How did you learn water aerobics with weights? That's something I could do with my little boy while he swims as he loves swimming. Does that tone your legs? I'm going to try this new Jari Love dvd I bought, she does major strength training on it, I like to lift heavy on my legs and I'm reading if you are top heavy to go for more reps and less weight on top. You don't post your weight or loss? Have you been losing? What do you think is ideal for 5'9 anyways? I was thinking/dreaming of my old college weight of 125 but there's no way that's realistic, so really at 150-55 I felt really good - somehow I blimped up to 180 almost this past year but I'm down to 173 and even that feels better. I'm just thinking cycling might really help do the trick since it'll work my skinny little legs.

Hi Horsey... actually I just bought the water weights and make up all my own exercises as well as checking here in the threads for ideas and also searching on the Internet. I only have the hand ones (plus regular walking leg weights) but did use the leg ones some at the public pool this past winter. And yes, I do all kinds of exercises so it tones my body all over.

And I agree that for top heavy (which I am also) less weight and more reps. I never use more than 5 pound weights and on the machines usually keep it at 20-30 pounds, except 50-60 on the leg pushes.

As for what looks good at 5'9" I guess it depends on your body type. On me 180 starts to look pretty thin and 170 is downright skinny if I am toned.

I used to post my weight and loss but got to where I would rather just keep an Excel database personally of my exercise totals and weight loss, etc. But yes I did lose another 7 pounds in June and hope/plan to keep it up. I have been working out so hard I think right now I am building muscle so the last couple weeks am battling the same three pounds over and over, grrrrr. :) But I'll get them, yes I will! :)

I was down to 155 before and it was skinny as I didn't tone my legs etc enough. I gained again so this time I'm concentraing more on weights. I've been lifting 8 lbs on my arms and I'm starting to like them and won't increase weight I don't think but I'm about to majorly increase on my legs, especially squats and such. Put on shorts and looked like pencil legs, I think I lost fat there with weight loss and now I desperately need muscle. I'm not sure what my ideal weight would be if I muscled up some. I think it might be around 155-160 but not the 135 I used to be way back when. But I feel best at size 10 whatever my weight and right now I'm size 12 in pants and large or xl on tops. What's your weight now?

Hello, I had a couple of good rides today. Normally my commute to work is about 5 miles each way, but today I decided to go a longer route. On the way there I did just over 12.5 miles, and on the way back I did 8 miles. Still not huge distances, but I was still proud of myself because I did it in pouring rain when the easiest thing might have been the shortest route . But actually I quite like exercising in the rain, and it didn't take too much longer than my normal route - and the way to work was a lot nicer, I ended up on a traffic free path alongside the canal which is far nicer than battling with buses and traffic lights. Unfortunately the longer route home didn't seem to make it any less hilly!