Mommypooh

Okay here is the drill, I am finally ready to lose this weight, I have been to the library and checked out several of their workout videos, I have been trying them and seeing if it is something i can do, so I have been changing videos everyday. Is there any reason while I figure out what I like I shouldn't keep changing the workout everyday?

Do you have any that you really enjoy and recommend me to try?

Any equipment I should try to aquire, like resistance band, weights, etc.?

Any overall advice for weight loss?

I am trying to lose 30-40 lbs to start. Then I plan on finding a belly dancing class to try and lose some more weight. I also at some point probaley when I am down 50-60 lbs I will want to find a pole dancing class. My overall goal is to lose about 90 lbs. I think that will put me in a healthy weight.

So give me all your advice. Oh and as for joining a Gym, too expensive I just can't afford it, and I also can't afford a personal trainer either. So this is me trying to do this on my own. I am also going to combine a little weight watchers as well. I plan to get most of my recipies from their cookbooks and I will try to follow the point guide. I am not doing meeting but there are 3 of us in the house trying to lose weight so we are going to try to keep each other honest. I hope with the combineing of all this I can lose at least some weight and keep it off.

So toss out your ideas and lets see where I end up, I have been working out for 2 days so far adn plan to do a video every day of the week.

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RIVERWIDOW

I would start walking in the afternoon (or night) and do your tape in the morning. I have started walking and riding my bike 2 times a day. One in the morning and one in the late afternoon. Cut out salt to 2000 mg a day. If you watch the sodium on the labels, you will be amazed at how much you eat every day without ever picking up a salt shaker. My biggest word of advice is to take it slow, don't try to lose alot reaL fast. If you go slow and steady you are more likely to keep it off. You also need to recognize if you are an emotional eater and stay away from stressful situations.(Like kids you want to kill) It would'nt hurt for your kids to join you and get them used to healthy habits and exercise young.

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Mommypooh

My kids love the sweating to the oldies with richard simmons. They love to dance with me and it is a lot of fun. I am not putting any time restraint on myself for the weight loss if I lose it quick Great, if I lose it over the course of a couple of years Great. I just need to take it all off at some point.

I really can't walk in my neighborhood and it will start to snow soon so I can't do it then anyways. I need to stay with indoors, I did get a walk and jog tape that is for inside, so I will do that one I like it. I can't really do any exercise after about 3 or 4 in the afternoon if I want to go to bed as well. I don't sleep well if I exercise more than 5 hours before bed. So I would need to get one tape done in the morning around like 9 and then do the other during nap around 3 or 4. I will try 2 times a day once I am adjusted to once a day. Slow and steady.

avlena

While I've never taken belly dancing classes, I'm not sure I believe they help your weight that much. All the belly dancers (teachers, students, regular exhibitionists, etc) I've ever seen are large around the middle, because they have more to shake that way! Same goes for the strip pole class - I've taken an intro class, and while it was fun and made me feel super sexy with my body, it didn't really make me sweat or feel sore, or any of the things I look for in a good workout. Teri Hatcher may swear by it, but she's always been skinny anyway.

I'm a believer that some of the little things can go a long way. Watch what you eat, and sweets only in moderation (if you totally deprive yourself, you'll binge). If you have stairs in your house, try going up and down them more often, and re-arrange things in your home to force yourself to do so. (ex: move your hamper to a diff. floor then your machines). If you drink soda, cut it out completely, don't just switch to diet (several friends have lost weight with this alone). Park in the far corner from the doors so you have to walk. Etc!

The biggest challenge for me is to stay motivated, which is why I need a gym with classes, and can't do exercise videos at home. I was reading an article somewhere about all these women who'd found inpsiration for losing weight by blogging about their journey, day by day. So their motivation was the knowledge that the internet world was watching, and it worked for them. So maybe you can try that, as well as your real-life support group?

Good luck!!

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baggio248

I agree with what everyone else has suggested. As far as equipment goes, I would start with a resistance band. They are cheap and really useful. You need to be sure to use it properly because it is a different motion and feeling than weights.
Another piece of equipment is an excercise ball for core strength.

Here's a website for the basic ideas.
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercis...resistance.htm
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercis...erciseball.htm

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verve247

It's good to watch your salt intake. Now start watching your sugar intake and you should see some nice improvements. Try to thrown some weight lifting in also. You can buy 5 or 10lb free weights.

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brainsmile

I'd say you need to start with small goals...

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Mommypooh

I don't drink pop like at all, I have a glass maybe once a month. I prefer my decafe iced Tea with just a tiny amount of sugar in it. So I drink that a lot. I also drink about 5 cups of water just before during and after a workout.

I actually don't have much of a sweet tooth anymore. I also am gettin sensitive to salt, I get headaches from too much, so that is being cut back on.

I have a ball that can be used for exercise I have used it for sitting on when I am pregnant cause it opens up the hips nicely as well as sitting on it while in labor. So I will just pull it out agian and add some more air. I will have to get a new resistance band as mine has dissapeared. I will also try to pick up some free weights as well.

Keep these great ideas coming.

I have also noticed I don't have much of an appitite after I have worked out each day, so I am not eating all that much and I feel sick easy if I eat to much. I really hope I can do this. I am ready for a change.

riskykougra

I know you said you couldnt afford a personal trainer but if you are able to get one for an hour they can teach you specific excercises for you and your body type. If you find one thats a nutritionist as well, even better they can help decide what to eat. But as far as diet goes if you stick with what the American Food Guide?? , we have a Canadian one here, says you should be ok. I dont know if you guys have one or what its called but its that thing that tells you how much of every food group you should be eating a day. As for execise on your own, doing squats while holding light weights is good for you, but you really need to make sure you are doing any kind of exercise properly to avoid injury and to obtain maximum benefits otherwise you will only hurt yourself or be wasting your time. Good luck!!

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I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

oblongmelon

walk until the weather gets bad..drinks tons of water to flush out your system, and avoid sugar like the plague..limit your carb intake as well..Carbs are the debbil.

Jeffbx

First of all, make a Dr. appointment & get a physical. Tell the doc you want to start working out & get the OK to go ahead.

Second, it may not sound like it makes sense but do NOT limit your food intake at the same time you increase your activity level. I'm a firm believer in using exercise as a primary weight loss tool rather than diet change alone.

The more you increase your activity level, the more fuel your body will need. If you cut back on food at the same time that you increase your activity, your body goes into 'starvation mode' where it sees fewer calories coming in than it needs, and this causes your body to start storing fat.

I say make slight changes in your diet, like everyone has already recommended (cut back on sugar & salt, eat more fruits & vegetables, avoid restaurants as much as possible), and slowly increase your activity level. The important thing is to be patient. It takes a long time to see your body change, and if your goal is to lose 90lbs, don't be surprised if it's a year or more before this happens.

Start slowly & gradually work up to harder & longer activities. Set goals for yourself - like in 6 months, you want to run in a 5k race, or be able to swim a half mile or whatever. Find a partner to work out with - it's easier to motivate each other than find the motivation yourself. Keep track of your times & progress, so you can see your improvements over time.

Keep things interesting. You can absolutely change your workout every day until you find something you like, and even then change it around from time to time. As you get more involved, mix your aerobic activity with weights or resistance training, and set higher goals - 10k, whatever.

If you want to, you can run a marathon or triathlon within 2-3 years with slow, steady increases in your workout, and the weight loss will just be a bonus at that point.

Mommypooh

Well I have had several phsicals with in the last year and I am healthy enought to exercise, I just haven't until now. So I am not concerned with seeing my doc, takes too long anyways.

As for the eating I am not doing it purposely I am just not wanting to eat as much, so I can't force myself. I am eating a little more frequently, but much smaller amounts. I used to be able to kill a whole box of mac and cheese on my own, I had about maybe 3/4 cups or so, and I just was full and didn't want anymore.

Good advice on staying away from restaurants, I don't tend to eat out very often at all, and I try to get something on the weight watcher list or other diet, since most reataurants are offering items for diets. We don't eat out cause it is wayyyyy to expensive even eating at Mcdonalds is not cheap. It easily can cost us $15-20 there.

I was unsure of how to set goals since I really don't know how long it will take me to reach them and goals tend to discourage me if I don't make them. I get frustrated and it causes me to fail. So I try not to set any really.

as for limiting carbs can't really do that and still afford to eat. carbs are the base for most of our meals. now I have switched us from white pasta to whole wheat pasta, I just can't get into whole wheat bread, so I am still on white. My favortie meal is Peanut butter though so I eat a lot of them. I only buy Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter it is the only kind I like.

Now for a question. I am really sore. my thighs right above my knees are kililng me. it is to the point that I can hardly walk up and down stairs or sit and stand up. Should I take a day off to recoup or should I keep pushing? All my exercises require a lot of leg use so I don't think I can just not do legs and even break a sweat. So let me know what I should do.

Cubsfan

It's always really helped me to weigh myself every day, and then chart the results on a daily basis. Not only does it make sure that I don't wait two weeks only to find that I gained 2 pounds, I think it's also motivational to see the steady downward line that you get when you're losing weight.

Also, you probably aren't going to lose 30-40 pounds to start. At some point before then, you'll probably plateau and get disappointed. Just keep it up, and don't get depressed.

avlena

I'd be careful with the scale though - it's not the best way of determining how you're doing fitness-wise. My weight varies by about 2-4lbs from day to day, depending on the time, that time of the month, what I ate the day before, how I feel, whether I went pee beforehand, etc. So to me, losing 2lbs means I'm having a good day, not that I lost weight.

Plus, there's the factor of muscle weighing more then fat - it's possible that you'll gain weight the stronger you become. Instead, pay attention to how your clothes fit, and use a measuring tape to check your body size.

Markel

I want to be careful not to "advertise", as this does involve a MLM company that we are part of, but for the past couple of months I have been using some diet products that are formulated to keep your body from going into "starvation mode" (lowered metabolism) while you are limiting calories. (There must be something to it, because during a week off the diet at an all-inclusive resort, I didn't gain a single pound.) So far I have lost over 3 inches on my waist (and about the same in my chest and hips) and 1 inch in my neck, and dropped about 15 pounds. (One thing that the products include is Leucine, which helps the body maintain muscle.) I'm not big on exercise, but if I did I would probably lose faster.

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Cubsfan

I agree in a lot of situations, but if someone's got 60-90 pounds to be used, I think the amount of fat lost is going to be far greater than any muscle gained. Now, if you were trying to lose 10-30 pounds, I would totally agree with you. Also, for me, the daily weighings weren't necessarily to get a daily number, it was more to get a general trend. If you're losing weight, over a longer period of time all of your readings should be trending downward.

Jeffbx

Yeah, you'll have to give it a little time to see how you're progressing before you commit yourself to anything, but goal setting can really help you move forward with your workouts. Keep it simple at first - if you exercise 20 minutes every other day, maybe just tell youself that in 2 weeks you'll bump it up to 25 minutes every other day.



That's absolutely normal - it used to be attributed to a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles, but that's apparently been deemed incorrect. The new cause seems to be the result of some stuff with very long latin names. Anyway, the more you work out, the less it'll happen. It's always worst when you start exercising. You can minimize it by stretching after you exercise - like a good long 10 minutes of stretching.

How often are you exercising? I'd say to start it shouldn't be more than every other day. If you're on that or a less frequent schedule, don't take a day off to recover, just push through it and the pain will go away while you're working out. If you're trying to exercise every day, then cut back a little - you don't want to overwork yourself right away because then you might wear yourself out & you'll see your exercise times shrinking rather than growing.

cheapie

also, eat stuff with a decent amount of potassium in it to help get rid of the lactic acid. bananas, meat, etc.

and it may not just be lactic acid. what happens to muscle when it's worked is that the muscle tissue actually tears, and then rebuilds stronger. it's going to hurt. but what you're describing is exactly what happens to everyone that starts working out. it hurts like a #@%$@^#!$^ at first. push through it, maybe find a different exercise that won't use those muscles for a few days or so.

utcpal

small goals and consistent workout (rain or shine) is important..
Good luck..

Mommypooh

I am starting with one workout every day, depending on the video is how long each day, I have one that is a 20 min high intensity workout, adn I have some that are moderate or low intisity ,and some are an hour some are 30 min. I am planning on everyday working out and then in about 2 or 3 weeks adding an extra workout everyday, so that I am going longer. I have the drive and I could have done it today, but I thought best for my muscle would be an extra day to recoup. they are feeling better and better as the day goes on still sore, but I can feel them being more strong so I am glad I took the day off.

As to trying to find an exercise that doesn't use those muscle I would have to not stand or walk, so that eliminates all my exercises. So I will start agian tomorrow morning with another video. I am enjoying it and it makes me feel so much better. than I did before, so it is good for my morale to feel better, but it is bad when I hurt cause then I would rather not feel better and not be in pain. I don't know if that made any sense.

On another note BigJon is getting his bike and a stationry stand so he can ride in the basement and try to get in shape. This is so good. We need to lose the excess weight. Well I am off to do laundry and put it all away. That in itself is a workout. The basekets are full.

Later all.

verve247

Make sure you stretch beforehand so you don't injure yourself. Also as time goes on you wont hurt as much. If you are hurting, just go light on that muscle and focus on other muscle groups.

good luck.

Mommypooh

Okay so Yesterday I was tracking my weight and decided to change my goal. I orginally made my goal 140lbs. I was really not liking the graph cause I could not see any decline at all, So I decided to make my goal 200 lbs and then to reevaluate it at that time. I am going to be taking measurements of my body and tracking those as well, my question is what all should I measure and keep track of. Of course waist and hips, but is there anything else I should watch? I am going to set up an excell sheet to track this. I was thinking once a week to check measurements, or is that too often? Thanks everyone, you are so great.

Mommypooh

Oh one more question. I have a couple of really good lower body tapes, but I just can't find anything for the upper body. I can't quite do taebo or anything simalar, cause I have a large chest in the way. I recently tried one and the skin on my arms hurt from rubbing on the shirt. So I need simple effective abs, arms, and that kind of thing. Preferably without more leg work. I am already doing two leg tapes and I find trying to do both upper and lower at the same time I get half the workout cause I can't hold the intensity up. SO let me know some good ideas.

cheapie

another good goal, perhaps better than tracking weight, is keeping track of your dress/pants size. if your work out start building muscle then you actually won't drop a ton of weight. that can be disconcerting unless you realize that dropping fat is the goal, not just weight.

Mommypooh

that is very true Cheapie. But with as heavy as I am, even if I do drop fat and gain muscle, I better lose quite a bit of this weight. I am very short at only 5'4". I weigh in at 233 right now. The only problem with only tracking pants size is that Once I fit all my 18 I will have to keep wearing them until I hit size 12 cause I have nothing inbetween those sizes and i can't afford to keep buying new clothes just to grow out of them. So at that point I will not be able to watch my pants size change. I also don't see my shirt size changing too much. I will be really surprissed if I ever get smaller than a 20 in shirts for certain reasons.

I really hope to lose this weight, as of now I am mostly working on the cardio, not too much on stregth training. I think today I will borrow BigJons bike and ride in the basement. It is a little too big for me, but I don't think that will be too much of a problem. I am off to turn on Richard Simmons for the kids and me. Should be lots of fun. We will end up really happy, and I will feel really good. Maybe I can catch some bike time if I can get them to take a rest time.

cheapie

just don't go crazy and then get frustrated if you don't see massive gains right away.

i would also take a picture of your face straight on, and then take another one in a month or so to see if you see any difference.

Mommypooh

that is another good idea cheapie. I will have BigJon take one when he comes home. I have already dropped 6 lbs since Saturday, So I am going good.