From Kristen, Age 20 - 02/13/12 - IP#: 169.236.86.xxx Click here to reply Ht. 5'8", Start: 183 lb, Today: 183 lb (BMI: 28), Goal: 175 lb - Okay, so i joined this site back when i was 16 during my sophomore year of high school. I was 233 lbs and wanted a big change for myself just like everyone else on here. I eventually went down to 175 where i felt my healthiest and strongest. Getting lower than 170 caused me to look sickly and i was starving myself to keep the weight off. I knew i needed to stop the low calorie diet and start working on my healthy eating habits at a more normal daily calorie intake. When i went to college i gained weight and got up to 195. Now im 183 and trying to get to my goal weight once again. I workout alot. i love to run and take zumba classes at my college. right now i have to work on my eating. so far despite my intense workouts the weight isnt slipping off as easy as it used to. when i was 16 it literally flew off! its a challenge that its slow going and is very frustrating but i have to keep the motivation and remember that this is not a fast process. i feel healthy, i feel strong, im eating good things. i just want this very badly and i will achieve it.
Reply from Renee the Nutritionist - 05/17/12 - IP#: 204.76.166.xxx Kristen, when I have clients with this problem I suggest interval training. This involves any cardiovascular activity done in fast and slow intervals. For example, on the treadmill, after you warm-up for 5-10 minutes, go at your normal moderate pace for 3 minutes, then do 1 minute full effort (incline or running) and then back to 3 minutes at moderate effort and then 1 minute full effort again, and repeat over and over for 30 minutes total. Then cool down for 10 minutes. Intervals like these have shown to raise your metabolism for a much longer period of time after you are done compared to just doing the treadmill at the same pace the whole time. In general though, you should be changing your cardiovascular and weight training routines every 6-8 weeks or so to challenge the body. The body is a smart machine that adapts to everything. so if you burned 500 calories for an hour of exercise at first, after 6 or 7 weeks it has adapted and you will no longer burn that amount of calories for that activity. This is why change is good about every 6-8 weeks. Good luck to you! All that said, don’t forget weight training. As we age we lose muscle mass and if we do nothing to slow down the loss of it, our metabolism will slow down too. Hence we need less calories than before. So, hit the weights without fear! The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest! Feel free to go to my site for quick and healthy recipes www.2-b-well.net. Good luck!
Reply from Liz, Age 35 - 05/14/12 - IP#: 75.135.201.xxx You've got a great attitude and you CAN DO IT! I believe on you!!!
