scrittrice Member

I took that to mean the OP didn't wait to reach maintenance to start exercising, but now I can see reading it your way, too.

I'm so sorry--it's hard to let go.

That sounds incredible. Please give a full report when you get back.

Where are you biking for four weeks? Envious!

I found this link incredibly useful: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/902569/barbell-routines-when-you-only-have-dumbbells/p2 When looking for that discussion, I found another one where this was mentioned, and it looks helpful, too (at a glance):…

Do you have a Blink Fitness nearby? That's also inexpensive and I think less anti-weightlifting than PF. Or maybe the YMCA in your area has a sliding scale. Does PF have dumbbells? You could start with those, or even invest in some dumbbells and use them at home. (I lifted at home with dumbbells for years.) @DancingMoosie…

Doing the lifts in StrongLifts or any other beginner program makes you stronger all around. They are full-body training. The machines are not as helpful, as they don't force you to work on your balance the way barbells/dumbbells do--they actually don't teach you form. And StrongLifts is a beginner program--there's no need…

What's wrong with wearing minimizers? I wore them for years.

I've started doing z-presses, too, which completely take the legs out of the equation. Really challenging for me, but I think they're helping me engage my lats more when pressing, or at least to know what that feels like.

I'm sure this guy didn't realize that he had some, um, flesh bulging sideways out of one of the legs of his shorts while he was seated at one of the machines. At least I hope not, because if he did, that's a whole different "guy in the gym" story. I blushed like a 12-year-old and ran. Reminded me of this infamous photo of…

I have practiced that move in the mirror an embarrassing number of times, but I never feel I get it quite right. Then again, one day there was a young man waiting to use the rack after me when I was OHP-ing, and I made a crack about how little weight I can press, and he said, "Yeah, but if it's any consolation your form is…

I was a D or double D, and I still am, but with a smaller band size, which I guess implies a smaller cup size, too (i.e., the cup on a 32 D is smaller than the cup on a 36 D). Honestly, for the first time in my life (pushing 50) I can wear "cute" bras, and I have to admit that while I am so not a lacy lingerie kind of…

I never feel as if I get the hip bounce right either, but I always thought it was knee bending that made it a push press. Need to reread Rippetoe.

Along the lines of thinking of it as a scientific process, one day I was on MFP and it struck me: It's just math. That's it. It's not good/bad (me or the food or the exercise). Just math. I've always known that intellectually, but something about using a computer and having it calculate the numbers really brought it home…

Ha! I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror the other day as I rewrapped my towel and I was leaning over in an unfortunate position. I quickly shut my eyes. I think it is the same as the loose skin people have on their stomachs, but you can't really build muscle to fill it out. I lost it all in the cleavage.

I had the same thing happen. In a deficit toward the end my breasts were like Ziploc bags with a little sand in the bottom, but when I went into maintenance they got perkier looking. Even the skin looked papery and strange when I was in a deficit. Age/perimenopause definitely has impact, too (or at least it has for me).…

It's SO mental/psychological, isn't it? I found out recently that a bar at my gym that I have used occasionally to deadlift actually weighs 55 pounds, not 45, so unbeknownst to me, I've lifted 10 pounds more than I thought I was lifting on at least two occasions. Didn't notice a thing. (Autocorrect keeps changing…

I switched to 5/3/1 a while ago. 3x5 was just starting to take up so much time. I am the same way with routine, and I use the (free) Wendlerized app on my phone. Progress is slower, but that's fine with me.

Me too. A couple handfuls of almonds. But the whole "set-point theory" has been studied over and over and has never been found to be valid. Your body doesn't "want" anything or gravitate toward anything.

I think you're overlooking the obvious: our girlie-brains are not genetically designed to handle math, so figuring out which plates to put on the bar is impossible for us.

I checked NROLFW out of the library, but it seemed so complicated compared to Starting Strength (basically Strong Lifts but 3x5 rather than 5x5) that I went with that instead. I don't think it matters as long as you're doing a progressive routine.

I am in the same boat (and I'm 49), though of course to me you look fantastic. Interestingly, I went on a vacation to a warm spot with my extended family recently, so I had a chance to see lots of relatives of all ages/fitness levels in shorts and swimsuits. I did notice that we are all shaped basically the same--just…

I did 3 sessions with a trainer, which was great for getting started. (I, too, didn't know how the plates went on the bar.) Before that I read a lot and watched videos, but every time I got to the gym I chickened out. But if you have back problems you should definitely get some expert advice.

For years I wore Moving Comfort bras, which are very good, especially for larger women, but I recently switched to an Anita bra with an underwire. It's so comfortable and wicks so well that sometimes on hot days (and on a recent vacation) I wear one as a regular bra.

I think it took about six months to see changes, and I'm now a year in. I'm not sure they're visible to anyone else, although recently two different people commented on how good my posture looks these days (I'm a lifelong sloucher), and I'm pretty sure that's from lifting. I felt better almost immediately--being strong…

Same here. It frustrates me so much, but I have portion-size creep after I don't log for a while. Maybe someday.

Wow, you look great!

I've been maintaining for a little over a year and I purposely take a day off every once in a while to break my streak. In the beginning I took weekends off, but then I decided those were the days I was more likely to eat unusual things, so now I take a random day off during the week. Interestingly, I just went on vacation…

This has been very helpful for many of us: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/902569/barbell-routines-when-you-only-have-dumbbells/p1

I've been maintaining for just about a year. Every once in a while I take a day off from logging, but when I've tried to step away from it completely, I notice my portion sizes climb gradually. I like to keep a record of my exercise anyway, so it's not difficult or time-consuming to log my food while I'm on here, and I…