Learning the Way

Training
61

[quote]A7979 wrote:
Belle Curvy wrote:
I think I am becoming a little addicted to the classes they have at the gym. I haven’t really been lifting any weights just doing the classes. They are just so fun and I know the instructors now and I like them. I had a spinout in the Spin Class. I don’t know if you can tell in the picture. It is so swollen you can’t really see the ankle bone and it is swollen towards the front of my foot. I don’t even know exactly what happened but my foot slid and got stuck in the pedal and wrenched. Hurts so crazy.

dianab you said something about cardio leaving you with saggy skin? Is it all the bouncing around that the skin does during cardio? I do moisturize but I just don’t see how I can get around the stretch marks. I also worry that at my age it won’t shrink back up.

I am down for the count while my ankle heals.

So I want to keep my classes (no more spin classes) and do weights.

I mostly eat good. I still go out to dinner with friends. I haven’t weighed myself because I had Mexican food on Sunday! It was good.

How do people stay so consistent every day? Food is everywhere and it all looks so good. It is just crazy because I really want it, but then I give in to bad food.

I want to regain feeling pretty and not wishing I were invisible. Right now I don’t want anyone to notice me because I am fat. I want to lose the weight so I can smile at people again and meet some new people.

I also hate that each time I post on here I sound like I am whining. I don’t really whine all the time and I don’t really share with friends and especially not at work. I just get on here and it all oozes out of me.

So has anyone on here ever been this fat and how do you stop your bad habits and be consistent?

It is real simple, YOU stop the bad habits and YOU choose to be consistent with your diet and training. If you continue to make excuses for eating this and that, then you will never meet your goals in becoming fit. As people have said, prior to me, there is no magic behind getting fit beyond working HARD consistently and having the DISCIPLINE to eat right (most of the time). No one is perfect but you have to WANT this so bad (to be fit; everyone has a different opinion because they have different goals) that you are willing to SACRIFICE certain pleasures in life to meet your objectives of being healthier.

I wish you the best of luck in meeting your goals to be a healthier person. Great job so far! Remember injuries are part the game :slight_smile: and that you are in this for the long haul, as this is a lifestyle change. So plow forward and build your own path to success![/quote]

=) Thank you.

I probably should stop counting down the weeks also. As you said, this is a lifestyle change. Not just a 3 month change.

I am not big on sacrifice, I am big on indulgence LITERALLY!!! I will keep what you said in mind. A friend of mine told me that whether I am dieting and working out or not, time will pass. I can either spend that time doing something for myself, or I can just spend my time as I am right now in this moment in this body.

I am glad I posted tonight. I think I will do this more often and I will have lots of little successes to tell you all about.

62

I hear you on indulgence! I’ve found it very helpful to have indulgences but you have to find indulgences that are better choices.

Just as an example, food like seafood can be non-detrimental to your diet but have a rich feel to them and if you like seafood it can feel like indulgence. If you’re okay with dairy making hot cocoa without sugar can feel like a treat also. (dropping most sugar from my diet has made it easier to enjoy such things!) There was a time when I would not have enjoyed a hot chocolate without sugar.

But my point is I find it helpful to feel like I’m indulging even if it is actually not even a cheat. Also find ways to indulge that are not food related if you can. (SHOES!) :smiley:

Hopefully you will get to a point where you enjoy eating clean healthy food and feel satisfied with it to a point where junk isn’t even a temptation. You will get to a point where it’s not a constant struggle.

It does get easier! Keep your eyes on your goals, visualize what you want and keep that mental picture when you feel like saying fuck it and you will meet your goals.

63

Speaking from experience, I have remained consistent even though it’s hard…It’s hard for me because I’m not getting the results despite experimenting and tweaking, it still doesn’t seem like I’ve found that ‘magic,’ combo of eating and exercising…I’ve been at this for TWO years…
Lucky for me I LOVE working out, otherwise I’d probably be pushing 300 by now, grrr.

Personally, I think there is an underlying cause that I have yet to discover…I have slowly been digging to find clues, it’s just taking longer than I’d like :stuck_out_tongue:

If anything,you should take pride in eating healthy(er) and working out…looking better is just a side affect…you’re still starting out, so there is no need to make it complicated…just keep on keeping on, one meal, one hour of exercise, and one day at a time! :slight_smile:

64

[quote]debraD wrote:
Also find ways to indulge that are not food related if you can. (SHOES!) :smiley:
[/quote]

I definitely agree with this. I found that treating food as a reward leads me to a lot of excuses and unhealthy behavior. I get to the thought process of “Well, I hit a PR or did cardio or was down two lbs, so this chocolate won’t hurt me,” and then I “reward” myself much more than I really deserved. If that makes sense?

Now, I just but a lot of clothes, shoes, and pretty panties. :slight_smile: My husband is about to kill me.

65

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
debraD wrote:
Also find ways to indulge that are not food related if you can. (SHOES!) :smiley:

I definitely agree with this. I found that treating food as a reward leads me to a lot of excuses and unhealthy behavior. I get to the thought process of “Well, I hit a PR or did cardio or was down two lbs, so this chocolate won’t hurt me,” and then I “reward” myself much more than I really deserved. If that makes sense?

Now, I just but a lot of clothes, shoes, and pretty panties. :slight_smile: My husband is about to kill me.

[/quote]

I’m running out of things to reward myself with. I tend not to do the food thing and can’t afford clothes. Although sometimes I buy pretty underpants too because it feels like new clothes and is much cheaper.

I’d have thought your husband would appreciate the pretty underpants. I’m thinking about random stranger sex just to show mine off.

66

I don’t think they’d care about your drawers, Julie…

67

[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
I’d have thought your husband would appreciate the pretty underpants. I’m thinking about random stranger sex just to show mine off.[/quote]

The shoes and clothes are the source of his angst. Of course, when I finally threw out the last of my high school panties, he did ask if I was having an affair.

68

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
ouroboro_s wrote:
I’d have thought your husband would appreciate the pretty underpants. I’m thinking about random stranger sex just to show mine off.

The shoes and clothes are the source of his angst. Of course, when I finally threw out the last of my high school panties, he did ask if I was having an affair.[/quote]

Okay that’s good to hear PMPM… I was going to ask what was wrong with your husband if he didn’t appreciate sexy panties. Unless of course he was just pissed you were wearing some in the first place…

And now that we have completely hijacked Belle’s thread…

69

[quote]dianab wrote:
Belle, classes are great if you love them, but you’ve gotta hit those weights at least 3 days a week! Don’t cheat yourself from the results you want by missing out on resistance training.
Cardio in in itself is not the devil, but ONLY doing cardio is a no-no. You may lose some fat, but there will be no muscle built up underneath it. Aside from other metabolic issues this will cause, there will be some saggy skin in most cases. Rapid weight loss will also do that.

Consistency with food is a big one. I tend to eat the same things over and over again. The Precision Nutrition program can really help you with this one, and it’s not as boring as having the same foods all the time. It is really worth the money, and I’d urge you to invest in it.

Of course you want to feel pretty, don’t be too hard on yourself. This is your time to get back your power as a woman, in how you feel, look and act. Take the small victories and add them up, then wear them proudly. Learn from the setbacks. Be kind and patient with yourself and keep grinding away.
And keep posting, I want to see some resistance training on this log.[/quote]

I will add my vote for resistance training and not just because I love it.

Several years ago I lost a ton of weight. I was never very big but at one point I was down to 107 lbs. Even when I was at a more reasonable 115, I couldn’t figure out why I still didn’t look that great. I was skinny but flabby. Now that I’ve been lifting for several years, I feel like I have the body I thought I should have just by being skinny. That’s why I laugh when women worry about getting all big and jacked. I actually look more womanly now because I have muscles and curves. Still no boobs but I have an ass and a nice tiny waist :slight_smile:

Like Diana, I eat the same things over and over. I figure out what I like to eat, fits my lifestyle and won’t negatively impact my sport. Mostly I’m lazy and don’t like to plan meals so the repetition works well for me.

This isn’t to day my diet is pristine. Just this last weekend, I stood with my head in the freezer necking down a bunch of frozen chocolate. I couldn’t get it into me fast enough. PMS what can I say.

70

LOL! Julie…

I too wanted to chime in with the PN thing…I’m part of the Lean Eating Program right now, and I think the next group starts up in June, I’ll probably resign on, because I’m learning SO MUCH!!!..it’s an extra as part of the already awesome PN forums, but well worth it IMO…

71

I just got back from the doctors and I have a sprained ankle (that I knew) and I broke my little toe! haha! That I didn’t know. He said there isn’t a lot they can do for a toe but he bandaged it against the other toes and told me to take ibuprofen 4x a day and keep it elevated. I have on a wrap and it does feel better already.

He also said that after the swelling goes down that I should walk on the treadmill and see how it feels and to give it a week before I squat because the angle of that move puts a lot of pressure on the ankle. He also said that I should not baby my ankle but to walk carefully and not wear high heels for a while until all the swelling and pain is gone.

So I am going to take this week to really get the nutrition down. I was thinking I will have a huge bowl of ready to eat vegetables to take with me to work and to have in the fridge. I actually like them so I don’t know why I don’t eat more of them.

Another crazy thing is, I felt very cool to have to have a day off do to a “sports injury”. Yah, I am a hard ass. I work out and stuff. Felt good to say it.

72

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
debraD wrote:
Also find ways to indulge that are not food related if you can. (SHOES!) :smiley:

I definitely agree with this. I found that treating food as a reward leads me to a lot of excuses and unhealthy behavior. I get to the thought process of “Well, I hit a PR or did cardio or was down two lbs, so this chocolate won’t hurt me,” and then I “reward” myself much more than I really deserved. If that makes sense?

Now, I just but a lot of clothes, shoes, and pretty panties. :slight_smile: My husband is about to kill me.

[/quote]

I always use food as a reward! I hadn’t even realized. I will even get excited about going out to dinner with my friends and think about all the things I will order. So crazy!

I do like shoes, I love shoes.

73

[quote]Court wrote:
pushmepullme wrote:
ouroboro_s wrote:
I’d have thought your husband would appreciate the pretty underpants. I’m thinking about random stranger sex just to show mine off.

The shoes and clothes are the source of his angst. Of course, when I finally threw out the last of my high school panties, he did ask if I was having an affair.

Okay that’s good to hear PMPM… I was going to ask what was wrong with your husband if he didn’t appreciate sexy panties. Unless of course he was just pissed you were wearing some in the first place…

And now that we have completely hijacked Belle’s thread…[/quote]

Please Hijack! you all are giving me ideas of the fun I can and will be having. I am thinking I may buy something pretty just a little bit smaller as a reward for my future success. It might be a skirt though, so I can show it off at work. Panties might not be good to show off at work =)

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Belle, if you are struggling with food, I highly encourage you to check out the recipes thread on figure athlete. It has been a life saver for me on my pre-contest diet. People have found ways to mimic bad foods by replacing the bad items with good. For instance, I made a chocolate souffle last night that to me tasted just like chocolate cake. It was simply this…

Chocolate Protein Powder
1 tbsp. UNSWEETENED cocoa powder
egg whites (or whole eggs)
2 tbsp. milled flax seed
1 packet of Stevia

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes then do a minute or 2 on the broiler. Once you get the bad foods out of your system, when you try these alternates, you can’t even taste a difference.

75

[quote]Rach2784 wrote:
Belle, if you are struggling with food, I highly encourage you to check out the recipes thread on figure athlete. It has been a life saver for me on my pre-contest diet.

People have found ways to mimic bad foods by replacing the bad items with good. For instance, I made a chocolate souffle last night that to me tasted just like chocolate cake. It was simply this…

Chocolate Protein Powder
1 tbsp. UNSWEETENED cocoa powder
egg whites (or whole eggs)
2 tbsp. milled flax seed
1 packet of Stevia

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes then do a minute or 2 on the broiler. Once you get the bad foods out of your system, when you try these alternates, you can’t even taste a difference.[/quote]

I second this.

Also, in case you’re the same, I used to be unable to stand the taste of artificial sweeteners but I cut out sugar completely except for berries for a couple of weeks and now I can handle a little bit of it as long as its a very small amount.

Cheesecake tasting stuff:
Vanilla protein powder mixed with greek style yogurt and topped with any kind of berries and a bit of cinnamon. Cottage cheese works okay too.

It’s not only tasty but seems to keep me satiated for some time. Another thing I find helps is having salad with oil and vinegar (not bought dressing, but salt and pepper, Italian seasoning and pouring olive oil and cider/red wine/balsamic vinegar right on it–maybe a tablespoon or two of each oil and vinegar).

I think it’s the vinegar but I find it really kills my cravings between meals, far more than with a creamy dressing.

76

I only jumped on this thread because I saw some folks I really like and respect on here giving you really good advice.

I read dianab like she is “People” magazine.

it’s tough. losing weight is not easy, putting on weight is easy.

I wish I could tell you that it will get easier, it will, but not for a while. But if you get to that point, you will have seen a difference.

I hope you stick around to see it.

77

Hello!

My ankle is back to normal and I am back to lifting weights. I am not doing the spin class anymore, but they have a hip hop and kickboxing class that I really enjoy that I will continue doing.

Tonight this is what I did

bodyweight calf raises until the burned THEN

Standing calf raise
3x15 60, 70, 65 (I had to take a long break before the last one)

so when I have to take a long break, should I not take a long break? Should I just do fewer reps?

Leg Press
3x12 70, 90, 180,
6 reps 140

Cable Rows
3x12 40, 50, 55
4 reps 40

dumbbell press (see I did free weights!)
3x12 17.5, 22.5, 17.5 (why do these have odd weights?)
2 reps 25lbs

hack squat (I am short and had to have a guy move this down for me) these are hard for me
3x12 bodyweight (15 reps), 20, 50,
6 reps 20lbs

glute ham raises
3 x to burn and fail

I was really done after this, I did not do any cardio, I had a headache and was worried going down the stairs that my legs would buckle!

Thanks for all the advice ladies.

I haven’t quit yet.

78

Good job, you made it past the Valentines Day quitters mark! It just gets easier from here in, in the sense the habit of getting to the gym has been formed.
Nice you have the half size DBs, that way you can move up from 30lbs to 35lbs instead of 40lbs (for example). I wish we had those at my gym.

Hey OG, thanks for the compliment!

79

Well I just posted a question in the Beginner forum. I don’t know how to put weight on the bar for a deadlift. See this is why I like machines. I keep watching to see if anyone is setting up but they don’t do it when I am looking. I know I could ask, but I am so tired of not knowing. SO I thought I would ask here first.

Do you put a bar on the squat rack and put the weight on it? Or do you put the weight on the bar on the rack with all the bars?

I tried to Google how to do it but it just shows you how to do a deadlift or a squat, not how to actually put weight on a bar.

It may seem so obvious but I just have never done it before or seen it done.

80

That’s a good question!
For me, I just load the plate(s) on…I sort of stand with my back facing the opposite end of the barbell, straddling it? Pick up the bar, while putting the plate on. It’s probably easier if you have a workout partner though.

For you, maybe you could start with the barbell raised up on some risers: http://www.getfitsource.com/images/Health-Club-Step.jpg