fat loss

[vaage_diana]

Dear Cathe,

I'm 42, 5'7", weigh 150, I'm having a hard time losing fat around my lower ab area, butt, and thighs. I'm trying to get my heart rate up more when doing cardio,(running and step) and I'm doing strength training. I just don't seem to be getting anywhere. Unless I practically starve myself the fat doesn't want to budge. Some days I'm so tired after working out I don't want to do anything else.

any suggestions?

love your show. Di

 

[acatalina]

Not Cathe,but give it time.
It took me a year and a 1/2 to loose 17 lbs.I think it takes time to build muscle and rev your metabolism back up at our age.
I was doing the firm for a year.I only dropped 5 lbs. I started doing cathe in August and since then have dropped 12 more.
I am down to 143 and I am 5'4.
I still get told from my customers how good i look.'
I tell them , you don't know what i weigh.It shocks them.
Don't give up. Just keep doing it.
I get tired like that at times. Sundays do me in .We are not 16 anymore.At least we are doing more than most people our age.
I do 1 day cardio( step or an hour on an elevated tradmill to 12)
i do a different weight series per week.
Example 1-week gym style- 1 week pyramids, 1-week slow and heavy
1 week pure strength.
(I review step tapes when i am on the treadmill)Not blowing an hour doing nothing that way.
Keep on going.
It will pay off.
Anne

 

[acatalina]

oh i meant 1 day cardio 1 day weights.
Anne
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=8227804&uid=3969941

 

[vaage_diana]

Thanks Anne,

It's nice to know I'm not alone here. I get so sick of hearing. "I lost 20 lbs in two days..." on those stupid weight loss commercials. It's like they subliminally wear me down, into believing I'm a failure, because it takes me so long to lose 5.

Thanks again for the pep talk.
Di

 

[ldy_solana]

hey di,

that is the aim of those commercials. they play on the insecurities of folks who want to lose a little. its a shame really that they can get away with it and many of the products(pills,shakes,etc) could be dangerous. exercise and a good diet is the best and only way(imo) to get where you want to go. don't worry about those commericals you are so much better then that. no you won't lose weight overnight but when you go on this journey you learn things about your strengths and weaknesses which makes you a better person.

kassia

>Thanks Anne,
>
>It's nice to know I'm not alone here. I get so sick of
>hearing. "I lost 20 lbs in two days..." on those stupid
>weight loss commercials. It's like they subliminally wear me
>down, into believing I'm a failure, because it takes me so
>long to lose 5.
>
>Thanks again for the pep talk.
>Di


When they discover the center of the universe, a lot of people will be
disappointed to discover they are not it -- Bernard Bailey

 

[Elln]

Hi Di!

I am experience the same problem, however, I am 53. You think you are experience slow weight loss......I lost 35 lbs in 1 year (WW) and I am stuck. My excess fat/excess skin is in my abdominals - and it just doesn't want to leave me! So, i decided that my expectations were unrealistic - I HAVE to give it more time! So, I try to do Cardio - 3x to 4x a week (50 mins each - either fast walking or the elliptical) and 3x a week (50 min each) with Weights (one of Cathe's tapes). This week it is MIS. I am trying to keep a positive approach, as hard as it might be, and revisit my efforts every so often to see if it is working. I just unsubscribed to WW yesterday, after having a 1 1/2 year online subscription. WW can take you to a certain point, and then it does nothing.

I will tell you that I stumbled onto www.bodybuilding.com and under the "female bodybuilding" section - there is an excellent discussion board that is quite information and educational. You might want to check it out!

The other thing that I am more aware of now is variety because I think one's body adapts to the same thing and you end up seeing no change.

Well, good luck to you!!!

Elln

 

[vaage_diana]

Thanks Elln,

I've been trying to deny the age thing. I guess it's just not going to go away. Not even for me. Thanks for the lead on www.bodybuilding.com I'll check it out.

I usually run every other day atleast 3 miles and 6 on good days. The other days I do step intervals using Cathe's power moves, but I'm too uncoordinated to do the actual step routine, you know the fun part. I also weight train 6 days alternating upper lower body. Now if I could just spend all day working out I'd add some yoga, core, and whatever else is out there.

I agree with mixing it up. I'm thinking about adding some cycling on one of my step days.

Thanks again Di

 

[work_out_queen]

Hi- I am 40 years old, used to weigh 180 at 5'8" and could not lose weight not matter what I did...;-(

What worked for me was the South Beach Diet (which is just eating clean with a designer label...haha) and cardio 6 days a week for an hour...I worked my way up to burning 500 calories a day through the cardio...I then later added weights back in and cut down cardio to 4 or 5 days a week. I am now 140 and am wearing a size 8 once again. woooo hoooo!

Workouts must be as intense as your fitness level will allow...I learned that the hard way..and also, South Beach gets your blood sugar stable again, which usually is the cause of un-losable weight. Hope it helps...Michele

 

[vaage_diana]

Thanks Michele,

Congrats on reaching 140. I know my eating isn't the greatest. I've just been wining alot about having to give up all my favorite foods while watching and fixing the rest of my family all the yummy stuff. I guess I need to take my own advice and ask, "How bad do I want it?"

I'll check the South Beach diet. Thanks Di

 

[AlizarinCrimson]

Hello Di,

I'm also not Cathe, but I can surely relate. I'm 49, also 5'7", and weigh 147. I have lost a lot of weight, but I still have what I refer to as "my bosu" (do you know what those are, those exercise platforms that are like half-dome stability balls?): it's this little soft pouch just under my navel whose shrinkage defies any and all abdominal exercises. My workout regimen is to do aerobic exercise one day, strength training the next, and alternate in that fashion each and every day, with only the occasional day off. Fully 99% of my workouts are done to Cathe DVDs.

HOWEVER: My belly bulge has recently shrunk by 1.5", thanks to increasing my protein intake. My husband and I are "pescaterians" (or "vegaquarians") in that we eat a mostly plant-based diet with a little fish and seafood. But when I did the math I realized that I was getting less that 10% of my calories from protein of any source --- way too little. So I increased it to between 15% and 20% (which amounts to between 56-75 grams of protein daily); I stick to about 1500-1600 calories a day, which allows me a bit of a binge on Friday.

I can honestly tell you that, making no other change in my workouts, this has finally caused me to lose inches in that critical area. And it's only been two months since the change, so it didn't take forever to see the difference. As an additional benefit, I don't have nearly the weakness and muscle soreness I'd experience when doing strength training. Mind you, I still find that when my Friday binge includes a lot of carbs, they surely result in temporary belly-bloat, so I don't do that nearly as often as I used to.

Your mileage may vary, but I hope this helps some. I'm still losing weight and inches, thanks to the dietary change, so maybe it will work for you too.

Best of luck,

Rebecca