Gaining muscle

[jaykay]

Hi
I started doing a water aerobics class, 60 minutes, 3 x week. Will this help build muscle since it's resistance exercise? We use water weights, too.
Also, I'm running on 2 other days of the week, for 30 minutes. This will help lose some body fat, right?
Since my goal is fat loss, do you think I should be lifting weights additionally? I have dumbells at home, but they're not too heavy, like 10-12 pounds. But will doing those repeatedly help lose fat?
Also, I follow a simple, pretty healthy diet:
breakfast- coffee, cereal with 1% milk and blueberries
snack- granola bar or crackers
lunch- turkey on wheat, fruit, maybe pudding or cheese or pretzals too
snack- pretzals, fruit, milk
dinner- salad, a starch and a meat (sometimes)
sometimes I have an ice cream sandwich for dessert

Please give feedback, I would really appreciate it-- I've been trying to lose fat for quite some time but cannot do it, and I don't know if I'm doing something wrong or leaving something out. For example, is my diet ok? Should I be doing more either cardio/weights?

Thanks

[kungfu74]

suggestions.

1. Add any weight training you can, the water aerobics are just that, mainly a cardiovascular workout.
2. Ditch the pudding, pretzels, ice cream sandwich.
3. where are your veggies? I see salad for dinner buut no other veggies thoughout the day.

Here is a decent sample days of eating, but we don't know your body weight, body fat percentage, and that is key to figuring out a good starting calorie intake number.

meal 1
1/2 cup Low fat cottage cheese
5.5 oz V8
1 cup red grapes
1/2 cup blueberries

meal 2
1 can tuna
almonds
1 green pepper

meal 3
1 cup Low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup snow peas
1 small banana pepper
4 green olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 serving mixed nutz

meal 4
turkey breast
peppers, bell red, green, yellow
1 cup brown rice

meal 5
1 apple red
1/2 cup Low fat cottage cheese
1 large banana

meal 6
6 oz fresh tuna steak
1 cup wild rice
1 cup corn on the cob
prot carbs fat

d a i l y t o t a l s
protein carbs fat fiber
212.5 250.0 48.0 35.5 2282.0
37.2% 43.8% 18.9%

[tekmoney]

Are you male or female?

The reason you're not losing weight is what kungfu said. Nice effort, but some of your diet isn't all that healthy. What kind of gronola bars are you eating? some of them have as much sugar as regular candy bars. Just cause they make it out to be a healthy snack food doesn't mean it is.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by jaykay

breakfast- coffee, cereal with 1% milk and blueberries Add protein like eggs or protein shake
snack- granola bar or crackers Switch to cottage cheese and piece of fruit
lunch- turkey on wheat, fruit, maybe pudding or cheese or pretzals too
snack- pretzals, fruit, milk add more protein
dinner- salad, a starch and a meat (sometimes) Dump the starch eat more veggies instead.
sometimes I have an ice cream sandwich for dessert

Kungfu hit some of these suggestions already. But the best diet for cutting is more veggies, more veggies, more veggies.

For gaining or even maintaining muscle mass protein is necessary. Eat protein in EVERY meal.

I would rather keep my muscle mass than do cardio every day therefore I lift more than I do cardio. Both will help you lose fat but lifting will maintain muscle mass that cardio won't.

[jaykay]

Well to answer all the questions and add some more info:
I am female, 25% body fat, 135 pounds, 5'4.5".
I want to lose the "jiggle" in my stomach :P

Honestly I only have salad at dinner for veggies..I will try to add more though.
I know about the 5 meals a day plan, but it's hard to do that at work. I work in a lab and can't be leaving to eat. Would it be okay to stick with 3-4 meals instead and still be okay?
The granola bars are low fat, 9 grams sugar each.
I think I should be getting around 1600 calories/day considering I exercise...does this sound right? Or should I cut 200-300 calories/day since I want to lose fat?
Since water aerobics is cardio + resistance training (I do that 3 x week), would you recommend I lift weights on the 2 days that I run? I could add another day of cardio, too.
I also do ab exercises on a ball at home, along with some dumbell exercises, but I guess I could hit up the gym and see what weights I could use there, because that way I could lift heavier weights that the ones I have at home.
Oh, and does it matter if I have a snack or meal before or after a workout?

Thanks again ya'll

[kungfu74]

The more you can split your meals up the better your body will process them... I try to prepare 3 of my meals the night before to make it easier and always eat at my desk.

Those stats will make your BMR (Basal metabolic Rate) somewhere around 1400 calories per day, (depending on what formula you use to calculate it).

multiply that by an 'activity level factor' listed below. I'll give you a 1.375 for light activity (just guessing). so 1400*1.375 = 1925 calories per day. These should all be lean protein, complex carbs, and good fats...

Personally I would start there and monitor how your body responds. then increase or decrease calorie consumption based on your results. by the way, make sure your getting an adequate amount of water everyday too.

1. If you are sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
2. If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
3. If you are moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
4. If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
5. If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

EDIT: Thanks Lady_C I should have made the fact that they are estimates more clear.

[Lady C]

Keep in mind those numbers are just estimates. Thats where you have to figure out what works for your body. I can't eat 1925 calories, I will gain fat. I am closer to 1500 calories. You will have to determine what is good for you.

My estimate is body weight x 12 for fat loss and body weight x 15 for muscle gain. [135 x 12 = 1620] I would start there. Watch for the results you want and adjust up or down as required.

[CF-OC_gal]

You know, the critques on your diet are spot on. Your diet really is not good at all because of the food choices that were already pointed out.

I am almost the same stats as you (same height, 20-22%BF, 130lbs) and for me to lose my jiggle would be a serious undertaking at least at my age (don't know yours, but it does make a difference in how long to expect change).

I'll bet that if you did nothing else but changed your food choices first, you could see a positive change right away. That means get rid of the: pudding, pretzels,crackers, ice cream sandwich and granola bars and replace them with the suggestions. Don't even worry about getting in more meals a day right now. Make one simple effective change and get used to not eating those things. You could get away with eating raw almonds and sunflower seeds or pepitas to if you need a more caloried dense snack. Healthy fats such as in nuts are better in the long run than sugary refined ones. You can still have those things on occasion but pick one day a week to have one of them if you miss them.

Do this for a couple of weeks then tackle the next change you want to introduce. It takes a lot of willpower to give up those types of foods. I'll bet you'll see a change just from doing this, but don't stop there! Boost your exercise focus and intensity to one that supports a faster metabolism and you'll be on your way.

Then all you have to do is maintain this lifestyle. Easy eh?

[jaykay]

Thanks for all the help!
I didn't think that a treat like an ice cream sandwich a few times a week would hinder progress..is it REALLY that bad?... it seems like will take all the fun out of food

[CF-OC_gal]

Probably that in itself is not all that bad, but combined with the other less than optimum food choices in your day really add up. They are taking the place of more nutrient dense foods.

Don't worry about "taking the fun out of food". I was able to drop those kinds of things when I realized that I could not bring myself to pay $2 for a pint of fresh strawberries yet I would pay $1.25 for an icecream sandwhich twice as often. It was the same as going for a fast food meal once in a while. I'd spend $6 on a store bought meal when I could have bought a really good cut of steak or fish and thrown it on the BBQ for that price.

Pretzels and crackers cannot give the pleasure that a wholesome whole grain muffin can (of course homemade or natural bakery made)

Natural almonds are one of the best foods on the planet. I would rather have those any day compared to a commercial granola bar.

Make the changes little by little. It takes a shift in food attitude too!

[jaykay]

Well I think I made the first step...my carton of ice cream just went in the trash, haha!

[kungfu74]

Originally Posted by jaykay

Well I think I made the first step...my carton of ice cream just went in the trash, haha!

good job!

like Brat said, getting rid of the items you have mentioned isnt' really as bad as it sounds. You will find out that as you decrease the amount of refined breads / sugurs (pretzels, granola bars, ice cream sandwiches) and replace them with better choices that your energy levels will increase. No more insulin spikes that can cause mood swings etc...

It's all about realizing that those things will compromise your goals and increase the amount of time it will take to reach them. I've read it only takes 3 days to create new habits, but it can take up to 3 weeks to break old habits.... so stay the course and keep making those little changes, before you know it you won't even want to touch that stuff again.:

[jaykay]

Okay, so I figured out that the hardest time of day for healthy eating for me is late afternoon- night.
My snacks tend to get less healthy, especially if I'm stressed from work. And I usually eat larger portions for dinner that I should. And I usually have a night time snack. Any advice for changing this?

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by jaykay

Okay, so I figured out that the hardest time of day for healthy eating for me is late afternoon- night.
My snacks tend to get less healthy, especially if I'm stressed from work. And I usually eat larger portions for dinner that I should. And I usually have a night time snack. Any advice for changing this?

hi jaykay-

i just got done reading everyone responses and they are right on. i wanted to tell you i used to snack on things like wheat thins, goldfish crackers, granola bars etc., and i slowly started taking them out of my diet and replacing them with things like fresh veggies and fruit, or non-fat yougert, and it really made a difference in my body. not only did i feel better, and had more engergy as kungfu pointed out, but i lost some weight and body fat. it is amazing what those small changes can do.

i too have the same problem and love to snack at night. i found one thing that helped me not eat such a large dinner is making sure i snack around 3-4pm before my workout, then i get home by 6-7 and i'm ready for dinner but i am not starving. i also try to fill up on lots of veggies with my dinner. i still can't give up my little snack right before bed either, i try to eat a couple pieces of pinapple, but lately i've been eating 2 fat free fig newtons...anyway, there are just some things i cannot give up. and if i dont' snack right before bed i wake up at 2am just starving and cannot sleep! exeriment a bit and see what works best for you.

[jaykay]

Well I made a new grocery list and bought some healthier foods.
Today my diet was as follows:
breakfast- coffee, 3/4 cup cereal with 1% milk, canteloupe slice
snack- handful cashews
lunch- wrap, with lettuce, pork slices and 2 tsp ranch dressing, glass of 1% milk
snack- fat free cottage cheese with blueberries, handful cashews
dinner- homemade pizza (made crust with wheat flour), also used part skim mozzarella cheese, and salad

I took some advice from bodyforlife.com's nutrition tips-- however, does anyone know of a good substitute for the recommended nutrition bars and shakes that are supposed to be snacks? Sometimes I make a smoothie (1% mlk, fatfree yogurt, banana)- would this be a good "shake"?

Thanks