fell off my diet, slacking on my cardio, weight workouts are suffering...and now the horrible results - up almost 15 pounds. Pathetic. I will blame it on the family troubles I've been having, however, I take full responsibilty for my actions.
What I need now is a place to start from....I'm not entering into any contests but I do like a lean and toned body. I lift heavy for a woman, enjoy cardio for the most part and I know it takes discipline and lots of hard work. So with that, I wonder what my diet should look like at this point. My goal is to lose body fat while maintaining my LBM. *previous attempts at the 50/20/30 approach didn't seem to work well with my body. My digestive tract could not deal with so much protein.

My stats are sadly:
5'4"
137 lbs.
I don't know my BF but I guess its around 25 or so.
3 months ago I was 120 lbs. at 17-18% BF

Please help!!!
Thank you all in advance.

quote:

I will blame it on the family troubles I've been having, however

Before you do anything else, get your mind on track. Nothing will work if you don't start walking in the right direction. First things first...you're not a failure or you didn't screw up. You've been on an off season gain and that's it. NO NEGATIVE THINKING!

Start with your diet and drop the thoughts of the 50/20/30. That is too restrictive and will make you feel sluggish and in turn, the sluggish feeling will make you seem stressed and depressed.

So, before starting up your diet, eat 5 solid meals for at least 3 weeks. Chunkybutt may come up with a diet, but for now, I would suggest not being so restrictive, but just get your mindset into eating right and the proper times. No shakes or supps at this point.

As you're starting your regular meals, make sure you are back lifting and cardio.

Becky, I agree with Frank. You need to get your head on straight first. Get back in the gym and get to work with weights and followed by 20-30 mins of Lower intensity cardio (after your weights workouts).

Start cleaning up your diet. I could produce one for you because I have your BF and Bodyweight stats and it would be no problem to whip one up, but I think it may be wiser for you to just start eating clean again! Make better choices in your carbs: white potato, sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal and do NOT follow the 50/20/30 plan at the moment. Go with a plan that has over all macro intake and caloric split closer to 40 protein, 40 carb, 20 fat (40/40/20)...

Once you've done this for a few weeks, you'll be ready to up those carbs even more and be introduced to a fantastic diet plan. One you can STICK WITH! Get to work Becky, its all up to you.

The guys are right. I think that we have all had moments where life gets a bit complicated and stressful and interferes with what we know we should be doing....eating clean and working out. The irony is, when we stop doing those things we end up feeling worse and it ultimately makes the situation worse. But you know you need to get back with it and asking for some help with this board is a good start.

There are lots of diet recommendations on this board that can help you get started as well as Chunky Butt's list of foods to eat. Add in lots of green veggies and lace up your sneaks. Head to the gym, work off some of that stress by lifting and some PWO cardio. You'll feel much much better. You know it.

No more pep talk. You can do this sister!

The guys and AF Chiq are so right!!! We all can get thrown off by the crazy thing that we lead called life, but it's important NOT to beat yourself up over it. Things happen in life to help teach us lessons...this period in your life was a lesson to be learned. Taking care of yourself is vital because if you don't take care of you, you won't be of any good to anyone else. So DON'T be frustrated with yourself...just do what the guys and AF Chiq suggested.

Nah, think of it like this, you primed your metabolism for a cut, ease back into eating right and up the cardio a bit and delve back into your training.

I cut really easy after a few weeks of letting up a bit mainly becuase the metabolism comes roaring back.

Dont be delusional and think any of us on this board are 100% on 100% of the time. Life gets in the way as it should.

Readjust and get back to it.

quote:

any of us on this board are 100% on 100% of the time.

You left out me and Aram.

Aram is 100% on 100% of the time even when he is 100% off.

Me?? I'm 100% on the off 100% of the time.

Thank you all so much for the reality check and the pep talk!
This is definitely one of those situations where you don't know what you've got til it's gone - 3 months ago I was in tip top shape for my body and I wasn't happy, now I'm in this place and I'm really not happy...so..I have made a pact with myself that when I'm recovered from this "break" I will appreciate my hard work and the results I've achieved much more than before.
I like what Jtheo said about priming my metabolism for a cut...that was my intentions after all hehe...
I'll post progress as I go so if/when others are in my shoes they can see that it is okay and recoverable.

quote:

Originally posted by Frank:

quote:

any of us on this board are 100% on 100% of the time.

You left out me and Aram.

Aram is 100% on 100% of the time even when he is 100% off.

Me?? I'm 100% on the off 100% of the time.

LOL Actually I'm more like 100% in doing things in reverse order. I eat cleaner during my offseason than during pre-contest. I "diet" on bacon and eggs and homefries, Entennmans Apple turnovers, and put peanut butter and chocolate bars in the blender along with my Mass Maker shakes. Off season I eat meals of 6 oz chicken, 1 cup broccoli, and 8 oz sweet potato.

and now I just dont know who is kidding and who is not. :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Aram:

quote:

Originally posted by Frank:

quote:

any of us on this board are 100% on 100% of the time.

You left out me and Aram.

Aram is 100% on 100% of the time even when he is 100% off.

Me?? I'm 100% on the off 100% of the time.

LOL Actually I'm more like 100% in doing things in reverse order. I eat cleaner during my offseason than during pre-contest. I "diet" on bacon and eggs and homefries, Entennmans Apple turnovers, and put peanut butter and chocolate bars in the blender along with my Mass Maker shakes. Off season I eat meals of 6 oz chicken, 1 cup broccoli, and 8 oz sweet potato.

Holy Cow Aram??? I am sooooo confused right now.

quote:

. Off season I eat meals of 6 oz chicken, 1 cup broccoli, and 8 oz sweet potato.

Man, he's sounding like "Shorty". Speaking of, Mike Short? Where are ya?!

Aram, in my other post about things of two, opposites, are ya on that level? LOL

Hey, how are the injuries holding up? Hang in there!