Over Half Way to Goal

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerful Women
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A couple of people have encouraged me to get on this board so here goes. Background – 50 years old, weighed 115 at 18 but always thought I was fat (ugh). Got married, had 2 kids, and struggled with weight my entire life. Divorced the husband, went to grad school and moved around a lot the past 10 years.

Through it all my treadmill was my best bud. I bet I clocked thousands of miles on that thing. I was also big on walking outdoors with friends. At 5’2" my weight peaked at 187 last year (as you see, I did ACTUALLY get fat).

Last summer I was in the shower, realized my ass wasn’t getting any firmer, and in fact was sooo squishy, and that wasn’t going to resolve on a stupid treadmill. Joined the gym that day.

Two weeks later had my Phoenix experience (horrible) and the gym trainer called shortly after to offer my 2 free sessions. I knew it was a sales thing but I said sure. Turns out he gets it. He follows Cressey, Gentilcore, Robertson, etc. He pointed me to T-Nation for some complexes to use on my off days from training with him.

Last time I weighed I was at 150. My goal is 130, although I’m going to adjust that as we get closer when I see how my body looks, how I feel and how my strength is. As of my last assessment I’ve lost over 40 inches. I’m a size 6/8 and have never been that in my adult life. Heck, when I was 18 I was a size 10.

I’m getting an assessment today – body fat, strength, etc. I will post a chart with my starting numbers and today’s numbers. I’ve been at it for 8 months and I’ve had very slow, very steady progress (this is no Biggest Loser thing going on here). There aren’t any women at my gym with my strength goals and I’ve been checking the women’s logs here and I like what I see.

Here’s to good numbers today – I’m shooting for 200 on my deadlift. I hit 150 at my last assessment but have been doing 135’s for the past 5 weeks. I think 200 will be easy to hit for a PR.

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Hiya Deb!! Congrats on the progress so far…

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Great progress! Good luck with that 200lb deadlift. I think that’s the key to staying young and fending off muscle loss and osteoporosis (so long as you don’t rupture anything that is - I’ve managed to knacker my back so no deadlifting for me for a while sniff).

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Thanks MiM!
Cal – Thanks! I had a bone scan 2 years ago and all those thousands of miles on the treadmill must have done me SOME good because the bones are in great shape. Adding weights will definitely add to that (had a grandma with a hump and my mom shrinks more every year so I’m keeping an eye on this). No deadlifts? Aww, hope you mend quickly!

Off to the assessment!

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Hi Deb! Nice progress!

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Thanks Debra!

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Okay, here are my results for today:

            July, 2009       May, 2009

BF% 40 31.8
Chest 43 37
R Arm 13.5 11.75
R Forearm 10.5 10
Waist 41.25 35
Hip 46 39
R Thigh 25 22.75
R Calf 17.5 16.5

Strength:

                   March, 2009      May, 2009

Deadlift 150 185
Pull Downs 70 lbs 1 12
DB Press 27.5 lbs 5 8
Inverted Row 6 10
BB Press 40 lbs 10 16 – 45 lbs
Plank 2:20 3:20 min

My trainer went nuts when I hit 185 on the DL. He was hoping to add 15 pounds and he could see how strong I was so we kept adding. At hit failure at 190. He video’d it and is going to post to his blog. A great day all in all.

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Welcome! What amazing progress you’ve made. I’ll look forward to hearing more about your training.

That is a great deadlift number. I’d like that one myself!

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[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
Welcome! What amazing progress you’ve made. I’ll look forward to hearing more about your training.

That is a great deadlift number. I’d like that one myself![/quote]

Thanks Kimba! The trainers wife was there. She’s 24, 5’9, 140 pounds (so I’m way shorter and 10 pounds heavier) and she said damn, I’m only lifting 200. I said ooooh a little competition. I like that!

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welcome and congrats on your progress!

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[quote]talenaah wrote:
welcome and congrats on your progress![/quote]

Thanks x2!

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Hi!
Looking forward to following (and cheering you along). I commend you for deciding enough was enough with the treadmill and working hard for your gains (and losses lol)

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Hi Deb! Amazing progress so far, congrats!

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Thanks Spirited and Blue!

I went right out and had a BLT and then saw Iron Man 2 afterward. I’m one of those carb sensitive types. Found that out the hard way with a bad assessment in December. Figured out the issue and 2 days later saw a huge improvement. It sucks to have to be this careful with them but it’s that or struggle and I work way too hard in the gym to let simple carbs be my downfall. As is often quoted, you can’t out train bad nutrition. Trainer starts me on my next program on Tuesday. Curious to see what I’ll be doing the next 5 weeks. Just when I think he can’t come up with anything more agonizing than the last 5 weeks, he does. But in a good way, of course :slight_smile:

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Congrats on your progress! I, too, was 110-115 at age 18 and thought I was too fat. I was a size 8 and thought that was too big, wanted to be a size 4. At 5’7, I’m not sure that’s actually possible. I didn’t get married and have kids, just stopped being active after high school. Last summer I hit 180. One of the ppl I met in a chat room pointed me here, and I started lurking and researching (to death…it was horrible…kept procrastinating, wanting to have the perfect program) and started working out every day I worked. Lost 10 lbs. Got sick, stopped working out. Just got back to it this year…am very inconsistent, but I keep at it.

It’s awesome that you have such a cool trainer (even though he does cancel on you a lot) that gets you working hard. I want to go into a gym and be like “train me. teach me. forget i’m female and show me what i need to do to lose fat and gain muscle.” Sounds like you have that kind of trainer. :slight_smile:

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[quote]Grneyes wrote:
Congrats on your progress! I, too, was 110-115 at age 18 and thought I was too fat. I was a size 8 and thought that was too big, wanted to be a size 4. At 5’7, I’m not sure that’s actually possible. I didn’t get married and have kids, just stopped being active after high school. Last summer I hit 180. One of the ppl I met in a chat room pointed me here, and I started lurking and researching (to death…it was horrible…kept procrastinating, wanting to have the perfect program) and started working out every day I worked. Lost 10 lbs. Got sick, stopped working out. Just got back to it this year…am very inconsistent, but I keep at it.

It’s awesome that you have such a cool trainer (even though he does cancel on you a lot) that gets you working hard. I want to go into a gym and be like “train me. teach me. forget i’m female and show me what i need to do to lose fat and gain muscle.” Sounds like you have that kind of trainer. :slight_smile:

[/quote]

You’re right. My trainer never looked at me as a female – just as a person who wanted to burn fat and gain muscle. I deadlift and squat just like the big boys (well at my gym more than most of the guys). A good book to pick up is The New Rules of Lifting: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess. Cosgrove wrote the exercise portion (Hungry probably knows who he is). I use the information to supplement my trainer. I also look through the articles on here all the time for information. Once you get the “bug” and start seeing results, you’ll be hooked!

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That is a good book! I’ve recommended it countless times :slight_smile: Congrats on your progress!! What kind of assessment did you get that revealed your sensitivity to carbs? just curious.I typically stay away from them myself…

Grn- I wish more girls like you and Deb would come to my gym!

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[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
That is a good book! I’ve recommended it countless times :slight_smile: Congrats on your progress!! What kind of assessment did you get that revealed your sensitivity to carbs? just curious.I typically stay away from them myself…

Grn- I wish more girls like you and Deb would come to my gym!
[/quote]

What happened, MiM, was when I had my body fat assessment (I have an assessment at the end of every 5 week training segment) I had an INCREASE in my waist, despite weight loss. I lost some muscle and gained some fat. That had never happened before. He said that we would discuss my eating at my next session and as I walked home, I went over what was different during the past month as compared to the months before. Carbs. I make big pots of food on Sundays to eat all week after work. I would only add carbs to the my serving on the two nights I trained with him. I was getting ready to move, it was December and for 3 or 4 weeks I just boiled up the pasta and threw it in and ate it EVERY NIGHT!! Huge difference! So now I’m back to two small servings the nights I train (and actually sometimes skip it altogether). My back fat measurement this time was greatly improved.

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I lived in DC for 2.5 years, MiM. Wish I’d known you then because I would have definitely come up to MD to train together!

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I am not as carb sensitive as you are. But your experience mirrors mine. Ditching the pasta, bread, cookies etc. was the difference between being lean or not. I don’t really miss them, but do indulge every now and again.