The Big Stretch

[Bytsi]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

I can (and do) aim for some pretty arbitrary numbers and stats (20% BF and 10 to 20 pounds of fat loss are the numbers of the moment) but I won't really know if those numbers are "right" for me until I inhabit them, walk around in them for a bit, and see if they are chafing somewhere.

Werd.

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by fengshway

leigh posted here overtraining/undereating
about 10% body fat, and based on the work I do in my office, I would agree with her.

Just a clarification... My 10% goal is for a photoshoot only this year and for stage only in 2010. I won't hang there for any length of time. It is HIGHLY stressful on the body and not a good thing to do for any length of time. Actually I like to maintain at 15-18% and bulk up to 20-22%. Anything more than that I start to not like my body but I am learning to love all the variables that I do in my recomp journey. Wendy you are everyones mentor for self acceptance. I very much appreciate your log for this aspect.

[kfisherx]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

It's good to seek out good advisers. My medical doctor, trainer, and nutritionist all rock and each brings valuable knowledge and perspectives to the table. I've also learned a lot from discussions here. But at the end of the day all of our goals will be our own and to me that's a good thing. It'll be about what kind of choices make each of us happy and comfortable about how our bodies move, feel, and look.

Great point here too! You are such a good writer...

[fengshway]

jennifer, you go! awesome perspective. looking forward to your continued progress

[CloveApple]

Thanks muchisimo Bytsi, Karla, and Wendy.

I was right at 161.8 this morning which has been my things-get-tough spot so I'm trying to be ready for some rough sailing.

Thursday 3-19-09

cat/camel x5
child's pose
downward dog
cobra
hipflexor stretch: 10 each side held 2 sec
draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
glute max retrain: 5 each side held 45 seconds
hamstring stretch
stretch w/JC arms (no, not it's real name)
squat: 3 sets of 15 w/15# single DB
flossing (a stretch)
hip circles: 20 clockwise, 20 counterclockwise
one leg lift on ball: 10 each side held for a count of 10
knee drop w/ball: 5 each side
one arm cable row: 40#, 3 sets of 12 each side
taps (w/Reebok step): 3 sets of 15 on each side
DB press on ball: 3 sets of 12 w/ 10# DBs
DB triceps ball swim: 3 sets of 12 with 8# DBs
kneeling reverse chop: 3 sets of 15 on each side w/ 6# med ball
trunk traction on ball
a couple minutes resting on back with feet on chair (or ball in this case)

[CloveApple]

Finding myself not wanting to post. Part of that feeling stuck thing I guess. I guess I want to report that I have it "all figured out" and my eating and weight are spot on where I want them. Ahh vanity and ego. I just need to keep keeping on.

I saw Andrew (my trainer) on Monday. Got a new inBody scan and was disappointed to see I'd lost some lean body mass as well as fat. I've got an email out to Alan so I'll see what he has to say about it. Maybe my expectations that it stay the same weren't realistic. I don't know. I do know that it changes my calculations of where I am and how far I have to go. (As in I'm not quite as far along as I'd hoped.)

Since I haven't been posting daily goal progress I'm going to add my goal spreadsheet to my sig, and I think I'll add one of the weight graphs too. Meanwhile I have some workouts to log:

Sunday 3/22/09

ARC intervals with heart monitor. This was supposed to be 30 minutes but I messed up and ended up doing 25. So it was actually:
5 min warm up at 100-135
repeat 5 times:
- 2 min 135-155
- 1 min sprint 155-170
2 min 135-155
3 min cool down at 100-135

Monday 3/23/09
This was a session with Andrew, which means I don't know all the reps and that some of the time was spent explaining stuff or going over form enough so I could do them on my own later. (It'll be two weeks till I work with him again.) We checked my body composition, discussed it, did some work, and then I did a little more after.

Roll Out: established through repeated attempts that I suck at this & switched to a plank
Plank on ball: 4 at 25 seconds
Bridging with stability ball: unknown #
Push ups on ball: two sets of unknown reps, two sets of 15 reps
Assisted pullup: 100# assistance 8 reps, 3 reps
. (sad but true I'm still a bit sore from these Wednesday even with that much assistance)
Quadruped op arm knee circles: 10 each direction (CW & CCW) & each side
Clamshells: 20 each side
Side Lying abduction: 20 each side
Bandwalk: with green band (up from yellow band) 4 x approx 15 feet (2 in each direction)
Knee to chest stretch: 5 each side
Knee to op shoulder: 2 each side
Full length stretch: 1 left side, 1 right side, 1 both sides
Cat/camel x5
Child's pose
Downward dog
Cobra
Hipflexor lying: 10 each side
Draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
Glute max retrain: 5 x 45 seconds each side

Tuesday 3/24/09 (at home)
Cat/camel x5
Child's pose
Downward dog
Cobra
Hipflexor lying: 10 each side
Draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
Glute max retrain: 5 x 45 seconds each side
Resting on back w/feet on chair

Wednesday 3/25/09 (today)
Foam rolling
Cat/camel x5
Child's pose
Downward dog
Cobra
Hipflexor lying: 10 each side
Draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
Glute max retrain: 5 x 1 minute each side
Bandwalk: with green band, 4 x approx 15 feet (2 in each direction)
Resting on back w/feet on chair (or ball in this case)

30 minutes ARC intervals with heart monitor:
5 min 100-135
repeat 6 times:
-2 min 135-155
-1 min sprint at 155-170
2 min 135-155
5 min 100-135

[Bytsi]

Hang in there... it can be so hard when you feel stuck, but this is the time you have to just keep on being consistent and stick it out. Sorry... it sucks. Come embrace the suck with the rest of us!

It might be a little unrealistic to think you won't lose any lean mass at all... I wish I could keep all mine - I KNOW I'm feeling weaker, but I'm just going to keep focusing on one thing at a time (fat loss, for now). Years and years of multi-tasking got me nowhere...

[CloveApple]

Thanks Bytsi. I'm definitely hanging in there.

Thursday 3-26-09
Cat/camel x5
Child's Pose
Downward Dog (I always think of this)
Cobra
Hipflexor lying: 10 each side
Draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
. (either I'm doing it wrong or it's getting too easy)
Glute max retrain: 1 minute x5 each side (getting too easy)
Hamstring stretch: 2 each side
Stretch w/JC arms: 2 each side
Foam roll
Squat: 1 15#DB 3 sets of 15
Taps: 3 sets of 15 on each side
Flossing (a stretch): 10 each side
Hip circles: 20 CW, 20 CCW
One leg lift on ball: 10 each side alternating, held for count of 10
. (getting too easy)
Knee drop w/ball: 10 each side
One arm cable row: 40#, 3 sets of 12 each side
Assisted pull up: 3 sets of 10, 9, 8
. increased the assist this time to 112# (plate20),
. still was hitting failure each time attempting the rep after last listed
DB press on ball: 12 reps w/10#, 15 w/10#, 15 w/12#
DB triceps ball swim: 8# (which may be too much) 3 sets of 12 reps
Kneeling reverse chop: 6# med ball, 3 sets of 15 reps on each side
Trunk traction on ball
Resting on back w/feet on chair (or ball in this case)

then 15 minutes on the elliptical at lower intensity
(I didn't go over 140 heart rate and didn't push the resistance past 7. It didn't bug my hip/SI joint so I think I'm right that it was upping the resistance that was causing pain. Unfortunately I can't do sprints w/out a much higher resistance on the elliptical.)

[CloveApple]

Saturday 3/28/09

cat/camel x5
child's pose
downward dog
cobra
hipflexor lying: 10 each side
draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
glute max retrain: 5 x 1 minute each side

Then I did elliptical and ARC. Once again I found that the lower resistance settings on the elliptical don't hurt my hip, but man low intensity is B-O-R-I-N-G. Since I had basically already warmed up on the elliptical I added an extra sprint to my usual 30 minute interval routine.

15 minutes elliptical (lower intensity: up to 135 on heart monitor)
30 minutes ARC:
5 minutes 135-155
repeated 7 times:
. 1 minute 155-170 sprint
. 2 minutes 135-155
6 minutes cool down (100-120)

then:
a couple minutes rest on back w/ft on ball
foam rolling

[kfisherx]

So what did Alan say about you losing mass? I am grinning because I know what he told me. With most all ways of measuring bf% you will see a built in subtraction of LBM for every lb that you lose. He had me do an experiement with mine. He had me weight myself and do my bf%. Then he had me put on a backpack and weigh myself and take my bf%. Amazingly by adding the backpack I had gained bf%. Likewise when I took it off I lost it.

So it is prolly the case that the way you are measuring is not accurate enough for you to get all worried about it. Go by how you look and how your clothing fits instead. I have since that time given up even really caring about what my bf% is on a regular basis. It just isn't worth it.

BTW: Totally know how you feel about being stuck...

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by kfisherx

So what did Alan say about you losing mass?

He said not to worry about it and reminded me that all the indirect ways of measuring body fat are inaccurate. (Dissection being the direct method!)

I'm planning to ask more about it after he wraps up the current edition of the AARR. (He didn't ask me to wait on the questions, but I figure we clients already sleep deprive the poor guy enough. And since I wanted the long explanation and I know the end of the month is his busiest time, I'll be asking in a day or two.)

By the way I've updated my sig to have links to my daily weight graphs and entries as well as my daily goal progress checklist. I'm hoping the links work without people having to be signed into Google. (Though I don't know if my spreadsheets will make sense to other people.)

I'd been planning to get some financial goal stuff done last night and to work out today, but I ended up spending the entire night with a resident in the ER last night so I'm pretty much a zombie today. Luckily zombies have superhuman strength and therefore don't need to work out.

I was supposed to get off work at 10PM but somebody had to go with him and I was the only reasonable option, so I was at the hospital from 10PM till 5AM. (He didn't get admitted until 4:30AM, and until the moment when the hospital takes responsibility we have to have a staff there.) Since he's a client I can't really talk about what happened, but I'm really hoping something good happens at the hospital and things get better.

On the plus side, I had 4 boxes of Girl Scout cookies with me at the ER and never touched them though I thought about them often during the long night. (I had bought them from a co-worker.)

Of course now I'm wondering what possessed me to buy the cookies in the first place but I think I have a game plan for eating just a few and then dumping the rest before I inhale them.

And now I'm heading back to bed for a couple more hours of daytime sleep before I have to drag my tired butt back to work.

[stingo]

It's all about moderation - a treat once in a while is good psychologically, and will help you stick to the overall plan for longer. (As you won't feel as locked into it as you otherwise might.)

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by stingo

It's all about moderation - a treat once in a while is good psychologically, and will help you stick to the overall plan for longer. (As you won't feel as locked into it as you otherwise might.)

Learning how to do the treat thing sanely is an ongoing lesson for me. When a treat works it's awesome. But often it's a struggle.

Sometimes junk meals just leave me frustrated because I'm HUNGRY after them since the things I crave tend to be less filling.

Other times treats seem to unleash the cravings and multiply them and then it's harder to reign them in than if I hadn't had the treat. I had a little bit of that happen with the girl scout cookies last night. It was a big conscious effort not to go on an eating spree after I'd eaten the decided-on number of cookies.

I think my game plan for the cookies is going to work though. Last night I took a box to work for the resident's snack. That meant that I got 3 of them and then the box was gone. (Well almost gone, but I know by the time I go back to work today the last few remaining cookies will have vanished.)

yesterday's cookie:

[Bytsi]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

Learning how to do the treat thing sanely is an ongoing lesson for me. When a treat works it's awesome. But often it's a struggle.

I'm with you... moderation / sanity in food is a very difficult thing for me.

Originally Posted by CloveApple

yesterday's cookie:

Ok, now THAT was just plain mean... cookie pr0n!!!!

[kfisherx]

Hey where you been lately? What's up in Jennifer world?

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Bytsi

Ok, now THAT was just plain mean... cookie pr0n!!!!

LOL. Maybe it was. If it helps any I think my karma caught up with me since I ended up eating the next boxes (of Thin Mints & peanut butter sandwich cookies) totally off plan.

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Hey where you been lately? What's up in Jennifer world?

The short version:

• I'm not seeing the progress I'd like and it still comes down to non-fun bouts of off plan eating.
• Workouts are slowly getting better and more "real" as we up the difficulty on a few things at a time.
• My SI joint still bugs me but that's obviously going to be a long time getting back to totally healed.
• Still trying to get a handle on where my goal is.

If I look at my graph the trend is still downward and I keep telling myself I can make it through this, but it's a lot messier than I'd like and the bingeing is pretty fucking discouraging. On the other hand I broke 160 for the first time recently (followed by immediate off plan eating).

Alan reminds me sometimes that I have all the time in the world to do this, and that it's ok to back off or take a more flexible approach. He often points out that the low 160s are a weight my body seems very attached to and really defends, and that the binges are part of this context.

I guess I'm lucky in that other people have much worse binges than I do, and my weight isn't really going up (just lots of temporary spikes), and really binges and all I probably eat better than I did two years ago. But the experience of them still sucks beyond words. Sometimes it's food I don't even like and it's always unpleasant once it gets going.

I've been trying to find my motivation in all of this.

I started a list of reasons to lose fat, but somehow it doesn't seem to be hitting the nail on the head. I think part of it is that the big dramatic health reasons are fading out of the picture and I have trouble embracing some of the more vanity-inspired reasons (though they are real).

Andrew (my trainer) suggested some visualization to help me (on all the non-logical levels) really understand that it's ok to quit holding onto my current level of fat. Have thought about this a lot but haven't really gotten far with it. Part of my difficulty is that I can't really imagine very well what my goal looks like.

Man, some of that sounds like more of a downer than I intended. Actually today is a pretty decent day. I was going to hit the gym but instead I'm sitting here with a big mug of tea and just chilling half awake and I may take a nap before work, which honestly I really need as I've been running pretty short of sleep and burning the candle at both ends. On the plus side I have some workouts to log. (Though I may not get them up before work today.) And also on the plus side my challenge goals have gotten me writing again.

[Bytsi]

Originally Posted by CloveApple

If it helps any I think my karma caught up with me since I ended up eating the next boxes (of Thin Mints & peanut butter sandwich cookies) totally off plan.

I'd laugh, but I've been there, done that... sorry.

Originally Posted by CloveApple

The short version:
I'm not seeing the progress I'd like and it still comes down to non-fun bouts of off plan eating.

I've been trying to find my motivation in all of this.

I started a list of reasons to lose fat, but somehow it doesn't seem to be hitting the nail on the head. I think part of it is that the big dramatic health reasons are fading out of the picture and I have trouble embracing some of the more vanity-inspired reasons (though they are real).

Part of my difficulty is that I can't really imagine very well what my goal looks like.

A lot here, I tried to highlight a few things that struck me...
I think motivation will come as a result of knowing where you want to be, so perhaps first thing is to think about WHAT you goal really is, and WHY you want to be there (and looking good in jeans is a perfectly good reason).

I also am one who doesn't really binge BUT I did struggle a lot with off-plan eating and "unplanned refeeds" . I've found that planning my food out the night before, then writing it IN INK with the totals already added in is helpful. For some reason, knowing exactly what I have left and not wanting to scribble it out if I change it helps me. Similar, perhaps, to Leigh's "one big meal" where you know exactly what you have and that's it.

Also, I don't feel like I have AS bad an urge to cheat when I know that once a week I can have a refeed. I overdid it a bit this past Sunday, but in general, I can let dessert go by when I know that on Sunday I can have dessert... or a cookie or whatever...

Don't know if any of this helps. Take it for what it's worth...

[kfisherx]

Bytsi has hit on great points and from watching her journey over the past year I can see some similarities. I cannot help you very much since my motivations comes largely from my vanity goals. LOL! But Wendy's log might be a perfect place for you to find some of the answers you seek. She seems to be the model for health related motivation and also for embracing her body in the here and now.

Also Leigh's video on bf% might be useful for you. One of the things my trainer had me do when I first started was to go through magazines and websites and pick the ideal body that I would like to emulate. I thought that was a great exercise for me. In fact I liked the idea so much that I used it on my own clients this past year. Girls seem to have no problems doing this but it was often akward for the guys. Funniest thing is my very cool but also very gay clients were asked to do it and they hooked me UP with hot body websites. Holy cow!!! I loved it! LOL!

[Espi]

Visuals don't really work that well for me. The thing that keeps me going and in the game is that I love numbers & graphs and have my own BodyBugg/GWF-like project going.. trying to predict maintenance & logging every bite versus weighing myself and doing the bf% measurements (adding for the 1000th time that I *only* trust 30d avgs plus there's the fact that actual bf/LBM has less of an impact on what I'm supposed to eat than the BW itself plus activity).

This way I can look at this as an ongoing science project with myself as the fickle guinea pig. There's no self-hate, no blame, no feelings of guilt when I go off track.. I'll just go hmmm why did I do that. Just know that staying the course is very much hormone-dependent with the PMS-week being a full out 'I don't f*king care about wt loss or diet.. just wanna indulge and be strong". If you know this, you can plan ahead for yummy eats & great PRs. Plus buckle down when you're in the right mood.

This is what works for me.. but I'd wager a bet that my way is a rare exception. Most people just want to be told how to do things and don't want to be bothered with number crunching.

Trying to figure out what kind of person I'd try to emulate.. nah, nope, doesn't work for me. Trying to hit a 2x BW deadlift.. now that would be awesome! Which gets easier the lower your BW is, as long as you are not losing strength

[CloveApple]

And now to log some workouts:

Wednesday 4/1/09
30 minutes on the ARC w/heart monitor

5 min warm up (100-120)
3 min at 135-155
repeat 5 times:
- 1 min sprint at 155-170
- 2 min at 135-155
1 min: one last sprint at 155-170
6 min cool down (100-120)

Thursday 4/2/09

cat/camel x5
child's pose
downward dog
cobra
hipflexor lying: 10 each side
draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
glute max retrain: 1 minute x5 each side
hamstring stretch: 3 each side
stretch w/ JC arms: 3 each side
squat: 3 sets of 15 w/ single 15# DB
taps: 3 sets of 15 on each side (a single leg exercise)
flossing (a stretch): 10 each side
hip circles: 20 each direction
one leg lift on ball: 10 each side (quit alternate legs to up difficulty)
knee drop w/ball: 5 each side
one arm cable row: 2 sets of 12 w/ 40#,
. then set of 13 left & 15 right w/ 45# (hit failure on left)
assisted pull up: assist of 112# 11, 12, 9
DB press on ball: 1 set of 15 w/12# DBs, set 12 w/15#, 15 w/15#
DB triceps swim: 3 sets of 12 w/8# DBs (still difficult)
kneeling reverse chop: 3 sets of 15 each side w/6# med ball

ARC 15 minutes (2 sprints)

Friday 4/3/09
cat/camel x5
child's pose
downward dog
cobra
hip flexor lying: 10 each side
draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
glute max retrain: each side 4x 1 minute w/ 1# ankle weight
bridging w/stability ball: 6
quadruped op arm knee circles : 10 each side & each direction (CW&CCW)
clamshells: 20 each side
bandwalk: 4X (=2 each direction) w/green band
plank on ball: 4 x 25 sec
push ups on ball: 2 sets of 15
knee to chest: 2 each side (stretch)
knee to opposite shoulder: 2 each side
full length stretch: 1 each side, 1 both sides together

Saturday 4/4/09

cat/camel x10 (the camel stretch was feeling soooo good)
child's pose
downward dog
cobra
hip flexor lying: 10 each side
draw-in w/heel slide: 20 each side
. (after I told him this variation on the Dead Bug was getting too easy,
. Andrew said he'd show me how to up the difficulty on Monday)
glute max retrain: oops, forgot my ankle weights & skipped this
hamstring stretch: 3 each side
stretch w/JC arms: 3 each side
squat: 3 sets of 15 w/single 15# DB
taps: 3 sets of 15 each side (a bit like a squat but single leg & using a step)
flossing (a stretch): 10 each side
hip circles: 20 each direction
one leg lift on ball: 10 each side
knee drop w/ball: 5 each side
one arm cable row: 1 set 12 each side w/45#, 2 sets 15 each side
. (I was doing 45 before then dropped back down as I wasn't doing
. them quite right.)
assisted pull up: 122# of assistance, 11, 12, 11
DB press on ball: 3 sets of 15 w/15# DBs
DB triceps ball swim: 3 sets of 12 w/8# DBs
kneeling reverse chop: 3 sets of 15 each side w/6# med ball
trunk traction on ball
foam roll
rest on back w/ feet up on ball

then ARC time w/heart monitor:
5 min warm up (100-120)
3 min at 135-155
repeat 5 times:
- 1 min sprint at 155-170
- 2 min at 135-155
1 min: one last sprint at 155-170
6 min cool down (100-120)

Monday 4/6/09
My every other week session with my trainer. No idea of any precise numbers or reps.

He gave me a slightly harder version of the dead bug variation I've been doing and we did some cardio stuff (including spending some time looking at how to adjust the regular bikes and spin bikes-- a big deal for me since we suspect having the adjustment off on my street bike may have contributed to my SI joint issues).

I was also testing to see if I could get a decent sprint-level intensity without hip pain or weirdness. My verdict that day was yes, but later that night and then during the next day I was getting some sharp pain twinges. Of course I don't know which bike was the issue.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by Bytsi

I think motivation will come as a result of knowing where you want to be, so perhaps first thing is to think about WHAT you goal really is, and WHY you want to be there (and looking good in jeans is a perfectly good reason).

I think you are so so right here, and I'm trying to get clear on the what & why again. To lower my blood pressure and get rid of my sleep apnea don't really cut it as motivating reasons, when both of those have long ceased to be issues.

Also thanks for sharing some of the things that work for you. It helps to see all the strategies people use.

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Bytsi has hit on great points and from watching her journey over the past year I can see some similarities. I cannot help you very much since my motivations comes largely from my vanity goals. LOL! But Wendy's log might be a perfect place for you to find some of the answers you seek. She seems to be the model for health related motivation and also for embracing her body in the here and now.

I think vanity is actually a big part of my motivation now. It's more a question of acknowledging that, being ok with it, and even embracing it.

I think I was raised with the idea that vanity was bad and that wanting to mess with your body too much for vanity was bad. I don't know how much of it was my parents trying to buffer me against the cruelties a fat kid can run into, and how much was my mom's 70's era feminism.

(I'm not knocking the feminism. I love my parents for never ever telling me I couldn't do something just because I was a girl, but in the same way many people raised in a religious framework later sort through the dogma they were raised with and find stuff they need to discard or re-think, every so often I find stuff lodged in my head that I need to challenge or rethink.)

I agree that Wendy's log is really helpful. One of the things I love about her attitude is the way she reaches forward for a goal and yet also celebrates who she is along the way. (Thanks Wendy.)

Originally Posted by kfisherx

Also Leigh's video on bf% might be useful for you. One of the things my trainer had me do when I first started was to go through magazines and websites and pick the ideal body that I would like to emulate. I thought that was a great exercise for me. In fact I liked the idea so much that I used it on my own clients this past year. Girls seem to have no problems doing this but it was often akward for the guys. Funniest thing is my very cool but also very gay clients were asked to do it and they hooked me UP with hot body websites. Holy cow!!! I loved it! LOL!

I've been thinking along these lines. I wish I could just order a book with a title like Examples of Body Composition and Build Vol 5: Photographs of 5-Foot-0 Women at 20-35% Body Fat and a Variety of Lean Body Masses with Medium to Large Bone Structure and not a lot of Boobage.

I still can't get Leigh's video to play. Dunno why. I can play Youtube videos just fine but my computer seems not to like something about the format or maybe the host of her video. (Maybe someone knows of a different place it's hosted? Otherwise I'll be trying to view it the next time I'm at the library.)

Originally Posted by Espi

Visuals don't really work that well for me. The thing that keeps me going and in the game is that I love numbers & graphs and have my own BodyBugg/GWF-like project going.. trying to predict maintenance & logging every bite versus weighing myself and doing the bf% measurements (adding for the 1000th time that I *only* trust 30d avgs plus there's the fact that actual bf/LBM has less of an impact on what I'm supposed to eat than the BW itself plus activity).

This way I can look at this as an ongoing science project with myself as the fickle guinea pig. There's no self-hate, no blame, no feelings of guilt when I go off track.. I'll just go hmmm why did I do that. Just know that staying the course is very much hormone-dependent with the PMS-week being a full out 'I don't f*king care about wt loss or diet.. just wanna indulge and be strong". If you know this, you can plan ahead for yummy eats & great PRs. Plus buckle down when you're in the right mood.

This is what works for me.. but I'd wager a bet that my way is a rare exception. Most people just want to be told how to do things and don't want to be bothered with number crunching.

LOL, I definitely don't enjoy number crunching. On the other hand I do like to know the ideas and "why"s behind things so a "just tell me what to do" approach only gets me so far. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle?

I envy your ability to take a clinical view of your experimental population of one. I'm still figuring out a way of viewing recomp that works for me, though I think I'm getting closer to knowing what works for me.

Originally Posted by Espi

Trying to figure out what kind of person I'd try to emulate.. nah, nope, doesn't work for me. Trying to hit a 2x BW deadlift.. now that would be awesome! Which gets easier the lower your BW is, as long as you are not losing strength

Hmmm... now that deadlift is inspiration I can understand! Think I'll talk with my trainer about what exercises I'm doing (or want to do) that would be easier at a lower bodyweight.

[gregl515]

How about a great pair of assarific jeans as a motivator?

[Espi]

Pullups are most definitely easier at a lower BW. Every little bit of weight lost is a bonus here. If you can't do actual pullups yet, try negatives if you can. I'm not sure if assisted pullup-machines are really good (even though my former gym had them).
Pushups are easier too.

[CloveApple]

Originally Posted by gregl515

How about a great pair of assarific jeans as a motivator?

LOL. I'd like to be able to look good in yoga pants, or a skirt with some cling to it.

Originally Posted by Espi

Pullups are most definitely easier at a lower BW. Every little bit of weight lost is a bonus here. If you can't do actual pullups yet, try negatives if you can. I'm not sure if assisted pullup-machines are really good (even though my former gym had them).
Pushups are easier too.

My pullups are very very assisted right now, so they can use all the bonus they can get.

I've been thinking that one big motivator is that I know I've heard people say that muscle gain (vs fat gain) is more likely at a lower body fat percentage. I don't remember the exact numbers stated for this though, or where all I saw it.

I'm almost afraid to say it for fear I'll jinx myself, but I'm right on the edge of virgin territory again. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

[Espi]

It's true: people gain proportionately more muscle when starting out leaner. OTOH, people lose proportionately more muscle when they try to lose weight and go down to lower body fat levels.

[missjane]

It gets tricky when someone who has DIETED down to lean vs. someone who has started out lean when it comes to gaining LBM vs fat. I always go back to this article of Lyle's, as I find it has so much good information in it.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...n-changes.html

[fengshway]

Jen, your posts about finding your reasons for continuing on in this journey have me reflecting on my own reasons for doing what I do. I really hear your struggle about finding the mojo to continue the effort of dieting/counting/structure when you have already moved past the place where obesity puts you at risk for disease. I was in a very similar place when I started my first log on JP fitness, and I remember trying to figure out why people pursued their goals. at my request, not too long ago, several members posted in my log about their so-called "vanity" goals. but I really don't see physique goals as purely vanity-based anymore. I might have at one time, but I have come to understand that physique goals, in and of themselves, are honorable and worthy goals to pursue.

our bodies are a cumulative manifestation of the self-care that we perform for ourselves on a daily basis. certainly, at the extreme ends of physique sport, people hurt their bodies with chemicals, restrictive, nutrient-poor diets, tanning booths and other harmful practices. but on the other extreme end, people hurt their bodies with massive quantities of fast food, processed carbohydrates and nutrient poor diets. I seek balance, always. at least I try.

Originally Posted by kfisherx

I cannot help you very much since my motivations comes largely from my vanity goals. LOL! But Wendy's log might be a perfect place for you

see, this is the kind of attitude that I don't really find helpful. I read this passage, and I see an "us" versus "them" attitude. I know body builders, figure competitors and aspiring body builders and figure competitors. many of them have had their own health crises that have propelled them to the stage. one figure competitor I know who competed last year had gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago and is maintaining over 200lbs of weight lost. she is someone who gets vanity goals and health goals in a major way. they are not mutually exclusive.

I appreciate the postive comments about my log being a place for body acceptance, however, I don't see my log as a place where I disregard all things appearance related, lol. , ummmm, take a look at my avi. that avi is not the photograph of a woman who isn't motivated, at least in part, by purely vain pursuits, lol.

when I started JP fitness, I was not at risk of any obesity disease. part of what motivated me to GET leaner was, honestly, running performance goals. but part of what motivates me to STAY this lean is how absolutely-freakin-fantastic it feels to go to a lululemon store and have tight, fitted workout pants look amazing on my body.

Originally Posted by missjane

It gets tricky when someone who has DIETED down to lean vs. someone who has started out lean

this article is very helpful, and my experience is exactly what lyle writes about. the leaner I get, the more that food indiscrections seem to be gained as lean.

I would also like to underscore a related topic to lyle's article, which is setting reasonable goals. the lady that I mentioned above, who went from extreme obesity to figure stage, had to diet down WAAAAAY harder than the trainer at my gym who has never had a weight problem. and extra skin had to be surgically removed.

in the end, it is totally about your own personal mix of ingredients that combine to create the recipe for the external body that you present to the world. I think it is entirely possible to pursue health goals, fitness goals, performance goals and physique goals simultaneously.

in fact, keeping all of my goals and objectives in mind has helped me immensely. I am, by nature, a very competitive person. If I wasn't capable of keeping all of my goals in the forefront of my mind, especially health related goals, I could totally see myself dieting obsessively, getting on the juice, creating some malignant melanomas in the tanning booth and becoming a plastic surgery addict! balance is something I have had to practice. a lot.

[gregl515]

Not to perv out too much, but a nice clingy skirt would be nice too.

[lorigaud]

Hey Jennifer... all I can say is "wow." Your log is full of great stuff! You and I had very similar reasons for starting our journeys (for me it was high blood pressure (I was on meds for it too) and plantar fasciitis). It sounds like in many ways we're in a similar place now too (I also ate too many girl scout cookies and have been struggling to keep myself going now that I'm at a weight that I'm *OK* with).

Looking forward to following your journey! Hope you got into that virgin territory!

[CloveApple]

I got sick Thursday night and I'm still sick today (Sunday), but just sick enough to be stupid and not sick enough to play hooky from work. So if I say something extra nonsensical just understand that the aliens kidnapped my brain and hopefully they'll return it in a day or so.

I replied once already but accidentally hit "back" and lost it all. So here goes again.

Originally Posted by missjane

It gets tricky when someone who has DIETED down to lean vs. someone who has started out lean when it comes to gaining LBM vs fat. I always go back to this article of Lyle's, as I find it has so much good information in it.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/mus...n-changes.html

Thanks for the link. I read it and marked it to re-read again later.

Originally Posted by fengshway

Jen, your posts about finding your reasons for continuing on in this journey have me reflecting on my own reasons for doing what I do. I really hear your struggle about finding the mojo to continue the effort of dieting/counting/structure when you have already moved past the place where obesity puts you at risk for disease. I was in a very similar place when I started my first log on JP fitness, and I remember trying to figure out why people pursued their goals. at my request, not too long ago, several members posted in my log about their so-called "vanity" goals. but I really don't see physique goals as purely vanity-based anymore. I might have at one time, but I have come to understand that physique goals, in and of themselves, are honorable and worthy goals to pursue.

Wendy, I love the way you have found your physique goals are rooted in balance, self-care, performance, and the joy of lululemon!

Been turning over my own feelings about "vanity" goals and I keep keep getting stuck on how "vanity" is such a negative word. I used it because it was the best word I could think of for what I was trying to express, but boy does it carry a lot of baggage.

Do we have a positive word for body-pride in our culture/language? Something that expresses how it is a part of our impulse to beauty, the same impulse that gives us art, story, and song?

Originally Posted by fengshway

this article is very helpful, and my experience is exactly what lyle writes about. the leaner I get, the more that food indiscrections seem to be gained as lean.

That's an encouraging experience to hear.

Originally Posted by fengshway

I would also like to underscore a related topic to lyle's article, which is setting reasonable goals. the lady that I mentioned above, who went from extreme obesity to figure stage, had to diet down WAAAAAY harder than the trainer at my gym who has never had a weight problem. and extra skin had to be surgically removed.

*nods* I've been thinking a lot about what is reasonable. I think I had this naive expectation that losing the fat would give me the body of an always-thin person, but I did more damage to my body over the years than I cared to see. Near the beginning of the year I realized that the stretch marks and bigger skin won't necessarily just vanish when the whoosh fairy waves her magic wand, and since then I've been slowly absorbing and coming to terms with that reality.

It'll be awhile till I know how my skin recovers and I really know what reasonable is. Right now I'm assuming that reasonable is going to mean looks decent in clothes. (And I'm not counting bikinis as clothes!) But it's also true that I may look worse on the way to looking better.

(As an aside I'm glad to see that the two of you, Wendy and Karla, seem to have worked out your differences elsewhere. I value both of you and wasn't sure how to respond.)

Originally Posted by gregl515

Not to perv out too much, but a nice clingy skirt would be nice too.

LOL. Perv out too much? Doesn't that just go with being a pirate? (Unless you are still in robot mode, in which case it's a little weird.)

Originally Posted by lorigaud

Hey Jennifer... all I can say is "wow." Your log is full of great stuff! You and I had very similar reasons for starting our journeys (for me it was high blood pressure (I was on meds for it too) and plantar fasciitis). It sounds like in many ways we're in a similar place now too (I also ate too many girl scout cookies and have been struggling to keep myself going now that I'm at a weight that I'm *OK* with).

Looking forward to following your journey! Hope you got into that virgin territory!

Thanks so much Lori.

I got back into virgin territory (or as Espi would say, Vermont) on Thursday. My previous all time low was 158.0 and then Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday I was 157, 157.6, 156.4, and 155.4. (Mind you part of that drop is from being sick and not eating so I have to expect some bounce when my appetite recovers, but still.)