New Rules of Lifting for women - Diet

[werhardt]

Hi!
I just order the New Rules of Lifting for women book. So far I love reading it and I cannot put it down! I want to read it page for page, but I did skip to see what the meal program looked liked and I have a question. I am 5’5” and I weigh about 140 (I want to lose 20 pounds), I recently been using the Slimfast Program (shake for breakfast, bar for lunch and then a sensible dinner). My question is, should I stop doing the Slimfast and try the meals that are in the book? Would this interfere with my weight training? All the advice you can give me would be great, Thanks!

[missjane]

Did you follow the book and figure out your RMR and your calorie requirements? It doesn't sound like you are eating anywhere NEAR enough calories. If I were you, I would ditch the Slimfast for clean foods and a good protein powder for your PWO's.

[werhardt]

Yeah I didn't get that far. I think that is what I want to do. I saw something in there saying a Whey protein shake, I am not sure what that is yet, but I guess I will find out.

Originally Posted by missjane

Did you follow the book and figure out your RMR and your calorie requirements? It doesn't sound like you are eating anywhere NEAR enough calories. If I were you, I would ditch the Slimfast for clean foods and a good protein powder for your PWO's.

[missjane]

Here you go!

Protein Powders (the good, the bad, the nasty!)

[LaraT]

Originally Posted by werhardt

Hi!
I just order the New Rules of Lifting for women book. So far I love reading it and I cannot put it down! I want to read it page for page, but I did skip to see what the meal program looked liked and I have a question. I am 5’5” and I weigh about 140 (I want to lose 20 pounds), I recently been using the Slimfast Program (shake for breakfast, bar for lunch and then a sensible dinner). My question is, should I stop doing the Slimfast and try the meals that are in the book? Would this interfere with my weight training? All the advice you can give me would be great, Thanks!

Continuing with the Slimfast diet would be a sure fire way to NOT get any results from this program. Read the nutrition section and do all the calculations. You start at maintenance calories level. Many people have been losing fat by eating the calculated maintenance calories because the workouts cause quite a metabolic "shake up".

[kfisherx]

Your calorie intake will need to be somewhere near 1800 cals a day. I bet too that you are under eating from the sounds of your post. Do you track your daily cals and do you track your macros?

And NO eating whole foods will NOT interfere with your training.

[werhardt]

I haven't started logging anything yet. I just got the book over the weekend and I have been doing Slimfast since. I have been tired while doing the Slimfast diet.

Now about the WHey shake, is that to build muscle or is that for just energy?

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Your calorie intake will need to be somewhere near 1800 cals a day. I bet too that you are under eating from the sounds of your post. Do you track your daily cals and do you track your macros?

And NO eating whole foods will NOT interfere with your training.

[missjane]

Protein is to build muscle.

[werhardt]

Oh Ok, like I said I have to keep reading the book. I am one of those girls that get afraid to build muscle. I just want to look lean.

Originally Posted by missjane

Protein is to build muscle.

[Morkai]

Unsurprising you're tired on slimfast. You're starving yourself basically. Good way to lose metabolically active muscle mass rather than fat.

Congrats on picking up NROL4W and joining the buff chicks crowd. We eat good to look good

Whey is protein source. You can use it to help you get extra protein in throughout the day if you can't stomach eating a lot of meat.

[missjane]

Originally Posted by werhardt

Oh Ok, like I said I have to keep reading the book. I am one of those girls that get afraid to build muscle. I just want to look lean.

Muscles are beautiful and sexy! Nobody wants to be "skinny fat"!

[LaraT]

Originally Posted by werhardt

Oh Ok, like I said I have to keep reading the book. I am one of those girls that get afraid to build muscle. I just want to look lean.

Um, hate to break it to you but the main goal of this program is to gain muscle by eating at/around maintenance level calories and following a structured weight lifting program. This is not a weight loss or fat loss plan in of itself. Like I said earlier, the goal of the program is to gain muscle mass which helps boost the metabolism which helps with fat burning.

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by werhardt

Oh Ok, like I said I have to keep reading the book. I am one of those girls that get afraid to build muscle. I just want to look lean.

LOL!!!! Don't worry sweetie. You won't be able to build enough muscle to look like one of those body builder woman without a GREAT deal of effort on your part and an enourmous amount of food and some steriods.

If you want to look skinny and weak then just do cardio. If you want that skinny fat look then keep undereating along with your cardio routine.

If you want to look fit and lean (think of Julian on the biggest loser) then lift and feed your body the food it needs to build a bit of muscle on those bones.

[werhardt]

Very true. I am excited to start this whole program. I just don't want to turn into a he/she women, haha. I know, I know I have to stop thinking that way.

Originally Posted by missjane

Muscles are beautiful and sexy! Nobody wants to be "skinny fat"!

[LWilson212]

This link is the website of a Canadian trainer/powerlifter, etc. Here she is in a bodybuilding contest.

Defining Edge - News

When I look at these photos, I know they may be too muscular for some tastes, but I do not think she looks like a man. And these women are doing bodybuilding, not fitness, so they are trying to get as muscular as possible. I guess the point I am trying to make is that the images that make us nervous about weight lifting are from drugs!

She also has some photos of herself that show the difference 20 lbs of muscle can make. The photos are approximately 7 years apart. 7 years! So even if you started to get some undesireable muscle growth, it is going to be very slow and you could just scale back your workouts.

[Littlemermaidklb]

Oh man, doesn't all that slimfast make you have to pee like a racehorse???? I had ONE slimfast shake ONCE and I was peeing every half hour for like 6 hours after that... never EVER again! And I second (or third) everything everyone else has said, you need to build muscle and lose fat to get that "lean" look you're after. Skinny fat doesn't nothing for ya. Also, as a fellow 5'5" (ok so I'm 5'4, but who's counting) woman... at 135 (close to your 140) 20 lbs is too much to be looking to lose. If I lost 20lbs I'd almost disappear. I've been doing NROL4W since January and my scale weight has not changed, but if you look at my pics you'll notice my body has changed. I've gained muscle and lost some fat. It's the recomposition you're really after, don't get hung up on what the scale tells you. It lies.

[Fitwit]

Originally Posted by werhardt

Very true. I am excited to start this whole program. I just don't want to turn into a he/she women, haha. I know, I know I have to stop thinking that way.

Yes, you do! Good luck and welcome!