What am I doing wrong?

peanuthead

Hi there

A weight loss thread with a twist here!!

So Ive been going to the gym doggedly for the last 3 months. Hardly alot of time I know.

My problem is the same as most womens - my tummy. I am happy with my body size. I was a curvy size 10 before the gym, just wanted to lost the pot belly and tone up my abs.

However, here's the problem. I know people say there is no way to just lose weight from the tummy only, but I dont feel I need to lose any else where. However what has happened over the last 3 months is that I have been slimming down everywhere else alot more than my tummy has. I have definitely lost inches off my stomach alright, and will happily continue on with my fitness regieme, but I'm now down to a size 8 and I really dont want to get any thinner all round.

My calves and thighs have toned up fantastically, but with that they have gotten thinner. Ok, but I dont want them even thinner again. I'm worried that if I continue to try lose the bit off my tummy Im going to end up looking gaunt and have protruding bones!!

Here is my exercise regeime. I don't really do the gym as I find it boring, I prefer fitness classes.

Monday - Step aerobics (45 mins), half hr cycle
Tuesday - Advanced aerobics (55 mins)
Wednesday - Beginner Spin (45 mins), half hr cycle
Thursday - Tums, bums, thighs (toning - 50 mins) 40 min swim (Im not a great swimmer so probably wouldn't work as hard as most in the pool)
Saturday - Aerobic circut (50 mins) half hr cycle.

Each night I do 50-100 sit ups with a 6kg med ball, just to add a bit of toning to the mix as alot of what I do is cardio.

My diet is low carb, not no carb. I don't drink alcohol either, I gave it up to focus on losing my tummy. I would have the odd glass of red wine though. I dont eat take away or fried foods.

I'm thinking my regeime has too much cardio in it? Would I be right? I enjoy the cardio anyway for keeping fit. Any suggestions? Help?

Pro-Nutrition

peanuthead wrote: »

Hi there

A weight loss thread with a twist here!!

So Ive been going to the gym doggedly for the last 3 months. Hardly alot of time I know.

My problem is the same as most womens - my tummy. I am happy with my body size. I was a curvy size 10 before the gym, just wanted to lost the pot belly and tone up my abs.

However, here's the problem. I know people say there is no way to just lose weight from the tummy only, but I dont feel I need to lose any else where. However what has happened over the last 3 months is that I have been slimming down everywhere else alot more than my tummy has. I have definitely lost inches off my stomach alright, and will happily continue on with my fitness regieme, but I'm now down to a size 8 and I really dont want to get any thinner all round.

My calves and thighs have toned up fantastically, but with that they have gotten thinner. Ok, but I dont want them even thinner again. I'm worried that if I continue to try lose the bit off my tummy Im going to end up looking gaunt and have protruding bones!!

Here is my exercise regeime. I don't really do the gym as I find it boring, I prefer fitness classes.

Monday - Step aerobics (45 mins), half hr cycle
Tuesday - Advanced aerobics (55 mins)
Wednesday - Beginner Spin (45 mins), half hr cycle
Thursday - Tums, bums, thighs (toning - 50 mins) 40 min swim (Im not a great swimmer so probably wouldn't work as hard as most in the pool)
Saturday - Aerobic circut (50 mins) half hr cycle.

Each night I do 50-100 sit ups with a 6kg med ball, just to add a bit of toning to the mix as alot of what I do is cardio.

My diet is low carb, not no carb. I don't drink alcohol either, I gave it up to focus on losing my tummy. I would have the odd glass of red wine though. I dont eat take away or fried foods.

I'm thinking my regeime has too much cardio in it? Would I be right? I enjoy the cardio anyway for keeping fit. Any suggestions? Help?

Hey. I am going to make a guess at this one. Have you ever taught of cutting back on the cardio a bit? For some one who is only looking to loss weight around the waist your doing alot. I would cut back a little on the cardio or even space it out a bit better. Doing the sit ups great because your burning of the excess fat from the ab area with the cardio but I would not be too hot on the med ball. That will harden the ab wall and thats fine if your into boxing or your mid section needs tighten up to lift heavy.

What would your diet be like? I am sure that you know your stuff but maybe the carbs are a little high and what you are trying to loss is just water? Which is been retained by the carbs?

peanuthead

Pro-Nutrition wrote: »

Hey. I am going to make a guess at this one. Have you ever taught of cutting back on the cardio a bit? For some one who is only looking to loss weight around the waist your doing alot. I would cut back a little on the cardio or even space it out a bit better. Doing the sit ups great because your burning of the excess fat from the ab area with the cardio but I would not be too hot on the med ball. That will harden the ab wall and thats fine if your into boxing or your mid section needs tighten up to lift heavy.

What would your diet be like? I am sure that you know your stuff but maybe the carbs are a little high and what you are trying to loss is just water? Which is been retained by the carbs?

Na I don't know my stuff at all really. I just read a few articles etc.. Im sure Im doing alot wrong.

Will cut back on the cardio so. My diet would sort of be like this:

Breakfasts: Either - Bacon or mushroom omelette, or bowl of bran flakes, and tea.

Lunches: Either - Tuna salad / soup / chicken fillet with veg / bowl of veg / omelette tea

Dinner: Any meat (most days fresh salmon fillet, but would have some red meat some days) veg (mostly sprouts or cauliflower) and sometimes (once every 2 weeks) I may have mash too. tea

I would have chocolate sometimes, but not every day, maybe once a week.

As a dessert, once a day I would have natural yoghurt, honey and granola.

I do drink alot of tea, but its herbal, green / peppermint.

In between meals if Im hungry I do snack. I snack on cucumber or sometimes pate and wholegrain crackers.

That would be an 'in general' menu. I don't find it hard to stick to because I like this food. But sometimes if Im over in the OH's his mam will give me sandwiches, spuds...

I will cut down on the cardio so, and give up on the med ball. I actually only bought it because they use it in the aerobic circut in the gym. I can be a bit silly like that, just get it not really knowing what its exactly for. Thanks for advice.

Brian?

peanuthead wrote: »

My calves and thighs have toned up fantastically, but with that they have gotten thinner. Ok, but I dont want them even thinner again. I'm worried that if I continue to try lose the bit off my tummy Im going to end up looking gaunt and have protruding bones!!

You should seriously think about doing some resistance training. You won't get an athletic figure from just doing cardio. Try doing 2 weight sessions a week concentrating on the big compound lifts.

If you add muscle all over there'll be no "protruding bones" and you'll find it easier to drop fat.

davyjose

Doing that many sit-ups is a waste of time. Try planks and side planks instead.
Add in some weight training; your body will use the food you eat to fuel your muscles (not your belly). Learn to squat - women who squat have generally got incredible figures IMO.
Sticking with some cardio is still a good idea, but what you're doing now is way too much.

peanuthead

Thanks for the advice everyone

briankeating wrote: »

the big compound lifts.

Good advice, but what does the above mean? I will start doing more weight training alright though. I had a feeling I should have been doing more alright.

davyjose wrote: »

Doing that many sit-ups is a waste of time. Try planks and side planks instead.
Add in some weight training; your body will use the food you eat to fuel your muscles (not your belly). Learn to squat - women who squat have generally got incredible figures IMO.
Sticking with some cardio is still a good idea, but what you're doing now is way too much.

Thanks for the advice, going to cut down on cardio alright.

What category does swimming come under in terms of fitness? Cant say its cardio, but is it considered toning?

brianthebard

The compound lifts afaik generally refers to squat, deadlift and bench press, and after that things that work well with them are pull/chin ups, shoulder press, rows, stiff leg deadlifts...
I would've considered swimming cardio, although it can have some muscle building effects, but its not the same as weight lifting imo.

rubadub

Yes, the compound movements use a few muscle in conjunction with each other, so they are more efficient time wise, and teaches you to use them with each other. The opposite is an isolation exercise, like a standard bicep curl. When you do a chinup you use your back, forearm, bicep etc. When I do chinups I sometimes raise my knees to my chest too, this means I get an even better workout during the same time.

I would also call swimming cardio. "Toning" is a combination of low body fat and muscle development. 99% of women you see that you consider "toned" have been lifting heavy weights to look that way. The really big muscly women you see are on steroids and spent years in the gym to get like that, i.e. do not be afraid of getting "too big" it will not happen overnight!

Brian?

peanuthead wrote: »

Thanks for the advice everyone

Good advice, but what does the above mean? I will start doing more weight training alright though. I had a feeling I should have been doing more alright.

Sorry, I should have explained better. As other have said, a compund lift is an exercise that involves two or more joint movements. This means it recruits more muscle groups at once, eg a squat is a great compound lift for the legs but as you can see on the link below it also works your abs, back etc.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBFullSquat.html

You should look at building a weights program around the compound lifts squat, deadlift, row, bench press.

peanuthead

Hey

Okay, so Ive had a bit of time to think it out, and this is my new workout timetable, if I could get criticisms on it before I get too into it and waste a whole load more time.

Monday: Gym. 20mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim
Tuesday: 30-40 mins cycling
Wednesday: Spinning class, Swim (40 mins)
Thursday: Gym. 20mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim
Friday:30-40 mins cycling
Saturday: 50/50 class, spinning and weight circut
Sunday: Gym. 20 mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim

Each night I plan to do 20-30 squats at home too, with a light enough weight.

My diet will stay the same.

Can you tell me if this is ok?

thanks

Sangre

Do your weights first. Lift as heavy as you can with proper form. Once you can do say, 3x10, move up the weights.

peanuthead

Sangre wrote: »

Do your weights first. Lift as heavy as you can with proper form. Once you can do say, 3x10, move up the weights.

Okay thanks. I always just thought in my head to do cardio first, don't know why. thanks for advice.

scquinn

peanuthead wrote: »

Hey

Okay, so Ive had a bit of time to think it out, and this is my new workout timetable, if I could get criticisms on it before I get too into it and waste a whole load more time.

Monday: Gym. 20mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim
Tuesday: 30-40 mins cycling
Wednesday: Spinning class, Swim (40 mins)
Thursday: Gym. 20mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim
Friday:30-40 mins cycling
Saturday: 50/50 class, spinning and weight circut
Sunday: Gym. 20 mins cardio, 15 mins weights x2, 40 mins swim

Each night I plan to do 20-30 squats at home too, with a light enough weight.

My diet will stay the same.

Can you tell me if this is ok?

thanks

In my opinion your still doing way too much cardio, you have said you dont want to lose anymore weight except on the abdominals. I would sugest full body weights using compound movments 3 times a week and then maybe 30 mins of cardio 3 other days. In that plan you are exercising 7times a week, rest is just as important if not more important for weight loss! Start off with light weights and move heavier when you get used to each weight, you will not bulk up!
For good abs its about 75% diet and 25% exercise.

sunnyjim

Hey peanuthead,

Instead of saying "right, 15 minutes weights" why don't you see if someone here will point out what weights you should be lifting, what types of lifts etc.

Just that a lot of people I'd know would go in with the same idea, but they wouldn't know what to do, so they do what they see on TV. Bicep curls and military press... I've been guilty in this respect

rccaulfield

Cant believe no-ones pointed out your diet here? Lose the bacon in your omelettes-its the worst for calorie content- no chocolate, no red meats if you can help it- no white rice or white pasta either- have half a protein shake after your workout aswell- this will protect your muscles from being used by the body for energy! Hope this helps- P.s. once youv lost the weight the odd treats no harm!

Brian?

rccaulfield wrote: »

Cant believe no-ones pointed out your diet here? Lose the bacon in your omelettes-its the worst for calorie content- no chocolate, no red meats if you can help it- no white rice or white pasta either- have half a protein shake after your workout aswell- this will protect your muscles from being used by the body for energy! Hope this helps- P.s. once youv lost the weight the odd treats no harm!

No red meats? Thats madness.

Reyman

As Scquinn points out you're doing far too much cardio. Make the weight training the centre of your programme with 5 good compound movements three times a week. Get someone to show you how to do the compound weights or get a good book on it.
Do the cardio only twice a week ideally at a different time but otherwise after your weights. Get a lot more rest in - relax for a change