From a size 20 to a size 8 with strength training, in one year! PICS!

Nnekaschild wrote: »

Hey GenElizabeth. Well done on your achievement. You look fabulous!!

I am currently aiming for 1300 cals a day with minimum 120g protein and maximum 100g carbs.

I am stuck for meal ideas and have found that to hit my macros I need to eat A LOT of chicken breast, skinless white fish and vegetables.

What were your staple foods for sticking to your 1300 calories a day? I need to get inventive.

Thanks

Greek yogurt is AMAZING and something I eat on a regular basis, then and now. Chobani Simply 100's are my favorite at 100 calories each, 12g of protein and only 14 carbs with 5g of FIBER! They are perfect for curbing my sweet cravings. Chicken breast and broccoli was also a huge one for me. I also like Nature's Own Whole Wheat bread. No high fructose corn syrup, like most breads have and only 9 carbs and 60 calories per slice! I use that for an occasional PB&J or turkey sandwiches. Eggs are great also, if you can eat them (I almost can't so I eat them with a TON of pepper, lol).

I would suggest also finding a good quality, protein supplement. I use Orgain in chocolate, Vega in vanilla and Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, on different days. All have reasonable carbs, some almost none!! and are decent on calories - 100-150 per serving or so.

I did A LOT of experimenting to find what I liked and what worked for me before I found a day to day routine that I could stick with consistently. I hope you find success as well. Best of luck!

joemac59 wrote: »

Hi, congrats you look great!!!! I am 47 yrs young and have just started strength training. I began my journey in March 2014. Height 5'6" SW 230 CW 143. I am at goal weight now not sure if I will lose more with the strength training really not concerned with weight loss at this point. I need to work on developing lean muscle as I have not worked on that during my weight loss. I am struggling to get my protein to 60 gms a day and have been told I should get it over 100. I am having difficulty with that. I normally eat about 3 servings of fruit a day, 2-3 servings of fresh vegetables, and only one serving of bread, pasta, or potato a day, and have pretty much stopped eating dairy products. Can you give me some suggestions to increase my protein that worked for you. I look a little scrawny, especially in upper body. My chest and back are bony, I am now in a size 6 and cannot afford to lose any more muscle. I wouldn't mind going down a size if I had a muscular body like you do. I want to look healthy not skinny. Any suggestions I would appreciate. Thanks

Your diet sounds great! However, if you don't eat a lot of animal products (meat and dairy), then it may be a bit more challenging to get over 100g of protein in daily but can still be done. Veggies, believe it or not, do contain a fair amount of protein and are low calorie, which means you can eat a TON of them. For me, that was my challenge. I could not eat enough veggies to get the protein in that I needed. I juiced on occasion and that helped though but it was quite messy and got a bit expensive so I don't do it regularly but one certainly could! Given they are getting the recommended 20-30g of fiber from other sources..

I would suggest you find a good protein supplement that you like. Orgain and Vega are plant based protein powders that I use also. Just be sure to consume 20-30g of protein POST workout and 15g or more, every few hours also when eating. Protein does not store up in our bodies like fats and carbs do so it's important to refill it every few hours.

Protein supplements are almost a MUST. They provide vitamins and nutrients that are often lost when eating on a calorie deficit for a long period of time and can give you an extra 20-50g of protein a day. Hope that helps!

indianarose2 wrote: »

Congratulations!! What a blessing!! Prayers for a smooth move and healthy pregnancy! You are in such a great position for a strong healthy pregnancy and postpartum should be much easier since you are in such good shape. Google Lindsey Brin / Moms into fitness. She is such a great example of someone who bounces back physically after pregnancy. Again what a blessing! So happy for you!

Thank you so much!! I will def look her up. I appreciate it, thanks again.

pippypuppy wrote: »

Was having a self pity day today after having jumped on the scales only to find it has gone up even though a near perfect week food/exercise wise.

When I scrolled thru your thread I thought 'oh here we go again, another success story going from flab to fab'. It wasn't until I viewed your video which explained the weight gain. I'm sitting here in tears thankful for you sharing your story. Your story blows my self-pity day out of the water in a good way.

If I were to rewrite this post with a few words, all I'd say is.........

'Thank you!'

You are VERY welcome! Hang in there, we all have those days.

gymth0ttie wrote: »

You are doing an amazing job! You look like a real body builder!

Thank you!! For me, that is the ultimate compliment. And although I am newly pregnant, I still plan to compete in a fitness competition show in 2017 after things wind down. I was going to do my first one next month but God has a different plan for me right now and that's ok! I am still looking forward to it for sure later on, in another year or two though!

Spent some time updating my personal website that I made, in hopes it may motivate someone else to start their journey as well. Hope you guys check it out! You can also make a website for free yourself!!!

http://genesiaelizabeth.wix.com/journey-to-fitness