Hey KC,
I agree with pretty much everything Ike and Tampa Terry had to say. You really wont find a better source for info and motivation than from Tampa Terry and Ike for that matter! I’m late in responding to this thread, but I must agree with with both Ike and Tampa Terry. You stated you are keeping a food log…well, if you wouldnt mind, can you elaborate with us what is in your diet? How many meals are you eating, when are you eating them…and more importantly, WHAT are you eating. To be honest, 1500 calories seem a little low to me! I know your goal is weight (fat) loss, but if you plan on working out 2-3 even 4 times per week, you need to up those calories. To be even more specific, you need to concentrate on protein. Limiting yourself to 1500 calories per day can be detrimental, especially when you consider that you you probably need around 1500 calories per day just to “maintain” your current body weight, you might even need more! Regardless, when you factor in physical activity, you are expending more calories than you are consuming…and it is going to be hard for your body to gain lean muscle (which is what you want!!!) The more lean muscle you have, the more adapt your body will be at burning fat throughout the day and the higher your metabolism will be. It’s a vicious cycle I know…haha. Look into the diets here on T-mag (for your goals, I would look into T-Dawg 2.0). As for your workouts, I will again agree with the above advice…Meltdown might be a little too intense right now…but 5x5 should be something to look in to. Good luck!
Many thanks to you guys…you all brought up some very helpful points.
I read up, as Tampa Terry suggested (go Bucs!! ;), on the T-Dawg 2.0…looks like a great diet…its not too far off from what i was doing through January. Tweaks like lowering the carbs some and adding more fat will be my priority. My protein is pretty good. I even stocked up on groceries tonite and am set and ready to go 
I agree that 1500cals was probably way too low. T-Dawg suggests weight (185) x 15…which takes me up to 2775 cals (2275 after the 500 cal reduction) … that sounds like a lot! you sure i wouldn’t gain? ((enter in female paranoia of eating too much))
I read up on Joel Marion’s 5x5 and it sounds great. Although he noted that if a female is above 17% bf that they should lean down first before doing his program. Any thoughts on that?
I’ll be 6 weeks at the Beginner Blast workout in another couple of weeks. Is Meltdown or 5x5 the better program to take on next?
Thanks again for all your help!
Hi, there, KC. Glad you found the articles helpful.
I’m willing to stand corrected on this point, but I believe Joel has reversed his position on the 17%. It’s still the better program for you if energy levels are a problem. In fact, do a search on the forum for Meltdown and see what others have said about it in the past. That way you can make an informed decision as to its appropriateness to your situation.
Yes, the numbers can come in a bit high on T-Dawg 2, especially for women. One of the things you can do to make it more appropriate to your situation is multiply your goal BW by 15. Start with that number for a week or two. If you continue to lose at that number, I wouldn’t drop the number any further.
You’re doing great. Any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask.