lili61 Member

Commando. If you wear the spandex type pants, most of them have a gusset sewn in the crotch so you don't have to wear underwear if you don't want to. I have tried SO many different pairs and the few that were wedgie proof created really, really horrible lines and muffin butt. I couldn't deal. I have a large behind so this…

Do you weigh and measure your food? If not, get a food scale, pronto. It keeps you honest with your calorie counts. Is your PCOS being treated? Most women with PCOS that is being managed well (Metformin, etc.) are able to lose weight using CICO.

I eat at maintenance on Friday and Saturday nights when eating out, typically. If I'm staying home, I usually don't have too much trouble staying at a deficit. It really is about creating different habits than those that made you overweight in the first place. I've also been doing intermittent fasting, which has helped me…

Tonsil stones? They are evil smelling.

I have a problem with snacking at night and have tried IF (intermittent fasting). I'm doing a 16:8, meaning that I fast for 16 hours and have an 8 hour window I eat in. I do 12-8, or 1-9, depending on the day. Setting this window keeps me focused and has so far stopped the snacking. I eat bigger, more satisfying meals and…

When I couldn't focus on losing any more, I ended up doing more or less a recomp. Left is prior to beginning lifting, right is probably about a year into it, about 7 pounds lighter. I do still want to drop some fat but recomp kept me sane when I just wasn't in the mindset to lose.

This is great advice. Ideally you'd find a progressive strength program. That's what I did and I modified push ups, etc as suggested above, and now I can do 15-20 on the ground, with good form. I can nearly do an unassisted pull up too. This is coming from someone who had very little upper body strength before.

I notice anyone who is new at my gym, but certainly don't pay too much attention other than that. I respect anyone who is there to put the work in.

There is one woman at my gym who squats more than I do--hopefully I will catch up with her at some point. She is also a tiny thing so she's super impressive.

Wow, thank you! I will spout the benefits of lifting to anyone who will listen! Plus it makes me feel like a badass and I can basically eat at maintenance and still see great results.

Have been struggling with squats. Working weight is anywhere from 125-165 depending on sets/reps. 1RM was around 190 last time I checked.

Yes, I do this program in the gym. You could substitute Dumbbells (for barbell) and resistance bands (for cable machine) to a certain degree, but would be limited in how much you can lift that way.

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement! I posted because I don't know how many lifting before/afters I looked at before I finally got in the weight room myself. If you're hesitating... Get over it and do it! I wish I had started years ago.

I looked at enough photos of women who lift to realize those were the body types I'm after. Not nearly done, or trying to toot my own horn, but the below picture is before and after I did New Rules of Lifting for Women, and only about 7 pounds difference. It totally changed my body and how I look at exercise.

To be successful in the long term, have reasonable balance in your diet. I have no NO foods, just occasional foods.

No, muscle soreness is not an indicator of a good (or bad) workout. ETA: Post the workout you did yesterday along with weight for each exercise if you're really looking for feedback.

I wish I had better before photos, but I was very self conscious about having any photos taken full body! ~190 ~185 and posing to minimize hips ~170 and starting New Rules of Lifting for Women ~160--current. Still a work in progress but feeling more balanced in my lower body!

Now that is great recomp!

It can be intimidating at first, for sure. If you really want to hire a trainer for a few sessions to go over form and your gym does not have any, check with your gym about their policy for bringing an outside trainer in.

Choose a good beginner's strength program -- Starting Strength, Stronglifts, New Rules of Lifting for Women are all good. Read up on the program, youtube videos for form tips. In the case of squats and deadlifts, you can practice with low weight (like a broom stick) to get the hang of the movement and mimic the barbell.…

This is pretty much every gym's business model, not just Planet Fitness. The number of memberships they can extend/collect dues is wildly high compared to the number of members who show up on any given day. It's a great deal for those of us who do go several times a week.

No one is saying you're stuffing your face with unhealthy food. But if you say you believe you're overweight because your metabolism is slow, expect people to question that. Do get that checked out by a qualified doctor if you think that's the case. My advice remains the same. A good strength program will do wonders for…

You 'barely eat' yet find yourself overweight--I could get into this more but please don't kid yourself. Calories in, calories out. If you want to lose weight and put on some muscle, look into a strength training program. Several have already been mentioned -- Starting Strength, Stronglifts, New Rules of Lifting for Women.…

This! It took me 6 months to complete my first lifting program (NROLFW) and while there were changes along the way, I didn't personally notice any major changes until 4-6 months in. My before is 170, just before I started NROLFW, after is 162, right after I finished.

Agree with the Stronglifts recommendations. I wouldn't bother doing splits (different body parts) as a few have recommended. A full body routine like Stronglifts should be great for you.

In that case, I think you should definitely look into working with a PT. A PT can work with you to develop strength and programming that will work for you. If fitness is something you want to keep after, I think this step is crucial in preventing further injury.

You definitely don't have to--just a suggestion! I don't know if you're planing to lift heavy, but if so I think you'll find your muscles pretty fatigued for a Bodypump class. Just depends what programming you decide on and how you feel.

For the sake of simplicity I think a full body lifting routine 3x per week would be more beneficial to you. Personally I don't believe splits are necessary for beginners. A full body program like New Rules of Lifting for Women or Stronglifts would do wonders. I would also cut the Bodypump classes if you're going to be…

None.

Not to rain on the parade, but I would be skeptical of those results as well. Unless you've gained a serious amount of muscle, that is a HUGE jump in RMR.