Hello,
I am Jenna and I seek help and advice from people with knowledge.
I want facts NOT opinions.
Here is a short summary of myself.
I am 23 years old in very bad shape. I went from being fine to being very obese and now I want to regain myself and put myself in the best shape of life.
At 5'4 I weigh 235 pounds. I am confident in what I know about losing weight because I used to train myself and be in good shape. I basically let myself go after pregnancy and lost 99% of motivation.
I AM SO READY to let go of the unhealthy habits in life which simply are lack of exercise and skipped meals. I am not a junk food junkie but I tend to skip meals or overeat emotions.
I'm done with that. I've made the decision to change and I am one hundred percent ready to take the challenge towards a healthy lifestyle.
There's just one little thing. I don't just want to lose weight and be healthy. I want to be above average and achieve the following:
lose all the fat in arms and make them tone
lose back/side fat
lose the fat in (upper and that nasty roll below) PLUS make it tight
And more than anything else, I want to have a VERY round VERY big VERY out there butt AND thickness in thighs
Ideally, I would love to be healthy and achieve the beautiful body most young women age acquire as they grow up. Since I let myself go, I believe I jipped myself out of having that.
So, ultimate question is, Is it TRULY possible to achieve this body type?
I want real facts to help me achieve it or shift idealism into something realistic. instinct says it's possible. If it is, HOW?
And last but not least, I want to let it be known that I sincerely want to achieve this body type and that I am being optimistic while trying to hold as realistic as I can be.
I don't expect or want an extreme. In eyes, a weight between 130-160 seems right, considering the muscle mass I want to achieve on butt/thighs.
I also don't expect to look like a super model (skinny ) or have washboard abs... I just want to be the way I envision myself: thin in the right places and thick in the right places... You know, like those hip hop video girls (for lack of better words to describe what I want to look like)
I look forward to replies
Jenna
Achieving ** ideal body: How possible is it?
Moderators: Boss Man, cassiegose
Hi Jenna,
I've been a fitness professional for years, so I'll give you the facts from what I know. I have known of women more overweight than you who have gotten down to very low body fats, even low enough to compete onstage in fitness competitions. It takes lots of knowledge, the right attitude and patience. At this point it sounds like you have that. The hardest part tends to come near the end when you are almost there and just have a little more work to do.
Excess skin can become a problem. I have known of a couple women who lost a great deal of weight and had to have surgery to remove excess skin. I think they had more to lose than you do though.
The answer to your question, is that YES it is possible with all the right components, such as knowledge, patience and the right attitude. You go for it!
I've been a fitness professional for years, so I'll give you the facts from what I know. I have known of women more overweight than you who have gotten down to very low body fats, even low enough to compete onstage in fitness competitions. It takes lots of knowledge, the right attitude and patience. At this point it sounds like you have that. The hardest part tends to come near the end when you are almost there and just have a little more work to do.
Excess skin can become a problem. I have known of a couple women who lost a great deal of weight and had to have surgery to remove excess skin. I think they had more to lose than you do though.
The answer to your question, is that YES it is possible with all the right components, such as knowledge, patience and the right attitude. You go for it!
- is your motivation back now? no plan will work if it isn't followed properly...and how do you know that it's actually back?
- are you ready to lose your bad habits or are you acvtually changing them as we speak...there's no need to wait
- you've got specific things you want to acheive but to be honest you may not get them to the place you want them to be exactly...you want to losea lot of fat yet build up your bottom...that will be hard and they can't be done at once
- geneitics may also play a part here...if you have a thin hip structure then you'll never habe a big bum woithout being fat somewhat
- what training experience/equipment do you have?
- for food go to diet section and read "read before "posting..."
- are you ready to lose your bad habits or are you acvtually changing them as we speak...there's no need to wait
- you've got specific things you want to acheive but to be honest you may not get them to the place you want them to be exactly...you want to losea lot of fat yet build up your bottom...that will be hard and they can't be done at once
- geneitics may also play a part here...if you have a thin hip structure then you'll never habe a big bum woithout being fat somewhat
- what training experience/equipment do you have?
- for food go to diet section and read "read before "posting..."
Thank you for your reply Swanso.
answer is YES I am ready. I am ready to take charge of body and life.
It's been a process and I am certain I am ready. The only problem in way was the lack of motivation in life. I went from being sexy to being a blob. Do you want to see pictures to have a better visual?
I know plenty. Before gaining all of this weight I was at a good place physically. I got a copy of the book Body for Life and I trained myself from home.
I know all about eating healthy. Smaller meals throughout the day. Lean proteins (chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, salmon, cottage cheese) nonfat milk, nonfat yogurt, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fiber, flaxseed, protein powder for shakes after weight training...
I saved the schedule I used to follow before. I look at it and I become hyped up because I want to get back on track.
I know cardio is key in losing weight and weight training for metabolism, toning and burning fat too.
Preparing to take back what I once had is a lot of mental effort on part.
The bad habits I've had are lack of sleep, lack of discipline, skipping meals and no exercise.
But like I said, I AM READY. I know I am ready. I have conditioned myself for the last couple of months to believe that I am ready and to accept a challenge.
I have a journal in which I have written goal, words to encourage myself, progress logs that include measurements & weight, a page dedicated to ideal body and weight, etc.
I know the amount of calories body needs daily to stay this weight and I also know how many it takes to lose 2 and 3 pounds per week.
I'm pretty set. WHAT I NEED NOW is INFORMATION. I'm not the same I was 5 years ago. I can't just jump into the exercises I used to do. I can't lift the same I used to. I'm MUCH heavier than before. I'm OBESE now.
Can you offer me this help? Can you create a routine for myself?
I have the eating part down. I know what cardio is. I know what weights are. What I don't know is how much cardio and how often? What types of weight workouts do I need to achieve goal, how much and how often?
THAT is what I need.
I am all on own and I do it from home. All I own are 3 lb dumbbells (2), 8 pound dumbbell (1), arm bands, jump rope, workout ball and a manual treadmill with an uphill incline but I have the motivation and outside space to jog if I have to.
When it is time, i will join a gym for the weights.
What do you think?
Am i prepared to take off challenge from home or do I have to start off the bat at a gym?
PLEASE help me. Guide me through this journey!
Jenna
answer is YES I am ready. I am ready to take charge of body and life.
It's been a process and I am certain I am ready. The only problem in way was the lack of motivation in life. I went from being sexy to being a blob. Do you want to see pictures to have a better visual?
I know plenty. Before gaining all of this weight I was at a good place physically. I got a copy of the book Body for Life and I trained myself from home.
I know all about eating healthy. Smaller meals throughout the day. Lean proteins (chicken breast, turkey breast, tuna, salmon, cottage cheese) nonfat milk, nonfat yogurt, complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fiber, flaxseed, protein powder for shakes after weight training...
I saved the schedule I used to follow before. I look at it and I become hyped up because I want to get back on track.
I know cardio is key in losing weight and weight training for metabolism, toning and burning fat too.
Preparing to take back what I once had is a lot of mental effort on part.
The bad habits I've had are lack of sleep, lack of discipline, skipping meals and no exercise.
But like I said, I AM READY. I know I am ready. I have conditioned myself for the last couple of months to believe that I am ready and to accept a challenge.
I have a journal in which I have written goal, words to encourage myself, progress logs that include measurements & weight, a page dedicated to ideal body and weight, etc.
I know the amount of calories body needs daily to stay this weight and I also know how many it takes to lose 2 and 3 pounds per week.
I'm pretty set. WHAT I NEED NOW is INFORMATION. I'm not the same I was 5 years ago. I can't just jump into the exercises I used to do. I can't lift the same I used to. I'm MUCH heavier than before. I'm OBESE now.
Can you offer me this help? Can you create a routine for myself?
I have the eating part down. I know what cardio is. I know what weights are. What I don't know is how much cardio and how often? What types of weight workouts do I need to achieve goal, how much and how often?
THAT is what I need.
I am all on own and I do it from home. All I own are 3 lb dumbbells (2), 8 pound dumbbell (1), arm bands, jump rope, workout ball and a manual treadmill with an uphill incline but I have the motivation and outside space to jog if I have to.
When it is time, i will join a gym for the weights.
What do you think?
Am i prepared to take off challenge from home or do I have to start off the bat at a gym?
PLEASE help me. Guide me through this journey!
Jenna
I believe the first step is organizing and acheiving your habits in your diet with 3-5 days of moderate cardio. Ie. walking, jogging, stretching, cycling, swimming.
Try this for 1-3 months to ensure the diet is fixed or 10x better than it is currently.
After diet has become a habit and an active time throughout the day has also, then it is time to become more serious about a gym. Start with the basics then work up!
Cheers and congrats on getting back in the ring! There is no need to show us pics but for yourself I would take body measurements and pics every month or every 2 weeks so you can monitor your results. Bathing suit pics are generally best with a front, side, and back photo to serve as a motivation for reaching your goals and as a view of where you are from where you've been
Try this for 1-3 months to ensure the diet is fixed or 10x better than it is currently.
After diet has become a habit and an active time throughout the day has also, then it is time to become more serious about a gym. Start with the basics then work up!
Cheers and congrats on getting back in the ring! There is no need to show us pics but for yourself I would take body measurements and pics every month or every 2 weeks so you can monitor your results. Bathing suit pics are generally best with a front, side, and back photo to serve as a motivation for reaching your goals and as a view of where you are from where you've been
It sounds like you are ready and your head is in the right place to start making changes.
Cardio is not the key to weight loss, neither is anything else for that matter. Results are going to come from a combination of diet (not dieting, a crucial difference), exercise including resistance training and recovery/sleep.
You need a long term plan with some short term goals right now that take into account your present health and overall body condition. I do not believe that you will find or get a comprehensive plan for your needs from the internet. Anyone who is seriously overweight needs to consult with a doctor first and foremost.
After you are cleared for training, get to the gym. Pick a few that interest you and schedule some consultations with a few trainers. Find one that you agree with and has some credibility and experience in dealing with body transformations.
Start your journey off on the right foot, it may save you from months of frustrations.
Good luck.
Cardio is not the key to weight loss, neither is anything else for that matter. Results are going to come from a combination of diet (not dieting, a crucial difference), exercise including resistance training and recovery/sleep.
You need a long term plan with some short term goals right now that take into account your present health and overall body condition. I do not believe that you will find or get a comprehensive plan for your needs from the internet. Anyone who is seriously overweight needs to consult with a doctor first and foremost.
After you are cleared for training, get to the gym. Pick a few that interest you and schedule some consultations with a few trainers. Find one that you agree with and has some credibility and experience in dealing with body transformations.
Start your journey off on the right foot, it may save you from months of frustrations.
Good luck.
Hey Vamp and Diana:
THANK you very much for your advice. I really found it helpful.
I'm going to go over everything each one of you said and make a master plan with broken down goals and I will show it here, so hopefully you see it.
Its people like you who genuinely help others that make a difference.
Thank you,
Jenna
THANK you very much for your advice. I really found it helpful.
I'm going to go over everything each one of you said and make a master plan with broken down goals and I will show it here, so hopefully you see it.
Its people like you who genuinely help others that make a difference.
Thank you,
Jenna
- i love pictures, post if you want to...may make a good before and after pic
- the old body for life...not bad but we can do bettr and we will
- wts are actually key to losing wt as it actually mobilises the fat better than cardio...cardio can do it too but it's more for extra calorie burn then anything else
- you may have everything down numbers wise which is good but are they actually cvorrect/safe etc? i wouldn't mind a look at them...
- training wise i'd have you start at this:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/body_barbell.htm
- on off days do this type of cardio:
5min warm up
1min as hard as you can then 2mins at 50% x 3 cycles
easy, easy, easy pace x 3mins (walking on readmill, lowest setting on bike etc)
15 - 20mins at 50% again
the point of this is detailed here:
viewtopic.php?t=5057
- for the inverted rows in the program you can hopefully use the handles of your treadmill with bent or straight legs...you may need to youtube it for a video to see what i mean
- the old body for life...not bad but we can do bettr and we will
- wts are actually key to losing wt as it actually mobilises the fat better than cardio...cardio can do it too but it's more for extra calorie burn then anything else
- you may have everything down numbers wise which is good but are they actually cvorrect/safe etc? i wouldn't mind a look at them...
- training wise i'd have you start at this:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/body_barbell.htm
- on off days do this type of cardio:
5min warm up
1min as hard as you can then 2mins at 50% x 3 cycles
easy, easy, easy pace x 3mins (walking on readmill, lowest setting on bike etc)
15 - 20mins at 50% again
the point of this is detailed here:
viewtopic.php?t=5057
- for the inverted rows in the program you can hopefully use the handles of your treadmill with bent or straight legs...you may need to youtube it for a video to see what i mean