Help! Myths vs truths, advice, and being realistic

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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    OP sounds like you need to do a recomp...at 105 pds you do not need to lose weight...here is what I would suggest.

    1. Figure out your maintenance level calories where you do not gain or lose and eat at this level.
    2. Pick up a copy of starting strength and new rules of lifting for woman.
    3. Once you have read these books..develop a program build around compound movements - squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press, pull ups/chin ups, and bench press. Starting strength is a good one or 5x5 ...or you can build a program around the compound movements and lift heavy for you in the 6-10 rep range. Just make sure you have good form....As you progress make sure that you are increasing the weights on the bar.
    4. set your macros at 40p/30c/30f
    5. Once you have eaten at maintenance and developed said program do this for about 4-6 weeks..at the end of six weeks up your calories by about 100 a day and do a slight bulk....

    this is as about straight forward as it gets...

    don't get sucked into any BS fad diets, low carb, bla bla...

    I would also recommend following the 80/20 rule...80% healthy, 20% whatever you want - pizza, ice cream, cookies, etc...
  • GretaGirl8
    GretaGirl8 Posts: 274 Member
    no judgment from me. but your weight is just fine for your height. understand that losing more weight will bring on some pretty nasty side effects (potential malnutrition, loss of energy, binge episodes, increased body and food obsession). Working on a more toned body is certainly understandable--but you need to maintain or increase weight to create muscle. (Note: this is coming from someone who has yet to tone, so I am no expert.)
  • merlinfan5
    merlinfan5 Posts: 9
    Thank you everyone! This is really helpful.
    Also, I understand your concern for my health and I appreciate that, but weights are very much an individual based thing.
    I have a very petite frame. My wrists are very small (I've heard this is the way to determine body type/frame size?). I'd like to add that my post about eating all that chocolate and ice cream was me "confessing" my past bad choices, sort of like leaving it here and moving on. When the comment was made that I have a woman's body now, I'd like to point out that I gained 5 lbs in one month because of my unhealthy tactics. This is not a natural gain. Obviously I will not lose beyond when I am fit just to reach a number. But as I stated before, my weight at 105 is at a point when all of my muscles are gone :/ If I weighed 105 with a lot of lean muscle, we can assume I'd look very fit and i wouldn't want to lose weight either.
    Otherwise, the healthy eating should be great, as I love health food! It looks like I should do jogging a couple days a week and strength train on the others.
    Again, I appreciate all of your advice and concerns, and I'm glad to have a support system like this :)
  • awtume9
    awtume9 Posts: 423 Member
    Chocolate diet? How do I sign up???
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    Thank you everyone! This is really helpful.
    Also, I understand your concern for my health and I appreciate that, but weights are very much an individual based thing.
    I have a very petite frame. My wrists are very small (I've heard this is the way to determine body type/frame size?). I'd like to add that my post about eating all that chocolate and ice cream was me "confessing" my past bad choices, sort of like leaving it here and moving on. When the comment was made that I have a woman's body now, I'd like to point out that I gained 5 lbs in one month because of my unhealthy tactics. This is not a natural gain. Obviously I will not lose beyond when I am fit just to reach a number. But as I stated before, my weight at 105 is at a point when all of my muscles are gone :/ If I weighed 105 with a lot of lean muscle, we can assume I'd look very fit and i wouldn't want to lose weight either.
    Otherwise, the healthy eating should be great, as I love health food! It looks like I should do jogging a couple days a week and strength train on the others.
    Again, I appreciate all of your advice and concerns, and I'm glad to have a support system like this :)

    105 is at the very bottom of or under the healthy/normal end for a small frame at your height on most charts. Yes, weight is an individual thing to an extent, such as frame size, how it is carried, etc. But underweight is underweight and there is no medically sound source on the planet that would say you could lose 10lbs without being underweight.

    Chances are really good that with a lot of muscle and "looking very fit" you will weigh MORE than your current weight. Stop thinking that less weight equals less flabby because that is not a direct correlation, especially if you get into/under a healthy weight and still feel flabby.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    OP, you've gotten some pretty good advice here. EAT. Please do not try to lose weight at this moment. According you your first post here - it is more important, right now, for you to gain muscle.

    Read this - this sounds a bit like you, IMHO.

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • michail71
    michail71 Posts: 120 Member
    Thank you everyone! This is really helpful.
    Also, I understand your concern for my health and I appreciate that, but weights are very much an individual based thing.
    I have a very petite frame. My wrists are very small (I've heard this is the way to determine body type/frame size?). I'd like to add that my post about eating all that chocolate and ice cream was me "confessing" my past bad choices, sort of like leaving it here and moving on. When the comment was made that I have a woman's body now, I'd like to point out that I gained 5 lbs in one month because of my unhealthy tactics. This is not a natural gain. Obviously I will not lose beyond when I am fit just to reach a number. But as I stated before, my weight at 105 is at a point when all of my muscles are gone :/ If I weighed 105 with a lot of lean muscle, we can assume I'd look very fit and i wouldn't want to lose weight either.
    Otherwise, the healthy eating should be great, as I love health food! It looks like I should do jogging a couple days a week and strength train on the others.
    Again, I appreciate all of your advice and concerns, and I'm glad to have a support system like this :)

    Don't be fooled by thinking your frame is too delicate. It does have some impact but I'd bet you are far from getting to your strength limits.

    I'd guess you may have fear and anxiety if you started eating what you should and strength train. But trust that it's really hard to get fat with dietary tracking and a good resistance training program.
  • Smashley1947
    Smashley1947 Posts: 129
    Eat at maintenance and lift heavy. Don't worry about losing weight, worry about body composition and building muscle. That will get your where you want to be without starvation diets or being severely underweight.

    Agree,

    I also agree with meeting with a doctor, dietician and counselor.

    I does sound like you are trying to be smart about the body choices you are making.

    As you strength gain you actually may end up weighing more, but you will look much much better.
    Keep in mind that your body weight can fluctuate as much as +/- 5 lbs a month.
  • merlinfan5
    merlinfan5 Posts: 9
    Ok, I have finals this week, but after they are over, I'll do either p90x or bodybeast. I would like to be strong, but my main goal is just to be lean and fit. Which program do you think would be best?

    Also, I'm going to try not counting calories. I was naturally skinny until I took a health class and worried about gaining weight, which is why I started counting calories. I was scared because people kept telling me "Oh, that's going to catch up to you one day and you're going to get fat." I was an impressionable freshman, I guess...
    I wish I could just undo that health class and all the emotional mess it caused.
    So, I'm going to go back to eating only when hungry and stopping when full. I'm just going to eat healthy foods.
    Thank you again.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Ok, I have finals this week, but after they are over, I'll do either p90x or bodybeast. I would like to be strong, but my main goal is just to be lean and fit. Which program do you think would be best?

    Also, I'm going to try not counting calories. I was naturally skinny until I took a health class and worried about gaining weight, which is why I started counting calories. I was scared because people kept telling me "Oh, that's going to catch up to you one day and you're going to get fat." I was an impressionable freshman, I guess...
    I wish I could just undo that health class and all the emotional mess it caused.
    So, I'm going to go back to eating only when hungry and stopping when full. I'm just going to eat healthy foods.
    Thank you again.
    You can undo that class. People meant "one day" as in when you're 40 and sedentary!

    And gaining 5 lbs. is something most of us adult women can do within a day or two, just due to normal fluctuations of water and food. It's nothing to worry about. Just quit counting and listen to your body.

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