Quick Critique, please-

[DeCoors]

Would you mind taking a look at this for me? This is my current training and eating:

Su: Lifting
Mo: Two hours of Martial Arts
Tu: 20 min for circuits which involve KBs and bodyweight, Two hours of Martial Arts
We: Two hours of Martial Arts
Th: Strength and conditioning workout
Fr: Two hours of Martial Arts
Sa: (active recovery day- martial arts but taking it easy)

Food: Chicken breast, sweet potato, rolled oats, asparagus, green peppers, cottage cheese, fish, Fish, FISH! Lot of water. Green tea. Protein shake after weights only.

Now I admit, I've been stressed out to hell so not sleeping well. I actually sometimes think I am eating way under calories. I seem to have plateaued. I don't want to add in more carido- but I'm thinking I might need to start adding in some running until its warm enough to try some HIIT outside. Goal was to continue to get stronger but I think its starting to interfere with dropping bodyfat. So now I want to maintain strength and drop the bodyfat since I can't do both.

I've been lifting and working out for two years now... I'm just now getting to the point where I want to really refine things and I want my muscles to show more. I'm fit, but the bodyfat is hiding the work put in.

And I know I need to sleep more but I have no control over that at the moment. I know that I am not going OVER calories... I'm thinking I might be way under.

Thanks...

[Hannah82]

Would you mind taking a look at this for me? This is my current training and eating:

Su: Lifting
Mo: Two hours of Martial Arts
Tu: 20 min for circuits which involve KBs and bodyweight, Two hours of Martial Arts
We: Two hours of Martial Arts
Th: Strength and conditioning workout
Fr: Two hours of Martial Arts
Sa: (active recovery day- martial arts but taking it easy)

Food: Chicken breast, sweet potato, rolled oats, asparagus, green peppers, cottage cheese, fish, Fish, FISH! Lot of water. Green tea. Protein shake after weights only.

Now I admit, I've been stressed out to hell so not sleeping well. I actually sometimes think I am eating way under calories. I seem to have plateaued. I don't want to add in more carido- but I'm thinking I might need to start adding in some running until its warm enough to try some HIIT outside. Goal was to continue to get stronger but I think its starting to interfere with dropping bodyfat. So now I want to maintain strength and drop the bodyfat since I can't do both.

I've been lifting and working out for two years now... I'm just now getting to the point where I want to really refine things and I want my muscles to show more. I'm fit, but the bodyfat is hiding the work put in.

And I know I need to sleep more but I have no control over that at the moment. I know that I am not going OVER calories... I'm thinking I might be way under.

Thanks...

Well maybe thats it then start tracking. Thats a lot of activity to not be paying attention closely to your food intake.

[sonti]

You work out 2-3x more than the average lifter here and you think you need MORE cardio....?

If you are 5'4 and 166lbs when doing this activity, then you are totally underestimating how many calories you consume. Your food choices are less important, it's the amount that matters. I know you don't think you overeat but you are defying physics here.

[kimm4]

Adding more cardio isn't the answer and it's not going to get you to your goals. You need to figure the proper amount of calories needed for your goal and keep track accordingly. Your lists of foods and drinking a protein shake after a workout doesn't mean anything...

Figure out calories needed and give yourself a balance of protein, carbs (more will needed for your style of training) and healthy fats throughout your day.

[DeCoors]

You work out 2-3x more than the average lifter here and you think you need MORE cardio....?

If you are 5'4 and 166lbs when doing this activity, then you are totally underestimating how many calories you consume. Your food choices are less important, it's the amount that matters. I know you don't think you overeat but you are defying physics here.

Typical day of food:

Half cup of oatmeal. Hemp, chia and flax thrown in it. Two eggs.
2 Chicken breast. 1 Sweet potato. cup broccoli
1/4 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
1 Protein shake (only on days I lift)
1/2 cup to 1 cup 4% cottage cheese
Maybe 4 dried dates
Green tea
Water

That's about all the time I have to eat.

So if you're telling me I need to eat less than that...

[DeCoors]

Adding more cardio isn't the answer and it's not going to get you to your goals. You need to figure the proper amount of calories needed for your goal and keep track accordingly. Your lists of foods and drinking a protein shake after a workout doesn't mean anything...

Figure out calories needed and give yourself a balance of protein, carbs (more will needed for your style of training) and healthy fats throughout your day.

That's why I am oftentimes afraid to post on here- because I know I train very differently but I don't know of any other boards that have the same goals that I do in mind. This is about the closest.

[kimm4]

That's why I am oftentimes afraid to post on here- because I know I train very differently but I don't know of any other boards that have the same goals that I do in mind. This is about the closest.

From your other threads in the past you want to keep your strength, along with dropping some bodyfat. It comes down to calories being consumed based on the goal. Your nutrition will be key to the whole process...it doesn't matter what style training you choose.

It's important to understand it doesn't matter how much training/cardio you do. You will never be able to out train the wrong diet...

[tara19]

Typical day of food:

Half cup of oatmeal. Hemp, chia and flax thrown in it. Two eggs.
2 Chicken breast. 1 Sweet potato. cup broccoli
1/4 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
1 Protein shake (only on days I lift)
1/2 cup to 1 cup 4% cottage cheese
Maybe 4 dried dates
Green tea
Water

That's about all the time I have to eat.

So if you're telling me I need to eat less than that...

I think you need to eat more.

[DeCoors]

My apologies for making this thread.

I am eating too much. I've been doing around 2000.

I guess I need to do 1600.

You're right, I'm wrong.

Thanks!

[alexisap]

I would suggest figuring out your macro needs and going from there. Track if you need to but don't become reliant upon a food tracker! Good luck!

[sonti]

If that is what you genuinely eat (measured, weighed, tracked, without change every day or eating off plan on 'occasion') plus that much physical activity then you need to see a doctor and have some blood work done if you are still 166lbs after years... because it doesn't add up. You are measuring and weighing? Hemp seeds and flax seeds can easily bump up to 300 calories if not weighing, they are high in calories.

[sonti]

My apologies for making this thread.

I am eating too much. I've been doing around 2000.

I guess I need to do 1600.

You're right, I'm wrong.

Thanks!

You shouldn't apologize, there is nothing wrong with your thread and nothing wrong with doing whatever fitness you love. But I think it's important to get an accurate assessment of what you are taking in - you may be completely off if not accurate. Do you have a digital scale?

[oregonchick76]

Typical day of food:

Half cup of oatmeal. Hemp, chia and flax thrown in it. Two eggs.
2 Chicken breast. 1 Sweet potato. cup broccoli
1/4 cup 0% fat greek yogurt
1 Protein shake (only on days I lift)
1/2 cup to 1 cup 4% cottage cheese
Maybe 4 dried dates
Green tea
Water

That's about all the time I have to eat.

So if you're telling me I need to eat less than that...

Where is your minimum 60g of fat coming from, because I don't see it here.

[DeCoors]

If that is what you genuinely eat (measured, weighed, tracked, without change every day or eating off plan on 'occasion') plus that much physical activity then you need to see a doctor and have some blood work done if you are still 166lbs after years... because it doesn't add up. You are measuring and weighing? Hemp seeds and flax seeds can easily bump up to 300 calories if not weighing, they are high in calories.

???????????????

Where are you getting years from? I started out 20 lbs heavier about a year and a half ago. I said plateau... which means something currently, not a plateau for years... a plateau for years would certainly be indicative of something!

[DeCoors]

Where is your minimum 60g of fat coming from, because I don't see it here.

Cottage cheese, fish oil, eggs and chicken. I eat whole eggs, not whites.

[MyBodyIsReadyz]

Cottage cheese, fish oil, eggs and chicken. I eat whole eggs, not whites.

This, mine just like yours

[DeCoors]

I feel the need to add something else here. I really do think everyone is different in how they respond to things.

I weigh 166 but I am (to me) TINY for 166. I packed on a lot of muscle in that 20+ weight loss. My "fitness" is great. I've just hit this brick wall over the last two weeks. The biggest difference is insane stress in the last two weeks. But maybe I have lost enough now that I need to eat even less. I do know I do a lot of activity which is why I don't do some super cutting eating plan- I'd pass out. But I'm guessing it's time to go even lower than I am now. As long as I have energy to go to class and to lift safely, then I'm good.

[sonti]

???????????????

Where are you getting years from? I started out 20 lbs heavier about a year and a half ago. I said plateau... which means something currently, not a plateau for years... a plateau for years would certainly be indicative of something!

Sorry, I don't mean to say you've been 166lbs for years, but genuinely 186lbs to 166lbs in 1.5 years indicates that your diet is off. So, if you are accurate about your diet, then you need to see a doctor about a medical condition. Adding more exercise isn't going to fix that.

I get the impression that you want to fix this with even more exercise. To others here (those with many years training, you've even got responses from some personal trainers, bodybuilders, etc), that isn't your problem. It's diet. Or a medical problem.

As Kim already said:

about the closest.
From your other threads in the past you want to keep your strength, along with dropping some bodyfat. It comes down to calories being consumed based on the goal. Your nutrition will be key to the whole process...it doesn't matter what style training you choose.

It's important to understand it doesn't matter how much training/cardio you do. You will never be able to out train the wrong diet...

[inbetweendays]

I feel the need to add something else here. I really do think everyone is different in how they respond to things.

I weigh 166 but I am (to me) TINY for 166. I packed on a lot of muscle in that 20+ weight loss. My "fitness" is great. I've just hit this brick wall over the last two weeks. The biggest difference is insane stress in the last two weeks. But maybe I have lost enough now that I need to eat even less. I do know I do a lot of activity which is why I don't do some super cutting eating plan- I'd pass out. But I'm guessing it's time to go even lower than I am now. As long as I have energy to go to class and to lift safely, then I'm good.

How long have you been eating at a deficit? You mentioned in an earlier post that you started losing about a year and a half ago, correct? Have you been in a deficit all or most of that time? If so, I'd suggest a diet break before dropping calories lower. Take a couple of weeks at least and eat at maintenance. Then slowly drop calories again to get the scale moving.

[DeCoors]

How long have you been eating at a deficit? You mentioned in an earlier post that you started losing about a year and a half ago, correct? Have you been in a deficit all or most of that time? If so, I'd suggest a diet break before dropping calories lower. Take a couple of weeks at least and eat at maintenance. Then slowly drop calories again to get the scale moving.

I did have a problem which finally went under treatment in Nov of this past year. That is when the scale really started to move. There was progress before but it made no sense because I was getting stronger and fitter but the scale wasn't really budging. I had an all out fight with my doctor about something they kept going about for 6 years but wouldn't treat because it wasn't "classic". It wasn't until I went the office screaming after three weeks straight of not being able to follow conversations and constant napping that I said "you dose this now, or I'm getting a new doc. Because we've tried everything else and it's now affecting my work life." Boom... three weeks later, I was a new woman and my performance in everything got better.

So yes, there was a medical condition, under control now. Things have been peachy. Just recently kind of hard to sort what is going on. Maybe I should just stop stressing. I look leaner than ever and my pants aren't getting tight, they're getting looser. I'm stressing probably for no reason. If I'm not going to compete right now, then let the process just do what it wants to do.

Thanks for your advice, ladies.