Were/are most of you already fit?

jessimurph

I read nrol4w yesterday and am ready to start tomorrow. I've been browsing this groups discussion and it seems like a lot of you were already fit prior to starting this. I am breastfeeding a 5 month old and have quite a bit of belly fat (never had 'the belly' before now) to lose and a healthy layer of fat everywhere else. The last two months I started to take my weight loss seriously and lost 20lbs and I have almost 20 left. I'm just worried after finding this group that I need to keep doing what I'm doing for another 10lbs or so and then start this program.

Upping my calories is my main concern even though after reading the book my brain knows not upping my calories may cause muscle loss or at the least hinder my muscle gain. Why is upping calories such a difficult thing to wrap our heads around...?

samntha14

Not it! I was NOT fit before starting and I started did a month of body weight exercises and cardio before starting stage 1. I definitely feel fit now though lol.(Starting stage 7)

jamkat

Not me! And i'm still not. I have 35 lbs to lose. I'm 3 workouts away from starting Stage 2. I've actually gained a couple lbs so far, but I feel stronger and better than ever! I look at it this way - when I finally get to my goal, I'll have muscle tone and be fit and healthy instead of just skinny fat.

Good luck and Welcome!!

RunEloiseRun

I was NOT fit before starting this. I was about 200lbs. I had only done light "barbie" lifting before (as the book calls it).
I am not thaaat fit yet either, but the book has massively improved my strength and confidence.
I am losing fat (the scale may not move much, it hasn't for me) and my body is starting to really firm up.
This program is amazing and do not like the book or the boards intimidate you!
I am barely in Stage 3 and I am so glad I started this program.
Go for it! (:

MyOwnSunshine

I had been working out for a while, but wasn't super-fit by any means. Start where you are and build on what you got. You can start this program at any level.

An extremely fit person can get just as much of a workout as someone who hasn't worked out, simply by adding weight.

Give it a try. If you need to start at body weight, or close to no weight -- do it. If you need to do fewer reps per set at the beginning -- do it. It's not a competition and you won't get sent home or made fun of if you can't do every single rep perfectly. Stage 1 is really long to provide a base for the rest of the stages. Add some cardio in on your off days to improve your endurance, and you will see rapid improvements.

If you look through the progress posts at the end of each stage, you will see people at all fitness levels. I think it's cool to see improvements, no matter where people start or finish.

Polly758

I have been fit in the past, but I started this program after two years of being completely sedentary. I had to start all the leg exercises at body weight only and they were still horrible.

beccarockslife

I had a reasonable level of fitness but with 90 lbs left to lose it wasn't ever going to be amazing. I've just finished stage one and the difference is really noticeable and my strength has massively increased.

The best thing about it is you can go at your own pace.

woodsygirl

Nope, I had lost a good bit of weight (I was 200 pounds) but i'm not where I want to be. I have given up the idea of being thin, and i'm trying to go for what I think looks healthy and fit.

holleysings

I weigh 198-200lbs (and did when I started) and consider myself fairly fit even though I'm still overweight. I lifted weights regularly before this, but no other program has changed my body in such a short time as this one has. I'm in my last week of Stage 1 and the results are ridiculous. The great thing about this program is that anyone can do it since the starting weights are up to you. Just start where you can and push yourself every workout. You'll do great!

Daisy80

I am in week 2 of stage 1 and I am not fit. I have been doing home exercise DVD's and became quite good but I have gained a lot over the summer and I am still hoping to lose weight. Even though that is not quite true. I don't weigh myself at the moment as I know it will only discourage me. I only take measurements and pics. I am hoping to have a 26" waist at some point and I am currently at 30".

Compared to some other ladies on here I am a little weakling but I don't mind that. Everybody is different and as long as the workouts are challenging for me I am doing it right. That's how I see it.

Give it a go! You'll love it. Also you only workout 3 times a week (more if you want) so seeing that you're a mother it might be good for you not having to work out everyday.

karensoxfan

I'd been sedentary for the better part of 10 years before I started too. When I first joined the gym in March, I did cardio only for about a month before I started NROLFW. And I feel a lot more fit now than I have in a long time.

I feel so fit now, that I just walked the Boston Marathon for the 2nd time on Sunday, with virtually NO DOMS!!! My feet, shins, hips & knees weren't thrilled with me at the end, and they were a little sore the next day, but I only had minimal, if any, muscle soreness. Now it's 2 days later now, and I feel fantastic & ready to get back to the weights tomorrow. And I'm still obese by a few pounds, with a BMI in the 30-31 neighborhood (I'm 5'5" and I've had weigh-ins bet. 182.5 - 187 over the past week).

Last year, I walked the Boston Marathon only a few pounds heavier (weighing 187-190?) with almost no training (foolishly, but emotionally), and could barely walk for days afterwards my legs were so sore.

andrea9873

I'm halfway through Stage 1 and as you can read in my profile although I was smaller and weighed about 20 lbs less, i was in no way more fit...i couldn't run a mile without passing out, I didn't lift anything more than an 8lb "barbie" weight...
I love how I'm now gaining muscle and losing fat!

chicbuc

No way, no how. I was beginning to get fit. I was more concerned with being fit, but I've never been fit a day in my life...lol. I'm on my way, though.

catpow2

Yes--but just because I was doing a lot of running. So fitness in terms of cardio but I had to start with 'barbie' weights. If you stay on the program your strength should improve pretty fast. Start at your own pace/level and work up. You don't have to be 'in shape' to do this workout. And I ctually I saw the most gains in the month after I started. Lately I've been crazy busy at work and haven't been as consistent in terms of lifting and I've been under eating just because of lack of time so I'm just looking skinner but not necessarily strong and lean like I want to. I need to resume the program regularly and start eating again so I can get back to where I was. Good luck!! It's a great program.

knb2000

I am so glad you asked this question because I have been scouring the boards looking for just this info. I'm down almost 20 pounds but still have about 70 more to my ultimate goal and I want to start now to build muscle so that I don't have as much flabby skin. I was scared that this would slow down my weight loss and I would get discouraged. So glad to hear that this is not the case. Well, it will slow down but not stop my weight loss..