purplebug12

I am going to be away from home/the gym for 2 weeks and want to come up with a body weight routine that I can do in the meantime. I will be busy with family stuff a lot and likely won't have large chunks of time to exercise or get really tired. I want to design a plan that I can do for these 2 weeks that won't require me to change/get really sweaty, can be broken up and done in little time chunks throughout the day and that doesn't require equipment or a lot of space. I've been exercising pretty hard the last 2 weeks (about 40 min a day, 20 cardio and 20 weights) and I don't want to gain weight/lose muscle over the holidays (even though I know this is likely impossible with barely any exercise and eating extra food lol but hey a girl can dream). So what do you think would be the most effective? I was thinking: 200 squats 100 alternate lunges 200 standing cross body crunches 20 pushups 36 tricep dips 40 crunches 10 reverse crunches

So I will gain more weight if the 150 cal come from alcohol (red wine) than if it came from food? I don't want elite body building results, just looking to gain some muscle and strength (was very weak and no muscle before- so 5 20 min dumbbell and bodyweight workouts a week consuming 2500 cal (130g protein)).

I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about the effects of alcohol on weight and muscle building? Will it cause weight gain (fat) or affect my muscle building if I drink? To what degree? Say, how about a glass of wine 4x a week?

I am coming down with a cold (bit achy, congested nose, sore through, headache etc.) and I was wondering if I should keep with my workout and push through or is it best to adjust it? What should I do? Should I exercise and eat the same or change anything?

Alright thanks for the help! I hadn't really been worrying about it before because I have been avoiding really processed fatty foods, trans fats etc. but did not check how much I was getting from my healthy foods. I don't need to lose weight, just want to basically maintain and gain muscle. So 80-100g of fat if it is coming from nuts, oats, bread, eggs, meat (turkey, ham, steak etc with no visible fat) then it is ok?

I have been trying to reduce my fat intake, mostly just get it from lean meats and nuts and the small bit in breads etc. But I just looked at my total fat intake and it is pretty high. How important is the fat macro to being healthy and what should I aim for? I try to limit unhealthy fats and processed food, so less saturated and hardly and trans. But I am getting 47g of fat from nuts (40g of almonds and 40g of walnuts) almost everyday. Is this bad? I know they are supposed to be good fats but it is still alot and with my other food I end up at 80-100g a day (eating 2500 cal).

I find I have sleep issues when I am not eating enough. Are you giving your body enough calories and nutrients? How many calories are you eating? I find calorie counting is better than any diet. It gives you more freedom (provided I still try to make healthy choices). If you eat too many vegetables for atkins then I'd say it is the wrong diet for you. You should be able to eat what you want and I don't think limiting vegetables is necessary. As for bread. If you want to eat it eat it. You don't need to do paleo either. I just try to stick to healthier and less processed grains. Again, if you are counting calories and watching macros (carbs, protein, fat, sugar etc.) then you can still lose weight. I try to stick to a calorie goal every day and just try to keep my carbs and fats healthy and protein at 1g/lb. You just need to find what is right for you. You will lose weight, provided you stay at a deficit. So maybe try seeing how many calories you are eating and then make adjustments if you aren't losing? As for the exercise issue, could you come up with a weekly plan that had different exercises each time you workout? Do a walk or run one day, bike another, do zumba or aerobics, buy some dumbbells and so arms one day, legs another. I always watch tv when I workout, I find it really helps. I sometimes do a set of lunges, set of squats, then some weight work, then go back to squats then weights etc. You can switch it up. You can post on here for accountability or feel free to message me if you like

Sorry to hear you are having such a hard time. Would you find it beneficial to start fresh? Start a new diet plan and workout plan? I would suggest just sticking to a certain calorie amount every day (say maybe 1500 to start) and then see if your weight go up or down and then you can adjust your daily calories up or down. <1200 seems low for a man working out that much. You want to get your body used to functioning and losing on a decent amount of calories so you are stuck starving your body forever (you can imagine how that might hurt your healthy). What I do is not follow a certain diet (paleo etc.) but I try to eat healthy foods (lean meats, vegetables, fruits, non fat dairy etc). that is high in protein, low in bad fats and sugar. I tend to eat a lot of the same things but it does vary every day. I would eat whatever foods you want (mostly the healthy carb and protein things) and just weight/measure them and log it in a calorie counter. Some variety may do your body good and it would provide you with more balanced nutrition. As for your workout you could try changing it up. Maybe alternate cardio and lifting days? Do weight training MWF and cardio TH, then you can do each for a longer amount of time. Also, if you are getting stronger the increase in muscle mass will affect your weight so maybe try measurements.

Well I made it through. I believe I actually was under my calorie target everyday but I was still able to enjoy time and food with my family. I didn't eat as healthily as I have been but that's what holiday's are about. It shouldn't affect my weight since I was under in calories, it just makes it a little tougher to wean myself back off treats and get back to eating healthy. I did end up doing exercise all but 1 day. Some lunges, squats, crunches, planks and wall/counter pushups.

It really depends what your metabolism is like for how many calories you need, but you could try a TDEE calculator to ball park it. I imagine you will need around 3000 to gain since you need a surplus. You definitely could add more food to your meal plan. How about whole grain breads and pastas, oats, lean meat of any kind, yogurt, eggs, milk etc. If you aren't hungry liquid calories can be useful. Maybe try milk and protein powder. Nuts are also really calorie dense and have good fats.They recommend 0.8-1 g of protein per lb of lean body weight, I just try to get 1g per total weight to make it easier. For meals you can really have whatever you like! I wouldrecommend counting oyur calories for a bit via measuring food so that you can get an idea of what you need to eat.

Thank you all! I will definitely enjoy my holiday but focus on making healthy choices. I will try the no two in a row method and will focus on vegetables and meats. I will continue to count my calories so hopefully I can just stop when I reach that and not gain. My worry is that the food at home is higher calorie than my food here and so I will be hitting my calorie target but will still be hungry. I will try to focus on low calorie filling foods and snacks over the next 4 days, maye limit myself when I am alone and have control so I can eat normal with others.

Hi all! So thanksgiving is coming up and mine will be a 3 day stay (2 half days and 2 full days) stay with family. They are not very healthy eaters (meals are ok but lots of snacks and not very supportive of my healthy eating endeavors or exercising). I do count calories, but I won't be able to measure so I will have to estimate. I won't be able to do my exercise but I will try to fit in 10 min of bodyweight training a day. I don't want to cause friction by refusing all the foods I used to eat growing up so I think I may just take them when I need to and try to make the healthiest and lowest calorie (while filling) choices when I have control. I am going to really try to stick to my calorie goal (2500) (not trying to lose just maintain/gain muscle). Any suggesting for surviving the holiday? What do you do? Is there anything I should try hard not to do? How will 4 days off my regular diet and schedule affect me? Will I lose muscle/strength progress? Will I gain weight?

I guess I just want to eat healthy. I used to eat a lot of processed foods and sugar and I have worked at cutting that down. I have also cut back my use of artificial sweeteners. I would like to still eat healthier. I would probably need to work on cutting back on processed foods still and go with more 'real' food. I am trying to gain muscle and strength (fat is not really an issue, 5'5" and 120 lbs or a little less). I try to get at least 120 g of protein and I track everything on MFP. I get 2500 calories and I get >20 g of fiber a day. I'm not sure how much I should be having for carbs and fats. Looking at the last few days I had 200-300 g of carbs and under 20g of sat fats (usually way under) a day.

Just a snapshot at my diet now: source yogurt (35 cal reg or 50 cal greek), veggetables, potatoes, squash, fruit, whole wheat pasta, canned soup, robin hood oats, eggs, meat (chicken, pork, beef, fish), pb2, dempsters protein bread, unsweetened almond milk, kaizen vanilla protein powder, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, bagels, fat free cheese slices (would real cheese be better?), popcorn kernnels or 100 cal microwave bags, special k cereal, multigrain life cereal, multgrain cheerios, wheat thins, melba toast, laughing cow light cheese, dark chocolate, some ice cream, some lipton sidekicks or uncle ben rice, stuffed pasta, some quaker chewy granola bars or kashi granola bars, soem lipton cup a soup, subway ham sandwich or pita pit ham pita, arrow root cookies, thinsations packages, wine, wiskey adn diet coke, some sugar free jello

I have cleaned up my diet quite a bit but I still feel it may be unhealthy. I do not eat paleo but I would like to stat turning my diet into 'clean eating'. Any advice or beginner tips? Is this a good move? What should I mostly rely on? What should I be sure to avoid? How do you eat out or at other's houses?

So far I can do 1 set of 4 reps with each arm and then 3 reps in the 2nd set I am still stuck at 5 pushups I worked out at least 5 days last week I feel like I am getting stronger as I can see some muscle and lifting things is easier. I have been doing really well with eating a lot of protein (>110 everyday) and have been limiting myself to 1 'treat' per day, everything else has been modest in added sugar and bad fats. I am going to have to re-evaluate my goals for the weekend I believe as I am going home for thanksgiving Fri-Mon. I won't have weights and I will be expected to eat a lot of foods I have cut out. I am going to try to do some body weight exercises every day (atleast 10 minutes) and to make 3 healthy choices a day or stick to my high protein/whole grains/low sugar and fat diet at meals that are under my control. I think a main thing will be my life quest. I have been doing really good at relaxing and going with the flow. I have been trying really hard to not get worked up about things and to just do what I truly want and to have fun. I will have to continue this over the weekend. Friday and Monday I will be travelling (5 hours in the car) but I will have control over more of my food intake so these days shouldn't hurt me. The other 2 will be tough. But I need to just go with the flow, have fun and enjoy my time with family. My family eats a lot of junk food and does not exercise (yet all are not overweight-but neither am I, I just am adopting a healthy lifestyle). So I will not make them uncomfortable or cause friction by turning down food. I will enjoy my lifelong favorites. I can have a couple indulgences over 2 days. It will not affect me body longterm right?

So I buy a lot of cereal on sale (special K, multigrain life, all bran), lean meat, cheap whole wheat bread and bagels, oats, eggs, yogurt and cheese or cheese slices on sale, whole wheat crackers, popcorn kernels, potatoes, packaged deli meat, tofu, soup, whole wheat pasta, and almond milk or skim milk, rice, nuts Basically start checking your flyers for what is on sale, shop at discount stores like no frills and food basics , also maybe check out bulk barn and costco if you have one

I hit ~130-140g by eating yogurt, bread with added protein, eggs, whey powder, meat, cheese(pack cheese slices), soup, nuts, skim and soy milk. It is actually pretty do-able

What about a combination of fruits and vegetables you like, oats, eggs, whole wheat bread, canned tuna, deli meat (ziggy's has big packages for $5), yogurt, popcorn kernnels, cheese slices, special K or other cereal that is bulk or on sale (there are actually healthy kinds, like life multi-grain, life, all bran, etc), soup, whole wheat pasta

This is what I was thinking : Main Quest: To build strength and muscle so that I look good. Missions: Do 3 sets of 8 reps with 15 lb dumbbells. Do 15 pushups in a row. Work out at least 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Life Quest: Be more flexible so I don’t stress and sweat the little stuff; ‘Go with the flow’ Motivation: Be stronger physically to be better mentally I would really like an at home workout. I find it is more convenient, takes less time (no commute etc.) and is more comfortable. Right now I can do most of the exercises I mentioned but only a set of 4 reps and a set of 3 reps of 15lb curls and 5 pushups.

I have checked out my TDEE/BMR etc and it is pretty low <2000 and I found this last month when I ate ~2000 a day I apparently lost weight. How does this look for an exercise plan? I will have to possibly modify some reps/sets depending on my strength and could possibly alternate my rest days each week depending on life plans. Will this get results. Day Exercise Weight Sets/Reps Monday Bicep curls Squat + lift Bicep curls Front Lift Tricep Row lift Butterfly Pushups 15 15 15 combined 15 combined 15 combined 15 15 2/4 3/5 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/5 3/5 Tuesday Lunges Squats Butt lifts 15 15 15 3/20 3/20 3/15 Wednesday Ab twists Bicycle crunches Exercise ball crunches -center -side - with arm lift Plank/side plank Push-ups 15 15 combined 15 combined 15 3/20 1/40 1/20 1/20 2/10 3 times each side + center Thursday Bicep curls Squat + lift Bicep curls Front Lift Tricep Row lift Butterfly Pushups 15 15 15 combined 15 combined 15 combined 15 15 2/4 3/5 3/10 3/10 3/10 3/5 3/5 Friday OFF Saturday Lunges Squats Butt lifts 15 15 15 3/20 3/20 3/15 Ab twists Bicycle crunches Exercise ball crunches -center -side - with arm lift Plank/side plank Push-ups 15 15 combined 15 combined 15 3/20 1/40 1/20 1/20 2/10 3 times each side + center Sunday OFF

I am pretty good at getting a 20 min weight work out in a week but I am just kind of doing variations of the same thing everyday and feel like I should have a more structured plan in order to get results efficiently. I am 5'5", 115-120 lb, 23 year old female. I want to work on gaining muscle and strength in my arms, abs and legs. (shoulders, back and butt would be good too). I am trying to eat 2500 calories a day, mostly clean (1 sugary or fat or processed treat a day). I am trying to get a lot of protein so I can build muscle and have been getting around 130g. So what should my workout look like? I have a desk job from 8:30-3:30 and a food service job 4-8. I then usually go home and do a 20 min workout. I am trying to run up/down the stairs (5 flights at work a few times a week for 10 minutes or do some other exercises-wall pushups, squats, lunges etc.) at lunch. I have 15 lb dumbbells I have been using (I also have 5lb and 3 lb, and an exercise ball)

Main Quest: To build strength and muscle so that I look good. Missions: Do 3 sets of 8 reps with 15 lb dumbbells. Do 15 pushups in a row. Work out at least 5 days a week for 20 minutes. Life Quest: Be more flexible so I don’t stress and sweat the little stuff; ‘Go with the flow’ Motivation: Be stronger physically to be better mentally

I recently bought whey isolate (from costco), it is 150 cal for 40g with 35g of protein. I usually mix 26g (100 cal and 23g protein) with 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk. How often should i be having this? I am trying to increase my protein, currently I have been good and been hitting 130g. So should I have prtein powder daily? How much is ok?

Hi everyone! I'm new hear and have just started my weight training about 2 weeks ago and cleaning up my diet about 3 days ago. I am a 23 year old female, grad student (desk job most of the day), work at williams/booster juice 3 days a week (on my feet for 4 hours), 20 min weight training 5 days a week (15 lb weights-curls, butterfly, triceps, squats etc, just at home exercises) and 40 min ta week cardio (stairs). I am 166cm, 115-120 lbs and eating 2500 calories a day. I am trying to eat a lot of protein ~130g and limit trans fats and sugars. I want to gain muscle and strength and a healthy lifestyle. This is a big (and exciting change for me as I have suffered from anorexia for 3.5 yrs-on and off from relapse and recovery, gaining and lose a large amount of weight 3 times). I am really excited to start this journey and am looking for any advice on nutrition and exercise! What should I do?