Working Hard!

[Cozy Monica]

Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm finally into the swing of working hard despite it being so beautiful outside all the time.

I've also been going to the gym and working out until I want to puke. I am really hoping to get this body in shape this summer.

Of course it will be too late for bikini season, but I'm off to Mexico later in the year, so that's alright *wink*

Anyone else working hard or working out?

[balls_deep]

I'm working my ass off trying to keep up with 3 porn blogs, one mainstream blog, a linklist, and submitting galleries and freesites everyday.

Yeah, you could say im busy. But of course everyone knows how hard the Amish work.

[Mr. Lovepants]

I keep telling myself I need to start working out but there just never seems to be enough hours in the day.

Back to Mexico eh? That's great. Same place as before?

[grimfang]

I am headed to Buffalo on Friday morning for a three-day working vacation. I have a 10-12 hour workday planned Saturday, but the rest of the time will be free for relaxation. I might head up to Niagra Falls this time... every time I am in the area, I just never get around to going there. Its not my ideal vacation destination, but I go where the work takes me and try to make the most of it.

[Cozy Monica]

Lovepants, yep... some friends there have become like family... have to keep in touch and visit as much as we can!

I'm going camping tomorrow, just for one night, out in the mountains, and then on Saturday it's off to see the Body Worlds show. (if you haven't heard of it, be sure to Google it... it's AWESOME)

I got back from working out at the gym tonight, and I am trying my hardest to make sure I work out at least three times per week. The only thing that kind of sucks about it is that it renders me rather useless afterwards. I don't know how people who work out in the mornings do it because I'm toast for the rest of the day after a work out.

My body is weak and tired, and I just don't have the energy to pull off much else... unless it involves sitting down.

[mynameisjim]

Monica, was it you that started a thread a while back regarding working out? If so, it's good to hear you're sticking with it.

This winter and spring I worked out like crazy. Every winter I get really depressed for some reason so I just focused on working out and lifting weights at the gym anytime I had spare time. I went from 175lbs to 210lbs. Yikes. I scare myself now..lol!

Keep at it though and if you're feeling tired even after you've been working out for a while, make sure your diet is adequate. But it can take up to 2 months to not feel wiped after your workouts.

[kiara]

I have been working out a lot to Turbo Jam and my elliptical machine. I've dropped a TON of inches and some weight. It takes me longer than most people though. It's taken me 4 and a half months but losing it slow seems to be the best way for me to do it. I've lost weight really fast before and usually that's by eating a tiny bit and as soon as I start eating again it all comes flooding back. So this seems much more effective as well as long term. But I am looking sexy :-). I just know your going to feel great when that bikini is looking HOT on you !

[sunfunbill]

As someone who has worked out all my life, I can tell you that some people are morning types and some are evening types.

I've never understood those people that go to the gym at 5:00 AM, then go to work. I could never do that. I always work out in the evening.

Actually evening is a good time because your body is well limbered up from being busy all day. Then when you get done, the best thing for your body is rest to let those muscles grow. So working out just before bed is a good practice and what I have always done.

I have been so busy I have lost a lot of muscle mass while gaining belly fat, a typical middle age scenario. I jog, but I don't even have to open my mouth and am not breathing hard, so it does not do much for me.

I will do more working out in a few months after I move out of the girls place.

[sexyvanessa]

I been workin like a crazy chook for the last month or so. Things just goin off for me and Im havin trouble finding enough hours in the day !!
We are also movin house this week and goin on vacation 4 days later - thank god!! I know Im gonna need to chill for a week on the sand-but wow !!

[Cozy Monica]

mynameisjim, I'm with you on the depression train... my problem is both ends of the spectrum though. I find that good exercise really helps to even me out, and makes for a better sleep cycle.

kiara, I think you are really right that weight lost slowly is better because it's more likely to stay off. While I haven't actually lost any pounds, I've lost about an inch everywhere, so that's a good start. Very slow, but I'm still happy about it.

sunfunbill, it's the belly fat I want to lose. It seems to take SO MUCH more work to lose anything in that area. I'm in that middle age scenario where my metabolism has slowed down and I just can't get away with eating whatever the hell I want anymore.... but I do it still anyway. I'm hoping that by increasing my exercise, I won't have to decrease the sweets too much... and will manage to lower my fat a tiny bit.

sexyvanessa, that's awesome!! I hope I'm busy like that this week... and I know I will be. I just wish I could get everything done in a day, it would feel so good!

[Footman]

Bill I would have to disagree with the evening being the best time for exercise. If that's the only time you can do it then of course do it then but it is far from the best time.

Metabolically speaking mid day is the best time because, as in your example, you're body is more 'awake.' But since most people work in the middle of the day, the next best thing is first thing in the morning. Why you ask? Well let me tell you... hehehe

While it may be tough to get up and head to the gym at such an early hour the benefits outweigh the inconvenience.
~Firstly your metabolism remains elevated for up to 8 hours, slowly returning to normal over that time. Working out in the morning allows for that extra caloric burn to happen without having it crash when you go to bed.
~You will feel more awake and alert throughout the day because of the AM workout which in turn can improve your performance, mental & physical, at work or whatever.
~Also, working out in the morning you'll be burning stored calories (fat and glycogen) to fuel the exercise as opposed to the food you've just eaten all day. Essentially you've stoked the fire or started the "factory" so the food you eat after your workout goes to replenish lost nutrients and doesn't get stored as fat as easily.

Having said all that I'm not a morning person. I much prefer to workout in the middle of the day when there are less people at the gym. But I do the morning workouts when I have to because I can get in and out quickly. There's always less people there in the AM than the evening and those people tend to be more professional and get in and out because they're headed to work. The evening crowd tends to hang out more, which I personally find annoying.

Again, if you can ONLY do your workouts in the evening then that's when you do it. It's better than not doing anything.

Everyone is a little different but across the board and generally speaking the AM workouts are much better for you.

[Footman]

Monica, the increase in belly fat as we age is normal. I hate it too but it's normal. I have to fight more than ever to keep it off and my problem is I like the very foods I shouldn't eat! lol

As we age our natural growth hormone production drops and is replaced with cortisol production. It's an inverse relationship. Cortisol is a double whammy. It's a catabolic hormone, which means it breaks down tissue AND, here's the really good part, it redistributes body fat to the belly, lower back, butt and thighs.

What can we do about it? Well, not much really. There are a few things on the market that say the reduce cortisol or block it. Even if they work I'm leery because there is a reason why the body produces it and other things. BUT there are somethings we can do to minimize the affect. Eat better and eat less. The catabolic nature of cortisol means it breaks down muscle tissue over time. We lose, on average, 1/4 muscle per year after we stop growing, at best. Since our muscle accounts for about 70% or our metabolism you can imagine the affect of losing muscle has on our weight gain. Also, remember that our bodies produce more GH after a strenuous workout. But since mother nature has a sense of irony, the body also produces cortisol. So that means there is a balance that needs to be maintained. My workouts are usually 45 minutes long. After that it's diminishing returns based on your time spent working out AND the increased cortisol production. Actually a high intensity 30-45 minute workout that includes weight/resistance exercises and some cardio is best.

The idea is to turn your body into a factory instead of a storage facility. We should eat for what we NEED and not WANT. It is possible but it can be difficult for sure.

[Cozy Monica]

That's super good information Footman. I've always found it rather hard to figure some of this stuff out with so much conflicting info out there.

My main issue is eating. I love to eat. I enjoy good food, and I have a real sweet tooth. I want to have my cake and eat it too, again and again.

What I'm doing is trying to cut my portions down to a reasonable size, and trying to eat better. That's not so hard, but cutting out all the extra treats is hard. There's always an excuse... oh it's Christmas, oh it's Easter, oh we're on holiday, oh it's a hot day let's get ice cream, oh just this once.

I'm doing pretty good at the exercising now. I'm doing a good cardio and strength training workout when I'm at the gym. I think the improvement I can add here is going more days of the week. Right now, I'm only going to the gym three times per week, and I'm struggling to maintain that. I'd like to be going to the gym four or five times per week.

Building muscle sounds like it's a very important part of increasing metabolism then... so I'm pretty happy about my weight training.

[Footman]

Monica it's true about the confusing info out there. Most of it is actually pretty sound - basically - but remember most of what you here is coming from people trying to sell something. That doesn't make what they're saying wrong, just slanted.

I'm just like you when it comes to eating. I love food. I'm Italian and Puerto Rican. I grew up on pasta, bread, rice and beans. I also love junk food. I can't forget to mention I also make cheesecakes. Used to sell them. So food is a tough thing for me too.

Sounds like you're on the right track. It's all about baby step after baby step. We have to live in this world and we still want to enjoy what we like. You don't need to cut out everything you enjoy. That's extreme and is fine if you want extreme results. Just remember the universe seeks equilibrium. Go extreme is short lived and the backswing could leave you off worse than when you started.

Yes, building muscle is important and I dare say even more important for women because it's so hard to build. Testosterone builds muscle and women have very little in their systems. So just know that no matter how much weight you lift in the gym you will never look like the professional female bodybuilders. They're on steroids you're not so don't be afraid to lift. If you do EVERYTHING perfect to build "muscle mass" you may actually put on 5-8 lbs in a year. If that's the case you have done an immense amount of lifting and eating. If your eating to lose weight you simply won't build muscle.