Fitness Assessment

[Catrin]

A couple times a year my personal trainer gives me a fitness assessment, and he has been resistant to do this since I developed my over-use injuries in September. Now that I am working my way out of that we agreed that it was time to take a new baseline of where I am.

There were a couple of changes I don't like - went from 20.5% body fat to 22.1%. My waist found an additional 2 inches. My thighs are an inch smaller, and my calves are a half-inch smaller. Considering I could not do any cardio at all from October until January outside of a very rare bike ride and extremely light spinning - all I could do was gentle walking - I shouldn't be surprised or upset

I think that it is the knowledge that I loss muscle mass as well as gaining back a little of that core body fat that does have me a little perturbed with myself. That is the only way that I can I weigh 2 pounds less than the last time yet my waist is 2 inches larger. Such is life.

My endurance and cardio is at least as good as it was then, and my trainer thinks that I am actually in slightly better shape than I was in August when we did this last time. The great news is that I am not starting back at ground zero as far as fitness is concerned, and that is great news

Am thankful that I can do real cardio work now - so am hoping those two extra inches will go away and fast!

I guess that what I am really wondering is how to get ride of this apple shape that just keeps hanging on - no matter how much weight I lose. When I am not injured I do a lot of both strength training and cardio...

[Veronica]

That may just be your shape.

I have three older sisters. Our thighs and calves are all basically the same rather large shape. That's what genetics handed us. We'll never have skinny thighs and I"ll never be able to wear boots.

Veronica

[Catrin]

That may just be your shape.

I have three older sisters. Our thighs and calves are all basically the same rather large shape. That's what genetics handed us. We'll never have skinny thighs and I"ll never be able to wear boots.

Veronica

Indeed - and I have had two surgeries in that part of my body - all of those muscles have been cut which doesn't help. I can't complain though, at one time I weighed 209, 11 years later I finally weigh 132

[limewave]

Catrin I'm in a similar boat. It's nice you can have regular fitness assessments, they are so helpful.

I had one recently and it was good/bad. I was down 10 more pounds. However, 4 of those were muscle loss My workouts this winter have decreased in quantity and quality this winter. And I'm not eating as nutritional of foods.

I'm at 23.25% body fat---which is the lowest I've been. But I'd like to get down to 19-20%. I have some work ahead of me.

I just can't seem to find the motivation. It is a tough time of year in Michigan. It's grey, cold, snowy, icy. I'm hoping to "maintain" for the rest of February. Hopefully some longer days and warmer weather in March will get me going again.

[Catrin]

We can encourage each other Now I can do regular intense cardio work again my body fat will start dropping back in the right direction - I just want to lose this apple shape. Given my surgeries that might not be possible...

[Veronica]

I'm at 23.25% body fat---which is the lowest I've been. But I'd like to get down to 19-20%. I have some work ahead of me.

I just can't seem to find the motivation. It is a tough time of year in Michigan. It's grey, cold, snowy, icy. I'm hoping to "maintain" for the rest of February. Hopefully some longer days and warmer weather in March will get me going again.

I just have to say, I want to be you when I grow up. You are so flippin' fast when you run... and that snowshoe race was darn impressive... and you race mountain bikes. You are SO awesome and awfully gutsy in my mind.

Don't let your yucky weather get you down. You have come so far and with some substantial obstacles in your way.

Veronica

[marni]

Flem 5,

I belong to a fitness 24 gym and pay for two sessions a week with a trainer. He routinely does a fitness assesment every 6 weeks and we reasses where I am, and what I am trying to accomplish. It's part of the service.

You might try a local gym with training- sometimes they have a free assesment or some sort of enticement package that includes an assesment and a couple of free or low cost sessions to see if you want to do something with them like joining.

[Bike Writer]

Catrin I'm in a similar boat. It's nice you can have regular fitness assessments, they are so helpful.

I had one recently and it was good/bad. I was down 10 more pounds. However, 4 of those were muscle loss My workouts this winter have decreased in quantity and quality this winter. And I'm not eating as nutritional of foods.

I'm at 23.25% body fat---which is the lowest I've been. But I'd like to get down to 19-20%. I have some work ahead of me.

I just can't seem to find the motivation. It is a tough time of year in Michigan. It's grey, cold, snowy, icy. I'm hoping to "maintain" for the rest of February. Hopefully some longer days and warmer weather in March will get me going again.

Limewave, I'm right here with you in Michigan and I know exactly what you mean about motivation and the grey skies and with all the snow on the ground it seems like it will be forever until we can ride outside.

In our climate it is work to motivate, I'm fortunate that this year I got a trainer for my bike and as much as I love to ride outside and all that comes with it is how much I dislike the trainer riding indoors.

It stinks and I have to force myself to do it. But I try to keep my eye on the prize of not being sore in the saddle come spring or with wimpy leg muscles etc.

My winter goals are not impressive, just ride a minimum of 4 times a week. I just started mixing it up this week with intervals to try something new and hopefully get better at hills. We'll see. At this rate I'll be happy to keep from having any winter weight gain, a modest weight loss will be a plus and being ready to hit the ground running in the spring will be a big plus.

Let's just hope that springlike weather comes sometime in March and not June!