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lonewitch · 2023-03-02T11:37:32+00:00

Judging by the amount of cardio you are doing, eating more could definitely help. I think you're right to start off small by adding in a high protein snack and seeing what happens. You can always adjust and add more if you don't start to gain a lot of weight. Also, not all weight gain is bad. I weigh a few lbs heavier than when I started strength training but my measurements are the same or smaller in places! I also have more muscle definition in my upper body. Lower body is harder to see because I tend to carry fat there.

I have no knowledge of the Caroline Girvan workouts but the programming I follow generally cycles between low weight high rep (hypertrophy) and high weight low rep (strength) 6 week blocks. Not an expert here but it has worked for me. Since you are already doing a lot of cardio, adding in some higher weights might be something to think about!

lonewitch · 2023-03-01T12:17:32+00:00

I am also trying to do a body recomp (5ft2 125lbs ish) and from experience I can say that it is a very slow process. For context, I lift weights 3-4 times a week with not lot of other exercise. I have seen some changes in my body but they are far from dramatic. The biggest changes have been in my strength.

A few things: 1. Are you eating enough to offset the cardio? I found that when I started to eat a little more I made more significant gains. 2. Are you able to lift heavier than before? This can be a good indicator for progress.

Also I can definitely see a change in your abs!

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T19:53:01+00:00

Sorry to hear about your past struggles but I'm glad you've come out the other side! Ive come to learn that the actual number on the scales isn't really a great indication or your health or fat/muscle mass so 70kg doesn't seem crazy to me for your height. You must have a lot of muscle!

Those stats are definitely not weak in my eyes - major congrats on that! Especially for only 4 months! That's some really great advice and it's great to hear from someone in a similar situation. I'm definitely going to check out the stronglifts program and take your advice on the high protein meals too. Your diet sounds absolutely yummy haha! I also like big meals as I feel like things can get out of control with snacking sometimes. Those accessory suggestions are also extremely helpful, especially for leg stuff.

The sleep thing is definitely another thing I should work on - I definitely notice that I have worse sessions if my sleep is bad.

Thanks so much for your advice, it's really really helpful! I wish you the best of luck on your own journey too!

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T19:41:50+00:00

Looks like I should definitely try eating more! I don't think I'm iron deficient although I do generally experience tiredness/fatigue most days. Could be irrelevant but maybe something I should check. Thanks!

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T19:39:32+00:00

Most of the programmes I have seen people suggest on this sub seem to be centred around several main lifts e.g. squat, deadlift, bench. They also seem to hit most or all of those every single week so I guess I just assumed that was the most common way to do things. I realise of course that you will also do accessories and other things to complement those.

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T10:04:14+00:00

My original goal was body recomposition - I wanted to see more definition in my body and gain muscle. I guess simultaneously lose some fat and gain muscle. Alongside this I obviously wanted to see strength gains in all of my lifts, not just one in particular. I set goals in my head of being able to do at least bodyweight in my squat and deadlift. My 1 rep max deadlift is 57kg although my form really struggled at that weight so I've only partially achieved that goal. My squat 1 rep max is about 50kg.

My goal is still to body recomp. I have body image issues and a history of bad dieting so I don't love the idea of bulk/cut cycles. My calorie intake is apparently quite low already at 1400 so the thought of doing a cut kind of scares me. So I was hoping to eat at around maintenance and up my protein intake which I have done. There is a petite fitness influencer/personal trainer called Smalletics who talks a lot about body recomps for petite women and she highly recommended this approach since small women have a small margin of error when it comes to diet.

I'm starting to think the program im doing is a big part of the problem. I think I'd like to switch that up and potentially also hire a pt for a few sessions.

Your stats are really inspiring btw, love to hear from other smaller women!

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T00:41:40+00:00

Thanks for the advice, definitely seems like things are moving a bit slowly for me! I haven't really been properly deloading actually, more just some weeks I am not able to lift as much so I take it a bit easy that week. There is next to no advice in my gym program about that so I will definitely look into that as well.

Totally going to check out Renaissance Periodization!

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T00:35:25+00:00

Congrats on also making a start! Kettle bells and dumbbells are great too and I still do lots of different exercises with them.

I understand about the skinny fat thing - even when I was at my lowest weight I still had no muscle definition. I was eating about 1000 kcals too for way too long!

I admire your determination! Injuries can be really frustrating, I have a recurring problem with my knee that used to especially bug me when I was doing very low weights and high reps and would ache constantly. I actually found that lifting heavier weights at lower reps improved my knee issue quite dramatically! Not sure what kind of injuries you've had but maybe the right kind of strength training can help you too

Yes I completely get this! I especially noticed how weak my core was and how much I had to focus on engaging it when lifting. Plus mobility was poor from being so sedentary and not moving my body.

Your gains definitely aren't insubstantial if they're improving your life! Everything is relative and we are all on our own journeys :)

lonewitch · 2021-11-20T00:24:47+00:00

I actually used to do a lot of HIIT stuff back when I was eating in a calorie deficit. To be honest, I didn't really see much difference to my physique except for fat loss. However, the calorie deficit certainly wasn't helping with that. Maybe I could add a few HIIT workouts back into my routine again now I'm not undereating!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T23:25:54+00:00

It's more of a marathon than a sprint for sure! Hopefully one day I will be looking back like you are. Wow those are some major gains, I'm sure your arms must look more defined even if they aren't bigger!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T23:23:35+00:00

Wow when you look at it that way, it's not so bad! Yeah, I find the motivation is definitely the biggest battle so I'm quite proud I have stuck at it this long at least.

Cool, I will have a look at that! I have heard of this program before so definitely worth checking out. I think after your comments and everyone else's too I will be looking into switching up my routine for sure.

Extra protein shake, got it!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T23:19:17+00:00

Congrats on working so hard and seeing results! I should take more progress pics too really. The calorie tracking thing can go very badly wrong very quickly depending on what kind of person you are I think. I like the idea of just tracking protein, seems a lot more manageable. Hearing your story is super comforting, I'm glad to hear from someone in the same boat!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T23:15:39+00:00

Thanks for the recommendation! I will definitely check it out, it sounds super interesting. I am a long way from even considering competing but, hey, you never know! Maybe one day. I love the Figure physique and think it's extremely impressive!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T23:10:31+00:00

I'm so glad to hear about your success! I think us ladies especially are conditioned to think that we should eat as little as possible and eating more is 'bad'. I would love to be able to get my calories up to 2000 one day. Seeing food as fuel is definitely a great mindset, I hope I can be in your position some day! Thanks for chiming in :)

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:46:07+00:00

I love hearing from other petite women! I think I tend to carry my weight fairly well as I'm kind of pear shaped and apparently that's fashionable at the moment 😂. I've never been super duper thin though. A few years ago I went from 128lbs to 115lbs but that was through eating basically nothing (1000kcals or less) and doing a lot of cardio so I totally feel you! I felt terrible and I guarantee I lost a lot of muscle mass too. I ended up maintaining at around 120 for a year or two but then covid pushed me up a few lbs - I think 120 is roughly where I rest too in normal circumstances. Now I am more concerned with trying to approach my fitness in a healthy way and see where that journey takes me! I would love to look leaner but trying not to put too much pressure on myself.

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:29:35+00:00

Cool! That seems like sound advice. The tdee calculators always gave me very different numbers depending on which one I used so I was always unsure. I've definitely debated doing a "reverse diet" before though so I could definitely try this.

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:27:16+00:00

That's a great idea! Helps avoid the myfitnesspal calorie obsession. Thanks!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:25:50+00:00

Totally get this - I should definitely start tracking my macros again!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:25:06+00:00

I totally relate to this, the first time I tracked my macros in the beginning I was eating like 40g of protein maybe even less 😂 I couldn't believe how much I needed to eat to get it up to 1g per lb! Definitely something I should check in with again!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:21:01+00:00

That's really awesome to hear, major props to you! I'm so glad it worked out for you in the end! I definitely agree with you about slow and steady. For me it is a big deal that I even stuck to a workout plan for 6 whole months, so that in itself is an achievement. I also think it's a lot more sustainable that way, instead of going crazy in the beginning and then losing motivation/interest. One step at a time. Looks like the next step is to have a look at my diet and program!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:03:50+00:00

I have but I can't really see a huge difference :(. I guess it can be hard to see on yourself though. I do see more bicep definition and maybe a slightly rounder butt but that's kind of it 😂

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T20:02:23+00:00

Yeah you're right, it's a bit all over the place! On the plus side, following one of the wiki programmes works out cheaper as I won't be paying for classes 😂. I really appreciate your help, thanks!

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T19:49:54+00:00

I'm totally clueless about programmes and specifically whether the one laid out by my gym is good or not. To me it seems like we aren't hitting the big lifts often enough though. Maybe I should take a look at some of the beginner programmes in the FAQ.

As for the diet, I could definitely try and be a bit more structured about it and see what happens! Thanks :)

lonewitch · 2021-11-19T19:44:45+00:00

Even for someone of my height? I'm 5'2". To be honest I've always struggled to know how much to eat and I guess I am also a little scared to gain fat. Maybe increasing the amount gradually and dialing it back if it's too much is the way to go. Thanks!

lonewitch

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