No idea where to start!

paigex_
paigex_ Posts: 1 Member
in Getting Started
I have just started the gym and have no idea where to start!

I did ask an instructor and he showed me a few leg exercises but I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of an exercise plan to lose weight?

Also, could anyone recommend a quick breakfast (not including fruit, porridge, cereal or milk. I find it very hard to eat on a morning as it makes me feel sick for some reason. I find this is worse when I eat fruit for breakfast. I don't like the other foods mentioned.

At the moment I'm eating:
Breakfast - Toast or Bagel
Dinner - Jacket potato with tuna/chicken/beans and a pear
Tea - Chicken (1/4 plate) with rice (1/4 plate) and salad (2/4 plate)
Snacks - Orange and mixed nuts

I don't know if this is good or bad? My main problem is not knowing what exercises to do.

Thanks!

Replies

  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
    From that food list, you aren't getting enough veggies or dairy in your diet but have quite a few carbs. Set up your goals here and let MFP tell you what your macros and calories should be.

    Doing a combo of cardio and weight lifting will help you lose and tone at the same time. Go check out the exercise forum to get ideas of how to do that.

    My best idea for breakfast is an egg omelet with veggies, or add a poached egg to your toast/ bagel. Greek yogurt is also good. Eggs and yogurt give you much needed protein.
  • lorabledsoe
    lorabledsoe Posts: 29 Member
    Strength training every other day and cardio every day. This has been great for me. I mix it up, I like to take Zumba, Pilates, and yoga classes, and on days that I don't do classes, I swim laps for an hour or do 30 minutes of weights and 20-30 minutes of cardio machines like elliptical, stair master, or stationary bike.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    Exercise is for fitness, calorie deficit for weight loss

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • Jesslane93
    Jesslane93 Posts: 190 Member
    I got to the gym every second day, for an hour. I do half hour of cardio, and half hour of strength straining. Strength I do leg press, shoulder press, lat pulldown, row, chess press. 4 sets of each, 15 in a set. The weights I use is so it starts burn around the 10th press and push through to the 15th.
    With cardio, bike for example. I will go pretty hard on lvl 5 for about 2 minutes then put the lvl up to 7 for 30 seconds going as hard as I can, and then back down to lvl 5 for another 2, and repeat. (always going hard enough so the legs burn the whole time)
    And once a week I will do five minutes of abs.
    On the days I don't do gym, I will try go for a 30 minute walk.
  • raywoodhams
    raywoodhams Posts: 4 Member
    Hi Paigex
    I have a lot of sympathy with your position and offer the following advice from my own experience.

    First of all eating breakfast - If you don't want to do it, then don't. There is no universal rule that says you have to eat when you get up. I have retired recently, when I was working I never had breakfast, just a cup of tea and a cup of coffee. after retirement with more time in the mornings I started eating breakfast, and of course, I put on weight. The important thing is to eat a good balanced diet.
    I would agree with SharonNehring that you ought to get some more vegetables in the daily diet, and drop some of the carbs. Jacket potato and Rice in the same day is probably overdoing it, having said that, one of the beauties of the approach taken by MyFitnessPal is that there are no forbidden foods, just keep an honest (and it really is important to be honest) log of what you eat, then review regularly. One thing I have found that helps is entering the meal into my computer before I eat it, that way I can modify it if it turns out to be too calorific. Obviously you cant do that all the time as you don't always have such control - ie if you are eating at a friends house. but you can correct later. And don't forget that going over target on one day is not the end of the world, you can compensate the next.

    There really is only one rule in loosing weight: Reduce intake of food and/or increase levels of exercise, every other advice is simply elaborating on that.

    That brings me to the issue of the gym, daunting places when you start aren't they. Just remember the golden rule above. It doesn't matter what you do, as long as its a bit more than you used to do. By the end of your gym session you should be sweating a bit, and feel a bit out of breath. Spend some time experimenting on all the machines in turn, you will find that some (cardio) are designed to increase your heart rate by repeating relatively low level exercise over a longer period, some you will like, others are a pain, personally I enjoy the cross trainer and cycle, don't like running or rowing. You make the choice and don't worry what others say is good for you, essentially they do the same thing - increase heart rate. Others (strength) are designed to focus on particular muscles and involve moving heavier weights a few times. Try them all, you will feel which muscles are being exercised. Some machines look odd, if you don't understand how to use them ask an instructor and start with a very low weight setting till you get the hang of the movement, then gradually increase. remember all this exercise is new and therefore better than nothing, you don't have to push the same weights as everyone else, just gradually increase your own target. Some people find exercise classes help, personally I don't, but you might find they do. Don't be worried if you find them daunting, just don't go, and keep up the individual exercise. And don't forget to log it all on MyFitnessPal, so you can see your progress.

    Finally, Have fun. have a sauna and/or jaccuzzi to wind down when you have finished in the gym, have a swim if your gym has a pool attached, if your exercise regime is a drag, change it, walk, cycle, play sport the gym is not the only way to get exercise, but it is one of the most expensive!!

    I hope this is helpful. Don't be put off by all the technical stuff, eat a bit less, exercise a bit more and the weight will start moving.
    Ray

Categories