Working out, gaining weight

Question
QUESTION: Although I work out (moderate to hard stationary biking during winter; moderate pace coupled with strong winds outdoors during summer followed by some type of weight/resistance/strength training) for 60-90 minutes almost every day, plus some running with my dog in the warmer weather (I live in an icy area) for 30-40 minutes once or twice a week...and sometimes yoga, I'm gaining weight and have been for about a year. My routine is actually a little more varied than this, but you get the idea.

I'm 24, weight app. 135 pounds at 5'5" and although I know this is a healthy weight, I'd like to drop about 5-7 pounds because it seems to all be fat, rather than muscle.

I've been monitoring my calorie intake for about two weeks and most days I consume about 1600-1800 calories on a vegetarian diet that is cheese free and I don't eat a lot of pasta or other vegetarian "staples" like salad on a subway bun. When I was consuming more calories than that, around 2000-2200 I was still putting on weight. Maybe not as fast. I don't know. That would require me to get on the scale more. I have a food scale and I measure foods, so I think this is a pretty close estimate of calorie intake.

I think perhaps with my exercise level I'm not getting enough calories, but I'm not sure. Please give me advice.

ANSWER: Leean-

I wouldnt go below 1600 for sure for your activity level.

Id look at two,  things mainly your diet, then your training.

Training first. Id actually venture to say your doing to much. as in to many days and then at a level you cant give your all. It would be better to have some rest days aside from simple walks and then when you are training do it at a high level. base you training ion  resistance training and then things like intervals etc are proven to burn fat, preserve muscle and couple with the foundation of heavy( relative term) resistance training. Build the tight lean physique you desire.

Other the that in reality leanness is 90% what you put in your mouth. I can say 100% your not getting the nutrients your body requires. You are existing primarily on carbohydrates and are lacking fats and protein in your diet. The TWO macronutrients, Unlike carbohydrates, then human body MUST have to even be healthy let alone optimal. It can be done on a vege diet, but its going to be hard as it unnatural for an omnivore like a human to exist on a vegetarian diet. Though I do have colleagues that have done it. You are really going to have to make an effort to up the fat and protein content at all times and from varied source to try and fill the bases you are not getting from the much more nutrient, macro and micro, packed density of varied animal products.

You said no cheese. what about eggs if so I would make them a large part of your duet, Tons of nuts with the protein and high fats, Olive and olive oil. Some beans and wild rice, and every chance you can choose the foods that are the highest in fat and protein to aim to fill your bodily needs.


For more info you should join our free discussion forum, you will get lots of great advice and discussion there www.teamstaley.com start a training log. We can help with training, diet and then give advice on supplementation.

Phil
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---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Phil,

Thanks for the initial advice. I'll keep it in mind with the training. I was hoping by cross-training (which I realize was not entirely indicated in the previous message since I bike most often) I could avoid some of the fatigue you mention. I'll increase my strength training and back off on some of the cardio.

I'm really not eating a lot carbs (about a cup of high fiber, high protein cereal most days and that's usually it... sometimes bread but certainly less than 3x a week, occasional tortilla--that's about it) in the standard sense. As I said before, I RARELY eat pasta and avoid the Subway-style veggies-on-bread-vegetarian lifestyle because I tend toward whole foods. I eat brown rice and/or millet and/or kamut a couple of times a week in addition to my morning cereal (with yogurt & milk, plus chia seeds). My carbs come from: fruits/veggies; beans and lentils (including tempeh, hummus, etc.); quinoa, plus as I mentioned above millet/rice/couscous and other whole grains on a more infrequent basis. I eat a medium or large egg 3-4x a week and a tablespoon or two of nut/seed butter each day. I cook with oil and I have legumes of some sort daily, as well as daily yogurt, and often peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. I eat plenty of veggies and fruit.

That being clarified--specifically that I am eating fat and my carbs are protein-heavy carbs--could you realign your answer? Part of my problem with standard calculations for protein/carbs/etc. is that beans show up as a carb--even when they come in the protein-rich forms, such as tofu. Thanks again!

Answer
No problem I now have a better idea of your situation

As for eating it sounds like your doing a much better job then most vegetarians and have the knowledge that you need to make it your concerted effort at all times to try and eat higher protein foods as you are going to have real trouble of getting what you need. Even in eating the vegetarian high protein foods much of the amino acid profiles you get are not going to be of high quality and or trapper in the cellulose fiber of the foods eaten so not available to be used. You need to remember even the LOW end of protein needed a day to exist is 56grams. That抯 is to attain life. That doesn抰 include any excess needed for an individual who trains and causes excelled protein turnover. Do all you can to mix up your source of fiber rich veggies so you can be as close as possible to getting the necessary EAA抯 on a daily basis.

Seeing as you are not against eggs I would make a drastic increase in the amount of those you are eating. Changing that from 3-4 a week to the same amount in one day. This will go a long way to helping you get the quality usable amino acids you need along with the healthy fats and dietary cholesterol your body desires. Mix that with your yogurt, milk, and nut / oil sources and you have a solid diet building there from both the protein and fat aspect which are our most important.

Training wise. Give the advice a I gave a whirl. Yes cross training can help you avoid the residual fatigue but you still need rest. Much like the undulating per iodization that many strength athletes use now. Still, the hardest thing we all have to get across to our selves is the fact progress is made OUT of the gym in rest not in it. The gym, training is the damage, the stimulus for adaptation and progress. This is the largest thing and the best thing we end up doing for even our professional athletes getting them to back off. Sure there are those people we have to push more, but by far most people are doing more then they should to reach the progress you want. Out of the gym is when and where most calories are burnt, the body is repaired and rebuilt, body fat is utilized as the almost exclusive fuel to fire the processes.

Try and get a 3 resistance training sessions in a week that are the base and are made to both retain muscle and build strength which will give you take tight, tone dense look you are looking for. Keep your metabolism blasting high. Tack on a session or two of HIIT type cardio and then enjoy some very low intensity relaxing and fat burning walking. Don抰 push these session just put the time in and use them as times to relax your mind and release those feel good hormones which can go a long way to making you both feel great and have a healthy optimally running body and endocrine system.

Then judge your body NOT on a scale throw the thing out if you must. The scale is the worst baseleine to health and a great physique anyone can use and for women in particular can lead to reduced progress, and physical and mental stress and reduced health. In the stead use how you look, how you perform and how your clothes fit. I guarantee you, if you perform better on a regular basis. Simple small progressive steps your body/physique will follow suit. Your form truly does follow your function and it抯 a much more positive reinforced trail to walk, an athletic rather then exerciser mindset. Its all about what you can do instead of how it feels. If you have the luxury get your body fat tested by an accurate device like DEXA or Ultrasound and get checked quarterly to gauge progress.

Does this help more?


Edit...

Oh I will add. While I don't like tracking food, weighing etc except in the cases of physique athletes that are needing to get to extreme low BF%'s for a very short period of time. This due to the fact I don't feel its needed to reach an excellent physique and have seen way to many disorders and undue stress in both my clients and myself who have used them for extended periods, creating stress that kills progress MUCH worse then any variance they may get from not being anal about their intake. I might suggest for a short period you use something like Fitday.com or purchase the very cool nutribase software to track what you are eating so you can see NOT the calories consumed but the more important protein and fats. Then try and get as close as you can to 1 gram per lb of body weight in protein and .6grams per lb of body weight in healthy fats INCLUDING saturated avoiding only transfats and trying to get a good deal of omega 3's. Fill in the gaps in the calorie content with your carbohydrates.

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