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Fitness Questions - Getting Into Shape After an Eating Disorder!

Fitness Question:
I'm wondering what level to start my exercising at. I have had an eating disorder for years (bulimia) and I think it may of effected my strength. I'm determined to lose weight but I don't know much exercise I need or what exercises to do. Can you help me?

Fitness Answer:
Begin a weight training routine 3 times a week and focus on core exercises will build quality muscle which will burn more calories and give your body a drastic change in composition. Start very slow and steady! Take your time to focus on correct form when doing the weight training movements. A personal trainer is great for your first few weight training sessions! You can review our weight training guides here:

Weight Training Exercises

Always eat a small pre-workout meal consisting of some low glycemic carbs and a quality protein. A good meal is a half cup of rolled oats and a scoop of whey protein. This provides you with a sustained carb source to provide energy through your workout and a quality protein source to support muscle repair and growth.

Always eat a post-workout meal consisting of a high quality protein and a high glycemic carbohydrate. After your workout is the ideal time to spike your insulin levels and re-supply your body with glycogen. A great post-workout meal consists of 2 scoops of high quality whey protein powder (I recommend Optimum Nutrition) and about 35-50 grams of carbs coming from either dextrose or maltodextrin. MRP's like Myoplex or MetRX work great in this situation. Liquid meals are great after your workout because you don't have to deal with the heavy digestion which real foods takes. The goal post workout is to maintain a prompt digestion rate so nutrients can transport swiftly and efficiently to our muscles.

If your current cardio routine has started to plateau your weight loss, try switching to a high intensity cardio exercise which will burn more calories and keep your body's metabolism stoked throughout the day. Great examples are sprints, jumping rope and spinning. Limit these sessions to 20 minutes. Here is a great article on burning major calories with different cardio exercises:

Cardio Exercises

Do not limit your calorie intake. By limiting your calories, your body will usually store more fat since it thinks its in starvation mode. Always eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day. Remember:

1. Fuel The Body with a nutritionally dense diet
   
2. Build The Muscle with weight training
   
3. Burn The Fat with cardio exercise
   

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