Workouts:
For me, I got less embarrassed with time. And I was really embarrassed. When I first started lifting a year and a half ago, I would get into the gym the second it opened and just look around to see what was in the weight room. I started going in and doing the machines when no one was looking, and with great trepidation progressed to the free weights. It only took a workout or two to lose the fear. I was pretty comfortable quickly. It helped to do research and see that the scary folks at the gym were actually doing things that might get them hurt. I've been in a new gym for about a month, and in that time period, I haven't seen anyone use the squat rack, including the big boys.
As for the men, I find the generally leave me alone. Sometimes I get some flirtation, which I find annoying, but some other women might welcome it.
I find the gym in the AM a lot calmer. I recommend it if you can swing it. I get up between 5 and 6 to get in a workout before work.
Food:
I love hearing from other women who bring food everywhere they go! My suggestion about food is to take it one step at time. Start by counting calories, eating at maintenance. Pay attention to what keeps to satisfied for a while. Try new recipes or handy snacks. I've discovered that baby carrots, cottage cheese, and nuts all come prepackaged and make great snacks. I can also buy them all in bulk and make my own snack portions to save money.
Once you've got that down, start paying attention to protein and fat intake. I try to get my bodyweight in protein grams a day, and shot for around 60g of fat. The protein number I got from message boards, the fat from a nutritionist. If you discover that you're not getting enough, try to play with your food. Maybe add protein powder to your breakfast or eat more cc if you need protein. Or cut down the nuts if you have too much fat.
If you eventually decide to cut calories for fat loss, do so only once getting in your maintenance calories with the correct macros is easy.
|