exercise novice

glowgirl14

So...I'm sure there are tons of posts on this topic, but I'm not sure how to find them...I just wanted to know what people's thoughts are on exercise.

I was thin when I was younger, and never had to "exercise". Gained significant weight in my 20s and now I am down 65+lbs. I wear a size 1 or 2 in pants now, small or medium tops. But without clothes, my body is sort of sad looking now. Plus I have been struggling with this wretched plateau around 130 for over a year now. My calorie intake is way too low -- I tend to aim for 800 to 1000, and mostly hit around 600 when I'm super frustrated and trying to force the weight off. (Please, no one yell at me...I realize this is dangerous. I don't want to do this...and the 600 calorie days are the ones where I hate myself the most -- more than the days when I overeat.)

When I look at all of the people here who are losing at 1200 to 1400 (or more) I get super frustrated. I know I need to start an exercise routine...but I have no idea where to really start. I am a little scared of gaining weight...but at this point, I'd much rather *look* better than be focused on some arbitrary number on the scale. Even if I could starve the calories off, I just don't think I am going to be able to sustain my goal weight at this point without some kind of exercise.

I have a fairly active lifestyle, and my schedule is virtually non-existent. I travel quite a bit, and it's really hard to sustain any "normal" routine.

So...with that background info, two questions...

1. Does anyone know of an exercise routine that is flexible enough for travel? One that I could conceivably do on the road (meaning, no fancy equipment - not all hotels have this, and it's not likely that I'll take a lot of heavy stuff with me when I'm traveling...)

2. Where do I start? I'm thin on the bottom, but my belly is kind of saggy, and I have no behind at all. My top half still looks somewhat big. My boobs were a 38 H before I started, and are now down to a 34DDD (and also really sad.) My arms and chest are the biggest parts of me, and I really would like to find some exercises that target them.

3. This may seem silly...but cardio/strength? I know I "should" be doing both...but I have never really "exercised"....


Sorry for the long post...I'm just super lost here, and need some direction.

meghannrenee

If you're already a size 1 or 2 I don't think losing weight is the answer for you here.

What you need to be focusing on is getting healthy. Eat more. Eat Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Throw some snacks in there. Try to make healthy choices, your meals don't have to be large, but they should involve vegetables, a protein, and some carbs. My food diary is open, if you're at a lose of ideas you're welcome to poke around. Eating as little as you are isn't helping your body - when you eat that little your body clings to what you do put into it because it thinks you're starving. Ultimately what that means is that the longer you keep this up, the more damage you're doing and the harder it's going to be to get it to change.

Regarding exercise on the road - you could take up running, and for strength you could pick up some resistance bands. Running can be done anywhere, anytime. No equipment other than your shoes and clothes. Resistance bands are light, they'll fit in your suitcase, and you can find a routine on the internet that you could do with them in a hotel room. If running isn't your thing maybe look up some HIIT workouts on youtube. Or bring a jump rope with you and jump rope in your hotel room - do jumping jacks. This stuff may be old school, but it's pretty effective at getting your heart rate up.

I'm not sure how tall you are, but to put things into perspective I'm 5'-7", usually weigh somewhere between 125 and 130, and a size 2. I'm pretty active (running, biking, and strength training) but even during the days when I didn't do anything I was still eating AT LEAST 1600 calories.

Good luck.

autovatic

I agree with the above poster that what you are seeing as a weight loss plateau may just be a happy weight for you. However, I would seriously take your calories into consideration. When your body is not getting enough calories, it slows your metabolism down, so even though it sounds counter-intuitive, less calories can actually make weight considerably harder to lose. In addition, at "starvation" levels, you start eating up muscle tissue and favoring fat stores, so a lot of hard work could be lost.

I don't have a gym at home, but I do have an Internet connection and a set of free weights - thanks to the wonders of YouTube, this is really all you need. You can find tons of routines to follow along with, including some with celebrity trainers like Jillian Michaels and Ellen Barrett. Searching on the forum here will give you some ideas, and also reviews, so you can pick one at your fitness level.

If you want to run, try the podrunner podcasts - they have a great couch to 5k interval (walk/run) program.

JeffGDDG

The resistance bands are a good idea. I love the kettlebell. Its quick. Its a great whole body workout, etc. And you can do it anywhere. I know running is probably out but walking is good too. Yoga. Pilates. Krav Maga. Crossfit. The trick is finding something you like and can be passionate about.

sevsmom

I've always been a fan of 90 programs like Jillian Micheal's Body Revolution, Chalene Johnson's TurboFire or Chalean Extreme. They are pretty straightforward and effective.

I am a full time working mom with 5 kids and heavy involvement with my church. I still MAKE time for exercise. I work in some cardio on my lunch break, work in videos before/after work, take a nice LONG run once a weekend.

Exercise is like anything else. If you look at it as a chore, you'll find all kinds of ways to postpone or get out of it. If you see it as a privilege and a tool to get you where you want to be, you'll darned sure find the time to fit it in.

frenchfacey

On hulu netflix on demand etc there are short videos u can watch doing all kinds of at home fitness def not meant for workout equipment etc its all floor stuff there is aerobics and yoga mat pilates just do one small video in the morning then stretch at night then tomorrow do two ten minute videos...before you know it...