Hello and Help!!

meg1793

New member
Hey there, I am totally new to speaking in this forum, but have been reading the posts for about a week, and I must say that I am really impressed by the knowledge of fitness from the ladies! Especially Fyre and Supergirl...
here's my deal....I'm 25, 5'7", and weigh in @ 170 with 22-24%. Minus 5 lbs, this is the thinnest Ive ever been in my adult life, which makes me happy, but I don't think I've achieved the results that i work so hard for. I would like any suggestions that you guys have after you hear my pathetically long story...as a child, I grew up learning nothing in the nutritional dept. My parents were definitive followers of the lie known as the USDA food pyramid, and hence my peronsal obeisty epidemic. My highest weight was 224, and when I finally realized that my body was unattractive to no end, I immediately joined a gym and gave it my ALL, losing 44 lbs in one summer (not in a healthy way, either). I lost touch with my runner's high, and gave up, only to go from 180 back to 200. In JAnuary of 2000, I gave it my best shot again, and went from a size 18 to a 16 and dropped back down to 180, but could never push past that point. When my boyfriend and I started dating in January 2002, we decided that we needed a major overhaul with our "diet" and "exercise" or lack thereof, and we followed the Body for Life plan, a wonderful tool in which I still partially utilize to this day. We hauled ass for 12 weeks, him reaping more rewards than I. I only lost about 15-20 lbs, but went down about 1 1/2 sizes. Well, since BFL, when, at the end of week 12 I was left with an unanswered "WTF do i do now?", I went straight to Oygen, M&F Hers, Fitness RX, Shape, Fitness, Health, you name it, to look for my very next short, goal oriented conquest. I found Freestyle Fitness on the web, bought the book (of which Mia Finnegan is the main sponsor), tried it (in the gym like almost 3 hours a day every day for 4 weeks) and it did nothing!! I tried a homegrown plan from Mocha Lee in a M&F issue, which still didn't do the trick. The scale wouldn't budge and it was soooo frustrating to feel like a complete failure when you're as Type A as I am!! My diet was clean, too. B/c I know (hopefully) someone will ask): meal 1) whey protein shake w/skim milk (sometimes a banana mixed in), 2) an EAS myoplex lite bar 3) fat free yogurt /cottage cheese 4) 4 oz grilled chicken, 1-2 cups of green beans (sometimes 1/2 baked potato, but rare), 5) 4 oz grilled salmon, 1 cup peas or spinach 6) EAS myoplex lite bar or protein shake, all the while drinking at least 3 liters of water a day ({not counting what i drank at the gym). My training changes all the time, but is something like either a pyramid scheme w/6 sets or 3-4 sets of 8-12, 3-4 exercises per muscle group on alternating days. Sometimes super sets, sometimes giant sets, every now and again, I'll put some lengthy sets in. Cardio is HIIT 3+ days a week, on training days, I might do something a little less dramatic, like speed walk for 35 minutes or so. I used to be anal about calucating everything. Calcium, fiber, carbs, fats (good and bad), protein, water, calories, and supplement with everything from Xenadrine, Hydroxycut, Lean System 7, Cutting Gel, CLA, calcium, folic acid, EFA's, fiber supplements, Vitamin C, Lipo 6, coleus forskoli, a multi from GNC, EVERYTHING!!! I never budged the scale. I honestly feel like throwing in the towel and justifying it with "at least i gave it my best shot and my boyfriend loves me for me" but I'm way too superficial to give up on this hourglass figure! I have too much force behind it and I will not accept this as a fact of life. I feel strong and powerful and ultrafeminine and a kick ass bitch when I'm working out, I just need to figure out how to show that instead of just saying/thinking it. Anyway, hence it brought me the whole way here: my new premonition: juice. Let me note that had I never researched this subject, my ideas about it from media hype would have NEVER let me think positive thoughts about it. MY friend thinks it's the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he looks damn good b/c of it. I want that feeling. I more or less want to cut a lot, as the muscle is there, just hidden ;) My boyfriend would absolutely drop kick me (not literal) if he found out that I was interested, but I feel like I have no other choice. Everything that I have read in the forums say "make sure diet and exercise is clean first" and I think mine is. This would be used as a last resort. Anavar is the pill in question. I want more info on it and any suggestions on my regular activites and diet would be highly appreciated too. I know it's a lot. I really hope I didn't wear out my welcome here, it being my first formal visit as a member. Supergirl, you have your work cut out for you, but I BELIEVE IN YOU. Please help!!!!
 
Hey Meg,
Welcome aboard!! That was a fantastic post!! As i read through it, it recalled times in my life where i too was so frustrated with my weight or bodyimage (magazines don't help either) and i admire your dedication.. throwing in the towel is NOT an option :)

also in my honest opinion, anavar is not for you.. sweetie, as much as i would like to believe it or wish it were true, steroids or anavar do NOT burn fat.. you will not lose weight and get thin on anavar.. Anavar is used as you said, 'as a last resort" once critical proponents are in place, however anavar will increase your lean body mass (adding muscle and possible size) and in increasing your muscle you in turn lose bodyfat and get leaner and harder, but it will not melt fat etc..

Here is my first suggestion.. go get your thyroid tested!! You may be fighting an uphill battle if that little hormone of yours is not working properly..
Secondly.. are you on any birthcontrol?? that may also contribute to an increased amount of bodyfat..
Third.. are you on any anti-depressents (you do not have to answer this publically) but if you are, it can also contribute to fat gains and trouble losing weight..

that is where i want to start with you... lets get those questions answered first and foremost and lets lose the idea of using anavar at this stage of the game..
Some clenbuterol and fat burners might be a path you want to take, but IMHO and i feel strongly about this.. as a professional trainer, i would NOT put you on anavar...

You are a smart girl!!! You obviously have done your homework!!! You have the heart!!! and now you have the support of us here at steroidology!! So let's do this!! We will figure it out and get you going!! So no worries..
it starts by the process of elimination.. let's see what may not be working properly first and then go from there!!

LUV supergirl :)
 
i agree with supergirl on getting your thyroid checked, as well as the other points she mentioned. once i had my tubes tied and got off of the bc pills, i noticed the weight came off easier, and also to some extent my body composition changed, my waist thinned down, as well as my hips and thighs.

another question i have and maybe supergirl can answer is, possibly could you maybe substitute real food instead of the bars you are eating? i know that there is nothing better than real food. yogurt isn't really going to do much for you, and i've noticed alot of sodium in cottage cheese. if you must do yogurt, maybe add some almonds to it, for some protein and good fats. i boil a ton of eggs at the beginning of the week to eat in the mornings. (some people don't eat the yolks) the diet you posted does look pretty clean, is there a possibility that you might not be eating enough? (question to supergirl)

also, on your training, are you taking any days off or just working out 7 days a week?

my last question is what is your frame size, small, med or large? what is your goal weight? is it a rational goal? i'm a medium to large frame girl, and for me, my "ideal weight" as books etc state, is simply not rational for me, i would look like a skeleton if i were there.
 
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Hey Meg and welcome to the board hun! I am in total agreeance with Supergirl on by-passing the thought of anavar at this present time.
Let me ask u something, could u get rid of those two bars in ur meal plan and replace it with some real food? I'm not a big fan of the bars to be honest with u. Even though they are low in sugar, the fact remains that they still contain sugar and all sorts of other little unwanted goodies. For convenience sakes, they're are okay or for a once in a while treat but that's about it. I also didn't see any sources of EFA's in there. Do you take supplemental flax oil? Youre diet actually looks quite good aside from the lack of EFA's. I would also suggest upping your water to 4-8 liters of water a day.
The questions that Supergirl asked about the birth control and/or anti-depressants are valuable pieces of information as well.
One more question that I'd like to ask regarding your diet is what does your preworkout meal consist of and what does your post workout meal consist of as well?
The more information we have, the more we'll be able to help you sweetie.
Once again, welcome to Steroidology!:)
 
texgrl said:
i agree with supergirl on getting your thyroid checked, as well as the other points she mentioned. once i had my tubes tied and got off of the bc pills, i noticed the weight came off easier, and also to some extent my body composition changed, my waist thinned down, as well as my hips and thighs.

another question i have and maybe supergirl can answer is, possibly could you maybe substitute real food instead of the bars you are eating? i know that there is nothing better than real food. yogurt isn't really going to do much for you, and i've noticed alot of sodium in cottage cheese. if you must do yogurt, maybe add some almonds to it, for some protein and good fats.

also, on your training, are you taking any days off or just working out 7 days a week?


lol...i think we must have been typing at the same time Texgrl. I am in total agreeance with replacing the bars with real food.;)
 
Fyre said:
lol...i think we must have been typing at the same time Texgrl. I am in total agreeance with replacing the bars with real food.;)


haha, great minds........:p


another note to meg, have you had your body fat checked or are you just estimating? i myself am 5'6 and come in around 155-160 most times. i'm a firm believer in it doesn't matter what the scale says, its how you look :)

p.s. welcome to steroidology! there are some great minds here, i'm sure you will find some help!
 
texgrl said:
haha, great minds........:p


another note to meg, have you had your body fat checked or are you just estimating? i myself am 5'6 and come in around 155-160 most times. i'm a firm believer in it doesn't matter what the scale says, its how you look :)

p.s. welcome to steroidology! there are some great minds here, i'm sure you will find some help!


Good note on the weight issue Texgrl! Far too many worry about how much the scale says.
 
i luv you girls!! :)

YES TEX.. i agree.. the diet could use some REAL food replacement and tweeking.. you are both correct in the idea that the bars are not the best possible solution and she could get some more protein in her diet as well...
Good thoughts both of you!!

but i also want to hit some of the possible factors interfering with her weight loss...

Like you mentioned Tex, her frame will contribute to it as well.. i mean 5'7 @170 is NOT too much depending on her structure and her boydfat is 22-24, not in the high 30s, so she is NOT obese at all!!
If there are NO medical/physical problems, then really it boils down to tweeking the diet as fyre and tex suggested as well as increasing some muscle with a well devised weight training program while decreasing bodyfat.. all in good time :)
 
i know she hasn't answered yet, but from the post, it seems she trains nonstop. will overtraining hinder loss of weight?

oh, and god bless you for backing me up on the weight thing, sometimes i feel like a real heifer after i get off the scale and it says 160, other times, not so bad. ;)
 
texgrl said:
i know she hasn't answered yet, but from the post, it seems she trains nonstop. will overtraining hinder loss of weight?

oh, and god bless you for backing me up on the weight thing, sometimes i feel like a real heifer after i get off the scale and it says 160, other times, not so bad. ;)
LOL... You are too cute!!! :)

as per overtraining... there are a few schools of thought on this one.. it is in MY personal experience that as far as someone who just wants to get thin... then overtraining is not a concern as your body will eat through fat and muscle and keep getting thinner.. NOT leaner and more muscular and defined, but you will keep losing weight (NOT the healthy way either)
If your goal is to get lean and hard, then YES if you overtrain you are defeating your purpose.. plus recovery is mandatory for muscle development...
see the difference.. did i explain that well?? :)
 
OMG! Im so happy that you guys have taken me on as a project! That was some really good info from all of you! Ok, where do I start? First of all, I am on no medication. My family has a history of blood clotting, so I am unable to take birth control pills, and am way too chipper for MAOI's! Unfortunately, I have gotten my thyroid checked, and it is fine. I would love to have that as an excuse. About the meals, one of the reasons that I like the bars is b/c I have a sweet tooth as well as an unnatural obsession with peanut butter, so they help to subside those nasty cravings. Why do you guys think thta Anavar is not a good option? I realize that none of these pills are actually "fat burners" per se, but by gaining muscle, my metabolism will be in gear and I will consistently be burning fat, which is the ultimate goal. The reason that I may have mentioned that I didn't want to gain muscle in my previous message was something that I could have left out. I do, of course want to look toned and cut, but what I more or less by that statement was that I don't want to look like Nicole Bass, but more like Torrie Wilson (can anyone tell I watch wrestling??) About my frame, this one is tricky...people generally say that I have a large frame, but I'm not sure if that is necessarily true. By the standard wrist calculations, my middle finger and thumb can wrap around my wrist and then some, which supposedly means that I have a small frame. I was a small framed child, but I now have birthing hips and thighs that won't go away, which adds to the confusion. The last time I got my BF checked, I was @ 22%, but that seems low for the way I look. My goals for the scale are about 140-145, but if I was a size 6-8, I could weigh 350 and not think twice about it :afro: . I started this new diet plan called the Zone...I'm sure this is nothing you haven't heard before. It actually does make me feel good, as the book said. I don't quite have it down to a science yet, Im still trying to find some recipes that work with my rather simple ways in the kitchen. And to answer Fyre, I do supplement wiht EFA's, a multi-vitamin, Vitamin C, and the occasional fat burner (since none of them work for me, I might take 2 30 mins before a workout just to get me out of bed.) I normally don't eat a meal before I work out, but this is the problem when you read too many fitness magazines. I've heard that you MUST eat something and I've heard that you MUST NOT eat before a workout. Since my workouts are generally 30 mins after I roll out of bed, I tend to drink about 1/2 liter of water before the gym, and then 1/2 -1 liter while I'm there. Ok, I'm sure I missed a question, but hope this helps for now. Again, thanks for all those kick ass answers! I have a feeling I'm going to jump start my weight loss with your help!
 
ok.. thryoid was tested recently right??? the weight loss could of julted it which is why you may want to get it checked again... Just a thought..

BUT assuming you are medically fit :) there are a few things we can work on.. tweeking the diet is necessary..

IMHO, diets work if you stick to them lol.. the zone is really complicated.. if it works for you then god bless ya, but i am a believer is sticking to the BASICS and tried and true methods...

the basics are high protein (1gram per 1lb of bodyweight) low complex carbs and moderate fats.. it works.. it is tried and true..

oatmeal, brown rice, potatos, sweet pots, dark green veggies etc.. limited, but good for ya!!
I understand the sweet tooth, but you would benefit more from giving yourself a cheat day where you have some fun rather than a cheat everyday!!! I tell my clients to stay strict M-f, cheat on saturday and then have 1 cheat meal on sunday, gearing up for another strict week.. CONSISTENCY is key.. the body works best with a consistent diet and inconsistent training (meaning always mix it up to shock the body)..

you should eat before a weight training workout!! NOT before a cardio session.. you need sugar to weight train.. your muscles need it.. Muscles when you lift go through what is called an ATPCP cycle... basically they burn sugar to lift and fatigue is what you get when your muscle is sugar depleted (big time layman's terms here) but that is the general idea...
think of your body as a car.. NO fuel = NO go :) your body needs fuel every 3-4 hours!!! a balanced basic meal of protein/carbs/fats..

ok.. i gotta run out for now but there is some food for thought.. i will be back later tonight to chime in more :)

Hang in there Meg.. :)
luv super
 
Ok, I read through everything and I knew I left some things out...first of all, I have a constant myriad of bad scale days. Sometimes I can shrug it off and sometimes it just really really gets to me and I will have a crying spell or two. My weight, unfortunately, NEVER leaves my mind. I read about fitness all the time and I am constantly looking for something new to add in. About protein. I try to get in about 1 gram per body weight at least. My protein shake in the am consists of 55 grams of protein and most of them are whey (Optimum Nutrition Pro Copmlex ~ it's the only one that hasn't made me gag thus far...) My workouts are 6 days a week. Weight training is every other day (3x) and 6 days of cardio for 20+ minutes. Like I said before, sometimes it's super intense intervals, sometimes I jog, sometimes the strength program on the stairmaster, occasionally the elliptical machine...but the thing is, I always change it up. I've always had a problem losing weight. It normally takes me about 6 weeks of super clean and dedicated everything to even notice a minutely slight tip to the negative on the scale, so, for that alone, I must give me props. I definitely am not overtraining. I have never had any classic signs of overtraining, and always feel powerful after a workout. My sister seems to think that I "should stop bitching" b/c my body is probably at its set point, but I think that is utter bull****. complete crap and I totally don't accept that at all. BTW, though it's not genetic, as neither of my set of grandparents, aunts or uncles are overweight, everyone in my family (minus the dog) are obese. My dad is a Type II and my mom is constantly not feeling good b/c of this. A study from Harvard once stated that genetics only plays a less than 20% roll in weight loss, and I believe that. My family is just lazy and not as shallow as myself. With that said, this is the reason my sister thinks I should be happy as a "healthy" size 12. And speaking of healthy, I've had everything checked out, and am perfectly healthy, my cholesterol, blood pressure, iron, hemaglobin count....everything is in the fantastic range. What sucks is that I actually know people that somehow can lose like 20 lbs (we're talking women here) just by like implementing some pussy (excuse the French) concept like switching to diet soda and taking the stairs. That is the most frustrating thing of it all. Okokok ~ I know that they are losing muscle as well, blah blah but it doesn't make me feel any better dammit! LOL. Ok, done venting. Anyhoo, Texgrl, you look absolutely fabulous! I would hvae never guessed with that ass that you would be anywhere near 160!! Honestly!!
 
see what i mean?? forget what the scale says, GO BY HOW YOU LOOK!!! i'm a healthy size 8-10, hahaha!!

have you tried natty peanut butter? its a good alternative to regular peanut butter, and its nice for a snack when you can't pass the fridge without a bite of something.

here's something to try, go to www.fitday.com and register (its free) and put everything you eat in a day there, it breaks down your carbs, fats, proteins. you can even customize your food by creating your own, and putting the stuff in straight off your labels. it might help you to see where your problems are.


you never answered----do you train 7 days a week? supergirl says if weight loss is all that matters, then overtraining isn't a consideration, but my thoughts(and i am no expert by any means) would be if you are overtraining and losing muscle as well as fat you might not be seeing the result you are looking for. a muscular body looks better than a flabby one. you should eat and train to gain muscle and lose fat.
 
Wow! Awesome advice from everyone! Welcome to the site! :) Just to add my .02 :rolleyes: :D What exactly were the results from your thyroid? If you can get them and post them here. Make sure you tell the Dr you need to know Total & Free T3 and TSH. Being in the "normal" range is not good enough because that range is W I D E. I don't know it off the top of my head but I will find it in my notes and get back to you. Now you say you know you're not overtraining because you have energy??? Darlin' I think you are doing tooooo much! You say your cardio is very intense??? That is VERY catabolic. What muscle you do have is just wasting away. How intense are your workouts? That is what should be intense and heavy... cardio should be low to moderate. I would like to congratulate you on your weight loss thus far though because that takes alot of heart and dedication so CONGRATS to you!! I am happy to see that you are enthusiastic about this as well. This is a lifestyle change and you are definitely there. I am in total agreement w/ SG on this one... No Anabolic Androgenic Steroids (AAS) is needed for you to reach your goals. With the introduction of androgenic hormones comes a host of other problems :( So continue to seek out what's keeping you @ this plateau. I suspect it's your workouts/cardio... too much of one and too little of the other ;)
 
so you actually think i'm doing too much cardio? on my off days (T,Th, Sa) I do the intense stuff. I always feel overly-empowered doing sprints, that is why I love cardio so much. My on days are usually kept to longer sessions of cardio in the so-call 'fat burning zone'. My on days, I pretty much train every muscle group, depending on the soreness and the program that I am on at the time. I really don't think that I'm overtraining. I've always heard that it is really obvious for people to tell when one is overtraining, and I know people that do more than I do at the gym and are consistently seeing results. I'm actually on the flip side of things when I say that I always feel like doing more. I will see what I can do to get the test results of the those specific tests. Should I ask for any more stats or just those 3? And, if you could, NB, could you name them again in list form? Is it 1) Total and Free 2) T3, and 3) TSH? My weight training, i would like to think is intense. I really try to concentrate on how the muscle feels while I'm lifting and not think about my grocery list. Being a sports science major, I've learned a lot about the mind/body connection and actually how tightly they are related, and I think it helps me out (psychologically , if nothing else). Mind you, I'm really trying to lose fat, without depleting muscle tissue and I know cardio breaks down muscle at a certain point, but I always assumed that I wasn't going overboard. Let me know what you think!! So much good stuff so far!
 
cardio limits post weight training should not exceed 30mins.. otherwise you begin using muscle for fuel..
cardio days, with NO weights..
low intensity = up to 60mins (ie: walking uphill on the treadmill)
or
high intensity = up to 40mins (ie: stepmill, kickboxing etc) or interval training..

IMO, i don't think you are overtraining.. you are not burning yourself out with double sessions of cardio nor weight training 5+ times a week.. i think your program is efficient.

I think the problem lies in your diet and like Nubi said.. we still want to see where your "range" from your thyroid test is.. even a slightly sluggish thyroid or the low end of normal could give you a hard time losing weight..

but the diet needs to be tweeked for sure...
 
Okay, thanks supergirl! I am going to have those stats from my tests checked and post them so either you or NB can let me know what is wrong with me!!! Do you have any more suggestions about the diet? I will start replacing at least one of the bars with a meal, and possibly start ingesting more calories (I've been told that i don't eat enough). What kind of supplements, minus the ones that I have already tried from my 1st post, would you recommend? And what about Clen or Deca to take?
 
i will leave the advise to supergirl and the rest of the ladies but i would like to say welcome
 
Meg,
Deca is stronger than anavar honey and it is only administered via depot.. NOT an option for you at this current time.. I am sure you probably meant something else..

Clen may be an option... It is like a super strong fatburner.. mad jitters and bad headaches, but it will help to burn fat. It is often cycled with fatburners.. a possible option, but let's see where your thyroid is first... and get your diet corrected as well..
 
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