(14-09-2013, 21:43)Outofstyle Wrote: I'm not a customer of Lo's, I came across her site a couple of days ago. Yea I want to be a confident person, it's been shaken a bit over the years due to my questionable choices in boyfriends.
I can completely relate, as both of my boyfriends in the past wanted me to either lose weight or gain weight... the last boyfriend I had never paid me compliments (maybe once a year--he believed that if he complimented me on something once, that he wouldn't ever have to compliment me on that ever again--and he didn't believe in ever telling me that I looked nice "because you should know that you look nice"). I got out of my slump when I was able to find my confidence internally, when I was able to love myself. So, you're on the right track
(14-09-2013, 21:43)Outofstyle Wrote: I checked out a glycemic index table, and I think a lot of the foods I eat are low glycemic, but they aren't a large calorie intake. Guess I should just double up. As for the Boost drink, I do really like it - it isn't a very big bottle and is vitamin-packed. Sometimes I mix some of my protein powder into one just to double up the protein and raise the calories even more. And they actually taste okay too!
I actually realized that was a bad recommendation for you a few hours after I posted it and was away from the computer. The LGI diet is for a person (like me, mesomorph) who can gain fat moderately easily. I could if I REALLY tried and sat around and ate junk food all day (or ate high calorie foods all day long), but not as easily as some other, but certainly easier than you, from the way it sounds your body type is an ectomorph, which is why it is difficult for you to gain anything. In that case, throw the LGI out the window and just shoot for high calories!!! Eat as often as you can throughout the day, and eat LOTS of nuts! Nuts are very high in calories, and you know they have much nutritional value. But yeah I am aware the LGI foods are low in calories. The idea of a LGI/high calorie diet is that one would eat constantly throughout the day and maintain relatively level glucose levels. The more a person's glucose levels spike and drop, the more likely they are to storing the glucose as fat. If a person keeps it constant and level, the glucose will be more likely used as fuel and the calories from the glucose will either be used as fuel (instead of fat) or be used to feed the muscle. I don't think you need to be bothered with the need of avoiding fat, as you have difficulty gaining both fat and muscle. So the rule for you is simple. Eat as many calories as you can, as often as you can!
(14-09-2013, 21:43)Outofstyle Wrote: If I was on the stair machine and just going very slowly on high resistance would that be less of a cardio workout?
Yes. Keep your heart rate under or around 120 and you'll be fine!
(14-09-2013, 21:43)Outofstyle Wrote: I am scared to go over to the weight section because I don't know how to use the equipment all that well (some of it is easy to catch on to what you do though) and I don't even know what is over there. I guess first thing's first I need to just walk through it and actually check it out. I just don't want to get onto a machine and only be able to last 5 minutes on it.
I really want my killer bod though..... Next time I go to the gym I am just going to say to hell with all the guys working their sexy muscles and check it out! I want sexy muscles toooo.
I am feeling a little overwhelmed, because I am beginning to realize that I have to work out all of my muscles, not just my ass and thighs. That seems like a lot of work, and I'm currently a weakling :s .
I guess you can go when there are less people in the gym. Honestly, no one will judge you for it, if they even care. I got a couple good laughs at myself when I was starting my upper body routine. I sat on a machine once and put too much weight on, got all set up to try it, and then as much as I pulled on the handle I couldn't move it an inch. I mean, I was
really trying, it was obvious, and that machine wasn't budging. I must have looked ridiculous but, I kinda don't really care!
And there have been other times where people come up to me and correct me on my form, and I suppose if I was sensitive I would be embarrassed, but my gut reaction is more "darn, can't believe I've been doing it wrong all this time... thank God I know the right way to do it now!!" They were trying to do me a favor. I never see anyone laugh at me or roll their eyes. People in the gym--although they look tough--are really just like you and me. They want to work for "curves" too! Which is why, just putting out the effort to try, they DO have respect for us... (unless for some strange reason you got yourself into a gym in a neighborhood where people are immature and conceited, then I wouldn't know what to tell you
). Just remember that there is a first for everyone with everything. There was a time when those "guys working their sexy muscles" were learning for the first time, too! They'll just be respecting you to see you trying.
(15-09-2013, 07:36)Outofstyle Wrote: I have started doing that scissor leg exercise (I don't know what it is called) where you lie on your side and lift your upper leg up. I am using a text book as a weight, just resting it on my thigh. I really want to widen my hips a bit before I start getting more boobage! So hopefully that will help the muscles. I would really love it if my thighs actually touched in the middle, oh what a joy! I can just imagine how warm and cozy I would be in winter 
It's called the Side-Lying Hip Abduction. And yes, I agree! Sexy hips would looks great with your new boobs!!
The weight of a book may be good enough resistance to build up your strength in that muscle and tone that area, but not enough to build. If you want to use that exact exercise and build later, you can use a barbell balanced on your leg with the weighed discs from the gym. Like this:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/HipA...ction.html . There will be no limit to the amount of weight you can put on that!!
For more exercises for widening the hips, see this link:
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/HipsWt.html and see post #82 on my curves program thread. And, to get your thighs to touch in the middle, you will need to do Side-Lying Hip Adductions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH2JadfVvA4 . Since you have access to the gym, I would STRONGLY recommend using the cable for these exercises (once you build up your strength enough) Cable Abductions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvnR8CDb4BU Cable Adductions:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/de...-adduction . I find them to be the most effective and there is so much more potential with weight! There is also (always) the Adductor and Abductor Machines. You can do this a little more easily without having to worry about form, so I would recommend you do this now while you are still working on strength! Abductor Machine:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/de...h-abductor Adductor Machine:
http://www.probodybuilding.com/video/fem...ctions.php .
Good luck, girly! And about working out your whole body-- just take it one step at a time. As much as I was advised to do my whole body, I only did my lower body for over a year just to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Now that I got the gym routine down-pat and am comfortable with everything, I have added upper body to my routine. It
is better to workout your whole body, but if it means you will be feeling overwhelmed, DON'T. Some is better than none at all! And I know if I felt pressured to workout my whole body at the beginning, that I would have soon quit everything altogether. So, do whatever you know you can now and only add from there later when you are ready!
And you say that before you were worried about snacking on your "off" days would make you fat... you know now that is not true, right? I keep up my diet every single day because my muscles are recovering from my workout and then growing throughout the week until my next workout! You need it all week long to feed your muscles as they grow. But from the sounds of it, it seems that you know that now 
