New and could use some fresh ideas for the gym!

Apparently StrongLifts has worked for many people on here. But I also only get to go to the gym 3 days a week - and I take full advantage of the weights and skip the treadmill/elliptical/cardio machines entirely. Day 1 - Chest/tri, Day 2 - Legs, Day 3 - back/bi. I mix shoulders in with my leg and back days. If you still want the cardio - do a 20 minute warm up on the stairblimber - and do burpees or mountain climbers between each exercise at the gym (3-5 times per gym session - lasting at least 60 seconds)<-- HIIT workouts ftw

Good luck!

You don't have to give up treadmills or cardio. But add in some weight training with free weights. Stronglifts= stronglifts 5x5, means 5 sets of 5 reps of an exercise. Squats, bench press, over head press, bent over barbell row, deadlifts are 1 x 5, and any accessories (curls etc.) You want is typical lifts you would do (heavy compounds 95% of lifts with few other stuff). Then like I do 15-20 mins of hiit at the end of workout then do again (you have a workout A and B that you alternate on your workout days so you don't do exact same thing each workout. But you do squats and bent over rows every time.)

The idea each time you do squats (and all other lifts except accessories) you add another 5 pounds and do that weight 5 x 5 then another 5 pounds next time etc... start off light (figure out 1 rep max and use that to figure out your working weight to begin which is ~50-70% of your 1 rm)

Best diet tip I could give is get rid of your weaknesses. If cookies cause you to indulge often don't have them around and avoid being around them as much as you can. Like an alcoholic should avoid being around alcohol you have to avoid those problem foods. After a few weeks you will lose the want and be easier.

Also make sure you eat food for your meals, with fiber, protein, and fat to help keep you full. Rule I followed for months (still do) is protein at every meal and snack. It is ok to have snack so plan out couple snacks during the day so that they are planned snack/snack time.

Eat your calories, if your goal is 2000 eat 2000 don't go under or over (in general more important to hit weekly goals than daily, you can do good 6 days a week then blow it on 7th day. So as long as on Sundays it show "calories under weekly goal" as 0 then you did good.). If you aren't losing like you want then lower your goal by changing daily activity level (in MFP) or changing how many pounds you want to lose per week.