Gym Help!

SansSerif421

So I'm 5'4", 126 lbs and have become the dreaded "skinny fat" after losing almost 40 lbs. I got a gym membership and plan on lifting weights but I don't know what I am doing. I plan on going to the gym every other day and doing a Jillian Michaels video and cardio on off days. I walk to work and back almost every day (2 hrs).

So here are my questions...

My gym has a 10 machine circuit. Is it better to do this or free weights?
Is it ok to only do 1 set of 8-12 on each machine? Or should I be aiming for more?
Is lifting more better than lifting longer?
Is it okay to work all major muscle groups in one day?
Can I still lose weight while gaining muscle?
Should I be eating different foods on gym days?

I started MFP at the recommended 1200 calories, then I read I should be upping cals, so I went up to 1800 and back to 1600 with a little gain but nothing huge. I've lowered it again to 1400 but I only seemed to lose weight or notice a difference in my body at 1200 cals a day. AND I was patient with upping my cals (2 weeks at 1800, a month at 1600)

I've read so much contradicting information and I'm not sure what to do.

I'm looking to lose inches/fat and don't really care about the number on my scale any more - I just want to wear a bikini one day. I've been at a standstill with weight loss and measurements and in turn am getting lazy with MFP. I want see improvements, it gives me the motivation I need to keep working at it.

Any answers or ideas on what I should be doing would be greatly appreciated!

ChangingAmanda

As you said, you're ok with your weight but you want to look better. To do this you need to focus on lowering your body fat percentage instead of losing weight and the best way to do this is strength training while eating at a maintenance or a slight deficit.

Two popular strength training programs are Stronglifts 5x5 and New Rules for Lifting for Women. They advocate high weight, low rep, compound moves. Stronglifts is a free download but the NROLFW is a book you'd need to purchase or borrow. There are also several groups on here that can help with guidance.

If you know anyone that does weight lifting, see if they'll workout with you a few times to show you how and introduce you to the equipment. You can also see about doing this through the personal trainers at your gym (if the gym has them and you can afford to purchase a few sessions).

As for your questions:
-Free weights are better than machines
-Low rep high weight is better than lower weight high reps
-Yes, it's ok to work all groups in one day. Compound moves like deadlifts work your whole body
-To lose weight you have to eat at a deficit. To gain muscle you have to eat at a surplus. So no, you can not lose weight while gaining muscle. What you can do is lose fat while maintaining and strengthening muscle. And for women, it's very difficult for us to build muscles and bulk up because most of us do not produce the right combo of hormones to do so.
-Some folks eat the same. Some folks eat more protein. As with any fitness goals, you need to find what works for you.

Also, don't worry if you start to gain weight the first few weeks once you start a program. Your muscles will start to store water and glycogen to help repair themselves from the workouts. This can cause "newbie gains" and it usually goes away after a few weeks. The best way to judge your progress would be to take measurements, pictures, and pay attention to how your clothes are feeling.

This is a good post about determining your calorie needs: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

Good luck!!

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MzYoga

Hi, I got a personal trainer at my gym for a couple of sessions when I started. The trainer was really good and gave me great advice about machines, free weights, and nutrition related to exercise.
MzYoga