Newbie trying to lose weight

[kwoods25]

Hey all!!

I just purchased and received my C2 rower. I've used them in the local gym, and temporarily at a Crossfit gym I use to belong to. I am female 5'3 235# and 36 years old. Crossfit was just too much for me being this heavy. So I thought I would purchase a rower and try it on my own with weight training in between. I know proper nutrition is the biggest portion of the weight loss, which is my biggest short fall at this point. Hoping to turn that part around and get on the right track.

I did my first row today I like the row for calories(its more motivating for me to keep going) Here are my numbers for my morning workout. 1904 meters/10:00 min/100 calories. I was between 32-34 s/m the entire row.

Not sure if that is good or bad at this point. I would not say I am TOTALLY out of shape, but I am not in shape either since quitting crossfit I have probably gained 15# in the last year, just from not exercising at all and poor diet.

Let me know anyone's thoughts, suggestions etc.

[Citroen]

http://therowingcompany.com/weightloss/interactive

Feed in 5'3" and 106Kgs and a target weight (use 75Kgs or 32Kgs loss) and it will generate a 6 month program for you.

[kwoods25]

Thanks!

[wphunter]

Regular rowing and not overdoing it once you find it getting easier. Check out the Workout of the Day as variety helps keep you motivated and take part in Concept2 challenges, team and individual!

Wayne

[Ergmeister]

Citroen's link is a good one and great place to start. The great thing about a C2 rower for people of size losing weight is the great cardio workout without pounding on your legs and joints while using it. I have an arthritis laced blown out ankle which prevents me from running but I row daily without any problems. Understand the drag factor settings and be sure to use it for consistency.

I encourage all newbies to watch the Concept2 technique videos (http://www.concept2.com/indoor-rowers/t ... que-videos) and to go back and view them periodically to help to avoid injury, improper technique, and to help stay motivated.

Get yourself into the fat burning zone with long pieces when you can and pound water! You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight and it really helps. There's a good support system here so stay with it and good luck with your new lifestyle. If you can manage it, plant based diets will strip weight like a chainsaw. Watch the film "Forks Over Knives" http://www.forksoverknives.com/ for some really compelling information.

[JoeRower]

.....You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight....

I disagree with this quite a bit. Many athletes are losers (physical/mental duration and stamina), because they essentially beat themselves by not being properly hydrated. Old secret in sports.

One always want to keep their body hydrated, before, during, and after workouts. This usually means that your pee is clear -- which is not counting taking vitamins which will most always cause darker color.

When a person is tearing down (work) and rebuilding (rest), water is what the body uses to move waste, feed nutrients to muscles (flow), and lubricate the body hinges (so to speak).

The real issue with WATER RETENTION, is not the amounts of water one drinks, rather high SODIUM intake. This is a huge factor, because if one starts looking at the ingredients of diet sodas (and anything else) -- sodium is in everything. Unavoidable -- especially in diet products.

So please drink LOTS of water. You will find your physical/mental endurance will be better -- and in turn, your workouts will be more productive. BUT AGAIN....keep the SODIUM intake down when possible. AND ALSO.....cut out as much beer as possible! Beer does not count as water.

[JoeRower]

.....You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight....

EDIT: I must have read this wrong. I suppose this means exactly what I said before. Is this is a double-negative or something? lol You can't drink too much water = Don't drink very much water or Drink lot's of water.

====================================
Many athletes are losers (physical/mental duration and stamina), because they essentially beat themselves by not being properly hydrated. Old secret in sports.

One always want to keep their body hydrated, before, during, and after workouts. This usually means that your pee is clear -- which is not counting taking vitamins which will most always cause darker color.

When a person is tearing down (work) and rebuilding (rest), water is what the body uses to move waste, feed nutrients to muscles (flow), and lubricate the body hinges (so to speak).

The real issue with WATER RETENTION, is not the amounts of water one drinks, rather high SODIUM intake. This is a huge factor, because if one starts looking at the ingredients of diet sodas (and anything else) -- sodium is in everything. Unavoidable -- especially in diet products.

So please drink LOTS of water. You will find your physical/mental endurance will be better -- and in turn, your workouts will be more productive. BUT AGAIN....keep the SODIUM intake down when possible. AND ALSO.....cut out as much beer as possible! Beer does not count as water.

[Bob S.]

.....You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight....

EDIT: I must have read this wrong. I suppose this means exactly what I said before. Is this is a double-negative or something? lol You can't drink too much water = Don't drink very much water or Drink lot's of water.

My own interpretation of Ergmeisters comment was just the opposite of yours. His previous sentence ended with "and pound water!" I found his choice of verbs a bit puzzling, but it seemed clear that he meant to drink a lot of it. As far as the expression "You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight" is concerned, it is like the old saying, "You can't have too many friends." The implication of that was that no matter how may friends you have, it is never too many. In other words, what I infer from his statement is: no matter how much water you drink when you are losing weight, it is never too much. An exaggeration, of course. There have been hazing deaths reported in which someone was pushed to chug=a=lug a gallon of water in a short period of time. But it makes the point that most people fail to drink enough.

Bob S.

[JoeRower]

....His previous sentence ended with "and pound water!"....

LOL and I took that as row on water FAST and HARD (pound it). I guess this shows I don't row on water. LOL

My apologies for misunderstanding at first.

BTW, just like the opening-poster, I haven't really lost any weight, but I have a few new back muscles. All of my clothes are fitting very nicely. My old favorites are coming out of the closet now. Lot's of comments from people, because they THINK I have lost weight.

Lately, I have been rowing (indoors) and doing 24,000 - 30,000 meters (2 1/2 hours). This seems to help with building my strength, endurance, and mental for the shorter distances. But I am not really losing weight.

[Citroen]

.....You can't drink too much water when you're losing weight....

EDIT: I must have read this wrong. I suppose this means exactly what I said before. Is this is a double-negative or something? lol You can't drink too much water = Don't drink very much water or Drink lot's of water.

====================================
Many athletes are losers (physical/mental duration and stamina), because they essentially beat themselves by not being properly hydrated. Old secret in sports.

One always want to keep their body hydrated, before, during, and after workouts. This usually means that your pee is clear -- which is not counting taking vitamins which will most always cause darker color.

When a person is tearing down (work) and rebuilding (rest), water is what the body uses to move waste, feed nutrients to muscles (flow), and lubricate the body hinges (so to speak).

The real issue with WATER RETENTION, is not the amounts of water one drinks, rather high SODIUM intake. This is a huge factor, because if one starts looking at the ingredients of diet sodas (and anything else) -- sodium is in everything. Unavoidable -- especially in diet products.

So please drink LOTS of water. You will find your physical/mental endurance will be better -- and in turn, your workouts will be more productive. BUT AGAIN....keep the SODIUM intake down when possible. AND ALSO.....cut out as much beer as possible! Beer does not count as water.

That is so wrong it could kill you from hyponatremia (although not if you're exercising for an hour).
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1410848/

There's also been some new research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine about hydration levels in athletes (full document is behind a paywall).
http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/ ... 7.abstract

[hjs]

Often slower Marathon runners drink so much they weigh more after then before a marathon. Hydration is important, but you can certainly drink to much. During exercise glycogeen stores are emptied, glycogeen binds lots of water, so exercise does make one ligher, if not you drink to much.
Its about the middle, both extremes don't work and can be dangerous.

[JoeRower]

I have yet to ever see anyone take drinking water to an extreme -- flushing the electrolytes from their body. People normally need to be reminded, because thirst is the moderator. I do think one should drink a little beyond thirst, in preparation for hard work (exercise). The muscles use water. That is what Creatine does at a simple level for size/performance. The muscles expand as a result of absorbing more water.

Drink lot's of water. If you fear becoming a crazy firehose drinker, make sure the water has electrolytes and take vitamins.


====
But I do remember this crazy thing years ago in Sacramento. A girl died during a water-drinking-contest (bottled water). She won a Nintendo WII. It caused a totally new moral dilemna about the Radio Station sponsoring a contest like this. Family got $16million.
Experts say water intoxication can occur when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is altered by a rapid intake of water.
Who would have thunk? But then again, anyone can die from having too much of anything.

[Ergmeister]

To be clear: When I said "You can't drink too much water..." my intent was make it clear that over-hydration is nearly impossible when going hard and losing weight. I prefaced it with the comment "pound water" meaning drink lots of water. "Drink a lot of water because you cannot usually drink enough of it even if you try" may have been a better choice of sentence structure. In all cases, to be very clear and allay any misunderstandings:
I ADVOCATE DRINKING LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER and then some more.

Responding to the comment on vitamins and supplements, if they are taken with food and in accordance with instructions, they should have a minimal effect on urine color in my experience. When taken with only water at the start of the day or an empty stomach, then those supplements will absolutely go right through you and you will fail to get the absorption benefits of them which is necessary from the food digestion process. This is especially true with plant based diets where the phytochemical components are hugely important to vitamin and mineral absorption into the body.

Sorry if my poor choice of syntax caused confusion. By no means did I want to imply reduced or insufficient water intake.