Toning

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calaz84
calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Lil back round, my weight loss journey has been going on for 5 years now. I started doing weight watchers and lost 95lbs going from 285 to 190 in about a year and a half then came to a plateau for a year and was extremely stupid and did the hcg diet for a month got down to 165 stopped and gained and went back to 190 stayed there for about a year and then got off BC and then gained 30lbs put me to 220lb now I'm at 197ish lol.

My question is I have a trainer now and she helped with the last 20lbs but I'm not toning up just losing and getting loose skin :sad: So I'm not sure what to do???
My trainer says up my protein but idk I googled it and maybe I'm doing to much cardio I usually do 20min before and a hour after training. Any suggestion would help!!

Replies

  • roxylola
    roxylola Posts: 540 Member
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    When I was really seriously working out I was doing at least 5 days a week at the gym but I did not do anywhere near that amount of cardio. I would do a warmup for maybe 10 minutes, do my weights or whatever I was working that day stretch and go. I was never in the gym for more than an hour a day, usually around 45 minutes. I would do just cardio 1 day a week and that might be a 1 hour stint but the rest was 10 mins then legs or abs or whatever.

    And I was ripped, next to no body fat, uk size 4 in most places, 6 pack abs, and strong too. Not so much now :(
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    weight training and strength training where you work compound muscle groups and increase the weight with every workout.

    look up strong lifts and starting strength
  • silroxxx
    silroxxx Posts: 62 Member
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    I Have the exact same problem
    lots of loose skin specially in my stomach
    Im starting to give up
    I see no improvments
    I have been seeing a personal trainner for about 2 1/2 months 3 times a week 45 min each day
    lifting weights and some other core workouts
    but still have all this flabby skin

    help us!!!
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    I Have the exact same problem
    lots of loose skin specially in my stomach
    Im starting to give up
    I see no improvments
    I have been seeing a personal trainner for about 2 1/2 months 3 times a week 45 min each day
    lifting weights and some other core workouts
    but still have all this flabby skin

    help us!!!


    Is it terrible I feel the same way like whats the point when its getting loose!
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    When I was really seriously working out I was doing at least 5 days a week at the gym but I did not do anywhere near that amount of cardio. I would do a warmup for maybe 10 minutes, do my weights or whatever I was working that day stretch and go. I was never in the gym for more than an hour a day, usually around 45 minutes. I would do just cardio 1 day a week and that might be a 1 hour stint but the rest was 10 mins then legs or abs or whatever.

    And I was ripped, next to no body fat, uk size 4 in most places, 6 pack abs, and strong too. Not so much now :(

    Thats what I read that I'm doing to much cardio maybe I'll try doing 20min before and thats it.

    And aww im sorry you are in the right place by being on here you can get back to it :smile:
  • Morninglory81
    Morninglory81 Posts: 1,190 Member
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    There is nothing you can do about loose skin but fill it back up. Muscle will help with that but my guess is you don't want to fill it. In time it will shrink but how much depends on biological factors and how long it was stretched to that size. Good luck and give it some time 6-12 months to see progress.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Lift
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
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    Strength training. There's a few programs you can do from home-I chose to do Mark Lauren's Body By You plan. The guy puts together the training programs for the military's special forces groups, like the Navy Seals, Green Berets etc. In the body building community his first book, You are Your Own Gym, is considered the bible of strength training and he's very well respected.
    He's also against cardio, besides walking, unless you're specifically training for an event (like an Iron Man or something), and he's a firm believer that you don't need a bunch of extra equipment-you can use your own body to build strength and tone.

    I'm on week five of the program and it's crazy how much of a difference I can see already-especially for a program that's only three times a week/30 minutes a time!

    Arms-have definite muscle definition and my 'chicken wings' have noticeably gotten smaller
    Shoulders/upper back-wow, just wow!
    butt-my dh says he can see a noticeable difference and I've gone from a size 4 jean to a size 2 during the program (and I'm pear shaped!)

    And most importantly-I actually enjoy doing it :) The book was $16 at Barnes and Noble.
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    Lift

    I do three a week thats why I posted this!! I was asking if I should do less cardio to tone more!!!

    edit I meant 3 not 2 days
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,026 Member
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    "Toning" is nothing more than lowering your bodyfat percentage.
  • jlcarcajc4
    jlcarcajc4 Posts: 71 Member
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    bump for later
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    "Toning" is nothing more than lowering your bodyfat percentage.

    Right but I don't want loose skin!!
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    There is nothing you can do about loose skin but fill it back up. Muscle will help with that but my guess is you don't want to fill it. In time it will shrink but how much depends on biological factors and how long it was stretched to that size. Good luck and give it some time 6-12 months to see progress.
    \


    Thanks sigh
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
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    Lift

    I do three a week thats why I posted this!! I was asking if I should do less cardio to tone more!!!

    edit I meant 3 not 2 days
    Lift more. No cardio. Focus on compounds.
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    Thanks starting monday thats my new goal is to lift more and do cardio only on none weights day!
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    "Toning" is nothing more than lowering your bodyfat percentage.

    Handily summarised into one syllable that everyone understands the meaning of!

    Don't understand the stupid snobbery on here about this word.
  • lee91356
    lee91356 Posts: 330 Member
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    I think there will be only so much that you can do given you highest weight. Yes you can tone and minimize some of the excess skin but in reality given that you stretched your skin out in the first place, unfortunately its not as irreversible as we want it to be. I say this not to be mean or make you give up but to be realistic. You can look better, but you may always have some excess skin and they may not be much you can do about it. Also to see any diffidence, unlike weight loss, you need to give it wayyyy more time. Another factor that plays a LARGE part is your higher, the taller you are the more it may tone up.

    PS I speak from personal experience. I'm 5'2 weighed 320+, now I'm down by over half and I look like a sharpie lol. Although I know toning can help tighten some of my skin because I was stomach heavy, I still am and I now I have a LOT of skin there, I will never be able to get rid of it no matter how many crunches/ sit-ups I do unless I get it surgically removed. But I look great in clothes, since it covers up a lot of my saggy skin.

    In reality your body and common sense will tell you what the limitations of exercise are. SO NEVER GIVE UP and ALWAYS KEEP AT IT!
  • calaz84
    calaz84 Posts: 72 Member
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    I think there will be only so much that you can do given you highest weight. Yes you can tone and minimize some of the excess skin but in reality given that you stretched your skin out in the first place, unfortunately its not as irreversible as we want it to be. I say this not to be mean or make you give up but to be realistic. You can look better, but you may always have some excess skin and they may not be much you can do about it. Also to see any diffidence, unlike weight loss, you need to give it wayyyy more time. Another factor that plays a LARGE part is your higher, the taller you are the more it may tone up.

    PS I speak from personal experience. I'm 5'2 weighed 320+, now I'm down by over half and I look like a sharpie lol. Although I know toning can help tighten some of my skin because I was stomach heavy, I still am and I now I have a LOT of skin there, I will never be able to get rid of it no matter how many crunches/ sit-ups I do unless I get it surgically removed. But I look great in clothes, since it covers up a lot of my saggy skin.

    In reality your body and common sense will tell you what the limitations of exercise are. SO NEVER GIVE UP and ALWAYS KEEP AT IT!


    Awww wel thanks for the reply I not gonna give up just wanted to see if there was a better way to go about things then what I have been doing!

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