Paging Nets33

[CCMOM]

Nets,
I have been really impressed by the amount of knowledge you have when it comes to low carb and exercise and the success you have had. I am wondering if you would be willing to be my mentor of sorts. Here is my story:

I am 5'7, 24 yrs. old, 193lbs. Five months ago I gave birth to the light of my life, my first child, Colin. Before I got pregnant I weighed 155lbs. and the day I delivered Colin I weighed 230. Needless to say I gained way too much weight during this pregnancy. I am determined to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and I don't believe it is an unrealistic goal for my height or age.

About a month ago I joined a gym and started working out, mostly cardio with light weights, for about an hour 4X week as well as eating low carb. I did this for about two weeks and got frustrated because I wasn't losing any weight or inches.

I am now ready to get back to the gym and really dedicate myself to this process. My goal is to reach (or be close to) 155lbs. by March of next year.

Can you give me any pointers on what types of exercise I need to be doing, how often, what I should be eating etc?

This is totally voluntary so please don't feel bad about declining. You have just been very helpful in the past and I think you are a good inspiration and motivation for me. Please feel free to email me at coblemommy~yahoo.com. I tried to send you a private message, but I couldn't for some reason. Thanks!!

Bridget

[CCMOM]

I forgot to mention that I weigh 193lbs. as of today so some of the baby fat came off after Colin was born, but the rest is just the plain old fat I need to get rid of. Thanks again for any guidance you can give me.

Bridget

[dane]

Hi CC!
While you're waiting for Nets, I wanted to say a few things. First, your PM's won't be activated until you've posted your 25th post, so get crackin', :lol:

Second........you are very close to me, stats-wise. I am 5'7.5", started low carbing at 5 months postpartum, at ~191#, and am doing weight training and cardio. My pre-preg weight was 153#, although my goal is to beat that, :)

Are you breastfeeding? I still am, and this canmake your weight loss slow. It'll happen, but it might be slow.

IMO your weight training should be (as a beginner) a full body routine, 3 times a week, for about 45 minutes, and alternate it with 2 or 3 cardio sessions, of 20-30' each. This is a good basic plan to get you started.

You can expect to maintain, or even gain a few pounds, in the beginning, as your muscles adjust to the new stress........you'll be holding water. But if you stick with it, AND are faithful to your eating plan (VERY IMPORTANT!!), these pounds will come off and take some friends with it.

The worst thing people do when starting a lifting program is get discouraged by slow weight loss.....or water gain.....but take a look at "success" pictures on this board.....those that didn't weight train almost always still look flabby (at least to me)......they are "skinny-fat". To have a really good body, you need to lift weights, and not light, either (other thanthe first few weeks as a beginner).

Anyway, long post, sorry, but hope it helps a bit. Good luck!!

[CCMOM]

Dane,
Thank you so much for the advice. I am not breastfeeding so that should not be an issue, but I think the problem I had the last time around was I got discouraged by the initial water weight gain from my muscles adjusting and after re-evaluating what i was eating i might not have been eating enough calories. I'm really going to stick with it this time around and not rush myself. I also get in the bad habit of wanting to see instant results and I know this is going to take time. That's why I've given myself until March 06 to get close to my goal. I wish us both success and more importantly enjoying time with our new babies!! Please keep me updated on how things are going for you. I'll get going on more posts so I can send PM's. :)

Bridget

[nets33]

Hi Bridget...

First, I'm flattered! :blush: It's nice to have someone think that I can be a mentor for them. A year and a half ago no one would have said that to me, that is a fabulous compliment and I will take it with a smile. :)

Let's see if I can answer some of your questions for you....

I am determined to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and I don't believe it is an unrealistic goal for my height or age. I think that 155 for 5'7" is a very realistic goal... not unreasonable at all. A healthy average weight loss is 1 to 2 lbs a week. By March of next year you could be down 40 to 50 lbs which would get you close to your goal weight

About a month ago I joined a gym and started working out, mostly cardio with light weights, for about an hour 4X week as well as eating low carb. I did this for about two weeks and got frustrated because I wasn't losing any weight or inches.
Few questions for you...

Are you doing both weights and cardio on the same day? It is best to do weights before cardio.

What type of cardio are you doing? Are you getting your heartrate up to really get your metabolism going and start your body into fat burning mode. I try to do HIIT (high intensity interval training). This has me running for a minute, walking for a minute, running, walking, running.... it is a great way to get cardio done and when I'm done I am tired!

Are you alternating your weight lifting routine? I do an alternating weight lifting and cardio routine that allows my muscles time to heal... example Mon- Upper Body, Tues - Cardio, Wed - Lower body, Thurs - cardio, Fri - Upper Body.... You said you are going 4x a week, which is great. If you can alternate your routine during these 4x it is best to do so. Another thing to consider is that as you become stronger you will need to increase the weights you are lifting... your muscles should be burning after a good weight session.

Are you measuring? There were many times I didn't see the scale going down but I did see my inches going down. The number on the scale is not the only way to measure success.

Can you give me any pointers on what types of exercise I need to be doing, how often, what I should be eating etc?
This is a tough one.... Any exercise and eating plan has to be something you can live with and live with every day of your life. It took me 34 years to find one that works for me. Body For Life (BFL) has been a great program for me but it requires you to be dedicated and follow through on eating properly and exercising.

My suggestions... can you find a workout buddy? When I first started BFL I had a workout buddy. If I wasn't at his house (he had weights and a treadmill) by 6am every morning I would get a phone call. It meant that someone was making me accountable to get my exercise done, no excuses. It truly helped me make it a habit and make sure that I followed through on it.

Now I have have my own workout equiptment at home and I am responsible for myself.... but if I hadn't had that workout buddy when I first started I don't know if I would have followed through.

Exercise... I think you've got a great start for your program. It is best to do cardio and weight lifting. Cardio will rev up that metabolism and the weight lifting will help maintain muscles and also keep your metabolism moving. If your gym has a trainer I would suggest a few sessions with them to get a routine put together. Write it down... and follow through on it.

I use the BFL training routine... and I use the BFL training sheets (they have a link on the BFL web-site). I know what my training routine is but writing it down helps. I know what weights I need to start with and the reps I need to do, I also record how hard I worked myself. It is best to hit your "10" when lifting weights. On my last set of lifting weights I want to really be pushing myself and almost feel like I can't lift anymore. Yes, it can feel exhasting.. but the rewards are great!

BFL is a great motivating book. There are also some ideas on lifting and workout routines in the book. See what books your local library might have on weight lifting.

Whew... this was a long response, and I have rambled on. Congrats to you on your beautiful baby and wanting to get yourself back in shape. It will take time... but you can do it!

Unfortunately I can't access my home email account at work (darn IT police) but am on here often. Feel free to leave me messages in my journal,pm me or here we can continue to touch base here.

All the best,
Kiks :D

[CCMOM]

Nets,
Thanks for the response and all the good info. I'm going to try alternating my workouts so that my muscles have time to heal as you recommended. I'm also going to make sure that while I'm eating low carb that I don't go crazy in the calorie department. I think this is a mistake I have made in the past. I have also seriously underestimated the power of water and have not been drinking enough so I am making sure to get around 100 oz. a day. I'm also not going to be a slave to my scale. This is going to be very hard as I am tempted to get on that stupid thing every day. I'm going to put all these things into practice and see how things go. I just have to give myself time and stick with it. I'll let you know how things go. Thanks again!!

Bridget

[nets33]

Sounds like you are on you way....

One other thing that I have done (that I forgot to mention in my rambling long post) is my meal structure. I have found that eating six small meals a day really curbs my appetite because I'm eating every 2 to 3 hours. I used to go home and pig out in front of the fridge. Now I don't! :) I do have to do a much better job of planning meals and cooking in advance but the benefits are worth it.

Keep me updated... keep motivated! :D
Kiks