cmeiron Member

If it was me, I'd buy my own set of 2.5lb-ers and bring them to the gym...it's such a small weight it wouldn't cost very much at all; you're likely to find it hard to go up in 10 lb increments on some of the lifts...

Doing everything right, and comparably to a man, a woman can expect to put on about 1/2 the amount of muscle in the same amount of time. You guys have the benefit of testosterone. Same as for a guy, if you gain weight too quickly, a greater proportion of it is going to be fat, so we need to put weight on more slowly…

Stop focusing so much on eating "clean" and "good" and focus more on your calorie intake. People who cut out all the treats and foods they usually enjoy, and/or those who undereat by restricting their calories too much tend to eventually fall off the wagon and "binge" because that kind of restrictive mindset is not…

lol women bulkers of mfp unite! :drinker:

QFT. I'm finding it pretty bizarre how many people are operating on the strange belief that a bunch of us are walking around with parasites and somehow not aware of the fact.

I was going to say something along these lines. When I joined MFP two years ago, my goal was "lose weight". I've had that goal in the past and never managed to keep the weight off once I lost it, because the goal was met and then...well, like you I felt there was nothing to focus on anymore. This time around, in addition…

Bumping for my FL because awesome and because I want everybody to read your list of reasons for your success. :drinker:

There's a group here for women who are bulking that you might want to check out : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/16930-women-who-bulk Women have a harder time gaining muscle and an easier time gaining fat, unfortunately. Bulking can be a bit of a slower process for us as a result. The 1 lb/week recommendation…

Just wanted to clarify something for you...your BMR is your basal metabolic rate - what your body would burn if you spent all day lying down in bed doing absolutely nothing, so basically just the energy needed to carry out basic bodily/organ functions. Your TDEE includes your BMR, and what you burn doing exercise (which…

*slow clap* :drinker:

Ooooh, right, forgot about that paper and the higher range recommendation. Well, I was close :tongue: I'm getting about 1.15g/lb so not too far off from ideal.

Actually, that's not what I said at all...I don't agree with this statement. Too much of CALORIES will convert to fat. He could eat the 330g of protein a day if he wanted to, but a) it's hard to do and b) he probably doesn't need to in order to build muscle. But he could, and it wouldn't put fat on unless he was eating…

^ this.

I agree that low bf% is the key to revealing abs, but if one were to really work their abs while bulking (progressive loading, eating at a surplus), could one not increase their size? And then at a subsequent cut they could "pop" a little more easily?

QFT

The numbers I usually see recommended (and those that I use for myself) are based on body weight, not a percentage of intake - doing the latter isn't so bad on a cut but on a bulk it's ridiculous. Try 1-1.2g protein/lb bw and a minimum of .35g fat / lb bw. Fill the rest with carbs, or more protein/fat, depending on your…

Great post! Bumping for my FL :) I've been weight training for a year but exclusively at home, until this week, when I made my first foray into a free weight section of the gym. I was the only woman there. It was exhilarating!!! There's nothing to fear. :D

:laugh: FIFY :bigsmile: :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: Yay! This is awesome! This just goes to show how much of this bulking business is a mind game. I find that doing bro-flexes in the mirror puts me in a better mood :tongue:

No sh-t! Novel idea: eat real food? Food you enjoy? Different kinds of food with ... flavor? Dude, you don't have to eat chicken and broccoli and sweetbrotatoes all day erry day to meet your goals. I'm not sure whether you're bulking or cutting - actually it makes no difference. Hit your protein macro (1 g/lb bw) and get…

Giiiiirl, I'm calling you out: Sound familiar? :tongue:

Are you still eating at a caloric deficit? If so, then most of the gains and size changes can simply be attributed to water being stored in your muscles as they repair (and also to normal weight fluctuations). The hunger is definitely par for the course - you may actually find that the lifting allows you to eat a little…

This. My guess is that you're also not weighing your food. When you have so little to lose, small miscalculations or incorrect estimates can have a significant impact on your progress. The last 5-10 lbs don't come off quickly or easily. Also, I'm guessing your HRM estimates are off by quite a bit - they usually…

This sort of thing IS common with arthropods (insects, etc.), and yeah, it's hella-cool. Here's one insect-parasite system I'm studying that shows a similar kind of mind-control: http://thebuggeek.com/2011/11/30/mind-controlling-beetle-parasite/ It's awwwwesome. (But has nothing to do with humans :P)

While there are some worm-like and single-celled organisms that can infect humans, the vast majority are extraordinarily rarely encountered in developed countries. There is some evidence that certain parasites can affect or modify human behaviour, but certainly not in the way that you're suggesting. Long story short: you…

WOW! It looks like you've lost a TON around your hips/midsection...amazing progress! :D

They have calories, so they're not "free". I usually eat a couple hundred calories in veg every day. If it has calories, it should go in your diary.

If this amount of exercise is fairly new to you, or if some of those activities are new, you can expect some soreness for the first couple of weeks as your body adjusts to the new demands. It should go away. Fatigue is a different thing though. To combat/avoid that, especially with that amount of activity, it's going to be…

One other thing: if you're lifting be sure to give yourself a day off in between lifting days so your muscles can actually recover and repair - it's important. It's fine to do cardio on those "off" days, though.

Lift weights to retain muscle, drop body fat to reveal the muscles. If you're dropping fat (eating at a deficit) you should also drop weight, though you may see an initial increase in weight from water retention if you're just starting out on a new lifting program.

The TDEE approach is a good idea - I'm a fan. Also, you could simply carry on as you are, while closely monitoring your performance levels, how you feel, how you're sleeping, energy levels, etc., and your weight. If you're feeling crappy, weak, tired, cranky and/or if you are dropping weight faster than you want to (yes,…