sarahsamuels82 Member

Thanks. I log everything on here and weigh my foods etc. I too would expect my maintenance to be a bit higher, but perhaps I'm not seeing results as I tend to relax a bit too much on the weekends, if I'm to be totally honest.

No I never really felt hungry. I would just wake up and not be able to sleep. Just felt wide awake! It's only really when I read up on it that the penny dropped. Something to do with the adrenal gland and cortisol. Do you wake with a racing mind? Or is it just 'oh look I'm awake again' ?

You don't have to do any cardio. When done correctly, you will get a huge cardio benefit from weight training alone. I only ever use cardio if I've eaten way too much

It's a good idea to add something each workout - either more weight (just a small bit) or another rep/set. It's called progressive overload if you want to google it, loads of info about :smile: I would recommend having a look at some programmes online. Some good ones here: 5x5 strong lifts Aworkoutroutine.com Starting…

Had terrible sleep problems for a double of months this year. After trying quite a few things, I actually put it down to not eating enough. When your body gets too low on blood sugar, it causes your stress hormones to spike in the middle of the night (and therefore wake you up). Increased my calories - problem solved! If…

If you do hiit properly then doing it 7 days a week isn't necessary. It is definitely possible but it will be very hard on your body. Id say 30 mins is also too long if you are just starting out with it. Try 10 mins first. If you're doing weights, depending on the intensity, then doing 30 mins hiit afterwards would also be…

If they don't feel hard, you are definitely not lifting heavy enough :) Try switching to low reps and upping the weight.

I know the feeling @danicherrick ! For me, what works is to allow myself a weekly cheat meal. It does require discipline not to let it be a 'cheat weekend', but having a pizza (albeit a small one) each week keeps me sane. Also make sure that your calories aren't set too low so that you are constantly craving rubbish. It is…

The reason that your weight loss slows down is that your body 1) Get used to your new lifestyle and adjusts your metabolism accordingly 2) You are lighter now and so you generally use less energy to do the same things as when you were heavier I too get frustrated with slow progress, but I am just 4-5lb away from my goal…

Don't over think things, as long as your body is hydrated - regardless of the temperature of the water etc, that's the main thing. Personally, I take a 2 litre bottle of water with me every day to work, and aim to have half of it gone by lunch, and then drink every hour or so. I usually end up having at least 3 litres…

Personally I use macros of around 35% Carbs, 35% protein and 30% fat, but what works for me may not work for everyone - it is trial and error. I find MFP estimates your calories a bit on the low side though - try using this calculator instead and then manually update your goals:…

2 weeks isn't a plateau as such, but I would be frustrated too if I didn't lose for 2 weeks. I recently broke through a 6 week plateau with the following steps: 1. Checked my calorie intake - turns out I was only eating 1000-1100. As I exercise regularly, I increased to 1450 per day and got the scales moving again! Your…

I don't log the specifics, but i'll write something like '1 hour strength training at 300 cals' to give me more of a calorie allowance (as I eat more on workout days, so it works out all my macros for me too).

Yeah I saw those too. But apparently they only keep for 3 days Once opened. That's a lot of egg whites in 3 days lol

Ok thank you, will give them a try. I'm guessing they don't taste strange due to the thickener used, no?

No but if I have more than 2 at once then it tends to make me nauseous

Thanks to everyone for all of your advice! You have given me more motivation to meet my goals with a more sensible approach :)

Ok thank you, I appreciate the advice! So for fat loss and just to preserve muscle then, I'm guessing that I just stick to the lower rep ranges to maintain strength. Is that right? And it seems that sticking to the big compound exercises would also be fine?

Thanks everyone. Yes, the HIIT is really only 'intense' for 20 mins i guess, as that time includes a 5 min warm up and cool down. What does 'hypertrophy' mean? Going to try the one cheat night tonight, guess it becomes easier with more practice :)

Ok thank you for the advice! Diet is fine most days, but my cheat meal on a Friday usually turns into a cheat weekend to be completely honest! Would you say just sticking to the compound movements for my lifting is sufficient to preserve my muscle whilst in a calorie deficit? I want to cut out the isolation ones for time…

Ok thanks all. Think I'll stick to just using the whey as it seems to have bcaas in it (didn't think to read the label!).

and would you do that in a fasted state?

Thanks! Yeah have been on low cal diets before, and although i have lost weight this way, i was clearly losing muscle too as i didnt look much different. Def think more protein is the way to go. Going to have a look at uses for egg whites, getting a bit bored of omelettes lol. Also, what about putting flavourless protein…

I too hit a plateau. I switched it to 40 carbs and 30 protein and fat. Have been doing this for two weeks and already seeing results. Only lost a pound a week, but I only have around 7lbs to lose. I'm seeing more Of a difference in the mirror though! :)

Hi there. Have you looked at your nutrition macros, I.e looking at your carbs, proteins and fats? I found that I had stopped losing weight despite running on a 500 deficit and turns out I was eating too many carbs :)

When you say egg whites, do you mean an egg white omelette or raw? Does anywhere in the uk sell egg whites by the bottle? I feel awfully wasteful throwing out all the poor yolks lol :)

I use myprotein impact whey, so quite low cal and low carb but just use it as a supplement to meet my Macros. For some reason though I am put off that it's 'artificial'. Oh well, I will carry on with that as it's an easy peasy 20g! I try my best to meet it from diet alone, but i find it quite hard. Perhaps I should have…

Are these in the US only? I haven't heard of those back in the uk! Mmm would love a cookie

Thanks for the details reply :)

I don't eat a lot of meat u fortunately, I just don't like it. Apart from Chicken and some fish. Is it dangerous to have more than 2 protein shakes In a day?