Oh I hate not being able to lose fat. I think the key for me is to up my cardio because for me, doing strength training increases muscle, and it doesn't help me to decrease fat.

So, long comment short, cardio cardio cardio? If you've already tried upping it I don't know.

Good luck! You can definitely do this!

-Liz.

WOAHHH! Back up here! Get your butt to the gym and start lifting some weights. Not only does strength training increase muscle but the new muscle you earn burns fat alot longer than your cardio does. On top of that it also boosts your metabolism and tightens your body by taking up less space than fat and allows you to lose inches ontop of lbs. Another awesome thing about women putting on muscle is YOU CAN EAT MORE. Muscles need to be fed. Who wants to starve on a diet and then do cardio on an already hungry stomach.

To put all of this in better perspective, if you were lifting weights and built up a good muscle foundation for yourself and then tomorrow broke a leg and couldnt workout for the next 3 months, that muscle would help keep you fit during your sedentary state.

Now Im not suggesting that if you need to lose weight to stop the cardio. If your someone who needs to lose weight I recommend heavy weightlifting 3x a week AND cardio 5x a week. You will lose the weight at a healthy rate and therefore not gain it back superfast after crash dieting.
If your an individual who is naturally lean and hates their boney legs or something of that sort I would recommend a very heavy protein diet mixed with a good weight routine 4-5x per week and NO CARDIO. More cardio will only burn your muscle leaving you less defined.

Haha well I am no nutritionist.. heck half the people on these forums are probably in better shape than I am. I am a reader and not a do'er and that is why I joined here in order to force myself to practice what I preach. So far the results have been amazing.

If you like cottage cheese that is a GREAT start. Cottage cheese is such a healthy protein and there are alot of people who cant stand the taste of it and I feel bad for them because finding substitutes is tough.

You mentioned earlier about your tiny limbs.. put some muscle on them. Just trust me on this one. Females almost NEVER have the genes to put on lots of mass and look masculine. Alot of girls are concerned about this and will stay away from the weights.

However heres some of my favorite things about weightlifting if its encouraging at all:
1) I can feel the burn the next 2-3 days after and I feel like I accomplished something.
2) I get to eat alot more than other "calorie-deficit" diets
3) I dont come out of the gym with my heart beating out of my chest and drenched in sweat. While I pump some iron I do perspire a bit but never to an extreme.
4) Working out burns calories for 24 hrs afterwards where as cardio only burns calories while you are doing it.
5) Muscle takes up less space in your body than fat
6) I could spend 3x a week for 45 min lifting weights and lose more lbs / inches than 3x a week of cardio for 45 min.
7) Womens best features are their predominantly strong legs (compared to men) and guess what? This also happens to be the biggest muscle groups in the entire body. I love being in a tiny 5'3" frame and watching the guys mouths drop at the gym when I put over 300lbs of weights on the leg press.


Hope this encourages some!

Crystal, I took your advice and here has been my food journal for the last two days or so.

Exercise from 7:15am - 8:30am

Breakfast at 8:40: Oatmeal

Lunch at 12pm: Chicken stirfry (homemade)
1 cup grapes

Snack at 5pm: Protein shake

Dinner at 6pm: 4oz chicken
1 serving green beans
oven fries
tomato sauce (for the chicken)
and another protein shake before bed

for the day: 20 pts. 1180 calories, and 97 grams of protein

the day before I had a yogurt in place of the grapes and tuna salad for lunch. Pretty much the same for everthing else. Execept I did cardio with the the other weight training work out the day before I skipped cardio yesturday and today (medical reasons)

I gotta say though, it is SOOOO hard to get in 125 grams of protein and stay within 20 pts in a day! I'm trying though!

Another issue is that I went to the dr. today and the scale there said 128!!!! my home scale says 124... what gives? I mean, yeah, at the dr. i had clothes on and had eaten a my oatmeal, but still... 4 extra pounds? Does this happen to you? And it was a digital scale, so I know it couldn't have been wrong. mine at home is a spring scale.

Clothes and oatmeal can account for those 4 lbs, especially if you had something to drink with the oatmeal.

well... uhm hrm.. I dont think your getting enough calories. Im almost 10 lbs heavier than you and I eat 1500 a day. I dont know anything about the point system because I am not on one of those. I appreciate how much the point system has allowed you to accomplish thus far, but I think you have reached your full potential on that diet. If you notice bodybuilders they change their diet alot while listening to their body. I would think your body is going into starvation mode already and holding onto fat.

Dont worry about the difference between your scale and the doctors because each one is going to be different and I dont want you focusing your efforts on a number on a machine. If its going down that should be encouragement enough, especially for how far you have already come. Another thing is alot of that weight can be attributed to water weight. Carbs retain 3x more water more than protein or fat and so that oatmeal could have potentially added a few lbs.

The food you had today looked pretty good, its your decision if your willing to up the calories and do more weightlifting from here out in order to see a slow (but healthy) weightloss and toning from here. If its not too bold of me I think you are already at a fantastic weight and you should check out the forums on bodybuilding.com to further see improvements in your body. There is a female bodybuilding section where there are all types of women (not just bodybuilders, but runners, dancers, athletics, fitness and figure competitors) and they look PHENOMINAL. I know alot of girls our age shy away from this kind of look thinking they are going to look huge and gross but 99% of females do not have the genetics to build big muscles. Ive also noticed alot of girls on that site may look a little bit overboard for my tastes but they also water deplete themselves for photoshoots and what not. On an ordinary day they just look fit and you wouldnt know the HUGE muscles were there until they are flexing.. and that is what i strive for.

Hope that helps

I haven't really read all of your conversation...but not eating from 12 to 5 is probably not good...5 hours without anything to eat at all seems bad...you could eat carrots in between that or something low calorie

Crystal, I agree. i really would love to eat more, however I feel like a ballon getting in just the 1200 or so cals right now. I've only been eating that much (before 800 or less) for the last week or so. I'm sure my tummy just needs to stretch and what not. As for the weight lifting, I am at some what of a disadvantage since I do not have money for the gym and only have three pound weights and 5 pound weights. The only other equitment I have is a stability ball and tredmill. I have serious thoughts about going to my local all girl gym before the 1st to get in on the $15 for the first month, $25 there after special going on right now, but to be honest, my hubby isn't liking the idea. And I am intimidated to go because I know I dont have the cash for a personal trainer ($35 and hour) and I have never belonged to a gym before, so I don't know what would be doing enough and what would be doing too much as far as exercise. I really am striving for the body building aspect right now anyways... its just really intimidating. Especially with no friends to go with and not knowing hardly anyone up in this area.

And as for the going from 12pm - 5 with no food, I normally dont do that. I didn't have much of choice that day since I was flying from class to a dr's apt, then work and running late for it all. lol. I'm going for eating every 2 - 3 hours right now.

Ah yeah I know how that works.. Im a student and I can hardly afford the gym membership let alone the "health" food. The eating more thing... take it slowly.. increase by calorie dense healthy fats by about 50 - 100 cal per week or so.
I never had the money for a personal trainer either.. I just read alot about the different muscles and exercises and sometimes I still find it hard because I dont want to injure myself, so if an exercise feels strange to me its difficult to pinpoint what Im doing wrong.

Overall at least your up for suggestions and I think thats a healthy attitude and you are doing really great with what you have available. You could possibly look into bodyweight exercises to do at home and read into HIIT cardio as that I think would be your #1 solution for getting past the plateau.