I have taken off a hundred pounds in the past couple years. I still have 20 I would like to lose. The problem I am having is that I cut my calories too low while dieting hard core and then, from what I'm told, did too much cardio. My cals I cut down to 1200 and burned 1200 off daily. I did little toning exercises if any. The only toning was the Biggest Loser workout. I did notice that I looked smaller at this same weight while I was doing the toning. I have maintained my hundred pound weightloss for over a year now, but not by exercise just mainly watching what I eat. Now my problem is that I'm all flabby. What should I do to get rid of these last few pounds and all this flab?
Congratulations on your 100 pounds lost! That's wonderful! I hope that you are eating healthy to maintain your weight--and that you can add some healthy activity to that.
Hi! I second the idea of resistance/weight training! It not only tones you, but the muscle you build is metabolically active and burns more calories!
Many of us who are maintaining big weight losses find that the maintainance can be harder than the loss. Feel free to check out the maintainers' forum to talk to others who are in your situation!
I'll echo the above - strength training ... and DON'T be afraid of weights. Get the concept of "tone" out of your mind. There's no such thing. What you want, to remove the flab and get that shapely look is to build muscle.
Learn to do body resistance exercises. Learn to lift weights. Lift heavy and lift until you can't lift any more. It'll make a HUGE difference in both the shape and look of your body and in losing those last few lbs.
I want to add a caution that someone who is starting out should not begin with heavy weights, but should build up the weight over time.
It is a physiological fact that muscle can exert more force than tendons can sometimes withstand, so beginning with weight that's too heavy has the risk of tendon damage. Tendons take a long time to heal, and that can really put a crimp in your fitness program.
Also, there is such a thing as muscle tone. It is a state of partial contraction maintained by the nervous system that keeps the muscle at optimum length for contraction. Good muscle tone means that your muscles are ready for action--not overly shortened or overly flabby.
But to get good definition and affect body shape, resistance training is best.
Jay - with all respect, I can't agree with your advice.
Quote:
someone who is starting out should not begin with heavy weights, but should build up the weight over time.
This is exactly the kind of bad "girly" advice that women are given in the magazines and in popular culture. Someone who is beginning to lift should lift as heavy as they comfortably can even just starting out. That doesn't mean they have to start curling 50lbs. For some people "as heavy as they can" may very well be a 3lb weight. Or a 5lb weight. But they shouldn't be AFRAID of the weights. Even starting with 3lbs, you'll gain strength fast. By the end of your 2nd week, you should have moved through the 5lb weights and be into 10lbs. Your body builds strength and adapts that fast.
A good weight lifting rule of thumb when you're starting out is that you should choose a weight where you can just barely complete 3 sets of 10-12 reps. If by the end of your third set you're struggling to lift the weight, you've picked the right weight.
Also keep in mind that you shouldn't use the same weight for every exercise. I can bicep curl a much heavier weight than I can do a tricep curl with. Don't be afraid to pick up various weights and see how they feel when you lift/move them.
That said, FORM is hugely important and if you're going to start lifting weight, then I would strongly recommend paying for at least one session with a trainer just to get the right form. You're much more likely to harm yourself by using the wrong form than by lifting a weight that's too heavy for you.
And finally, with regard to weight lifting, building muscle definition, and building strength, there is no such thing as "toning". Yes, muscle tone as Jay defines it exists ... but that refers to, as she defined ... that state of partial contraction. That simply isn't what most people mean when they say "toned" muscles. They mean developed muscles that show under their skin - the type of muscle definition that makes one look "in shape" and fit.
Also the concept of using very light weights for a gazillion reps to "tone" muscle is simply incorrect. All you're doing is building muscle endurance (and on a very limited level at that). You're not building the kind of muscle that gives you that "fit" look.
There is no such thing as "toning" a muscle with exercise. Either you are building muscle strength and definition or you are not.
Lifting to your limits (and that includes bodyweight resistance and other types of weights) is the ONLY way to build good muscle and to develop that look that most people mistakenly refer to as "toned".
I'll weigh in (haha I kill me) and agree with Jay on this one.
If you're an absolute beginner, you should start with very small weights, even if they seem "too light." That doesn't mean that you need to stick with those weights for a set period of time, though. I've found that after an extended period with no weight training, if I pick up even a 3lb weight and use it, my tendons and ligaments will be sore and tense the next day. Starting off slowly and advancing after every[/other] workout, or as needed, will help keep things from getting painful.
It isn't a matter of being "afraid" of the weight. It's just keeping your body safe and in good working order. I don't necessarily consider it "girly" advice to suggest someone shouldn't jump right in to what their muscles say is an OK weight.
This website (created by a female physical trainer and Women's Studies Ph.D. who began lifting as part of her weight loss journey) is dedicated specifically to women and weight lifting. It's chock full o' good information and it's fun to read. If you're interested in learning more about weight training, I highly recommend it.
Rock on. Great site. I'd also recommend the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. It talks about the myths of "pastel Barbie weights" and really helps put things in perspective.
If you're going to start doing weights and aren't confident in it, hire a personal trainer for 5 to 10 sessions. They'll teach you the correct way to do it and will give you a routine or two to use on your own. You don't necessarily have to join a gym to do this--look in the phone book for personal trainers (or check at your local YMCA). However, if you don't want to have to buy weights, the gym is a good place to start and they often have personal trainers on staff for an extra cost.
PhotoChick, mine is an informed opinion both from real life and from the extensive reading in anatomy and physiology that I do as part of my job as a textbook editor.
Just about every other day at the gym I see beginner women being trained by their male friends who hand them a 15-pound free weight and tell them to do biceps curls. These women would be better off starting with under 10 pounds, say a 5 pound or 8 pound dumbell, even though their muscles may be able to handle the reps. They can then move up fairly quickly, but the tendons need time to adjust to being used just like the muscle does.
I also had an experience with a good trainer, a woman, who was a good judge of how much weight I could handle. I made quick progress starting where she put me and working up. Later, I had a bad trainer, also a woman, who had no idea what someone of my age should be doing. She would hand me weights that I couldn't do even a single lift with--and I am someone in pretty darn good shape.
The information about tendons is not just for women. It's true for men as well, although men in general have larger tendons to begin with, as well as larger muscles.
I'm also wondering why it is that people still use "girly" as a dismissive term. If you knew me I think you'd find that I'm about the least "girly" person you could find...
PhotoChick, mine is an informed opinion both from real life and from the extensive reading in anatomy and physiology [and weight training and other reading and research]
As is mine.
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this.
Hopefully the OP will go out and do her own research as well and come to her own informed opinion.
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Last edited by PhotoChick; 08-28-2008 at 01:00 PM.
FLABbergasted
on all the work you have done!
