[Tina21]

Hiya

Im 21 and just finishing Uni in the UK. I'm not large but I am in the higher zone recommending for my BMI and I'm now determined to get healthy. I'm about 10.10 stone or 150ish pounds. I could look alot better if I loose abit of weight and tone up. I'm struggling to fit in the gym but I'll get there! I'll just wake up earlier!

Firstly; once you manage to refine and implement your diet and fitness plans when do you see results? I have motivation, but I wont be able to keep anything up unless i start seeing results because I'll think its pointless and give up, so any tips will be apresiated!!



However I have some issues / questions! I have tired to look these up but get massive mixed results, any clarity would be nice



1) I had a traumatic experience falling off a treadmill while running when i was 16 (yes! ) ever since then I cant run, I've started walking at a incline of 15 and trying my best to maintain a speed of 6.5. This, then the cross trainer and bike are the machines I use most.

Which machines are best? Is it true you should only walk? Or should I try to push myself as much as possible? Which is the best to see results?


2) I have larger legs, I want to tone them and my arms but im unsure what weights to use. I know how to use all the machines but Im not sure if I should push myself till im abit sore the next day or do less?

Which weights and reps are best to use without bulking you up?


3) I want abs! I try to use the machine but I cant feel it working, I dont have the courage to use the mats at the gym so I want to start doing a small routine before bed, what exercises are best to tone ALL of your midriff?


4) Time for a good diet.

I get up late at about 11 and go to uni and just have a few peices of fruit for breakfast, skip lunch because I'm in lectures and at 3oclock Ill make somthing as large as possible (its like 2 portions worth, a massive overeat at this time of the day) like stodgy pasta to fill be up before work.

I work 3 hours 5pm-8pm but due to busses I'm not back untill 9 and I leave at 4.

Is it healthy to eat this late at night? What meals would be good to eat or should I just leave it and go to bed?


5) My diet is lacking in protien. Im not sure if this is an issue as boys tend to need protien to bulk up. I dont have alot of time to cook meat with my schedule, so should i explore protien shakes? If so how much do i use and when before workout? after workout? During the day?


6) Are meal replacement shakes any good? Or empty calories?

[runningfromfat]

You asked a lot of questions and some of them overlap so let's get into the dieting myths and I have some general comments too...

1. The best exercise is the type that you do consistently. If you have a fear of treadmills don't use them. Walk, use the elliptical, go swimming. Cardio is great for your heart and it burns calories. Do you NEED cardio to lose weight? Not necessarily because all you need is a calorie deficit that being said if you can do it, do it!

2. Weight lifting is NOT going to bulk you up!!!!! I've done a lot of weight lifting during my weight loss journey, you can see here where I blogged about how with weight lifting I'm actually a lot curvier now than I was before. Also here I discuss what it would actually take to GAIN inches while lifting, trust me it's NOT at all easy. IF you're interested, the News Rules of Lifting for Women has some GREAT information about lifting (and has specific exercise routines for 6 months). What I've seen is that I've lost A LOT of inches and actually wear much smaller clothes than many women my size. Here's a good article on the myths of heavy lifting and bulking up. I'd actually go so far to say that since you're already at a healthy BMI and you're more worried about appearance vs. losing weight itself then weight lifting is the thing you should be looking into the most because it's really going to reshape your body.

3. You can't spot reduce. Our bodies are what they are. Some of us carry more weight in our legs, others in our stomachs, our arms etc. The best advice I can offer you is to accept those parts of you and learn how to dress your body the way it is. Weight loss might make your legs smaller but it might also come off of your breasts or your stomach or your arms. These things are really unpredictable. Check out the Looking Good, Feeling Good forum for advice on clothes. Well-fitting clothes are going to make a HUGE difference when it comes to dealing with undesirable body parts.

4. You need protein, ESPECIALLY if you are working out and lifting. If you don't get in enough then you're going to be hungrier and probably eat more in the long run. Also, it helps you to build/maintain muscles, which is going to help your overall appearance. This was something hard for me to accept too being that I'm not the biggest fan of meat but if I don't eat it I seriously overeat on everything else. I need a balanced menu.

5. Look into intermittent fasting. I don't do it but others might be able to help you with it and it might work well for your schedule.

6. I'm not a fan of meal replacement shakes/empty calories. I eat a relatively balanced diet of whole foods. That being said, some people do do well with those things as long as they stay underneath their calorie requirements for the day. For me those foods just make me hungrier and I end up overeating.

[Tina21]

Thankyou so much! Its nice to know I wont bulk up and its difficult to gain muscle.

It means now I can push myself and maybe manage to finally tone!

I'm also going to look into protien shakes - are these good before or after the gym?

I'm now looking into IF - ive been on loads of websites now and all i can say is it just is confusing me. Maybe because theres no set times. It seems really good for me, because I dont ever eat properally or on right times. Somtimes i overeat whenever I can and sometimes i barely eat anything.
I guess its just having - say- a 6 hour eating window per day and making sure you eat healthy during that period? I dont understand the fasting for 12-24 hour part though. More research is needed.

congrats on your results - 68 lbs lost is inspiring! x

[runningfromfat]

Thanks, I'm glad I could help. Why don't you make a post about intermittent fasting on Weight Loss Support? I'm sure there are others there that can help you way better than I can. I really have no experience with it.

I forgot to mention this too but heavy lifting will also help you burn more calories in the long run, which will in turn help you lose the fat. I will tell you that you might see a stall on the scale initially. This is absolutely NOTHING to freak out about. It's just your body retaining water while it repairs your torn muscles. This water retention and repairing muscles helps you build your muscles AND helps you burn more calories so it's a good thing. Also, for about 24hours after lifting you might appear bigger but again it's just water retention and will go away in a day or two. Good luck on your journey!

[TheCuriosity]

From personal experience, back when I was a healthy weight I joined WW and a gym with an overweight friend as support. She did TONS of cardio and ate in line with the WW program. I ate McDonald's every day (supersized!) and did lifting weights for half hour 3 times a week. The result? Over a month, she lost maybe a pound and I lost 10. She didn't find that very supportive obviously (she thought that I should call McDonald's and offer to be their version of Subway's Jerrid), but she did switch up her exercise and added weight lifting and started to see great results herself. It took a LONG time for her limbs to show results (she got super thin in the waist and face), but she kept at it and got there.