frustrated

tbolashana
tbolashana Posts: 2,707 Member
How are you smaller ladies losing?

I have been up and down and I am frustrated! I eat 1800, but am not wanting to drop cal unless I change my exercising. I exercise, well i usually, 6 days a week. Burning more than 500 each exercise. So I dont want to go under my BMR. Mostly workout videos. I want to incorporate lifting because i'm starting to think this is the key.

I don't have excess to a gym.

Just would love your opinions.

What you doing?

STATS:

5'3
32 yo
Cw: 133
Gw: 124
Ug: 120

Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    definitely add strength training. but be aware that you will DEFINITELY lose inches, but you may not lose scale weight.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Yes, add some strength training. You will be excited to see what this will do for you body. We need to tone up as we lose weight. Plus, more muscles burn more calories.
  • BluthLover
    BluthLover Posts: 301 Member
    Hang in there and do not give up! Do you have a HRM? When I got mine I found I was burning less than I thought!
  • tbolashana
    tbolashana Posts: 2,707 Member
    No hrm. I had 3 and that were all garbage. The calories burned are based on when they were working. And yes I found that I was burning far less too.

    I will add the weight training. I would like to be ripped. Lol. :-)
  • Hi! I think you're doing too much exercise and eating too little. This is what I do and I've seen awesome results...

    I workout 4x a week.
    Monday- High intensity interval training 10-20 minutes
    Tuesday- Heavy weight lifting
    Thursday- HIIT 10-20 minutes
    Friday- Heavy weight lifting

    IDK if you know what HIIT (high intensity interval training) is but it's basically 20 seconds of AS HARD AS YOU CAN GO CARDIO, like sprints/butt kicks/burpees/speed squats, and then 10 seconds of rest. Do this for 4 minutes then rest for 1 minute. Repeat that 2-4 more times. It's REALLY hard. You can use a treadmill or you can do it at home or in your neighborhood as long as you have a timer. I use a free app on my iphone that beeps whenever the interval is switching.

    The 2 days I lift I lift HEAVY. I just started lifting again so I'm going to do the 5x5 Stronglifts program for 6 weeks or so. There's an app for that too (free). Basically it's doing 5 sets of 5 reps of really heavy weights. And you increase your weight almost every workout. The app tells you how much to increase your weight by. Also, don't be afraid to lift heavy. If you don't like the 5x5 program then focus on full body strength moves like squats, deadlifts, romanian deadlifts, chest press, military press, hip thrust..etc. You won't get bulky like a guy or fitness models (unless that's what you want.. but this won't do it for you). This usually takes me about 30 minutes.

    Also, I walk for a mile with a friend or my boyfriend everyday a little after I eat dinner. it's nice to talk and walking a mile at a normal pace burns some extra calories :)

    Eating is the MOST important part. I eat 40% fat, 35% protein, and 25% carbs. Also, limit your ADDED sugar intake to less than 25 grams a day. Added sugar is anything that is NOT in fruits/veggies/dairy products. And, on days you workout, overfeed yourself (don't binge eat but eat a little more than normal)...and on the days you don't workout, eat a little less than usual . Not starving or going hungry by any means. Try not to worry a lot about calories .. stay within a healthy range. If you focus on the macro nutrient composition like fats/proteins/carbs then you'll lose weight I promise. And I know it seems counter-intuitive to eat FAT to lose fat but I swear it works. Eating less carbs is really the key...carbs basically turn into sugar which is fuel for your body and brain. If you eat too many carbs and your body doesn't need anymore fuel, then it will store the sugars. Sugar expands fatty cells which makes you bigger. I try and keep my carb intake under or around 100g a day.

    I hope this helps!! Sorry for the novel.
  • weloveourboys
    weloveourboys Posts: 133 Member
    I am currently working out 5x a week.

    Mon - off
    Tue - interval workout (high intensity running)
    Wed - off
    Thurs - tempo run - high-ish intensity but not as high as Tue, though longer distance
    Fri - spin class - high intensity
    Sat - easy run at easy pace
    Sun - long run but at a pace where I can hold a conversation, so not hard

    I don't do any weights. You can look at my profile pics - you don't necessarily have to do weights to look toned.
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    yoga (power/vinyasa) also a great option to incorporate.
  • kelseyhere
    kelseyhere Posts: 1,123 Member
    i'm going to guess you care more about being able to rock whatever outfit you want than a number on a scale that no one needs to know. you rather have a small waist, nice booty, slim arms, etc. i think it's safe to say that's what most of us are after. with that in mind, incorporating some strength training will definitely help you reach that goal. i ran and did workout videos for along time, but always felt "skinny fat." i weighed 130 which was great, but still didn't like the way my abs looked and felt like a had a muffin top. i got a trainer and with his cuteness talked me through 2 weight lifting sessions a week, and before you know it, i was wearing smaller jeans, losing the muffin top, had better arms and a flatter tummy. cardio is important but weights, especially weights that emphasize core strengthening, are the key to a sexy female form.