Newbie - to this board & gym!

Wokie

I'm a 5'9'', 79kg girl! Am also the typical 'join a gym, get bored, make gym owner rich by using it for 6 months at best' type person;) Feel horribly fat and so guess what - rejoined the gym:D Only difference this time is as I know it's the cardio machines that bore me to tears, I have asked the instructor to just make a resistance training programme for me. The cardio stuff I'm hoping to do is Spinning, Fitbox and Taebo. Oh and very aware of fact I do need to sort out my diet. That I'm doing, albeit slowly! Anyway my question is do ye think that doing the classes along with resistance training enough? My goal is to get to about 65kg and get body fat% down from 29% to around the 24% mark (I think?) Other thing in my assessment was my lung capacity was appalling. It was down at the 375 mark. I'm pretty sure I should be up near 495 or so. (ex smoker - but off them over 2yrs)

madmurdock

Hey Wokie, i'm also a newbie (only joined today) but will try my best to advise you correctly,

The classes will certainly help you to lose weight, one thing you have to remember is losing weight is all about calories in versus calories out, it's as simple as that.

In order to lose weight you have to be burning more then you're eating which is why your diet has to be spot on, that doesn't mean you take up some silly fad diet like the special k one etc, it means you should be eating the RIGHT food. Take it that for your average weight, height and age that you should be eating between 1800-2000 cals a day, what you ideally want to do is aim for 500 less which is around 1300-1500. You'd be very surprised at the amount of GOOD foods you can fit in there.
Then there's hydration, aim for 2-4 litres of cold water a day,

If your serious about losing weight then i'm afraid you'll have to cut back on alcohol presuming that you drink, it slows metabolism and is basically full of useless calories hence the term beer belly, the amount of guys who attend the gym every week and then down 20 pints at the weekend!!

Try to get on a weights programme as well, it speeds up metabolism and you'll be constantly buring fat even when resting!

And don't forget, get loads of sleep,

See, told you it was easy!

Wokie

Cheers madmurdock!! It's a great board isn't it?!?

Yeh I'm hoping the instructor will do a weights programme for me. Or at least that's what I think I was asking for - is resistance training the same?!?

Not into fad diets but my diet has gone to pot. Have been going through a phase of eating healthily (I think) for main meals - but snacking on cr&p. New mantra for me - "less cals in, more cals out"

madmurdock

Yes resistance training is weight training, sorry i didnt see that earlier,

You'd be surprised to be honest at how easy the training part is,

People think you have to spend 2 hours in a gym to see results,

I myself spend about 45 mins in the gym 4 times a week and that includes showering etc - I spend 30-35 minutes, lifting well, lifting heavy and making sure my form is good and that's all that is needed!

Have you any idea of what your diet should be like?

Put up an example of your current diet if you can

justsomebloke

hey wokie, as MM said diet is going to be vital to getting the lbs down. Also just make sure you enjoy what you are doing in the gym or whatever it is you do to keep active. Cause even if it burns less calories then something else as long as you are enjoying doing there is a better chance that you will stick it and so real long term results. Just remember that you might not see the weight come off as quick as you thought but that with good diet it will come off eventually.

Also with weights don't be afraid to lift heavy weights as girls don't put muscle on like guys do fue to the lack of testorone in the system so don't worry you won't end up like the she-hulk which unfortunatly quite a few girls think they will if they lift any dumbell that isn't pink.

usually i don't suggest posting on another board as i don't think it is the right thing to do (i know i have it in the sig but i generally wouldn't put in a post) but if you go to http://teamtest.freeforumsite.com/teamtest-forum-15.html if you do like the idea of lifting weights. Basically it is part of a lifting site aimed at women so you can ask question and get answers from other women. You'd get the same great advise here but sometimes with the amount of male lifters that would respond here, it can put girls off as they think the advise doesn't relate to them as they aren't Body builders, but the advise is all good on both sites.

p.s. JAK or daveirl if you want me to remove the link let me know

Cravez

Hey Wokie! By the way MadMurdock good advice there and welcome to the forum!

It's good to have the mixture of both cardio and weights in a program because:

Cardio:
1) Burns Calories then and there but doesnt burn calories when sedentary.
2) Builds up Cardiovascular fitness levels
3) Depending on the Intensity, can reduce bodyfat levels.
4) I feel cardio(when i was doing it) gives you a more relaxed mind when finished and you're more focused in work,school etc

Weights:
1) Burn Calories then and there but not as much as intense cardio HOWEVER you do burn calories when sedentary because your metabolism speeds up as your body needs more energy to rebuild itself after a good weights session. The more muscle you put on the more daily calories you need.
2) Builds up Strength, and yes even girls can build up good strength that can make even guys embaressed about what they're lifting. G'em being the pefect example of this
3) Devlops muscle, even females develop muscle however they dont get bulky or massive due to the lack of testosterone in their bodies, they're muscles develop a more defined "harder" shape.
4) Variety, With Weights there are a different variety of exercises you can do for each bodypart and you can chane the angles and speed of such exercises making weight lifting alot more fun and less tedious than cardio.
5) General Health, Weights have proven to make you healthier generally, even your balance is improved from doing all that coordinated lifting. You will feel younger.
6) Mental Health, If your routine is going well and you're seeing results your self confidence and self esteem is boosted, you feel happy about yourself.

Thats just a little sum up of what either can do for you, so its better to have a mixture of both if you want to see good results. A good diet along with a good program is a winning formula. Contact G'em, she knows alot about this and can help ya out alot.

Good Luck!

yomchi

Welcome welcome one and all!!

j@utis

Hi hi hi!
I'm a girl too. I'm six weeks in the gym and it seems I'm not getting bored but I rather can't get enough of it. I'm going there 5-6 days per week, doing 2 days only cardio, and weights+ light cardio other 3-4. Isn't it too much?
I couldn't do any pull-ups 6weeks ago, but now I can do whole 2.5 I like doing weights, and I've noticed that girls are really affraid of them and if they aren't - then they work with max 4kg dumbbells (are they so weak)?! I always get that weird feeling like something is wrong with me when I reach for 8-10kg dumbbell?!?
Also I think that taking picture of yourself every, say, two weeks or every month is a very good idea, you can see your progress, changing shape etc.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Wokie

jsb wrote:

Also with weights don't be afraid to lift heavy weights as girls don't put muscle on like guys do fue to the lack of testorone in the system so don't worry you won't end up like the she-hulk which unfortunatly quite a few girls think they will if they lift any dumbell that isn't pink.

"pink dumbells" - must ask my local gym to supply some!!!! Definitely not afraid to do weights. I'm a big girl - could do with a bit of definition and strength!!

Thanks all for the advice and for being so welcoming!! I've no internet access at home - which why so long to come back to this!!!

Madmurdock you asked about my diet....typically it's porridge or alpen in the morning. Apple or orange mid morning. Lunch can be either egg (not egg mayo) with salad wrap or tuna salad wrap & popcorn. Nothing mid afternoon and stir-fry veg with either noodles / rice for dinner. I don't eat meat but do eat fish and try to make sure I include fish in my dinner if I haven't had it for lunch!

Now that's typically it. However, I've been through a couple of bad weeks of eating way too much junk as in crisps & chocolate. Have no idea what's brought this on.......but have definitley got to stop it!! Just finding it hard to at the moment!! BUT know it must be done:)

Went to gym session last night and got my program. She's given me a good variety of exercises and explained really well what each machine does. She was a little concerned when I said I wasn't interested in doing cardio machines but was happy when I told her I was going to be doing spinning, fitbox and taebo.