A little help from the heavy lifting girls...

Trixiegirl66

I am hoping that some of you girls that lift three times a week could share insights regarding a decent diet plan. I returned to MFP just a matter of weeks ago, after falling away in early Spring. The thing is, I need to lose 40 pounds and have cleaned up my diet considerably, but my husband keeps telling me I am not eating enough to lift heavy weights. As a newbie on lifting, I started two weeks ago deadlifting 115, doing 75 on leg presses and squatting 75. I lost 6 pounds immediately with the dietary changes, but now that the lifting is in place I am getting dreadful all day headaches. These painful headaches are not unlike a hangover from a hard night at the pub, only I haven't had a drink in months! My husband insists my caloric intake should be closer to 1800, but I am concerned my weight will go up - I have not lost since the initial six pounds last week and it would be a drag to see the scale go up with all this effort on the healthy eating, brisk walking and weight lifting. My diary is open and thanks in advance for any guidance!

Anniebotnen

I looked at a few days of your food diary. If you are going to be lifting heavy, you need to increase your protein by a lot. Aim for about 1 gram per pound of body weight. Also, your overall calories look low. You need enough to fuel your workouts. Have you figured out your TDEE? If not, I recommend using one of the many on line calculators to get an estimate, then cut by 250 or 500 calories a day to lose about 1/2 or 1 pound a week. Because these are all estimates, you'll have to experiment a little until you find the right calorie level. As an example, I'm 5'7" and I lose between 1/2 and 3/4 pound a week eating 1900 calories. I lift heavy for about 1 hour 3 days a week. Hopefully, increasing your calories will get rid of the headaches. Also, make sure you drink enough water. I get head aches when I dint drink enough.

Good luck!

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JoRocka

How tall are you and how much do you currently weigh?

I think I ready your goal weight was 120? so that puts you around 160?

Assuming you are around 5'5?

1800 across the board should be a solid number if you want to grab one but I wouldn't go below 1600- I would add 200 or see how you feel and what the scale does and how you feel.

I aim for 1600 and eat back calories- I've been holding steady and need to drop again- I'm 165 at 5'8" If I did TDEE_ I would be eating around 1800-2000 TDEE-20%.

SnuggleSmacks

Thanks for the response Annie! I drink about 80 ounces of water a day, but perhaps I need more. I am going to increase my calories by a few hundred and see if that fixes the headache situation. As far as protein goes, I will do my best but I would eat a pound of brussel sprouts to get out of having to choke down another tedious salmon fillet or chicken breast! I don't mean to complain, as I know the protein leads to lean muscle mass but boy do the options get old quick.

The options won't get old if you use a little imagination. I never eat just plain chicken or fish. Dress it up with a nice marinade or spice rub, or make up a stir fry sauce with lots of ginger or garlic and some flavored vinegar. Or better yet, grill your dinner. Try some different seafood options like shrimp and scallops and crab, all of which are extremely low in calories and high in protein. Cod, hake, flounder, mahi mahi, snapper, or any other non-oily fish is good.

I'm about to have buffalo chicken as a snack. It's just a small (I think 3 oz.) chicken breast very lightly breaded and baked, with a little Frank's Red Hot on it. 160 cals.

ETA: Also, do you have anything against pork? Another great option as long as you pay attention and get the leaner cuts. Posole, carnitas, brined pork chops, pork roast with ginger or rosemary or cranberries...endless possibilities.

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meshashesha2012

for me i cant go lower than 15% of my TDEE but 10% is best especially if i'm running on the non lift days

10% less puts me on track to lose .5-1 pounds of fat a week, which is pretty slow but i like my workouts and eating less puts *me* at risk to not be able to keep it up. Besides that, food tastes good and I like eating it :laugh:

ETA with the lifting you'll more than likely notice that you are getting smaller even though there are slight changes on the scale. I've read many theories on why it happens but I like to think that it's because the fat is being replaced by awesome..an element that you cant see yet still has weight :laugh:

inthezone77

Had a sticky at your diary, I would increase protein and reduce sugar. Check TDEE and reduce by 10-15%

I'm 5'5 and 127lbs, lifting heavy 3 days per week, pump 1 day and cardio 1 day. My tdee is 7400, so I aim for 6700 (averaged out over the whole week). I'm still able to lift heavy and increase weight, it might not be as fast as if I was eating in surplus but if you want to lose weight you need to eat in deficit. Just don't go crazy with low calories

My diary is open if you want to check it out

_lyndseybrooke_

Snugglesmacks, I think it is great that you are so creative with fish and meats and I doubt there is a lot of boredom in your kitchen. Without giving too many details, I got turned off meat while living in Ireland, where from a very young age my mother would bring me into the local butcher's shop. This was not Whole Foods where the meat is tucked safely behind a glass window - in 1970s Ireland I was greeted by a pig literally hanging from an industrial hook, and lamb that smelled so strong that it almost knocked me out walking in the door! I will take your advice though and up my fish intake by marinating and stir frying for added flavor.

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

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Anniebotnen

Snugglesmacks, I think it is great that you are so creative with fish and meats and I doubt there is a lot of boredom in your kitchen. Without giving too many details, I got turned off meat while living in Ireland, where from a very young age my mother would bring me into the local butcher's shop. This was not Whole Foods where the meat is tucked safely behind a glass window - in 1970s Ireland I was greeted by a pig literally hanging from an industrial hook, and lamb that smelled so strong that it almost knocked me out walking in the door! I will take your advice though and up my fish intake by marinating and stir frying for added flavor.

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

Greek yogurt is another great option for protein. Lately, I've been mixing it with a scoop of whey protein, some berries or cut up peaches, and a few chopped almonds, and having it for breakfast. Keeps me full until lunch time for less than 400 calories, tastes great and has over 40 grams of protein. I personally don't care for egg whites, but that's another low calorie source of protein.

AliceDark

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

murphy612

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Lofteren

Diet and exercise plans are not gender specific. This kind of thinking has stifled the efforts of a lot of women because they think that everything they do has to be a watered down version of what men do. Don't just ask advice from women, ask it from any person who is more knowledgeable than yourself.

Holly_Roman_Empire

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Says who? It's meat-free.

asdelmonte

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Um, I think you meant that they are not vegan. They are vegetarian.

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AliceDark

AliceDark, I agree on wanting to up my protein but not with shakes or protein bars as they always make me feel sick. After watching Forks over Knives I really do question the need for too much protein, and if I start to gain muscle at a clip with produce based protein I will be a happy lifter! Meat and dairy are a huge turnoff and I really am trying to listen to how I feel these days.

No judgement here -- some bar/shake brands make me feel sick too. I just wanted to qualify my statement, since I wouldn't be able to hit my goal without some kind of supplementation and I didn't want it to be misleading

Really, you don't need to be aiming for 1g per lb of bodyweight anyway, not at first. The general recommendation is 0.8g-1g of protein per pound of LBM (your body weight minus your body fat), so that's not impossible to hit without animal sources.

Regarding the headaches, here's a different train of thought...make sure to double-check your form when you lift so you're not over-using your neck, jaw, traps, etc. Getting more calories and more protein would certainly help when you lift, but if that were the only cause of the headaches, you'd probably expect to see other symptoms as well (exhaustion, weakness, etc.)

murphy612

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Um, I think you meant that they are not vegan. They are vegetarian.

No, I know the difference, very well actually.

Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is. And Vegan is even different. Everyone realizes an egg is a chicken right?

Holly_Roman_Empire

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Um, I think you meant that they are not vegan. They are vegetarian.

No, I know the difference, very well actually.

Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is. And Vegan is even different. Everyone realizes an egg is a chicken right?

I'm pretty sure vegetarian has always meant meat-free, and maybe it's just me, but an egg isn't a chicken until it's born.

stealthq

Snugglesmacks, I think it is great that you are so creative with fish and meats and I doubt there is a lot of boredom in your kitchen. Without giving too many details, I got turned off meat while living in Ireland, where from a very young age my mother would bring me into the local butcher's shop. This was not Whole Foods where the meat is tucked safely behind a glass window - in 1970s Ireland I was greeted by a pig literally hanging from an industrial hook, and lamb that smelled so strong that it almost knocked me out walking in the door! I will take your advice though and up my fish intake by marinating and stir frying for added flavor.

I was going to suggest other meats, but in lieu of that - what about tofu, seitan, other vegetarian protein options? Turkey? Don't forget about cheese, beans, greek yogurt, other moderate protein foods - you get fewer grams of protein per calorie, but if you add those things in as sides or garnishes, they tend to add up.

stealthq

Oh, and I forgot - you might want to carry water with you and drink between lifts to stay hydrated. I was having a problem with severe foot cramps during my last couple of sets until I started doing that, and I would have sworn I was plenty hydrated.

stealthq

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Um, I think you meant that they are not vegan. They are vegetarian.

No, I know the difference, very well actually.

Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is. And Vegan is even different. Everyone realizes an egg is a chicken right?

Regardless of your beliefs on when life begins, it's not a chicken unless it's been fertilized. Maybe it's different wherever you are, but here, you'd have to go out of your way to buy fertilized chicken eggs. You aren't going to be picking them up by accident.

workshardplaysharder

Meat isn't the only high protein food. There are vegetarians that manage to eat 1 g protein per lb of bodyweight. Protein bars and shakes also help.

I average 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight, all vegetarian. I supplement with protein bars and powder, but I also eat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, kefir, eggs and soy. Nuts and beans are actually fairly low in protein for their overall calorie count -- my dry roasted almonds have 170 calories and 7g of protein per 1/4 cup, so only 16.5% of their total calories comes from protein.

Protein bars, yogurt, cheese, milk and eggs are not vegetarian :flowerforyou:

Um, I think you meant that they are not vegan. They are vegetarian.

No, I know the difference, very well actually.

Vegetarian: a person who does not eat meat, fish, fowl, or, in some cases, any food derived from animals, as eggs or cheese, but subsists on vegetables, fruits, nuts, grain, etc.

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is. And Vegan is even different. Everyone realizes an egg is a chicken right?

Actually a vegan is just a strict vegetarian:

Vegetarians do not eat any animals. This includes pigs, chickens, cows, sea animals, and every other animal. In addition to not consuming any animal flesh, a vegan (strict vegetarian) also doesn’t eat dairy products, eggs, or any other product derived from an animal. Vegans also avoid using products that have been tested on animals or made from animal skins.

Lofteren

AliceDark, I agree on wanting to up my protein but not with shakes or protein bars as they always make me feel sick. After watching Forks over Knives I really do question the need for too much protein, and if I start to gain muscle at a clip with produce based protein I will be a happy lifter! Meat and dairy are a huge turnoff and I really am trying to listen to how I feel these days.

Hollydubs85, I think that Murphy612 probably meant that protein bars, cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs are not vegan, but they are certainly vegetarian.

Lofteren, no sexism her but rather I am interested in how women eat for lifting as we run on estrogen vs testosterone and food greatly affects a woman's hormone balance.

You do not "run on" estrogen and men do not "run on" testosterone. Men and women both require estrogen and testosterone for health and protein synthesis, they just exist in different ratios; these ratios are controlled by negative feedback mechanisms within the endocrine glands (testicular/hypothalamic/pituitary in men and ovarian/hypothalamic/pituitary in women). The greatest contributing dietary factor for maintaining healthy sex hormone levels is adequate fat intake and the greatest contributing dietary factor for maintaining healthy peptide hormone levels (hgh, igf-1, leptin and insulin) is proper carbohydrate intake (and also body composition). However, the difference in hormone production and reception between the two sexes is not a product of dietary intake but rather is on a physiological level. This is exactly what I was trying to tell you in my first post. I didn't think that you were being sexist at all but you definitely have fallen victim to the widespread belief that men and women must do everything differently. When it comes to building muscle and burning fat there is no difference between the two other than the fact that men have a greater affinity to do so because of their higher testosterone production.

_lyndseybrooke_

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is.

Yes, and you're one of them.

JoRocka

Actually a vegan is just a strict vegetarian:

Vegetarians do not eat any animals. This includes pigs, chickens, cows, sea animals, and every other animal. In addition to not consuming any animal flesh, a vegan (strict vegetarian) also doesn’t eat dairy products, eggs, or any other product derived from an animal. Vegans also avoid using products that have been tested on animals or made from animal skins.

I would not say a vegan is JUST a strict vegetarian.

I would gladly say ALL vegans qualify as vegetarians- but they take their beliefs/morals well beyond "no meat" principles of vegetarians.

I do not think saying they are "just strict vegetarians" is accurate.

Lofteren, no sexism her but rather I am interested in how women eat for lifting as we run on estrogen vs testosterone and food greatly affects a woman's hormone balance.

incorrect- we do not run on hormones- we run on food. and Lofty knows his stuff- you should listen.

Men and women function very much the same- outside of extenuating limitations- such as choosing to be vegan/veggy/pescatarian etc or having intolerance's and allergy issues..

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murphy612

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is.

Yes, and you're one of them.

No, I am not. But it's ok, I guess I'm just stricter to the meaning of vegetarian as consisting of only eating plant derived foods. But I guess others are talking about the Lacto, or Lacto Ova vegetarians, or even Pescatarians or Flexitarians ways of eating. The only reason I brought it up was because the OP mentioned she wanted to be vegetarian by the end of the summer and I was surprised by people recommending so many dairy and egg suggestions. To each their own :flowerforyou:

_lyndseybrooke_

Sorry, I'm not trying to pick a fight, but for some reason people have really skewed the definition of what vegetarianism is.

Yes, and you're one of them.

No, I am not. But it's ok, I guess I'm just stricter to the meaning of vegetarian as consisting of only eating plant derived foods. But I guess others are talking about the Lacto, or Lacto Ova vegetarians, or even Pescatarians or Flexitarians ways of eating. The only reason I brought it up was because the OP mentioned she wanted to be vegetarian by the end of the summer and I was surprised by people recommending so many dairy and egg suggestions. To each their own :flowerforyou:

I'm pretty sure the reason the OP wants to stop eating meat isn't to meet some definition of a "vegetarian." If you don't eat meat, you're a vegetarian. Period. If you eat no animal products, you're a vegan (which is a form of vegetarianism). Really, who cares?