New here...looking for exercise routines...

**ernurseali** · 01-07-2009 09:18 AM

Hello! I'm new, found this site when I did a google search for weight loss forums. I'm 24 years old and I have struggled with my weight my entire life. 2 years ago I started walking 3 miles a day and limiting my intake (by way too much was not the healthiest way to diet) but I did manage to go from 235lbs down to 165lbs (I'm 5' 9") literally went half my siz (size 20 to a size 10) Now I have gained back 10lbs (thanks to work-I'm a nurse and we are always given way to much junk food by the hospital, staff members, and patients families)

I really would like to be about 150lbs but I'm so tired all the time its hard to get a good work out routine in (I work 2 jobs-one is a 12 hr shift 3-4 days a week in a huge ER/Trauma center, the other is 8 hour shifts 2 times a week in a long term care facility) So when I get home from work I am so tired working out is the last thing on my mind

Also what I'm really looking for are some great workout routines to take to the gym with me to kind of mix it up (i'd like to go 3 days a week) but it tends to get repetative because I do the same things over and over again so I need some ideas how to mix it up...anyone have any suggestions or use a certain routine that worked for them?? I tried researching some sites but no luck-i usually have to buy something to get the routine...

thanks for any help!!!

**sourpuss** · 01-07-2009 02:23 PM

You best bet would be to talk to a trainer at the gym and have them show you a few things with the equipment that is available. I like to take the classes that are offered, mainly spinning (cycling). Other than that I just mix it up on the thread mill for 15-20 minutes, then do some weights and ab exercises and then another cardio machine. Jumping rope is a good workout as well. Sometimes I take a matt, some hand weights and a jump rope to a corner by a clock and do 3 minutes of skipping, 3 minutes of ab exercises, 3 minutes of hand weights, 3 minutes of pushups and stretching.....repeat 3 or 4 times.

**not-so-invinsible** · 01-07-2009 02:38 PM

agree with sourpuss ... try spinning .. great cardio and if you love music the tracks used in this class are usually from techno to house to rnb to dance musics ... ah natural high

**Ariaanna** · 01-07-2009 08:43 PM

Hello there I to am new and this is my first forum ever. yeah. I am 29 and a mother. i to have struggled with my weight. i am 5 foot and after each of my kids was at 250. I have lost 65 pounds and at a stand still. If you come up with any pointers could you pass them on. Lucky for me i guess I do not look my wieght. but i want to loose another 45 pounds. If i come up with any advise I will be sure to pass it on.

**sourpuss** · 01-07-2009 10:32 PM

What did you do to lose the first 65 pounds? You body has probably just become accustomed to what you were doing, you need to switch it up and get a jump start again.

I can't really give you any advice without knowing what your diet and exercise is like at the moment.

**missladyluck** · 01-08-2009 03:58 PM

I heard it's best to stay away from cardio and gyms. Instead, try doing various strength exercises at home but do them in bursts a couple of times a day.

Also, you need to alter your metabolism, which is achieved by altering the 'way' you eat your meals throughout the day.

oh, and don't forget LOTS OF SLEEP... my favourite hehe

**ernurseali** · 01-08-2009 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by sourpuss

What did you do to lose the first 65 pounds? You body has probably just become accustomed to what you were doing, you need to switch it up and get a jump start again.

I can't really give you any advice without knowing what your diet and exercise is like at the moment.

To lose the first 65 lbs i became so obsessed with what i ate and how much exercise i got...it wasn't the healthiest way to lose weight...not at all just thinking back to the calorie restrictions i gave myself looking back i dont even know how i had the determination to not eat-i think it had a lot to do with stress more so i was finishing nursing school and in a very bad relationship...

At the moment i do try to watch what i eat...every nnow and then i get the craving for a candy bar and i'll let myself have it.. the big thing i have to watch is the snacking, i'll go to the break room at work and grab a handful of something then go back an hour later and grab a handful of something else and its not healthy stuff...so i've started bringing a stockpile of healthier snack foods with me to work (apple, pretzels, nutrigrain bars) to refuel myself (I work 12 hour shifts and i get 1 30 min break in those 12 hours-usually not until after i've been there 9 hours) so i'm running nonstop so i do burn off a lot of stuff...its the days that i'm off and bored at home i really have to watch myself because i am tempted to sit and snack because i'm so used to snacking all day at work, its so hard to explain because i'll do great one week then the next week forget it its awful lol
Oh and the other big problem is that when i finally get a break its only 30 min so i scarf down my food and end up eating way more than i usually do because i don't have enough time to let my body realize its full...

As for exercise i'm just doing 2-3 days a week for an hour-not much just a little cardio (about 30-40 min) and some weights to get some tone I dont really have the time and energy to do much more than that-I have an hour commute to work so on the days i work 12's thats near impossible to go to the gym if i want sleep so i have to do it on the days i have off (far and few between and the days i work 8 hours)

**Little** · 01-08-2009 11:06 PM

Originally Posted by missladyluck

I heard it's best to stay away from cardio and gyms. Instead, try doing various strength exercises at home but do them in bursts a couple of times a day.

Also, you need to alter your metabolism, which is achieved by altering the 'way' you eat your meals throughout the day.

oh, and don't forget LOTS OF SLEEP... my favourite hehe

Staying away from cardio is not the answer. Cardio works, it's just complicated. A fat burning heart rate is a little bit lower than a true "cardio" heart rate, but you have to maintain that heart rate for 25-30 minutes at least.
That's where the gym comes in: while you are learning your limits, learning what the fat burning range looks like, many gyms have equipment that will measure that for you and adjust the difficulty of the exercise. This helps keep you from OVERexercising yourself. The thing is, you need to educate yourself about exercising, health, and technology. You have the greatest tool at your fingertips: the internet. Look up what you can do to save yourself from wasting money, but always remember the caveat: anybody can put anything up on the internet.
Strength exercises can help you out with cardio, but they're not really the way to lose weight.

**sourpuss** · 01-08-2009 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by ernurseali

To lose the first 65 lbs i became so obsessed with what i ate and how much exercise i got...it wasn't the healthiest way to lose weight...not at all just thinking back to the calorie restrictions i gave myself looking back i dont even know how i had the determination to not eat-i think it had a lot to do with stress more so i was finishing nursing school and in a very bad relationship...

At the moment i do try to watch what i eat...every nnow and then i get the craving for a candy bar and i'll let myself have it.. the big thing i have to watch is the snacking, i'll go to the break room at work and grab a handful of something then go back an hour later and grab a handful of something else and its not healthy stuff...so i've started bringing a stockpile of healthier snack foods with me to work (apple, pretzels, nutrigrain bars) to refuel myself (I work 12 hour shifts and i get 1 30 min break in those 12 hours-usually not until after i've been there 9 hours) so i'm running nonstop so i do burn off a lot of stuff...its the days that i'm off and bored at home i really have to watch myself because i am tempted to sit and snack because i'm so used to snacking all day at work, its so hard to explain because i'll do great one week then the next week forget it its awful lol
Oh and the other big problem is that when i finally get a break its only 30 min so i scarf down my food and end up eating way more than i usually do because i don't have enough time to let my body realize its full...

As for exercise i'm just doing 2-3 days a week for an hour-not much just a little cardio (about 30-40 min) and some weights to get some tone I dont really have the time and energy to do much more than that-I have an hour commute to work so on the days i work 12's thats near impossible to go to the gym if i want sleep so i have to do it on the days i have off (far and few between and the days i work 8 hours)

Well, it sounds like you are doing all the right things and you know what to do and what not to do. The healthy snack thing is key for you so you don't get to the point of starving and then stuffing yourself in that 30 mins. I imagine you do need a snack every hour or so with your job.

Keep busy at home so you're not sitting around eating all day without burning as many calories.

Switch up your workout at the gym. Try a new machine, try splitting it between two machines with a warm up, high intensity and then a cool down. Can you take a cardio class?

It just sounds like you've sort of plateaued and need to switch up what you've been doing. Can you walk the stairs a few times per shift at work? I know that's probably the last thing that you want to do but I think just a few flights up and down 3 or 4 times a day would help a lot.

**cmoneileena1** · 01-11-2009 01:00 AM

For all of you ladies who seem to be stuck I want to extol the virtues of lifting weights. Lifting weight builds muscles. Muscles need more calories to keep themselves running than other types of cells, so the more muscle you develop, the hotter your metabolism will burn. If you lost a lot of weight on just cardio alone then I salute you! Great work and keep up the cardio it is VERY important for a healthy heart and a healthy lifestyle. Throwing in some resistance training a few times a week can really kick your metabolism into high gear. I am def. NOT saying you need to become a muscle bound gladiator or anything like that at all. Lift just enough to challenge yourself every time you do it and you will be amazed at the results. If you have never lifted weights before then I strongly recommend you see a professional trainer to show you the ins and outs of proper lifting as you can REALLY get hurt if you do not lift correctly. Most gyms offer a free trial that comes with a consultation with a trainer (especially at this time of year). If you choose to learn about lifting online then the one most important thing I can say to you is this... if you are going to lift weights, make sure you spend at least 15 minutes warming up with some type of cardio before you so much as look at the weights. if you don't you could end up with PERMANENT injuries. Be Careful and Enjoy!

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