TigH
Posts: 2637
Joined: 4/17/2003
From: Sunny Central FL!
Status: offline
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I know alot of people here are watching their weight and incorporating some type of walking or running into their lives for exercise, but don't forget about lifting weights!
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html
This link will take you to a directory that lists muscles in the left column and exercises by body parts in the right column. There is a bunch more to the website than just the link above, so grab a cup of coffee or a glass of water and settle in for some informative reading!
Weight training is beneficial in so many ways. It helps improve bone density because your muscles are "pulling" on your bones which sends a signal to your brain to make your bones stronger (see additional link at end of message for more info). It helps you build muscle mass (but don't worry, you won't "bulk up" and look masculine) which helps you burn a few more calories over time because it takes more energy to maintain muscle mass then it does to maintain fat (adipose) tissue. It can help with your posture as well depending on which muscle groups you focus on when you are working out.
When I first started doing full squats using heavier weights, I did notice that after a few weeks my pants were tight in the thigh and rear area, but looser in the waist! It was frustrating because I wanted my pants to be looser all over, especially in the thigh and bottom area! However, I kept with it and eventually that fat in those areas started to disappear and my clothes fit better. That was my only experience with "bulking up" and it wasn't really bulking at all - just an in between phase where my body was adjusting to the new exercises and diet I was putting it through.
Also, I don't have access to a gym with some of the equipment that they use in the videos in the exercise examples, so I just use dumbbells for most of the exercises that I do. I can comfortably squat with 70 lbs (that's a 35 lb dumbbell in each hand) but when I first started, I could only squat with a 10 lb. weight in each hand. Start out using your own body weight if you have to for any of the exercises and work on your form.
If you are new to lifting weights, then you have alot to look forward to! Studies show that people who incorporate weight lifting in their quest to lose weight have the ability to GAIN MUSCLE and LOSE FAT at the same time over a period of several weeks. After a while though you will be lifting weights to maintain that muscle mass while you lose fat because it is almost impossible for your muscles to grow while you are eating in a caloric deficit. You don't want to lose precious muscle mass when you are dieting, so try to incorporate some weight training in your schedule so you can preserve the muscle mass you have while you lose fat.
Don't rely on the scale to measure your progress. I've read countless weight loss journals on a fitness website that I belong to and many women will shrink a size or more without seeing the numbers on the scale go down at all! It can be discouraging to count calories and figure out how many grams of protein, carbs and fat you are eating in a day and then exercise and lift weights on top of that only to see the same number on the scale week after week, but the scale doesn't know that your body is dropping fat and gaining muscle and transforming into a lean body. Take pictures of yourself every two weeks and use those pictures to gauge your progress!
I weigh about 10 pounds more now than I did when I reached my "goal" in 2003, but I am still wearing the same clothes that I fit into then! Lifting weights can really be a great ego boost because once you start to see that muscle definition it really makes you feel healthy!
Good luck!
Weight training and bone density article - good read:
http://www.newstarget.com/010528.html
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A web site y'all might like - Daily Affirmation - 
Click here to visit: 
RE: A web site y'all might like - 
I keep getting an error message on that link.
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