Newbie!

[Naok]

Hi all

So I'm coming from a background of low low carb and restricting and then bingeing. Ugh stupid minds of women!

Anyway I'm done with that. So where do I start?
I know I need to start macro counting but I'm not sure where to begin.
I have found I need around 1400calories
But not sure how to start macros?

My stats:
5'8
55kg
Bf % 18% (done with calippers son don't trust it as I'm skinny fat!)

Thanks

[juggernaut74ia]

Hi all

So I'm coming from a background of low low carb and restricting and then bingeing. Ugh stupid minds of women!

Anyway I'm done with that. So where do I start?
I know I need to start macro counting but I'm not sure where to begin.
I have found I need around 1400calories
But not sure how to start macros?

My stats:
5'8
55kg
Bf % 18% (done with calippers son don't trust it as I'm skinny fat!)

Thanks

What are your goals? (And I hope you don't say cutting with your stats)

A good place to start would be the forum stickies, which answer most basic questions re: calorie and macro goals.

[Naok]

What are your goals? (And I hope you don't say cutting with your stats)

A good place to start would be the forum stickies, which answer most basic questions re: calorie and macro goals.

Nope not cutting!
Well I'm skinny fat so I would like to drop fat but build muscle - I'm guessing that's not really possible is it?

Great will take a look there.

[Jesse_l_g]

Hi all

So I'm coming from a background of low low carb and restricting and then bingeing. Ugh stupid minds of women!

Hello and welcome.

You should check out the misc. You will fit right in with that belief.

Anyway I'm done with that. So where do I start?
I know I need to start macro counting but I'm not sure where to begin.
I have found I need around 1400calories
But not sure how to start macros?

My stats:
5'8
55kg
Bf % 18% (done with calippers son don't trust it as I'm skinny fat!)

Thanks

You don't NEED to start counting calories. It's really unnecessary. Although you will find a lot of people here who it serves well. I feel its much healthier to focus on eating a whole food diet including lots of vegetables. Avoid all the low fat, 100 calories snack, low sodium, etc fads. Just eat real food. Stuff your grandmother would of ate. From there you can watch the scale and learn your appetite.

I want to make sure we are on the same page. 18% body fat is in the healthy range for women. Please be careful not to get confused by "fitness" magazines. IDK what your goals are. Are you trying to be healthy and look a little better or do you have a photo shoot coming up? If its the former i would encourage you to simply live a healthy lifestyle (eating real food and staying active) and not worry about 5 extra lbs of body fat or trying to compare yourself to fitness models (who starve themselves and take boatloads of drugs. This is not healthy).

BTW. 1400 calories is not enough. Think long term. Dropping weight to fast will backfire

[Naok]

Hello and welcome.

You should check out the misc. You will fit right in with that belief.



You don't NEED to start counting calories. It's really unnecessary. Although you will find a lot of people here who it serves well. I feel its much healthier to focus on eating a whole food diet including lots of vegetables. Avoid all the low fat, 100 calories snack, low sodium, etc fads. Just eat real food. Stuff your grandmother would of ate. From there you can watch the scale and learn your appetite.

I want to make sure we are on the same page. 18% body fat is in the healthy range for women. Please be careful not to get confused by "fitness" magazines. IDK what your goals are. Are you trying to be healthy and look a little better or do you have a photo shoot coming up? If its the former i would encourage you to simply live a healthy lifestyle (eating real food and staying active) and not worry about 5 extra lbs of body fat or trying to compare yourself to fitness models (who starve themselves and take boatloads of drugs. This is not healthy).

BTW. 1400 calories is not enough. Think long term. Dropping weight to fast will backfire

No photo shoot here and I just want energy and to be active and not feel starved and craving!
Yeah I'm going to just eat normal foods and no 'diet stuff'
I guess the big change for me will be eating breakfast and carbs!
I'm starting to change it up tomorrow by having oats for breakfast and then lunch of salmon with some rice cakes and lots of veg. And dinner of protein with some sort of carb (sweet pot maybe) and veg

Is that very carb heavy coming from a low carb background?
Sorry I know I sound nuts but yeah I prob am ha! Just sick of being scared of food and dreading training cause of being weak 😓

[Jesse_l_g]

No photo shoot here and I just want energy and to be active and not feel starved and craving!
Yeah I'm going to just eat normal foods and no 'diet stuff'
I guess the big change for me will be eating breakfast and carbs!
I'm starting to change it up tomorrow by having oats for breakfast and then lunch of salmon with some rice cakes and lots of veg. And dinner of protein with some sort of carb (sweet pot maybe) and veg

Is that very carb heavy coming from a low carb background?
Sorry I know I sound nuts but yeah I prob am ha! Just sick of being scared of food and dreading training cause of being weak 😓

Sounds good.

If i could offer some workout advice. Don't worry about being weak. Everyone starts somewhere. Focus more on doing the exercises correctly. Don't let your ego get in the way. Don't make yourself so soar the first day that you can't make it back for another weak. Keep it simple. Start light. Add weight each workout.

[Naok]

Sounds good.

If i could offer some workout advice. Don't worry about being weak. Everyone starts somewhere. Focus more on doing the exercises correctly. Don't let your ego get in the way. Don't make yourself so soar the first day that you can't make it back for another weak. Keep it simple. Start light. Add weight each workout.

Yeah that's a good idea cause I know I'll be all in and as you said I'll probably injure myself or something!
I think for me I struggle with my skinny fat shape - I'm slim in clothes but I feel fat cause I have no muscle it's awful and feels awful!
So I'm not going to focus on th scale cause I'm sure with increasing carbs it'll go up anyway and clothes will get tighter so going to focus on my energy increasing and strength going up!
Should I log my food and workouts to see how I progress?

[Jesse_l_g]

Should I log my food and workouts to see how I progress?

That's up to you.

It's probably a good idea to log workouts. At least after you get some momentum going. That way you can make sure you are adding weight or doing more reps/sets each workout. Progressive overload is key. It can get hard to remember the weight sets and reps you did last time on every exercise. I encouraged you to start light. However it's going to get hard and you will have to push yourself to keep getting stronger. This is were programming comes in useful. It's not the best idea to just wing it. Although even that depends on your goals. Some people just like to get in the gym blow off steam and stay active. Nothing wrong with that!

[Naok]

That's up to you.

It's probably a good idea to log workouts. At least after you get some momentum going. That way you can make sure you are adding weight or doing more reps/sets each workout. Progressive overload is key. It can get hard to remember the weight sets and reps you did last time on every exercise. I encouraged you to start light. However it's going to get hard and you will have to push yourself to keep getting stronger. This is were programming comes in useful. It's not the best idea to just wing it. Although even that depends on your goals. Some people just like to get in the gym blow off steam and stay active. Nothing wrong with that!

Thanks so much for the help!

Not gonna lie I'm terrified of changing my diet but I've had enough!
Hopefully I'll be back here in a few weeks saying how amazing I feel!

[Jedee]

Hello...just wanted to offer some encouragement - don't worry at all about being "weak", everyone starts somewhere and with your motivation and dedication, you will make progress. Slow and steady!!

Also it might be terrifying to change your diet but if you have had enough of your current situation, then the only thing you should be terrified of is NOT changing!!

Good luck and let us know of your progress

[Naok]

Hello...just wanted to offer some encouragement - don't worry at all about being "weak", everyone starts somewhere and with your motivation and dedication, you will make progress. Slow and steady!!

Also it might be terrifying to change your diet but if you have had enough of your current situation, then the only thing you should be terrified of is NOT changing!!

Good luck and let us know of your progress

Thanks so much! Needed that cause am struggling today. My digestion is messed up from undereating so I'm very bloated and sore with gas pains but just gotta get through this!

[tazithman]

Don't worry about being weak compared to other people. Fitness/bodybuilding is about competing against yourself, not people around you. Every day you go to the gym, the only goal is to be better/stronger/faster than yesterday.

As far as diet is concerned, a previous poster stated that counting calories is not necessary. Sometimes this is true, but in your situation i would recommend it.

Calorie counting is the best way to learn proper eating habits. With your stated background of an eating disorder, you would be well served to have a measurable system of accountability.

I know all girls love to use a scale as a measurement of self worth/progress, but it is not the only thing to take into account. Strength, energy level, what you see in the mirror are far better ways to measure progress.

[Naok]

Don't worry about being weak compared to other people. Fitness/bodybuilding is about competing against yourself, not people around you. Every day you go to the gym, the only goal is to be better/stronger/faster than yesterday.

As far as diet is concerned, a previous poster stated that counting calories is not necessary. Sometimes this is true, but in your situation i would recommend it.

Calorie counting is the best way to learn proper eating habits. With your stated background of an eating disorder, you would be well served to have a measurable system of accountability.

I know all girls love to use a scale as a measurement of self worth/progress, but it is not the only thing to take into account. Strength, energy level, what you see in the mirror are far better ways to measure progress.

At the moment I am counting calories/macros but purely to make sure I'm eating enough! It's tough not gonna lie..my body is so used to 800 that I'm full on that so I have to force more food. It's strange but I'll get there!

Is the water retention Normal when increasing carbs? My legs are so heavy and full looking it's bizzare..jeans won't go up my calves 🙈

[SuffolkPunch]

Yes, glycogen uptake and the fluid that comes with it is normal. It has a ceiling which you'll reach fairly swiftly.

[Naok]

Yes, glycogen uptake and the fluid that comes with it is normal. It has a ceiling which you'll reach fairly swiftly.

Thanks - what do you mean by 'a ceiling'?
Will my body release the water eventually if I keep the carbs high or do I have to reduce them?

[tazithman]

Ceiling is best described by example.

When I'm on my standard diet, I weigh 200lbs. Then I will do a refeed week if I notice my energy/lifting is at a pause. During a refeed week, I will eat an extra 500 calories/day. During this week, the scale will say 206lbs. Now I didnt gain 6lbs of fat obviously, but those extra calories intake will store that much in water retention. If I up calories by 1000/day, the scale would say 208lbs for that week. This fluctuation can take 3-5 days to return back to normal after the refeed is over, but it really has no bearing on progress as a whole.

In your case of previous restriction, you may gain 3-5 lbs very quickly due to the influx of nutrition. Do NOT be alarmed, it is normal and will level off when you hit your carb "ceiling". Do not flip out when you look at the scale, you wont be able to judge any meaningful change in weight for at least 2 weeks. Being so skinny will make you notice these changes, but as you gain muscle they will be much less apparent.

[Naok]

Ceiling is best described by example.

When I'm on my standard diet, I weigh 200lbs. Then I will do a refeed week if I notice my energy/lifting is at a pause. During a refeed week, I will eat an extra 500 calories/day. During this week, the scale will say 206lbs. Now I didnt gain 6lbs of fat obviously, but those extra calories intake will store that much in water retention. If I up calories by 1000/day, the scale would say 208lbs for that week. This fluctuation can take 3-5 days to return back to normal after the refeed is over, but it really has no bearing on progress as a whole.

In your case of previous restriction, you may gain 3-5 lbs very quickly due to the influx of nutrition. Do NOT be alarmed, it is normal and will level off when you hit your carb "ceiling". Do not flip out when you look at the scale, you wont be able to judge any meaningful change in weight for at least 2 weeks. Being so skinny will make you notice these changes, but as you gain muscle they will be much less apparent.

Ah ok so basically my body will just level out even by just staying at the same level of carbs.

Yeah not gonna weigh myself what's the point! I am focusing on my strength and energy and in just 2 days of upping my intake it's scary how much that's changed!! Up before my alarm with a spring in my step and looking forward to the gym instead of dragging myself there and dreading a workout cause I'm so weak!
So yeah I'm carrying a lot of water weight and clothes don't fit but who cares when you feel this good!