Anyone been successful at really getting lean?

Apr 3, 12 7:23

Post #1 of 26 (16487 views)

I am 37 years old, and I've had two kids. I'm not overweight by any stretch. Currently I am 144 pounds at 5'9". Ideally, I would really like to be about 133. HOW can I do this? I feel like I really eat right. I can only fit in about an hour of training per day, as I work full time as an attorney and have a 2 girls under the age of 6. Right now my weeks look like:

Sunday: 30 minute swim, 1 hour run
Monday: OFF
Tuesday: 6-8 mile run
Wednesay: Spinervals DVD for about 45-50 minutes
Thursday: 4-5 mile run
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 2 hour Spinervals DVD

Even when the weather gets nice, I am only able to get outside on my bike on the weekends. I cannot fit in a swim during the week, no way around it. But, I am a swimmer since age 6 so the swim doesn't concern me too much. I'm only doing Sprint Tris this summer and a half or full marathon in October.

I would say I take in about 1200-1500 calories per day. The only way I can really lose weight, no matter how I try, is to starve myself (like 900-1000 calories per day). I don't like that! :)

Anyone have any words of wisdom, or am I just stuck with a tiny bit of flab on my belly and back? My legs look very thin, so do my arms. Just frustrated!

Last edited by: uptown423: Apr 3, 12 7:24

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

SallyShortyPnts

Apr 3, 12 7:52

Post #2 of 26 (16466 views)

uptown423 wrote:

I would say I take in about 1200-1500 calories per day. The only way I can really lose weight, no matter how I try, is to starve myself (like 900-1000 calories per day). I don't like that! :)

There is your answer. More exercise will release endorphins that would make the calorie reduction more tolerable. Race weight is difficult and why most people outside of professional athletes don't sacrifice enough family and work time to achieve it.

DFL > DNF > DNS

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 3, 12 18:02

Post #3 of 26 (16355 views)

What do you actually eat? That is more important than calories. And dropping to sub-1,000 is not the answer.

clm
Nashville, TN
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Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 3, 12 21:50

Post #4 of 26 (16319 views)

uptown423 wrote:

I would say I take in about 1200-1500 calories per day. The only way I can really lose weight, no matter how I try, is to starve myself (like 900-1000 calories per day). I don't like that! :)
!

1200-1500 would be a serious diet for me, even if I took out all my training and did nothing!

Is it possible you're eating too little?

Also, you mentioned that you've had two kids and that you're arms and legs are thin but you have a bit extra on your stomach and back. Is that just skin from your pregnancies?

Only suggestion I can otherwise think of would be to say that intensity in training can make a big difference. The Spinervals DVDs are great. If you aren't doing some hard sets when swimming and running maybe add in that. That way you burn more without having to take more time to train.

Good luck!

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [bluepoint] [ In reply to ]

Apr 4, 12 6:33

Post #5 of 26 (16267 views)

bluepoint wrote:

uptown423 wrote:

I would say I take in about 1200-1500 calories per day. The only way I can really lose weight, no matter how I try, is to starve myself (like 900-1000 calories per day). I don't like that! :)
!

1200-1500 would be a serious diet for me, even if I took out all my training and did nothing!

Is it possible you're eating too little?

Also, you mentioned that you've had two kids and that you're arms and legs are thin but you have a bit extra on your stomach and back. Is that just skin from your pregnancies?

Only suggestion I can otherwise think of would be to say that intensity in training can make a big difference. The Spinervals DVDs are great. If you aren't doing some hard sets when swimming and running maybe add in that. That way you burn more without having to take more time to train.

Good luck!

I agree about possibly eating too little. I was having trouble losing weight, so I met with a nutritionist. She did a metabolic rate test and asked me all kinds of questions about my workouts. It turns out that I should have been eating 400 - 500 more calories per day. When I did start eating more, I began to lose about a pound per week! Amazing!

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 4, 12 6:44

Post #6 of 26 (16266 views)

I am in my mid-30s, 5'9.5", and range between 135-145. I can stay under 140 without TOO much effort, and typically hover around 135-138, but dropping down to 130 or so anymore takes some doing. I get in 5-10 (avg. 8ish) hours of base-level-intensity riding and running and ET during the week, coupled with some core/lower body PT work. My normal caloric consumption ranges between 2000-4000 calories a day, I'd eyeball...but I don't track it officially.

If I want to cut weight, I need to do a few things:

one, lift weights a bit more. My legs are fine, but adding a bit more muscle to my arms boosts my metabolism (I am sure there is a technical term for this...);
two, up the intensity and variety of my workouts. I like said, I do base-level stuff. "Junk" miles. 20-60 miles on the bike at a steady state, 18-20 mph. Easy jogs. Manual, consistent resistance on the ET. If I add in spinervals/interval work on the bike, fartleks or repeats or other structure on the run, or programs on the ET, that helps. Shakes things up. Eventually, you get pretty efficient at using your fuel on LSD stuff, so you need to shock the system, so to speak.
three, cut out the booze. This is where all my extra calories come from. I totally realize this. If I stop drinking, I can lose 3-5 lbs.

Now, the caveat here is...all three of those things are time consuming and/or a PITA. Which is why I don't really do them. And why I don't weigh 133 lbs. :D Without sacrificing much, I can hang at my set point. I have a little "extra"...but I'm also much happier all around. I CAN get leaner, but it makes me cranky. And I no longer have the desire to be cranky in order to be a little less flubbier.

A couple things to think about...Are you eating ENOUGH? When I don't eat enough calories, I hang on to weight much easier. Also, are you doing any strength work at all?

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Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 4, 12 10:06

Post #7 of 26 (16212 views)

Getting lean and dropping pounds are two different things. If you are trying to lose weight, a lot of the women have offered great information. If you are trying to get lean, pilates, strength training or yoga may help.

_____________________________________
DISH is how we do it.

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 4, 12 14:12

Post #8 of 26 (16144 views)

Calorie in does not equal a calorie out. You have neglected to discuss what you are eating. That is the most important factor. In most cases Protein effects the body different than simple carbs do. Not all fats are bad. Essential Fattie Acids can help your body burn fat. What is the intensity of your exercise? For example your Tuesday 6 to 8 mil run. Is it a chatty jog for 60 minutes or is 45 minutes with 6 1 minute intervals just below a full sprint? Guess what will burn more fat?

2017 Cervelo P2
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#itraininla

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 5, 12 6:55

Post #9 of 26 (16048 views)

- Exercise upon wakening -- high intensity for 45 minutes minimum
- Eat high protein breakfast
- Eat many small meals a day comprised of fruit (apples, bananas are best), veggies, and oatmeal (no sugar added)
- Eat meat once a day (dinner)
- Avoid processed foods like cold cuts and processed snacks/carbs
- Don't eat within 3 hours of bed
- NEVER and I mean NEVER eat out

I'm 32 and went from a size 4P to a 00P in about 6 months and kept it that way (until now on my 2nd pregnancy-- not so much intensity on the exercise).

That's just the formula for my body. =)

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 5, 12 8:45

Post #10 of 26 (16014 views)

I didn't set out to lose weight, but I found that my body was not tolerating wheat (not a gluten allergy- it's a digestive issue). I cut out wheat even before I began training a ton, and lost 8lbs in about a month. I went from 115 to 107, and I'm 5'6" (I have very, very thin bones). This is the first time in my life that I don't have extra 'stuff' around my stomach, even though I've always been very low on the BMI scale. I still eat a ton of calories every day, just no wheat. When you cut out anything with flour in it, you can more easily cut out all processed foods. It takes effort though!

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 6, 12 14:58

Post #11 of 26 (15854 views)

Eat clean - but you still need fats. Racing weight is hard to
Maintain (not so healthy, either).

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 7, 12 14:47

Post #12 of 26 (15705 views)

Search "Desert dude diet" on the main forum.

Cut out sugar (that is, sugar from any candy or something like that - fruit is fine).

Eat lots of protein and fat; it helps you stay full. 3 eggs = 210 calories, 20 g protein, and will keep you full for awhile.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [mmrocker13] [ In reply to ]

Apr 7, 12 14:52

Post #13 of 26 (15702 views)

In Reply To:

one, lift weights a bit more. My legs are fine, but adding a bit more muscle to my arms boosts my metabolism (I am sure there is a technical term for this...);

New muscle requires energy to maintain; it increases metabolism because it requires energy exist.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [travelmama] [ In reply to ]

Apr 7, 12 14:55

Post #14 of 26 (15700 views)

In Reply To:

If you are trying to get lean, pilates, strength training or yoga may help.

Strength training yes; yoga and Pilates may help strengthen muscles a bit but simply doing them won't make one leaner. You might gain a tiny bit of muscle.

Body composition is mostly determined by what one eats and genetics... exercise helps but you can exercise for a couple hours a day; you have the rest of the day in which eating happens. Far more hours ....

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 7, 12 16:57

Post #15 of 26 (15674 views)

my wife is 6'1" and an elite level rower. i watched her go from 141lbs to 128lbs in 9 weeks (yes, intentionally) last fall. she did it by STRICTLY counting calories, and ADHERING to a curtailed caloric intake program. she was training about 15hrs/week +/-3 hrs. she used some iPhone app [my fitness pal] to track everything that she ate, as well as tracking training volume and intensity.

this weight loss program was about as simple as one could get: eat. less. calories. workout. more.

it worked for her--too well--in my opinion. and it took her a few months to get back to <141lbs. but, yrmv.

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

Last edited by: philly1x: Apr 7, 12 16:58

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [philly1x] [ In reply to ]

Apr 7, 12 18:10

Post #16 of 26 (15654 views)

How old is she?

I found once I crossed 30 I could no longer afford to gain weight in the winter. It just took too long to lose.

6'1 and 128...wow, that is lean. No doubt she is strong as hell too. That kind of diet shows a ton of dedication. Was she able to achieve her rowing goals?

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [bluepoint] [ In reply to ]

Apr 8, 12 4:23

Post #17 of 26 (15587 views)

she's 33. and she did come away with the big win at the head of the charles regatta, as a highlight of last fall's season.

as far as gaining weight in the winter, i think everyone--male and female--experiences this. however, losing this weight might be a matter of: the system(s) one uses to lose weight, how one copes with being uncomfortable, and how relatively important this weight loss is, etc.

best of luck!

no sponsors | no races | nothing to see here

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 9, 12 9:03

Post #18 of 26 (15453 views)

I would like to be leaner. However, when I try again, I would love to work with a nutritionist or dietician. I tried the exercise a lot and eat less, and I wound up severely anemic.
It seems to be pretty difficult for me to lose weight. I definitely don't have the 'stick' runner build either. I'm built naturally more like a track sprinter.
I definitely think genetics plays a role.

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 9, 12 16:53

Post #19 of 26 (15356 views)

calorie counting. I use one on the iPhone called mynetdiary. It was really eye opening how much i ate even though it was all healthy.

And don't overestimate your workouts or if you are active/not active etc. it's referring to when aren't working out. most of us are rather sedentary in our jobs etc.

I don't use it all the time, but a couple times a week I'll put my info in it and when I was trying to drop weight I did it all the time. The values might be off but it gives good insight into what you're really eating/exercising.

FWIW, I was able to drop over 20 lbs and get very lean (to the point I was 'too skinny' for some people). I found meals that worked for me that were low cal and pretty much did them over and over, then I'd find new ones and eat them over and over. I always had one smoothie a day (mostly fruit, but some veggies...2 cups frozen strawberries, banana, apple, pear, few stalks of celery, 1 carrot, 1 cup skim milk, water to get it to blend) it's a lot of fruit/nutrients and usually takes me 2-3 hours to eat it all. It makes about 40 oz the way I make it)

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [SpicedRum] [ In reply to ]

Apr 12, 12 8:27

Post #20 of 26 (15118 views)

I have friends who use My Fitness Pal and swear by it. One friend found that she wasn't eating ENOUGH, which seems counterintuitive, but your body will go into conservation mode if it doesn't get the fuel it needs.

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [mmrocker13] [ In reply to ]

Apr 16, 12 11:45

Post #21 of 26 (14808 views)

mmrocker13 wrote:

I am in my mid-30s, 5'9.5", and range between 135-145. I can stay under 140 without TOO much effort, and typically hover around 135-138, but dropping down to 130 or so anymore takes some doing. I get in 5-10 (avg. 8ish) hours of base-level-intensity riding and running and ET during the week, coupled with some core/lower body PT work. My normal caloric consumption ranges between 2000-4000 calories a day, I'd eyeball...but I don't track it officially.

If I want to cut weight, I need to do a few things:

one, lift weights a bit more. My legs are fine, but adding a bit more muscle to my arms boosts my metabolism (I am sure there is a technical term for this...);
two, up the intensity and variety of my workouts. I like said, I do base-level stuff. "Junk" miles. 20-60 miles on the bike at a steady state, 18-20 mph. Easy jogs. Manual, consistent resistance on the ET. If I add in spinervals/interval work on the bike, fartleks or repeats or other structure on the run, or programs on the ET, that helps. Shakes things up. Eventually, you get pretty efficient at using your fuel on LSD stuff, so you need to shock the system, so to speak.
three, cut out the booze. This is where all my extra calories come from. I totally realize this. If I stop drinking, I can lose 3-5 lbs.

Now, the caveat here is...all three of those things are time consuming and/or a PITA. Which is why I don't really do them. And why I don't weigh 133 lbs. :D Without sacrificing much, I can hang at my set point. I have a little "extra"...but I'm also much happier all around. I CAN get leaner, but it makes me cranky. And I no longer have the desire to be cranky in order to be a little less flubbier.

A couple things to think about...Are you eating ENOUGH? When I don't eat enough calories, I hang on to weight much easier. Also, are you doing any strength work at all?

We could be twins, only I would be older (39 in 2 months). I don't drink because as a FT grad student, wife, mom to 3 and FT RN, I am exhausted without the addition of alcohol. Substitute out ice cream for beer and there we go.

I can hit 133 and that is about it. Anything less than that and I become so hateful it isn't worth it.

Last edited by: Allie: Apr 16, 12 11:48

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

Apr 20, 12 9:18

Post #22 of 26 (14483 views)

after years of training, mainly for long distance tris and runs, could never lose the flub til I added some high intensity training-Insanity, PX90, etc. Its hard to maintain sticking to that and training for tris, but over the winter did that in huge difference in 2 months after trying for years. Don't think the program matters, just add some short bouts of speed and intensity to training-that and adding more protein helped, as did eating more often-6x/day, and I ate no carbs after 6pm. I know there may be no science behind that but worked for me.
Also cut the wine...:( but it was worth the results so back now to a few glasses/week

Last edited by: triLA: Apr 20, 12 9:21

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

TiredTriathlete

May 1, 12 10:41

Post #23 of 26 (14030 views)

The best calorie counting/nutrition resource I have found is by the USDA... https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker. I like this better than myfitnesspal because it keeps track of your nutrients and the amount of each food group that you should and have eaten each day. When I used myfitnesspal I found myself eating healthy but whatever I wanted, as long as I was in my calorie range for the day. When I started with choosemyplate I realized that I was eating WAY too much grains and not even close to enough veg. Which was surprising because I ate a lot of vegggies as it was. When I started eating less grains and even more veg I could eat more volume for the same calories and am not so cranky due to hunger anymore (which makes my husband happy :) ) This also helped jump start my weight loss again. There are a lot of other resources on the site too that I like such as goal weight planning and empty calorie tracking.

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

May 17, 12 5:44

Post #24 of 26 (13593 views)

I would start with Body Fat Percentage instead of weight. Lean is a low body fat, not a weight. A Registered Dietitian can determine your optimal percentage and diet composition from that. And as someone said you should only be at your race weight for a short time for your "A" race. It is easy to get sick staying at that level for longer periods of time.

Krista Jones, RD
TriTrition

Re: Anyone been successful at really getting lean? [uptown423] [ In reply to ]

May 31, 12 13:17

Post #25 of 26 (12866 views)

I would go Vegan for a month or two!!!

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