It's a fitness post
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 13:30![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fatrockstarIt's been a while since I talked about my weight management/fitness. Like most people I am on a perpetual mission to reduce my mass to a sylph-like composition of muscle and bone, and like most people I'm not terribly good at it.
Recap: A little over a year ago I was enjoying myself at a clean 190lbs. This was the lightest I'd been in years, and can be attributed to not having a lot to eat, walking and biking everywhere, and maintaining a regular (and low-stress) schedule. I started a new relationship, joined a gym, and started to change shape a bit. During this time I didn't bother looking at the scale (because they're deceptive if you're putting on muscle). My intake changed when my income and personal drama changed, and last week I weighed in at 215. I haven't been 215 since I was married. Naturally, this is upsetting.
A lot of people will look at me in disbelief when I tell them how much I weigh, but to me, this is what 215lbs looks like. I look at other people my size and I think they weigh more than they really do. Maybe they're just being nice, but at a size 16US, I feel like a cow -- it doesn't matter if my biceps or lats are impressive. They still don't fit into a size 12 dress.
How do I know 215 is an unhealthy number for me? It has a lot to do with what I can and can't do for exercise. One of the things I enjoyed after I got below 200 is running, followed by dancing, and other moderate-impact sports. If I tried that today I would feel it in my back, knees, and ankles, and it sucks. However...
As I was bent over drying my hair today I looked down and noticed my awesome quads, and how they add a great shape to my legs. Those are the rewards.
Late last summer Ken added me to his gym membership and we started working out together. At first we were following the Body-for-LIFE program, but that fell to the wayside when we disagreed on what exercises to do. Plus, he lifts heavier than I do, making plate changes time-consuming. Then there's the issue of how much to add/remove from the routine to meet our individual goals... not exactly an easy task.
Ken is still working out like a bodybuilder, choosing more isolation exercises than compound ones, and I'm the opposite. My Irish/Celtic lineage builds muscle quickly and with gusto, and doesn't like to let go of fat if it can help it. I guess Ken is similar, but his goals make the most of those traits, while mine require some engineering around them. This has been the source of much debate.
I know my body, though. If I do 15lb bicep curls you WILL see a gun show in less than two weeks, AND none of my favorite blouses will fit anymore. Sure I could reduce the weight, but why bother? I might as well lift pencils.
And then there's my back. I don't know how I did it, but my lower back is out of alignment to the point of pain. I'm slowly recovering from it with heat and ice, and some stretching exercises. When I am more readily mobile I will resume activity with my trusty Wii. It really is an awesome exercise resource (especially for the homebound).
On a side note, the issues with my back and personal drama make me wonder if I'm turning into my ex. Sometimes that thought is funny. Sometimes. Most times, though, it's a damn scary thought.
My true weakness is diet. I love food. I love comfort food. Over the years I have built up a tolerance for low-fat, low-sugar, artificial comfort foods, but the originals have not completely left the picture. The only reason I hit 215 is because stress makes me hit those comfort foods more often instead of every week or two. Well, that and ignoring when I'm full (a very bad habit I am not prone to). Since last week's 215 revelation I have been more conscious of my diet and weighed in this morning at 212. Progress is progress, no matter how small.
In a nutshell, I put on some weight. Much of it was probably muscle, but since I've been eating recklessly it could also be blubber. My back hurts, I love my Wii, and 1986 was not a great year for exercise videos.
Now back to the job hunt. Things are looking good out there.
Recap: A little over a year ago I was enjoying myself at a clean 190lbs. This was the lightest I'd been in years, and can be attributed to not having a lot to eat, walking and biking everywhere, and maintaining a regular (and low-stress) schedule. I started a new relationship, joined a gym, and started to change shape a bit. During this time I didn't bother looking at the scale (because they're deceptive if you're putting on muscle). My intake changed when my income and personal drama changed, and last week I weighed in at 215. I haven't been 215 since I was married. Naturally, this is upsetting.
A lot of people will look at me in disbelief when I tell them how much I weigh, but to me, this is what 215lbs looks like. I look at other people my size and I think they weigh more than they really do. Maybe they're just being nice, but at a size 16US, I feel like a cow -- it doesn't matter if my biceps or lats are impressive. They still don't fit into a size 12 dress.
How do I know 215 is an unhealthy number for me? It has a lot to do with what I can and can't do for exercise. One of the things I enjoyed after I got below 200 is running, followed by dancing, and other moderate-impact sports. If I tried that today I would feel it in my back, knees, and ankles, and it sucks. However...
As I was bent over drying my hair today I looked down and noticed my awesome quads, and how they add a great shape to my legs. Those are the rewards.
Late last summer Ken added me to his gym membership and we started working out together. At first we were following the Body-for-LIFE program, but that fell to the wayside when we disagreed on what exercises to do. Plus, he lifts heavier than I do, making plate changes time-consuming. Then there's the issue of how much to add/remove from the routine to meet our individual goals... not exactly an easy task.
Ken is still working out like a bodybuilder, choosing more isolation exercises than compound ones, and I'm the opposite. My Irish/Celtic lineage builds muscle quickly and with gusto, and doesn't like to let go of fat if it can help it. I guess Ken is similar, but his goals make the most of those traits, while mine require some engineering around them. This has been the source of much debate.
I know my body, though. If I do 15lb bicep curls you WILL see a gun show in less than two weeks, AND none of my favorite blouses will fit anymore. Sure I could reduce the weight, but why bother? I might as well lift pencils.
And then there's my back. I don't know how I did it, but my lower back is out of alignment to the point of pain. I'm slowly recovering from it with heat and ice, and some stretching exercises. When I am more readily mobile I will resume activity with my trusty Wii. It really is an awesome exercise resource (especially for the homebound).
On a side note, the issues with my back and personal drama make me wonder if I'm turning into my ex. Sometimes that thought is funny. Sometimes. Most times, though, it's a damn scary thought.
My true weakness is diet. I love food. I love comfort food. Over the years I have built up a tolerance for low-fat, low-sugar, artificial comfort foods, but the originals have not completely left the picture. The only reason I hit 215 is because stress makes me hit those comfort foods more often instead of every week or two. Well, that and ignoring when I'm full (a very bad habit I am not prone to). Since last week's 215 revelation I have been more conscious of my diet and weighed in this morning at 212. Progress is progress, no matter how small.
In a nutshell, I put on some weight. Much of it was probably muscle, but since I've been eating recklessly it could also be blubber. My back hurts, I love my Wii, and 1986 was not a great year for exercise videos.
Now back to the job hunt. Things are looking good out there.
