Way out of my league

Well, wish I could say I was petite, but I'm not. I'm six feet tall & have about 40 pounds to lose...However...I truly find pleasure in the journey I'm on. To be entirely honest, I fail at something just about every day (I usually lose it in the food department). But the key is to remember what you've been successful at every day.

Also, holding on to realistic goals is a way to be kind to yourself. My main goal is to be healthy. My mother is in very poor physical condition and has been for quite some time. Her idea of exercise was bowling! I've promised myself to do everything in my power to stay strong.

If you're anything like me, then there are many areas you can improve on. One thing at a time. Consistency and patience. Change one behavior first, and when the new behavior becomes habit, then change another. There's no rush...you have plenty of time! Remember, you wouldn't expect your best friend to suddenly do everything right!

As far as small, frequent meals are concerned...just do the best you can and be sure to have protein and carbs with every snack/meal. This will keep you satisfied longer.

Don't be so hard on yourself! You'll reach your goals! You want it bad enough, or you wouldn't be here! :)
Ginny
 
Isn't there a wise saying somewhere that says "You become like who you hang around with." (You're a teacher - you know this!) I can't believe how much I've changed since I started hanging around here. It's subtle brainwashing but it works over time!!! Keep reading. Keep trying. Keep posting. It'll all come together.

Trish
 
Hey:

no-one here is out of your league. The dominant interest here is in fitness and living a healthier life and this shared interest can be enjoyed and particiapted in at a variety of levels. No-one can dictate your goals for you. You decide for yourself what you want out of this and what changes or sacrifices you are and are not prepared to make.

Some here are muscle bound or cardio energizer bunnies with model like figures, but I reckon they are in a minority. Most of us are just regular people with regular bodies. With body bits (thighs, butt, etc) and health habits (not enough veggies, too much sugar) we don't like and maybe we'll change them and maybe we won't, and either way is fine really.

Perfection does not exist. And some who achieve model-like bodies may be miserable as sin because of the self-inflicted punishments and the deprivations required to achieve it and maintain it. I saw a fabulous bumper sticker today that made me laugh. It said: "I have been dieting now for a month: All I have lost is the past 31 days" Ha!!!!!!!

Fitness is not rocket science, just a few basic tenets we can live by to live more healthily. A lot of it is pure theories and different health practices that may work for some, but not for all. Take for instance this "eat 6 meals a day" lark. It is a suggestion, not a health prescription. If your daily schedule does not allow for it, really, you shouldn't worry about this at all. To my mind, the attempt to be eating every 5 minutes, the need to prepare so many little healthful snacks and carry them around with me and remember to eat them the minute my students' backs are turned would drive me insane. It would simply add stress to my life. I also do not like to eat that much or that frequently. There's more to life than always thinking about food, protein quotas, reducing carbs, etc, etc. And spare minutes in a teacher's day are spent getting photocopies, calling a parent, making notes, planning the afternoon, etc, etc.

Just try not to let yourself go more than three hours without something, because you could get so hungry by the end of the day, that the first thing you do when you get home is hit the fridge and not hit the Step and Cathe. The only food I carry around with me between classes, and when I take my kids to their sports classes are foods that are easy to eat in public: protein bars, fruit, yoghurt, peanuts. It doesn't have to involve complicated snacks or anything in tupperware! Nothing messy.

I wouldn't say that you are lacking anything, that you "don't have what the other ladies have." You have to remember that genetics plays a big role here. I will never look like Cathe. Never. It is simply not genetically possible for me to build that volume of muscle, even though I equalize her in weights. I can be strong, but there seems to be a limit to the muscle mass or bulk I can build as an ectomorph. So, I will always look skinny on top. Ah well. You may be a endomorph. So, you just work within the abilities and limitations that form your body genetically. It is still possible for you to be supremely fit, as you say, you work out as hard as you can without hurting yourself. And really, that's all that is required. Let go of fantasies of being a size 0, 2, 4 that do nothing but add stress to your life and make you look down upon the fabulousness of you.

All you want to do is be and build the best you that you can, and let go of all the myths of perfection.

No-one here is out of your league and no-one here is any better or more worthwhile than you. Welcome to the league!

Clare
 
>...and btw get out from behind the bed!!!:) :) :)
>
>Trish

I'm in the tub - I can't get out 'cos I'd be NEKKID!!!!!
 
Clare - I could just hug you, but I've printed out your post instead. Ah, hell, I'm just gonna print the whole thread and reread it over and over.

Subtle brainwashing - right? Yes, indeed.
 
I'm right there with you :) but trying not to be;-) . When I first began my quest into fittness after my son, boy I stuck it out and by the end of 6 months I had dropped 4-5 pant sizes, I was feeling good both physically and mentally and I was proud of myself. When I first came on this board I felt way outta my league and still do sometimes, I actually had that proud of myself feeling drift away at certain times. I started to question everything, am I doing enough cardio, too much cardio, enough weights, should I increase my weight, am I eating enough, am I eating too much, the internal voice going blah, blah, blah :D . Then if I ate bad I'd beat myself up, on and on ;( .

Then I started to try to look at this realisically........thanks to a post by Cathe when she elaborated on how she had achieved her new buffed out look :). I realized that will never be me and that's okay, I'm doing this for better health in mind and body, I'm not going to compete :p . I enjoy eating way to much to give up ALL the bad stuff once in a while, heck she made a comment on how she had to stop finishing her son's PBJ sandwich, I don't want to have to work THAT hard :+ . Cathe looks phenominal now and she looked phenominal 15 years ago, I can aspire to her look 15 years ago no problem, maybe? I just know I have to put myself in check when I start feeling obsessive, because it just makes me crazy and I don't need anymore crazy :7 . So YOU are NOT alone...............Rebecca
 
You're not way out of your league, you just have to do what you can. As far as eating small meals, couldn't you grab something between classes? Or are you a teacher of grade school kids that don't have separate periods?
 
You've gotten great responses here Sue! I am 5'4" but don't belong to the "petite" club. I also was blown away by how many here are in such great shape. There were and still maybe a few days here and there when I get discourgaed over a lil' pudge here or a bit of cellulite there, but ya' know what? I ABSOLUTELY feel wonderful and healthy. I teach aerobics 4X/week and do Cathe several times a week and many of my students look leaner and more "toned" then me and they only workout 2X/week with me and that is it. I work VERY hard at least 6 workouts a week. (Sometimes I do extra workouts at home on my class days.) I have lost many family members to heart failure and a couple to cancer and I am determined to keep my body as healthy as possible. Yeah, I could do a LOT better in the eating department, but I don't sweat it anymore. I eat as healthy during the week as possible and if I want pizza, wings, ice cream occasionally, I do it. I even treat myself to popcorn with BUTTER every Saturday night cause that is our "Date-night" and hubby & I love it! Anyway, my point is...if you are doing Cathe, (you are doing a good thing) or others forms of exercise, just do the best you can and keep improving from there. I have seen GREAT changes in my body since I found Cathe. I'm not quite where I want to be YET, but I will keep on, keepin' on! Good Luck, hang in there and don't give up on yourself. HUGS!!!

Your-Friend-In-Fitness, DebbieH (AKA "Den Mother Debbie")http://www.handykult.de/plaudersmilies.de/wavey.gif[/img] If You Get The Choice To Sit It Out Or Dance...I Hope You DANCE!!!
 
>Wouldn't a protein bar of granola bar be too many calories or
>fat/sugar? What is you opinion?
>
>I do sometimes grab baby carrots from my lunch between
>classes...

Not in my opinion, but it depends on your eating program. My snacks are typically 200 - 400 caloreis, depending on what else I have eaten that day and the protein/carb/fat ratio also depends on the other food that I have eaten that day. I often have granola bars, yogurts with granola, drinkable yogurts, protein bars and/or shakes, etc. as snacks during the day. You just need to figure out what snacks you can get down between classes and find a way to fit them in. When I was trying to figure out "what worked" for me, I used Fitday.com b/c it will calculate your calories, fat, protein, etc. and you can figure out how it will fit into your day I used to start with my dinner, then add in breakfast, lunch and snacks until the ratios were what I wanted for the day. If it didn't work, I would change a dfew items and recalculate! Now I sort of do it by "eye" and :experience" b/c I know about what the counts are and what generally works. Carrots are a great snack but you definitely need more than that!
 
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