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2009/06/26, 12:41 PM
So I know how good it is for me as a 26 year old woman to lift weights, etc. I love that I have so much definition now compared to when I had a beer gut and "skinny-fat arms" instead of a nice booty and abs lol. But my bf keeps pushing me to lift more and more weights and I feel like I'm starting to look bulky even though I don't take supplements, steroids, and usually no protein shakes. It's gotton to the point where I can bench press with 25lb weights on either side for 10 reps (and this is when I've already been lifting for half an hour). My traps are pretty large and I can't wear halter tops anymore because they make my shoulders look so broad and masculine. Not to mention my calves are so big that I can forget about wearing skinny leg jeans...I tried on a pair last night that were too big for my waist but I couldn't get the lower part of the pant legs over my calves. Then to top it off, some random guy in my apartment complex parking lot saw me walking my dog and said that my calves were so big it looked like I could jump over one of the cars. Soooo...is there any way I can try to "girlify" my figure while still maintaining nice definition? Also any suggestions on weight limits I should top off at so I don't keep turning into Ms. Muscle Bulk? LOL...I want the Jessica Biel look, not the body-builder look!
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2009/06/26, 12:51 PM
What does your diet look like? Usually in order to build a lot of muscle, you have to lift heavy, and take in well more calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight. Not to mention that women have a drastically lower amount of testosterone in their bodies which also further prevents huge muscle gain.
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2009/06/26, 01:13 PM
During the week I rarely eat more than 1500 calories/day. Here's my usual diet for the week:
Breakfast: cold cereal (maybe 3/4 or 1 cup, 110-130 calories/serving) with skim milk, or one packet of low-sugar instant oatmeal with skim milk
Lunch: turkey sandwich (2-4 slices deli turkey depending on how thick they are) on low calorie bread, mustard only as a sauce, 1 cup of 100 calorie yoplait yogurt
snack: 1 fiber granola bar (140 calories)
dinner: baked chicken, a handful of wheat thins, salad with low fat cheese and fat free dressing
On the weekends I tend to splurge. Then occasionally during the week I'll have things that I go to (friend's bday, etc) but I'll have a chicken sandwich with no fries so it's still not TOO terrible.
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2009/06/26, 03:51 PM
"On the weekends I tend to splurge."
That could be your problem. With diet we have to go all the way all the time. I am not a believer in cheat days as it sets back all the hard work we do the other days. Just my two cents.
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Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.
Ivan (GO HABS GO!)
Montreal Canada (City of Festivals)
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2009/06/26, 10:24 PM
I agree with Ivan 100% about cheating. Have a cheat meal, not a cheat day. You could use some protein in the morning. from what I could discern, you're eating only about 600 calories throughout the day, and eating a bigger dinner at night?
Here's an old saying that holds true: "Breakfast like a king. Lunch like a prince. Dinner like a pauper".
It may be possible that you are restricting your calories too much during the day. Or that you just aren't getting enough period. How much do you weigh?
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2009/06/29, 11:22 AM
I probably weigh around 125-130lbs right now, I'm 5'4". I'm still the same size as I was when I was 120lbs, so I think that though I know I've gained some bodyfat a lot of that gain must be muscle. When I was 130lbs before I started working out/dieting I was 2 sizes bigger than I am now.
Yea I should definitely cut back on my splurging on the weekends.
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2009/06/30, 01:58 PM
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Quoting from rachsmith82:
I probably weigh around 125-130lbs right now, I'm 5'4". I'm still the same size as I was when I was 120lbs, so I think that though I know I've gained some bodyfat a lot of that gain must be muscle. When I was 130lbs before I started working out/dieting I was 2 sizes bigger than I am now.
Yea I should definitely cut back on my splurging on the weekends.
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Try eating in the range of 1500-1700 calories a day, with protein accounting for 40-50% of those calories. That should put you on track for weight loss, especially if the weight that you gained was from lean muscle mass. It's not uncommon to put some muscle on during that "magic window" when you start into fitness, but you won't continue to gain mass unless you eat a volume of calories that supports those continuous gains.
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