Hi everyone,
I am brand new to this site. Basically I used to be a competitive sportswoman, but then I stopped for career/injury reasons and now I'm fat. I want to shift 30 lbs (I am 5' 11" and currently weigh 200lbs). The problem is I don't know where to start. I work long hours in the week, but I do have access at work to treadmills, exercise bikes and cross-trainers.
What amount of exercise should I aim to start doing? I know I should probably know this with background, but basically I used to do 4 hours a day and that isn't doable any more. I guess I just don't know how to fit exercise round a "normal" life. I also don't know how to watch what I eat really because I was always doing so much sport, that regardless of what I ate, I was fit. I never eat junk food because I don't like it - I eat lots of nutritious food, but obviously LOTS of it, otherwise I wouldn't be here... I would prefer to get results through exercise - muscle tone and CV fitness is more important to me than dropping the weight through not eating but not being able to do sports.
Sorry for rambling.... final question. I am now 29, am I too late to change body shape to a fit one again?
Help!
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Firstly, don't apologise for anything. If you don't tell us things that might be relevant, it reduces our ability to potentially do our best for you. So it's your right to ask whatever you feel is necessary okay. Don't ever be sorry for that, as you're trying to resolve your issues, and we're glad you came to us for that 
.
At 29, you're way way off being incapable of ideal body composition changes. Heck I know of someone who's done 3 BB comps in the last 12 month period, and she's mid 40's, so don't start stressing about your age, as about the only thing I can think of, that's likely to be tapering off at 29, will be your VO2 max, (Oxygen use per Kilo of bodyweight, 1% a year after 25).
Firstly I'd like to ascertain a few other background things.
1. What do you eat and when do you eat?
2. What was your sporting background, and what caused the problem?
3. Have you experienced any additional physical problems since, possibly connected to the past injury or the subsequant weight gain, assuming no recurrent issues or anomelies prior to injury.
4. Do you currently take any medications, or use any rehabilitation aids?
I ask about the physical issues, as it may hinder what you're capable of doing, and therefore prevent myself or others, suggesting certain things.
.At 29, you're way way off being incapable of ideal body composition changes. Heck I know of someone who's done 3 BB comps in the last 12 month period, and she's mid 40's, so don't start stressing about your age, as about the only thing I can think of, that's likely to be tapering off at 29, will be your VO2 max, (Oxygen use per Kilo of bodyweight, 1% a year after 25).
Firstly I'd like to ascertain a few other background things.
1. What do you eat and when do you eat?
2. What was your sporting background, and what caused the problem?
3. Have you experienced any additional physical problems since, possibly connected to the past injury or the subsequant weight gain, assuming no recurrent issues or anomelies prior to injury.
4. Do you currently take any medications, or use any rehabilitation aids?
I ask about the physical issues, as it may hinder what you're capable of doing, and therefore prevent myself or others, suggesting certain things.
1. What do you eat and when do you eat?
I eat four times a day - I have two breakfasts because I have a long commute to work. So I have wholemeal toast at 7am, then cereal or more toast when I get into the office at 9:15am. Lunch is normally quite big (cos I know the earliest I will get dinner is 8:30pm) so I have jacket potato with tuna, or baked beans, sometimes with cheese which is a) weakness and b) preferred source of calcium because I don't like milk and osteoporosis is in our family and mum has put the fear of god into me about it! Other lunches are leftovers from dinner the night before. Dinner is meat, veg and potatoes or rice. Sometimes I might have a bar of chocolate mid-afternoon - maybe 3 times a week. I don't drink enough water, which I know I need to address! I have one can of diet soda and one v large black coffee every day. I drink wine and sometimes beer, maybe 3 - 4 nights a week. So, apart from drinking more water, I feel like I have to cut down rather than cut out.
2. What was your sporting background, and what caused the problem?
I was a fencer. Hurt lower back, which would have been fine, but then I overtrained and competed on it. Was told to take 6 months off, discovered the career benefits of that and never went back!
3. Have you experienced any additional physical problems since, possibly connected to the past injury or the subsequant weight gain, assuming no recurrent issues or anomelies prior to injury.
I have no residual injuries. The only physical thing is that quads are huge and leg strength as a whole is pretty good. Still no cellulite
4. Do you currently take any medications, or use any rehabilitation aids?
I would like to sit on swiss ball but the pump is broken, so trying to find another one!
I eat four times a day - I have two breakfasts because I have a long commute to work. So I have wholemeal toast at 7am, then cereal or more toast when I get into the office at 9:15am. Lunch is normally quite big (cos I know the earliest I will get dinner is 8:30pm) so I have jacket potato with tuna, or baked beans, sometimes with cheese which is a) weakness and b) preferred source of calcium because I don't like milk and osteoporosis is in our family and mum has put the fear of god into me about it! Other lunches are leftovers from dinner the night before. Dinner is meat, veg and potatoes or rice. Sometimes I might have a bar of chocolate mid-afternoon - maybe 3 times a week. I don't drink enough water, which I know I need to address! I have one can of diet soda and one v large black coffee every day. I drink wine and sometimes beer, maybe 3 - 4 nights a week. So, apart from drinking more water, I feel like I have to cut down rather than cut out.
2. What was your sporting background, and what caused the problem?
I was a fencer. Hurt lower back, which would have been fine, but then I overtrained and competed on it. Was told to take 6 months off, discovered the career benefits of that and never went back!
3. Have you experienced any additional physical problems since, possibly connected to the past injury or the subsequant weight gain, assuming no recurrent issues or anomelies prior to injury.
I have no residual injuries. The only physical thing is that quads are huge and leg strength as a whole is pretty good. Still no cellulite
4. Do you currently take any medications, or use any rehabilitation aids?
I would like to sit on swiss ball but the pump is broken, so trying to find another one!
Firstly I would add something like Eggs, or Chicken or Turkey as examples to the first meal, then add more Protein to the second meal at 9:15, as you need more Protein in your diet.
You need some kind of similar meal to that in the afternoon, and I'd have another one around 2-3 hours after your Dinner.
I'd also can the booze as well
.
As for the training you could go for a split, then have one of your days off after the third session, then just do 2 x 30 minutes sessions of interval after two weights sessions, but not on consecutive days. You could easily have 3 days after the firts session, before the next one.
Or you could do TBT, then do the same thing with the day off after session 3, and the interval on alternate days, so you trainin differently on training days, thne have two days off one mid week, one at the weekend.
You need some kind of similar meal to that in the afternoon, and I'd have another one around 2-3 hours after your Dinner.
I'd also can the booze as well
.As for the training you could go for a split, then have one of your days off after the third session, then just do 2 x 30 minutes sessions of interval after two weights sessions, but not on consecutive days. You could easily have 3 days after the firts session, before the next one.
Or you could do TBT, then do the same thing with the day off after session 3, and the interval on alternate days, so you trainin differently on training days, thne have two days off one mid week, one at the weekend.
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SimplyBlessed
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I suppose I could have. I didn't really spot that. In truth, I lost first post, trying to post and had to restart again.
The difference here is, they're having one, you were having two, and claiming dependancy on it. I just thought in your case if you had the ability to say no to it, and maintained that ability, you would be able to use that mental ability on other aspects of your diet, instead of developing a one won't hurt approach to food, like some do.
I was trying to break all cycles of need, for things I thought you didn't need in your life.
I try to where possible treat certain situations differently to others. Personally I don't drink Coffee, so I might occasionally seem a little biased, but on reflection I could have said it might be an idea to stop it, but I'm just doing what I feel is right in certain situations.
Sometimes it might look a little like one rule for one, one for another, but I try to see as I find. She's trying to retrain or rediscover her old attitude to self. You're trying to learn and develop a new one if that make sense.
Hopefully that explains things. I can't stop you drinking Coffee, but no matter what I said to you or this poster, I'm on both peoples sides and I want what's best for both of you okay.
The difference here is, they're having one, you were having two, and claiming dependancy on it. I just thought in your case if you had the ability to say no to it, and maintained that ability, you would be able to use that mental ability on other aspects of your diet, instead of developing a one won't hurt approach to food, like some do.
I was trying to break all cycles of need, for things I thought you didn't need in your life.
I try to where possible treat certain situations differently to others. Personally I don't drink Coffee, so I might occasionally seem a little biased, but on reflection I could have said it might be an idea to stop it, but I'm just doing what I feel is right in certain situations.
Sometimes it might look a little like one rule for one, one for another, but I try to see as I find. She's trying to retrain or rediscover her old attitude to self. You're trying to learn and develop a new one if that make sense.
Hopefully that explains things. I can't stop you drinking Coffee, but no matter what I said to you or this poster, I'm on both peoples sides and I want what's best for both of you okay
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SimplyBlessed
- SOCIAL CLIMBER
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 3:29 pm
Thanks!
brain is exploding
A couple of questions...
When you say doing split or TBT do you mean split body areas versus total body? If so, I know what you mean so that's cool. And interval training is something I remember well *sigh
Anyway, it all starts today. I have pulled out old sports kit from the back of the wardrobe and am off for two hours kayaking on the local river. The weather is WAY too nice to be in a gym. Tomorrow I have a hike planned.
A couple of questions...
When you say doing split or TBT do you mean split body areas versus total body? If so, I know what you mean so that's cool. And interval training is something I remember well *sigh
Anyway, it all starts today. I have pulled out old sports kit from the back of the wardrobe and am off for two hours kayaking on the local river. The weather is WAY too nice to be in a gym. Tomorrow I have a hike planned.