My instructor and fellow students were sitting around after dance class last night talking and the topic of weight loss came up. My instructor is also a yoga and pilates instructor and has a degree in physical training.

She said that the key is upping your exercize, getting in at least 5 days a week and working up a sweat.

At Curves they tell you 3 times a week is optimal and you need the rest in between.

I am not sure which of those is really true, maybe it is the resistance training you are not supposed to do every day.

Right now I do Curves Mon, Thurs and Sat, and dance class Tuesday, generally speaking. I guess I need to add in at least one good aerobic practice session in there.

I need something to really get over the 150 hump. I am having trouble sticking to my plan, and will go up and down around that number. I don't think I will really feel like I have broken that plateau until I hit 145.

I am such a metabolic set up for failure. Hypothyroid, menopausal, down to the last 20 lbs to lose.

Not even getting on the scale today after what I ate yesterday. When I exercize regularly I get so hungry, and the slow progress frustrates me, so I am more likely to cheat. I need to find a way to live with some hunger and increase my exercize. Any thoughts anyone?

Nona

Isn't it frustrating? You hear one thing, then another person says something else.

I do think it's a personal thing. Do what works for you. But here's my person opinion:

-Cardio should be done everyday. This will speed up weight loss, IMO.
-Weightlifting is different. It can be done everyday by alternating between muscle groups (in order to not work the same group two days in a row).
-Stuff like yoga and pilates, which are more flexibility and stretching, abs and core, I would do every other day (the most).

Here's what the American Heart Association says:

AHA Recommendation

For most healthy people:

For health benefits to the heart, lungs and circulation, perform any vigorous activity for at least 30 minuteson most days of the week at 50-75 percent of your maximum heart rate. Physical activity need not be strenuous to bring health benefits. Moderate-intensity physical activities for 30 minutes or longer on most days provide some benefits. What's important is to include activity as part of a regular routine.

These activities are especially beneficial when done regularly:

* brisk walking, hiking, stair-climbing, aerobic exercise
* jogging, running, bicycling, rowing and swimming
* activities such as soccer and basketball that include continuous running

The training effects of such activities are most apparent at exercise intensities that exceed 50 percent of a person's exercise capacity (maximum heart rate). If you're physically active regularly for longer periods or at greater intensity, you're likely to benefit more. But don't overdo it. Too much exercise can give you sore muscles and increase the risk of injury.

What about moderate-intensity activities?

For people who can't exercise vigorously or who are sedentary:

Even moderate-intensity activities, when performed daily, can have some long-term health benefits. They help lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Here are some examples:

* walking for pleasure, gardening and yard work
* housework, dancing and prescribed home exercise
* recreational activities such as tennis, racquetball, soccer, basketball and touch football

Ditto what Jessica says. I'm at the "last few pounds" stage, so I'm right there with you. I've found it's much, much better for me to adopt a serene, go-with-the-flow hippie-chick kind of attitude than for me to drive myself crazy being type-A and trying to meet some self-imposed deadline. My body is getting there, very slowly, and the rate of change slows even further as I get closer to goal. That's just the way it is. I can either make myself crazy about it, or I can accept it calmly.

For a while I was so NOT in acceptance mode, and I was really driving myself too hard with exercise, but that can backfire. I found I was burning up muscle tissue to fuel the exercise, even though I was eating well, and eating more than enough protein. I guess I've got the type of "thrifty gene" starvation-proof body that strives to spare body fat even if there is lots of exercise and lots of healthy food. And let's not forget that too-fast weight loss can contribute to the dreaded "loose skin" problem. I'm dealing with a little of that, but the "plateau" I'm on seems to be helping, giving my body a chance to catch up. (Crosses fingers and toes.)

So what's the solution? Just patience, I think. It's like moving teeth with braces-- it takes a long time, and it just can't be hurried up. I just keep on keeping on. I've kept measurements and other records, I can see my progress over time, and predict from the statistical trendline that I should be at goal around the end of August. That motivates me: just in time for Fall clothes shopping!!

I always keep in mind that a size 12 (at this writing) is so, so much better than the size 24 I started with! And even at goal, we're probably talking about a size 10, so it's not that much difference. I'm looking forward to it, but even that goal is just another milestone, not the end. There's a great Nike poster in my gym that kind of sums it up for me:

"There is no finish line."

Nona - in your bio you said you took bellydance lessons -could you not use bellydancing as your aerobic exercise?

I take 2 classes per week and practice at home too.

This is what I do:

Morning workouts:

Pilates 30 minutes 2 x per week
yoga 30 minutes 2 x per week
hand weights workout 30 minutes 2 x per week
bellydance 40 minutes 1 x per week

Evening workouts:

1 hour of belly dance class 2 x per week

This way I am getting stretching, toning, weights and cardio in each week and I rotate the morning exercises so that I am not doing the same thing 2 days in a row - helps give the muscles I used the day before a break and then I don't get bored.

I also walk to and from work 5 x per week which adds an extra 50 minutes per day of exercise.

InnerChick, you really make a lot of sense. I have a feeling I need to cultivate that attitude. I find it a little difficult though. Gotta stop watching the scale and just do the right thing. I do get impatient though. I know lots has improved, not so much in my weight but in my shape and conditioning.

Gonna keep on plugging.

mauvaisroux, I have not yet been able to practice in an aerobic way. It should be a goal though, you are right. I am going to keep up the Curves 3 times a week, do my dance class once a week (two classes in one night, it is 25 miles away, and it saves me a lot of driving time to do it that way) and then on the other days, do dance practice. I also need to start holding myself accountable.

Nona

It is so frustrating because everyone does seem to have a different opinion...it would be easier to swallow if they were just talking out of their azz but they are supposed to be the experts! Eek. But my health teacher (who is also an olympic vollyball athlete and coach) says that your muscles start deteriorating after 48 hours of not using them (I'm assuming she meant weightlifting or resistance training). That's kind of discouraging because I'm one of those start and stop people!

I really need to start lifting weights, but I hate it. I find a million excuses why I shouldn't lift weights. Of course, I can also think of a lot of good reasons to. Today, my fiance and his sister and I went for a 3 mile walk around this beautiful lake. We passed a lot of people that were in good shape (as well as some in bad shape) and I kept thinking to myself, "If you don't start lifting, you are going to be a bag of flab once you lose your weight!" I just hope I can get going on it. Maybe if I buy some cute workout clothes and new dumbells I will be more inclined to do it!

Oh, crap! I'm glad you mentioned that about losing muscle after 48 hours, Chris... thanks!
Geez... I'd better get my act together here. I'm supposed to be doing six days a week at the gym alternating cardio and weights, but I haven't done any weights since last Wednesday. damn.
Maybe I'll do a few in my bedroom this evening. Maybe...

Yeah, it sucks...but I guess in a way, it could motivate you to keep up with the weights so that you don't lose all that hard work you've done. I think this factoid is really true because I remember about 2 years ago, I had a personal trainer and worked out all the time...I began seeing definition in my arms. I didn't stick with it, and that definition did go away pretty quickly.

I went to the Shape magazine website to find some resistance/weight exercises that I could do at home (because I can't afford a gym and even if I could, I probably wouldn't go because I would be comparing myself to everyone else). They have a ton of exercises! So, I'm going to make me an exercise notebook w/a workout log and schedule. I'm so anal retentive, I'll really get into that! Do you have any suggestions for good places to find exercises online? I know you can't really post the link, but maybe you could name the site and I could do a search.

Thanks and good luck getting to those weights!

Thanks, Chris.

I'll PM you a couple of links...