Please critique my training and diet plan

Bananaleaf

Hi all

I've been going along with this particular plan for the past month and I just want to know what people think. I'm doing it by myself as I don't have a gym nearby, fitness class times don't suit and I definitely can't afford a PT!

I'll start with training plan for the week:

Monday 45mins Legs & Cardio work
Tuesday: 6k run, 20 mins abs work
Wednesday: 45mins Arms, Back, Chest work
Thursday: 10k cycle or 45 mins aerobics, 20 mins abs work
Friday: 45mins full body work
Saturday: 12k (ish) walk or hike, 20 mins abs work
Sunday: Rest Day

I'm 53kg and 5ft 2. Looking to tone up but have a bit of weight (maybe 1.5inches) around the waist to lose.

I'm eating about 1500 calories each day and they are composed of 35% proteins 35% carbs and 30% fats.

The foods vary from week to week but a typical days food would be:

Breakfast:
1 boiled egg, rye toast (70g) fruit smoothie (with added whey if I'm low on protein throughout the day)

Lunch: homemade vegetable soup with 150g cauliflower rice with vegetables and 50g torn chicken.

Dinner: turkey burger (150g) with 50g spinach and 50gpotato

Snacks during the day: 1 apple, 25g cured beef, 15g peanutbutter & two rice cakes and 1/2 a protein cookie


I'm looking for people's opinions on the diet and exercise plan. Currently it is doing its job as I am losing 1lb per week. But will I be able to tone up with this plan? Not looking to bulk up.

I get very confused when I hear 'you need more carbs' then 'you've too many carbs, not enough fat'. I know I can't be going too wrong because it's working for me currently, but just wondering am I doing enough training? Am I eating the right things? Once I've no more weight to lose will I start toning up?

Thanks in advance for any help, observations, suggestions and/or advice

Thank you
Bananaleaf

Alf Veedersane

'Toning' will require some sort of resistance work along with getting leaner. You're addressing the getting leaner.

Bulking up will only happen eating above maintenance. It won't happen unless you do that.

But your diet is fine for what you want.

Bananaleaf

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

'Toning' will require some sort of resistance work along with getting leaner. You're addressing the getting leaner.

Bulking up will only happen eating above maintenance. It won't happen unless you do that.

But your diet is fine for what you want.

Thanks for that. The 45 min sessions I do 3 times per week are resistance training.

Would this need to be higher? Maybe 4 sessions and keep the 6k run and 10k cycle?

Alf Veedersane

If you're losing weight as you are, there's no need to change what you're doing. If you're doing resistance training then that should help with the definition but you won't see until you get to a certain level of body fat.

You're making changes that you want to become the norm. Keep up what you're doing and don't stress things like your macro breakdown. Calories on check and once you're eating a balanced enough 'diet' then your macros will be within a range anyway so they'll look after themselves.

Bananaleaf

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

If you're losing weight as you are, there's no need to change what you're doing. If you're doing resistance training then that should help with the definition but you won't see until you get to a certain level of body fat.

You're making changes that you want to become the norm. Keep up what you're doing and don't stress things like your macro breakdown. Calories on check and once you're eating a balanced enough 'diet' then your macros will be within a range anyway so they'll look after themselves.

Thank you very much - appreciate the advice

slicus ricus

What you're doing looks good to me. Your calorie intake is about right in terms of being in deficit for weight loss for your current weight. Proof of this is that you're losing about 1lb per week - This is a good rate to keep going at because it's unlikely that you will lose any muscle mass and will therefore achieve the toned look you're going for over time from reduced body fat.

I would suggest eating to maintenance 1 day every week or so - you are probably doing this anyway by allowing a cheat meal or eating out at the weekend. The reason for it is that when you're on a calorie deficit for a sustained period, your body basically gets used to this and your metabolic rate needs to be kick started every once in a while.

In terms of resistance training, is it weights you're doing or some other form of resistance? When you're in a calorie deficit, lifting/resistance is extremely important to avoid muscle loss. Basically, your body goes into a form of survival mode at deficit and maintaining muscle is far from its number 1 priority so you basically need to give it a reason to maintain that muscle (i.e. lifting/resistance training).

My advice would be continue what you are doing. If you get to a point where you reach a plateau, it might be worth revising things but at the moment, what you're doing looks good and seems to be working for you.

Bananaleaf

slicus ricus wrote: »

What you're doing looks good to me. Your calorie intake is about right in terms of being in deficit for weight loss for your current weight. Proof of this is that you're losing about 1lb per week - This is a good rate to keep going at because it's unlikely that you will lose any muscle mass and will therefore achieve the toned look you're going for over time from reduced body fat.

I would suggest eating to maintenance 1 day every week or so - you are probably doing this anyway by allowing a cheat meal or eating out at the weekend. The reason for it is that when you're on a calorie deficit for a sustained period, your body basically gets used to this and your metabolic rate needs to be kick started every once in a while.

In terms of resistance training, is it weights you're doing or some other form of resistance? When you're in a calorie deficit, lifting/resistance is extremely important to avoid muscle loss. Basically, your body goes into a form of survival mode at deficit and maintaining muscle is far from its number 1 priority so you basically need to give it a reason to maintain that muscle (i.e. lifting/resistance training).

My advice would be continue what you are doing. If you get to a point where you reach a plateau, it might be worth revising things but at the moment, what you're doing looks good and seems to be working for you.

Thank you for your reply.

In terms of resistance training, I'm not going to a gym so I'm doing work at home. So, I've no equipment but use some kettlebells. I wonder is the resistance training that I'm doing enough. I've devised a plan based around 'boot-camp' (I hate that term) style circuits that I've attended before.

So, for example, my legs circuit would consist of:

1. 3 mins jogging to warm up
2. 7 min circuit of 15 burpees, squat & press with 10kg kettlebell, jumping lunges x 30 and skipping x100 - as many times as I can in 7 mins
3. 1min 30 break
4. 7 min circuit of jump squats x15 walking lunges with 6kg kettlebell in each hand x30 sumo squat x15 and knee ups x 30 - as many times as I can in 7 mins
5. 1 min 30 break
6. Circuit 1 again
7. 1 min 30 break
8. Circuit 2 again
9. 6 min stretch and cool down.

There probably are not enough weights in that? Or I need to increase the amount as I stop losing weight?

Arms would be the same - mostly my own weight as resistance with a little bit of weights thrown in.

Heaviest kettlebell weight I have at home is 10kg kettlebell - I've 2 of those, 2 6kgs and 1 8kg. Then my brothers gave me a few free weights and two bars so I can make up heavier ones when I progress. Might be time to phase out the 6s

Re: cheat meal - I don't have one ever so I'm never eating to maintanance actually. Have heard of 'refeed' days but wasn't sure I was training enough to warrant eating a lot back. But it would be nice to start!

When I eat to maintenance - I changed my goal to 'maintain my current weight' on MFP and it changed my calorie allowance to 1910 so I think that is my no of calories for maintenance - have I done that right?

Is there any particular food group that is better to consume than others during a refeed day? I have read carbohydrates but don't know the reason for this

Thank you again

Alf Veedersane

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Is there any particular food group that is better to consume than others during a refeed day? I have read carbohydrates but don't know the reason for this

The reason for eating more carbs on a refeed days is because, in theory, you have greatly depleted your muscle glycogen levels through the workouts across your week and that by eating more carbs, you will restore the muscle glycogen.

But there's also a psychological benefit to a refeed when you're normally in a deficit. Eating at maintenance is more than you have normally so it can be enjoyable to have a day to eat some more calories and then get back into the deficit the next day.

slicus ricus

In terms of resistance, I would think what you are doing is enough. The optimal situation would be to do varied weight training but resistance training with your own body weight and some weights is fine. It depends on what you want out of it really - if you are looking to just maintain the muscle you have, what you are doing is fine. It's handy that you have managed to get your hands on kettlebells, dumbbells, and 2 barbells!

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Re: cheat meal - I don't have one ever so I'm never eating to maintanance actually. Have heard of 'refeed' days but wasn't sure I was training enough to warrant eating a lot back. But it would be nice to start!

That is some discipline! Aside from refeed requirements, cheat meals are also pretty good for the sanity!

Bananaleaf wrote: »

When I eat to maintenance - I changed my goal to 'maintain my current weight' on MFP and it changed my calorie allowance to 1910 so I think that is my no of calories for maintenance - have I done that right?

There is no exact science to calculating this and there are several different methods/equations out there. For example, if you go to different websites with calculators, you often get different results. I find the information in post #12 of this thread to be pretty accurate:
"]http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055963342"]

Bananaleaf wrote: »

Is there any particular food group that is better to consume than others during a refeed day? I have read carbohydrates but don't know the reason for this

Yes, carbs would be the best for refeed days. I am not sure of the exact science behind this but from what I have read, it has something to do with the Leptin hormone. It works best if you have your refeed day on a day where you do a lot of exercise - may as well put those extra carbs to good use!

Alf Veedersane

slicus ricus wrote: »

Yes, carbs would be the best for refeed days. I am not sure of the exact science behind this but from what I have read, it has something to do with the Leptin hormone.

It raises leptin levels and the idea is that raised leptin means increased metabolism because metabolism drops when you're in a deficit. But raising leptin by a one-day refeed won't bring up the metabolism.

Lyle MacDonald goes into the nuts and bolts of it in one of the Sigma Nutrition podcasts.

Bananaleaf

Wow - lots of reading homework for me here! Thank you - will study those links and articles and get to work on improving and optimising my plan.

Yeah the no cheat meals has worked up to now but it probably won't forever!

Deise_vixen

Hi Bananaleaf - I sometimes workout at home and have found the Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) HIIT Youtube workouts are great. He does both cardio and resistance sessions and has a specific kettle bell one (I don't have a kettle bell so haven't done it) but they might be worth looking at if you wanted to mix up your resistance workouts? They are designed to be done at home and it sounds like you have all the equipment that you would need for them.

And can I please have some of your willpower.....?? Need to figure out how I could survive without my cheat days

Bananaleaf

Deise_vixen wrote: »

Hi Bananaleaf - I sometimes workout at home and have found the Joe Wicks (The Body Coach) HIIT Youtube workouts are great. He does both cardio and resistance sessions and has a specific kettle bell one (I don't have a kettle bell so haven't done it) but they might be worth looking at if you wanted to mix up your resistance workouts? They are designed to be done at home and it sounds like you have all the equipment that you would need for them.

And can I please have some of your willpower.....?? Need to figure out how I could survive without my cheat days

I consider you to have more willpower than me! I admire those who can have the cheat days and leave it at that. If I went near the stuff I'd never stop, I just know it.