59 years, 5'7", today's weight is 160 (
).
I have a heck of a time determining my actual fat levels....not good with the calipers. My Tanita body comp scale says 36% (
), my Tanita hand held fat meter says 32%. It's hard to believe my fat levels are that extreme because while I'm not a thin thing, I don't look obese. Also, I know my scales etc. aren't all that precise. Suffice it to say, in the blinding glare of the bathroom mirror I see way too much fat in the midsection. I'm obsessed with wanting it GONE.
Good genes or I'd be in a worse place than I am. Until age 42 or so, my weight was stuck at 130-135 no matter how piggy my eating was. I've always had a sweet tooth, but realize that when I was busy eating half a cheesecake i'd moderate my other foods that day automatically, thus balancing intake (apparently). I didn't pay for this behavior until age 42.
Lifetime vice: SUGAR PASTRIES--never met a donut or cake I didn't like. My metabolism obviously changed after about 42 and my 135 lbs slowly crept upwards, reaching an all-time high of 173 lbs. in 2000 at age 51. My body felt like it was falling apart. My muscles were non-existent and I tripped a lot and was always injuring a muscle here and there just from daily activities. Terribly pathetic, and I took notice finally. I applied brakes to the junk I was shoveling in my mouth, bought Body for Life, exercised very hard and got down to about 150 and pretty good physical shape with some added muscle and good loss of fat. Still not my goal, but oh so much better. The bad news is that while I've kept exercising and monitoring my diet in the 7 years since, my efforts have not resulted in any more fat or weight loss. I've been on a never-ending plateau of my own making. I don't like 160 lbs and 30-something % fat. I look OK in most clothes, but you see the ugly truth in a swimsuit.
EXERCISE: Consistency over time is my problem. I've done numerous programs, but mostly ended up centered on a Body for Life style of 3x a week weights, alternating upper & lower body, and 1 to 3 days of cardio (elliptical mainly, some treadmill). My much repeated pattern has been: Plunge into a program like a demon, go full force for a couple of weeks, burn myself out from the pace, then lose steam until I’m exercising once every 2 weeks. Last winter I didn't do so much gym work but instead I got in 50 intense ski days. Summers I mountain bike, but I KNOW I need the consistency of gym/weight work in addition to whatever else I do sports-wise.
CURRENT PROGRAM: In late June I started NROLW, which I LOVE LOVE LOVE! I have gotten better results averaging 1-2 workouts per week than I did in 12 weeks of 6 days a week of intense BFL. (My goal was 3 on the lifting, 2 or 3 on cardio, but didn't manage it
)
I attribute my progress to 4 things which were different about NROLW: 1) Exercises targeted at large muscle groups and virtually NO isolation exercises (squats and deadlifts and step-ups work magic!!). 2) Lifting progressively heavier weights but limited reps 3) Less frequent workouts, which apparently gave my muscles the necessary time to build and get nice and hard! 4) Alwyn's well structured A and B workouts, which keeps the workouts interesting and ensures that you never do the same workout 2 times in a row.
CURRENT LEVEL: Just finishing Level 1 (took 12 weeks) and am about to go into Level 2, which I hope to accomplish faster: --> Goodie goodie, new lifting routines!
FOOD: Herein lies my other problem. What to eat?
I'm not supposed to eat any gluten (celiac disease, can't tolerate gluten in wheat/rye/barley, possibly oats too). Here’s what makes me feel bloated and awful, so 98% of the time I avoid them:
Anything sugar (even have to limit fruit)
Anything gluten grains, other grains including rice
Anything starchy
Most dairy (I’m casein intolerant, should avoid dairy)
Thus, cottage cheese and yogurt as protein sources are out
I have a hard time hitting 1000 calories if I'm not eating the above mentioned no-no's. I can't really follow any specific nutrition program because they all seem centered on stuff I shouldn't/can't eat. I didn't think the NROLW nutrition section would work for me. One you start tweaking a program, you're not doing it any more. So I do my own thing, but not sure what to do to improve it.
My usual universe of daily foods is limited to:
eggs eggs eggs. Did I mention eggs?
chicken, turkey, ham, some tuna & salmon
veggies such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, stuff like that
fruits: apples, grapefruit, berries, peaches, occasional 1/2 banana
limited nuts, especially almonds
Zero carb whey powder for shakes - good protein source
RTD protein shakes (low carb) for after workouts
green tea, cappuccino made at home w/whole milk every morning
occasional 4oz red wine, usually no more than 2x week.
BIG PROBLEM: Portion control. I can eat too much volume when I actually do sit down to eat. Got to modify this.
GOAL: Small portions, small “meals”, but try for every 3 hours. I just don’t get hungry, and therefore don’t want to eat even though I know I should. Thus, calories end up low.
I'm totally frustrated that my weight doesn’t move downwards. Here’s what I have decided are the reasons in no particular order:
1. I cheat a lot with the donut thing. I’ve ended up with junk calories pretty much every day. A donut here, a cookie there. One thing usually leads to more. And more. Added goodies add up quickly, even if my other eating is nice and clean. NOTE: This is never about hunger. It's about the enjoyment of the goodie. When I'm done, I usually feel awful.
2. I don’t plan my eating. Need to plan what I eat and eat what I plan. Control the portions. Up the protein. Up the veggies. Limit everything else. Breakfast is always under control and good. After that, it all falls apart and is haphazard. Jettison all thoughts of donuts and cookies.
3. Exercise: more consistency. Weights 3x a week, no fewer than two. Added cardio too.
So here you have it. I won't be so wordy next time.
And I'm always looking for sage advice. I'm my own worst enemy, apparently. There's no reason why I can't reach my goals. I'm mad as heck that I'm not there already. No excuses....
Fatty Firminator
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