Gettin' In Shape

[IKnowALittle]

Anyone else trying to get in shape for summer?
I don't have a ton of weight to lose (10-15lbs), but I really want to "tone up" significantly and just feel better physically and have more energy. I also play a lot of festivals in the summer so it's nice to not be lugging around excess poundage.
So, I'm starting tomorrow.
One more nite of indolence. Beer in the fridge, pizza on order, some tunes in the back pocket.
Gotta enjoy.

 

[dmatthews]

I got sick as a dog and lost over 10lbs. Now I need to keep that off and lose 10 more.

 

[veinbuster]

I'm almost always trying to get in shape. Sometimes I'm closer than others.

 

[rugerpc]

When people say they are going to 'get in shape', that usually means muscle tone and weight loss/management.

Activity for muscle tone. Pick your exercise poison.

There are only three ways to lose weight.
Die.
Discard body parts.
Take in fewer calories than you burn.

All three work, but the latter seems to be the least stressful. I have a Fitbit that helps me monitor my activity. The iPad app will track your calories out based on that activity. It will track your calories in based on what you eat. You can set goals for gaining, maintaining or losing weight and how fast.

I set a goal for weight loss and I have a daily calorie limit which varies with my activity. The only key thing here is discipline. You must record everything you eat and drink, and you absolutely must stop eating/drinking calories when you reach the daily goal.

I started in February. I'm down just over 20 lbs. 8 lbs to go.

When I reach my target weight, I'm considering working on the muscle tone part of it. I don't want to add muscle, that would be more weight...

So, I'm not so much getting in shape as changing shape. Round is a shape, just not the one I want.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

Start and maintain a yoga practice. It's a great compliment to an already existing exercise program, or it's a terrific stand -alone fitness activity.

 

[drdoom8793]

I'm in shape...Round is a shape, right?

 

[rugerpc]

I'm drinking water at the moment. Yes, I know that it is toxic in large quantities and has many other dangerous properties, but it is zero (0) calories.

 

[László]

I'm trying to drop 10-15 pounds, too. Winter flab!

 

[andy474x]

Some moderate weight lifting has done good things for me - more than cardio alone has in the past. Got a simple flat/horizontal bench and these nifty adjustable dumbells:

https://m.dickssportinggoods.com/p/...ecom_PLA_452&gclid=CMKM7JWVmtMCFUS4wAodjeUN7A

They're not cheap, but got them on sale for about $300 and they work well, worth it. Makes a workout snappy since I don't have to manually add or remove weight plates. Plus they don't take up much space! I haven't lost weight, but I've lost inches.

Waist inches, don't be a perv!

 

[AP515]

I've got 10 Lbs. I want to loose. I have a weight station that started using again (the one below). It's more fun that it seemed a couple years ago. Must be more motivated to loose the weight.

 

[bodia]

Start and maintain a yoga practice. It's a great compliment to an already existing exercise program, or it's a terrific stand -alone fitness activity.

I've got a couple of bad discs in my lower back (thanks to bad form on in home squat machine). I've been telling myself I should start taking yoga, or pilates, to help with core strength. Need to get after it.

 

[Shawn@PRS]

I've got a couple of bad discs in my lower back (thanks to bad form on in home squat machine). I've been telling myself I should start taking yoga, or pilates, to help with core strength. Need to get after it.

It'll do wonders for you. It isn't a quick fix, but if you put the time in, you will see tremendous results.

 

[veinbuster]

When I reach my target weight, I'm considering working on the muscle tone part of it. I don't want to add muscle, that would be more weight...

Interesting. I'm fine with adding weight that has a purpose. I try to stay in a fairly narrow weight range, but I don't worry about the number if it is extra muscle. For example, I will typically gain 3kg (6 1/2 lb) of muscle in my legs over the course of the summer - so my acceptable summer weight is generally higher than my winter weight.

 

[rugerpc]

Interesting. I'm fine with adding weight that has a purpose. I try to stay in a fairly narrow weight range, but I don't worry about the number if it is extra muscle. For example, I will typically gain 3kg (6 1/2 lb) of muscle in my legs over the course of the summer - so my acceptable summer weight is generally higher than my winter weight.

I'm OK with muscle weight, but the weight range is important. Muscle is denser than fat. Putting on a bit of muscle can add more weight than putting on a larger amount of fat.

But every bit of mass in the body must be serviced by the cardio vascular system and the rest of the organs. Being at the right weight (mass) is about balanced systems.

That means once I reach my ideal weight for my height, if I want a higher percentage of muscle, I have to actually lose more weight to achieve the same correct body mass when I build the denser muscle mass.

It has been taxing enough to lose 20 lbs already with another 8-10 to go.

 

[Mike Duncan]

I bike 20 miles a day. I'm 43 and dealing with a messed up left ankle. Luckily, the biking doesn't bother the ankle.

 

[bodia]

I'm OK with muscle weight, but the weight range is important. Muscle is denser than fat. Putting on a bit of muscle can add more weight than putting on a larger amount of fat.

But every bit of mass in the body must be serviced by the cardio vascular system and the rest of the organs. Being at the right weight (mass) is about balanced systems.

That means once I reach my ideal weight for my height, if I want a higher percentage of muscle, I have to actually lose more weight to achieve the same correct body mass when I build the denser muscle mass.

It has been taxing enough to lose 20 lbs already with another 8-10 to go.

True, but muscle burns more calories!

 

[rugerpc]

Only when in use.

I already have more to do each day than I have time for. Adding extra exercise on a routine basis means I have to give something else up...

I also haven't targeted an activity yet that is less important than pandering to extra muscle I don't actually need for the activities I already enjoy. The idea of building muscle for the sake of having extra muscle makes no sense to me. Especially when you consider the time/nutritional investment needed to maintain the surplus.

 

[tiboy]

I subscribe to the school of thought that it is very difficult to add substantial muscle weight. No doubt muscle weighs more than fat. No doubt that resistance training can reshape one's body. But, adding more than a couple pounds of pure muscle absent a very concerted effort (heavy lifting and mucho calories) is not realistic IMO. Especially past 40 unless you're juicing.

For me it's all about the calorie intake. I cycle 9,000 miles a year and hit the weights 3-4 times/week, yet my fat/weight goes up. Too much TV watching bad calorie consumption.

 

[Bran_Flakes]

I've been fairly sick recently (allergies combined with up and down weather conditions evolving into worse sicknesses, which have transformed into worse things, etc.....joys of living in Texas), but I usually keep up a fairly strict exercise/diet regime. Usually try to alternate days of swimming/running, go to the gym for weight lifting about 4 days a week, and train MMA (BJJ, boxing, and kickboxing) 2-3 days a week.

I started the "Warrior diet" about a month ago and it has made a huge difference in weight loss. I got to a point where I couldn't lose weight consistently without killing myself in my workouts (dieting has never been my strong point, always lacked the discipline to stick with one for more than a week or so), but just moving my calorie consumption around has been exactly what I needed (plus not having to eat lunch has helped save $$ now that I don't have to pay for food while I'm at school).

 

[bodia]

Only when in use.

I already have more to do each day than I have time for. Adding extra exercise on a routine basis means I have to give something else up...

I also haven't targeted an activity yet that is less important than pandering to extra muscle I don't actually need for the activities I already enjoy. The idea of building muscle for the sake of having extra muscle makes no sense to me. Especially when you consider the time/nutritional investment needed to maintain the surplus.

I hear ya! I wasn't necessarily advocating "bulking up". But, at a certain point you start losing ridiculous amounts of muscle mass. You know, that damned age thing! In my case, I want to get back to the weights to maintain what I have, regardless of my weight. Without that, it's going to go. I can already notice it.