2012/02/21, 09:10 AM
(Edited:
xelrae
- 2012/02/21, 09:13 AM)
I am at a total loss regarding my workout program..
As of today, I am at my prefered weight which is 68-69 kg (which is the standard weight I should be in). Problem is, I have lots of body fat. Now, my problem is how to approach losing the fat through workout and diet. Should I try to lose weight, and then eat right and get back to 68-69kg? I really don't have any idea as to what kind of workout program I should be doing. I really need help. THanks!!
Bottomline is, I really don't know if I should lose, gain, or maintain my weight. I just want to get healthy and lean.
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2012/02/21, 11:19 AM
Greetings and welcome, Xelrae,
For your situation, I wouldn't try to lose any weight. I'd start with slowly changing your diet, though, and I'd definitely start a fitness plan. The first thing you'll want to do is start reading lables. I'd also really recommend starting a food log. If you write down what you eat, how much of it you eat, and familiarize yourself with the nutritional data of what you eat, you'll put yourself in a position to tune your diet to something that not only keeps your energy levels up, but helps your body to burn off the fat. If you then combine that with a workout, you'll replace the fat you burn with muscle.
Please keep in mind that I'm neither a fitness trainer nor a dietician, so please make sure you check with people who are trained in these fields if you have any questions, and you should usually speak with a doctor before you start changing your diet and exercise routines. That said, I'd probably recommend a diet where you go heavy on the protein for about 6 weeks, and slowly start to move to a diet that's either even or a little bit heavier in carbs than protein. Carbohydrates are what your muscles get their energy from. Protein is what your body needs to build muscle. So essentially, you'll be starting a diet with low carbs and fat, hight in the protein and fresh fruits and vegetables. At the same time, I'd start off on a circuit training program to start building the lean muscle you're looking for. As your body starts to pack on muscle and your metabolism starts to speed up, you'll find that you're turning a bit sluggish and that's due to the low carbs. You'll bring the carb levels back up to where you've got enough energy to do your workouts, and the muscle will be substantial enough at that point to continue burning fat.
A few words here on workouts. The circuit plan is something I highly recommend for folks who are looking for all-around fitness, lean muscle, or exercise endurance. Rather than focusing on building muscle, the circuit training programs tend to have more emphasis on lighter weights and longer exercises, with elevated heart rates that push your cardio vascular system. These workouts really burn the calories, and that's what you'll want if you're looking to lose fat.
I would also encourage you to do some form of cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes, 4 times a week. This can be anything that gets your heart pumping at 65% - 70% of your max heart rate. Please don't quote me on that, it's a ballpark figure, and every body has its own needs. You can use the information here on freetrainers to calculate your body mass index (BMI), your max and minimum heart rate, which will tell you what you need to shoot for. There are also great articles here about diets and nutrition as well, so be sure to check those out.
Good luck, and again, welcome to the community!
-Herald
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2012/02/21, 09:56 PM
Wow, thanks for the reply. It really answered my questions and also the ones that im about to right now.
One question though, how do i measure the amount of carbs and/or protein that i eat? Should i be the one to make my own food to keep track of my protein and carb intake? Thanks again!!!
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2012/02/22, 01:59 PM
Hi Xelrae,
In cases where you live with someone else, you can ask them if they wouldn't mind weighing/measuring the ingredients and letting you know how much of each item they prepare. Alternatively, there are websites that will track what you eat based on a general food, like "ham sandwich" that assume a certain preparation (E.G. 1 tblsp mayonnaise, 2 slices tomato, 2 leaves lettuce, 3 oz. ham, 2 slices wheat bread) and will give you a daily nutiritional count. (see the choosemyplate.gov super tracker website hosted by the US Department of Agriculture, for example).
If you do live alone or have the chance to prepare your own food, I'd recommend doing so as opposed to eating at a restaurant or a cafeteria. I'd also avoid boxed food or mixes if at all possible (E.G. box of pasta with a powder sauce component, where you just add milk/butter). You want to make as much of your food from scratch or fresh ingredients as possible. This is far easier for your stomach to digest, and it contains far fewer preservatives and fillers that your body simply doesn't need. You'll find you have a lot more energy from a lot less food if you do this. If you must eat at a restaurant, try and choose things that are mostly fresh food, such as salads or meats/fishes with as little sauce as possible. Also avoid starchy items like mashed potatoes. Baked potatoes are fine, as long as you avoid lots of sour cream, butter, cheese, bacon, etc.
Hope that helps!
-Herald
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2012/02/23, 09:18 AM
Thanks again, heraldstorm.
I have another question. I don't know what to do. I think that I'm burning more than what I'm taking in. Is there a specific number of calories burned per exercise? Or should I just estimate? If so, How? Thanks!!
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2012/02/23, 01:13 PM
Well, by far the easiest way to tell how many calories you're buring is to get a heart monitoring device. I use my Android phone, a Zephyr brand bluetooth heart monitor and chest strap, and an app called sportstracklive (I think its like $6/US). I really like it, it's a great setup. If that doesn't work for you, you can usually find some good heart monitors from Garmin or Orbit Fitness...Google is your friend on that one.
Essentially what you're looking for is the ability to put in your age, your weight, and your resting heart rate. The device will use that to calculate the various zones that place your body into different states of consuming oxygen and creating energy. This would be something like a light-cardio zone, an aerobic zone, an anaerobic zone, and then you'll hit your max recommended heart rate. This ranges from 130-200+ heartbeats per minute depending on your age. Not only does a heart monitor keep you exercising at a healthy level, you can watch yourself progress in fitness levels. You can also calculate the same information yourself, and I think there are articles here at freetrainers that help you do it.
One of the added benefits of these types of devices is that they calculate your calorie burn based on the information you give the device.
If you workout at a gym, you can use some of the cardio equipment there to do the same thing, but its a bit awkward trying to keep your hands on the pads while you walk or run on a treadmill. Exercise bikes are a bit better, but staying in the same position on the bike to keep your hands in the right place can make you a bit "saddle sore". Orbit does make a chest strap that will transmit your heart rate information to the exercise bike, if the exercise bike supports it. You'll want to talk to the training facility to find that out.
Another great thing about the heart monitor devices is that you can wear them while you lift weights and move around...you can even take them on a mountain bike ride or a jog in the park, and you're not tethered to anything. You really can tell when you're lifing those weights. The line on the graph shoots straight up for a while, and slowly comes back down to normal. Then, simply write down or upload/download the information from the device and you can log your workouts. If you'd like to see what my stuff looks like, the following URL is to my most recent walk on a treadmill at the gym yesterday.
http://www.sportstracklive.com/track/detail/herald/Running-treadmill/wellness/504191
You can click on the heart rate link at the top of the graph to see how my zones are currently being broken out based on my age, weight, and resting heart rate. You'll also note that it gives me the total number of calories burned in the stats at the bottom.
Admittedly, I haven't really looked around to see if there are websites that give approximate numbers of calories burned. A lot of it depends on your specific body statistics, so I'm not sure how accurate such a thing would be. If you do find something, though, post it here so others can benefit from your knowledge!
Hope that helps!
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2012/02/24, 11:42 AM
BIg, big help. Thanks heaps!
I got a couple more questions, if you don't mind..
I started using the workout program provided in this website, but then I noticed that every workout day has core/abs workout. Aren't my abs supposed to have a rest day every other day like all the other muscle groups that I train every day? Why should I do it every day?
Also, I don't quite understand as to how much calories should I take. Should I take the regular amount of calories (based on age, weight, height, etc.) per day and work out, or should I take more than the usual to get lean muscle?
I bought why gold standard the other day and I started drinking it a while ago right after my workout. My question is, how often should I drink this, and how many scoops? Im quite confused because theres no instructions or directions of some sort on the box..
Thanks!!
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2012/02/24, 12:54 PM
(Edited:
heraldstorm
- 2012/02/24, 12:56 PM)
How often should you exercise abs? Well that really depends on many things. Abdominal muscles are muscles, just like anything else. If you work your abs really intensely, chances are you'll get a lot of lactic acid buildup, and maybe even DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). Essentially, your abs will be sore, and working them any further the next day or two will produce no beneficial result. If you have a low intensity workout, you can work out more frequently. A low intensity workout generates toned lean muscle. A high intensity workout generates larger fattier muscle. If you want your stomach and ribs to look like a washboard, you probably want high intensity. If you want your abs to look like ravioli, then you probably want low intensity. There is no right answer...it all depends on your goals and how you feel.
As for calories, this all comes from a log (remember I recommended you keep a log). You're not overweight, so the number of calories you're eating now should be maintained, if not increased a little to avoid weight loss. What you should do is modify your diet to a high protein diet. For really packing on the muscle, you want to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 185 lbs (not kilos), then you want 185 grams of protein. Carry this over to your protein supplement. Calculate how much protein you're eating every day, and supplement the rest with a protein shake. Rule of thumb is to have a protein supplement in place of a snack or light meal, up to two shakes a day. Once right after your workout, regardless, and one instead of a snack or light meal. Generally, one scoop will provide you a full serving as shown on the nutrition label, usually containing about 20 grams of protein. (about 2 tablespoons or so). But be careful...those shakes also have calories too, and can impact your daily calorie counts.
Good luck!
-Herald
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2012/02/24, 08:40 PM
(Edited:
@ft@d_124774
- 2012/02/24, 08:49 PM) xelrae
Thanks again, heraldstorm.
I have another question. I don't know what to do. I think that I'm burning more than what I'm taking in. Is there a specific number of calories burned per exercise? Or should I just estimate? If so, How? Thanks!!
Calories burned by exercise
http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm
calories required by weight
http://www.positivehealthsteps.com/calories/daily-required.shtml
Avoid processed food. Avoid sugar. Learn the difference in complex carbs and simple carbs.A potato is entirely different nutritionally from a sweet potato. You need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight if your inactive and 1.5 or more if you;re active. Learn the difference in good fats and bad. It takes a bit of research to figure it out. Sounds like you can make minor changes in your diet and be fine since you aren't far off your proper weight.
What equipment do you have access to?
Those charts are age specific. It helps if you fill out your profile and give us a bit of info to go on.
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2012/02/25, 12:46 AM
xelrae
BIg, big help. Thanks heaps!
I got a couple more questions, if you don't mind..
I started using the workout program provided in this website, but then I noticed that every workout day has core/abs workout. Aren't my abs supposed to have a rest day every other day like all the other muscle groups that I train every day? Why should I do it every day?
Also, I don't quite understand as to how much calories should I take. Should I take the regular amount of calories (based on age, weight, height, etc.) per day and work out, or should I take more than the usual to get lean muscle?
I bought why gold standard the other day and I started drinking it a while ago right after my workout. My question is, how often should I drink this, and how many scoops? Im quite confused because theres no instructions or directions of some sort on the box..
Thanks!!
---You can't do anything without your abs Abs are the only muscle group that can and should be worked every workout day. I do weighted crunches 2x per week and high rep ab exercises between 2 and 4 on additional days. You can beat your abs pretty hard. I think it's good to work the lower back the same way. Look up back hyper extensions and do them in combination with abs. The theory is push pull. Working abs and doing back hypers are push pull movements. Make sense?
As long as you are working out eat the same every day. Muscle grows at rest, not while working. If you use a protein supplement it works best if you mix and drink it within a few minutes after lifting. Mix it, drink half really quickly and then sip the rest for 15 minutes.
A good protein has 35 grams of protein per scoop. Any more and you're wasting it. Your body can't absorb much more than that. Be sure you look at overall calories and include that in your daily count. Additionally, plain old cottage cheese is a good protein source and it's slow release. So eat some just before bedtime and it will release all night.
I think that getting as much protein through whole foods is a better choice. We had a legume last night. A cup has 16 grams of protein, some good carbs and only 180 calories per cup. I had 2 cups, 8 ozs of lean meat, cole slaw and that way exceeds 35 grams. I also had green beans, squash and onions. I doubt that meal added up to 600 calories and it was packed with good nutrition. Fat was minimal.
You can find calorie counters on line but we find a book to be more complete and easier.
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2012/02/25, 12:55 AM
Can't edit a long message so let me add a few more opposites to ab exercises that complete the push pull idea I mentioned; supermans, half superman, straight leg dead lift [ dumbbells or barbells. Just do about the same amount to your lower back as you do to your abs.
Another example of push pull is to do curl exercises and triceps extensions in different forms. In my workout now, I do seated curls and hammer curls with dumbbells. I alternate with dumbbell kickbacks and some type of overhead triceps extension to offset the curls.
avoid chicken legs. Ask me how and I'll write back. Bedtime, nite.
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