Joined the gym -finally!

dellas1979

Joined the gym - hurrahhh

Finally, there was a decent place with decent prices available (€150 for 4 months). I couldnt afford to join it before this.

I am about 3/4 of a stone more than I should be. I am normally between 11 to 11.5 stone (am 5 7 in height). I have basically 1 month in which to drop a dress size. Do you think it can be done?

It is funny - people dont think I am overweight at all. They dont believe that I am 12 stone. Ive always been told id "heavy bones" (thought this was a piss take). Anyways, I spent 45 mins in the gym last night and its reminded me how I miss it.

I did 15 mins (walking and running)
15 mins bicycle
5 mins rowing machine
5 mins abs (using exercise ball)
5 mins weight machines

My next trip to the gym will be tomorrow (Thursday).

Any advice, please let me know.

PS: What do you eat before your workout? I eat a 1 (my lunch) then dont eat anything till I get home at 5.30. Am going to try get out the door by 6 to the gym. I normally eat my dinner about 8 or 9.

logistic

What gym did you join?

dellas1979

After a week on a high fibre diet and 2 nights at the gym (1 hr each time), I weighed myself last night and had lost...................NOTHING!!!

How can this be?

I am 5 7 tall. I normally weigh about 11 stone. When am 11 stone I am normally a size 10-12.

At the moment I am more a squeeze into size 12 - comfortable 14.

I have a wedding dress to fit into on the 30 July. I am terrified I wont fit into it. The dress is pre-bought at a size 12.

So I have around 4 weeks to drop a dress size.

Do you think that this is possible, considering this week I have lost nothing???

yellowellie

1. This is prob not the best advice you will get BUT -if you find yourself in the same predicament one week before the wedding you could do the Atkins diet for the week. I have done it before and although it's a horrible diet, it works, or at least it worked for me in the short-term.

I only lasted five days on it but I lost five pounds. It all went back on when I went back on the carbs but it could see you through the wedding day anyway!

2. Other people will probably give you WAY better advice than that so listen to them, these guys and gals know what they're talking about!

3. Good luck with it and with the wedding!

ali.c

I dont know if you can drop a full dress size, but if you can squash into size twelve its not a full dress size you need to drop. You can definately achieve noticable results in 4 weeks, i wouldnt be bothered with last minute crash diets as it will probably leave you wiped out for the bad day. atkins does give results but constipation wind and bad breath arent i presume what you are aiming for on the big day?

Post up your daily diet (honestly) and see if theres anything that can be added or taken out. Stopping drinking for the next four weeks too, as its empty cals and wont help your weight loss!

Edit: congrats on the impending nupitals

dellas1979

Ok.

Yesterday i had:

11am: Bowl of Branflakes. Cup of coffee (no sugar). I have to use normal milk as in work they do not have skimmed milk

13:00: Lunch. Spicy chicken wrap with lettuce, tomatoes and salsa. Had a little garlic mayo too.

17:30: Another bowl of Bran Flakes before I went to the gym.

20:00: After gym, 1 small slice of quiche, with 2 slices of lean ham and a big bowl of lettuce, tomatoes and onions (no dressing, just vinegar).

21.30: Cup of coffee (skimmed milk, no sugar) and a rice cake (one of those Kelkin ones with chocolate on top).

So far today, Ive had:

9am: 2 small oat cakes

11am: bowl of Bran Flakes (same as above)

ali.c

Okay so where is breakfast? I know its really overstated but its such an important meal as it kicks of your metabolism for the day you need to eat within an hour of waking. So your 11.5-12stone or so, that puts your maintenance calories at around 2100 or so for the day (assuming you lifestyle is mainly sedenary eg desk job). Take a deficeit of 15% which leaves you at around 1800 or so for the day. Split it across 6 evenly spaced meals giving you 6 approx 300kcal meals. Currently your diet is full of carbs, thats not bad or anything per say but its not working for you. Try for a 33% spilt of all fats (good ones) protein and carbs. Use www.fitday.com to keep track of the break down. Get your carbs into you early in the day and post workout.
5 minutes weight training? Check out Transforms weight training for beginners in the stickies! You could also add some low intensity cardio every day for example incline walking for 45mins-60mins to burn the fat.
In a bit of a rush but if i think of anything else ill repost

ali.c

oh forgot to say, unless you take very milky coffee (like lattes) i wouldnt worry about using skimmed milk all the time. The difference in a small amount isnt going to make or break your diet plans

dellas1979

Thanks for the replies!

What do you mean Ali that my diet is full of carbohydrates? Are Bran Flakes considered high in carbs?

Cadrach

Yes they are... its fine to have a breakfast high in carbs - but instead of the Bran Flakes it is better to have porridge or a brand of muesli with no sugar added and low salt. It is also important to get the breakfast in early (11am is too late). Eating your dinner earlier might help too, and having a cut off point after which you don't eat.

ali.c

You have three basic food groups, carbs, protein and fats. Most foods can be classified into these 3 groups depending on the main component. Carbs come in simple and complex. Simple carbs (like sugar and white bread) are broken down quickly in the body whilst complex carbs are slower burning fuels. AFAIK bran flakes are complex carbs but they are still carbs, as are rice cakes. i am doing up my diet plan for the next week or so later and your cals are around the same as mine if you want i can post a sample day for you?

dellas1979

Do, please or give me a PM.

From what I posted above - whats the amount of calories I seem to be intaking????

AlphaMale 3OO

dellas1979 wrote:

Ok.

Yesterday i had:

11am: Bowl of Branflakes. Cup of coffee (no sugar). I have to use normal milk as in work they do not have skimmed milk

13:00: Lunch. Spicy chicken wrap with lettuce, tomatoes and salsa. Had a little garlic mayo too.

17:30: Another bowl of Bran Flakes before I went to the gym.

20:00: After gym, 1 small slice of quiche, with 2 slices of lean ham and a big bowl of lettuce, tomatoes and onions (no dressing, just vinegar).

21.30: Cup of coffee (skimmed milk, no sugar) and a rice cake (one of those Kelkin ones with chocolate on top).

So far today, Ive had:

9am: 2 small oat cakes

11am: bowl of Bran Flakes (same as above)

Eat weetabix instead of bran flakes try to have 4/5 serves of lean protein in the day.

Have the wrap for lunch minus the garlc mayo. Try ballymaloe relish as an alternative.

After the gym, drop the quiche, have the salad with more ham or chicken/turkey

Dont eat carbs or drink coffee before bed. Try a protein source such as cottage cheese or eggs/omelette

Aim for 1500-1800 cals a day (To lose weight you must burn more than you take in) Spread the meals out evenly and cut carbs after 6 (Salads are fine and you can have vinegar/olive oil dressing on it)

dellas1979

Thanks for the replies.

Fell off the bandwagon at the weekend a bit.

I went to the gym Thursday evening and I went to the gym Saturday afternoon.

I must say that I am feeling the difference (tighter) in certain areas. The place I am most concerned about is my waist. Always carry weight there. I am using an exercise ball to try and tone up in that area.

Still, am not loosing weight quite fast enough. I think what is annoying me is that I dont like thinking like this. As in, weight is supposed to be steadily lost. I now have 1 month to get into shape. With not really seeing results on the scales in the first week, and me falling off the bandwagon at the weekend, I feel a little low.

Oh sorry for saying "wedding dress". I am actually a maid of honor at the wedding. Hahaha always the bridesmaid.......!

AlphaMale 3OO

you've just got to get yourself together. the motivation comes from you. like the nike ad just do it. first of all throw away that fit ball they are a waste of air unless your bodyfat is low enough to actually SEE your abs. no amount of situps will burn fat in that area. stick to the diet recommendatons i left for you. they WILL work but only if sustained over a period of time and if you've got just a month left, time is something your running out of. just stick to it. be single minded and eliminate any semblance of mental weakness. falling off the wagon is for dreamers.

rovers_runner

Do at least 1hr of running at a slow steady pace every day for a few weeks.
You will pour sweat and eating after will mean you are losing the calories there too as they are burned off.
Simple as if you can manage it.

I only takes an hour a day, you will lose a stone in a month if you do it.
Slow and easy burns the fat.

dellas1979

Thanks for the tips and advice.

At the moment I run/walk for 20mins. 10 mins rowing machine. 10 mins bicycle, 10 mins excercise ball, 10 mins weights.

Am going to go to the gym this evening again as I couldnt yesterday.

Am going to try on the dress tomorrow............let see what happens....

dellas1979

Still gyming away and trying to eat better.

I do feel more toned, but havent weighed myself since I reported here last.

7 little pounds, how hard they are to move!

Ive started doing 10mins on the exercise ball in the morning. Then have a bowl of bran flakes with low-fat Milk.

At 11am I have just a cup of decaff coffee with low-fat milk, no sugar.

I have started to bring my lunch. Today I have cup of vegetable soup, small ham sandwich in a rye&sun flower seeded bread (little bit of flora spread) and a bag of pop corn.

I dont know what I will have for dinner yet. Prob small portion of spagetti bolognese.

There are 2 days in the week where I dont get to eat dinner till 9.30. I cant help that. On those days I try have a little snack at about 5.30 and then nothing until 9.

BTW I have developed the most unreal taste for green olives (with chilli pepper). They come in a little pack you can re-seal. I used to hate olives. The other day I was shopping and saw them and picked them up. The only thing is there is no nutrition information on the pack. So, are olives a good/ok thing to eat?

dellas1979

Well, after about 3-4 weeks at the gym, I weighed myself last night and had lost 3 pounds. So at least things are moving. Only about another 4-5 pounds to go.

I have never been eating better. Except for Sunday - that is a day that is catching me out - I tend to eat everything in site.

I changed my eating regime a little:

8.45: Bowl of Bran Flakes
11: Cup of decaff, no sugar
13:00: Vegetable soup. 2 small slices of granary bread with ham (using flora spread). Few olives
19:00: Last night I had a ciabatta, with a tiny blob of mayo. 1 slice of lean ham, lots of tomatoes, lettuce and onions (oh its yummy).
21:00: Cup of decaff, no sugar

Even after the wedding, I plan to continue like this, with possibly Sunday being my "1 naughty" day.

~nop~

Hey good for you! It's finally shifting!

And just on the point of it being bad to eat dinner at 9 at night - the fact is that any energy that you are not going to use pretty much immediatly gets stored as fat and this makes it a lot harder to shift, so if you eat and then go to sleep thats immediate fat.
Maybe you could consider on the days that you're working late, having your "dinner" ie. big meal at 5 and then just something small at 9?