(Indoor) weight-loss tips?

primafaba15 · September 2014

I've never been a very exercise-conscious person and could use some help getting in shape for my wedding -- growing up, most of my experience with being active involved classmates and gym teachers picking on me, so I've never been very active and it's hard for me to get into exercising. I'm getting married next July but I'll be buying my dress very soon (I have no flexibility on buying timeframe because it involves out-of-state relatives), so I know I can't procrastinate on this any more.

Currently I'm 5'4 and weigh about 147. I'd love to be 135 but I'm aiming for 140 because I'm not sure I can maintain 135 through July, at least at this point in my life. I gained about 20 pounds during my 2 years in grad school, and I'm still working on trying to reverse that. I successfully got down to 140 last year mostly by counting calories, but as soon as the high-stress period kicked in in April (I work with college students, and when they start finals I pretty much go into sleepless finals mode with them) I fell off the bandwagon (mostly with Starbucks...really need to avoid those drinks). So food is definitely on my radar and I'm back to using LoseIt and counting calories. But I know I need to exercise too.

Here's the problem: a lot of the advice I see is about actively walking or running. I try to move around during the day, park further from the building, etc. when I can. However, I can't afford to join a gym or a class right now, and I don't feel safe walking or running in my neighborhood -- I don't have a roommate or any buddies in my immediate area that I could go with (fiance lives 2 hours away), and there's been an increase in crime around here lately. Lunch breaks are a no-go because I can't always leave my desk and when I do, I need to put something in my stomach or I'm sick for the rest of the day. Can anyone suggest any weight-loss regimens (not necessarily toning, although I need that too) that I could do mostly in the bounds of my own apartment?

kaos16 · September 2014

primafaba15 said:

I've never been a very exercise-conscious person and could use some help getting in shape for my wedding -- growing up, most of my experience with being active involved classmates and gym teachers picking on me, so I've never been very active and it's hard for me to get into exercising. I'm getting married next July but I'll be buying my dress very soon (I have no flexibility on buying timeframe because it involves out-of-state relatives), so I know I can't procrastinate on this any more.

Currently I'm 5'4 and weigh about 147. I'd love to be 135 but I'm aiming for 140 because I'm not sure I can maintain 135 through July, at least at this point in my life. I gained about 20 pounds during my 2 years in grad school, and I'm still working on trying to reverse that. I successfully got down to 140 last year mostly by counting calories, but as soon as the high-stress period kicked in in April (I work with college students, and when they start finals I pretty much go into sleepless finals mode with them) I fell off the bandwagon (mostly with Starbucks...really need to avoid those drinks). So food is definitely on my radar and I'm back to using LoseIt and counting calories. But I know I need to exercise too.
Here's the problem: a lot of the advice I see is about actively walking or running. I try to move around during the day, park further from the building, etc. when I can. However, I can't afford to join a gym or a class right now, and I don't feel safe walking or running in my neighborhood -- I don't have a roommate or any buddies in my immediate area that I could go with (fiance lives 2 hours away), and there's been an increase in crime around here lately. Lunch breaks are a no-go because I can't always leave my desk and when I do, I need to put something in my stomach or I'm sick for the rest of the day. Can anyone suggest any weight-loss regimens (not necessarily toning, although I need that too) that I could do mostly in the bounds of my own apartment?

workout DVDs or youtube videos. Maybe some yoga, or cardio that doesn't require much space or equipment. If you like watching tv you can make a game of it where you utilize commercial breaks. One commercial of crunches, one of mountainclimbers, etc. Keep adding small things throughout the day.

Use myfitnesspal to track what you're eating and make conscious food choices. If you know you stress-eat, you can be more proactive in avoiding it.

AprilH81 · September 2014

You can lose weight without exercise (and food intake is probably more important). You can get some 5 pound free weights and do arm exercises, workout using you tube videos (free and lots of variety). If you have Netflix check to see if they have any workout videos.

jackannlu · September 2014

For cardio: burpees, jumping jacks, jump rope. Besides YouTube videos and basic weight training moves, I would also include strength moves that incorporate cardio: jump squats, mountain climbers, split jump lunges.

Wegl13 · September 2014

I second the work out videos. A bunch of my classmates did Jillian's 30 day shred and loved it. These things are like $10 so they aren't terribly pricey.

primafaba15 · September 2014

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! I hadn't heard of some of these workouts before so I'll definitely be looking into them. I thought work-out DVDs would be much more expensive, but it sounds like maybe not. I'll definitely have to pick some up.

atlastmrsg · September 2014

Bodyrock TV on YouTube.

Jog in place.

Jump rope. Jumping rope is a lot harder than you think!

If you work with college students, that means you might be at a college, university, or community college/vo-tech. When I worked at a school, I got to use its gym for free.

primafaba15 · September 2014

You're right, I can use the gym for free, which I'd forgotten to mention. I'm not entirely comfortable exercising with the students -- I'm still young and the lines between me and the students I teach are pretty thin (I get mistaken for a student even by other staff, and some students have tried to cross lines in...uncomfortable ways), so I've been trying to keep my interactions with them very controlled and professional. I did start an exercise class over the summer here, but about 3 weeks in I broke my big toe very badly (which I didn't realize you could do, but yeah, it took 10 weeks to heal) and I'm only just beginning to move around on it normally, so that nixed that plan

Jump rope is something I hadn't thought of! (and I'm also awful at and would love not to be). I'll definitely give that a try! Thanks!

atlastmrsg · October 2014

Where I was, faculty/staff used the gym all the time. You might be overthinking it. As long as you're not going out for beer with them afterwards or staring at a hot guy lifting, it's NBD.

Kristynnnn · October 2014

Hop on a tredmill or rower in the free gym at your University! 30 mins after or before work and play with the incline if you use the tredmill. Inclining even a few notches really helps up the calories your burn. Also, check out pinterest for at home quick workouts you can bang out in 20-30 mins. Make it a habit to do one a day.

Mountain climbers, air squats, push-ups, plank/side plank, high knees in place, holding a squat at the bottom (holding a kettlebell for a challenge), jump rope, burpees, are all exercises you don't need equipment for and you can do in a small space. I like the idea of picking one exercise to do during commercial breaks of tv shows!

You have time so CONSISTENCY IS KEY!!! Don't go all out right away and risk injury or burn out. Do something each day and if you keep at it you will see results.

kaos16 · October 2014

Please don't take this the wrong way. . . . but some of your posting seems to come off as though you are sabotaging yourself, almost setting yourself up to explain away why you didn't lose the weight you wanted to. . . . we need you to have a more positive outlook! It will make everything easier. "I don't feel safe walking" "I don't have a buddy to work out with" "I don't feel comfortable working out with the students". You need to block out that negativity and go for it! Go to the school gym with your headphones, you don't have to interact with anyone there if you don't want to. Find a friend to check in with, even fiance. . . just because you are in different locations doesn't mean you can't check in and be accountable with each other, that's a big boost. Is there a place to walk or jog closer to work where you feel comfortable? Make reasons to do instead of excuses not to do!

kat1114 · October 2014

I did P90X for a while and liked it. I only stopped because I prefer to workout outdoors. I did see results though. I even had friends compliment me that I looked more toned. It's expensive, but I just pirated a copy for free of the interwebz.

WinstonsGirl · October 2014

Try googling Tabata workouts. We tend to do those in hotel rooms when on vacation.

primafaba15 · October 2014

kaos16 said:

Please don't take this the wrong way. . . . but some of your posting seems to come off as though you are sabotaging yourself, almost setting yourself up to explain away why you didn't lose the weight you wanted to. . . . we need you to have a more positive outlook! It will make everything easier. "I don't feel safe walking" "I don't have a buddy to work out with" "I don't feel comfortable working out with the students". You need to block out that negativity and go for it! Go to the school gym with your headphones, you don't have to interact with anyone there if you don't want to. Find a friend to check in with, even fiance. . . just because you are in different locations doesn't mean you can't check in and be accountable with each other, that's a big boost. Is there a place to walk or jog closer to work where you feel comfortable? Make reasons to do instead of excuses not to do!

Thanks for your honesty -- I think you are right to an extent. I work with people to whom exercise comes very easily and I suppose I was getting pre-emptively defensive about all of the things I'm always told to do! I care about a buddy only from a safety perspective; I live in an urban area where I just don't feel very safe (the neighborhood where I work is actually even worse than the one I live in), and locals have explicitly warned me from going out alone. Otherwise I'd actually much rather exercise alone -- you need a certain amount of pressure for accountability (and I do sign up for wellness accountability programs at work whenever offered; there's a walking contest right now that I'm in, and a weigh-in program coming up that I'll be joining), but sometimes it gets to be too much. :-)

I bought a jump rope (which has reminded me that I somehow never learned to jump rope properly as a kid...so I've been having some adventures figuring that out), have found some aerobic dance videos that I enjoy, and am trying to get in the routine of moving around during TV commercials, although I still have some work to do on that. And I'll definitely be looking into Tabata workouts!

I really appreciate the honest encouragement and all of the creative ideas. It really helps just from a motivation standpoint to feel like I have options that fit with my living situation, instead of feeling discouraged or ashamed because of the options that don't seem to work well for me.

wanderwoman135 · October 2014

primafaba15 said:

kaos16 said:

Please don't take this the wrong way. . . . but some of your posting seems to come off as though you are sabotaging yourself, almost setting yourself up to explain away why you didn't lose the weight you wanted to. . . . we need you to have a more positive outlook! It will make everything easier. "I don't feel safe walking" "I don't have a buddy to work out with" "I don't feel comfortable working out with the students". You need to block out that negativity and go for it! Go to the school gym with your headphones, you don't have to interact with anyone there if you don't want to. Find a friend to check in with, even fiance. . . just because you are in different locations doesn't mean you can't check in and be accountable with each other, that's a big boost. Is there a place to walk or jog closer to work where you feel comfortable? Make reasons to do instead of excuses not to do!

Thanks for your honesty -- I think you are right to an extent. I work with people to whom exercise comes very easily and I suppose I was getting pre-emptively defensive about all of the things I'm always told to do! I care about a buddy only from a safety perspective; I live in an urban area where I just don't feel very safe (the neighborhood where I work is actually even worse than the one I live in), and locals have explicitly warned me from going out alone. Otherwise I'd actually much rather exercise alone -- you need a certain amount of pressure for accountability (and I do sign up for wellness accountability programs at work whenever offered; there's a walking contest right now that I'm in, and a weigh-in program coming up that I'll be joining), but sometimes it gets to be too much. :-)

I bought a jump rope (which has reminded me that I somehow never learned to jump rope properly as a kid...so I've been having some adventures figuring that out), have found some aerobic dance videos that I enjoy, and am trying to get in the routine of moving around during TV commercials, although I still have some work to do on that. And I'll definitely be looking into Tabata workouts!

I really appreciate the honest encouragement and all of the creative ideas. It really helps just from a motivation standpoint to feel like I have options that fit with my living situation, instead of feeling discouraged or ashamed because of the options that don't seem to work well for me.

primafaba15 I totally get where you're coming from. My FI is a bodybuilder and for the longest time it was one of the most discouraging things in the world! I looked at him and felt defensive and insecure because I was nowhere near his level and I hated working out. Something ended up snapping with me this summer and I finally started working out and now I really enjoy it. Anyway, that was all a tangent - I just want you to know I completely understand the defensiveness!

The real reason I wanted to come here and comment again is because I was poking around on Bodybuilding.com yesterday and found this workout that can be done with a resistance band and any random heavy objects. I thought I'd pass it along because maybe it would give you a few ideas if you were wanting some weight training as well. I find it so much easier to work out if I have a workout already created that I follow - I feel directionless otherwise. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/katie-chung-huas-dorm-room-workout.html

Good luck with everything!

kaos16 · October 2014

primafaba15 said:

kaos16 said:

Please don't take this the wrong way. . . . but some of your posting seems to come off as though you are sabotaging yourself, almost setting yourself up to explain away why you didn't lose the weight you wanted to. . . . we need you to have a more positive outlook! It will make everything easier. "I don't feel safe walking" "I don't have a buddy to work out with" "I don't feel comfortable working out with the students". You need to block out that negativity and go for it! Go to the school gym with your headphones, you don't have to interact with anyone there if you don't want to. Find a friend to check in with, even fiance. . . just because you are in different locations doesn't mean you can't check in and be accountable with each other, that's a big boost. Is there a place to walk or jog closer to work where you feel comfortable? Make reasons to do instead of excuses not to do!

Thanks for your honesty -- I think you are right to an extent. I work with people to whom exercise comes very easily and I suppose I was getting pre-emptively defensive about all of the things I'm always told to do! I care about a buddy only from a safety perspective; I live in an urban area where I just don't feel very safe (the neighborhood where I work is actually even worse than the one I live in), and locals have explicitly warned me from going out alone. Otherwise I'd actually much rather exercise alone -- you need a certain amount of pressure for accountability (and I do sign up for wellness accountability programs at work whenever offered; there's a walking contest right now that I'm in, and a weigh-in program coming up that I'll be joining), but sometimes it gets to be too much. :-)

I bought a jump rope (which has reminded me that I somehow never learned to jump rope properly as a kid...so I've been having some adventures figuring that out), have found some aerobic dance videos that I enjoy, and am trying to get in the routine of moving around during TV commercials, although I still have some work to do on that. And I'll definitely be looking into Tabata workouts!

I really appreciate the honest encouragement and all of the creative ideas. It really helps just from a motivation standpoint to feel like I have options that fit with my living situation, instead of feeling discouraged or ashamed because of the options that don't seem to work well for me.

It seems like you are already making progress towards your goals. . . . good for you!!!

shayfit · October 2014

Be careful of getting stuck on a number rather than how you feel.

tips:
~ drink a lot of water
~ use myfitnesspal or looseit or some other webpage to help track your food.
~Do not forget to incorporate strength training into your workouts
~Find something you enjoy doing

Check out these webpages:

this really helps with healthy nutrition
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

This shows you exercises and info about exercise
http://www.acefitness.org/acefit/fitness-programs/

This gives you ideas for exercises for each body part
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/workout/exercise.html

hugsy76103 · October 2014

I would definitely recommend the 21 Day Fix program through BeachBody. I can honestly tell you it worked like magic for me, and it was easy and fun to do. I would say that you can definitely follow on your own, but I can say that most of my success came from the challenge group that I joined. A friend of mine is a beachbody coach and she ran a challenge group through facebook. There was about 7 of us plus the coach in the group and it is completely private. You don't share your weight with anyone else, basically the team is there to motivate you! Its helpful because everyone can share recipes and tips, and you check in to show you did your workout and followed your eating plan. It keeps you motivated because you don't want to be the only one that didn't do your workout! Just in 21 days I lost 5-6 lbs and I felt fantastic. I'd recommend finding a coach that does these challenges, but I'm sure you will have success if you do the program yourself! If you want anymore information let me know! I love the beachbody programs. I've done Insanity, T25, the fix, and I'm starting a new Challenge group with my same coach on Monday for the new P90 program! My wedding s in July, so I'm very excited to get my butt back into shape! Good Luck!

klk111415 · October 2014

I found a book on amazon and purchased the kindle version. It's called Fit For A Bride and was written by a person trainer in NYC who works with Brides. Follow his diet plan and you will definitely start to see a difference. He also includes a workout plan which can be done from home with very little equipment. It's circuit training and takes 15-20 minutes to complete. You really work up a sweat! I'm not getting married till next November so I'm taking things slow but I gave his diet a try for a week and I lost 4.6 lbs. I also felt amazing! His diet involves carb cycling and it really does work. I think the kindle version of the book was only $1.99 (I don't have a kindle but read the book online after purchasing through amazon)

I've done the beach body workout programs but I was able to borrow them from a friend. Although they worked for me to tone up and lose weight, I got harassed quite a bit from a couple of coaches to become a coach (so they could make money off of me) and it left a bad taste in my mouth. The Jillian Michael's DVDs are a fraction of the price and as long as you stick with it- you will see a difference in your body. Consistency is key! And if you have a smartphone- look for workout apps. I use the lolo apps like 7 minute workout, easy arms, and a few other ones and they are like having a personal trainer right there with you. Whatever you decide to do- stick with it. Diet is a huge part of weightloss and something as simple as giving up starches like bread and potatoes can really make a difference!

mrsk616 · December 2014

bodyrock is really intense if you can handle that,

tone it up is real easy smooth not has high impact if you cant handle intense.

Knottie0059276 · December 2014

I am a huge fan of Blogilates! She posts a calendar every month with 5 workouts a day, 6 days a week that you can do off her Youtube channel. It's pilates but she has some cardio workouts that kill me!

cakemurderer · January 2015

I'm a lot like you in terms of your "excuses," but that doesn't mean you're doomed to fail! They're not so much excuses as establishing your comfort zone and trying to find a method that works within that. You're much more likely to succeed if you're happy with your exercise plan. The good news is there are so many different options when it comes to fitness so you can find the right fit!

If I'm honest with myself, I'm just not comfortable exercising around other people. I know it's not logical but there it is. While I have done it in the past, I much prefer working out in the privacy and comfort of my home. The only tricky thing about that is that you really need to establish some rules for yourself and stick with them. For me it's that I make myself work out by 7:00 PM and don't let myself make excuses like being tired or having chores to do around the house instead. If I'm tired after work, I commit to 10 minutes of a workout. Usually by the time I hit the 10-minute mark, I'm energized enough to finish the whole workout.

I recommend hitting up YouTube for some free workouts. Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred is a favorite of mine since it's short and intense, so I can squeeze a good, sweaty workout in and still have time left in the evening. I think level 1 is available on YouTube, although the DVD isn't that expensive to buy. Ellen Barrett's another favorite of mine, and several of her videos are free on YouTube. Her workouts typically combine cardio, toning, and pilates for a great full-body workout. If your library offers them, try checking out random workout DVDs. That way you can test drive them before committing to a purchase.

Good luck with whatever you wind up trying!

klk111415 · January 2015

Just realized that you can get the Jillian Michaels workouts off youtube for free! I did 30 day shred a couple of years ago and decided that it's time I start up again after the big hit I took from the holidays. Her workouts are easy to follow and you get great results. The fact that they are free and don't cost an arm and a leg are an added benefit (especially when you are saving for a wedding). I have a roku at home which streams youtube videos so it's easy to play the videos right on the tv.

Edit- totally should have read the above comment a couple of weeks ago! I had no idea they were on youtube!

[Deleted User] · January 2015

I recently downloaded the "7 Minute Workout" app, and though I haven't used it...it seems super useful and 110% doable indoors. The app is free, so maybe check it out? There are paid versions of different workouts if you want to expand your horizons, too. Right now I just do about 10 minutes of pilates before bed every night. I am super, ultra horrible about workout routines (which I why I downloaded that app about 3 months ago and just looked at it yesterday), so I am trying to slowly immerse myself back into a light workout schedule. Don't want to scare myself off!

amarie688 · January 2015

I'm a huge fan of Jillian Michaels workouts (and the DVDs are almost always on sale on Groupon Goods). Ripped in 30 is definitely my favorite because it's tough! 30 Day Shred and Kickbox Fast Fix are my two other faves.

Also - toneitup.com is AWESOME! I have been subscribing to their emails since May - they post weekly workout schedules and their workouts are all ~10-20 minutes on Youtube (just search toneitup)! The community is great - and you can win prizes for checking in with them in social media (I haven't won anything yet lol). It's free to sign up for the workout emails - they also have a nutrition plan you can purchase and send out new recipes to the members every so often (I bought it but haven't actually followed it yet)

JennyColada · January 2015

I've been doing pilates via YouTube (search POP Pilates or Blogilates [it's the same thing]). The girl, Casey, that runs the site/videos is super pepper. On her site you can also download a free 30 day workout calendar that helps you plan out what workouts to do what days.

I'm all about free, so YouTube is great for me. Plus I can stream it onto my TV and watch it on the big screen. I usually turn down the TV sound (since I can follow along with her on the video) and put on some upbeat music on my computer and head to town.

There are a lot of cardio workouts and lots of other things on YouTube, so I'd just recommend searching and finding a channel that you like.

(Indoor) weight-loss tips?

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