LOL Elisa! THat's funny. Doncha just love it when the seniors have no inhibitions about telling us what we're dong wrong in life?!? I had a woman comment to my roommate & I in college about the food that was in our cart - typical college food, please. It was just so funny to get counseled by a complete stranger!
Mel! I'm sorry that you're struggling. That's very frustrating.
Sportsfreak: the idea behind the nutrition plan is that eating maintenance calories is the best thing for improving body composition. If your maintenance calories are lower than 2000, you would eat those. If you were trying to lose more than a couple of pounds, I think there are better nutrition plans, but if you're mostly trying to lose fat and build muscle then the high-protein maintenance-cal plan is probably as good as any. As far as the gym goes, well, you have every right to lift weights alongside the guys. Most weight rooms in most gyms are dominated by men, but if you want to lift weights then you have absolutely every right to do so.
I'm off to the gym in a little bit. It's workout B again today. Let's see if I can't have a better, more uplifting workout today.
%&@#!!! Stymied! I went to the gym, started my deadlifts (with the olympic bar--I've decided it's time to stop screwing around with the barbells) and, during my second set, PULLED A BACK MUSCLE. ARGH! It hurts! And I can't bend or sit. I must have jerked or something. Very, very annoying. Gotta go lie down in the living room with a hot pack.
Mel - maybe your meds need time? When I switch BCP, I gained 10 lbs and those 10 lbs didn't budge for 3 months of proper eating/exercise and then woosh, they left (with a few friends).
Lydia - I used to love the old guys when I went to a gym. They'd always come up and say things to me. When I started going to the gym with DH, he told me that he thought I was lifting too much weight...
Baffled - ouch!! hope you feel better.
As for me, I've been doing various kettlebell exercises. Last night, I did some ones focusing on the upper body and they killed me. I also mentioned to DH that I think I need a bigger kettlebell, he agreed since he has been doing them too. This weekend, we may go in search of kettlebells.
Baffled: OMG. I hope you are feeling better this afternoon. See, these are the things that really worry me. I think I know what I'm doing and then wham, sidelined. Hopefully you'll be fine soon.
Nelie: Have fun shopping for new equipment. Its great that DH is using the kettlebells too. Now, talk about wrenching your back. I know I would through my back out doing those the first time.
I saw my friend from yesterday during my workout this afternoon. He sat down on the mats and asked me if I even left yet from yesterday. He's a good guy and kids everyone like this. I told him that wrote about him in "this forum I post in" with other women and that I'm glad he has a sense of humor about it. Honestly, he made my day yesterday because there are so many things I can't do yet with my lower body. I tried to do a simple standing quad stretch today. Nope. Not happening. Still too soon. I'll get there in a few more weeks though.
Sportsfreak: I understand your dilemma. It's one thing to lift at a gym with men of various ages and another to lift with your peers in high school. I will tell you this though, I really wish I could have had this when i was a younger woman. So what ever you choose, make it a choice to lift somewhere because you deserve to treat your body well too. Is there a time when the room may be less crowded or is there another friend who could spot you. I think though that after time they will get used to having you there and I have found that as your skill and strength improves you may gain respect from them as well. Not that we need their validation but it may just make being there easier for you. I remember some of the gems I went to school with. I do understand.
I know you're not doctors but I could use some advice on this back thing. I've spent the morning lying down with a hot pack, guzzling ibupofen, but my back still really hurts and it hurts to sit for longer than a couple of minutes. Is this a 'toughen-up-and-push-through-it' situation, or should I consign myself to lying down for the rest of the day? Since my brain is fine, I feel that I should go to the office and get some work done, but I'm daunted by the prospect of scrabbling over snow and ice to get there and then sitting for hours once I get to my office. I just can't tell whether I'm being lazy or whether I'm better off resting. Advice?
Baff, I'm most definitely not a doc but I live with someone with a bad back. Bed rest is no longer recommended for back injuries because it makes the problem worse. I think it's now recommended that the person (carefully) try to maintain her usual routine. In your case, I don't think that means the gym! But perhaps some walking?
Not wanting to scrabble over snow and ice makes perfect sense, especially because you really don't want to fall and damage anything else. Can you work from home? Take breaks, walk around, and see if you can stretch a bit?
Most back injuries fix themselves in a matter of days. You're doing the right things and hopefully you'll feel some improvement every day.
baffled111: Make sure you don't push your self to the point where the muscle does will not heal. If the pain is extremly bad and you know that you will not be able to sit at the office all day, then you should consider not going. However, if it just some mild pain with slight discomfort you can go if that is what you want. Just don't over do things, you already have a soar back, you dont want to make it worse by overusing the strained muscle.
I have finally decided to invest in a barbell, dumbell and a bench. Just wondering if any of you ladies are drinking whey protien with your workout plan. Is it safe for me to take it too since im only 16. I just want to take it on the days i lift- no more than to one scoop. And one more question, how long do the workouts in the NRLW take to do on average.
Well, I can't answer your whey protein questions beyond the fact that what I use when I use any type of protein drink is whey based, but I use it seldom enough that I buy premixed.
As for the workouts, I find they go pretty quickly, especially after you don't have to look at the directions for all the exercises. I can finish the ones in each of the Stage 1 rountines in 30-40 minutes, even allowing for moving to various parts of the gym. That's one of the nice features - it doesn't take hours! I usually warm up on the bike or elliptical for 5-10 minutes, the I have to go downstairs in my gym to use the weights, and move to other areas to have room to do some things. I usually end up by adding on some exercises my physical therapist gave me specifically to strengthen my knees.
Thanks Meg. I think I'm going to skip the office today and make up my work over the weekend. Sitting hurts. I just popped a percoset and am doing some light picking up around the house--perhaps that will loosen things up. Actually though, my back feels stiffer the more I wander around. I wish bf were here! He's out of town until tomorrow night. The good thing about this is that I can't send him out to get me pity-party salt & vinegar chips or Ben & Jerry's.
Ouch! Baff If I'd been on earlier, I would have suggested ice first...yeah, I know that sounds awful, but 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off is the usual prescription. I use frozen peas wrapped in a kitchen towel. RICE=rest, ice, ibuprophen and elevation (in the case of a lower limb).
Thanks for all the commiseration and well wishes. Lydia, I think you got the opposite impression of my intentions:
Quote:
But what ever happens here Mel, don't ever quit, just adapt.
I'm MUCH more likely to stop my medications! They aren't for anything life threatening, just chronic pain and insomnia. I'd rather go back to the pain and insomnia (maybe not the insomnia!) than quit working out. And it would be counterproductive, anyway. Exercise actually decreases my pain levels unless I get stupid again and go for bench pressing records!
Sportsfreak- I'm not sure what I'd do in your case. Being the only girl in a high school gym sounds pretty dreadful. If you could convince a friend to join you, that would be great. Are you sure you would be the only girl in there?
I think a whey protein drink after workouts would be fine as long as you are eating a balanced diet. Do you have any idea of how many calories you are maintaining on now? You are tiny, but you do want to build muscle, and that takes fuel.
Tomorrow is Womens' Heart Health Day...wear red! Of course all of us here are treating our hearts kindly through vigorous cardio, lifting and proper nutrition!
Well right now to maintain my weight i eat around 1300-1400 a day. 1800- what the book sugessted seems to be a bit much and this is on the non-working days. The days when i do work out i need to eat 2000. Do i really need this much food to build muscle even on days i dont lift
Sportsfreak, are you really tiny? I can't imagine a teenage girl maintaining on so few calories. Are you sure you can't eat more? I'm 32 and I maintain on 2000-2500 a day (but I'm also tall).
Mel - I hope things are working out for you. Did you ever try stuff like meditation for the insomnia iso meds ?
Baff - how awfull about the back! I hope you are improving. I have back * arm problems as well this week, too much stress from work, too much sitting in inappropriate chairs & too much comp[uter. I am taking the day off to rest & recommit to NRWL.
sportsfreak - I cannot add anything to the posts of the others, but I want to wellcome you & encourage you. i think it is great that you want to workout.
Mel! I'm sorry that you're struggling. That's very frustrating. 
I do understand.
