Hey everybody!

[sarahsarah]

I'm new to the site, i"m looking to get back to the weight I once was. I'm 5"2 and (shamefully) 200 pounds. I'm a full time student but I'm looking to lose some weight I've gained over the past few years. All of my past weight loss attempts have ended one way or another and I've always ended up gaining the weight I lost back, and then some. right now, i want to get back from where i started (50 lbs ago). i miss my collarbones desperately. Because of a recent injury to my ankle, I can't run anymore. any workout plan suggestions?

 

[PLB_old]

I would suggest starting with weight training 2-3 days per week, trying to cover all of the major muscle groups each time (8-10 exercises is usually good). 2-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions is a decent starting point - start with lower weights and higher reps (12-15) to get used to the exercises, later on progress to heavier weights and slightly lower reps (8-12). Use the weight training as your base, then add other activities and cardio as much as possible outside of that.

I'm posting a couple of articles for 'light' reading. It can be a lot of reading, but it will be very helpful for getting you going.

http://training.fitness.com/weight-loss/training-fat-loss-51064.html

Nutrition 101 – www.body-improvements.com

Because of your ankle, have you considered doing any exercise in the pool? Deep water walking can be a great form of exercise that is easy on the joints (Damien - Water Running video Feb 2009 - YouTube). Other options would be using equipment that places a bit less stress on the ankle, but it might be a matter of trial and error to find what works - other cardio equipment includes rowers, upright bikes, recumbent bike, arm bikes, ellipticals, or cross-trainers - you will have to test them out to see what feels OK.

Just start slowly and give yourself rest days in between workouts. Try not to take on too much at once, just add more activity as your ankle permits.