not getting desired results

K

kchigh

New Member
Hi there,

I have upped my routine since July and am not getting desired results, maybe you have advise for me!

I am just about 5'4, 125 lbs, but in the past was always 110-115 (very small boned). Actually, when I started weight training in my mid 20's I jumped to more consistent at 115-118, was freaked out at first because my weight had always been lower, but I am pretty sure it was just due to muscle gain. I just turned 33 and am just trying to get back there but to no avail!

I do 60-80 minutes of cardio, 5-6 days per week. Mix I up between, running, biking (in summer), aerobics and the elliptical, but primarily the elliptical in the winter, set at intervals someimes and steady state others.

Two days a week I add an upper body and ab routine from one of your videos (mix and match). One day a week I add a light weight, hi rep workout, focus is upper body and short session of abs. On my only cardio days I try to add push-ups and sit-ups but don't always get to it.

I have never had a problem with my lower body, and my arms are looking pretty lean and cut. I just want to loose these 5-10 lbs and like my abs for once in my life! My diet is very clean, lots of protien and veggies, except for wine. :)

Thanks so much,

Katie
 
Hi Katie - not Cathe but it wasn't until I lowered my cradio that I really started to see the weight drop. I went from 45-60 minutes 6-7 days a week, to 30-45 minutes 3-4 days a week. Just an FYI.


Lorrie
Pain is temporary - quitting lasts forever
Candace Grasso, CC-V-6
 
I'm 44-years-old and also had better results with less cardio, way less. Last year I focused mainly on weights and lost 10 pounds over the year. I only did cardio 3 days per week for 45-60 minutes and weights 3 days per week using the Gym Style Series. I had excellent results.
 
Instead of doing cardio for 60 minutes at each workout session, try to do 40 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight training. You can add the Gym Style Series or Slow and Heavy. Work one or two major muscle groups per day. Once you start building muscle, those last stubborn pounds will be gone. Muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. So the more muscle you have the more calories you will burn without working so hard. Also, add an advanced Pilates to your routine weekly. Pilates will tone and build long lean muscles while strengthening your core and promote a flat abdominal area.

Good Luck:)
 
This is an interesting post. I am 43, and I do at least a 1/2 hour of cardio a day, and usdually an hour 3 days per week. I really dislike cardio!! I would so like to try this, but am afraid I would balloon up! I am an endomorph-type body who, unfortunately can gain fat quite easily.
Lori
 
Yes, this is interesting. When I competed in bodybuilding, before a show I did up to 4 hours a day (cardio), it was dreadful. But I was only eating halibut, broccoli and yams! Sure I got lean, but felt sick and awful. So after the show, I wanted to stay that lean--which is unhealthy, but you try anyway-- I ate more but still did the 4 hours a day, all to no avail!
I did not lose bodyfat! It was weird, and I finally gave up. Since then (that was back in the late 90's) I turned 40 last year, I do at a minimum, 45 minutes of cardio (Cathe tapes,the Spin bike or the elliptical trainer) 6-7 days a week in the morning. Then in the evening, I will either do a Gym Style workout or P90X weight workout. I work each bodypart once a week, legs, two times a week. Then in between days I do an interval workout like Drill Max or Low Impact Circuit.
My diet is good, lots of lean protein, veggies, fruits, but I do like my wine too. I try and limit sugar stuff to a tiny bit every other day, and have bread on the weekends only. My point?
I guess I feel like I should be leaner, more cut than I am, given all this exercise.
I woke up this AM and wondered if I could be overtraining, and my body is not responding? Is it the 40 thing? I noticed I have gotten more "squishy" around the waistline, which is a place I have never carried extra fat before. I am more the meso/endo type, and I am afraid as well, if I cut back on the exercise I will gain bodyfat.
This week I am experimenting with doing circuit cardio tapes only, with a little extra cardio added in the AM. Sigh.
Thanks for listening ladies. It gets frustrating and my bod is tired!
 
We are always all here to listen to each other. I have a question as for losing wait while cutting back on cardio, did you notice that you cut back on your caloric intake because of the less exercising?
 
I did not cut back on calories as I felt ravenous from doing the Gym Style workouts. At first, I think I even ate more because my body felt hungry all the time. This was, I believe, for a couple of weeks. After that, I seemed to go back to my normal. I did, however, start eating WAY MORE protein, eating sometimes 2-3 zone bars a day for extra protein. I know they have sugar in them, but they are the only protein bars I like. It was very slow gradual weight loss. I was probably only losing 1 pound a month. I didn't think anything about it at first because I can lose 1-2 lbs just by not drinking sodas, etc., but the the 1 pound stayed off. About 3-4 weeks later, another pound would disappear. And it did that until I had lost like 10 pounds. I was measuring also. I'm not sure exactly how many inches I lost because I seemed to be losing in places that I do not normally measure, i.e. my jeans got really loose through the crotch area. Sorry, I have no other way to explain that. And my workout pants were getting way looser in my thighs closer down to my knees. And I really lost a lot of inches around the bra line area. I am now able to wear smaller t-shirts than before.

I came back to add that in the middle of the year last year I got kind of burned out on the Gym Style workouts and needed a change. I decided to try Turbo Jam which, of course, is lots of cardio. Within 2-3 weeks, I started losing my results I had gained, so I switched back. Also, I've been doing Cathe's newest workouts for the last couple of months and while I have noticed more definition in my upper arms, the rest of my body is not the same. I looked best with the Gym Style workouts and 3 cardio workouts a week.
 
Hmmm, and you are 44 right? :0) That is awesome. It now gives me hope, maybe I can do less cardio. Where do you tend to carry excess weight when you gain? Are you naturally thinner? I have noticed that people who are built more like runners, actually look better with more weight training, less cardio. The other folks who are more muscular/carry more bodyfat as well, need extra cardio, less weight training--but maybe not. They say exercise is not rocket science, but it is good to understand what works for your body-in order to get the most out of your workouts right?
Sorry, if I sounded too nosy, but I have wondered for years, if all that cardio is counterproductive.
 
Yes, I'm 44 and I consider myself to be an hourglass shape. I tend to lose and gain weight/fat all over my body at pretty much the same rate, but I have a big butt/legs. I've been wearing relaxed fit jeans for probably 10 years and last year I was actually able to start buying regular fit jeans. I was so excited. I'm definitely not thin as I weigh 120 lbs and I'm only 5' tall. I would love to weigh around 110. I just started back with the Gym Style workouts again this week, and I'm hoping to drop another 10 lbs this year. I also wanted to say that the cardio I was doing last year was normally Imax 2, Kick Max with weighted gloves, and another Cathe cardio of my choice. So while I was only doing 3 days of cardio, it was fairly intense and I gave it my all. I also walk on my treadmill almost every evening for 30-50 minutes. This is a leisurely walk at only 2.5 mph. I feel I need this extra movement as I'm a medical transcriptionist and sit at a computer all day.
 
Thanks Kelley,I really appreciate you sharing. I am going to finish the remainder of my workout week with the circuit/cardio tapes. And next week, try the Gym Style Workouts and three days of intense cardio and see how it feels. Thanks again for your input.
 
I guess we are both feeling the same way!

My bod is tired too. I truely love exercise but these days have been anxioously awaiting my rest days! But I am afraid to cut the cardio too. And I am afraid if I add more weights I will bulk-up more than I would like.

Hmmmm - so what are we doing wrong here? Cathe - help!
 
Yes! Cathe's opinion would be great, she is 40 too right? I read somewhere she changed her workouts a bit after her pregnancies to lose those last pounds. Wonder what she did?
 
I think a lot of women are afraid of bulking, especially in the lower body. I carry most of my weight there also. If you really look at Gym Style Legs, the only heavy weight work, I think, are squats and deadlifts. That is it. All the other moves are done with light weights or the band and involve many reps and pulsing movements. I think that is why I got such great results in the lower body. Plus the Kick Max leg sculpting drills at the end are killer with again no weights. The outer thighs/glutes really feel these exercises. I actually do not worry about my upper body bulking up as I think muscular arms on a woman look great.
 
Not Cathe, But one thing no one has addressed is that when one approaches 40, we have more obstacles. Our metabolism naturally decreases so we are burning less calories naturally than we did when we were younger. Subtle changes in hormones occur as one approaches menopause which can happen up to 12 years before you go through menopause. These changes coupled with genetics cause a redistribution of body fat mainly to the abdominal area. Lastly, we naturally lose muscle mass as we get older. So, in order to maintain our body weight, we need to build more lean muscle mass. As we get older it is harder to bulk up because we are working at a deficit. We need to add weight training to our routine or step up your weight training to prevent loss and build lean muscle. Lean muscle mass burns calories at a higher rate. If you haven't tried it already, add an advanced Pilates workout to your routine weekly. Maybe that can be Cathe's next video. Good Luck and work at least one major muscle group per day.
We will sail into menopause looking healthy, lean and young.
Cathe, your opion matters to us. If you get a chance, we'd love to hear your comments.
Lina:)
 
Thanks. I definitely want to re-introduce Pilates into my routine. Did it for years without trmemndous results, but that was mat pilates and I think I have a resource for private lessons with the reformer.

All you guys in your 40s have more of an excuse - I am only 33 and I am still struggling! Ugh!
 
Hi Katie. can I add to all these superstar exercisers and say that rest and recovery are a critical part of a routine? Your muscles tear when they are stressed (ie when you exercise) so repair, rebuild stronger and give you that definition, they need rest. So you need to work in rest. Cardio can undo all the gain of this muscle recovery by stressing those muscles again before they can repair.

I change my routine all the time. Heavy some weeks, light the next. no more than 4x/week cardio.

Finally - and may I get some feedback on this my fellow over 40s? - I AM EXHAUSTED BY ALL THIS EXERCISE! I am finding at 43 that this ol' gal needs more sleep, more recovery. I give it that, and I look - and more importantly feel - great. Also spend much more on my hair! Hee hee

My Forums hero - Debbie aka Fitness Freak - really has this rest/recovery thing in such great perspective. Check some of her posts to see what I mean.

I need a nap...

Julie

Fit Over 40
 
Hi:

I thought I'd chime in here too on the "too much" cardio thing and weight loss.

Over the last couple of years, I've been into doing triathlons, 1/2 marathons, more cardio endurance fitness. I have to tell you that while I enjoy doing them for a challenge, I don't necessarily like the way my body looks when I am doing all of this cardio. I definitely lose definition, particularly in my upper body.

I do weight train while I am training for these type of events, but even when I am lifting heavy for upper body it still doesn't look as defined as when my cardio is less.

Part of the reason, is diet I know.. I eat wayyyy more when I'm doing long cardio sessions because I'm just famished. And, I will eat more carbs which makes me retain water. I don't ever really lose more than a pound or two when training for endurance events either.

I totally think that too much cardio will inhibit weight loss. However, I'm an endorphin junky and its hard for me to give it up. Normally when I'm not training for a tri or a marathon, I'll do 25-40 minutes per day 5-6 days a week and then lift. I always like the way I feel and look best on this type of rotation.

Take care, Lynn M.

PS.. I'll be 40 in April.
 
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