Need basic work out advice for losing weight

A

awake

0
I'm a 52 y/o woman who needs to lose at least 80 pounds. I'm shooting for a hundred though. I've been gaining the weight slowly over the past several years.

I was recently diagnosed as having sleep apnea. That means chronic sleep deprivation. It's been linked to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more. Apparently, a good bit of the body's normal functions are disrupted in some way.

I got my CPAP machine a week ago, and I'm feeling much better. I even lost a pound. It's time to go back to the gym, and this time I'm hoping to see some results. But I have some questions.

I'm planning on three days a week of cardio, and three days a week of weight training. My gym has a pool. Should I swim the seventh day, or rest?

When I've gone to the gym before, I found it took almost no effort to reach my target heart rate as defined by the machines. It didn't feel right, so I paid no attention to it. My heart rate was generally way above what the machine said it should be. Is this a problem? I know aerobic exercise burns more fat than anaerobic exercise, but I don't know at what point exercise becomes anaerobic. I want to build strength and stamina, but right now, I want to drop some pounds first. What is the best way to do that?

I think I've got a handle on the weight training. I should do 15 reps at a weight where I can't do a 16th rep. Should I do one set on each machine in the circuit on each of the three days, or focus on certain machines each day and do two sets?

Would a bowl of cereal be a problem say half an hour before?

Diane
 
Welcome Diane.

A lot of open ended questions there. First, let me invite you to browse some of the Stickied posts, found at the top of each forum. These will help with some general education.

As far as working out: if we are very out of shape, the heart really has to work hard and that's why your heartrate is above target range so easily. Don't work yourself to death...just get up into a good heartrate and maintain. over time your body will get better at exercise, and that heartrate will come down if you keep the same pace.

For weight training, let me dispel two myths.
1. high reps = good for weight loss. This isn't true. High reps just build endurance. If you keep the reps to 8-10, with some heavier weight, you'll build some muscle, and that helps burn calories, which helps shed fat.
2. lifting heavy weights will make me bulky like a man. Two-folded falicy here. You need a surplus of food in order to build significant amounts of muscle...and you also need testosterone in quantities found in men. (hint: all those female body builders that look like huge men...they're all using steroids)

as far as how much weight, you shouldn't be wiped out after the first set. If your goal is 10 reps, on the first set you should be able to do 11-12 reps without assistance. By the 2nd or 3rd set, the 10th rep should be tough (but not impossible) to do without assistance. That's how I like to have new trainees figure out their weights.

And, don't forget to warm up first. If you're doing cardio, start with a good brisk walk. If you're doing weights, start with 40-50% of your working weight, and do 12-15 reps, one or two sets. This gets the blood flowing, stretches the muscles, and lubricates the joints.
 
Agree with malkore.

I would check out:

http://training.fitness.com/nutrition/nutrition-101-a-32846.html

It's a great sticky that will help you figure your BMR (The number of calories that your body needs each day to maintain your current weight). Once you know this you will be able to make a eating plan that will keep you in a calorie deficit so that you lose weight.

I would also suggest getting back into your workout program at a slow pace. Not to be offensive but if you need to lose that much weight you are most likely not in great shape and working out to hard to soon can cause injuries that would only make it take longer to reach your goals.

I wish you the best of luck and hope you meet all of your goals.
 
all great points. One sure fire way to lose weight over time is to convert to a more alkaline diet. the research is there. a more alkaline diet will negate the negative effects of an acidic diet. in fact, a very large majority of people in the world have extremely acidic internal pHs (simply put, they have an acidic bodily environment). not only will alkalizing diet effect your weight but it will increase vitality, increase immunity, and make you less prone to degenerative diseases as well as premature ageing. i've been doing tons of research on alkalizing one's body. if you want some more information go ahead and PM me
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top