Question about maximizing results

tigerlily42
tigerlily42 Posts: 19
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 34 years old, weigh 233 lbs, am 5'5" and have a deadline of August 31st to work with thanks to a social event I am attending.

I have a workout buddy to motivate me, which is great.

M/W/F we do strength and cardio together and T/Th is cardio with each cardio session lasting about 45 minutes. I'm planning on eating about 1200-1500 calories a day and am doing my very best to eat whole foods whenever possible. The occasional hamburger or beer is going to happen since my work keeps having potlucks and happy hours and not attending would appear rude.

Other than watching calories and working out, what can I do to maximize my results? I know it's unlikely for me to lose more than 1-2 lbs per week, but I want those pounds to count as much as possible and to see the most inches lost.

Should I do extra cardio? Should I do Yoga 1-2 days per week? Are there supplements that can help? Protein powder?

The trainers at the gym have this display case of pricey protein powder and "time release" vitamins but I'm not sure how much of it is snake oil and how much can help.

It's times like this that I really wish those colon cleansers/body wraps/green tea pills would actually do something. ;)

Replies

  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
    balance macros. whenever i hear 'eat healthy' without macros listed it almost always means 0 fat, and low protein. which is also bad.

    And have goals for your workouts where you try to always improve on the previous. don't get caught just trying to do the same old thing.

    as for supplements, they are all snake oil. completely uneeded. protein powder, consider that food. think of it as powdered chicken. it has it's uses, like if you are short protein and don't want to be bothered to cook chicken.. ;)
  • tigerlily42
    tigerlily42 Posts: 19
    I actually do try to balance my macros by having a little fat in every meal. Breakfast today was an egg + an egg white, 2 oz shredded cheese, red bell pepper, and onions in a whole wheat burrito with strawberries, for example.

    I don't actually do ratios - should it be 40% carbs, 30% protein, 30% fat?
  • metacognition
    metacognition Posts: 626 Member
    Do high intensity interval training for those two days of pure cardio. It works better than steady state cardio.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    40/30/30 is a reasonable breakdown.
  • radzer0
    radzer0 Posts: 20 Member
    When you say supliments are snake oil. When I saw timed release it made me think of timed release multivitamins. Your saying with diet and exercise a mutlivitamin doesnt add any benefit?
  • tigerlily42
    tigerlily42 Posts: 19
    I'm sorry for not phrasing that better.

    I take a daily multivitamin but I am questioning the benefit of a time release vitamin. I've never heard of them before and I thought I would mention them on this site to see if anyone had any experience or opinions to share.

    I'm really wary of products that are pushed at me in a gym, especially when they cost 5x as much as a regular multivitamin.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    Do high intensity interval training for those two days of pure cardio. It works better than steady state cardio.

    Did that few days ago just for fun and my body was aching for days. Probably going to start doing it once a week now.
  • Unknown
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  • radzer0
    radzer0 Posts: 20 Member
    The timed vitamins I take are a GNC one. Suppost to optimize metabolism but not a weight loss one.

    If you think they cost so much more check out sams club on them. There $21 for a dual pack vs $25 for a single at GNC.
  • tigerlily42
    tigerlily42 Posts: 19
    Thanks everyone. I actually drink green tea on my own so I don't think I'll worry about adding those to my diet.

    As for the timed release vitamins - those may have to wait a payday or two until I renew my costco membership. I'm sure they have them there. Sam's Club is a good idea but the closest one is 15 miles away from me.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    I am 34 years old, weigh 233 lbs, am 5'5" and have a deadline of August 31st to work with thanks to a social event I am attending.

    I have a workout buddy to motivate me, which is great.

    M/W/F we do strength and cardio together and T/Th is cardio with each cardio session lasting about 45 minutes. I'm planning on eating about 1200-1500 calories a day and am doing my very best to eat whole foods whenever possible. The occasional hamburger or beer is going to happen since my work keeps having potlucks and happy hours and not attending would appear rude.

    Other than watching calories and working out, what can I do to maximize my results? I know it's unlikely for me to lose more than 1-2 lbs per week, but I want those pounds to count as much as possible and to see the most inches lost.

    Should I do extra cardio? Should I do Yoga 1-2 days per week? Are there supplements that can help? Protein powder?

    The trainers at the gym have this display case of pricey protein powder and "time release" vitamins but I'm not sure how much of it is snake oil and how much can help.

    It's times like this that I really wish those colon cleansers/body wraps/green tea pills would actually do something. ;)

    Unfortunately, just because you have a "deadline" and work harder, doesn't really mean the weight is going to drop faster. Eating at such low calories is not going to help either, you are doing a TON of exercise. IMO all supplements are useless except in very limited scenarios, of which I don't feel this one fits. Extra cardio above what you are doing or extra yoga arent likely to make the weight come off any quicker.
  • uneik3
    uneik3 Posts: 68 Member
    I've noticed for me at social events that "just one" can quickly become more calories than I've intended. For me, I still socialize, but I opt for diet soda or seltzer and lime to keep the calories at bay and to keep my hands busy and avoid the interrogation of "why aren't you drinking?" when I'm out.
  • tigerlily42
    tigerlily42 Posts: 19
    "Unfortunately, just because you have a "deadline" and work harder, doesn't really mean the weight is going to drop faster. Eating at such low calories is not going to help either, you are doing a TON of exercise."

    I'm a female with a BMR of 2200. If I eat MORE than 1500 a day I will not lose, which I know from previous experience.

    I asked if there was anything I could do to maximize my results, meaning to make sure I lose the highest percentage of fat possible and retain as much lean mass as possible. Silly me, I thought if you put more in you get more out. I guess I was wrong.

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