JustUsFitnessLog

[conroeguy]

I would bet that once you start ramping up the distance with your running you will lean up a bit.
More weight lifting might be a good thing and may also help you with that soft feeling......although that might be more in your head.
The fact that you get out most days of the week and get moving is great, you might find that the extra weight lifting will help you keep some mucsle mass when you start training for distance.

Not sure why i responded to this..........I guess to say good work and good luck with your goals

 

[KaraBulut]

I thought I would start a fitness log as well. Overall I am fairly fit and active, and at a healthy body weight for my age and height. Sometime I just feel a bit ‘soft’. I would like to decrease my body fat percentage and tone up. Over the last 3-4 months I have lost 7-8 lbs. Considering my diet and exercise, I would have figured that I would have seen more results by now. Here is some information to give you an idea of where I am at.

General stats:

Age: 29
Current Weight: 155 lbs.
Height: 5’8”

You're not giving yourself enough credit. You're equating your progress to what you see on the scale. You've probably been losing fat and putting on muscle in your legs and in the areas that you've been training with weights.

What might help you is to focus less on weight and more measurements. If your goals are to look better in clothes, maybe the goal is to drop 1" off your waist and add 2 inches to your chest? You might also get a body fat percentage calculation done- you've probably made a lot of progress in that area and you don't realize it.

The scale isn't going to give you the best feedback. A tape measure, a mirror, and your friends telling you that you look good goes a lot further than just a few pounds.

Goals:

I just started with running about 6 months ago. In the fall I did several “fun runs” from 10 to 27 km. I would like to participate in a marathon as early as May. This means that I will have to start running more. The times I do go running in the week are with a partner. I need to get myself to be able to run on my own once or twice a week.

I would also like to do a bit more weight training. I got some dumbbells for home, when things are too hectic to get to the gym.

I would really appreciate some advice and encouragement.

I can post some photos in the next few days when I get the chance.

A few thoughts.

Your program is good and your diet is good- especially since you have a busy schedule. With the activity level that you're pursuing, you should eat what you can- and often.

You've got a challenge in balancing your cardio/sporting activity with your desire to do more weight training. Honestly- it's better to be fit than to have a bunch of muscles. If you're serious about doing more aerobic work, then you will want to focus more on strength and duration and less on bulking up.

And develop more specific goals- instead of having a goal like a marathon- focus on the specific goals to get you to where you need to be for a marathon.

I can post some photos in the next few days when I get the chance.

We like pictures!

 

[KaraBulut]

Here is a photo...looks like I still have a bit of work ahead of me.

Nah- you've got a good mesomorphic base. And you're height-weight proportionate. It's a good starting point.

 

[codeerror]

Great!
Seems like you've got your diet and regime worked out, so all there is to say is:
Keep up the good work! And keep posting updates.

*Subscribes to thread*

 

[KaraBulut]

Nice progress. You can definitely see the shift to lean mass and more definition- especially in your chest.

 

[vegetaishott2003]

That's a nice plan!

For me, about each day, at least an hour or two, I just do cardio(running the treadclimber and/or dance)....this is the thing, get some good music and let the vibe help you take it to the next level. During the last minutes of my workout, I try to focus on the muscles that don't feel worked.

 

[KaraBulut]

That's a nice plan!

For me, about each day, at least an hour or two, I just do cardio(running the treadclimber and/or dance)....this is the thing, get some good music and let the vibe help you take it to the next level. During the last minutes of my workout, I try to focus on the muscles that don't feel worked.

Why don't you start a workout/fitness thread here? Several of the other members have started one.

 

[vegetaishott2003]

Why don't you start a workout/fitness thread here? Several of the other members have started one.

Cool....I got to document everything I do!

 

[KaraBulut]

How about some update pics?

 

[KaraBulut]

If you're going to go to a more low carb diet, you need to eat more often. It's very hard to maintain your energy level on low-carb and if you start dragging, it defeats the purpose. The traditional three meals a day won't work on this kind of diet- you have to distribute caloric intake throughout the day.

Eat a lot of high protein snacks through out the day. On your vegetables, pay attention to the carb counts because many vegetables that are promoted as good are also high in starchy carbs.

Water intake can be a challenge. A high protein, low carb diet is very dehydrating (which is the general idea since fat is 95% water). Don't let yourself get too dehydrated.

As an aside- I'm not a fan of cutting diets. My personal belief is that they cause rebound. But you have to find what works for your body.

 

[KaraBulut]

I usually keep a lot of healthy things (vegetables, seeds, hard boiled eggs...)near my desk and graze on them throughout the day.

Cheese is also a good snack. The wax-sealed baby bells, string cheese packets and sealed cheddar sticks are all very portable and won't spoil during day as long as you keep them cool.

As for vegetables, I've mostly been eating lettuce, onions, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and broccoli.

Those are good choices. If you want to be aggressive with carb restriction- take a look at the onions - they're fairly high in sugars- which is why they carmelize and taste sweet when cooked.