Progress Report: Getting fit & healthy while having a full-time sedentary job

[unrepentantunforgiven]

@jsnow47 Not OP. Had somewhat similar stats. 5’5’’, 132 lbs, dropped to 120 lbs in about 3 months. Meal prepped chicken breast/salmon w brown rice and veggies (10 meals). Bfast is a protein shake (7 meals) The other 4 meals are freebies (go out to eat or sometimes I’d prep some other food if I was feeling poor.) I drink twice a week, 8 shots (or sometimes mixed w soda water) each time. If I eat after drinking... it’s whatever’s hahah. I workout 4 times a wk, PHUL, 10 min cardio. To be clear, I’ve been working out for a few yrs already but just never cleaned up my actual diet.

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@jsnow47 I do yes! But only on the weekend, and only like 2-4 glasses unless it's a big occasion which will then just be a cheat day for me.

I can't drink too much because I am prone to hereditary migraines and alcohol is often a trigger.

You will get there though, just make sure to accommodate your wine into your calories. It shocked me to learn that just one glass of my beloved pino could be up to 200 calories

 

[sqs1]

@contemplatingfarmer This is a great write up and your progress definitely speaks for itself!

My only comment is that I’ve heard the FitBit can be pretty inaccurate when it comes to tracking exercise calories. I even did a test with my husband’s Fitbit blaze and my Apple Watch (with the same settings ie sex, height, weight) and the fit bit clocked an extra 80 calories burned for a 20 min treadmill run. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[bodhisvaha]

@sqs1 I've wondered about that, whether Fitbits overestimate calorie burns. I have an offbrand fitness tracker, and the calorie burn it tracks seems to be sooo much lower than other estimates given by FitBits for the same workouts. Yeah, there are variables with height/weight/effort and all that, but there still seems to be a significant difference.

 

[sqs1]

@bodhisvaha Idk but here’s a paper that compared several different fitness trackers and came to the conclusion that they are all off by at least 30%

=\

paper

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@sqs1 This is true for sure, because even MTP and the cardio machines themselves will have a different calorie count. I know that my TDEE when working out is 2000 so I base my meals on that number and work out for the toning and energy it provides thanks

 

[lacceir]

@contemplatingfarmer I'm 5'3 between 109-112lbs (depending on the scale) and eat a lot less than you and look flabby. You look amazing! I think your abs were great even in summer 2019.

I'm following a machine based workout for a few months but am saving this post in case I want to switch to your routine. I also only workout 3x a week for an hour.

Thank you for your detailed post.

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@lacceir Thanks! My abs were definitely not there in the summer lol.. My body felt all over the place, there are photos I can't even post here because I'm too self conscious of them even though I don't look like that anymore haha.

I doubt you are flabby & that's a great weight to be at!! That's awesome you are following a plan and working out a good amount I am sure you will be more toned in no time. Good luck!

 

[lacceir]

@contemplatingfarmer Thank you one other question I had about your routine: are the sets/reps/weights the same you started as or did you increase over time? If they are the same, are you planning on increasing over time so you don't plateau or just keeping it same intensity because you are maintaining?

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@lacceir I've increased them! I started with only 5 lb weights for everything, and less reps. I'm adding in more and more weight training as I go

 

[lacceir]

@contemplatingfarmer Awesome, thank you!!

 

[30silvercoins]

@contemplatingfarmer Have you found that the calorie burn your Fitbit gives you is accurate? I’m always interested because people seem to have varying opinions about its accuracy. About how many steps do you take per day?

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@30silvercoins Based on all of the various TDEE calculations I've done, my FitBit seems to be insanely accurate.

My TDEE is 1950-2100 according to the online calculators I've used and my FitBit records my burned calories at 1900-2,100 at the end of a work out day.

 

[johnwilliam]

@contemplatingfarmer

My TDEE is 1950-2100 according to the online calculators I've used and my FitBit records my burned calories at 1900-2,100 at the end of a work out day.

Question about this.... I'm 5'2, 29 years old, 144lbs, trying to slim down, my TDEE (as sedentary) is around 1600. I do Orange Theory 3-4x a week, and she's put me at eating 1500 cals a day. I'm confident my body will change (i've already lost 1.5% body fat and gained 1.6% muscle mass since Jan 1) but I haven't lost any POUNDS.

Any advice on how you lost WEIGHT vs just how you looked different? Which you look amazing, BTW!! Goals!!!

 

[ariaspen]

@contemplatingfarmer You look great! I've also gained weight since getting a desk job (closer to 30 pounds, here...), and I want to lose it, but I'm worried about losing all my free time to sleep/working out. What does your free time schedule look like?

(For context, I work 8 hour days with a 45 minute one way commute)

 

[wowgirl2013]

@ariaspen I work out on my lunch 4 days/week either outside (skiing, biking) or in the gym, and also after work at home 1-2 days a week typically. Being able to do step bench or rollers or weights with the fam watching YouTube or Netflix is the multitasking win when 24 hours in a day aren't enough.

 

[sugarbunny]

@ariaspen Not OP but also work 8 hrs/day with a 30-45 one way commute.

I come home between 4:30ish - 5pm and cook dinner/eat/chores until about 6:30. I then have about an hour or so of free time, then go to the gym around 7:30pm and am usually in bed by 9/9:30 pm! Rinse and repeat. I love sleep and wake up around 6am so I kind of prioritize how much I can sleep over free time.

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@ariaspen I work 7:30-4:30 Monday to Friday but luckily my commute is only 15-20 minutes. I work out straight after I come home from work and them eat dinner by 7:30pm. I don't eat after 8pm just because I find I feel sluggish the next morning if I do. It leaves me a solid 3 hours to do whatever I want in the evening. On weekends I just work out first thing in the morning and then I have the whole day free to do whatever!

 

[hami_htm]

@contemplatingfarmer Thanks for posting the details of both your meals and your workouts. Really helpful and you sound like you have a healthy, balanced approach.

 

[contemplatingfarmer]

@hami_htm Thank you!