So I decided to go ahead and start a log for this challenge. Its going to be a challenge to update it regularly, but I will do my best.
So what I am looking for in this challenge? Aside from what most of us want, to lose some weight, improved body comp, yadda yadda. It seems like this is always the topic of interest, but sometimes, the issues are deeper.
For me, its to be able to gain control of my life. What do I mean? Sometimes, I feel that food controls my life. It can dictate how I feel about myself. But it can also impact my social life. We have heard it before, "I cant go out tonight b/c i am on my diet". What I want to do is break this vicious cycle, get in and get out, get to my goals, and finally find "maintanence". I always feel like I am either on my diet or I am not. I want to end this once and for all.
So before I get to what my "diet plan" consists of, I want to list how this time its going to be different.
-I will take a 7 day diet and training break every 4-6 weeks
-I will allow myself a free meal once per week
-I will create an action plan using tactics to help overcome life's events (such as intermittent fasting, starve days, etc) so I can still have a social life while dieting
My diet will consist of:
5 low calories days of about 1300 calories, lower in carbs (about 100-125g)
2 higher calorie days of about 1800 cals, higher in carbs (about 200g)
My exercise plan is:
-teach my regular spinning and Group Power classes per week. Comes out to about 4-5 spin classes, 0-2 Bodypump depending on the Group Ex schedule
-in addition, I plan to walk 30-40 minutes per day
-training will consist of 2 session per week. 1 higher rep metabolic session, 1 lower rep tension session. If split body, then it will be 4 times a week, upper and lower body split
My stats:
5'4"
bodyfat: unknown
weight: 135lbs
Goal for 12 week: 128lbs
Goal for long term: 120lbs
So I dont have much to lose, about 10-15lbs, which is why its crucial that I adhere and get in and get out ! I know it may take longer than 12 weeks, and I accept this.
I hope it is not out of place to say this as I usually don't comment on people's goals/motivations per se or on their choice of exercise plan, but it seems to me that your plan does not sit well with your goals. You always feel like you are on a diet, so you are going to combat that by eating 1300 calories five days a week whilst teaching a spinning class, maybe a body pump class, and walking for 40 minutes??
This is not the way to get out of your dieting cycle. As soon as I read about your diet 'break' my first thought was that if you were getting out of the diet mentality why would you need a break?
These cals seem way too low for the amount of exercise you get - this is not sustainable, and this time will not be different at all. And based on the exercise you get through work, you do not need to be doing high rep 'metabolic' days at all. If you truly want to get off the hamster wheel and you really want this time to be different you need to up your calories and lift heavier outside of your working hours. The only way that you are going to make sustainable changes is by putting on some real muscle mass. I also doubt if you need to walk 40 mins a day on top of your teaching schedule, unless of course you like doing it and it is some therapeutic 'me time'.
I'm sorry if this was inappropriate but I felt I had to comment as your plan seems to me a recipe for more of the same.
I hope it is not out of place to say this as I usually don't comment on people's goals/motivations per se or on their choice of exercise plan, but it seems to me that your plan does not sit well with your goals. You always feel like you are on a diet, so you are going to combat that by eating 1300 calories five days a week whilst teaching a spinning class, maybe a body pump class, and walking for 40 minutes??
This is not the way to get out of your dieting cycle. As soon as I read about your diet 'break' my first thought was that if you were getting out of the diet mentality why would you need a break?
These cals seem way too low for the amount of exercise you get - this is not sustainable, and this time will not be different at all. And based on the exercise you get through work, you do not need to be doing high rep 'metabolic' days at all. If you truly want to get off the hamster wheel and you really want this time to be different you need to up your calories and lift heavier outside of your working hours. The only way that you are going to make sustainable changes is by putting on some real muscle mass. I also doubt if you need to walk 40 mins a day on top of your teaching schedule, unless of course you like doing it and it is some therapeutic 'me time'.
I'm sorry if this was inappropriate but I felt I had to comment as your plan seems to me a recipe for more of the same.
Thanks Angie, I appreciate your concerns. The reason Ive set the calories where they are is b/c I want to "get in and get out", which means get the last few pounds off finally, and then move onto to maintanence and work on muscle gain. You really cant do both at the same time unless you plan on doing a recomp program like UD2, which I cannot do with my schedule.
As for heavier weight lifting, that is my plan with the tension workouts listed above. But the purpose of that is to prevent muscle loss. The only real way to gain muscle, as Ive learned, is to eat in a surplus. And that means gaining fat too...which is not to par with my current goals.
So the direction I want to take in order is:
1.) Fat loss
2.) Maintanence (this may take months for me to get a grasp on)
3.) Muscle building
It will probably take a few cycles too before I get to be where I want.
You have to understand something. The leaner a person is, the more drastic measure have to be taken to get things moving. This means lower calories, more exercise and NEAT and more "diet breaks." This is for both psychological and physiological reasons.
Have you read any of Lyle McDonald's work? If not, I highly suggest it. It will help you understand why I (and many others of us) have chosen the diets that may seem too "strict" to you.
ALso, the walking is just to help me with NEAT,but yes, its also therapeutic and bonding with my 2 year old. We love it.
Angie,
I just checked out your log. Honestly, there isnt anything too drastic about my diet. In fact, its similar to what youve laid out. You diet with calories set at about 10Xyour bodyweight. So have I. 1300 calories seems so low,but in reality, its not for me. Its about 10Xmy bodyweight.
And Ive incorporated 2 refeeds a week.
I think my program is doable. Get in and get out is the name of it.
So while training my brother in the garage, I decided to jump in a do a few sets of upper body:
Going light today to allow more time for my body to heal from injury.
Diet today is good. My appetite is high today. This could be either due to increase metabolic rate after diet break, or it could be that I am preggers. Not TTC, but we dont use contraception either, so its always possible.
Good luck in the challenge and I think your plan looks pretty darned good. I also do the IF on my lower days and it really helps me meet my targets. Also a fan of Lyle's stuff.
__________________
Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
Good luck in the challenge and I think your plan looks pretty darned good. I also do the IF on my lower days and it really helps me meet my targets. Also a fan of Lyle's stuff.
thanks for stopping by girl!! YES, LMD is awesome! he is tough though and his programs are equally tough. But if you can get the main points from his books, you can really apply them to create something that works for you. (flexible dieting_)
Ok,, well I will post it here for everyone to read then.
Look, Ive about had enough of you and your freaking attitude. Im sorry, but not all of us can be as perfect as you. Some of us have differnet lives and priorities. Im about sick and tired of you and your miss know it all attitude. In fact, I want to nickname you "missknowitalljane". Seriously woman, back off. Im not the only person on this forum who is tired of your snippy attitude.
You really need to chill out and have a little bit of empathy for some of us here struggling. You dont know half of our backgrounds or where weve been in our lives. So again, I suggest you back off and leave me alone unless you have something contstructive to say.
thankyou
Angie,
I just checked out your log. Honestly, there isnt anything too drastic about my diet. In fact, its similar to what youve laid out. You diet with calories set at about 10Xyour bodyweight. So have I. 1300 calories seems so low,but in reality, its not for me. Its about 10Xmy bodyweight.
And Ive incorporated 2 refeeds a week.
I think my program is doable. Get in and get out is the name of it.
Good luck-you seem really focused. However according to Lyle McDonald the 10X calculation is for sedentary peeps not highly active ones like yourself-according to his Flexible Dieting you should be using the multiplier of 12X body weight or 1620 calories. I know life in the real world does always follow what is written in books but is it that you can't lose on 1620 cals a day? I'm not hating just curious-I like to read of others successes and how they accomplish them.
Good luck-you seem really focused. However according to Lyle McDonald the 10X calculation is for sedentary peeps not highly active ones like yourself-according to his Flexible Dieting you should be using the multiplier of 12X body weight or 1620 calories. I know life in the real world does always follow what is written in books but is it that you can't lose on 1620 cals a day? I'm not hating just curious-I like to read of others successes and how they accomplish them.
1620 worked for a very long time for me. Actually, I was able to drop about 20lbs with higher cals. Originally I started weight watchers, and I was breastfeeding and eating around 2500 cals and slowly losing. WW slowly lowered my points, until I was around 1800. At that point, I got tired of WW and started doing my own thing. So I did around 1500-1600 cals and that got me to around 130lbs. But then I wanted to recomp and my weight just wouldnt move much past my setpoint.
I did a round of carb cycling and that helped me lean down very nice...I was down to 126lbs and looked really skinny. But life happened, overeating occured, I got injured, and took time off. I am back up to 135lbs, but I think with another round of carb cycling, I should get back down. This time I want to mantain it for about 4-6 weeks before I do something else. I was thinking UD2 or maybe just focus on muscle gaining. Havent decided yet.
Today I took a Group Active class to see how my body does post injury. Still need to lay low and take it easy. This means no squats for some time!!!
Anyway, doing good so far. Between training while dd was in preschool, I had to study BIOCHEM! Yuck. Its hard and kicking my butt. I will post more later...time is precious.
But so far diet looks like this:
135g protein
110g carbs
40g fat
1350 cals
Not really PSMF, because carbs are over 100g and I had fruit and starch, but still low and still happy. The twinge of hunger is welcoming, and means fat loss. Feels good after weeks of feeling stuffed and lethargic. Exercise is therapy.
Hello there . Calories are low but doable on the low days, but aren't they too low for the high days? Can't believe your maintenance is only 1800kcal for someone as active as you.
Hello there . Calories are low but doable on the low days, but aren't they too low for the high days? Can't believe your maintenance is only 1800kcal for someone as active as you.
Hey Espi,
Good to see you here! I dont know for sure if 1800 is maintanence. IT may still be deficit, but that is what I want. I want to create a 30% deficit for the week, average about 1450. Ive actually been using the number 2100 as maintanence to calculate my stuff.
I only plan to diet for 4 weeks and take a diet break every 4 weeks, so I felt the low calories will avoid "diet forever" syndrome.
OK, for 4 weeks alone, eating below maintenance on a high day is possible.. totally NOT my preference but hey, you want to get in & out fast & then you got to do what you got to do.. or either go even lower on the low days in order to get a decently high refeed day.
OK, for 4 weeks alone, eating below maintenance on a high day is possible.. totally NOT my preference but hey, you want to get in & out fast & then you got to do what you got to do.. or either go even lower on the low days in order to get a decently high refeed day.
The problem is eating less than 1350 is totally unbearable! Believe me, IVe tired many variations. This seems to be the one that worked best. 5 low days at 1350, 2 high days at 1800. SOmetimes my high days do go past 2000, but I try to keep it within range. Im not perfect.
Ive tried eating 1450 every day,but that didnt satisfy me. SOmething about eating low days followed by high days is very rewarding psychologically. Not sure, but it worked before!
Ever tried IF? I'm incredibly partial to what I call the 'Ramadan-esque' way of IF = 2 meals spaced out by 12 hrs when it comes to going realllly low in calories.. postponing breakfast works on the nerves (huge stress-buildup & getting very cold). Or just skipping lunch...
But you may be one of the persons whose blood sugar drops too low when you've not eaten for several hours, so that'd be the end of fasts lasting well over 8hrs.
Ever tried IF? I'm incredibly partial to what I call the 'Ramadan-esque' way of IF = 2 meals spaced out by 12 hrs when it comes to going realllly low in calories.. postponing breakfast works on the nerves (huge stress-buildup & getting very cold). Or just skipping lunch...
But you may be one of the persons whose blood sugar drops too low when you've not eaten for several hours, so that'd be the end of fasts lasting well over 8hrs.
yes! I do IF from time to time, esp if I ate alot the night before. Works well after a refeed, but it depends on my hormonal situation.
PMS=no IF
AF=no IF
so that leaves me with 2 weeks out of the month,huh?
Today I took a Group Active class to see how my body does post injury. Still need to lay low and take it easy. This means no squats for some time!!!
Anyway, doing good so far. Between training while dd was in preschool, I had to study BIOCHEM! Yuck. Its hard and kicking my butt. I will post more later...time is precious.
But so far diet looks like this:
135g protein
110g carbs
40g fat
1350 cals
Not really PSMF, because carbs are over 100g and I had fruit and starch, but still low and still happy. The twinge of hunger is welcoming, and means fat loss. Feels good after weeks of feeling stuffed and lethargic. Exercise is therapy.
Edit today's diet and exercise.
Also taught a spin class today
Today I decided to make it a higher carb day, but stay low in calories. So I added a banana and some oatmeal to my breakfast.
I will be doing a double today, but I am not pushing myself. When I teach, I can modify the intensity, and I will. Although I feel about 85-90% better, I know I am not ready for those heavy lifts I was doing before I got hurt. (In case you were wondering,I hurt my knee and quad. Pulled the quad and strained the knee joint. Not fun)
So today's diet will be:
142g protein
130g carbs
26g fat
1350 calories
In case you all wonder what I eat, here is a sample menu:
Mandy's Fall 2009 Women's Challenge Log
Also a fan of Lyle's stuff.
Linear Mode
