Will this plan help me reach my goal?

[Cbelle33]

Hi! I'm new here and just wanted to see if I'm on the right track. I'm 5'5, 138-140 lbs, 18 % BF. I hope to get down to low low body fat...not sure what that number is but I'll know it when I see it! Here's the plan:

M - Chest, tris and shoulders
T - cardio (HIIT)
W - Back and bis
Th - Spinning ( I teach)
F - Legs
S - cardio (HIIT)

Eating will be more or less the same day in and day out with some veggie changes:

1 - egg whites and 1 egg, oatmeal with blueberries
2 - myoplex lite shake
3 - chicken breast, br rice, veggies (broccoli usually)
4 - myoplex lite shake
5 - grilled chicken on salad with olive oil and vinegar
6 - myoplex lite shake

Will hitting the body parts only once per week be enough? Also, with that cardio be enough? I know the current wisdom seems to be less is more. Also, whats the general opinion on a cheat meal? I'd like to have one once a week. Thanks alot for the advice in advance!

[fitness_gal]

How old are you? This you forgot to add into your stat info and what is your main accomplishment to lose your bodyfat percentage and be really thin or to gain muscle?

WOW, you've got almost EXACTLY the same stats as me! I'm 5'5" at between 140-142 lbs and 17% body fat. It would be interesting to see photos of someone else at my same stats. Anyway, I haven't been on here much at all lately cause I haven't had time, got a new job and been working long hours. So I usually give a more detailed answer/critique (sorry about that) but I just don't have the time, gotta go get my workout in now and I'm dead tired as it is. But anyway, what I can tell you right off the bat is that you are not consuming enough fat in your meals. Also, I'd chuck the Myoplex Lite crap, it skimps on the protein and adds more carbs instead, as compared to the regular Myoplex, at least if I remember correctly (I used to own a supplement store). Put it this way, there are better options. Anyway, something else that might help you is if you take a look at the diet & training journals I used to keep, they're pretty detailed and may help you out, best I can do for now on such limited time. They're at: http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB5&Number=306214&page=0& view=collapsed&sb=5&o=7&fpart=1

Hope this helps. I'm hoping these long hours are soon overwith and I can get back on Abc to help. I just haven't had any time to help lately. And I do miss it! Welcome to Abc and good luck with your fitness endeavors! Read thru the blue sections at the top if you haven't already, there is a wealth of excellent information there. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Cbelle33]

Sorry, I'm 33 yrs old and have had 2 kids (hence the lovely pooch below my belly button). My goal is to gain muscle and definition and lose the fat. Basically in a dream world, look like a competitor off season.

[fitness_gal]

ARRGG,
Enlarged the screen to get a better look and lost all the important info I put down for ya.
Okay, looks like your diet is clean, except for one thing The lite protein shakes. You should be consuming 138-140grams of Protein on a daily basis or however often you take protein. I myself use EAS Whey Protein (Chocolate) this is sweetened with Stevia. I would use the Vanilla, but I live in Miami Florida where, ironically, fruits are expensive!. I buy a 5lb container that my boyfriend and I share.
We do have one thing in common though, kids. I have had a gut forever, now it is the hardest thing to lose. I now watch my carb intake after my workout. I want to eat the leat amount of carbs as possible, if any, after a workout. I usually just have chicken breast w/lemon squeezed on it. Some orange juice and a Protein Shake after all is said and done and Im ready for bed. I know that Orange Juice has lots of Carbs too, like 26g but it also has the sugar that's needed for an insulin spike. I read somewhere that some body builders drink Kool-Aid, don't know the effects so I havent tried it.
I also have a journal on this site, take a look, I have made some tremendous progress as far as eating habits and excersise goes.

[Cbelle33]

ACtually I do have another question relating to this. You guys seem to know alot of stuff! I've been more or less a typical woman who works out....started out about 5 yrs ago. Lost 60 lbs thru mostly cardio. Started lifting weights but not super seriously. Became an instructor (spinning and aerobics and yoga). Then, thanks to all those classes, got burnt out going to gym on my off time and started working out at home with videos. I have the Firms and Cathe (don't know if you have heard of them) both are very excellent and heavy on the weights, and not wimpy weights either. HOwever, now I think I've taken the home stuff as far as I can go. My barbell only goes up to 40 lbs and my dumbbells up to 20 each.

But thats not my question. As I said, I've been pretty typical and my diet has shown it. I've played around with Body For Life but didnt stick with it, did Weight Watchers, lean cuisines, counting calories, you name it. Mostly all this time (5 years) its been about 1200-1400 calories/day. So just recently (within the last week) I've stopped counting the calories and just ate 6 meals a day, a portion of carbs and proteins at every meal. Basically the meal plan I outlined above. Ok, I've GAINED weight. And its not from gaining muscle. Like I said, I JUST started this eating plus I can SEE that my stomach is more poochy than ever, and my jeans don't fit anymore. Every other time I've upped my calories this has happened and it always sends me running towards the super low calories again. Can anyone explain why this is happening?

How quick did you increase your calories? Like by how much and in what period of time? Also, how did you increase them, via carbohydrates, protein, or fat? When I come off my cutting calories I slowly increase my cals usually via carbohydrates and at first I DID gain a bit of fat but then the next month, I actually GAINED muscle and LOST fat again. So at first your body WILL do that, go up by a few fat percentages but it should level out and you should even lose some fat again while gaining muscle. I went up 3% bodyfat the first month then dropped back down by 1.5% the next month WHILE gaining muscle. So first off make sure you increase your cals slowly then you need to give your body 6-8 weeks to see if it levels off. You are going to put on some fat anytime you are trying to gain muscle. But then it helps you in the long run cause the more muscle you gain the more calories you will burn even at rest. Hope this helps. /forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Cbelle33]

Basically what I did was before I ate anything I wanted (no attention paid to how much proteins or carbs or fat) but I kept the calories to 1200, sometimes even less. Typical "diet". Then rethinking things, I started the basic BFL plan of a portion of carbs/proteins at every meal. This was on Sat I guess. ACtually, I'm still only getting around 1400 calories a day so I havent upped that much. Everyone here seems to be saying at least 1800 if not 2000 a day. Frankly, I can't comprehend eating that much GOOD food, without hitting McDonalds every day. Although I AM hungry thruout the day. I aim for eating every 3 hrs but sometimes barely manage 1.5 hrs.

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: Cbelle33:</font><hr> Basically what I did was before I ate anything I wanted ...<hr /></blockquote>

There's your mistake. That is why you gained fat. Even if you increase your cals to gain muscle you still must eat "clean" to minimize fat gain. Only difference between cutting and bulking is that in bulking you eat MORE of the clean foods and in cutting you eat LESS of those same foods. It can be done. I typically eat 2000 calories when I'm CUTTING! And just to maintain I eat around 2400-2500 calories! And I'm almost the same stats as you are so you oughtta be at least a bit close to my calories as long as your activity level is similar. I can even eat up to 3000 calories if I'm keeping my carbs low enough. I'm maintaining right now again, around 2400 calories and my macronutrient ratio is right around 40%P/25-30%C/30%F.

[Cbelle33]

So you're saying I need to eat MORE (lets say 1800-2000) to lose bodyfat. And I will probably have an initial weight/fat gain for the first month or so doing this, right? Looking at my menu as listed above, what would you recommend adding to it to reach the higher calories? Or just larger portion sizes of what I'm eating?

[hilltowner]

I agree, I didn't lose BF til I ate at least 1600. It really cranked into gear at 1850; I lost 9 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle in the 6 weeks of cycle 3 of BodyRX eating those calories.

Your body has to get the signal that you're not starving before it decides that it's okay to let fat go.

I maintain at 2200 or more, and I'm only 5'2 1/2", 112.

I'd dump 2 of the shakes and eat real food. You won't have any problem eating more calories if you add foods like sweet potatoes, brown rice and oatmeal.

<blockquote><font class="small">Posted by: Cbelle33:</font><hr> So you're saying I need to eat MORE (lets say 1800-2000) to lose bodyfat. And I will probably have an initial weight/fat gain for the first month or so doing this, right? Looking at my menu as listed above, what would you recommend adding to it to reach the higher calories? Or just larger portion sizes of what I'm eating? <hr /></blockquote>

Most likely. Yep. Just eat more clean foods. Altho I haven't had time for the last week or so to keep track of my food and calories, it may help you to look back thru my fitday journal to see what foods I was eating to get that many calories. Keep in mind I'm not cutting so there are some cheat foods included but I generally try to eat clean to maintain. Have a look, perhaps it'll help ya out.

http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/PublicJournals.html?Owner=***********