Oh so intimidated...

[Dame]

everything here is fairly new to me.

i'm just really getting started, been going to the gym 5 days a week for about a month now. cleaning up my diet. most all of my advice has been coming from men. not so bad. i'm glad they are taking the time to help. but things are getting alittle weird. and i'm feeling alittle manly
not at all the look i want.
first off my weight went up almost 7# so i went from 135 to 140.5#
that scared me. i'm just 5'3"
i had a baby 1 year ago so my bod is just getting back into shape.
i'm wondering if i should shed a few more pounds with cardio and diet before going any further with building muscle.
also a feller recomended creatine to me. so is that a good idea for someone just getting started? i've read everything i can get about it. but still not so sure if it is something i need yet.
and last my abs. i have 3rd baby mommy abs. shaping up some. upper abs and sides are looking decent. what can i do to get into my lower abs?

 

[Dame]

oh reply please! was i to vague? ask me something...

 

[Daisy_Girl]

No one is ignoring you, it just gets a little slow here at night sometimes. Welcome! Glad to have you. Read through a couple of the threads at the top ("Stickies") - they give A LOT of helpful information in them. We have put together diets, training tips, etc - even if the title of the thread doesn't seen relevant, I bet the information within the thread is VERY helpful. I'll also look through some old threads and bump up some that seem like they might be helpful for you.

I don't think creatine is for you right now. It isn't BAD, it just doesn't seem to be what is best for you right at this point. Creatione can help when you are trying to build muscle, which I DO think you should do, but right now it seems like your focus should be on making sure training and diet are maximized BEFORE enhancers are used.

Tell us about your diet and training right now. Let us know EXACTLY what you are eating - amounts, sizes, preparation, condiments, time eaten, etc.

And training - tell us specifically what you are doing, how intense (how hard, how you feel), how long, and when (time).

Also, muscle weighs more than fat. So if you build muscle, the SCALE may say you are heavier. BUT, muscle takes up less ROOM than fat. So it may be heavier, but it is SMALLER. So you could be heavier, but more compact.

This nice, compact, heavy muscle is also MUCH more metabolically active than gushy, squishy, jiggily fat. This means that muscle will burn more calories EVEN AT REST. SO if you build muscle, you will be burn more calories throughout the day. This is what causes your metabolism to be raised (go faster).

Muscle is built through diet and weight training. Fat is lost through (mostly) diet and weight training. Yes, cardio helps a lot - but NOTHING will make up for a poor (or so-so) diet. If your diet is weak, your results will be weak. EVEN IF you spend hours on the treadmill/step class/elliptical. Diet is the cornerstone of a successful program.

 

[Dame]

ty so much for replying.

ok so my meal plan looks like this

7am bananna, 1oz almonds

9am 4oz steak on the grill, 2c greenbeans

11am handfull of grapes

12 1c kale w/ vinager, 1c greenbeans, 1/2c peas, 1/2c lentils or beans and barley

3pm bannana, 2 hard boiled eggs

5pm 4oz fish flank (salmon) on the grill with grilled vegis (broc, cauli, squash)

i'm not using any condiments maybe a tad of sea salt and garlic. and everything on the grill i use olive oil.

also getting about 6 bottles of water a day.

that's the first time i've actually wrote it out. seems like alot of food. is it to much?

my workout needs help. i'm so new. really just learning the names of all the machines.
today when i go in i'll make note of how much time i am spending on each machine.
i'll post that part back later today.
mostly it is all cardio and situps.

i'll be back with that part this afternoon.

 

[Nonerz]

I guess my question is what look DO you want?

Most women say they want to lose weight when in actuallity, they want to lose fat. Daisy Girl is absolutely right about muscle being smaller and more compact than fat. I was much fatter with much less muscle but still around the same weight before I got serious about training with weights.

DON'T LET THE SCALE FOOL YOU! I got caught up worrying about the numbers on the scale rather than how I actually felt and looked.

I would keep training with weights...don't give them up...ever!!

 

[playmatesky]

ty so much for replying.

ok so my meal plan looks like this

7am bananna, 1oz almonds

9am 4oz steak on the grill, 2c greenbeans

11am handfull of grapes

12 1c kale w/ vinager, 1c greenbeans, 1/2c peas, 1/2c lentils or beans and barley

3pm bannana, 2 hard boiled eggs

5pm 4oz fish flank (salmon) on the grill with grilled vegis (broc, cauli, squash)

i'm not using any condiments maybe a tad of sea salt and garlic. and everything on the grill i use olive oil.

also getting about 6 bottles of water a day.

that's the first time i've actually wrote it out. seems like alot of food. is it to much?

my workout needs help. i'm so new. really just learning the names of all the machines.
today when i go in i'll make note of how much time i am spending on each machine.
i'll post that part back later today.
mostly it is all cardio and situps.

i'll be back with that part this afternoon.

Hey Girl....I have had 2 kids and know where you are coming from. Luckily I am now in much better shape than I have ever been but it wasnt easy.
Daisy Girl gave some great advice. I think you need to combine weights with cardio. Try and work one body part in weight training per week and cardio 4 days a week for 30 min. HIIT. Abs I do more often ....pretty much every other workout I do two different exercises 3 sets of 30. H ave your bodyfat checked throughout your training phase as well. So you know if you are losing fat.

As far as your diet. If you are trying to lose weight I would change things up a bit. For one....you should try to eat every three hours througout the day. If you last meal is at 5pm..What time are you going to bed?
* I would knock out the fruit for now.
*Protein every 3-4 hours is essential.

Here is an example of my diet. I did very well with this. You can use it or not. But it gives an example of a proportioned diet in means for cutting. And Its healthy!! It can be tweaked a little to better suit your needs but I found it helpful with the training listed above. Ex: I do not like eggs so I eat eats every morning or plain malt o meal.


Breakfast
1.5 scoop low carb protein shake with water
.25 cup oats with splenda and cinnamon
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
(If you use soymilk in your oats then omit the p.b.

Am Snack
1 cup of steamed veggies (green)
4 oz. of any white meat

Lunch
1 cup of broccoli
4 oz chicken /white meat
0.5 cup of rice

Pm snack
4 oz chicken breast/ white meat
4 oz black beans

dinner

1 cup of green beans
4 oz halibut or extra lean ground turkey
1 medium salad

Evening snack
1.5 scoop of low carb protei shake with water

For salad dresings: use fat free....red wine vinegar...any wine vinegar....salsa is okay ...stay away from sauces....and salt

Good luck...

 

[Dame]

Ok something happened today with the kids and i didn't make it to the gym. so that part is still on hold.
anyhow, thanks all who have replied. totally appreciate it.
Nonerz I want to lose fat. Finally realized how i was beating myself up over the scale and it's ignorant considering. I want to look toned not bulky.
playmatesky ty for all the info.
I'm usually in bed by 8pm. I tried eating every 3hrs or so and the opnly time of day i can pull it off is between 12 and 3 and by the time 3 hits i am starved and on the verge of over eating. you said knock out the fruit, what should i replace it with. i really just can't do the whey shakes. i need something i can pack in my bag and have on the go. like a bar or fruit or i dunno maybe jerky. is jerky bad? the salt.. probably a dumb question. what do you suggest?
like i said before my wo is a mess. i'm doing 5x100 situps trying to hit sides upper etc but i'm still not getting a good burn in my lower abs. cardio 25min on the elliptical, 1 mile jog on the tredmill. <those are everyday...then i like to know what area i'm working like monday wed fri lower bod, tues thurs upper. i'll get my routine on paper tomorrow and put it up then.

thanks again

 

[ashley2212]

like i said before my wo is a mess. i'm doing 5x100 situps trying to hit sides upper etc but i'm still not getting a good burn in my lower abs. cardio 25min on the elliptical, 1 mile jog on the tredmill. <those are everyday...then i like to know what area i'm working like monday wed fri lower bod, tues thurs upper. i'll get my routine on paper tomorrow and put it up then.

Your workout is not a mess, it's just so repetitive that your body adjusted to it probably within two weeks. Doing 500 situps is the same as doing the elliptical 25 min every day at the same intensity. The muscles in your body are so used to those movements that it's normal activity now.

One thing I always tell people is - crunches never get old if you do them CORRECTLY. You'll get much better results in much less time doing 3x15 crunches correctly than you will 5x100 at super speed.

The key to success in your workouts is variety. It's time for some hardcore research

 

[Raina]

I agree with the other ladies. As for getting really hungry, try throwing in some almonds at the point or a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. They're both full of good fat, have a nice amounts of cals, and at least for me tend to curb hunger and sugar cravings.

I don't think it makes sense to try to diet and burn fat before building muscle. As you properly feed and work out your body, your lean mass grows and if your diet is clean and you're getting enough protein, your muscle will start to take off the fat. The scale isn't a big factor. If I put on 5-6 pounds I'm smaller on my measurements. I don't weigh myself that often-- maybe every couple of weeks. I think the best indicators of progress are pictures over time so you can see your progress, and going by how your jeans are fitting.

You can train your abs in all sorts of ways but ultimately, having them cut in and tight is done via diet and not training.

As for food on the go, you could do what I do and buy a soft-sided little lunch cooler. When I cook I make enough to last a couple of days. It's putzy to measure it out, especially when you're in a hurry so try to pre-measure out your portions into either tupperware or plastic bags. It's really easy to grab a few meals at once if they're ready to go in the fridge and throw them in the cooler. I always keep almonds and walnuts in my car and at work too. Jerky is probably not the best choice because of the sodium though it is better than a snickers or a cupcake. I've found that when I have access to clean food and plan out my meals, I hold myself accountable more to eating enough and staying out of junk.

I agree with ashley too-- mix things up! You have to keep your body guessing otherwise it just adapts to what you're doing. You'll benefit more from changing things around...plus it will make you much less bored at the gym.

 

[Daisy_Girl]

You've gotten some great advice from the above ladies.