Correct Exercises

Camogie Girl

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me. At the moment I am trying to lose weight (15lb so far). I seem to have hit a plateau and need some advise. I am good at the eating so that is not a problem but for the exercise I have little time to really concentrate. So I have worked out a plan of 30 mins in the morning cycling (stationary) while doing upper body weights (Biceps, Tricepts, Shoulders, Lats etc) and then I walk for between 20-40 mins at lunch then cycling again after work for about 40-50mins with the weights at the same time.

Do you think that doing the weights is having any benifits for me while on the bike. If not and I have to do the seperatly I would have to loose out on a session of Cardio?

Thanks for your help:)

corkcomp

Camogie Girl wrote: »

Hi I was wondering if anyone could help me. At the moment I am trying to lose weight (15lb so far). I seem to have hit a plateau and need some advise. I am good at the eating so that is not a problem but for the exercise I have little time to really concentrate. So I have worked out a plan of 30 mins in the morning cycling (stationary) while doing upper body weights (Biceps, Tricepts, Shoulders, Lats etc) and then I walk for between 20-40 mins at lunch then cycling again after work for about 40-50mins with the weights at the same time.

Do you think that doing the weights is having any benifits for me while on the bike. If not and I have to do the seperatly I would have to loose out on a session of Cardio?

Thanks for your help:)

well done on weight loss so far .. what are your current stats and how long have you been stuck on plateau? you are doing plenty exercise in terms of time devoted to it but you need to incorporate some intervals or intense cardio, the benefit here is that you can be done with it in less time! The walk at lunch time is good though ..

Based on your level of activity I would guess your diet isnt 100% if your weight loss has stalled (sorry!)

Camogie Girl

Hey

My diet fluctuates but at the moment and for the past month I have 3 weddings and tried to be good at them and every other day around the weddings I have been sticking to my Weight Watcher points except 2 days. I have been stuck at this weight for about 5 weeks and getting nowhere.

I change the bike from interval and just moving up the stages each minute to the hardest level and go at an intense speed.

Kev.

Hey

Congrats on your weight loss and decision to lose a bit and get yourself together,

The experts say that if you have to chose between weights and cardio to lose weight choose weights....personally I think the 2 of them work well together.

Doing weights and weighing yourself is a bad idea,because you are building muscle so will not see the benefits on the scales,the one place to feel the effects are in the way your clothes fit you.

I feel in your case while youve done very well your body has probably gotten use to your exercises.

It knows what to expect from you.

Always remember when you started your body was getting rid of excess water,

If I was you I would take up running,as the nights are getting dark early,put a hoody on you and go running,
start of by running 3 minutes resting for 2,running for 2 resting for 1,running for 1 and warm down.
come home have a pint of water and an orange.

Always remember,If you have a calorie deficiet,and exercise you will lose weight...promise

Maybe you should get a BF test done and start a program for 12 weeks and stick to it ,have a treat every second weekend(curry,beers)

I hope this helps you in your quest,if you need anything PM me...Best of luck,dont give up

Kev

corkcomp

Camogie Girl wrote: »

Hey

My diet fluctuates but at the moment and for the past month I have 3 weddings and tried to be good at them and every other day around the weddings I have been sticking to my Weight Watcher points except 2 days. I have been stuck at this weight for about 5 weeks and getting nowhere.

I change the bike from interval and just moving up the stages each minute to the hardest level and go at an intense speed.

going mad for 3 days in one month is unlikely to do too much harm .. i still think your diet must be stopping any progress though .. sticking to WW points doesnt count for much IMO as you could still be eating bad foods as long as within your points ... if you could post up a typical (honest) days diet it might be easier to judge?

heno86

hey:) i used to work in a gym and seen on a daily basis women who used the weight watchers plans and without fail they always said they lost weight initially but then hit a plateau,i think its a fine diet to start and lose some initial weight because basically your keeping your diet relatively clean but the points theory isnt a very sound one ur better to stick to a high protein,moderate carb,low fat diet and taper your carbs as the day goes on ie.biggest portion for breakfast smaller for lunch and so on finishing your last meal of the day with little or no carbs if possible.hope this helps

ps.if your diet is good any exercise should do the trick but as corkcomp said better to get a weights session in if u hav to choose:)

Colm_OReilly

Can you post your exact daily diet please?

A lot of steady state cardio (cycling/running at the same intensity or pace for a longish time) will stop reaping rewards in terms of body composition changes as your body's used to it.

Mixing the intensity, going for sprints, etc, should help with this.

As for weights - squats, lunges, deadlifts, presses - these should form the basis of your workouts.

Camogie Girl

Hi All,

Thanks for your replies. In regards to the running I have pretty bad artritis in both my knees and the Physio told me four years ago that I had to give up all exercise so last year I gave up camogie (which killed me) and I find the bike is the one thing that doesn't impact my knees as much! I can't walk up stairs without being in excrutiating pain :mad:. I did used to cycle to work (25 miles a day 3 days a week) but had to give that up due to a few close accidents with Vehicles way bigger than me! My typical diet is below

Breakfast
40g Bran Flakes (maybe 2 toast on a bad day aswell)
Lunch
Ham and Light Colslaw sandwiches (sometimes with Spinach)
Small Popcorn (manhattan)
Snack
Oxtail cuppa soup with a slice of bread and butter
Dinner
Chicken most night (either in a curry, cajun powder in a pita with salad, Veg, Potatoes or oven chips)
Snack
Velvet Crisps
Manderines
Apples (red)

On Fridays I like my Wine and Chinese so I get the Shredded Chicken with Chilli and salt and chips with Curry sauce ( but I only use about 2 tablespoons of Curry Sauce and I split the chips and chicken with the boyfriend). And on bold days I seem to pig out on Doritoes and Dips and King Crisps (bad I know)

Also as I am doing the weights while I am on the bike for about 5 days in a row do I need to give my muscles a break (as I do the same reps, same exercise every day).

Thanks for all your help it is really appreciated as I am getting demotivated and I don't want to.

corkcomp

Camogie Girl wrote: »

Hi All,

Thanks for your replies. In regards to the running I have pretty bad artritis in both my knees and the Physio told me four years ago that I had to give up all exercise so last year I gave up camogie (which killed me) and I find the bike is the one thing that doesn't impact my knees as much! I can't walk up stairs without being in excrutiating pain :mad:. I did used to cycle to work (25 miles a day 3 days a week) but had to give that up due to a few close accidents with Vehicles way bigger than me! My typical diet is below

Breakfast
40g Bran Flakes (maybe 2 toast on a bad day aswell)
Lunch
Ham and Light Colslaw sandwiches (sometimes with Spinach)
Small Popcorn (manhattan)
Snack
Oxtail cuppa soup with a slice of bread and butter
Dinner
Chicken most night (either in a curry, cajun powder in a pita with salad, Veg, Potatoes or oven chips)
Snack
Velvet Crisps
Manderines
Apples (red)

On Fridays I like my Wine and Chinese so I get the Shredded Chicken with Chilli and salt and chips with Curry sauce ( but I only use about 2 tablespoons of Curry Sauce and I split the chips and chicken with the boyfriend). And on bold days I seem to pig out on Doritoes and Dips and King Crisps (bad I know)

Also as I am doing the weights while I am on the bike for about 5 days in a row do I need to give my muscles a break (as I do the same reps, same exercise every day).

Thanks for all your help it is really appreciated as I am getting demotivated and I don't want to.

ok, the diet is the problem .. as mentioned earlier you should maybe avoid carbs (aside from veg) in your evening meal and evening snacks .. breakfast and lunch could be better too - porridge or scrambled eggs and lunch have salad and fish or chicken .. sandwich is ok if wholegrain ... you also mention "bold" days, but you dont say how often you have one? we all have off days but the better shape you are in the more you can have if that makes any sense .

Frogdog

Hate to break the news to you, but your diet is poor. Way too many carbs, very little protein and no healthy fats.
I'll critique your diet bit by bit:

Breakfast
40g Bran Flakes (maybe 2 toast on a bad day aswell) - Bran Flakes are 22% sugar. They are regularly described on here as "A Brillo Pad for your Stomach". Not a nice thing to eat for your insides in other words. The sugar in them will give you a sugar spike and leave you hungry in no time at all. They're full of sugary carbs in other words. You'd be way better off having a breakfast of a bowl of porridge (Flahavan's, Odlum's etc) made with milk and a boiled/scrambled/poached egg or two. That way you're getting complex carbs (which are the good ones that release sugar to your body slowly, fueling it for the day) from the porridge, proteins from the milk, eggs and porridge and healthy fats from the eggs.

Lunch
Ham and Light Colslaw sandwiches (sometimes with Spinach)
Small Popcorn (manhattan)

Bread really isn't the best thing in my opinion if you want to lose bodyfat. If you could leave it out of your diet for a month you'd be surprised at the difference. I feel way better for it, but it could be a personal thing.

I presume you're using either white or brown sliced pan? Once again, they're full of sugary carbs (especially white bread) and have no place in a person's diet in my opinion. The ham I presume is sliced deli ham? That stuff is pumped full of brine, additives and preservatives and has the nutritional value of a welly. Light coleslaw is the same as full fat coleslaw in most places. I have a friend who used to work in a factory that made the stuff, and he said both of them are the same!

You'd be way better off having your main meal at lunch. For example have brown pasta/brown rice, chicken/fish/lean red meat, and a couple of helpings of veg/salad.

Dinner
Chicken most night (either in a curry, cajun powder in a pita with salad, Veg, Potatoes or oven chips)

More carbs again. I don't think your body needs carbs after say 6 or 7 in the evening as your body is mainly resting/sedentary after these hours. Try and cut out all potatoes/chips/breads/pasta/rice after this and just eat some meat/fish and veg.

Snacks
Try and stick to a piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana etc) and some form of protein (nuts, cheese, natural youghurt, peanut butter/cottage cheese etc.). Have one snack between breakfast and lunch and one snack between lunch and dinner.

I'd also aim to drink at least two litres of water during the day, this is helpful also for losing body fat and keeping yourself hydrated for all your exercise. Don't be concerned with losing "weight" as our bodies are mainly water. There's no point in losing water as it can be easily gained. All these fad diets you'd see in women's magazines usually concentrate on losing water from your body.

Have a read of these stickies. One on the Nutrition forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055157091

and the other here on the Fitness forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054876750

You'll learn a lot from them and if you follow them you won't go wrong.

Best of luck OP!

Camogie Girl

Hey

Thanks for your feedback. I have spent all day looking into Carbs, Protein, Fat etc and I have a headache:D.

What I am getting back is that my diet is Crap when I thought I was doing well keeping to Weight Watchers points.

So lessons learned is don't eat Carbs for dinner. Eat them at Breakfast and lunch rather. Don't eat White bread - I am going to change to McCambridge Wholemeal bread and cut out the processed meats and have more chicken and fish for lunch with salads or Beans on wholemeal toast etc. The for dinner I am stuck as I am a fussy eater and everything I like seems to be full of Carbs I will have to research more receips for that.

For my snacks I will keep my fruit but take out the popcorn and velvet crisps and replace with Nuts and Cheese.

Also on the Fitness threads I have noticed that my weights aren't good either. At the moment I am doing 20 reps with light weights when I should be doing less reps more weight so will change that. Also I am going to incorporate boxing and sparring into the routine to liven it up and give my body a shock.

Fingers crossed all this works

As for my bad days I could have one a week so that has to go (At least until I get to my goal weight). Funny thing that I have learned is that when I get to my goal weight I will be good at maintaining it as that is what I seem to be doing now!

heno86

Camogie Girl wrote: »

Hey

For my snacks I will keep my fruit but take out the popcorn and velvet crisps and replace with Nuts and Cheese.

sorry for gettin picky but be aware that most fruits are very high in natural sugars ie.glucose,fructose so wudnt be the best when trying to lose weight as they will spike your insulin levels causing fat storage/gain,they are full of vitamins and minerals but arent great when trying to lose weight(confusing i know) better to stick to maybe yoghurts,nuts etc. for snacking