Honest question about lifestyle and exercise

leighlowman
leighlowman Posts: 1
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I am an overweight woman, mother, teacher, etc. in my mid 30s. I am, however, very in-shape. I participate in triathlons, half marathons, and am currently on my second week doing the Insanity program. My endurance is very good and I enjoy an active lifestyle. So, underneath this layer of fat, is a very active, strong body.

HOWEVER, the training I have done over the past few years has not whittled away the fat layer, which is why I started Insanity. I love the program and feel I am getting stronger every day. I have tweaked the program so that on some days I am doing Insanity and others I am training for my races.

I do not want to change my evil drinking and eating habits too much, as I also want to enjoy life the way I always have, which is to the fullest. I am a free-spirit with many friends, activities, happy-hours, and general zest for life. I simply want it all.

Will the Insanity program eventually make me fit enough that the weight will start falling off, so that I will get motivated to change my old habits? Is it because I am in my mid-30s that I am seeing the fat want to cling to my body more so than in the past?

Any comments or thoughts (though please keep them helpful and not critical) would be much appreciated!!

Replies

  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    Sadly, you are going to have to change your diet to see results. This does not mean you need to eat like a rabbit. You can still eat a lot of food, but you are going to have to average under maintenance calories for your weight. Your activity level will push up the amount of calories you can eat, but it's easy to out eat Insanity or any workout program. From personal experience, I know it's easy to out eat Insanity. Those workouts leave me starving. You also might want to think about adding more resistance training as this can help to boost your metabolism. You don't have to starve. You can eat the same things you eat now. You just have to watch portions and think about calories more like spending on a budget. I still eat pasta, ice cream, chocolate,wine, have drinks sometimes, etc, and I've lost 5 lbs in just over a month even close to goal weight.

    I'd suggest using this calculator: http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/ibw/ to figure out your calorie needs for maintenance and fat loss and go from there. Good luck! I love food also, and I'm not giving it up either. I'm just trying to treat it more like a budget than like credit card with no limit (my default behavior, lol).
  • ngarrett75
    ngarrett75 Posts: 87 Member
    Agree with last poster. If you don't change your eating habits, that stubborn fat layer won't budge. You don't have to deprive yourself but small changes will make a big difference. Everything in moderation. I'm doing INSANITY now, by the way, and it's an absolute killer. You're likely to get good results with it and lean up a little. Good luck!
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    " I do not want to change my evil drinking and eating habits..." -OP

    You will never get results without work. Sorry.
  • qtiekiki
    qtiekiki Posts: 1,490 Member
    You know what they say... you can't out train a bad diet. Personally, I believe in moderation. So instead of restricting foods, I eat them in moderation, in appropriate portion size. I don't think an exercise program will motivate you to change your eating habits/lifestyle. You have to change it. You have to want it.
  • Captain_Tightpants
    Captain_Tightpants Posts: 2,215 Member
    If you're already that active and not losing any weight then you've answered your own question. Gotta eat less to lose.

    Calories in - calories out is what it all comes down to. If you're eating more calories than you're burning the extra adipose tissue will not go away.
  • Susan923
    Susan923 Posts: 61
    1st of all, I really want to hang out with you!!!
    2nd, I have bad news. They say that what your body looks like is 75% of what you eat not how you exercise.

    This is what I do because like you I am an active person that loves to socialize, eat and have some drinks. I try to eat clean most of the time. During the week and when I have no other plans I will eat super clean. That keeps my weight down. BUT when I go out to eat, go to an event or on a holiday I eat what I want without question.
  • divacat80
    divacat80 Posts: 299 Member
    Two things:
    1- my husband is able to eat whatever he likes and lose tons of weight exercising. A splendid metabolism I guess!
    2- It's great that you intend to live life to its fullest, but you have to know that eating everything that goes through your mind isn't exactly that. I don't know how much you truly eat, and how much of what you love eating is junk food. But, as someone already told you, you can eat everything you like but in moderation. Chose a couple of days a week for "social" eating and for eating that very special thing you love the most. Learn how healthy things can be a complete flavor bomb for your senses, learn to love healthy stuff.
    Eat healthy stuff frequently in small portions. My nutritionist told me to eat 5 times a day, always approximately at the same time (every 3 hours)

    I too go out a couple of times a week and eat things I love in moderation but twice a month I hit the nearest "all you can eat" buffet and I eat whatever I like. No binge eating... but I eat whatever I feel like and I don't think in portion sizes.

    One last thing, make sure you're not having hypothyroidism or make sure that your metabolism isn't already slowed down for whatever reason.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    Agreed...

    I'm also quite a social drinker and endulge...however I try to stick to one meal a week of pure endulgence (I do fasting that day and make it my only meal(s)) and on the drinking days I just fit it into my macros!! I usually exercise more on the days I know I am "in for it". I've kept this pace for 8 years now and have kept the weight off as well and stayed in awesome shape.

    Moderation is key...you don't have to give up your lifestyle to achieve it.
  • cynthials
    cynthials Posts: 213 Member
    Great abs are made in the kitchen. :wink:
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Agree with the first two posters about the diet, but I'll also add that core and strength training will tend to tone the body a lot more. You're getting your exercise and your CARDIO fitness sounds excellent (far better than mine!), but you just need to do some tightening.

    Add some planks, situps, dumbell work, etc to your workouts, if they aren't already there. That should help you drop the shell that's hiding the obviously very fit person residing inside it.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I'll also add - it may not be as much of "how much" you eat as "what it is composed of". If you're a heavy-carb eater and light on the fats and proteins, you'll have trouble building muscle, and any extra weight will tend to remain fat. Give your body the tools it needs to build the muscle, and do the workouts to generate it.
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