Need help w/ fat/muscle weight

[Renee]

I am newer to rowing (just bought my rower 3 months ago) I have an elliptical that I used five days a week for at least 30 min and wanted to get a second piece of equipment to work with. Now I alternate between the ellipital and rower (about 5 days a week, 30 min).
I also do a little bit of weight training.

Anyways, I just turned 31 and I just can't seem to lose any weight. I am in the normal weight range but near the upper end. I really do not feel that I have a lot of fat and feel very strong. I am also only 5' 3 and about 137 pounds. I eat well and take care of myself.

I was hoping to lose about 10 pounds however I just can't seem to do it! I thought maybe after using the rower (which I LOVE) it would come off easier but it isn't. Then I thought, well maybe i don't have much fat and I just carry more muscle than a lot of people and this has affected my weight (or maybe I am just crazy!!! )

I don't feel that I can cut out much more food than I eat. I eat a granola bar for breakfast, an apple or banana 2 hours later, then a lunch (whatever I make, I rarely go out) and then dinner is a normal dinner and I may have a cup of pudding for desert. I have a beer a night, Though I have been cutting that out to try to lose some weight (so sad!)

I am active, feel strong and have a lot of energy however I just can't figure out what is with my weight. My cholesterol and BP are excellent.


So, really I am not sure if I need to work out longer each day? I usually am working about 45 min and this doesn't even take into account all the yard work and house work I do! It is hard to figure out if I am just convincing myself that I just carry more muscle than other people or if I do actually have weight that I could lose. The dr. only goes by the BMI rating and that says that I could lose at least 30 pounds ! (normal weight for me would be 104-140)

I know that I should go w/ how I feel and I feel great but I really don't like being on the edge of the "overweight" bmi rating.

thanks, sorry this is so long!!

-rj

[Nosmo]

BMI is not a good indicator of anything--it does not distinguish between muscle and fat. Body builders have very large BMI figures and almost not fat (and they may or may not be healthy but that is another story)--You might want to consider another doctor.

Also people may look skinny and have fat around their internal organs which is very unhealthy, or they may look fat and be fit with not fat around their internal organs in which case the fat is not unhealthy.

All of this is to say, don't obsess about the numbers. Go by how you look and how you feel.

You may want to consider longer rows and possibly more intensity. Do you do any intervals? If not try them 2x a week. Also shifting some of your calories to breakfast from diner may give you more energy and help you burn more during the day.

[Bob S.]

Anyways, I just turned 31 and I just can't seem to lose any weight. I am in the normal weight range but near the upper end. I really do not feel that I have a lot of fat and feel very strong. I am also only 5' 3 and about 137 pounds. I eat well and take care of myself.
I was hoping to lose about 10 pounds however I just can't seem to do it! I thought maybe after using the rower (which I LOVE) it would come off easier but it isn't. Then I thought, well maybe i don't have much fat and I just carry more muscle than a lot of people and this has affected my weight (or maybe I am just crazy!!! )
I don't feel that I can cut out much more food than I eat. I eat a granola bar for breakfast, an apple or banana 2 hours later, then a lunch (whatever I make, I rarely go out) and then dinner is a normal dinner and I may have a cup of pudding for desert. I have a beer a night, Though I have been cutting that out to try to lose some weight (so sad!)
I am active, feel strong and have a lot of energy however I just can't figure out what is with my weight. My cholesterol and BP are excellent.
So, really I am not sure if I need to work out longer each day? I usually am working about 45 min and this doesn't even take into account all the yard work and house work I do! It is hard to figure out if I am just convincing myself that I just carry more muscle than other people or if I do actually have weight that I could lose. The dr. only goes by the BMI rating and that says that I could lose at least 30 pounds ! (normal weight for me would be 104-140)

The time spent on any exercise is no real indication of the effectiveness of the exercise if there is no measure of the intensity. Your message has no mention of the intensity levels of your workouts, just the time spent. My own measure of an effective workout is the sweat level. If I am not sweating freely for most of a workout, I don't feel that it has been particularly effective.

Working out on an indoor rowing machine can be done at any intensity from just a light loosening up of the limbs to an all out effort that leaves you lying on the floor gasping for breath when you are done.

It is not easy to find the right level. However, since your current level is not achieving the results, you might try a small increase in intensity for each succeeding work out, making sure to do a proper warm up and cool down for each session.

Also, there are a couple of weight loss programs available from the Concept 2 websites (US and UK) that might by useful to you.

Bob S.

[Renee]

Thanks,

I did forget to tell you the intensity.

I start with a five min warmup then move up to moderate level (maybe 2.40 - 2.30) for 10 min. Then I really push it for about 5 min, then back to moderate about 10 min and then go harder for about 5 and then cool down.

my drag is set about 3, if that makes a difference. I get about 5000 yards in 25 min (the first five min of this is warmup so that is slow ) Not very record setting, but a really good workout for me. I have been concentrating on pushing w/ my legs lately (i used my arms too much at first) and row strapless.

My elliptical work is similar however because the rower is newer for me I find it really makes me work harder. I sort of hit the limit of my work on the elliptical. I can't physically go any faster so I did extend my workout time on it. It isn't a very expensive one so I can not tilt it up (like the ones in the gym)

I feel that i work out a challenging pace and sweat a lot for sure!!!

my dr. doesn't really say much about my weight at all. I don't think that they ever even mention it. They just weigh me and make sure that I am in the "normal" range and since I am normal it is never discussed. They always ask if I exercise and I say I do and that is about it. The last time I was weighed the nurse did mention that I am right on the edge of the overweight category and to be careful, which is why I sorta started to think about it. I asked her if it could be muscle and she said it is possible.

I have heard that skinny people can carry fat around their organs. How is this determined?

thanks,
rj

[Renee]

ooops, I meant 5000 meters not yards!!

[Nosmo]

I have heard that skinny people can carry fat around their organs. How is this determined?

Two ways,
1) with an accurate percentage body fat test which is done with either underwater weighing, or with a new fancy ultrasonic measuring device (they put you in a chamber and acoustically determine your volume--don't know how available these are but I ran in to an engineer who was working on them.

2) When they cut you open for a heart operation or another type of operation and see all the fat.

[badocter]

As the others have said, BMI is not of any value for guiding training because it does not take into account for activity level and the extra muscle mass that goes with it.

Your breakfast is almost nonexistent -- too small and too high a percentage of very quickly absorbed carbs - some slower absorbed protein would help balance it. Your mid-morning snack looks good. You say your lunch and dinner are normal - but people have a lot of ideas about what normal is, so giving us a few examples could help.

I like beer too, but unfortunately it is a significant calorie hit, it is all fast carbs, and it pretty much goes straight to the waistline so it has to be a once in while thing rather than an everyday thing. I used to be one a day, but now am one a week. What are you drinking during the day? Water of couse is no issue, but fruit juices, sodas, and coffee with sugar both can add up to a lot of calories over the course of a day.

My experience is training for competition is more effective for weight loss than rowing steady pieces to burn calories. Both approaches will burn calories, but training for competition packs on more lean muscle which in turn increases your base metabolic rate so you will burn more calories 24 hours a day. Pete Marston offers coaching services and his plans are quite popular (at least on the UK forum his threads are quite busy)
http://thepeteplan.wordpress.com/
Frankly, I find training for competition is more fun and rewarding.

Good luck in all your pursuits !!

[Renee]

Thanks,

I don't drink much pop or fruit juice and all my coffee is black (no sugar or cream)

My lunch is usually fruit and a sandwhich or left-over dinner

dinner is one serving of whatever meat we are having and salad or some veggi.

I do tend to get really hungry in the morning. My granola bar is only 24 grams of carb and about 200 calories. They happen to be quick and easy and portable!

My biggest problem is the beer. It is hard to give it up as it is the one thing I really enjoy. Other people like wine, I like beer. I have been trying to cut back to just the weekend to see if I will notice a difference.

[iain]

I am in the normal weight range but near the upper end. I really do not feel that I have a lot of fat and feel very strong. I am also only 5' 3 and about 137 pounds...

The dr. only goes by the BMI rating and that says that I could lose at least 30 pounds ! (normal weight for me would be 104-140)

As said before, BMI is a rough and ready measure. Even advocates don't claim that the limits are precise, so just because 104 is in the "normal range" does not mean that it would be healthy if you were to reduce your weight to this level, only that a significant proportion of people of your height could do so. Inherent body shape and amount of muscle will effect your "ideal" weight as well as your height.

Many people find that their weight loss plateaus on a consistant exercise regime. If you decide to continue to try and lose weight, and your rowing is of a similar exercise intensity to your eliptical, this may not be enough. Hence I would agree that adding some higher intensity workouts may kick start your metabolism and allow you to lose weight again.

All the best

Iain

[johnlvs2run]

Your 30 minutes 5 days a week is good, but then it's really not a large amount of exercise. It is good that you have other activities through the day. Including some running before your other exercises would help you to lose weight. At 137 and 5' 3 you are heavier than an average fit person for your weight. But then the two fastest distance runners in the world, from Ethiopia, very fit, are close to that same height and weight. So this depends on your constitution and fitness, but chances are you are not in that category.

Your diet honestly doesn't sound very good to me, and I think that's the key. For example "whatever I make" and "dinner is a normal dinner". For losing weight and being healthy it is important to focus on your diet first, and then exercise. What are your total cholesterol and BP? Let me know, and then I will let you know if they're excellent.

Regarding the straps, everyone uses straps when rowing, the difference is the location of emphasis of the straps. If there were no straps then your feet would fall off of the plates and you wouldn't be able to slide forward. As to location, it is more efficient to use the front straps but loose, so you are able to extend your legs at the finish of your stroke.

You can check this by sitting on the erg with your legs in extended position, heels on the foot plates, and see the position that your feet naturally go, which is a mechanical issue, depending on the mechanics and structure of your body. The straps on mine allow my forefeet to come up at least a couple of inches, so my legs can be extended at the back of the stroke, and while my heels are still down on the plates. I have put rubber hose over the heel straps to rock over that, as I row barefoot, but that is not necessary for most people who wear shoes.

Most of all keep an open mind and have fun. Cheers.

[iain]

At 137 and 5' 3 you are heavier than an average fit person for your weight. But then the two fastest distance runners in the world, from Ethiopia, very fit, are close to that same height and weight. So this depends on your constitution and fitness, but chances are you are not in that category.

I agree heavier distance runners are unusual, but that is for an endurance sport where you have to support your body weight. There are plenty of examples of the shorter ergoers having a more powerful build, not that surprising as ours is a power endurance sport where the weight does not need to be supported and the "penalty" of carrying extra muscle is more than compensated by increased power.

- Iain

[Renee]

Sorry it took be so long to respond:

anyways I DO row totally strapless, so it is possible. I do not even have the strap loosely around my feet, i place my feet on top of the straps so they are under my feet actually (and kept out of the way).

my total choloesterol is 162, hdl (good) is 64 and triglycerides are 60. My BP is rock bottom. It is actually too low.

in regards to eating healthy: i don't eat anything w/ trans fats and I rarely eat fried or processed foods. (maybe once a month??) I eat a lot of fruits and veggies. Dinner always includes a salad and i usually only have one serving (which is a normal serving, not that larger servings people actually think are one serving!) I also only try to eat when I am truly hungry although I have to say sometimes I eat a sweet because I just want to!

Funny, I was visiting my parents this weekend and my mother noticed my arm muscles. She was asking about the rower and was surprised on how it built up my upper body. Figuring I have only been rowing for maybe 3 months now I am surprised she noticed. Also I did lift weights for my arms before my rowing so my arms did have some muscle before.

In high school and college I averaged about 120 but I did not play any sports or exercise much. I do not weigh myself really so I was surprised how much I weighed at the dr's. I can still fit into clothes from college so I do not think my weight gain is that noticeable.

As far as the time I exercise, I did increase that to 45 min on the ellipical a while back and I don't see/notice a difference, except that I really start to get bored at the 35 min mark! I am making much better time on the rower so I know I am getting stronger with that now.

-rj

[Renee]

on a side note:

I am surprised to learn that the top long distance runners are short like me! ha! I thought they would be tall and have long legs!

[nic05]

Renee-Special K makes a meal bar with 10 gr protein and less than 200 calories. They are really delish and will hold you for a couple of hours and would probably make a better breakfast than granola bars. I too am trying to lose and it is very slow. I keep reading all of the good information here and believe that watching what I eat and rowing ( I am in my third week of the weight loss rowing on the UK site) it will absolutely have to come off. It's been slow, but it can't hang on at this pace much longer. Good luck!

[johnlvs2run]

I'm surprised that you row with no straps. How do you keep your feet on the foot plates?

Your 162 total cholesterol is good for an American, as the average in this country is 225. However, 80 percent of the world's population has a total cholesterol of less than 150.

That's good that you don't eat any unhealthy fats. Beware the healthy ones too. Calories from fat should be less than 10% of the total, with no excess added to foods.

Be sure to eat something for breakfast, and spread your calories through the day, rather than eating them all at one time. Drink plenty of water, especially before and during, and also after your meals. It is better to eat and drink earlier in the day, so you're not eating so much in the evening and then sleeping on it.

It sounds like you're in great shape physically.

Dr's are not known for accuracy, and the scale at the office could been off quite a bit. See if you can get a 2nd opinion, i.e. find a non-medical scale that is known to be accurate.

Walking is an excellent weight bearing exercise, and has the added advantage of getting you from one place to another.