Frustrated

C

Chl0e

Active Member
Hi Cathe and the rest of the group,
Hope you are doing well. I know that we must all experiment to find what works best for each of us, but I have to say it is getting frustrating. I have been exercising for over 10 years, but focusing on weight training much more the past 2 years. I am definatley getting stronger, and you can actually see muscles, but I cannot lean myself out. I used to be a "cardio queen" doing it 6-7 days a week, but I'm trying to cut back a little. I use a heart rate monitor and alternate btwn your tapes and elliptical or treadmill workouts. I do long steady workouts and I do interval workouts. I eat pretty clean although I do have a downfall for sugar and have some form of it everyday. I get up early to workout and make it a priorityin my life. Until I found this board and that of Videofitness, I had yet to find anyone as dedicated as me, yet I still cannot get the results I want. I know genetics play a big part, but it seems like work my tail off and only get adequate results. I won't ever stop and I'll keep on mixing things up, but sometimes it is just soo frustratiing.Any words of wisdom? BTW, I really want to thank you for making your videos. I love every one that I have. My husband refers to you as my idol...
Thanks
Chloe
 
Hi Chloe!

I was just reading in Oxygen today about Jenny Worth, a female fitness professional and model. In the column, they were comparing Jenny Worth to Susie Curry, who has now won the fitness international competition for the third time in a row. Anyway, the article described that Susie Curry has a relatively easy time maintaining her incredible body because of her genetic luck! However, Jenny Worth (who came in 2nd and is also incredible looking) has to work twice as hard to maintain her figure. It turns out that she suffers from a rare thyroid disorder that makes it almost impossible for her to gain weight. Reading this inspired me, because I think sometimes we get discouraged when we don't see the results we want. I think the key is to keep going. My advice to you would be to keep up the good work! I am sure you look wonderful, and it sounds like you are in great shape. Hang in there, and you will continue to improve. Oh, one suggestion Jenny Worth made was to "shake" things up every once in a while. Try to shock your body. Just wanted to share something that inspired me! LOL!
 
Hi Chloe: Oh, I could have written your post!!!! I am the exact same way. I have worked our religiously and tough for years now. I am strong and can handle extreme cardio but cannot lean down and actually tend to bulk if I hit weights hard. have a lot of muscles but little definition and although I do have a slight fat layer on some areas (my torso...mid thirties and I am just like my Mom) my arms and legs a rock hard...but no cut. Like you, I watch what I eat but cheat at times. I am not talking 6 pieces of pizza cheat or anything but I may have a cake donut in the morning once a week. You would think you could do that when you work out this hard!

I must say the only thing I have not tried is to absolutely eat nothing but clean, clean, clean. I haven't restricted my diet to that point but maybe that is what is needed. I don't think I can fit that in to my lifestyle though.

If you ever find anything that works...let me know! I am with you sister. But keep thinking of truly how healthy we are!

Becky
 
Hi Chloe,
Same problem here. I have been working out for about 10 years, about 4 years with Cathe tapes. I have recently stepped up my workouts to 6 days, 3 cardio and 3 weights, but I always seem to look the same. Its hard for me to lose weight and because of genetics, I have a "pot belly" and I'm only 5'1". When you're that short, any weight gain shows fast. I have been doing ABS consistently for 10 years and no results. Yes, I can feel the muscle but there is too much fat over it to show. I'm not obese, I weight 117, but I think in order to show definition sometime you have to be "underweight". I found that I'm working out more now for my health than for my appearance, which should be more important anyway.....:-hmmm But it would be nice if I could wear a swim suit or tuck in a shirt in my jeans after all the working out I do (much more than anyone else I know, except for this group!)
 
Add me to the list, same boat. It is frustrating.

I console myself a little by thinking about how I would look with this little bit of extra fat-- but without the muscle. I do think that it helps us to stand up straighter, look more erect and squared off in the shoulder area, and just not look quite as loose. Maybe we can suck in the gut better too!

It is nice to know I am not alone. Thanks. Jeanne
 
Me too. My sister never worked out a day in her life & has always eaten sugar like it's going out of style. She also had two babies. She never gained an ounce & maintained a beautiful figure without ever trying.

Recently, she started working out, more for the health benefits than anything. She is stronger, she has more muscle definition, and she still maintains a beautiful figure while eating sugar like it's going out of style!

I adore her (yes I do! I swear it!! LOL), but have obviously always been envious as I gain weight if I look at a fattening or sugary food, and I have to go all out to lose it again. I work my butt off & yet my results only go so far, (weight-wise, that is) & no matter how much I work out, I still have to watch my eating like a hawk.

So there you are. Two women, closely related...two different stories. Sigh!

Ruth
;-)
 
Hi Cocomac. I am 5'-1.5" tall and weigh 115 pounds. Although my weight falls into the healthy range, I think that in order to see definition I have to loose some pounds of fat. As you say, we shorties show weight gain fast. I have strong muscles but I have a layer of fat covering them and I can see it. I am 24 years old and my belly is starting to scream for help. My point is that I agree with you that in order to see definition, although we are NOT overweight, we need to loose weight (not too much, of course). What I am going to do is add variation and intensity to my cardio. Currently, I just walk pushing my double stroller with my two babies. Now I'll do CTX.
 
I have been trying to reply all day, but I've been so busy at work. I'm sorry you all feel the same way, but at the same time it is kind of nice to have so many others to relate too. Some people tend equate a committment to fitness as some sort of fanactic behavior, and I always get comments like "you're not overweight" or "you look great" from friends and family, but they have no idea exactly how hard I work for it and how frustrating it can be. I am short like Cocomac and Mariela and know how hard it is to carry any extra weight. I have been feeling bulkier lately after finishing a 3 week S&H rotation followed by the Tank Top Rotation, of which I am in my fourth week. I am going to change my schedule a bit and was thinking of replacing the PS day with MIS, then since I don't have CTX I have been replacing that with BodyMax, but will now do Cory Eversons Get Hard Shoulders, Bis, and Tris, then do PH in place of what was MIS.
so:
MIS
cardio
Cory
cardio
PH
cardio
cardio
I also make sure to sprinkle in pilates and yoga usually on a cardio day. I do cardio on my Cory day and tend to do some lighter cardio on my MIS day.
That was long winded, but I am just typing quickly as I think so I can get back to work. What do you guys think about that rotation?? And again, thanks for sharing with me...we are all strong healthy and commited and can be glad for that. I know I ma when I am carrying the groceries! Have a great night ladies...
Chloe
 
Chloe,
That's a pretty good rotation. You must work out 2 hours a day. I wish I had time to do it. Cory's Get Hard tape is good because it's short but you work your muscles hard. I used to have that tape but it burned itself out in my VCR. I think MIS and PH are great tapes too for a rotation. You're doing a lot of cardio which should work for weight, but I remember somewhere Cathe said that the more cardio you do, your body gets used to it.I use PH in my new rotation, plus PS-all upper body, and CTX upper body. My latest rotation is :

PH
Cardio Kicks
PS all upper
Rythmic Step
Upper body from CTX
Leaner Legs or Power Circuit
Rest

I'm trying to make the most of upper body while it's summer and we tend to show more body.
Donna:)
 
I think I am an example of having your body get used to alot of cardio. How do you change that? I thought the muscle would increase my metabolism, but it seems like I still need to do the cardio to stay leaner. (?)
 
I think you probably have to do some crosstraining to give your body a shake up or something. I used to run every day 3 miles for years and I found that although I lost weight initially, after a few years I gained 15 pounds even though I was still running at the same intensity. That's when I started adding weight workouts and eventually I stopped running and started doing aerobics and step. When I used to complain that I ran 3 miles a day and couldn't lose weight, people would say "Think about how much you would weigh if you didn't run"....what a thought!!
 
Hi Cocomac:

I just had a chance to look at this thread again. Your rotation looks a lot like what I try to do. I work out obly 4 to 5 days per week. I heavy lift one (MIS or something similar) then all cardio with a higher rep weight tape in there one more day per week.(PH for example). You asked if your body may be used to cardio. I am a big believer in REST. If you haven't taken some time off from exercising; especially with the hard to cut; bulk up type of body; your body is screaming for rest. I have actually trimmed up and looked better after a week off. Then I come back fresh without losing a bit of strength or stamina. Give it a whirl.

I also bulked up with S&H (love it though) and now use it only in a one week rotation at a time as my heavy lifting tape(s). Good luck.
 
Thanks Jeffsmom, I'll give it a try. Actually most weeks I get in about 5 workouts, on the good weeks, 6. In a few weeks I want to try another rotation (it takes me a good 20 minutes to rewind and fast forward my tapes to where I want them for the next morning):-rollen

I'm going on vacation in a couple of weeks and maybe try a body rest then. It does scare me to think of vacation---food! My dh and I are weekend splurgers, although I try to watch my portions.
 
Yet another one in the same boat.

Really, and sadly, I think many of us have ideals that just are not possible. When you start to think YOU work hard, look into what that super cut model on the cover of Muscle and Fitness does. What she eats, especially when it comes time to make those pictures. I know it gets really frustrating for us, but it really is very hard to look like a fitness model. With a full time job that doesn't have to do with exercise, I don't even think it is possible anymore. You have to strive for your personal best.

I cry to my husband all the time about this very same thing and the sweet guy is always in agreement with me that it seems I work my tail off for nothing. Yeah, I look fit and healthy, but he does agree that keeping the fat off and the muscle on should not be so hard for me at the level of fitness I have attained.

That is why they say it is all about diet. You must walk around hungry and deprived to be very lean and cut. Articles about fitness models at this "cut" stage will tell you that they are not very healthy at that point and that their diets are almost impossible. At what cost do you want to be extremely cut?? I have days too, where I think I am just going to stop eating food and live off MetRx or something......all just to be "cut". And how will my life be any different when I get there?? I don't know. How long will I want to maintain it?? Probably not very long. When you think about how "uncut" you are, remember just how much you really enjoy being able to have some sugar every now and then!!

OR think about it this way....if you were to try to lean down, you would inevitably lose atleast a small percentage of lean muscle and why in the world would you want to do that?? Eat what you want within reason, eat well, and grow lots of muscle!! Hey, atleast you know those extra cals are probably building new muscle rather than hanging off your hips!!!
 
Chloe,

I could have written your post. I'm in the exact same situation.
I too have been working out for 10 years and still am overweight. Last fall, I had to quit working out for four 1/2 months. I found myself eating less because I wasn't as hungry and I lost 18 lbs during that time. There are many ways to shake things up and one way is just to stop for a while. Sometimes I think our bodies hang on to fat, because we work out so hard, that our bodies think we need to keep it. Also have your hormones checked. Hormones play a significant role in female fat storage.

BTW I followed no formal diet. I ate everything, just less of it.
 
I just want to say that I continue to feel a little better about my own "frtustrated" situation as more and more people identify with this post and share their own similar stories. Thanks.Jeanne
 
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