Ladies who lift diet?

shaney13

Hi there! I recently started a heavy lifting routine and I was wondering what those of you who have lost weight with heavy lifting are eating. I am hungry all the time ad try to start each day with a protein shake. Are you eating carbs? I am building muscle but not losing fat

TIA

rbcrawford1

Hey! I lift heavy and have lost 20+ net since I started. For reference, I lift three times a week and usually have another day or two of either a cardio class or HIIT. I lost very slowly at first until I added about 600 calories, bringing my daily intake on average to about 1600-1700 (I'm 5'2" and 132 lbs). I eat every 2-3 hours and make sure I have plenty of protein and high quality fat. The cleaner, the better. I follow every lifting session with a shake made of whey protein and juice (the only time I drink juice). I don't deny myself a cheat snack or meal, but my general rule is it has to be high quality: no M&Ms, but have a gourmet truffle. Make it worth it and make it with better ingredients!

Sample meals/snacks:

Whole wheat wrap with chicken or turkey, 1/2 an avocado, handful of shredded cheese, baby spinach, and salsa
Scrambled eggs (2 usually) with avocado, cheese, and salsa
(You might see a trend in my ingredients)
Salmon and cauliflower
Whole wheat waffle with peanut butter and a glass of milk
Small whole wheat Quesadilla made with handful of cheese, salmon or chicken or black beans, and spinach
Apple with almond butter or cheese
Cottage cheese with cinnamon and raisins
Peanut butter and banana sandwich
Homemade beef with broccoli
Spinach salad with berries, feta, and nuts
Olives
Handful of almonds or cashews

I highly recommend Dave's Killer Bread--great way to get high quality grains with 6 grams of protein a slice. There are also great recipes out there for muffins and pancakes with oats, whole wheat flour, and flax with little sugar.

Some heavy lifters are drawn to Paleo, but my life would be sad without dairy. Bonus: eating smaller meals more often has made my previously-brutal heartburn disappear.

ETA: My trainer, who's great, has instilled upon me the following rule: If you are hungry, eat.

cafeaulait7

Does losing inches count? Since I started my lifting I've lost 2 lbs total (in months), lol, but the inches part shows much more loss where I want to lose. I try to eat as much protein as I can and I don't worry about a lot else in what I eat except getting all the vitamins, minerals, etc. The fats I like tend to be healthy ones, so I don't worry about my levels needing to be low.

I do eat carbs soon after lifting as I read on this forum, and that is when I'm good and hungry anyway. So I eat a lot of them then, and I have protein sometime afterwards which I also read here.

My carbs in general aren't high or low, but I aim for slow-metabolizing ones most of the day outside of working out to help my blood sugar spikes/drops (I get hypoglycemic).


I do TDEE - 10%, basically, with some zig zagging. I'm hoping Scooby's right:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/gain-muscle-lose-fat/

ChancyW

I lift moderately heavy and am steadily increasing my weights. I am a vegetarian so the diet is a bit more difficult for me to get my macros where I want them.

I am also steadily losing weight and eating 1700-1800 cals a day.

Please feel free to add me. It's harder to find girls into weightlifting. Especially with something heavier than 10#

garrisonwife

Lots and lots of chicken. ;-)

lawlorka

I have just started NROLFW and am doing that 3 days a week. My calorie allowance is 1679 daily and I try land as close to that as possible. On days I lift I make sure I have a protein dense drink after my workout, but it fits into my daily allowance.

I eat scrambled eggs and lots of chicken!!!!

juliewatkin

A typical day for me is

Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit and protein powder
Lunch: Tuna, apple, 1/4 cup raw almonds, homemade oat protein bar
Dinner: Chicken, sweet potato, salad
Evening snack greek yogourt

rachjenn

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

Stage14

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

No. Lifting heavy is great for losing weight while retaining muscle and it is nearly impossible for a woman to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. I lift heavy (doing NROLFW), eat my TDEE - 15%, and aim for 80-100g of protein per day. I have been averaging around 1.5lbs per week loss plus losing inches and lowering my BF%.

rachjenn

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

No. Lifting heavy is great for losing weight while retaining muscle and it is nearly impossible for a woman to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. I lift heavy (doing NROLFW), eat my TDEE - 15%, and aim for 80-100g of protein per day. I have been averaging around 1.5lbs per week loss plus losing inches and lowering my BF%.

Yes.
She is trying to loose weight.... heavier weights = bigger muscles = heavier on the scales. It might reduce size and reduce b/f yes, but that's not what she's asking.

MityMax96

I eat every 2-3 hours .....

If you like doing that, then continue.
But you don't have to.

MityMax96

Yes.
She is trying to loose weight.... heavier weights = bigger muscles = heavier on the scales. It might reduce size and reduce b/f yes, but that's not what she's asking.

It is really hard for women to put on muscle.....so in her case, I doubt that would happen.

If anything, she would prolly "re-comp" her body....
So on the scale she may weigh the same (my guess is she wouldn't), but where she put on muscle, she burnt through fat.....
So she will look more toned and defined.

MityMax96

Hi there! I recently started a heavy lifting routine and I was wondering what those of you who have lost weight with heavy lifting are eating. I am hungry all the time ad try to start each day with a protein shake. Are you eating carbs? I am building muscle but not losing fat

TIA

Have you figured out what your TDEE is?
And what your macro break down should be?

rduhlir

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

No. Lifting heavy is great for losing weight while retaining muscle and it is nearly impossible for a woman to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. I lift heavy (doing NROLFW), eat my TDEE - 15%, and aim for 80-100g of protein per day. I have been averaging around 1.5lbs per week loss plus losing inches and lowering my BF%.

Yes.
She is trying to loose weight.... heavier weights = bigger muscles = heavier on the scales. It might reduce size and reduce b/f yes, but that's not what she's asking.

Heavier weight = bigger muscles = heavier scales....true. But that will take years for a women to do.

But not when you are in a calorie deficit. It takes women almost 3 times as long to put on muscle as it does a man. Why? Because we don't have a set of jigglies down there. Testosterone is what allows a man to put on muscle so fast. Women only have a minute level of it. All those photos you see of women who are super super bulky have either A) bulked and cut for YEARS or are on performance enhancers.

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

I don;t think I necessarily lift heavy, but when I first started out, I was ravenous all the time. I didn't lose weight when I started lifting, but I went down 2 jeans sizes. The crazy hunger thing does level off. Now I eat gobs of peanut butter just to up my calories.

rduhlir

Hi there! I recently started a heavy lifting routine and I was wondering what those of you who have lost weight with heavy lifting are eating. I am hungry all the time ad try to start each day with a protein shake. Are you eating carbs? I am building muscle but not losing fat

TIA

How long have you been doing this? What is your current calorie intake? Being generally hungry all the time usually means you aren't feeding yourself enough. I eat 1700 calories a day and that is with running 20+ miles a week and the strength training I currently do, and that is still with a 20% calorie cut from my TDEE.

I fell away from a consistant heavy lifting to complete my half marathon training. But I am getting back into it now. I only do 2 days a week as I am not worried about the gaining strength, but more of the muscle retention.

With the building muscle part...if you are in a calorie deficit I don't see it happening in the way you think it is. Takes women a long time to build muscle, and while you will definately get newbie gains those will stop pretty early on, and it won't be long to stop completely in a calorie deficit. Don't confuse this with strenght gain. You can get stronger and not gain muscle.

I am going to agree with MityMax and say look at your calorie intake and what you are actually intaking. Look at your macros and if lifting is the way you are going to go then really focus on getting that protein in to promote muscle repair. And make sure you are eating enough.

SezxyStef

Lifting is great for losing weight. In the 6 weeks I've been lifting I have lost 3lbs...1/2lb a week right on target for my TDEE settings.

My body is changing dramtically...even my sister who sees me frequently notices the changes.

I eat appx 1600 calories a day (when I am not starved) my diary is open. I have my protien set at 120g a day (I try for 125-130). I start my day with either 2eggs+2 egg whites+ meat and milk or a fruit smoothie with protien powder+protein shake+fruit+almond milk+flax seed. The rest of my day is protien heavy as well. Lost of chicken, pork, cheese, bars etc and Yes I do have treats as well in there.

I only lift 3x a week.

You will not "gain" muscle eating at a deficet. You will lose weight, you will lose inches, you will notice changes in your body (I am so loving my butt today) and you will get stronger. rduhlir an MityMax are correct look at your macros and try to eat 1 gram of protien for each lb of LBM (lean body mass) which you get by finding your bf%...

Again feel free to check my diary.

neandermagnon

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

No. Lifting heavy is great for losing weight while retaining muscle and it is nearly impossible for a woman to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. I lift heavy (doing NROLFW), eat my TDEE - 15%, and aim for 80-100g of protein per day. I have been averaging around 1.5lbs per week loss plus losing inches and lowering my BF%.

Yes.
She is trying to loose weight.... heavier weights = bigger muscles = heavier on the scales. It might reduce size and reduce b/f yes, but that's not what she's asking.

losing weight on the scale isn't (or at least shouldn't be) the objective. The objective is to be fitter, healthier and look better... well all that happens as a result of reducing the body fat percentage. For some, they will reduce their body fat percentage while the weight on the scale stays the same. And while most people say "I want to lose weight" what they tend to mean is "I want to be a smaller dress size" - weight training while eating at a sensible deficit will achieve that. Refusing to lift weights because you would rather see a smaller number on the scale than actual progress in terms of how your body looks and what size clothes you fit into, is utterly missing the point.

Stage14

Hi Shaney
If you're trying to loose weight, heavy weights isn't for you. Try lifting less but more reps. I've recently gained arm muscle but I want to reduce my size - so I've reduced the weight, but added more reps which will help to loose weight rather than add on muscle.
Eating more is good (as long as it's the right foods of course) as you need to replace the energy your muscles are using to repair.

No. Lifting heavy is great for losing weight while retaining muscle and it is nearly impossible for a woman to gain muscle while in a calorie deficit. I lift heavy (doing NROLFW), eat my TDEE - 15%, and aim for 80-100g of protein per day. I have been averaging around 1.5lbs per week loss plus losing inches and lowering my BF%.

Yes.
She is trying to loose weight.... heavier weights = bigger muscles = heavier on the scales. It might reduce size and reduce b/f yes, but that's not what she's asking.

No, actually heavier weights = the muscles store extra water initially to help with repair = temporarily heavier on the scales. It's water weight, it goes away. Heavy weight training does not build new muscle unless you pair it with a calorie surplus. That's just simple physics. Your body cannot create matter put of nothing.

What heavy weight training does is increase the efficiency of your current muscles (strength), burns fat instead of muscle, and increases your BMR, allowing you to burn more calories at rest. It also tends to give most women the body they imagined they would have after dropping X lbs but then end up not having through diet alone and protects against health issues like osteoporosis.

Hollywoodm55

Does anyone know how long the water weight sticks around? I have gained a few lbs since restarting my lifting. I am not going to stop lifting, just curious.

kristen2713

bumping to read later...sounds like some good info I'd love to hear about!!