Sorry about this. Since's it's only my second official day, i'm still puzzled with many questions....

Natushka, i read the LC slant, and i really appreciate you posting that. But how do you do it? Do you just cut out most of the carbs? Do you replace them with more protien, or just eat smaller meals?

I did my first weight training section today. i did upperbody. Since i'm new and fairly weak I used 5, 8, 10 and 15 lbs dumbbells for most of the workout. (Used more for back). But i found that while doing the 5 and 8, i was barely trying. But when i moved to the 15, i could barely finish the set. I was definitly reaching 9 or more when i did the 6 reps at my heaviest weight. But when i rotated back down to the lighter weight to do 12 reps, it was easier. I know it wasn't a 9 like it should have been. So i dont' know what to do... If i start with heavier weights, i know i won't beable to complete the whole routine. But as it is now, i'm barely winded when i'm done. Any suggestions?

Also, what is the difference between the barbell and free weights? I have a barbell, but when i put the amount of wieghts i want to use on it, i can't get it up to my shoulders. SInce my upper body is so much weaker than my lower body. So instead i usually just use free weights and place them on my shoulders. Is that okay? And what is the difference between placing a barbell/weights on your shoulders and doing a squat, and keeping your arms at your sides while doing a squat? Isn't it the same amount of wieght for your legs?

Well, i have tons more questions, but i don't want to over obsess and annoy you But thanks so much for all your help!

*lol* Alex, it's absolutely no annoyance whatsoever!

You know I'm not really sure if there's much of a difference where you place the free weights when you squat! I ususally just hold them. I don't have the right kind of rest (shoulder height) for barbell squats so I use dumb bells. I bet Dan could help you here

When you do your sets of 12, 10, 8, 6 and 12 what weight are you using for you second set of 12? It should be the same you used for your set of 10 reps, or 8 reps if you can handle that. Going back to the weight you used for the first set of 12 would be too easy, I agree. Does this help?

And keep in mind that the first few workouts are like trial runs - most of the time you wont hit your 10s, you're feeling your way around trying to figure out what kind of weight you need.

I would suggest that if you're doing your 12 reps on the second exercise for that muscle group and number 12 doesnt get you to failure then keep going until you do get there. Sometimes I have to do 20 reps on that last exercise.




I kept carbs to about 60g and I upped my fat. I'd been following a LC WOE for 3 months prior to BFL and was eating anywhere from 120 - 150g of fat a day (roughly 70% of my diet was fat) I decreased this to 100g (on average) and it worked out to 50% of my daily calories from fat. I increased protein from 120g to 160g a day.

This time around I am aiming for a little less fat and more carbs: 25g of protein a meal, 15g of carbs and 12g of fat (150g P/ 90g carbs/ 80g fat a day).

HTH,
Nat

Hey, do you count calories? The book really doesn't mention it, and i know most LC's dont. But it's just something i've been doing forever, it's hard to stop.

Alex, yes I do. If you check my Journal you'll see I've been counting them since Day 1 - most of us on this forum do, but not for the obvious reason. LC tends to work poorly with low calorie, and LC also tends to cause your appetite to vanish, so we count to ensure we eat enough. Many of us use www.fitday.com to log our calories and carbs (and in some cases, protein). The site is free and lets you keep track of activities and weight loss - it's a great tool, and tends to be very eye opening for newbie LCers (they get quite the shock when they find out just how little they have actually been eating!)

Nat