Advice please!

I lost about 40lbs using phentermine. Not the healthiest way to do it i know, but it worked for me. I did a lot of cardio too, about an hour a day. I have maintained my current weight for about 18months. I am 5ft tall and 134lbs. I have been half heartedly doing weight for about 6mnths and actually getting some good results. My arms, back, shoulders, chest,legs and upper abs are looking much firmer and the muscles are starting to look bigger and more defined.
But i cant seem to get rid of my excess body fat. I know my body would look much more defined and firm if i cold just unload the fat. Im really not concerned about weight, with building muscle i really dont trust the height weight charts anymore....but the jiggeling fat is a good clue to me that i am carrying at least 15-20lbs of excess fat.
And i really am not sure what i should be eating to get rid of it. I can do the cardio, and i certainly now what NOT to eat (the phentermine at least gave me the head space to work that out!).
I could really use some guidance.
I have now joined a gym...it opens on the 12th of this month and i hope to get some nutritional and exercise education from them, as i have been doing everything at home until now.
Can you offer me some advice...maybe a meal plan?

Hi Dawn and Welcome to the Forum!

I ran into the same issues about 7 months ago. Tried everything but that stubborn fat wouldn' t go away. Thought about Lipo but didn' t want to go to extremes without trying everything I could.

There is a pretty decent female cutting plan (as in losing the fat) that I posted recently. Read the plan

Maybe you already browsed around and found that. But at the end of the article you' ll find a site from a great inspirational female bodybuilder. Just decided one day to make some changes and she looks great.

You could also try adding some CLA (some say taking a fat pill to get rid of fat is crazy) but over the last 2 months I' ve noticed some slight changes. It' s nothing that raises your metabolism or anything. So far, all studies have shown it to be safe.

Lastly, and no offense intended, you might try going to a Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers. And here' s why I say that. Because they will provide you with package meals and since you are paying for the service, you might be more likely to follow thru.

If you get a good counselor, you might even get some really good meal plans and advice. Don' t get me wrong, I' m not saying you are overweight by any means ( I don' t agree with the weight/height charts either), I' m just saying that sometimes that is the key because nutrition is so important. They really helped my next door neighbor who wanted to lose just 10lbs. Gave her some great foundations in nutrition that she' s been able to continue.

Good luck. I think you will find other information here, links to sites and some really good advice from the other members. Seems like the quality of posts here is pretty good. I have no doubts that if my advice isn' t what you wanted, that somebody will have a more detailed answer for you.

-Nikki

I should have mentione also that i am in Australia, so resources here could be different to what is available to you.
I did all the weightwatchers stuff......i really have a lot of information on what not to eat....the cutting plan you mentioned was really the sort of thing i was looking for.
When i took the phentermine, it was really me looking for a quick easy fix for the excess weight, which slowly crept on over the years while i was having 6 children. I know that if you sit on your butt and eat rubbish you will not lose weight, i know what i should do ...i guess its the motivation i have beenlacking. But after reading articles recently on female body building i suddenly have motivation in excess! I cant remember if i mentioned it before but im 5ft tall...and 134lbs........and actually quite fit.
And i will follow through.....im 37 now and there is no way in the world i want to be 40 and fat.
Ive been playing before with weightloss and exercise but im ready to get real
Thanks for your reply nicole...it was really helpful....... i appreciate it.

Ima bit slow today lol, it just occured to me that it could be helpful if i tell you what i normally eat in a normal day
For breakfast i have oatmeal, about a cup and a half of cooked oat, cooked in skim milk and artificial sweetener.
I have a piece of fruit or a yogurt for a snack, both if im really hungry.
For lunch i have a english muffin with a teaspoon of peanut butter and mashed banana (i got this recipe from weightwatchers)
for an afternoon snack i have a diet chocolate drink
and for dinner i normally have a hot curry with basmati rice...a small serving.
I also eat diet jello.
My main problem is that i can eat like this for days or weeks then i will have a melt down and eat whatever is in sight for a day or two....usually a prementrual thing. I think this is my main problem. (by melt down imean i will eat chocolate, (not a family bar though!! lol) and too many carbs)

The only thing I see off-hand (it' s late in the US.. well for me anyway )

Is that your meal plan is less substantial then the cutting plan I posted (and you mention).

If you aren' t eating as much and your meals are pretty light, your body goes into somewhat of a starvation mode. Metabolism actually slows down so that you can keep fuel longer. My thoughts would be to really give the cutting plan a shot. Eat less portions but more frequently. Thus, your body has fuel to burn all day and doesn' t go into a slow burn mode.

Another AWESOME thing about working out and getting leaner and a bit more muscular, is that naturally muscle burns more energy then fat. So by hitting the weights and toning up, you will be burning more calories every day anyway.

Besides my comments about trying out the cutting plan and eating a bit more (but still healty meals as I think the plan and the site it links to suggests) you really are going to need more fuel for those intense workouts.

It' s great to see you so enthuiastic about changing your lifestyle. At 37, it can easily be done. You are primed for success!

Keep the posts coming Dawn. A lot of motivation I get comes from within as well as the people I connect with on all types of levels.

I' ll dig up some more good sites on info for us. Maybe the admin will post some good female health and fitness sites into a collection if we come up with some. Sort of a FAQ for new members??

You' re very motivating...thankyou.

Who would have thought that i wasnt eating enough! lol. I will definatly give the cutting plan a try.....it actaully looks pretty good. Very do-able.

Ive added a photo...so you can all put a face with the name.

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