Vintage

It sounds like you're going to need to put on some muscle mass. So in addition to the bodyweight and dumbbell training, you'll need to address diet as well. Muscle is built by eating at a caloric surplus (eating more calories than your body is burning each day) while strength training. So what does your diet look like now?

Meh. Someone's always going to be offended by something people wear. I get incredibly hot when I work out (which I do in a non-climate controlled garage gym), so I do wear the little shorts. Mine aren't underwear-length, though, and they're properly sized so they're not uncomfortable. But I try to balance them out with a more concealing and slightly looser top. I have two types of shorts- the tight "compression ones" and the slightly looser, stretchy ones from moving comfort. I usually don't wear the compression ones anywhere but the gym, though (I change to go run errands or what not). I don't look fantastic in them I don't think, but longer, baggier ones don't make me look so hot either, and they bother me more when weight training or when I'm doing stuff on the floor and I have to worry about people seeing up them. When it cools down a bit I wear capris instead.

I use yogurt where I would normally use sour cream or mayo in a lot of recipes. I also eat it with fruit sometimes. Just keep in mind that the flavored and pre-sweetened kinds have tons of sugar, and that even the plain does have a good amount of sugar (in the form of lactose). Some people tolerate dairy better than others, but if you don't notice a difference with or without it, I say go for it. I've recently switched to a Belgian yogurt made by a local company here in Austin and I love it. It's got more protein and I like the flavor better.

I generally squat without a full rack as well. It really depends on the weight you're using I think. Elite powerlifters squat with 3-5 spotters, full racks and often still use safety chains. But I'm not lifting 1000 lbs that will crush my spine and pin me to the floor without hesitation. My max is 200lbs (I'm a 150 lb female) and I've had to roll a loaded bar off my back once (HUGE noise, but if you know how to do it, it works at the lower weights), and other than that I use a spot on max attempts. It may not be ideal, but you can lift quite effectively without doing max attempts or getting to the point of failed reps very often.

A lot of people use this type of thing as a way to stop after-dinner snacking, particularly because this tends to be prime junk-food consuming time for many. If you reliably eat dinner before 6:30 and you're meeting your caloric goals than I don't see a problem. Now, if you're using this "rule" to force yourself to skip nutrients/meals that your body needs, I would say differently. I guess it just depends on how you're using the rule. IF people will be happy to tell you that it's ok (or even optimal) to go pretty long stretches between meals.

Bigm I noticed that too, but decided not to say anything because I couldn't think of a clever joke. Thanks for stepping in to help!

That all sounds ok to me. Lean just means not super fatty. Fish and chicken or turkey breast, and ground beef or turkey with less than 10% fat are common examples. Bacon is the opposite of a lean meat. I'll say this: we've all been trained to be terrified about eating saturated fat (which is found in animal products) because it's been associated with heart disease and other very bad things. But the paleo gurus like Rob Wolfe argue that this is unfounded. You'll kind of have to decide for yourself which side you're on. I don't know about the sausage and bacon you're using, but here they're commonly pretty highly-processed foods, which you might want to pay attention to. And don't be afraid to branch out from traditional breakfast foods. If you eat it as your first meal of the day, it's breakfast.

mobilitywod would have been my suggestion for resources as well. But I wouldn't necessarily get rid of the squats. If the rest of your form looks good, you're not doing anything wrong or bad, you're just not getting the full benefit of the squat that you could be. The derision for squats that don't go below parallel is mostly directed at guys who load up ridiculous amounts of weight on the bar and then squat a quarter of the way down, just so they can say they can squat 800 lbs and look like a badass using the big plates. So I would keep squatting while actively working to address the problem. The benefit of doing this is that one of the best things you can do for mobility is to move. Squatting more will help improve squatting mobility, particularly when combined with targeted mobility work. Some people with this issue squat with plates under their heels. This is perfectly acceptable as a temporary measure, but work towards not needing them.

What do you mean by locking exactly? And can you give some examples of what has caused this in the past?

The pushing shoulders slightly forward thing helps a lot. It's kind of an up and forward thing for me, personally. If you look at it in a mirror, you'll see the meaty part of your shoulder come up to make a nice firm shelf for the bar. This sounds bad, but I bruise easily, and I can always tell when I've been catching my cleans in the right position because the bruises are on my shoulders. If I'm catching with my elbows down (and my shoulders relaxed and back) then the bruises are on the tips of my collarbones because the that shoulder "shelf" isn't in place to catch it. Oh and where in your hand are you trying to catch the bar? Some people need to catch on their fingers, not low down in their palm.

Heh, Yes, the phrase "getting out of the hole" to describe coming back out of the bottom of a heavy squat is common. Fear of not being able to get out of the hole is frequently what keeps people from going below parallel with a heavy weight. Saying someone is having problems "getting into the hole"... I've never heard it for whatever reason. Having trouble "reaching full depth" is a frequently used term. But it's not technically wrong. Does your wife have problems squatting full depth because she's afraid of not being able to stand back up or because of mobility issues? Those are two separate problems.

Those breakfasts both sound delicious. You seem to be on the right track. I use leftover chicken in my omelets sometimes. Or ham. Or steak. But I also eat eggs without meat a lot of the time. It's not as high in protein, but that's ok. But also take a look at your overall diet throughout the day. Do your eat sausage and bacon at breakfast but stick to lean protein the rest of the day? Then I'd be less concerned.

The best way to loosen up is to move around. You're not going to feel like doing it, but you've just got to get yourself going. Do something simple to get your heart rate up (jumping jacks, jump rope, jog 400 meters, burpees, whatever) and do some dynamic stretching (arm circles, trunk rotations, hip circles, bow and bends, windmills, squat stand ups... whatever). Warm up your muscles and loosen everything up. This isn't the time for going full blast and trying to reach personal bests. Still too much? Walk around a bit first. If it's still a significant problem... jump in a warm shower for a minute or two. Sounds weird I know, but it does help. I have rheumatoid arthritis and sometimes use a heating pad on certain joints, but on really rough days I get in the shower to get the heat all over. If stiffness is severe and lasts for a half hour after you start moving, see your doc.

Hmm. There isn't a simple answer to that. My eating disorder isn't active, and I'm in a better place than I've been in a long time, but the crazy thinking patterns occasionally pop up now and again, though far less often. The difference now is I can recognize it as disordered thinking and not act on it. As to how... Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (and related dialectical behavior therapy) helped me learn to look at thought patterns and unhealthy behaviors. The main focus was on figuring out what I was getting out of the behaviors in question (or trying to get out of them), asking the question "is this really working for me?" and then changing my behavior. I learned new ways to deal with my [insert negative feeling here]. I was eventually able to stop purging (along with some other self-destructive behaviors), and then I stopped binging. I had a good, trusted friend who I used as a sounding board for my thoughts and behaviors. She didn't give advice or instructions, but she would flat out say "that's insane thinking" and ask some tough questions. But I went through some time after that period where I was afraid to even think about calories or losing weight, and I still had all of the negative emotions and self-talk that went along with the eating disorder. I steadily gained weight through this time. Last fall I started working one-on-one with a crossfit trainer and then taking classes, and we were careful to set some limits and to stay away from weight goals in the beginning. For instance I don't own a scale and I've agreed not to buy one. There's a scale at the box and at my parent's house and there's absolutely no reason I would ever need to know my exact weight immediately. I have to pre-plan my workouts with my trainer and I stick to it. No exercising with the intent of getting rid of specific calories. My goals were performance based and about consistency in my workouts. BUT the biggest thing that changed my thinking was doing something with my body. I'm not focusing all my energy on making myself take up less space and getting rid of the bits of me I don't like. Sure, weight lifting burns calories, but there's something to feel proud of, an accomplishment. There's something to improve at and technique to learn. I'm learning a new skill, soaking up new knowledge, and figuring out how I can make my body stronger, healthier, faster. Then I go out and do something active for play and actually enjoy it. The weight has come off slowly (about 50 lbs in 10 months), but it feels really stable and healthy. I do notice that I still don't have great "hungry" and "full" feelings yet. I'm hoping they'll come back. Long answer. Sorry P.S. Intermittent fasting isn't a great idea for me, at least right now. It's possible it would be fine, and that I could figure out how to do it healthily, but the "risk" isn't worth the reward. I guess maybe the issue is I haven't found a good reason to try it because what I'm doing is working right now.

So far I've had the same experience with the skin. Generally, the younger you are the better your skin will rebound. But there are other factors, including genetics, the rate and amount of weight loss and smoking (or not!) that make a big difference. Some people find that diet changes or certain supplements seem to help as well. My feet haven't changed sizes after 50 lbs lost, but some of my heels and strappy sandles fit a little loser on the top. For women who go up a size to get extra width/height around the midsole, that might change what size they buy. And I guess some people might carry different amounts of weight in their feet. Bodies are bizarre.

Nope! There may be certain exercises you find easier than others, but this is more about proportions and build than strictly about height - for instance I'm short with a long torso and stumpy legs, and I squat like a champ. As you progress, you may find that altering your stance slightly fits your particular body better. I squat a little wider than most because that's how I get the most power. And there are some obvious challenges, like wall balls, where you're going to have an extra few inches to throw the ball. But there are benefits as well, particularly in a lot of body weight exercises. Unless you have a significant medical reason not to, squats and lunges are vital. Squats in particular. Research form and learn to do it safely. I never realized how unstable and occasionally achy my knees and hips felt until it all got better after some strength training. A sore lower back is different from an injured lower back. Pay attention to your form, particularly not rounding your back, and progress weight slowly to avoid actual injury. Muscle soreness is just fine though.

Man, I wish I had the answer to that. I just want to wake up one day and find the headline: "Credible scientists prove that spot reduction of fat is possible". I don't think it's going to happen. You can reduce overall body fat, but your body will take it off where it pleases. You can, however, choose where you put on muscle.

Yes, I think it's a real thing. I struggled with bulimia for years, but there were times that I binged without purging. It's not the same as overeating a bit or snacking a bit too much. the "out of control part" is really key. I can see where someone would have the issue with binging without ever becoming bulimic. But I understand that it might be almost impossible for anyone who's never experienced that type of thing to really understand how it might feel, just like people struggle to understand why an anorexic won't just eat to keep themselves alive once they realize they want to get better or an alcoholic won't just stop drinking when their life has fallen apart. I will at a bit of a caveat to this: I can see a potential for over-diagnosis. But that doesn't affect the reality of the disorder for those dealing with it. And for the most part, doctors are incredibly slow to officially slap an eating disorder label on a patient in part because they're the kiss of death for being insurable.

Oh dear lord the clothes! Since October I've slowly gone from an 18 in jeans to an 8, and my bras have gone from a 36GG to a 32F one size at a time. I'm constantly going to put on some outfit and finding out it doesn't fit anymore. It wouldn't be so bad if I could just lose the weight all at once and replace my wardrobe one time. But I have to do it size by size every month or two. So expensive.

I either bake or pan fry my bacon, but I never add any extra oils - it just doesn't need it really. I use regular bacon, not turkey bacon, partially because turkey bacon is super processed. What else did you eat at lunch? Where's the protein and fats?

In my experience (and I know I'm not alone with this), my breakfast needs protein and some fat to keep me full and well-fueled. My typical breakfast involves quickly sauteeing a cup of spinach in a pan, cracking in 2-3 eggs, adding some garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper, and scrambling it all together. When it's done I top it with a little fresh salsa. It takes less than 5 minutes and washing out 1 small skillet takes one additional minute. But when I don't want eggs, I eat whatever I please that fits in my plan. Breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast food. Sometimes it's a reheat of last night's dinner leftovers. Sometimes it's a couple of boiled eggs (I make a dozen each week), a handful of grapes and some carrots.

I was going to suggest Whole30 as well. The strictness of it seems particularly suited to your need for rules that you describe, and it's basically designed to be a restart for your system - but without the odd concoctions and with a focus on getting all the things your body needs. Commit to it, but make sure you devote some time to planning out your transition at the end as you approach that point. If you go into it with a mindset of "30 more days till I can eat whatever I want again...15 more days...3 more days and this will be over..." you're likely to rebound back into old habits.

Here is a link to a detailed explanation of the crossfit total. Yes they're max effort lifts, but they need to be done in one session. Basically, you do your squat first. Warm it up, and then you have 3 attempts to hit the highest weight you can for 1 rep. After you finish the third attempt, strip the weight down and start warming up the shoulder press. After three attempts at the strict press, drop the bar to the ground and start on the deadlift. There's no time limit, but you shouldn't go rest for half an hour or do any other exercise in between lifts, either. This means that what you get may not reflect your best ever numbers on each of the lifts. Of course, super heavy max effort work like that is something that inexperienced lifters need to wade into slowly because that's where a lot of injuries happen. If you're not confident in your ability to handle max weight safely, be cautious and scale down the weight. For Diane (and for any other workout), yes you can scale the weight and movements. I would recommend picking a deadlift weight that you can do at least 15 unbroken, ideally 21. WITH GOOD FORM. This is a pretty fast, minimal rest workout (you'll be able to tell based on the times and comments other people post). If you can't do handstand push-ups against a wall, you can modify them by putting your knees or toes (depending on ability) on a box or something similar (youtube instructional videos should be available).

Hmm. If you've got good coaches (I hope you do), I'd talk to them. I'm probably the girl version of you in that I outlift the majority of the women around me and I tend to go heavier on the workouts and then finish last. But I've improved quite a bit recently. The answer probably goes back to why there are time caps. The reason for having them isn't just to get you out in time for the next class to come in (or shouldn't be), it's to help ensure that you're getting what you're supposed to be out of the workout. You need to choose a weight accordingly. Take Fran for instance. 21-15-9 of thrusters at 95# and pullups, intended to be done at a sprint pace in under 5 minutes and definitely in no more than 8. So some big strong guy loads up 115# on the bar, then takes 14 minutes to complete the workout. Did he just do Fran? Nope. He did a totally different workout than the guy who did his thrusters at a lighter weight and finished in 4 minutes. It may be the same movements, but he's hitting different energy systems. So my answer is, if you trust in your coaches and the programming, talk to them about what weight you should be using so that you get what you're supposed to out of the workout. If you need to lower your weight, even mid-workout, do it. You've identified a weakness, so you need to focus on addressing it. That may mean backing off a bit on going heavy. This goes against most people's inclination to focus on what we're good at and max it out in an attempt to compensate for weakness, rather than training the weak area. But it's worth it.

Honestly I would never start or take part in any conversation about eating healthy or exercising. If someone offers you food, politely decline without mentioning anything about it being unhealthy or how you don't eat such-and-such. If you want to share food, do so without mentioning it's healthiness or whatnot. If they comment on yours, your only description needs to be what it is and that you're really happy with how it came out. If she complains, give some sort of a short answer that doesn't offer any argument or advice... "yeah, it can be hard" or "I've been in that place" and move on.