As a fitness professional, I get all kinds of questions, like those currently in the forum, all the time. Being an employee of the gym for 13 years, one of my biggest concerns is making sure any one who comes to the gym, can feel comfortable here. If someone needs help, has a question or is looking for a place to be themselves no matter what size or shape they are, we strive to help that individual. Glitz and glamour in the gym is not where it's at and if you are looking for a gym that is committed to you, then ask questions. The money you pay each month is an investment in your future health and your gym should strive to make that investment pay off. If you go to a gym and they aren't interested in you and want to just give you a cookie cutter workout, go somewhere else. Fitness professionals should be guides and coaches who teach you not tell you.
Ask away!
- Thread starter RCPARKER
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LexisMommy
New member
I have a ?... How much should i exercise.. i weigh 210.. and i started working out 2 days ago!... and im not sure how much i should do.. i dont want to burn myself out..so that i have to stop..
Most trainers are boobs. It's great to make your client feel comfortable. And if you are good at doing that.... hats off to you. However, my beef is most "professionals," at least in my area, are morons. It's not that they are handing out cookie cutter programs. It's that they have no idea what the hell they are talking about with regards to the human body and its adaptive responses to exercise and diet.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say around here. We could always use more knowledge, so answer away.
I look forward to hearing what you have to say around here. We could always use more knowledge, so answer away.
Yes, please! I am trying to get some good advice.
I copied this from another one of my posts.
I want to slim down and lose some body fat. Somehow in the last couple years I've gotten a gut and I hate it! I've gained 10 lbs in the last year I am 5ft 4 and weigh 135.... I want to be 120. I'm not a big boned person. I am 44 years old.
I got an eliptical machine and have worked my way up to 30 mins. It has taken me almost 4 weeks to get to 30 minutes. I am sweating when I get off the machine and my legs FEEL IT so I am getting a work out. I have been pretty good about doing this nearly every day... but like I said, I had to work up to 30 minutes, so I've only been doing 30 minutes straight for about 11-12 days.
I weighed myself today and the scale has not moved!!
My diet is pretty good. I like lean meats, lean dairy, I don't consume a lot of carbs, no junk, but I do consume alcohol calories and carbs in beer on a regular basis. I cook veggies and meat in olive oil and also eat frut sometimes. Yesterday I had a snack of a bannana and some peanut butter with skim milk. I count calories in gerneral terms and stay in the 1800 range for the most part.
Any suggestions? If I keep up with this will I see results, or do I need to do more? I wasn't exercising at all before. Lifestyle was/is fairly active, but I wasn't working out at all. To be honest, I think the eliptical is hard! I could walk all day. This thing kicks my butt. I really don't have the time or desire for a gym membership (that's why I got the eliptical).
Any advice would be appreciated
ps- what do you think about energy enhancers.. specific- 5-hour energy?
thanks!
I copied this from another one of my posts.
I want to slim down and lose some body fat. Somehow in the last couple years I've gotten a gut and I hate it! I've gained 10 lbs in the last year I am 5ft 4 and weigh 135.... I want to be 120. I'm not a big boned person. I am 44 years old.
I got an eliptical machine and have worked my way up to 30 mins. It has taken me almost 4 weeks to get to 30 minutes. I am sweating when I get off the machine and my legs FEEL IT so I am getting a work out. I have been pretty good about doing this nearly every day... but like I said, I had to work up to 30 minutes, so I've only been doing 30 minutes straight for about 11-12 days.
I weighed myself today and the scale has not moved!!
My diet is pretty good. I like lean meats, lean dairy, I don't consume a lot of carbs, no junk, but I do consume alcohol calories and carbs in beer on a regular basis. I cook veggies and meat in olive oil and also eat frut sometimes. Yesterday I had a snack of a bannana and some peanut butter with skim milk. I count calories in gerneral terms and stay in the 1800 range for the most part.
Any suggestions? If I keep up with this will I see results, or do I need to do more? I wasn't exercising at all before. Lifestyle was/is fairly active, but I wasn't working out at all. To be honest, I think the eliptical is hard! I could walk all day. This thing kicks my butt. I really don't have the time or desire for a gym membership (that's why I got the eliptical).
Any advice would be appreciated
ps- what do you think about energy enhancers.. specific- 5-hour energy?
thanks!
good question Maggie!
Dear Maggie- One thing I would suggest is to get your bodyfat measured. Even if you do not want to go to a gym, call around and find someplace that will do this for you. There are several ways: one is by measuring circumferences of your upper and lower body. Another is to have someone measure with skinfold calipers. With your size, you sound like a good candidate for skinfolds. another way is by bioelectrical impedence. This could be a handheld device or one where they hook up a wire to your arm or leg. The last way is called hydrostatic weighing which is done underwater, but most gyms do not have this. Some universities do, but if you are comfortable in water, it's the best way to measure. Also, find out if anyone can meaure your resting mestabolism. If not, i would suggest that you lower your calories a bit to make sure you are exercising more calories out than you are taking in. Try dropping to about 1400-1500 and see what happens. Sounds like you are eating well though, keep it up.Also, quit killing yourself and exercising so hard every day. Give your self a day off. 5-6 days of cardio is enough and you don't want to get an injury or start hating to exercise. Mix up your routine a bit too. Take an easy day, and then a hard day and add your walking back in if you really love it. Do things you enjoy. Just focus on the intensity of your walk. If time is short, walk fast. If time is long, slow down a bit and go for it. The last thing I can tell you is PLEASE do not let the scale be your only predictor of SUCCESS. You are doing GREAT! Look at what you can do. I know you feel better and I bet your body has changed and you can feel it in your clothes. Keep working at it and make a few changes in diet and intensity and your should see a difference. Let me know what happens. Good Luck!
Dear Maggie- One thing I would suggest is to get your bodyfat measured. Even if you do not want to go to a gym, call around and find someplace that will do this for you. There are several ways: one is by measuring circumferences of your upper and lower body. Another is to have someone measure with skinfold calipers. With your size, you sound like a good candidate for skinfolds. another way is by bioelectrical impedence. This could be a handheld device or one where they hook up a wire to your arm or leg. The last way is called hydrostatic weighing which is done underwater, but most gyms do not have this. Some universities do, but if you are comfortable in water, it's the best way to measure. Also, find out if anyone can meaure your resting mestabolism. If not, i would suggest that you lower your calories a bit to make sure you are exercising more calories out than you are taking in. Try dropping to about 1400-1500 and see what happens. Sounds like you are eating well though, keep it up.Also, quit killing yourself and exercising so hard every day. Give your self a day off. 5-6 days of cardio is enough and you don't want to get an injury or start hating to exercise. Mix up your routine a bit too. Take an easy day, and then a hard day and add your walking back in if you really love it. Do things you enjoy. Just focus on the intensity of your walk. If time is short, walk fast. If time is long, slow down a bit and go for it. The last thing I can tell you is PLEASE do not let the scale be your only predictor of SUCCESS. You are doing GREAT! Look at what you can do. I know you feel better and I bet your body has changed and you can feel it in your clothes. Keep working at it and make a few changes in diet and intensity and your should see a difference. Let me know what happens. Good Luck!
Maggie-
Put simply, your problem lies with your calories. You say you keep "general" track of them. That, to me, means you estimate your intake. Or maybe you do a little better, and track MOST of what you consume.
What about your alcohol? Do you account for that?
1800 is definitely cutting it close, even if you are being exact, to your maintenance intake. Maintenance being the point where energy in = energy out, leading to no change in weight.
So the above poster is right, try dropping cals down a bit. 10-12 cals per pound of body weight should do the trick, if you adhere to it on a consistent basis.
Put simply, your problem lies with your calories. You say you keep "general" track of them. That, to me, means you estimate your intake. Or maybe you do a little better, and track MOST of what you consume.
What about your alcohol? Do you account for that?
1800 is definitely cutting it close, even if you are being exact, to your maintenance intake. Maintenance being the point where energy in = energy out, leading to no change in weight.
So the above poster is right, try dropping cals down a bit. 10-12 cals per pound of body weight should do the trick, if you adhere to it on a consistent basis.
Thanks Steve and RC
This week (Mon and today so far) I increased my time to 35 minutes-- I'm still cooling off while I type this, lol. There is no doubt my endurance is better, and this is a relief. You young guys might not understand but I'm 44 and in peri-menopause, so sometimes I can get crushing fatigue. The exercise has helped. Also my husband says he notices a difference.
I still have this gut though that I don't think will go away until I lose about 10 lbs.... but I'll try not to watch the scale. My goal is to get a new two piece bathing suit by end of June. I'll try to get my body fat measured.
Now about calories-- I am estimating so I will start being more precise. I will track my calories for the next several days and post it so you guys can review it. I try to eat pretty healthy foods-- but maybe I'm underestimating calories. I estimate my beer calories at 300. Two regulars or three lights. I guess I will eliminate those first since they are empty calories, even though I don't want to lol. I have a question... does it matter in a 24 hour period when calories are consumed? I tend to be less hungry in the morning, so I am consuming most of my calories after noon, even they I am active all morning.
And also- one more thing.... what do you think of the energy drink "five hour energy"? I've used it and I think it really does give me some nice energy, but I'd like your opinion.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Much appreciated.
ps- Steve, since I'm going to keep track of calories, I'll try for 1330, since I'm at about 133 lbs.
This week (Mon and today so far) I increased my time to 35 minutes-- I'm still cooling off while I type this, lol. There is no doubt my endurance is better, and this is a relief. You young guys might not understand
but I'm 44 and in peri-menopause, so sometimes I can get crushing fatigue. The exercise has helped. Also my husband says he notices a difference.I still have this gut though that I don't think will go away until I lose about 10 lbs.... but I'll try not to watch the scale. My goal is to get a new two piece bathing suit by end of June. I'll try to get my body fat measured.
Now about calories-- I am estimating so I will start being more precise. I will track my calories for the next several days and post it so you guys can review it. I try to eat pretty healthy foods-- but maybe I'm underestimating calories. I estimate my beer calories at 300. Two regulars or three lights. I guess I will eliminate those first since they are empty calories, even though I don't want to lol. I have a question... does it matter in a 24 hour period when calories are consumed? I tend to be less hungry in the morning, so I am consuming most of my calories after noon, even they I am active all morning.
And also- one more thing.... what do you think of the energy drink "five hour energy"? I've used it and I think it really does give me some nice energy, but I'd like your opinion.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! Much appreciated.
ps- Steve, since I'm going to keep track of calories, I'll try for 1330, since I'm at about 133 lbs.
Last edited:
indigoiis
New member
From an ex-beer drinker: is it possible for you to forgo the beer for a few weeks? Sometimes it helps just to get rid of it altogether. As you say, it's empty calories, and there are other things (sugar, and alcohol) that can mess with your body chemistry. Go a few weeks without and see if it makes any difference for you.
wannabeskinny45
New member
What am I doing wrong?
I copied this from another post I had, I would like your advice, also one of the other WLF people said I should get a personal trainer that specialized in obese people--what questions should I be asking to make sure there true interest is in my health and not just the money? I don't know anything at all about trainers.
I need some advice, I've lost 93 lbs. so far and still have about 100 more to go. My problem is I'm stuck, I'm staying bewteen 295-305 (5'2') and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm eating 1500 calories a day and I am walking 30 mins. 3 times a week. I'm also drinking my 8 glasses of water aday.
I copied this from another post I had, I would like your advice, also one of the other WLF people said I should get a personal trainer that specialized in obese people--what questions should I be asking to make sure there true interest is in my health and not just the money? I don't know anything at all about trainers.
I need some advice, I've lost 93 lbs. so far and still have about 100 more to go. My problem is I'm stuck, I'm staying bewteen 295-305 (5'2') and I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. I'm eating 1500 calories a day and I am walking 30 mins. 3 times a week. I'm also drinking my 8 glasses of water aday.