Keep Your Eyes on Me

Training
1

I am a transformer!

But I need help..I have been losing weight since 2006 when i weighed 185 lbs. I now weigh 150 lbs on a 5’4" body, I have gone from being 45% BF to 30% BF, I started training with a personal trainer 3 months ago and you can see the results on my profile pics.

I wasn’t happy enough with the results I got in 12 weeks, so I decided to take a fat burner this time around, took it for a week and yes, I got out of 150 for few days was so happy to see 149.5, but it was a short lived party, I couldn’t sleep well and when I crashed I crashed to the point of no energy to lift…was fatiguing waaay too soon, stopped taking it.

But what is your opinions, do I need to stack it with something else, or should I try another brand of fat burner. I drink alot of coffee also in the morning…but by the end of the day the caffeine crash is brutul! The trainer has me eating only one carb in the morning…ususally oatmeal and egg white omlette, or eggwhites with whole wheat toast, but that is the only time I eat carbs.

Help I really want better results this next 12 weeks and want to melt the fat off, I am starting to see a little muscle now, but it is still stuck under all the fat!

My mini goal is to get to 20% BF for now…That’s only 10 % more to lose…then I will tackle the other goals later.

HELP! please, any suggestions?

2

I’m not so sure it’s the supplement you even need!
How’s the diet?

3

[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
I’m not so sure it’s the supplement you even need!
How’s the diet?[/quote]

diet this is pretty much how I usually eat:

Breakfast: 5 egg whites omlette or scrambled with veggies
1 packet of low sugar organic oatmeal or I will have 2 pieces of whole wheat or whole grain toast

Mid morning: 1 silouhette 0 fat 0 sugar yogurt
Protein drink

Lunch: Baby spinach salad
3 oz chicken breast

Mid afternoon: same as mid morning snack…or if I go to the gym I have it after a workout

dinner: Chicken or fish 3 oz
Salad or veggies

Thats pretty much the daily menu

4

ok, next question…how do you FEEL eating that?

Also, if you weren’t happy with the results you were getting for those 12 weeks, you should have questioned the training/diet…make sense?

So what are you doing, training wise?

5

[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
ok, next question…how do you FEEL eating that?

Also, if you weren’t happy with the results you were getting for those 12 weeks, you should have questioned the training/diet…make sense?

So what are you doing, training wise? [/quote]

I am a noob to this way of life, so I wouldn’t know what to question, I just do what the trainer tells me and follow the diet plan he lays out for me.

I came from a background of eating out…all the time for years…so much so that I have developed severe allergies to preservatives, so I HAVE to eat clean now, no choice!! So eating wise I feel great eating all this healthy food. I don’t cook with salt, I only buy and eat low or no sugar added foods. I am not even eating fruits because of the sugars in them, as instructed by my trainer as well.

Training wise, its all up to my trainer, he changes up my routine every 2-4 weeks so that I am burning more fat. He is a professional body builder.

I lift with him 3 x a week and cardio 6 days a week and if I can I will try to get it in twice a day (cardio)…but not as much as my trainer would like me to, maybe only once or twice a week 2x a day.

6

[quote]brownbikerbabe wrote:
mom-in-MD wrote:
ok, next question…how do you FEEL eating that?

Also, if you weren’t happy with the results you were getting for those 12 weeks, you should have questioned the training/diet…make sense?

So what are you doing, training wise?

I am a noob to this way of life, so I wouldn’t know what to question, I just do what the trainer tells me and follow the diet plan he lays out for me.

I came from a background of eating out…all the time for years…so much so that I have developed severe allergies to preservatives, so I HAVE to eat clean now, no choice!! So eating wise I feel great eating all this healthy food. I don’t cook with salt, I only buy and eat low or no sugar added foods. I am not even eating fruits because of the sugars in them, as instructed by my trainer as well.

Training wise, its all up to my trainer, he changes up my routine every 2-4 weeks so that I am burning more fat. He is a professional body builder.

I lift with him 3 x a week and cardio 6 days a week and if I can I will try to get it in twice a day (cardio)…but not as much as my trainer would like me to, maybe only once or twice a week 2x a day.

[/quote]

The most important thing you can learn from training is to listen to your body. Do you feel tired while eating that diet? When you eat any certain thing, how does it make you feel afterwards? How long does that feeling last? Everyone has different preferences and their body reacts in different ways.

From a mathematical standpoint is looks like you are carb deprived and doing so much cardio that you are no longer reaping fat-burning benefits from it. What do I mean?- Over time your body adjusts to the demands of cardio and you have to keep upping anti in order to achieve the same benefits from it. Infact, I have a friend who is very overweight, goes cardio for an hour every day, and wonders why he stays in the same condition as always.

I would recommend researching cardio programs yourself and cutting back at least for a week or so to throw your body’s adjustment out of wack. Then when you go back, don’t do the same thing every time. Each time you do cardio, up the intensity somehow. Whether that’s incline, miles, speed, or calories burned, each time increase it!

Next, are you taking a multi-vitamin and fish oil? I have a long long list of reasons for recommending those, but bascially what it comes down to is that they both make it possible for your body to utilize all of it’s resources (meaning, if you have certain vitamin or fatty acid shortages, you wont be able to burn fat as quickly).

Please also look around this site and get an idea of how other people are lifting.n Compare that with what your trainer is having you do to determine if it’s effective.

And last of all- are you sticking to your food plan 100%?

7

[quote]brownbikerbabe wrote:
I am a transformer!

But I need help…I have been losing weight since 2006 when i weighed 185 lbs. I now weigh 150 lbs on a 5’4" body, I have gone from being 45% BF to 30% BF, I started training with a personal trainer 3 months ago and you can see the results on my profile pics.

I wasn’t happy enough with the results I got in 12 weeks, so I decided to take a fat burner this time around, took it for a week and yes, I got out of 150 for few days was so happy to see 149.5, but it was a short lived party, I couldn’t sleep well and when I crashed I crashed to the point of no energy to lift…was fatiguing waaay too soon, stopped taking it.

But what is your opinions, do I need to stack it with something else, or should I try another brand of fat burner. I drink alot of coffee also in the morning…but by the end of the day the caffeine crash is brutul! The trainer has me eating only one carb in the morning…ususally oatmeal and egg white omlette, or eggwhites with whole wheat toast, but that is the only time I eat carbs.

Help I really want better results this next 12 weeks and want to melt the fat off, I am starting to see a little muscle now, but it is still stuck under all the fat!

My mini goal is to get to 20% BF for now…That’s only 10 % more to lose…then I will tackle the other goals later.

HELP! please, any suggestions?[/quote]

From what I’m reading, it looks like you have not been active for a while and lost the weight from mostly dieting (since 2006)? Correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t see any pics in your profile so it’s hard to judge.
You say you are feeling muscle under the fat, this is a good thing. If you came into this 12 weeks ago with little muscle and mostly fat, then you are on the right track. Your trainer may have been focusing on building some muscle up in the past 3 months, which is a smart thing to do. It will pay off in the long run by boosting your metabolism and it will help you to reduce the loose skin factor after weight loss.
As for cardio, you have a long way to go before you become “cardio adapted” (if my first paragraph is correct). At 30% BF, cardio is not an option, it’s a necessity. I’d keep it up, as much as your trainer recommends. Do change the equipment that you use, keeps things from getting too boring.
Give it some time before using a fat burner. I see them as an effective way to lean out for an event, but not as a typical fat loss aid. It took you a lot longer than 12 weeks to gain the fat, it will take a lot longer to lose it ( - ;
Fish oil is a good bet, along with chromium picolinate to improve insulin response.

8

[quote]brownbikerbabe wrote:
mom-in-MD wrote:
I’m not so sure it’s the supplement you even need!
How’s the diet?

diet this is pretty much how I usually eat:

Breakfast: 5 egg whites omlette or scrambled with veggies
1 packet of low sugar organic oatmeal or I will have 2 pieces of whole wheat or whole grain toast

Mid morning: 1 silouhette 0 fat 0 sugar yogurt
Protein drink

Lunch: Baby spinach salad
3 oz chicken breast

Mid afternoon: same as mid morning snack…or if I go to the gym I have it after a workout

dinner: Chicken or fish 3 oz
Salad or veggies

Thats pretty much the daily menu
[/quote]

You need some dietary fat to lose fat. I’d recommend Flameout and a lot of it.

Most people have a slight allergy to oatmeal. And most bread has high fructose corn syrup in it. Why not fruit? If you want complex why not potatoes?

9

[quote]dianab wrote:
From what I’m reading, it looks like you have not been active for a while and lost the weight from mostly dieting (since 2006)? Correct me if I’m wrong. I don’t see any pics in your profile so it’s hard to judge.
You say you are feeling muscle under the fat, this is a good thing. If you came into this 12 weeks ago with little muscle and mostly fat, then you are on the right track. Your trainer may have been focusing on building some muscle up in the past 3 months, which is a smart thing to do. It will pay off in the long run by boosting your metabolism and it will help you to reduce the loose skin factor after weight loss.
As for cardio, you have a long way to go before you become “cardio adapted” (if my first paragraph is correct). At 30% BF, cardio is not an option, it’s a necessity. I’d keep it up, as much as your trainer recommends. Do change the equipment that you use, keeps things from getting too boring.
Give it some time before using a fat burner. I see them as an effective way to lean out for an event, but not as a typical fat loss aid. It took you a lot longer than 12 weeks to gain the fat, it will take a lot longer to lose it ( - ;
Fish oil is a good bet, along with chromium picolinate to improve insulin response.[/quote]

Diana… you’re more of a pro than I am, but I just quickly put her menu into fitday and without counting her veggies (which are basically 0 anyway) and WITHOUT her 2 protein shakes she’s only getting about 900kcals. I know her protein shakes would push that higher, but depending on what it is, I’m not sure by how much.

Anyways, just wondering if you thought she was getting ENOUGH for doing weights 3x and cardio 6x a week. Just a thought.

10

Thank you for your input, i appreciate all of it. I am a sponge at this point and trying to learn all that I can.

I lost the initial weight by joining a gym in 2006 and only doing aerobics classes 3 or 4 times a week and making the right choices when it came to food, I cut out most of my alcohol consumption at that time, stopped smoking and got focused on my ultimate goal, now I am at zero alcohol and still remain focused on how I want my body to look, but hit a severe plateau last August 2008, Can’t seem to get out of the 150’s.

Still in that plateau, but I have lost inches and BF since I started working out with the trainer (which for a noob it still boggles my mind, how it is possible), so the scale has not moved too much, but I lost 2 dress sizes. SO I am really not thinking of the scale as much as losing the weight in BF percentage.

Yes, it is just a case of now figuring out what will make my body start burning fat again, it has gotten used to training, so something has to be changed, I just need to put on my Sherlock Holmes hat and figure out what that thing is…

I have no idea what happened to my profile pics, they disappeared, and I don’t know how to post pics here I will give it a try.

I have no clue why I can’t post pics, do they have to be a certain size?

Ok, girls you should be able to see the pics in my profile now, I did the Body for Life 12 week challenge using just the protein powder inbetween meals. And that is the result. I am doing the second 12 week Challenge except now I added the fat burner into the mix.

Question: Is T-Nation forums different than Figure Athlete…maybe that’s why my blog has gone missing too.

11

you lost TWO DRESS SIZES!!! That doesn’t sound like a plateau to me!!

you are probably building some muscle.which I don’t know if your trainer told you, or if you already know, but muscles weighs more than fat, but takes up less room basically…which is why we can shrink, but the scale remains the same…I’m in the same boat, and despite what people may say here, we need cardio!! I would still keep that up the best you can…matter of fact when the weather is nicer, I plan on going for walks/bike rides in the evenings plus my workout in the mornings…

12

[quote]Court wrote:

Diana… you’re more of a pro than I am, but I just quickly put her menu into fitday and without counting her veggies (which are basically 0 anyway) and WITHOUT her 2 protein shakes she’s only getting about 900kcals. I know her protein shakes would push that higher, but depending on what it is, I’m not sure by how much.

Anyways, just wondering if you thought she was getting ENOUGH for doing weights 3x and cardio 6x a week. Just a thought.[/quote]

If it’s really 900 cals of food, then no way.

13

[quote]dianab wrote:
Court wrote:

Diana… you’re more of a pro than I am, but I just quickly put her menu into fitday and without counting her veggies (which are basically 0 anyway) and WITHOUT her 2 protein shakes she’s only getting about 900kcals. I know her protein shakes would push that higher, but depending on what it is, I’m not sure by how much.

Anyways, just wondering if you thought she was getting ENOUGH for doing weights 3x and cardio 6x a week. Just a thought.

If it’s really 900 cals of food, then no way.[/quote]

It came to 900 cals of food + 2 protein shakes.

14

[quote]Court wrote:

It came to 900 cals of food + 2 protein shakes. [/quote]

Court is right, if that is all you are eating it is pretty low calorie to support all the activity you are doing. Dietary fat was mentioned and it seems you are lacking it. Good fats do not equal body fat.
But you have made some pretty decent progress over the past 12 weeks, it’s noticeable in your pics. Keep up with the muscle building, don’t pay too much attention to the scale. Measurements tell a clearer story.

15

[quote]dianab wrote:
Court wrote:

It came to 900 cals of food + 2 protein shakes.

Court is right, if that is all you are eating it is pretty low calorie to support all the activity you are doing. Dietary fat was mentioned and it seems you are lacking it. Good fats do not equal body fat.
But you have made some pretty decent progress over the past 12 weeks, it’s noticeable in your pics. Keep up with the muscle building, don’t pay too much attention to the scale. Measurements tell a clearer story.[/quote]

Thank you Court, Dec 1 I weighed 160 and Feb 23rd I was 150 #. But now stuck and cannot get below 150…I know I know, smash the scale.

Are you saying I am NOT eating enough? Could that be why my body is holding on to the weight?

Is any one attending the FAME competition in Cobourg? I am going to watch my first ever competition, so excited about it.
I should mention I am taking the EAS Chocolate protein drink or the EAS Myoplex Shake as a meal replacement.

Also I picked up some CLA to take along with the Hydroxycut. What are your opinions on that?

16

[quote]brownbikerbabe wrote:
Thank you Court, Dec 1 I weighed 160 and Feb 23rd I was 150 #. But now stuck and cannot get below 150…I know I know, smash the scale.

Are you saying I am NOT eating enough? Could that be why my body is holding on to the weight?

Is any one attending the FAME competition in Cobourg? I am going to watch my first ever competition, so excited about it.
I should mention I am taking the EAS Chocolate protein drink or the EAS Myoplex Shake as a meal replacement.

Also I picked up some CLA to take along with the Hydroxycut. What are your opinions on that?
[/quote]

These are my very unqualified opinions:

  1. If you aren’t eating enough, your body is basically in starvation mode and holding onto your fat because it isn’t sure if you’re going to give it enough food to operate tomorrow.

I don’t disagree with your trainer’s limiting of your carbs to only the am. However, if you add in fish oil, it will increase your calories and it is very healthy fat. That, or when you cook your chicken, use some Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Speaking of chicken… are you only spicing it right now. Are you adding any sauces to it??

  1. I used CLA back in January when I was dropping weight for my powerlifting meet. I WAS in a caloric deficit so I’m not really sure how much I can attribute to the CLA, but when I got my bf% done 3 weeks into that specific meal plan (which I followed 100%), my tummy pinch had decreased by the most.

  2. I have never ever heard anything positive about hydroxycut. People who I know have used multiple kinds always prefer the one sold on this site - HOT-ROX. I’ve used HOT-ROX myself and enjoy it, however I haven’t used anything else. However, if you choose not to order the HOT-ROX because of shipping costs, etc, I’m still not sure if I would stick with Hydroxycut.

  3. How much water are you drinking in a day? The more water you drink the less water your body will hold onto (confusing, I know). Aim for at least 3L a day. When I’m bahaving myself and taking my own advice, I walk around with a 1.5L water bottle and just keep filling it up.

As far as your weight actually goes, people do hit plateaus for any number of reasons. Has your stress level increased? Have you been sleeping regularly? Also, I just did a quick google search and if you’re using the EAS shake I looked at, they each have 24g of carbs.

That’s the same amount of carbs PER SHAKE that you are getting with your morning meal. Can you try bringing in a serving of ‘real food’ protein into your afternoon shake at least?

I like your attitude with the scale. Yes, it’s one measure but if you’re tracking with measurements and BF% then the scale doesn’t really matter. I’ve always said that personally I’d be okay if I was a size 6 and weighed 175lbs. Who cares. Just imagine the muscle on that frame :slight_smile:

17

PS. As for FAME in Coburg, I’m personally not going. Us Ontarioans in the forum tend to be more west…ie. in the Toronto-Hamilton belt.

18

BBB- DITCH the SCALE!! :stuck_out_tongue:

I’ve only lost -2 lbs, but my BF and inches are down like crazy!! And that’s in three months!!

Are you or aren’t you doing cardio? I’ll go back and look…

All the advice you are getting right now is good, but it’s a lot…do one thing at a time to better measure progress!!

Any reason you can’t have the carbs AFTER training instead, when your body can use them better?

Personally I just do fruit and protein in the morning(usually a shake) Then have my carbs when I’ve “earned” them. :stuck_out_tongue:

19

ok, I see that you ARE still doing cardio, correct?

Is it intense enough to produce “mouth breathing?” Are you sweating?

I was doing “cardio,” back in the day…meaning I would go for walks…leisurely walking which is great because I LOVE being outdoors, but not intense enough to count unfortunately!

If I were in your shoes, I would start with the cardio…

Have you ever kept a food log?
www.fitday.com
is good, and its FREE!! You can do it for just two weeks or so to gauge progress!!

Whenever I plateau now, I know it’s gotta be the diet…or I have to make the cardio a bit more intense!

20

Oh yeah, Mom in MD, I do cardio everyday 6 days a week and I change it up from elliptical HIIT 30 minutes and then I’ll go to seated bike for 30 minutes and I do abs on weight training days or to treadmill or I do aerobics classes ususally 2 back to back…I love the dance cardio, and did you ask if I sweat?..LOL…I feel like I am the only person in that gym with a puddle at my feet…even when lifting with my trainer…he is brutal and challenges me.

that’s the reason I can’t figure it out…I am literally killing myself in the gym but to no great drops on the scale to show for it.

Another question: I started the CLA it says take with meal, does that mean 5 times a day or 3 times a day with the regular “food” meals and not the supplements?