just saying a quick hello

[sundaygirl]

Hi,
I am a 40 year old lady returning to training, I want to use weights as a way of increasing muscle mass.
currently i am training for one hour every two days with light weights, sit ups some boxercice, going to the gym once or twice a week,
I want to go into the weights room, but in the uk there arnt too many women who use the weights room.
having read through the stickies i am not afraid to use weights now realizing that i wont gain the muscle that i was afraid of gaining, thanks to your great threads on the subject.
I am currently 101 lbs
bmi 17.5
hight 5 foot five and a half inches
eating average 1800 calories a day.
i take vitamins every day. calcium cod liver oil, etc.

i did one of those online body fat test, but it said that i had 24% body fat.
i just want help and advice on what to do in the weights room, what do i need to start doing?

are those online tests accurate? it seems awful high to me lol. i read through some stuff that says at my age that level is acceptable, but i would like to reduce it somehow.

so hope that you can all help me.

sunday girl

[ktinspired]

Some of the more experienced girls can answer your questions. But I just wanted to say hello to you as well and wish you the best of luck.

[sundaygirl]

thanks kitspired,
its nice to feel welcome in a new forum, I hate being a newbie asking all those questions that older more experienced members are fed up of reading all the time.

look forward to chatting again

sunday

[Sandy]

Hi Sundaygirl,

You might like to read my thread titled "Not Sure What to Expect".

This is week 2 of the new me and as I write I am just finishing meal 2 of the day which consists of porridge with protein powder and lots of water.

I have been told by lots of people here and in general that to burn fat, stick with 1600 calories per day and eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Have the most calories in the morning and minimal at night. I eat carbs and low fat but avoid carbs at night. Up to you though and how your body handles carbs.

Cardio, cardio, cardio girl if you want to drop that BF %. I got my new digital calipers yesterday and I am at 20%. I pinched hard though! But my goal is 15% then review.

I am doing weights for sure, but with the goal to increase my metablism rather than to bulk at this stage. You can't do both. When I get to 15% BF I'll review what I can see of my muscles and then either cut more or build from there. I just want tone though. Definition and lots of it. Strength has no interest for me.

Write down your goal. Stick it up everywhere you go, in the bathroom, fridge, car and never lose sight of what you want.

[CubanChick]

Yep, hit the cardio to drop the fat. Eat lean proteins and good carbs, have small meals about 6 xs a day... The scale can say a number but the fat could be high. I have a friend who is skinnier than me, but has tons more BF than I do. She eats too much junk....

[meera]

Welcome to BB4U Sundaygirl!

[sundaygirl]

thanks for the welcome everyone.
looks a nice forum to be a member of.


sunday

[Hawkwind]

Well...I'm going to go against the flow just a little bit here.

I'm not a fan of lots of cardio as it can do a number on your hard earned muscle.

I am a fan of HIIT style cardio. In short...short intense sessions of cardio. And a clean diet. But...I don't tend to give anyone a set number for daily caloric intake. Basically because there can be many factors to figure in for their caloric needs.

As a case in point...I'll use myself:
When I returned to training after my 4 year lay off I was able to get away with just lowering my normal caloric intake (I had tracked my diet for a couple weeks to see what my daily intake tended to be.) by 500 calories. Taking walks since that was all I was capable of at the time and returning to light lifting. I lost 25 pounds in 5 months, just by making those small adjustments.

Now as I began to lift heavier and gain muscle mass my weight went back up a bit. That too is normal. I was finally able to start powerwalking and lifting heavier and even though my weight had remained steady I was still losing inches.

Now I'm at the point where I want to get my bodyfat down a little bit more, but due to my training I have to manipulate my calories more than the average person. I basically had to learn how to do a version of carb-cycling.

So, age, height and activity levels can all play a role in how well you lose bodyfat.

I had to calculate my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), then figure my estimated bodyfat/lean factor and estimate my daily activity level to finally get to my estimated daily caloric needs.

It all sounds more complicated than it really is...you can get an estimate of your daily caloric needs by going to fitday.com.

[markkk]

Sundaygirl-

Hello. I'm not a female, but I love hearing about motivated people, it motivates me. So welcome aboard and good luck on your training program. There are A LOT of people here that will answer your questions politely, no matter how many times they were asked before.

To all else, I hope you ladies dont mind that I jumped in.

Mark.

[Hawkwind]

Originally Posted by markkk

To all else, I hope you ladies dont mind that I jumped in.

Not a problem in the least Mark. All I ever ask of the guys is that they be respectful and supportive when they post in this section.

[markkk]

Hawkwind-

Thanks, you guys rock!

[jiujitsugirl]

I am currently 101 lbs
bmi 17.5
hight 5 foot five and a half inches
eating average 1800 calories a day.
i take vitamins every day. calcium cod liver oil, etc.

i did one of those online body fat test, but it said that i had 24% body fat.

Hey Sunday Girl,

Just looking at these stats. At 5 foot 5, and 101 pounds, I don't think cardio is a very good idea. Really. And please don't go down to 1600 calories!

I think you should definitely JUST pump iron and try to eat more. I mean, don't run off to the cinnabun store, but really, eat eat eat. Eat double carbs in the morning and lots of protein and eat at least 5 preferably 6 times a day. And lift weights. I really think 101 lbs is not enough weight for someone your height, in my non-professional opinion. I don't mean to sound harsh but you need a mass gainer shake in there, not a calorie deficit.

You might want to start taking a little creatine too, because if your body fat is at 24%, then that means, at your weight, you don't have very much muscle mass. And that's what gives you tone. And that's what will help you burn fat...

[sundaygirl]

thanks for the advice, i will go to the gym tonight but look for the free weights section,(god am i going to get some funny looks) but i dont care, I have had enough of being called skinny.

i have increased my protein intake but its killing me and i cant get it up really high so am looking into soy protein shakes.

sunday

[Patrick_Bateman]

Life begins at 40, good luck with your goals and welcome.

[jiujitsugirl]

What you are eating....I'm really good at increasing protein in fun ways so maybe I can help....

by the by...why a soy shake? Why not a whey shake?

[sundaygirl]

Hi all just a quick update,
I went to the gym tonight and weighed for the first time since jan and i have gained three pounds, i was so shocked i shouted it out and didnt half get some funny looks.
all this exercice and good eating must be doing some good. i am sitting eating sunflower seeds at the moment god they are nice.

anyway went on the free weights tonight only two kilo ones but its a start and a couple of the weight machines cant name them yet.

but i did get some funny looks from the guys there a woman in their area.

oh and jiujitsugirl, i cant take wey protein have a milk allergy so need the soya.
its hard to find, over here the guy in the gym tonight told me it doesnt exist.

any way goodnight all

sunday

[Hawkwind]

They will get used to seeing you in the free weight section. I have a couple guys I talk with now from time to time. Once they realize you are serious about your training you will probably find that they are willing to help out when you need a spotter. Kudos.

[jiujitsugirl]

Okay, well for protein that doesn't have milk, I like these. Most of them are pretty easy to pack.

Protein Powder--that's a shame you're allergic to whey. There most definitely is soy and rice protein powder out there....if you can't get it where you are you can always order it online. Almost every major company has a version of it. A lot of people take it with just water but I think that's disgusting and you're not cutting cals so don't worry about it. Mix it in whatever you like.

Protein Pancakes....this recipe is awesome...it's in Bill Phillips Eating for life and involves mixing egg whites, cottage cheese, oatmeal and splenda and I swear i like it better than normal pancakes. The recipe is on the bfl website and I'll try to find it. I haven't made it for awhile because it takes a long time.

lean turkey bacon--my favorite

eggs

lean organic roast beef--easy

cottage cheese with cinnamon and raw honey and some apple slices

turkey

ezekial bread

black beans tofu and brown rice

for dinner I eat

lean steak

fish fish fish....all fish. Fish are your friend.

Good luck

[sundaygirl]

HI everyone, I have been having a few problems, my eating has gone really down hill, what with all the stresses of family life, my diet has gone out the window so to speak.
Just wish there was something like weightwatchers to help you eat right
there is so much help out there for people who want to lose weight, but not much for those who need to put it on.

I still think that i am in starvation mode, as i havent lost any of the wobble on my bum, but my stomach muscles are starting to look better.
Also i have gone down with a nasty flu, its knocked me for six so to speak all i have done is shake and sleep allday, and feeling really sorry for myself as i cant do any weights.

Sorry for this post just wanted to let off steam.

sunday

[Hawkwind]

Vent away Sundaygirl. I'm in the midst of a fibro-flare, I've missed a powerwalk and two training days and my diet is totally off...oh well, this too shall pass.