What is a good goal? - Page 2 - ThinnerTimes

Shauna · 02-10-2007, 01:10 PM

Thanks for the advice! I kinda thought that the goal was at least 30 minutes, 3 - 5 days a week, since it's cardio. By keeping my resistance setting high, it should be no problem keeping my heart rate in the right area.

Again, thanks!

Bella · 02-10-2007, 02:23 PM

To clarify - toning with exercising cannot tighten skin once it's already loose and hanging. You just have to get PS.

Toning and strength training exercise in conjunction with weight loss prevents loose, hanging skin.

Maybe it won't be perfectly toned but it will 100% better than not focusing on the toning.

See the attached that I saw in another weight loss forum.

This girl looks terrific .. but I'm sure she worked her butt off.

And no PS!

MY HERO!

Shauna · 02-10-2007, 11:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella

To clarify - toning with exercising cannot tighten skin once it's already loose and hanging. You just have to get PS.

Toning and strength training exercise in conjunction with weight loss prevents loose, hanging skin.

Maybe it won't be perfectly toned but it will 100% better than not focusing on the toning.

See the attached that I saw in another weight loss forum.

This girl looks terrific .. but I'm sure she worked her butt off.

And no PS!

MY HERO!

While I am exercising with hopes of preventing, as much as possible, a lot of excess skin, I am also doing it because it's just part of a healthy lifestyle. If I have to go the plastic surgery route, and I am almost sure that I will, I am prepared for that. To each their own, but I personally would rather go that route than to develop bulky muscles to fill out the excess skin. In the end, I want to be healthy and feel feminine, not feel and look like a body builder.

Bella · 02-11-2007, 02:46 AM

Umm I didn't mean you'd have to create huge muscles like this girl... and those muscles could never fill out the large skin from the weight loss.

I just mean that if you work out (again, it's about toning and weight lifting, not just cardiac etc) when you lose the weight, the muscles you build below help make your skin tight/toned. You can even lay off the exercises after a while and let the muscle deflate .. but you'd still have very well toned femine skin.

The alternative is the loose skin and PS which is more surgery, expense and then you have the scars. I've seen pics of the scars ... they can be incredible and ... they are there for life.

For me .. I'd rather build a lot of muscle that I can deflate whenever I want by stopping the heavy stuff than having the extra skin with all the PS and scars it brings .... but you're right - to each his own.

Gina in NY · 02-11-2007, 02:38 PM

Building muscle like a body builder takes HOURS of resistance training a day, more protein than you can shake a stick at and a little creatine doesn't hurt. Very few women can get there, unless you have some real genetics on your side and time to do all the above. Check out Oxygen magazine to see what I'm talking about. the woman on the link is no body builder - looks like a trainer, but she is not at all bulked out. She still looks feminine and athletic to me.

I am naturally muscular, work out every day, train with a body builder and I don't even come close to looking bulky - so don't worry about working out too much!

That being said, my legs are never going to be any smaller - sigh...but the rest of me can still tone up and shrink up as the weight comes off. (Part of the reason my legs will never get thinner is because I carried so much weight - they got muscular because I was MO - carrying 280 pounds around is good exercise!)

But I digress - my point is that the skin stuff is SO genetic. You just look at your grandmothers and see how their skin looks - tells you how much elasticity you'll have as you age.

Now I had two huge babies, so my tummy area is all stretch-marked. Nothing to do with that damaged skin but cut it off. But anywhere your skin looks and feels youthful, MAY, with enough water and luck, go back to where you'd like it to.

Actually, I took another look at the woman in the link, you can see her legs are big too - but in perfect shape. You just can't really escape the muscles you used to carry your MO body around for all those years. But hey - they're very usefull in many situations.

Good luck!!

Bella · 02-11-2007, 03:01 PM

I used to be a workout fanantic (always in a race to chase away the fat!) and to this day have a lot of muscles on my arms and thighs - though, yes, plus a lot of fat. People are always shocked when I flex my arm muscles because they are huge.

I know (from a previous ,normal sized life) that I will never bulk up ... but I will get that hourglass firm figure which I am dying to get back!

My Doctor told me my surgery lasted an hour longer than usual because of 2 things. My abdominal region was so narrow it was hard to get his lap tools positioned correctly and get around. He said most girls at my weight have a much heavier ab region. Second my abs were so tight and strong - they had to really cut hard to get in.

No, I've never been pregnant.

He asked me if I was a 'sportive vrouw' ... and I said 'ja, ik ben heel sportive' (yes, I 'sport' a lot) - they use the word 'sport' when they mean 'workout' in Dutch.

Anyway, I'm sure I have the genetics. I'm just hankering to get started in the health club! I'm almost 3 weeks out and am dying to start my workouts!

I'm only waiting a couple more weeks 'just in case' my body needs more healing.

READY TO HIT THE MAT!!!!!!

Gina in NY · 02-11-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella

I used to be a workout fanantic (always in a race to chase away the fat!) and to this day have a lot of muscles on my arms and thighs - though, yes, plus a lot of fat. People are always shocked when I flex my arm muscles because they are huge.

I know (from a previous ,normal sized life) that I will never bulk up ... but I will get that hourglass firm figure which I am dying to get back!

My Doctor told me my surgery lasted an hour longer than usual because of 2 things. My abdominal region was so narrow it was hard to get his lap tools positioned correctly and get around. He said most girls at my weight have a much heavier ab region. Second my abs were so tight and strong - they had to really cut hard to get in.

He asked me if I was a 'sportive vrouw' ... and I said 'ja, ik ben heel sportive' (yes, I 'sport' a lot) - they use the word 'sport' when they mean 'workout' in Dutch.

Anyway, I'm sure I have the genetics. I'm just hankering to get started in the health club! I'm almost 3 weeks out and am dying to start my workouts!

I'm only waiting a couple more weeks 'just in case' my body needs more healing.

READY TO HIT THE MAT!!!!!!

Yes - do wait! I did cardio from day 4 post-op, but didn't touch a weight until 6 weeks post op - and then no abs until 10 weeks. You really have to watch for those hernias etc. And when you start - go really light. You have to come at those injured muscles slowly. I felt like a total wimp, but it built things up really well.

Don't rush it hon!