Don't know where to begin

[monnie32]

Hello,
So I am writing because I am in need of help with diet and exercise routine. I am 5'4 and about 130-135 lbs. I am not exactly sure because I have gained a little bit of weight and don't exactly want to step on the scale. I store more fat in butt, hips, and thighs.

Anyways, I was wondering how I should eat to lose about 10 lbs. I am confused about how many calories to consume, when to eat, as well as what to eat before and after a workout.

I have classes 3 days a week (I am a college student). I get up at 6am and don't get back til about 2pm Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

This is what I usually eat.
6:30 am breatfast- 1/2 oatmeal with a piece of fruit, OR oatmeal w/ 2 egg whites, OR 1 c cottage cheese with fruit

1030ish snack: cottage cheese with fruit, OR yogurt with fruit, OR 11 almonds with fruit

1130am or sometimes 1pm lunch: a sandwich usually wheat bread or a pita with 3 slices of turkey breast, 1 slice of fat free cheese, 1 tablespoon of light mayo, lettuce with a piece of fruit OR yogurt

I'd come home around 2pm and workout at 3pm for an hour. Usually a workout tape that is a totally body workout that contains cardio and weights (low impact aerobics). I am planning on joining the gym

Then after workout I'll mix protein powder ( 1 scoop) with water and drink it.

Take a shower and then make some dinner. Sometimes a salad with chicken breast or tuna. I am not really sure what to eat for dinner. I heard not to eat fruit after 5pm. and I am afraid that having rice, chicken, and veggies will be too many calories.

**Tuesdays and Thursdays I do not have classes so I workout whenever.

other concern is that I think I am eating too little. day is hectic and by the end of the day I realize I haven't eaten enough and don't want to eat 600 calories or more to get enough calories in. I try and eat 6 times a day and spread out meals but I still think it's too little. Due to this, I believe body is in starvation mode and that I have gained weight because of it and I'd like to get body back on track, get metabolism fired up since it's slowed down, and to lose about 10 lbs. I think I am getting about 1200 calories a day and I know that that's too low and I would like to gradually increase without gaining anymore weight and was hoping you could help me and give me some advice on how to do this and to get out of starvation mode and get metabolism back on track. I know that I need to gain more muscle in order to burn more fat and would also need some advice on doing this. Any suggestions about diet, when and what to eat, and when/how to workout would be amazing. I am confused because I have heard way to many things and I do not know where to even begin! Sorry this is so long!

[Boss Man]

This is what I usually eat.
6:30 am breatfast- 1/2 oatmeal with a piece of fruit, OR oatmeal w/ 2 egg whites, OR 1 c cottage cheese with fruit (Go for Oatmeal and 3 whites, I'd add a Yolk in there too, and perhaps a small grilled Tomato, as its a fruit, that is more tolerant in the stomach with other foods than most Fruits)

1030ish snack: cottage cheese with fruit, OR yogurt with fruit, OR 11 almonds with fruit (Cottage cheese has 2x calories per gram Protein, so half your Protein and at will still be there when you next eat, potentially causing a calorie excess and conversion to Fat. I'd go for Low Fat Cheese instead, and have something like an Apple. Give it 10-15 minutes before you eat Cheese to make it digest better.)

1130am or sometimes 1pm lunch: a sandwich usually wheat bread or a pita with 3 slices of turkey breast, 1 slice of fat free cheese, 1 tablespoon of light mayo, lettuce with a piece of fruit OR yogurt, (No Fruit, no Mayo, but maybe some Sliced Tomato could enter the mix)

I'd come home around 2pm and workout at 3pm for an hour. Usually a workout tape that is a totally body workout that contains cardio and weights (low impact aerobics). I am planning on joining the gym

Then after workout I'll mix protein powder ( 1 scoop) with water and drink it. (Fine)

Take a shower and then make some dinner. Sometimes a salad with chicken breast or tuna. I am not really sure what to eat for dinner. I heard not to eat fruit after 5pm. and I am afraid that having rice, chicken, and veggies will be too many calories. (Then keep Rice Brown, and small portions, like 2 level tbspns. Salad seems okay. You could go for Cihcken, and then maybe some ow Salt Nuts in there, Waldorf style)

(Add another snack here about 8.30-9:00PM, go for something like 1 slice of Wholegrain Bread, with some Turkey Slices, and fold Bread over, then add a few Almonds if you like, so you get about 200 calories, with a bit of Carb in there too.)

[monnie32]

Thanks so much. What are some good things to eat before a workout and after a workout?

Also what are some good solid protein choices? and when can I eat cottage cheese since you said it's not good and will stay in your stomach longer and convert to fat? I was eating it because it contained a good amount of protein.

I also thought that a high protein/low carb/low fat diet will help you lose weight quicker with weights and cardio.

I guess I'm still a little confused I guess about what I should eat.

[swanso5]

- before a workout have soild protini and veg/salad
- after have protein shake and some simple carbs such as pasta, rice, bread and cerial...the amount of simple carbs added will be dependant on how many carbs are in your shake\
- solid protein sources - beef, lamb, pork, tuna, sardines, fish, chicken, turkey, eggs are your best bets
- the above options will yeild more protein than cottage cheese
- i'm not sure about the converting fat from long digestion thing though
- a modrate protein/vcarbs/healthy fats diet and wts / cardio will do it the quickest

[Boss Man]

and when can I eat cottage cheese since you said it's not good and will stay in your stomach longer and convert to fat? I was eating it because it contained a good amount of protein.

No what I inferred was, that If you have a large amount of Protein and Fat calories from , still in your system, when you next eat, you might, cause a caloric excess, and those excess calories could convert to Fat. I wasn't implying turns to Fat or anything like that.

Anyways, Low Fat Cheese is better than , as it contains 50/50 Saturate Unsaturate content, and Unsaturates help to get rid of bad Fats, and also have no Nitrogen in them, which Saturates do, so that should help reduce Uric Acid buildup in the Kidneys, as you'll get that to some extent form the Cheese Protein in , so you don't want quite a lot more from Fats too, so Low Fat is a better option.

I actually posted in a bit of a hurry earler, had somewhere to be, so on reflection Low Fat Cheese has almost certainly the same calories per gram Protein, as it should be Casein like , so still the same potential calories, considering Unsaturates are still 9 calories per gram, but for the better Unsaturate content, and reduced Nitrogen to Uric Acid conversion, still a better choice over .

You could have Fat Free or low Fat , but that doesn't give you Fats, so you'd have to eat something like Low Salt Nuts instead, to compensate, as just taking Fat out of your diet, is not a well formulated approach, as you may not be replacing some calories you should have in some way, and it might give you some kind of Fat withdrawal, if your body is used to quite a bit of Fat and craves it to some extent.

I'd actaully say with PWO Carbs, Simple might not be optimal. I'd suggest Complex High GI. Still get the Bloodsugar increase, albeit a bit more slowly, but also better Muscle Glycogen replenishment.

Simple can to some extent, convert to Fat in the Liver, however revved up Metabolism, might possibly counteract that, by using some simple Carb conversion to Fat increases, as a source of secondary energy, but I couldn't be certain.

So in that case, have a Protein powder, with something like Barley Extract or Maltodextrin in for example, or Carbs from things like Wholegrains, Brown Rice etc etc.

Or if you can find anything with a hybrid Carb source in it, like Palatinose, or possibly a newer one still like Glucomannan, that's okay, as they're a simple / Complex hybrid, which should allow for slow release energy, like Complex, but with a speedier utilisation of energy releases like Simple does.

Just think of those Carb hybrids, as like one of those Plugin Air Fresheners, that emit a small whisp of scent at regular intervals.

[monnie32]

thanks to both of you for the replies. very informative and cleared up a lot. now i heard that it is better to workout for 2 days and then take a day off and continue that cycle and not taking 2 days off in a row is that true? like do weights day 1, cardio day 2, off day 3, weights day 4, etc..

Also with weight training how should i be working out? What should I do? I hear always start with legs when weight training and usually start with the glutes since it's your biggest muscle and do upper body last..am i correct on this?

[swanso5]

workout schedule depends on the split you're using...if using a 4 day/week lower/upper body split than use this:

1 - on
2 - off
3 - on
4 - off
5 - on
6 - on
7 - off

this is for wts remember, cardio can be added to off days if desired

if going for a full body 3/week plan than train mon, wed, fri or tue, thu, sat etc

for session layout use something like this:

glute activation exercise alternated with hip diminant leg exercise
upper body row alternated with upper body horizontal press (push up, bench etc)
upper body vertical pull (chin up, pull up, pulldown etc) alternated with upper body vertical pish (shoulder press etc)
upper / mid back variation (something that has your arms start in front and finishing behind you like aface pull, scarecrow etc) alternated with core exercise

this is for 3/week plan which i suppose you plan on doing

[monnie32]

yes i tend to do a 3x full body. which is better a split or full body? does it matter?

[swanso5]

3 x full body is probably the way to go for now

[jammy1]

u should avoid oily things and use brown bread.If u do yoga morning time would be helpful.Taking long breaths and leaving good exercise.