posted May 11, 2000 04:57 PM            

Take a few minutes and read most if not all the women's board posts. You will not be disapointed one bit - and may just learn a thing or two

So here is my .02 flame - 20 min. of cardio aint SQUAT! You got to go at least 45 min before you even get to the land of fat burning.

Ok. I'll turn you over to the rest of the board

Late

Lobo

posted May 11, 2000 05:13 PM            

A weakness for Carbs because you do not feel full? Try adding a little fat from sources like low fat cheese..milk..cottage cheese all while cutting down on your carbs.

So many people think you need to cut out fat...but your body needs essential fatty acids.

posted May 11, 2000 06:03 PM            

Don't know if you've got my email yet, but this topic is better in a public forum such as this one (so we can all learn more and contribute more). Those of you that have not seen Baby's photo might like to ask her to mail it to them. She really (IMHO) doesn't have a lot to lose. More cardio and attention to diet should get you there pretty quickly. As for carb cravings, in the end you may just have to exercise a little willpower to achieve your goal. There are many tricks that help (such as adequate fat intake and anorectics like ephedrine) but you may always loook longingly at that Double Coc Chip Muffin and sometimes just have to say NO and stick to it. Sadly for many females they have to diet down to such low fat levels to lose that last bit of fat-their faces look like ex-concentration camp survivors. Maybe not worth it unless you're competing. Few women can maintain that look year round while still having a life. Just my inflated 2 cents worth.

posted May 15, 2000 02:29 PM            

WW, I like your comment on the wind sprints, wife did them and saw some nice returns - and her legs developed some better cuts as a result. This is high impact anaerobic conditioning and can burn a great deal of calories. BUT, at some point you will still need to "go the distance" and put in the time for a good 45 min. Not every day or anything, just a solid twice a week when you combine other activities.

MS, good point: "Maybe not worth it unless you're competing. Few women can maintain that look year round while still having a life." I have tried to stress this often. It gets back to ones goals. What are you trying to achieve? And what will it take to get there? Is it worth an extra 10 hours of cardio and a super strict diet just to loose that last 2% of body fat. (there go the breasts!) It is all a matter of balance, long term success is exactly that - long term. Do not burn so brightly that in a year or two you have nothing left. Seen it happen all to often. Sometimes I was a contributor and may have pushed the training to hard. This is why goals are SOOOOOO vital. Especially for women as they tend to get a bit more discouraged. Most guys have been condition through sports since they were old enough to hold a ball. Most (not all - but most) women have not had this life time approach and background. It can be very hard for two reasons. One because they get sooo excited when they see progress that they go over board. And two, they get discouraged when the "progress" slows down to a snails pace when they realize the exponential amount of work needed for the last few gains. This big roller coaster can cause some bright lights to burn out.

Late

posted May 15, 2000 03:10 PM            

And I'm a BIG fan of sprints (I do them on the bike, running and rowing). Do longer, more aerobic sessions on the weekends and the combo is good for getting the fat to budge.