xpaperxcutx Posted May 17, 2009 Posted May 17, 2009 I've been really lazy these last few days, but recently I have started running again. I notice that my body fat has gone down, although its not very significant at this point, it's definitely noticeable. But I'm wondering if I'm gaining too much muscle? I don't really eat alot ( I used to have an eating disorder) and when I do eat to replenish my energy level, I eat really low cal and low carb. I have also started taking supplements and drinking protein shakes to make sure my glucose level doesn't get too low. The thing I'm worried about right now is that I'm afraid I might get buff. I want to look lean, so I'm wondering if I should cut my protein intake? I want to cut fat first rather than build muscle, but I have notice that my body metabolism has slowed down considerably. What should I do to increase my metabolism so my body could burn more fat?
Enema Posted May 17, 2009 Posted May 17, 2009 You will not build muscle if you do not do weights. Running and protein won't make you buff up. Keep in mind though, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn even at resting, so some weights are great if your goal is to lose weight and tone. To speed up your metabolism, ensure you're eating every 2-3 hours.
Author xpaperxcutx Posted May 17, 2009 Author Posted May 17, 2009 You will not build muscle if you do not do weights. Running and protein won't make you buff up. Keep in mind though, the more muscle you have the more calories you burn even at resting, so some weights are great if your goal is to lose weight and tone. To speed up your metabolism, ensure you're eating every 2-3 hours. Yeah I heard that as well. But I would like to know, is it better to do weight before or after cardio? Also, do I eat before I work out or after? I know some people eat before to make sure they have enough energy, but then there's also others who eat after to replenish lost their energy.
Enema Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 You should do cardio after weights, and you should eat after cardio. Ideally, cardio should be done in the morning before breakfast.
czombie Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 Yeah I heard that as well. But I would like to know, is it better to do weight before or after cardio? Also, do I eat before I work out or after? I know some people eat before to make sure they have enough energy, but then there's also others who eat after to replenish lost their energy. Depends on your goals.... Do your want to get lean and toned or are you just simply wanting to get lean.
FleshNBones Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 I've been really lazy these last few days, but recently I have started running again. I notice that my body fat has gone down, although its not very significant at this point, it's definitely noticeable. But I'm wondering if I'm gaining too much muscle? I don't really eat alot ( I used to have an eating disorder) and when I do eat to replenish my energy level, I eat really low cal and low carb. I have also started taking supplements and drinking protein shakes to make sure my glucose level doesn't get too low. The thing I'm worried about right now is that I'm afraid I might get buff. I want to look lean, so I'm wondering if I should cut my protein intake? I want to cut fat first rather than build muscle, but I have notice that my body metabolism has slowed down considerably. What should I do to increase my metabolism so my body could burn more fat?A low carb and low cal diet is bad for someone doing aerobics. Pay attention to any sugar cravings. That could be an indication that you need more carbs in your diet. When you don't have enough calories in your diet, you will start cramping up. I don't know what your activity level is. Physically active people need more than the recommended ammount of protein each day. Anything less and your muscles will shrink. Less muscle also means less support for your joint which can lead to more injuries. You don't want to develop arthritus early. Carbs are the primary energy source in aerobics. Without it, your workout will be shorter and less effective. When you aren't burning carbs, you are burning muscle. There is a condition called hitting the wall. Watch for it. I believe people on a low carb diet will bonk after about 30 min while people on a high-carb diet will bonk after about 2 1/2 hours. If you want to look like a lean athlete, then train like one. If you want to look like a bodybuilder, then train like one. Be careful about your calorie intake. Gymnists usually have low cal diets, but they only need enough energy for 5 min.
FleshNBones Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 You should do cardio after weights, and you should eat after cardio. Ideally, cardio should be done in the morning before breakfast.Eat a bananna or two before cardio. They digest quickly, and should give a quick boost of energy. Eat after the workout to help speed up replenishing your glycogen reserves.
Enema Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 Eat a bananna or two before cardio. They digest quickly, and should give a quick boost of energy. Eat after the workout to help speed up replenishing your glycogen reserves. I disagree:- eat nothing before cardio and stay away from a high-carb diet. Her goal is losing fat. From the Wiki link you provided: Athletes engaged in exercise over a long period of time produce energy via two mechanisms, both facilitated by oxygen: via fat metabolism andvia breakdown of glycogen into glucose, followed by glycolysis. Eating before cardio, and having a diet high in carbs is aimed at maxxing out the glycogen you store. If her goal is losing fat, she should try to hit the wall, or avoid high-intensity cardio so that her body defaults to getting energy from fat metabolism. Your suggestions are great if you're an athlete, or your goal is to get fitter. Not for losing fat.
Author xpaperxcutx Posted May 18, 2009 Author Posted May 18, 2009 Well if my fitness is any indication, I've actually " bonked " before. It's not a good experience. I would get dizzy after a workout, and once even after a high intensity aerobics exercise, I almost crashed into the wall. I love cardio, but I sometimes do over exert myself to the point where I'm not getting enough oxygen, which is really bad for me because it does make it difficult for me to breathe. I'm trying to get back into high intensity workouts, because they do make me sweat more, and I'm trying to boost my metabolism so I actually burn more fat. I want to get lean and toned, but right now I'm focusing on on going lean because I do have muscles in certain areas of my body, especially my arms. So that would mean more cardio as opposed to weight training?
Author xpaperxcutx Posted May 18, 2009 Author Posted May 18, 2009 Depends on your goals.... Do your want to get lean and toned or are you just simply wanting to get lean. i want to get lean and toned. But I notice I have a high fat storage so I'm trying to get rid of the fat first.
Trojan John Posted May 18, 2009 Posted May 18, 2009 I wouldn't advise doing weights before cardio. You're breaking muscle fibres down when lifting weights. Not only is it much more difficult to do aerobics, you are also more prone to injury. Try doing weights and cardio on alternate days.
FleshNBones Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 Well if my fitness is any indication, I've actually " bonked " before. It's not a good experience. I would get dizzy after a workout, and once even after a high intensity aerobics exercise, I almost crashed into the wall. I love cardio, but I sometimes do over exert myself to the point where I'm not getting enough oxygen, which is really bad for me because it does make it difficult for me to breathe. I'm trying to get back into high intensity workouts, because they do make me sweat more, and I'm trying to boost my metabolism so I actually burn more fat. I want to get lean and toned, but right now I'm focusing on on going lean because I do have muscles in certain areas of my body, especially my arms. So that would mean more cardio as opposed to weight training?If you are doing high-intensity aerobics then you will need more carbs. Like I said, that is the primary energy source. Do some research on the subject. You are at your lactate threshold when you are not getting enough oxygen. You need to be very careful when training at that intensity because it takes a big toll on your body. You risk burnout if you train at that intensity for too long and too often. I tried lactate training a while ago, and I burned out. Make sure you get plenty of water while you are working out. If it is longer than an hour, you are probably better off getting a sport drink. If you become dehydrated, you may experience a sudden loss of blood pressure (blood thickening and reduced blood volume) which can make you dizzy or even pass out. I usually take 2 big sips every 10 min. You won't feel thirsty until you are already dehydrated, and by then, it is usually too late.
Lovelybird Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 The point isn't "intensity", but "perseverance", right? FleshNbones Too much intensity can hurt you. Each day a little bit is much effective than short time intensity. Plus right mood and right thinking is important too. Going slow and perseverance can build you a feminine and healthy fit body
FleshNBones Posted May 20, 2009 Posted May 20, 2009 The point isn't "intensity", but "perseverance", right? FleshNbones Too much intensity can hurt you. Each day a little bit is much effective than short time intensity. Plus right mood and right thinking is important too. Going slow and perseverance can build you a feminine and healthy fit bodyActually, the original poster likes high intensity. You need a mix of various intensities (factoring in rest), and workout times to maximize the benefits, and reach higher level of fitness. Staying at a low intensity will only lead to stagnation.
Lovelybird Posted May 21, 2009 Posted May 21, 2009 I didn't feel it stagnation, actually I feel pretty good, my body is stronger, yet still feminine. my exercise routine is very simple, mooning starts from jogging for 1.2 miles, then 70 sit-ups (new record). I don't feel exausted, and whole day I feel great. The key word is perseverance and gradually raise up the level. I've heard many people said that too much intensity do hurt health, than benefit in long term sense, and will speedup aging (from an expert), I don't think anybody want that. Especially woman's body, you've got to cherich it, not abuse it and I don't get why a woman wear so much muscles like I saw in the picture of American Miss, she wears muscles like man, I hardly recognize she is a she
Author xpaperxcutx Posted May 21, 2009 Author Posted May 21, 2009 See that's the thing, fitness models are too muscular in physique for me to find attractive although they may look ridiculously hot in a bikini. I used to be overweight when I was in my early teens ( around 145 lbs) and after 5 years of yo-yo dieting, my body has finally settled on a 110 lb 5'3 frame. But I think my past eating disorder experience has severely disrupted my internal system to function properly, such as a normal metabolism, so it's very difficult for me to burn fat.I get incredibly cold at night sometimes from lack of body heat. I've been practicing more self-discipline lately though. I have resorted to eating small meals a day ( it's very difficult for me to eat sometimes because being too full makes me want to throw up) and I drink protein shakes to keep my energy up when I'm at the gym. I noticed I have a bit more definition than usual, especially on my upper shoulders and arms, but my body is still a bit pudgy in the middle area. One thing I hate about my body is that I have curves. Even though that's normal and extremely attractive for some people, I hate that I have a big butt and big thighs. That's why I run. But running only makes me build muscle mass as opposed to getting leaner legs. I also notice that I have ab muscles from doing massive amounts of crunches these last 2 weeks, but my fat percentage is too high for it to show. That's why I have to do intense cardio to try to burn off the fat. It's hard imagining that my body can only lose 2 lb of fat per week as opposed to when I used to starve myself, 10 lbs would come off per week. But I know that's extremely unhealthy for me, so I'm trying to think things positively. Do you guys have a problem with thermogenics? I'm taking slimquick right now and it gives me tons of energy. But I'm a wary of fat loss drugs as they might induce liver damage.
Lovelybird Posted May 22, 2009 Posted May 22, 2009 I don't think any drug is a good idea. I found you focus on short-term burning fat, which can backfire. First I think you should have right attitude, nobody is born perfect (or anybody is physically born perfect depends what your perspectives are), even models complains their "defect", what they think "defect", others may think attractive. First of first, you got to love your body, which place you don't like? from now on you tell them you love them . Even water can feel, not mention of your thighs and curves. (do you know that water can become more beautiful just hear people saying love them? a scientist did the experiments, very interesting). Second, you have to accept your body, don't pick on them as long as you have oppotunity. If you can do this, amazing things can happen. "But how can I love my body when I have this thigh and curves?!! How can I love my thigh while my bf didn't" you may ask. Did you read a book, Do You Think I Am Beautiful? by Angela Thomas It is amazing book, I think you will be moved by it, and be set free from all limitation you and society added to you. Third, cherish your body, treat her like you love her, not hate her. If you can do this, you would be able to come up a good plan to exercise. Slowly build up, nothing can be rushed. There are good books that teach you how to have a healthy eating habit and healthy lifestyle. You can be a beautiful lady inside and out.
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