craigheon Member

This is the perfect post to show other women that just because you lift HEAVY, it doesn't mean you're going to turn into one of those musclehead freaks! So many women are afraid of this, but weightlifting is what does the sculpting! You look great :)

Are you taking pictures during your transformation? If not, it's very helpful to do so. Once a month, and then compare... then you'll see the differences!

Congratulations! You have put in the hard work and it shows!

That's great that you are taking action Peter. Some people cannot (Type 1 Diabetics, like my brother). He'll always be insulin dependent, but he is controlling other aspects of it with eating healthier and exercising regularly.

Good for you man! A few years ago I shed about 40 lbs with eating right using MFP and doing Crossfit. I've since stopped Crossfit and then went on to traditional weightlifting. I got bored, complacent, and put 20lbs back on. Now I'm back doing HIIT and getting ready to lose about 20 more pounds with it. Weights are…

I'm currently doing Stronglifts 5x5 and loving it. I have 2 herniated discs in my back (L4-L5) and deadlifts and squats scare the bejeezus out of me, but I'm doing fine so far, with no belt. I won't start using the belt until I feel I'm unstable at the core. By doing so, it's helping to strengthen my core naturally.

Wow, I totally forgot I had posted this and I am so thankful for all of your responses. In the meantime, I have decided to continue losing weight before I do anything. I am happy with how I am looking. I know I have a base of muscle underneath there, and I may be just fine with how I look when I get down to that 15% bf…

Thanks for the comments guys! Keep em' coming!

Sorry to hear this, but you at least have a good outlook on it. My brother is type 1, has been since he was 11, and he turns 37 today! Your body is probably adjusting to the differences in food. I know my brother gets nasty headaches too quite frequently... to the point that he has gone to a neurologist for them, but he's…

I recently hit a plateau myself, for about 3 weeks. What got me through it was taking 1 complete week off from weight training and high intensity cardio. I went for a few walks here and there throughout the week, but my body needed rest. Perhaps yours does too. I highly second the digital food scale though. It will be…

This is a wicked inspiring story. Congratulations to you man! Friend request incoming! =)

I also have not tried it for something like this, but I agree with the above poster. Get the unsweetened original flavor. I think the vanilla would throw things off. It's just enough flavor to make it weird tasting, I'm sure.

My go-to is chicken and turkey. I tend to eat a lot of both. I'll usually pick up ground turkey, pan fry it, and sometimes what I do is put it on a bagel with a tbsp of mayo and eat it like a burger. I do supplement with protein drinks too. I'll have the powder and mix it in with almond milk. For a treat, I'll do that, and…

I don't know for sure, but I think you could be on to something with the hormones in your body. It could be an increase in endorphins, which make us feel good!

What Robin said. You need to wash the strap at least once every week or two, max. The metal part where the chest piece snaps on develops gunk/sweat/salt inside the snaps, and therefore cannot get an accurate reading sometimes. If you don't have the time to throw it in the wash, at least rinse those metal snaps under the…

You may want to have an ultrasound done on your calf to rule out DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis). If you have a blood clot, that's not good news. My wife had one and had to be put on blood thinners. A piece of it broke off and went to her lung too, which hospitalized her for about 2-3 days. Scary times, I'll tell ya! Better to…

Remember that carrying a bit more fat before and during pregnancy is actually healthy for the baby. Not obese, but your body is going to have more demands on it whilst you are carrying child.

I'd say you are doing everything right. Just hit the weights a little more this week, and I bet you'll make some progress!

Excellent job! Keep up the great work!

I've been taking them every month. It's neat to see the progression. Can't wait to see what a year brings! (I'm only on month 3 of my journey, and already down 19 lbs!)

If you are doing strength training, that will help you lose the fat. However, it is very hard, near impossible to build muscle while on a caloric deficit. Your muscles need extra nutrition and calories in order to repair themselves and actually grow. I'd say if you want to gain muscle, and lose fat, increase your calories…

Yeah remember the goal is muscle gain, not fat! 1 lb a week is a good goal to strive for. That's tough work, I'm sure. I've never bulked before though, so I'm sure somebody else will pipe in!

I have the Polar FT7 as well. I love it. Yes, you have to wear a chest strap, but it's not meant to be worn all day, only during exercise. It will give you better calorie counts than the machines at the gym, because you are inputting your info (height, weight, age, sex etc). You can also update it as you make gains/losses,…

Agreed. If today's log represents pretty much everyday, you are way malnourished. A Starbucks coffee for lunch? Really? Your body is trying to tell you something...

I'm going to have to agree with Jim. I'd invest in a HRM. I recently purchased a Polar FT7, and I love it!

I look at things in a calorie aspect. If someone brings in donuts to work, I ask myself "Hmm, is it really worth 300+ calories to burn that off?" I think about how hard it is to burn off 300 calories, and that donut doesn't look so appetizing to me anymore! Is it really worth that minute of indulgence? Most times, probably…

That's great progress! Good for you! Are you taking pictures? Measurements? It's really good to log that sort of stuff too, besides just your food. Sometimes you don't see those subtle changes until you look back at photos and measurements!

Excellent job! I can definitely tell the progress in the pictures! Good for you!!

I agree with the protein comment. And also, don't forget water intake. That's going to help flush the muscles of lactic acid. Your muscles will retain some of that water too to help in repair.

I only count glasses of water. Nothing including tea, coffee, whey, etc. All of that is additional, and definitely water intake, but I don't personally count it. I try to get at least 8 strict glasses of water per day in me.