Overweight issues

[fatbottomedgurl]

I would love to lose 15 pounds, and haven't lost a thing except.... inches! Amazingly 4 in the waist and 2 in the hips. So be sure to take your measurements. You are sure to see a difference there too.

[colby]

If you have a bathroom scale that measures body fat %, that can help, too. You might drop in fat (the important part) but not really see a weight difference.

It can be disconcerting, but I'm definitely of the camp that if you FEEL better, you ARE better. Keep at it and the weight loss will come naturally. Better to lose it gradually and keep it off than fall into any sort of extreme diet/exercise plan that you can't keep up with in the long run. Build a better engine, get better mileage

[KnottedYet]

I seem to have stalled at 152 lbs. I'd really like to be 140. But even though my weight has stalled, I'm still shrinking. Or at least fitting into clothes better. Today I noticed that when I sit in my straightbacked chair, my thighs don't overlap the seat anymore.

I'm gonna assume it's adding muscle that's keeping me at 152. For one, muscle is sexy . For two, I know I'm riding faster up the big hill home from work. (ok, only 1 mph faster, but it is FASTER.) So there is a strength increase. Or maybe it's just the Frogs.

One of my friends told me that 1 lb of fat is the size of a grapefruit, and one lb of muscle is the size of an orange.

Trading my grapefruit for oranges...

[J-hawk biker]

I am trying to lose some major weight too. I am up to 30 miles on my long rides so that should help. I have noticed shape change and other people have mentioned it too, but I haven't seen much on the scales yet.

[Dogmama]

I know I'm riding faster up the big hill home from work. (ok, only 1 mph faster, but it is FASTER.) So there is a strength increase. Or maybe it's just the Frogs.

Hey, 1 MPH IS faster!!! Congrats & keep at it.

Are you doing other weight workouts for your upper body? Muscle burns fat even while you sleep. Fat just hangs out & demands food. Which do you want on your body?

[kimct]

Knotted, I like that...grapefruits for oranges! That's cute. And yeah, when you just say it 1mph doesn't seem like alot, but when you think about it, it really is!

It's a great feeling to have other people notice your losses, J-Hawk! Even better when you notice how good you're feeling.

Kim

[kelownagirl]

I need a really good plan to follow for upper body strength. I let my gym membership lapse so have no access there anymore and I have to be able to do it at home, with hand weights. I actually started biking to replace the cardio I was missing at the gym and now love it strictly for biking's sake. Wish I could fall in love with lifting weights at home too. If I could find a program that allowed me to see the results as quicklly as I improved at biking, then maybe I'd be able to stick with it. Any suggestions? Can I really see big results with a stack of hand weights? I HATE the arm jiggle, especially when I riding over rocky stuff on the MTB...

[uforgot]

I need a really good plan to follow for upper body strength. I let my gym membership lapse so have no access there anymore and I have to be able to do it at home, with hand weights. I actually started biking to replace the cardio I was missing at the gym and now love it strictly for biking's sake. Wish I could fall in love with lifting weights at home too. If I could find a program that allowed me to see the results as quicklly as I improved at biking, then maybe I'd be able to stick with it. Any suggestions? Can I really see big results with a stack of hand weights? I HATE the arm jiggle, especially when I riding over rocky stuff on the MTB...

I highly recommend "The Firm". You can get videos for just about every body part. When I started biking, I wound up only doing upper body ones. You can get them in 30min (Express) or long ones up to 50 minutes. You see results and they aren't boring. They always move quickly from one thing to the other. I started using a step stool, hand weights and videos I got off of ebay. Eventually I wound up with the bench. Out of all the home exercise things I've done, this is the one that works best for me and it's one I tend to follow.

[donnambr]

My housemate is a massage therapist and chiropractor's assistant. She also runs and bikes. She created this mantra for me. I repeat it when I get a little bummed about not actually "losing weight".

You're losing fat and gaining muscle. You're losing fat and gaining muscle. When you gain enough muscle, you will lose the weight!

Although I haven't lost weight, I need to go purchase some smaller jeans next paycheck. It's a nice feeling.

[kelownagirl]

I highly recommend "The Firm". You can get videos for just about every body part. When I started biking, I wound up only doing upper body ones. You can get them in 30min (Express) or long ones up to 50 minutes. You see results and they aren't boring. They always move quickly from one thing to the other. I started using a step stool, hand weights and videos I got off of ebay. Eventually I wound up with the bench. Out of all the home exercise things I've done, this is the one that works best for me and it's one I tend to follow.

Thanks uforgot! I found one on upper body at the library so will check it out before I buy one.

barb

[uforgot]

Let me know how you like it. Another advantage of the Firm is that there are about a gazillion workouts available, and the VHS ones go dirt cheap on ebay!

[plantluvver]

I weigh about 254, and my height is 5'7". And my weight just keeps creeping on. I am 47. I've recently decided that a car is unneceassary to me, and bad fir thee environment. I MUST ride a bike if I wish to sail with my women's sailing club. There is no public transportation to that neighborhood.

I would be happy to get down to a size 16 even, just so I can buy "normal" clothes, and not shop in the plus sizes. Besides I prefer to shop at thrift stores, and I can't find big stuff easily there.

I am glad to hear that biking burns weight off. Actually, just if I stopped gaining I would feel accomplished.

I am sure I will be posting more on this forum.

Mary

[kelownagirl]

You might like to take a look at http://www.sparkpeople.com

It's kind of like the WW site but it's totally free, no stupid diet pills ads, just awesome support for people wanting to lose weight and/or become fit.

I've lost 10 lbs since I started biking 2 months ago. And I'm sure I've gained tons of muscle. The inch losses are more pronounced than the weight loss...

barb

[kimct]

I'll have to go check out 'The Firm' too! I've got the lower body covered with biking, and if I need extra I love lower body weight lifting on the bench and all...I just hate doing upper body! My husband and I were lifting together on a pretty set schedule, but he started having to actually go to work and stay...lol.

I need structure, so a DVD might work for me! I tried a Tae Bo tape...and well, let's just say, my 3yr old daughter laughed at me and said 'you can't do that stuff momma' when she saw me try the steps!

Kim

[Brina]

okay, I am royally pissed off. I know what my body looks and feels like when i am in good shape. I also know what my weight and body fat are when I am in good shape. At a peak of fitness I weighed 138 with a body fat % of 19.

In the past for years I have gotten very out of shape. The reasons are many and they really don't matter. I joined a gym in late August of 2005 and as part of the initiation fee there was a fitness assement that included weight and body fat measurements. My weight was 197 and the guy who did the measurements said my body fat was like 34%. I was fairly certain that he was wrong. Even during the measurement process I did not think he was doing it right and I told him so. He insisted that he was doing everything correctly. Based on his numbers a healthy body fat number would have gotten me to 172 lbs and and excellent body fat number would have had me in the mid 160s.

I have been working out pretty regularly since the day of the assesment, doing workouts that include eliptical machines, lifting weights, spin classes, cycling and running. I am down 20 lbs and look much better, but still have quite a ways to go. This reaffirmed my belief that the guy at the gym was wrong. I still have fat rolls - large ones. So I bought a scale this week that includes body fat measuring. According to this scale I have between 35 and 36% body fat. After 9 months of working out and dieting and losing 20 lbs, my body fat is higher than the idiot at the club told me.

UUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!