I'm dead but alive ! PLZ help me ..

Hello guys,

I don't know from where to start but I'm 21 years old " Female " my weight: 83 k.g, Hight: 160. My goal weight is 60 k.g. I have been over weight since I was a child I never felt pretty or healthy and when I'm going out with my friends I feel like I'm not a part of them .. it's like I'm dead but alive. I really hate my life because of my weight. My self confidence is ZEROO so I finally decided to do something about it.

I recently bought the 30 day shred of Jillian Michaels and I already started walking and running for 1 hour on my treadmill + eating healthy. So I was wondering if it's going to work .. by combining 20 min's of Jillian's DVD & running for 1 hour on the treadmill. Is it enough to lose 20 kilos ? what do you think guys ? I really need your help .

Weight loss is 80% diet 20% exercise.  You aren't going to lose 20 kilos just through exercise, you have to watch what you eat as well.  Eating healthy is not enough you have to eat the right amount.  So, buy a food scale, start weighing and logging everything that goes in your mouth.  Yeah, I know it is a pain, but you really need to do that for a few weeks at least.  Then you will have a better idea of what you are eating and what you shouldn't eat.   

But you ARE off to a good start.  Remember to make this a lifestyle change, not a diet.  Don't do anything you can't see yourself doing for years, maybe the rest of your life.  Find good tasting, healthy, lower calorie foods that you enjoy and will continue to eat.  Find more active interests that you enjoy doing, don't just force yourself to do exercise you hate.

Do this and you CAN lose 20 kilos and, more important, keep it off.  Just make sure that your weight goal is reasonable.  You may not have been intended to look like a model, but you can look really good.

Yeah, what they said.  Without watching what you eat, the chances of you hitting your target weight is much reduced.  You'll also want to figure out how many calories you should eat each day based on your age, height, weight, and activity level. 

You can also do some thinking about "quick wins" that you can change easily.  For example, if you go out for drinks regularly after work, switch to a lower cal (i.e. non-alcoholic) version.  If you drink pop regularly, switch to water instead. 

Good luck!

Clint

I don't know how to thank you guys !

but, yeah I'm eating healthy food and I know how to read the logs and how much should I eat. I'm asking about the amount of the exercise .. is it enough ?

Thanks again for helping I really appreciate it <3

There is no "right" amount of exercise.  It's a combination of burning extra calories through exercise and watching what you eat.  Some people don't like to exercise, and would rather eat less.  Some people enjoy riding their bike at high speeds for hours a day, and can eat like a horse and still lose weight.  But you want to keep your calorie deficit per day somewhere between 500 and 1000 calories, and not go down too low.

My question for you would be: "Is your exercise program sustainable?"  If you can dedicate your self to an hour and a half per day of exercise, that's great!  If not, maybe alternate days.  Maybe you want to do that anyway.  I don't think there's much need to do MORE exercise than what you have already planned, anyway.  If anything, you might want to take it easier at the beginning and work your way up.

Clint

" Is your exercise program sustainable? "

Well .. I hope so ! I'm doing my best too keep it sustainable, if I felt stressed I'm gonna reduce it to 1 houre. But, is it okay to exercise 6 times a week ? or I have to rest the muscles ?

Thanks again Clint :)

Your exercise is focused on aerobic exercise right now.  (Shred is mostly aerobics, right?) Most people here would also recommend you incorporate strength training as well.  The New Rules of Weight Lifting for Women is a highly recommended book if you want to read up on weight lifting.  There are also websites that people in the fitness forum could recommend.  And there are videos for strength training too.  Power 90 comes to mind.  The reason we talk so much about strength training is that muscle burns calories at a higher rate than any other tissue, so the more muscle you have, the more you can eat and still lose or keep off weight.  Now, it doesn't burn huge amounts, so you still have to be careful, but every little bit helps.  It will also give you a nicely defined body when your weight does get down to where you can see the muscle.  So, you might want to do an hour of aerobics and 1/2 hour of strength training instead of your current program.

Well, for me, I alternated cardio days with strength training days.  But I'm a guy... :) It was nice in that it gave your body a break from doing the same thing all the time.  But at the same time, I don't think there's anything wrong with following the Shred program (which I think is daily) for a cycle either.

I also didn't start quite as "gung-ho" as you.  I started with 30 minutes of cardio 3x a week (swimming).  Then I added some biking on my off days, still taking one rest day per week.  Then I added strength training 2x a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and kept doing cardio on MWF, sometimes doing two 45 minute sessions (one morning, one evening).  This was over a period of several months.  It's all good, though. :)  Every workout you do (pretty much) gets you closer to your goal.  So long as you watch what you eat!

Right now, I'm strictly running.  I need to get back to my strength training, though.  I just have trouble fitting my workouts in my regular life, which is me making an excuse for not getting up early anymore.

Clint

Could you please give me examples for the strength training ? or a video ? because I don't know what's strength training ! I know it's stupid :(

Strength training usually equals weights.  Check out New Rules of Lifting for Women.  It seems to be pretty popular.  You can also do a lot with body-weight exercises (pushups, situps, etc)

Clint

Original Post by classicdesigner:

Could you please give me examples for the strength training ? or a video ? because I don't know what's strength training ! I know it's stupid :(

 If you have never lifted weights..start off with body weight exercises. In the FAQ section of this forum you will find a link to My Body is a Barbell..which should explain and demonstate the form and exercise.

Doing bw squats, lunges, push and pull ups [chair assisted if needed], planks, dips..etc...you will start to really speed up your metabolism, burn fat and it is a great starting point BEFORE you even attempt to pick up a weight. Go ahead and read NROLFW while doing the BW exercises.

You can make it a circuit..for example off the top of my head 

Start with 15 bodyweight squats

25 jumping jacks

15 walking lunges - each leg

25 jumping jacks

15 push ups

25 jumping jacks

15 (assisted- if need) pull ups

25 jumping jacks

15 dips

25 jumping jacks

End with 60 secs in plank position.

That's just an example of a very basic, very beginner circuit training.

As your fitness increases, repeat until you can do 3 sets of above..moving as swiftly as possible without compromising form. You could also increase reps//ie: instead of 15 make it 20, etc.

Shred will work..as most exercise will work...if you compliment it with proper nutrition. Shred was made to help people start exercising..many of whom have never or haven't in a long while. It's three basic levels...graduating through the 3rd level with ease means you are ready to move to a more intermediate level.

Best of luck

 

Original Post by fitnessgirll:

Original Post by classicdesigner:

Could you please give me examples for the strength training ? or a video ? because I don't know what's strength training ! I know it's stupid :(

 If you have never lifted weights..start off with body weight exercises. In the FAQ section of this forum you will find a link to My Body is a Barbell..which should explain and demonstate the form and exercise.

Doing bw squats, lunges, push and pull ups [chair assisted if needed], planks, dips..etc...you will start to really speed up your metabolism, burn fat and it is a great starting point BEFORE you even attempt to pick up a weight. Go ahead and read NROLFW while doing the BW exercises.

You can make it a circuit..for example off the top of my head 

Start with 15 bodyweight squats

25 jumping jacks

15 walking lunges - each leg

25 jumping jacks

15 push ups

25 jumping jacks

15 (assisted- if need) pull ups

25 jumping jacks

15 dips

25 jumping jacks

End with 60 secs in plank position.

That's just an example of a very basic, very beginner circuit training.

As your fitness increases, repeat until you can do 3 sets of above..moving as swiftly as possible without compromising form. You could also increase reps//ie: instead of 15 make it 20, etc.

Shred will work..as most exercise will work...if you compliment it with proper nutrition. Shred was made to help people start exercising..many of whom have never or haven't in a long while. It's three basic levels...graduating through the 3rd level with ease means you are ready to move to a more intermediate level.

Best of luck

 

 ^^ This. You don't have to overwhelm yourself by trying to start out wth weights. These things will get your muscles burning really good by themselves .

Try to enjoy the process and I hope you feel alive as you take better care of yourself

 

Hey!

It all sounds like great advice regarding the workout stuff...but if you don't feel good about yourself, it's not going to make much difference!  You should try to figure out why you are so down on yourself and work that out....you are so much more than the number on the scale!  Ask your friends - they obviously like you despite your weight - find out what they appreciate about you and learn to appreciate you also.   BTW, there are no stupid questions when you are trying to learn....

Keep your chin up!

For home use a lot of people are starting to find kettlebells a fun and useful alternative to commercial products. They are a little expensive to start off if you want a lot of variety (about $4 a pound in general), but if you use them frequently it's a lot cheaper in the long run and some people use them exclusively. Many gyms are also starting to add them to their weight rooms and group programs.

A blog you might want to try is http://tracyrif.blogspot.com/2006/11/first-po st.html to see another woman's story. I must warn you though, there is a bit of a religious fervor among many of the KBers but in general they are a great addition to any workout regiment or even as a sole means of exercise. I've used them with decent success (along with running and traditional weight lifting) and recommend them for anyone who would like to tone and do cardio at the same time, or just add some variety  to their programs.