Niksters w/out log--eat more protein!

[Nikster]

Ok, I am going to make myself do this log....
1. for some accountability to myself and all of you pro's out there that know a ton about nutrition and fitness
2. To give myself something to look back at and laugh at, and realize my gains (or losses)!

My goals:
Would like to LOSE FAT% and GAIN MUSCLE mostly because my number on the scale isn't something I am trying to change.
I recently lost about 15 lbs and just one year ago Feb-26-07 I weighed
155 with a BF% of 33.9% so I am happy with my maintaining that weight for about 8 months now.
This Feb-28-08 I dropped down to 131lbs with 25.8%, which I would like to improve. I lost this weight through restricting calories and consistently working out with weights, spinning classes, interval training, etc... so this has been hard for me to eat more and also get the RIGHT foods in my body.
I am learning a TON from you all though on how to trust this program and to get on a protein supplement that is not vegetable protein, but instead Whey protein You all are very informative, I love this forum!!!

Here are some current measurements
neck- 12
bicep- 10.5"
Bust- 34" (no laughing! I have no chest, I know!)
Waist- 30.5"
Hips- 33.5"
Thigh- 21.5"
Calf- 14"

I started 3/10/08 STAGE 1 Workout A
Squat
95#/15, 105#/15
Push ups
regular floor pushups 2x15
Seated Row
80#/15, 85#/15
Step Ups
8#/15, 10#/15
Prone Jack knife
10#med ball/8, 10#med ball/8

Workout B
Deadlift (did Romanian first week, oops!)
95#/15, 105#/15
DB Shoulder Press
20#/15, 25#/12
Wide Grip Lat Pull
65#/15, 70#/15
Lunge DB
15#/15, 20#/15
Swiss Ball Crunch
10#med ball/15, 10#med ball/15 (again, forgot to chk the reps!)

I am all over the place on nutrition.....I am working on it!!!
I am used to getting about 1600-1700 calories a day to maintain my current weight. With this plan it says (roughly) I will need about 1956 on non-w/out days and 2200 on w/out days.

So far, I have logged in the last 4 days....2000cals(nonw/out), 1381 cals(non-w/out), 2000cals(w/out day), and then 1900(non w/out).
My protein has been 73g, 65g, 82g, and then 118g.

I am at least improving, but it has been tough to get it all in....especially eating when I am not that hungry but also eating stuff I don't really really want to eat like cottage cheese! If you asked me to eat more cals in fruit I can do that but those don't pack that many g's of protein Any suggestions are welcomed I know Lou says to not worry about this during Stage 1, but I can see so many reasons to go ahead and start this...only problem I am seeing so far is I have GAINED 2 lbs since starting I am up to 133 today (water weight?). Not like I am freaking out or anything, but do I need to trust this system and that eating more cals and protein has worked for you....AND that I need to trust it!!! haha or is it just the pure jump in cals alone that my body is just adjusting to that??? hmmm? not sure?
Thanks if you took the time to read this loooong w/out log!
Nikster
ps- not sure how to do pictures on here yet, but when I do, I will post a before picture.

[Nikster]

Ok, up to 134 today....was frustrated so I asked the girls about gaining weight BEFORE losing it again. I am assuming it is from all the sudden protein (I was probably only getting 1/4 of what I am shoveling in now!). Not going to stop though, I am trusting everyone that this is short term water weight (thanks ladies!)
I am going to gym to do HIIT today and maybe 1/2 of spin class if I have the energy left?? haha LOVE doing intervals though, I don't like steady state aerobics because it bores the hell out of me.....I am very sore today from deadlifts but less than I usually am, so I guess the Whey protein has been really helping with recovery!
I was going to post "Before" pics but still can't figure that out but haven't spent much time on it either...so anyone want to tell me how to do that please feel free! haha

[Amblus]

Welcome! You can feel good in that you're lifting way more than me and I'm almost finished with stage one.

As for the photos, do you have them on your hard drive or online somewhere? If you have them on your hard drive, click the little paperclip icon above to attach them. If you have them online somewhere like Flickr, just click the little photo icon above and paste in the link.

[Nikster]

Thanks Amblus....read through you log just now, very impressive and inspired me to throw out my scale! (or at the very least STOP obsessively weighing myself every damn morning!!!! ARGHHH!)
I have a feeling with this program, you can't help but lift more than you ever thought possible!

I am impressed with your mountain bike though! North TX is pretty flat so mountain biking is more like "hill" riding.....haha and I don't own a bike but REALLY wish I did! I would maybe get into races if I did. I have been doing spin class for a looooong time but as I figured out with running a 1/2 marathon--you CAN'T train on a treadmill and expect the same result outside!!!! haha it was a HUGE lesson learned so I am sure spin class does not magically = great riding outside! LOL can I get an "AMEN!" from the peanut gallery?? haha
you have inspired me to post my before pics so a big Thank you!!

[Nikster]

Now for the HIIT....walked on treadmill at 4 incline and 4 speed for 15 min. just to shake the cobwebs off my sore hammies! Then went to spinning class, only made it for 45 min. before my legs were screaming at me to GET OFF!!! haha Sooooo, per most of your advice, I listened to my body and got off and went home for rest....
It is hard to get out of that athlete mode of thinking "play through pain and push, push, push" so I am learning to listen since I am older and would be upset to get injured in only the 1st stage!!! haha
Anyway, spinning kicked my BUTT so I am glad I did that today, I feel much better

[ledove]

haha Sooooo, per most of your advice, I listened to my body and got off and went home for rest....

Congrats for listening to your body. I've been an athlete most of my life, too, so I understand how hard it is to say, "No, really, I'm done, and I need to stop now."

I noticed in the Unofficial post you said you'd done & liked Alwyn's Afterburn program. What's it like? How does it compare to NROLFW so far? I'm starting to look at what to do after NROLFW (even though I'm only in Stage 2!) and that's on my list.

[Nikster]

I had to look ahead in the book NROLFW to see how it compared....but some of the exercises are the same. This was where I was formally introduced to the bulgarian split squat and I still have a LOVE/HATE relationship with them!! haha I see we get to do those again in this book (yeah~).
Afterburn in 16 weeks and I didn't follow his nutrition at all....but am following it in this NROFLW book! I can see it makes ALLLLLLL the difference to fat loss. I felt very strong after doing Afterburn, I recommend it. Any program by Alwyn is great.....you just can't go wrong with him and he kills you either with weight you are using OR the 0 sec. of rest between supersets!!! And his nutrition is a bit different than this book.

He does do basically the same as HIIT though, he calls it Energy System work and he has you do a certain number of "rounds" of intervals with each 4 week workout separation. Once you have done NR book, this will be even easier to catch on to.

It was hard to remember bc I did another Lou book for a year, that was my longest program I had done. That was called The Book of Muscle and it has a beg, intermediate and advanced section....he hits abs each workout day and it is a longer program but I do suggest that one as well...it was good and switched things up every 3 weeks which I like a LOT since I get bored and felt my body adjusted to the weights each time.
Hope that helps a bit. Most of the lifts you will have done/seen before with NR book, but some lifts would be new.

[Nikster]

Finally figured out how to put my BEFORE pics on here....hopefully!

[Nikster]

Had a great workout yesterday, felt really good to go in the afternoon rather than the morning! However, am up another lb on the scale so I am going to try working with my calories since it has been one full week and I just keep going up. Only going to cut 200 cals to see what happens but keep protein around 150g. I would like to see what happens.

Workout 3A
Squat (2x12)@105,@110 (did not go up because I was trying to squat down lower)
Pushups (2x12) regular tri pushups
Seated Rows (2x12) low cable mach. @95, @100
Step Ups (2x12) on step with 4 risers w/20# each hand, 2/25#each hand (25's were hard since my hands were having a hard time gripping these after about 10th rep!!
Prone Jack Knife (2x10) @BW and trying to come up on toes like video and was a little harder. Might try one leg at a time next A workout, just to challenge this move?? I am not finding it to be that hard?? or maybe try more reps?

HIIT on treadmill
Did 5 rounds of intervals: 1' @7.5, 1' @6.0 *felt really good and could have gone faster but held back so I could improve each time.

[missjane]

Have you thought about raising your step height (ie a bench) and dropping the weight. This would save your grip and would also increase the difficulty of the exercise by increasing your ROM.

[Nikster]

I saw that some were doing it on the weight bench, but I find that platform too soft? I wobble around much more on that surface.
Our gym has really padded their bench's up I guess? I was going to measure the bench outside of the raquetball court and see if that is a better height....otherwise I can just add risers to the step that I am already doing this on. Good suggestion though, I will try that next workout

[MuscleMom23]

Hey Nikster. About the weight gain. I had to do this for my head. If your original cals were 1600-1700 a day, do some math. Just use plain old 3500 cals = a lb. Of course it doesn't account for afterburn . But I bet there is no way that amount of gain is fat. So get your head straight.

I Pigged out last weekend, I was an eating fool and I even thought I was not until I logged. I went into a great panic. Well all the over eating I did really truly amounted to .61 lb weight gain. I was sooo relieved. It is perspective. I nibble all day, but I am with you, gimme more fruit forget that protein stuff. But it will come. And do that cottage cheese recipe with SF pudding, it tastes a lot better that whey *chuckle*

[ledove]

Originally Posted by Nikster

Had a great workout yesterday, felt really good to go in the afternoon rather than the morning! However, am up another lb on the scale so I am going to try working with my calories since it has been one full week and I just keep going up. Only going to cut 200 cals to see what happens but keep protein around 150g. I would like to see what happens.

It's probably just water and/or the normal "wobble" in our weight. No matter how well we follow our weigh-in rituals, there's usually something that has changed in our bodies.

I see you're in Stage 1 and that your goal is to gain muscle. Unless you're also having your body fat measured with your weight and are sure you're gaining fat, then, again, it's probably just water. The book's suggestion is to stay at calculated calories for at least 4 weeks, and then possibly to adjust based on the beginning and end results.

And look, you said you had a great workout and felt wonderful. Why let an inanimate object decide that you shouldn't feel good about yourself? Your workouts over the last few weeks haven't been useless, no matter what that scale tries to say.

Originally Posted by Nikster

I saw that some were doing it on the weight bench, but I find that platform too soft? I wobble around much more on that surface.

Our gym has really padded their bench's up I guess? I was going to measure the bench outside of the raquetball court and see if that is a better height....otherwise I can just add risers to the step that I am already doing this on. Good suggestion though, I will try that next workout

Yeah, a more stable platform would be a good idea. I don't know how helpful your gym staff is, but they might be able to help you find a way or place.

I work out at home, and one of our benches was my dad's in the '70s. It hardly more than a plank of wood. Our other one we bought a few years ago, and it has about 3 inches of padding... I guess equipment manufacturers want us to be "comfortable" while we work out.

[Nikster]

I know, I know, I shouldn't worry about the scale but mine gives body fat too and mine was 25.8% when I measured on March 1st and then this morning was 26.8%?? I know those things measure water though so like you all said, could be water weight for sure! I really try to not obsess about the cals....but can't help it. It truely IS all relative to each situation as to what we focus on. And rather than hide that flaw, I am just going to put it out there and I like to talk it out with peeps that can help me "get my head straight"....but don't worry, won't make you babysit me about it
This forum will stand as my many "voices of reason" so I appreciate all the comments! haha keep em' coming.

As for the help in my gym.....errrrr, I try to avoid the trainers bc they are a bit like vultures coming for prey! haha (I can see now the benefits of workout at home!) and if I may.....just rant a bit on what I should say to the trainers in my gym???? Besides, like someone else pointed out on here, you have to find someone that walks the walk before you respect their opinion and I have not seen ONE client in there that has completely transformed their bodies.

Here is the scenario--There are roughly about 10 on any given day just walking around the floor asking to train. Add in the super high turnover and that puts someone new there every other week and you get asked all over again. I even watched one make fun of me and my sis doing jump rope intervals and he told his client that what we were doing was a waste of time???? HUHHHHHH????
I talk to most of them and most are really nice, but I hate it when they ask when I am going to "let them do my free training session with them and REALLY get a workout?" haha As if mine is just a waste of friggin' time.
Nothing against trainers honestly, I have much respect for the good ones and I even aspire to BE one!!!! But, I just can't get over someone asking me "if what I am doing is working for me?" I just want to say...uhhhhh, you tell me? I usually say, I am happy with my workout and I can't afford a trainer but thanks anyway *insert my now please go away so I can start my next set bc it's been 60 seconds already* smile

Arghhh, sorry for the rant But, since your comment was really not about trainers (haha) but about finding someone to help me, I will maybe ask one tomorrow! haha (sorry, got off track there!!!)

Anyway, I was reading that most of you let yourself cheat 10% of the time on your diets. I feel like if I cheat AT ALL, I gain weight, like an uphill battle all the way I will go back to my maintenence cals and take that through the rest of STage 1 as you suggested thanks!

[Nikster]

Originally Posted by ledove

Why let an inanimate object decide that you shouldn't feel good about yourself?

You are right, I know. I shouldn't....thanks for the kick in the head

[ledove]

Originally Posted by Nikster

As for the help in my gym.....errrrr, I try to avoid the trainers bc they are a bit like vultures coming for prey! haha (I can see now the benefits of workout at home!) and if I may.....just rant a bit on what I should say to the trainers in my gym???? Besides, like someone else pointed out on here, you have to find someone that walks the walk before you respect their opinion and I have not seen ONE client in there that has completely transformed their bodies.

Ugh, that's no fun. Maybe ask one of the guys at the front desk? I don't know about your gym, but in the ones I've known, the front-desk workers weren't trainers. So maybe ask them for a step or box.

Originally Posted by Nikster