Am I doomed?

traceeegirl · Post by **traceeegirl** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:21 pm

I've been reading through the forums here and am starting to lose hope. Three weeks ago I started going to the gym 5-6 days/week. I do about an hour of cardio, usually the elliptical/treadmill. I know HR is around 160ish when I'm doing cardio. And I'll finish with maybe 30 minutes of weights. I think it's a universal machine, definitely not free weights. This isn't that big of a gym, so I don't have access to free weights.

dilemma is this:
I'm 25, 5'5".. ok, maybe 5'4" and weigh 136lbs. measurements are roughly 34-28-39. Broken record time - I hate hips and thighs. While I would like to be toned and have some definition, I'd really be happy looking more proportional. Wouldn't we all?

I'm definitely pear-shaped and I want to know how to even things up a bit. I confess I'm not the best when it comes to eating healthy foods, but I do try to count calories and eat every 3 hours. I keep daily calories around 1500. Also, since I've been going to the gym the number on the scale hasn't changed a bit. I mean, when I was only counting calories I could lose weight easily. Now the thing won't budge!

Am I wasting time at the gym? What can I do to use time more effectively? Is the universal machine a bust?

What's a girl to do?

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:59 pm

Hae you got any pics of the universal, I've never seen one.

traceeegirl · Post by **traceeegirl** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:03 pm

Boss Man wrote:Hae you got any pics of the universal, I've never seen one.

http://imgs.ebuild.com/cms/MULTIFAMILY% ... 1057L5.jpg

That's similar to the one at the gym I go to. It might have a name other than universal weight machine.. not sure.

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:07 pm

Free weights are better than that. Those kind of Machines hinder you, as certain muscles can be trined quite well, others not so well, because the weight used is always fixed. one stack for all those muscles.

Though if that's all you've got then you have certain choices to make.

1. Switch Gyms if possible.

2. Buy your own stuff.

3. If you're not that well off, stick to that gym.

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 5:02 pm

Girls store fat on the hips, particularly if you've gained and lost in the past, it'll stick there. Whats your food like? 1500 may be a bit much, maybe not, it depends on what you are eating. Is 28 the high waist or over the button (more accurate to gauge body composition). Give us an upper thigh measurement, if you can. Age would be good.
Your not wasting your time, maybe not spending it wisely, but not wasting it. Does your gym have some dumb bells at least?
Don't give up yet.
Diana

Boss Man · Post by **Boss Man** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:00 pm

1,800 calories is a female average, so 15 should be adequate, not forgetting activity levels need ot be faotred into that.

You will be needing to burn more alories off than you consume. Sounds strange, a bit like trying to drink water from an empty glass, it shouldn't be possible but it is.

However you don't want to be burning below a necessary level. You need to work out you BMR, which has a quite lenghty calculation, but the basic laymans description is, 10 calories per lb of bodyweight, then you could work off a theory, that when you exercise you add 10 cals a minute, to each workout day, so if your BMR was 1,200 and you workout for 40 minutes a day, 5 times a week, your consumpton would be 1,600 cals a day.

Sounds reasonable.

On days when you don't workout, don't eat BMR, but give yourself, about 2/3 of the additional workout excess on top, which is about 1,460.

That's just a guide though, based on an example BMR, and how you could roughly set calorie targets. I'm not quoting you the absolute definition on this.

traceeegirl · Post by **traceeegirl** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:56 pm

I'm 25 y/o. the narrowest part of waist is 28. it's 30.5 at button, and a very sad 24 for upper thigh.

i don't plan on giving up. i want to make sure i'm doing everything i can to not get frustrated and accomplish a goal i've wanted for a very long time. i'm tired of people telling me i'm not fat. it's not that i think i am. i don't look like i want to look. i think i have realistic expectations and i want to achieve them. thanks for the input so far.

swanso5 · Post by **swanso5** » Tue Oct 02, 2007 7:24 pm

exercise wise search your body is a barbell by alwyn cosgrove and death by bodyweight by ian king and see which one you'd prefer to do...ou'll burn more calories with bodyweight than you would on any machine...unless you go the free wt option

on alternate days we'll cut cardio down to 20mins maximum doing interval training where you'll alternate 90secs EASY as you can with 30secs as HARD as you can...notice the capitals

have 1 full day off a week at least

post food as requested above too

traceeegirl · Post by **traceeegirl** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 8:20 am

As far as food goes that's probably biggest problem. I love it. I'm a stress/comfort eater. I'd say I definitely am not choosing the healthiest options as far as sugar/fat content. I'm just trying to go by the, "if you burn more than you consume then you have to lose weight... b/c it's math." And that has helped me to a point. When I started all of this a year and a half ago, I was weighing around 148. I've managed to keep off 12 pounds. That was b/c I had no concept of the amount of calories I was consuming. I had no clue you could down a days worth of calories with one meal at a restaurant.

I probably have 1-2 sodas/day. That is down from probably 6-8. I can't drink diet b/c I have adverse reactions to splenda/aspartame. Beyond that is water, tea, milk.

Breakfast and lunch are usually processed foods b/c I work 8-5 and it's hard to make anything in the morning for breakfast. I might have a muffin for breakfast, and spaghetti & meatballs a la Chef Boyardee. For dinner last night I had meatloaf and purple hull peas with nearly unsweet tea.

I'm hesitant to list the foods b/c I know it's not what I should be eating. I think I need someone to debunk , "I can eat whatever as long as it fits into 1500 calories/day" thought process.

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:13 am

Hey Tracee,
Your expectations are realistic. But your eating habits are not helping you at all. Eating 1500 cals a day consisting of processed/sugary foods is just going to keep the fat stores where they are. You've got to cut out the soda, first thing. And the muffins (just like eating cake) and the canned junk. Change the way you plan your meals, if you can't get it together in the morning, do it the night before, or better yet, plan your meals for the week over the weekend.
That you lost 12 lbs is good, but should you stop counting cals, you're gonna get them back, and some.
Diana

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 9:52 am

Here's what I was looking for:
http://www.musclewithattitude.com/readA ... id=1584213
That should get you started. It will explain how to your furnace, which I'm sure is running all wonky with those food choices.
Please note that the first step encourages the use of thermogenics, the site is owned and run by a supplement company, so it is to be expected that they push their products. I've never tried thermos' some people swear by them, others are against them. Read and educate yourself and make an informed descision before rushing out to buy anything.
Good Luck Tracee, I wish you the best, stay determined. Your goal is within your reach.
Diana

traceeegirl · Post by **traceeegirl** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:21 am

Ok. I'm definitely chucking the sodas. It's a guilty pleasure and I just need to be done with them... and the processed foods. I don't want to ruin time spent at the gym by downing all that junk. Can you give any suggestions for food choices? I read a lot about good fats and bad fats and I just have no idea where to start for planning what to eat. What can I drink besides water?

This is the kind of motivation I need. Thanks!

DianaB · Post by **DianaB** » Wed Oct 03, 2007 10:41 am

Here's 2 more, read and learn:
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=460048
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=460051
Choose foods that are nutrient dense. Read the labels if you eat anything that is packaged.
Heres another one:
http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=460638
Keep educating yourself, Keep educating yourself, Keep educating yourself (I can't say this enough), keep track of those macros, and get out there and hit the gym! It's a recipe for success.
diana

SarahPT · Post by **SarahPT** » Fri Oct 05, 2007 8:23 am

traceeegirl wrote:I've been reading through the forums here and am starting to lose hope. Three weeks ago I started going to the gym 5-6 days/week. I do about an hour of cardio, usually the elliptical/treadmill. I know HR is around 160ish when I'm doing cardio. And I'll finish with maybe 30 minutes of weights. I think it's a universal machine, definitely not free weights. This isn't that big of a gym, so I don't have access to free weights.

dilemma is this:
I'm 25, 5'5".. ok, maybe 5'4" and weigh 136lbs. measurements are roughly 34-28-39. Broken record time - I hate hips and thighs. While I would like to be toned and have some definition, I'd really be happy looking more proportional. Wouldn't we all? I'm definitely pear-shaped and I want to know how to even things up a bit. I confess I'm not the best when it comes to eating healthy foods, but I do try to count calories and eat every 3 hours. I keep daily calories around 1500. Also, since I've been going to the gym the number on the scale hasn't changed a bit. I mean, when I was only counting calories I could lose weight easily. Now the thing won't budge!

Am I wasting time at the gym? What can I do to use time more effectively? Is the universal machine a bust?

What's a girl to do?

Hi Tracee,
You've already gotten some good advice but I wanted to throw mine in as well.
Sounds like you need a more structured exercise program. That machine is ok to do a few things on, but long term it isn't the best solution. There are lots of good bodyweight exercises, and simply some dumbbells will give you a great workout in all your muscle groups. Weights should also be done before cardio. It also isn't really necessary to workout for more than an hour at a time. You may be doing a bit too much. Weights followed by half an hour of cardio, or weights and cardio at separate times can be better.

Number one is going to be how you eat. You can exercise like crazy but if your eating isn't right it won't happen. You don't have to change everything at once, but make gradula changes toward better eating. Stress eating can be hard to conquer, but if you can find a replacement activitythat can become a habit instead you will be better off.

Small meals throughout the day with plenty of good carbs, lean proteins and some good fats. Make sure you are getting plenty of fruits and veggies and plenty of fiber. Unprocessed foods are best.

You definately can do this! Let me knowif I can help at all.

Am I doomed?

Am I doomed?

Re: Am I doomed?