Sorry to bother you again. Is there an actual sample menu that I could look at to get an idea of what a petite woman should eat to get the best results from using weights and cardio together. My main concern right now is I have a sedetary job and I don't want to gain weight. Thanks.

If you have checked out our nutrition section you will be familiar with the specific amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat you should take in (eat) based off your bodyweight. Remember, in my explanations I mention that you may have to adjust your overall caloric intake based off your activity level. So, if you’re sitting at a desk all day, even though you are exercising, you may have to bring your calorie range down by up to 500 calories per day. However, don’t go below 1,200 calories for more than a day or two at the most. I mention this because you say that you are petite and when you calculate your caloric intake by multiplying your bodyweight by 13 you may already be at a pretty low level! Now, to give you my type of specific examples, let’s first look at what some great carbohydrate, protein, and quality fatty acid foods are: Carbohydrate Foods Whole grain (not just wheat but, WHOLE wheat) breads pastas, and oatmeal Fruits (apples, oranges, grapes, grapefruit) Vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, potato’s, lettuce, mushrooms, cucumbers) Protein Foods Fish (salmon, tuna, these foods are also great sources of quality fatty acids) Chicken Low Fat Dairy products (cottage cheese, milk, mozzarella cheese, yogurts) Extra Firm Tufo Pork Chops Whey Protein Powders Soy based Protein Powders Meal Replacement Powders (Met-Rx, Myoplex, Met Max, Lean Body brands) Egg Whites Quality Fatty Acid Foods and Oils Fresh Nuts, Seeds (almonds, walnuts, sunflower) Olive Oil, Flax Seed Oil, Udo’s oil (check out the recommended reading list for info on Udo’s oil) Avocados Now, you really need to “learn” more about these foods. By learning more, what I am recommending is that you find out the gram content of the macronutrient (carb, protein, fat) levels a serving of these foods provides. In our nutrition section you will see an area that says searchable food database. Click on this to search out what a serving of chicken offers from a protein standpoint, or what a tablespoon of Olive oil has from a fat standpoint or what a serving of oatmeal has from a carbohydrate standpoint etc. Once you become familiar with the foods that you like to eat from the above recommendations you will be well on your way to organizing your daily food intake. If you put a little effort into this you will be much better off than for me to recommend a certain eating plan that may have foods on it that you really don’t care for. Also, there will be times when you are eating out that you will have to make some decisions about certain foods. If you are knowledgeable about what some of the foods that you like have in them you will have the power in your hands. It’s should not be in some regimented menu that I may recommend! I know it’s more fun or interesting to think about eating foods like “Ginger Chicken Stir Fry” or “Salmon Mousse with Cucumber Salad”. But, how frequently do we really eat foods like this or even have the time to prepare them! ? If I did put a menu together, which I have done many times before, invariably, for whatever reason (taste, time, etc) you wouldn’t be able to eat the dinner that I recommend on Thursday evening or the breakfast recommendation on Monday morning. This is exactly why I don’t put together meal plans for people. Meal plans are a recipe for failure because they are nearly impossible to follow and to make them more exciting or “readable” I would have to put in these wild variations of foods that are fun and taste great but don’t work for the reasons that I mention above. So, what a “real” menu or meal plan should look like is this: Breakfast - 50 Grams Carbs 25 Grams Protein 10 Grams Fat 390 Calories Snack - 20 Grams Carbs 15 Grams Protein 2.5 Grams Fat 162.5 Calories Lunch - 60 Grams Carbs 25 Grams Protein 15 Grams Fat 475 Calories Snack - 20 Grams Carbs 10 Grams Protein 2.5 Grams Fat 125 Calories Dinner – 50 Grams Carbs 30 Grams Protein 10 Grams Fat 410 Calories Menu Total – 200 Grams of Carbohydrate (800 Calories) 105 Grams of Protein (420 Calories) 40 Grams of Fat (360 Calories) 1,580 Total Calories 51% From Carbohydrate 26% From Protein 23% From Fat With this information you know exactly what you should be eating. This is a good, basic diet for a 120 pound person. You just have to know how to meet these macronutrient totals with the foods that you specifically like. Now it’s up to you to become a little more knowledgeable. Remember, knowledge is power! Thanks for your question! I hope this helps.