Broke College Girl Trying to Get in Shape. Advice?

BrokeCollegeGirl32
BrokeCollegeGirl32 Posts: 10 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hey. I'm 21 years old, 5'4 and weigh 145 lbs. I just started working out on Monday using Weeks 1-4 from:
http://www.simplyshredded.com/the-ultimate-female-training-guide.html
I have to use some alternatives since I have to workout at home but am adding workouts for Wed and Sat. I'm feeling good so far too.

My problem though is that (like the title says) I'm a broke college girl so my diet consists of microwave and fast food. I'm pretty good about not eating when I'm bored and just eating to when I'm no longer hungry instead of "ugh I'm so full I can't move". Still get trapped by sugary food though. So this makes it difficult to lose my fat even though there's some muscle underneath it.

So...any advice about what I can do to burn fat?

Also, loosing weight isn't really my goal. I want to burn fat and replace it with muscle (and since muscle weighs more I won't actually loose a lot of weight).

Replies

  • blazingsun14
    blazingsun14 Posts: 28 Member
    Hey, welcome to MFP!

    Through watching bodybuilders and having a mother who is crazy about fitness, I have learned that the best and fastest way to burn fat is by doing interval training.
    Now what this is..
    You basically walk/run. Walk for 30 secs, Sprint ( going around 80-85% depending on how fast you can go) for 30 secs, walk again, sprint again and so on. You do this 8 times. By the end, you are just gasping for air! It's really good for burning fat.

    Make sure that if you do it, warm up first. You'll get cramps if you don't.

    Good luck!
  • BrokeCollegeGirl32
    BrokeCollegeGirl32 Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks. I hear that's the way to go.

    Any idea about when lifting weights?
    I know that it's best to do 8-12 reps of heavy lifting than a ton of reps with virtually no weight.
  • vespiquenn
    vespiquenn Posts: 1,455 Member
    Being a college student for the last 6 years and recently a broke college graduate, I suggest trying to load up on vegetables and fruits as best you can. If you buy fresh produce, it's not awfully expensive and won't rot your system out like a container of ramen. Been there, done that, so I know how college life can make your body feel awful. Also, the best suggest is to swap things out slowly. With the stress of college, it's hard to quit cold turkey and can cause a binge in the end, so do things gradually. That way, you're not quite shocking your body and triggering you mind that it needs this junk food.
  • Shelgirl001
    Shelgirl001 Posts: 477 Member
    Being a broke single Mom with 2 kids, I've found that drinking lots of water and eating protein and produce, while either walking a lot or running, it a good way to go.
  • gypsyGIRL159
    gypsyGIRL159 Posts: 78 Member
    GET REAL! You're going to have to get real serious to make a change. Habits.... its all about HABITS. GOOD ONES... BAD ONES....

    How bad do you want IT!? :grumble:

    Your dedication, tenacity and DRIVE WILL DECIDE. Or not!

    Whatever you do.... don't put it off until next year!

    If you ARE WILLING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE AND change just one bad habit... it can make a world of difference.

    I dare you to invest in YOU.... CHANGE. TRUST THE PROCESS. EMBRACE THE JOURNEY. NOW.... NOT NEXT YEAR!

    (((HUGGZZ)))
  • 87Djones
    87Djones Posts: 145 Member
    I find best for toning is to keep reps high between 10-15 reps or you can do drop sets along with circuit training.
    Example will be
    leg curl weight 120lbs reps 2, 100lbs reps 4-5, 80lbs reps 8-10 than rest for 30-60 sec.
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    This is a pretty good group to start with.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/10118-eat-train-progress
    (read the stickies first)

    And I would suggest looking into "You are Your Own Gym" , "Convict Conditioning" and
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    Inspiration
    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/
  • MollyNK88
    MollyNK88 Posts: 54 Member
    Look at this article about eating cheaply. There are some good tips and he doesn't say, "Just eat tons of ramen."

    http://andrewhy.de/how-to-live-comfortably-on-36-a-month-for-food/
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    Does your college have a gym and provide access to classes or sporting groups?
    Those are great resources. Use them.

    The single most important thing about getting in shape is being consistent about working out progressively.

    You need to do something: a plan, a schedule that gets you doing something at least 2-3x a week. It needs to challenge you physically. What does it mean to you to get in shape?
    What physical goals do you want to achieve - run a distance? pull-up? lift a specific weight?
    Define those and work towards them.

    Forget rep ranges until you define specific goals. All rep ranges are good. Most people benefit from a mix of rep ranges and to focus on that without defining your goals doesn't yet make sense.
  • ctownsend33
    ctownsend33 Posts: 1
    I'm super broke too. I spend about $20 a week on food for two people. I pretty much live on oat meal, apples, tuna fish sammies, rice with veggies and pop corn. Sometimes I also go for hash browns, eggs and toast for breakfast, or chicken and pasta for dinner

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