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  1. #1
    Kim2884 is offline Female Member
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    Need some advice

    Ok, I like to think I basically know what I'm doing when it comes to diet and exercise, but I must be missing something becuz I swear my physique has not changed at all in the last few months. About a year ago, I was 5'5 and about 127lbs...I did no carbs for a few months, lost some belly fat quickly...then slowly reincorporated a moderate amount of fibrous low-GI carbs...right now I'm around 115lbs..not sure of bf%. I've been eating 1200 cals a day, about 100g protein, between 50 and 100g carbs (more on lifting days, less on non-lifting days) and 30-50g of fat (depending on the carb intake). Right now, i'm attempting a 1000cal/day diet in an effort to get rid of a few more lbs. of fat. I lift 3-4 days/week, and do cardio 30 mins. 3 days (gonna bump that up to 4-5 days) and I keep my lifting and cardio sessions separate by at least a few hours if not a full day. I don't eat for about an hour after cardio, and eat protein/fat meals once i do, and eat protein/carb meals after lifting. I usually incorporate 1 cheat day every week or 2 to keep my metabolism going...I've also tried eliminating cheat days for a month...either way, i look the same. Anyone have any suggestions??

  2. #2
    damiongage's Avatar
    damiongage is offline Anabolic Member
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    if you eating 100g of pro and 50 to 100g carbs that equals 600-800 cals. are you eating 45-65g of fat to reach your 1200 cals? Try cardio in the AM for 30-45 min 5-6 days a week. but it seems like your doing it right

  3. #3
    Kim2884 is offline Female Member
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    Yea, my calories are always where they need to be...I just estimated w/the macronutrient amounts. They vary a little day to day, but I'm very consistent with calories...I am gonna try to up the cardio a bit, although there was a time when I was doing cardio 5-6 days a week and still didn't see any results...i'll give it another shot tho.

  4. #4
    Brazy is offline Junior Member
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    i think you need to eat at least 1500 calories a day

    eating less will not cause you to lose fat

  5. #5
    beenie's Avatar
    beenie is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kim2884
    Yea, my calories are always where they need to be...I just estimated w/the macronutrient amounts. They vary a little day to day, but I'm very consistent with calories...I am gonna try to up the cardio a bit, although there was a time when I was doing cardio 5-6 days a week and still didn't see any results...i'll give it another shot tho.
    Have you tried lowering the carbs? You might want to try an Atkins type induction phase for five or six days and see what heppens. Hold it to 20 grams or less carbs. Where you are is really tough. When you are trying to reach a goal sometimes you reach plateaus. I like the low carb thing, and you said you made progress on it before. My guess is that you will make progrsss on it again.

    Also keep up the cardio 45 min 5-6 days as you are doing. It will have a synergistic effect with the low carbs by helping increase you metabolism.
    Last edited by beenie; 01-12-2004 at 08:22 PM.

  6. #6
    bigsd67's Avatar
    bigsd67 is offline Anabolic Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by beenie
    Have you tried lowering the carbs? You might want to try an Atkins type induction phase for five or six days and see what heppens. Hold it to 20 grams or less carbs. Where you are is really tough. When you are trying to reach a goal sometimes you reach plateaus. I like the low carb thing, and you said you made progress on it before. My guess is that you will make progrsss on it again.

    Also keep up the cardio 45 min 5-6 days as you are doing. It will have a synergistic effect with the low carbs by helping increase you metabolism.
    one question beenie....if she was to do an induction phase for atkins, but then go back to eating carbs again would she gain back those few pounds?? i always hear a lot of people saying that once even a few carbs are introed back the pounds come back mostly cuz it was water weight lost to begin with.

  7. #7
    beenie's Avatar
    beenie is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by bigsd67
    one question beenie....if she was to do an induction phase for atkins, but then go back to eating carbs again would she gain back those few pounds?? i always hear a lot of people saying that once even a few carbs are introed back the pounds come back mostly cuz it was water weight lost to begin with.
    Sure, to some extent, but lets look at what you are asking. Here is an extreme example: If you eat 10 big Macs a day and change your eating habbit so that thou eat 2 cups of lettuce instead, you would lose weight -Any reasonable person would agree. Then if you went back to eating 10 big macs a day would your weight come bac? Of course it would.

    My point, that I think she should try to reduce the carbs and do a no carb thing was to see if that is what is that I think she may be ingesting too many carbs to make progress. She will know, one way or another in a few days if she tries this. If it works it means that she was probably taking in too many carbs in the first place - at least that is my suspicion. And to address your question, yes if she loses fat in the first few days and goes back to doing what she was doing before, of course it will come back.

    Just in case you ascribe to the belif that low carb makes you lose water weight only - which is what many nutritionists were sayin a very short time ago - I lost 110 lbs of water weight on it, and I never fever felt hungry. Its actually a decent way of life because there is a lot of protien in it which promotes muscle development. So, I hope she experiments. If she begins to move toward her goal she can reintroduce carbs back, but at a lower level then before. If no carb for 5 or six days doesn't work (which would be surprising to me) then she can try something else.

  8. #8
    Kim2884 is offline Female Member
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    I probably will try to lower carbs again if increasing cardio doesn't work, but I'm a little hesitant to do so becuz #1, I really just hate doing no-carbs and I think there has to be a way to lose some more fat without completely cutting out carbs...and #2, I think my initial fat loss was due more to the fact that i drastically increased my physical activity than the fact that i stopped eating carbs..and I really only saw progress for the first couple weeks..for the last 2 months that i was doing no-carbs, I saw no changes. Hence, why I stopped torturing myself for no reason and reincorporated carbs. ( I didn't gain any weight back when i did this...just stayed the same)...thanx for the input tho...I may end up getting rid of the carbs anyway

  9. #9
    beenie's Avatar
    beenie is offline Senior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kim2884
    I probably will try to lower carbs again if increasing cardio doesn't work, but I'm a little hesitant to do so becuz #1, I really just hate doing no-carbs and I think there has to be a way to lose some more fat without completely cutting out carbs...and #2, I think my initial fat loss was due more to the fact that i drastically increased my physical activity than the fact that i stopped eating carbs..and I really only saw progress for the first couple weeks..for the last 2 months that i was doing no-carbs, I saw no changes. Hence, why I stopped torturing myself for no reason and reincorporated carbs. ( I didn't gain any weight back when i did this...just stayed the same)...thanx for the input tho...I may end up getting rid of the carbs anyway
    That is something like the law of diminishing marginal utility. I know that the first week I did no carbs I lost 10 lbs, the secnd week 7 more, the third week 3 more, etc. In a year I had lost so much that I needed to really lift heavey to get my weight back. I also did the no carb thing for 3 years. I am currently doing a llow carb thing which is somewhat more enjoyale - you might want to try this too add some green leavy veggies, brocolli, cauliflaur. Two or three cups will not kill you as long as you use mostly oil as the dressing - flax seed oil makes a great salad dressing.

    When you do no carb, are you certain you are doing everything correctly Kim? Are you testing with Ketostrips?

    One other thing you may want to onsider is to add ECA stacks - preferably before they become illeagal. Given your body weight you probably want to make them yourself and keep the dosages lower. The stack I do is based on a body weight of 185 or 190. For you, about half that amount should be considered.

  10. #10
    usualsuspect's Avatar
    usualsuspect is offline Anabolic Member
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    Unfortunally, I don't think following a no/low carb diet will be the answer your looking for. Actually I think if anything it will make you 1.) hate dieting and 2.) make you lose too much weight (muscle) to the point when you start re-intoducing carbs to your diet...you'll be right back where you left off. Sadly, this approach has been made famous by some never-exercised-a-day-in-their-life guy named Robert Atkins and for some unknown reason is sweeping across the nation like a wild fire. I guess its so popular because it delivers quick results (you know how we Americans love instant gratification, ha) and its a short-term answer to a long-term problem. Anyway sorry to go off on a tangent there. Back to Kim...
    Okay, I think the 1200 cals a day is fine for you. I wouldn't drop them any lower than that for now. As for the macros of your diet..thats something you will have to continue to tinker with to find the perfect amounts. When your staying the same or losing a pound a week then you have found it. I say start at a 50/25/25 split and go from there. Make sure your cardio and training are spot on before you start making any changes to your diet though. At that point once progress stalls...and only at the point, would I start trying any different dieting tricks.
    Until then I'd say...keep your cals at 1200 with a 50/25/25 split and hammer away at the cardio everday on an empty stomach in the 65-75% range. Give it at least 3 weeks and let us know how things go. Good luck,

    ~US~

  11. #11
    Kim2884 is offline Female Member
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    Thanx, US...that sounds like a good idea. I think I'm going to try to increase the intensity of my lifting workouts (I don't remember the last time I went up in weight) and increase the duration and frequency of cardio before I change my diet around.

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