[cammii]

Hi!

I came on here about a month ago and only just fulfilled the criteria i.e. 15 pounds to lose. I weighed myself today and I cannot believe how much I've lost! I've now only got 6 pounds to lose to meet my goal!

The thing is, I haven't really been doing anything much. I've cut down on my meat, wheat and alcohol intake dramatically since the beginning of the year. I started the fat smash diet in January, but only did the detox portion as I was going on holiday. I managed to lose some weight before going, so obviously felt better in a bikini on the beach than I would have done otherwise. I swam a lot and ate what I wanted on holiday (after all, it's a holiday!) with the intention of coming back to the UK and starting all over again. The thing is, the combination of jet-lag, freezing cold weather and no goal quite as scary as needing to be in a bikini, I haven't quite got around to starting again.

That said, I'm still trying to eat healthily, except perhaps for the blueberry muffins I made a couple of days ago and the glass of Pimms Winter I drank last night! I'm not exercising at all (no excuse other than the weather!)

I thought that the scales must be lying, as my previous ones broke, and different scales are calibrated differently etc. Anyway, I decided to try on some old trousers that would not fit me in December, and now THEY FIT! My waist is the thinnest it's been in a year!

The thing is, I'm the sort of person whose weight fluctuates dramatically! I'm wondering whether my weight loss may be due to muscle loss (as I'm not exercising) or hormones. I do tend to build muscle really quickly when I exercise (even steps or cycles), and I have that danger of looking stocky! I'm still quite flabby and gross, but that's what clothes are for!

I need some ideas on cardio exercise that wouldn't make me build muscle, is low impact (I have a bad knee) and isn't swimming (which I hate)! I really don't want to regain all this weight!

[silverbirch]

Originally Posted by cammii

Anyway, I decided to try on some old trousers that would not fit me in December, and now THEY FIT! My waist is the thinnest it's been in a year!

Brilliant! That is great news!

I'm a fan of weight training (muscle burns more calories than an equivalent amount of fat), cardio and good food - I mean nutrition, of course! - to keep losing weight and getting in good shape.

What about the elliptical/cross-trainer or the recumbent bike? Both good for people with dodgy knees.

[sweet_talker]

Silverbirch has some good ideas

But I'm wondering...why don't you want to build muscle? Or do you mean, you don't want to bulk up with a lot of lean muscle mass? Having a good amount of muscle will help you keep the weight off because it helps to burn more calories. I'm not an expert, but I would suggest adding a (short) weight routine to your workout to help you lose weight, and maintain your weight once at goal. Hope that helps...

[srmb60]

And come and join the featherweights in our weekly thread.
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/show...39#post1569239

[cammii]

Thanks or all your help guys. I've had a really lazy weekend with the boyfriend. I ate a lot of food I didn't need to, and drank way too much wine. So, going to the gym tonight! Thanks for all your advice. I will try the cross trainer and bike. My knee is killing me as I'm sitting here typing this! I'm scared of doing exercises that bulk up my thighs, as I have very skinny calves. I end up looking like a ham or something! I did a lot of squats last year and ended up with lean yet bulky thighs, which have since converted to flab and cellulite since I stopped exercising like a crazy person! My thighs now touch when I walk, which they never did before! Boo!

One thing I have noticed is that while I build muscle very quickly (legs, arms, abs) the flab that's sitting on top of them takes ages to disappear. I assume that "just" requires a low fat diet and lots of cardio. But I'm still working on it!

I'll let you all know how it goes!

[Whittlin]

Good job on your weight loss.

For building muscle without bulkiness, you could try T-Tapp. That's what I do. Videos. Works up a sweat, but it's building balance, core muscle, long lean muscles for legs and arms, not bulk. There's a website.