Natalie's Journal

[tkolady77]

Ok, I'm going to give this thing a stab.

I've recently adapted my diet from eating 2-3 huge meals per day, to eating 5 smaller, but much more nutritionally sound meals.

I eat every 3 hours. I am using in2nutrition.com's Eat 2 Get Fit. They give me my meal plan with macronutrients laid out, and each meal is made proportionate to my individual needs.

I am 5' and am about 104 lbs at approx 15-16% bf. I am also breastfeeding my 5 month old, so I can't go down too low with the body fat or caloric intake. According to this site, my nutritional needs are as follows:

Calories total per day: 1439,
Per Meal macronutrients=
Carb: 30, Protein: 17, Fat: 11, Cal: 288

So, my meal plan for today is this:

5:30 AM Frittata with Spinach and Ham
Carb: 31 Prot: 27 Fat: 12 Cal: 340

8:30 AM Tuna and Crackers
C: 30 P: 18 F: 11 Cal: 291

11:30 AM Waldorf Salad
C: 34 P: 18 F: 13 Cal: 325

2:30 PM Italian Custard with Blueberries
C: 31 P: 18 F: 11 Cal: 295

5:30 PM Veggie Tostada
C: 30 P: 19 F: 10 Cal: 286

Totals for today:
C: 156 P: 100 F: 57 Calories: 1,537

I have to have my meals laid out for me, or I will fail. I don't know how to cook healthy or eat healthy, and would never have had any of the ideas for the foods they give me. I am getting used to the meals now, at first I felt I was stuffing the next meal in because I wasn't used to eating so soon.

I am doing an intense 1hr long boot camp 3x a week at 9 AM, M-W-F, and then M-F at 6pm, I work out on weights for about 45 mins to an hour. (That time is split between me and dh as partners, his sets, my sets, etc.) I am lifting heavy so that I really need assistance on the last 1 or 2, and am doing reverse motions on two more. As in, he brings the weight up for me, and I have to SLOWLY control it down, or keep it at a certain point while he pulls it down. Then, I am contracting each muscle for at least 10 seconds after each muscle--I know it sounds stupid, but I read that "Ahnald" did it that way for definition, lol, so I'm willing to try. A typical workout right now is back/bi's, chest/tri's, calves/abs, legs, shoulders are worked too, but I forget where I work them in, lol,, I just do what my dh has set out for us that day, lol. 3 exercises per muscle group with 3-4 sets each. If he's working a muscle group I've already worked in my boot camp that day, I'll do crunches or calves.

My FAVORITE exercise at the moment is (and this is where I sound like an idiot because I have no idea of the proper name, lol) where I have 2 benches and put my feet on one, and my hands a little closer than hip width apart, and then dip my butt and body and then raise it. (working tri's). I have started to get good enough that he's adding a plate on my lap when I dip. That exercise really feels good because it's all you. The machines can't help you, and there's no momentum to work with. Either you can lift yourself back up and lower yourself all they way, or you can't.

I had a proud moment when we had a push up competition in my boot camp class 2 days ago. We had 1 minute, and the task was to do regular pushups to failure, and then switch to females with whatever strength you had left. I did 40 reg. pushups, and then about 7 females in my 60 seconds. I won, and that felt good, but it really just showed me that when I thought I was at failure with 40, I really could have pulled out a few more, and scrapped the female pushups. BUT, I do give myself a little credit, because I am the same woman who couldn't do 5 pushups a month ago, lol.

Sat and Sun are my rest days.

My fitness goal is to get a figure body. Whether or not I felt comfortable enough to enter a competition will be determined later, but my goal right now is to at least get to that point.

If anyone read this far, and has any advice, etc. I'm all ears!!! I'm psyched and getting really encouraged when my dh points out a new bit of definition in my arms, etc. It's great for the self-esteem!!!

Natalie

[nuttmeg]

Hey Natalie! Welcome to journaling, you will get great advice from all of the awesome women (and a few men) on here. My only comment for you at first is to really look into your caloric needs for breastfeeding. At 5' 104 lbs you are small and at a low body fat to beging with, so you really need to get clarification on if 1537 is too low. To me that sounds too low for breastfeeding. I remember when I was breastfeeding (i am 5'3 and was 127 2 weeks after baby) and I needed around 2200 cals a day+. Alot of the websites tend to underestimate what we really need to survive on in a day calorie wise and I would dare to guess that they would not really be able to take into consideration the needs of a breastfeeding woman. Definitely check into that as well. You don't want to exhaust your body and effect your milk supply for your new baby.
I wish I had a link to send you to, to maybe get more info. I will look into it today. Good luck to you! And I will keep following your journal!

[Watch Me!]

Welcome!

It looks like you are coming along very well! It's great to see your enthusiasm - isn't it a great feeling to be able to do better each time out and see progress?!

Good luck with your goals - you most certainly have the determination!
I was the same way as you...not being able to figure out what to eat - it'll be second nature before ya know it! We'll be here to help! Can I write an entire post with exclamations?! Yes! I believe I just did! (sorry, I get so excited for people)

[barnetjs]

Hello - Welcome!

[tkolady77]

Originally Posted by nuttmeg

My only comment for you at first is to really look into your caloric needs for breastfeeding. At 5' 104 lbs you are small and at a low body fat to beging with, so you really need to get clarification on if 1537 is too low. To me that sounds too low for breastfeeding. I remember when I was breastfeeding (i am 5'3 and was 127 2 weeks after baby) and I needed around 2200 cals a day+. Alot of the websites tend to underestimate what we really need to survive on in a day calorie wise and I would dare to guess that they would not really be able to take into consideration the needs of a breastfeeding woman. Definitely check into that as well. You don't want to exhaust your body and effect your milk supply for your new baby.
I wish I had a link to send you to, to maybe get more info. I will look into it today. Good luck to you! And I will keep following your journal!

I thought so too, that I needed to be eating a lot more calories. But I went to see a nutritionist at my gym and she did my workup including the breastfeeding, and said that I should try not to go below 1500. I know that the plan I'm on gives me 1439, but I usually end up having a small cheat--but try to make it a healthy one, like a cup of strawberries or grapes or something. So I'm pretty sure I stay at or around 1500. I am on the "build muscle" plan so I was hoping it was taking that into consideration. I can't remember off the top of my head, but the nutritionist said that aside from breastfeeding, just for maintenance of my current weight, I needed 1100-something calories. Then add in the 500 or so for breastfeeding and I'd need 1600, but in order to trim down about 5-10 lbs, closer to 5, I think, that I needed to take in 1400 something, but not to go below 500 while I was breastfeeding. She explained it that I needed to let my stored body fat give some of the energy needed for bf'ing, and not get it all from my food. I don't know if that is wrong or not, because I had always heard that you need it from an outside source.

Any one know for SURE? I haven't been able to find out one way or the other for certain. I did talk to my son's pedi. and she thought the 1500 per day seemed pretty low, BUT she is a lot bigger than me, and a lot of people generally say something like 2000 for bf'ing women in general, even though women's sizes vary largely. I wouldn't think a 95lb mom would need the same amount of calories to maintain milk supply as a 210lb mom, kwim?

I do know a major problem for me is not drinking enough. I SO forget to drink water. I always have, and it's VERY hard to try to get into the habit of it. I read on here somewhere that we should aim for a gallon. I tried that one day, and felt like my eyeballs were floating, and by the end of the day, I'd only downed 1/2 a gallon, and I couldn't stay off the toilet, lol.

Thanks for the welcomes ladies!!!

[svelt4]

I really admire your determination to do this while breastfeeding--I had 4 kids and breastfed and I simply could not workout during this time---my milk supply went way down and I leaked everywhere

anyway--good luck--how long do you plan on breastfeeding? I think if you see your supply go down then you need to up calories---baby is most important!!!

[tkolady77]

Originally Posted by svelt4

how long do you plan on breastfeeding?

As long as he wants to, up to 1 year. My first weaned himself between 4-6 months, and my second was perfectly content until I stopped him and introduced the cup (sippy) the day after his first birthday.

As long as I can keep my supply going and he wants it, he'll have it, lol.

Since the first two, I've had implants, so I don't know if things will work out the same, but so far so good.

If I feel it getting low, I take fenugreek and blessed thistle, which helps up the supply, along with making me smell like maple syrup, lol. But in the end, anything for my little Angel.

[KiwiNovice]

Hi tkolady

Welcome to the journalling board .

I agree with Nuttmeg ... your calorie allowance sounds very low. Just to maintain your weight you would need 1560 calories and that is not taking into account your workouts, the fact that your breastfeeding and that your aiming to build muscle. I'm interested in how your feeling during the day ... whether you feel low on energy or if your fine etc.

Originally Posted by tkolady77

As in, he brings the weight up for me, and I have to SLOWLY control it down, or keep it at a certain point while he pulls it down. Then, I am contracting each muscle for at least 10 seconds after each muscle--I know it sounds stupid, but I read that "Ahnald" did it that way for definition, lol, so I'm willing to try.

It doesnt sound stupid. I use that techniques and other techniques similar to your's ... they're fantastic for fatiguing the muscle, encouraging more growth and helping to break plateau's. Contracting muscles is awesome for bringing out definition, look at bodybuilders on stage ... posing is all about tightening and contracting muscles. Your doing great stuff.

Originally Posted by tkolady77

My FAVORITE exercise at the moment is (and this is where I sound like an idiot because I have no idea of the proper name, lol) where I have 2 benches and put my feet on one, and my hands a little closer than hip width apart, and then dip my butt and body and then raise it.(working tri's).

You dont sound like an idiot. The exercise is called 'Bench Dips' or 'Tricep Dips'. Up to you which one you want to use .

Originally Posted by tkolady77

I had a proud moment when we had a push up competition in my boot camp class 2 days ago ... I did 40 reg. pushups, and then about 7 females in my 60 seconds. I won, and that felt good

Congrats .

Have a Great Day .

[tkolady77]

Originally Posted by KiwiNovice

I'm interested in how your feeling during the day ... whether you feel low on energy or if your fine etc.

I was feeling great for the first 2 weeks of eating like that. The last 2 days, however, I've had pretty bad headaches towards the end of the day, and have been a little hungrier than usual. BUT, I am getting allergies and such, and was thinking that was responsible for the headaches, and the fact that I felt a little blah the last 2 days.

Maybe my diet needs some tweaking.

KiwiNovice: How did you come up with my maintenance calories? Just curious, I don't know how you are supposed to figure it, and just went with what the nutritionist told me without questioning it.

Thanks for naming my exercise for me, lol. I won't sound so dumb at the gym now, lol.

[terracotta]

http://www.dietitian.com/ibw/ibw.html

That calculator lets you add in breast feeding as an option.

[KiwiNovice]

Hi there

Originally Posted by tkolady77

KiwiNovice: How did you come up with my maintenance calories? Just curious, I don't know how you are supposed to figure it, and just went with what the nutritionist told me without questioning it.

I just multiplied your bodyweight by 15 to get your base calorie allowance. But like I said I didnt take into account your energy output or the fact that your breastfeeding.

The general equation I use goes like this:
Maintenance purposes = 15 x bodyweight.
Bulking purposes = 17 x bodyweight
Cutting purposes = 12 x bodyweight.

Have a fun day

[terracotta]

Originally Posted by KiwiNovice

Hi there


I just multiplied your bodyweight by 15 to get your base calorie allowance. But like I said I didnt take into account your energy output or the fact that your breastfeeding.

The general equation I use goes like this:
Maintenance purposes = 15 x bodyweight.
Bulking purposes = 17 x bodyweight
Cutting purposes = 12 x bodyweight.

Have a fun day

that is an extremely rough way of calculating.. it doesn't take into account height at all.. there is a big difference between someone who is 150 lbs and 5'5 and someone who is 150 lbs and 5'0 for instance.. add on to that activity level and metabolism changes with age.. you are better off using a simple calculator like this:

Calories burned at rest (bedridden calories):
http://www.24hourfitness.com/html/fi...fit_calc/rest/

Calories burned including activity level:
http://html.thebostonchannel.com/sh/...s/bmrcalc.html

but that doesn't take into account breastfeeding... the link I posted allows you to add in breastfeeding.

[tkolady77]

Well, I had seen a nutritionist, but I'm all of a sudden thinking she didn't know her *** from a whole in the ground. She told me 1430 something for calories, and that with breastfeeding, I'd be safe to just not go below 1500, so to stick it right there at 1500.

Well, then I found the eat2getfit site, which did at first ask if I was bf'ing, so I assumed it had taken it into consideration when figuring up my calories. I finally emailed their staff and they told me to add about 500, which would have put me around 1900. (but didn't get their response til I had already been to the dr. and found out the following, lol)

I got sick and went to the dr. yesterday AM, and mentioned my concerns w/ milk production, and he freaked out when I told him I'd been eating 1500 trying to gain muscle. He said that I needed to eat around 2200 calories, roughly. I had an appt w/ the baby's ped. after that, and she was VERY pleased w/ his assessment of 2200 since the 1500 had her a little thrown as well.

So, I'm going to be eating more now!!! It's good, because lately I'd been really hungry, and just thought I was having a hard time being disciplined. Poor me, I was starving, lol.

I missed my AM cardio yesterday because of my sinus infection and dr's visit, but I think I'm going to try to go tomorrow.

[nuttmeg]

I am so glad that you finally got some good advice from the doctor. 1500 cals is just downright crazy for you with your breastfeeding. No wonder you got sick! I hope you start to feel better soon, now that you can eat a bit of food. Just make sure you take it easy for the next few days, so as not to prolong your sickness. Have you got your diet figured out a bit better now that you can eat more food? And how about your workouts? How are those coming along?

[Watch Me!]

Glad you got to talk to someone else about your caloric needs! I hope you start feeling better soon!

[tkolady77]

Well, I've been bad w/ my workouts. I just lift what dh tells me to, and on which days he says.

I'm going to take a little note pad to the gym w/ me this evening so I can write down exactly what I've been doing, how much I've been lifting, and on which days, etc.

Right now, I'm pretty much eating as much as I can, I think I was having withdrawals, lol. I've got to get my diet tweaked to the correct amount of calories so I can plan menus, etc.

If anyone is eating around 2200 calories and has a sample menu, I'm all ears (so to speak, lol).

Thanks for the responses ladies, and for the advice to check w/ someone about the caloric intake.

Natalie

[KiwiNovice]

Hi Natalie ... I just saw your pics in the other section and wanted to let you know I think you look fantastic already. You've got lovely shape and dont look flabby at all. Ooooohh and that photo of your little Benjamin ... that was just delightful, what a little sweetie he is .

[rhbrand]

Sounds like you finally got some good advice in bumping up your calories if you want to both breastfeed and build muscles.

And your pictures are great! You don't look like you've had one child, let alone 4!

[tkolady77]

It has been a LOOOOOOONG time since I kept up with this.

I've had yet another baby since, and she is now a little over 7 months old. I know that you can and should exercise while pregnant, but because I've had 2 missed miscarriages, I shy away from that. So I didn't have any sort of muscle base to start with this time around.

I've been back in the gym for probably about 6 full weeks but I started a little before that and had to take some time off because of my schedule.

I'm not eating clean, that's for sure. But I am trying to eat healthy and everything in moderation. I am trying to train myself to drink water because I'm pretty bad about that.

I am so stoked with the progress I've seen thus far, and it only motivates me more and more to keep going and get bigger and better. I hold all of my body fat in my thighs and butt, so naturally they are the last area to show any bit of definition. I'm still plugging away at that, but I have to build some muscle and shed that last bit of fat there.

I lift as heavy as I can, with forced reps. Everything is a warm up set of 12, then 2 sets that I can only do 8 of (and generally enough so that I require help on the last one or two to force it), and then down to 2 sets of 6, again heavy enough requiring assistance on the last 1 or 2. As far as ab workouts, I've just been doing 4x25 crunches w/ an 8-9lb medicine ball above my head for the last 4 weeks or so, before or after each workout. I've gotten very quick results with that, but I'm just not sure what else to do for that area. I haven't ever even dreamed of having a 6 pack lol, so I'm not used to even attempting to focus on it.

Well that's my story for now.