Lady Looking for help with weightlifting/diet

Magddaa1
Magddaa1 Posts: 20
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello i have started a a weight training journey ..I always thought I wanted the skinny look..but after reviewing the net and mfp..I have decided i would rather have the muscular toned look..I am the skinny fat girl right now looking to change...I did believe too that lifting weights would bulk you up..but i dont believe that now..just need the tools to get there..

Im 5''10 178 cm...166 lb.. 75.29 kg... when i was 168.0 a couple weeks back my body fat was 28.56....I had 118 lean body mass and my fat mass was 47.5 lbs and i am 35

i did some calculations on my bmr for my goal weight...was 2300 calories..i should be eating 500 less then that..so my current calorie intake is 1800 plus.. 40% protien..40 % carbs.. 20 % fat...i went to a few sites and all were different... i just dont want to be eating to much or too little..

also i have not been keeping track of my weight training on mfp..cause its to hard to keep track..but i am lifting..1 day & 1 day off with no cardio...my work keeps me active..so my daily activity 5 x a week is that of almost a waitress..please help..
my diary password id beautiful..... thanks mags

Replies

  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    I also have high tsh numbers my doc said i might be heading to a hypothyroid...so i am trying a glutin free lifestyle..as i read this could be the culprite if im allergic to glutin..
  • lfabbric
    lfabbric Posts: 17 Member
    If your goal is to bulk, then you should be eating a little higher than your tdee. Some say 200-300 cals more.

    If you goal is to get lean and bulk at the same time, that is very difficult and I am honestly not sure if it truly exists. Most people will recommend breaking your diet into phases. bulk and a cut phase.

    If you are new to weight lifting however, you fall into a special case where you can actually gain muscle as you drop fat. This only lasts for a few months of lifting.

    I would stay consistent with the 1800 and adjust from there. If you feel you are not losing weight after 2-3 weeks, reduce to 1700.
  • csmorofsky
    csmorofsky Posts: 1
    Hi! I have a hard time keeping the 40/40/20 going. I am looking to lose weight but I am also looking to gain muscle and lean out a bit- I could also use some insight into this...I am planning on working out 4-5 days a week, and this is going from no work outs in a while...Is there anything you could suggest as far as protien, healthy fats, etc.

    Thanks in advance :):):)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    If your goal is to bulk, then you should be eating a little higher than your tdee. Some say 200-300 cals more.

    If you goal is to get lean and bulk at the same time, that is very difficult and I am honestly not sure if it truly exists. Most people will recommend breaking your diet into phases. bulk and a cut phase.

    If you are new to weight lifting however, you fall into a special case where you can actually gain muscle as you drop fat. This only lasts for a few months of lifting.

    I would stay consistent with the 1800 and adjust from there. If you feel you are not losing weight after 2-3 weeks, reduce to 1700.

    She is still trying to lose weight, based on her ticker.

    OP: I suggest setting your goal to lose 0.5lbs/week and to eat back most of the cals you burn from exercise. Try and get a minimum 0.8 grams of protein per lb of lean body mass, so that would be 95 grams minimum (118*.8), and pick up a progressive overload strength training routine such as starting strength, stronglifts 5x5, new rules of lifting.
  • WhoHa42
    WhoHa42 Posts: 1,270 Member
    I disagree, as a natural person (no anabolic steroids) you shouldn't go through bulks and mini-cuts. Eat around maintenance, maybe a few 100 calories more and focus on technique. A good place to start is full body 3x a week with all of your major compound movements like bench, squat, deadlift, and overhead press. Keep the reps relatively high, 8-12, to help you learn the form and develop your nervous system to handle heavier weights in the future.

    Edit: If you are in fact trying to lose weight I'd agree that about .5lbs a week is a good place to start and you should still have significant strength gains because you're new to lifting.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Hi...welcome to our ever growing group of woman lifters. I would suggest a progressive strength building with compound movements.

    There are a few methods that you could research for a program. Starting Strenght and New Rules of Lifting for women (SS and NROLFW) are both books that can bought at Amazon.

    Strong Lift 5x5 is a free program and a good summary can be found here

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

    As well this group is great and informative and funny as heck.

    I do SL 5x5 which is simple and easy to follow. You would need the following equipment.

    Weight lifting bench
    bars (standard or olympic)
    Plates
    Squat rack or cage for safety as you progress. (Mine is homemade by my husband)
    And if at home pads on the floor...

    Most gyms will have all the above.

    You don't need special shoes, grips, gloves ...I live barefoot.

    As for diet I use TDEE method so I eat 1600 calories everyday regardless of exercise. I didn't use a site tho I used my own data. If you have been accurate with your intake (using a scale to weight solids) use this calculation

    Total calories consumed+(weight lost*3500)/#days (I used 3 weeks worth of data) and that give you your maintenance calories. minus 10-20% off that depending on how much you want to lose a week and enter that into your MFP custom goals.

    As for your Macros since you know your BF% that makes protien easy 118(LBM) x 0.8g=

    Protein: 118 * 4 / TDEE = % of Protien (or at least 95g a day based on 118 x 0.8g)
    Fat: 118 * 9 * 0.35 / TDEE = % of Fat
    Carbs: The rest

    I have been doing this for almost 25 weeks and have progressed in my lifts that now I am squatting 160lbs, Deadlifting 200lb, Benching 115lbs while weighing 162 @ 25% bf and in a size 7 almost a 6...I started at 170lbs and almost 30% bf and a size 10.

    This is very worth it trust me...I had forgotten how good it feels to be strong as a woman...not just look it...but be it.
  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    Well if my lean body mass in 118 lbs.. then i canmt get that low in weight right..im working with this.. i have a super lean upper body..i have some flab ..wahoo under the arms...you could maybe pincg a bit above belly button...below belly is about 3 inches..i have love handles hips..and butt weight tom lose..so not sure how much..i dont want to bulk up like a guy..i like the fitness model look..where everything is tigvhter and smaller.. so im a bit confused at what to follow..as everyone has different opinions
  • WhoHa42
    WhoHa42 Posts: 1,270 Member
    Well if my lean body mass in 118 lbs.. then i canmt get that low in weight right..im working with this.. i have a super lean upper body..i have some flab ..wahoo under the arms...you could maybe pincg a bit above belly button...below belly is about 3 inches..i have love handles hips..and butt weight tom lose..so not sure how much..i dont want to bulk up like a guy..i like the fitness model look..where everything is tigvhter and smaller.. so im a bit confused at what to follow..as everyone has different opinions

    Don't worry about getting to a certain weight. Your goal should be health and lower body fat. Weight is just a number that doesn't really mean much.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Well if my lean body mass in 118 lbs.. then i canmt get that low in weight right..im working with this.. i have a super lean upper body..i have some flab ..wahoo under the arms...you could maybe pincg a bit above belly button...below belly is about 3 inches..i have love handles hips..and butt weight tom lose..so not sure how much..i dont want to bulk up like a guy..i like the fitness model look..where everything is tigvhter and smaller.. so im a bit confused at what to follow..as everyone has different opinions

    You will not bulk up, for one if you are in a deficit, not gonna happen, and you odn't have the testosterone to do so, unless you plan on taking 'roids too
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    Well if my lean body mass in 118 lbs.. then i canmt get that low in weight right..im working with this.. i have a super lean upper body..i have some flab ..wahoo under the arms...you could maybe pincg a bit above belly button...below belly is about 3 inches..i have love handles hips..and butt weight tom lose..so not sure how much..i dont want to bulk up like a guy..i like the fitness model look..where everything is tigvhter and smaller.. so im a bit confused at what to follow..as everyone has different opinions

    Don't worry about getting to a certain weight. Your goal should be health and lower body fat. Weight is just a number that doesn't really mean much.

    THIS.

    Also "bulking like a man" is a huge myth. +1 for the folks who mentioned Stronglifts 5x5.

    Heybales, a lovely MFP member created a spreadsheet that should help you.. Check it out http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/750920-spreadsheet-for-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones
  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    okay can you look at my diet..im eating like 160 in protien..and about that in carbs..i did my bmr..and it told me to minuse 500 cal.. which brings me to 1800 calories.. my password is beautiful

    dont forget im 5 10 i have broad shoulders..im not pwetite so i def dont want huge arms lol..
  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    the picture of me is @ 160 pounds 6 pounds lless the i am right now..and i dont look much different.. i carry most my weight in legs but thighs..so basically i have been going to gym last few days and using the machines..we dont have trainers in our gym..so thats why i need a little help..what should i be lifting..to feel a burn where it gets hard to left kind of resistence
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
    What worked for me (@ 5'6" 160-180lbs) is to listen to your body. Set a general goal - try out that spreadsheet/google doc in the link I shared above. Once you input all your measurements, weight, height, activity minutes, it will give you a good idea of how many carbs/proteins/fat you need a day. If you burn more cals than you intended, eat more. .5 lbs of loss per week is definitely slower but more realistic and obtainable than going gusto for 2lbs a week. If you aren't already doing it, use a tape measure for progress instead of the scale... Weigh once a month after your cycle to see if you need to make modifications.

    How do you feel when you work out? Are you able to complete your workouts in full? The reason I ask is I would think eating more than 160 carbs per day would be beneficial.. particularly if you run/jog in addition to weight lifting. I would definitely take up the recommendation of starting a program such as New Rules Of Weight Lifting for Women or Stronglifts 5x5. Forget the machines at the gym and head into the weights area if there is one at your gym. I can't tell you what weight to really start at, that is all very individual.. one can start doing 90lbs squats while another can lift more or less.
  • WhoHa42
    WhoHa42 Posts: 1,270 Member
    okay can you look at my diet..im eating like 160 in protien..and about that in carbs..i did my bmr..and it told me to minuse 500 cal.. which brings me to 1800 calories.. my password is beautiful

    dont forget im 5 10 i have broad shoulders..im not pwetite so i def dont want huge arms lol..

    160 protein is good, you want about 1g per pound of bodyweight (0.6-0.8 to be exact)

    I haven't looked at your diary but a good rule of thumb is less than 30% from fats and the rest of your calories from carbs

    You should be trying to work all of your muscles, not just the areas that you hold fat, because you can't spot reduce. This means you have to lose total body fat not just in one area.

    You want to focus on compound movements (moving at more than one joint) with either a barbell, dumbbell, or even body weight to start (only if you aren't strong enough yet to use the other two). try to get between 8 and 12 reps on each set.

    If you want some more specific answers feel free to PM me some questions.
  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    thanks guys ill try that out ;]
  • breasyd2
    breasyd2 Posts: 32
    Get the book Body for Life. It will tell you exactly what to do and it works amazingly well for both men and women. You will get cut without bulking up.
  • chirosche
    chirosche Posts: 66 Member
    The following program by Jim Wendler is the most powerful you can find:

    http://www.amazon.com/Simplest-Effective-Training-Strength-Edition/dp/B00686OYGQ/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
  • WhoHa42
    WhoHa42 Posts: 1,270 Member
    The following program by Jim Wendler is the most powerful you can find:

    http://www.amazon.com/Simplest-Effective-Training-Strength-Edition/dp/B00686OYGQ/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

    I've heard awesome things about 5/3/1

    Solid program.
  • Magddaa1
    Magddaa1 Posts: 20
    well i tried filling out that spreadsheet..but wow i dont even understand hal of what it means..im a greenhorn..i feel a burn with my lifting so ill continue and see what happens with eating the 1800 cal..cause it said i should be eating 1500..another said 1700..i dont know what to eat lol
  • grecogab90
    grecogab90 Posts: 77 Member
    bump
  • epigirrl
    epigirrl Posts: 54 Member
    Tagging for reference

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