Training Routine- Beginner Female

[AM1977]

I am happy to have found this site, but am VERY overwhelmed with all the information.

My issue: I workout - mainly cardio and some weights - Ive upped my cardio and try to stick to a very clean diet but I seem to maintain a weight around the 140 mark - I want to drop to approximately 125. I am 5'4.5- I measure myself to see if there is any progress - NONE. Its frustrating and leaves me feeling unmotivated. Once unmotivated, I tend to get down and frustrated and find it hard to get into the "routine" again.

My routine:
Cardio - 4-5 times a week, or whenever I feel I have the energy to run for half hour/ 45 minutes
Weights - Try for 3-4 times a week. I concentrate on lower body because this is my problem areas. Lunges, Squats etc.



My diet (When I stick to it)

Meal 1: 1/2 Oatmeal & Protein Shake (6:30 am)
Meal 2: 1 TBSP Almond Butter (9:00 am)
Meal 3: 1 cup vegetables, & small piece chicken, or white fish (11:30 am)
Meal 4: 12 Almonds & Protein Shake (1:45 pm)
Meal 5: Large green salad with chicken (5:00pm)

*Meal 6: Emergency meal (12 almonds, or Protein Shake) ... so I dont start nibbling on bad food before bed (9:00pm)



This time - Ive found this site, and I am hoping that with the help of even one person - I may be able to change this cycle

We have the very basic machines downstairs, so if someone could help me figure out a routine for body parts using dumb bells ? I can be a very militant person - BUT the problem is that I need to be told "exactly" what to do - and when to do so -

Any suggestions for a workout routine for weights?? Should I be doing specific body parts on different days? or a full body routine on weight days?? = What weight should I use, and what sort of sets/ reps should I be doing?? -

[smdiskin]

Hi...
I'm not suprised you don't have the energy for cardio with the little you eat... and there are hardly any carbs there...
I weigh the same as you and this is approx what I might eat in a day... and it's far from perfect
Meal 1 approx 1hr pre w/orotein shake (in between organising the baby) made with skim milk (approx 20g protein) and slice of wholemeal bread and cottage cheese (0530)
Meal 2: post w/o: shake again and banana(0800)
Meal 3: apple and handful of nuts (1100)
Meal 4: large chicken breast, ~2oz (dry weight) brown rice, lots of veg(1300)
Meal 5: slice of wholemeal bread and cottage cheese ro something liek that... (1500)
Meal 6: steak/porkchop/lambchop etc with portion of rice/pasta ~2oz (dry weight) and either veg or large green salad... (1900)
That's somewhere around 200 calories... and usually I eat more than that... I only do about 40mins of lifting 5 times a week and have very little time for cardio... and if that's all I ate I would definitely lose weight... but I also indulge in other things as I'm not trying to lose at the moment...
Don't just concentrate on the lower body as there is no such thing as spot reducing... I would even suggest at this point that you do 3 full body workouts with at least a day between each week...
As you lose the body fat it will come off all of your body... not just your legs and you may find that you need a little more muscle up top to balance things...
Unless you are dieting for a competition etc or need to be very strict... for whatever reason... there is no such thing as bad food... a little of what you like is good for the soul... even if it is chocolate or chocolate chip cookies or something... too much of anything is bad for you... people think lettuce or oranges are healthy... but if all you ate was that.. you would be ill... so the thing to look for is balance...

[AM1977]

I guess I have it in my mind that carbs are not the best option. I will try to add some brown rice, into a few of my meals, or even baked yams as a snack into my day. I just find then after long periods of including carbs in my meals, if I drop them, i find that i lose 4-5 lbs within a few days- everytime I eliminate them....

I know that I cannot spot reduce, so perhaps I should just be patient - it just seems that my hips, thighs etc. - the numbers do not budge no matter what weight (135 - 155lbs). My waist and upper body (chest) seem to be the only thing that changes .... I find that so frustrating because I have never been as active as I am now - especially with running on the treadmill etc. -you would "think" my lower body would stop being so stubborn!!

Thank you for your response, and I will take a closer look at the meal plan you outlined =)

[smdiskin]

I guess I have it in my mind that carbs are not the best option. I will try to add some brown rice, into a few of my meals, or even baked yams as a snack into my day. I just find then after long periods of including carbs in my meals, if I drop them, i find that i lose 4-5 lbs within a few days- everytime I eliminate them....

I know that I cannot spot reduce, so perhaps I should just be patient - it just seems that my hips, thighs etc. - the numbers do not budge no matter what weight (135 - 155lbs). My waist and upper body (chest) seem to be the only thing that changes .... I find that so frustrating because I have never been as active as I am now - especially with running on the treadmill etc. -you would "think" my lower body would stop being so stubborn!!

Thank you for your response, and I will take a closer look at the meal plan you outlined =)

When you eliminate carbs from your diet intermittently like that... the weight you are losing is water which is bound into your system by the carbs (oversimplification I know... )so as soon as you deplete your body of the glycogen in the muscles etc (the carbs) you lose a couple of pounds of weight... this is not a real weight loss and is (I suspect) not very good to be doing as a regular thing...
Eating properly and consistently with a well thought out work out plan which has a combination of heavy (moderate to heavy) weight training focussing on compound movements like pressing movements, squats, rows and deadlifts rather than isolation exercises like curls etc (you can still do them if you have time but they shouldn't be the focuss of the workout) and some CV... (vary it to keep youself from getting bored) will help you lose the weight you want to lose.
Most women store more fat on the legs, hips etc and it is the last place to go... however if you work on reducing overall body fat, it will actually come off there as well... and if you also build a little in the upper body it will balance better and look less fat...
BTW... I'm sure there are people here that will suggest a better meal plan... this is just what I do ... and works for me... it is far from perfect and I often supplement with cod-liver oil and a multi-vitamin...
I think the thing is balance... it's not a healthy lifestyle if you spend your life obsessing any more than it's healthy just to ignore stuff and let the weight pile on...
All the best

[AM1977]

Thank you =)