Eating to support exercise/weight training

[doorornottodoor]

Hi I’m struggling with this and could do with some tips.

I’m an 8/10 not trying to lose weight as such just build some muscle, tone up and improve my cardio.

I do a variety- some HIIT, some weights, running and Pilates. Train most days.

I have put on a few pounds since upping my weights and I struggle to see that number go up on the scales

I had cut out breakfast and was just having a protein shake then decent healthy protein heavy choices (chicken/tuna sandwich , lentil soup, yoghurt, chicken curry/steak etc...) throughout the day. I have some chocolate too but have switched to a smaller amount of dark chocolate.

Anyway yesterday I’d done weights the night before, an early morning HIIT class plus a short 3k run, I had slept badly and I just ate so badly. I was craving carbs and ate 2 big bowls of cereal at 5pm after work instead of dinner then another bowl later on. I’m sure it’s because I’m not fuelling my body properly.

Any tips? I find if I eat breakfast it makes me feel tired but I’m obviously not getting the right fuel for my body now I’m doing more weights/HIIT.

Thank you!

No of course it's not a competition - just that the weights you are lifting are not what most people who lift weights would call "heavy." And you need to know that if you want to progress and get stronger.

They're a starting point, and you & your PT are absolutely right that you need to fix your squat form before you lift more than 20 kg (ie the weight of a normal bar).

Maybe instead of doing more intense exercise each day, you could do some mobility & flexibility training? A deep squat is a wonderful thing - if you sit a lot (I do!) being able to go into that deep squat (in yoga they call it 'malasana' I think) is really good to stretch the spine and glutes.

And I second a PP who said sled exercises! I love pushing or pulling the sled - I can go really heavy (over 200kg) and it strengthens me all over. That's the thing about the big compound lifts - deadlifts, squats (not benching, really) - if done properly, they are an all-body exercise. Learning good squat technique will also require you to develop really strong corset of abs, for example.

Someone here a couple of years ago recommended the online content of Achieve Fitness, Boston - they are really good, and very accessible. MoveU is good for fixing stuff re technique. Also I think MegSquats content is brilliant. Have a look at them all online (Instagram & YouTube) and see if anything chimes with you.

And if you can get into a gym, start a programme to get to lifting heavy. It's fantastic, picking up 80 kg and feeling really strong!

@AllThatisSolid thanks! We’ve got heavy weights at home (rack, bench press etc... that my husband uses) but it’s tricky on Zoom. I’ll look at the squat technique. I do yoga so am relatively flexible. Yes I can see how lifting heavy could be empowering. Hopefully once I can have face to face with my PT we can look at it.

I'm an 8/10 too, also doing the same type of exercise as you. I go to the gym on a day on, day off basis, as rest days are very important for good results. I eat less on days off, but make sure I eat lots of protein every day.

Your post barely mentions protein so I am utterly bewildered as to why everyone is telling you you're overdoing the protein: you want loads of protein to gain muscle, and you want carbs to gain weight.
Of course, it should be healthy carbohydrates like rice, wholegrains and potatoes - but a little chocolate won't go amiss. I like brown pasta, I cook with proper oil, I eat steak, salmon, chicken.

Grilled chicken and greens are your friend to lose fat, but you'll need to eat a lot of that to maintain weight gain, as chicken and greens aren't very calorific. So eat carbs, you want brown pasta, brown rice and potatoes. Not too much, but maybe a quarter of your plate. Don't rely on protein shakes for protein as they're kinda crappy and processed. Don't feel bad for eating the carbs, if they're clean (wholegrains) you won't see a fat gain while you're exercising in my experience.

To gain weight, in essence, you want to eat more calories than you're using up.

Your post barely mentions protein

????

I had cut out breakfast and was just having a protein shake then decent healthy protein heavy choices (chicken/tuna sandwich , lentil soup, yoghurt, chicken curry/steak etc...) throughout the day. I have some chocolate too but have switched to a smaller amount of dark chocolate

Yes it was one singular mention of protein. People then said she was overdoing it.