andreae13 Member

Since I don't have an assisted pull up machine at the training studio I go to I'm not able to work on them very much. About once a month I jump on the handles and give it a go. I'm aaaaaaalmost there but not quite. I think if I can lose another 15-20lbs I'll be able to do them. And ya, don't extend your arms all the way…

You're forgetting one very important factor...I still weigh 183lbs and the more you weigh, technically the more you should be able to lift, to a certain point. This is why the majority of power lifters are bigger. And this is also why I never want to get down to 130lbs. I want to find a nice medium between strength and…

Well I have no reason to lie...I've been working my *kitten* off the last 2 + years with a trainer so I have a witness for each max I do. I can probably squat more now, but we don't do max days that often. This squat max is about 6 months old. I have been told by quite a few people that I should look into competing but I…

Haha, yep! I was pretty shocked myself! Haven't done any squat maxes lately (that max is about 6 months old) so it may have gone up.

You are so awesome!!! I only had really 4 main fitness goals when I started this journey 1/1/11...Run all of Greenlake(2.8 mile loop around a lake in Seattle) with out stopping, do 1 full push up, bench 200lbs and do 1 full pull up. I have accomplished a ton of other goals in the past 2 years and have completed all of my…

I've been lifting for a little over two years. I absolutely love being strong!!! These are the maxes that I know of... Bench 235lb Squat 235lbs Dumbell row 90lbs Lat pull downs 175lbs

Here is mine. Started my journey January 1, 2011 323lbs. So far I've lost 140lbs and now weigh 183lbs. I would like to lose about 22lbs more but my main goal is to get down to 18% body fat :bigsmile: Here's me with my size 8 dress!!! Down from a 26!

Wow can I ask how much cardio you did and how much of a calorie deficit? [/quote] I do from 30-60 minutes of cardio daily which varies from running or the stair mill machine at the gym (hurt my knee about a month ago doing a half marathon so just now getting back to cardio). I lift 3x a week, and lift heavy! My calories…

I have lost about 10 more pounds since this picture and about 6 inches...still have about 8% more body fat and 20 more pounds I would like to lose but I really like what I'm seeing so far :bigsmile:

Consistency!! You need to do this day in and day out. There is no easy way or short cut. Just hard work and hard decisions each and every day. I have given up a lot of social functions this last year because I knew that I would not be able to control my food intake once I was there...but there will always be holidays,…

Haha...oh ya! Its a whole new experience now! :blushing:

Thanks everyone! It has been amazing getting to go through this journey with my best friend and love of my life and to know that we get to enjoy each other even more now is more then I could have ever asked for!

I agree with the others. Clean eating to me is nothing processed, make from scratch. Just a diet of healthy, fresh food like chicken breasts, veggies, fruit, whole grains, low/fat-free dairy, eggs...stuff like that. As my trainer says, if it doesn't come from the ground, from an animal, or off a tree...don't eat it.

Dana Linn Bailey...she is my inspiration! I am in love with her upper body and plan on getting as close to it as possible this summer ;)

Here is my before picture 323lbs Mother's Day 2010 (I'm the one on the left, if you can't tell). Didn't really start my journey until January 2011 though. Here is my most current picture at 186lbs on Valentine's Day. Still have about 20lbs more to go but I am VERY happy with were I am at and the things I can now do with my…

Love your attitude! When I first started this journey all I wanted to be was skinny...then I discovered lifting and was hooked. Screw skinny, I want to be STRONG!!!!

I am definitely big boned. I was born a very large baby and just kept on getting bigger. I will never be a size 6 or weigh 120lbs, but I am perfectly fine with that! My large frame enables me to build more muscle and be super strong, which I much prefer over being "skinny" :wink: So this was me at 323lbs (my starting…

It really doesn't matter what advice people give you. You need to find what works best for your body. Try each way for a couple weeks and see which one gives you the best results. I have never eaten back my calories because I discovered that it did not work, not only did I not lose weight, but I gained it when I ate those…

Feel free to add me as well. Been lifting/losing weight for over 2 years and am quite obsessed with this lifestyle..as my results show :smile:

This urks me more than anything!! I have to bust my butt for 90 mins and come out of the gym looking like I just took a shower in my clothes to burn what I used to in 30 mins! Sigh...the downside to getting fit...especially when you still need to burn the same amount of calories. Definitely having to buy new clothes...when…

Yeah you!!! I know the feeling exactly. My goal since starting this "journey" was to run all of Greenlake (a 2.8 mile loop around a lake in Seattle, WA) without stopping. Took me 8 months to work up to it and the morning of I had my trainer and my sister (my inspiration) along with me. I was so nervous and scared I…

The Polar's come with chest straps. I second or third the comments regarding the necessity of getting one with the chest strap. The wrist ones won't be nearly as accurate.

I got mine off Ebay. If you have the patience you can get a great deal. Got one for both my husband and I, both brand new for about $25 each (regular price $89). Big 5 and Target should have them. Not sure about Walmart and Kmart.

If you want something that's super simple and on the cheap end, I'd recommend the Polar ft4...it's what I use. I've been using it for almost 2 years and have never had a problem.

Same here...not only do they need to be in the correct order, but I hate it when they stack up so I moved my task bar vertical and problem solved :drinker:

Here is 2 years worth of transformations for me :happy:

I definitely agree with Cardio and strength training. It's what I've done through out my whole journey and it has made a huge difference. One key though is to make sure you are getting enough protein in your diet so you don't loose the muscle your working so hard to build. I eat anywhere from 180-200 grams of protein a day.

Best money I have ever spent in my entire life!!! I agree that not all are created equal but do the work to try and find one that is. Just look at my results...that's all from the amazing motivation, accountability and knowledge that I received from my trainer. I would live in my car before I'd stop training!

Haha, thanks! So excited to get girl muscles and show the men how real working out is done!!

Thanks, and congrats yourself! You've done a fantastic job ad well! Just keep up the great work and you'll hit Onederland in no time