This is more of a thread for a personal venture I have for myself. To give you a little background, when I was 16 years old I weighed over 200lbs. I had a snap one day .. That's all I can think of to put it where I was sick of not taking care of myself. I lost 50lbs in about 6 months time from just simply watching what I ate and walking everywhere. Never did any exercise and was always chunky as a kid (Though I did try to involve myself in sports when I was younger, I was never any good). So I lost some weight and by the time I was 18 I dropped to 135 (The lighest I can remember being) Since then I've yo-yo'ed between 135 and 150 .. And sadly to say right now I"m at the 150 markish. But I've been working out quite a bit for the past month doing tons of weight training so I know I've gained muscles as fast as I'm losing fat (pants are less tight and I've doubled my weights since I've started). I looked good last summer then had some depression issues and Christmas cookies got the best of me, but now I want to look GREAT this summer. And not just this summer, every summer. I've decided to start taking care of my body. I haven't had fast food in the past month, yogurt instead of ice cream and the like. And I know I can do it now.
 
So here's where you guys (if you so choose) come in. I was never a runner before in my life .. I'm not super tall or anything (slighty above 5'5) And I started just running 3 minutes out of my 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week and now I"m up to 20 minutes of running and I've been spending about 7 hours a week in the gym. Now what I guess I want to ask is.. is 7 hours a week enough to have a fab body in 4 months from now? I no longer do caffine, alchohol, fast food, fried anything. I've really made the move for a pure, healthy body. I don't like to do the tiny meals a day thing. I like to have cereal (frosted mini wheats or raisen nut bran) with skin milk for breakfast every day, veggie burger/chicken sandwhich/salad for lunch/I usually have a between lunch and dinner snack (granola bar, soy crisps, healthy choice cookie pack, yogurt etc) And a Lean cuisine for dinner. On the weekends I eat Sushi, Edamami (or whatever they are called, the soybean pods) And I usually have a protein before bed (low fat cottage cheese or nuts) etc.
 
Am I on the right track? And if there is anything you'd suggest that would bring faster results, throw em at me.

So here's what I did today.
Breakfast raisen nut bran with skim milk
spring cleaned the house for 3 hours
Smart ones lasagna for lunch
15 soy crisps for a snack
hit the gym
5 minute warm up walk
140lbs 2x 15 calve raise
glutes, hamstrings and quads at 80lbs 2x 10
50 sit ups on raised bench 50 crunches and 20 side sit ups
20 minutes high intensity on ollyptical and 5 min cool down (burned 315 calories)
smart ones ziti for dinner with a low fat cottage cheese serving
 
Say I've had close to 80g of protein for the day, would it help if I posted pictures?  I went to loose the rolls on my stomach when I sit down, my love handles and the fat on my inner thighs and the fat that jiggles with my arms. Hehe. I have very strong arms but too much fat on them to see great definition unless I flex. I also want to know when the point of "too much cardio" happens, some days I do close to an hour of cardio ontop of weighs.

Jeeze, people dont post here too often. Hehe. Anyway. Today I decided to do cardio only (abs and arms are still sore). between running and ellyptical I burned a tad over 400 calories. Breakfast: Frosted mini wheats with skim milk. Lunch 4 Mrs. T's Peorigies 2g of fat and 310 calories some low fat cottage cheese serving and 10 soy crisps. Tons of water and haven't had dinner yet, though I'm thinking subway.

So today! Breakfast: frosted mini wheats with skim milk, lunch was spagetti marinara with a little cheese sprinkled on top water and I tried to eat a full cup of yogurt but just couldn't manage it. Then headed to the gym. 170lbs 2x 15 calves (I did 140 two days ago, but they were sore so I wanted to push them) 80lbs on quads 2x 15 100 crunches 50 sit ups 60lbs ab muscle machine (forget what its called) and 40 leg lifts and afterward 40 minute run/walk with 25 minutes continuous running. Dinner I have not yet decided (yesterday it was dragonfire chicken at TJIFridays because my mom really wanted to go out for dinner. so just had the chicken and the brocolli and a few bites of a ceaser salad. 

Heya. I think 7 hours is plenty in a gym... it's not the quantity, but the quality of your workout. So as long as you can feel it, as long as you progress over the weeks, and as long as you push yourself, then you can't go wrong. It also depends on your rest periods between sets. Sometimes people spend hours in the gym waisting time, talking to people, staring into thin air. They could turn a 2 hour workout into a 1 hour workout that is just as effective.
 
5 x 30 minute cardio sessions is adequate for fat loss (depending on your diet). Bringing it up to 45 minutes would be better... Your body will get use to a certain routine, so it's good to go out of that comfort zone once in a while. Do the Fartlek cycle; speed up the pace every couple minutes, and then go back to a slower pace to get your breath back. Sprints are also very effective for fat loss.
 
 
 
 
 

Nope, it's all seriousness when I workout. I wait a 30 seconds to a minute between reps then walk between sets. Today wasn't the best day but I was really exhausted and got sunburnt from sitting out in the sun having a yard/garage sale. So breakfast was raisen nut bran and skim milk (big suprise) Then I had a potroast type meal from smart ones, 22g protein 5g fat. Umm 2 glasses of this soymilk drink that gave me about 30g of protein (but I don't like drinking it too often for protein because it has 20g of sugar per serving which I'm not down with but it's soooo delicious and I hadn't had sugary anything all week) a fiber bar 140 cals 4g fat 2g protein but 8g fiber to fill me up because for some reason I had the hungries after my lunch. Then after finshing the yard sale deal I went to the gym did about 34 minutes for arms/shoulders and my muscles are WEAK after that let me tell you. After doing that was the hardest 20 minute cardio I've done yet, ellypitcal and I burned 214 calories on that. I think I need to take tommorow off because I'm wearing myself out (Keep in mind I've only been at this at a more extreme pace for the past 2 weeks and have only taken 2 days off the gym in the past 2 weeks). Then for dinner I had some snow crab legs, 2 steamed dumplings some teriyaki chicken and chicken with brocolli (I went to a chinese buffet so these were small portions of each, not the greatest for me but it was the first time this week I had an appitite, had to force myself to eat yesterday. So nice an sunburnt and tired as all hell. Good night my body building and fitness friends :)

So Saturday was my rest day. But instead of going to the movies where I'd sit on my ass, I suggested going bowling. So had some fun doing that and whatnot. Diet wasn't the greatest that day (snuck in 4 steak fries) was the only time all week I had something along those lines.
 
Sunday, pushed my legs to the max, was near impossible to run afterward. I forced myself to do a bit and I did it in intervals, but at least I stayed on it for 25 minutes even if I only ran about 9 of that. Heh. Also had my first protein shake yesterdat, actually had 2. One with water, one with milk, let me tell you it's 100% with milk heh. Also bought some amino 3000!!! from gnc. Gotta love the 3000. Anyways, taking that 3x a day along with having protein the major nutrient in every meal.
 
Today I woke up early to try to get to the gym before class. Had a bowl of raisen nut bran with some skim milk (ate a small portion than normal because I wanted a protein shake too) then went to the gym... didn't have a lot of time. Did about 25 minutes of abs and then did about 15 minutes of HIIT (with my legs as sore as they are, this was a pain in the ass but I figure no pain no gain) And I also took my "before" shots yesterday. So in 3 months I will post my "before" and my "current" pictures so you guys can see the progress I will make!!! I'm really excited I'm doing this for my body. Super hyped up, reading everything I can and loving going to the gym. I'm going to the gym again tonight to do more ab work and then blast off with some cardio, hopefully my legs feel a bit better by then. I had a protein bar at 11, then got hungry again at 1 and had the other protein bar I grabbed. So... nothing but water until dinner after that 500 calroies but 40g protein in lunch alone and had bout 30g protein in breakfast. It's hard trying to get 150g of protein a day. I don't know how some of ya do it. Anyways for dinner I'm thinking some beef stew and yogurt for dessert and a protein shake before the gym, dinner after the gym. I'm working hard!!

I'm doing really well still! Keeping the cals at about 1500 a day, and spending tons of time at the gym. Still doing the protein shakes and whatnot. On May1st I'll post some progress photos. I've made a list of goals!
 
Starting weight was 150 as of 3 weeks ago and currently 146-147
Goal number one full continuous 3 mile run by April 25th (boyfriends birthday) I'll probaly reach this one early though, did 2.5 today ran through 3 cramps and my leg hurting though I probally should have taken that into consideration because it's killing me now, but oh well.
 
Goal two: By my birthday May 11th, be 140 (or under, but I won't cry if I'm only 142ish)
and start having some muscle definition popping out since my fat has gone down.
 
Goal three June 1st 135 or under with a full 5 mile run by this date
 
Goal 4: August 1st I'd like to be under 125, 120 is my ultimate goal weight so we'll see if I get there but I know the first weigh in I'm under 130 I'll cry because it'll be the first time since I was probally 12 that I was under 130lbs. So, wish me luck and cheer me on with my goals :)
 

So down to 145 this morning, woohoo! 5lbs aint too bad if I do say so myself, hehe. Doing good with the running and all that. Arms are starting to look pretty snazzy too!

It was a good month! (This next part I have a question for fitness women, if you are a guy, I'd suggest not reading it... you have been warned!!!) I kinda hit a snag around the time of my peorid, no matter how much water I drank I felt dehydrated and I was tired all the time (sleeping up to 15 hours a day) I'm out of it now (thank god) but was this because of my peorid/hormones getting out of whack, of the fact that I swung so fast into an intense workout situation? I got measured yesterday and didn't lose many inches of my arms and legs, but lost quite a bit off my waist. I figure this is because I've built quite a bit of muscle in the month, I've lost 6lbs (started at 150 and now at 144) and 2.3% bodyfat in the month which I felt GREAT about. My resting heartrate has improved significantly!! I was up to 2.5 miles of running after my workouts, but after that stint of 4-5 days I'm working back up at a lil over a mile a run (not great I know but I'm working on it, trying to start my running off slow so I don't push myself to exhaustion again if that was the case). Any advice would be great!

Sounds like you're doing awesome!
 
Feel free to branch out into the other areas of the forum. Being that there is an overall lack of females on this site this forum gets neglected a lot of times and you won't get as many responses.
 
I didn't read threw everything because I'm somewhat rushed getting ready to head to the gym but you sound like you're doing great and are very committed so just stick with it!

    Sounds like you're doing awesome.  Keep up the good work.

What a stroke of bad luck. On my way to the gym today somone thought it'd be a great idea to rear-end me. Hit me pretty good a snapped my neck forward and back real fast, and immediatly my neck was hurting/tingling so I had to go to the hospital and I have a sprained neck and I'll probally have whiplash symptoms for quite some time. Hopefull I'll have a fast recovery and get back on track fast, but I'll have to discuss with my docter what precautions I have to take as far as this injury. Neck pain ftl :(

Sorry to hear that, glad you're alright though.
 
Atleast the injury wasn't too bad, shouldn't keep you out of the gym for too long I wouldn't think.

That sucks! Dont let it stop you though. Just eat healthy, and train whatever muscles you can without irritating your neck. Injury is enough to stop anyone from staying on track. My shoulder has been a little sore lately, I think from all the typing and mouse work I do while studying. I hope it isn't Repetitive Strain Ingury. Like to think that maybe it is just a little sensitive from overload! It hasn't stopped me from training my upper body, but I am not lifting to my full potential. Slowely getting better though.
 
Hope your neck gets better soon.