PlumpKitten Member

If you're eating quite a light diet in general, and then you suddenly eat a pile of carbs & sugar, you might be taking on temporary water weight. That's maybe why it seems like carb cheat meals make you heavier than protein ones. I know that's what happens to me - it I have a huge plate of pasta with cream sauce and then…

A month isn't very long. Unless you're superhuman, you are not going to see major toning right away. Many women actually temporarily gain if they go from zero to 100 in resistance exercise -- you retain water and the muscles swell for a bit. It's frustrating -- you're working hard and the scale is going in the opposite…

Of course you're not a bad person! Do what Asians do. Eat alot of tofu. There are endless recipes - firm tofu pan-fried and tossed in curry sauce. Chinese tofu and veggie stir-fry. There are even tofu desserts - though I don't know if you can get the fresh (non-processed) ones where you are. We also eat alot of beans and…

Not sure what your current weight is, but if you have 50 lbs to lose, that is do-able over a year. Think of it in small chunks - an average of a pound a week. Having buddies is great. But nothing will keep you more accountable than logging in daily to My Fitness Pal. I know it sounds boring, but these calorie counts really…

You really should see a doctor about this. Good luck!

1,200 is do-able. If you choose well, you will not be hungry. But prepared to eat lots of lean protein (chicken breast, fish fillets, sushi, eggs, tofu).and vegetables. You'd have to basically cut out sugars, and restrict carbs and "healthy fats" like almonds, peanut butter, avocado.. I did it and lost 25 lbs of baby…

So many. 1. I went for a run. Then I went home and ate a bag of candy. 2. My husband and I are hopelessly addicted to Nut-Thin crackers. We eat like a box at night. 3. Yesterday was a bad day (went to a funeral) - and I came home and had two - TWO! - ice cream bars.

For some inspiration, this massively muscular NHL player is a vegan. (He's retired now and runs a vegetarian restaurant in Montreal) http://www.greatveganathletes.com/vegan_athlete_georges-laraque-vegan-ice-hockey-player

My bra straps stay in place! They're not constantly slipping off my shoulders. Not sure why, but I now have a nice curve in my shoulders since starting weight-lifting. Also, I don't sometimes have the embararssing situation of my back bra clasp snapping open.

You could basically have a Snickers bar for the calorie "cost" of one Crunchy Linseed with Cranberry and one Almonds Cranberry & Coconut crispbread mini. I think "healthy" packaged snacks are a rip-off. If you want a healthy snack, a handful of actual almonds, dried cranberries and dried coconuts would be cheaper and…

Yes! Add lower body stuff like squats and lunges. Then add some weight to it when you are ready. You will be working the biggest muscles in your body.

Thanks for that. Sorry if I was unclear. You are right. Stretching itself does not make your actual muscle bigger or smaller. But stretching obviously helps with warming up & flexibility. In Asian culture, we use stretching and various types of massage to smooth out knots, increase circulation and get rid of excess fluid…

[/quote] They have muscle removal surgery in Korea, so I understand your feelings here. Asians like to be very small and it is frown a-pond in most Asian countries that I know of for women to build muscle. In the USA and Europe this stereotype of women bulking is there, but it is not as harsh. Fitspo is really in. There is…

I felt the same way, too. Just remember to stretch legs before and after. That helps lengthen out the muscles and tendons, I hear. Good luck!

that's so encouraging. thanks for that!

LOL. :smile:

Sorry - I'm behind on responding! I started w/ circuits w/ weights 3 x / week, as I am a beginner. I'm doing more now. And adding weight slowly but surely. As a newcomer, I'm focusing on keeping good form and not getting hurt. But also pushing myself.

I sympathize. I'm coming off of two pregnancies, the second of which required an emergency C-section. (First one was natural birth). I wasn't bedridden for a year like you, but my recovery was slow. My abs were so ruined I couldn't sit up from a prone position for months. I started recovering from that C-section with yoga.…

Again, I am just a beginner, baby lifter. But - while it might not be obvious to others - I've noticed my shoulders are already more shapely. There's a little curve to the top of them that wasn't there before. My bra straps don't fall down anymore! My posture is better. My back is stronger. I can swing my 25- and 30-lb…

Yes, it may seem counter-intuitive that leg exercises will make your legs (your whole body) leaner, not bulkier. And at first, you might get water retention from more exercise - but be patient. Good luck!

Thanks for that. I can only dream of deadlifting that much someday.

I wish there was a "like" button like on Facebook!

Thanks. Wow, 2 decades. Respect to you. Sure - it's great to have muscles. I'd like to build up muscles w/ time too. I'm not saying muscles are bad. I'm just pointing out that bulking doesn't happen "accidentally." I'm writing from an Asian city where women just don't lift. I started with wimpy 8-lb handweights and a…

Thanks! No, no expert. Just a baby lifter. Wanted to encourage other newbies frightened off by "RAWRRR OVERNIGHT BULKING" myth among some women.

First of all, Congrats! Second of all, you are not alone. You are going through something many - most - mothers do. Weight gain + recovery from childbirth + exhaustion. Having a baby is a wonderful - but few people also recognize how hard it is. In terms of pure weight loss, cutting back on what you eat is the fastest,…

That's insanely low. If you're eating so little and burning so much, you might want to look at if you have a healthy and realistic view towards food and your body image - a major issue with young women. I don't mean that to be critical. Just be careful. If you're really eating 600-700 and burning about that much via…

I am not quite your age. But a girlfriend and I, both 40, went off for a weekend wearing shorts, tank tops, short dresses and bikinis. (We went somewhere hot). And it was fine. Where I live -- in a warm, modern Asia city - middle-aged and older women who have slender bodies do still wear short dresses. It's perfectly…

I've been focusing on strength training. For a while I was doing Venus Factor, which was 3 x / week. So I made my priority getting those in first. If I had days in between or extra gym time, I would supplement with jogging or yoga -- just to keep some cardio / fat-burning / flexibility in the mix. In reality, I probably…

Weight loss is frustrating and uneven - but it does happen! I am having the opposite problem. After a LOOONG plateau, my waist size suddenly dropped while the scale shows nothing. I can fit into old jeans, but weigh exactly the same. Maybe it's because I started doing weights? Go figure. Try to keep your eye on long-term…

I'm 5'1". I was 160 lbs after my second child more than a year ago, and 138 now. When I was actively cutting weight, I had to net 1200 calories -- meaning either eat that low, or "earn back" my calories with exercise. If you're about the same size and eating 1500 calories a day, you'll have to work off 300, which really…