What weights for the shred?

[EarlyInTheMorning]

I am on day 7 of Level 1. After not exercising for pretty much my entire life I am finding it very do-able! Unfortunately I have not combined it with a diet, pretty much the opposite. I thought since I'm now exercising, I can have that extra packet of biscuits. Anyway, I do intend to take it a bit more seriously from today onwards. I have a question about the weights. I have been using a tin of beans in each hand, so that's barely 500grms each. I could easily handle 1 Kg. My only worry is about bulking up; that's not going to happen, is it? What weight do you all do? I thought I'd buy the Davina ones from Argos. Is more than 1Kg each weight too much?

[Sleepwhenidie]

You will not bulk up - that is a myth - does Jillian look bulky to you? She will be lifting serious weights off screen, believe me, certainly not anything like 1kg. sorry, big bugbear of mine, the whole women 'bulking up' from weights thing, it is b***ks

1kg would be a good place to start, yes. Then when you feel stronger you should be able to increase that, at least for certain exercises.

[EarlyInTheMorning]

Hi Sleep, sorry I do admit I speak from complete and utter ignorance here, so I appreciate the advice.

So another silly question if I may. In terms of losing weight, which is all I want, what would increasing the weights give me?

[Sleepwhenidie]

You will be working harder and therefore burning more calories with heavier weights, but the most important result is increasing muscle tissue, which will burn more calories, ie increase your metabolism, even at rest. Muscle is denser and tighter than fat so looks smaller and more toned.

You also need to lose weight (hopefully mostly fat) however...and the weightlifting won't be the most important thing in that respect, diet is, so step away from the biscuits - also important are the exercises in between the slower weight bearing ones, which get your heart rate right up and burn fat.

[EarlyInTheMorning]

Thank you sleep. I need to lose about 6Kg. I'm short so any more than 1200 calories a day will mean I'm not losing. I'm hungry all the time and have horrible sugar cravings when I go below that . But yes, gotta step away from the biscuits.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Are you simply calorie counting?

[EarlyInTheMorning]

I don't know what I'm doing. Well, the shred every day and that's huge for me. Then I'm trying to eat very little and a couple of days a week I attempt 600 cal.