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Success strength training with only dumbbells?
I was going to start NROLFW (New Rules of Lifting for Women), but my gym (Planet Fitness) doesn't have most of the equipment I'd need. I still want to try strength training though, and my gym has lots of dumbbells at different weights. Could I just use dumbbells for strength training and skip all the fancy equipment?
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NROLFW Diet
Do you guys follow the diet plan outlined in the book, or do you still eat the calories MFP gives you? I'm at 1650 calories now (more on days when I exercise) and I've been losing weight steadily. Should I keep doing what I'm doing now, or switch to the diet the author recommends?
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Free weights vs. Machines
I recently joined a gym, and in mine the upstairs room has all the cardio machines plus a weight section with dumbbells and a couple of machines. Then the bottom floor has ONLY various weight machines. Being a total noob to strength training, the machines make a lot more sense to me than the free weights. Can I still get…
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Can you use an HRM while stregth training?
I was on another thread yesterday, and someone mentioned in passing that you can't use an HRM when strength training. Is this true? It never occurred to me before that person said it, and I was planning to use my Polar FT4 when I did NROLFW.
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Starting NROLFW in a couple of weeks...very nervous
I am very much a beginner when it comes to strength training. I use the "barbie dumbbells" the author keeps talking about and that's about it, lol. I don't know how to lift anything heavy, or how the machines work. There are no personal trainers at my gym (I'm a Planet Fitness girl), and the weight section is always…
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Do you eat anything special post-workout?
I never really know what to eat after I workout. Today I had a shake made with raspberries and greek yogurt, so I tried to get some extra protein in. Do you have specific post-workout foods, or do you just eat whatever you like?
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Anyone here do yoga? (mini-rant included)
I've done yoga on and off since I started college (I'm a junior now), and my strength and flexibility always get better when I do it. I believe more advanced practitioners could easily use it as their sole form of strength training. But a lot of people here are just into lifting heavy and think everything else is wrong.…
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Advice for running in cold weather?
I'm still very new to running. I've started the C25k program at least 3 times and still haven't made it past Week 2. The last time I ran outside was earlier this year in the fall when it was relatively warm. For those of you who run outside, do you continue to run when it gets cold? If so, what gear do you wear? Do you…
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What qualifies as strength training?
Is it anything involving weights, even 5lb. dumbbells, or is it just lifting heavy? Does it include resistance bands, or is that strictly resistance training? Just trying to understand the terminology. I like low weights and high reps (not popular here, I know), but don't know if it counts as strength training.
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Do you judge people by their tickers?
Just curious. If you see someone give weight loss advice, does the amount of weight their ticker says they lost influence your opinion of that advice? Do you disregard someone who's lost 2 pounds but agree with the person who lost 95? I look out of curiosity, but I doesn't effect my opinion of the post. If the number is…
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Does it bother you...
...when people who eat 1200 calories or less brag about how they are "stuffed" eating that amount and "couldn't possibly eat anymore"? Depending on the situation and who you're talking to, the implication is generally that people who eat above 1200 are lazier and have less willpower. I understand wanting to be able to…
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TOM and weight loss
Ladies, does your weight loss screech to a standstill when your period is about to come (TOM was short for time of the month, if you didn't know, lol)? I'm sorry I'm asking such a personal question, but let's face it, for women hormones tend to have a HUGE impact on our weight. My weight loss has completely stopped for the…
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LADIES: Sports Bra Suggestions?
I wear a size 34D in bras, so I'm rather large chested. ;) I've tried the zip-up Under Armour bra and I LOVE IT, but I only have that one good sports bra and I want to buy more. Are there any other brands/types that you recommend? I like high impact workouts like plyometrics and running, so I need something that's really…
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How many meals do you eat each day?
I've heard eating 5-6 small meals a day is better for your metabolism than eating 3 large meals, but I'm so used to my 3 meals a day that I rarely follow this advice. The meals aren't huge, the portions are much smaller than my meals were before I started losing weight. And I eat small snacks in the afternoon and evening,…
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Tips for running outside?
I'm doing the Couch to 5k program, and so far I have always used the treadmill at my college gym because I can go no matter what the weather is like and it's safe (I live in NY, so running in a park at night isn't very smart, lol). But I know there will be days, like this weekend, where I will have to run outside because I…
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Stress and Weight Loss
When I stick to my calorie and exercise goals and am diligent in my tracking, I usually get results. But I've been going through a great deal in my personal life that I would rather not disclose here, and as a result, my stress is through the roof. Because of that, my weight loss has pretty much stalled. I'm going to keep…
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How do you feel about working out in groups?
I'd never been too keen on working out with friends -- I was afraid that I would be too easily distracted and not push myself like I do when I'm on my own. But two close friends of mine are trying to get in shape and wanted someone to exercise with who had some experience, and I fit the bill. :) We went to the gym together…
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Dear 1200 calorie eaters...
Can't we all just get along? There are always debates on MFP about calorie goals, and I think we've all been a part of at least one in the time we've been here. From what I've seen, it started with people who eat higher calories jumping on people who eat lower calories, and now the 1200 calorie people are getting annoyed…
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Dear short people -- we don't need to starve ourselves!
I'm 5'3, and have been able to lose steadily eating 1600 calories a day, sometimes more. if you're short, your calorie goal will be smaller than someone who's taller, but not by the huge amount some people think. People who are 5'2 or 5'3 do not HAVE TO eat 1200 calories to lose. If you do that, and it works for you,…
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Staying full on a healthy diet
I hate to admit it, but I find unhealthy foods (bacon, white bread, full fat cheese, etc.) much more filling than the healthier options I know I should be eating. I've done well so far today with my food, but eating like this kickstarts my metabolism and makes me hungry all the time. And munching on fruit (which I don't…
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Will I ever be good at running?
I had asthma as a kid, but it's much better now that I'm older (20 to be exact). I hated running in high school P.E because I got winded so easily. Now I'm doing the Couch to 5k program and having the same problem. The first day went okay -- I got out of breath toward the end of each running interval, but I got through the…
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Anyone NOT eliminating food groups and still losing weight?
It seems like most people giving weight loss advice recommend eliminating a food group (fat, carbs, etc.) as the "right" way to do it. But if you don't have a medical reason for doing so, I don't see any real reason to. Those of you who have lost a decent amount of weight, did you feel you had to eliminate a food group to…
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What counts as "cheating" for you?
Is it eating over your goal, or can you be within your target calories but have something "bad" and still consider it cheating? Just curious, since so many talk about cheating on here. For me, as long as it's within my calorie goal, it's not cheating, even if it's something unhealthy like chocolate or a cheeseburger.
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Jealous Coworkers
Anyone on here dealing with jealous coworkers at their job? I have one, and thought I'd vent a little. She's 30-something (I'm 20), and has been trying to lose weight for a long time. She's not really overweight, just curvy, but she would prefer to be thinner. She brags about her healthy eating habits and always talks…
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Does everyone notice your weight loss except YOU?
I feel like that's happening to me. Family, friends, and coworkers are starting to notice I've lost weight. But the truth is I haven't lost very much (around 10 pounds total, I started this before joining MFP), so I don't notice the differences yet. Last year I lost 20 pounds and didn't feel like many people noticed it…
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What's so bad about low weights/high reps?
I'm considering getting the book New Rules of Lifting for women, because so many people on here have recommended it. But in discussions of it, and in the sample of the book I read, I noticed the general consensus seems to be that women need to lift heavy to see real results, and that low weights/high reps routines were…
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Do you aim to burn a specific number of calories?
I'm 5'4, 164 pounds. A lot of people and websites suggest you should burn around 500 calories per workout. I know it's just a rough estimate or example most of the time, but it worried me because I NEVER burn 500 calories exercising. Usually I burn anywhere from 200-400, depending on what I'm doing and how long I do it…
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Starting Couch to 5k today...advice?
I'm starting the Couch to 5k program today, and I was wondering if those of you who have done it have any advice or tips. I'll be alternating between doing it on a treadmill and in parks, anyone have experience in both? What did you think of the program overall?
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Why I hate the word "cheating."
There are a few threads up right now about "cheating" on your diet. Whether or not you should do it, how often you've done it, how it affected you, etc. But the terminology in and of itself has serious flaws. First of all, in my opinion losing weight long term is about making a lifestyle change, not going on a diet. Making…
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Workout shoes
Does anyone have any tips for shoes to workout in? Right now I use K Swiss Tubes, and they work pretty well, but I know I'm going to need new shoes soon. What do you guys recommend? Did you go to a specialty store and spend a lot of money, or did you walk into your average sports store and get something affordable that fit…
