Quote:
Originally Posted by Graceful Goddess
In the meantime, I'm trying to take some dark comfort in the fact that if there's a famine, I'll probably be one of the last ones standing
|
That wasn't a rant, Grace, that was hilarious! And I'm right there with you, as I'm going through the same thing. The first fifty pounds, to be honest, weren't all that hard, but now things have ground to a halt. I'm doing up to 1 1/2 hours of cardio plus at least 1/2 hour of weights, and the scale is frozen. My arms, legs, and shoulders are like rocks, but the extra 20 pounds is still there.
I think you are so right about some women being "famine proof." I think some are just slow burners even with significant activity and muscle mass. Maybe we build fewer numbers of fat-burning enzymes in the muscle tissue, pound for pound, than faster burners do, so even increased mass doesn't have as much of an effect. That might explain why some women stay fatter even when they exercise very hard. That's my theory, anyway.
In the past I always had to run -- not jog -- at least 3 - 5 miles virtually every day on pavement to keep my weight down. That's a lot of calories burned, and the drastic motion, I believe, tends to stimulate the body to lose. But that kind of running is very damaging to joints, tendons, and ligaments over a long period of time, and I wouldn't recommend it now. You have to remember that if you have had a lot of physical trauma, especially joint trauma, in the past, you become a candidate for "trauma-induced arthritis." I'm starting to show signs of it myself, and believe me, it's not fun. So low-impact is the word.
Still, lately I'm beginning to think it will take a massive extra push to get the last pounds off, a heavier training regime. I may have to do a gym workout in the a.m. and a long walk/jog in the evening to get that to happen. Plus cutting out every unnecessary calorie-- no treats at all. It's grim, but it has to be done. Chin up, shoulders back, and "march to the front like a soldier."
Actually, when I feel a wave of self-pity coming on, I think of MEL, the lady on the journals here who uses a wheelchair and sings a lot. She's in there fighting the good fight every single day, just relentlessly cheerful. I think to myself, if she can hang in there, then I have no excuse at all not to give it 110%. She's my inspiration.
Sorry to make this so long-- hang tough, Grace!