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As for nutrition there are many schools of thought on macronutrient balance (fat vs carbs vs protein). I will say this...don't fall into the Atkins trap. Plenty of people use it and like it but CARBS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY. Calorie reduction is the real key.
Gotta disagree here. A low carb/ketogenic diet is very, very effective when done right and in my experience it usually ends with better results that calorie deficit diets.
I am a former personal trainer that has been dieting since she was five, so I have personal experience with both fitness training and dieting. Here's my recommendation:
Target to lose two pounds a week, at most. More than two pounds will start removing fat deposits from organs that need them -- like your heart.
Save your money on the machines, keep your Y workouts; the diversity of the workout is better for your fitness. Cut back to working strenuously four times a week, and workout until you are quivering all over.
Spend your money on buying raw foods, learn to cook without a lot of fat, salt, or sugar. Steamed (or microwaved) raw veggies are best, with some fruits, very little meats to add variety.
Plan your menu a week ahead, and stick to your plan. After you've eaten a meal, get away from food. Treat it like an alcoholic treats alcohol -- stay away, until the next meal time. Then, sit down at a table, do nothing else but eat, and enjoy the experience.
Do not buy pills. They don't work.
Walk whenever you can.
Drink at least a gallon of fresh water daily. It flushes the wastes generated by your body in metabolizing the fat reductions and the workouts.
Take one day a week to weigh yourself, and give yourself a SMALL serving of a treat to reward yourself every time you lose -- no matter how small the loss.
Do not get frustrated if you don't lose, just give yourself a smaller treat, and start over for another week, and it's two pounds.
My point is that you can't know what works for you unless you try it. A lot of people, at least when it comes to exercise, will avoid doing certain things because they're convinced they can't do it. It's better to try something, confirm that it doesn't work for you, and then resume what you were doing before. Morning workouts work for me, but they could just as easily have proven too difficult to stick with. But by trying, I would've been at least able to say that I tried it and know for sure that it doesn't work for me.
You are a single, childless man... you can try working out anytime you want. The OP has to get up in the morning, make breakfast for the family, make sure her children get dressed appropriately and get them off to school, and possible she must be at a job by 9 am. Convincing her that she needs to find time to work out in the morning if she wants to be successful isn't helping her cause. Everyone must work with the time they have available.
Well I don't do THAT much in the mornings. My soon to be sixteen year old daughter gets herself dressed for school and the other one is homeschooled and her Dad watches her while I work. I work from 8-4:30. I am a night person who prefers to work out in the evenings since I do not have to rush off to go to work. I can actually take my time and enjoy working out as long as I finish before nine pm, when the Y closes.
I do not really want a whole home gym, just a few things that I can do when there are weeks when I cannot get to the Y (and there will be). I am still mulling over all the good suggestions.
Gotta disagree here. A low carb/ketogenic diet is very, very effective when done right and in my experience it usually ends with better results that calorie deficit diets.
You are entitled to your opinion but my results speak for themselves. We have had this discussion before and I am not interested in having it again.
You don't have to buy expensive aerobics equipment and really, you shouldn't. All they do is take up floor space 90% of the time when they are not being used. Waste of money if you ask me.
When they are not being used? I think you mean to say IF they're not being used. I bought my own elliptical and use it daily. Just because 90% of people who buy equipment don't use it doesn't mean the OP will fall into that category.
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Originally Posted by BigDGeek
Get a pair of 2 or 3 lb hand weights and a mat, or no mat if your workout area is carpeted. That's all you need. That's all I need. I have very well-defined musculature but I am NOT big;
That's NOT all you need because it won't take long before 2-3 pounds becomes insufficient. Women shouldn't fear using heavy weights. It won't make you bulky.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDGeek
As for nutrition there are many schools of thought on macronutrient balance (fat vs carbs vs protein). I will say this...don't fall into the Atkins trap. Plenty of people use it and like it but CARBS ARE NOT YOUR ENEMY. Calorie reduction is the real key.
Calories matter, but weight loss isn't as simple as counting calories. If it were, then a person eating 1500 calories of lean chicken and broccoli would see the same results as a person eating 1500 calories of pizza. Also, just because you were able to eat a lot of carbs and still lose weight doesn't mean everyone else can. Everyone responds to food differently. Some of us are more carb-sensitive than others and until you experiment with macronutrient ratios, you'll never know how sensitive you are.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OngletNYC
You are a single, childless man... you can try working out anytime you want. The OP has to get up in the morning, make breakfast for the family, make sure her children get dressed appropriately and get them off to school, and possible she must be at a job by 9 am. Convincing her that she needs to find time to work out in the morning if she wants to be successful isn't helping her cause. Everyone must work with the time they have available.
It's not about convincing her to workout in the morning. It's simply about getting her to try it before ruling it out. Too many people rule out things without ever trying. I may not have kids, but I have a worker who does. 2 small children in fact. She's in fantastic shape. Guess what time she works out? 4 am. Now, I'm not saying the OP should get up at 4. What I am saying is that people can do things they may not think they're capable of. But they'd never know if it if they never tried.
The trick is finding what works for you. Everyone who has lost a significant amount of weight and KEPT IT OFF has developed a regimen that is good for them. It will take time to find out what works for you. I lost more weight than what most of you weigh and kept it off. It's a battle and a complete lifestyle change. I will tell you once I lost the weight, my metabolism changed and now I can eat more than I did when I was heavy. That was a huge relief for me!
Here's what works for me. I swim, walk, and run. I try for every day but I actually do it 3 or 4 times a week. Expensive equipment and gym memberships aren't necessary. The key is to always move instead of being sedentary. If you watch TV, make yourself use some small handweights(books work too) while you are sitting there. Or lay on the floor and do leglifts. Find ways to add more activity to your daily routine. Park further away from the door and take the stairs. JMHO but when most heavy people start an exercise program they do too much too soon, get hurt, and sabotage themselves. Try to find physical things you LIKE to do. You are much more likely to stick with it if you enjoy it. Consistency is a key. You have to actually do whatever activity you choose.
I changed the way I cook and prepare food. It was taking up too much of my time and my home life was too centered around food. I cook 1 day every 2 weeks and shop 1 day every 2 weeks. I decide what's going to be on the menu and make a list. I check the circulars, see what's on sale that I can use. I go get everything on my shopping day. On cooking day, everyone helps and we get it all done. Everyone helps clean up too. All the food is portioned, packed, and frozen or refrigerated. I do lunches and dinners for about 2 weeks at a time. Then when I get home, all I need to worry about is maybe a salad or dessert. Gives me back a lot of time plus it's handy. If plans change and we decide to go out or do something else, that's OK. If we have to eat a separate times, that works too. Dinner is just fine in the freezer. I'm not perfect and I still forget a few things and have to make a quick trip to the store now and then. Another bonus is less time spent cleaning the kitchen. Best thing of all is that we found we enjoy cooking together. It's actually fun. We eat better too. No more rushing and grabbing whatever.
I lost the weight by going low carb. I avoid all sugars including fruit. No bread either. The only sugars I ate were in green vegetables. I ate meat, and veggies. That's about it. It worked for me where all the other plans I tried did not. I think the reason it worked for me was because there was always something I could eat. I didn't have to feel like I was starving and deprived. If I was dying for something totally evil like a snickers.....I could have it. As long as I did an equivalent amount of exercise first. I had to run 3 EXTRA miles to eat that snickers. I'm lazy. That snickers sat in my freezer for months till my mom finally ate it.
In the end it was all about control for me. I had to take control of my life and what I was eating. I had to be in charge, not my appetite.
When they are not being used? I think you mean to say IF they're not being used. I bought my own elliptical and use it daily. Just because 90% of people who buy equipment don't use it doesn't mean the OP will fall into that category.
The odds are excellent that she will. Most do.
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That's NOT all you need because it won't take long before 2-3 pounds becomes insufficient. Women shouldn't fear using heavy weights. It won't make you bulky.
No, they won't make you bulky. However, she is a beginner. I cannot recommend heavy weights for a beginner.
Quote:
Calories matter, but weight loss isn't as simple as counting calories. If it were, then a person eating 1500 calories of lean chicken and broccoli would see the same results as a person eating 1500 calories of pizza. Also, just because you were able to eat a lot of carbs and still lose weight doesn't mean everyone else can. Everyone responds to food differently. Some of us are more carb-sensitive than others and until you experiment with macronutrient ratios, you'll never know how sensitive you are.
I never said eat nothing but pizza and please do not put words in my mouth. Proper nutrition is important and proper nutrition includes carbs. I also never said that I eat "lots of carbs." I said "carbs are not your enemy." If you are going to argue with me, at least argue with what I actually said, not what you want people to think I said.
Quote:
It's not about convincing her to workout in the morning. It's simply about getting her to try it before ruling it out. Too many people rule out things without ever trying. I may not have kids, but I have a worker who does. 2 small children in fact. She's in fantastic shape. Guess what time she works out? 4 am. Now, I'm not saying the OP should get up at 4. What I am saying is that people can do things they may not think they're capable of. But they'd never know if it if they never tried.
Who said anything about working out in the morning? I work out after I get home from work. I work out when it fits my schedule best. So should everyone. Again, please don't put words in my mouth.
You are a single, childless man... you can try working out anytime you want. The OP has to get up in the morning, make breakfast for the family, make sure her children get dressed appropriately and get them off to school, and possible she must be at a job by 9 am. Convincing her that she needs to find time to work out in the morning if she wants to be successful isn't helping her cause. Everyone must work with the time they have available.
Check out 8 minutes in the morning by Jorge Cruise - you might be surprised
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