Hi

I'm fairly new here, so please go easy.

I am 5ft tall and currently weigh 122lbs and I think my bodyfat is around 24%. I have recently dropped to this weight from 137lbs. But my bodyfat% hasn't really changed much... 1 or 2%. I do interval training 3 days per week with weight training. I alternate between 10 to 20 reps. The other 3 days of the week I do cardio of various kinds for about an hour or so.

I am thinking that maybe the thing holding me back is diet. Maybe not, since I think I eat pretty good. Any ideas on how I can successfully reduce bodyfat?

Thank you!

Dawn

what does your current diet look like?

Here would be a typical day:

cup of tea w skim milk and honey
oatmeal w raspberries and skim milk

1/2 c natural almonds
1/2grapefruit

spinach salad w tomatoes, tuna, avocado
fat free yogurt

apple
protein bar

chicken fajita w cheese, tomatoe, green peppers

That does vary somewhat, but that's pretty much it.

TY

Totally agree with hufftraining...congratulations on the weight loss!!

I am new here. I started working out about 3.5 weeks ago. My goal is to lose weight (alot of weight) and to build some muscle. II would prefer lean muscle mass rather then bulky. My workout has evolved over the weeks to include the following

20-30 minutes of cardio (elipitical or stair stepper)
then 20-30 minutes of weight training
then finish up with 20-30 minutes of more cardio (same as above)

I started out with circuit training and moved to some free weights and other machines not included in the circuit. I also at home do 100 crunches a day besides the ab work done at the gym.


12 reps - lower weight
10 reps - a little higher weight
8 reps - yet a little higher
10 reps - same as the first 10 reps
12 reps - beginning weight




Sample diet - 1200 Calories

Breakfast

Egg (steamed in water) or protein drink
Fruit

Snack - Fruit

Lunch
6 oz chicken breast
veggie (salad or cooked veggie)
Fruit

Snack - Fruit

Dinner

6 oz chicken breast, or fish
veggie
Fruit

1 gallon of water

I am not at this time eating bread products, pasta, rice, soda, coffee. I do drink green tea. I am not eating butter, margarine. I do eat fat free sour cream.

Questions

1) should i be eating protein after my workouts?
2) Does this look alright?
3) Can I change anything to make this better?

Looks good to me...that's how I eat. It'll come together as you work out more. Good luck!!

I don't want to cut carbs out too much as I still need energy. I am starving all the time as it is. I am fairly high strung and am ususally bouncing off the walls.

I am going to reduce my cardio and increase my weight. We will see if I can see a change.

Thanks for the advice. I don't care too much about body weight but I do care about body fat. Just because you are losing weight doesn't mean you are losing the right stuff.

FG

I can't believe how many inches I'm losing just doing regular squats and lunges...Good luck

I have recently cut some of my cardio out and added a core strength training circuit. I can't believe how much power it gives me. I can totally notice a difference. Your abs and back really are your power house, I think. I think I will continue with my core training and see if I can't look ripped in a bikini in the next few months!!!

I am also in training to become a fire fighter (currently a volunteer ff) so strength is of the utmost importance and I know core strength is huge for that. So is endurance... that isn't a problem because I play soccer all year and do other fun stuff for cardio.

I had cut my leg routine out completely because my legs were getting huge. I have recently added it back in and I can see some good definition now.

Thx and good luck on your journey!

FG

That's great!! well you seem to have it all figured out...I hope you make it!! don't give up on that...I know someone that is a firefighter and it took him awhile to get in...I'm an Ontarian also!! cheers!

Right on Shar123! I don't know if I would go so far as to say I have it all figured out. It's really just about experimenting... not all diets/routines work for all people. I read Oxygen mag quite a bit and I know there are those in there that say cutting carbs out of their diet didn't work well for them at all. I have reduced my carbs tons and I will see if it works for me.

Yeah, I love fire fighting on the side. So now I will see if I can make a career out of it.

I know you can probably do to much cardio but what is to much cardio? I have lots of weight to lose, I have lost 15 lbs so far in 4 weeks. I don't want to do to much cardio and end up loosing muscle instead of fat. I have noticed in the last week since I increased my cardio that I have been working off about 1000 calories a day, 700 thru cardio (thats what hte machines say anyhow) and the scale is showing weight lose at this point of 1 lb a day for the last 4 days, I am thinking this is to fast. How can I make sure its fat lose? I probably have 70 more lbs to go. I know that is alot of weight and its rather embarrassing to admit that but its reality. In the past, I build muscle bulk pretty easily. I would like to have less muscle bulk and more leaner type muscle but not sure genetically that I am built like that. If anyone has ideas please let me know. I am commited to changing my lifestyle forever. Oh I am 42 years old if that matters

I think anything is possible with hard work and determination. I recently read an article about a lady in her 50's that decided to start doing fitness competitions, etc and she had a wicked body. People that say they have bad genetics etc... bollocks. They definitely play a role, it just means they have a rougher road ahead then someone who is say, "naturally" lean.

I build muscle easily, and don't really want to look like a male wrestler. But I do recall that when I was lifting weights before, I would look bulky for a bit and then seemed to lean out again. I think I would do cardio AND weights for best results.

Thanks I will continue on what I am doing. I am feeling somuch better just with the pounds I have lost now. I know a year from now I will be a new woman.