<p>My trainer has educated me about body types. He points out that most super models are not healthy, they are super thin because they have no muscle. He calls their diet the cigarette and vodka diet. </p>
<p>Then you can look at dancers, many of whom look to have big legs. They’ve developed their legs much more than the non dancing women who want to be toned to look good in clothes. </p>
<p>You can often tell who uses weights by their posture, certain exercises really improve posture.</p>
<p>^^^yoga improves posture too.
I’m tall and had a tendency to slouch. No more!
Did three classes this week…yay.</p>
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<p>I’ve observed *a lot *of dancers and gymnasts over the years. A lot of it has to be genetics, because some develop really large legs and others just have a neat layer of muscle over skinny legs. (Think Shawn Johnson vs. Nastia Liukin.)</p>
<p>sabaray: wow, a 12-pound weight loss in a month is excellent. Good for you! It’s a whole lot easier to gain 12 pounds in a month than lose it.</p>
<p>Thanks, bookiemom. I know the weight loss will undoubtedly slow; for some time my weight didn’t budge but then - it did! All I have been doing is be more conscious of what I am eating; asking myself- am I hungry, bored or lonely?; if hunger, eating something sensible, if bored or lonely walking the dog or some other activity. </p>
<p>I think for a long time I used the excuse that the kids liked certain foods and I would buy it “for them”. Now that they’re not home anymore, I no longer have that reasoning to fall back on. </p>
<p>My diet has not been 100% perfect. I admit that this week I ate something that was not so good for me. But I couldn’t finish it. The dog was thrilled to help me out with it.</p>
<p>So has anyone researched the benefits of resveratrol? Talked with a dr’s wife this past week while on vacation and she said it is really helping her with belly fat.</p>
<p>Congrats to everyone who has been so dedicated. I still have a few pounds that seem reluctant to leave my body. I know that they will come off, but it was soooooo much easier when I was in my forties or early fifties. </p>
<p>Posture - in addition to yoga and other exercises, I just believe that it is important to be mindful of how we are holding ourselves. When we first get up, think of pulling our shoulders back and walking gracefully. I live in a small neighborhood with lots of older women, and two of them have told me that they made a decision when they were in their fifties that we were not going to slouch. I know it is not that simple, but being aware is the first step. </p>
<p>Just recently when my dad was discharged from the hospital, his posture deteriorated so much in a week’s time. He looked like he was folded up like an accordion. It is improving since he has been out, but he could really use some PT to get those muscles strengthened. Unfortunately, he has enough goin’ on that now would not be a good time for me to make a suggestion. I think he would tell me what I could do with my helpful tips :)</p>
<p>worknprogress, how old is your dad?</p>
<p>Dad is 83. Picture Spencer Tracy in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.</p>
<p>What we haven’t discussed here is that some of us will gain weight when becoming more healthy. Since I gave up junk food and started strength training, I’ve gained 10 pounds. I still wear the same size but clothes fit differently. My arms and legs are much more muscular and my abs/core gained strength and firmness. Gaining weight can be good! </p>
<p>It’s essential when you’re eating well and exercising to be more concerned with how you look and feel than the number on the scale. This should not be an excuse to not worry about weight and it takes significant time to build muscle weight, but when you reach your goal you may well weigh more than when you were a good weight in the past.</p>
<p>Congrats & yes, I agree! How we feel & how things fit are important things to note. Muscle DOES weigh more than fat and is nicer to look at for the person in the body & loved ones! :)</p>
<p>Sabaray - Wow! Twelve pounds! That is just great. Keep it up!</p>
<p>I had a milestone yesterday. I ran for 30 continuous minutes for the first time in awhile (eight months maybe). I check my heartrate on the treadmill as soon as I stop. It was 157 bpm yesterday. My plan is to maintain the same pace (a pitiful 4.5 mph) until the heart rate falls to 145 at the end of the run and then will add 1 mph to the speed, continuing to calibrate to the heart rate to dictate when I increase the speed further until I get up to 5 mph. My “long” runs of 30 minutes are every other day. I do “speed” work where I run for shorter periods at 5 mph and “hill” work at 7% incline on the alternate days. Once I can run 30 minutes at 5 mph, I will increase the time to finish the 5k and then go back to increasing the speed with the final goal of running a 5k in 30 minutes on the treadmill. Then, it should be spring and I will start running outside. At least that’s the plan. I know most people run a lot faster. H runs 7.5 mph for his marathon pace and considers himself a slow runner (which he is relative to the guys he trains with). I can hike all day, but for some reason running has always been very hard for me. But because it is so hard it is an easy way to get my heart rate up, so serves its purpose. </p>
<p>Today is my one day a week rest day, but H has been pacing the house this morning because this snow has interfered with his morning run. The Y is closed all day due to the bad weather. He just left and decided there aren’t any cars out so he will run down the middle of the neighborhood streets (has plans for 10 miles today and 17 miles tomorrow; he goes ballistic when his training schedule gets off track). I hope he doesn’t break a leg. It is still snowing and pretty icy, but I didn’t want to be stuck in the house all day with him not having had his run either. That would not have been pretty.</p>
<p>TheAnalyst, I like your plan for increasing speed and distance. I do similar things, only not quite so planned. I have a whole little regimen that I do on the treadmill – one minute at this speed, another minute at that speed, until I’m at around 4.7 for 20 minutes; then five minutes at around 5.2. I’m totaling around 2.22 in my 30 minutes, and I want to get to 2.5 eventually. </p>
<p>Just to see if I can!!</p>
<p>It makes me realize that, if I were ever to run a marathon, it would probably take me around two weeks!!</p>
<p>VeryHappy, I think your plan is great. I sometimes use the variable speeds on my alternate days. I have to mix it up a lot or I get bored. On Thursday, I ran one lap (1/4 mile) at 4.5, then walked at lap at 4.0, then one at 4.7, then walked, then one at 5.0, then walked, and then reversed the pattern down. Because the jogging distance was so short, its was easy and helps me get the feel of running faster. I think I have done as much as 10 continuous minutes at 5 mph and it was too strenuous. I always finish the 5k distance even if the last 10 minutes is just walking. Our treadmills have a little map visual for a 5k that is nice.</p>
<p>I think I top out at a 5k distance with running and have no desire to run in an actual race, largely because I don’t like to be around crowds and that pretty much goes with the territory at race events. I have gone to some of H’s races to cheer him on and it amazes me just how fast people can run who look like they are in horrible shape. </p>
<p>I’m not that overweight anymore (8 pounds above goal at the moment, wearing size 10; expect to be back down to my size 8 suits in about two months and hopefully will fit back into the size 6 jeans in the closet by summer). I lose weight very slowly. But I will never be fast. I remember getting up to 6 mph on the treadmill when I was in my twenties, feeling like it was an all out sprint. If I can get up to 5.5 mph now in my fifties even for a short distance, I will be thrilled.</p>
<p>H has gotten better over the years realizing that I am pushing myself even though I’m not going very fast. He doesn’t get his heart rate much about 115 bpm at his 7.5 mph pace so I like to tease him that he is the slouch, not me. Of course, that’s just because he is in such good shape but he is so darn competitive that it bothers him a lot.</p>
<p>The Analyst - you are doing great! I think it is great to try to increase speed, but you are getting such a good workout if your heart rate is that high. If you can stay motivated without entering races, good for you. Most of us compete just to keep us honest during training.</p>
<p>TheAnalyst- Congrats! Excellent. Tell your H he is not alone! I am iced in and today was my 10 mile day. The streets are not runable or walkable. No one is driving. I’m about to call the gym to make sure it is open and H and I are going to try to make it there. I won’t do 10 on the dreadmill, but maybe can make 6 or 7. I don’t like my schedule messed up, either, and it might be days before we can run outside.</p>
<p>Remember that HR really varies from person to person and a low HR is not necessarily a sign of increased fitness. It is based on Max HR and that varies from person to person. My max is about 185 and I have equally fit friends with a max (tested) of 155. Resting HR is a better sign of individual fitness.</p>
<p>We got a foot of snow here yesterday. Luckily, H had headed out early enough there wasn’t that much accumulation yet. He got in a little more than 11 miles and came home with icicles on his eyebrows. We are hoping the YMCA will be open today although he isn’t going to try 17 miles (which is his schedule for today) on a treadmill and I don’t think he will attempt to run outside either. He said it was like running in sand yesterday and he is pretty sore (also from shoveling). I want to stick to my schedule, however, and he can work off energy doing something. He does like to swim laps.</p>
<p>I avoided carbs yesterday (eggs rather than oatmeal) and no fruit or beans. I am trying not to see the two to three pound spike in weight I invariably see on Sunday morning that I attribute to Saturday being my one day a week workout rest day. My weight was only up half a pound, so I will take that as a big success. I am fine with eating good carbs (oatmeal, fruit, beans) on days that I workout but don’t mind giving them up one day a week. I have decided to elminate potatoes, whole grain pasta, and whole grain brown rice until I am back at goal weight and then will carefully add those back in moderation.</p>
<p>Sabaray, congrats on your weight loss success. That is just awesome.</p>
<p>We got an equivalent amount of snow yesterday as well, TheAnalyst. Walking this a.m. was a definite challenge-- a determined labrador who wanted to break new ground through the snow resulted in some strenuous exercise for both of us! Amazing what a little resistance can do for a walk.</p>