Planning to Work, Working my Plan

When I decided to make 2012 my "fittest" year ever - I knew I would need a plan. A quick Google search will reveal that there are literally thousands upon thousands of plans that promises amazing results. I scoured those links, reading, researching, and then reading some more.  After I had read until my eye balls bled, I recalled a conversation that I had nearly a year ago with Heidi - the trainer at my local gym.  During the conversation, Heidi had commented that many people told her that they want to look like her (Heidi is super fit) but few wanted to do what she did to get there.

It clicked, if I wanted to look like a fitness competitor, I needed to do what they did. This type of thinking led me to some more google searches and eventually to Jamie Eason's 12 Week Live Fit Trainer.  This plan is a 3 phase approach which is designed to take a complete novice (me) to a true weight lifter.  The plan also includes a diet plan - which helps to teach me how to eat "clean".

The only fault in the plan is that it does not provide me with calorie guidelines. In her defense, Jamie says that we should not focus on calories but rather on eating clean foods.  But I know me - I know that I need limits, otherwise I will eat more than my body needs - even if the foods are good for me.

In order to figure out my while figuring out my target nutrition intake and protein grams,I used the formula given in the New Rules of Lifting for Women.

Step One: Weight in Kilograms

Weight in Lbs: 135.8 divided by 2.2 =  Weight in Kg: 62 (rounded up from 61.7272727)

Step Two: Calculating Resting Metabolic Rate:

I ran the following equation 795 + (7.18 * weight in kilograms) to find my resting metabolic rate

My RMR = 795 + (7.18* 62) =  1,240

RMR = Resting all day, not eating any food

Step Three: Body Mass Index

From chart on p. 64:

BMI = 19-21

Step Four:  Daily Activity Multipliers

From chart on p. 65:

Activity Multiplier for BMI of 21  and 29 years old :
No-workout multiplier = 1.6
Active day multiplier = 1.8
Strenuous multiplier = 2.0

Typical calorie burn calculation (based on all the above factors, if no weight loss goal):

Multiply RMR by activity multiplier:

No-workout day = 1.984 (149 grams of protein)*
Active day = 2,232  (167 grams of protein)*
Strenuous day = 2,480 (186 grams of protein*

I would define a strenuous day as a day where I do my tabata interval workout and lift. "Active" is either a 400+ cardio day or a strength training only day. Lastly, I am defining a "No-workout" as an under-300 cardio day (even if some low # of cardio is done).

There it is - my plan. Now it is time to get to work!



*Protein grams calculation:
There are 4 calories in each gram of protein, so:
[Daily target calories] * 30% = ([Protein target calories]/4) = [Protein target grams]