New Question For Fitnessfreak

[mbschneider]

Hello,
I have just enjoyed reading your history from the post that describes your 1 hour rotation. You explain how you had great fat loss results after you cut back on your workout time each day, reduced your cardio and increased your calorie intake per day. That sounds like a dream! I was wondering if you would describe that process a bit more? I am about to deliver my first baby -- due next Wed. to be precise! Prior to pregnancy I was a true gym-rat -- working out intensely for an hour or more each day, including weights and intense cardio. I also ate very, very clean but probably kepy my calories too low b/c much of my intake is veggies and the like. I have put on @ 23 lbs in my pregnancy (I am just 5 feet tall and pre-pregnancy weight was 103 lbs.) I had been feeling like my workout regime and diet had me a prisoner -- just too strict and severe. However, I have always been afraid that if I make changes to a more moderate exercise schedule and increase my calories I will pack on the pounds that I simply can't afford b/c I am so short. Well...I would like to make those changes now that the baby is about to arrive. I do not want to be a prisoner of the gym or my diet -- but I still feel that I could use some encouragement from someone like you who had the courage to make changes AND had a great result. So....will you share your story a bit more? When you first started to eat more, for example,did your weight spike up for a period and then come down again, as your metabolism was adjusting? Thank you very much! Best, Mary Beth

 

[Fitnessfreak366]

I have a workout journal I have been keeping since July 2003. This is when I got serious about working out again. My background is I started working out in 1985 to prepare myself for my first wedding. All I did was cardio back then and ate nothing but fruit. OY! wish I knew then what I know now. Would have saved me a lot of time and torment. Anyways, then I bought a Shape magazine and there was a weight training routine in it that I tried and I have been addicted to lifting ever since.

However, in the early 90's I hurt my low back really bad doing a deadlift. I have just recently been doing deadlifts again because this particular exercise laid me up for literally years. I was doing on and off workouts only to reinjure myself. I stopped working out all together and in 2001 was disgusted with what I seen in the mirror, (my before picture is in my picturetrail) so I started slowly with the Walk Away the Pound workouts.

In July of 2003 I did a lot of The Firm workouts and cardio. Went on Weight Watchers and ate 1200 calories a day and gave myself Saturday's to eat whatever. I lost 20# doing this.

I think my biggest transformation came when the Gym Style series workout was released. I was able to go heavy with these workouts and they gave me tremendous shape. However, my eating was still at 1200 calories a day. I read the book, "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" - www.burnthefat.com - and this totally changed my outlook on foods. I still follow this and every day I log what I eat so I know I'm eating the correct calories and ratio's. I usually average around 1700 calories a day and eat 20% fat, 30% protein, 50% carbs. I'll go up to as much as 2300 calories on days that I really train hard with weights. When I upped my calories and the intensity of my workouts, my body fat was shed quickly and I gained muscle mass fairly quickly too.

Now I'm doing my own workouts following rotations from the men's Muscle & Fitness magazine and I do Cathe's leg workouts on my leg days (usually) because her workouts are the only ones that keep my legs the way I want them to look.

If you are interested in my training I check in on the Checkin forum that is titled "Hardcore Fitness Checking". I'm taking this whole week off but will start back on May 26th. You can follow my training that way if you wish.

You probably wished you hadn't asked now, right? LOL!

 

[atgood]

Not to barge in, but you look great -- very inspiring!