47 yo female: expectations and frustrations
Options
Replies
-
Moving this up, sorry we missed this. We lost quite a few threads when the forums transferred over and when I say lost I mean we got behind and we basically suck and never replied to a ton of sheet.
But we will take a look at this.
0 -
Still eating at around 1300 per day--at least there is no gain. And I am back where I was the week after Christmas.
Working out 6 days as outlined above. Looking forward to warmer weather to go back to my lifting-running routine, but if am sure there is good in a change from time to time!
Again, my main concern is--will I see steady loss at 1300 per day, and if not why not?0 -
Looks like if I am very careful, 1300-ish will produce about 1/4 lb per week. That is not too far off what I would have expected.
Activity was a little erratic this weekend. I missed 2 workouts, but I was on my feet a whole lot more than my normal weekends. I would expect my overall TDEE was a bit less than with my workouts, but not a whole lot different. And I ate at maintenance ovr the weekend too. Events really dictated a change in routine! But that doesn't happen too often. So it is hard to say exactly how everything figures in.
Now we will see if the loss continues if I go on with 1300 or so per day and four circuit training days and two cardio days per week. Usually I stall after about a three pound loss, and then I have to drop cals even more or else I gain right back to where I was. My body seems to adapt very easily.0 -
Ok, so a few things to note:
Given your size I don't think it's out of the ordinary to have to bring calories quite low to produce fat loss at at a rate you may be anticipating.
I ran your numbers for January and you're averaging about 1400 calories. The part I'd be most concerned with would be your protein intake which sits around 58g.
The first thing I would actually suggest would be to focus on getting that number substantially higher without a net increase to total calories. This will hopefully assist in blunting hunger which can improve satiety and it will help promote LBM retention and a few other nifty things like a marginal increase in TEF.
You might not be able to go straight to 100g, but if I were in your position I'd see if you can get somewhere around the ballpark of 1400 cals, 100p, 55f, 125c.
Evaluate how you feel as far as performance, satiety, etc at that intake.
I'd also be curious what your current training program looks like. I know we dropped the ball on this but if you could type out your CURRENT training program (resistance + cardio) I'd like to also take a look at that.0 -
bump to follow- I have similar questions0
-
Okay, protein without adding too many calories is ALWAYS a challenge for me. For one thing, I like carbs (!), and then there is the money thing. Adding carbs to your meat really stretches the budget, and feeding two teen boy athletes gets pretty expensive!
I do shoot for at least 70 grams. And obviously fail fairly often. I figure I hit 65-75 about half the time.
And you are right. When I eat more protein, hunger is less of a problem. So I will keep focusing on that.
Also, I have noticed that the weight stays down better when I keep the carbs below 150. So definitely something else to watch. I've done controlled carbs before, and it really worked for loss, but I did not find it to be sustainable in real life for maintenance. I just need more flexibility.
For my workouts, I work out from home. That is one reason running has worked so well for me overall. And I have used various DVDs (many in a metabolic, circuit training style) too. Until about two years or so ago, basically my plan was just to do SOMETHING every day, making sure that one day a week was a less vigorous something, like a walk or some gentle yoga. About two years ago I started being more intentional with strength training. I first used the "body for life" lifting plan, but I didn't particularly like it. So I would bounce back to the circuit training, after a few weeks. And I would go back and forth between the two without commitment. Always, though, my running was pretty consistent. Nothing excessive--maybe 15-18 miles a week.
In the summer (June and July) and in November and December I was lifting (using a dumbell program) 3 days a week and running about 30-45 minutes three days a week. For the weight program, I have sets of bells from 3 lbs (hardly use now) up to 25 lbs, and I would do three sets of 6 of each exercise with the heaviest weights I could handle for 6 reps. The bells I have will be sufficient for upper body for awhile yet (mostly I max out at the 15's on the upper body), but I could see that for lower body I might "grow out" of what I've got (actually I just got the 25's for Christmas) before too long. In June and July I also often added a short run on lifting days. I'm a teacher and my schedule permits that in the summer.
When I got back from vacation at the beginning of August this year and saw how much I had gained, I went back to circuit training, more metabolic style two days a week for August-September-October. (Always with running at least four days a week. I like running.) Basically I was trying to get a few more calories burned. (Unfortunately, I really like to eat, but my size doesn't permit that, as you noticed above!)
After Christmas the weather here turned really cold (unusual for here), and I am a real wimp in cold weather. I was using various DVDs-circuit training, kettlebells, kickboxing (yuck), etc. to get something in without going outside. So a couple of weeks ago, I decided to go back to a program I had used a year ago--Body Revolution--since I was doing all the various circuit training DVDs. I decided that at least it had a plan for not overusing various muscle groups too many days in a row etc, and would probably be better for the cold months when I couldn't get my cardio in outside. And I got okay results with it last year. I did not lose much weight, but my body did reshape a good bit.
So I am wondering if I should just keep that up for the three months the program encompasses, or just use it when it is too cold to get the cardio in outside and go back to the more traditional style of lifting for most of the time.
Also, I read something recently that said if you are not at a certain lower percentage of bodyfat, you need to get closer to that before re comping (or bulking which is not something I am planning to do right now). The number given for men was 15% bodyfat. I have no idea what would be comparable for women. And is that a valid concern? As best I can determine, I think I am at about 25% (and it is ALL on my abs. You can't pinch anything anywhere else, of course except the normal woman places. My arms and legs, and even hips, are quite lean and firm). Do I need to get to a certain % or weight first? I think I would be more comfortable being about 125, and then dealing with % and ab fat. By the way, I still had ab fat at my lowest (middle age) weight which was 112 lbs. (it has been too long since I was young to remember how it was in my 20's. Everything was smaller then. But basically in my 20's I maintained below 110 lbs easily by just being sensible and walking my dog every day! Those were the days.)
Sorry that answer seemed to go in about five different directions! Hope some of that helps.
By the way, thanks for confirming that I will indeed have to reduce calories at my size to lose. I get mislead too often on the forums (too much "don't set your goal for 1200" stuff, and people get aggressive about it. It led me astray for quite awhile. But I am certainly smart enough to do the math and see that I will have to net below 1200 to lose.
By the way--I am currently using a misfit activity monitor to figure calories beyond sedentary, but I also know that regardless what the thing says, most days I have to be under 1400 gross cals to lose. Unless it is a day like yesterday where the weather was beautiful and I went for an extra long (over an hour) run. Overall, though, I think the misfit is pretty accurate.
0 -
Good news--I am down just over 1/2 lb this week!0
-
An idea for cheap, low cal protein that I've been using is tuna. It's about $1 per serving, 19g protein, and with a little mustard, mayo and onion it's awesome! Eggs are also great
0 -
Plain 0% greek yogurt with a scoop of protein powder, mix in fruit if you'd like. That'll get you 40+ protein in 1 meal.0
-
Thanks for the protein suggestions. I do love Greek yogurt, but I hadn't thought of adding protein powder. I'll have to try that.
And I love tuna for lunch. Unfortunately, my boys don't love it (except for in my tuna-pasta salad with lots of veggies, which is a little carb heavy), so we don't have it for dinner often.
I am happy to say that I was down another 0.4 lbs this morning. I'm very pleased, especially since my eating over the weekend was HORRIBLE! My boys' swim club had a home meet, and I run the concession stand. So I was stuck for hours each day selling hot dogs and nachos, with no other options for lunch and dinner! (Too busy to pack a meal, or at least not enough pre-planning, since I had to be there so early each morning to set up. At least all the set up and ice-hauling, and everything got my activity level up! But I am embarrassed for anyone looking at my diary over the weekend! Oh well. Real life! That is exactly why controlled/low carb never worked over the long haul for me. Flexibility is a must during this season of my life.)
When I get a chance I will get a few more specifics about the weight training I was doing in November and January.
And I am certainly hoping not to stall after a few weeks, as has been the pattern. Hopefully I won't get lazy with my food, which is partly the problem. After a few weeks success, I say to myself--going over a little surely won't hurt--and suddenly those pounds jump right back on. I do always log, but I can sure convince myself to overeat.0 -
First of all, all of a sudden, it is working! I have lost almost 2 lbs in the past week. I know that some of that is hormonal water weight, but I am still soooo glad to be heading in the right direction. Now if I can just make sure I lose more than I will gain at the next hormonal surge. . . . and keep it going. . . .
I'm not sure why the results are so much better. I have not made any huge changes. I am trying to keep my total calls under 1400 unless I have a long run. And about once a week I am eating at supposed maintenance--about 1650 or so. And I am just trying to log more accurately, and to make sure I log every bite and bit. Again, I feel I have been pretty good with that overall, but I am just being extra vigilant. Or maybe it is because this week I have mostly eaten foods that are easier to log--like meats and vegetables, rather than more casserole type things, which can be variable. Also, if I find two entries and I am in doubt as to which is more accurate, I am just logging the one with the higher count to be on the safe side. (Also going on the higher side just in case because my food scale just ran out of battery--gotta get that fixed!)
The other change is that I am doing a different style workout three days a week, as I mentioned above, that may be burning more calories. It really doesn't feel as "hard" as the dumbbell program I was doing in November/December, but maybe the burn is that much greater.
Also, I started using a Misfit activity tracker and ditched the Bodymedia (expensive and touted to be the best in the industry) which read so high (like 800 calories too high per day--no way I was burning 2400-2600 cals a day, except maybe if I ran for an hour, which doesn't happen that often--more like 30 minutes most run days). I think it gave me a false sense of security, even though I intellectually knew better. I kept trying to use it on a percentage basis, partly because I had spent so much money on it, but I think it was playing mind games with me. (Or was making me play mind games with myself!) Anyway, the Misfit seems to be much more accurate for me. I get between 1600 and 2100 most days. Which is not that far off from the results I have gotten this week.
So, back to the workouts. I wanted to post a sampling of the dumbbell exercises and routine I was using November/December to see what you guys thought. I will likely go back to it when the weather warms up. So here it is. I was doing this 3 times a week. 3 sets of 6 reps of each exercise. The program suggested 3x10 reps, but I decided to go with heavier weights and do fewer reps, as that seemed to be what I was reading would be best. I do have to say I liked the heavier weights and fewer reps better. Not only was it shorter, but I actually felt like I was working out hard. I would finish sweaty and a little shaky. I did not keep a record of what weights I was using with each exercise, but I chose a weight that was difficult to do 6 times in a row--I was always glad #6 was the last one! The lifting days did not have cardio included, but I could certainly feel my heart rate going up. So anyway, here is a list of some of the exercises:
Curtsy lunges
Step up and Shoulder Press
Double Raise
One-leg deadlift
Squat with lateral shoulder raise
Dumbell rows
Dumbell squat
60 sec. planks
30 sec. side planks
tricep dips
shoulder raises to side and front
Bowler Squat
Stiff leg deadlift
Dumbell row with tricep kickback
Bulgarian split squat
Stability ball roll-out
Stability ball curls
Push ups
There were some others, too, but this is just a sampling to show you where I was coming from.
Each day would be 9 of these exercises, and by the end of the week, each major muscle group would have been hit two or three times at least. Does that sound like a reasonable program?
0 -
Okay,I am really not trying to bump this thread over and over out of impatience, I am just adding info either as I think of it, or as I have time to add. So I hope you read my above entry with the strength training info. It has warmed up here, and probably will be mostly warmer up until March, where it likely will get very pleasant, so I am planning on going back to the program above next week, alternating 3 days of strength and 3 days of running. If I'm not sick. Yesterday and today I've felt really crummy, just run down. Often that is the beginning of the viral stuff that floats around this time of year. I hope not, since I've got a big week at work.
Unfortunately, the wonderfulness of losing 1/4 lb every day last week has stopped and I am going back up now (as I expected), but I am still down some, and yesterday I measured my waist--usual trouble zone--and I was down 1 inch from the holiday season. So we will see what happens over the next weeks. With hormones, sometimes it is best to compare month to month for me anyway.
Anyway, I was inspired by SideSteel's running of my averages this month. That is something that I have done regularly, but I think it has been about three months since I have done it. I was also appalled at the protein average you got! I thought I was doing better than that. But the numbers don't lie.
So I broke it down into weekly averages. Besides calories in, I also looked at TDEE per my misfit, deficit per my misfit, protein, carbs, and weight. Actually I think average weekly weight may be a better way for me to assess progress, rather than looking at a specific days weight every week. Probably I should take an ab fat measurement with the calipers as well, but I am still having a hard time trusting it. It seems like if I am even an inch off-site, I get a very different number. (Any suggestions on being accurate here?).
Just FYI, mifflin st Jouer calculator puts me at about 1800 cals per day maintenance if I set it for daily exercise (the calculator I use figures 20 minutes a day as an exercise session--I usually do 30-45 minutes per session). Most weeks I get at least five days of exercise, usually six.
I tried to run my numbers again with heybales spreadsheet, but the app I'm using crashed, so I will have to re download, etc when I get a chance. Going by memory from the last time I looked, I believe it gave me about 1700-1750 for maintenance. Of course the problem I had with it was estimating non exercise activity which is so variable for me.
Anyway, Here is what the averages look like:
Dec. 29- Jan. 4
Cals in--1397
Misfit TDEE--1823
Deficit--452
Pro--53
Carbs--159
Weight--131.1
Jan. 5-11
Cals in--1388
TDEE--1854
Deficit--444
Pro--57
Carbs--158
Weight--131.8
Jan. 12-18
Cals in--1470
TDEE--1800
Deficit--331
Pro--65
Carbs--163
Weight--131.8
Jan. 19-24
Cals in--1438
TDEE--2011
Deficit--575
Pro--76
Carbs--149
Weight--130.9
So, I got protein headed upward after seeing the average this month! Actually that is more in line with my overall long term averages (probably 65-80 most of the time). I think I was still finishing off holiday treats during the first two weeks!
I figured carbs in there so I can watch for trends, comparing intake to weight. I've always been a calories-in-calories-out gal, but I am reading that "women of a certain age" might not do as well with carbs. Since I definitely fit that description, I thought I would watch!
Also, I would say my logging is more accurate this last week because of the types of food I had.
In all honesty, I have to say that I am not going around feeling starved all the time. Yes I often want MORE of all the yummy stuff (don't we all?), but really, if I make moderately good choices, most of the time I'm ok. It is those days when I use up a boatload of calories on a treat that I suffer. (It probably doesn't help that I have to watch my teen boy swimmers--and even my high metabolism husband-- scarf down uncountable calories of all kinds of junk while I eat a turkey sandwich on one slice of wheat bread and worry about overeating. And I have to COOK all that stuff for them or they lose weight. Of course up to 4 hours a day in the water earns that! But sometimes I do feel a little deprived. Not hungry, deprived.)
So, here are my concerns/questions:
My results, especially for the first part of the month, don't match well with my numbers. My results look more like maintenance. So, either my TDEE is wrong, or my logging is off. I always assume there is a certain amount of inaccuracy with logging, but 400 difference seems a little steep. Any thoughts?
I am thinking to drop 100 calories a day. Either way, whether it is logging or TDEE that is off, that should create more deficit. Sound reasonable?
And when I go back to the lifting schedule noted in my last post, I may have to drop even a few more cals, since it won't have cardio components. I do feel I get my heart rate up, though.
Thx in advance for any help. And there is soooo much good information in your group's threads. Thanks for that too.
0 -
Okay I miss the edit feature from the old forums. So here is my edit:
Meant to say that I will drop 100 more cals if I don't continue to lose on the average week to week. If I continue to drop I will stay the course as I have been.0 -
Bumping.
I was all psyched up to go back to my lifting (non circuit training) this week, but then I apparently overdid my Monday run and ended up with a sore knee and hip. So it is one more week of circuits via body revolution, since it is easier to modify them to be less demanding on the knee and still get a decent workout. There is no way I could have done heavily weighted squats and lunges yesterday. I'm better today, so I am hopeful for next week. Anyway I'd love your opinions re the lifting program mentioned above and my weekly averages.
Thx.0 -
Bumping0
-
Still frustrated. Losing stopped. Gained most of the last loss back. I was eating a bit more (prob averged 1500 this week but I haven't done the math.), but I also ran more (3 days), and as I mentioned I did one more week of circuit training (3 days). On circuit training days I even added a 15 minute run to meet my step goal. I was planning on going back to non circuit training lifting as outlined above next week, but. . . .
. . . . now I have one more challenge. I fell yesterday and roughed myself up a bit. I am very fortunate it was not worse, as I have no broken bones and needed no stitches. But I will have to give myself a week of no workouts, or gentle workouts only. No weightlifting--my hand looks like chopped meat and my wrist is sore. No running--banged up the knee, foot, and ankle. Again, I am lucky because this is the first time in 5 years I have been sidelined more than a day or so by an injury. Yes, I have missed workouts because of soreness, or because of sickness, but no major injuries at all.
So I really haven't any idea how to eat properly when not working out. I even usually work out when on vacation. I guess this might give me an idea of non exercise daily burn. I'm just hoping not to gain since it seems to be impossible for me to lose it again. I've still got every bit of my vacation gain from this summer. And last summer, and. . .
Anyway, awaiting any advice on the issues mentioned in my previous posts.0 -
Another weeks worth of data averages just confirmed the numbers that I suspect/know to be true.
Basically, last week I ate on average 170 calories more a day (total 1570), at least as I report (I am certainly willing to admit inaccuracies but I think I am nothing if not consistent, so maybe this is a usable number for me). And I gained, based on averages, 1/3 a lb. the math adds up.
So basically, eat under 1400, lose. Eat over 1500, gain.
After reading several threads this week of women with similar issues, and some who have had good success, I am going back to the original premise/question of this thread. Which was primarily about recomp. Those questions/issues from the other threads really helped me focus my mind a bit, as my delima (spelling????) has been--keep dieting, or just go ahead and recomp? I think the answer has to be recomp. Because of the mental aspect of "dieting", and also because I took a good look at my physical self this month (and also happened on some grotesque model pictures from looking at online fashion reviews. I gotta say, skinny is not attractive!), and really, I am not unhappy with my results/physique so far. In fact, I don't want to get any skinnier (especially my legs, which specialize in skinny--genetic trait!), I just want to get a bit leaner, preferably in the middle. Although I surely know that we don't spot reduce.
My understanding has always been that to get rid of that ab fat, I would have to reduce overall weight. But now I'm not so sure, based on reading the group threads.
So. . . . My plan is to set my goal for 1400, not log any exercise calories, disconnect my misfit (although I will use it to encourage me to meet my activity goal each day), and work out 6 days a week--3 running, 3 using dumbell program with the various exercises listed above, adding a bit more walking or running on weight days if I have not met my activity goal per my misfit. Which I usually do not meet if I don't run or walk a bit outside of non exercise. In fact, when I took a good look at non exercise activity per the misfit,I see that I am actually quite sedentary most days. I really thought I was getting more activity than that (probably where my old body media steered me wrong, since I finally figured out that it was counting typing, and probably piano playing--as exercise! Oops that is bad for a musician!).
I may see a change in my calorie requirements when I go back to the lifting program, since the body revolution circuits probably had more cardio, and so I will need to watch and possibly adjust. (Hoping my hand and wrist will be ready next week!)
My calorie goals are lower than I had hoped, since it looks like maintenance, with exercise, is 1500 for me. But that is really what I have been suspecting for some time now. I just don't like it, and that has been part of my problem. Gotta live in reality!!0 -
Am it the right track here??0
-
@tigerblue : I appreciate your posts and questions since they somewhat mirror my own situation. Similar workouts / calories / results, etc. Just thought I'd give you a shout out for posting & providing confirmation that there are others out there experiencing the same obstacles. Be mindful of those injuries & heal properly
0 -
@labyars --thx! I often feel like a broken record. And a whiner. And sometimes I AM whining. It is hard to eat at around 1300-1400 cals, and watch your weight go up, up, up!
Which is why I think I've given up trying to lose. I hope to not gain, continue working out, and see what happens
. 0
