Group: Beginners to Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 969, Messages: 18927

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From Heiffer 2 Hottie-HELP! (sorry Long)

fancyfaces1
fancyfaces1
Posts: 5
Joined: 2008/01/14
United States
2008/01/15, 12:17 AM
Yes, I'm a Newbie, please forgive if my post is redundant, I'm new at the forum thing and cannot find one answer but many varying. I'm 37 yr old SHM and find myself fat for the 1st time ever. After baby #3(3yrs ago) I steadily gained. Never having been over 135-140 @ 5'6" I'm freaked at weighing 175 (ewe):(. I joined a 24hr gym last month and entered this whole new world for the 1st time. I thought I had planned this out better, but after only losing 5 lbs in 5 weeks I'm so confused as to how to lose the right way.
I feel like I've wasted the past month (other than getting my feet wet) according to many of these recent posts-CARDIO before weights vs after, no weights & cardio everyday? HIIT? Wha?

Here's what I currently do:
Started "Clean Eating" (sorta, b/c my fam thinks I'm killing them)
Drink 100oz H2O daily, 1 precious Diet Coke daily.
*I eat 1 protein waffle/bottle H2O AM
*Hr later 25 min cardio everyday (treadmill/bike)
*then m,w,f upper body (all 5 machines there 2 reps 15 at as much weight as I can do,till pushing at the end)
*Back & ab machine daily (80lbs 2 reps 15)feels like a good stretch
*T & TH same 25 min cardio followed by the 4 lower body machines at increasing weights 2-3 reps of 15
*Takes me about 1.5 hours more on upper body day and I follow w/in hour with protein shake and 1/2 cup oatmeal.
*BTW I never REALLY break out into a bonafide sweat during all this....I certainly don't look like the Biggest Loser folks while they are working out---I don't think I'm doing nearly enough?

Crap! ---I feel like I've been wasting my time doing this all wrong?! I wanted a trainer, but in our town its teens that work at the gym for dues that call themselves "trainers" for $45+ an hour--No thanks, I though I knew it all when I was 18 and hot too, not paying for your tuition or highlights chickie:)

Please help--the customized plan here looks like chinese to me for all the jargon I understand.I need specifics how to lose min 40 lbs without wasting my time & efforts incorrectly. I want to train tough, but go easy on me in here ya'll!

Thanks & blessins for reading my yada yada...
yadmit
yadmit
Posts: 4,670
Joined: 2003/10/05
Canada
2008/01/15, 12:39 AM
Jeepers, I hope you eat more than one waffle and a protien shake somewhere in there! :)

Sounds as though you have picked a plan from the site. What part doesn't make sense? I can try and help you with it....

Plus, let's assume you take in more than the waffle, water, shake and diet coke... what is the rest of your diet like?

Welcome to FT!

t

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I see the words you are typing, but all I read is *click*click*click*

Fat loss isn?t under the control of the magic fat loss fairies. - Alwyn Cosgrove
asimmer
asimmer
Posts: 8,201
Joined: 2003/01/07
United States
2008/01/15, 08:41 AM
What is SHM? Sorry.

Okay - 5 pounds in 5 weeks is actually good progress. A pound a week is sensible, safe weight loss that is more likely to stay lost for the long run. Biggest Loser has really set some unrealistic weight loss ideas in people's heads.

As far as sweating - there are two things that might be going on -
1 is that you aren't pushing yourself hard enough.

OR
2 - you are one of those people who just don't sweat much.



I would switch up your workout like this:

Monday/Thursday Upper body and HIIT

Tuesday/ Friday Lower Body & 30 minutes lower intensity cardio

Wednesday/Saturday cardio only

Stop doing cardio first.

Warm up 5 minutes on the treadmill
or elliptical.


Do 3 sets on each upper body machine. First set 12 reps, second set increase the weight and 10 reps. 3rd set incraese the weight again and do 8, should be tough by the last few reps. rest 30 seconds to a minute between sets.

On Lower body day do 3 sets also, 15 reps, add weight, 12 reps, add weight, 10 reps.

It sounds like your lower body day is shorter than upper, so do abs on those days - quit using the ab and low back machines = they are crap. Do real crunches or do crunches on the big ball and do back extensions on the floor or on an extensions stand.

As far as using all machines - for now that will work, but learning to use free weights would be more beneficial and your results will probably come faster. If the trainers at the gym really aren't certified or knowledgable, watch the people on the weight room and see who is in really good shape and who seems to know what they are doing (this is risky, as you don't really know what you are watching for). Finding someone who will teach you to lift correctly is important. I would look for someone and learn the big movements - squat, lunge, deadlift, bench press, rows, overhead presses. these are what will really transform your body.

As Timday pointed out - you don't give us a very good idea about your whole eating plan. this will be important, too.




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Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.
Thomas Carlyle


merrillj
merrillj
Posts: 197
Joined: 2007/06/28
United States
2008/01/15, 09:58 AM
SHM = Stay-at-home-mom?
fancyfaces1
fancyfaces1
Posts: 5
Joined: 2008/01/14
United States
2008/01/15, 12:49 PM
Sorry yall', yes SHM=Stay @ home mom (silly term b/c I'm really in the streets running errands getting kids mom?I've yet to eat a bon-bon or watch a soap opera:big_smile:)

Yes, I do eat more than the waffle & diet coke. I didn't get this way eating rice cakes:) Thats just before I head to the gym-sans the Diet Coke.

About 1 hr After workout I have Protein shake (yes w/4 shots espresso-but I'm working on that)& 1/2 cup lowfat high pro oatmeal

lunch is either big dark green salad w/tuna,chickpeas,black & red beans, b olives,tomatos, tad lf dressing
OR lean turkey breast on lowfat/carb wrap (approx 300 cals)
no snacks until dinner---then its a lean protein fish/chicken w/veggies & whole wheat starch--no breads
water water water, then I have to ban myself from the goldfish in the kitchen (even though they are whole wheat)
Another shake at night perhaps?

So should I keep doing 3 of the upper/lower body machines on diff days, just no cardio those days? or work on a specific muscle for that day?
Thanks for responding so soon, I feel so outta my element in this but determined to figure it out & do it...I can do all the mom stuff, ebay is a $$$making snap to me, and can cook for 20 in a jif, but the science & complexity of how my body works best is a total mystery to me........blessins!

marblez
marblez
Posts: 56
Joined: 2004/12/15
Canada
2008/01/16, 04:55 PM
4 shots espresso in a protein shake!
fancyfaces1
fancyfaces1
Posts: 5
Joined: 2008/01/14
United States
2008/01/17, 12:41 AM


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Quoting from marblez:

4 shots espresso in a protein shake!

Wellllllll...I used to own a coffee & ice cream shoppe. So, I've weaned myself down from 8 shots to 4, next I figure I'll have to go decaf (ugh why bother) but maybe by then I'll be so fit that I won't "need" that pyscho-boost and will be able to stomach the protein taste w/o it ????

I skipped my cardio today and felt like I was somehow cheating after getting into that routine, but I'm going to take the advice from everyone and split it up. I felt like a shaky noodle when I left the gym today after doing legs so I reckon thats better than be-bopping outta there like I had been trying on shoes or something. I hope that means my session was actually effective:big_smile:
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