Newbie - terrified but giving it a go

mcbellnz

Hi guys
Just posting here to be a bit accountable. I have just (as in two days ago) started upping my calories. I am in my fourth week of the New Rules of Lifting for women and have decided to up my calories as advised in the book.

I have done my calculations via scoobys accurate calorie calculator - just under 150lb (67.8kg) and 161cm tall, female, 32 years old, 34% body fat - BMR: 1354 and TDEE: 2115 (moderate exercise on the scooby calc). I am aiming to hit 1700cal per day - doing new rules 3x a week, and might start HIIT cardio 2 or 3 times a week as of next week. I got to about 1634cal on Friday (with the help from some nuts and a protein bar), but I only got just over 1200 yesterday as I had a stand up comedy show to go to, and decided it was too late to eat more after I got home. I do not really feel hungry if I only eat 1200cal of good healthy food.

Goal is to get down to 24% body fat max (less would be nice) - and lose 2 "dress" sizes. I have some measurement goals and clothes I would love to wear again

Should hit 1700 cal easy today as I had a lovely icecream as a treat, although I have done a bit of extra unplanned exercise today (1 hour bike ride - flat on the road and helping shift a metric tonne of landscaping material and timber to the dump).

My background is that I had been eating a very low calorie diet from March till August last year (2012) - about 700 to 1000 calories per day, and saw great results (low fat, moderate carbs). Predictably everything went pear shaped (in my life) once I reached the end of my "diet" and I did not approach maintenance properly. Stress led to poor decisions and bingeing on sugar and fat (a problem I had never experienced before), and then trying to follow the diet again to lose the weight I rapidly gained (I got down to about 115lb and 24% body fat - so I have gained about 15kg/25lb). I got my terrible eating habits under control, and managed to repair the disastrous turns my life had taken, and somewhat reduce the stress caused by that, but since December last year I had still been eating fairly low calorie - 1200-1400 per day, but my weight has wavered between where it is now, and about 2kg (5lb) lower. Of course, carrying this extra weight I gained so rapidly after being so much slimmer is its own cause of stress in my life.

Anyway, I want to try to eat more (and fuel my body for the workouts I am doing, as the new rules book tells me to), but I am totally freaking out about getting bigger, as soon there won't be any clothes I can fit - it is the heat of summer here too, and six months ago I was daydreaming about how awesome it would be to finally wear a singlet in public during summer - I do not want to do that now.

Anyway, I know I am aiming for about a 20% cut on my TDEE if I eat 1700 cal per day. (and is very close to what the calcs in the new rules books recommends for me). Do you think that this will work, or would you recommend a reset or whatever it is called where you eat at maintenance for up to 12 weeks - have I done that much damage?

I am really committed to trying to hit this calorie goal (using healthy foods, no sugar, lowish carbs as that is something I seem to binge on) for the next four to six weeks to give it a chance to work.

Anyway, any advice would be appreciated.

Noor13

Hi and Welcome!

I think it is great, that you have decided to give EM2WL a go. I know you will not regret it.
BUT it takes some patience. Things might not be changing over night. It might be taking months to get what you want. This is not a quick fix but a long term solution.

If it will work with the cut straight away-nobody can tell. You will have to try it. Maybe it does, maybe not. Eat your cut calories religiously every day. Consistency is key. It can take a few weeks for your body to adapt. If you don't lose anything you can still do the reset.

Although I personally think, that everybody would benefit of doing a reset. I know it is scary, and yes, it is very likely that one gains some lbs. But, what are a few pounds more for a few weeks compared to the rest of your life?
I did gain around 20ish lbs all together. But I also started lifting heavy weights during my reset time. And that was another great decision I made in my life.

No, I did not lose the lbs I gained during reset. But something much better happened to me. Even though the lbs are still on, I am wearing one dress size smaller than I did before resetting. And now I pretty much maintain my weight at 2600ckal + a day without doing any cardio.

Just do it, and don't be discouraged on the way. It is not always easy, but you will be happy at the end, that you don't have to starve yourself.

natesangel

welcome, good luck, and enjoy food it's not evil when eaten in a better way!!!

mcbellnz

I have my one month weigh in and measure with my personal trainer today. I know my weight is up (but only by about 500gm I think - about a pound) but I feel as fat as those scales tell me I am, so I don't think I will have lost any cms, but I am hoping I have gained both muscle and fat in the last month, and that my body fat might be down a tiny teeny tiny little bit.

In the end it is my size goal that I am aiming for. I just hope I don't physically expand any further than I have if I do gain scale weight (otherwise it will be off to savemart to look for second hand clothes to get me through - I did that when I was shrinking too).

As I have said in the NROL4W forum (where I asked if anyone there was doing EM2WL) what does it matter if it takes another one or two months to start making a difference, I have been struggling and gaining/maintaining this heavier weight for almost 6 months as it is! I know I want the quick fix, but it hasn't happened in the last 6 months, so my fix hasn't been quick so far.......

heybales

Don't do HIIT.

You are lifting already.

HIIT is big fad suggestion for those that only want to do cardio and no lifting - but you are.
HIIT is lifting for sport specific. Anaerobic intense efforts followed by rest, then do it again. Sound familiar?

So don't foul up your getting good recovery from the lifting by doing it. Only cardio day after lifting properly, in the Active Recovery HR zone, poorly called fat-burning zone.
Don't do cardio day before lifting more than Aerobic HR zone, or you'll tire out your muscles and foul up getting a good lift in.

mcbellnz

Don't do HIIT.

You are lifting already.

HIIT is big fad suggestion for those that only want to do cardio and no lifting - but you are.
HIIT is lifting for sport specific. Anaerobic intense efforts followed by rest, then do it again. Sound familiar?

So don't foul up your getting good recovery from the lifting by doing it. Only cardio day after lifting properly, in the Active Recovery HR zone, poorly called fat-burning zone.
Don't do cardio day before lifting more than Aerobic HR zone, or you'll tire out your muscles and foul up getting a good lift in.

Thanks for the tip - I was early to my pt session today - so I did the sitting on the bike flicking through a magazine, barely any energy expended deal until my trainer was ready.

I am doing the New Rules programme, and just about to start the second stage (2 weeks away). In the second stage they suggest that after every B workout you do up to 15 min of HIIT cardio - would you recommend skipping that? It allows a rest day between the cardio and the next A workout.

I had my measurements done today - have gained 800gm in a month, but lost a tiny amount of cms (like 4 or 5 in total) and lost almost one percent of body fat. So although I am heavier, the lifting seems to be helping. I don't feel any slimmer though, and have only just started to up my calories so I imagine things will take a wee while to start moving. I totally creamed my calorie goal today (maybe a little too much - 173cal over) and treated myself to kumera as my post workout carb. Am stuffed now - I probably should have halved the kumera serving, but I know that now for next time.

heybales

Thanks for the tip - I was early to my pt session today - so I did the sitting on the bike flicking through a magazine, barely any energy expended deal until my trainer was ready.

I am doing the New Rules programme, and just about to start the second stage (2 weeks away). In the second stage they suggest that after every B workout you do up to 15 min of HIIT cardio - would you recommend skipping that? It allows a rest day between the cardio and the next A workout.

I had my measurements done today - have gained 800gm in a month, but lost a tiny amount of cms (like 4 or 5 in total) and lost almost one percent of body fat. So although I am heavier, the lifting seems to be helping. I don't feel any slimmer though, and have only just started to up my calories so I imagine things will take a wee while to start moving. I totally creamed my calorie goal today (maybe a little too much - 173cal over) and treated myself to kumera as my post workout carb. Am stuffed now - I probably should have halved the kumera serving, but I know that now for next time.

The problem is lifting with the same muscles day after day.
So if they skip lower body and the next day you do HIIT for legs and the next day no lower body again, then good program.

If lower body lifting and then HIIT with lower body and then lifting lower body again, then bad program.

Even attempting to do HIIT after your lifting with the same muscles is a waste of time. Because if you can do the HIIT properly, then you didn't do the lifting properly. You shouldn't have the strength left to to HIIT.

You can do some cardio, or even attempt intervals right after lifting, but if you have that kind of time, spend it on the lifting.

I'm curious, they may just be going on the faddish nature of HIIT yet.
What is their actual HIIT routine spelled out though?

mcbellnz

Ok, hope I am not breaking any copywrite laws but this is the second stage of New Rules - I must add they just call it interval training, not HIIT, but I assume the intensity is meant to be high.

Workout A:
Front Squat/Push press

Step up
Dumbbell one point row (alternating these two exercises)

Static lunge, rear foot elevated
Push up (alternating these two exercises)

Then:
Plank
Cable horizontal wood chop (alternating these two exercises)

Workout B:

Wide grip deadlift from box

Bulgarian split squat
Underhand grip lat pulldown (alternating these two exercises)

Reverse lunge from box with forward reach
Dumbbell prone Cuban snatch (alternating these two exercises)

Swiss ball crunch
Reverse crunch
Lateral flexion (alternating these two exercises)

Prone cobra

Interval training
15 min
1 min hard/2 min recovery

Then it describes your interval sessions:
First session (example on a bike with level progressions)
Warm up: 3 min level 1, 2 min level 2
Interval 1: 1 min level 4
Recovery 1: 2 min level 1
Interval 2: 1 min level 4
Recovery 2: 2 min level 1
Interval 3: 1 min level 4
Recovery 3: 2 min level 1
"That's fourteen minutes which is plenty for the first time"

Second interval session
Warm up: 1 min level 1, 2 min level 2
Interval 1: 1 min level 4
Recovery 1: 2 min level 1
Interval 2: 1 min level 5
Recovery 2: 2 min level 1
Interval 3: 1 min level 5
Recovery 3: 2 min level 1
Interval 4: 1 min level 5
Recovery 4: 2 min level 1
"That's fifteen mins with a shorter warm up and three mins at a higher level of intensity than the first session"

Third Interval session:
Warm up: 1 min level 1, 2 min level 2
Interval 1: 1 min level 4
Recovery 1: 2 min level 1
Interval 2: 1 min level 5
Recovery 2: 2 min level 1
Interval 3: 1 min level 6
Recovery 3: 2 min level 1
Interval 4: 1 min level 6
Recovery 4: 2 min level 1
"This is still more work than the second session but you are giving your body time to adjust. Ideally you should feel like you are holding back at this point"

Fourth Interval session
Warm up: 1 min level 1, 2 min level 2
Interval 1: 1 min level 5
Recovery 1: 2 min level 1
Interval 2: 1 min level 6
Recovery 2: 2 min level 1
Interval 3: 1 min level 7
Recovery 3: 2 min level 1
Interval 4: 1 min level 7
Recovery 4: 2 min level 1

"you know you could go harder but not a lot harder...the key is gradual improvement etc etc you can do it on foot or outdoors or on any machine you want"

So you do each workout in stage two four times - Workout A then rest day, then workout B with interval training, then rest day, then workout A again, and then usually two rest days (weekend if you are lifting 3 times a week) then workout B with interval training, rest etc etc. You only do the workouts four times, so he has told you how to do each interval session that goes with the B workout.

Hopefully that makes a bit of sense. I should ask on the New Rules forum how people have found stage two.

heybales: I imagine the problem you might point out is that each workout is a full body workout really, so interval training (even if you do it on a rower or crosstrainer to do whole body) might not be beneficial..... let me know what you think.

Also, I checked my numbers and I only gained 600gm (because I obviously can't do maths in my head after a workout). My trainer thinks I am lifting heavy weights (but she has a back injury so maybe so just can't imagine lifting that kind of weight these days).

mcbellnz

double post - damn slow computer!

heybales

Ok, Interval training isn't the same as HIIT or Short Interval Training (SIT).

http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/IntervalTraining.html

HIIT is 15-30 sec max sprint with recovery 3-4 x as long for short session, and then 60-90 sec hard press with recovery using HR for long session.

SIT is like 30 sec max sprint with 3-5 min recovery.

Intervals is to help train the heart to pump more as focus, so that must be what they are doing.

Since you aren't trying to overload the muscle, just the heart, the heart is the workout focus, not the muscle. Because indeed you just did that with the lifting.
The problem is if muscle is too tired, it can't help push the HR to where it needs to be either to really benefit. But in this case, just beating faster and harder for longer is the benefit, so hopefully tired muscle can get it there.

mcbellnz

Cool - sorry to cause confusion, and thanks for the info.

heybales

Cool - sorry to cause confusion, and thanks for the info.

Not causing confusion at all. I think this is excellent question.

I'd wager a huge majority think they are doing HIIT and either aren't by the nature of how they do it, or really can't by nature of when they try to do it.

mcbellnz

I bet you are not wrong on that!

mcbellnz

So today is day 8 of eating at around 1700cal per day (a 20% cut). My weight has been steady - which is great - I thought for sure I would gain a bit in the beginning. I am eating calorie dense foods to get my calories in - nuts, avocado, coconut oil, and trying to eat primal although having a protein shake on workout days and a protein bar as a treat or if I need the protein/calories. Staying away from added sugar most of the time.

Anyway, hopefully I am eating enough, and I will start to see some progress in the coming weeks. Have to say that my cravings are greatly decreased, although I do still have to reach for the chewing gum when I want to "boredom eat".