Lara-
:rofl: About hiding tattoos from family members. I hid my first one from my dad for months, until one day I walked past in a pair of shorts. I must have walked just the right way, because apparently the tiniest smidgen of it (like 1/4"!!) stuck out during a step, and he was like "WHAT is THAT???!!" He about had a fit. :lol:

Now that I have 4, a former naval piercing, and a nose piercing (I don't wear jewelry in my nose to take the kids to school, but in performance, etc. I do) he has quit commenting. :lol: I woiuld hope so, since I am in my thirties now. :lol:

You might have your brother consult a personal trainer about his back problems and the construction work. A lot of times, physically active jobs or sports can cause muscle development that is "uneven" and that is where problems can happen. It sounds like he could use some work on "evening out" so to speak.

In Middle Eastern dance, for instance, the dance posture has you in a slight semi-squat-which is very taxing on the quads, ankles, and calves after a while. I have to do work specifically on my inner and outer thighs, to even that out, and to protect my knees.

thank you, I will try this later on today :)

I think you might have had a "bad" batch of talapia. did you buy it frozen? I bought 2 packages recently individually frozen in Shoprite and returned one.. such a terrible fishy taste! the fresh stuff is sooooo much better.. very mild tasting

Preparation can also make a huge difference in fish. If you didn't like the recipe/preparation that you tried this time around, try another recipe next time. A good tilapia filet is very mild. :)

Aphil~ What type of exersices do you do to even out your leg muscles? I have over developed muscles on my outer thighs which has cause knee problems in the past.

Lara~ My Parents were upset when they saw my first tattoo as well, but by the second one I'd converted them. My Dad was even talking about getting one for awhile. He never did, but it was funny that I changed his mind.

Sounds like our Dad's are from the same generation. I want my nose peirced but I am scared and somewhat worried what others would say. I just want a teeny tiny almost invisible stone or just a ball. Maybe I will get brave enough, I work with so many people from India that it seems like a normal peircing. The belly, beautful but I would rip it out somehow and I don't have the belly for one right now.

When you were talking about the Middle Eastern dance, I could for some reason picture it in my head it would be hard on those sections of the body. I think your right about my brother, he needs to work on his back and corr probably. Let me tell you his wife would like him to work on the corr. HEHHEHEHE! He has a bit of pug going on but not much. I guess I did exactly the same thing as my brother but with my legs. I was only working a few parts of my leg and I started having major knee problems to the point I couldn't walk. I went to the doctor and he said the problem was I needed to start working all parts of the leg if I am going to work my legs because the muscles were pulling the knee caps off of where it is suppose to sit. I now make sure I work my legs all the way around and at a lower intensity because muscle started to build and I don't need any more than I already have.

Theresa ~ When I saw Talapia I thought, OH YUCKO, its fishy. I bought some that was frozed and it was horrible. The reason I bought it was because I ordered it in a restaurant and it was delicious. I have since ordered it at the same restaurant and it was fishy that time. Must be the freezing process does something to it. Fresh fish isn't always available where I shop in my town.

zenor-basically you have to look at your activity, and what is being developed first. A ballet dancer, for instance, will have very developed outer thighs and hips, and inner thighs, due to their "turn out" position in ballet dancing.

Middle Eastern dance posture develops you the opposite way-in the quads and hamstrings more-because your lower body is held in a very slight semi-squat. Not enough to require you to "sit back" like in an exercise squat, to prevent the knees from going over the toes, but enough to make you about 3 inches shorter than you normally are, and the toes face forward. If you only did this for a bit, it isn't a big deal, but since I teach 3 hours a week in that position, plus my own practice/workshops I attend/performance time, it ends up that I have to compensate and focus on inner/outer thigh work. (I still strength train my quads and hamstrings, but I put extra in the inner/outer to even it out.)

I tend to do poses from Classical Indian dance, and ballet styled strength moves, such as plies, etc. to get the inner/outer a little more, as well as some other exercises.

Is there a particular activity that is causing more outer thigh development, compared to the rest of your legs?

Lara-a tiny stone or ball is what I wear a lot. :) Very dainty-I have a handful of small ones.

Zenor ~ We must have the same knees/legs. HAHAHAHA! To develop the muscle in the back of the leg, I just stand, bend the one leg at the knee and put the tip of the toe on the floor behind me, then I lift my foot and bottom part of my leg up and down. That develops the back of the leg very nicely. Inner legs I put a pillow or something mushy and I put it between my knees and squeeze it and release, squeeze and release. There are lots of ways to work your legs but those are my to favs. The one that works the best I can't describe and not everyone wants to get down on the floor and do it.

I did SOOO SOOOO SOOOO bad yesterday....probably the worst eating day in about 6 months!! I actually stopped counting towards the end of the day when it was about 2500......Anyways, I'm paying for it today...I feel so sick to my stomach, sort of like morning sickness but I know for a fact I'm not pregnant... I think it was all the sugar in the sour gummy worms I ate...
One day wont kill the plan though...so back on track today...I normally eat anywhere from 1200-1600 calories a day..Just depending on how hungry I am.....I dont think I'll make that today though, so sick to my tummy....You know its bad when I skip the coffee in the morning and opted for my peppermint/ginger white tea....

Hope everyone has a brilliant weekend!! No plans but its my weekend with the kids...after having them home all week (no school spring break) I'm out of ideas for things for us to do!! This morning I HAD to catch up on packages, I work from home and barely got anything out this week!!

The inner thigh squeeze can be really effective with one of the small, hand held weights that look like balls. Not the larger medicine balls (that look more like small basketballs) but the ones that are used in place of small hand weights. They work really, really nicely in place of pillows. You can get a firmer, more controlled squeeze that way. Lie on your back doing it, like you would during a crunch, and squeeze the ball in between the knee area for as long as you can. Release it, rest a few seconds, and repeat.

If you want to add a little buttocks action in there as well, lift your buttocks slightly off the floor while you do this. (Just be sure that the middle back stays on the floor.)

Aphil ~ Its just amasing at how fast that works isn't it. I can't do many before it starts to hurt. Wish more exercise that could target problem areas like that.

Have you ever seen the show Body Electric? Its a program that used to be on PBS stations and the instructor, excellent instructor, did strength training exercises for the entire body. I wish she was still on because she was good and the last time I thought to look her exercise videos are expensive but a little pricey. I don't know how the title just popped in my head because I have been trying to remember it for years. HAHAHAH!

Aphil & Lara~ Thanks for the ideas! I think I will try to find a small ball weight and try the "thigh squeeze."

As for why my outer thigh muscles are overdeveloped; genetics I think. My father had the same legs and the same problem (or perhaps we walk funny--LOL.) The muscle pulls my knee cap over when I walk up stairs and I creak (I'm not quite 30, so this is a concern.) All I've ever done for exercise is walk. My doctor did tell me to do exercises to strengthen the inner muscles, but never gave me actual exercises to do. Oh, and I was told not to run.

Zenor ~ Mine used to make the same grinding, creaking noise that your talking about until I started taking the stairs every day, several times a day. They are now happy but I also speed walk a lot which may also be adding to the over all strength of my legs.