Help with losing fat ( and maybe gaining a wee bit of muscle)

AlwaysConfused

Right, I'm an 18 year old girl, I'm about 162pounds and I really want to lose some fat. I started last week and by last Saturday I'd dropped 3 pounds ( to weight above).

I'm about 5ft3, so I already know my BMI is too high and all that jazz, but I'm looking for some tips on how to lose weight.

I've started going to the gym, and I love the bikes and rowing machines, so cardio is 'ok', but I don't want to go near the weights section of the gym. I know it sounds silly but it's because its always filled with a bunch of guys who can lift like their weight and a half like and I'm there lifting maybe like 10kg?

I've also started eating more fruit and made the switch to brown rice etc. and I've kinda given up the junk food and I genuinely don't really miss it. I know some people say you should have a junk food day one a week or something, but I actually don't want it, like I don't crave biscuits, sweets etc at all

I would like to go from being a size 14-16 uk to an 8-10, any pointers on how I can get there?

I've thought about using supplements of some kinda, but I'm a student so I can't really afford the big brand ones, I saw this one http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/9251094/Trail/searchtext%3EPRO+POWER.htm online but I was wondering if it's any good, what it would help, what if anything else should I be taking instead etc.
(I'm kinda uneducated in this field? )

AlwaysConfused

If ANYONE could give me a few pointers in the right direction it'd be great

Lantus

Getting the body shape your after will take time to achieve and a lifestyle change to maintain. Sounds like your already on the right track tho so heres some advice.

Firstly, you should use resistance training as along side your cardio. It's the muscle in your body which gives you great posture, strength, health benefits, increased bone strength (bye bye osteoporosis.) and ligaments and joints strength.

If cutting down your fat alone to a low level was like a bin bag with a hole in it made to be a dress then adding some mucle would be a designer fully fitted and tapered business suit, elegant and always looking sharp.

You probably have 2 concerns, the men dominated weights area and the fear of becoming a muscle bound lady.

The first is a mental thing. Try different times when it's quieter and ask a staff member to show you some routines and equipment. (which they should!) You could go with a friend. But to be fair you have paid to use it and you should be able to go anywhere and do what you like. If anything you may find the men are a bit intimidated!

Secondly you cannot and will never become a muscle bound freak. Adding muscle is an incredibly slow process. It takes years and years even for the genetically gifted. You also need a key muscle building ingredient, testoterone, and I assure you it will be in short supply in most women. The women you are thinking of (as featured on Louis Theroux weird weekend) have trained for a decade or more with perfect nutrition and have taken male hormones and steroids over that time resulting in deeper voices, square chins, impaired or destroyed reproductive organs, and of course big muscles. Unless your planning on taking these substances then you will only ever end up looking like Mindi Smith or similar (unless you have a genetic predipostion to muscle growth and it's a one a few million kind of chance.)

Basically it is physically impossible for women to develop big muscles!

However, it is still the best mechanism for a great looking, firm defined body in both men and women. The myth of women dont do weights is ensuring a generation of women never reach their ideal body shape and the diet industry can keep selling them useless product year on year.


You'll also need cardio, motivation and goal setting and good nutrition but fingers are hurting......

TommyKnocker

+1 ^^Excellent advice give above IMO

AlwaysConfused

Lantus wrote: »

Getting the body shape your after will take time to achieve and a lifestyle change to maintain. Sounds like your already on the right track tho so heres some advice.

Firstly, you should use resistance training as along side your cardio. It's the muscle in your body which gives you great posture, strength, health benefits, increased bone strength (bye bye osteoporosis.) and ligaments and joints strength.

If cutting down your fat alone to a low level was like a bin bag with a hole in it made to be a dress then adding some mucle would be a designer fully fitted and tapered business suit, elegant and always looking sharp.

You probably have 2 concerns, the men dominated weights area and the fear of becoming a muscle bound lady.

The first is a mental thing. Try different times when it's quieter and ask a staff member to show you some routines and equipment. (which they should!) You could go with a friend. But to be fair you have paid to use it and you should be able to go anywhere and do what you like. If anything you may find the men are a bit intimidated!

Secondly you cannot and will never become a muscle bound freak. Adding muscle is an incredibly slow process. It takes years and years even for the genetically gifted. You also need a key muscle building ingredient, testoterone, and I assure you it will be in short supply in most women. The women you are thinking of (as featured on Louis Theroux weird weekend) have trained for a decade or more with perfect nutrition and have taken male hormones and steroids over that time resulting in deeper voices, square chins, impaired or destroyed reproductive organs, and of course big muscles. Unless your planning on taking these substances then you will only ever end up looking like Mindi Smith or similar (unless you have a genetic predipostion to muscle growth and it's a one a few million kind of chance.)

Basically it is physically impossible for women to develop big muscles!

However, it is still the best mechanism for a great looking, firm defined body in both men and women. The myth of women dont do weights is ensuring a generation of women never reach their ideal body shape and the diet industry can keep selling them useless product year on year.


You'll also need cardio, motivation and goal setting and good nutrition but fingers are hurting......

Thanks for all the great advice, just I don't really know where I should start with weights and all, or what kind of exercises I should be doing with them. I can't ask a member of staff most the time because I go to a free college gym, and there's usually nobody on the desk when I go.
I did debate saving my weight training for weekends when I go home, but I dunno what to because I've only like 1kg dumbells at home and they're not really that much use to me

Lantus

With weights a good place to start is a whole body workkout which is ideal for beginners and will meet your needs for the foreseeable future. So: -

Squat
benchpress
Bent over row (or pulldowns if your at a gym)
travelling lunge
military press
step up
tricep kickback
leg extension (put your back against a walll with thighs paralell to the ground as if your sitting, (hold for 20secs, work up to 45 secs....killer.)
bicep curl
lying leg curl

Theres 10 exercises that hit every muscle group in the body which you can do in that order. You can do them all with dumbells and it shouldn't take more than 25-30 minutes after you get the hang of it.

Aim for 8 to 12 reps of each exercise and do 3 sets of each. You can do these like a circuit training routine so do 8 to 12 squats. Then take 30 seconds rest. Then do the benchpress, 30 secs rest and so on. At the end take 2 mins rest and then repeat 2 more times. (3 sets in total) Repeat once maybe for the first few weeks until you get used to it.

Take a look on u tube to get some good technique. The most important thing you must do is perform each repitition in a controlled manner and in the correct manner. Aim for 2 seconds up and 3 seconds down. slow and steady. Dont jerk or swing weights. If your having to engage other muscle groups to do an exercise your probably not doing it right.

Use a weight that makes it tough to reach the last 1 or 2 reps. You should be aiming for failure for the last 1 or 2. i.e. struggling to do another one. You will need to use different weights for each one as legs are much stronger than arms. When it becomes easy to do 12 reps for a given weight you can up the weight and aim for 8. (progressive loading.) Dont just use a light weight and do the reps. It has to be challenging.

I would do this 3 times a week Mon, Wed, Fri. Although you can pick any 3 days as long as there is one complete day of rest between them.

I'd also add some core work. (crunches & leg raises, side bends and bridges etc..) Say 5 mins worth which you can do before the above workout on 2 of the days.

Remember, this is just one example of many different workouts that people will bombard you with or you'll read about. However, it is simple, proven and moderate in that it will get you results without fancy equipment. You can even do it at home as i did for almost a year. Free weights are very good for getting good performance as they tend to engage the core (abs) for most exercises to keep balance so two birds (well 1.5) with one stone...

It's also quick! That makes it a realistic and sustainable part of your life.

Above all be consistent in your application. There is no point doing one here and one the next week. if the plan says 3 times a week then thats the plan. Use a diary and log to track your progress and mount it on the fridge or similar. There is no hiding from what you haven't done then....and it's a good motivator adding all those lovley ticks when you do a workout.

I would expect some good results to start showing in 6 to 8 weeks assuming good nutrition with a slight calorie deficit and some high intensity cardio to supplement.