Getting started...help

[p1nkangel]

Hi ladies

Well how great is this, having a womens section on a bodybuilding forum! You can probably now tell I'm a noobie. :p

I have weight trained before however its been sporadic and I honestly haven't done anything for at least half a year! :eek:

I want to really get into weight training and building lean muscle but I need help with my diet/nutrition and a workout routine.

Would anyone be willing to help me get started off on the right track please?

I am overwhelmed by the information available online and really don't have a clue where to start.

Thanks

Lavinia

[dvsness]

In order to help you to get where you're going, tell us where you're coming from.

Height, weight, est bf%, schedule.

[Angela123]

how is ur diet now? so...no weight lifting or cardio time for half a year now?

[Angela123]

when you are not eating clean and havent been doing anything fitness related, its actually easier to get into a weight loss. plenty of newbies can go on not a bad diet and lose lots of weight loss the first few weeks...while someone like myself who follows a diet year round, would not see results using that same diet. my mother can lose lose weight while eating lots of fruit every day..while someone like myself...i add lots of fruits to my diet..my weight isnt going to be moving! too much sugar for me. so...let's see your diet. if its currently bad...you wouldnt even have to diet strict at first. even simply changes could yield great results.

but after the initial first few weeks..it will have to get tweaked or cardio will have to get increased or altered to see more results.

[IslandGirl]

In order to help you to get where you're going, tell us where you're coming from.

Height, weight, est bf%, schedule.

What dvsness said^^^

A couple of good tips to remember.

Eat at least 6 small meals a day eating every 2.5-3 hours.

Get protein in at every meal.

Make sure to get in an adequate amount of water daily.

[SBT]

What dvsness said^^^

A couple of good tips to remember.

Eat at least 6 small meals a day eating every 2.5-3 hours.

Get protein in at every meal.

Make sure to get in an adequate amount of water daily.

Good advice!!

Especially until we know more info :)

[p1nkangel]

Ok...here goes...shamefully...

I'm 5ft 7in in height, weight is...10st 12lbs, est bf% is most likely around the 25 mark.
My activity levels are low other than an 1hrs walk everyday as I have two dogs.
I work fulltime and its a desk job which doesn't help. Going to the printer a few times is about as active as I get throughout my working day.

And no cardio/weight training for at least 6 months :o(

As you can see I need ALL the help/advice I can get :o)

Thank you all for the tips so far. Vey much appreciated.

Lavinia

[p1nkangel]

[quote=Ondrea;4323]how is ur diet now? quote]

Oooh my diet really sucks.

I have a bowl of ready brek with semi skimmed milk for breakfast.
Peanut butter on 3 slices of wholemeal bread for lunch.
Chicken breast and mixed veg for dinner however I usually have that with a ready made sauce, bad I know.
Usually have chocolate after my dinner too :eek:

Looking over this I know I don't eat enough good stuff and the chocolate every night has to go.

I'm guessing that I need to eat more often and more fruit, veg & get more protein in there.

Thanks

Lavinia

[cheddar cheese]

Hi Lavina, what are your specific goals? You say to put on mass? Are you getting in any fats with your meals?

[dvsness]

Lol, how much is 10 stone? :o

You need to get in more protein - be it from meat, eggs, protein powder, etc

[p1nkangel]

Hi Lavina, what are your specific goals? You say to put on mass? Are you getting in any fats with your meals?

Hey there, I need to lose bodyfat and would like to put on lean muscle. Suppose mass probably wasn't my best description :confused:, I apologise, I'm still all new to this :)

The only fats I'm getting are in the peanut butter and olive oil occasionally added to chicken. I do need to get more good fats in there don't I?

Lavinia

[p1nkangel]

Lol, how much is 10 stone? :o

You need to get in more protein - be it from meat, eggs, protein powder, etc

LOL Erm if I remember correctly there are 14lbs in a stone so if I'm working it out right I'm a whopping 152lbs as I'm 10st 12lbs!!! :o Which unfortunately is made up of way less muscle than I'd like.

I can do meat, eggs and protein powder so no problems there. I also have to get my portion sizes right I think as I totally love food and tend to overeat a tad.

Thanks

Lavinia :)

[dvsness]

LOL Erm if I remember correctly there are 14lbs in a stone so if I'm working it out right I'm a whopping 152lbs as I'm 10st 12lbs!!! :o Which unfortunately is made up of way less muscle than I'd like.

I can do meat, eggs and protein powder so no problems there. I also have to get my portion sizes right I think as I totally love food and tend to overeat a tad.

Thanks

Lavinia :)

Here's an easy way to start getting in more protein. Take your bw in lbs - 152 and try to get that many grams into your day. If you have 6 meals, that would be a little over 25g pro per meal. Simple! Once you are accustomed to that, you can add more - but I don't want to add to much at once. That can cause some digestive issues. :o

A great to to plan your meals is www.fitday.com

[p1nkangel]

That's great, thankyou, protein will be easy to work into my diet then. I take it the digestive issues are a little bit of flatulence LOL

I'll check out fitday as well.

Thankyou so much for your advice!

Lavinia :)

[Angela123]

usually about 5 oz of chicken or turkey, 7 egg whites or 1 scoop of protein powder are decent servings for meals or a couple whole eggs and about 4 whites. about 30 grams or so.

good fats
nuts...usually use 1/4 cup...my favs r almonds, walnuts, mac nuts
nattie pb...dont use coventional...to much sugar...use 1 tbsp
extra virgin olive oil...use 1 tbsp
salmon or lean red meat

stay away from fruit...but not veggies...you want to eat green...esp say no to corn and tomatoes. my fav veggies when dieting are baby spinach, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, celery, green bell pepper, green beans, broccile. i also love cabbage and cauliflower.

i think you should focus first on losing the fat...get ur base body down then focus on building muscle. but i certainly dont want to see you become a cardio bunny. get your weights in still every week...but dont go full force into trying to build all this lean muscle right away. it will come with time. remember, muscle weighs more than fat. so even if u lose weight and then find yourself gaining, if you are eating clean and lifting and seeign that you are tighter and not soft, its all good!

[p1nkangel]

Thankyou, that's great info on the food types and portions you have given me. I can certainly work with that. I'm also working on renewing my gym membership asap!

Do you think 30-45 minutes of cardio 3 times a week is sufficient or would I need to do more or less?

I really appreciate your help and advice. :)

[Kell0509]

LOL Erm if I remember correctly there are 14lbs in a stone so if I'm working it out right I'm a whopping 152lbs as I'm 10st 12lbs!!! :o Which unfortunately is made up of way less muscle than I'd like.

I can do meat, eggs and protein powder so no problems there. I also have to get my portion sizes right I think as I totally love food and tend to overeat a tad.

Thanks

Lavinia :)

Im in the same boat as you with more a higher bf% than Id like. I am 1 inch shorter with an extra "stone". I also love food of all kinds, however I eat only 2-3 times a day, and I probably eat a little more than I should at one sitting. I would really like to get into good shape this summer as I've never been in "great" shape. How much cardio is ideal for someone just starting out and needing to lose the initial weight? Thanks

[p1nkangel]

I eat only 2-3 times a day, and I probably eat a little more than I should at one sitting.

Hey there,

That usually is me! Eating only 3 times a day and eating way more than I should at one sitting. I ove ALL types of food. Its a darn tradgedy that! I wish I was a fussy eater. :D

I'm still finding my feet and starting at the beginning so I wouldn't really know how much cardio is best for a beginner, however there is a new beginners section that's been added to the main forum which would be great for that topic.

I don't want to steal your question, plus I've already posted a topic there today so please pop over and ask there as I'd be interested in the responses you receive :)

Lavinia

ps keeping a journal on here helps a lot.