hey hey now.

i run 10 minute miles

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 12:47 PM. Reason : lol ]

5/24/2010 12:47:20 PM

Well, here's an anecdote that may help:

My girlfriend agonized over her weight. I suggested she try running. She would run 35+ 3 mile times over and over and still agonize over her weight. I told her that instead of stressing over her weight, she should make a challenge out of her time. Try to beat it each time, even if it was by a few seconds. Little by little she whittled it down. And then she ran a 5k race in 29 minutes! She realized afterwards that she had lost 10 lbs. over the course of this training.

5/24/2010 12:51:17 PM

well i can run a 5K in about 28 minutes when i'm race....maybe because i'm in race mode. i dont know.

i'm not trying to make excuses but i've had a few knee/ankle injuries since last year and it's taken about a year to not feel the pain when i run or after which is annoying but i've pushed through it as much as possible. but now everything is good so i'm trying to get back into pushing myself again.

i probably eat about 1,500 calories a day. last week was definitely an "off" week for me since i was overseas but i did a lot of walking around so i hope it burned some of the calories i consumed

5/24/2010 12:51:39 PM

Have you thought about trying High Intensity Interval Training?

It's hard because you have to really push yourself (and it's difficult for many people to do that) but if you can it gets results.

If you like running, a HIIT session would involve a sprint at 100% effort for 10 seconds, followed by a light jog for 30 seconds, and rinse and repeat like 10 times. It really kills you.

5/24/2010 12:54:42 PM

hmmmm i'll have to try that. i don't know if i just need to mix it up. i never had a problem losing weight until i turned 25/26....then my metabolism just kind of crashed out.

5/24/2010 12:56:30 PM

Cannot wait to go to the gym later ...gotta return my tux first.

5/24/2010 1:13:25 PM

Quote :

"my metabolism just kind of crashed out."

interval training combined with breaking your meals into 5-6 smaller ones over the course of the day will jump start your metabolism. Throw in some weight training with everything else and it'll really take off.

5/24/2010 1:21:06 PM

This thread is so exciting and motivating!

5/24/2010 1:25:46 PM

i was at 140, i decided to start training for a half marathon and by the time it was race day, i was down to 126

i was eating a shit ton more food and i was also excercising a lot more. i did not focus on speed as much as i did endurance. i was running 5 days a week and increasing distance

if you're already into running, why not just sign up for a half marathon and have a goal for longer distance? FWIW i did this in 2008/2009 when i was 25 turning 26, i'm 27 now

i have a meal plan my trainer made for me based on my v02 max and some other stuff. its kind of personalized but the sheer amount of food i was supposed to be eating was so great that i felt like i was eating non stop.

if i remember right, the days i worked out i needed 1900 calories and days i didnt work out i needed 1400

5/24/2010 1:29:24 PM

i lost less weight when i train/ran my 1st marathon than i am losing now. i attribute it to balancing out my aerobic/anaerobic activities. i dropped roughly 15 pounds that way that i thought i had plateaued at for like 2 years.

that said, cool thread. but ultimately too biometric for me. i used to be really concerned with weight and all these monitoring metrics until i realized i had more fun and ultimately got healthier when i stopped caring about numbers and just focused on feeling healthy and staying as active as possible. i probably do more physically active things now that i dont try to monitor it all becuase its more fun that way. plus it becomes a year round thing so you're not doing the spring weight loss/winter dormancy cycle that a lot of people do. im just thinner year round.



[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 1:35 PM. Reason : .]

5/24/2010 1:33:16 PM

Quote :

"wlb420: interval training combined with breaking your meals into 5-6 smaller ones over the course of the day will jump start your metabolism. Throw in some weight training with everything else and it'll really take off."

Good advice. Do HIIT, some weights, and eat sensibly and drink lots of water.

Quote :

"Samwise16: I'm trying to modify my diet right now to get my fat intake under 20%"

The more you decrease your fat intake, the more less fat you will lose. People lose a lot more fat on the Mediterranean Diet than the official Low Fat Diet recommended by the American Heart Association. Eat lots of healthy fats and almost no saturated fat, and you will see the pounds drop. Oily fish, avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts/seeds, nut butters, etc. Keep it at 25 to 30%.

Quote :

"God: What you need to do is cause muscle atrophy..... your thighs are almost all muscle..... but look at you, there's not a speck of fat on you. it would seem that the only thing on your thighs is muscle, and to decrease this you have to let them atrophy.... or is there fat on your thighs? I can't tell."

[NO]

Why should she have to decrease her lean mass? There is fat in every girl's thighs and butt. She can preserve her lean muscle mass while losing the fat (not possible to preserve 100% if you are losing fat, but as much as possible).

I would suggest:

- HIIT to lose the fat
- Low weight high reps fast pace lifting to preserve lean mass as much as possible, increase muscular endurance, and maintain strength

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 1:39 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 1:38:08 PM

That's basically what I suggested.

5/24/2010 1:41:47 PM

i'd do this, i need to get into a legit weight regimen, and plan to incorporate cycling and swimming

except im gong to be laid up for the time period rehabbing and other bullshit.

5/24/2010 1:45:13 PM

is there a version of this contest that doesn't include God's shitty advice?

5/24/2010 1:50:16 PM

^^^^just curious why you would recommend high reps and low weight to someone trying to preserve muscle mass

5/24/2010 1:50:47 PM

This ain't my first rodeo, doc.

5/24/2010 1:54:00 PM

Nah, I'm just funnin'. Look, we're all having fun here. I'm just trying to help. If you want to do your own thing, go for it!

5/24/2010 1:58:10 PM

I feel as if there is too much fluff in this thread. Can we just get to the pictures, workouts, and recommendations and none of this other stuff?

5/24/2010 1:58:56 PM

i'll quit

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 2:15 PM. Reason : i respect the thread]

5/24/2010 2:10:43 PM

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 2:16 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 2:14:17 PM

So, does marijuana impact one's metabolism? Just wondering.

5/24/2010 2:24:56 PM

Quote :

"^^^^just curious why you would recommend high reps and low weight to someone trying to preserve muscle mass"

Well, I would NOT recommend low reps and high weight, as that would cause hypertrophy, and she wants to decrease her thigh size. Of course it all depends on how much she does it... if she does just enough with low reps and high weight to offset the muscle mass loss due to cardio, then that's great.

However, I recommended high reps and low weight as that has been shown to preserve muscle mass and shape and define muscles, without causing too much hypertrophy. Also, I recommended a fast pace to increase muscular endurance and burn additional fat.

If I am wrong, please do correct me!

5/24/2010 2:25:08 PM

^That sounds pretty spot on from what I've heard over the years.

It's what I've been doing for the past few years to tone/firm/cut up...and it's worked. I don't do anything less than 10 reps on any exercise anymore.

5/24/2010 2:29:50 PM

Sorry if this posts seems all over the place...


The standard for reps would be 1-5 for strength gains, 8-10 for hypertrophy, 12-15+ for endurance. Of course there's some overlapping, but the bottom line is that it's going to come down to nutrition. There's absolutely no way around that.

Heavy weight + lower reps to me would make more sense for preserving lean mass for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that typically the person trying to lose fat should be in a caloric deficit. From an intensity standpoint it makes more sense to do 3 sets of 5 heavy reps, than 3 sets of 10-12 (purely talking from an energy standpoint from eating less). All of my clients (and I train predominately females) have reduced the size of their thighs by lifting heavy, performing 1-2 interval sessions a week, and watching their nutrition. Again, the nutrition is the single most important factor here.

Am I saying that higher reps cannot be used? No, definitely not. As long as you're overloading the muscle week to week, it should stick around. Again, it would get old quick to me if I had to go into the gym and do tons of sets and reps in a caloric deficit. The volume tends to burn some out quickly.

I think people put way too much emphasis on how much cardio and what kind of weights to do instead of proper nutrition. Why? Because we're all lazy and nobody wants to take the proper time to prepare meals for themselves or track calories.

Also, just to correct a point you made...you cannot shape your muscles. We're all programmed genetically to some degree to look how WE will look. You can induce hypertrophy and increase the size of your muscles, but all that shaping and toning garbage is...well garbage.

I had a few other thoughts that are gone now, maybe I'll think of them later.

5/24/2010 2:41:57 PM

Quote :

"Also, I recommended a fast pace to increase muscular endurance and burn additional fat. If I am wrong, please do correct me!"

as long as you maintain a solid form/range of motion for your exercise, then you should attempt to do said exercise at as quick of a pace as possible. but dont sacrifice form for speed. nothing is gayer than lifting all halfassed and fast thinking he's getting the full (or any) benefit from the workout.

5/24/2010 2:54:41 PM

Thanks for that.

Yes, I forgot to mention the nutrition part... which is strange for me because my expertise is a lot more in nutrition than in exercise programs. Definitely have to cut down on/eliminate:

alcohol
white trash (white bread, white rice, anything made out of refined grains)
sweets/desserts
junk food
fast food
added sugar/fructose in packaged products

And eat moderate amounts of complex carbs with fiber and also good fats. And good amounts of lean protein. And lots of water.

If high weight low reps works for your clients in reducing thigh size, then she should go for it!

As for the shaping business, yes, you are right. I don't know why threw that in there. You can either gain muscle and gain fat, gain muscle and lose fat, lose muscle and gain fat, or lose muscle and lose fat. None of that changes the shape of your muscles, just the size. However, the outward appearance of a person's body could change wildly depending on which of the 4 changes mentioned above take place.


^ Well of course you have to maintain form... and since I recommended low weight, maintaining form isn't difficult with a weight you can easily lift 12-15 times.


[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 3:10 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 3:03:56 PM

whats a good sugar replacement?

ive been craving cookies or a milkshake all day...whats something that will stop that?

I once heard skim milk and bananas.

5/24/2010 3:20:46 PM

AVOID SORBITOL

5/24/2010 3:23:54 PM

Fruits? Chewing gum?

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 3:26 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 3:26:25 PM

^^^ Just cut it out cold turkey. Sugar is addictive. Do a detox and don't fall for your cravings. After a while, you'll stop craving it entirely.

Oh, and I chew sugar-free gum and drink water all day and that seems to also prevent food cravings.

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 3:33 PM. Reason : .]

5/24/2010 3:32:46 PM

Lunch:
-Leftover pad thai
-20 oz. Dr. Pepper
-Hershey's chocolate bar
-Plain M&Ms

.......yep

5/24/2010 3:38:06 PM

Quote :

"Well of course you have to maintain form..."

im not so sure your target audience in this thread can be talked to like that. Is all I'm sayin'

5/24/2010 3:41:35 PM

^ OK agreed!

^^ Wow, what a perfect fat-loss muscle-gain healthy lunch!


[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 3:44 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 3:42:58 PM

I run on piss and vinegar.

5/24/2010 3:43:56 PM

Quote :

"ive been craving cookies or a milkshake all day...whats something that will stop that?"

Yogurt for milkshakes.

5/24/2010 3:53:14 PM

Chocolate microscopes?

5/24/2010 3:54:58 PM

Quote :

"So, does marijuana impact one's metabolism? Just wondering."

All I know is it doesn't impact it negatively

5/24/2010 4:05:26 PM

5/24/2010 4:06:39 PM

I know that begonias and Samwise16 and some others were thinking of entering.

Remember that you have until due by midnight on Sunday, May 30th to submit your entries!

5/24/2010 4:08:52 PM

so i took God's advice and really pushed myself through a run.....kind of made it a game, and i did pretty well. ran the whole paved side of lake johnson (including the hills) in just under 30 minutes. i literally booked it. now i'm treating myself with a gluten free protein bar and some water.

oh yeah, today i ate:

an AdvantEdge Protein Drink
2 sunny side up eggs
half a cup of gluten free macaroni
gluten free protein bar

dinner is top sirloin steak and red skin potatoes.

oh yeah and lots of water.

5/24/2010 4:51:37 PM

There you go! Now you know you can do it. Do that every time.

5/24/2010 4:52:05 PM

^^ that diet is completely devoid of fruits and vegetables. (unless you had them but didn't mention them)

do you have celiac disease? if not, eat whole wheat pasta.

also add nuts and olive oil to your diet.

5/24/2010 5:24:37 PM

the g-free protein bar has half a serving of fruit in it.

normally i eat more fruit but i'm home from work today and just got around to grocery shopping for the week so i'll be adding avacados and bananas to my diet.

using olive oil in the potatos for tonight.

i have a gluten allergy, hence why i'm eating the gluten free stuff. i don't really care for the g-free pastas but there was a tiny bit leftover and i needed to eat something before i ran.

5/24/2010 5:26:31 PM

question for you that use this livestrong.com website

when I go in and type in my foods it takes off from my calorie number...when I add in my fitness activity it adds back to that number...

what gives?

whats that supposed to mean? to eat more? to exercise more?

fat % loss is the goal.

5/24/2010 5:50:48 PM

Quote :

"Wow, what a perfect fat-loss muscle-gain healthy lunch! "

But but...the results speak for themselves!!!11



The only person I would honestly listen to is PackMan92. He actually implements his own advice personally. He probably has what everyone is shooting for as far as physique. (as little homo as possible, youre still short )

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 5:52 PM. Reason : oh yeah, im trying your peanut butter idea. its cool because i can taste it hours later]

5/24/2010 5:51:33 PM

seee. i am doing high weight, low rep sets and i am in a caloric deficient. as a matter of fact sometimes i think it's too low.

i was able to knock out a significant amount of body fat in the last 4 months this way. however the size of my thighs has hardly budged.

as a matter of fact, last year at this time i had smaller thighs and higher bodyfat and weighed about 10 lbs less overall.

i'm starting to think that if i want to keep my "tone-ness" im gonna have to deal with the fact that my bottom half will be a little larger :/

5/24/2010 6:08:27 PM

^^ what's the peanut butter idea?

^ so if they are mostly muscle, what's wrong with big thighs? muscly thighs are awesome!


[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 6:10 PM. Reason : ]

5/24/2010 6:09:24 PM

i don't know if theyre mostly muscle or not


theyre on page one if you would like to make your own assessment


its taken me a few years but i'm almost fully at peace with my body.
this is one of my last hurdles to jump over (the butt and thighs)

5/24/2010 6:15:36 PM

^^

The idea is to eat it..lol

5/24/2010 6:21:35 PM

I'm tired of being a fat ass.

I want to be the envy of those on the beach.

So I will enter this challenge.

ugh...

So after I stopped living it up/partying hard core (read: teaching 2-3 fitness classes a day, working at a bar at night, staying up late, drinking, livin' on the edge, etc), I started grad school and gained THIRTY GOD DAMN POUNDS. This has really impacted my career because I'm a fat personal trainer. WTF. I feel awful telling people to give me money to make them do things that I don't do myself... well, mostly. I was doing great for a while and lost 15lbs, but then I gained 10 back. FML.

stats:
27 years old
6' tall
190lbs
Ideally I'd like to be 160, but I know I can maintain 170 better. Anything <150 and I get the "ew, you look gross" comments.

workouts:
Monday - off
Tuesday AM - take pump & ride (intervals of cardio on the spin bikes and strength on the kinesis wall), teach 30min lower body & abs class (which I fully participate in about 90% of the class, the other 10% is giving instructions and correcting form)
Tuesday PM - 45min cardio
Wednesday - off
Thursday AM - take pump & ride, teach 30min upper body & abs class (ditto), teach 60min cardio/strength combo class (ditto)
Thursday PM - if my 4PM clients cancel (which they do about every other week) then I take a 60min step class, and I always take bodycombat (60min of karate/boxing/muay thai inspired workout)
Friday - off
Saturday - bodyattack (60min of athletic conditioning/agility inspired workouts)
Sunday - 60min spin class
I'm going to start running again, but not sure where I'm going to work it in. Saturday I ran instead of taking bodyattack, but I'd like to run more than once a week.

diet:
SUCKS. My MS is Food & Nutrition and I'm a walking contradiction. I love fruits and veggies but my bf doesn't, and a lot of the time I feel like his eating habits hinder my weight loss (we live together). I have a wicked sweet tooth. I'm fine if I avoid all sweets, but once I open that gate... one cookie is too many and 500 isn't enough. If I'm craving something sweet and don't get it, I get ANGRY and CRANKY. I am addicted to sugar, diet soda, and crystal light. I have ZERO self control and NO will power.

Today I've had 2 glasses of milk, 10 double stuf oreos, and homemade nachos (blue corn tortilla chips, reduced fat sharp cheddar, tomatoes, jalapenos), plus a diet mt. dew and a about 5 crystal lights

And this is all you get for now:

5/24/2010 6:26:10 PM