning just incase they are suppose to be taken before workout / after workout / whatever. Thanks!

Briar

06-15-2005, 12:06 AM

OK HERE IS MY THOUGHTS

Meal One - 9:00 (pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
1 Multivitamin
GOOD, MAYBE HAVE SOME PROTEIN HERE TO, WHAT ABOUT EGG WHITES IN YOUR OATIES

Meal Two - 12:00 (post-workout)
1 cup Skim Milk
1 scoop Whey Gourmet Cookies and Cream
1 Medium Apple
IMMEDIATLY POST WORKOUT HAVE YOUR SHAKE AND A BANANA MIXED IN OR ON ITS OWN!!! GREAT TO REPLACE LOST NUTRIENTS THROUGH WORKING OUT
DONT COUNT THIS SHAKE AS A MEAL

THEN ABOUT 1/2 HOUR LATER YOU NEED A DECENT MEAL OF CARBS AND PROTEIN AGAIN

Meal Three - 3:00
1 cup Oats
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard
2 Seal Oil Capsules
GOOD MEAL, ARE SEAL OIL CAPSULES FOR YOUR GOOD FATS!!!

Meal Four - 6:00
2 Small Chicken Breasts
2 cups Lettuce
~1 cup Vegetables (cucumber / green pepper / tomato)
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Five - 9:00
0.5 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard
THIS IS OK BUT COTTAGE CHEESE AND ALMONDS WOULD BE ALOT BETTER

Briar

06-15-2005, 12:07 AM

abbs

06-15-2005, 01:20 AM

Yeah I agree need some protein in your breakfast, perhaps egg whites or protein powder mixed in with the oats. Swap the apple for a banana in the post workout shake, and if you still want the apple put it in breakfast and lower your oats to 3/4 cup (is that a dry measure?). And as Briar said you need another meal in there after your shake (around 1 hr after your shake).

If I remember rightly you dont like cottage cheese right? Casein protein is great before bed, so perhaps you could add some milk/or fat free low sugar yoghurt in your last meal.

Your fats and ratios look good.

Meggie

06-15-2005, 04:04 AM

Meal One - 9:00 (pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
1 Multivitamin
GOOD, MAYBE HAVE SOME PROTEIN HERE TO, WHAT ABOUT EGG WHITES IN YOUR OATIES
-I mixed in 1 tbsp of protein with the oats this morning.

Meal Two - 12:00 (post-workout)
1 cup Skim Milk
1 scoop Whey Gourmet Cookies and Cream
1 Medium Apple
IMMEDIATLY POST WORKOUT HAVE YOUR SHAKE AND A BANANA MIXED IN OR ON ITS OWN!!! GREAT TO REPLACE LOST NUTRIENTS THROUGH WORKING OUT
DONT COUNT THIS SHAKE AS A MEAL
-So you are saying that the banana replaces lost nutrients? And even if the banana wasn't going to be in the shake it would be better to have than the apple?

Meal Three - 3:00
1 cup Oats
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard
2 Seal Oil Capsules
GOOD MEAL, ARE SEAL OIL CAPSULES FOR YOUR GOOD FATS!!!
-Yes they are!

Meal Five - 9:00
0.5 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna w/ 2 tsp Mustard
THIS IS OK BUT COTTAGE CHEESE AND ALMONDS WOULD BE ALOT BETTER
-I don't like cottage cheese remember! That is why the tuna is there instead.

Meggie

06-15-2005, 04:05 AM

Not 100% sure on the exact science but i have 1 teaspoon glutamine before my workout (in pre workout oats) then 1 teaspoon after workout in PWO shake :D not sure if this is the correct way to have it :D

Since the bottle says to take one a day would it be best to take it pre-workout or post-workout?

Meggie

06-15-2005, 04:24 AM

I found a bottle of creatine that my father had been using. Would that be of any benefit for me to take now? If so, do you just include it in your protein shake? And...What exactly does it do?

abbs

06-15-2005, 04:25 AM

So you are saying that the banana replaces lost nutrients? And even if the banana wasn't going to be in the shake it would be better to have than the apple?

Yes thats right, the banana gives your body a good dose of potassium, vit C, vit B, carbs (fructose and glucose) so is great PWO, and its higher GI than apples, so that is why its a better fruit choice PWO. Apples are better off at other times of the day because they have a higher level of fructose and fiber so are slower digesting. So you can add the banana to your shake (it makes it really smooth and creamy) or just eat it on its own after/before your shake.

Meggie

06-15-2005, 06:55 AM

Meal One - 7:30 (yes, it was an early morning for me!...pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
1 tbsp Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream
1 Multivitamin

Workout (back / biceps):
Pullups 90/12 90/12 90/12
Seated Cable Row 45/12 45/12 45/12
Lat Pulldown 50/12 50/12 60/12
Hyperextensions 105/12 105/12 120/12
Alternate Dumbbell Curls 30/12 30/12 30/12
Cable Curls 15/12 15/12 15/12

Meal Two - 10:45 (post-workout)
1 scoop (4 tbsp) Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream
1 cup Low Fat 1% Milk (my father bought the wrong kind!!!)
1 Medium Banana (not in the shake)
600mg L-Glutamine (I'm really not sure when I should be taking this but I figured after the workout would be a good time, someone correct me if it should be taken at another time?)

Meal Three - 12:00
1/4 cup Oats
2 oz Tuna with 2 tsp Mustard

Meal Four - 3:00 (just a snack)
1 Medium Banana
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Five - 5:30-6:00
2 Small Chicken Breasts
2 cups Lettuce (salad with cucumber / tomato/ green pepper)
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Six - 8:00-9:00 (pre-bed)
1/2 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna with 2 tsp Mustard

Total: 1645
Fat: 37 337 22%
Sat: 10 91 6%
Poly: 9 79 5%
Mono: 13 116 7%
Carbs: 144 486 31%
Fiber: 23 0 0%
Protein: 183 730 47%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Meggie

06-15-2005, 07:26 AM

Just to let everyone know, the cookies n cream is much better than that rotten vanilla!! :)

Meggie

06-15-2005, 07:46 AM

Megin

06-15-2005, 08:04 AM

Just a general question for anyone...On average, how many carbs do you consume per day? As of now my carbs are at 158 grams for the day, unless something ends up changing, and to me that's a lot! Am I just overreacting? Is this a suitable amount for one day?

Well, the amount will be personal to you and what your activities are for that day or any day. Its not really that high if you are active. You can go higher one day and lower on an off day, that way your body gets confused and you keep one step ahead of it--fun fun!
Hope that helps a bit.

Ha, agreed. the cookie and cream is better- simply because it has the word "cookie" in it! They are sooo my weakness!!!!!

Meggie

06-15-2005, 09:28 AM

I don't feel like I am getting enough out of my workout. It seems like I am not doing enough and I feel like I will not get the results that I am hoping for. I think I am going to try to set up a new workout routine sometime today and I'll start it on sunday. Maybe if I do only one body part a day I will feel better about the workout and more positive about seeing results. When I plan the new routine I will post it to see what everyone thinks about it. Does anyone else feel that if they work one body part a day they will see better results or just even feel better about their workout?

Meggie

06-15-2005, 11:02 AM

Ok...Change of plans again! I've decided that I'm not going to weight train 5 days a week. I'm going to stick to the four day split. However, I didn't feel like I was doing enough for my biceps and triceps so I've added one to two exercises for them on that day. I'm also going to add an intense ab day on the day I work shoulders. I'll probably do abs one or two other days but not intense, just a few exercises.

For abs, I was wondering if anyone could recommend good exercises. I know there are tons of exercises out there but I've never really tried any of them. Any suggestions on what I should do? For the intense ab day I'll probably do four to six exercises; I'll treat my abs as if I was doing arms, etc.

Meggie

06-15-2005, 01:32 PM

Sunday = Legs
Hack Squat
Dumbbell Rear Lunge
Leg Press
Leg Curl
Seated Calf Raise
Glute Kickback

Monday = Chest/Triceps
Dips
Incline Dumbbell Press
Flat Bench Press
Machine Bench Press
Tricep Pushdown
Tricep Press
Tricep Dumbbell Kickback

Tuesday = HIIT
30 minutes on the stairstepper
5 minute warm-up
20 minutes, 1 minute intervals
5 minute cool-down

Wednesday = Back/Biceps
Pullups
Seated Cable Rows
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldowns
Hyperextensions
Alternate Dumbbell Curls
Standing Bicep Cable Curls
Concentration Curls

Thursday = Shoulders/Intense Abs
Seated Dumbbell Press
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row
Side Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Shruggs
Rear Lateral Flyes
Front Dumbbell Raise

Friday = HIIT
30 minutes on the stairstepper
5 minute warm-up
20 minutes, 1 minute intervals
5 minute cool-down

Saturday = off

I also plan on doing an hour of moderate walking outside on my days off work and depending on how many days I actually have off I may wake up early other days to get the hour in.

GHGirl7205

06-15-2005, 01:39 PM

I wanted to post something on YOUR journal hehe... and I couldnt think of anything to say hehe cause you are farther along in the process than me : ) I guess just keep up the good work and maybe I'll be able to do better workouts like yours after the wedding when I will have more money flexibilty again! and more time and less stress! lol

Keep up the good work and keep up on GH! LOL!

Meggie

06-15-2005, 01:44 PM

Keep up the good work and keep up on GH! LOL!

haha Oh I've been trying but it's so hard with work! GH starts at 4:00 and I have work from 3:00-9:00! :( haha Actually, I watched it today and was sort of confused. I didn't really know what was going on because I hadn't seen it in a few days! I'm catching up though! haha :)

Thanks for the encouragement! Same goes to you...Keep up the good work and you'll succeed! The working out aspect of it all is okay for me but it's just getting a damn diet in order. Everytime I organize a diet for myself I feel like I am eating to much, or not enough, and then I find myself starting all over again and reorganizing everything! However, right now I am going through other journals trying to take bits and pieces from other ladies hoping to find something that I like! :)

abbs

06-15-2005, 02:33 PM

Meal One - 7:30 (yes, it was an early morning for me!...pre-workout)
1 cup Oats
1 tbsp Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream
1 Multivitamin

How much protein is in a tablespoon? I would aim for around 15-20gms of protein in this meal.

Workout (back / biceps):
Pullups 90/12 90/12 90/12
Seated Cable Row 45/12 45/12 45/12
Lat Pulldown 50/12 50/12 60/12
Hyperextensions 105/12 105/12 120/12
Alternate Dumbbell Curls 30/12 30/12 30/12
Cable Curls 15/12 15/12 15/12

Meal Two - 10:45 (post-workout)
1 scoop (4 tbsp) Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream
1 cup Low Fat 1% Milk (my father bought the wrong kind!!!)
1 Medium Banana (not in the shake)
600mg L-Glutamine (I'm really not sure when I should be taking this but I figured after the workout would be a good time, someone correct me if it should be taken at another time?)

Yeah PWO and/or Pre-WO is the best time to take Glutamine.

Meal Three - 12:00
1/4 cup Oats
2 oz Tuna with 2 tsp Mustard
You need more carbs in this meal. You want your largest meal of carbs after your workout as this is when your muscles are ready to absorb the most nutrient/energy. I would increase to 3/4-1C of oats here.

Meal Four - 3:00 (just a snack)
1 Medium Banana
2 Seal Oil Capsules

For a snack I would go for lower GI fruits like apples, pears, berries etc. Ideally you should have some protein with this like some yoghurt.

Meal Five - 5:30-6:00
2 Small Chicken Breasts
2 cups Lettuce (salad with cucumber / tomato/ green pepper)
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Six - 8:00-9:00 (pre-bed)
1/2 oz Almonds
2 oz Tuna with 2 tsp Mustard

Total: 1645
Fat: 37 337 22%
Sat: 10 91 6%
Poly: 9 79 5%
Mono: 13 116 7%
Carbs: 144 486 31%
Fiber: 23 0 0%
Protein: 183 730 47%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

Ratios look good.

abbs

06-15-2005, 02:38 PM

Just a general question for anyone...On average, how many carbs do you consume per day? As of now my carbs are at 158 grams for the day, unless something ends up changing, and to me that's a lot! Am I just overreacting? Is this a suitable amount for one day?

Yes I think you are overreacting :) There is no need to be scared of carbs, you need them for energy and without them your body may burn your muscle for energy. 150gms is a good amount, but don't be afraid to go higher. What matters most is your overall calorie intake. So don't worry about the carb grams as long as total cals, protein and fats are at a good level.

(my carbs average around 150 - 220 depending on my activity levels, Im 5ft 4, 118lbs)

Meggie

06-15-2005, 03:18 PM

How much protein is in a tablespoon? I would aim for around 15-20gms of protein in this meal.
I'm not exactly sure how much is in one tbsp but one scoop equals 5 tbsp. So it's not very much, I just wanted to add a little bit so I'd at least have some (and for taste as well).

Yeah PWO and/or Pre-WO is the best time to take Glutamine.
I've seen it said that a lot of people take two glutamine capsules a day which would equal 1g but since mine are 600mg per capsule is one a day okay?

Meggie

06-15-2005, 05:25 PM

Ok, let's try this! :o ...

Meal One (pre-workout)
1/2 cup Oats
1/2 scoop Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream

Meal Two
1 scoop Whey Gourmet Cookies n Cream
1 cup Fat Free Skim Milk
1 Medium Banana
1 Multivitamin
600mg L-Glutamine

Meal Three
1/2 cup Oats
5 Egg Whites with Ketchup (~5 tsp)

Meal Four
2 oz Tuna with Mustard (~2 tsp)
1 cup Fat Free Plain Yogurt
~10 Strawberries
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Five
2 Small Chicken Breasts
1 cup Cucumber
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Meal Six
1/2 oz Almonds (11)
2 oz Tuna with Mustard (~ 2 tsp)

Total: 1538
Fat: 35 314 22%
Sat: 9 83 6%
Poly: 8 73 5%
Mono: 13 114 8%
Carbs: 145 499 34%
Fiber: 20 0 0%
Protein: 162 647 44%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

This is just a "rough draft" though! Give me feedback feedback feedback!!! :D I need to get this nutrition under control as soon as possible! (I still think carbs are too high and not enough protein) I can never get this to work out! :(

abbs

06-15-2005, 07:30 PM

Thats looking really good Meghan, your protein and carbs are fine. Don`t be paranoid about carbs!! You need them, they are your body`s main source of energy and without them your workouts will suffer.

I would increase your post workout protein to one whole scoop of protein powder. You don`t want to skimp on protein here.

And to get your cals up a bit I would increase meal 3 (only is about 200 cals), Id increase the protein source (a few more egg whites if you can).
Also you don't seem to have a lot of veges, Id add more vegetables like brocolli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, mushrooms, eggplant, etc etc.

Meggie

06-16-2005, 03:25 AM

I found a formula last night that calculates your BMR, it was in an article I found on bodybuilding.com. The formula calculated that my BMR is 1410.08. From this, how many calories should I be eating a day? My calories, right now, sit around 1400-1500 but I know enough to know that these numbers are too close to my BMR. What should they be?

WannaBeModel

06-16-2005, 04:00 AM

Hey Meggie -

As I understand it, a lot of those calculators don't calculate according to lean body mass and make you think that you need more calories than truly necessary. Here is something Emma-Leigh wrote in my journal:

Usually I suggest that to guestimate your maintinence you either:
1/ use this rough formula:
Find your lean mass.
Convert to Kg
BMR = (21 x lean mass) + ~ 400 cals (this varies from person to person)

Multiply this by an activity factor - which for most people is something between 1.3 (not all that active) to 1.6 (train 5-6 times a week at a good intensity, moderately active in your daily life)... Most females sit at ~1.4.

or
2/ Calculate off gram requirements
0.4g fats/lean mass
1.5g protein/lean mass
2g carbs/lean mass

Give this one a try...it may be more accurate.

Your diet looks really good for today, too! If you are trying to lose fat and gain muscle and it's working on those cals, leave it as is. I wouldn't mess with it unless it is not allowing you to see that changes that you want to see.

Meggie

06-16-2005, 06:15 AM

Shoulders:

Dumbbell Shoulder Press 20/12 20/12 30/12 (10lb dumbbell/15 lb dumbbell)
Dumbbell Front Raise 30/12 30/12 30/12
Upright Rows 20/12 20/12 20/12
Side Lateral Raises 30/12 30/12 30/12
Rear Lateral Flyes 25/12 25/12 25/12
Dumbbell Shruggs 30/12 30/12 30/12 30/12

Meggie

06-17-2005, 03:38 PM

Are you suppose to take glutamine on your days off and cardio days as well or just the days you weight train?

Meggie

06-18-2005, 05:46 AM

I still haven't received any ab workout suggestions or suggestions on the workout plan I posted. Does anyone have any comments? I'd really like to have a few!

Holly~C

06-18-2005, 06:42 AM

HEY YOU

I always have a killer AB day and here are some thins I do, I usually do 12x3 of each, I always switch it up everyday I do abs because I feel there are so many great ab exercises and you just can't fit them all in, so I mix it up all the time, here are a few I will keep adding when I get my other books back, I have lent them out at the moment!!! If you have any qustions about form and how to and such just give me a holla,seated twists are great for internal and external obliques, Decline sit-up with twist agian great for obliques, make sure you are using constant tension in your abs beacuse you may start using your hip flexors, lying leg raises, seated knee-ups, sability ball crunches, you activated more ab muscle because you need to balance, crunch with feet up, hip raise targets obliques and transverse abdominus, T-stands, and plank are great too!!!!! hope this helps!!!

Meggie

06-19-2005, 11:09 AM

I haven't really been keeping up on my journal, just little entries here and there. I've had other things going on lately so I didn't really have much time to spend on here. I missed my leg workout today: my boyfriend was home again for the weekend and my friend is having her graduation party tonight so all day has been hectic with helping my boyfriend pack for another week and getting things ready for her party. I haven't posted any pictures of myself yet so if I get some good pictures tonight I may post a few (just to put a face to the name!).

I hope everyone had a great weekend, time to get ready for the party!!! :D

abbs

06-19-2005, 01:41 PM

:) Have a great time at the party Meghan! Looking forward to seeing some photos of you!!!

Briar

06-19-2005, 10:17 PM

YAY photos. Its so nice to put a face to the name :D

Meggie

06-21-2005, 10:21 AM

I swear, this job is going to be the death of me!!! :mad: I was just on my way out the door for the gym and I was called into work for 3:00-9:00! ...More posts later (after work!).

Meggie

06-22-2005, 03:51 AM

Do most of you make your protein shakes with milk or water? Just curious!

WannaBeModel

06-22-2005, 04:09 AM

Do most of you make your protein shakes with milk or water? Just curious!

For me, it depends on my daily macros and needs. If it fits into you daily needs and limits AND you like milk better, go for milk. Milk does make most shakes taste a lot better.

Meggie

06-22-2005, 04:18 AM

Milk does make most shakes taste a lot better.

Yes it does! That's why I am asking. I've noticed a lot of people mention that they don't eat or drink dairy so I was just wondering how they deal with it in water. I think it's actually really gross in water.

Meggie

06-22-2005, 04:36 AM

I was just skimming the training section of the forum and started reading a thread on when the best time to do cardio is and why. Everyone had different opinions on when is the best time. I'd like to see when most of you do your cardio and how the results are. Just another question out of curiosity!!!

Meggie

06-22-2005, 06:49 AM

Ok so I am definitely getting back to the gym tomorrow regardless of what else is going on!!! Having been called into work so many days has really messed up my workout plans. I have managed, however, to get in an hour of cardio the last two days (fast paced walk, uphill, downhill, flats). The route I take is a GREAT walk (my glutes are so sore)!!!

I'm been having problems lately sticking to my diet/routine. I feel like I've been gaining weight insteading of losing weight and it's really getting to me. I've become so frustrated and everytime I look in the mirror I just want to cry because I hate the way I look so badly. When I was at the party the other night it really hit me because most of my friends are so tiny and with the extra 10 pounds that I gained at university I feel HUGE beside them! I'm only 125lbs but it's been really depressing lately and I don't know what to do to fix it. I want to add more cardio to my routine, possibly 5 days a week: HIIT twice a week (on the days I only do cardio) and a moderate walk three other days (preferrably during the week as I do legs on sundays and saturday is my day off).

I used a formula to calculate my RMR (I found it somewhere on the internet in an article) and it's around 1400 calories. What is your RMR? I know what your BMR is but have never heard of RMR.

Any comments or suggestions to make me feel a little better ladies? haha :confused:

aprilai

06-22-2005, 07:40 AM

RMR - resting metabolic rate. energy you need to lay still in bed all day. minimum calorie intake you should be taking.

i think if you are having problems with sticking to your diet and training then what you really need at this time is to stick to it. but then you'll have to re-evaluate a few things...how long have you been doing this same routine? are you getting any progress, even though it's really small?

Meggie

06-23-2005, 05:03 AM

Since I feel like I am gaining weight instead of losing weight I am planning on going to the grocery store this afternoon to pick up a few "healthy" items that I found on a list (the list is in a sticky in the nutrition section I believe). It's sometimes hard to plan meals as I don't always have the proper foods. My parents do most of the grocery shopping and when I ask them to pick me up a few things that rarely come back with them. They always say that couldn't find it or it wasn't there. I know they just don't take the time to look for me though. What they buy is what we eat! Another reason I want to pick up a few things is to have more of a variety from day to day.

I have a question about incorporating more cardio into my routine. Would it be better to stick to HIIT twice a week and moderate cardio three times a week? Or would it be more benifical to do HIIT more than twice a week? I want to see results the fastest way possible. I also have a question about the Body-For-Life program. I'm sure you all know that it is a 12 week program so, after the 12 week challange do people stick to the diet or do most people start eating other foods? I was just wondering because from what I've seen, when people go on diets they tend to start eating they way they had before once they see the results they were striving for.

Should the number of calories be decreased on days off?

I'll probably have a few questions/comments throughout the day since I haven't been journaling much lately so you'll be seeing lots of me! :)

Meggie

06-23-2005, 05:42 AM

RMR - resting metabolic rate. energy you need to lay still in bed all day. minimum calorie intake you should be taking.

Ok ,so RMR and BMR are two different things right? If my RMR and BRM are both ~1410 then approximately how many calories should I be eating on the days I workout? I'm just taking a guess here, but on my off day my calories should probably be around my RMR correct or no?

aprilai

06-23-2005, 07:34 AM

Ok ,so RMR and BMR are two different things right? If my RMR and BRM are both ~1410 then approximately how many calories should I be eating on the days I workout? I'm just taking a guess here, but on my off day my calories should probably be around my RMR correct or no?

BMR is the energy your organs, intestines, etc. needs to function your body. lying in bed sleeping nothing for survival.

RMR is including the energy needed for exercise, processing foods, 'after burn' of exercise, etc. so basically burned at rest.

depending on your weight, height, activity level, gender, age, etc.. how tall and how much do you weigh? are you active? what's your lifestyle like? office job, physical labor, student, etc.

edit: made some slight corrections

Meggie

06-23-2005, 01:03 PM

Well, I didn't do much today as I received a letter from the college of pharmacy and unfortunately I wasn't accepted this year :(. I was, however, lucky enough to have had an interview so I guess I'll know what to expect for next year when I re-apply! I was going to try to catch up on a lot of things today but after I received the letter I wasn't in the mood for much. Maybe tonight I'll be in higher spirits and I'll be able to do the research and catching up I had planned on doing this morning!

Meggie

06-23-2005, 01:52 PM

So here it goes...
I think the last few weeks have really been an incentive for me to really focus on eating healthy and getting myself in great shape. What has happened you ask? 1) My job has had me so busy the last few weeks. I've been called in almost everyday and last minute at that! So everytime I decided I was going to wait until the afternoon to do my workout, I'd get called into work and working out would be put off for another day. Therefore, I haven't been to the gym much the last week or so. 2) At the party the other night I was looking around at how good many of my friends look (they are by no means in shape, but are thin) and it made me look at myself. I bought an awesome new outfit for the party and I hated the way I looked in it after seeing everybody else looking so good. Since I was the only one of my friends that had gone away to university I was the only one to gain the "freshman 15", or in my case 10! I am by no means fat and I don't even considered myself fat, I am just not used to being this weight. I am used to being 115lbs consistently. I would like to get back down to 115lbs or at least lose a few pounds of body fat (still not sure what my bf% is yet) and gain muscle. I wouldn't mind being 125lbs if I knew I had more muscle to show for it than fat and flab. 3) For work, we are suppose to wear black pants and a white top. I was getting dressed for work the other day and BOOM, my pants were tighter. I tried to convince myself that it was just from washing them so many times (since we have to wear them every shift) and this could be the case (or at least half of it) but I know and feel like I have gained a few pounds. As you can imagine, this discouraged me. 4) I think today was the biggest eye opener yet. When I received the letter that said I was not accepted into the pharmacy program this year I felt like, god, I am such a loser. I feel like for the last little while I have not accomplished anything for myself, to make me feel like a better person and like I am worth something. I've gained weight which I sore to myself I wouldn't do when I went away to university and I ended up gaining a ton of weight. The only girl friends that I really have are all from away (the girls I met at university). My friends at home are real bitches and it's just a waste of my time trying to deal with them. One minute they'll be your best friend and the next minute they're talking about you behind your back to everyone they bump into. I'm sure of lot of you can relate to this. I guess it's just the way most girls are but for myself, it's not worth my time to have to deal with something like that. So the only person I am with most of the time is my boyfriend but since he's been away at work I feel like I have no one. So I think this feeling has gotten me down a bit as well. And now, my goal since I was 13 years old was to get into pharmacy and it was a huge blow to the face when I didn't get in. So this mixed feelings or being alone and not accomplishing anything have put me in a really depressive state which I'd like to get out of. So, for myself, this is what I want to do:
1) Become a healthy person, both physically and emotionally.
2) Lose the 10 pounds of fat (I'm assuming) that I have gained in the last 8 months. Hopefully it will not take another 8 months to lose these 10 pounds!
3) Become toned and lean. I want to be slender but I want to be muscular and defined.

Basically, I just want to feel good about myself again. And since nobody around me realy understands this I thought I'd vent out here and get it all out in the open. Maybe this way I can actually begin to change my appearance. Anyway, feel free to NOT read anything I have just said, lol. It was mainly just for me to get it off of my chest. But any comments and suggestions are welcome if anybody is interested in giving any! :o

abbs

06-23-2005, 01:53 PM

Sorry to hear about the pharmacy college Meghan, but it seems like you have the right attitude. Obviously now is just not the right time for you to be doing that, so consider it a good experience that you can learn from and look forward. You are right, you were lucky to get an interview so you should be very proud of that :)

With regards to your calorie range its going to be a bit of trial and error, but I would suggest something around 1600-1800 cals to start with. Keep track and monitor your progress and then change if you need. Its also very important to listen to your body and if you are hungry then eat! Just make sure you are getting clean unprocessed foods, enough protein and healthy fats. Its not a good idea to eat at your BMR level, try to keep it a couple of hundred cals above this, even on OFF days. Otherwise you risk slowing your metabolism which will make your weight loss harder. I know you want fast results but unfortuantely fast results will not be permanent and will be mostly water and muscle. A good rate of fat loss would be around 1/2~1 pound per week, but in the beginning you may lose more than this due to losing water.

abbs

06-23-2005, 01:57 PM

Meghan ~ I have to dash out the door to do my cardio, but I quickly skimmed your last post and just wanted to say that Im here to support you in your goals. Im close in height to you (5ft4) and Ive been up around 125lbs (more than that too) and I know EXACTLY how you feel. All you need is some exercise and a good clean healthy diet and you can reach your goal.

Chat later ;)

freakeefranky

06-23-2005, 01:58 PM

1) Become a healthy person, both physically and emotionally.
2) Lose the 10 pounds of fat (I'm assuming) that I have gained in the last 8 months. Hopefully it will not take another 8 months to lose these 10 pounds!
3) Become toned and lean. I want to be slender but I want to be muscular and defined.

Basically, I just want to feel good about myself again. And since nobody around me realy understands this I thought I'd vent out here and get it all out in the open. Maybe this way I can actually begin to change my appearance.

heyaz,i think ure goals r reasonable, and with hard work u can do it! the pants getting tighter could also be muscle gain/stronger legs???

that's a platefull of things going on in ur life at the mo,take it one step at a time, eat properly like u said, great body=great mind!

don't worry about the pharmacy course, look for the silver lining in the dark cloud,there may be something better ahead of u. :P take care,n i'll pop by again to see how ure doing

Meggie

06-23-2005, 02:56 PM

I know you want fast results but unfortuantely fast results will not be permanent and will be mostly water and muscle. A good rate of fat loss would be around 1/2~1 pound per week, but in the beginning you may lose more than this due to losing water.

Is water lose visible? In other words, will I be able to tell that I am losing water? And how many pounds of water do you usually lose? I've heard of some people losing ~22 pounds of water in the first week alone, but of course these people have much more weight to lose. So being where I am now how many pounds of water do you think I'd lose?

Meggie

06-23-2005, 02:58 PM

Im close in height to you (5ft4) and Ive been up around 125lbs (more than that too) and I know EXACTLY how you feel. All you need is some exercise and a good clean healthy diet and you can reach your goal.

When did you first start working out and eating properly (how many months ago)? And how much weight did you lose in this time? I'd just like to know when I'll start seeing results once I PERMANTELY get into working out and healthy eating!

Meggie

06-23-2005, 03:01 PM

heyaz,i think ure goals r reasonable, and with hard work u can do it! the pants getting tighter could also be muscle gain/stronger legs???

I actually didn't think of it being a gain in muscle. It could be, possibly, but I haven't really seen results in other parts of my body. However, once I start eating properly everyday, 24/7, and being consistent with it then maybe the results will start to become more visible...I'm hoping! :)

Meggie

06-23-2005, 03:41 PM

I know I should be starting this tomorrow but I wasn't able to get to the grocery store today so I will start on saturday. Tomorrow I have work from 8:00am-3:00pm so I plan on going to the grocery store tomorrow afternoon sometime. I'll be brining the list from the nutrition sticky with me so I'll know the right foods to get. It's probably going to be an expensive day but it will be well worth it in the end! I was also planning on talking to my neighbour (the bodybuilder) about nutrition. I've gotten some great advice from all of the ladies here but I thought it might be beneficial to talk to someone in person about it, just to be sure I am doing everything right. It's hard sometimes following different opinions on here so another opinion wouldn't hurt I guess! I found a few pictures of here on a body building website and I thought some of you would be interested in seeing them so I'll post them at the end. She is the lady in the orange suit.

I'm going to do a four day split:
Day 1: Legs
Hack Squat
Dumbbell Rear Lunge
Leg Press
Leg Curl
Seated Calf Raise
Glute Kickback

Days 2: Chest and Triceps
Dips
Incline Dumbbell Press
Flat Bench Press
Machine Bench Press
Tricep Pushdown
Tricep Press
Tricep Dumbbell Kickback

Day 3: Cardio
HIIT on the Stepper

Day 4: Back and Biceps
Pullups
Seated Cable Rows
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Hyperextensions
Alternate Dumbbell Curls
Standing Bicep Cable Curls
Concentration Curls

Day 5: Shoulders and Intense Abs
Seated Dumbbell Press
Standing Dumbbell Upright Row
Side Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Shruggs
Rear Lateral Flyes
Front Dumbbell Raise

Day 6: Cardio
HIIT on the Stepper

Day 7:
Off

The routine will start on sunday, saturday being my day off. Depending on how I feel I may switch saturdays and sundays. When and if I have a cheat day it will most likely be on saturday. My boyfriend is usually home late friday night so saturday is our day together so I'll keep this day as my cheat day incase we decide to go out to eat or something like that! :)
I'm going to plan my nutrition the day before so I know exactly what I will be eating and when. I hate not knowing what I'll be eating so this way I'll plan my meals according to what I have available making sure that they are evenly spaced and distributed. I will post my meals the night before as well for you all to see. I have an idea of what I plan on getting at the grocery store tomorrow so if I can think up something tonight I will post saturdays meal plan tonight. All and any advice is welcome! This is going to work and I am going to stick to it! :D

abbs

06-23-2005, 04:03 PM

When did you first start working out and eating properly (how many months ago)? And how much weight did you lose in this time? I'd just like to know when I'll start seeing results once I PERMANTELY get into working out and healthy eating!

Well I first started just over a year ago I was about 124 lbs, and after 3 months I was 113lbs. I was only doing weights 2 times a week at home with dumbbells, then Id walk for about 45mins a day 5 times a week. I think I was eating around 1600 cals? After that I decided to join the gym and put on some more muscle, Im now about 117-118lbs but I still look like Im 113lbs, just have more muscle. I have to eat more than 1600 now as I do more execise than then.

Meggie

06-23-2005, 04:05 PM

Well I first started just over a year ago I was about 124 lbs, and after 3 months I was 113lbs.

WOW! 11 pounds in 3 months is pretty good! Do you think it wil be easier for me to lose more weight as I do more weights now than you did when you started out or will that cause it to be slower?

Meggie

06-23-2005, 05:23 PM

abbs

06-23-2005, 06:05 PM

WOW! 11 pounds in 3 months is pretty good! Do you think it wil be easier for me to lose more weight as I do more weights now than you did when you started out or will that cause it to be slower?

If you are lifting weights then I would not use the scale as a good indication of your progress, because when you gain muscle it will increase your weight, but at the same time you will lose fat so you will look slimmer. Its possible that you may achieve faster results than me, but this will not be reflected on the scale. Its best to judge your progress by a tape measure and/or how your clothes fit. Even though Im about 6lbs heavier now due to my muscle gain, I am the size (in butt, thighs, stomach etc) because I have lost fat and replaced it with muscle.

abbs

06-23-2005, 06:17 PM

I used this page from bodybuilding.com to calculate my BMR (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/issa64.htm). It came out to be 1166 calories. So, question:
Each pound of muscle has 2500 calories so in order to gain a pound of muscle it says you'd have to eat an extra ~350 calories per day. Each pound of fat has 3500 calories so in order to lose a pound of fat it says you'd have to eat ~500 calories less per day. So my question is, in order for me to gain muscle AND lose fat how many calories should I be eating a day? Would around 1500 calories be a good balance? If someone could help me out on this I'll be able to calculate how many calories I should be getting from protein/carbs/fat. I'd like to figure this out by saturday so that I can start a new meal plan!

By using the calculator they provided at the end of the article this is what I got:
BMR = 1163
Total Calories Burned = 1920
Protein = 112 grams per day, 448 calories
Carbs = 296 grams per day, 1184 calories
Fat = 32 grams per day, 288 calories

:confused:

Here is what I would suggest, although as we don't know your bodyfat level is hard to say for sure so this is just a guess. Im going to base my calculations on 25% bodyfat, as this seems to be the average for females who don't lift.

Lean body weight 94 lbs (42.5kg)
Protein - 141gms (1.5 x lean body weight)
Fat - 38gms (0.4 x lean body weight)
Carbs - 188 gms (2 x lean body weight)

TOTAL CALORIES = 564(P) + 342(F) + 752(C) = 1658

This is a starting point, you can always adjust this as you go on. Its best not to start too low, because if you reach a plateau in your fat loss then you have no where to move as far as your calorie intake is concerned. You do not have to stick to these exact figures everyday, provided you are in a calorie deficit and you are getting enough protein (at least 1g x lean body weight) enough healthy fats (0.3-0.5 x lean body weight) then you should be able to gain some muscle and lose fat at the same time. Monitor your hunger levels and energy levels, if you are having problems with these then you may need to increase your cals a little bit. You don't have to eat lower on OFF days, but if you do I would make sure that your weekly average is still around 1650-1700. For example if you have an OFF day and you only eat 1500, then eat a bit more the next day, say around 1750.

Meggie

06-23-2005, 06:18 PM

Its best to judge your progress by a tape measure and/or how your clothes fit.

I wish I could find a place that measures body fat percentage. The gym I go to has only recently purchased a scale (I forget that name of it) which measures body fat and from what I've been reading they are not accurate so I don't want to waste my time/money on getting it tested there. I'd like to find out my body fat though. I'd like to track it along with my progress. I think I may ask around tomorrow. Maybe someone knows where I can get it tested.

abbs

06-23-2005, 06:40 PM

Surely your gym would have calipers? Have you asked about those? If they don't perhaps you can ask them to give you some advice on where to go. You may even have to book into another gym just for a one off consultation. But as long as you are measuring yourself with a tape measure, bodyfat checking isnt absolutely necessary as even calipers can be inaccurate if not done correctly. Its OK to use those scales if you want to track your progress, the figure may not be accurate but it will show your progress.

freakeefranky

06-23-2005, 06:50 PM

whoa! strong!!!! i wish i could be like that..just that i dun gain anything very easily so i look like a freaking weed half the time

Meggie

06-24-2005, 03:27 AM

Surely your gym would have calipers? Have you asked about those? If they don't perhaps you can ask them to give you some advice on where to go. You may even have to book into another gym just for a one off consultation.

Yeah, I think I'll look around after work today. There are about three or four other gym's in the area so hopefully one will have calipers. And if not, then as you suggested, I may use the scale just to track how much I am losing even if it is not accurate.

Meggie

06-24-2005, 03:28 AM

whoa! strong!!!! i wish i could be like that..just that i dun gain anything very easily so i look like a freaking weed half the time

Yes she is very strong! She was ALWAYS a tiny woman too, weighing ~100lbs.

freakeefranky

06-24-2005, 03:32 AM

wow talk about inspiration there!

Meggie

06-24-2005, 04:14 AM

Ok...So I was suppose to work 3:00-9:00 tonight but my supervisor gave me the morning shift instead and put someone else in from 3:00-9:00. The morning shift is 7:00-3:00. I got there and THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE THERE!!!!! She had given my shift away AGAIN to someone else and didn't even call to tell me. I'm so pissed right now, I'm going to explode.

Meggie

06-24-2005, 04:45 AM

Well I guess the good thing is that I'll have lots of time to plan meals and such! haha

freakeefranky

06-24-2005, 05:37 AM

give her a sock in the face :D no wait maybe that's not such a good idea if she's paying the salary hehe

Meggie

06-24-2005, 06:17 AM

give her a sock in the face :D no wait maybe that's not such a good idea if she's paying the salary hehe

It's not so much the fact that she didn't call to tell me. It's the fac that it was MY shift and she just gave it to someone else without asking me if it would bother me. And yes, it bothers me because although a day off would be nice, I need the money!!!

Meggie

06-24-2005, 02:13 PM

I went to the grocery store this afternoon and picked up a few things:
Boneless/Skinless Chicken
Tuna canned in Water
Turkey
Fish
Low Carb Whole Wheat Bread
Bananas
Apples
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Spinach
Green Pepper
Water
Skim Milk
Crystal Light
Light Mayo
Light Caesar Dressing
Sugar Free Jam
Natural Peanut Butter
Oats
Fiber One
Muslix
Fat Free Yogurt

That's it for now I think. I didn't want to go on a food shopping spree so I just picked up a few things and when I feel like I need/want something else I'll just pick it up when the time comes. Right now I am trying to work on a meal plan tomorrow so when I figure it out I will post it!

Meggie

06-24-2005, 03:14 PM

Pre-Cardio
Water + 1/4 scoop Whey

Meal One - Pre-Workout - 9:30
1 cup Oats + 1 scoop Whey
2 Egg Whites + Ketchup
1 Multivitamin

Meal Two - Post-Workout - 12:30
1 cup Fat Free Skim Milk + 1 scoop Whey
1 Medium Banana
600mg Glutamine

Meal Three - 2:00
4 oz Tuna + Mustard
2 slice Low Carb Whole Wheat Bread

Meal Five - 5:00
2 Small Grilled Chicken Breasts
2 cups Lettuce
1 cup Vegetables (cucumber, green pepper, and tomato)
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Pre-Bed - 8:00
1/2 cup Fat Free Skim Milk + 1/2 scoop Whey
4 oz Fruit Yogurt
1/4 oz Almonds
2 Seal Oil Capsules

Total: 1610
Fat: 37 329 22%
Sat: 9 83 5%
Poly: 7 67 4%
Mono: 11 97 6%
Carbs: 164 551 36%
Fiber: 26 0 0%
Protein: 162 646 42%
Alcohol: 0 0 0%

This doesn't seem like a lot, I know! BUT...I have been receiving information from fitness competitors all day (I took the liberty of emailing a few ladies seeking some professional advice). And no I am not saying that the advice I have gotten from everyone here is wrong. Everyone has been great! I just wanted to see how they kept their bodies so lean and defined. And what did I discover?
1) Many of them do not eat over 100g of carbs per day. I was always scared about the carbs so I'm going to try to keep them where they are at for now. I'll adjust everything as needed as I go along in this journey.
2) So far I haven't seen many of them eating 1700-1800 calories per day. I'm just curious as to why they do not eat as many calories and why it has been suggested to me to eat over 150g of carbs per day.

I think I am still very confused. HELP needed. Feel free to butt in and fix whatever needs to be fixed here. I'll be here all night working on this for tomorrow. I'm trying my best to get this right! :o

aprilai

06-24-2005, 03:45 PM

they don't eat up to 1800 cals is because they're on their precontest cutting diets.

a precontest cutting diet is VERY strict and severe.

you're much better off eating clean and under your maintenance intake for meanwhile.

your diet is too low in fat.

what works for a professional competitor might not work for you. never follow anyone's diet blindly unless you have the same genetic background, lifestyle, metabolic rate, body composition, etc. as them.

Meggie

06-24-2005, 04:05 PM

your diet is too low in fat.

It actually wasn't a cutting diet that I was getting.
I added almonds pre-bed, if that makes a difference.

abbs

06-24-2005, 04:44 PM

abbs

06-24-2005, 05:11 PM

I added almonds pre-bed, if that makes a difference.

Yes fats look much better. Could add some more carbs though... :D

freakeefranky

06-24-2005, 05:18 PM

ya i gotta work on the 'carbs will make u fat' myth too.... i can eat lots of protein, but i freak out from eating too much carbs

Meggie

06-24-2005, 05:20 PM

The people who have given you advice on these boards are everyday people who are speaking from personal experience. You are not a professional fitness competitor, you do not have the experience, resources, money etc. that they do. Their diets are severe (whether they are `cutting` diets or not) and they have worked out for years to get that lean look you want.

I am only trying to get as much information as I can get starting out. As of tomorrow, I will be tracking my progress and just want to be sure that I am doing everything the way it is suppose to be done. I posted what I had read for your comments and DID NOT say that I was going to follow any of the diet information that they had given me.

1300 cals is a pathetic amount of calories, and you need at least 100gms of carbs a day for your body to function healthily, especially your brain. It is a myth that carbs make you fat, and there is no reason to be scared of them. I eat a lot of carbs yet I am losing fat. It is the kind of carbs you consume and your overall calorie intake that counts.

This I understand. I don't know where to add more carbs; this is the reason I am posting the diet (for all of you to help me out on this). If no one wants to help out, that is fine. This is one of the reason I did email other women; I think you are a few others are the only women here actually giving me advice and I didn't feel confident going on what I had. So, I looked somewhere else for things I wanted to know. I have purposely posted questions in my journal asking people their opinion and for most of the questions I had only received one to two responses. This wasn't much help to me.

You have had your journal for almost a month now and I think you are just confusing yourself and trying to make things perfect when they don`t need to be.

I am actually trying to do the opposite. I am trying to be sure that I know what I need to know and that this isn't going to backfire on me.

Eat clean healthy foods, do some exercise and stick to around 1600-1700 cals and see what happens. It doesn`t have to be complicated. Get started on a simple program and see how your body responds. Going low calorie is only going to set you up for failure, you run the risk of slowing down your metabolism and losing muscle which only make it harder for you to lose fat in the future.

Getting enough calories is where I need the help. I'm trying. You say to have at least 1600-1700 calories per day but as I've seen in other journals, including yours, a lot of women eat around 1400 calories (which, by the way, is where my calories for tomorrow stand).

I'm only trying to learn and am sorry if it gets frustrating.

Meggie

06-24-2005, 05:21 PM

Yes fats look much better. Could add some more carbs though... :D

Where could I add more carbs?

abbs

06-24-2005, 05:31 PM

I understand your frustration Meghan, its good that you are getting a variety of opinions and advice because you will learn a lot and feel confident when you do settle on a plan. Sorry if I came off a little harsh, Im just keen for you to get started and see the results you want :)

Im not sure about the other females on this board, but speaking for myself I do calorie cycling. So one day maybe 1400 but thats cause previously I had high days of 1800 or 2000 (sometimes over 2000 if I go out!) So in a week my calorie intake averages out to be around 1700 per day. I do this because it means that I can work around things like dinner outings and social events.

Now where to add those carbs - first I would look to pre and post workout as this where you want a lot of your carbs. You could increase your 1/2 to 1 cup of rice, as this is your first solid meal after your workout so your body will suck up those carbs and refill your muslce glycogen. You could add some carbs to meal 5, perhaps some beans as they are very slow digesting so good for at night time. Or you could even have some yoghurt with your pre-bed snack, I know you dont like cottage cheese so yoghurt is a good subsitute as it has casein protein (good for through the night) and plus it has some carbs too.

Hope this helps!

aprilai

06-24-2005, 05:34 PM

i hope you're not offended by our comments

remember in the end, the only way you'll gain fat is from excess calories. so eating a bit more carbs won't make you gain fat unless your overall calorie intake is over your needs.

as to where you can add more carbs, you can add it in your bedtime meal. the carbs will help you retain lean muscle mass even when you're dieting down. pre & PWO nutrition are also places you'll want to maximize, even on a hypocaloric diet.

don't worry about what other women eat. often, one of the reasons why people can maintain their low calorie intake is the result of chronic dieting. they've dieted at a low calorie intake for so long that their metabolism has adapted to that low calorie intake. i advice that you eat as much as you can while you can still lose weight. you really don't need any special tricks like low carb or anything until a simple, clean diet and proper training is no longer...this is usually when you've reached a low enough BF that you can no longer compromise fat loss with muscle loss as well. this is the perfect time to use tricks, imo.