Okay, so here's the deal: I'd be perfectly happy with my weight if it was mainly muscle. I'm 5'7" tall (closer to 8, but oh well) and weigh, as of this morning, 182.5. I have approximately 30% body fat (I use the Army method of calculating since it is free, and while I know it's inaccurate, it's a benchmark to use), a 35" waist, and 42" hips.

This is my plan:
Food:
After reading Christian Thibaudeau's latest article, I am going to keep carbs down to 30 grams for two weeks, and then do a carb up once every two weeks until I hit 20% body fat using my method of calculating. I'll be consuming 2000 calories a day (13xbw-300), with a ratio of 235 grams protein, ~105 gram fat, and 30 grams of carbs... This brings me to roughly 6% carbs and 47% protein and fats. I will definitely be using protein shakes at least 2x a day to help me get my protein intake.

Training:
I'm training for a half marathon, so my carb intake will be consumed post workout for my runs, and post workout for my weights. I'm following NROL4W right now, but would like to do an upper/lower body split. If anyone has any ideas, or articles that point me in that direction, I'd love to see them. School (I'm a teacher) lets out in roughly four weeks, so if I haven't come up with a split by then, I'll be following Alwyn Cosgrove and Chad Waterbury's Real Fast Fat Loss workout. I did that workout for about three weeks in March and loved it, but didn't have the time to devote to it. Once school lets out I'll have plenty of time.

My schedule for running/training looks like this:
Monday/Wednesday/Friday: full body weight workout
Tuesday/Thursday: 30 minutes of running (normally takes me a distance of 3 miles) at a steady state.
Saturday or Sunday (depending on weather): long run according to my schedule.

I've heard several arguments for and against low carbs while doing endurance, and it all seems to be split, so I'm going to give it a try. If I find I'm tanking during my long runs, I'll take in 15 extra grams of carbs just before my runs. After having followed some of the physique clinics, and reading some of the articles on this site and T-Nation, I think I'll be fine.

For the next week or so, my carbs will be coming from food, but hopefully, if finances work out the way they should, I'll be ordering some Surge workout fuel and some HOT-ROX extreme to add to my supplements. Currently I'm taking fish oil capsules, and I'm using milled flax seed in at least one shake a day.

With all of this planned out, my goal is to reach 20% body fat by the start of school the last week in August. My training goals: 1. to complete the half marathon without passing out, 2. to do at least one unassisted pull up by Christmas, and 3. to do 15 marine-style push-ups (I've also heard them called diamond cut push-ups... my hands will form a diamond).

Body composition goals aside from the 20% body fat include losing another 3 inches off of my waist, and 2 inches off of my hips. I'd also like a flat stomach. I don't necessarily want to be ripped, although that would be nice, I just want to look as muscular as I feel under my skin. I'm starting to see definition in my arms, and for the first time I have that curve to my hamstrings. It's not hugely noticeable, but I am definitely looking better in shorts and skirts.

So that's my story, and I'll be posting at least once every two days to keep anyone interested updated. I'll also be posting stats once a week.

Anyone who wants to give advice, feel free. I'm always open to new information. My only non-negotiables at the moment are the lowering of carbs (I've also noticed I feel badly when I eat carbs other than veggies and fruit) and my half-marathon training. After August 31st, though, everything can change...

I have my goals, and now it's time to finally realize them...

I was once called "Hot for teach". I plan on living up to that nickname....

Attached are photos from one month ago. I'll be taking new ones in the next couple of days...

Here is a back shot.

Here is the side shot. These were all taken on April 18.

hi sturney,
i am not very experienced with all this stuff & have recently just joined this forum myself but some others are absolute knowlegable champs & everyone is friendly.

welcome & good luck with your goals

GL!
I was thinking of trying the same workout plan you mentioned(real fast fat loss) in a few weeks..It seems like you pretty much have everything nailed down..

You stole part of my thread title though! :P

Sorry about stealing part of the thread title... I actually didn't even notice that til today... My boyfriend sometimes jokes with me by calling me frumpy (and he's right when he's doing that, as I'm in sweats of some kind!)

As to having everything nailed down, we'll see. I've been working pretty steadily for at least five months now and scale weight is doing nothing, except occasionally going in the wrong direction. Hopefully this will work better...

I've been having the same problems with the scale! But at least I've lost some inches..
Have you taken measurements at all?

sturney wrote:
Here is the side shot. These were all taken on April 18.

post your exact diet/meals/times/amounts to get a better idea of what you can improve upon

Yesterday's meals:

(9 am)m1: 1/2 cup egg beaters with 1 portabella mushroom, 1/4 cup green peppers, and 1/3 cup shredded cheese, 1 banana
(11:30 am)m2: 2 scoops of pp with 1 T pb and 1 T flax seed
(3 pm)m3: 4 oz salmon with 1 cup brussel sprouts
(5:30 pm)m4: 5 oz meatloaf (made with 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork, olives, tomatoes, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1 egg, and 2 oz mozzarella cheese) and 1 cup fresh green beans
(7 pm)m5: 1 serving of sugar free fat free pudding made with 2% milk and 1.25 scoops of pp

Normally I eat every two to three hours, but got stuck in traffic during the middle of the day, hence the 3 1/2 hour wait in between meal 2 and 3...

Drinks: 2 24 oz iced americanos with 1 serving of hazelnut syrup split between the two of them (19 grams of carbs total)

Totals:
Fat - 29.6% (56 grams)
Protein - 40.5% (172 grams)
Carbohydrates - 29.9% (127 grams)

I'm high on the carbs vs where I want to be, but it's going to take practice finding and eliminating carbs for now.

mom-in-MD: I've taken basic measurements, and those haven't budged in a couple of weeks.

Overall, not a bad day for the first day back on low carb. This time, though, I'm really attempting to find all of the carbs and get it under 30 grams. I'm switching the syrup I use in my coffee to sugar free, so that will eliminate some carbs there.

At any rate, gotta finish getting ready for work, and am looking forward to today being easier on the diet...

Hello; welcome to MWA! =o)

Here are some thoughts about your diet: it has lots of good protein and fats in it, which is great. I also see lots of veggies, that's always a good thing.

I do think that there are some items you should consider eliminating. The first of these would be the syrup you put in your coffee. It's completely unnecessary, and 19 grams of pure sugar will do nothing but damage to your long term goals.

I also don't love the idea of any kind of bread crumbs (no matter how small the amount--you could probably make the meatloaf without them! ;o)).

I don't think that your carb count is high, especially if you're training hard right now (which you should be). I think that it's your carb sources that need to be adjusted.

See if you can bring in some oatmeal or brown rice...or maybe yams, and Surge at post-workout, to get the same amount of carbohydrates that you've been getting from sugar.

Your calories look to be at around 1,700 (didn't use a calculator, so don't be too hard on my math...lol), so you can just stick to the same macros--just change your sources.

I'm excited for you; we know you can do this if you stick with it--and you definitely seem to have the determination! ;o)


Olesya

Thanks, Oleysa!

I am actually eliminating the syrup and switching to sugar free (I can't seem to drink coffee black). As to the meatloaf, it's one of those once-every-couple-of-months meals...

I did buy some old-fashioned oatmeal yesterday while grocery shopping, and I already use brown rice, whole wheat pasta (nothing less than 7 grams of fiber per serving), etc, so I'm glad to know I'm doing it right mostly...


Today:

Food so far:
m1: 1/2 cup eggbeaters with 2 portabella mushrooms, 2 oz ham, 1/3 cup shredded cheese, and 1/4 cup green peppers
m2: advantEdge drink (easier at school to use these on busy days)
m3: 1 green pepper, 1 can tuna, 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 cup black olives, 2 T vinaigrette, and 1 cup sf/ff pudding made with 2% milk and 1.25 scoops pp
m4: advantEdge drink


Dinner will be chicken and broccoli casserole made with some cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom soup, and barilla plus elbows. m6 will be more pudding (I get tired of shakes..)

I'll post nutrition information later once I get all ingredients for the casserole measured.


Training today:

I wussed out. I had a five mile run yesterday as part of my training for the half marathon, and normally the next day I'm fine, as I've done this before. Today definitely was NOT the case.
So here's what I did. All exercises were 2 x 10, and the numbered ones were supersetted. Rest periods were 60 seconds:

Wide grip deadlift off of box: 55#
1. Bulgarian split squat: 25#
Underhanded pull down (85#/70#)
2. Reverse lunge with forward reach (20#/15# dbs)
DB Prone Cuban snatch: 7.5#
3. Swiss ball crunch, reverse crunch, and side crunch


2 intervals of 2 minutes slow (~50rpms) and 1 minute fast (> 90 rpms) on bike at level 10. This is where I wussed out... I was supposed to do 5 intervals, and my legs hurt so badly I could only do two. I was worried I wouldn't be able to drive home from the gym...


Other than the painful legs... Today wasn't too bad.

Pictures are still to come... I hate taking pictures btw... but it's been a month, and I am really hoping to see the progress in the pictures this time around...

Gotta go make dinner...

Okay, here come the barrage of horrible pictures...

with arms up...

from the back...

and the side...

While I see some progress has been made in the past couple of months, it's nowhere near where I want to be, so I will be constantly working, with almost single-minded intensity, to hit my goals.


This just further serves to piss me off even more than I already am...

I'm going to hit those goals, and my body is going to look like I feel, MUCH BETTER, STONGER, and SEXIER!!!

Totals for today:
1892 calories
Fat - 30.4% (64 grams)
Protein - 50.0% (235 grams)
Carbohydrates - 19.5% (92 grams)

I think I'm doing fine for today.

Tomorrow's plan:
Training: 3 mile/30 minute run in the morning before breakfast

Food:
m1: omelet with banana
m2: 2 scoops pp with 1 T pb and 1 T flax seed
m3: chicken and broccoli casserole leftovers (already portioned out)
m4: advantEdge drink
m5: 5 oz steak with 1 cup green veggies
m6: protein pudding

I may go for a bike ride in the afternoon if I can get out of school quickly.

When school lets out, I plan on upping my cardio just a bit by biking in the afternoons for about 30 - 45 minutes. It will also give me a nice break/cross training from my running.

I'm going to give the nutrition two weeks and if I am not seeing the changes I want, I'm going to have to figure out what to do. I'm ordering my Surge and HOT-ROX this weekend, so I'm really hoping that helps.

At any rate, tomorrow is another day, and those pictures will be things of the past...

sturney wrote:

I'm going to hit those goals, and my body is going to look like I feel, MUCH BETTER, STONGER, and SEXIER!!!

LOVE this! There isn't a doubt in my mind that you'll reach your goals--you definitely sound determined enough! ;o)

Your plan for tomorrow looks good, btw.


Olesya

Just got in from my run, and that was definitely more physical today than mental. My legs feel like I've strapped on blocks of concrete, and not sure why. Normally I feel great after a run, and even after my weights, but yesterday and this morning it's a struggle.

I'm thinking, and if this is too much information for some, sorry, that it might be the bc I'm on. I just switched from the shot to Cyclessa (thanks to articles I've read here!) and I'm wondering if it may just be my body getting used to the different hormones. At any rate, I'm going to keep up with everything, I'm just not used to feeling this wiped after a workout that wasn't even that hard...

and btw, omelets ROCK!!

Thanks, Olesya, for the feedback!


On another note, it's killing me not weighing myself daily right now. I decided late last week that weighing myself daily was probably doing more harm than good, so I've limited it to once a week, on Saturday morning, before doing anything else, when I do my measurements.

Got a long day with students today, so gotta go make my shake and pack my lunch.

Hot shower should help the soreness, I just wish it wasn't there.

Hi! Welcome! Good start on your journey. I see some nice shape coming in on your arms and shoulders.

Don't weigh yourself daily. You need to learn not to stress about weight. The stress just elevates cortisol, making it a little tougher to lose weight. Also, make sure you're getting enough sleep. I find it very tough to lose when I'm sleep deprived.

Also, the BC can totally affect things. I had to try several different brands before I found one that didn't have nasty side affects for me-- and what is surprising is that even the generic form of the brand I now use had the side effects- even though the name brand doesn't. I thought they were the same thing. Go figure. And at that TOM I always gain weight. And inches.

Fat loss can be slow for some people too. It will always be harder for some of us than others. Different bodies work differently. And it is ALWAYS slower than we think or want it to be. Just keep trucking along and don't overtrain. You will do great!

Thanks, becbrat (I hope I got that right!). I know a lot of my weight issues come from having been on the shot for 10 years... and regardless of what the science says, experience tells me that is a huge part of it. I'm going to give this current method about 6 months, and then, if things don't start looking better on that front, i'll try another brand.

I'm definitely seeing the definition coming through in arms and shoulders as well, which is great. I'm also seeing it in my legs, but it's not coming out in the pictures. For the first time in my life my hamstrings have curves to them.

Today is going pretty well for the most part. I took a short nap at my desk during my off period. While I've been getting 8 hours of sleep a night, I am definitely finding I need a nap during the day at some point, except on weekends. I am guessing it might be due to the birth control, as that is the only thing that has changed. I feel more awake now, so that's good.

My legs aren't quite as sore now, although I can tell if I sit down too long.

I had to substitute my shake for two advantedge drinks, as I ran out of time this morning to make it. How far in advance can those shakes be made? I might try making them the night before and keep them in the fridge. That would cut down on time in the morning needed...

Still thinking about a bike ride or walk this afternoon. It really depends on how many students may decide they want help after school. We'll see.

I've wondered that myself about the shakes. I've found that the consistency changes if you make it way ahead of time. Also I got this cup/top that has batteries in it and a thing in the middle that spins when you push a button. It mixes the shake better than I can! None of those little lumps. It has helped w/time. You could try getting one of those, and scooping the protein in ahead of time-- then just add water and mix when its time for the shake!

When is the nap? You have a big time gap for food between 11:30 and 3 PM. I would totally fall asleep if I had that long between snacks. I know its hard for teachers to eat when they have classes. Maybe that's a good time for a shake. I know it will be easier once school is out for the summer :)

sturney,

I think our measurements are almost exactly the same! I have not yet gotten brave enough to stick my pic on here, but since my bf is a VERY frequent member of T-Nation, I'm almost positive he'll sneak a pic of me at some point and post it. Good luck with all your progress! I haven't been a member for too long, but I'm down 2% bf. Don't give up! Reading these threads definitely gives me some inspiration! Check out the thread on "What's on your iPOD"- music and the thought of getting back into my bikini comfortably is my inspiration!

becbrat:

As to the time lapse you saw, that was from Sunday when I was stuck in traffic. The nap this morning was around 9:30, just after my snack.

Times for food today:
5:30am: breakfast
9 am: snack
11:15 am: lunch
2:15 pm: snack
5:30 pm: dinner
7 pm: snack

This is actually how it goes most days of the week, and I try to keep them no more than 3 1/2 hours apart, especially since I'm up for about 16 - 18 hours, 3 1/2 seems like a good interval.

Since nothing else has changed except this bc, I'm going to chalk it up to that being the reason I'm so tired recently. I'll give it another week, and if things aren't improving by then I'll be calling the doc to double check...


TVixeNTraining:

It's really simple to post pics... I actually hate doing it, but it's one of the things that keeps me being pissed and motivated to change. One of these days I'll actually be happy to post the pictures, but for now it's simply about staying pissed... Type A personality anyone?



Thanks for the input becbrat and TVixeNTraining... time for my snack now... seems as if no one is staying after, so time for a walk as well... I was actually thinking I might do some yoga since I still fee rather stiff and it looks like rain... I'll wait until I get home for that call, though...

Go to the recipe section....I made these this weekend. Easy and no bread crumbs


Mini Turkey Meat Loaf


Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs Ground Lean Turkey
1 large yellow onion (diced and cooked)
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 egg white
1 whole egg
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
(optional: rosemary or any other spice you like)
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Method
1. Small dice onion, saute lightly until translucent, let cool.
2. Combine all ingredients in large bowl, let sit for 1/2 hour
3. Spray with not stick spray or olive oil and fill silicone or lined muffin cups about 3/4 full with mixture.
4. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes.
5. Let rest for about 1/2 hour before removing from pans.

**These can be frozen and then just pull them out and microwave before serving.

**You can also add lots of precooked veggies to these. Just fold the veggies into the mixture before filling the cups.