Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do

CowgirlK39

First of all, I'm not over weight by any means. I'm 5'6 and 137 lbs. However, I used to be really super skinny and really pretty. I ran track and XC almost my whole life until I got out of college and the realities of work and life took over. Now I just feel dumpy. I work 60 hrs/wk, between two jobs which are very physical and have me walking all day long. We don't have the best eating habits because by the time I get home, its too late to make anything. So I feel really bloated all the time and realized the other day that my skin is terrible, and I look like death every day.

I used to love working out, especially weight lifting, back when i was in college. But now I have no time for that, and FI said that I "looked like a man" when I was really fit. I feel like I need to firm up a bit but I don't know what to do or where to start. If I start running again, I will lose my boobs and butt that I finally acquired after a life of being a total twig. I guess I am asking what can I do to firm up a bit without dropping 20 lbs, and not take up hours of time?

entropicbeauty

If you're looking to tone up without losing weight, just add weightlifting into your lifestyle.

unchatenfrance

Go Paleo or Primal.It will clear up the skin and bloating issues, you don't need to work out a lot (just intensely) and seeing as how you're female and not overweight, even the diet change will not cause you to lose weight.

maribeth721

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:77b72166-d01f-470c-af88-f09399ccd6b2">Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]First of all, I'm not over weight by any means. I'm 5'6 and 137 lbs. However, I used to be really super skinny and really pretty. I ran track and XC almost my whole life until I got out of college and the realities of work and life took over. Now I just feel dumpy. I work 60 hrs/wk, between two jobs which are very physical and have me walking all day long. <strong>We don't have the best eating habits because by the time I get home, its too late to make anything.</strong> So I feel really bloated all the time and realized the other day that my skin is terrible, and I look like death every day. I used to love working out, especially weight lifting, back when i was in college. But now I have no time for that, and FI said that I "looked like a man" when I was really fit. I feel like I need to firm up a bit but I don't know what to do or where to start. If I start running again, I will lose my boobs and butt that I finally acquired after a life of being a total twig. I guess I am asking what can I do to firm up a bit without dropping 20 lbs, and not take up hours of time?
Posted by CowgirlK39[/QUOTE]

Plan your meals ahead of time! Make crockpot meals that can last a few days. Sometimes Fi and I will make like 6 piece of chicken on the grill so we can have them for a few days. Along with other sides we know will last. Basically, it's really hard to eat healthy when you don't plan ahead. Especially if you are busy and tired - you know you will just grab something easy which is not always the healthiest answer. Join something like my fitness pal or spark people (both free) to help you track your calories so you can get an idea of what you are eating and how to lower your caloric intake. It's 70% diet 30% working out. If you feel you are too busy to go to the gym. Pick up some dumbbells or a work out DVD and do them at home. You can do this! Good luck!

firsttimersluck

Whenever I hear someone say they don't have time to eat well I call bullcrap.

Sorry. 

It is. 

Pick a day and make that day your day to 

cut up all veggies, 

separate all your fruits /veggies into baggies, 

buy individually wrapped string cheese, 

cooke lentils, quinoa, etc to separate into ziploc tubs of indiv. serving sizes. 

baggie up servings sizes of nuts,....etc

Make the crockpot your new bff. I make a pot of chili on Saturdays and a potato soup or corn soup (or shredded chicken and salsa, etc) on Sunday. 

Then I have two huge tubs of food that I can grab for quick meals that I KNOOOOW are good for me. 

I'm not home a lot. I leave the house in the mornings at 6-7am and am home at about 730pm. But I make it work. 

Start food logging if you don't believe us... it'll show you just how bad your habits are. 

Sparkpeople, livestrong, myfitnesspal, etc are all great websites and you can download their apps for you phone so you have time to log on your breaks. 

It sounds like you're getting "in" a lot of cardio. If you tend to gain muscle more bulk-ily as you had mentioned I'm an advocate of higher intensity cardio stuff.. so that's something to consider if you are wanting to FIRM up but not bulk up. 

butterflyjumper1

ditto the raves on crock pot meals!! I try to make two monstrous crockpot meals every day. I usually leave my apartment mid-morning and don't get home until after yoga/my workout - it sure is nice to get home after a long day and have a healthy meal waiting for you! the best part is, then you have leftovers that you can re-use as lunches or dinners later in the week.  When I make a really good crockpot meal (or other meal, for that matter), I like to freeze it, so then later on, on a night when I HAVEN"T planned ahead, there are lots of options in my freezer that I can take out and defrost and be happy with. It's like having a little restaurant in your freezer, only better, because you don't have to pay for the food, AND it's healthy!

The easiest thing to do so save time, like firsttimers said, is to cook up a big batch of your grains over the weekend when you have extra time. Speaking of grains, I just tried a new organic short grain brown rice from Whole Foods this past weekend, and it is SO GOOD - tastes just like the brown rice that PF Chang's uses. I also love quinoa.  It takes a fair amount of time to cook a big batch of good grains, so do it when you have extra time, make 2 cups or so, and then use it throughout the week! 

If you MUST eat out - track your calories. If you can, pull up the restaurant's website and check out the calorie/protein/sodium/etc. counts before you order. My fiance actually got me started on this awhile ago, and it helps us to make much better choices when we do go out!  Sometimes we are really surprised at how many calories are in certain meals.

Oh, and I was a swimmer in college, and I also am in the camp of "if I lift too intensely, I look like a man." I used to have the most massive shoulders in the history of the world. Now, I lift with less weight, but more repetitions and sets, and I am toned, but not MASSIVE. I also don't do cleans or squats with 200lbs like I used to, haha. I stay away from the "Olympic" weights I used to do with my swim training, and do more with free weights and the weight machines. I also like to throw some pilates classes into my workouts - they incorporate entire body strength training.  Don't go to a classical pilates class if you want high intensity  ll over body toning - classical pilates isn't for me, I love the IM-X classes and barre classes and boot camp pilates. I think you would enjoy those too!
 
sorry for the long winded response....good luck!!

firsttimersluck

Just a heads up.. lentils and quinoa aren't grains I don't eat many grains if at all.. :P But if you DO eat grains, PP, you can certainly cook those up earlier like PP mentioned.. rice stays in the fridge for a good week so that's easy to keep on hand and ready. 

butterflyjumper1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:8e746e95-4ec5-420c-9cdf-420d47b751d4">Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]Just a heads up.. lentils and quinoa aren't grains ;) I don't eat many grains if at all.. :P But if you DO eat grains, PP, you can certainly cook those up earlier like PP mentioned.. rice stays in the fridge for a good week so that's easy to keep on hand and ready. 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

just trying to be helpful.

firsttimersluck

...? 

I didn't say anything negative? 

I just mentioned something that is a common mistake people make and thought to clarify for the OP. 

No need to be offended. 

maribeth721

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:8e746e95-4ec5-420c-9cdf-420d47b751d4">Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]Just a heads up..<strong> lentils and quinoa aren't grains</strong> ;) I don't eat many grains if at all.. :P But if you DO eat grains, PP, you can certainly cook those up earlier like PP mentioned.. rice stays in the fridge for a good week so that's easy to keep on hand and ready. 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

If quinoa isn't a grain, what is it?

firsttimersluck

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:5fc2567f-e2b0-4e52-b0de-af0a8ddd8be4">Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do : If quinoa isn't a grain, what is it?
Posted by maribeth721[/QUOTE]

<div>It's a seed. :) </div><div>A "grain-like" seed since it can be used for alcohol making and is more "starchy" than most seeds. I know, random fact. I am filled with really useless information.  lol.</div>

butterflyjumper1

Not offended, it's just that even though quinoas are technically seeds, they are considered to be part of the whole grain family, at least in my experience. Doesn't really matter how you classify it, I don't think - it's one of the best grain-like substances that you can eat I actually am about to have a quinoa salad for lunch today, mmmmmmm

WEEZIE918

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:eb4aa574-d868-480c-8f2b-f147c5254d15">Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]Whenever I hear someone say they don't have time to eat well I call bullcrap. Sorry.  It is.  Pick a day and make that day your day to  cut up all veggies,  separate all your fruits /veggies into baggies,  buy individually wrapped string cheese,  cooke lentils, quinoa, etc to separate into ziploc tubs of indiv. serving sizes.  baggie up servings sizes of nuts,....etc Make the crockpot your new bff. I make a pot of chili on Saturdays and a <strong>potato soup or corn soup</strong> (or shredded chicken and salsa, etc) on Sunday.  Then I have two huge tubs of food that I can grab for quick meals that I KNOOOOW are good for me.  I'm not home a lot. I leave the house in the mornings at 6-7am and am home at about 730pm. But I make it work.  Start food logging if you don't believe us... it'll show you just how bad your habits are.  Sparkpeople, livestrong, myfitnesspal, etc are all great websites and you can download their apps for you phone so you have time to log on your breaks.  It sounds like you're getting "in" a lot of cardio. If you tend to gain muscle more bulk-ily as you had mentioned I'm an advocate of higher intensity cardio stuff.. so that's something to consider if you are wanting to FIRM up but not bulk up. 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

Care to share your recipes??? 

firsttimersluck

I have a ton of different ones.. So it's just easier to post my pinterest.. haha I have a board of all crockpot goodness :

 

http://pinterest.com/firsttimersluck/crock-pot-love/

HTH  

CowgirlK39

Holy crap thats a lot of info! Thanks girls! The biggest problem we have is time and being impatient. So many times, FI and i have said "we are gonna cook, i swear!" But the problem is that I can eat something small or come up with an idea, and FI will say  "Noo I dont feel like having that tonight." Very rarely do I crave anything or have any idea what to eat, so I am happy eating something small. But Fi refuses to do that, and thus we end up going out. He is an awesome cook when we have time, and everything he makes is delicious, but if he doesnt feel like cooking, we have to go off of what he does feel like. Sadly, he is the one whose pants size is constantly dropping!

As for the muscles thing, my MOH even pointed out my "farm arms." I work on a dairy farm and have noticable tone from carrying heavy stuff and pushing cows around. Those are fine, but my abs need help. I used to swear by the ab wheel but by the time I get home I just want to collapse. I feel like by the time I get home and find something to eat, its bedtime. I recently had my weekends open up so I will start trying to do stuff then but I usually reserve weekends for catching up on housework. It's like a cycle i just can't get out of!

WEEZIE918

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_looking-for-suggestions-not-sure-what-to-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:238Discussion:0f663f3f-4d55-4632-9d6d-a59bf10fc074Post:ab794e28-5134-430d-87bf-b3a550aba471">Re: Looking for suggestions, not sure what to do</a>:
[QUOTE]I have a ton of different ones.. So it's just easier to post my pinterest.. haha <strong>I have a board of all crockpot goodness</strong> :   <a href="http://pinterest.com/firsttimersluck/crock-pot-love/" rel="nofollow">http://pinterest.com/firsttimersluck/crock-pot-love/</a> HTH :) 
Posted by firsttimersluck[/QUOTE]

TY!!!  I am going to stalk your pintrest!!!  lol

firsttimersluck

hahah I totally understand.. It's reeeeeally hard to get home late and then have the energy to cook.. That's why my crockpot is my bff. ) 

I am ENVIOUS of "farm arms" 

Arms are totally my weak spot.. but I suppose we all have them. 

I will say that I have really improved my abs from my diet change. I always work out 6-7 days a week, mix it up, very high intensity cardio, etc... But my abs just weren't showing through until I cut out the refined, processed crap. Then BAM, tummy pudge gone. 

I 100% believe that abs are made in the kitchen and sculpted in the gym. 

GL op