i'm so overwhelmed!

[rsxtaci]

back at the end of january i bought a treadmill. on jan 22nd i quit smoking, and shortly thereafter i started working out at home and i also changed my eating habits. i joined the gym on 2/27. i started at 140lbs.

i've done a few different things with my diet, but i am pretty sure i'm not getting enough calories.

here's my day:

wake up 6:30am, take animal cuts

breakfast 8am, quaker weight control oatmeal

m2 11am, apple + 1 scoop whey protein in water. animal pak shortly thereafter

m3 2pm, starkist tuna pack. 3oz tuna mixed with half of the mayo pack and half of the relish pack. also comes with 6 crackers. i don't always use all 6 of these. dannon light and fit yogurt afterwards. animal cuts at 4pm.

m4 5:30pm (after work, pre-workout) usually another tuna pack. after this i usually have a protein bar on the way to the gym.

post workout 2 scoops whey protein in water

now, sometimes i might not even eat after this! if i do eat, i try to have some type of meat (usually chicken, steak or talapia) with some veggies (asparagus or broccoli) possibly another yogurt.

on mon/wed i have school, so no workout. this just means that instead of the tuna pack i go straight for what is usually my post workout meal.

my workouts are not crazy really.. tuesday legs, thursday/sunday arms, friday and saturday i kinda do whatever i feel like, usually cardio and maybe back or chest or something.

i really need some advice because i got down to 131lbs, went back up to around 133-135 and i'm staying right there. i know i should be doing better after 2 months of doing this! i'm not losing inches, regardless of the fact that i am anywhere from 5-9lbs lighter. any help would be great, i know you guys have so many noobs asking the same questions!

[smkenne2]

Definitely not enough calories. Get more calories in, but make sure you are getting them from clean foods. Trade the oatmeal in for raw oats and mix with a scoop of pp, throw out the crackers, relish, mayo. Try eating some natty pb on WW bread or tortillas. Add natty fats like almonds, natty pb, avocados, flax seed oil, etc.

[rsxtaci]

Originally Posted by smkenne2

Definitely not enough calories. Get more calories in, but make sure you are getting them from clean foods. Trade the oatmeal in for raw oats and mix with a scoop of pp, throw out the crackers, relish, mayo. Try eating some natty pb on WW bread or tortillas. Add natty fats like almonds, natty pb, avocados, flax seed oil, etc.

i can't eat tuna without the mayo or relish it's not a whole lot.. maybe a tsp of relish and a half tbsp of mayo.

i take 3 flax/fish/borage oil pills per day. should i take more?

[Sunshineslynn]

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

back at the end of january i bought a treadmill. on jan 22nd i quit smoking, and shortly thereafter i started working out at home and i also changed my eating habits. i joined the gym on 2/27. i started at 140lbs.

i've done a few different things with my diet, but i am pretty sure i'm not getting enough calories.

here's my day:

wake up 6:30am, take animal cuts

breakfast 8am, quaker weight control oatmeal REGULAR OATS W/ A FAST ASBORBING PROTIEN LIKE WHEY OR EGGS

m2 11am, apple + 1 scoop whey protein in water. animal pak shortly thereafter APPLE + SOME TYPE OF COMPLETE PROTIEN CHICKEN, TUNA ETC SAVE THE WHEY FOR AFTER WORKOUT

m3 2pm, starkist tuna pack. 3oz tuna mixed with half of the mayo pack and half of the relish pack. also comes with 6 crackers. i don't always use all 6 of these. dannon light and fit yogurt afterwards. animal cuts at 4pm.
CUT THE MAYO, RELISH AND CRACKERS ADD BROWN RICE OR SWEET POTATOE, AND VEGGIES

m4 5:30pm (after work, pre-workout) usually another tuna pack. after this i usually have a protein bar on the way to the gym.
THROW OUT THE PROTEIN BAR LOOK AT THE SUGAR IN THERE SOME HAVE UP TO 30GRAMS! DO COMPLETE PROTIEN WITH COMPLEX CARBS AND SOME VEGGIES (VEGGIES ARE THE KEY TO ALOT OF THINGS I BELIEVE GOT TO LEARN TO LOVE THEM IF YOU WANT TO STAY LEAN.)

post workout 2 scoops whey protein in water ADD BANANA OR OATS W/HONEY TO THIS YOU NEED A INSULIN SPIKE ONLY HERE AND THAT WILL DO THE TRICK YOU WANT THE PROTIEN TO GET TO THE MUSCLES ASAP

now, sometimes i might not even eat after this! if i do eat, i try to have some type of meat (usually chicken, steak or talapia) with some veggies (asparagus or broccoli) possibly another yogurt.
TRY TO GET SOMETHING EVEN IF ITS SMALL THAT HAS COMPLETE PROTIEN, AND VEGGIES (IF YOUR NOT WORRIED ABOUT CARBS THEN SOME COMPLEX CARBS.)

on mon/wed i have school, so no workout. this just means that instead of the tuna pack i go straight for what is usually my post workout meal.

my workouts are not crazy really.. tuesday legs, thursday/sunday arms, friday and saturday i kinda do whatever i feel like, usually cardio and maybe back or chest or something.

i really need some advice because i got down to 131lbs, went back up to around 133-135 and i'm staying right there. i know i should be doing better after 2 months of doing this! i'm not losing inches, regardless of the fact that i am anywhere from 5-9lbs lighter. any help would be great, i know you guys have so many noobs asking the same questions!

THE FIRST THING AFTER READING THIS IS GO BUY YOUR SELF A JOURNAL FOR YOUR LIFTING, STATS AND FOOD. HAVE YOUR WORKOUT PLANNED BEFORE YOU HIT THE DOOR OF THE GYM SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DOING THAT DAY AND CAN GAUGE PROGESS IN HOW MUCH YOU ARE LIFTING. I SEE IT ALL THE TIME AND PEOPLE LOOK AT ME STRANGE BUT I BRING MINE IN THE GYM I KNOW WHAT I HAVE TO DO HOW MANY SETS REPS HOW MUCH WEIGHT THAT I NEED TO INCREASE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU WANT TO SUCEED IN CHANGING YOUR BODY. ITS A LIFESTYLE CHANGE COMPLETELY.

[rsxtaci]

thank you! this is just what i needed. most of my eating i do at work so it's sometimes hard to get in a lot of veggies.

a few weeks back my 2pm meal was chicken and brown rice and cucumber.. i think i need to go back to that one for sure.

the 11am meal i can change to apple + tuna and then the pre-workout i can change to a bigger meal. i need all the energy i can get at the gym when i go after a long day at work.

i definitely need to come up with a workout plan.. i mean i do usually the same things everytime i go, i just need something more structured especially for back and chest and the like.

[Sunshineslynn]

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

thank you! this is just what i needed. most of my eating i do at work so it's sometimes hard to get in a lot of veggies.

a few weeks back my 2pm meal was chicken and brown rice and cucumber.. i think i need to go back to that one for sure.

the 11am meal i can change to apple + tuna and then the pre-workout i can change to a bigger meal. i need all the energy i can get at the gym when i go after a long day at work.

i definitely need to come up with a workout plan.. i mean i do usually the same things everytime i go, i just need something more structured especially for back and chest and the like.

I work from 715am to 430-5pm so the bulk of my meals are at work. I pack all my food and try to eat atleast a pound a veggies a day. Yes I said pound. It helps keep you full and you get all the fiber you need. If your work does not have a refridgator then get a nice cooler with frozen packs to go inside. I cook most of my meals the night before or on sunday. Like the brown rice I keep minute brown rice, oats, and extra cans of tuna, chicken in my desk always. the way to gauge your meals is you need to atleast get no less than 250 cals at each sitting for 6 meals but more is better say 300.

yes, structure is always important when working out. So you know how you have changed in the coming weeks. I have journals all the way back to 2001 boy have I come a long way.

[rsxtaci]

Originally Posted by Sunshineslynn

I work from 715am to 430-5pm so the bulk of my meals are at work. I pack all my food and try to eat atleast a pound a veggies a day. Yes I said pound. It helps keep you full and you get all the fiber you need. If your work does not have a refridgator then get a nice cooler with frozen packs to go inside. I cook most of my meals the night before or on sunday. Like the brown rice I keep minute brown rice, oats, and extra cans of tuna, chicken in my desk always. the way to gauge your meals is you need to atleast get no less than 250 cals at each sitting for 6 meals but more is better say 300.

yes, structure is always important when working out. So you know how you have changed in the coming weeks. I have journals all the way back to 2001 boy have I come a long way.

WOW i just looked at your bodyspace! you look fantastic! if i could get even remotely close to looking like that i would be a happy girl!

i will be buying some extra stuff the next time i go grocery shopping. i just had some chicken, asparagus and brown rice for my pre-workout meal. i'm gonna wait a little bit then head off to do arms and cardio!

[Chooky]

I cant comment to much on diet, as I dont have the ripped bod (time will tell though...) but I agree that more vegies are needed. They are (mostly) low cal, low carb and choc-a-block full of fibre and vitamins to protect your bowel, keep your immune system happy and minimise your chances of getting certain types of cancer. I only eat ~1/2kg a day - meets the recommended food guidelines - and keeps me full, but you could almost go crazy on the greens.

[rsxtaci]

well i love veggies so i don't mind eating lots of them! it's just a matter of preparing them before hand.

[TurbulentFluid]

I really dislike when people say "I can't eat A without B". I mean COME ON. You can as well say "I can't live without McDonald's" then. There are always alternatives and if they don't work MAKE your whiny ass swollow it and LIKE it.

For an alternative, I suggest:
50 g of tuna (from cans w water, NOT oil OR olive oil)
70-100 g cottage cheese
2 - 3 small spoons of low fat yogurt
mix well (with a fork, but maybe a blender would make an interesting pate)
EAT.

[rsxtaci]

uh, excuse me.. but if i don't like it i'm not going to "make my whiny ass swallow it and like it".

i would still like to enjoy the food i eat. eating is not a chore to me and i refuse to make it that way.

edit: and your comparison of eating a half tbsp of mayo and mcdonalds was really spot on.

[Sunshineslynn]

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

uh, excuse me.. but if i don't like it i'm not going to "make my whiny ass swallow it and like it".

i would still like to enjoy the food i eat. eating is not a chore to me and i refuse to make it that way.

I totally agree with you. Why make eating a chore. Life is to short and food does not have to be bland to be clean. You just have to learn how to cook with spices to enhance that plain ol cans of tuna, boiled/grilled chicken....I refuse to have plain food because it just is not the way to go. If you are going to have this for the rest of your life shouldn't it be great tasting and worry free of not falling off the clean diet wagon. That is how I stay on my clean diet all year round is having all kind of spices added to my foods that make it taste heavenly.... I could not imagine eating bland food all year and sticking to it I think that is why so many fail at staying on the clean eating way of life they don't experiment with spicing it up a bit.

[rsxtaci]

Originally Posted by Sunshineslynn

I totally agree with you. Why make eating a chore. Life is to short and food does not have to be bland to be clean. You just have to learn how to cook with spices to enhance that plain ol cans of tuna, boiled/grilled chicken....I refuse to have plain food because it just is not the way to go. If you are going to have this for the rest of your life shouldn't it be great tasting and worry free of not falling off the clean diet wagon. That is how I stay on my clean diet all year round is having all kind of spices added to my foods that make it taste heavenly.... I could not imagine eating bland food all year and sticking to it I think that is why so many fail at staying on the clean eating way of life they don't experiment with spicing it up a bit.

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way! i am a pretty picky eater when it comes down to it, so i have to really enjoy what i eat. when i first started eating lots of these tuna packs, i was using the whole packets of mayo and relish (they're about 3"x1"). using the whole pack is 210cals 7g fat 17g carbs and 20g protein. the tuna alone is 80cals 1g fat 0g carbs and 18g protein. most of the difference comes from the 6 crackers in the pack. i've looked for the individual nutritional values for the crackers, relish and mayo but i haven't found them.

i think the amount of mercury i'm consuming is more of a problem than the mayo!

[Sunshineslynn]

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

i'm glad i'm not the only one who feels this way! i am a pretty picky eater when it comes down to it, so i have to really enjoy what i eat. when i first started eating lots of these tuna packs, i was using the whole packets of mayo and relish (they're about 3"x1"). using the whole pack is 210cals 7g fat 17g carbs and 20g protein. the tuna alone is 80cals 1g fat 0g carbs and 18g protein. most of the difference comes from the 6 crackers in the pack. i've looked for the individual nutritional values for the crackers, relish and mayo but i haven't found them.

i think the amount of mercury i'm consuming is more of a problem than the mayo!

Ya know I put my tuna mix with sweet potatoe and spray butter.

[nacersusaf]

Okay, so I'm a bit late on this one, but I'll give it a shot. (Sunshine has given you some great tips so far though!)

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

here's my day:

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

wake up 6:30am, take animal cuts.

What do you do between 6:30am and 8am? You shouldn't be running on a stimulant alone.

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

breakfast 8am, quaker weight control oatmeal.

Just eat regular oats, and get some protein in there... powder, eggs, cottage cheese, etc.

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

m2 11am, apple + 1 scoop whey protein in water. animal pak shortly thereafter.

This isn't a meal IMO. A meal = carbs, protein and fat... where are your fats? They are vitally important when it comes to weight loss, and all of the body's functions.

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

m3 2pm, starkist tuna pack. 3oz tuna mixed with half of the mayo pack and half of the relish pack. also comes with 6 crackers. i don't always use all 6 of these. dannon light and fit yogurt afterwards. animal cuts at 4pm.

I totally understand wanting to eat foods you like, and I agree. This meal could be better, but at least you have protein, carbs and fats... so I won't nit pick...

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

m4 5:30pm (after work, pre-workout) usually another tuna pack. after this i usually have a protein bar on the way to the gym.

Pre workout is really important, so I would lose the tuna pack here. Try having some whey, a banana, yogurt, etc. The idea here is quick digesting protein and carbs with minimal fat if any.

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

post workout 2 scoops whey protein in water.

Post workout should have some carbs, preferrably simple sugars. Try mixing your whey with skim milk instead of water, and have a small piece of fruit. If you are worried about calories, cut it down to one scoop of whey. (Someone your size doesn't really need two at a time.)

Originally Posted by rsxtaci

now, sometimes i might not even eat after this! if i do eat, i try to have some type of meat (usually chicken, steak or talapia) with some veggies (asparagus or broccoli) possibly another yogurt.

You need to eat again my dear!!! A nice balanced meal will do the trick, and don't neglect those fats!

[rsxtaci]

Originally Posted by nacersusaf

Okay, so I'm a bit late on this one, but I'll give it a shot. (Sunshine has given you some great tips so far though!)



What do you do between 6:30am and 8am? You shouldn't be running on a stimulant alone.

Just eat regular oats, and get some protein in there... powder, eggs, cottage cheese, etc.

This isn't a meal IMO. A meal = carbs, protein and fat... where are your fats? They are vitally important when it comes to weight loss, and all of the body's functions.

I totally understand wanting to eat foods you like, and I agree. This meal could be better, but at least you have protein, carbs and fats... so I won't nit pick...

Pre workout is really important, so I would lose the tuna pack here. Try having some whey, a banana, yogurt, etc. The idea here is quick digesting protein and carbs with minimal fat if any.

Post workout should have some carbs, preferrably simple sugars. Try mixing your whey with skim milk instead of water, and have a small piece of fruit. If you are worried about calories, cut it down to one scoop of whey. (Someone your size doesn't really need two at a time.)

You need to eat again my dear!!! A nice balanced meal will do the trick, and don't neglect those fats!

thank you for the tips!

as for between 630 and 8.. well i have already changed that. see the cuts have to be taken on an empty stomach so i was waiting to eat, and plus i have to get to work so sometimes i don't get to eat until i get to work at 8. the last few days i have been eating at around 715 though.

i will change up my grocery list for tomorrow so i can get some better meals in.

[terracotta]

I agree with SunshineLynn's suggestions! Lots of great stuff in here
I don't eat plain food either! There's olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, spices galore to play with, why be plain.
I get a lot of good recipes from oxygen mag, so if you have any of those, flip through them!