December Check In and Chat Thread
Replies
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Squats - 102.5 kg (225.5 lbs)
Bench Press - 65 kg (143 lbs)
Barbell Row - 70 kg (154 lbs)
Overhead Press - 40 kg (88 lbs)
Deadlifts - 102.5 kg (225.5 lbs)
Dang! 0 -
Good morning Ladies!
Well today isn't a lifting day for me but I'm hoping for some advice.....
I'm wondering for those of you who have been achieving fat loss while doing SL, did it take awhile before you started to notice your inches move? I'm not so overly concerned with my scale weight.....although I have been stalled there for quite some time too.
The reason I ask is because I'm just really not moving in the inches department with the exception of my thighs (and I am certainly thrilled about that!). The last time I took my measurements and got on the scale was October 26. Granted I was on holidays for 11 days since then and also away for work for a few days and had next to no control over my diet. I have lost 1 lb and my inches haven't moved! It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since I started SL and I have no intention of stopping, I am just wondering if I am missing something!
I did run my numbers this morning.....
BMR 1558 (Fit2Fat recommends I eat 2334 daily). I do track my calories, just not through the site. I weigh everything and stuff that I can't weigh is measured. I strive to eat 1700/day and on lifting days I will go up to 2000 if the mood strikes. I calculate my activity as moderate as I do SL 3x/week and cardio at least 1x, but I'm now going to try for 2.
Any words of advice?
Thank you!0 -
It took me a couple months before I noticed anything...but everyone is so different.
eta: sorry...that wasn't very helpful! :laugh:0 -
It took me a couple months before I noticed anything...but everyone is so different.
eta: sorry...that wasn't very helpful! :laugh:
lol No it was helpful! I don't know how slow these results are going to be! So knowing that you experienced a delay before seeing anything is great
Thank you! 0 -
Good morning Ladies!
Well today isn't a lifting day for me but I'm hoping for some advice.....
I'm wondering for those of you who have been achieving fat loss while doing SL, did it take awhile before you started to notice your inches move? I'm not so overly concerned with my scale weight.....although I have been stalled there for quite some time to
I'm stalled because I wasn't consistent for two months, but in the summer, I was having trouble seeing anything.
The places I measured didn't seem to change, the scale went down very slowly, etc. I did experience "woosh" a couple of times over three or four months.
But my 17-year-old daughter started saying, "wow, mom, I can tell you've lost weight!" even when I hadn't. the biggest change I did see was in my lower belly, in a spot the measurements miss - too low for a waist and too high for the hips.
you may want to cut back a small amount on your deficit, maybe cut another 100 calories per day for a couple weeks and if still no progress cut another 100 or so.0 -
After trying a single 90kg (198lb) deadlft last week and getting it half way I kept to the strict 5x5 at 60kg tonight then.. 1 rep at 80kg and 2 sets of 1 at 90kg fully up!
Soooo pleased! Really want to have a goal of 100kg by the comp on 19th January but it felt too much to hope for 20kg. If I can tidy up the 90kg (so no slight hitch) then I'm in a good position to get the 100kg on the day (from the buzz and red bull I'll be drinking). lol
Happy days, slight downer is that I have a bit of a strain under my arm pit / chest - nothing too bad, but it affected my rows tonight in set B. Took some ibuprofen so hoping that will help it relax before next lift as it's overhead press time.0 -
Nexus and Port -- it might be time for you to look at an intermediate program. (you can still come and check in with us though!)
Your two most popular options are Madcow, which I believe Medhi has links to documentation on off his site (and we had a discussion about it here a while ago) and the one I'm doing which is Wendler's 5/3/1. I'd probably suggest 5/3/1 to Nexus and Madcow to port. 5/3/1 is lower volume and slower weight increases - you only increase once a month. Madcow is weekly increases rather than daily, and slightly higher volume than 5/3/1 but lower than 5x5.
So you'll get faster progress with MadCow (in theory) but 5/3/1 gives you a lot more leeway to add additional conditioning and bodyweight movements to your workouts. <-- so probably you can see why I recommend a different program to each of you, since you have different goals).
I'm doing 5/3/1 and I'm very happy with the move - my husband and I were getting to the point where we just felt exhausted and worn out by the time we got to anything after squatting. I know more about this one than Madcow if anyone wants to chat about it. I know we need a "what's next" sticky but I haven't gotten around to it yet.0 -
Good morning Ladies!
Well today isn't a lifting day for me but I'm hoping for some advice.....
I'm wondering for those of you who have been achieving fat loss while doing SL, did it take awhile before you started to notice your inches move? I'm not so overly concerned with my scale weight.....although I have been stalled there for quite some time too.
The reason I ask is because I'm just really not moving in the inches department with the exception of my thighs (and I am certainly thrilled about that!). The last time I took my measurements and got on the scale was October 26. Granted I was on holidays for 11 days since then and also away for work for a few days and had next to no control over my diet. I have lost 1 lb and my inches haven't moved! It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since I started SL and I have no intention of stopping, I am just wondering if I am missing something!
Its ...super hard for me to say honestly. I have kind of wacky body dismorphia days where I think I still look SO SO FAT and will always look fat and haven't lost anything. The scale hasn't moved for me and I've actually stopped measuring as well because my original measurements were done by a trainer, and so I'm never sure if I'm doing them the same, and more importantly my waist measurement fluctuates like CAH-RAY-ZEE depending on the day. As in I have gained and lost an inch on my waist over a couple day period, due entirely to bloating.
My thighs can also blow up a lot via water retention.
So yeah. Since getting on the scale and seeing a high number or measuring and seeing an upward fluctuation can make me feel bad for days, I kind of stopped doing it. Mostly I go by visual changes and things other people said.
Visually I've lost fat on my belly and around the waist - I have minor MINOR ab definition (there's a visible vertical line that I didn't used to have on my upper stomach) that I didnt' have before that shows up MOST days (and ti shows up more often now whereas before it only showed up on low-water retention days, now it only disappears on high days and is otherwise there) but that doesn't really result in any kind of measurement change. That I can measure anyway. Maybe I suck at measuring?
My hip measurement is about the same but my butt looks firmer and higher. I'd say, first 4 months or so I lost a few inches overall a bit off waist, hips, thighs, and calves. My abdomen looked smaller and smoother but I didn't have good measurements on that area.
Like Ishtar I tend to see changes in whooshes - and sometimes right before a whoosh it looks worse. Not everyone has that but I do. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html
Ack...back in a bit, gotta do work0 -
Thanks so much ladies! This is the kind of stuff that I'm looking for. I am confident that things are changing.....but all the things that are supposed to be my confirmation of that are not cooperating! lol
I really can't see how am eating too much....and as much as it's hard to sometimes eat 1700, I can't imagine *having* to go lower. I guess that's where I start to consider changing my goals hey?
Oh well, keep plugging on and see where it gets me I suppose!0 -
Jayliospecky reminded me of GoKaleo today (I actually HAD read one article but I didn't remember til now).
http://gokaleo.com/?p=415
http://gokaleo.com/?p=666
Mostly I mention it because she's eating 2800 calories a day and also she looks completely different with weight lifting + lots of food at the same weight that she was 2 years ago (if you go to the 666 post and look at her montage - the two pics she highlights in the article are at 160 but what she doesn't mention is the picture on the right of the bikini picture is 162 and she looks even LEANER there). And not doing much cardio. And I needed to hear that because I'm pretty unhappy eating less than 2200 and sticking under 2k is misery for me but I'm also unhappy being this fat.
But I can be patient. Yes. I haven't been logging for the past month and I'm probably averaging between 2100 and 2500 most days (except for today, which is gonna be super high probably). And I felt great eating that way, healthier, I notice more leanness in my arms and legs (the things I was perfectly happy with before, GO AWAY STUPID BELLY FAT), and then today I decided to make myself start logging again and I feel miserable and fat because I "ate so much"
and that is a stupid way to feel when I've otherwise felt great all week
weeeeeell, I might have felt miserable today anyway because I had a milk drink and lactose intolerant people really shouldn't do that and expect to feel good, but on a non logging day I would have just laughed it off like "ah the milk, I know better but it was so yummy" and instead I ran around going "WAAAAAAAAH WHY DID I EAT SO MUUUUUCH I SUUUUCK"
So just sayin.
I can't see how 1700 is too much. If anything, maybe its too little. Unless you are physically chained to a desk all day, then you go home and sit on the sofa for 5 hours, then go to bed and also you are fairly small, I don't see how anyone should go lower than that.0 -
Jayliospecky reminded me of GoKaleo today (I actually HAD read one article but I didn't remember til now).
http://gokaleo.com/?p=415
http://gokaleo.com/?p=666
Mostly I mention it because she's eating 2800 calories a day and also she looks completely different with weight lifting + lots of food at the same weight that she was 2 years ago (if you go to the 666 post and look at her montage - the two pics she highlights in the article are at 160 but what she doesn't mention is the picture on the right of the bikini picture is 162 and she looks even LEANER there). And not doing much cardio. And I needed to hear that because I'm pretty unhappy eating less than 2200 and sticking under 2k is misery for me but I'm also unhappy being this fat.
But I can be patient. Yes. I haven't been logging for the past month and I'm probably averaging between 2100 and 2500 most days (except for today, which is gonna be super high probably). And I felt great eating that way, healthier, I notice more leanness in my arms and legs (the things I was perfectly happy with before, GO AWAY STUPID BELLY FAT), and then today I decided to make myself start logging again and I feel miserable and fat because I "ate so much"
and that is a stupid way to feel when I've otherwise felt great all week
weeeeeell, I might have felt miserable today anyway because I had a milk drink and lactose intolerant people really shouldn't do that and expect to feel good, but on a non logging day I would have just laughed it off like "ah the milk, I know better but it was so yummy" and instead I ran around going "WAAAAAAAAH WHY DID I EAT SO MUUUUUCH I SUUUUCK"
So just sayin.
I can't see how 1700 is too much. If anything, maybe its too little. Unless you are physically chained to a desk all day, then you go home and sit on the sofa for 5 hours, then go to bed and also you are fairly small, I don't see how anyone should go lower than that.
I actually have poked around on that website before, as well as Nia Shanks site, and they are both fantastic women that promote just EATING lol I am the same as you though....I don't know if that negative relationship with food will ever truly change for me! (I actually don't know if you have a negative relationship with food....I just know I do lol) I can't see how 1700 is too much either....I actually just lowered it back about 5 weeks ago. Before I was aiming for 2000-2200 and i wasn't getting any results then either....and I also wasn't doing SL. Ugh so frustrating!0 -
If you changed exercise programs, dont' change eating too. Bring it back up to 2k and see what happens. otherwise, even if you DO make progress you won't know what did it and lets be honest here - do you REALLY want to go the rest of your life eating at or below 1700? I sure as hell don't. I'd rather be fat.
I'd say I have a really healthy relationship with food, USUALLY, which is why it really shocked me that I felt so down on myself about it today.0 -
If you changed exercise programs, dont' change eating too. Bring it back up to 2k and see what happens. otherwise, even if you DO make progress you won't know what did it and lets be honest here - do you REALLY want to go the rest of your life eating at or below 1700? I sure as hell don't. I'd rather be fat.
I'd say I have a really healthy relationship with food, USUALLY, which is why it really shocked me that I felt so down on myself about it today.
I do agree with you on that as well.....I can't go below 1700 for sure. Even though I sometimes find it hard to get closer to 2000, the idea of not eating more than 1700 seems torturous! I guess I should have also said that I try to aim for 1700 every day so I can have a buffer for the weekend when I generally like to have a cheat day. I have started to try to go for a weekly caloric goal, rather than just daily if that makes sense.
And you are so lucky to have a healthy relationship with food Mine has always sucked and I know that it will always be a struggle....it's really hard to not become obsessed to be honest....so scared of going back to the old me! 0 -
Hey everyone! I'm starting the program on Monday and am so excited to tone up! I'm a pretty muscular build but it's time to tone up and slim down! Feel free to add me as a friend! I look forward to progressing and being successful! Be prepared for questions lol
Ashley0 -
Welcome to the group Ashley!
I am so pumped this morning...it was only Monday that I failed at my 47# attempt on the OHP and I DID IT this morning! The body is just amazing isn't it??!!!
Squat 5x5 @ 90#
OHP 5x5 @ 47#
DL 1x5 @ 125#
I love my big girl weights! Happy Friday all!0 -
End of Week 12!
Bench: 100
Row: 105
OHP: 70
Squat: 160
DL: 1600 -
I have officially come to a stall on my overhead press. I was unable to do the 65 lbs. 5X5. I will try again next time and then go back down to 60. I can only do the 65lb squats because I can't get the bar off my shoulders without hurting my neck. I hope we will be able to get a rack in the new year. I did deadlift 90 at 5X5 so I hope i will move up on that, I want to put on the 25 lb plates!!! This is just too much fun!! I measured the basement and it is 87inches from floor to ceiling. I should be able to squeeze a rack in there. and from my experience today it is going to be a long time before I have to worry about big plates for my overhead press! LOL!0
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If you changed exercise programs, dont' change eating too. Bring it back up to 2k and see what happens. otherwise, even if you DO make progress you won't know what did it and lets be honest here - do you REALLY want to go the rest of your life eating at or below 1700? I sure as hell don't. I'd rather be fat.
I'd say I have a really healthy relationship with food, USUALLY, which is why it really shocked me that I felt so down on myself about it today.
I do agree with you on that as well.....I can't go below 1700 for sure. Even though I sometimes find it hard to get closer to 2000, the idea of not eating more than 1700 seems torturous! I guess I should have also said that I try to aim for 1700 every day so I can have a buffer for the weekend when I generally like to have a cheat day. I have started to try to go for a weekly caloric goal, rather than just daily if that makes sense.
And you are so lucky to have a healthy relationship with food Mine has always sucked and I know that it will always be a struggle....it's really hard to not become obsessed to be honest....so scared of going back to the old me!
think about it this way.
What are ALL the things you do differently now from before?
For me its:
1) I lift regularly, 3x a week and have more muscle than before
2) I can run steadily and for 30 + minutes and sometimes I do.
3) I remember to get up from my desk regularly to get more tea (and I drink a lot of tea)
4) if I can walk instead of drive, I do. If I can stand instead of sit, I do.
^^ all that exercise + NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) means that, honestly, i probably eat about the same as I did when I was 200 lbs. A LITTLE better - I know the one thing I did stop doing is having a treat just because it was available, now I only have one if I'm hungry/really want it. But not much - and I don't NEED to eat that much better because I went from zero activity to moderate activity + muscle and bone density to increase my BMR.
I think because we're always told that "diet is first" we tend to stress out about it more than MOST people need to - now some people have incredibly poor eating habits, or they are binge eaters, or have bad soda/alcohol habits that lead to a ton of empty calories. But most people in the modern developed world probably don't eat THAT badly - they just don't move enough and they don't' have to do much manual labor so they are weaker and less muscular than they could be.0 -
End of Week 12!
Bench: 100
Row: 105
OHP: 70
Squat: 160
DL: 160
this is really awesome - you mentioned somewhere else that you feel like the year using machines was 'wasted' time but honestly I think it wasn't ALL wasted - this is a lot faster progress than most women make on these lifts and I'm sure its because you came in with a good base of strength to build on, even if you had to learn these whole new movements. Sure you' be a little further now if you'd started this back then, but I think you're getting an accelerated start because of that other lifting.
Well, and you know how to fuel your body and aren't scared to do it. That also matters.0 -
Nexus and Port -- it might be time for you to look at an intermediate program. (you can still come and check in with us though!)
Thanks Tameko, yes I will check in, funnily enough your subsequent posts to this - highlighting the lady I had forgotten about recently (kaleo?!), have seen her pics and story before, is what I needed to hear. My eating is not matching my weight lifting needs and I need to get to grips with it right away. I am feeling exhausted lately (work schedule is rather hectic and unpredictable) and know I need to possibly start monitoring actual calories rather than just using numbers of meals. I think I have been free of ED'ed symptoms long enough to give it a go. Am getting impatient with myself for not getting it totally right first time. BUT looking at those posts, and the patience that lady had, I think I can cope with the seeming stagnation...I hope. Strength going up but no significant bodily changes...gah...fingers crossed and all that...I know it takes time...0 -
End of Week 12!
Bench: 100
Row: 105
OHP: 70
Squat: 160
DL: 160
What will you be doing now?
So, I met with the trainer today. He hasn't heard of SL 5x5 and wants me to bring it in. He said it sounds pretty solid and he doesn't really want to fix something that isn't broken, but he would like to drop squats to twice a week. He said my form looked pretty good with squats, but I do need to strengthen my core and hammies, so he gave me some assistance core work, He seems stoked that I am interested in powerlifting. He mentioned that since I don't have any real time goals, just weight goals....he wants me to sign up for a meet, so I can push myself more. I don't know about actually competing, as I am so weak right now, lol. It is probably his way of wanting me to buy more sessions with him! We meet again Sunday and he wants to review my nutrition to see if I need to bump up my calories.0 -
So, induction/training/weight-sorting session complete. Workout A complete, with bonus set of deadlifts while we figured out the weights.
Week 1:
Currently on a studio bar (unweighted) for everything except DL
Squat: 30lbs x5 sets - I am going to stall here real fast because I won't be able to lift the bar over my head safely until my upper body gets stronger: the squat cage starts at 45lbs for the bar alone
Bench: 30lbs x 2 sets, 20lbs x 3 sets. I'm going to add the 2.5lbs fractionals next time and see if I can do 5x5 of that
Row: 30lb x 5 sets
OP: 20lbs (which is why getting a 30lb squat bar from the floor to my shoulders and back 5 times is challenging...)
DL: 90lbs on the proper bar!
Total weight lifted, NOT including the DL and OPs I didn't log: 975kgs
Oh, and I ran 2k as well.0 -
I wanted to share this with anyone who needs to strengthen their hamstrings. I found a video of the exercise that my trainer had me do today to really isolate the hamstrings. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poj-jX7-6Ho 0 -
Next, I'm taking a week off and hope I can pumice down some of these callouses a little. :laugh: Then I'll just continue with the 5x5 until I need to switch to 3x5. And a deload because I'm really struggling.
I don't think using the machines was a waste of time... it was certainly better than just doing cardio, but it took like four different machines to do what squatting alone does (leg press, leg curl, leg extension, glute press) just for the legs. The chest press and shoulder machines made it too easy... I was doing much, much much heavier than I was able to once I got a barbell, and they isolated the muscles. I never felt it in my abs or back or anything. OHP especially since I don't use a rack for it and have to clean it to my shoulders.
I'd like to tag along to someone with the gym sometime just to see what kind of crazy-*kitten* numbers I could pull now. I'd probably max out the Planet Fitness leg press. :laugh:
Oh, and for anyone else who doesn't have a squat rack, remember you can do front squats or hack squats. I started with front squats and switched to hack squats.
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBFrontSquat.html (I didn't have my arms crossed, though)
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBHackSquat.html (probably the cause of the worst of my callouses!)0 -
If you changed exercise programs, dont' change eating too. Bring it back up to 2k and see what happens. otherwise, even if you DO make progress you won't know what did it and lets be honest here - do you REALLY want to go the rest of your life eating at or below 1700? I sure as hell don't. I'd rather be fat.
I'd say I have a really healthy relationship with food, USUALLY, which is why it really shocked me that I felt so down on myself about it today.
I do agree with you on that as well.....I can't go below 1700 for sure. Even though I sometimes find it hard to get closer to 2000, the idea of not eating more than 1700 seems torturous! I guess I should have also said that I try to aim for 1700 every day so I can have a buffer for the weekend when I generally like to have a cheat day. I have started to try to go for a weekly caloric goal, rather than just daily if that makes sense.
And you are so lucky to have a healthy relationship with food Mine has always sucked and I know that it will always be a struggle....it's really hard to not become obsessed to be honest....so scared of going back to the old me!
think about it this way.
What are ALL the things you do differently now from before?
For me its:
1) I lift regularly, 3x a week and have more muscle than before
2) I can run steadily and for 30 + minutes and sometimes I do.
3) I remember to get up from my desk regularly to get more tea (and I drink a lot of tea)
4) if I can walk instead of drive, I do. If I can stand instead of sit, I do.
^^ all that exercise + NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) means that, honestly, i probably eat about the same as I did when I was 200 lbs. A LITTLE better - I know the one thing I did stop doing is having a treat just because it was available, now I only have one if I'm hungry/really want it. But not much - and I don't NEED to eat that much better because I went from zero activity to moderate activity + muscle and bone density to increase my BMR.
I think because we're always told that "diet is first" we tend to stress out about it more than MOST people need to - now some people have incredibly poor eating habits, or they are binge eaters, or have bad soda/alcohol habits that lead to a ton of empty calories. But most people in the modern developed world probably don't eat THAT badly - they just don't move enough and they don't' have to do much manual labor so they are weaker and less muscular than they could be.
You are 100% right about all the things that have changed since I've started this journey....as well as being right about we're "told". Thank you for the reminder! You know, it's funny, i posted on BB.com in the womens section and wow....the responses I got honestly were pretty ridiculous....all like you're eating too much and so on. It was super frustrating!
This is such a great support group her within the SL ladies....i'm so happy that I joined 0 -
I posted my 12 week photos in the main forums: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/820899-12-weeks-of-stronglifts-still-a-woman-lotsa-pics0
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Hi everyone...I'm back after my month off with the flu then pneumonia then the flu again. 5 days in the hospital, I missed my son's confirmation and my first 1/2 marathon that I trained for. But now on to better things!!! I started the program over today and focus on form. Was able to do 5x5 on all, squats 65lbs, bench press 55lbs, rows 45 lbs.
Xinia congrats on your first workout! Lorina your pictures are awesome and inspiring as always. Great job everyone, bring it on!!!0 -
Lorina, you are fabulous and I still remember when I first got active on here, I shared one of your photo threads with friends on another forum and said "this is the most inspiring before and after FOR ME that I have ever seen."
THANK YOU to those of you who were discussing squat form - lifting with the butt is such a key change! Feels totally different.
I bumped up a lot today, the second time I did Workout B (beginning of Week 2, I guess!). I am glad someone mentioned a page or so ago that the program only includes one set of deadlifts, because I completely missed that. So I went up something ridic like 25 pounds (and did 4 warm up sets). Had to go up 10 on OHP because of the small barbells available, and that was fine. Next time I'll be able to use the bar! And I accidentally increased 10 more than I intended to on squats. <eye roll at myself> But it all was fine and I started light anyway, so no big.
Squat 5x5 85 lbs
OHP 5x5 40 lbs
Deadlift 5x5 85 lbs
Ball crunches 3x15 (10 lbs overhead)
Push ups 3x100 -
Hi everyone...I'm back after my month off with the flu then pneumonia then the flu again. 5 days in the hospital, I missed my son's confirmation and my first 1/2 marathon that I trained for. But now on to better things!!! I started the program over today and focus on form. Was able to do 5x5 on all, squats 65lbs, bench press 55lbs, rows 45 lbs.
Xinia congrats on your first workout! Lorina your pictures are awesome and inspiring as always. Great job everyone, bring it on!!!
Glad to hear you are better, what an ordeal, yikes...I am taking a break from lifting really heavy...be back the new year to get back on track though...
WAY TO GO EVERYONE!!!0 -
@Lorina.....inspiring post yet again! Seeing your photo's this time really came at a great time as I've been questioning how quickly I will see results.....your pictures help me to really understand that the changes this time around will be subtle, but they will make a huge change and huge impact.
Great work again! You are BADASS!!!!!0
