Question re calories/cardio etc-I am new, please help !!!

Emagali74

Hi all,

I have just strated strength training/lifting with a PT at a gym.

He has worked out a diet plan for me which involves upping my calories to around 2200 per day but he wants me to follow this programme 6 days a week and have a spike day.

I previously only did cardio and was maintaining at 1600 calories a day but wanted to tone up and strengthen my problem areas.

My question is-surely on the days you are not strength training (I am only doing this 3 times a week) then you should eat less than on the days you are strength training.... also is it ok to do cardio on your none-strength training days? He has recommended I cut the cardio by half but I would have though you should at least be doing the same amount of cardio if not more??? Im new to this and Im very confused. I have done very well losing weight eating a limited amount of carbs and am now panicking about both the increased calorie intake, the reduced cardio amount along with eating more carbs..... he seems to want me to eat every 3 hours but Im finding this impossible :0( any tips/help/advice woudl be greatly appreciated..... thanks xx

Emma xx

fittiephd

I can't help on all of your questions, but yes you should be eating every 3 hours and it will get easier if you keep doing it. It's hard at first bc you feel like you're forcefeeding yourself. 2200 does seem a little high but he must have you doing a great program That sounds like a plan to build muscle which involves you being at a surplus as opposed to a deficit.

If you were maintaining at 1600, then you probably were eating too little while you lost weight. Did you actually read NROLFW? Because he talks continuously about how cardio has basically no benefit minus a short intervals session every other workout post lifting.

Also carbs are your friend. You need carbs just as much as you need protein for lifting.

You should not get on the scale for at least a month after increasing your calories so your body can even out your metabolism. You will probably gain a couple lbs and then lose more than that back. Don't be deterred by feeling really full. Your PT knows what he's talking about.

Emagali74

Hi thanks for taking the time to reply.

Yes I did read NROL4W through but I have been doing cardio for that long now I suppose I feel like I am doing very little.....

Yes 2200 seems high to me especially on non lifting days and I did question him about that but he has said he will monitor the weight and if my body reacts be adding weight adversely then he will tweak the diet plan. I suppose im struggling because IM really not hungry.

1600 is my maintenance calories- I was losing weight on 1300/1400 but with limited carbs. My worry is that my body is so used to limited carbs that if all of a sudden I start eating a lot more this is going to be stored on my body as fat. And I have worked damn har to lose the weight. I know the scale might be higher if Im building muscle and the PT has told me to put the scales away for a month so I will do that.... I jsut wanted some thoughts....

The idea of the PT is for him to show me how to use the machines and weights correctly and once I have done all the different areas then I am going to follow the book and strike out on my own. I am going to have another read of it though and see what they recommend calorie wise.....

I suppose its just a shift in both my exercise and my diet at the same time and its going to take me a little while to change habits that I have been doing for over a year.....

Thanks again,

Emma.

deninevi

Emma, 2200 seems a lot to me too! What are the cals. the book gives you? You should stick with that. If you want to loose weight, then reduce what the book allows with 200-300 cals. a day. See how things are going for a month or so and then adjust up or down to your specific goals. When you start lifting, you will gain some weight-the muscle will retain water for repair. But when you have a deload week-a week between stages- your weight will normalize. Plus, if you are loosing inches, the scale should not matter that much. I gain 5 lbs. while doing the program and dropped a jean size! Take pics and see your body change instead. Don't trust the scale.

If you do too long cardio sessions you will start burning the muscle that you build, so as the book suggested, cut down-you still can do yoga, steady state cardio, walking-easy things on the days when you are not lifting.

The machines are not the best option in the gym. Go for free weight! The machines move in a totally different way than your body. Plus, when using the free weights you involve a lot more core muscles and that will make your abbs, obliques, and back so much stronger.

I don't want to talk you out of PT sessions, but just know for yourself what he is showing you or that you get exactly what you pay for. Good luck to you!

Polly758

I can't help on all of your questions, but yes you should be eating every 3 hours and it will get easier if you keep doing it. It's hard at first bc you feel like you're forcefeeding yourself. 2200 does seem a little high but he must have you doing a great program That sounds like a plan to build muscle which involves you being at a surplus as opposed to a deficit.

If you were maintaining at 1600, then you probably were eating too little while you lost weight. Did you actually read NROLFW? Because he talks continuously about how cardio has basically no benefit minus a short intervals session every other workout post lifting.

Also carbs are your friend. You need carbs just as much as you need protein for lifting.

You should not get on the scale for at least a month after increasing your calories so your body can even out your metabolism. You will probably gain a couple lbs and then lose more than that back. Don't be deterred by feeling really full. Your PT knows what he's talking about.

I agree, especially the part about not getting on the scale for a month. 2200 seems scary, but if you're going to be building strength and muscle, your body will really thank you. Then once you get that muscle put on, let's say half a year has gone by, and you want to lose a bit of fat? You can tweak your diet AT THAT POINT in a way that will not compromise your muscle gain.

Plus, and I say this with a kind tone, if you're going to ask a professional for advice, you ought to be willing to at least TRY what s/he suggests.

loricolwill

I am very new to all this (one week in) but it seems like the advice of your trainer is very similar to that of the book. You could double check the calorie range with the book, but it could be pretty close. And if you are doing cardio on your off days, then I would eat that amount on those days as well.

Personally, the drastic increase in calories has me scared silly and after stepping on the scale this morning, I decided not to do it again until a month into the program. Then I will reevaluate based on inches, how I feel, progress made with the program, as well as what the scale says.

The way I look at it is, the book is my access to experts. They know more about it than I do, so I will trust what they say and give it my best effort...for at least a month, then we shall see.