Nutrition and exercise!

[Mrs. Merl]

If you are interested in learning lifting there are many forums and websites (hardgainer.com or naturalstrength.com) - most of what we do now is based on the work of Stewart McRobert. He has written several books, but the best to start with is "Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great." The reason the kettle bells may not have worked was probably hypertrophy - less training may in fact help. It sounds like you should check into the "Hard Gainer Method" - which is what all of this information covers.

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

Well... I'm honestly not thrilled with the size I am right now. On my wedding day just over a year ago, I was a size 20. After I saw the pictures, I eventually decided to join Weight Watchers. Hubby did too, because he didn't like how he looked in the photos either.

He has lost a whopping 35 lbs, and I have lost about 16. We started this on July 7th, and now it's December 1st. I definitely lose much slower than he does, but I am still losing, so that's fine with me! I am down to a size 16 now, and my goal is to be down to a size 10 or so. I am 5'2", so excess weight looks like quite a bit on me.

For exercise, we joined a great gym, and I go about twice a week. I should go more. Other mornings, I stay at home (I blame the weather right now! lol) and I work out on the Wii fit. That is FUN! I love our Wii Fit! My favorite things to do on it are the boxing, and also the free run or step while I change the channel and watch TV.

I am also hoping that losing the rest of this weight will make it easier to shop for great vintage finds. My more slender friends have the most AMAZING wardrobes of gorgeous vintage dresses! And they trade with each other, and share, and when someone is tired of owning something, they offer it to the rest of the girls, and I never get to grab one because nothing would fit. So I am really looking forward to reaching goal.

Oh... and for the health, too. lol

~Lenore

 

[Mrs. Merl]

Sadly it is typically a great deal harder for women to lose weight, while it does tend to happen faster for men. We are hard wired to have a higher body fat! But I hope that your progress continues and you reach your goal. And I say whatever inspires you to look and feel better is good enough reason - no matter why you make a change for the better you are sure to be healthier!!!

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

Thank you very much, Mrs. Merl, for the kind encouragement!

 

[mackenzie]

I find that when I have been losing weight fast I gain it back faster, but when I took my time ( about a year for 7 kg) it has been staying off. Well, I have been having periods when I have been eating everything in my way and re-gained about 2 kg, but as soon as I start thinking about what I eat it goes right off again.
BC- Good luck and take your time, it is better that it takes long but the weight stays off than rushing it and gain it right back.

 

[roots66]

THEE most weight-loss-inspirational thingy I've come across lately is this blog (I won't type the title as it's got a rude word in it). Some of you NYC gals may know this woman; I've never met her but when I still lived back home I used to see her around all the time. She was stunning even when she was plus-sized, which gave chubby ol' me a reassuring image that fat girls could be glam too...but holey moley, through Weight Watchers she's transformed herself into an utter vision, and now there's no doubt I've got to start practicing some portion control, stat. Check out her other blogs and flickr page too, her hair and outfits and Heywood-Wakefield collection are all impeccable. She's so incredible I couldn't resist writing her a gushing fan letter--I hope she doesn't think I'm too much of a dork!

 

[LelaViavonie]

She looks AMAZING! Thanks for sharing that story!!! Im still reading her blogs....

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

THEE most weight-loss-inspirational thingy I've come across lately is this blog (I won't type the title as it's got a rude word in it). Some of you NYC gals may know this woman; I've never met her but when I still lived back home I used to see her around all the time. She was stunning even when she was plus-sized, which gave chubby ol' me a reassuring image that fat girls could be glam too...but holey moley, through Weight Watchers she's transformed herself into an utter vision, and now there's no doubt I've got to start practicing some portion control, stat. Check out her other blogs and flickr page too, her hair and outfits and Heywood-Wakefield collection are all impeccable. She's so incredible I couldn't resist writing her a gushing fan letter--I hope she doesn't think I'm too much of a dork!

No! She won't think that at ALL! She is one of my friends! lol She actually is the person who got me to join Weight Watchers! She is a real sweetie pie. I adore her lots! She LOVES getting emails from people who read her blogs. Honest.

I am very lucky to be "in person friends" with her!

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

I find that when I have been losing weight fast I gain it back faster, but when I took my time ( about a year for 7 kg) it has been staying off. Well, I have been having periods when I have been eating everything in my way and re-gained about 2 kg, but as soon as I start thinking about what I eat it goes right off again.
BC- Good luck and take your time, it is better that it takes long but the weight stays off than rushing it and gain it right back.

Thank you MacKenzie! You are very sweet! I love getting encouragement. Keeps me goin!

~Lenore

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Oh Cheryl! I know her too. How come I don't know YOU, Bubble Cheeks? Maybe I've seen you out and about?

 

[Bubble Cheeks]

Yeah! Why don't you know me? lol Not that I'm anybody famous or anything... but I just mean, we might have some of the same friends in common!

I'm Lenore, and live in Astoria. I run in the NYC Tikiphile circle, mostly. I'm BIG in to the tiki. But I know Cheryl through my friends JW, Maria, and Michael, and the other Sit & Die Co. gents.

Maybe we have run into each other before at Otto's or Spiegelworld or something!
Pleased to "meet" you!

 

[MaryDeluxe]

Wow she does look amazing! Thanks for posting that inspirational blog roots66!

 

[roots66]

No! She won't think that at ALL! She is one of my friends! lol She actually is the person who got me to join Weight Watchers! She is a real sweetie pie. I adore her lots! She LOVES getting emails from people who read her blogs. Honest.

I am very lucky to be "in person friends" with her!

Yeah, I thought I recognized you in one of her Flickr photos! And when you mentioned WW, I figured it might have been due to her prompting.

I'm glad y'all enjoyed the link.

 

[Miss_Bella_Hell]

Yeah! Why don't you know me? lol Not that I'm anybody famous or anything... but I just mean, we might have some of the same friends in common!

I'm Lenore, and live in Astoria. I run in the NYC Tikiphile circle, mostly. I'm BIG in to the tiki. But I know Cheryl through my friends JW, Maria, and Michael, and the other Sit & Die Co. gents.

Maybe we have run into each other before at Otto's or Spiegelworld or something!
Pleased to "meet" you!

I'm Heather, I live in Nassau County. I've casually known Cheryl since I used to do Burly-Q in Boston, and now that I live here used to see her a lot when she was dating Michael (my bf is in various bands that play with his band sometimes). I am a law student and rarely have time to get off the accursed island, but when I do I'm usually at Otto's or Motor City!!

 

[live vintageous]

If you are interested in learning lifting there are many forums and websites (hardgainer.com or naturalstrength.com) - most of what we do now is based on the work of Stewart McRobert. He has written several books, but the best to start with is "Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great." The reason the kettle bells may not have worked was probably hypertrophy - less training may in fact help. It sounds like you should check into the "Hard Gainer Method" - which is what all of this information covers.

Thank you for your help, Mrs. Merl Perhaps I would do better with less. I'm an overachiever, so I have a difficult time doing the "less is more" approach for most everything. Yet, when I go that route, I find it works with less stress. (I hate to admit it, but I found this to be true even with studying. Wish I would have learned it earlier in the semester )

 

[Grant Fan]

I usually do work out of late with the student teaching I have been getting sick alot, most of it in my lungs so that kind of puts a damper on working out. But normally I got at minimum 4 to 5 times a week, for two hours. I dance ballet so about 45 min to an hour of that is dance. And I watch what I eat but if I want say a giant piece of chocolate cake you bet I'm gunna have it,and not care. But at 5'9" I'm blessed things hide well on me, I also have a high metabolism.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

You are very welcome live vintageous! I just know that sometimes the mainstream ways don't always work for everyone. And you are totally right about less being more sometimes - in everything! Life is about finding the right balance!

 

[stephie.jean]

I second kettlebells

Well, I'm trying to catch up on all of the posts but I've got about 20+ pages to go

I've been using kettlebells for about 12 weeks and so far I love, love the results. I've dropped 1-percent body fat, toned up my arms, and reshaped my bum and thighs - no more flat, droopy "thut." (Kettlebells do some amazing things for the rear side, at least that's the consenus of kettlebell users on the Video Fitness forum.) Nothing has helped my thut, not the Bar Method/Lotte Berk, pilates, weights, walking, ballet, or isometrics. So I'm happy with that alone.
The only thing it doesn't really challenge is my tummy. I have a pretty flat stomach (it's genetics, I promise), but I still tack on some ab work after my kb session to make sure I've really worked it well. However, kb trainers say that kbs really work the abs, so I'm probably missing something.

Sorry, I don't want to sound like an informerical but I really am happy about the changes my lipstick-red kb is making to my body. Anyway, this is the only thing I've had results with and enjoyed so much. I usually swing it 3 to 4 times weekly. Side note: kbs are kind of vintage. They're from Russia where they've been used since the 18th century. I thought that was a fun piece of history when I read it.

I have to second (or third...) kettlebells. I grew up in a very russian neighborhood with a wrestling coach father and a wrestler for a little brother, so the whole kettlebell training craze hit my town years ago... loooong before it started making waves recently in all of the magazines...

So I have an "old school" kettlebell (my dad REFUSED to buy me a colored kettlebell--they had to be iron and old school), but the results are the same. I tend to gain all my weight at my butt, hips, and thighs, and kettlebells really tone them while burning the fat. Lifted butt = happy girl.

Exercise really relaxes me...without it, I go nuts. Last year when we were all home for Christmas, my mom actually paid my dad and me 20 bucks each to get out of the house and get to the gym (the whole family was ready to pull each others' hair out after being cooped up at home together) and she knew that would calm, at least the two of us, down.

 

[Mrs. Merl]

I know that kettle bells are great and a huge number of people integrate them into workout routines. (In fact, for a change of pace we have considered getting some to use occasionally.) I would say though that you all may consider looking up information from a divergent group of exercise enthusiasts and consider the limitations and possible body wear issues from using them exclusively. (The wear on the body could be the result of only certain movements?) I think that you should consider that a more rounded workout may serve you better over time, there are no perfect exercises and we should all consider things from a divergent stand point (people who love something will only give you the good side.) Just a consideration.

 

[Laura Chase]

How common is it to bike daily in the US? I know that this differs depending on where you live, but do any of you ladies bike in stead of taking the car? I've been wondering about this because here in Denmark a lot of people bike to work, school, shopping and everything - including myself and I find this a very practical, time-saving and easy type of exercise.