Advice on Lowering Body Fat Percentage

[dara_girl]

I have lost between 50 and 60 pounds and pretty much kept it off for the past 2 years. I am looking to lower my body fat percentage and get leaner. Looking for some advice on my diet/exercise program. Any comments will be appreciated. I have always struggled with my weight, so this hasn't been easy.

I am 5' and a half inch. I weigh about 119 and am at around 21.5% body fat.

Currently I eat 6 meals a day. My typical day is something like this.

4:45 am
4 egg whites
1/2 grapefruit
1/2 cup steal cut oatmeal

5:45 am
warmup 5 minutes
weights 45 minutes
cardio 30-45 minuts

9:00 am
protein shake (120cal/2fat/2carb/24protein) with glutamine
small light n'fit yogurt

12:00 pm
4 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup brown rice
small salad with spray dressing
1/2 cup green beans

3:00 pm
apple
protein shake (120cal/2fat/2carb/24protein)

6:00 pm
6 oz. salmon
2 slices whole wheat bread
small salad with spray dressing
1/2 cup broccoli

Women's fitness pack vitamins after dinner

9:00 pm
protein shake (120cal/2fat/2carb/24protein) with glutamine

Exercise as follows
Monday:
Back and abs
4 back exercises, 4 ab exercises
30-40 minutes on elliptical

Tuesday:
Shoulders, Triceps and abs
2 shoulder exercises, 2 tricep exercises and 4 ab exercies
40 minutes on treadmill

Wednesday:
Chest, Biceps and abs
2 chest, 2 Biceps, 4 abs
30-40 minutes on elliptical

Thursday:
abs and cardio only
40 minutes on treadmill

Friday:
Legs and abs
4 leg exercises and 4 abs
Usually do cardio depending on how my legs feel.
30-45 mins on elliptical.

I typically take in about 1400 calories and I drink about 120 oz. of water a day. Don't drink much else. Once in a while I'll have a diet coke but not every day. I haven't been eating as well as I should since the holidays We are starting a new contest at work among us girls and I want to win even though I'm the smallest. I need somebody to kick my butt and get me back on track.

I don't take creatine just the glutamine. Wanted some advice on that as well.

[twinnett]

What are the macros of your diet? It doesnt look like you aren't getting much healthy fat in there..

[dara_girl]

I usually take in around 1400 calories, between 20-30 grams of fat, 120-150 carbs and 120-160 grams of protein.

[twinnett]

I would add a little more healthy fat...olive oil, natural nut butters, seeds, avocado, salmon, etc...

[begin]

I would agree more fat in your diet may help . Also try changing your routine/intensity of your work out. Maybe try circuit training. My trainer said that circuit training helps to reduce your bodyfat.

[leyway]

I think u need to have a little meal between 4 am to 9 am coz i would be starving if i waited that long

[dara_girl]

I get up and eat breakfast about 4:45, I make it to gym around 5:30 because it's a 30 minute drive. Work out until about 7 or 7:30, then have to get ready for work. So I am not at work and settled in enough to eat anything else until 8:30 or 9. Yes by that time I am usually pretty hungry. I guess i could pack my protein shake and have it at the gym. I am adding some more fats, including natural pb and olive oil.
I have also changed up my workout this week, we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the input!

[marriedgirl]

I would recommend eating right after your morning workout.
There is a carb window that is open for an hour or less after you work out. You should probably down a protein shake and a bit of carb. In the shake or on the side.
That shake is to help repair that blown muscle tissue.
And this little post workout meal you can carry in the car.
Powder dry in the bottle shaken with H2o.
And a lot of people drink green tea. I find it just makes me dehydrated.
And drink a lot of water.
All the best!

[SumthinOrNuthin]

I get up and eat breakfast about 4:45, I make it to gym around 5:30 because it's a 30 minute drive. Work out until about 7 or 7:30, then have to get ready for work. So I am not at work and settled in enough to eat anything else until 8:30 or 9. Yes by that time I am usually pretty hungry. I guess i could pack my protein shake and have it at the gym. I am adding some more fats, including natural pb and olive oil.
I have also changed up my workout this week, we'll see how it goes. Thanks for the input!

First of all, big congratulations on keeping the weight off that you've already lost. That's something a lot of people can't manage to do (and something I've been guilty of) so you should be feeling reeeeeally good about it. Well done

I would definitely look to alter your meals schedule so you can get a protein & carb feed in within an hour of your workout - some people refer to this as 'the golden hour'. Absolutely everyone on this website will advocate having protein & carbs right after a workout. Lots do it via a shake but its entirely up to the individual. If you prefer proper food, then just take some with you to the gym. Have it immediately after your workout - I have mine before I even get changed for my shower.

Agree on working some more good fats in. I tend to stick with having an some oily fish like mackerel or salmon a couple of times a week and adding olive oil to one meal per day. But its a personal thing again, I use olive oil because I really like it and its easy - I don't have to think about it.

Main thing is to keep things simple. If you feel you need to change your routine up go ahead, but don't make too many changes at once else you'll never be able to assess whether those changes did what you wanted them to do. Personally I wouldn't add to your cardio - its plenty. There are folks here with very good arguments for doing none at all but that's a whole other discussion! If it feels right, stick with it. You don't say what kind of lifting you do - heavy heavy heavy & low reps, or med weight/reps etc etc. So, difficult to comment on your schedule.

As for creatine & glutamine. Hmm, 2 more huge debates! Again, keeping it simple;
Glutamine - check your whey protein, it may already have glutamine in it and if it does, no need to spend your hard-earned cash on yet more, that you don't actually need. Also, it occurs naturally in protein foods so again, the question is do you need any more? Some will swear by it, others will say its a waste of money. Your call!
Creatine - another thing people swear is either essential, or a waste of money. Creatine monohydrate seems to cause a little bloating in some people and women in particular often don't like that. I can't talk the science very well but basically one of the things it does is to encourage your muscle cells to hold onto water, which can account for a little bloatiness and possibly a pound or 2 on the scales. BUT, some people swear it does great things for their workouts. Others don't. There is also Creatine Ethyl Ester (sp?). I've seen this discussed on forums here but have never tried it, but it seems it doesn't give the bloatiness that some people report with monohydrate. So, its for you to decide if you want to try it. If and when you do, see what you think.

Sorry if some of this sounds like I'm just not answering your questions but the more you read up, the more you (and I have!) come to realise that its about finding what works for you. And that requires a little experimentation!

Good luck

[terracotta]

Sumthing - here is a good explanation on creatine - http://www.ironmagazine.com/archive/...Confusion1.htm

I take controlled labs green mag daily (30 minutes preworkout on workout days). It doesn't cause me to bloat, and helps with recovery.

[terracotta]

I usually take in around 1400 calories, between 20-30 grams of fat, 120-150 carbs and 120-160 grams of protein.

I'd up the fats to 40 grams minimum and keep the carbs and protein the same. Fats are very important for hormone levels and for your health.

[dara_girl]

My husband is taking cell mass, anybody see an issues with me taking that as well?

I will start bringing my mid morning meal to the gym and see if that makes a difference. I usually eat oatmeal or yogurt with my protein shake those won't pack well, so I'll have to figure out another carb I can bring with me. Anybody have suggestions?

As far as my lifting, I had been doing 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps increasing weight with each set and switching exercises without rest. Going from a back to an ab exercise for example. Last week I started doing all 4 sets of one exercise at the same time with only a 10 second rest. Working my muscles almost to exhaustion. Just to change things up. I would say the weight is medium to heavy. Doing only a 10 second rest I have to use a little lighter weights.

[terracotta]

My husband is taking cell mass, anybody see an issues with me taking that as well?

I will start bringing my mid morning meal to the gym and see if that makes a difference. I usually eat oatmeal or yogurt with my protein shake those won't pack well, so I'll have to figure out another carb I can bring with me. Anybody have suggestions?

As far as my lifting, I had been doing 4 sets, 12, 10, 8, 6 reps increasing weight with each set and switching exercises without rest. Going from a back to an ab exercise for example. Last week I started doing all 4 sets of one exercise at the same time with only a 10 second rest. Working my muscles almost to exhaustion. Just to change things up. I would say the weight is medium to heavy. Doing only a 10 second rest I have to use a little lighter weights.

Cell mass is fine.

How about some milk/yogurt (buy the 500 ml milk or serving size yogurts) and fruit? You can always bring an lunch bag with an ice pack in it.

I think you get a greater benefit out of longer rests. I recommend at least 45 seconds between sets. Your rep ranges are fine.

[dara_girl]

ok so if i change my preworkout meal to
4 egg whites
small yogurt

and my post workout meal to

1 scoop protein powder
1 cup fat free milk
1 banana or other fruit

So that would be at about 7:30, then I'd have to eat again at 10:30, it's going to mess my schedule all up, but I guess I'll figure it out and get used to it.

I will put my food log on my body space, if you guys can help me figure out how and where to add good fats in and still stay within my calories, that would be greatly appreciated.

[terracotta]

ok so if i change my preworkout meal to
4 egg whites
small yogurt

and my post workout meal to

1 scoop protein powder
1 cup fat free milk
1 banana or other fruit

So that would be at about 7:30, then I'd have to eat again at 10:30, it's going to mess my schedule all up, but I guess I'll figure it out and get used to it.

I will put my food log on my body space, if you guys can help me figure out how and where to add good fats in and still stay within my calories, that would be greatly appreciated.

That's fine. You don't really have to eat every 3 hours. As long as you eat pre-workout and post-workout, the other breaks between meals are up to you. Personally, I do better for hunger if I don't wait longer than 4 hours, but 5 never hurt anyone.