So after 1 month on Orlistat i have lost 9lb (apparantly thats 4 blocks of butter, wish I could see that off my thighs!). Im really pleased, but now I have to have the motivation to keep going and not celebrate with food like I usually would. (BTW, I started on 15.8, so now down to 14.13). I think what helped me aswell as the pills was cutting out a few meals on the days that im not exercising, not having carbs everyday, im a regular at the cinema and am a sucker for icecream, so i will have an icecream instead of a meal. I also read that to loose 1lb, you need to brun 3500 calories, so I've been making sure to do this every week.
So I'm going to the gym more, but I'm not seeing the results I want. At the moment I'm on the treadmil high incline, fast walking pace till i burn 300 calories and have gone 5Km, going to two body pump classes a week and swimming once or twice. I don't feel fit enough yet for the high intensity classes, as i feel deflated if I can't keep up. Ive also started doing 100 stomache crunches and 50 push ups with each work out, which is 3-4 times a week. Does anyone have any suggestions for a good work out, that can also include toning my arms?
Summer is not my thing, but I'm going to use it to my advantage and try to get outside more!
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MissLiz
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Well done on your weight loss Thats an impressive gym routine. At my heaviest I started off with aqua fit and gym sessions and then progressed to different types of classes - the trick is to keep changing what you do after a few weeks and gradually build up the intensity. The instructors will always give you alternatives so even if its high impact e.g. Body Attack, there's a level for everyone. I enjoy Body Combat (good for arms) and its really good fun.
I would find a better exercise than a crunch - it can be hard on the back - alternating knee raises you will feel just as much - keep postural alignment and target the whole core. Sadly crunches will not "spot reduce" body fat in that area.
Also on the treadmill ignore the calorie figure - use it as a guide - rather than having a high incline all the time vary the incline and the pace try to aim for a distance or a time then you can progress them over time - faster or further.
Bike, elliptical and rower are also good things to try too.
Try a class or ask the class coordinator which classes are suitable for your goals. Some groups are more supportive than others!
Thank you for the advice, ill take all this on board immediately!
Hi MissLiz,
I thought of a few things as I read your post.
I think I would encourage you to think of the process as a kind of re-training programme.
I mean, start with the question - why am I overweight? The answer to that - don't do enough exercise / eat the wrong types of food / eat too often / eat huge portions / whatever - is what needs to change for you to find your normal weight body.
Don't rush at weight loss, the rate of 9 lbs over a month is fine, and that sort of rate will permit your body to adapt to the changes in your eating and exercise/activity regimes and also for you to get used to your new eating and exercise/activity habits.
Execise really does help the process along, though whilst ab crunches might tone up your ab muscles and perhaps help you to hold your midriff better, they probably don't do that much in terms of helping you burn fat.
I'd suggest exercises that you can use to work up a "bit of a sweat" with, and perhaps even something as simple as a nice brisk walk with arms swinging could serve that purpose.
And stop to consider this for a moment. You've done two seriously important things already.
1. You've stopped gaining weight - for reasons that have been explained many times on these blogs, overweight people will normally get more overweight. So if you've stopped gaining weight, then you have "bucked that trend".
2. You've lost some weight - you actually HAVE got on the weight loss bus. You're not sitting on the sidelines talking about it any more - you're actually doing it.
Welll done and good luck with your weight loss journey.
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Thats an impressive gym routine. At my heaviest I started off with aqua fit and gym sessions and then progressed to different types of classes - the trick is to keep changing what you do after a few weeks and gradually build up the intensity. The instructors will always give you alternatives so even if its high impact e.g. Body Attack, there's a level for everyone. I enjoy Body Combat (good for arms) and its really good fun.
Feeling really down - need some encouragement
Ok I was feeling really down earlier, I fell off the wagon and had a comfort eating moment :-( :-(
Liquid meals do it for me
Moussaka tonight. :-)
