sgthaggard Member

Buy your beef locally! Unless you're in Alberta. Then don't. :wink:

I'm 43, 5'6" and 120lbs. I'm currently at my goal weight and wouldn't mind gaining a bit as long as it's muscle.

I'll second that. Luckily, I have a good instructor in the family. :wink:

Almond milk has less calcium, more fat, and less protein that skim milk. I'm lactose intolerant but it's cheaper for me to buy skim Lactaid and reap the nutritional benefits than to buy almond milk.

How is your BMR going to fit into that equation?

Great advice.

I'm trying to build muscle so, yes, I watch my micros to ensure that I'm getting adequate protein. You also have to decide whether you're doing this to simply lose weight or to be healthy. Of course, in terms of weight, a calorie is a calorie, but in terms of health, a broccoli calorie are far superior to a twinkie calorie.

I love food too. That's why I work out - so I can eat what I want and still lose inches. Don't get me wrong, I like vegetables, but I know that if I feel deprived, I won't stick to it. Just an aside, though - 5'8" at 118lbs would put you in the underweight category.

Unless it's a rare tuna steak or, rarer still, sushi, it all tastes like fish flavoured sawdust to me. Sorry, I've got nothing.

Holy crap - you did a great job!

Pretty much. Thankfully, I seem to be aching in different places. Today, it's my hip flexors. Gotta love those squats. :ohwell:

I use the one at my gym that I can set to keep a more or less steady heart rate. I set it for 150 and it adjusts the intensity to maintain that. Typically, I do 30 - 40 minutes with a 5 minute cool down. I agree with the others - hang in there.

I've just started this programme and I'm already seeing results. In terms of other exercise - I do cardio (typically in the form of running) 2 times a week on top of the days that I lift. I'm 5'6" as well, 23.8% BF and 120 lbs. Currently, I've got my calories set to approx 1400 but I eat back as much as possible.

If you are getting deep enough into your squat (and yes, you need to turn your toes out to do this), chances are you are going to feel it in your hip flexors.

When you say you are on Workout A, does that mean you aren't alternating with Workout B?

I do. I manually changed mine to 120.

I just finished my first four workouts and I'm squatting and deadlifting 45lbs. I'm 5'6" and 120lbs.

I would also suggest changing up your cardio. After doing the elliptical 5 times a week, 45 minutes at a time for 2 months, I would imagine that your body has gotten very efficient at it. Efficiency means that you are burning fewer calories doing the same thing. Try the treadmill. Try the stationary bikes. Do something…

When I run on the treadmill, it asks me my weight and that's it. My HRM takes into account my weight, my height and the fact that I'm a woman. I'm going to go with the estimates my HRM provides every single time.

:laugh: I'm unwilling to buy a whole new summer wardrobe at the end of the season (a whole lot can happen before next June) so I had to buy a belt to keep my shorts from pooling around my ankles. Somewhere in the past few months, I misplaced my *kitten*.

It's nice to get some external affirmation, isn't it? At our gym, there seem to be a good number of serious women lifters. I'll never be a stand out.

I do 6km/h for walking and 9km/hr for running.

Thanks for all of the advice! I waited until yesterday to do my Workout B and I feel fantastic today - a bit tight but nothing like this past week. I'm hoping that I'll be fine after I do Workout A again tomorrow.

I recovered from the first workout (Stage 1, Workout A) - holy crap did I hurt after that. I did the second yesterday (Workout B) and, while I'm a bit tight, I feel fabulous. Back to Workout A again tomorrow.

Because MFP has already set you up with a calorie deficit (1250 calories). If you ate that and didn't do a lick of exercise, presumably, you would still lose a pound a week. Burning 1000 calories and eating 1250 calories would give you net calories of 250. I'm a fairly small female and I wouldn't be able to survive on that.

I agree.

Old rules for men, yes. New for women who have been traditionally told to lift light with higher reps so that the don't hulk out.

I just started. I'm fully expecting to gain some (nice, firm muscle) weight over the course of the programme. I've resolved to stay of the scale for the next few months.

To me, it's an essential part of my fitness.

No, I'm definitly not toughing it out - I'll get a better second workout if I have recovered a full range of motion.