Most men lifting weights don't know what they're doing either so you're not alone.:D The two most important things to remember about weight training are to start slow with light weights and focus on learning the right technique.

I think any women, fit or not, is brave when they first go to a gym and start working out. What you will find out though is that the vast majority of people are there to work out and will never even say a single work to you especially if you have headphones in your ears.

I know that i am new to this and there is A LOT that i need to learn. The main thing that stresses me and confuses me the most right now is the proper calorie intake. I know that if you eat too much you gain and i've read that eating too little will make you gain. Ugh!!!! Stresses me out just thinking about it.

It really can be trial and error. I agree that 1200 calories is too low. One problem with going too low is that you might be super-starving and it can be difficult to stick to that way of eating. I think 1500-1800 might be a good starting point. I would like to invite you to the Calorie Counting forum here at 3FC. There are lots of very wise, experienced calorie counters there who will have good feedback. Also, scattered around 3FC are threads where people post what they have eaten and their exercise. You might get a lot of good ideas and a sense of what is working for them and what might work for you. The 100lb Club is a great subforum with lots of smart folks too.

The main thing is to not give up. Sometimes the scale can be a spoiled brat and you want to toss it off a 5-story building (oh, wait, that might just be how I feel about it today!) but the one thread that runs through successful losers' stories is stick-to-it-ness. There will be good days and hard days and days where you might want to give up, but keep plowing forward.

You have come to a great place for ideas and support! I can't wait to hear about your next steps!

Don't stress. It's not the rocket science we all make it sound like it is.

You eat less and you lose weight. Simple as that. Don't overthink it. Make good decisions everyday. If you make a poor decision, pick yourself up and continue on.

How did we all gain weight?? Did we do so by looking over our food and thinking "what exactly do I need to eat and in what quantities in order to eat past my caloric needs, while at the same time not making myself sick from overindulgence?"

No, my guess is, none of us did that. But scientifically it's the same process, only in reverse.

Measure your food, be honest with yourself about your calories and your portions. Do that 80% of the time and you'll be just fine.

You lose weight in the kitchen, not the gym. Lifting just makes you look awesome when you do lose the weight :smug:

Hey don't stress out, it makes you gain! Haha J/K :D

The MOST IMPORTANT thing is that you have a caloric intake you can live with because dispite what we see on TV losing weight is not a quick and easy process. It takes a long time. So you'll have to experiment a little to see what works for you. When you find out what works just stick with it.

It is a myth that too little calories will make you gain weight or grind your metabolism to a halt. Having said that I really wouldn't reccomend going under 1,000 calories for a variety of reasons. Just make sure you eat your veggies and plenty of protein abecause the last thing you want to do is starve your body of nutrients.

This is great advice!

To quote the very wise Leigh Peele......

"K.I.S.S-- Keep it Simple, Stupid!"

:)

I agree with not stressing and give your body time to adjust!

For instance, the scale this morning was up 2 lbs. Honestly, it doesn't bother me. I'd prefer for it not to be up but I exercised yesterday, been perfectly on plan for 2 weeks with regular exercise. The scale being up is a blip. If I was still up 2-3 weeks from now, maybe I'd look at what was 'wrong' but as I see it, I'm doing everything right, the scale will follow.

Thanks Johnp and Nettie for your posts! John, I was encouraged by your post, so I decided to try weights by myself today. I read the instructions on each machine, and looked at the diagrams before adding weight and trying it. It was fine. I saw some people watching a few times, but I just ignored it. I think I was the heaviest person there lifting weights, and that is why they were looking. Anyway, it was great to do it by myself! I was doing weights with the help of my boyfriend, and now I feel more independent.

Good luck MzJuicyD! I hope you have success with weights too.

i am getting smaller. My clothes are loser

100% agree. I was 127 lb yesterday and today in the morning 130 lb. If Monday would be the only day I weight myself I would think I gained 2 lb in week, but the truth is I lost 2 lb last week and yesterday had salty fish at 8 pm and 1 beer, which resulted in my body retain water and since I don’t eat carbs is the evening (only for breakfast) my body reacted on beer carbs as well, storing extra water.

I have to see pounds decreasing on the scale weekly, which is what keeps me going. I have decided to do cardio, calorie counting until I reach the goal. As soon as I see 124lb I will have 20 min cardio( instead of 1 hour I do now) and 40 min weight training.

Don't replace cardio with weight training. Do the same amount of cardio you were doing before (actually should increase it some as you get in better shape and can handle it), and add 1-2 days of weight training in per week on top.

My plan is similar to yours onthedietagain.

Thanks for the advice BobJack.

Oh, I like this!! Fat loss, not weight loss. Yep! :D