I'm desperate...What should I do?

[irish0418]

Please Help!!!

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Hey everyone! I'm new to this, but I could really use your help.

I've been working out for a few years now but can't get my body to where I want it! 2 weeks ago I changed my workout/diet (again!) to see if this works. I want your advice and/or tips on to how to lose body fat and get muscle definition.

Here are my stats:

age: 25
height: 5'4"
weight: 132 lbs.
problem areas: belly, upper inner and outer thighs.

workout:
monday- 45 min. cardio, squats, db chest press, stiff dead lift
tues-60 min. cardio, assisted pull ups and assisted dips
wed- off
thurs-45-60 min cardio, deadlifts, shoulder press
friday- off
sat-high rep day (concentration curls, tric extension, walking lunges, front/side raises)
sunday-60 min. cardio

except for my high rep day (sat.) I lift heavy doing 6 sets of 5 reps.

typical meal:
m1 oatmeal w/ 4 egg white, 1 yolk
m2 cottage cheese w/ strawberries
m3 large salad w/ chicken
m4 protein shake or almonds
m5 chicken w/ veggies
m6 stalone pudding or protein shake
*on sundays i eat whatever i want!

thanks for any advise you can give

[lorabeann]

Don't post the same message 3 times, in other threads. You started a thread and that's all you need to post.

[irish0418]

sorry about that! i'm new to this.
is there anyone who can hep?

[enforcerlady]

I would say cut cardio (but increase the intensity) to 30 minutes 6 times a week. You shouldn't need more than that. Increase your lifting. Do you have a trainer? A few sessions with a trainer can really help you to push your limits and try new things. As far as your diet goes, it looks pretty good, but perhaps you could add more protein.

I have been working out 15+ hours per week for the past 6 years and I still haven't achieved my "perfect" body. Be happy with progress. Don't give up. Even if your results don't meet your expectations you are doing good things that will help you to live a healthier and longer life.

[twinnett]

I think you're doing too much cardio for one thing. 3 or 4 short, intense sessions will be much better for fat burning.

[fitness4fun]

I would really take some time and read, read, read. There are so many journals here to look at, and so much info. You will learn about eating right, different workout routines, etc. Play around with it and see what you enjoy doing.
Like said previously, you don't need to do so much cardio, but you do want to add weight lifting. Just make sure you are using proper form at all times...go light until you master that part....and of course a trainer could help you make sure you're doing it right (if it's a good trainer...not all are).

Good luck!

[Germangirl]

What kind of cardio are you doing?

I feel like often people do a lot of wasteful cardio. For example, walking on a treadmill at 4 mph is certainly a healthy activity...but its not going to get you anywhere in the long run. Like said before, high intensity, shorter cardio works best and you are not wasting time. Try cutting down that cardio, but then using that extra time for more lifting.

[irish0418]

What kind of cardio are you doing?

I feel like often people do a lot of wasteful cardio. For example, walking on a treadmill at 4 mph is certainly a healthy activity...but its not going to get you anywhere in the long run. Like said before, high intensity, shorter cardio works best and you are not wasting time. Try cutting down that cardio, but then using that extra time for more lifting.

thanks for the tip!!
currently, i am doing cardio 3x/week for 45-60 min. and then i try to do a HIIT session 1x/week for 20min.

when i do cardio i always do intervals, walk 10 min./run 5/walk10min/run 5

do you have any good ideas for a lifting routine i should do in order to build and drop fat?

[irish0418]

I think you're doing too much cardio for one thing. 3 or 4 short, intense sessions will be much better for fat burning.

interesting...i thought i would need to do more cardio to burn fat???

i've been working out for a couple of years now...the last 1 1/2 years have been more intense, but i feel that i can't reach my goal...i dont' have much to lose which makes it more of a challenge (not to mention my very slow metabolism)!

i figured out what my total calorie intake should be to lose bf...i should consume between 1320-1500 calories/day. however, i always read about how you should consume more calories to lose weight/bf...i'm so confused on what to do....any advice?

is doing cardio 3x/week for 45-60 min. and 1 HIIT session (20min)/week good or should i be cutting that back????

How long will this take before i reach my goal...aaaahhhh!!

[irish0418]

okay so as you know i want to drop body fat and gain muscle....i currently weight 132lbs., height 5'4" and bf is 21%...my goal is to be 120lbs and bf at 17%
taking your advice in consideration, i thought of this plan:

sun- 60 min cardio/abs
mon- legs/shoulders (5 sets of 5 reps...heavy)
tues-chest/back (5sets, 5 reps...heavy)
wed- 60 min. cardio
thurs-biceps/tricep (5sets, 5 reps...heavy)
fri- 60 min. cardio/abs
sat-off or 20 min. HIIT

* how many exercises should i do for each muscle group being trained?????
*should i add in one day of high reps for each muscle group (2 sets of 15 reps)?

this would be a typical diet for me:
7am- 1/2 c. oatmeal w/ 5 egg whites, 1 yolk
9am- 1/2 c. cottage cheese w/ 6-8 strawberries
12:15pm-large salad w/ chicken (lemon ginger dressing and croutons)
(l3pm lift)
4pm-muscle milk protein powder w/ 8oz. soy milk and 1 apple
6pm-chicken or steak w/ veggies
7:30/8pm- stalone protein pudding

i will rotate lifting and cardio...so i will do cardio first thing in the morning (6am) and lifting in the afternoon.

how does this look? any advice?????

[twinnett]

What are the grams in your diet?? 60 min of cardio is too much...I'd cut back to HIIT for 20 min 3X a week and focus more on lifting heavy. Clean eating is really the key to fat loss

[irish0418]

What are the grams in your diet?? 60 min of cardio is too much...I'd cut back to HIIT for 20 min 3X a week and focus more on lifting heavy. Clean eating is really the key to fat loss

Wow! cut back to only 20 min. HIIT 3x/week! Thats going to be hard...only because it was drilled in my head to do so much cardio in order to lose bf...i will definetly try it out though!

here is a typical breakdown of my grams/day:

1500-1700 calories (is this too many if i want to drop bf?)
130g. protein
120g. carbs
30-50g. fat
any tips for "clean" eating? also, is it good to have a "cheat" day?

when you say lifting heavy....what do you think about 5 sets, 5 reps for each exercise? Also, how many exercises per muscle group would you suggest?



any help w/ these numbers????

[twinnett]

Your macros look pretty good. That's definitely not too many calories for fat loss. It's best to eat as many as you can while still losing body fat than to drastically cut them. What is your current lifting routine? 5X5 is good, but there's also full body splits or upper/lower..all of them have good points.

[irish0418]

Your macros look pretty good. That's definitely not too many calories for fat loss. It's best to eat as many as you can while still losing body fat than to drastically cut them. What is your current lifting routine? 5X5 is good, but there's also full body splits or upper/lower..all of them have good points.

I was thinking about starting something new this week:

mon: 20 min. HIIT (5:30am), legs/shoulders (around 3pm)
tues: back/bicep/abs(3pm)
wed: 40 min. cardio intervals, 20min.HIIT-am
thur: chest/triceps-3pm
fri: legs/shoulders
sat: off
sun: 40 min cardio intervals, 20 min. HIIT/ abs

I wanted to either do 5 sets, 5 reps each or do a 12, 10, 8, 6, 12- so 5 sets starting w/ lower weight for 12 then increasing as reps get lower...

what do you think? please pick it apart if you need to and be critical...it's important that i get other's opinions...

[irish0418]

Your macros look pretty good. That's definitely not too many calories for fat loss. It's best to eat as many as you can while still losing body fat than to drastically cut them. What is your current lifting routine? 5X5 is good, but there's also full body splits or upper/lower..all of them have good points.

i also know that having a clean diet is most important for fat loss...any tips or sample "menus" you can offer...

i'm always great about working out...i love it!! however the diet kills me!!! i know in order to get results, diet is key...by my gosh it's so hard to keep myself motivated with my diet...aaaahhhh!

looking at my stats, do you think my goal to drop bf and gain muscle defintion is attainable to get in 6-8 weeks?

[irish0418]

okay it's been 3 weeks now on my new diet and workout routine....

I want to scream because I actually gained a couple pounds!!!
HOW is this possible? I'm trying to drop BF and gain muscle....gaining more weight was not in the plan....

Am I doing something wrong????

Please help

[buttercup2003]

interesting...i thought i would need to do more cardio to burn fat???

i've been working out for a couple of years now...the last 1 1/2 years have been more intense, but i feel that i can't reach my goal...i dont' have much to lose which makes it more of a challenge (not to mention my very slow metabolism)!

i figured out what my total calorie intake should be to lose bf...i should consume between 1320-1500 calories/day. however, i always read about how you should consume more calories to lose weight/bf...i'm so confused on what to do....any advice?

is doing cardio 3x/week for 45-60 min. and 1 HIIT session (20min)/week good or should i be cutting that back????

How long will this take before i reach my goal...aaaahhhh!!

That confuses me too!

[twinnett]

Well, first, 2 weeks is nothing. You're body has to get used to what you're doing and 2 weeks is not that long. Also, 2 pounds could be a matter of needing to go to the bathroom or retaining a little water or many other variables. I can vary 5 pounds from day to day. Don't use the scales to measure your progress

[irish0418]

Well, first, 2 weeks is nothing. You're body has to get used to what you're doing and 2 weeks is not that long. Also, 2 pounds could be a matter of needing to go to the bathroom or retaining a little water or many other variables. I can vary 5 pounds from day to day. Don't use the scales to measure your progress

Yeah! I guess you're right...and I do have major digestive problems where I'm so bloated all the time...but it can be soooo discouraging!

You think you can check out my workout plan and let me know what you think. Please be critical if need be. Also, can you also give me some adivice for eating clean and calorie intake....I really appreciate it.

thanks-jes

[irish0418]

I was thinking about starting something new this week:

mon: 20 min. HIIT (5:30am), legs/shoulders (around 3pm)
tues: back/bicep/abs(3pm)
wed: 40 min. cardio intervals, 20min.HIIT-am
thur: chest/triceps-3pm
fri: legs/shoulders
sat: off
sun: 40 min cardio intervals, 20 min. HIIT/ abs

I wanted to either do 5 sets, 5 reps each or do a 12, 10, 8, 6, 12- so 5 sets starting w/ lower weight for 12 then increasing as reps get lower...

what do you think? please pick it apart if you need to and be critical...it's important that i get other's opinions...

*I also know that having a clean diet is most important for fat loss...any tips or sample "menus" you can offer...

i'm always great about working out...i love it!! however the diet kills me!!! i know in order to get results, diet is key...by my gosh it's so hard to keep myself motivated with my diet...aaaahhhh!

looking at my stats, do you think my goal to drop bf and gain muscle defintion is attainable to get in 6-8 weeks?

[twinnett]

I wouldn't do HIIT after 40 min. of cardio intervals..that's too much..maybe 2 days of HIIT for 20 min. and one day of a longer, steady state cardio?

I would not do cardio in the morning without eating something.

I think that a full body routine 3 X a week or an upper/lower split would be more effective for you.

As for diet, make sure you are getting good nutrition in pre and post workout, eating a balanced diet of fat, carbs and protein. I would do 1-1.5 g of protein, which for you would be between 135 and 200 g....about .4-.5 g of fat, which for you would be about 60-65 g....the rest of your calories should come from carbs. From the diet you posted, it seems that you are a little low on complex carbs and fats...

[irish0418]

I wouldn't do HIIT after 40 min. of cardio intervals..that's too much..maybe 2 days of HIIT for 20 min. and one day of a longer, steady state cardio?

I would not do cardio in the morning without eating something.

I think that a full body routine 3 X a week or an upper/lower split would be more effective for you.

As for diet, make sure you are getting good nutrition in pre and post workout, eating a balanced diet of fat, carbs and protein. I would do 1-1.5 g of protein, which for you would be between 135 and 200 g....about .4-.5 g of fat, which for you would be about 60-65 g....the rest of your calories should come from carbs. From the diet you posted, it seems that you are a little low on complex carbs and fats...

I have this misconception (like most of us) that you need to do sooooo much cardio to drop BF...but I will try just doing the 2 HIIT sessions for 20 min. and one day a week of longer cardio...thanks

You mentioned that you think a 3x/week full body or an upper/lower split would be more effective for me...why is that? just curious...Do you think you can give me an example of what that would be...
jess

[irish0418]

I would not do cardio in the morning without eating something.


I thought it was good to do cardio on an empty stomach?I usually wake up, brush my teeth and head over to the gym to do cardio. It's not like I'm up for a bit before I start working out... I'm so confused???

[twinnett]

You'll be burning muscle that way, not fat..it's much better to do cardio with something in your stomach..I used to think the same thing.

I also used to think the more cardio, the better, but I've learned that diet is much more important than cardio for dropping bodyfat.

check out terracotta2.googlepages.com for some good routines that you could try. I have found full bodies and upper/lower splits very effective..

[irish0418]

You'll be burning muscle that way, not fat..it's much better to do cardio with something in your stomach..I used to think the same thing.

I also used to think the more cardio, the better, but I've learned that diet is much more important than cardio for dropping bodyfat.

check out terracotta2.googlepages.com for some good routines that you could try. I have found full bodies and upper/lower splits very effective..

I checked out terracotta2 web site...I looked under the full body split and the upper/lower split and it said that it wasn't good for someone who is cutting because it's high volume...what does this mean?
Don't I want something to help w/ cutting?

Also, what is best for me: 5 sets, 5 reps or higher reps????

[twinnett]

Everyone is different. I wouldn't go higher than 12-15 reps at most for exercises

[irish0418]

Everyone is different. I wouldn't go higher than 12-15 reps at most for exercises

sunday- 60 min. cardio intervals
monday- legs/shoulders/20 min. HITT
tuesday- bicep/back
wednesday- 20 min. HIIT
thursday- chest/triceps
friday-legs/shoulders
saturday- rest

I would do 2-3 exercises per muscle.
Do you think I should do 5 sets, 5 reps or a 12, 10, 8, 6, 12 (5 sets, increase weight as decreasing reps)?

Also, you mentioned not doing cardio on empty stomach...so i shouldn't wake up and go straight to the gym? Would the best time for me to do my cardio be in the afternoon then?

sorry to keep bothering you, but i just want to figure it out and put together a well-developed plan, ya know?

[twinnett]

The decreasing reps/increasing weights is good...it's like the body for life program, which I did and had great results with!

No, DON't do cardio on an empty stomach. Either do it in the afternoon or eat something beforehand

[irish0418]

The decreasing reps/increasing weights is good...it's like the body for life program, which I did and had great results with!

No, DON't do cardio on an empty stomach. Either do it in the afternoon or eat something beforehand

Thanks so much for all the advice!!!

I have to be at work at 7:50am, therefore I was waking up at 5/5:30am and going straight to the gym to do cardio and eating right after (i usually lift after work around 3pm). Since, I would have to eat something before doing the cardio I should save that for the afternoon also, right? Because if not then I would have to wake up an extra hour in order to eat and give myself enough time to digest before doing the cardio (i'm assuming i should eat 1 hour prior to working out, right?).

[twinnett]

I usually wake up at 4:20, hit the gym by 5:30 and I'm at work around 7:45..phew! If you don't want to wake up early, then you can do cardio in the afternoon