LMV's Gym Thread

Crohn's Disease Forum

Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:

No, with eating before it depends what time I go. Its an hour at the least. Its probably usually more than that.
I don't know if I feel much different. Its hard to tell because most of the time I'm sitting around doing nothing so its not like I can say, oh I felt better while I was at work .
But I have thought I might not be as sleepy in the afternoons.
And I have started to notice some muscle tone as well :)
 
How's it going today, LMV? Did you hit the gym on Friday? How was it, were you able to accomplish everything you wanted to? And how are you feeling since that first infliximab infusion, any better or different?
 
Hi Cat. :)
I did hit the gym on friday and it went well :)
I gave it a miss today in favour of sitting infront of the TV with my friend eating sweets...
I'll go tomorrow instead! :p
I don't feel any different since the infliximab, I'm not really expecting to feel much different tbh, I'm still feeling pretty good since coming off the steroids, I'm basically just hoping to notice long term effects with it like... not flaring again while I'm on it and my fistulas closing! :p
But at least it hasn't had any bad effects :)
 
Glad to hear you're going tomorrow. I can't comment on eating sweets because I may or may not be eating candy right now myself. :p Ha ha. Glad to hear the infliximab is going well so far. Are you on any other meds or just that one right now? I'm just on Asacol myself (in addition to multiple GERD meds) and fortunately it's been working pretty well (knock on wood) and has kept me in remission for a couple years now. I hope you can have a nice long remission too. :)
 
I was a bit annoyed at my gym session today. As I have mentioned before there is only one bike machine I can use there because the other don't go down far enough for my little legs!
Anyway, when I walked into the gym there was a woman sat on the bike with a personal trainer next to her. So I was like, ok ill do treadmill first then hopefully they will be finished. She wasn't using the bike, just sitting on it and I thought from what I could see maybe she wasn't very well. Anyway, 12mins later I had finished on the treadmill and they were still chatting on the bike...
So I went onto the rowing machine and 10mins later they had still not finished! So I went onto the cross trainer for a few mins. They were still chatting away, I did my weights and left!
They were still chatting and I didn't get to go on the exercise bike! :( I didn't really feel like I could ask them to move but it was a bit annoying.
I might not be able to go again this week either because of the bank holiday on friday they are closed. I might be able to squash one in on thursday.
 
I've had the same thing happen, LMV, and it's always annoying. I've learned I have to be a little bit bold, and if someone is just sitting on a machine I want to use, I now will go and ask them if they're using it. Usually people are really nice and will let me have it. Yesterday at the gym, a girl was leaning against a machine I wanted to use and was talking to her friend. I asked them if I could use the machine, they said sure and went somewhere else to talk. I'm usually quite shy about that kind of thing but sometimes you just have to ask for what you want. Sometimes it seems like in my gym, people will just sit on a machine and text or whatever on their phone forever without actually using the machine - I don't feel too bad about asking those people if they could move. I try to never hog a machine for too long and I hate when people don't show me the same courtesy, so I'm getting over my shyness and am getting better about asking people to move off of a machine if they're not actively using it.

I hope you get to go again on Thursday then. My gym closes on xmas and I think that's about it! It's open 24/7 and I think it's open all the other holidays. I should probably check and see if it'll be open on Easter though...
 
I managed to get to the gym again today!
I was going to try and take my cardio up to 35mins, which I have been meaning to for a while. But I didn't because me and mum were trying to coordinate my gym session with her doing the shopping and I saw her turn up to pick me up from the gym as I had just done 30mins. So I thought I should just do some weights and go so I don't keep her waiting too long.

So my gym is closed Friday and Monday for Easter, and with infliximab on tuesday I won't be able to get bk to the gym until wednesday. But I'm thinking if I do my resistance bands work out on sat and monday then I will be working out every other day for over a week so I'll see how that goes. :)
 
Good luck with working out every other day! You can do it! :) As for having to rush when your mom came to pick you up, that kinda sucks, I really hate having to rush my workout because of someone else or because I have to be somewhere at a certain time. Fortunately my hubby likes having a nice long non-rushed workout too so neither of us is rushing when we go to the gym together.

Wow, that's crazy that your gym is closed Friday and Monday too! I called and my gym is going to be open even on Easter, apparently they don't ever close except on xmas. So I'm going to go have lunch with my grandparents on Easter and then work out in the evening. I'm hitting the gym on Friday too and I have the day off of work, woo hoo! :D
 
My working out every other day didn't work out :(
On Saturday I was just being lazy and I couldn't be bothered! So I did my resistance band work out on Sunday and Monday instead. Then had infliximab yesterday, should be going to the gym today but suddenly saw my week filling up. I have to apply for three jobs a week to get my benefits, had to go in to town today and sign on. I have training at the hospital tomorrow mid day and then on Friday I'm supposed to be having a day out with Mum. So I'm going to try and apply for all my jobs this afternoon and then squeeze in the gym tomorrow afternoon. Its going to be the first time ever I haven't done the gym twice a week, but I might try and get more resistance band workouts in!
I always ache the next day after so I know its a good workout even if it is only 10mins!
 
After writing that post above I did end up going to the gym today!
I did my jobs quicker than I expected and I thought it would be easier to fit it in this afternoon. I'm glad I went.
I managed to get my cardio up to 35mins by doing another machine at the end. To be honest it wasn't even too hard. I might even try to do 40mins next week. I mean yeah I was tired, but I think I could have kept going!
I didn't do too well on my rowing machine though because I had a stitch. And when I was on the bike I was trying to further than I did before, so I was going quite fast and in the end I was at exactly the same (3.03km in 10mins!) that has happened to me twice now!!
Also, I bumped into a girl from school I haven't seen in years and we had a chat. She was really nice so I'm pleased about that. I might have made a new friend! :)
 
I'm glad you were able to hit the gym in spite of being busy! Sometimes it's tricky to squeeze in a workout, but I'm happy that you were able to fit it in. I have to schedule myself workout time every day, that way I know I'll do it because I have time blocked off just for that. That's excellent news too that you were able to do a longer workout. I can relate to trying to go further on the bike but still ending up going the same distance. If I really push myself, I can do 12 miles in one hour on the bike - but if I take it pretty easy, I end up doing like 11.75 miles on the bike. Only .25 mile difference, really? It feels like it should be more than that!
 
I had a really good day at the gym today :)
I managed to get my cardio up to 40mins 10mins x 4 machines. I like breaking it up like that because then one machine doesn't get too boring.
Also, within that I did an extra 1.5mins of running instead of walking and did the best I have done on the rowing machine. I put the resistance up half a step and did about an extra 70m, I think it was 1714m in 10mins
Then I did a few weights, stretched and went home.
The other good thing, is that as I walked into the gym, my hip was hurting a bit, so I thought I wasn't going to have a good work out. But it didn't hurt at all on any of the machines. When I was on the cross trainer, which I think was the culprit of the hip pain, I tried putting my feet a little closer together so I think that might help.
Also, it cheered me up coz I was feeling sad this morning. While I was working out I didn't think about any of it. :)
 
Last edited:
Out of curiosity, are you still underweight? You seem to be doing a lot of calorically intense activity at the gym.
 
LMV, I like hearing updates like this one, very well done. :) I hope your hip continues to feel okay. I went through something similar, my left knee would start hurting after I had ridden awhile on the exercise bike. I'm not sure if I was sitting in a bad position on the bike or if my knee was just a bit weak or what, but I haven't had that knee pain in a little while (knock on wood!). I hope your hip pain stays away too! Good job on going farther and longer on your workout, that's excellent. :) I always feel my stress, sadness, etc go away too when I'm working out. It's like my therapy and my stress relief.
 
Kel - no I'm back up to a healthy weight now, my BMI is about 20.

Cat - yeah I'm not sure what is going on with my hip, I think its muscular though.
Now that I have got my cardio up to 40mins. I'm not sure what to aim for next. I know I can keep increasing the intensity, and can go for longer if I want to later on. I'm not really sure!
 
You need to set some goals! Do you want to run a race? Or ride your bicycle somewhere in particular? A triathlon maybe? Or maybe not races, but is there some sort of fitness goal you have? It can be anything from serious to silly. As I'm sure we've discussed before, one of my silly fitness goals is to have a flatter tummy - still working on that one! Another one of my goals is to ride my bike around each of the lakes in my city. There's also a bicycle event here called "Ride the Drive" where they shut down city streets for a day and let everyone bicycle downtown without car traffic getting in the way, and there's this one big hill downtown that I just could not do last year. My goal is to make it up that hill this year, without having to get off and walk! I've been doing hill programs on my bike regularly and I think I can beat that big hill this time around! So, think about specific things like that that you want to do. Do you want to look better, feel better, go faster, win something, etc? Pick something and go for it!
 
I just put this in the other thread but I wanted to put it here as well:

Me and my sister just got back from a fun morning in town.
We went to both buy sports bras!
The first shop we both went in the same changing room because they went out into the shop so we didn't want to have to go out into the shop to show each other! I asked the guy if we could go in the same one and he was like "eerr... If you want to?!" haha
My sister got two, and some trousers and spent a total of £70! I did really like the first one I tried on, the same as what she got which was £30, but in the end I got another one from another shop for £22. Its a bit more bra shaped rather than like a crop top style but still has enough support. But I'm happy to wear mine underneath a top, whereas she wanted to wear hers on its own.

She might come to the gym with me on Friday, I hope she does lol it will be fun.

Cat- we have defo spoken about the goals before! Each time I achieve one I think we have spoken about which one I should have next. I defo want to go on some outdoor bike rides. I need to sort out a bike though... lol

Right now my goal is go to the gym in my new bra! haha, I will do this on Friday!
 
:) That's a good goal, and I hope that if your sister goes with you that you both have fun. Don't let yourself get distracted by her being there though. I see people at my gym who just stand around and talk to each other the whole time without actually bothering to do any exercise! There's one girl who goes to my gym and she's obviously very serious about exercise, she's there often and is always working hard. I admire her. But once she brought a friend who was clearly not so serious about exercise, and the friend tried to not do much and just chat the whole time. It was clear the girl and her friend were kind of a mismatch in the gym, and I haven't seen the friend with her since. I was leary about bringing hubby to the gym with me since I know I do so well on my own, but fortunately he's serious too and doesn't want to stop and chat ever. :p

New workout clothes are so fun. :) I got 2 new sports bras the other week (on clearance, only $6 each!) and I've been wearing them every chance I get.

As for a bike, didn't you say someone (your mom?) has one you can borrow? You might be able to find a decent used bike for pretty cheap too, or if your city has anything like bike rentals then you could try that. My city has a program called B-cycle which is bicycles you can rent from various places around the city. It's expensive though, it's something like $8 for 30 minutes/ $15 for an hour! That's pretty pricey, and would add up quickly if you want to go on a longer ride. It seems to be really popular here though. I figured for that price I may as well just buy a new bike, so I did that last year.
 
Don't worry cat I don't think she will distract me! She is quite into her fitness. She said she will just follow me around the gym to we are interested to see if she can keep up with my work out!

Yeah my mum has a bike I can use. But I need to check it out because it has a flat tyre/puncture. My sis says she is going to get her bf to look at it for me (he is a bike mechanic) He can hopefully sort it for me. But I'm also worried because I'm rly small 4 ft 11, and my legs are quite short. My mum is about an inch or so taller than me, but we have to have the seat adjusted when we drive the same car, I have to move it forward. Whereas my mum and dad can drive the car with the seat in the same place when he is three inches taller than her.
So I'm worried her bike will be too big for me and I will be too scared to ride it if I cant touch the floor.
If I need to buy a bike I probably will get a used one, If I can get one small enough! :p
I can't hire one here, coz I want to ride around the village and we don't have anything like that here. But that has given me an idea, if I do go on that riding holiday I mentioned before, I will defo be able to hire one there.
 
Hm, I recall having a similar issue with borrowing my mom's bike years ago in high school and having it be just a bit too tall/big for me. I'm 5'8" (I'm the shortest in my family!) and my mom is closer to 5'10", so only 2 inches difference in our heights. But like you said, it does seem to make a difference. I hope you can figure something out or find a decent used bike that fits you properly.
 
Me and my sister went to the gym today and I had a really good work out. I was pleased about this gym sesh for three reasons:
1. My sis got in for really cheap! It cost her £2.50 and she isnt even a member, we think he made a mistake!
2. My sis kept up with me really well. She went a bit slower than me but still managed 40mins. (I knew she would do well coz she does work out every day but doesn't use the gym so isnt used to the equipment)
3. My sis was impressed with how I work out. Said I work really hard :)

I also got to try my new sports bra! Its great coz you basically forget you have ****s and don't have to keep pulling the straps up.

I was a bit worried before I went because I had just had to run to the toilet like three times and I didn't fancy doing that in the gym! But luckily I didn't notice it, only a bit of stomach pain when I was running so I just took that down a bit.

I did even better on the rowing machine again!

Also, I know for sure I am fitter and stronger than I used to be. I can do so much more in the gym and my muscles feel stronger. I used to feel like Jelly and think, how am I going to drive home! Now they ache but its nothing like before. I also feel like someone who goes to the gym now instead of someone who just pretends to be... If that makes sense? lol
 
I very nearly laughed out loud at the "you forget you have ****s" part! :p

And your last sentence, yes, I can relate! It took me a long time to really feel like "I'm somebody who works out". I was going to the gym but didn't have a ton of confidence in the beginning so I didn't really feel like I belonged there. And honestly I still have kind of a hard time with it, I look at myself in the mirror and it's still kind of amazing that I have muscles. I think, "Am I an athlete? Can I call myself that?" I'm still a bit unsure! I got so used to being "sick girl" that it's still strange in a way to be "healthy girl". Sometimes I still feel like I have to justify myself too. I see people at the gym who are obviously there just to look good, and I think, "I'm not one of those people." I see this very overweight woman at my gym sometimes, and I see her struggling and fighting but she never gives up, even though she looks like she is absolutely miserable. And I really relate more to her than to the fit people, because I feel like I'm like her. Like I'm fighting a huge battle every day I'm in the gym, even though I'm not overweight and I'm not fighting the same battle she is, but we're both warriors. We're not there to look hot, we're there to fight our battles. So I guess I feel more like a warrior than an athlete if that makes any sense! :p

Anyway, this post is already too long, but I'm glad you had such a good workout session. Is your sister going to go with you more often? And did they repair any of the stuff that was broken the last time you were there?
 
Yeah I know what you mean. It does feel a bit strange being there for a different reason to most. Although I think there are quite a lot of people at my gym who are older or fatter and are doing to get healthier.
I don't think my sis will come with me again, well maybe but probably not too often. She is going back to uni tomorrow. Though she only has three weeks left. But I think she wants to join a gym when she goes back to uni for next year. The problem is she can't drive and if I get a job then she wont be able to come with me which is why she doesn't want to join.

I didn't see if the step machines had been fixed, but I did notice another out of order sign so ill keep an eye on it!
 
Went to the gym again today.
Didn't too as well today.
I had a GI appointment this morning - all went well. But then I wanted to fit in my Gym sesh quickly because I have two job interviews tomorrow so I want to prepare for them this afternoon.
I found the gym quite hard and I'm blaming it on not having enough time to have a coffee before hand, and also being my time of the month.
I only did 30mins of cardio, but I didn't mind too much because I wanted to get home.
Cat! I forgot to notice if the machine has been fixed! But I walked straight past it so I'll say it was otherwise I would have noticed the out of order sign.

Aaagh, I'm a bit nervous about my interviews tomorrow. I have two interviews for the same company, with different managers for different positions. I really really want either of the jobs! They r food science type jobs so right up my street, but very entry level which is great because I just need as much experience as I can get. Also its on the University campus so I will be able to pretend I'm still a student, plus, its quite close to the hospital so will be perfect for appointments or volunteering! Its my perfect job I just need to persuade them that!
 
Best of luck with the interviews, LMV! That sounds ideal, I hope you can get one of those jobs! Fingers crossed for you!

That's good that they (probably) fixed the machine at your gym. They did fix the one broken machine at my gym too - but the other stuff I complained about is still not fixed. I hope they fix the bathroom stall at my gym soon, obviously that's an important thing!
 
Cat - I'm getting ahead of myself, the gym at the University looks so big and shiney! It looks so exciting! It says on the website it has 80 weight machines!
Its quite expensive though... :/ But hey I will have a job then! and if I get membership it might inspire me to go more, and it might wake me up after being at work all day.
Getting ahead of myself, I need to get through these interviews first!!
 
Wow, 80 weight machines! I'm going to have to count the weight machines at my gym the next time I'm there, but I'm guessing it's less than half that. And there's 7 or 8 machines at the little gym in my workplace. :p I'm jealous of the 80 machines, that's awesome! Now I REALLY hope you get one of those jobs!

And yes, it should wake you up and give you energy if you exercise after work or even on your lunch break. I personally really enjoy working out on my lunch hour, on those days I don't get the afternoon sleepiness even if I eat a big lunch after working out. :)
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
Don't worry cat I don't think she will distract me! She is quite into her fitness. She said she will just follow me around the gym to we are interested to see if she can keep up with my work out!

Yeah my mum has a bike I can use. But I need to check it out because it has a flat tyre/puncture. My sis says she is going to get her bf to look at it for me (he is a bike mechanic) He can hopefully sort it for me. But I'm also worried because I'm rly small 4 ft 11, and my legs are quite short. My mum is about an inch or so taller than me, but we have to have the seat adjusted when we drive the same car, I have to move it forward. Whereas my mum and dad can drive the car with the seat in the same place when he is three inches taller than her.
So I'm worried her bike will be too big for me and I will be too scared to ride it if I cant touch the floor.
If I need to buy a bike I probably will get a used one, If I can get one small enough!.
Click to expand...

Oh, you can adjust bicycle seats by a good 4-6 inches to adjust for various height riders without it making any real difference in your ride.

If there's not more than 5 inch height difference between you and your mom, you shouldn't have any difficulties riding her bike--unless she was riding a bike that was already a too big for her.

I'm just over 5' and you could easily ride my bikes, which I bought at garage sales, used, but my bikes are really nice bikes. Even my old 10 speed commuter bike is from the 70s, but it's a Schwinn Supersport, which was top of the line back then, and is STILL a much, much better bike than any brand new "fall-apart" bike from a "big box" store. It's also chromoly, and at 30 lbs., still lighter weight than many modern bikes.

My road bike is an Airborne, which was a U.K. Company, manufactured in the UK. It's also titanium and at 16 lbs, is uber light weight, incredibly fast, and would have been been several thousand dollars, if I hadn't bought it used at a rummage sale. When riding long distance, weight makes a gigantic difference, but for short distance, heavier bikes provide a more strenuous workout.

Anyway, before shopping for used bikes at rummage sales, I highly recommend you first do a little research and learn the difference between the better brands/models and the total crap bikes, because at rummage sales, there's often not much of a price difference between the 2, but the difference in the ride is enormous.


Best of luck on your job interviews :)
 
Omg everyone.... I've been offered the job!! I start on Thursday! Can't quite believe it.
I know my gym routine is probably going to go out the window now... I'm not going to worry about it too much yet. I just wanna maybe go a week or two into the job to see how it goes and then think about trying to fit in the gym again.

Wow, is it strange I'm actually a bit upset about leaving unemployment behind me? I guess it must just be nerves about leaving the comfort of being at home all day. I know this job is right for me.
 
I said this already in your thread in Members Only, but I'll say it again here - congratulations LMV!! I'm sure once you settle in to your job and get your daily routine figured out, you'll be able to fit in workouts here and there. Don't let the gym slip entirely by the wayside, but one thing at a time of course. You can always work out at home before/after work with your resistance bands too if you can't get to the gym. I work out at home a few days a week and it is convenient, although there are a lot more distractions at home ("I'm going to ride the bike just right after I start the laundry, take out the garbage, unload the dishwasher..."). Because of that, I do prefer the gym. But anyway, you'll figure it out. Good luck and congrats again!
 
14cwpbn.jpg
 
Hi everyone :)
I haven't done any more exercising but thought I would just update you on my thoughts/plans.

So it turns out I only work mon-thurs :) I'm very pleased about this. Three day weekends are lovely and it also takes the pressure off a bit only needing to get through a four day week. So I've been thinking that I can go back to my gym on a friday (I only have an off peak pay as you go membership) As I have a job now this is going to go up to about £4.70 a time.

I'm also thinking of checking out the big gym, on the campus where I work for one evening a week, if I can get a similar pay as you go membership. Because at the moment my job is only for three months, I don't want to subscribe for a pay monthly membership if I don't have a job in three months time. I have also had the thought that, say I am paying £40 a month for this gym, and have a week off work I wont want to drive all that way to use the gym. Its 9.2 miles and takes about 25mins with the traffic, whereas the gym I use at the moment is 6miles away and takes about 15mins.

So basically I'm just thinking about this three months for now, and then I'll have to have another re-think after that.

The only annoying thing is, I only get to drive the car to work once a week (coz I share with my mum) that will be a weds when I cant go to the gym coz I have my hospital volunteering. So I'll have to carry my gym stuff with me to work on public transport, then walk to the other side of campus from where I work which I reckon will take about 15mins, then do my work out, take public transport home looking a mess and get stuck in traffic. blah blah blah.

When I was working on thursday the manager mentioned they do pilates on a Thursday lunch time, so maybe I can get in on that.

Sorry this has been a massive ramble! haha. Its a really nice day today so I'm guna go outside and do my resistance bands work out :)
 
I said it in the other thread, but I'm jealous that you get off on Fridays! I've worked full-time Mon-Fri for awhile now. When I first started at my company (like 10 years ago) I got off on Fridays and that was sooo nice. I miss those days!

Do you have a locker or anything like that at work? I do, and I keep a gym bag in my locker so that I don't have to lug it back and forth between home and work. I do lunch hour workouts sometimes and it's really convenient to just have my workout stuff right there. I take my dirty gym clothes home at the end of the week and bring in fresh clean stuff with me on Mondays, it works out well.
 
No I don't have a locker, but I can keep my bag under my desk, I just wont want to keep it there over night.
I've thought of another option, I could go to the gym after work on a Tuesday, my mum will drive me to work so I don't have to do half the lugging about, plus on Tuesday I finish at 4 rather than 4.30 on a Monday so I will get home a bit earlier.

When I have the car on weds I'm guna drop into the gym on the way to the hospital and ask them about prices. I might try it out the week after. I might need to have another induction but I dont mind that because I can ask about the weight machines.
 
Hi everyone.
I have survived my first week at work! lol
I'm really looking forward to my weekend! And the first thing I'm going to do tomorrow... Hit the Gym!!! I have been eating a lot of chocolate at work! haha
I also need to get work out of my head. I guess coz I'm learning a lot I can't stop thinking about it. It is a bit stressful because I'm already quite busy and taking in so much. Thats why I'm really looking forward to taking all my stresses out in the gym. This is the first time really that I can use the gym in this way because before I wasn't stressed in the same way.

Also, while I'm talking about work I just want to do a tiny rant about the subject! haha

Actually... I just deleted my rant because I don't think I really need to go into it.... I guess I'm just learning about scheduling and having to deal with people trying to tell me what to do, stand up to people to say I can't make certain meetings if I'm held up etc.

I'm also annoyed at my Dad, lol. Basically he works with a company who are not very supportive and he hates it. So now if I mention to him, oh I found this hard today. He keeps going on about his work. Like I mentioned having a lot to do. He says "at my work if you say you have too much to do they just say you aren't organising yourself properly" etc. I don't actually care and it doesn't help me! I really get sick of his negativity! Its one thing to be realistic but negativity doesn't really help.

I'm also a bit worried about work next week because someone is on holiday, I have to cover things. So I am only just getting used to my work and I have to cover someone else's now.

So yeah.... Need to try and forget about work this weekend and have a good workout tomorrow!!

Sorry for rambling!
 
I know that feeling, after a stressful day/week at work there is nothing better than hitting the gym. Maybe your dad should go with you! :p

Seriously though, I hate that too, particularly when my hubby complains about his work. He works part-time like 2 days a week. I work full-time plus I have my illnesses to contend with. So I can't stand when he complains about work, because he gets to be at home way more often than I am, plus he's healthy. We just got new furniture and I didn't like how he arranged it, so I re-arranged it. He semi-jokingly threatened to put it back the way he had it, because "I'm home a lot more than you are so the furniture should be the way I like it." I got so mad at that! I'm rambling now, but I feel for you. Hearing about someone else's work troubles is not helpful at all to dealing with your own.
 
I seriously enjoyed my workout today :) I felt so uplifted afterwards it was great. Considering it has been more than a week since I last went, I still kept up to my 40mins of cardio so I was really pleased. I think maybe I didn't go as hard as I usually do but thats ok.
I'm just really pleased it made me feel so much better!
 
So I've been thinking recently about the changes in my body (appearance wise) since exercising. I am definitely more toned than I used to be, but something I didn't really expect, which might have been a bit naive of me, is that I just generally look bigger!

My arms, legs, bum and ****s all feel and look bigger than before. I guess this is where I have gained muscle but not really lost fat. I am currently about 47kg (1.51m tall). Which is the heaviest I have ever got to (been this weight before but not above it). I don't know why I didn't really expect this, I imagined being more toned but looking the same size. I had to buy a pair of jeans in the next size up the other day!

I don't really know how I feel about this. I mean at the end of the day I know I'm quite healthy atm and obviously that is the main thing. But I suppose I'm just not used to seeing myself at this size which is why I feel bigger.

One good thing though, I noticed that my cellulite has gone down! The first time I got it was when I first went on steroids after being diagnosed and put on 2 stone in a short space of time. I assumed it kinda formed where I was putting on fat so quickly, and I only had it in small patches on my bum/hips. I knew exercise could help but I didn't really expect that much difference, so that is a nice thing :)

The only thing which really hasn't changed is my lower abdomen, though we have spoken about this before. To be honest I haven't really been exercising it either, feeling like it wont make any difference anyway. I have tried the plank a few times bit I don't really feel it that much, so maybe I need to find a different exercise to do for it.
 
I've experienced similar and it is weird especially at first. My shoulders have always been kind of wide, and they got wider/bigger as I got more into working out. Certain shirts don't fit me anymore because my arms & shoulders are too big now! It's not the most attractive feeling in the world, but my hubby assures me that I look better now than I have at any point in the past, so even though it feels weird to me, it seems to be a good thing. But it is weird, I assumed getting fit would mean fitting into clothes better, but now some of my favorite things don't fit right, so it is weird.

And yeah, I put on like 25 lbs when I was on steroids too, so I know that feeling! For me all the weight seemed to go to my tummy area, and some of it's still there. I still have cellulite too, on my thighs. I could ride my bike all day but I'd still have stubborn cellulite. Maybe it's just because I'm getting a little older, I don't know (I'm 33).
 
If its fat on your lower stomach then its normally the last area you lose and the 1st to put on). Any training that will burn fat will work and you dont have to do specific training for that area. If its muscle you want, then just keep on doing planks and free weights as these help build up your core stability.

Ive just found an app www.jefit.com thats really good for gym workouts. It allows you to store your circuits and tells you what weights you used before. It also has a part that shows you how to the each exercise, and also a chart for checking your weight etc. Ive just downloaded the free version.
 
Thanks rygon :) I'm kinda confused about "burning fat" you hear that quite a lot. Is it different to losing weight, which I know is all about energy balance.
Isn't burning fat something to do with your heart rate?
 
The way I understand it is that you have different kind of energy stores within the body.
The main ones are:-

carbohydrates, which are stored in the muscles. These are what your body will use 1st as they are stored as long chains of glucose/glycogen which are easy to burn. These are used for short intense exercises, and once depleted you will start feeling fatigued

Fat which is more denser, but harder to break down, thus takes longer before your body can start using this type of energy.

Proteins are not really there as energy storage, but can be used if needs be (ie not much of carbs or fat left). These are the building blocks of your muscles so getting to this stage will mean your muscles will start to "waste away". The protein is only used on hard endurance type exercises.

So to lose fat you need to be exercising long enough to get your fat molecules broken down (15-20mins). I have heard that you should do low intensity long periods of exercises as this is more efficient way of burning fat, but its more important to use as much energy up as possible to lose as much fat. Because of this, I would rather do high intensity workouts that last 45-60mins, then a slow easy workout that lasts 2hours.

Now when it comes to losing weight. All of the energy supplies above will lose weight. But at the same time, you will be building up muscle, which is denser than fat, so your weight is a balance between how much fat you lose and how much muscle you gain.

To build your muscles up you need a supply of proteins, this is why people drink those whey protein drinks, to help give enough protein to rebuild the muscles (whether it works or not is another story)
 
Thanks! :)
That sounds about right. I actually learned all that in my degree last year so I feel a bit silly for asking now! But I suppose it shows how much easier to learn when you can actually apply it or are more interested in it! haha
 
haha yeh, I remember learning it all at school but didnt really pay attention to the consequences until I started needing to lose weight lol.
 
Ive always been told that if you want big strong muscles you want to be going 6-8 reps, whereas for endurance your muscles requires 12-15 reps. In between you will be getting a bit of both.

You want to be using weights that make the last rep a real struggle. I normally do 3-4 sets of these, with 1min rest between sets.

I think its to do with your different muscle fibres at work (although not sure of the science), but for me doing kickboxing I want to work not only on getting a bit of muscle and strength, but more importantly fast, muscles that dont tire quickly. So I normally do 12-15reps workout, throwing in 6-8rep workouts every so often.



I think it is important that you concentrate on one area of your body per gym session to get the most out of it as well. I split my sessions down to biceps, chest, stomach, then back, triceps, shoulders another day. The last day is legs. This also helps to rest these muscles as I am exercising a different body group, so I am not over exercising all my muscles
 
Thanks, that sort of makes sense (about the muscle size and rep numbers) though I'm not sure of the science either. I think I need to concentrate on doing more reps :)

And it also makes sense about doing different muscles on different days. I think I would defo do that if I went to the gym more often. But as it is I am going once a week so my muscles get plenty of rest! :p
 
I didn't get to go to the gym today :(
I was booked onto this careers day thing in London. Basically I need the certificate for it if I'm going to apply for a masters course I'm thinking about. (really just to keep my options open). I was hoping I would get back home for three and would be able to go to the gym afterwards. But my phone died so I couldn't call my mum to pick me up from the station so I had to walk. By then I just wasn't in the mood to go to the gym!
I might go swimming tomorrow with mum. I really want to go on a bike ride but my Mum's bike hasn't been fixed yet...
 
Swimming sounds fun! That sucks that you didn't make it to the gym though. Is your gym open on weekends? If so, maybe you could go Sat or Sun. One of the things I really like about my gym is that it's open 24/7 and even open on most holidays (it was open on Easter!). As for the bike thing, you said your sister's boyfriend repairs bikes? I wonder if he'd have a loaner bike he could lend you while your mom's bike is in the shop.

How's the job going now that you've been doing it a little while? Is it getting easier, are you getting used to working?
 
I have an off peak gym membership so I can only go before 5 mon-fri. Hence why I can only go on a friday now with work!!
I have looked into other gyms but I cant get a deal like I have now and I don't want a pay monthly deal until I have a permanent job.
Work is ok thanks. I am getting used to working now and I feel like I know what I have to do. But I'm still finding it hard with scheduling my time. I had a meeting with my manager and explained there is no way I can fit in my lunch. My day is badly organised but out of my hands to rearrange. And then I get extra jobs to try and fit in which I can't...
aagghh... welcome to working life right? :p
 
Huh, that's interesting what your gym considers to be peak hours. I can tell you that my gym is always pretty empty on Friday evenings and at all times on Sat/Sun! Sometimes on a weeknight it's very busy, but for pretty much the entire weekend, the gym is dead quiet and hardly anybody is there.

So, are you saying you can't take a lunch because there's no time? That's not right. I'm pretty sure that here, they're required to let you have a lunch break if you work a certain number of hours in a day (more than 4 hours I think?). I don't know how it works over there though. Hang in there for now, hopefully this job is the springboard to something better/permanent for you.
 
Lol, thats interesting about when you say the gym is busy! I'm not sure what the gym is like at peak times because obviously I have never been then!

Yeah its the law here to get a break too. But basically... I have people coming in at certain times each day. First lot of people in the morning, the second at lunch time, prep for each one before, staying there during and tidying after. So these people are here from 9.30-2.45. The managers ask me why I haven't gone for lunch yet! I have told them about it so they are going to discuss getting someone to cover for me while I have a break.
But its annoying because its because of their organisation that it happens. I noticed straight away that meant I wouldn't be fitting in a lunch break and it takes them years to realise. Years because the person I am covering has done the job for years. The annoying thing is they keep saying, well she used to do it somehow. Or she just never complained about it. Don't know how they would do it for years and not notice though.

But saying that, just because its the law it doesnt mean it happens. In my old job you could go 12 hours or more and not have time for a break. New people join and are like, omg u can't put up with that, but then they do after a couple of days because that is the way it is.

I'm sure it will get sorted out in this job though, they just didn't realise it was an issue until I raised it.
 
Enjoy it LMV! I've had a stressful week and it's only half over so I can definitely relate! I'm hitting the gym on Friday too (and tonight also). Is your job still so hectic? Have you had a chance to take a lunch break yet?
 
Work has been ok this week, but that probably means it will be worse next week!
Yes my lunch break has been sorted out which is great. They have basically said we all have to cover each other so we all get our lunch. And having lunch at lunch times means my afternoon feels longer so its easier to fit my afternoon stuff in :)
 
I'm glad you're getting a lunch break now and that things are going okay. Have fun at the gym tomorrow!

Oh, and this is random, but I was wondering... you mentioned not being able to go to the gym at peak hours, so you have to go before 5 PM. What would happen if you got there at like 4:30 and stayed longer than 30 mins? Would they kick you out or just let it go?
 
No I don't think they would chuck me out. They are a fairly small and friendly gym so I don't think they would. I haven't tried it though, I've always tried to get there for four at the latest. I suppose if it really was an issue they could say on the way in, make sure its only 30mins or whatever.
 
Gym sesh went well :)
I was a bit annoyed this morning because I knew I was supposed to be going into town today with my mum and sister to go shopping. But I thought I would have time to go to the gym first, because I prefer going in the mornings. But mum was like, ohh I won't have time blah blah blah. So I was like fine, lets go into town now and I'll go to the gym after.
I wanted to get some new work out clothes but didn't see anything I liked so that was a bit disappointing. I'm guna look online to get an idea of what shops to try next time.
Anyway so I went to the gym in the afternoon, got there at about half three.
It was OAP central... seriously I have never seen it so busy in there and it was mostly old people going rly slowly on the cardio machines! I don't want to sound mean, its great that they go but it was slightly annoying because I didn't get a chance to go on the bike.
So I did 30 mins of cardio, and then thought I would take a bit longer with my weights instead. (free weights because there was someone on the machine I wanted!!) I just did a bit on my arms, but where I usually try to do 12-15 reps twice, I took it a bit slower and did it three times.
Overall it was great, the OAP's were only a slight annoyance :p
And then on the way home someone in front of me wanted to go 30mph the whole way, when the speed limits are 40, 50 or 60 along there! Luckily I got to overtake at some point!!
 
I'm not sure what OAP stands for! But I can relate, at my gym there are so many people who just love to walk slowly on the treadmills for a long time. I like to walk on the treadmill just for a few minutes to cool down at the very end of my workout, but sometimes it's impossible to hop on a treadmill because they're so popular. It's only ever the treadmills, though. I don't get it - especially with the weather being nice now, you would think people would just go for a walk outside if all they want to do is walk!

That's funny that you say mph - you guys don't do kilometers per hour there? We do mph here but in Canada they do kmph. I went to Canada a few years ago and I kept having to do conversions in my head from mph to kmph, because we rented a car in the US and it only had mph displayed on the speedometer, but when we drove into Canada, all the speed limit signs there were in km per hour. I was sure I was either going to go way too slow or way too fast and cause some kind of trouble! Anyway, I'm rambling again. :p

Glad to hear you had fun during your workout for the most part! :)
 
OAP= Old aged pensioner
When I used to go to the gym we had the "mums" that would go there to meet up. They would do about 2 reps on a machine then spend the next 10mins chatting. They used to hate me for asking if they had finished with the machine so I could go on it.
 
Oh, Rygon, I hate when people sit on a machine not using it! There are a lot of younger people who go to my gym, and I swear some of them will sit down on a machine and just play with their phone for like 20 minutes! They are always really understanding though if I ask if I could sneak on the machine for just a minute.
 
haha, yes old age pensioners! :p
bless. They seemed to have it in for me today what with using up the gym machines and driving slowly!

Cat - I would be rubbish at converting mph to kph if I had to! Luckily most speedometers have both don't they. We only need kph if we go to Europe though.
 
I enjoyed the gym today! Pushed myself quite hard.
I did about 33 mins cardio and then did some weights with my arms. Tried to do more reps like I did last time. I was a bit shaky afterwards so I knew I had worked hard, and I was too tired to do anything else! haha
 
Yay LMV! That sounds like a very good workout. :D How was the job this week? Getting easier as time goes by, I hope?
 
Yeah its going good thanks. Just getting on with my work on my own now which is good, but a little bit lonely. I have been a bit quiet this week so the manager is going to try and think of a job for me, which is a kinda no deadline job which I can just get on with when I have spare time.
Also I have said I want to apply to the permanent position so they are encouraging me to get involved with as many things as possible to get a strong application. Need to try and be "pro-active" in the next month or so... Whatever that means lol
 
Excellent news all around! That's great about the holiday and the bike and hopefully there will be good news about the permanent job position too. When do you get the bike back from your sister's boyfriend?
 
He said he will try to get it done in the next couple of days, but I told him no rush. :) But hopefully I'll get a bike ride in at some point this week! I can't make it to the gym on Friday so it will be good if I can.
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
Another bit of good news! Me and my sis have booked our holiday! We are having four nights in the new forest, taking our bikes. In September. Really looking forward to it. :)
Click to expand...

Wonderful! If you're going to be riding any distance, just make sure you get some training in first -- so your bottom gets acclimated.

I made the mistake of riding a little too far on my first ride of the spring with my road bike, and I'm still feeling the pain. By now I should know better.
 
Just stumbled upon this and read the last page...
1. Good luck getting the permanent position. Glad to see you're still there (what, 2 months now?)
2. I'm laughing at your obviously-British words/phrases, then wondering what Americans say that sound obviously-American.
3. Really, do you use miles there instead of kilometers?
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
Thanks, that sort of makes sense (about the muscle size and rep numbers) though I'm not sure of the science either. I think I need to concentrate on doing more reps :)

And it also makes sense about doing different muscles on different days. I think I would defo do that if I went to the gym more often. But as it is I am going once a week so my muscles get plenty of rest! :p
Click to expand...

I know I'm late to the party, but rep# and its correlation with size and strength needs to be explained clearly. I'll post tommorrow when I have time.
 
When your muscles grow, there is a process going on called hypertrophy. This is defined as an increase in the size of skeletal muscle (the ones you can voluntarily use) by increasing the size of the component cells. There are two types of muscular hypertrophy - myofibril (sometimes spelled as myofibrillar) and sarcoplasmic.

Myofibril hypertrophy result in large increases in strength with less of an increase in the size of the muscle.

Sarcoplasmic results in a much larger muscle with less increase in strength.

Now how does this fit in to our training routines and goals? I'll shamelessly copy and paste from this article to explain:

Contraction against 80 to 90% of the one repetition maximum for 2–6 repetitions (reps) causes myofibrillated hypertrophy to dominate (as in powerlifters, olympic lifters and strength athletes.

Several repetitions (generally 8 – 12) against a sub-maximal load facilitates mainly sarcoplasmic hypertrophy (as in professional bodybuilders)

So basically, low reps (5) with heavy weights makes you stronger, while higher reps (10) makes you bigger. It's a lot more complicated than that, but I leave it to you to read more for yourself.
 
I've decided on my bike route around the village, which is 3.5 miles. So I was thinking that would be good for getting used to the bike.

Lustforlife, what do you mean obviously British phases? :p I think I talk normally! haha

On that subject, we had a global conference at work today, it was quite interesting I was there when we were talking to America.

Kel, thanks thats interesting :)
 
I was hoping for informative. :)

Anyway hope it helps. You don't have a high level of testosterone like a man does so you're not going to pack on slabs of muscle no matter what you do in the gym. But the same basic rules apply as we are all humans after all.
 
http://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/british-american.htm

You call 18-wheelers "juggernauts"?

Anyway - don't want to hijack the thread too much - I've nothing to add about going to the gym (I'm looking for people who have trained for a marathon), except a coworker of mine met his girlfriend at the gym, and actually her name is Holly. You and her are there only two people I've come across named Holly. I think that's what I meant to say last time and I forgot.
 
An 18 wheeler is one of those huge trucks you see on the highways. We also call them semi trucks. :) One of these:

Image21.jpg
 
Hey, I just realized it's the end of the week - did you get the bike back from your sister's BF yet?
 
Yeah we call them lorries! But our lorries don't really look like the "truck" in that picture.
I asked my Dad and he said truck is a British word but we don't use it in that context, its more for trains.

Back to exercise! I went on a lovely walk today with my parents. We drove to a small village near by and there is a lovely pub where they give out maps for a four mile walk. We shortened it and probably did about 3.5 miles. It was really lovely walking through the Berkshire countryside on a lovely day. Then we went to the pub for a drink at the end. Lovely day :)
 
My sis has updated me on the bike situation.
I don't have it back yet, he is still working on it. But basically he said, you can tell it has just been sat in the shed for a few years!!

It was all stiff and you couldn't even changed gears. He has fixed it (fixing it) and says it will be fine but it wont be easy to ride. So in the long term I'll have to get a new one. Which I kinda knew anyway!

I just hope it isn't too bad and I won't suffer from it on holiday. But then - Its not like I'm used to riding a really good bike anyway.
 
LMV, when I decided I was going to ride my bike, all I had at the time was a 15+ year old bike (one that I had in high school!) that had been sitting in my basement for many years and hadn't been ridden in over a decade. It still kind of worked and I got a few so-so rides in out of it. The gears worked but the brakes were almost nonexistent. :p I bought my new bike pretty soon afterwards. So, yeah, you can ride on a crappy bike, but probably better to think about a new bike sooner rather than later.
 
Yeah, its still three months before I go on holiday. I plan to go on rides in the village when I can so I'll see how it goes.
If I really hate it I'll get a new one!
But also I don't want to invest in a bike if it just ends up being a phase. Especially knowing now what not riding can do to the bike!
 
xX_LittleMissValentine_Xx said:
Yeah, its still three months before I go on holiday. I plan to go on rides in the village when I can so I'll see how it goes.
If I really hate it I'll get a new one!
But also I don't want to invest in a bike if it just ends up being a phase. Especially knowing now what not riding can do to the bike!
Click to expand...

Older bikes, classic cruisers and "fixies" (ie., single fixed gear) are all rage these days anyway.

My commuter bike is probably from the 70s, which I bought used for all of $35 at a rummage sale many years ago, and it's a Schwinn Supersport, and still a much better bike than many of the newer bikes sold today.

It actually rides just as good as it ever did---and it's always been a great riding bike. It's just that my husband is much bigger and stronger, and with a lighter weight road bike, I can ride much faster, which evens us out. When I'm by myself, I usually still ride my old Schwinn.

When we vacation in Key West, we rent very old, well rusted cruisers for the week, and have just as much fun riding them. Newer is not always better.
 
Last edited:
Thanks ya noy, its good to get another opinion. Especially since my sister's bf is constantly looking at bikes and probably only has eyes for the best. Its maybe like if I played an old piano I would notice a difference in the sound but other people might not.

I went to the gym today. I think I have lost a bit of my fitness, which is understandable since I've gone from twice a week to once a week if I can. I'm not too worried about it because I know I will be able to get back to where I was if I try. I did 35mins of cardio, and them some free weights. I definitely was going slower on the rowing machine, but in a way I don't think I was pushing myself as hard as usual.

I also had a really nice afternoon in town with my sis. We went to an asian restaurant, tried miso soup and had yet another pad Thai, yum yum. :)
Then we went shopping. I got myself two pairs of work out trousers, one as £10 and the other £16, slightly different to each other. Also, last weekend I got myself a sweaty betty jacket off ebay for £19 inc postage which arrived yesterday. So now I have some new work out gear :)
 
New workout clothes are so fun. :) It's great when you can get a good deal on them too. I found a super cute Nike workout jacket at the consignment shop for about $6 last week! I usually don't wear jackets when I work out so I've just been wearing it as a regular jacket, but it's still really cute.

That sounds plausible that you're losing some fitness by only working out one day a week. Hopefully you can catch up again when you get the bike back, and you could always do the resistance bands at home too.
 
So I didn't get to the gym yesterday because me, my mum and sister decided to have a day out to the beach! :)

I wanted to use the opportunity to drive because I hadn't driven on the motorway before. The beach we went to is close to where I will be going on holiday with my sister so I thought it would be a good opportunity to try it!

Unfortunately, on the drive it started tipping it down with rain! So heavy I haven't seen it that bad in so long! It was so awful being on the motorway with all the spray from all the other cars, we could hardly see the signs ahead of us it was horrible!! So not the best first experience of motorway driving!!

When we got to the beach the rain had stopped but it was quite windy. Me and my sis were in our summer dresses and the locals were in their coats! haha We went to go and have fish and chips in a pub and when we came back out it was sunny but still a cold wind. We found somewhere to sit which was sheltered against a sea defence and it was lovely!

The sun got hotter throughout the afternoon and it was very nice! I didn't dare to dip my feet in the sea though! A nice day out :)
 
That sounds like an awesome day out, besides the rain! >.< Even the frosty ocean wind can get frustrating on a day out at the beach. You can never go wrong with fish and chips though! :D

I do agree with Cat-A-Tonic though, an extra day or so couldn't hurt to get back to maintaining fitness. If you are still looking at a bike consider a fixed gear. I find that although they don't always go as fast, they are more durable and have less things to wear out/maintain/break. Ahah. I find feels more fun and less excercise-y with a fixed gear anyway, and they are often a bit cheaper.
 
I'm just waiting for my mum to get back from the shops and then I'm heading to the gym! :)

I'm wearing my new work out trousers and they look so much better than the leggins I was wearing! They don't make my tummy stick out as much.

I'm looking forward to having a good workout as I'm a teeny bit stressed, as I have a job interview next week to see if I get my job permanently! :S

Need to go and work out the stress a bit!!
 
Hope you had a good workout and were able to leave some of that stress in the gym! Good luck with the job interview too, I'm sure you'll do great. :)
 

Similar threads

N
Exercise causing me to flare-like symptoms...help!
Replies
17
Views
4K
NeverBeenEasier
N
R
Nearly 4.5 years in with Crohn's.
Replies
2
Views
1K
ras96mg
R
Papantoine
Neglect?
Replies
0
Views
246
Papantoine
Papantoine
Anna's Bandit
Hospital
Replies
5
Views
645
Crohn2357
Crohn2357
N
Loose stool 6-months post-op and diet questions
Replies
0
Views
575
NeverBeenEasier
N

Latest posts

Back
Top