I want to shape-up!

[Kikki]

I really like her abs

http://www.irontrybe.com/images/memb...rickgirl15.jpg

[Kikki]

How do you add an image to a message, so that you can view the image straight away (by not using a link)? Hope you understand what I mean

[cursor]

Yes, I understand what you mean about attaching an image. Actually, you can't (except in the Progress Pics forum). Sorry.

[Kikki]

Just found some more inspiration on what I want my body to look like... wow!
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/arch...ey_142369a.jpg

I wonder if it´s possible...?!?

[Lady C]

Any model or pic you find may be possible, but it takes dedication and hard work. I suggest that you pick a routine and a diet and just keep working toward that goal. A three day split (weights) and three day aerobics in between the weights is a good starting point. That leave one day a week for rest which is necessary.

The most important part is the diet. Do some research and come up with one you can live with. Post it and we can help you refine it.

[Kikki]

I bought the book "you are what you eat" which has been very helpful. I´ve been struggeling with my tummy, but it said that I should drink a cup of warm water with lemon every morning, half an hour before breakfast. It also says that it´s a good idea to drink the same just before bedtime.

It also suggests cutting out refined food, sugar, bad fats, cow´s milk etc. I tried this for a few days, and noticed such an improvement in bowel movement etc (not trying to gross you out)

Then for a couple of days I went back to my normal eating habits of chocolate, coffee and biscuits - and then my stomach got upset again.

I´ve decided to try and cut out all the "bad" food all together, but my vice is coffee. I think the book is great, because it lets you eat so much of all the "right stuff," as long as you cut out all the junk.

But what I was wondering. It says that if you´ve been consuming too much of of the "wrong" food, then that can send the thyroid into an exhausted state, which will then lead to storage of fat, specially around the middle.
Does anyone have any experience with this?

[Klinger]

Originally Posted by Kikki

Just found some more inspiration on what I want my body to look like... wow!
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/arch...ey_142369a.jpg

I wonder if it´s possible...?!?

Good to have a goal. A note on that pic: that is mostly low body fat. Kind of waifish, if you ask me. I'm sure you don't want to look like the Hulk, but that girl is just skinny. Probably spends most of her time doing cardio and some sort of ab work. Doesn't look like she does resistance work at all...

PS: A friend of mine at work was told to cut out all sugars and starches for a month (medically related) and she has lost 10 pounds as a byproduct. It definitely seems to work -- and she was thin to begin with.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by Kikki

It also suggests cutting out refined food, sugar, bad fats, cow´s milk etc. ?

Actually, that is what is meant by having a clean diet on this forum. It also means including lots more fresh veggies than most people eat. You can eat dairy but make sure it is either low-fat or no-fat. I still drink my coffee, I see no harm in a cup or two. I have not eaten white anything (sugar, flour, rice, etc.) for several years. Everytime I cheat and eat something like cake I get bad stomach problems.

[Kikki]

The book says that cows milk contain the protein casein, which is difficult to digest properly. But if you boil it, the large indigestible molecules breaks down - and it´s easier to digest.

[gcs118]

Originally Posted by Kikki

The book says that cows milk contain the protein casein, which is difficult to digest properly. But if you boil it, the large indigestible molecules breaks down - and it´s easier to digest.

I don't think casein is any more difficult to digest. Just like whey powder there is casein powder. You can find it naturally in cottage cheese and I assume many other dairy products as well (milk? cheese?). It is a slower digesting protein, perhaps that is why it is more "difficult" to break down.

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by Kikki

The book says that cows milk contain the protein casein, which is difficult to digest properly. But if you boil it, the large indigestible molecules breaks down - and it´s easier to digest.

I think it is more for the lactose rather than the protein itself. I have lots of trouble with the lactose and it does cause lots of gas in me. I have no trouble whatsoever with cottage cheese which is basically curd whey.

[Kikki]

So, in my case I´m slim but with a lot of fat around the waist (lovehandles).
At the moment I tend to eat very low-fat. But if I increase my consumption of "good" fat -might that make it easier to break down the fat around my waist? (As long as I don´t eat more kcal than the body can use) Because that´s the only spot where I have that much fat... and I think it´s rather odd.

Thanks for all your replies. It´s very helpful!

[Lady C]

Originally Posted by Kikki

At the moment I tend to eat very low-fat. But if I increase my consumption of "good" fat -might that make it easier to break down the fat around my waist? (As long as I don´t eat more kcal than the body can use)

There is no right answer. All I can suggest is "try it for a couple of weeks" and see if your waist gets bigger or smaller. That will be the only way to know if it will work for you.

Originally Posted by Kikki

So, in my case I´m slim but with a lot of fat around the waist (lovehandles). Because that´s the only spot where I have that much fat... and I think it´s rather odd.

This is not odd - that is where most people have trouble losing the last bit of fat, whether you are male or female it doen't mattter, that is the hardest place to lose it.

[CF-OC_gal]

I found this info for you:

What to do about that spare tire

There is no way to “spot reduce”—that is, lose fat in just one area, such as around your waist. You have to exercise your whole body—walk briskly, ride a bike, lift weights—and thus burn calories. To shrink your waist, reduce your calorie intake, too, preferably by cutting down on the saturated fat in animal products, which has been linked to abdominal obesity. And here’s another reason to avoid the trans fats found in so many processed foods: a high intake tends to increase fat accumulation in the midsection, according to a recent study. One piece of good news: abdominal fat tends to come off faster than other fat.

And by the way: New “weight-loss supplements” from Dr. Phil McGraw feature one formula for apple-shaped people, another for pear-shaped. This is just a marketing gimmick. There’s no evidence that body shape determines nutritional needs—or that either of these expensive supplements would cause weight loss.

UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, March 2004

http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html...tured0304.html

[cursor]

Keep in mind that because fat has no structure, it pretty much hangs there on the body. You can't flex it, you can't shape it ... all you can do is either burn it (that's why the body 'hangs' onto it) or simply wear it.

The solution to satisfactorily sculpting your body comes from working on the development of lean body mass and from burning off your excess body fat. This leaves you with body tissue that has structure and metabolically active form. This is made possible through resistance training and cardio work. Keep in mind however, that without a balanced nutrition plan, you'll never be fully satisfied with your results.

The reverse holds true too, by the way. If you simply diet, without exercise, you'll only get half-assed results. In the words of Corey Everson, ya "gotta sweat".

pssst ... isn't Dr. Phil a total turkey?!