Frustrated with results

6

67firecracker

Cathlete
At first I was frustrated that I wasn't seeing results then I cleaned up my diet completely. Now I'm frustrated with the results.

I kicked up my exercise routine in Oct/04. That's when I discovered Cathe - my goal was to maintain my fitness level over winter when I can't jog. I usually gain about 10 lbs and loose alot of ground between Nov. and March. I'm pretty sure I'm on track with that goal - I can't wait for a nice spring day to test it out.

My frustration comes from my latest measurements this morning. I've lost minutely in all the places I certainly didn't need to loose - like my chest, and arms...but more horrifying...My thighs got BIGGER!!! I've thought my jeans were feeling tighter and the tape measure confirmed it. What is going on? What should I do? There's nothing more depressing than cleaning up your diet and having a negative result! Tell me again why I quit chocolate?

I only work my legs twice a week but I've been using pretty heavy weights (Cathe's or slightly above) because I wasn't feeling it at all. Should I lower the amount? Raise the reps? Advice needed.

I should have been a pack horse.
Trish
 
Hi Trish, I would suggest you give Freestyle Training a try, you can still use Cathe's workouts....
Let us know if your interested.... Rhonda:7
 
I've seen that on the board before but I didn't really look into it. I'll search for past info. Do you have websites or other info that you would recommend?

Trish
 
You said you "cleaned up your diet," but how is your calorie count? You can eat "clean" but still eat too much. Have you gained weight? If so, that would explain it. Also, try adding Pilates to the mix.
 
No, I haven't gained weight - as far as I can tell the weight migrated from my boobs straight to my thighs in the last couple weeks. I've never counted calories and I hate the thought of starting. Except my "can't-jog-winter-bloom" I've weighed generally the same for the last 20 years. I'm a daily weigher and I use that to judge my portions because my appetite is way off. Way off! If I ever step away from my scale for a day or two I pack on weight fast. I also lose it fast too when I regain portion control.

Trish
 
I've tried Freestyle training, and it did absolutely nothing for me except wear me out. My legs are my real trouble area, and I found that adding more stabilty ball work did the trick for me, and currently adding Pilates on the ball. You may want to consider that. There's nothing worse than having your pants fit tighter - been there! Especially when you work out hard all the time.
 
Trish, what is your water intake? Do you drink ALOT of water? How many calories would you say you take in a day, and how much protein a day would you say you eat, all this is a deciding factor. Just trying to help. Been where you are, When I started 2 yrs ago I was 34 lbs heavier than I am now.. then last yr after the holidays I had to lose again, took me 3 months, then at vacation time last summer I gained had to lose it again, now I am finally at 104.
Now maybe that is not where you want to be but, I do know what I am talking about...... let me know if we can help you with Freestyle... Rhonda:7
 
I had negative effects with Freestyle. My lower body got bigger. I was working out my lower body four to five days a week as recommended by the book. It took me months to get to where my pants were not tight after trying Freestyle.

I believe the Freestyle training works for some people who post here because they lower their calorie intake significantly and then work out two times a day for two hours. I don't believe it's Freestyle training at all but just good old fashioned eating much less and working out much more.

Just MHO based on my experience.
 
Ok you're confusing me now. Freestyle or no freestyle? I guess I should try it and see how it works. I don't think my thicker thighs are fat gain - it feels and looks like muscle. Yes I have some fat to lose on top of them but unfortunately I seem to shed every ounce of fat on my upper body and my legs never budge. In fact I had my % of body fat measured using calipers and going by my arms and abs my bf is 15%. My legs weren't done because the sweet little thing said "Here, we don't do legs to measure women's bf." ?!?!?! x( Is that crazy or what?

In answer to your question - I only drink water except the odd cup of soy milk in a smoothie.

I'm torn now by the mixed reviews. Before discovering Cathe I was doing pilates and other leg work on the ball. Now I'm not sure if I should return to that or give freestyle a try. Could you please send me more info on freestyle?

BTW sorry for the 'loose' instead of 'lose' in the original post - I must have been really tired or perhaps really frustrated.

Trish
 
Trish,
I'm no expert and I think you have to play around with whatever exercise or combination thereof works for you, but be careful when taking nutrition advise from people on forums. One forum member doing free style stated how low her calorie intake had to go to lose the weight she wanted. It was way too low for the amount of exercise she was/is doing and I don't care how low your weight gets that is not always the healthiest option. Anyway, again, I'm not where I want to be and there are a lot of members here with very sound advise. I would never give nutrition advise(I know I'm not a role model here) and I know you are asking about free style but sometimes the nutrition advise comes with a question like this and I just can't believe how few calories some people will take in to become a particular weight. Anway, good luck with your quest!
Angela:7
P.S. I'm not saying it was anyone in this particular thread, but I do remember reading a thread on free style training and one poster was talking about how much weight she lost doing free style and reducing her calories to like 11 or 1200 and that was only for losing a couple of pounds. I hope you understand my point. I don't usually post like this but for some reason I just felt compelled to do so here. Again, not attacking free style training. I know there are many who follow this method of working out along with sound nutrition and they have had great success!
 
I was only making a suggestion.... I do freestyle and most of the time my calorie in take is some where between 1200 and 1300 a day, BUT, I DO NOT go hungry,... I eat alot of protein, well I eat as much as I can anyway..... I will post some more pictures soon, so that you can see I am not skin and bones....
I am also changing my exercising some....
But Freestyle has been very good for me to get where I am now....
So with that said, freestyle was only a suggestion for someone who was frustrated with the results they were getting with the way they were doing things at this time....
And yes I do about 3 or so days a week workout an hour in the am and an hr in the pm, keeps the metabolism up, as to what sitting on the couch watching tv or sitting at the computer.... Rhonda:7
 
Hi Trish,

Check out this website for Wendy McCaffrey, http://www.wendymccaffrey.com/. She's a fitness model. Click on the Diet & Training page, and then on the Big Butt Management link. Look at her butt! Isn't it great? She has a leg workout that she performs 5 days a week. I have taken her recommendations and am doing my own leg workouts 6 days a week, so I guess this follows Freestyle training, though I'm not doing the specific exercises outlined in the book. I just rotate Cathe's lower body workouts. I've only been doing this for a few weeks, so I can't really tell the results yet. (My legs have always been firm, but I'd like smaller thighs.) But if you look at her before/after pics, that's a pretty good sell for working legs several times a week, eh?

Hope this helps,
Elaine
 
>>>>In fact I had my % of body fat measured using calipers and going by my arms and abs my bf is 15%. My legs weren't done because the sweet little thing said "Here, we don't do legs to measure women's bf." ?!?!?! Is that crazy or what?>>>>>


HUH!!!!!?????? Where in the world did you get your body fat measured????

You cannot get the % of bodyfat unless the measurements are taken at THREE sites - the triceps, above the hipbone AND the thighs.

The 15% taken from two sites is invalid.
 
Hi Trish
My thighs always gain size when I stop running, and running is the only excercize I found that can bring their size down, even while maintaining my weight. I've finally got a treadmill for winter running because I miss it so much. I love Cathe too, so it's hard to get it all in, but sometimes I even play Cathe while running, she's so motivating. For legs/butt I do some hill work every week. I also can't use too heavy weights on my legs or they bulk, I already have large quads. I do some leg weight work also, no more than 30lbs, and floor work is great for toning, lots of stretching. When my mileage gets high and I run out of time, weight legwork is the first to go and I really concentrate on upper body weight work to maintain muscle mass and strength.
Elissa
 
Hi Trish-

What Cathe leg workouts are you doing? I have noticed that if I do heavier weighted workouts like S & H or PS legs, my leg bulk up. I am wondering if you are doing too much heavy strength training and need to go to more endurance based leg workouts, like leaner legs or Legs and Glutes.

Also, what type of cardio work are you doing? Since you aren't able to run, are you doing more Step workouts? That will also bulk up your legs a bit as well.

Lastly, do you have any of Cathe's Kickboxing workouts? While you are waiting for winter to end so you can run again, I would suggest doing more of that.. those kicks do nice things for shaping up the legs.

Take care, Lynn M.
 
I echo the question of what cardio you are doing. If you run, that certainly leans out the legs. You may need to up the cardio for the results you want.:)
 
Thanks ladies for your responses.

Elaine - I'll have to wait to look at that website when my ds isn't lurking around!!!

Elissa & Lynn - thanks for the personal experience. I'm so thankful others have experienced this. I started step for the first time in my life in Oct. In a week I've been doing the following:
1 - Step
2 - PS or PP + Ab work
3 - 60 min run - gym treadmill - ladder run thanks to this forum (I used to find running on the treadmill so terribly boring)
4 - PS or PP + Abs on the Ball
5 - Step
6 - Imax
7 - Rest
Somedays I do pilates in the evening. I have ltd Cathe vids but I had KPC/L&G planned as my next DVD purchase so I guess I'll stick with that plan then I can replace my second step day with KPC.

Oh, I can't wait for spring. I'm really itching to get out in the fresh air and jog...but not itching enough to brave the cold for the experience!

Thanks again.
I'd still like to see something about Freestyle training if someone could point me to a website.

Trish
 
I agree with you Lynn. I go for endurance. Im blessed with strong legs(my husband tells me they could use me as a model for a muscular class on legs Ha!) and if I do too much weighted workouts -- I tend to bulk up in the thigh. So I go for endurance workouts, which have caused my thighs to lean out alot. Combined with running and using the trainer when that nasty white stuff flies-- I have been able to fight off the bulk in that area. I'm a huge fan of plie squats. That has slimmed my inner thigh down alot. But everyone is different-- we all have to find what works best for us.
 
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