how many hours should i be doin?

wildflower

hi all, just a quick question, im on a diet and fitness buzz at the moment. want to lose 4stone, would be great if it was gone by next summer. im watchin my food- low carb, high protein, no caffeine, loads of water.

but just need to know what to do in the gym- im not great at goin it alone so i just go to classes- iv tried tonnes of stuff but they are the only things i enjoy and will stick too.

so at the moment im trying to do
2 hours pilates per week
3hour of weights
2hours aerobics

is this enough to get fit and lose weight aswell as a calorie controlled diet? i had a baby last year but before that i would have been very fit, spent approx 8hours a week doin classes but i didnt watch what i ate at all and now after baby im finding it hard to lose the weight so need a combination. should i up aerobics? or lower weights? im clueless as to what i need to be doin, any advice much appreciated!!!:D

shootermacg

Why no coffee? I always take a few shots if I'm feeling too tired to workout. After a long day's work coffee is sometimes the difference between me taking a nap and getting my workout done.

As far as diet goes, as long as you're burning more than you eat on a daily basis you'll lose the weight. Remember to treat yourself once in a while:D.

Babies take a lot out of you, well done for getting back into it, I was the same, mentally knackered and generally worn out but I find the more I exercise the better I feel, ignoring your health is a downward spiral. Good thing is as the weight drops your energy levels will increase.

wildflower

thanks for ur help, i cud be wrong about the caffeine thing but i think it stops muscles forming or something. im not big into tea or coffee so easy enuf to cut it out for me. im trying to stick to about 1200 cals a day- give or take a glass of wine!!!

should i be adding a few walks to that- hate walking but probly cud do a few. i work nites and find it hard to motivate myself during the day, im tired but thats probly all the excess weight too!

only eating 2 or 3 carbs per day- like 1 weetabix, a wrap and a small potatoe. loads of veg and 8oz meat.

anything ekse i can do?

King of Kings

if you are doing 7 hours a week thats decent enough.

As long as the weights sessions aren't faffing about.

with 4 stone to lose you could get some quick wins in there by adjusting your diet.
But it's important not to do everything at once. The shock to your system can cause you to crash adn you'll quit.

Start with something like removing starchy carb - bread, rice, pasta.
See how that gets you for a few weeks then start further refinement. A measured approach will win out in the end rather than jumping in the deep end.


Also I don't get the jazz pre workout from coffee others seem to get - although I do find one within an hour of a midday workout refreshes me a lot. I guess it's different strokes etc...

How about ditching the weetabix for oats?
What type of weight routine are you doing?
Are you sure you are eating 1200 cals a day? Sounds a little low and it may cause burnout over time esp with that training.

wildflower

hey king, good idea to switch to oats- i find breakfast the hardest meal to plan- id love a big fry but just have cpl chicken sausages and turkey rashers at weekend instead. then have a wrap with loads salad, laughung cow cheese triangle and meat- about 4oz for lunch. and chicken or fish with loads veg for dinner. if i have carbs for brek and lunch then none for dinner.

im doing the body pump routine in university arena in limerick, i used to do it before and found it unreal but new trainer now and she is a bit lazier but its still good. its full body- im only doin it a few weeks so still on quiet low weights- like 10kg for squats reps 50- i dunno thats kinda guessing, its all done to music- like aerobics! im pretty clueless about exercise, i just go in do the class and go home. today i did hr of pilates followed straight away by hr of weights- is this bad. its just with small baby, i work nites- hard to get childminder to do exact hrs to fit the classes!

il be doin 2 hrs again tomor- same pilates and weights, then 1 hr weights on wed, hopefully hr aerobics wed and thurs nite- but they r the ones i usually miss cos they are at nite. then im workin all weekend so cant do anything.
then do same the following week plus fitness yoga and weights on the sat.

im taking lots of vitamins- glucosamine, evening primrose oil, vit c, b, eskimo oil, cod liver oil, calcium. i have very bad knees- broke em in car accident- so high impact is out- would love to be a jogger but my legs swell up after a few days of it. even step aerobics takes it toll- but i love it.

any other advice greatly appreciated, im in this for the long haul! def oats tomor so, wit some fruit and natural yoghurt for the protein and vitamins. no sugar or honey:(