Buff Brides?!

[briseis23]

Well, they have it in the stores down here. Yes, Chocolately Drizzle Special K cereal. I also like the fruit n yogurt, but honestly I think my favorite is still plain old Special K.

[briseis23]

Sorry... hit send too soon.

 

You should definitely take time off. I actually find I lose more when I rest. It doesn't make sense to me, but that is how it works. Do you break up your workout or do it all at once? My issue is working out all at once. It's 9pm and we just got home from the gym and eating dinner! So my goal is to work out 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the evening. That way I won't feel like all of my free time is spent at the gym.

 

30 pounds is incredible! I'd definitely be happy with that. I got measured today and found I have lost 5 inches in my waist. But the progress is slower than I would like considering how much effort it's taking! So I feel ya there!

[cruisebride08]

Hi everyone! This is only my second post on here (the first was about a month ago), but I'm really going to try to keep up better on here. I went out to California for a few weeks to visit my family and it was hard to find time to log in on here. Anyway, congrats to everyone who's been doing well.

 

Lora, I'm sorry to hear you hurt yourself again.

 

(I feel like I know everyone on here since I've been reading my weekly updates in my email =)

 

I had a great visit with my family, but I was sure I wouldn't make any progress with my weight loss since my gym membership is here in Louisiana and we were doing a lot of celebrating. Well, I weighed myself today and I actually lost 1.5 pounds! It doesn't seem like much for 3 weeks, but I figured I would have gained.

 

Ok, I need advice...I really want to put off buying my wedding dress until I'm closer to my weight goal. I want to lose about 17 more pounds and the wedding is June 1 next year. What's the latest I should wait to buy?

 

Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

Nikki

[NurseBeth]

Well I posted in this thread a few weeks ago, and I just had to pop in and share my news. Since I posted I started riding my bicycle 7 miles a day, and I've been making better food choices. No specific diet really...I'm trying to go lower-carb. I've lost 6.5lbs. I'm really happy about it. So many days I don't feel like riding, but I just drag my butt outside and get on the bicycle and go. The beauty of the bike is you can't cheat it. If you ride 3-4 miles from your house, you have no choice but to ride back home!

 

Good luck to all of you with your weight loss endeavors! And thanks for the tip on the Starbucks. I've banished myself from it because I didn't think I could have it anymore!

[mandabear]

Nikki- I'm in the same situation! I just don't want to dress shop yet. my wedding is May 2008, so I am going to start shopping in November. I figure that will give me enough time (hopefully!) to get the dress.

 

Briseis, glad to hear that the down time actually helps you. Here's hoping that works for me too!

 

Beth- I'm sitting here staring at my bike thinking that I really should take it outside and ride it. (I live in a small apartment, and the bike is in the dining room.) I'm a little nervous because I've never ridden from where I live now, so I don't have any good routes, and my bike has the "clipless" pedals, so if I mess up and stop suddenly, I fall over!

 

Well ladies, I feel like this week is a complete loss. So many meals eating out. A few glasses of wine, and even (gulp) a margarita! I tried swimming today. I'm still terrible, but sooner or later it must get easier, right?

[briseis23]

I don't have the patience that you all have. I knew about what style of dress I wanted, and I found one online at David's that I really liked. I went in with an open mind though and tried on many different dresses, but it was the one.

 

I was told by David's that if I lost a lot of weight they would order a smaller size, so no problem. I think regardless you are going to have to get it altered, so I would at least go out and try dresses on if you haven't already. You have a lot of time, though. I'm running out of time to lose weight! I am going to have to schedule fittings very soon!

 

I lost another pound this week. 1lb. exactly. I have to admit I didn't give it that much effort... just my two days with the trainer I think. I have been extremely tired this week!

 

NurseBeth... congrats on losing all that weight! That is fantastic. As far as weight goes, that's about all I've lost in 3 months! However, I am happy with the 5 inches I've lost. I'm already happier with how I look.

 

Mandabear, don't worry. I think as you build muscle with weight lifting it helps you to burn fat, so it will become easier. At least that is what I've heard and it seems to be true for me. I definitely see a more increased metabolism, and I'm losing weight with less effort. Hmm... imagine if I actually did my cardio consistently!!

 

I have a question... my trainer says I should aim for a heart rate between 87-108. This seems extremely low. I have tried before to see how low I can keep my heart rate, and I think the lowest reading I've gotten is like 120. Is it possible to exercise and get a good workout with such a low heart rate? I think even walking would make my HR higher than that! Your thoughts??

[ShedQueen77]

Typing really sucks for me right now, but I'm still here reading and keeping up with everyone! :)

 

Nothing new to report. Still fat! lol :D Ted purchased his tux and it came in on Monday...if that counts!

 

I can't recall who posted this (sorry!) but I was advised by my MD and my trainer (and I also learned it in Anatomy and Physiology!) to allow for a day's rest in between days when you work out. Your muscles need time to repair themselves after being taxed so much. This is why some people plateau with their weight loss. The muscles are working, but they did not have the proper time to allow for nutrient and oxygen restoration; meaning that they aren't functioning at 100% for burning fat. Also, the muscles when being taxed more than 'normal' will form microscopic tears which need to heal as well. It's normal, but it does impair muscle function. Hope this helps! :)

[mandabear]

Briseis- I've never heard of a trainer recommending such a low HR during workouts. Is this during cardio too? My trainer has me wear my HR monitor during workouts, and all of the spinning instructors teach using HR parameters. I'm no expert, but I've been working out using HR parameters for a few years now. Here's what I know:

 

I guess it depends on what your current level of fitness is, because we go by % of your maximum HR. So an endurance type of workout (fat burn) would be somewhere around 60-75% of your maximum HR. For me, that means somewhere between 145 - 165 beats per minute. If we are sprinting/racing and doing intervals of hard work and moderate work, then we use HR up to 92% of max HR. For me, around 184 beats per minute (and not a lot of fun!).

 

If you want to figure out your numbers, this is the formula I was given. First, you need your resting HR. Take your pulse for 1 minute, first thing in the AM before getting out of bed. Do this for 3 days and use the average. Then use this formula(it has a real name, but I forget it):

220 - (your age) - (resting heart rate) = NUMBER

take percentages of that NUMBER and then add the resting HR back.

 

Example:

220 - 28 - 75 = 117

92% of 117 = 107

107 + 75 = 182

So 182 would be 92% of your max (this is when you are struggling to keep going, breathing really hard...)

 

Generally, this formula gets people close to what their numbers should be. Hope this helps! I'd ask your trainer to clarify what he/she meant. Maybe he/she meant that ideally, you should be at 87-108 after your cool down, before leaving the gym?

[briseis23]

Yeah, I will ask her. In the meantime, I will just disregard what she said. I told her it is IMPOSSIBLE to work out and maintain a HR that low.

[TygerPawz]

25 POUNDS!

Whew, sorry, had to share. After my bad week of no exersize on my business trip, the next week I lost 2.5 pounds, bringing my total to 25! WAHOOOOOOOO!!! Now I just have to try my dress back on and hopefully it isn't too big!!!

 

That sucks about the chipped arm!!! Hopefully it gets better soon!

[briseis23]

WOW!!!!! That is so awesome!! Great job! :)

 

So... what is your secret?

[vowsatsea]

Hi everyone! I'm joining the bandwagon. I actually have quite some time to get into shape the way I want. We haven't yet set a date, but we're looking at 2009 (the cruises for 2009 aren't out yet, which is why we haven't picked a cruise). I'm the biggest procrastinator ever, so I need you guys to motivate me, and make me start early!!

[mandabear]

Congrats Tyger! That's super! :)

 

Welcome to our group Sabrina!

 

Well ladies, I am back on track and my new plan is to get to bed earlier every night. Ideally, 10:30pm, but if I'm still up at 11pm, then I'm dropping everything and going to bed...even if it means my work clothes aren't packed for the gym!

 

Have you all tried the Skinny Cow fudge bars? I'm trying to skip dessert, but sometimes, I just really want something. These fudge bars taste JUST like the real thing!

[briseis23]

I've had Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches. LOVE them! I have never bought them, but I had some at my mom's house. Every time we crave ice cream we think Skinny Cow.

 

I think I am just going to go on a sushi diet. I loooooooove ahi and smoked salmon. Just came from a new Japanese house not even a mile away. Gotta love it!

 

Hello Sabrina! You are so smart for waiting so long. I always said I would be engaged for two years, but we went for one. The planning is a piece of cake (especially with the wedding coordinator we have) but getting in shape and everything takes a bit more time! It takes such a long time to really change your eating habits and to commit to a fitness routine. I would start with some small challenges, like giving up soda or fast food. Also, find a buddy to work out with! Even if you blast your mp3 player while you work out and don't talk to anyone, having an appointment or someone to say "Hey, get your @$$ dressed so we can go to the gym" really helps. That's how my fiance got me to the gym today (though he didn't say it like that). Lucky him... that's what I will be saying at 6am tomorrow. Hehehehe! :)

 

Good luck!

[briseis23]

In regards to my question about what my personal trainer said about keeping my heart rate between 87-108 (not gonna happen), I read this from SparkPeople today. It makes a lot more sense to me. I managed to keep my heart rate around 125-137 today and I didn't even break a sweat. I even picked up weights while on the treadmill and was working on my arms. It was really boring.

 

Anyway, I am going to bring this to her and see what she says...

 

SparkPeople Experts Answer Your Fitness Questions

Question: A trainer told me that to burn fat I need to exercise at a lower intensity. I also noticed that my treadmill has a "fat burning zone". At this intensity I don't feel like I'm getting a good workout. Do easier workouts really burn more fat?

 

Expert Answer: The information on those machines can be deceiving. The "fat burning zone" is a myth that is based on a fact, but taken out of context.

 

It's true that higher intensity exercise uses more glucose and glycogen (the form of energy your body gets from foods) in proportion to fat, but remember that "high intensity" in this context means exercise that you can only maintain for a couple of minutes before becoming exhausted (i.e. anaerobic exercise). It's also true that low intensity exercise uses more fat as fuel; moderate intensity exercise that you can maintain for 20 minutes or more is aerobic exercise, and will burn both fat and glucose.

 

You're better off exercising in the aerobic zone as much as you can, because exercising at higher intensities burns more total calories. The "fat burning zone" business is very misleading. You will burn a larger percentage of fat in relation to glucose when you are working at a lower intensity, but you will also burn fewer total calories and less total fat.

 

Bottom line: The relative percentage of fat burned has nothing to do with weight loss--it's the total amount calories burned that counts. So just ignore the machine and continue to exercise aerobically. As a bonus, aerobic exercise also strengthens your heart and cardiovascular system, lowers blood pressure, and improves cholesterol levels.

[briseis23]

A little recipe for those with a sweet tooth...

 

Mini Cheesecakes

 

Serves: 12

Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake

 

Who can resist thick, creamy decadent cheesecake? Try this low-fat version in the single serving size.

 

INGREDIENTS

12 low-fat vanilla wafers

3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

12 oz. fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

cherry pie filling

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line muffin tins with 12 foil cupcake papers. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake paper.

2. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and fat-free cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs and beat until smooth.

3. Pour cheesecake mixture into muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

4. Decorate cheesecake tops with cherry pie filling.

 

NUTRITION INFO

Calories: 120.6

Fat: 4.4 g

Carbohydrates: 14.4 g

Protein: 6 g

[RachieLnnn]

Thanks for the info regarding the fat-burning vs. cardio workout. I was always confused about that, but it seems to make sense.

 

I have lost only 0.2 pounds last week. I only had time to workout (cardio) once, although I did do all three sessions of Buff Brides and then on another day I walked to my office from my fiance's apt which is 1/2 hour (not really cardio, but it got me moving). Eating was so/so. I really notice I lose more when I push myself a bit. It's hard since this last week I've had to work late. I would love to work out in the morning, but I have an hour commute on the train so I would have to wake up really early. My gym opens at 5am though, so that's something I'm thinking about starting. I'm just afraid I won't be able to do it since I'm not a morning person, and then I would get mad at myself for "failing". I'm better at working out and sticking with it if it's not so invasive into my sleeping time. (If that makes sense!)

 

In other news, I tried on a pair of jeans that I have that 2 months ago were really tight and caused my middle to "puff" out around the waistline, so I never wore them. Now, they fit perfectly!!! I'm so excited! :D

 

I also bought a size 10 dress from NY&Co for a wedding I have on 08/03/07, although I have a feeling their sizes run really large, so it's probably a 12/14 everywhere else. It fits nicely though, a little tight but by August it will fit great (I hope).

 

That's all for now, hope everyone has a great week!

[briseis23]

Yeah, I think it's called "vanity sizing" (where the sizes run a little bigger so it makes you feel good). But if you fit it and it looks good on you, that's all that matters!

 

I was soooooo bad today. It's my fiance's birthday, so I made a cheese fondue and chicken parmesan. At least we were too full for the chocolate fondue for dessert! So that will be saved for another day.

 

My fiance came with me to the gym this morning, and he is hooked on AM workouts now. He's ready to get up early and do it again tomorrow. Waking up early is NOT my thing, but I really do enjoy it when I've gotten my workout out of the way. Then if I workout again it's just extra! :)

[mandabear]

Briseis- those cheesecakes sound amazing! I think I'm going to make 2 at a time... i can just imagine what would happen if I made all 12...

 

Rachie- I honestly HATED the mornings at the gym for a very long time. Here's how I made myself do it: I made myself go every morning that I planned to go. Sometimes I would oversleep or snooze for too long to get in a full workout, but I would MAKE myself go anyway, even if I was only on the elliptical for 5 minutes before I had to go get ready for work. That was really frustrating, and after a few times of that, I got my butt out of bed a lot faster.

 

Hope everyone is having a good week!

[briseis23]

Good idea! I think I might be too stubborn to still get out of bed even for a 5 minute workout, but sometimes I will go ahead and do like 50 crunches and some leg lifts.

 

I have some before and after pics for you. I looked at these side by side last night and was amazed at the difference after such a short time, especially in my arms. This is going to be my motivation!

[terryvet9]

Good idea! I think I might be too stubborn to still get out of bed even for a 5 minute workout, but sometimes I will go ahead and do like 50 crunches and some leg lifts.

 

I have some before and after pics for you. I looked at these side by side last night and was amazed at the difference after such a short time, especially in my arms. This is going to be my motivation!

WOW-You go girl, you look amazing!

[TygerPawz]

Thank-you! No secret - Weight Watchers did it for me. I followed the plan very well, and it worked!

 

Brise, you look great! You can definitely tell the difference, keep up the good work!

[finn1913]

Terry - way to go!!!

 

Brise - you look awesome! keep it up!

 

As for me... 2 pounds this week. I'll take it!

 

Cheers!

[ShedQueen77]

Wow. Cheesecake, a buff lookin' bride, and some more weight loss from everyone else! Awesome job, ladies! Too bad we can't just all have our ceremonies at once and knock 'em out with our hot new bodies! :D

 

Nothing new progress wise still. I'm still laid up, although I only have one more week to go in this stupid thing. I hope I'll be 'released' soon!

 

I did lose an inch around my waist because I got my 'every other month' period finally. At least something good came from my cramps and misery! :D I also noticed when I took the pictures I posted on the hair thread that I can smile and my face doesn't look as fat anymore.

[briseis23]

I can't wait to see the hair pic! I love that thread. You are a lifesaver!

 

Well, thanks for the sweet comments, but I gained 3 pounds this week. No surprise to me, but it sucks! Extra time on the treadmill tonight!