Getting back into the swing

[mixtic187]

hi! I haven't been to this forum in years! I miss it! It always gave excellent, yet realistic advice, so my question is going to the right place.

Recently, I've been trying to get back where I was a few years ago. I've gained 15-20lbs since then *gasp* but I'm ready to get back to work. My career has been taking a front seat lately, but I think my health is more important!

I've been starting back up in the gym hardcore, along with a strictly followed diet of 1500 calories. I haven't gotten back into weight training yet, but I have gotten back into some cardio. I've been running 5 miles a day, which has led me to drop 5lbs. However, I've been staying on that weight now for about 2 weeks. A few years ago, I would run five miles PLUS 30 min of weights. Unfortuntely, my time schedule is hectic, and I can't dedicate an hour and half of working out every day. Is it better than I cut down the running to 30 min. and spend the last 30 min to weights? I usually work out 4-5 days a week.

Thanks again for any advice you can give me!

[minime]

Hi mixtic, and welcome back to DF It is great that you have decided to dedicate time to your health once more, and you are right in thinking it is important!

If you have 5x a week to dedicate to the gym and one hour to workout each time, here is my suggestion to you:

3x per week a fullbody weight workout, 3x per week of cardio. One or two of the cardio sessions can take place on a weight training day: you can make them shorter 'interval' type workouts, where you might run one minute fast, jog, run etc. for a total time of only 20minutes or so.

So it may look something like this:

monday : full body weights (45mins) + HIIT cardio (15mins)
tuesday : five mile run
wednesday: full body weights (45mins)
thursday : rest
Friday : full body weights (45mins) + HIIT cardio (15mins)
saturday : run or rest
sunday : rest

This is just an idea of how you may lay out your workouts for the week.

I would definitely not advise spending all your time on cardio and shunning the weights.

As for diet : maybe you could start using FitDay - Free Weight Loss and Diet Journal to log your calories, and the post a link to it if you wish to share. This way we can look at your current diet and make suggestions.

Alternatively just give an outline of what you eat on a daily basis.

If you have already been training with weights in the past, you will probably be able to come up with a routine pretty easily : but if you need any help of course just ask!

Again, congratulations on getting back to the gym, and hope to see more of you around the boards!

good luck!

[mixtic187]

Thanks for the quick response. I'm feeling quite unmotivated right now. I guess it's just because I lost those first 5 so quickly, and now it's so slow. The fact that I pigged out last night for superbowl didn't help either (on the scale this morning I was 2lbs heavier than the day before!)

I'll try your schedule (modified to give myself Wed off due to grad school after work) and see how it goes.

I do have a fitday account I've been using for a while.. I got back into a week ago actually. About 5 years ago when I was in peak shape, I was using it daily. Gotta get back into it!


Monday: full body weights (45mins) + HIIT cardio (15mins)
tuesday : five mile run
wednesday: rest
thursday : full body weights (45 min)
Friday : full body weights (45mins) + HIIT cardio (15mins)
saturday : run or rest
sunday : rest

I'm spending the summer in San Diego (I'm a teacher) so I'm determined to be bikini-worthy by June!

[cursor]

Glad to have you back!

That looks responsibly aggressive, mixtec. Your caloric target is 1500 per day. Have you come up with any specifics with respect to how you'll balance that fuel throughout the day/week?

[mixtic187]

Cursor.. by balancing, I'm assuming you're asking whats my carb/protein/fat ratios for the calories I'm intaking per day.

Here's a sample of what I've eaten today.... way under calories I prob should be eating... I guess I'm just paranoid after all the crap I ate yesterday... And I can tell you right now what you're going to say... less carbs/fats, more protein/veggies. I'm just not looking forward to eating eggs, tuna, protein supplements every day.

Breakfast - vanilla yogurt 140 cals
- Chai Latte 140 cals

Lunch - hard whole-grain roll 120cals
ham - 50 cals
slice of cheese -100 cals
banana - 130 cals

Dinner - chicken breast sauteed w/ garlic and olive oil 220 cals
1/2 cup angel hair pasta 88 cals
1 cup spinach with olive oil 75 cals
1/2 cup frozen yogurt 110 cals

Total 1173

I'd love to go w/ the 6 small meals a day routine.. unfortuntely with my job, I can't be chewing on food and teach at the same time. I'm lucky if I have time to go to the bathroom!

On the upside, I did weights today for the first time after running 3 miles. I can tell I'm going to be sore tomorrow. My bf is warning me not to get into weights too much or else i'll start to look too muscley (sp?). I told him to shove it )

[.V.]

Originally Posted by mixtic187

My bf is warning me not to get into weights too much or else i'll start to look too muscley (sp?). I told him to shove it )

Good for you. Resistance training is good for women as well as men. Looks like you are pushing pretty hard for a return to training, but you obviously already know your body well enough to tell what's right and what's too much.

Welcome back.

[gymgirl]

Originally Posted by mixtic187

My bf is warning me not to get into weights too much or else i'll start to look too muscley (sp?). I told him to shove it )

WHOOOO! i like you already!

I think minime is right on with the HIIT. I used to do those longer runs, not 5 mile but 4 miles a lot of days, and i hit a plateau. when i started to add some HIIT into my workouts is when I noticed that last bit of bodyfat come off. Anyway it looks like a good plan here, just wondering what your height/weight is...at a quick glance it seems like you might have too few calories for that much training.

best of luck and welcome back to DF!

[mixtic187]

gymgirl,

I've never been one to let a man tell me what i can or can't do I think he's just paranoid I'm gonna lose my booty. That will never go away, not matter how much weight I lose. Plus he's a body builder himself.. so he's always tellin me about the women he sees at the gym who are so muscular that you can't even tell if they're female or male.. gimmie a break.

I'm presently 155lbs at 5'6. My lowest a few years ago was about 140 when I was running 7 miles a day and weight training about 30 min a day. It seems like a lot of weight, but my legs are naturally pretty muscular and at the time i had a cute little 4 pack and fit into a size 4/6 jeans. Ahh.. the good old days.. Enough about the past.. gotta go move onto the present! Now i'm a size 10 jeans/ 8 dress.. My waist/tummy is still pretty small and tight. It's my thighs and arms that need serious work. I know you can't target specific parts of your body.. i'm just gonna have to stay consistent with my diet and exercise.

I appreciate the encouragement. Any tips would be great!

[cursor]

Originally Posted by mixtic

Cursor.. by balancing, I'm assuming you're asking whats my carb/protein/fat ratios for the calories I'm intaking per day.

Actually, I was referring to the flow of your intake during a single day. Beyond that, the flow of your intake throughout the week. Or, do you plan on doing 1500 calories a day, evenly divided, for seven days a week?

Without question, a regular study of your macronutrient breakdown would be helpful.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by mixtic187

Breakfast - vanilla yogurt 140 cals
- Chai Latte 140 cals

Lunch - hard whole-grain roll 120cals
ham - 50 cals
slice of cheese -100 cals
banana - 130 cals

Dinner - chicken breast sauteed w/ garlic and olive oil 220 cals
1/2 cup angel hair pasta 88 cals
1 cup spinach with olive oil 75 cals
1/2 cup frozen yogurt 110 cals

Total 1173

I would eat more at breakfast. Add in eggs or cereal

I would eat dinner for lunch - you have a better chance of burning off the pasta. I would then have a chicken breast with salad or other veggies for dinner. Make sure you are getting 1200+ calories per day (non-workout) and 1400+ calories on a workout day.

[CF-OC_gal]

Hi mixtic,

Welcome back! I'm sure you know the drill and you are getting good memory refreshers from everyone else.

Looking forward to your participation

BTW - About the BF comment. You can't blame the guys for trying. Back when I was involved more in bodybuilding, I saw lots of the guys encourage and celebrate the female bodybuilders but most would not be caught dead with anything but a waif on his arm for a girlfriend.

[mixtic187]

Thanks for all the great advice!

Cursor.. I'm kinda clueless with the whole breakdown of my calories. All I know is that I don't too many of them.. especially from carbs/sugars/fats. Please help me, oh wise one.

Lady C... I wish I had seen your message earlier, I was already ahead of you with the eggs for breakfast (I had scrambled egg for breakfast, along with toast w/ a tbs of PB).. but for dinner I had rice with my steamed chicken and broccoli. Tomorrow I'll try to eat more carbs at lunch.

Breakfast- 1 piece of 12-grain toast 120cals
1 tbsp of PB - 85 cals
1 scrambled egg- 95 cals

Mid morning - tea with no milk or sweetners

lunch - ham - 50 cals
cheese - 110 cals
whole grain roll - 113
banana - 130 cals

dinner - white rice (eeck, i know i should have done brown) 203cals
chicken breast 221cals
1 cup steamed broccoli 45 cals
3 tbls stir fry sauce 75 cals

Total: 1257

Today I did intervals run on incline of 1 for 1 mile, walk .25 mile on incline of 6 and repeated until I reached 5 miles. I guess thats a total of 4 miles run, 1 mile walk. My calves are killing me. And my arms from yesterday!

Brat - As far as the BF is concerned, he has NOTHING to worry about me going overboard w/ the weight training. It's funny that you mention that a lot of body builders like to be w/ waifs. I saw pictures of his ex gfs, and they were all super skinny. Then tonight, he told me not to go too crazy because he doesn't want to see me lose too much weight.. haha.. right.. like that's going to happen. I like having a little junk in the trunk, even if I'm 15lbs lighter than I am now.

[cursor]

Originally Posted by mixtec

All I know is that I don't too many of them.. especially from carbs/sugars/fats. Please help me, oh wise one.

"wise one"! How about just "wise-guy"? LOL

Controlled manipulation/variation of your dietary intake is a great way to make sure that your metabolism doesn't settle-down/zero-in on some constant. Eating different amounts on sequential days keeps things varied. Eating more on workout days, and less on rest days is a great way to process that.

On a different level, shifting your distribution of calories to coincide with your activity level is extremely effective in maximizing your nutrition/exercise connection. If you like, I can help you with that. It really depends on how much you want to be bothered with the complexity.

[mixtic187]

I apologize for not responding sooner. Thanks for the offer Cursor.

As of the past couple of weeks, I've tried to go back to a more "normal" eating pattern. I think I found my problem.. I was eating too few calories a day. I'm not even keeping track of my foods and calories anymore.. just trying to replace some carbs w/ some veggies and keep my protein up. I also cut out the crap in my diet (most at least!) As a result, I'm down 9lbs now. Whoohoo!

I've also kept up with doing weights every other day on top of cardio.. It's starting to show!

[.V.]

Congratulations on your success to date and best wishes for it to continue.