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Madeleine

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About Madeleine

  • Birthday 08/31/1986

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  1. I wondered if I could get any advice, as a non-bodybuilder whose fitness regime is comparatively very lax. I'm probably not posting on the right forum, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. All I want to do is improve my physique. I have lost weight and my top half is probably as 'fat free' as you could get. However my bottom half has plenty of fat and so looks ridiculous. I've no idea of my body fat percentage and it probably wouldn't mean much considering the uneven distribution. The areas I am especially concerned about are my knees and buttocks. My boyfriend reckons I just need to 'tone' my bum, but I'm sure the poor shape is to do with there being fat and it is obviously wobbly and sags. Could working on toning possibly improve the shape or do I need to concentrate on losing yet more weight? I have tried exercises designed for the glutes (admittedly not for long) but they put a lot of strain on my thighs (already bigger than I'd like) and I don't feel anything in my glutes, so I have the sense that they aren't doing anything to them. Does just clenching your buttocks really do anything at all to tone them?
  2. Wow, it's been a long time since I last did this. Almost couldn't find my thread! For the past couple of months I have been really bad at getting myself to the gym. I now go to college as well as work, but that really isn't an excuse. I shouldn't be paying for it as I don't earn much anymore and keep going to cancel my contract but feel a pang of guilt about not continuing. I am more active in general than I used to be. I have managed to maintain the weight despite not doing as much formal exercise. I also made a conscious decision to stop running and I am sure my legs are slimmer for it, which makes me happier. I'm still very bony. My muscles have been neglected. I saw improvement in the tone of my arms which I think I still have a little. I need to work on my muscles more but am just not committed enough. I keep meaning to get my own weights and/or resistance bands because I would do it if I didn't have to travel for it. I have found that my belly size largely depends on what I have recently eaten. I am a nut fiend and was eating too many of all kinds and since I made myself cut back I have noticed it is flatter, though it is only truly "flat" at certain times. I generally avoid flours because I feel they may be a culprit, as well as gluten. entils also swell my belly but I love them and have them every so often. But there is still fat there, which I don't like. I don't know what to do to get rid of it as I already try hard not to eat more than I will expend. I have always felt most comfortable in a scrunched up position and wonder if that is causing fat to get 'caught' there. My posture is awful! If I could afford it I would have pilates or yoga classes, as well as some kind of dance class probably, for fun as well as fitness.
  3. Travel a little along the coast to Bournemouth and eat at Zoukinis. Yum!
  4. Thanks. It's interesting to know you've had a similar experience with regards to getting colds so maybe it wasn't preventable and not going to be the same forever. I've just realised though that I have been doing something differently. I used to have a full glass of orange juice every morning but stopped due to concerns about its high sugar content. I wonder if this change in the consistency of my vitamin C intake could have that much effect. Perhaps I'll start having it again but up my fibre intake. I'm someone who is quite excessive about washing hands. My boyfriend tells me I'm too hygienic and that's why I'm more susceptible but I don't know; I feel I'm washing all the bad stuff away and he isn't. I don't like that he is less clean than I think he should be but he does get less colds and eats pretty much the same as me. Hmm... Anyway, I'm glad you didn't say honey!
  5. Hi, I have just come down with a cold - my third this year as well as having the flu earlier in the year. It seems ridiculously frequent and I'm sure I never used to get them this often. I recovered well from the flu but the colds seem to linger more now too. Not good for my upcoming birthday! I just feel it's a bit weird. I've been vegan for nearly 8 years but didn't pay much attention to nutrition before but recently I've been eating healthier than ever so I don't understand why I keep getting colds while others around me don't. Is there something I could be missing? Does anyone know what foods can help the body fight off viruses, if any, or is it something not preventable by diet?
  6. I'm sure the body makes its own HDL cholesterol; you are not supposed to eat it but foods that can be used to synthesise it.
  7. I've decided to change my routine. Cardio only for three mornings a week and muscles on alternate evenings. I've only managed to do one muscle session so far (now on holiday) but I'm still aching from it. Wondering if the aching is good (means it's doing something) or bad (means it's not repairing?).
  8. Just weighed myself and I am down to 52 kilos so the gym and healthier eating is paying off (so I've lost about 3 since starting) but that must mean I'm not gaining any muscle. :/ I haven't really noticed a difference in my figure. I don't know what more I need to do to tone up. I really ached after last time and I've been taking protein supplements. I suppose I should be doing a lot more. It's just finding the time (and energy!). It just seems hard to know what to do when my priorities are both losing my excess fat and gaining muscle in the areas where there is very little fat and muscle.
  9. Thanks. Burnt 500 calories today (apart from whatever doing weights burns). However as I tried running again my ankle now hurts again. I think deep down I knew I should have waited longer but I was desperate to run again. Really must find someone to show me how to use free weights. I don't feel some of the machines are hitting the right places.
  10. I bought a vegan protein powder yesterday, as it seemed like I haven't been eating enough protein. It's 100% sprouted raw brown rice and is 80% protein and 0% sugars. I'm really hoping it'll be the boost I need but I've felt tired today and yesterday which seems too coincidental. I'll keep taking it and see. At least it tastes quite nice which I wasn't expecting. I'm wondering if I can ever get a decent figure having a sit-down job. My bum is so horrible. I'm sure I just need to lose weight off it but it just seems so hard. It's going to come off there last and I already seem to have a deficit. I feel like a freak that normal human biology laws don't apply to!
  11. I read an article from the main page of this site about abs and the author said her cheat was coconut water. I just don't get how something that is generally considered so healthy (only available in health food shops, at least here) could be considered bad and to be avoided. It makes me feel like I'll never get the results I want because I'm not prepared to restrict my diet even more than I already do (my mum and boyfriend are frustrated as if they cook they find me far too picky with no sugar, no wheat or refined carbs as well as being strictly vegan). I'm generally pretty good at not succumbing to temptation when at home or shopping but now there is so much choice for vegans I find I can't resist a cupcake or similar treat if I'm near a vegan shop (fortunately I don't live near one!).
  12. Don't seem to be able to quote but just had to respond to the above post. One link of many on the gross inadequacies of non-human animal testing: http://independentsciencenews.org/news/the-experiment-is-on-us-animal-toxicology-testing-science/
  13. I feel like I pushed myself a lot more today. I tried heavier weights and improved my 1km rowing time by about 30 seconds. My legs were shaky and I was properly out of breath for the first time - I thought that would have happened at the beginning. I still can't run. My ankle seems to be getting worse. I think I'll have to see a physio. Although I can burn just as many calories walking I don't feel it's enough. I think I can see differences in my body but I'm not sure if it's wishful thinking. My arms seem more muscular and less ugly and thin (but still not nice: I need to do something about the bits that join my shoulders if I can). I think I've lost fat on my face and my abdomen. I was thrilled to find I had a 24" waist. Just a shame about what's above it and below it. I'm wondering if I'll ever have nice enough knees to wear a skirt. I wanted to try free weights but there was no one there today. Why are free weights better than the machines? I do worry that I'm doing the wrong movements. I often feel in chest/back/shoulder exercises that my arms are doing all the work.
  14. Thank you That's really helpful. What you say about the noticeable changes in your body after relatively little time gives me inspiration.
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