Stacey's Journal

[mintmate]

Well I have been a member of this site for a while now but think its high time I got my a into g and got myself a journal!!!!

I have awful ups and downs in terms of motivation so I'm hoping this will help me out a lot!

I am currently 70.4kg and 170cm. Body Fat: 24%. Working out 4-5 times a week, but not really doing any set program (any help on what I should be doing will be appreciated )

GOAL: Get my weight down to around 60kg, feel great about myself and be pretty fit and healthy. I am very pear shaped so have quite big legs and backside :oops: and smaller up top. So would really like to tone up and have my clothes that no longer fit me, fit again!

Currently doing:

Mon: a 45 min run with Tyla my dog ( approx 7km), then lower body at the gym

Leg press: 124kg 3 sets of 10

Squats: 65kg 3 sets of 10

Leg Extension: 70kg 3 sets of 10

Leg press one where you are sitting down and pressing upwards: 160kg 3 sets of 10

leg curl: 30kg 3 sets of 10

squat one where you are on an angle pushing upwards (i have no idea what half the machins at the gym are called)

Tues: 45 min run with Tyla , then zumba or upper body workout

Bicep curls: 9kg dumbells, 3 sets of 10

Chest Press: 11kg, 3 sets of 10

Lat Pulldown: 42kg 3 sets of 10

Tricep pulldown machine: 35kg 3 sets of 10

Seated row: 35kg 3 sets of 10

Assisted chin up machine: 50kg 3 sets of 10

Skull crushers: 15kg bar 3 sets of 10

Wed: Centergy class at the gym (yoga,pilates, ab fusion class) note: I tore my acl in 2009 and had knee surgery so I do the class to help me with flexibility

Thurs: 45 min run with Tyla, then legs

Fri: Lazy day!

Sat: Either running at the gym on the treadmill (speed 11k for about 20-25 mins) then row for 10 mins and bike for 10 mins/stair climb for 10 mins or upper body workout

Sun: Every fortnight I do a approx 60 min hill run

Sometimes I miss my run with Tyla depending on what i have done at work (I coach sport all day to primary school children)

I am pretty sure whats letting my down is my diet: I LOVE FOOD!

This is a rough plan of what I eat now:

Breakfast: All bran and a banana + some days a fresh apple and carrot juice

Morning Tea: muesli bar

Lunch: multigrain vegemite sandwhich, yoghurt and a pear

Afternoon tea: tuna and crackers, horleys protein shake with milk

Tea: whatever the flat is having, fish, chicken, stir fry etc it varies

Drink a lot of water throughout the day, 3 litres most days I would say!

I have been an avid gym goer for about 3 years now and play a lot of sport as well, so there must be a piece of the puzzle missing for me, so hopefully this will get me on the right track!!!!

Any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by!

[mike27]

hi and welcome!

good job on starting up a journal! :nod:

good start so far! id suggest doing your weights sessions 1st before any cardio. ie do a 5min warm up on cardio, then do your weights session.

cardio can be done after weights, but lower intensity cardio, and aim for max 20-30mins

then on non-weights days you can go for your longer runs or do a class.

you may wanna check out interval training to do also

id also suggest you set up a good weights program to follow. maybe like this:

mon-weights

tues-long run 60mins+

wed-weights,cross trainer 20mins

thurs-interval training 25mins HIIT

fri-weights,treadmill 20mins

sat-class

sun-rest or light run

[mike27]

also... do you count calories?

id suggest you do count them. you want to consume 100-500cals less than what you require each day = loose fat slowly

or to look at a different way.... say you eat 3500cals for the day, you would want to be burning 3600cals-4000cals

anyone can loose weight, thats easy! just do heaps of weights and cardio every day and eat bugger all

trouble is.... it'll be muscle loss

muscle mass 'costs' the body more to maintain per kg than fat... so... if ur starving (too big a calorie decifit) then the body will get rid of muscle first over body fat

so the key is a gradual reduction in calorie intake, lift heavy to retain muscle and dont get hung up on the numbers on the scales :nod:

[snoopy]

Well I have been a member of this site for a while now but think its high time I got my a into g and got myself a journal!!!!

I have awful ups and downs in terms of motivation so I'm hoping this will help me out a lot!

I am currently 70.4kg and 170cm. Body Fat: 24%. Working out 4-5 times a week, but not really doing any set program (any help on what I should be doing will be appreciated )

GOAL: Get my weight down to around 60kg, feel great about myself and be pretty fit and healthy. I am very pear shaped so have quite big legs and backside :oops: and smaller up top. So would really like to tone up and have my clothes that no longer fit me, fit again!

Currently doing:

Mon: a 45 min run with Tyla my dog ( approx 7km), then lower body at the gym

Leg press: 124kg 3 sets of 10

Squats: 65kg 3 sets of 10

Leg Extension: 70kg 3 sets of 10

Leg press one where you are sitting down and pressing upwards: 160kg 3 sets of 10

leg curl: 30kg 3 sets of 10

squat one where you are on an angle pushing upwards (i have no idea what half the machins at the gym are called)

Tues: 45 min run with Tyla , then zumba or upper body workout

Bicep curls: 9kg dumbells, 3 sets of 10

Chest Press: 11kg, 3 sets of 10

Lat Pulldown: 42kg 3 sets of 10

Tricep pulldown machine: 35kg 3 sets of 10

Seated row: 35kg 3 sets of 10

Assisted chin up machine: 50kg 3 sets of 10

Skull crushers: 15kg bar 3 sets of 10

Wed: Centergy class at the gym (yoga,pilates, ab fusion class) note: I tore my acl in 2009 and had knee surgery so I do the class to help me with flexibility

Thurs: 45 min run with Tyla, then legs

Fri: Lazy day!

Sat: Either running at the gym on the treadmill (speed 11k for about 20-25 mins) then row for 10 mins and bike for 10 mins/stair climb for 10 mins or upper body workout

Sun: Every fortnight I do a approx 60 min hill run

Sometimes I miss my run with Tyla depending on what i have done at work (I coach sport all day to primary school children)

I am pretty sure whats letting my down is my diet: I LOVE FOOD!

This is a rough plan of what I eat now:

Breakfast: All bran and a banana + some days a fresh apple and carrot juice

Morning Tea: muesli bar

Lunch: multigrain vegemite sandwhich, yoghurt and a pear

Afternoon tea: tuna and crackers, horleys protein shake with milk

Tea: whatever the flat is having, fish, chicken, stir fry etc it varies

Drink a lot of water throughout the day, 3 litres most days I would say!

I have been an avid gym goer for about 3 years now and play a lot of sport as well, so there must be a piece of the puzzle missing for me, so hopefully this will get me on the right track!!!!

Any feedback is much appreciated! Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Stacey,

I disagree with the comments last made about long runs due to the fact that this can cause fat deposition due to large amounts of accumulated Cortisol which is a primary stress hormone, and which is known to be a 'fat storing' hormone.

Stick to HIIT or high intensity interval training, and sled drags general sprint work ect.

Also, your goal is to also keep your knee healthy, long runs arn't beneficial and could re-inflame tendons and ligaments.

Do your sprint training 4 times a week, and your weights around 6.

Weight training produces testosterone which will help you to shed fat and gain muscle.

Ensure you have a squat or deadlift exercise in your programme 4 times a week.

[mike27]

knee injury? did i miss that? opps sorry

yeah difenatly aggree that higher intensity work like HIIT and sprints will be more benefical than a longer slower run

i just suggest it to mix things up and keep it interesting :nod:

[mintmate]

Thanks Mike and Snoopy

I will work more on HIIT stuff I used to do that quite a bit when I was training to run 10km. My knee is pretty used to running long distances but I definately know that I should stop and slow down if it ever hurts.

Mike27: Calorie counting sounds like a good idea, im quite bad at adding in snacks or having extra haha

Will start properly tommorrow on everything:

Went to Zumba tonight \:D/ I know its not entirely beneficial but its so much fun!

[teamfatboy]

Mike27's advice is pretty much on the money...

Calorie counting is good - but what's equally important is the break-down of the food, and its timing (which could be difficult if you're teaching sport all day!).

I'd suggest that you would probably get some benefit from checking the quantities of protein in your meals, notably breakfast (when the body's been feeding on itself since you went to sleep) and lunch, where protein's conspicuously absent.

Even for a runner, a ratio of 50% carbs, 35% protein and 15% dietary fats (oils etc) isn't out of the ordinary. I suspect that your ratio is probably higher in carbs and fats, lower in protein. Some eggs (or just egg whites) for breakfast, and maybe a can of tuna with lunch, for instance. Protein shakes are a convenient way of fitting in a protein shot, often before or after a workout at the gym.

In terms of timing, the thing to think about is the metabolic window around your workouts - pre-fueling the body before a workout, and having some protein and fast-acting carbs after a workout. What time of day do you normally work out ?

Oh, and ditch the scales... use those "target clothes" as your measure. With muscle being so much denser than bodyfat, a properly designed diet and training regime could see you hitting your size and appearance goals long before you hit that weight figure.

[mintmate]

Day 1:

Feeling good!!

I decided to count all the kilojoules of the food I am currently eating. It worked out to be 4140 kilojoules a day (this does not include dinner as it varies)

Breakfast: 3/4 cup Hubbards Bran n Berries cereal, 100ml of milk, 200ml freshly juiced apple and 2x carrot juice

Morning Tea: Muesli Bar

Lunch: Vegemite sammy on multigrain, lite yoplait yoghurt, tuna and 6 mini crackers

Afternoon Tea: Pear

Tea: I was naughty and had a homemade chicken burger :naughty: had lots of lettuce and tomato in it and just some sauce as well,

Exercise: had a busy day at work with sports, did discus and unihoc with the schools we went too.

GYM: 10 mins on the steppere machine on level 10, burnt 140 calories

Then 1 hour of centergy yoga/abs/pilates class!

Bring on weights tommorrow!! Think I will set myself a plan for the next 4 weeks over the weekend and start on monday.

Thanks team Fatboy I will look at including more protein at breakfast and have my tuna at lunch now

I may put up some "before photos" on here depending on if I can find my camera cord

Stay Classy everyone! \:D/

[mintmate]

Oh and a reply to teamfatboy:

I work out in the afternoons and at night throughout the week, and do my sat gym session/sunday run in the mornings. I have zero motivation to get out of bed early until it gets much warmer in Christchurch haha

[mike27]

why the juices with breakie? you'd be better off with a whole apple and some carrot

also so you want to switch to plain oats for breakie once you have used all ur cereal up.

oats and cinnamon or vanilla... or some nuts/seeds in there too

good times tho smash those weights tommorrow

[mike27]

is that you in the avatar?

[loveggs]

is that you in the avatar?

lmao its kendra you know the playboy bunny kendra

[teamfatboy]

OK, 4140 kj (or around 990 calories) excluding dinner...hmmmm :think:

One tool you might find handy is this calculator.

If, for arguments sake, you're 25yo, based on your height/age/weight/gender, you'd have a Basal Metabolic Rate of 1520 calories, which, given the amount of exercise you get, suggests that maintenance calories should be between 2356 cals (moderately active) and 2620 (very active) - that's just to maintain weight.

To lose 500g of bodyfat per week, requires a calorie deficit of 3500 cals/ week, or 500 per day. 2300 cals/day less 500 is around 1800/ day.

So, depending on how badly you chow-down at dinner time, your calorie intake may not be too badly off.

That suggests it's the macros that make up your food intake that would benefit from attention - the protein-carb-fat ratio that I mentioned. Runners World recommends a diet comprising 50% carb, 25% fat and 25% protein, and to preserve lean muscle mass while weight-training, if anything many people would adjust the carbs down and protein up from that. Or, go hi-carb on training days, low-carb on rest days.

Have a look at this article for an idea.

You might like to have a look at what folks on here say about protein shakes pre- and post-workout. Many will suggest that if you're training in the afternoon, some protein beforehand, and again right after training, in combo with fast-acting carbs, will have a good effect, rather than waiting a long time after a workout to refuel the muscles.

I was going to suggest that pre-breakfast cardio's an option, but I've been in Christchurch in the winter...the only place I've had to scrape ice off the inside of a window to see out!

[mike27]

chch aint that cold! could be a lot worse!! :nod:

[mintmate]

DAY 2:

Well I'm off to a pretty good start!

Mike27: I just got a juicer so I was trying out new things to juice in it. I probably won't be having them often maybe once or twice a week. Im not a big fan of eating apples whole (weird I know). I have oats in the cupboard already so will start on them when I finish

Teamfatboy: Thanks for all the great information!! i read the articles and went on those sites. I will try count all my calories from now on and aim for 1800 a day. In terms of how much carbs, proteins and fat I should be having a day, I'm a bit stuck on the ratios? Is there a particular amount (in grams) I should be having a day? Is it easier to measure like that??

Anyways:

Breakfast: Hubbards cereal and 100ml trim milk

Morning Tea: Muesli Bar

Lunch: Vegemite multigrain sammy, tuna and rice crackers, lite yoghurt

Afternoon Tea: Pear and Horleys Protein shake

Tea: Whitebait Fritters x 4 pikelet sized ones, Herb Wedges (only a small amount) and salad of lettuce, tomato and carrot

Exercise:

Gym upper body and abs sessions:

10 mins on level 10 on the rowing machine

Seated row: 3x10 at 42kg (new pb!)

Lat pulldown: 3x10 at 42kg

Dumbell bicep curls: 3x16 (8 each arm) with 9kg db

Dumbell Shoulder press: 3x10 with 11kg db

Chest press machine: 3x10 @ 28kg

Tricep Pulldown: 3x10 @ 35kg

Abs: 3x30 situps whilst throwing and catching a 5kg medicine ball

Next week I will breakup my training into set days for back/biceps etc, does anyone have any particulary good exercises I should be doing

Stay classy!

And yes my avatar is Kendra Wilkinson from tv show Girls of The Playboy Mansion, I wish I looked like her!

[teamfatboy]

In terms of how much carbs, proteins and fat I should be having a day, I'm a bit stuck on the ratios? Is there a particular amount (in grams) I should be having a day? Is it easier to measure like that??

Sure - protein= 1 gram equals 4 calories

carbohydrates= 1 gram equals 4 calories

fat = 1 gram equals 9 calories

So, if you were aiming for 1800 calories, at eg 50 % carbs, 305 protein, 20% fat:

50% of 1800 equals 900 cals from carbs, equals 900/4 grams equals 225 grams of net carbs.

30% of 1800 equals 540 cals from protein, equals 540/4 grams equals 135 grams of net protein

20% of 1800 equals 360 cals from fats, equals 360/9 grams equals 40 grams of net fats.

Then you can derive the content information from the panels that are on most produce, or from this helpful database for fruits, meats, vegies and so on.

It pays to also check that panel for the hidden stuff, like sugar in the muesli bar, or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in soft drinks or whatever.

Nice work on the seated row, btw :clap:

For back, consider:

Bent-over row, with barbell or dumbbell

Wide-grip lat pull-down

Close-grip seated row

Deadlifts are the favoured compound exercise, they're good if you've done them before.

For biceps, it's basically going to be a curling motion, whether it's a barbell or a dumbbell, but there are variations (simultaneous or alternating arm DB curls, for instance). Perhaps one set of 3x12x a barbell move that works both arms together, and then a second set of 3x 12x alternating arm with DB.

[mintmate]

DAY 3: Friday 16th September

Woke up with a massive headache eek. had a full on day coaching Ripper Rugby in the morning and Long Jump in the afternoon. Was going so well with my eating until I got home :naughty: and didnt have enough energy for the gym

But on the brightside the All Blacks and the Warriors won! wahoooo

Thanks teamfatboyfor the nutrition advice and new exercises! I will make a plan up tommorrow for the next couple fo weeks and try make an eating plan too! exciting!!

Breakfast: Hubbards cereal and 100ml milk

Morning Tea: Muesli Bar

Lunch: Vegemite sammy on multigrain, chop chop chicken mini can and 6 rice crackers,

Afternoon Tea: Yoghurt, cheesymite scroll and some jaffas eeeek

Tea: Subway: 6 inch wheat chicken filllet and avocado (could have been a better choice i know but I was so hungry last night )

Stay Classy!