Scout looking to get/stay healthy and get down to 20-25% bodyfat

[blablues]

I found this site when I was looking up information on slow-twitch vs fast-twitch muscles and was surprised when there was a reference to leveling up in the article - I've never seen that in a fitness article. Then there was Mario and X-men...wow, nerds that workout, like me.

 

I am an IT consultant that just hit 30 in August and have been struggling for years to balance out a desk job, various gaming addictions, a love of a food and a desire to be healthy. Lose weight, gain weight, different diets, different exercise plans, etc. The positives I've decided to take out of all of that is that I've really learned what works for me, and I've never given up for long.

 

I am 5'9", female and 233lb. My highest weight was 250lb within the past year or so. In 2012 I exercised/dieted pretty consistantly from June to September, then fell off the bandwagon when my exercise buddy (my husband) didn't have as much time to exercise with me due to starting his grad degree in chemistry, and because of a new game addiction when Guild Wars 2 came out at the end of August. Started back up in December, focusing on doing it with my exercise buddy as optional so I would go regardless, and to help with accountability, I signed up for a year of personal training at the gym I belong to.

 

My overall goal is based on bodyfat percentage (BMI is pretty useless for me) - I'd like to get down to between 20%-25% bodyfat by the end of 2013, and with my current lean mass at 130lb that puts me at around 165-175lb. We're also looking to start trying to get pregnant towards the end of the year, so we'll have to see how the weight loss goal may adjust itself. And overall i just want to stay healthy and continue to exercise past reaching my goal, and that mindset has really helped me keep going because exercise isn't just something I have to put up for the next year or so, it's something I want to keep as part of my regular routine even when we have kids to look after, too.

 

So, this is my plan and what I've been consistant with for the past month:

• Run 2-3 days a week, 3+miles: I love running and started with cross-country/track in high school. Thankfully my local gym has an indoor track so I don't have to worry about bad/cold weather. I run in the morning, getting up at 6:30am to get it done before work. It's just the best way to start the day, and it took years and the changing of habits to be able to do it since I am not a morning person.
• Yoga once a week: I enjoy yoga, too, though not as much as running. Right now I use the P90x yoga DVD since its the best yoga DVD I've found to be able to do it at home. It's good for both strengh and flexibility.
• Weights twice a week: While I feel satisfaction from being able to do things with weights, it's not my favorite. But I believe is necessary for a healthy, strong body, so I got a personal trainer that guides me through the routine and helps me be accountable to sticking to my overall program.
• Counting calories for no more than 1,000 calorie deficit a day: I use MyFitnessPal to track everything I eat, and I get to eat more on the days I exercise, which helps motivate me. As for what I eat, I pick out 75% of my food for the day the night before and munch on it at work, a balance of low-fat dairy, fresh fruit & veggies, and complex cards like wheat pasta or brown rice. My biggest issue is getting too much sodium because I love salt and I don't enjoy cooking so I generally have at least one lean cuisine type meal a day.
• Tracking the numbers: I weigh myself once a week with a scale that also measures my bodyfat percentage, muscle percentage and visceral fat. I also measure myself once a month to see what inches I'm losing and where.

It's been going well so far. This January I've lost 7lbs of fat, gained 2lb of muscle, lost 2lb overall, and not sure where those other 3lb went - might be water weight from the sodium.

 

Anyway, looking forward to getting to know people.

~Kendra

 

[sumdawgtwigg]

Looks like you have a great plan laid out already. Welcome to the rebellion and best of luck!

[Laureleye]

Looks like a fairly good plan already in place. I found out that when I started cooking I got a lot more food for my calories from my meals than the packaged meals. I just cook an extra serving at dinner and that's my lunch for the next day. I bring my whole work day's food with me too, so I pre-track the night before. Makes it a lot easier for me.

A 1000 deficit seem a bit on the high side - is your doc okay with that?

Glad you joined the rest of us nerds.

[blablues]

@sumdawgtwigg: Thanks.

 

@Laureleye: When I do cook, which isn't often, I tend to make big batches, figure out the nutrition for the entire batch, then portion everything out so I have 200-300 calorie packages that I can put in the freezer. It does work well, I've just had other things being a higher priority right now (two grad classes, exercise, work, friends, just about anything else I enjoy lol). On the rare occasion I cook after work, I do what you described with just a couple extra portions for the next day or for freezing. Assuming I get in on the next challenge, I think one of my goals would be to cook once a week as a start.

 

As for deficit it's not a strict 1000 - just up to 1000, usually I'm at around 950. And, no, I didn't specifically check with my doctor, though now that you mentioned it vaguely remember telling a doctor about it at some point in the past without issue. -1000 is pretty widely accepted as the most you can healthily cut down for 2lb a week of weight loss. I've done this diet several times over the past 10 years. I'm more worried about being careful that my body doesn't go into starvation mode, but so far I still get hungry right before my next snack, so it's going well. I've done -750, as well, and -1000 (or 950) just works better for me. Thanks for asking, though.

[Laureleye]

Yes, life does happen, doesn't it? I really like your mixture of workouts - keeps you from getting bored, right?