A storm of questions in my head...Exercise, Proteins, Diet..

simply_healthy

Hey All,

I have recently started my journey towards a better me… You can read more about me at:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/122209-i-would-love-your-company-in-a-journey-towards-a-better-me

I have been reading a lot about weight loss and fitness these days and I have a storm of questions in my mind… It will be of great help if you all can share your experience with me…

You can view my food and exercise diary here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/simply_healthy

A brief about me:

Age: 29 yrs
Gender: Female
Current Weight: 106 kgs (233 lbs)
Height: 5 feet 7 inches (170 cms)
Body Type: Pear Shaped. Tendency to put on weight easily. PCOS. (My menstrual cycle is getting regular…Thanks to my regular fitness routine since past 2 months.)
Fat concentration: Lower body (Mainly Hips and Thighs)
Exercise: Mix of Cardio and Strength training. I work out in morning on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays else work out in evening..


Short Term Target: 99 kgs (217 lbs) [Its been over a decade since I have seen a two digit weight on the scale!!]

Long Term Target: 70 kgs (154 lbs)

Body Shape: Would love to have a toned body.. Less Pear Shaped..

Questions:

1) I have been trying to get proteins from eggs and chicken but I think I need to start having protein shakes… There are millions of brands available… Which is the best protein shake for weight loss for women?

2) I read about Maxitone – Sculptress… Is it good???

3) When should I have my protein shake? Breakfast and After workouts?

4) How much protein and carbs should I take?

5) What changes would you suggest in my food diary.. Please have a look at my food diary and let me know if I am doing anything wrong.

6) Am I eating more than I should be ??

Thanks for all your help….

dragonfly__

1) I have been trying to get proteins from eggs and chicken but I think I need to start having protein shakes… There are millions of brands available… Which is the best protein shake for weight loss for women?
3) When should I have my protein shake? Breakfast and After workouts?

-I do my protein shakes after a workout to help with muscle repair... I don't have one to recommend but do be sure to factor in those calories as well.

5) What changes would you suggest in my food diary.. Please have a look at my food diary and let me know if I am doing anything wrong.
6) Am I eating more than I should be ??

- Def. not eating more than you should be! maybe even not getting in enough calories. Consider how many calories a day you need to simply funcion. MFP has a BMR calculator tool. You have to give yourself enough kcals to exist or you will slow down or quit losing all together.

SarahNicole317

If you are going to do a protein shake I would do it right after you work out with a carbohydrate source...something that will digest quickly and is not processed. I would go with berries, oranges, cherries...etc.

As for your food journal, if you want to 'tone' or add muscle to your frame which can do amazing things for someones body you need to eat atleast twice the amount of protein you are eating now and incorporate weight training if you are not doing that already. So take in around 100-150 grams of protein/day. I would eliminate the protein bar as they are just glorified candy bars and get your protein from whole food sources.

If you are interested in seeing the results of weight training, clean eating, and coming to the realization that weight is a number on the scale you can check out my bodyspace...

In 2007 I was 115 lbs, and now I am 5 lbs heavier.
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/fargy317/

As far as a good protein shake, I would go with optimum nutrition whey protein or pro-complex. If you don't want a dairy based shake try the optimum nutrition egg protein. You want to find one with only a few ingredients and when you purchase ready-to-drink shakes you get loads of carbs and fat. Hope this helps.

simply_healthy

Thanks for your replies !! Much appreciated....

I do weight training atleast 3 days a week... I am not sure if I want to add muscles but yeah I surely want to loose weight.. specially inches on my lower body... I have read that protein shakes after workout and early in the morning boost the metabolism and also aid in burning more calories.... Hence, I thought probably I should start taking protein shakes...

I have been considering starting with Maxitone -- Sculptress because that seems to be specially made for females... but wasnt sure about that... and so decided to seek help !

I shall stop eating those protein bars... Thanks for guiding me !!! :flowerforyou:

SarahNicole317

Honestly, a protein shake is a protein shake is a protein shake. The only thing that I would guess to make a protein shake gender specific is that it could potentially be lower in carbs and they could add iron, which is really only a way to make it more expensive. A protein that is 100% protein usually has between 100-130 calories/serving, 20-30 grams of protein, and 4-8 carbs.

Also, to become 'tone' you have to increase muscle mass. Make sure you are lifting for 10-12 reps/exercise and going to ALMOST failure. Lifting more than 15 reps/set will increase muscular endurance and that's about it.