.Older Fat Lady Need Help

[fatlady]

I am an older fatlady who would like to begin adding weight lifting to my routine of exercise. I am 48 years old and weigh 190 lbs. I have been doing low-carb eating and have successfully lost 40 lbs. I now want to tone my body as I lose the remaining 40-50 lbs. My questions are I know I am starting late and most of you guys on this board are body builders, what do you suggest I should take as supplements; and have you known of any older fat people to successfully lose weight and muscle up, or will this be in vain for someone my age and size?

Things I do know: (1) I know I should not do low-carb while weight lifting, so I am going to increase my carb intake to consist of complex carbs. (2) I know that I need to increase my protetin intake to at 1 - 1.5 my body weight. (3) I thought I would start out with a weight program similar to 12-weeks to fat burning http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magaz...ss_workout.htm , or the body for life program, since both seem to be a good starter programs. (4) I know I need some cardio as well as weight lifting

Everything I seems to read on different boards, relate to packing on additional mass and putting on additional weight. I am not finding anything that talks about losing fat. I don't want to get bigger than I am.

[cursor]

What is your current workout routine for one week?
How tall are you, and do you know what your body fat percentage is?
What does your current eating system look like?

Low-carbing at selective times can be constructive, even when weightlifting. Make sure that you don't overdo the protein consumption. Read about Bill & Bob.

Pssst ... you're not old.

[Lady C]

You should try the Body-for-Life plan. He has a simple yet sensible plan laid out in a single source. If you don't incorporate some sort of weight training into your plan then you will have too much loose skin. The only way to get rid of loose skin later is surgically. I was transformed from 26% body fat to now around 16%. I did not change scale weight because I transformed the fat into lean muscle. No, I do not look bulky. I am not too old - I'm a grandma.

I challenge you to stay on the Body-for-Life plan exactly as he has it laid out. You will not be discouraged by your results. Make sure you speak to your doctor though. Unfortunately as we age, things don't always work as planned. If you can stick to the Body-for-Life plan for 6 months and you have not reached your goal then you will need to look for alternative options. You will need a good blender, a food scale, a tape measure, a disposable camera and great will power to make it a success.

Keep us posted and above all ask questions! :thumbup:

[fatlady]

Thanks for responding. I am 5'4" and weigh 190 lbs. My current workout routine is currently inconsistent, but starting Monday I plan to begin the 3 day split, with cardio and abs on days 2 and 4. I plan to lift heavy. I bought whey protetin for shakes, I also bought l-glutamine and cla. I am trying to do everything that I should do correctly. I keep hearing people say that it feels good for their clothes to feel tight or too small. I have the opposite problem. I am not trying to burst out of my clothes. I need my clothes to hang off of me (lol). I also know that if I continue to lose weight without weight-lifting my skin will sag. At my age it will probably be inpossible not to have some extra skin, but I want to minimize it as much as possible. I am not afraid of weights and I can lift heavy. I did BFL one time, but did not lose any weight. But this time I want to be as knowledgeble as possible. I don't think I ate enough protein and this time I plan to take supplements. Please help

[Kenny]

i don't wanna sound like a party pooper, but...

i think maybe you should check with a physician before you go all out?

other than that, it sounds like you're in good hands. i especially liked the part about switching to complex carbs.

imho, weight training is a great way to lose fat. while it takes longer, the good thing about it is that it encourages you to keep eating, so the risk of yo-yo-ing are less.

good luck, and keep us posted with your progress!

[Jaster]

Listen to what cursor has to say, Take it to heart and we will be calling you FITLADY soon! :thumbup:

[cursor]

At 5'-4" tall, and female, my guess is that your LBM (lean body mass — that's your scale-weight minus your fat) is between 95 and 110 pounds. The way that you're going to effectively lose that excess fat (about 60 lbs) is to control your eating habits (combined with a program of metabolism/muscle-building activity all the while). Now that doesn't mean that you should starve yourself on rabbit food. Proper food choices, eaten at the right times and in the right volumes, will keep you both satisfied and progressively looking better in the mirror as the months go by.

Protein shakes are great, but they are no panacea. Structuring a meal plan that is both filling and great tasting is key to long-term success. Are you willing to commit to being more structured and focused? Remember that although it will take months to reach your end goal, the intermediate milestones should offer ample stimulation to stay on the yellow brick road. The mirror will be your friend again.

[fatlady]

Cursor
What do you mean by the statement
"combined with a program of metabolism/muscle-building activity all the while".
Question. What is a good metabolism/muscle-building activity

Are you willing to commit to being more structured and focused?

Yes I am committed and focused. I am ready to get this weight off of me and I want to get in shape. Better late than never.

I started lifting today and started the eating program today.

This is my workout program
Monday: chest, shoulders, triceps,
Tuesday: cardio, abs (HIIT)
Weds day: Quads, Hamstrings, and Calves
Thursday: cardio, abs (HIIT)
Friday: back, biceps, forearms
All are lifting to failure at sets 10, 8, and 6
http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/magaz...ss_workout.htm

I eat 6 meals a day, 2 of which are whey protetin drinks. I am eating 1% of my body weight in protein per day and veggies and complex carbs. A total of about 1500 calories. I know you guys will probably say it isn't enough. I am open for suggestions.

I take CLA, L-Glutamine, and Chromium Picolanote daily.

Kenny - I did check with my doctor and he said that I am in great shape - just fat (lol). I am no stranger to exercising, when I am not being lazy (which is a thing of the past now), and I am not afraid of lifting heavy.

I'll keep you posted

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by fatlady

A total of about 1500 calories. I know you guys will probably say it isn't enough. I am open for suggestions.

Ideally, that is about the right intake. If you didn't have all the fat and were pretty firm, then that is the caloric target I would recommend that you use. Remember you want to feed the muscle not the fat. Keep track of your measurements, and if they don't start to change, then drop the caloric intake by 200 calories. Don't get hung up on the scale weight. It may not be changing but if you are working hard, your body will be changing.

[cursor]

"A program of metabolism/muscle-building" would be your resistance training and aerobics activity.

How are you currently structuring your meals? Could you lay out a sample day? Within which two meals will you be performing your workouts (specify for both aerobics and weightlifting)?

[fatlady]

Thanks. I have read that eating too few calories makes your body go into starvation mode, but if I eat too many, I generally will not lose weight. I would generally try to each about 1200 calories, but decided to push it up to about 1500.

Sample Menu

Breakfast 7:00a.m. Protein Shake (35g)
Snack 10:00a.m. 2 slices bacon and 2 boiled eggs
Lunch 1:00 p.m. Salad and chicken breast or fish or
1 cup veggies and chicken breast or fish

Snack 4:00 p.m. 3 oz Tuna or 1 boiled egg

WORKOUT @ 5:00 p M-W-F Weight Lifting
WORKOUT @ 5:00p T-THU Aerobic

Post Workout 6:30p.m Protein Shake (35g)
Dinner 8:30 p.m. 1 cup veggies, chicken, fish or pork chop
BedTime 11:00 p.m. Protein Shake (35g)

What do ya think?

Did 30 minutes aerobics today (HITT) on the elliptical

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by fatlady

Thanks. I have read that eating too few calories makes your body go into starvation mode, but if I eat too many, I generally will not lose weight. I would generally try to each about 1200 calories, but decided to push it up to about 1500.

Sample Menu

Breakfast 7:00a.m. Protein Shake (35g)
Snack 10:00a.m. 2 slices bacon and 2 boiled eggs Skip the bacon too high in sat fat, add a couple more egg whites and only one yolk because of the fat. Add an apple for some extra fiber
Lunch 1:00 p.m. Salad and chicken breast or fish or
1 cup veggies and chicken breast or fish

Snack 4:00 p.m. 3 oz Tuna or 1 boiled egg
Keep the protein consistant throughout all your meals (same qty). Add some carrots or celery sticks, more fiber.
WORKOUT @ 5:00 p M-W-F Weight Lifting
WORKOUT @ 5:00p T-THU Aerobic

Post Workout 6:30p.m Protein Shake (35g)
Dinner 8:30 p.m. 1 cup veggies, chicken, fish or pork chop
BedTime 11:00 p.m. Protein Shake (35g)

What do ya think?

Did 30 minutes aerobics today (HITT) on the elliptical

It looks pretty good. Do it for two weeks then re-evaluate!

[cursor]

Great recommendations by Lady C. I knew there was a good reason why I married her.

At this point, keep your protein up and your fat and carbohydrate intake relatively low. For your projected amount of lean body mass, I would recommend about 100 grams of protein. On days that you don't workout with weights, maintain a very low carbohydrate intake. On your three weightlifting days, have substantially more carbohydrates (virtually all complex)—make sure that you have plenty of complex carbs AFTER your workout. As far as the distribution of protein goes, spread it as evenly as possible throughout the day.

I'm spread pretty thin these days, but I'll try and coach you along.

[fatlady]

You and LadyC married - that's great. No wonder both of you were giving such good advice. I think I got enough to go on my own for several weeks as LadyC suggested and then re-evaluate where I am. So far - so good. Did legs today, but after doing BFL, the program that I am doing now seems to not be enough exercises in the muscle group. I find myself looking around for more things to do - and I am lifting to failure on each set . Maybe because BFL had so many sets.

[cursor]

Best of luck in your efforts. As you have questions, don't hesitate to ask for input.