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ehlexa
ehlexa Posts: 5 Member
I would like to follow someone’s diet/exercise plan on here who has lost 15lbs and keeps it off. I’m female, 5’5 and currently weigh 146lbs. I would like to go down to a 115-125 with nice tone and definition. Whatever weight that might be that looks great in a bikini. Please recommend someone for me!
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  • zenobia9777
    zenobia9777 Posts: 277 Member
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    Hello. I hope to fit this category. I have lost 15 lb since February 22nd. My lowest was probably 16 lb in August, so I'm struggling to keep it off.

    Here is my weekly schedule

    Sunday yoga
    Monday 45 minutes circuit training (free weights)
    Tuesday yoga
    Wednesday rest day (but I walk the dogs most days for 45 minutes at a very leisurely pace)
    Thursday yoga
    Friday 45 minutes circuit training (free weights)
    Saturday rest day

    Last week I experimented with running on Wednesday. Of all the things I've done this made me the most ravenously hungry!!!

    Diet plan (when I stick with it)

    Breakfast - yogurt and blueberries or strawberries
    (Or protein powder after exercising)
    Lunch - protein with fruit or vegetables
    Snack -100 calorie popcorn or fruit
    Dinner - this is the only meal in which I can have bread or rice or grains. I discovered that you really do not need to eat bread. Is usually a normal meal in the 500 to 700 calorie range.

    Keep in mind that I am 64 years old and I can hardly eat anything without gaining weight. I try to only lose about a pound a week and that is much more manageable for me.

    I hope that helps. I think it fits with a lot of lifestyles because the big temptation is eating out in the evening and it's easier to control what you do until then. You can always have a salad at lunch if you are careful about where you order it and whether or not you have dressing. Also I often will split an entree with a friend.

    Good luck!
  • zenobia9777
    zenobia9777 Posts: 277 Member
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    I should point out that I do a hot yoga flow and the circuit training really gets my heart rate up. A few extra calories get burned that way.
  • joyputnam04
    joyputnam04 Posts: 14 Member
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    Breakfast: Berry smoothie with protein powder and almond butter.
    Lunch: medium chicken breast with avocado oil spread and veggies, asparagus is my favorite.
    Dinner: Fish & veggies, with low-sugar sauce.
    Snack: I try to get a 100 calorie snack in every day but it is a challenge.
    Beverage: Water or sugar-free iced tea (5 calories per 12 oz.).

    No processed foods, cook meals at home, no added sugars (sugar from fruits ok). Cut out red meat.

    I exercise 1-2 times a week, but am trying to increase it to 2-3 times. I take tennis lessons, group fitness classes, and have a personal trainer.

    I'm 5'2" and weigh 135 pounds. I'm trying to get down to 115. I have lost a total of 165 pounds, and keeping it off. My biggest goal is to be healthy. I'm doing all this work to improve my health, then go outside and smoke a cigarette. Have to quit. But maybe that's a post for a different forum.
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    I'm 5'4" (I SWEAR I used to be 5'5" but whatever) - other than pregnancy, I've been up to 165 and fluffy. I'm currently maintaining at ~150, so I'm a lot heavier than most people would consider ideal, but I stay pretty freakin' lean (for reference, the little avatar pic is from back in March, when I did a cut and got down to ~137). More than happy to discuss nutrition, training, or whatever if you are so inclined.

    an6o93231dd5.jpg
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @JBanx256. I have a bunch of questions. After I find some smelling salts and Clorox to wipe the envy-green off my face! My Goodness! 💪💪🙌🙌👏👏
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim thank ya <3 I don't know if it's still this way, but at one point I know that MFP wouldn't actually let you message someone not on your friends list (you could type out the message and hit send, wouldn't get any sort of error message, but...it just wouldn't go through). So I just shot you a FR
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @JBanx256! Thanks so much! Just accepted!
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »
    @JBanx256! Thanks so much! Just accepted!

    YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY we frens now! :)
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    Questions r a comin, so don’t defriend me! I’m still learning! 😁

    So question 1 - I think I unwittingly was bulking or maybe recompin (started a 12 week strength training program 8 weeks ago but have been sloppy with my eating). So - while the scale never budged, my clothes still fit - I was maybe just a lil more filled out in them.

    Now that I’m serious about cutting, what’s the best way to do that if my stats says to lose a pound a week I have to eat a max of 1100 calories?

    Stats - 58, 5’3, 129 pounds and sedentary. (From mfp)

    Thoughts? No rush! Just my self-esteem waiting…🤣🤣. JK
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    CeeBeeSlim wrote: »

    Now that I’m serious about cutting, what’s the best way to do that if my stats says to lose a pound a week I have to eat a max of 1100 calories?

    YIKES. YIKES AGAIN.

    2 thoughts:
    -Are you willing to go at a slower rate of loss? Half pound a week? That would not have you going QUITE so low in calories.
    -Can you increase activity a bit - maybe increase step count? That would give you some more calories to play with too. Not a ton of course, but enough to be not quite so miserable and not so great a risk shortchanging yourself on nutrients?

  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim

    and a bit more...(sorry I'm at work and the rookie is driving so I'm kinda all over the place here)

    Thoughts on macros:

    -any idea of your estimated bodyfat %? The reason I'm asking is for your macros, shoot for the neighborhood of 1g per pound of LBM. Or you can go with 1gr/lb of your target bodyweight.

    -your fat consumption should not drop below 0.3gr/lb of bodyweight per day - you need dietary fat for hormonal support & other basic functions.

    -whatever the remainder of your calorie allotment is, you can fill with carbs (or protein, or fats - your preference, but with calories that low, figuring out what promotes satiety for you personally will be a biggie. But you're gonna need to get some veggies etc in there for fiber, nutrients etc and the good thing about them is they aren't calorie-dense so you can eat a lot (VOLUME!) of them
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @JBanx256. Thanks so much. Hmmmm.

    Yes - I could lose slower - I redid my goals in MFP and that gave me 1200 calories - but that’s the lowest MFP will give me, right? When I add in my stats in the other calculators (BMR, TDEE, etc - I’m only losing at around the 1150 daily calories mark - if not less). Ugh. Short, older, and sedentary - I guess.

    BUT - I could increase my activity - even if I get some cardio in somewhere or my daily steps. My goal is minimum 7500.

    From those body fat photos I would say I’m about 23-23 body fat. Most of that is 32GG boobs. Ugh. Others for reference say I’m fine where I am - I feel a bit fleshy and think a 10 pound loss would be a huge difference.

    I’ve read about the benefits of protein but was so focused on scale weight - macros was secondary. Plus the LBM was confusing to me. So if I’m 129 - just estimating - would a minimum of 100g of protein be good? I’m getting better with my veggies. Haven’t even tracked fat or carbs (although being
    more conscious of cutting out processed junk).

    Thanks so much for the quick and thoughtful response. You should be a professional coach!
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim

    quick & dirty LBM calculations...

    First, use bodyweight & BF estimate to calculate total BF in pounds:
    (BW in lbs) X (est BF % / 100) = total BF in lbs

    Then subtract total BF from your BW to get LBM:
    (BW in lbs) - (total BF in lbs)

    So, if you're 129 lbs and you're estimating your BF% to be in the neighborhood of 22%?
    129 x (22/100) = 28.38 lbs bodyfat
    I'm gonna round that to 28 lbs
    so then
    129 - 28 = 101 lbs LBM

    So yeah, 100gr of protein/day would be hitting the nail on the head perfectly!

    RE: coaching - I'm actually currently taking a course to become a certified nutrition coach. NOT a registered dietician (I have neither the funds nor time to enroll in college courses, unfortunately). It has absolutely zero to do with my actual career, but it's something I'm interested in and as much as I read about it etc, might as well do something with it, even if it's not accredited or anything, yano? Lets me feel like I'm being productive, I guess?
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @JBanx256 This is great! A round simple number I can strive for. I think you should for it! You could help so many people!

    And another question - are there truly foods that increase inflammation. I want to try to eat more healthy - less processed crap and stuff like coffee mate. You think I’d see a benefit health wise if I cut these out - even if I reached my calorie and weight loss goal?
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim - I'm sure that some foods do increase inflammation to some degree, but I really haven't taken a deep dive into it and I'm personally not at a point where I'm going to change my diet around that. I think it's one of those things where if there is a distinct health concern and there may be a benefit to some tweaks, go for it. And of course, if your doctor says, "hey, looking at your labs (or whatever), I really think that you may need to consider cutting out _______" then by all means! However, you & I both know GP's aren't necessarily at the pinnacle of the nutrition/diet game, but you know what I'm saying. I'd take a specialist's recommendations to heart for sure.

    As far as processed foods go...how do you define "processed" and can you define why a processed food is "bad" (ok, I don't think any food is necessarily "bad," so let's go with, "less good")? What food do you eat that legitimately has not been processed AT ALL? I'm not gonna eat raw meat (with the exception of sushi, but even that's been processed to some minor degree); isn't cooking processing?

    Now I understand where you're going though - Coffee Mate is most definitely not harvested directly from trees and available at the local farmer's market! But is it inherently health-demoting? When people say, "ew, I don't eat anything with chemicals!" they are showing an utter failure to understand that literally everything we consume is made of chemicals, right? Where's the line in the sand?

    And yes, there's a big difference between basing your diet around lean proteins and fresh veggies and lots of fruits etc etc...versus the giant caramel triple mocha frappe extra whipped cream and a huge pastry on the way to work and then biggie sized burger/fries/soda/shake combo for lunch etc etc...

    Is one way of eating more health promoting, because providing more nutrients etc? ABSOLUTELY.
    Is one way of eating going to be beneficial for weight loss goals? ABSOLUTELY.
    Did I eat a pizza and wings and drink beer last night because my kid had a sleepover and my house was invaded by a pack of middle schoolers & I wished to live to fight another day? ABSO-FREAKIN-LUTELY. :D

    PERSONALLY - all the meals I prep for work are very "whole food based" - meat/veggie/grains/etc. I take some fruit to have as part of a snack (the other part of it is usually a protein bar - which is most assuredly processed!). When I cook for the family, it's a lot "looser" (my husband is NOT gonna eat anything that he perceives as "diet food" so like tonight, we're having Crock Pot Creamy Basil Pesto Chicken over Angelhair Pasta. The "healthiest" meal on earth? NOPE. But does it check a lot of boxes and make the family happy? YUP, so it's OK in my book. And I baked a cake yesterday. There are trade-offs that I consider worth it. Caveat - when I'm cutting...yeah, that ain't happening LOL).

    OK, sorry, that kinda went a-rambling, didn't it? Believe it or not, I haven't had any caffeine today, which may actually be the problem here right now LOL...ANYWAY. Back to what we were saying. Yes, absolutely, buying "minimally processed" (however you want to define that) is probably going to help you as far as weight loss goes. Is it 100% necessary to stick to that 100% of the time, or you're destined for failure? NOT BY A LONG SHOT. Balance, trade-offs, etc are my way of living. Do I have to adjust and tighten things up when I get serious about something, of course, but it's a sliding scale, not a boat anchor, on the spectrum.

    Not sure if this made even the first bit of sense; if not, feel free to send me a virtual smack upside the noggin & we will regroup ;)
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    @JBanx256 Wow. This is so so incredibly valuable
    to hear. There’s some psychological term for this - what I do - get on the fitness bandwagon - and then get immersed in every facet - calories, macros, scale weight, body fat, no meat, vegan, fasting, OMAD, dumbbells vs barbells, best cardio - whatever.

    Your approach is no nonsense, moderate, not stressful and easy to implement. I can definitely make better choices but not be consumed by them.

    Get your coach on, girl! 👏👏❤️😁💪
  • JBanx256
    JBanx256 Posts: 1,473 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim

    It's very easy to get completely consumed by the details. "Majoring in the minors," so to speak.

    I like this image a lot:

    rbmk3gw5db4s.png

    Make sure you address the big rocks before worrying about the pebbles, and most people really never get to a point where they need to lose sleep over the granules of sand.
  • k8richly
    k8richly Posts: 266 Member
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    @ehlexa - I lost 15lbs about 2 yrs ago and have kept it off through good nutrition, watching my macros and staying active and fit. But I had gained the weight recently and I've always been a bit of a gym rat and athlete so it was kind of an easy loss as I was happily returning to my 'normal' state. That having been said, I'm 49yrs old (a strong 129lbs at 5'3") and every year I have to be more conscious about eating well and keeping up my fitness. You can send me a FR if you want to follow my diary etc.

    @JBanx256 and @CeeBeeSlim I'm inspired by all this talk! And the frickin photos too of course. My life is a bit topsy turvy right now but i want to learn more. I'm sending you both FR, if I can figure out how. Hope that's OK!
  • CeeBeeSlim
    CeeBeeSlim Posts: 1,264 Member
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    We pals now, @k8richly. 😀. JBanx256 is the real deal, ain’t she!

    And thusly - next question!

    If I continue to progressively overload, and I do love it - if I get a bit sore as expected - will the scale ever go down? As I’m always carrying the water weight for repair?

    Or if the scale is not moving down - it’s time to stop kidding myself and say I’m overeating for my calories needs - full stop.

    It seems like I’ve been 128-129 for literally months. Some I know is crap eating. But when I’m truly trying - still no movement. 129. 129. 129. I’m going to deliberately try a close to “perfect” day today. - under calories, lots of water, veggies and protein, a 10k steps and just see what the scale says
    tomorrow. Soooo frustrating.
  • k8richly
    k8richly Posts: 266 Member
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    @CeeBeeSlim yay for being friends! I've also been 129-130 for a year or so. I think it isn't just water weight when you are sore and overloading, it is new muscle which weighs more than and is replacing your old fluff. It's Magic.

    You've noted some super NSVs about old clothes fitting etc - I try hard to focus on those like maybe almost seeing a six-pack, (but nothing like JBanx!) and not worry about the scale. When I'm into strength training I try to reframe my wins and not worry too much about the number because it isn't telling me the right or whole story. The definition of my triceps is way more fun than stressing about the .5lbs on the scale.....

    Now that's not to say that crap eating is OK. You do need to watch intake of course. As soon as I started tracking my basic macros and upped my protein I started realizing what I needed to feel full and when a day was off balance. Also, simply, portion size. I realized I often only need half a hamburger or 1 piece of pizza instead of 2 (or 3). By watching my macros I don't seem to overeat as often and still eat mostly whatever I want ( I'm still a pretty clean eater but i have kids and a husband who love red meat and comfort foods). You can now see my diary if you want!