I started exercising May 2012 at highest weight of 140lbs. January 2013, I reached goal weight range of 115-119. I have maintained that weight range for the last 8 months. However, I still have "pudge" around abdomen area.
I eat 1200 calories a day. I exercised on the elliptical for 30 minutes and then the treadmill for 30 to 35 minutes, 6 days a week. On the treadmill, I started a new workout this week that ranges from 3.2mph to 4.2mph, before I was only walking at 2.8mph to 3.1mph. About two weeks ago I started wearing a 8lb weighted vest during entire 1 hour workout.
What is the best way to maintain weight, while continuing to get fit? I start panicking when I reach the top of goal range.
Also, for the leftover "pudge" around abdomen, I did 100 crunches a day for about 2 months, with no results, so I stopped. Is there anyway to work on abs?
Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
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fitchick16
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Re: Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
Firstly, you calories are too low. Your nody could have gone into a starvation mode and stopped you losing weight.
You could if you're eating 6 meals a day, increase your calories by 100 per meal and see how that goes. It might sound like a lot but it's not and the extra nutrients would be beneficial for things like your bones, muscles, immune system etc.
As for the Abs, you can actually work them directly with things like bananas, planks. leg raises and if you use a gym, roman chairs, hanging leg raises etc, but quite a few exercises indirectly work them, like squats, lunges, cleans, deadlifts, etc.
Also you might want to limit your carbs as well. I'd suggest you go no higher than 40% and no lower than 30%.
You could if you're eating 6 meals a day, increase your calories by 100 per meal and see how that goes. It might sound like a lot but it's not and the extra nutrients would be beneficial for things like your bones, muscles, immune system etc.
As for the Abs, you can actually work them directly with things like bananas, planks. leg raises and if you use a gym, roman chairs, hanging leg raises etc, but quite a few exercises indirectly work them, like squats, lunges, cleans, deadlifts, etc.
Also you might want to limit your carbs as well. I'd suggest you go no higher than 40% and no lower than 30%.
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fitchick16
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Re: Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
Thanks! Every time I go up a little on calorie intake, I seem to gain 1 to 2 pounds. Do you have any insight as to why that is? I normally eat three meals a day, with a snack, such as yogurt or dry cereal.
Re: Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
Your body might be used to a certain number of calories and consider the added calories as excess, thereby storing them, but in time the body may become more efficient and learn to deal with them better stimulating weight loss.
Would I be right in assuming that when you increase calorie intake a bit and make a minor gain, you kneejerk and cut back again?
Also the added calories may be from foods that are sneaking up your salt intake so perhaps some of the minor weight addition is water, not fat and if you are weight training, some or all of the added weight could also be from added muscle, which is no bad thing at all.
Would I be right in assuming that when you increase calorie intake a bit and make a minor gain, you kneejerk and cut back again?
Also the added calories may be from foods that are sneaking up your salt intake so perhaps some of the minor weight addition is water, not fat and if you are weight training, some or all of the added weight could also be from added muscle, which is no bad thing at all.
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fitchick16
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Re: Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
What should daily calorie intake be? I am not currently strength training, but I am looking into starting, in addition to cardio workout. Thinking about getting a kettle bell.
Re: Maintaining Weight/Losing Pudge
6 days of nothing but cardio will only get you so much weight loss... you need to build some muscle to increase your metabolism to burn the fat.
by calculations, Bossman is saying 100 calories over 6 meals added to your current total of 1200 a day would put you in the minimum level of 1,800 calories and you could go as high as probably 2,100.
Female imperial equation..
BMR (basic metabolic rate)= 655+ (4.35 x [115 lbs.]) + (4.7 x [62"]) - (4.7 x [25 yrs.]) = 655 + 500.25 + 291.4 - 117.5 = 1329 calories
active lifestyle (6-7 days heavy exercise) BMR x 1.725 = 2, 293 calories per day.
This is just the formulas, but it does show that your 1200 calories a day puts you in starvation mode by about 130 calories if you just sat in one place all day every day! ... so your body is trying to hold onto whatever reserves it has. If you add in high resistance weight training (not the 5 lb. curls that waste your time but challenging heavy weights to build your strength and encourage muscle growth.....you will not become hulk woman by doing this... so if you do add them, you need these calories or you will never increase your muscle mass and you will stay in starvation mode)
Finally, the scale is not your answer to measuring your success.... if you gain a pound of muscle but lose a pound of fat your scale will never tell you that..... however, imagine the pound of muscle as the size of a large marble and that hard, compared to fat that is the size of a kitchen sponge (4"x2"x1") and that soft.... a tape measure will show you far more about your successes than a scale that tells you only how much pull the earth's gravity has on your body.... on Jupiter that same scale would put you at approximately 250 lbs. The tape measure will still show you the same measurements for your successes!
Food for thought, hope it is useful
Chris
by calculations, Bossman is saying 100 calories over 6 meals added to your current total of 1200 a day would put you in the minimum level of 1,800 calories and you could go as high as probably 2,100.
Female imperial equation..
BMR (basic metabolic rate)= 655+ (4.35 x [115 lbs.]) + (4.7 x [62"]) - (4.7 x [25 yrs.]) = 655 + 500.25 + 291.4 - 117.5 = 1329 calories
active lifestyle (6-7 days heavy exercise) BMR x 1.725 = 2, 293 calories per day.
This is just the formulas, but it does show that your 1200 calories a day puts you in starvation mode by about 130 calories if you just sat in one place all day every day! ... so your body is trying to hold onto whatever reserves it has. If you add in high resistance weight training (not the 5 lb. curls that waste your time but challenging heavy weights to build your strength and encourage muscle growth.....you will not become hulk woman by doing this... so if you do add them, you need these calories or you will never increase your muscle mass and you will stay in starvation mode)
Finally, the scale is not your answer to measuring your success.... if you gain a pound of muscle but lose a pound of fat your scale will never tell you that..... however, imagine the pound of muscle as the size of a large marble and that hard, compared to fat that is the size of a kitchen sponge (4"x2"x1") and that soft.... a tape measure will show you far more about your successes than a scale that tells you only how much pull the earth's gravity has on your body.... on Jupiter that same scale would put you at approximately 250 lbs. The tape measure will still show you the same measurements for your successes!
Food for thought, hope it is useful
Chris