So since I last posted my progress pics, I decided I would say what I was doing that I lost 10 lbs. This is what my diet looked like usually everyday:
Breakfast:1/2 cup plain oatmeal
(6:30 AM) 1 banana
1 1/2 cups strawberries
Snack:1 cup poppy seeds
(9 AM)
Lunch:Sometimes nothing
(11AM) Sometimes 1/4 cup almonds
Snack:2 bananas
(3 PM) 1 1/2 cup Kashi Go Lean Crunch
Dinner:Whatever is available which is usually something with Chicken
(6 PM)
Dinner is always like chicken with potatoes and corn or green beans. I look mostly at portions.
Now I know my diet is lacking, which is what I have to improve on, but I have to say, its 5 times better than what it was before. The improvements I would make is: Add some form of protein(other than eggs, I just can't eat them) for breakfast, and add something bigger for lunch. The reason my lunch sux is because its my lunch period during school, and I usually don't even eat because I got homework or studying to do. I also believe I should add more protein in general throughout the day, because I am lacking it. I can't begin to stress the importance of protein because of this forum. Dieting without protein is like going fishing without a fishing pole. Now about my exercise:
I aim to go to the gym at least 5-6 times a week, which is usually how its been since I started, which is good. At the gym I focus on the elliptical for 30 minutes each day. Now I must stress that elliptical at the gym is not leisure, I actually push myself so that when I'm done, my shirt is half wet and I am almost out of breath. For anyone familiar with the elliptical I go to difficulty 8 on the QuickStart and reach the 3 mile mark in the 30 minutes. About 2-3 days of each week, I try for a full-body workout routine. Now, It's not a real structured schedule, such as upper body one day, lower the next, or different body parts each day for weights, but I am doing enough to keep my muscles pumped
. I'll be honest here, I prefer cardio over weights mainly because its kind of "fun."
(I called cardio fun?) Also, when I get home, I do a bunch of ab workouts such as crunches, etc.(Don't worry, I'm not one of the people that believe tons of crunches will get me six pack abs in no time.)
So there, I posted my honest diet + exercise routine. I know I have some weak points in both, but I do believe that what I am doing now is much better than before. Any advice is appreciated.
AIM! You read and listened to my post on making a log......You are da man!
Rock with this journal young man! I respect your honest post, Aim. This shows many qualities about you, and is one unit in your personal arsonal that will lead you to your goal!
EDIT:
You are BRIGHT; AIM to IGNITE; Stay in the FIGHT; you will be ALRIGHT!
You need to KNOW your calorie intake along with eating the most beneficial foods. In addition, you need to have a plan for your FBW. Therefore I want you to do the following:
1. Configure your MT Line with Activities included (The information to enable you to do this will be included with this post.) I want you to post your MT LINE with activity approximation. YOU MUST KNOW YOU CALORIES.
2. Compound exercises should be your staple within your routine. Your FBW should be 3 times per week without question. I want to know what type of exercises you have been doing, and your sets and rep ranges. I want you to post these.........as well.
3. As an alternative, you could consider following NROL (New Rules of Lifting); however, I do not agree with the author's blanket calorie assessments, and IMO, you should stay within the Benedict equation (or another like calorie approximator) for the time of your weight loss, if you seriously consider following NROL as your training program.
4. Cardio surrounding your FBW is fine. We can structure an advice program around this. I think you should be doing some cardio alog with an appropriate deficit diet at this stage of your goal progression. This will highly benefit you. It not only will burn calories, but it can and it will burn fat as fuel......IF....Intensity and duration is....optimal.....for your personal particulars. IMO, I think you need this included.
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Configuring your calories:
This is what you need to do:
1. Determine your calorie needs (Maintenance Line)
2. Develop a deficit in calories under your Maintenance Line
3. Develop a Full Body Workout Program 3 times per week. With Cardio.
Numbers 1 and 2:
Calorie calculation is an approximation science, remember this. Through your journey WATCH, LOOK, and LISTEN, to your body..........it will TELL YOU if your doing the correct things or combination of things!
○ Change your eating habits (below are some suggestion examples)
○ Substitute an artificial sweetener of your choice in the replace of refined white sugar (Refrain from Refined Sugar like you would a disease)
○ Try eating 5 to 6 smaller meals during the day
○ Balance your meals out during the day so in one day you have a mix of protein, carbohydrate and good fats
○ Drink lots of water during the day and before, during and after exercise
○ Simple Carb Examples: Grapefruit, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, Oranges, Apples, Pineapple, etc
○ Complex Carb Examples: Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Oatmeal, Long Grain Brown Rice, Brown Pasta, Malto-Meal (Plain, whole wheat),etc
○ Good Protein Examples: White or Dark Tuna, Chicken Breast, Lean Turkey, Lean Ham, Very lean Beef, Quality Whey Protein Powder,, etc
○ Good Fats Examples: Natural Peanut Butter, Various Nuts, Flax Seed, Fish Oils.
This is what you need to do:
This an approximation science, but you can narrow it down very close, if your meticulous in your vision when looking at the data.
Tweak your desire and passion by educating yourself on the basic requirements of losing fat tissue. With your age, sex, height, and weight, in mind, find your approximated base calorie needs (this is organ function, breathing, or bodily function needs). One can use the Benedict Formula.
Calculate your BMR:
The Harris Benedict equation determines calorie needs for men or woman as follows:
• It calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calorie requirements, based on your height, weight, age and gender.
• It increases your BMR calorie needs by taking into account the number of calories you burn through activities such as exercise.
This gives you your total calorie requirement or approximated Maintenance Line (I call it the MT Line).
Step One : Calculate your BMR with the following formula:
•Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
•Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)
Step Two : In order to incorporate activity into your daily caloric needs, do the following calculation:
•If you are sedentary : BMR x 1.2
•If you are lightly active: BMR x 1.375
•If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.): BMR x 1.55
•If you are very active (You exercise daily.): BMR x 1.725
•If you are extra active (You do hard labor or are in athletic training.): BMR x 1.9
Create a Calorie Deficit:
In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier and healthier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time.
Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to approximated 1 pound.
If you cut back 500 calories a day, you will lose approximated 1 pound per week. (not necessarily all fat)
If you exercise to burn off 500 calories a day you will also lose approximately 1 pound per week.
The calorie deficit margin is just an example:
Apply this knowledge by backing off the approximated MT Line (approximated Maintenance line), say for example, a -500c per day, for about 1 week. Before the week begins, weigh yourself in the AM when you FIRST get up (do not eat yet) (remember your clothing, preferably with just underwear and t-shirt or like clothes). Note the time, and the approximated wgt.
Each day spread your caloric content out throughout the day (keep the body fed, with calories in the 300 to 500c approximated calories each meal), or a like division which mirrors your end caloric deficit limit (meaning MT-500c).
This way you have your entire day and body encircled with nutrition (I assume you already know to eat clean), which if your eating right, will give an approximated good energy (not optimal because your in deficit) to fuel your training and exercising schedule.
At the end of the week, on the same day, the same time, with the same like clothes, weigh yourself again. Note whether you lost or gained tissue (or weight I mean). To further assist you, I want to tell you that for every approximated caloric deficit of (-3500c), one could lose 1lb of fat tissue. (though some may not all be fat tissue, this information is for another question, and isn't presently suited here).
Now, in this example you were calculating a -500c per day deficit. There needs to be -3500c to lose approximated 1lbs of fat. Now lets do some basic math. -500cX7=-3500c. With all things considered equal, and you were meticulous and faithful on the diet, you should have been CLOSE to losing at least one pound of tissue in the week.
If this didn't happen, this means you need to make finer adjustments, and the MT line is not accurate, and you need to adjust this on your own.
Based upon the FEEDBACK your body is giving you, ask yourself how faithful you were on the diet, AND how faithful in training (whether you kept the training schedule (if you didn't, this would effect the caloric equation, no?!), AND how accurate you figured in your activities caloric wise.........but, you have the base information to begin making adjustments.
The calorie SURPLUS margin is just an example: (attempt to gain weight)
Apply this knowledge by going OVER the approximated MT Line (approximated Maintenance line), say for example, a +500c per day, for about 1 week. Before the week begins, weigh yourself in the AM when you FIRST get up (do not eat yet) (remember your clothing, preferably with just underwear and t-shirt or like clothes). Note the time, and the approximated wgt.
Each day spread your caloric content out throughout the day (keep the body fed, with calories in the 300 to 500c approximated calories each meal), or a like division which mirrors your end caloric deficit limit (meaning MT+500c).
This way you have your entire day and body encircled with nutrition (I assume you already know to eat clean), which if your eating right, will give an approximated good energy (not optimal because your in deficit) to fuel your training and exercising schedule.
At the end of the week, on the same day, the same time, with the same like clothes, weigh yourself again. Note whether you lost or gained tissue (or weight I mean).
If this didn't happen, this means you need to make finer adjustments, and the MT line is not accurate, and you need to adjust this on your own
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The Nutrients are an essential factor in the diet; however, the law of energy balance within the DIET, is the ultimate KING while the Nutrients can play in some decisions made within the body.
Do yourself a favor, figure out your MT line, adjust off of this, eat well balanced spaced out meals (DONT EVER starve YOURSELF), AND listen to your body for the results.
While you are trying to figure out your body, IT WILL PAY YOU BACK, I promise. You have to learn to MASTER yourself to become the master of weight loss for YOURSELF.
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"Let your inner vision cultivate your ultimate exterior expression" —Chillen
"The strongest inner feeling that prevails will result in the exterior expression" –Chillen
"Your cultivation and manifestation of thought accumulated within your reasoning will determine your outcome"----Chillen
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Deficit dieting is the fat burner, and EVERYTHING follows after this. The deficit can be implemented through the diet or exercise can cause the deficit when you know your MT line reference. Without a adequate deficit, cardio WILL NOT burn fat off you. This is WHY I don't partake in the cardio debates of heart rate, etc........because the bottom line is the deficit diet....period, debate OVER. If you stick to the basic: The Law of energy balance, and tip this to the negative side of the equation, you will be on your way, with everything considered equal and your healthy.
Losing fat is sort of like draining a pool. It usually leaves the shallow end first before the larger end starts to diminish. But, fat and/or tissue is lost all over when deficit dieting.
If you want to lose overall body fat, get your diet in order, eat clean, learn what your approximate MT reference line is according to activities (and back off a HEALTHY margin), and perform overall weight training, and of course, include cardio (cardio DOES have its benefits other than burning calories, carbs, fat, ect).
The most effective beginning is to look at your diet, and make a diet journal in my opinion, THEN work in a training program around this diet.
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You must have "some obsession".
Have controlled obsession (and obsession to a---Point, is necessary), but
some lose this obsession once they learn the amount of work it requires. There eyes then widen and then the obsession then pops right out. Dont let this happen to you: Raise your Want-o-Meter to a new higher level.
Best Regards,
Chillen
