Getting in even better shape?

alissatron

My fiance and I are planning a fairly last minute wedding but it's extremely low key so it wasn't hard to make all of the arrangements -- but now that I have everything organizard I'm starting to look at getting in better shape.

The reason I post is finding info on how to throw your body into overdrive to maybe lose an inch or two when you're already in pretty decent shape is hard to come by. Most articles and research I find is for someone beginning their journey, not just looking for added intensity for a special event such as a wedding.
I'm hoping maybe there's some other ladies who have/had the same issue.

Currently -I lead a very active lifestyle doing kickboxing 3-5 days a week with strength training, I walk to and from work (3km total daily) where I have my own office so I simply stand all day and when I have spare moments do stretches, jumping jacks, all of the embarassing things that you'd hate if someone walked in on but since I am so busy and can only take a half hour lunch instead of an hour I feel like that balances it out. On days I'm not doing cardio I do yoga or pilates -- I try to be active everyday with varied activities and intensity to not overdo it

I eat about 2000-2400 calories a day (big breakfast medium lunch and dinner with small snacks throughout) and maintain a weight of about 105lbs at 5'3" I am vegetarian and also have celiac disease (super severe case so I can rarely eat out and have to be super careful) so a lot of my protein comes from gluten free whole grains, beans, quinoa, almonds, rice and plant protein. My only diet is trying to adhere to Canada's food guide as best as possible with my dietary restrictions.
 
I guess it's a little vain but before I was officially diagnosed with celiac disease I weighed less/ was even smaller because a lot of gluten free foods are so calorically dense with less nutrition, so even making all of my own food from scratch I'm hard pressed to add in as much nutrition. But I do my best, and it is actually quite effective, but still I have gotten a little bigger and at times it bothers me.

Trying on wedding dresses for how hard I work should have felt like a reward but really I felt unimpressed with how I looked.

Does anyone have any advice of a workout or plan that may just kick me into gear to tone just a little bit more for my August wedding? Any DVDs that offer a crazy workout? I feel like I do everything right but I feel like I just want to look and feel even better on my wedding day. I don't really want to lose weight, but tone.

DeePorter

wow

arwo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_getting-even-better-shape?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c6c9faed-9dd5-4422-be3c-7eacee80f578Post:6d875c7d-110c-4550-899f-9c0149f94eea">Re: Getting in even better shape?</a>:
[QUOTE]wow
Posted by DeePorter[/QUOTE]

Ha!

anthony_crystal2011

Congratulations first of all!!  I can sympathize about being in decent shape but not feeling the way you want to. 

Have you ever tried Bikram Yoga?  It's yoga that is done in a room that is 105 degrees.  The first timeI did it I hated it but after that I enjoyed it much more.  It's important to make sure you keep yourself hydrated throughout the day before class because it's pretty intense.  Other benefts besides losing inches is it makes you feel healthier and my skin was much more smooth and glowing.

I am sure you have heard of the p90x phenom.  If not it's pretty interesting.  We borrowed the DVD's froma friend.  For the complete workout it helps to have the toys you need, a pull up bar, and dumbbells. 

Best of luck !

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_getting-even-better-shape?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c6c9faed-9dd5-4422-be3c-7eacee80f578Post:c3f7d58a-7125-4dca-8d99-55297dc12280">Getting in even better shape?</a>:
[QUOTE]My fiance and I are planning a fairly last minute wedding but it's extremely low key so it wasn't hard to make all of the arrangements -- but now that I have everything organizard I'm starting to look at getting in better shape. The reason I post is finding info on how to throw your body into overdrive to maybe lose an inch or two when you're already in pretty decent shape is hard to come by. Most articles and research I find is for someone beginning their journey, not just looking for added intensity for a special event such as a wedding. I'm hoping maybe there's some other ladies who have/had the same issue. Currently -I lead a very active lifestyle doing kickboxing 3-5 days a week with strength training, I walk to and from work (3km total daily) where I have my own office so I simply stand all day and when I have spare moments do stretches, jumping jacks, all of the embarassing things that you'd hate if someone walked in on but since I am so busy and can only take a half hour lunch instead of an hour I feel like that balances it out. On days I'm not doing cardio I do yoga or pilates -- I try to be active everyday with varied activities and intensity to not overdo it I eat about 2000-2400 calories a day (big breakfast medium lunch and dinner with small snacks throughout) and <strong>maintain a weight of about 105lbs at 5'3" I</strong> am vegetarian and also have celiac disease (super severe case so I can rarely eat out and have to be super careful) so a lot of my protein comes from gluten free whole grains, beans, quinoa, almonds, rice and plant protein. My only diet is trying to adhere to Canada's food guide as best as possible with my dietary restrictions.   I guess it's a little vain but before I was officially diagnosed with celiac disease I weighed less/ was even smaller because a lot of gluten free foods are so calorically dense with less nutrition, so even making all of my own food from scratch I'm hard pressed to add in as much nutrition. But I do my best, and it is actually quite effective, but still<strong> I</strong> have gotten a little bigger and at times it bothers me. Trying on wedding dresses for how hard I work should have felt like a reward but really I felt unimpressed with how I looked. Does anyone have any advice of a workout or plan that may just kick me into gear to tone just a little bit more for my August wedding? Any DVDs that offer a crazy workout? I feel like I do everything right but I feel like I just want to look and feel even better on my wedding day. I don't really want to lose weight, but tone.
Posted by alissatron[/QUOTE]

That's a typo, right?

alissatron

I will definitely look into the p90 workout-- we're paying for the wedding ourselves so it's not really in the budget to do yoga classes right now but it's something I will certainly keep in mind for the future!
Thank-you so much for your response.

alissatron

It's not actually a typo, I'm naturally very petite and it's just the way I carry my weight. I don't even look that light it's kind of strange, everyone is different. I know women that weigh 120lbs that look like they are smaller than I am. But in all honesty I'm really just looking for good workouts for women already in shape.

I'm sure if I was overweight no one would comment that my weight was "a typo", so helpful opinions only, please.  

arwo

Is it "helpful" to tell you that you need more help than posters on a wedding message board can give you?

You can't change your basic shape. You can lose weight, and you can build muscle, but in general you can't really change the way you "carry your weight." I'm always going to have large breasts and no butt, no matter how many miles per week that I run or how much I eat. I accept that, and focus on the things I can do with my body rather than my weight. So: I urge you to focus on your health. And if you don't like the way you look in the wedding dresses that you've tried on so far, then look for dresses that flatter you more. I am convinced that there is a dress for every body.

alissatron

I'm not looking to change the way I carry my weight. I was just commenting on how my weight is deceptive for how I actually look (I'm not saying I'm big at all- I just don't look as small as I actually am) I'm cool with my weight distribution because I actually do have curves, which is great.

I'm just looking to be more toned for my wedding day. I will likely go with a strapless and want my shoulders/chest and back to look more sculpted, but obviously you can't spot reduce so I'm just looking for a workout that's killer all around to get me kickstarted. Just like everyone, I see my own imperfections and just want to feel as confident as possible.

MandK9

I swear, I have no idea what "I don't want to lose weight, I just want to tone" means.  Do you want to have bigger/more noticeable muscles? Or do you mean that you want to tighten up everything, which would mean you want to lose fat?  You're at the very bottom of your healthy BMI range for your height, so I'd say you're probably putting your health at risk if you lose much more fat.  But I suppose you should do some yoga/pilates (use videos at home) and do strength training. 

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_getting-even-better-shape?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c6c9faed-9dd5-4422-be3c-7eacee80f578Post:6271536f-750d-4daa-a12c-1e15e48cbfca">Re: Getting in even better shape?</a>:
[QUOTE]It's not actually a typo, I'm naturally very petite and it's just the way I carry my weight. I don't even look that light it's kind of strange, everyone is different. I know women that weigh 120lbs that look like they are smaller than I am. But in all honesty I'm really just looking for good workouts for women already in shape. I'm sure if I was overweight no one would comment that my weight was "a typo", so helpful opinions only, please.  
Posted by alissatron[/QUOTE]

It was a real question. I noticed you're Canadian and thought maybe you made an error converting your stats. To me, it didn't make sense that someone who is very close to being UNDERweight and works hard to eat healthy and be active would be asking these questions and feeling like she didn't look good in wedding dresses.

I'm sorry if my wording was insensitive.

But I do find it worrisome that your stats put you at a BMI of 18.6, which BARELY puts you in the "healthy" range.

And since you said that you are bothered by being bigger, that you were "unimpressed" with how you looked in wedding dresses, and want to look better on your wedding day, I am concerned for you.

I think it's possible that you are being very careful to give yourself reasons for saying you do not have an eating disorder, and I don't know if this is in reaction to people having made that accusation in the past b/c of your naturally small size, or b/c you might actually have a problem.

I understand that b/c of your gluten intolerance and being vegetarian (I'm a veggie girl, too!) it might be harder for you to get the protein you need to build lean muscle tissue, and this might explain why you think you look bigger than people who weigh more (muscle being more dense than fat).

But it could also be that it's a manifestation of body dysmorphic disorder.

In the interest of your health and safety, I feel like the responsible thing to do is advise you that the absolute BEST thing for you to do is consult with your doctor to get an idea of what your body fat percentage is and if that is in a healthy range -- that would let you know if you needed to work on building more muscle or not. Also getting a full blood work up to make sure you don't have a thyroid or other issue, and a physical to make sure you're in good health. Being thin doesn't mean you can't have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Your doctor might also be able to refer you to a registered dietician. Someone who has extensive scientific knowledge and training in nutrition will be much more likely to provide the advice you need than strangers on the internet.

ETA: Holy long post, Batman. Congrats if you made it through all that.

 I also want to add that on the internet, you don't get to dictate how people respond to what you put out there. Don't put your business on a public, international message board if you're not prepared for all manner of replies.

arwo

OK, so do you see how your original post was misleading? First you say

"The reason I post is finding info on how to throw your body into overdrive to maybe lose an inch or two when you're already in pretty decent shape is hard to come by."

And now you're saying

"I'm just looking to be more toned for my wedding day. I will likely go with a strapless and want my shoulders/chest and back to look more sculpted..."

Do you see how those two things sound a bit different?

I agree with MandK9, I don't understand what people mean, exactly, when they say they want to "tone". If you want to look "sculpted" you need to lose fat and gain muscle. There are, like, a hundred posts on this board about workouts that aren't just for overweight people. Browse a bit. In general, the rules aren't THAT different for somewhat fit people than they are for anybody else.

spalko

I thought this was a place for encouragement and helpful hints! So what how much this girls weighs, if she wants to tone muscle or lose fat, or if she's not satisfied with the dresses she's tried on so far! Yes, she put all of that information out there for others to read and offer HELPFUL suggestions, NOT to be told she may have an eating disorder and should see her doctor. I too am naturally thin but want  a nice sculpted upper body that will look smoking hot in my dress, when I finally pick one!!! Alissatron, you are going to make one beautiful bride. I wish you the best in love and life

desertsun

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_getting-even-better-shape?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c6c9faed-9dd5-4422-be3c-7eacee80f578Post:626fd854-049e-409d-9354-36f26399b4b9">Re: Getting in even better shape?</a>:
[QUOTE]I thought this was a place for encouragement and helpful hints! So what how much this girls weighs, if she wants to tone muscle or lose fat, or if she's not satisfied with the dresses she's tried on so far! Yes, she put all of that information out there for others to read and offer HELPFUL suggestions, NOT to be told she may have an eating disorder and should see her doctor. I too am naturally thin but want  a nice sculpted upper body that will look smoking hot in my dress, when I finally pick one!!! Alissatron, you are going to make one beautiful bride. I wish you the best in love and life :)
Posted by spalko[/QUOTE]

Seriously?

My thoughts were clearly expressed as possiblities and/or opinions. I never said that OP has an eating disorder. I simply saw cause for concern and wanted to address it. It would be irresponsible NOT to do so, IMO.

Isn't it a GOOD thing to be genuinely concerned for the safety and well-being of a stranger?

I also do not see how my advice to see her doctor and/or a nutritionist isn't helpful.  If she is borderline UNDERweight, already has a healthy diet and a very active lifestyle, it is actually very sound advice to suggest that OP speak to professionals and not random internet people.

And again, please respect my right to express my opinions and do not attempt to dictate what I can or cannot say, and how I can or cannot say it. It's called free speech. Only KA or the board mod, in this case Raynes, get to censor my posts. Not you, and not the OP. Get over it, and welcome to the interwebz.

MandK9

Spalko, I take offense to that.  We're not in here going, "Oh my God, shut up, you're already skinny, screw you!! You must have an eating disorder!!!"  Desertsun put it perfectly-- if OP is teetering on the bottom edge of the healthy weight range and is that unsatisfied with herself, there could be some deeper issues there.  It's out of concern for another human being and her health and welfare, not a snippy retort.  I recommend reading responses better. 

"So what how much this girls weighs, if she wants to tone muscle or lose fat, or if she's not satisfied with the dresses she's tried on so far!"...??? Really? If she loses one pound, she will be underweight.  Nobody in their right mind would tell a person that it's a good idea to lose weight when you're already so thin. 

spalko

Did you ever stop and think that maybe OP took offense to the mere sugestion that she may have an 'underlying problem' To me, that was uncalled for, and considering none of us personally know this girl or have seen a photo of her, who are we too judge whether or not she's too thin. I recommend posting comments that don't come off as snippy.

MandK9

Yeah, no, I'm going to be snippy when you're rude or offensive.  Sorry.

Sometimes hearing what you don't want to hear isn't fun.  Such is life.  But she DID give us her weight and height, and anyone can use a BMI calculator.  I don't care if you somehow think this is a "gray area" and people can pick and choose what makes them underweight or unhealthy, but that's not the truth.  Everyone who has posted that she shouldn't be losing weight is doing it out of personal concern.  So just cut it out.  You're the one being reckless with the advice, and that's not how people do things here.

ETA: I feel accomplished, finally. 1500 posts, and I have finally been called snippy. I feel like a true TK reg.

arwo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_getting-even-better-shape?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:c6c9faed-9dd5-4422-be3c-7eacee80f578Post:626fd854-049e-409d-9354-36f26399b4b9">Re: Getting in even better shape?</a>:
[QUOTE]I thought this was a place for encouragement and helpful hints! So what how much this girls weighs, if she wants to tone muscle or lose fat, or if she's not satisfied with the dresses she's tried on so far! Yes, she put all of that information out there for others to read and offer HELPFUL suggestions, NOT to be told she may have an eating disorder and should see her doctor. I too am naturally thin but want  a nice sculpted upper body that will look smoking hot in my dress, when I finally pick one!!! Alissatron, you are going to make one beautiful bride. I wish you the best in love and life :)
Posted by spalko[/QUOTE]

And I thought this was a place where we could be honest AND helpful AND caring without people like you saying that it's inappropriate for us to express concern for people.  There is more than one way to be encouraging and supportive; I don't think we'd be doing anyone any favors by telling them to lose weight at all costs, without regard to their health.

I'm out for the night! Yay, poker night with the boys!