Julie gets fit
In this episode, Julie shares her journey to fitness from fat to fit. Approaching her forties; a sedentary desk job and a love for food had put her at the lower end of obese.
To get fit she joined My Fitness Pal, where she learned to track calories. At the beginning, she maintained a daily allowance of 1200 calories. She also took up walking to burn off extra calories.
Then she discovered resistance training, also called weight or strength training. This training:
- Body recomposition
- Promotes weight loss
- Burns fat
- Affects bone density, thereby prevents/delays osteoporosis; and
- Develops the upper body strength.
She signed on to women’s 5×5 weight lifting community. She bought herself a bench press from the Dicks Sporting Goods. She watched the videos on the lifts and learned the 5×5 Stronglifts Program.
For the starters, Julie recommends:
- Watching the videos to ensure you understand the form
- Getting comfortable and well acquainted with the equipment and the exercise
- Doing the research
- Being patient with the injuries
- Dedication
To learn form:
- Start with the broomstick or no weight if necessary.
- Work in front of a full-length mirror and practice the motions of a lift.
- You can also videotape yourself for review.
- Start small, then progress (low weight or studio bar of 5 then 10 pounds).
She found that once she started lifting weights her calorie allowance increased so she could indulge herself while maintaining a deficit. She kept track of her calorie intake every day since last 3 years and is in great shape.
Julie’s transformation set her on a path not unlike Allan’s. She is working towards a personal trainer certificate and plans to work with older adults.
Hope Julie gets fit has inspired you towards your own fitness plan. Get in touch with at her blog – https://musingsfromaworkaholic.com/.
Music used for the podcast Intro and Outro: http://www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music