Fist time caller, long time listener. I’ve been checking out other logs for a while, looking to see what other people are doing and decided to start a log of my own.
Short history lesson. I’m 46, 5’3 and 159 lbs. I have been lifting on and off for about 8 years and was a runner of sorts for about 5 years in my early 30’s. My twenties were spent lazy and obese. Currently looking forward to starting over….again. (Who wants progress when everyday can be the first day)
Current goals:
Shed the extra weight that makes everything harder.
Avoid chronic disease as much as possible.
Run at least 2 races a year with my husband and 2 sons. (All 3 of them are legit runners and I take quite a bit of pride in knowing that I am the one who started them all on the path.)
Do my own grocery shopping well past the age of 80.
Be able to use stairs well past the age of 80.
Hike trails with my potential grandchildren well past the age of 80.
Overall fitness and mental well-being well past the age of 80.
There is no program here. Just what I’ve come up with. I have a home gym with limited equipment, so I work with what I have. Here goes.
Nothing wrong with that. Breaking yourself in slowly is a good thing. Maybe in a week or two add a bench row with your dumbbells. Add arm work after that. Make sure you are employing meaningful resistance. There will be a lot of people who will come along and give you a lot better advice than I have.
Given the goals you’ve laid out, I highly recommend checking out the book “outlive” by Dr.Peter Attia. Focuses a lot on what we can do now to have the best day to day functions in our elder years
edit: I don’t know why that came out in all bold text, I’m not yelling lol
I appreciate the input! I’m always open to advice. I’m planning to try to keep to a caloric deficit and going somewhat easy on the weight training. Planning to get most of my activity from walking (weighted vest and regular), hiking and running until I get closer to my desired fat loss. Planning to lift relatively light 2-3 days a week.
A very humid morning as well as feeling moderately dehydrated made for a slow run. I baked cookies for my family and ate exactly zero. Victory is mine! Managed good choices while out to eat with visiting family. All in all I’m calling it a great day. I’m looking forward to a nice long early morning walk followed by a lifting session.
Note to self: Don’t forget weights are low for a reason. Losing excess fat is the short term goal. Stop quitting and you won’t have to keep starting over!
My typical habit is to eat a small breakfast, medium lunch and a bigger dinner. I have found that this leaves me vulnerable to snacking while at work. Unplanned snacks at work are usually found in the community candy bowl. I have tried a new approach recently. I am eating a larger breakfast with a somewhat larger lunch while scaling back my dinner. This seems to be working much better for me. I am successfully avoiding snacks and feeling pretty good throughout the day. I’m going to continue down this road and adjust as needed.
Note to self: Your body and brain are enjoying the clean eating. Let’s not f#ck that up.
@QuadQueen I’ve heard you are a good source for nutritional information and if you wouldn’t mind, I have a quick question. I’ve read that your body can only process so much protein at a time. A: Is this true? B: If it is, how much should you have in one meal?
Felt pretty good during my workout today. Planning to slowly increase my lifts. Finally have a day off tomorrow that I can food prep. I’ve been doing fairly well with my diet so far, but prep will definitely make things quicker and easier. Sleep has been better. Hip pain at night seems to be decreasing. Keep moving. Things are always better when you are on track. Feel better, look better, live better. You’ve got this.
Well, yes and no. Your body can process larger amounts but doesn’t do so at the rate, efficiency or result. This is a GREAT article the sums up all things protein - it’s a long read, but a good one!! Here’s what the research says about optimal distribution:
The Power of Even Distribution
Dr. Douglas Paddon-Jones’s Groundbreaking Research: Dr. Douglas Paddon-Jones, PhD, from the University of Texas Medical Branch’s Department of Internal Medicine, conducted studies published in the Journal of Nutrition finding that consuming moderate protein amounts at each meal (approximately 30g, evenly distributed) resulted in a 25% higher 24-hour mixed muscle protein fractional synthesis rate compared to a skewed intake pattern. This effect was maintained over 7 days.
Optimal Distribution Strategy:
Every 3-4 hours: 20-30 grams of protein per meal
Throughout the day: Avoid consuming most protein in one large meal
Consistency: Regular moderate stimuli optimize the protein synthetic response
So, the answer to:
Is 20-30 grams per meal. I tell most of my clients to aim for 25-30 grams per meal and if snacks are being eaten - 15 grams per snack. I do adjust these numbers based on the individual’s weight, lean muscle mass, and overall goals, so larger bodies = higher numbers.
Looking at muscle building specifically the research says this:
Muscle Protein Synthesis in Athletes:
Acute Effects: Protein ingestion after exercise reliably increases muscle protein synthesis rates, especially myofibrillar protein synthesis, in both resistance and concurrent training contexts
Optimal Dose: 30g of high-quality protein post-exercise is sufficient to maximize muscle protein synthesis after endurance exercise; higher doses do not further increase synthesis rates
Supplement Types: Whey and milk proteins are most effective; amino acid-only supplements show less consistent results
The article I linked above goes more into detail, but that’s the TL;DR version. I hope that helps and if you have any other questions just let me know! I’m a registered dietitian, so nutrition stuff is my jam!
Thank you! Thank you! I appreciate your time. I think I’m hitting those kinds of numbers but will adjust accordingly if needed. Don’t want to waste food or calories if it isn’t doing me any good.
I have tried a new approach recently. I am eating a larger breakfast with a somewhat larger lunch while scaling back my dinner.
It’s funny you call this a “new approach”, because it’s actually a VERY old proverb.
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper” and “Eat your breakfast, share your lunch with a friend, and give your dinner to your enemy.”
I feel like it’s a great idea as well. Quite often, trainees will do a GREAT job adhering to caloric restriction ALL DAY…and then binge on ice cream right before bed and reset the whole thing. The body WILL find a way to get the nutrients it wants, and if we starve it all day, it will come for it at night. But if we blast it with nutrition to start the day, night will role around and the cravings will be absent.
Agreed. My body likes to find what it needs with cheese. Lol. Lots of calories and fat, with very little else to offer. It’s my unfortunate go to when I walk in from work hungry. So far this new (to me) approach has been working very well. No snacking when I get home. Just a small dinner and early bedtime. Bonus: It also keeps me out of the candy bowl at work. I’m fuller, less tired and less cranky all day. No one wants a grumpy hungry lady taking care of them. Wins all around.
Well, I believe the glory of dropping water weight has come to an end. I think this is my actual start weight. I’m not trying to make this a fast drop but definitely a sustainable one. Spent most of the day doing food prep and other household BS. No workout today, but I did mow the lawn, so I’m counting that. Tomorrow is a deadlift day. Deadlifts are by far my favorite lift. I’m excited.
