25F w/ PCOS - Any beginner friendly workouts or gyms around (or near) BGC?

[megj]

I was a sporty and active person as a kid until I had a sports injury in high school (broken fibula). I’ve recovered from it but I haven’t been as active as before. I need any recommendations on a beginner-friendly gym as it can be quite intimidating getting back on the saddle! The last time i checked my weight, I was 110kg,so I stopped weighing myself. Personally, I don’t hate being fat or how i look, but it can get pretty sad whenever I can’t find clothes my size which i like. Or whenever people treat skinnier people better.

I was able to get my weight down to 88kgs last 2019, but when the pandemic hit, I didn’t get to move around as much because of the WFH setup. I moved back to Manila this May for our RTO on June.

Nutrition:
- I don’t binge on food, tbh. I can control how much I eat and I only do so until I’m satiated.
- I love veggies and chicken (and beef!). Pork, not so much.
- I eat just the right amount of carbs (1 cup rice/ 2 slices of bread/ pasta)
- I don’t drink softdrinks or eat chips (never liked them anyway)
- I eat 3-4x a day (bfast, lunch, dinner and a snack when i get hungry)
- I drink 2-3L of water per day

Physical activity
- Way back college, i tried boxing and HIIT and i was consistent for about a year. However, i didn’t feel (nor look) any better compared to when i started.
- After seeing a doctor, he told me to refrain from high impact activities because it might strain my joints because i am on the heavier side
- Current situation: Started walking 3km one night and now i do it 3x a week. Helps with the back pain and with my endurance. It also helps me get my monthly periods (as someone with PCOS, this makes me happy)
- that’s it. That’s the extent of my physical activity.

I’m curious about weightlifting but I’m afraid trainers will suggest HIIT or boxing again. For now, I’ll try my best to be consistent with my walking goals until i find an activity i like (which i won’t find unless i try something new haha!).

Looking forward to anyone who can suggest any gym/ workout plan. Sana not expensive naman like those in saddlerow or other cycling centers - it’s already expensive living here in bgc (but yeah, i’m also interested in indoor rowing because it looks like fun and it’s both cardio and strength training).

Any thoughts? Feel free to share any tips or experiences!

 

[tholar]

@megj Try Powerlifting! Stronglifts 5x5 program in particular. It's very simple and beginner friendly. There's also an app for it you can download.

It's more strength training but you do walks naman na haha. If you really want cardio, C25k program for running? There's also an app for it.

 

[megj]

@tholar Thanks for this! I’ll look into the 5x5 program more, I also found an app for this but which do you suggest is a good one out there? Is it better to hire a coach to teach me how to properly do it first?And any gym you can recommend with complete equipment?

I hate running since I’m a naturally clumsy person, but I didn’t know about C25k. It looks promising!

 

[tholar]

@megj Yep, you can get a coach in the beginning para matulungan ka with the proper forms of the lifts. I think primarily 5 basic lifts lang ang need mo matutunan sa una, so di siya nakakaoverwhelm. You can learn accessory lifts later on. For the app, I think the app is called "StrongLifts Weight Lifting Log". As for the gym, what I like about powerlifting is very basic lang equipment nya haha. Kaya yung mga bakal gyms na mas mura than commercial gyms can already fit the bill. As long as may squat rack, bench, barbell, and the barbell plates, you can usually make it work na.

I also hate running haha pero C25K is good kasi you dont really need anything to start it and you can measure your progress.

Kung kaya ng energy mo, you can alternate days where you lift and when you do C25K, since they are both 3x a week na programs. But even just walking on your lifting rest days is good. As the other commenter said, diet really plays a big part pa din talaga.

Good luck!

 

[tirynn]

@megj First off, I think you are on the right track with all the things you are doing (nutrition & physical activities), and if you can be more consistent and amplify those good habits, you will surely hit your fitness goals.

One thing I can add up here is, you have to measure your weight regularly (weekly is ideal) to give you feedback. It is one way to objectively know if the habits that you are doing is working or not.

Secondly, the gym setting, it can be really intimidating for any beginners to have the courage to enter the gym as they feel like everybody is looking at them. My tip, better to contact the gym first, inquire about them, the coaches, the services, facilities and communicate with them your concerns.

Here’s another thing you should look for a coach if you decide to have someone to help you with your initial fitness & health journey: A good coach tells you what to do, a great coach listens. So it is important you tell him/her that you are not fond of HIIT and boxing because you didn’t have good experience with it before.

I hope it helps!

 

[megj]

@tirynn Thanks, I appreciate your inputs here! Yeah, I guess I’m lacking sa monitoring part haha. I should buy a weighing scale. And I super duper agree on the coach bit – I’ve been seeing a lot of personal trainers advertise themselves on social media and I would always look at their clients’ testimonials. Back then, i would always just trust what my coach was telling me to do and not question it, little did I know his workout routine for me was the same for all his trainees with different body types and goals . I just found it out when I chatted with other gym goers so we got confused why he didn’t even try customizing it.

 

[hishandsandfeet]

@megj Hi OP. I’ll be honest with you, you’re eating too much carbs. Especially carbs na super bad for PCOS (white bread, white rice, pasta). Keep up with your walking routine for now till you lose more weight, then mix it up with running. Most importantly, you need to change your eating habits. See a dietician to curate meal plans for you if tinatamad ka magresearch. My OB just told me to cut rice completely and not to drink soft drinks or juice, and I shed the weight without doing any workout. I also suggest looking up intermittent fasting. See if you can do it. Sobrang helpful physically and mentally. I always get tired/sleepy after eating when I used to eat 3-4 times a day.