stuck

W

wrwatch

Cathlete
Cathe,

I am a 36 year old female. I lost about 30 lbs two years ago. Went from 170 to 140. I stay between 140 and 145 and work out regularly. (5 times a week for an hour at least.) I would like to lose about 15 more pounds and keep them off. I recently purchased 4 of your tapes and really like them. How can I combine them to finally get rid of those nagging 15 lbs. I have "Interval Max", "Power Max", "Maximum Intensity Strength", and "Body Max". (It is hard to do "Body Max" more than once a week it is so long.) I am pretty fit although I weigh more than I would like to. I have what my doctor has refered to as a "very conservative metabolism." Thanks!
 
Also Stuck

I'm also feeling stuck. I've lost 20 - pounds, kept them off for almost a year now, but feel like I'm no longer making progress. I'm not so concerned about weight loss, but I would like to lose body fat. I still seam to have pockets of plump, and a layer of fat over all my muscles. I do cardio 4/5 x a week at 70 to 80% intensity and weights 3x a week. I don't obsess about what I eat, but I don't eat poorly. I'm not sure what else to do, I'm not really interested in starving, and I'm not sure I can workout much harder. What's the answer?
 
Count me in too.

This is the one thing that at times gets me discoraged about working out. I maintain and if I gain a few pounds I can always take it off but I can't seem to get under 140. I have dropped to a size 10 pants, which I couldn't do even when I was in High School. So things have improved. Two years ago I went on the "Prism diet" and started working out. Lost 30 pounds in 12 weeks but haven't been able to take off those 10 extra pounds. I'm hoping Cathe's tapes will help. But my question is, why is the last 10# so hard to come off?
 
stuck reply

Thanks for helping me feel like I am not alone. I 've just decided to keep on keeping on. At least I haven't gained back those thirty pounds. I've read some things about about body "set points", and am beginning to think this is mine. If I didn't eat anything I know I could take off those last 15 pounds. I am going to make the eating section of health and weight control more of a priority in the new year. I am convinced that I have to do this. I am doing all I can at present on the exercise side with the time I have to commit to doing it. Her's a little motivation. Even if you are not as thin as you would like to be exercise greatly decreases your risk of many other health problems. I read a statisic the other day that said that women who exercise 5 times a week for 30 minutes have 1/2 the occurance of breast cancer. That in itself is enough to keep me moving. Have a Merry Chrismas! Wrwatch
 
Me too Wrwatch

My mother died of breast cancer so that's good to hear. Thanks. Lora
 
Set Point

I've been thinking maybe I'm at my setpoint also. The fact is I feel pretty good, and my Husband tells me he thinks I'm looking pretty good too. Every once in a while I think maybe I'm overly influenced by the media and define my body image by extraordinary standards set by the media. Then on the other hand I think, I sure would like to be able to turn heads in a bikini again. Maybe it's a midlife thing. Maybe at 38 years old, 5'61/2" tall and 148 lbs, things are just as they should be. It would be nice to simply feel things are where they should be, rather than feel like I'm not "there" yet. Sometimes I still think my brain's stuck at a 170 set point and I have a hard time being comfortable where I am.
 
We are always harder on ourselves.

My husband feels the same way. He loves me.
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We can see the little things that we would like not to see, like the padding around our hips or the bit of tummy that we have to suck in, or the little bit of saddle bags we still have. I always want to look better. And I compare myself with my older sister who has never had any kids (I've had 3) and who has a figure like a boy. She really looks good though. None of the above mentioned imperfections. We really do need to see things in perspective. If we want to loose those areas it is possible I think. But aren't they're times when we can say to ourselves, "I really look good"? That's easy to forget. What you said about the media is 100% true. Is it possible to not compare? I know what I want and it keeps me working. I do have to remember I look pretty good already. Way better then I use to. All three of us I guess. Nice to know you can identify. Lora
 
Stuck too!

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with this problem. You would think someone who can make it through Interval Max and Body Max or can run 6 miles wouldn't have this extra layer of fat, but I do. ( I know I eat too many sweets).The media does affect how we see ourselves. We all need to think about having healthy bodies that allow us to do these intense workouts to keep our heart healthy and give us energy for life. We are more healthy than some skinny models we see on magazine covers. I saw a girl shopping the other day with half a leg, and she was pushing a stroller. I told myself I've got the quit complaining about my dimples on my thighs. At least I have two whole legs.All that said, I still want to loose 10 lbs, but it may never happen. I guess women are never satisfies with themselves.Merry Christmas!
 
The stuck club

Good words of wisdom. Your story of the gal with one leg really puts things in perspective. Thanks for adding your comments. I will remember them. Lora
 
The Stuck Club

I started this conversation about a week ago. It has been interesting to see the comments. I have a daughter and I hope I have raised her to be happy with herself. I really appreciate the things people have shared on this message board. Fitness is important. It adds to life. It isn't the road to happiness though. Thanks for the reality checks!! wrwatch
 
43 and stuck too!!

I have been working out at a gym for over 2 years,
and can't get the fat to move off hip, butt and tummy, I get so.o.o. discouraged! We do have to
be grateful if we are healthy, my husband just had
major surgery in July, a whole lung removed, good
thing he was fit, as only 4% survival rate with his type of surgery. They had to cut some of the
heart sack and do a lot of scraping. Then followed up with chemo and radiation. Now I wonder if being stuck is so devistating after all!
 
What made a difference for me...

I'm 21 weeks pregnant now, with swollen legs and insomnia but not too long ago, I remember that "stuck" feeling. At that time, I wasn't trying to lose a specific number of pounds because I was already a size 8 at 5'6". I just exercised to stay in shape. But for all the exercise I did, I wasn't satisfied w/ my shape, particularly the thigh area. I was one of the first gals to get Cathe's MIS tape when it came out. It wasn't until I got this tape that I realized I wasn't challenging myself as much as I could during my strength workouts. Watching Cathe inspired me to increase the amount of weights I lifted and boy what a difference that made! It was after I started using this tape consistently for my strength workouts that I became strong enough to do push-ups from my toes for the first time in my life. I also dropped 2 sizes (although that wasn't my intention) but my body just became more compact after increasing the amount of weights I lifted. It seems obvious now, but at the time I was breezing through my Firm tapes thinking they were too easy when really, I wasn't challenging myself enough. I speak from experience when I say that you have to "shock" your body to get you over a fitness plateau. Do you think you could push yourself and try to lift heavier weights?

PS Did I mention that this tape has a killer ab section?
 
MIS is a SHOCK all right!

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Dec-23-99 AT 09:51AM (EST)</font></center>

I started with MIS on April 1 this year, I had done very little strength work before so MIS was really a sort of baptism by fire!! Talk about a SHOCK to your body!! hehe. I have been watching this conversation with interest. It would be interesting to SEE each other. . . probably each of us would think the other looked great. So often the issue is not really size or shape or weight, but self-criticism. I have been stuck in a cycle of self-criticism since my third was born and I was unable to drop my last 8 lb. She was big, breech, I had a C-section. . . I just never got STRETCHED OUT so doggone much with her sisters (little 6 lb weenie girls!). So I have a poochy tummy and a ton of extra skin and am developing cellulite where I've never had it before. Part of it is babies, part of it is age. But nobody SEES it but me. My honey told me just the other day as I stood in the bathroom in panties and bra "Honey, you could still wear a bikini to the beach" --I looked at myself in the mirror and thought "well, sort of". . . I realized I DIDN'T look that bad really! As long as I didn't sit down at the beach I would look at least OK (sitting, now there's a different story. LOL!). Point is, take a good hard look in the mirror and see if the picture in your head is the same as the picture in the mirror. The mirror reassures me because the picture in my head is SO much worse than reality. That's what I mean by self-criticism. Try to give yourself the same benefit of the doubt you'd give your best friend. Then look in the mirror --there's probably plenty that's attractive and appealing there! -susan p
 
thanks stuck club!

<center><font size="1" color="#ff0000">LAST EDITED ON Dec-23-99 AT 10:51AM (EST)</font></center>

There has been some really good advice come from this thread. I think we all know whats really important, ( we just want to look good with all that wisdom:) ). I'll bet you all look great! I'll try increasing my weight when doing MIS, I use a 25 lb barbell now. I use two 15lb dumbells with FIRM tapes. Any more suggestions? Sabrina, I hope you husband is doing well. Best wishes to everyone!
 
The "self talk" aspect

If only my mind could convince my heart that I'm right where I should be right now. I've only been doing strength for a few weeks. Everything is going great, and yet never satisfied. Of course the health aspect is super. What is it about our culture that dosn't allow us to be ok with wherever we happen to be at the moment. Or maybe it's just me.
 
Was going to post songs of praise for MIS& PS tapes...

...anyway, but I'll just ditto your remarks. I, too, was searching in April, for new ways to jolt my weight training program. I got a fitness assessment at the Y, and had a session with a personal trainer there. It was just at that time that I ordered Cathe tapes, first MIS, then the PS Series. Since then, my weight hasn't changed, but my shape has. I'm more toned than I ever dreamed I could be! I'm much stronger, and I not only routinely use twice as much weight on the Cybex machines as much younger chicks (I'm 50), I match or use MORE weight than most guys!!!!!

Also, the weights I use while doing Cathe's tapes has increased. For once I'm really getting stronger.
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Please, like Cathe says, don't be afraid to use heavier weights...they do nice things for you.
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PS - I saw that same personal trainier yesterday, and she said, "You look GREAT!!!" Was I tickled!
 
Ditto!

I'm a mother of 3,I'm 5'5" and I weigh 115 lbs.
I have been working out since I was 17 and I love doing it because it gives me so much energy through out the whole day. I'm 30 yrs. old and I think I look good after having 3 kids but sometimes when I look in the mirror I'll start to criticize my body thinking that maybe I should lift much heavier weights or do more cardio, It is just human nature that we are never satisfied of what we have,we should thank God for what we've got!
 
Heavier Weights

Hi Sue,
Thanks for your input, I have tried using heavier
weight in the gym, but sometimes you need someone to spot you, and I was on my own. I have tried Cathe's MIS tape and it definately is more challenging even though I had been doing weights for over 2 years. I find though I need different barbell weight for different exercises, yet it takes too much time to change weights. I can bench press more than what I would use for bicep curls, any suggestions there?
 
Push Pause

I know how you feel. Sometimes MIS seems like it's just zooming by and I can barely keep up. Especially the last stretch for legs. Before I know it, Cathe's doing push ups for chest! I also find I need different weights. I have two barbells, and sometimes I wish I had more. But I find on the days when I am just unable to keep up, pushing pause, stopping or rewinding the tape a bit to give myself that little extra time I need is not a problem. It has not affected my workout in any way. Just don't take too long. For me, it's just a few seconds to catch my breath.
 
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