[wanting to]

Hello
I would like to find a training buddy to help me getting back to the gym. I am 45 years old and 60+ pounds overweight. I have lost 10# in the last month going to weight watchers, counting calories, and exercising.
when i was in my 20s, i hung out with body-builders, and at that time, there were very few women in the gym - usually i was the only one. i know that that isn't the case anymore, but i would really like to get back to the gym. unfortunately, there isn't a body-builder's gym in the town that I'm in.. just a community health club, but it's got a good variety of machines. not a lot of free-weights. as I am so over-weight, i am just starting with dumb-bells at home for now.
can anyone who has lost a lot of weight and been lifting at the same time tell me about preventing saggy skin? i'm really worried about having saggy skin after losing all this weight. i hope that lifting will prevent this.
if someone wants to buddy up with me, or if there is a place to check in every day or so with workouts and results, please let me know.

[Mel]

Hi Wanting
You've found the right place. This whole forum is devoted to women who lift, and either are losing weight at the same time or have and are maintaining through clean healthy eating, and weightlifting and cardio. We refer to it as our trinity of nutrition, weights, and cardio.

Feel free to join us on the daily thread labeled LWL- Week of Oct. whatever. Some people use it as a daily accountability spot to list workouts and meals, others pop in from time to time just to share what they are doing, others use it as a spot to chat with like minded women.

I lost 50 pounds 3 years ago by restricting calories, eating healthy unprocessed foods, increasing lean protein, doing cardio, and lifting heavy. At first I worked out at home, but eventually joined a gym when I outgrew the weights and safety factor that I had at home.

Can't really tell you what will happen on the skin issue. It is so very individual and depends on genetics, how long you were overweight, the weight distribution on your body, how much sun damage you've sustained over the years, whether or not you are a smoker.... For more info, there is a sticky thread on skin on the "Maintainers Forum". Everyone is different, and all I can say for sure is that you'll look and feel 100% better with the exercise and weight lifting than you would without it!

Welcome to 3FC!

Mel