Noob Help :)

alpha2010

lost 4 stone in 5 months by just jogging at home and dieting but I was able to do this because it was during my summer holidays but now im back in Uni and finding it hard to keep up with my diet but its handy that my college has a free gym so I go there now 3 or 4 times a week and then jog on the weekends but I'm such a noob when it comes to the gym, all I do is jog on the threadmill because I haven't a clue what I should be using :P

I'm a 19 year old female. 10 stone 3, I have another 7 pound to lose until my goal

so what would be the best things for me to be doing whilst going to the gym, like what machines would be the best for me

Thanks

someday2010

Weights, weights and more weights. It will leave you with a toned and firm body. Dont worry you wont turn into a beefcake no matter how much you try

alpha2010

but im still wanting to burn fat, what kind of weights, how long and stuff. since I have lost my weight, I have gotten so weak, will I be even able to do weights :P

Deadly Combination

since I have lost my weight, I have gotten so weak, - go to your doctor for a check up to make sure you ok

And eat plenty of friut / veg for energy

alpha2010

yeah I prob will because I feel so defenseless, I might have lost my weight way too quickly and just loads of muscle a long with it..

Roger Marbles

Read this:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055963342

As for doing weights and wanting to lose body fat...definitely, a must in fact....even for girls...and no you won't start looking like a bodybuilder.

And we're talking proper weight lifting (squats, deadlifting, bench press), not those pink 1kg dumbbells. The thread above should explain it and I would check out Transform's blog (http://www.thetransformationcatalyst.wordpress.com) and his youtube videos. Loads of great stuff there.

alpha2010

thanks for that

these are a few of my questions:

how long should I stay in the gym for each time I go ?

what exercises should I do and how long ?

should I do the same routine the following day, or try change it a little ?

like motivation or dieting isn't a problem, its just the last few pounds are a nightmare to get off, its only 7 more pound but god they just wont go :P

Roger Marbles

alpha2010 wrote: »

thanks for that

these are a few of my questions:

how long should I stay in the gym for each time I go ?

what exercises should I do and how long ?

should I do the same routine the following day, or try change it a little ?

like motivation or dieting isn't a problem, its just the last few pounds are a nightmare to get off, its only 7 more pound but god they just wont go :P

The reason the 7 pounds won't go is because up until now, although you've worked hard and that's to be admired for sure, you've completed sabotaged any further weight loss by not looking after your muscle, the powerhouse of your body's metabolism and ability to shed body fat.

Basically, losing the muscle through your weight loss so far, has reduced your body's metabolism and therefore actually made it harder to lose weight. That's why everyone here is suggesting weights for body fat loss. It maintains your muscle and aids your overall goal.

In terms of the rest of your questions, I would really defer you to someone with more qualifications and experience like Transform or the other guys here.

Roughly you want to be doing the following:
* figure out your maintenance calories for a normal day
* cut 15-20% of this and create a small calorie defecit
* aim to get more protein and good fats in your diet, and reduce carbs
* perform weight training and high intensity cardio along with this at certain intervals throught the week.

In terms of weights, you could look up Mark Ripptoes starting strength as an example of a 3 day program. A recommended read in terms of diet is Tom Venuto's "Burn the fat, feed the muscle".

Don't be intimidated by the exercises just because you don't see other girls doing them. I rarely see most guys doing them in the gym and a lot of them are wasting their time.

With the above principles, I personally have lost 6 pounds of body fat in the last 3 weeks and I am still lifting the same weight as I was before I started.

Also, and most women fall into this trap.... beware of judging your results on a daily/weekly basis based on what a weighing scales tells you. What you are after is not total weight loss per se, but body fat loss which may not be reflected all the time when you weigh yourself. Body composition change is really how one would define it.

Again pm some of the people on here who are qualified and listen to them, and only them. They know what they are talking about.

Good luck.