Re: Workout -- DietLowCarb.com

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Date Posted: 18:55:11 06/23/02 Sun
Author: Sherry
Subject: Re: Workout
In reply to: carolyn 's message, "Re: Workout" on 13:25:19 06/23/02 Sun

Hi Carolyn,

I used to work out at a gym about 10 to 12 years ago. I learned then how to use the various machines etc. About 6 years ago, my husband and I bought a weight machine at Sears, but like most people I used it rarely. It has the overhead pull down bar, a place to lift your knees up and pull weights there, it has a place to hang your body by your arms, and pull your knees up to your chest. It has a butterfly (which we never use because it doesn't work well) and a place to push the weight straight out from you while sitting, plus one to push weight straight up above your head.

The last one can be done sitting or if you remove the seat, from a squatting position (semi-standing).

So I "started" with these basic excercises. At first some of them hurt so badly I couldn't do many, but they are getting easier. We also have a free weight bench that my husband's brother loaned to us. Basically a bench for laying on, where you can do the leg lift, the butterfly, or bench press.

I'm not yet real into free weights, but expect to use them more and more for variety.

I live in California, and it is rare to have a basement in your home here, but I live in an old house we bought that was built in 1910, and it has a full above ground basement below the main living quarters. I've been gradually completing the basement, putting up sheetrock and making "rooms" down there.

One of my rooms is my excercise room. I've been gradually adding equipment to it. In addition to the two weight benches/machines, I added a TV, Video Player, several excercise videos, floor mats, and most recently I bought an "ab crunch" weight bench where you put weights on the back, reach above your head from a sitting position, grasp two handles and using your ab muscles crunch down pulling the weights with you, (this was purchased used at Play it Again Sports).

I also bought a used healthrider for warm ups and cardio. Plus very recently I bought (at Walmart for $14) an excercise ball. I generally use that upstairs because the carpet in the main living area makes it more pleasant here.

Three parts of my home gym were only purchased this month when I decided to get serious about things (the ball, the ab crunch, and a set of free weights with the bar for lifting). Plus I "repaired" the free weight bench which needed some nuts and bolts to make it work right again.

What I started with is the overhead pull down both in front and in back of my head. Started at 50 pounds at the beginning of the month. Up to 70 now.

Started the push away excercise at 40, up to 50. Started knee raise and that one was HARD, it hurt, but now it is easier, doing 50 or 60 pounds (can't remember) sets of 15 reps.

The ball is maybe a good thing to start with if you don't have this other equipment. If you do have a place for equipment, people sell them used in the paper all the time for half the money you might pay for them new. My healthrider cost 20 dollars used, the free weight bench we essentially borrowed, but I doubt if the guy who loaned it to us is ever going to ask for it back (my husband's brother). The ball is cheap, and comes with a list of various excercises that look easy and somewhat are, but which has some pretty good workout to them.

Another thing you might look for is a magazine I recently found. It is called "Muscle and Fitness--Hers." The male version has been out there for years, but this one is geared toward women, and has some good instruction on how to use certain free weights.

I bought a hundred pounds of free weights plus bar for about 30 some dollars at Walmart, so it isn't that difficult to get started if you know how to do the various things.

If not, it is good to start at a gym and get a little knowledge so that you don't hurt yourself in the process.

Building muscle is the best way to lose weight. Muscle burns more calories even while at rest. When I used to go to the gym, I didn't diet at that time, but worked out about every other day, in the process went from 230 something down to 176 or so. Kept it off for some time as well because once you have muscle it doesn't go away immediately.

But 2 babies and many years later, my weight gradually crept back up to wind up at 282. Two years ago at the end of March I started on Atkins, and almost immediately lost 17 and a half pounds. Over the next 8 months I continued to lose until I had reached 232. Over the last couple of years I have gone on and off the diet, increasing my weight and decreasing it, but not falling much below that 232.

I figured out just last month that the reason for this is that I was probably consuming way to few calories for my weight. I started trying to have better eating habits, eat more often and make sure I eat a little more per day and lost down to 227.

This month I have added weight training, and (I admit) haven't been as careful about eating enough calories, and have dropped to 225. The difference this month is that the weight seems to be redistributing itself, and I look thinner than I have before when I got almost this low.

My measurements are way different than they were when I first reached 50 pounds off. Even without losing much additional weight, I've dropped a LOT of inches over the last couple of years.

I assume (because of eating additional protein) I have replaced fat with extra muscle. Protein builds muscle.

Anyway I agree, I have got to get this weight off. It is leaving slowly reluctantly, but the combination of diet and excercise this month has made a lot of difference. I haven't gone through the fluxuations I usually experience (bouncing scale constantly changing what I weigh) and have gone straight down from 232 on the first of this month to 225 more recently.

The no cheat challenges have helped with that too. Being strict about the diet and sticking to it makes a difference.

Anyway Carolyn, I've probably told you way more than you ever wanted to know, but hang in there, good luck, and if you need to know anything more, just ask.

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