I'm just reading the New Rules for Lifting for Women. I'm not through it yet, but I have just finished the part about the nutrition.

FIrst, I'm happy that choices of food jive with how I feel - nothing wrong with using artificial sweeteners or caffeine. They even suggest the protein bar that I use and the whey powder I use, so not much changes from what I do now.

However, the AMOUNT of food scares me. I see several people here using this book for weightlifting, but do you all follow the nutritional advice? The amount of food?

Here is what I get for me. I have a RMR of 1366. On non-workout days, it says I should eat 1639 and 1913 on workout days if I want to maintain my weight.

They recommend keeping at this level for 4 weeks during the program and see how it fits - after 4 weeks assess - are you losing weight? Gaining weight? holding water (scale stays the same, but pants feel tighter) or weigh the same, but pants feeling looser? Stuff like that.

How many of you follow that formula? or did you cut calories?

I currently eat about 1550 a day. I would agree that probably for me, maintenance calories are around 1600 or so - without exercise. I've been doing this long enough to know where the numbers hold still.

But would you all actually eat more on workout days? I have never eaten back my calories from workouts or even a bit more as I use the exercise to lose the weight. However, I have noted, that I do get very tired if I exercise daily (cardio especially) if I eat at 1400-1550. I'm not as strong in workouts when I workout a lot at those calorie intakes, so maybe I am underfeeding?

I just don't want to gain!!! But I also know that slow and steady (especially these last pounds) are important. So, how many have followed the advice to the T and what results have you gotten from it?

I'm not sure that the nutrition advice in that book has been super successful.

But, there are two reasons to eat more on lifting days that make good sense:

1. To fuel your workouts. After stage 1, they are hard and you need energy to get through them and to really push yourself.

2. To build muscle. I'm still not entirely sure how the whole 'newbie' gains thing works, but one of the main goals of weight lifting is to build muscle. It is possible to do that in a deficit, but your body will do a much better job of it at maintenance or surplus.

For these reasons, I tend to think that eating more (closer to maintenance) on lifting days is a good idea. You're burning tons of calories during the workout and during recovery, so you'll probably wind up still being in a deficit. If you're lucky you'll experiment your way to the sweet spot: gaining muscle, losing fat.

Take measurements before you start, if you haven't already. If you begin to gain, it will be good to know whether you're gaining muscle or fat.

I'm reading it right now too! Almost done. I am a little worried about the calories too, but as it says, you can gauge it as you go and if you are gaining you know you are eating too much. I'm going to give a try the way they suggest. I figure they probably know more than I do, and at most it's off by a couple hundred calories, and I will find the "sweet spot" as I go.

I'm not starting it for about 5 more weeks; but I have upped my calories, because I am currently lifting, on their advice. I think if one were to follow the program (exercise part) exactly how one is supposed to, that those calories would definitely be needed.

If you haven't already, visit their message boards. They aren't very active, but if you go back a bunch of pages there are several questions about exactly this.

Believe me, I'm nervous about it too, but I think the program looks awesome and I'm super excited about it. I definitely don't want my low calorie level to hinder my muscle or strength gain.

And that's it too - I'm not a newbie. Well, maybe? I have been doing bodypump for a year on and off. I took a month off in December, and 3 months off recently, but have been back at it the last month. In that class, I have the highest weight on the bar for about half the body parts for women, and average to a bit higher than most women on the other body parts. I just haven't done this routine/route of weightlifting, but I'm thinking of switching to it.

So, I won't be new new to weightlifting, but to this routine, yes.

The nutrition section is great (I'm not sure what edition you have but it has since been revised to remove the whole 5-6 meals per day metabolism myth).

The book was designed just for women like you - who are scared to eat more. Understand, it is meant for you to slow recomp (lose fat and gain muscle), or at least maintain muscle while losing fat. Most weight loss programs are aimed at losing POUNDS and make no distinction.

The point is to do it slowly (but not too slow) and preserve muscle while losing fat (or gain, if that was your goal but that's not really our discussion). Yes, it works. Yes, it takes patience. No, it doesn't make the same promises as other programs.

I should mention, I have done the whole program by the book. Calories are reduced further as you lose (I'm not sure your current weight but mine was around 1600-1700 at 145lbs). I was about 129lbs when I stopped (I got pregnant). It absolutely worked for me.

This is so good to read!


I must have an older edition, because mine does talk about the 5-6 meals. The thing is, I already eat like that. NOT because I believe anything about metabolism speeding up because of it, but because I like a snack between B&L and L&D, and if I workout after dinner, then I have a shake after dinner -- otherwise the shake is one of my meals or snacks. That type of thing. I've tried excluding the snacks, but I've found (even if it's just a mental thing), I end up feeling more hungry and thinking about food more.

Do you think I should return my book and get the newest edition? Or is it basically the same?

Follow it as written on the calorie, definitely. You will be shooting yourself in the foot to limit fuel while trying to build muscle, as they explain, and though it is scary I agree with Sacha that one round by the book is a great idea. The you have a baseline from which to tweak and evaluate what works best for you.

You're welcome I have not read any later versions, I have the same version that you probably have (which I bought in 2008 I think).

I should also mention - I liked it enough that I will be doing it again, once this baby comes!

Eeeeee I'm even more excited to do it now. And I'll tell you what a relief it was to read something that makes so much sense in the exercise department and then to also read good nutritional advice in the same book!

What I like about the book is that it just gets down to the basics - eat enough to fuel your body in a healthy manner - work out using basic compound lifts. It really is that simple and that's what is great. Sometimes people just go overkill on too much information (about nutrition and fitness) rather than just stick to some basics.

I will be doing it as well next month I just finished reading the nutritional portion and skimmed thru some of the recipes and I'm readin about te fitness I'm a little on the fence about it, now I noticed that I'm eating more on my work out days I've been losing, but I find things he says a little silly about myth this myth that, I understand the abdomen works together but I do believe you can work the upper portion of the abs I've done it I've felt the pain from sore muscles like that, maybe I read it wrong, I will deffinately incorporate a shake after my lifting session but altering my calories too much probably not. I already eat 1450-1600 calories a day depending on my work out

Well, WHEN I start doing this, I'll switch up my calories to what it says. It would be nice to be able to eat more, I can tell you that! It's not like I feel satisfied with 1550 almost ever.

I didnt get from it that he was saying you CAN'T work your abs directly (there are ab exercises in the program, and I believe a whole book called The New Rules of Lifting for Abs) I think he was saying more that MOST ab exercises are kind of pointless, not that they don't make your abs sore or work your abs.

Anyway, I digress. I think, for me, it's worth a try to follow the program exactly if I'm going to try it at all. The worst that could happen is a temorary and slight gain. I'm at a point where my body needs a heck of a lot more than just fat loss, I need MUSCLES, everything is saggin and baggin! If I need more cals to support that muscle growth I'm all in. A few months ago I wouldn't have been willing, though.