Hello everyone. My name is Melissa, I'm 27 years old, 5'4" and 245lbs. I bought the book and read through it a while ago. I was supposed to start the workouts a long while ago, but I didn't. No excuses, I just didn't do it.

I tried my first day last Monday, but I waaaay over did it on the weight for the squats and I was in too much misery to go at it again by Wednesday. A week later and I've finally recovered. I plan to start again tomorrow, with more reasonable weight.

The formula in the book would have me eating a bit over 2600 calories on workout days, and I just don't know if I can possibly eat that much! (A fat girl that can't eat that much?!) I've been going with a normal 2000 calorie diet for the last week and doing my best to follow the 40/30/30 on macronutrients. Does anyone have some advice on this?

P.S. THANK YOU to whomever posted the link to the instructional video on the Prone Jackknife. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get on that damn Swiss ball.

Everybody is scared initially. I know I was! But let me describe the feeling you get when you do your second round of part A. It's a sense of accomplishment, it's realizing you are not only stronger, but smarter than you thought. You become a "weight lifter" that sounds pretty impressive eh? You realize that the exercises aren't that scary and you become eager to see what your maximum deadlift is (because you now know what the hell a deadlift is). Your bum becomes tighter, your pushups become easier, your routine has been memorized and you're ready to start stage 2. Only this time you feel like you're going to dominate the new exercises instead of fearing them. It's not just about gaining muscle, you're gaining pride and confidence in yourself.

Hey ya'll

Hope you don't mind if I join the party here...

I just got the book in the mail and have been reading it before bed the last few nights. I recently made the switch from starving myself to fueling my workouts and it's done wonders for my energy level. Based on all the reviews I've seen on this site, I decided to pick up the book and see what it had to stay.

I plan on starting the program May 1 (which is 1 month after my switch to eating more), weighing in with a brand new scale (I tossed out the old and broken one when I started eating more, and just purchased a new one), so it's like a fresh new start. I am 28 years old, and currently weigh in somewhere between 270 and 280 at 5'9. So, pretty large, and I'm hoping that will not impede my progression to this program from using a grouping of the few exercises I knew how to do with weights and body weight. I am hoping the book I purchased with NROL4W (Women's Health: Big Book of Exercises) will be helpful in finding alternate exercises when there are those I just *can't* do.

I will be taking progress measurements on Monday mornings, starting in May, and I will be measuring several things to track my progress: Body fat percentage (I got an Omaron hand-held gizmo), measurements in inches, pounds on the scale, and because the doctor suggested it, I will also be tracking my blood pressure.

Anyway, that's me!

Hey all!

I'm 22 and I just graduated from college. I've always pretty much been an exclusively-cardio type of person until the last couple months where I added strength training. I did the first workout last night and I'm looking foward to doing my first B workout tomorrow! I will probably be doing the workouts at home for a little while until I gain confidence/familiarity with the equipment and what I can do. Luckily I have most of what I need with the exception of a low pulley system but I'd like to do it in the gym so that I have access to more weights. I'm planning on taking 'before' pictures today which is something I've never done before... eek! Feel free to add me!

Hello,
I bought the book a couple of weeks ago - going to get some weights at the weekend, ready to start on Monday.....

I'm 35, have lost about 28lb, but still have about the same to lose. I like eating so doing it by diet alone was never going to suit me....reading this book makes sense & I am very much looking forward to starting.
Currently eating about 1650 calories a day, not losing on this but hoping I will see a difference once I start. I'm 5'4 and currently about 165lb.

I'm thinking about starting this today, but I'm afraid that I will stop losing weight. Unfortunately, the number on the scale is important to me.

My name is Amanda. I'm 31 and losing weight through counting calories and cardio.

I'm thinking about starting this today, but I'm afraid that I will stop losing weight. Unfortunately, the number on the scale is important to me.

My name is Amanda. I'm 31 and losing weight through counting calories and cardio.

Hi Amanda, try not to think about the scale too much (I know it's hard) as although it may not move much you will loose inches. I'm starting this week but in the last 2 months I have been doing more on the weight machines at the gym, alough my weight hasn't changed much I have lost inches and people who I havent seen for a while think I've lost loads of weight.
My plan is to take measurements and pictures at the start and then as I finish each stage, hopefully this will show my progress even if the scale doesn't reflect it.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

Hi All!
I am Susan, 35 (36 at the end of May) wife and mom to 2 crazy boys (6 and 4). I haven't been on MPF vey long but I am certainly glad I am now. As of today I have decided to give NROL4W at try. I have been looking around the group and I think I like it. So my 1st step will be to get the book and see what I am in for. I am 10lbs from my goal and I am starting to want a more musclar tone then to just be "skinny" so this seems like the perfect place for me to be. I will start the program soon!

Hi Im Jess,

Just finished Stage 1, workout 1B today.
Read the book a month ago. Have been eating at TDEE-15% for a month, ready to really start lifting now.

Nice to meet you all.

hey im Serra in New Zealand. just discovered that there are groups and boards on here hehe. have bought this book and recently joined the gym and had been alternating cardio with weights but with no real plan. really want to tone up my muscles but am scared of getting bigger... am a recovered anorexic so am careful now to eat enough for the exercise i do, just dont want to get bigger now that im at a healthy weight!

I am a 37 year old mother of 2 and stepmom for the past 7 years to 4 more! We have 2 ausie shephards and some chickens!
I am currently working toward Nursing School as a career change now that my kids are almost all grown.

I did the lifting for women over a year ago, but then got busy with wedding planning and life etc, so it went to the sidelines. I would like to start up again now that I am losing weight and trying to get back in shape. I enjoy running when I get out there and have the time, but mostly I have resorted to throwing myself into yard work for exercise as we have a big yard that has been let go for the past two years! I really enjoy getting my workout in without having to go to the gym, so not sure I can encorporate that with this program. I only go to the gym on Tuesdays for the most part because my daughter has gymnastics and my Gym is right accross the freeway! I get about an hour total to work out.

Anyway, I guess that is enough rambling!

Nysia

Ooh me next!

I'm HisChild, and I am wrapping up Stage 1 of NROLFW. I will finish special workouts A & B today and Saturday. I am inspired by so many women getting not only fit, but strong bodies and using weights to do so. I recently joined Eat Mor to Weigh Less and upped my cals about a month ago. My eating hasn't been the best so I haven't lost a single pound in a month I actually gained weight on my spring Break and haven't taken it off. But I'm determined to do this right and see if it works so i'm sticking it out and moving on to stage 2 eating better, taking measurements and forging ahead. Nice to meet u!

Hi all.

I'm Michelle. I'm a 39 year old (who am I kidding...I'll be 40 in October) mom of nearly 3 year old twins. I have been on a weight loss journey for about the last, oh...I don't know...10 years? Probably longer than that, but it was 10 years ago that I first joined a formal weight loss program (WW) in anticipation for my wedding. I have been on and off of WW for the past 9.5 years, having some great successes and then of course putting it back on. Rinse, repeat. You know the story.

Then in December of 2009 I got pregnant with the twins. I followed a nutrition plan during my pregnancy that had me eating a LOT. Pretty much all healthy foods, but still a lot more than I would have normally. I don't regret it one bit, as I believe it's a big part of why I was able to carry perfectly healthy twins to full term. But after the twins arrived, I was at an all time high weight - 240 lbs. At 5'9", that put me in the obese category.

WW did help me lose 50 lbs since the birth of my twins, but I had stalled out on that and was looking to change it up. I am now sure that the reason I didn't have much permanent success with WW was that I wasn't really doing any significant activity. I was just cutting calories. Since switching to MFP in March, I have been more inspired to get active and have added in some fairly intense walking intervals, which have really helped improve my stamina and cardiovascular health (which was previously pretty sad). I have also done various light strength workouts, mostly body weight exercises and some dumbells.

So here we are in May 2012. At 181.2 lbs, I am getting closer to my weight goal (ideally around 150, but my short term goal is 160, which will put me back in the healthy weight range) and now want to focus on getting stronger and fitter. I've heard all the praise of this program on the message boards here and my interest is piqued. Getting to the gym just isn't in the cards for me right now, so I will be doing the program at home. I do have a barbell and some plates, a weider universal machine and some light dumbells. I'm willing to invest in a few other pieces as needed to make this work.

I'm a little anxious about making such a big change to my diet after being on the "cut calories to lose weight" boat for most of my life, but I am willing to take the leap and see what happens.

Okay, so this has turned into a small novel. Sorry about that. I'm delighted to have found this group. I hope to finish reading the book in the next day or two, determine if I need to get some more equipment to get started, get that sorted and hopefully start the program later this week or early next.

I look forward to sharing stories with the others here on this leg of the journey!

Hello all! My name is Amanda I am a 35 year old woman. I am an ED RN working 3 13-hr shifts a week and OT and per diem on the side here and there. I have two preschoolers, a nice husband, two dogs and 5 chickens! I started NROLFW several times I'm currently 4 workouts into stage 1 and joined a gym across from my hospital this week. I start work at 630a, but the gym is open at 4a - ooof! My CW is 172 and I would be very happy @ 155 - 160. My goal is to be healthy, strong and keep a strong core so I don't get hurt at work (a lot of pt lifting and sometimes pt wrestling - haha.)

My struggles are having a work out schedule with an irregular work schedule, being SORE and then on my feet for 13 hours, and eating consistently and cleanly at work when it's difficult some days to even pee.

Hi I,m Joy. I am 40 married to Miles and have 3 children marcus 16 and twins Piers and lydia who are almost 8. I am a keen runner but also starting to do some strenghth training. I have read the book but found it a bit confusing and am going to read it again, Just done my first half marathon so running has taken priority lately also doing a marathon in October but really need to tone up so want to really get into lifting. I use kettlbells regularly but we have weights at home that need to be used. will need lots of support as not naturally a strong person but have good endurance.