Weight Loss Help

I would like some advice on weight loss, and I have found that the body-building crowd seems to know the most about nutrition and supplements. (and many have already experienced the pit-falls so can help me avoid them!)

I have been an athlete my whole life, running in high schol and college, riding and training horses, bike racing and playing rugby. I have had a few major injuries and have allowed the pounds to slowly creep up on me.

I am not in any way a ‘little’ person. I’m 5’1"
with a decent build, and on the heavy side.

I do not eat junk food, though I do drink about 5 drinks a week on average. I almost never eat fast food, I take supplements, and though my diet isn’t perfect I eat three meals a day every day and drink a ton of water.

So anyway, I began seriously hitting the gym just after Christmas and have seen almost no fat loss (i.e my clothes still fit the same way) I do about an hour of medium - high intensity cardio 5 days a week, and lift three days after cardio. I can move a respectable amount of weight, but I am by no means super woman. In the last two weeks I have gone to very low carbs, high protein for five days, then two ‘normal’ days. Obviously I’m doing something wrong - maybe everything. I have gone up in my lift weights, but my measurements have not changed and neither has my body weight.

Right now my main goal is to lose the spare tire and if I get stronger in the process that’s all the better! I have heard the ‘miracle’ claims of the slim-fast diet, the atkins’ diet and others, but I don’t expect to lose 10 pounds in a week. I’d be happy with two.

I tried MD-6 with a low carb diet while lifting and doing minimal cardio (three months ago) this lasted about 8 weeks and had the same results, up in strength, no size changes.

Am I just being neurotic, or just not being patient enough? I read through the MRP diet and the T-Dawg diet, but I don't want to change again if I don't have to. Any feedback would be very welcome! Thanks!!!

What do your three meals a day typically consist of? Do you eat anything in between those meals? When you were(are) eating a low carb diet, how many carbs a day would that have been? I know a lot of questions, but we need a little more info to help.

hi tmag girl. My experience is that if someone HAS TO BE “on a diet” in order to keep his bodyfat at a reasonable level, then it wont stay at that reasonable level.The amount of effort you have to put into it just isn t realistic for most ordinary, non-competitive people.The solution to combat overweight is still ridiculously simple and I m amazed it isn t used more commonly to combat serious overweight. There is something that is used to improve insulin- sensitivity in diabetic people. It s called Metformin. It has been reported that it improves insulin sensitivity simply becouse it slows down the the movement of food through the gut and becouse of that, you eat considerably less. When I used it I found that my apetite was almost gone. I got full from one egg! Even the thought of food made me wanna puke!Metformin doesn t have any serious side-effects.

Well, there are a few things that you can do in order to loose a little weight. First of all eating three times a day is really not enough. You should try to eat every 2 1/2 hours. I think it is one of the most important things when you loose weight. MD6 is a good help because it is a thermogenic with appetite suppresents, and I swear by it.
I would also do my cardio after weight training because you will get a more effective weight workout, that should get you heart pumping pretty well, then finish it off with the cardio.

JRR - my current three meals a day (for the past two weeks) are a protein bar for breakfast after workout (23g carb 15g protein) a MRP shake for lunch and snack (4g carb 24g pro) and chicken for dinner. not less than 64 oz of water, and one serving of metamucil with 16 oz of water. I also take some vitamins and herbs.
cheese for a snack if i’m really hungry, and sometimes an extra protein bar if I’m starving and am not going to be able to eat dinner until late. Weekends are my ‘days off’ and I eat carbs then, but don’t pig-out or eat a bag of chips or anything.

Pre-two weeks ago it was cream of wheat for breakfast, chicken, rice and veggies for lunch, and whatever for dinner (usually pasta or leftovers of some kind...very random.) Less water, but still a decent amount and very little snacking. (Sorry, I have never kept a food log, so that's all I can tell you.)

As for my diet when I tried MD-6, I have absolutely no clue, but I was trying to keep carbs low…which meant no bread with dinner and trying to eat less pasta (ok, so maybe that isn’t really ‘low carbs’ just ‘less carbs’)

Aron - Yes, I am batteling genetics here. I am built exactly like my mother and sisters and grandmother....solid German stock. Unfortunately none of my Dad's 'little Italian woman' heritage came through to me. I am not seriously overweight, but I do carry an extra ten to fifteen pounds...holy shit, I can't believe I just wrote that. I guess that DOES make me pretty overweight doesn't it? Anyway, your egg example is interesting, I DO get full from one egg, and on weekends one can last me about 4 hours before I get hungry again.

Is Metformin a perscription drug? I've never heard of it. I already take a handful of pills a day and I need to be sure everything is working together....maybe that's the problem???

I would recommend a couple of things. Get a protein bar that has less than 23 grams of carbs. There are many out their with 6g or so. Some people need to go below 30g of carbs a day for the Keto diet to be effective. Instead of two days off on the weekend, cheat with one or two meals on one day. If you are not doing a strenuous lower body workout consisting of squats, lunges etc… you need to do this AT LEAST once/week. Not only will you be doing a tough workout, but also building muscle in the legs, which will burn fat. 5 or 6 sets of squats after a good warmup, doing sets of 10-12 reps with a weight that will make you work up a good sweat. Then the lunges etc… If you do not know how to squat properly, get someone to work with you. As far as cardio, make sure you are working up a serious sweat once again. Incline the treadmill and use no hands on the stairmaster. Remember, nothing comes easy. Good Luck.

Hey t-mag girl
…i think u’ll be able to lose the weight w/o a problem…try eating 5 smaller meals a day instead of 3 medium or large ones…if u can’t go total low carb…add some old fashioned oats for breakfast, mid morning and mid afternoon meals…eliminate carbs… and have some carbs at lunch but not too many. Try some fibrous veggies at dinner. The 5 meals might boost your metabolism…if u can’t bring yourself to eat a good break fast …do a little cardio, before and wait 15 min…if u have time…remember the most important thing w weight loss is caloric deficit. U can alter the quality of ur weight loss with the quality of your diet tho. Post back if u have more questions…ps…these are just my opinions and info i’ve gotten over the past couple yeras…good luck

maybe you should just train a little harder. I don t know about you.but most women aren t very intense in the gym. I don t mean that you should torture yourself to death though. That s not good either. By the way…do you really eat that little?..It seems unbelievable…I know that women like sweets…

JRR - Here is my current actual workout:
Monday through Thursday and Saturday - one hour of ‘class’ (spinning, step, interval step and abs, running, kick boxing - in that order)
Lifting is after cardio on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. Currently these are my chosen exercises (specific exercises to change every six weeks, but same muscle groups):
Monday: Chest, Back, Abs - Bench, Inclined Bench, Seated Row, Bent DB row, Roman chair, situps, back situps
Tuesday: Legs - Squats, Ham Curls, Leg Extensions, Calf Raise, that stupid looking lay-on-your-stomach-leg-push-work-your-ass machine, situps
Thursday: Shoulders, Bicepts, Tricepts, Abs - Shrugs, Front Lat Raise, Side Lat Raise, Skulls, DB Kickbacks, Straight Bar curl, Preacher Curl, Roman Chair, Situps

Any suggetions on stuff to change? Presently I am primarily interested in shedding fat. Getting stronger and more toned (*gag* I said that on purpose...I heard it in the gym this morning and almost barfed) is just an added benefit right now. When I finish with the flab I'm going to concentrate more on strength and size.

Mike - the 5 meals thing is do-able, but I need to really plan the meals. Are you including MRP's in that? One usually fills me up for a few hours, so should I just have a 'half dose' you think? It would end up to be the same amount at the end of the day, but there is no way I could have that many and not feel really stuffed.

Any idea how long you should wait before sleeping after eating? I’ve heard four hours, and I’ve heard it really doens’t make a difference.

Aron - Yesterday’s entire menu - protein bar for breakfast, half a cup of coffee, protein shake for lunch, some sharp cheddar cheese for a snack, chicken breast cooked in garlic maranade for dinner. Six glasses of water throughout the day. That’s pretty much it every day. I need to add some veggies, but that’s about it. And you’re right, I do love sweets. Infact, we had a company breakfast yesterday…all the doughnuts and bagels we wanted…I had a glass of water, as I had already had my bar in the morning. (And felt sorry for myself…grin) I met a girl in the gym last week who has lost 50 pounds since September, she said she did it for ‘revenge’ because ‘they’re all still fat and I look good’ That sums it up for me!

No, I don't enjoy this, but I enjoy my flab much less. What's it that TC is always saying? We work out so we look better naked....that's my goal!!!

A for workout intensity, I pretty much work to failure on all of my weights, except for bench where if I fail I'm gonna get packed. Next week it's DB bench so I can work harder (My boyfriend's idea, since I don't train with a partner) I lift before work (7am) and none of my friends can (or are willing to) make it to train at that time. Sometimes it's hard without someone to push and encourage, but I don't have much of a choice. No, it's not torture, the best part is when I'm done with a set and can feel my muscles yelling at me!

How do I rate my workout intensity?

Every thing I have read on the forum and mag have said that it is most effective to do the cardio AFTER the weight training.

Drink more water. Are you sure you are getting enough calories? The bare minimum I would dare to drop to is maybe 12 cal/lb, but if you are really doing an hour of cardio 5 times a week you could probably get away with more (or get rid of the cardio). You don’t want to kill your metabolism, do you?

I would never claim to have any exceptional knowledge when it comes to putting on muscle, but I have never failed to lose 2 lbs of fat per week when I decide to do so, so here’s my 2 cents. Most of my girlfriends who attempt to lose fat make the following mistakes…they eat far too little protein, lift weights too passively (or don’t at all) while aerobicizing up the wazoo, and don’t eat enough calories spread out throughout the day. Metabolically, they maintain or gain weight on calorie intakes of less than 1,000 calories/day

My advice would be to concentrate on adding muscle as it will significantly boost your resting metabolism, eat roughly 10-12 calories x your bodyweight + 200 to 300 per day when you exercise(40-50% protein each day), USE MD6 (better than ECAs), allow yourself ample rest between workouts, and lift hard. Only genetically freakish women have too much muscle.

If those MM2K girls can do it with the advice spewed in that magazine, a tmag girl will kick some fat-loss ass with better information and a stronger desire/discipline. Good luck

All the excercises you are doing seem ok to me. The only thing I cannot gauge is your intensity. You say to work to failure though, so…Definitely do the cardio after the weights if you can. Or, as I do, 10 minutes before, 10-20 minutes after. Up your protein. I don’t know what you weigh, but by the meals you have outlined, you are not eating enough. Rest less between sets. If you can, 1 minute, no more. It’s a bitch to lose fat for a woman Vs. a man. Good Luck.

t-mag girl, I have to COMPLETELY agree with the last few posts: you are NOT eating enough! Not only are you not eating enough protein, but you don’t appear to be eating enough calories, either. I also agree with eating 5-6 times each day, and I would up the water intake to 1 oz. per pound of bodyweight, only up to 1 gallon (128 oz.). It is very possible that your metabolism has slowed down to almost a grinding halt. I don’t know how long you’ve been dieting, but you’re body (somehow) is thinking, “I’m not getting enough food. I need to slow down every possible metabolic process to preserve energy, mass, etc.” I would add 100 calories to each day for a week, and then bump it up again. (i.e., now = 1000, week 1 = 1100/day, week 2 = 1200/day, week 3 = 1300/day, etc.) Do this until you get some results. For everyone on this thread, here’s something to think about: using Berardi’s RMR (resting metabolic rate) equation, RMR = 500 + 22(fat-free mass in kilograms). Fat-free mass in lb = bodyweight in lbs. - %bodyfat. 1 kg = 2.2 lbs. Let’s use a hypothetical girl as an example. We have a 125 lb. girl that is 23% body fat. 125 lb - .23(125) = 96 lbs. fat-free mass. Now, divide 96 by 2.2… 96/2.2 = 43.5 kilograms. So, RMR = 500 + 22(43.5) = 1457 calories. And that’s RESTING metabolism! That doesn’t take into account the Thermic effect of Food (TEF) or activity level! Before anyone thinks, “that’s a weight GAIN diet”, keep in mind that t-mag girl is probably eating less than or close to 1000 calories per day, when her RMR is probably close to my example. Put in an activity level of 1.3 for BED REST (way below her activity level), and you have 1457*1.3= 1890 calories. I’m not going to finish the equation, as my only point is to objectively show that t-mag girl is probably eating anywhere from 700-1000 calories less DAILY than she should be! That’s way too few calories! Eat some more, ma’am. =)

A table full of doughnuts and sweets and you had a glass of water?! You’re awesome! My girlfriend seems to have the same problem you have. I swear some days she eats a bar, that’s it! One measly f***ing bar!! And still the fat does not want to budge!!! I think her doom is that when she does it (the rare occasions) she eats crappy things. But that’s not your problem so keep fighting you will get eventually get yours. Some of the postings here were pretty good. Consider shocking your metabolism by eating whatever you want on one day of the week. Maybe you should try that “supplement” Aron was talking about. You have a mind of steel! Fantastic.

Tmag girl, In addition to all of the previous posts, do some more digging in the T-Mag archives. I would suggest that you start with the articles:
“Plain Talk: Aerobics Don’t Work” (Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION) and “A Bowlful of Jelly: How to Deep-Six Holiday Fat” (Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION)

If you want a more in depth explanation of the German Body Comp program from the horse's mouth, get the book "Manly Weight Loss" by Charles Poliquin. I purchased my copy from Amazon.

Ok, I am going to take some time this weekend to figure out a diet plan. I haven’t been counting calories at all really, just making sure the foods I’m eating are low in carbs and high in protein. I eat when I am hungry, right now that is 4 times a day; 3 ‘meals’ and a afternoon snack.

I’m going to make it at least 5 meals starting Monday (I have to go buy food) and I’ll keep you updated! Thanks for all the info, I appreciate it!

–Michelle

Oh yeah, as for the cardio, I'm going to keep the hour class before lifiting for now. Not because I don't think you are correct about it, but because the class is from 6-7 am every day (I would have to go to the gym at 4:30 am to lift beforehand, not likely to happen!) and it forces me to do it for an hour... if I try to do treadmills or stairs daily I go insane!

yeah tmag girl …its cool if u break that mrp up…but i think u need more calories so…i would strive to keep it whole . I think everyone is right in that u need mor kcals. howabout for ur training…superset your exercise and do the circuit style. ex, chest ex.to back to chest to back, rest a minute repeat cycle…just a thought…keep water and fiber intake up .

Just a thought, T-mag Girl. You may be sabotaging your efforts with the first meal of the day. I think you may be better off with a high protein/fat breakfast. Cream of wheat has the same glycemic index as white bread. Slow-cook oatmeal is better (I believe the GI=70 on the white bread scale), but you may be better off eliminating all high and medium GI carbs. That means no pasta either. The question is, can you endure having to eat beans and lentils, apples and dried apricots as your only source of carbs? Of course, you’ll also have to deal with the gas, until your body adjusts to the change in diet.