Is this just a big MYTH??

[valerie]

Gotta chime in again-The time it takes is not the point. Most likely (hopefully anyhow) you will be alive a year from now, sooooo does it really matter how long it takes? You can live only one day at time and is being 20-30 lbs lighter really gonna make you happy? The point being to find a lifestyle that keeps you feeling good, healthy, and satisfied. That is the way to SUSTAIN the positive changes you want. Any of us can drop a lot "weight" but can we maintain this? This is the reason we are so very adament on weight lifting to gain muscle. The muscle helps us to keep our metabolism up, so we can eat more food. Plus muscle looks soooo much better than fat!

Reread scarletts post. This is the truth. I would suggest cleaning up the diet, lift weights, add cardio as needed, and watch your body change. Obsessing over the weight scale is a exercise in futility. It never gives an accurate idea of what is really going on.

The magic is in the food and in the iron-valerie

 

[FitFossil]

I agree with the ladies above. I too have genetically muscular legs. I always kept away from squats and heavy weights because they made my legs "big". But finally I realized that my legs were actually only big when my body fat was higher. So it was the FAT, not the weights that made my legs bulky.

Squats make my legs dense, solid and shapely. And by building muscle, I am raising my metabolism, which burns more fat, which helps me reach my goals faster......

IMO, you don't necessarily have to do major heavy squats. I go very close to failure (no training partner, so I don't go to true fall-on-the-floor-failure) in about 8-15 reps (depending on the set and the day). Squats and lunges - I love 'em!

I've had the same experience as Daisy_Girl. I had very muscular legs from years of riding and showing horses. Trouble is I also carried most of my fat in the lower half. The top half and bottom half of my body looked like they belonged to 2 different people. It wasn't until I gave up my fear of lifting heavy and also started sprint training that my legs actually changed for the better. Even though my body weight has gone up 10 pounds, I dropped 2 pant sizes.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

What do you do at an after hours club, btw? (heh heh,just interested ...)

E mostly and lots of dancing!!

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Yeah, seems like a looooooong time, but in the end here's what you'll gain from this experience: you'll become more intuned with your bod. You'll know what it takes to either lose BF or gain LBM. You'll learn about diet/nutrition for your bod. How training affects it. WOW. This is some pretty valuable info and the neat-o thing is, this is only the beginning! And stuff that you wouldn't learn if you set yourself on a timeline to lose weight.

Ya got all the time in the world; especially when considering that this is for a lifetime. 'K? And you have this board whenever you need encouragement and answers. Lucky you!

(this was my kick in the ass speech. Hopefully it was okay )

Thanks!! Yes it is a kick ass speech. I am just wonder though if it is realistice for me to aim to enter an compatition in May 2004. Calling my club right now to get mj BF% done. Oh yeah you know those scales that have the BF measurment on them how accurate are they?

 

[gettinlarger]

Calling my club right now to get mj BF% done. Oh yeah you know those scales that have the BF measurment on them how accurate are they?

Get it professionally done.

And stop dancing until 5am on ecstasy ...

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Get it professionally done.

And stop dancing until 5am on ecstasy ...

I am going to get it done at the gym. I am just trying to find out if it is worth while to buy a scale with BF% measurment on it. You got to book a BF measurment with a trainer at my club and every time you talk to one they want you to buy sessions. It drives me nuts ... all I want is my BF%.

Give up dancing never E ok if I need to for results I guess I will have too!

 

[slinky]

Get your BF% professionally done. Uh huh, agree with that.

As for scales; Tanita is a good brand. They have scales that also have a "athlete" setting. In other words, they can read a greater range of BF% (can go lower than "average"). BUT I really, really, really advise you living without a scale. Just get your BF measured, do your thing for the 6-weeks, get it measured again....

I threw my scale out well over 7-years ago. Best damn day of my life. There's a nice garbage can in the bathroom where it use to set at.

 

[gettinlarger]

I am going to get it done at the gym.

No. Get it professionally done ...

 

[superqt4u2nv]

No. Get it professionally done ...

What do you mean professionally?

 

[lil k]

What do you mean professionally?

i think he is saying that at the least you need to get tested via the hydrostatic (underwater) method. a lot of gyms do not do this, they just measure or use calipers. hydrostatic weighing is the method by which all other means of measurement compare their degree of error.....