How do you limit calories to lose fat but still gain muscle mass?

[Nay]

Abdominals:
3 sets 10 reps 120 lbs

Back Extension:
3 sets 10 reps 252 lbs

You could also try differnt ab workouts. Check to see if your Y has a core conditioning class or Pilates. I LOVE Pilates and all of the work focusses on your core; abs, lower back, butt and hips. Maybe mixing up your abs training will help.

Something a Pilates teacher told me once is that if you do crunches or ab work with them puffed out, you're training the muscle to stay in that shape. Instead, image you belly button pinned to your spine when you do any kind of abs work out, it's hard but much more beneficial.

God luck, I totally know the pain. (your weight lifting numbers are impressive, great work.)

 

[Nay]

I would think peanut butter would be okay, wouldn't it? Lots of good protein, there....

There's also a lot of sugar. I've moved to natural peanut butter to cut out some of the sugars and oils.
Trader Joe's has a great honey sweetened PB which is awesome.
You need to keep the natural ones in the fridge or they'll separate, which isn't bad, just a pain.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

You could also try differnt ab workouts. Check to see if your Y has a core conditioning class or Pilates. I LOVE Pilates and all of the work focusses on your core; abs, lower back, butt and hips. Maybe mixing up your abs training will help.

I'm hoping to finish this 10 week program then get on a customized program so it's easier for me to put classes into the mix. Unfortunately the Pilates classes don't work with my schedule right now. I had taken a pilates/yoga mix class years ago and LOVED the flexibility it gave me!

Something a Pilates teacher told me once is that if you do crunches or ab work with them puffed out, you're training the muscle to stay in that shape. Instead, image you belly button pinned to your spine when you do any kind of abs work out, it's hard but much more beneficial.

Actually I always "suck in my gut" when I do ab work, it's the only way I can get my abs to engage and move any kind of heavy weight.

God luck, I totally know the pain. (your weight lifting numbers are impressive, great work.)

Thank you I would love to be built like Linda Hamilton in "Terminator 2" plus I really like lifting heavy things LOL!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Rick Murchison]

Actually I always "suck in my gut" when I do ab work, it's the only way I can get my abs to engage and move any kind of heavy weight.

200 yds of butterfly (double or triple dolphin), 10 minute relax, 200 more three times a week will take care of those abs brilliantly
Rick

 

[adurso]

Actually the YMCA fitness program I've been doing for almost 10 weeks did take into consideration my goals. I never used to "store" fat, I was probably too lean actually. I've put on almost 20 pounds of fat since I started working in an office job but most of that was probably fat I needed to protect organs and pad bony areas. You could literally trace most of my muscles two years ago. I just want to get my body fat % back into the lean to average level so I only need to drop about 3% fat. I've always been a grazer, when I went to day shift from nights I started eating more like a "normal" person...three meals a day, that's when my problems started. I'm trying to cut calories but I'm not sure how many I should eat. I picked 2000 because most food packaging says "based on a 2000 calorie diet". This whole calorie thing confuses me, how do I know how many calories I'm burning?



Thanks Catherine, guess since I've never taken them the abbreviation never even occurred to me. DOH!
Ber:lilbunny:

The easiest explanation is that your body was using what you took in as a "night" person, which was probably too little. When you began eating 3 squares your body said:"yeehaw" and began storing the excess, as Catherine mentioned as we age we begin storing the fat around the waist more readily. Your body has a "set point", so to speak, at which it will scavange calories and store the excess as fat. Calories are energy, your body burns calories to provide energy, if you radically cut back on a normal (for you) diet, your body goes into "starvation mode" to maintain the point it has reached, when you went from nights to days the excess bacame the norm, for you. It takes a bit of time to reset your personal set point. (I worked nights for twenty years, when I retired I experienced the same issue)

As to how many calories you burn, many Ys have a program that you input your workout into and it will give you a general idea of how many calories you have burned. I believe there are some web sites that can give you a rough idea of daily caloric burn.

This is all highly individuated, and you may have to tinker a bit to determine what works for you, and it will take time. Generally if you are taking in 2000 calories a day and not redistributing, or losing weight, try 1500 for a bit.

Whatever you do, stay well hydrated, I think Rick mentioned the quart of water per hour and water rich items like celery.

 

[Fish_Whisperer]

There's also a lot of sugar. I've moved to natural peanut butter to cut out some of the sugars and oils.
Trader Joe's has a great honey sweetened PB which is awesome.
You need to keep the natural ones in the fridge or they'll separate, which isn't bad, just a pain.

Thanks, Renee! I'll look into Trader Joe's. That stuff sounds great!

Also, what Adurso said about the body going into "Seige Mode," is correct. This is the philosophy behind eating six small meals a day, instead of three BIG meals. The six small meals keeps your blood sugar constant, and the body begins to relax and give up its habit of "hoarding."

 

[Ber Rabbit]

200 yds of butterfly (double or triple dolphin), 10 minute relax, 200 more three times a week will take care of those abs brilliantly
Rick

If I knew how to butterfly I would try this. I probably know just enough about it to succesfully drown myself. It's taken years to get my frog kick to stop looking like a seizure I'm afraid to see what my dolphin looks like mixed with a butterfly

The easiest explanation is that your body was using what you took in as a "night" person, which was probably too little.

Actually I ate a lot more on nights but I was running a machine and active for 8 hours. I had to eat almost hourly to keep up with my body's demand for fuel. Back then I could "feel" when I was running low on calories, I would notice my body getting sluggish and unresponsive so I would eat and after about 20 minutes I was back to my energetic self. I've lost the "feel" being on this shift and it's hard to constantly eat when you're at a computer all day.

Thanks for the input, I guess I'll stick with my 2000 calorie plan for a week and see what happens. I'm saving about 600 calories for dinner so I don't get so hungry when I'm trying to sleep. I still wake up hungry at 3am sometimes (my old lunch time), my body still craves food at night. I HAVE to go back to grazing, that worked really well for me most of my life.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Diver0001]

The problem is I'm a picky eater LOL! I can only do structured for so long, that's why I was trying to track and restrict myself to 2000 calories/day for a week.

Well... I certainly don't want to convince you of anything but I should say that that being a picky eater certainly fits in the system. Weight Watchers was *made* for picky eaters... You can eat anything you want as long as you control tje portion size.... Bacon, eggs adn cheese at every meal? fine! as long as you don't eat too much of it....

that's the point.

R..

 

[Diver0001]

The LAST thing I need is more men following me around LOL! I have the one I want, I'm doing this so I'm happy when I see me in the mirror
Ber :lilbunny:

O....K......

Any way you look at it, it doesn't matter if it's your hands, you guys hands or a horny stranger's hands... the main point is still that if *you* are happy with what you see in the mirror, you're still looking at it with a certain "baggage" of norms....

R..

 

[Cacia]

My mother survived a massive heart attack at 46 (I remember they call it a "Widow Maker"), my father died of a massive heart attack at 64. I'm in infinitely better shape than either were at my age and my doctor said, based on test results, that heart disease would be the last thing that kills me. I don't want to fall into the same "trap" plus about 3 years ago I had one of those bone density via the heel tests and I only have 87% of my bone density, not a good thing at 37 when both of your Grandmother's had dowager's (sp?) humps.
Ber

I would ask him which labs he is referring to. His answer will tell you a lot.
Hey, this month's National Geographic has cutting edge heart news about genetic markers emerging as important factor...how our old pathology model is changing some.
Inflamation is getting a lot of attention.