The Fat Loss TroubleshootThis is your place to troubleshoot your fat loss problems from nutrition to training. This section is led by Leigh Peele, author of "The Fat Loss Troubleshoot," the ultimate fat loss manual. If your results have slowed or stalled this is the place to come for advice for all your fat loss needs.
Totally LOST & need help please!! I'm about to flip out!
I just recently found this forum, have lurked for a while, and now I'm turning to all the experts here to hopefully gain some advice/insight on my issue at hand.
A little background .. I'm a 33 yr old female who is finally recovered from a 10 year battle with anorexia. At my lowest (last December) I was about 80lbs on a 5'6" frame. I was severely undereating and overexercising, and after 6 inpatient treatments for my ED, I said screw it and decided to do it on my own. Fast forward 5-6 months .. and while the number on the scale is fine (120), my body composition is crap. I have a very small frame, so this weight just looks horrible. Since I stopped working out, it seems as though all 40lbs went on as body fat vs a combination of body fat and lean mass. I've thankfully sailed through any re-feeding risks. However, my problem is that I can't seem to stop gaining, and I assume my metabolism is incredibly screwed up from 10 years of over-exercising and under-eating. I'm constantly slammed with food cravings for all the crap food I was eating in order to gain weight (peanut butter, fries, pizza, you name it).
So my question/fears boil down to .. how do I fix this? Going to a nutritionist isn't an option, because I'm not working and have no health insurance and a limited income. My goal is to clean up my diet, hopefully stop the insane food cravings (you don't want to know how much peanut butter I can eat in ONE sitting!!) and to "lean out" .. I don't want to drop a tremendous amount of weight, because I absolutely refuse to put my body through that again, nor do I desire to live under such restrictions! I would like to lose some of this body fat though and add lean muscle .. I just have no idea how to go about this! Ive' checked a ton of online "calorie calculators" that tell me 10 different things in terms of the amounts of calories to consume .. but that's also based on someone with a normally functioning metabolism, which I don't think I have right now. I fear it's screwed up, because I've been eating moderately and working out 3-4x a week with cardio and weight training, and I'm *STILL* gaining weight! I can't fathom the idea of going back to 400-500 calories a day .. but by the same token, I can't stand the constant weight gain that I can't seem to stop! Not to mention that I retain water at the drop of a hat, and can't figure out how to remedy that either! I'm afraid if I under-eat, I'll screw up my metabolism even more, but it seems like no matter how many calories I'm taking it, the weight just keeps coming and coming. I want to really tone up and alter my body composition to encourage more lean mass and drop 5-6 pounds overall.
How in the world to I figure out:
a) How many calories I should be eating (given my metabolism is probably incredibly low)
b) What kinds of foods should I be eating?
c) How should I tailor my workouts to encourage fat loss and muscle development/growth?
I'm becoming desperate!! Please give me any insight you have!
Nicole... Many people will not want to touch this one because you suffer from ED and are going it alone without many resources. Your case is VERY complicated for anyone to try to handle over the internet. I can take some broad brush strokes, but I don't think I can help you very much... For one thing this "fat" that you are complaining about could maybe be more in your mind than is actual "fat". I know this can be true 'cause I have food issues too. Mine is also of the non-eating type. I have hired a nutritionist to help me and one of the things he teaches me over and over and over again is that I have to be patient and let things play out. So long as I know the calories in for that day are correct, I can also know I am going to be fine. Water is just water and it passes so don't stress about that.
With respect to the binging thing it is most likely the case you are not eating the correct kinds of food to satiate you. Make sure that you are getting sufficient protein. (I think it isn't too unreasonable to eat 1g per lb of BW a day in protein) I actually do far more than that but I think this is probably not a bad target for you to shoot for. Eat lots of high fiber carbs such as vegetables as well 'cause they tend to fill you up. Personally, I found that quitting sugar and highly processed carbs to be very helpful in craving.
Do you know what you macros look like right now and calorie count is for the day?
If you eat at or just slightly above maintenace and do some sort of lifting program you will be able to realize muscle gain without putting on a boatload of fat. I think that is what you want to do. Trick is for you to be able to trust that this works.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
If Leigh doesn't respond soon you might want to send her as private message. She has developed a Metabolic Repair Manual that helps people such as yourself who have messed up metabolisms as a result of undereating/over training, eating disorders, etc.
If Leigh doesn't respond soon you might want to send her as private message. She has developed a Metabolic Repair Manual that helps people such as yourself who have messed up metabolisms as a result of undereating/over training, eating disorders, etc.
Lara's suggestion is good; you might really want to purchase Leigh's ebook set. You get mp3 files of her reading and reviewing the FatLoss Troubleshoot book, so you can listen and re-listen. It would be a terrific way of educating yourself... so you have knowledge to be the basis for your diet/exercise actions.
I did the REPAIR 8 weeks, in case you want to read my log below. I highly recommend it. You won't gain or lose much pounds and in the 8 weeks you'll get a chance to really learn a lot about yourself.
With respect to the binging thing it is most likely the case you are not eating the correct kinds of food to satiate you. Make sure that you are getting sufficient protein. (I think it isn't too unreasonable to eat 1g per lb of BW a day in protein) I actually do far more than that but I think this is probably not a bad target for you to shoot for. Eat lots of high fiber carbs such as vegetables as well 'cause they tend to fill you up. Personally, I found that quitting sugar and highly processed carbs to be very helpful in craving.
I definitely haven't ventured over to the "bingeing" side by any stretch .. it's that more or less, my food choices weren't high quality .. so I've often found myself reaching for foods that offer little nutritional value that are heavy on calories and fat. I assume it's some sort of physical/psychological backlash .. my body is making it known it's pretty furious with me for restricting and overexercising for a decade.
I don't object to bodyfat, I understand that it's essential to any body .. and I don't think that what I'm seeing is the mind playing tricks on me concept, now that I'm at a more normal weight, a lot of the body distortion is starting to level out .. but I actually SEE the areas where I'm far more fat/flab than muscle. My main goal first and foremost .. is to figure out how many calories I should be eating, and in what ratios (carbs, protein, fat) .. I'm completely lost. I've read over and over again that eating less than 1000 calories a day is starvation mode and only serves to screw up the metabolism further, however at the caloric suggestions for fat loss based on weight x 8-12 cals per pound .. at the low end, that puts me in the 950 range. I don't know if I should be eating that little or not. I just really need some guidance as to how to fix this.
MissJane & LaraT --- I actually sent a PM to Leigh about two weeks ago, but I haven't heard from her, which is why I posted for help from everyone here. I don't want to be a pest to her, so in the interim, I'm hoping you guys can give me some guidance.
My main goal first and foremost .. is to figure out how many calories I should be eating, and in what ratios (carbs, protein, fat) .. I'm completely lost. I've read over and over again that eating less than 1000 calories a day is starvation mode and only serves to screw up the metabolism further, however at the caloric suggestions for fat loss based on weight x 8-12 cals per pound .. at the low end, that puts me in the 950 range. I don't know if I should be eating that little or not. I just really need some guidance as to how to fix this. .
again, her ebooks have all the information you need, and you would benefit in the longterm from educating yourself. It's probably more than just a "number" of calories to solve your issues. Even wen Leigh answers you here, there's more in the books for you to begin understanding your body functions.
Okay I don't know how much help I would be personally, but I can say I think it'd be helpful in general if you posted more specifics.
1) How long have you been eating at maintenance/surplus/whatever you want to call it? How did you get to that caloric level--gradual increases, or did you just go for it?
2) How much are you eating right now? Are you counting calories? If so, what method (e.g., actually weighing food vs. "eyeballing it" or even cup measures)?
3) And like another poster mentioned, do you have any idea what your macros are like? Particularly protein, since that's what your body need to build muscle.
4) How long since you've had a break from training, and how long was the break?
I know you mentioned you're on a tight budget, but I have to agree with the other posters--if you can get Leigh's books I think those would answer the majority of your questions, and give you a fabulous "primer" on how the body works and why yours is reacting the way it is. If you can spring for it now, do. If not, save up--you won't regret it.
If you eat at or just slightly above maintenace and do some sort of lifting program you will be able to realize muscle gain without putting on a boatload of fat. I think that is what you want to do. Trick is for you to be able to trust that this works.
I think this is a good approach. I recommend "New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Lou Schuler to help you achieve it. It has a very common sense approach to nutrition and exercise. Nothing drastic, and a lot of fun. It only costs about $8 on Amazon, so if you can't afford Leigh's book right now, start with New Rules of Lifting. I finally splurged on Leigh's book after resisting for a while, and I learned a lot. But I have been using Schuler's books since Sept 08 and have had some great success with body recomp.
And as someone else said, try not to panic about your body fat level. You might be perceiving a higher body fat percentage than is really there. Rejoice that your body is healthy again and be kind to it. Lifting weights and eating lots of healthy protien, carbs and fats will go a long way toward giving you the strength and tone you want.
I'm a complete idiot when it comes to knowing how to divide my macronutrients, so I honestly have no idea what % is protein, carbs, fat, etc. In terms of caloric increase, I just kind of "went for it" vs. increasing gradually. It wasn't my intent, I just hit that "brick wall" and 10 years of deprivation kind of exploded .. I was fed up!
I started on my goal of weight gain at the beginning of January this year .. I didn't track calories at the time, because I was trying to gain weight, although now in hindsight, I wish I would have, because I feel like I've completely shot myself in the foot. 4-5 months of eating excess calories, mean that now .. I'm starving ALL the time. I'm guessing that I was consuming anywhere from 2000-2500 calories roughly per day. Most of it was foods completely void of any quality substance (peanut butter, pizza, pasta, donuts, chips, cheeseburgers, chili, etc.). For the last few days out of utter fear that I would keep gaining, I've reduced to about 900-1000 a day, and I'm starving all the time. It's un-nerving!! Not to mention that while I needed to gain weight, isn't gaining almost 40 lbs in 5 months time kind of insane!?!?! Now I want to stop the weight gain, and drop about 5lbs and completely lean up, I have a very small frame .. so right now, this weight is just making me want to scream! I have zero desire to go back to 80lbs, that was the most miserable decade of my life, but I also don't want to gain any more weight either, and I have no idea how to eat/train to obtain those goals! I'm completely panicking over what to do .. how many calories to eat, what specifically to eat, what not to eat. I don't weigh my food .. but I do measure it out for the most part. I've found that given my history of ED, that weighing just tends to make me more OC and makes me start obsessively fixate on numbers, calories, etc., which just plays right in to the anorexia, which I'm trying to avoid. I've found for me, the easiest is to stick with foods that are already portioned for me (canned tuna, single serve yogurt containers, canned vegetables, etc). I just want to fix my body and metabolism so that for the first time in more than 10 years, I can eat without gaining weight and more importantly, withoug *fear*! I'll take any advice/direction I can get.
And I do plan on getting Leigh's books .. I just have to wait until I get paid again. :\
My main goal first and foremost .. is to figure out how many calories I should be eating, and in what ratios (carbs, protein, fat) .. I'm completely lost. I've read over and over again that eating less than 1000 calories a day is starvation mode and only serves to screw up the metabolism further, however at the caloric suggestions for fat loss based on weight x 8-12 cals per pound .. at the low end, that puts me in the 950 range. I don't know if I should be eating that little or not. I just really need some guidance as to how to fix this.
Sorry, I missed this question entirely. Looking forward to Leigh's response. In the meanwhile.....
Quick and dirty... I can give you the algorithm from NROLW which I think is a pretty okay startpoint for most people. (and yes 1K cals a day is too low for you) This example is for a 131 lb woman to maintain or recomp.
(131/2.2) = 60kg (take your current weight and convert to kg)
(60*7.18) + 790 = 1220.8 (RMR) (plug that number into this equation = RMR)
Working Factor: (from here ya gotta add to account for the work that you do)
Non-Workout or light workout days (RMR*1.2) = 1464.96
Heavy workout days (RMR*1.4) = 1709.12
With respect to ratios of the macros, that is a bit more complicated but it is also FAR less important than hitting the calories overall correctly. Again, really quick and dirty (broad brush stroke) is a 40, 30, 30 approach (P, C, F). I did my first bulk and cut on a 40, 40, 20 but got better results on the 40, 30, 30. I think I am now more tilted in the protein but this is all pretty fine tuning stuff and stuff that is far below significance than the overall calories in problem. Just get the calories right and start eating foods that satisfy you and fuel you to start.
My warning here is that you are gonna have to get okay with being "fat" for awhile to recomp and with the scale moving around. That is why programs like Leigh's are perhaps better for someone with "issues" (I fit that bill too) than a program like NROL or NROLW though undoubtly following any of the programs could help.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
I am not a doctor
I am going off of what you have put and what my experience has been in the past
Non of this is judgmental, just what I am seeing.
So that I don't ramble I am going to keep this to numbered points.
1. Counting calories - You don't have to count calories, but if you are gaining fat you are eating too much. AN girls are notorious for underestimating intake and not moving that much naturally. Even with high anxiety levels there is still a lot of sedentary lifestyle. This is why a lot of them turn to compulsive exercising too.
You are eating crap food, not moving enough more than likely, and the result is you feeling hungry all the time, feeling tired from the food you are taking in, and looking like crap because of it.
Solution? If you can't count calories because of head issues then you need to find a fail proof system of intake of portion control or meal plans set within a certain caloric range. Stop eating crap, start eating food that is good for you, and you are going to feel better.
AN girls usually have jacked up ghrelin, messed up insulin response, and gut health issues. Sounds like to me you are doing the reverse of everything you should be doing.
In short you are like a smoker saying "wtf why can't I breath???"
There is a solution to your problems but you have to be realistic about what you have to do to fix it.
If you want more help in gauging your activity level I recommend getting a GWF. Even if it does lead yo to more OC habits, I think in the long run knowing for girls like you is better than not. Skip my books and buy that. Just read my blog, all my book info is there anyway.
2-You need a basic program of lifting and I wouldn't recommend NROL. I don't like what supersetting does with girls that deal with these issues. Just from my experiance. I think if you have a history of hormone or ED problems you should stick to a higher rest body split style program. Just a simple upper/lower 4 days a week would suffice really.
I don't think your metabolism is broken, I think your spirit is. AN is about control, in my opinion you can run from it (like you are doing now), let it destroy you (like you were doing before), or work with it. I vote work with it. Take control of your diet and life in a healthy way, start eating healthy foods, and stop wasting your time worrying about what happened in the past.
As for your activity level it varies. I always recommend to keep it simple use the Harris Benedict formula, times it by a lower activity level and then move up as need if loss is too much.
I don't think you need to eat in a surplus on any large level, just get back to eating and lifting in healthy amounts and then as you need adjust upwards.
Agreed with Leigh's points. First off, congratulations on deciding to battle AN. That's a tough choice. From my personal experience, I understand the frustration with all the fat that seems to have come with gaining weight and I also understand the fear that weighing everything and inputing it into a program like Fitday.com (which will help you track protein/carbs/fats) does play into the controlling/OC aspect. Eventually though, you will have to track caloric intake and you will find the balance between it making you crazy vs being a helpful tool.
I think it's really important to remember that it takes TIME!!! Be patient with yourself. If you don't want to count calories, fine. Just make sure to have a deck of cards sized portion of protein at every meal, a baseball size of carbs and some veggies. Breakfast, have eggs or even a whole grain bagel and pb. Sometimes, it's best to tackle one issue at a time. At this point, I would say that is to have a healthy eating pattern. Worry about fatloss/body recomp. once you've done that. Familiarize yourself with a simple lifting program and go for walk for fun.
I hope that helps.....I can share more if you have questions.
(131/2.2) = 60kg (take your current weight and convert to kg)
(60*7.18) + 790 = 1220.8 (RMR) (plug that number into this equation = RMR)
Working Factor: (from here ya gotta add to account for the work that you do)
Non-Workout or light workout days (RMR*1.2) = 1464.96
Heavy workout days (RMR*1.4) = 1709.12
KFisherX .. thanks for the formula .. here's what I came up with, just want to make sure I did it right based on your above formula, and my current weight of 120
Leigh .. Thank you SO much for your input. I didn't want to bombard you with another PM, so I'm thrilled you were able to review my situation. I'm pretty much game to try anything you suggest at this point, I'm completely lost, frustrated and petrified right now that I'm going to just blow up like a balloon!! I'd like to address a couple of things you said.
Quote:
You need a basic program of lifting and I wouldn't recommend NROL. you should stick to a higher rest body split style program. Just a simple upper/lower 4 days a week would suffice really.
Right now .. I'm going to the gym 4 days a week, do an hour of either the elliptical trainer or running, or a combo of both, then hit the weights. I'm doing a split routine working each muscle group one time per week. For instance, today I did biceps, triceps and shoulders, tomorrow I'll do cardio + chest & back, then friday I'll do cardio + legs, glutes. Does that look about right?
Quote:
I don't think your metabolism is broken, I think your spirit is. AN is about control, in my opinion you can run from it (like you are doing now), let it destroy you (like you were doing before), or work with it.
You're definitely spot on with that. My spirit is absolutey broken. I feel like I'm d*mned if I do, I'm d*mned if I don't! I just want to figure out how to make peace with eating, without restricting, enjoy workouts again, without hearing the "drill sargent" in my head, and lead a normal life that isn't entirely focused on eating, exercising ,etc .. I'm working through a lot of those issues now, and just really longing to make peace with the whole process, accept the body I've got, and do the work I need to do to heal it, and get it working again the way it should be.
Quote:
As for your activity level it varies. I always recommend to keep it simple use the Harris Benedict formula, times it by a lower activity level and then move up as need if loss is too much.
I've done the HB formula for BMR and it came out to 1,323. Suggested 15-20% caloric reduction for weight loss at a safe pace, which brings me to 1,059 - 1,125 calories per day. Does that sound about right to you? I am fairly active outside the gym between cutting grass, running errands, walking my dog, etc., but I'm sure more overall "movement" could easily be worked in. That'll become a lot easier come summer when the weather is more condusive, Chicago has been like a monsoon all spring!
Sorry to bombard you guys with all these questions. I just don't know who/where to turn to, and I have the utmost respect for everyone on this forum ... you seem to be far more educated on this stuff than I am.
I've done the HB formula for BMR and it came out to 1,323. Suggested 15-20% caloric reduction for weight loss at a safe pace, which brings me to 1,059 - 1,125 calories per day. Does that sound about right to you?
Not to me. BMR is without activity - then you multiply by your activity level to get your daily rate to maintain. Then any deficit is taken off that daily rate. So even if it was appropriate for you to be on a caloric deficit, it would be a deficit relative to that higher number not off your BMR.
Nicole - I hear you saying that you like the scale number (120# at 5'6") but still think you have too much fat. Chances are you have too little muscle.
Sometimes you have to stop giving the raw number on the scale so much power.
What if I could magically change you to be in the same size clothes but have more muscle and less fat and be more shapely but you would weigh 130 pounds. Could you accept that scenario? What if you also had to go up a size to be fit and fantastic and shapely?
Nicole - I hear you saying that you like the scale number (120# at 5'6") but still think you have too much fat. Chances are you have too little muscle.
LisaS ...
Yes, you're absolutely right .. I remember when I gained last year (then relapsed) .. and because I was still active (cardio and weight training) the added weight went on *much* differently .. I was 110, but while I was slightly softer with the addition of some body fat .. I was also very lean/toned because due to working out .. I was I assume, also adding lean mass. I'd take the body in a heartbeat. This time, I had to completely give up working out to really make the progress that I needed to make from the emotional/psychological aspect ..I knew working out this time around would only keep me stuck in the eating disorder. I don't regret that decision, but I despise how I look. It's not necessarily the number on the scale, but more my overall body composition that really is getting to me. I don't by any means want the perfect body .. I'm enjoying the freedom I have now from the confines of anorexia and not spending every waking moment in the gym doing cardio, in my living room lifting weights, etc .. but I would like a *better* body .. in having less fat/flab, more definition and a diet that provides me with the energy I'm longing for .. I just have zero idea of how to go about achieving that
Okay girl so what the hell is this about being in deficit? You are 5'6" and 120lbs! If you ain't going to the stage for a bbing contest then you best not be thinking deficit. In fact your skinny fat next steps are to build muscle. You need to be in caloric excess to build muscle and you need to lift weights. So start with the 1650 cals that you came up with and adjust from there. If you are doing it right, in 4-8 weeks you will start to gain some definition and even possibly scale weight. Take pictures cause you might not see it with the nakid eye. If you are losing weight in 4 weeks, then adjust the calories upwards. If you are gaining then wait it out a bit. (at least 8 weeks) and adjust if needed downwards. If the scale is staying the same. GREAT!
Also you are doing 4 hours of cardio a week if I am reading correctly and BEFORE you lift. That shit has gotta go man. Seriously, one of the best ways to get skinny fat is to eat in deficit and do a boatload of cardio. Back down on the cardio exercise... I know it is hard but step away from the treadmill. Learn to chill out a little bit even if it is hard. Also doing cardio before you lift takes the spit out of your lifting. I was addicted to cardio when I started all this too so I understand the gravity of this directive. In fact I still have conflicts with this past addiction sometimes. (the battle never ends)
Just lift weights (I agree with Leigh on the upper/lower splits btw) and take walks and enjoy life and focus on eating for now. Do you have experience with lifting?
The hard thing about being skinny fat and about body recomp is that it is very slow process. It is easy for peeps like us to drop weight quickly and see results quickly. We are very, very good at that. What you have to get good at now is being patient and allowing the body to adjust to things.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
You're right Fisher .. I'm definitely a cardio junkie Don't get me wrong .. I still LOVE lifting, but cardio has always been my "crutch" to keep my weight in check. I was incredibly overweight until I was 16 or 17 years old (I'm 33 now) .. so there's that "heavy girl" in my head that adapted to heavy cardio to make sure I never went back there again. Granted, based on "scale weight", I'm not technically overweight .. but I'm definitely "skinny fat" .. and I can't stand the amount of fat/flab I'm sporting now. I don't ever want to be double digits again in terms of weight .. It's taken me 10 years to realize how shitty I looked and how miserable my life was trying to sustain that. I DO however want to feel better about my appearance, which means leaning out and tightening up everything, while still having some softness .. I don't aspire to look like a bodybuilder, and quite frankly, I can't fathom the though of being so rigid again that I can't have the occasional slice of cake or piece of candy. But I can't figure out how to eat for training purposes that isn't mundane, tasteless and as I ate previously, incredibly boring .. I lived on salads, and raw veggies
What do you want to eat? There's no reason that good whole food needs to be mundane or tasteless or boring.
Some people (me for one) do better with a set rotation of meals just because:
1) they've already worked out the calories/macros
2) fewer decisions on a daily basis
3) limiting choices may yield increased compliance
but none of that equates necessarily to boring, tasteless or mundane.
You're working out, so your formula for maintenance puts you at what, 1600 calories?
That's roughly 400 calories four times a day. Or 400, 400, 600, 200 if you like that split better. You can eat pretty well on that.
Make up some meals that you like, would prepare and would eat and put them into Fitday or something similar and see how they come out.
I tend to have 2 breakfasts in the rotation (weekday and weekend), lunches about the same each week (about 4 days of planned leftovers and 2-3 days of prepared lunches), snacks pretty much the same for a week (and change the next one) and I vary the dinners - but about 8-10 total in the rotation.
You're right Fisher .. I'm definitely a cardio junkie Don't get me wrong .. I still LOVE lifting, but cardio has always been my "crutch" to keep my weight in check. I was incredibly overweight until I was 16 or 17 years old (I'm 33 now) .. so there's that "heavy girl" in my head that adapted to heavy cardio to make sure I never went back there again. Granted, based on "scale weight", I'm not technically overweight .. but I'm definitely "skinny fat" .. and I can't stand the amount of fat/flab I'm sporting now. I don't ever want to be double digits again in terms of weight .. It's taken me 10 years to realize how shitty I looked and how miserable my life was trying to sustain that. I DO however want to feel better about my appearance, which means leaning out and tightening up everything, while still having some softness .. I don't aspire to look like a bodybuilder, and quite frankly, I can't fathom the though of being so rigid again that I can't have the occasional slice of cake or piece of candy. But I can't figure out how to eat for training purposes that isn't mundane, tasteless and as I ate previously, incredibly boring .. I lived on salads, and raw veggies
Oh I think I know you.... Seriously we could be sisters. I am a couple of years ahead of you is all. That fat girl thing still is inside my head and I still have fear but it gets better each day.
You have a long, tough journey ahead but it isn't impossible. I am currently training to be a bber actually because I embrace the control freak in me and will use it for good instead of evil. I certainly can understand your resistance to that sort of lifestyle though. It is (sort of ) a pain in the ass.
I also TOTALLY get what you mean RE body image. When I had finished destroying myself I was 130lbs and 31% bf. (I am 5'5" btw) Now I am 130lbs and about 17% bf. It took me 2 years to hit this place and over the next years, I want to be 124.9lbs and 10% (for on the stage only mind you).
Okay so where in the heck is this whole concept of boring foods coming from. I think I said to eat 1650 kcals a day and with macros of about 40, 30, 30. That would mean steak, fish, hamburgers, milk, bread, whatever... all in quanities that fit within those guidelines. I will give you a sample from my day today since I am doing 1700 cals a day (about).....
* Homade pizza: 1 tomato, sauce, whole wheat pita bread toasted, moz cheese, turkey burger, chicken sausage (438 cals)
* Whole rolled Oats and milk
* Steak (rib-eye) 12 oz and vegetables mixed
* protein pancakes cinamon and butter
My macros are very high in Protein so you wouldn't copy this exactly but do you notice how I am not AVOIDING foods per say? Just pick foods that satisfy you in the proper quanties and eat for goodness sake. Use this new role with food as a way to let go of your creative juices. Make up recipes and have fun with it. I used to HATE food and now I have only a mild disinterest in it. I realize it is my friend and not the thing out to make me fat. Changing your relationship with food. Letting go of your fears and jumping in both feet all have empowered me to be strong and control (that's what we both really ultimately want anyway ) my future wrt my body.
And btw: I second everything Lisa says. She is smart cookie... Did someone say, "cookie?"
PPS: If you can afford it, buy the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women" (Not the Man one) because it has 1. Really good reasoning of why you need to eat like everyone is saying 2. It will tell you to "step away from the treadmill" 3. It has a whole section dedicated to foods and food prep that is actually a good launching point. 4. If you are not comfortable with lifting it gives good stater basics on the fundamental lifts.
I agree the workouts are not the greatest but fine if you have no clue what to do for upper/lower, etc.
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The BIGGER I get the smaller you look
Oh I think I know you.... Seriously we could be sisters. I am a couple of years ahead of you is all. That fat girl thing still is inside my head and I still have fear but it gets better each day.
Oh yeah .. I'm sure we could be sisters! We sound very much alike .. except you sound like you're fantastic ... and truthfully .. I'm still really struggling to like the body I've got now!! I can't get that fat girl inside me to shut up .. I've managed though for the most part, to silence ED!! I actually would love to become more competitive and a better athlete, but I don't think I would ever have much desire to get into B-Building ... I think with my ED history, it would probably just throw me right back into that mindset and send me OCD about every detail. Personality flaw on my part :\
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PPS: If you can afford it, buy the book "New Rules of Lifting for Women"
Step ahead of ya girl .. it's already in transit to me I wanted it mostly for ideas of how to shift between weight workouts since I tend to be very repetitive in my lifting routines (same exact exercises for each muscle over and over and over ...) and I want to also get more ideas on alternating between high rep/low weight, low reps/high weight, pyramid lifting and supersets. I figure the more I can confuse my body .. the better right?
LisaS ...
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What do you want to eat? There's no reason that good whole food needs to be mundane or tasteless or boring
I really want to figure out how to eat .. It was SOOO easy when I was in inpatient treatment .. they toss me a menu with two choices for each meal .. I'd pick one and voila .. zero stress about what to eat. Unfortunately, while I'm a walking database of nutritional values/calories ... I just am completely clueless as to how to structure a solid meal 4-5x a day. I wish I was filthy rich and could just hire a personal nutritionist to prepare all my meals for me, which would then force me to be de-sensitized to calories, fat grams, protein, etc .. I just have no idea what I'm doing! I love your idea of having a few stand-bys that I can just rotate between. I'd love if you could PM me with a sort of menu of a few meals that I can start with. I have no idea how to really put together a meal at all, that contains the appropriate amount of macro-nutrients!
Thanks again girls .. you're giving me hope that I can fight my way through all this crap and come out on top .. hopefully!!
I thought the general recommendation was to alter strength workouts to keep your metabolism guessing and avoid plateau's? What then should I be doing? Stick with one style of lifting for 4-6 weeks .. then change?
I honestly think you shouldn't be worried about a deficit right now. First, you have to figure out maintenance. I still hear lots of fear around food in your posts and a relationship that's not healthy. You don't have to eat like a body builder to have a healthy body. You may not be ripped but you can be strong.
When I was going through this, I saw a psychologist and then a counsellor to help me work through my body image issues and food issues. In a way the physiological part of this is the easiest. It's easy to gain the weight and be considered "healthy weight" but it messes with your head. For example, it took me months to give away all my size 0, xs clothes. If you can't afford the costs, surround yourself with friends who support you, talk about the ED.
Then eat at maintenance. Start with 1400 cals. Eat 1400 cals for 4 weeks. Then increase by 200 cals each day so that now you're eating 1600 cals. Again, 4 weeks. Every 4 weeks, weight yourself/take measurements to see if you're gaining/losing/maintaining. Once maintaining, then drop 200 cals from you daily cals to start losing. I'm going with 4 week increments b/c I know that within a month, water weight fluctuates a lot and that can mess with your head and mask any real weight changes.
As for exercise, no formal cardio. Walk, throw a ball around, browse some shops, etc. Lift 3x/week full body. Keep it simple and don't change it.
I'm by no means a personal trainer or an expert in body recomposition. I just can't stress again that this is a process! There isn't a magic formula. If anything, I would also focus on being able to enjoy great meals in smaller portions.
Example:
Breakfast: I love yogurt and cereal/granola. Sooo something like a low fat yogurt with kashi go lean crunch. Or 1/2c of dry oats cooked with a few egg whites with a little brown sugar and cut up bananas. Oatmeal is delicious!
Snack: apple and peanut butter
Lunch: Whole grain pita with chicken breast deli meat, veggies, tzatziki and some fruit
Snack: 1oz cheese with whole grain crackers
Dinner: Extra lean ground beef tomato sauce with whole grain pasta
Dessert: a scoop of low fat frozen yogurt
The kicker is that you'll have to measure everything to get an idea of how many cals you're consuming. To have a break once a week, have a free meal where you don't count at all.
I thought the general recommendation was to alter strength workouts to keep your metabolism guessing and avoid plateau's? What then should I be doing? Stick with one style of lifting for 4-6 weeks .. then change?
Thanks for your insight!
It's hard to explain in a quick fashion, but in short you need not to get caught up with trying to "trick" your metabolism.
I would listen to the advice of Naive, keep it simple. Trust me in your position you are not going to need advance training techniques. Keep it simple, eat good food, and focus more on your diet and general activity again versus aggressive training. That is just trading out one problem for another in my opinion.
It's hard to explain in a quick fashion, but in short you need not to get caught up with trying to "trick" your metabolism.
At this point Leigh .. I'll listen to anyone over my own instincts .. I just want to figure out what to do, how to train and how/what to eat. Could you give me a sample schedule in terms of weight training that I should be following right now? What's your suggestion on frequency of eating? I see so many various opinions (3 x a day .. 5-6 mini meals, etc) .. Is one way/style of eating more condusive to healing & increasing metabolism than another?
Thanks also for the book suggestion .. However I'd rather use that money towards buying the FLT and MRM, pay day is tomorrow .. and I plan on utilizing that money towards something that I feel is going to go further in the long run. I already ordered New Rules of Lifting for Women, but that may go on the bookshelf for the time being pending your training recommendations.
Lastly, thank you So much for taking the time to respond to my issues right now. I'm really not trying to drive you crazy, or any of the others that have been kind enough to offer their guidance and advice .. I'm just desperately trying to figure out how to "fix" my body once and for all so that I can live my life with much more liberation and freedom!
Totally LOST & need help please!! I'm about to flip out!
This example is for a 131 lb woman to maintain or recomp. 
I wanted it mostly for ideas of how to shift between weight workouts since I tend to be very repetitive in my lifting routines (same exact exercises for each muscle over and over and over ...) and I want to also get more ideas on alternating between high rep/low weight, low reps/high weight, pyramid lifting and supersets. I figure the more I can confuse my body .. the better right? 
Linear Mode
