Hi,now that I have hit the tender age of 30 I have noticed that my thighs, hips, hind-end, and stomach have decided they wanted to spread out. I have finally hit the point where I cannot take it anymore! Can anyone help me set up a program to help me loose weight and shrink my terrible midsection? I started to walk 2.5 miles three times a week with my dog and neighbor two weeks ago and am used to that but I have no clue as to what type of other exercises to do (at home, no club membership) to help my problems areas. I was possibly looking for someone to set a routine for me to follow. Also when should I do these exercised, morning or evening, (Not sure if this is important but, I work at a computer termianl 8 hours a day) If anyone is willing to help please let me know, it is greatly appreciated.

Your primary concern should be your diet. Exercising is great and it will certainly help you reach your goals, but you must get your diet in check in addition to a well rounded program and lifestyle.

This means:
1. Caloric deficit - eating less than you burn, but not so low as to kill your metabolism. All the exercise in the world will not compensate for too much food.

2. Getting enough lean protein, low GI carbs and healthy fats. A calorie is a calorie, but the *content* will determine how your body uses it. This also means losing the junk. As much as you can stand to part with.

3. Staying hydrated. Drink a lot of water. Your body functions optimally when given proper amounts of water.

4. Resistance training. This is very important. If you will not/ cannot get a gym membership, invest in some dumbells and/or resistance bands for use at home. If you increase your muscle, you increase calorie/fat burning capabilities. This will help you to keep the fat off once it's gone as well. Losing it is pointless unless it stays lost.

5. Cardio exercise. Walking is ok, but jogging or even running is better. Biking, jumping rope, roller blading, hiking and swimming also fit the bill. You need to get and keep your heart rate up for at least 30 minutes 3x a week. Longer or more frequently if you can.

It's a lot of work in the beginning especially if you're used to being a couch potato, but it becomes habit very easily. And the payoff is very worth it. Good luck.

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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

Naxis,
Thank you for all the information. I think I was looking at things the wrong way. I always thought if you exercised that you could eat whatever you want. I am not familiar with what is good to eat vs what isnt, do you have any tips, or a good web site maybe that will help me find out and plan my diet??
I have two 3 pound weights at home, would that be okay for the resistance training? (At least for a start) What type of training would you suggest, do you mean like arm curls or something? Again, is there maybe some help you could give on what to do or is there a web site I could go to, to get a program?
I relly am new to this, but hae the type of personality where when I make a decision to do something, I try to get as much info as possible and then see it through.
Thanks again for your info, I really appreciate it!

Originally posted by Blelisa:
I am not familiar with what is good to eat vs what isnt, do you have any tips, or a good web site maybe that will help me find out and plan my diet??

FitDay is a good place to start. Fot the most part, natural and lean is the best way to go, but here's a short list of the best foods (Google for exercise and nutrition and you should come up with some helpful info also):

Protein: very lean beef, chicken breast, turkey, fish, eggs (minimize yolks, fat adds up quick), beans, nuts soy stuffs, cottage cheese and various lower fat dairy.

Complex carbs: oatmeal, whole wheat bread and tortillas, brown rice, beans, legumes, veggies (broccoli and spinach are chock full of vitamins!), sweet potatoes, fruits.
Avoid: refined sugar, white flour foods, white rice, high sugar "junk" foods

Fats: nuts, fish, olives, avocadoes, soy, flax oils, olive oil, canola oil
Avoid: saturated fats

Again, this isn't *all* you should be eating, but just a basic guideline on what's really *good*.

I have two 3 pound weights at home, would that be okay for the resistance training? (At least for a start) What type of training would you suggest, do you mean like arm curls or something? Again, is there maybe some help you could give on what to do or is there a web site I could go to, to get a program?

3lb dumbells are ok, but won't do much good to the end of adding lean muscle. There are used fitness equipment shops andsporting goods stores that sell adjustable dumbells. I like these best because they conserve space and when you're ready to add a little more weight all you have to do is slide on a little plate rather than buying more dumbells that take up more space.

Google for "exercise muscle" and there are several sites that will give you detailed info and pictures on how to do various exercises. Ideally, you want to hit each muscle group at least once during the workout (chest, back, arms/shoulders, legs, abs) to create good core strength and get your whole body conditioned

I relly am new to this, but hae the type of personality where when I make a decision to do something, I try to get as much info as possible and then see it through.


Good to hear! http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Good luck to ya. There is a lot of good info out there (and a lot of bunk info as well, unfortunately).





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Keep your body lean, your blood clean and your mind sharp. -Rollins

Thank you, thank you Naxis, I printed out the page and am using your nutrition guides and all your link suggestions. I will let you know how I am doing!!