I am confused about what I need to do in the way of supplements. I am
a 28 y/o female, 5’6", 148# (no idea on BF%) and my goals are to lose
anywhere from 10-20#s. More importantly, I am looking to drop BF %,
and the old saying, “look great naked.” I am more after a fitness
model-esque physique than a Hollywood toothpick. I love the gym, and
more importantly I like the lifestyle. Eating well, staying active- I
look better and I’ve never felt as good as I do when fully on the
“program.”
Background information on me: former fatty who finished college in
excess of 235#, 4 years ago I changed all that by joining Weight Watchers and a
gym. Midway through dropped out of WW, but took the principles I
learned there and continued to lose weight. 2002, I really got
motivated, singed up for a sprint triathlon (which I completed in
under an hour!) and then after that really hit the weights. I got
into pretty good shape, following a 3-day split my BF put together for
me, and accompanied that with 5-6 weekly cardio sessions, approx. 2 of
those being HIIT. A year ago today I was pretty buff, and kept with
the gym up through the summer. Then summer came; I got a fun summer
house, plus I moved, was super-busy with work, blah, blah, blah . . .
stupid excuses! The long and short of it is that since about May I
had slacked on the gym, making 20-30 appearances the whole time. In
addition, some poor habits slipped back into my diet, and I put on
about 10# of fat and lost some muscle as well. Before the holidays I
got pretty fed up with myself and started hitting the gym again and
also reigning in my poor eating habits.
A New Year, and calling out the old/new me. I signed up for the Max-OT 12 week program.
I’m on week 2, and I really, really like it. The program is tough,
similar to what I’ve done before, and I can see how I would get some
serious results. I want to take things to the “next level,” which I
haven’t fully defined yet (though I am working on it.) I really like
the Max-OT cardio, those 16 minutes are arduous! I am doing 6-10
sessions of those per week. (Want to shed fat as fast as possible,
but also safely and in a manner that will KEEP it off.) I also don’t
mind becoming more muscular; I miss hearing “WOW, you’re in really
great shape” “Look at those pipes!” “What, do you live in the gym?”
As far as diet goes, I have been consistently using Fitday for the
last monthish. (Minus the week between Christmas and New Years) I
eat approx. 1600 cals/day, usually 40-60g/fat, 100-200g/carbs, and
120-150g/protein. Nutritionally, I am pretty solid. Lots of lean
meats, proteins, heavy on veggies, allow myself a wee bit of fruit and
keep my carbs on the whole complex. My biggest weak area is alcohol.
I’m a young single chick who lives in a big city, summers in Newport,
RI and winters in Killington, VT. Friday and Saturday nights
typically include booze. I drink either vodka and club soda or light
beer; even still I know I’m not doing myself any real favors there. I
need to cut it to one night a week, I’m working on it, I’m working on
it. I do also roll my own EC stacks, I’m doing 2-3 stacks a day
during the week, cycling off weekends.
So I have a solid workout program, my diet is good. Overall, I know
most of the principles surrounding eating right and working out for
results. The natural progression and my questions are all about
supplements.
-What supplements should I take?
-Should I start paying closer attention to timing
nutrition/supplements with my workouts?
-Opinions on protein shakes? (I just ordered AST VP2 Whey Isolate,
not from their site.)
-Best ways to prepate protein shakes?
-Should I consider creatine, or is that just for people looking to
bulk-up? (I know that my diet and being a woman will not allow me to
really bulk-up, which I why I am doing the Max-OT program, plus I like
lifting heavy things!)
-I read somewhere recently that the protein in protein bars is not as
good as powder or food forms of protein, opinions on that?
-With this much working out, should I up my calories?
-What else might I be missing?
TIA,
Carrie