n00b here, need input/help on fat loss

[Lana2782]

female, 21, 5'8", 170lbs about 30% bodyfat (yikes!!!)
chest 40.5 in
waist 31 in
hips 42 in

i'd like to get that down to 140lbs (though i'd be happy at 150), 20% bodyfat, get my waist down to 25in and my hips to 35in (though my chest is probably gonna shrink too, oh well, as long as it stays in proportion).

I'm in college and don't have much time to work out, but here's my current routine

Cardio
monday, wednesday, friday: 30 mins elliptical trainer, 15 mins running/walking (i don't have much endurance, so I run as much as i can and then walk for a bit)
tuesdays: 30 min tae bo video at home
thursdays: belly dancing

Weights, i shoot for 3 sets of 15 with as much resistance as i can take and using mostly free weights
Monday: abs, back, lunges, squats, calf + leg raises, back extensions, adductor/abductor
Tuesday: abs
Wednesday: upper body (biceps, triceps, flys, lat. pulldown, back extensions)
Thursday: off
Friday: lower body again, see Monday

I usually take Saturdays and Sundays off, though i probably end up dancing or something

as for diet, i have a hard time sticking to something really strict due to my lifestyle, but i try to follow some basic rules
-no or very little sugar
-no white rice, potatoes, pasta, white bread, i try to have brown rice and whole grain bread instead
-lotsa protein (i have a shake formulated for cutting/dieting right after i work out), chicken, fish, pork, beef--i eat it all.
-green veggies, i like brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers
-i can't seem to live without the dairy, so i have my shake with 1% milk (i know that's not the greatest, but i can't gag it down otherwise), and i have some cheese on the occasional sandwich, etc.

I AM DETERMINED TO SUCCEED THIS TIME!!!!! I've been trying to lose weight for as long as i can remember, and even though my boyfriend and friends tell me I look just fine, I don't think I'm the best I can be. So please, help me out, let me know if what I'm doing will help me achieve my goals!

thanks :-)

[Lana2782]

oh and i forgot, i'm thinking of buying some supplements (though I'm broke right now) I did some research on this site (which rocks btw) and came to the conclusion that i might want to buy

1. MP thermorexin or lipo 6
2. some sort of carb blocker, don't know which one yet

it's a lot of money, so i'm wondering if it's worth it. i.e. will it significantly increase my progress?

[Lana2782]

man it's worse than i thought...weighed myself today for the first time in a while....177!!! that's gotta change asap.

i should get around to measuring my bodyfat too...

[GymRookie]

Originally posted by Lana2782
female, 21, 5'8", 170lbs about 30% bodyfat (yikes!!!)
chest 40.5 in
waist 31 in
hips 42 in

i'd like to get that down to 140lbs (though i'd be happy at 150), 20% bodyfat, get my waist down to 25in and my hips to 35in (though my chest is probably gonna shrink too, oh well, as long as it stays in proportion).

I'm in college and don't have much time to work out, but here's my current routine

Cardio
monday, wednesday, friday: 30 mins elliptical trainer, 15 mins running/walking (i don't have much endurance, so I run as much as i can and then walk for a bit)
tuesdays: 30 min tae bo video at home
thursdays: belly dancing

Weights, i shoot for 3 sets of 15 with as much resistance as i can take and using mostly free weights
Monday: abs, back, lunges, squats, calf + leg raises, back extensions, adductor/abductor
Tuesday: abs
Wednesday: upper body (biceps, triceps, flys, lat. pulldown, back extensions)
Thursday: off
Friday: lower body again, see Monday

I usually take Saturdays and Sundays off, though i probably end up dancing or something

as for diet, i have a hard time sticking to something really strict due to my lifestyle, but i try to follow some basic rules
-no or very little sugar
-no white rice, potatoes, pasta, white bread, i try to have brown rice and whole grain bread instead
-lotsa protein (i have a shake formulated for cutting/dieting right after i work out), chicken, fish, pork, beef--i eat it all.
-green veggies, i like brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers
-i can't seem to live without the dairy, so i have my shake with 1% milk (i know that's not the greatest, but i can't gag it down otherwise), and i have some cheese on the occasional sandwich, etc.

I AM DETERMINED TO SUCCEED THIS TIME!!!!! I've been trying to lose weight for as long as i can remember, and even though my boyfriend and friends tell me I look just fine, I don't think I'm the best I can be. So please, help me out, let me know if what I'm doing will help me achieve my goals!

thanks :-)

Lana,

Seems as tho your on the right track.........:) But, may I make a few suggestions............You may want to up your Cardio to at least three times a week (30 mins working your way up to 60 mins). Cardio will help big time in losing weight. You may also want to spread out the Abs workout, say Monday and Friday, don't do them two days in a row, ya have to give the muscles time to recup. Dieting: I understand your problem with going to school, but with a little planning I think you can do it, I did. Try to eat 5 small meals a day. Check out some of the other ladies journals and you will be able to see what type of meals they are preparing for themselves. Remember try and eat as clean as you can. Sometimes its just not possible, but for the most part it can be done. I've lost 60 lbs in a little over a 12 month period, that was 18 months ago and I've kept it off and the way I did it was from the suggestions above..........lots of Cardio, watching what I ate and of course weight training.

I know you can do it, its just a matter of setting yourself with small goals, once you make that goal then set another one.

Hopes this helps a little.

Good luck................:)

[Lana2782]

im glad someone finally replied...thanks for the input!

to elaborate a bit...i'm not sure whether you misunderstood me, or i misunderstood you...but i already am doing 45 mins of cardio at least three times, but more like five times a week :-) I'm trying to get better at running, so i can do half an hour of elliptical trainer, and half an hour of jogging on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays I do half an hour of Tae-Bo (I downloaded the videos, and they get your heart rate pumping really well) and I look forward to my Thursday night work-out-- belly dancing!! AND I ALREADY LOST 2 LBS IN A WEEK!!!!

I am more than excited :-)

at your suggestion, i'm about to go check out some of the other journals to get some ideas on nutrition that's doable for my schedule. I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to keep up this super-low carb thing for a long time, but I don't have a problem cutting out the sugar, so I'm looking for how many of the "good carbs" I can have while still losing weight. If anyone has some suggestions on that, let me know.

also, thermogenics--is it worth it? if anyone knows about this I'm still curious.

[Ms. Lucy]

Hey there!

I NEED carbs to keep up my energy and am still shocked by the number of bbers who cut them out of their diets!!!

I eat 50%carbs/30%protein/20%fat

My carbs come from:
Brown rice
oatmeal
whole wheat bread
mochi (pounded sweet brown rice)
Whole wheat flakes
veggies
whole wheat pasta

If eating so many carbs scares you, Ms. Fit and other suggest carb rotation. I'm trying to learn more about it to get over a plateau I'm in, but it may also work well for you!

But honestly, you can't stay on low carb and studies show people, after year, stop because it's too restrictive! Carbs also equal energy, so if you're doing cardio 45mins 5x a week, you'll need them, especially right after your workouts (simple carbs).

GI also seems to be the new big thing, but I guess I don't follow that either. I just try to eat food that's not processed and is closet to its origional state. I have been losing weight slowly, even with the few odd treats and cheats, but I also know it will be more permenant!!

Good luck to you and if you need some help with recipes or food stuff, let me know--I'd be happy to give you some suggestions!

Lucy

[hotgymchick]

To embellish on what Ms. Lucy said above :D , its best to skip all that GI, etc. details in the beginning of your weight loss quest. Just focus on eating clean meals frequently and doing cardio, as well as some weights. Once you get lower in BF you can start worrying about thermogenics, specific "diets", particulars such as the GI, and the like. Good luck and feel free to ask any questions!

[Lana2782]

that is great information! thank you so much for sharing it with me.

any "diet" should be no diet at all, it needs to be something I can stick to.

I know I couldn't stick to this low/almost no carb thing forever, so it's good to hear that carbs are ok!

I'll follow your advice and keep eating "clean" and stick to doing plenty of cardio. So far I'm down to 175 from 177 in one week! I'll update on further progress :-)