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Phoenix's makeup, skincare, weight, health etc...

Alexiszoe

Brilliant_Rock
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Aug 28, 2008
Messages
720
@Phoenix, I can't believe I missed this...I am finding it hard enough to hit the gym, let alone get off the couch!!

I saw your post on the eyelash extensions - how do they hold up? We are going away for our anniversary, and I anticipate a lot of massages, having a facial or two and maybe lazing around by the pool...as it is I am terribly lazy when it comes to make up, and when we lie face down for massages, well all the make up wears off! Am tempted to have the extensions done so I always look "fresh" during the vacation, but not sure if it's a good idea?

And loving the semi permanent eye brows! You have started me going at it again...can you believe it I have been considering it on and off for 10 YEARS. I never got around to it (too many fly by night places in Chinatown way back when, or overpriced salons) but now that I am in Asia I am hopeful!
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
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9,975
@Hayley87, thank you!:))

I've seen that app advertised on FB. Cool!:clap: Congrats on having your second baby and also for seeing a change in your body composition. Weights are the best, aren't they?! I also agree with you re strength and how clothes fit.

Thank you for yr recommendation re organic rosehip oil. I have very dry skin too, so will def try this out. Do you order it online or buy it locally?
 
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Hayley87

Shiny_Rock
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Feb 21, 2017
Messages
357
@Hayley87, thank you!:))

I've seen that app advertised on FB. Cool!:clap: Congrats on having your second baby and also for seeing a change in your body composition. Weights are the best, aren't they?! I also agree with you re strength and how clothes fit.

Thank you for yr recommendation re organic rosehip oil. I have very dry skin too, so will def try this out. Do you order it online or buy it locally?

I get the Teddie Organica brand; you can find it on Amazon ;)2
 

december-fire

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 3, 2013
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2,385
Phoenix,

Your positive and enthusiastic attitude is great!

Day-to-day demands can distract people from looking after themselves, and anything that gets them to pause and think about their health and well-being is wonderful.

I'm sure your thread has motivated people to reassess their eating and exercise habits.
It doesn't matter if we're talking about someone changing up their regular gym workout, or getting someone off the couch and walking around the block. I bet you've inspired people to make positive steps.

Thank you!
 

PintoBean

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
6,589
Hair - I find my hair thinning. Perhaps it's stress or perhaps it's age. You have beautiful hair. How do you promote it?
 

valeria101

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Aug 29, 2003
Messages
15,809
@PintoBean Stress does it for me very well all by itself - approx. in the same time as killing sleep ...

No cure worth of mention.
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
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9,975
@PierreBear, thank you so much for your kind compliment and yr recommendations. I'll look into the Clarisonic brush and also the cleanser. Sound amazing! I'm always up for trying new things, which are proven to work on other people. Will report back!:dance:
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
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9,975
Hair - I find my hair thinning. Perhaps it's stress or perhaps it's age. You have beautiful hair. How do you promote it?

Gosh, this is a sore topic for me! It's about the only thing that really stresses me out. Yes, it's a vicious circle, stress causes hair loss and stressing about it causes even more hair loss! Ugh!:nono:

Well, long story short: I have Hashimotos (a mild hypo thyroid disorder/ an auto-immune disease) which attacks my immune system and messes with my hair, amongst many other things. :angryfire: Approx 8 years ago, my previously super long luscious and super THICK and beautiful hair started to fall in alarming volumes, and also caused insomnia, weight gain, constipation (sorry if this is a bit TMI) etc. I was pulling my hair out- figuratively speaking of course! I didn't know what was causing all that. I started to look into possible causes and posted on here and someone suggested that perhaps I had a thyroid disorder. So off I trotted to the Dr to have a blood test and sure enough, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos!!! The endocrinologist prescribed Thyroxin to me and I've been on it since. My hair loss then slowed down considerably but most of the volume lost was never restored. I had it cut super short, like a boy's hair short short, bc it'd thinned so much, and kept it short for about 5-6 years. Abt 2-3 yrs ago, I started to take a Biotin supplement and it helped somewhat. I started to grow my hair long again..and was quite content with it...was feeling ultra feminine with my fairly thick luxurious long hair...that is, until about a month ago!;(

So, about a month ago, my hair started to fall out at an alarming pace again, the same kind of hair loss pace that I was experiencing 8 yrs ago!! I went to see a different endocrinologist and he said that there may be any one of several causes. I gave a bunch of blood samples and now am awaiting results. Am seeing him this coming Tues, and will definitely report back. Oh, and I've had about 4-5 inches chopped off my hair now - CRY!!

Sorry if this is too long a response. Obviously, this is something that's really affecting me, negatively. I'm trying not to be too upset about it (am usually a very positive person) and pray that this new endocrinologist can help me find out what's going on and at least help stop the hair loss.

There are many many reasons why your hair may be thinning. Stress is definitely one possible culprits. You've been through so much, @PintoBean, and I have so much respect and admiration for you. Keep an eye on your hair loss but don't over stress (bc as I said, stressing about it causes even more stress, which doesn't help you). See how things go over the next few months and try to stay positive, try to eat healthy (lots of lean protein, Vit E, Vit C, nuts etc - that's what I'm doing) and get plenty of sleep...all important. {{HUGS}} sweetie. Stay in touch and pls keep me updated.
 
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Akalahab

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
139
Neat that you did a DNA test and are blessed with athletic genes! Do you mind sharing when you were doing 50+ miles of running a week what that looked like? Did you do back to back long runs? I just can't imagine how to spread out that amount of mileage throughout the week to still allow your body to recover. I'm very injury prone so would love to hear from an expert like yourself! My DH has done a 60 miler race before and has a desire to do a 100 miler maybe one day. Makes me a bit nervous if he would ever attempt to do such a long run but I suppose with the right training, your body would be ready for it.

I just ran 10 miles a day. Then I started a marathon training plan and had a hard time cutting back the miles bc I was so used to them. That's awesome that your DH has done super distances! I paced a friend who did a 100 miler and he maxed out at 62 miles for a training run. His main trouble during the race was nutrition and keeping cool - he was vomiting all the time and we had to keep covering him in ice. I have another friend training for a 100 miler as well. He's done a few training races leading up to it. He injured his foot a few weeks ago but is now on track. I have many other acquaintances who have done or attempted 100 milers and the the running theme seems to be avoiding injury during training and figuring out how to keep eating during strenuous activities. One person I know trained his stomach by scarfing down food and then sprinting around a track and repeating... I hear it is an extremely painful distance but with good support and training, your hubby sounds like he's built up to it if he's already done a 60 miler. He'd need a good buddy or two to pace him in case anything goes wrong or he starts to hallucinate. Another guy I met who has done Leadville and multiple other 100 milers said he just runs 10 miles a day to train (but possibly is just maintaining fitness as this point and has already developed enough strength/capillaries etc. in the past)

One thing that made me more immune to injury - never had a major one apart from rolling my ankle during a 36 mile hike/jog (I guess I forgot I did that) - was strength training. I got some personal training and then just did bodypump at the gym as well as Cxworks.
 

Akalahab

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
139
Hmm...I'm not a fitness or nutritional professional or expert, so am not quite sure what's going on with you. But if you'd like to share more infor on your diet and activities, I could make an educated guess as to why your weight has gone down when you're eating whatever you like.

I'd agree, however, that you most likely have lost some muscles, as muscles definitely weigh more. But that's still quite a drastic drop. Over what period of time? Again, without more infor re yr daily diet & daily activities - before vs. now - I really don't know.

One whole bag of chips?!!:o lol

Just to give you an idea - these photos were taken a few weeks after a doctors appointment in which they weighed me at 91 lbs so was probably still around that. Still have a decent amount of muscle (my first and only time trying log rolling so far). Yes, I love salty potatoes! I am constantly moving and standing due to being a violinist so even if I haven't gone to the gym in a few months I'm burning calories.

The most I've weighed was 114 when I had an abdominal surgery to remove an ovary that had twisted due to a huge cyst. I couldn't do much exercise for a while and was extremely tired all the time. That's when I stopped running 70 miles a week! I started exercising again a year later - hiked 50 mile weekends, did a triathlon, and another marathon, did November Project and bodypump. I got down to 102ish and then I stopped all of that apart from a 2 mile run a day to practice my butt off for an audition and lost 10 lbs in 5 to 6 weeks. That's also when's I just ate whatever I wanted bc I had to keep my energy levels up. But again, I don't like sugary and processed foods anyway!
IMG_2889.JPG IMG_2890.JPG IMG_2892.JPG
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
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@Alexiszoe,

I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend eyelash extensions if you're going to have lots of massages. Don't you have to lie face-down at some point? Your eyelashes will come into direct contact with the bed/ massage table and they may loosen during the prolonged contact and may therefore not last that long - unless you're ok with them not lasting longer than the holiday. Also, when you have facials, don't they massage around your eyes? Extensions are fine if you can somehow avoid having them rubbed or touched excessively. You'd have to baby the extensions a fair bit. I do love how they really open up yr eyes and make you look fresh & beautiful all day round without you having to apply any eye makeup.

Yeah, I agree with you re eyebrow embroidery. It used to be these horrible greenish tattoos. It's come a loooong way since then, with now 6D and even 9D brows available (didn't even know there were such things as 6D and 9D, lol).
 
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Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
Messages
9,975
@Alexiszoe , I forgot to answer yr other Q. They do hold up very well, provided you baby them. I'm not as good at babying them as my friend is at hers. Mine last for 4-5 weeks before I have them replaced, with touch-ups every week or 2. My friend's last her, I seem to recall, 2-3 months; and she only has touch-ups every 2-3 weeks or maybe even longer. She doesn't wash her face and is extremely gentle with hers. I have to wash my face, twice a day at least.
 

Alexiszoe

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
720
Thanks @Phoenix for taking the time and letting me know! With the exception of my jewelry and bags I suck at babying anything...I guess if that's the case I am not a good candidate for eyelash extensions!

I remember those horrid greenish eyebrow tattoos, growing up I had an aunt who had the weirdest looking artificial brows, plus I wasn't a fan of her personality (her parenting style and advice to my folks was you need to beat the crap out of your kids the moment they display any form of "disobedience"...ouch!) Thanks for letting me know about the 6D and 9D thing, I had no idea they existed until you told me, lol!
 

jaaron

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
877
Well, long story short: I have Hashimotos (a mild hypo thyroid disorder/ an auto-immune disease) which attacks my immune system and messes with my hair, amongst many other things. :angryfire: Approx 8 years ago, my previously super long luscious and super THICK and beautiful hair started to fall in alarming volumes, and also caused insomnia, weight gain, constipation (sorry if this is a bit TMI) etc. I was pulling my hair out- figuratively speaking of course! I didn't know what was causing all that. I started to look into possible causes and posted on here and someone suggested that perhaps I had a thyroid disorder. So off I trotted to the Dr to have a blood test and sure enough, I was diagnosed with Hashimotos!!! The endocrinologist prescribed Thyroxin to me and I've been on it since. My hair loss then slowed down considerably but most of the volume lost was never restored. I had it cut super short, like a boy's hair short short, bc it'd thinned so much, and kept it short for about 5-6 years. Abt 2-3 yrs ago, I started to take a Biotin supplement and it helped somewhat. I started to grow my hair long again..and was quite content with it...was feeling ultra feminine with my fairly thick luxurious long hair...that is, until about a month ago!;(

So, about a month ago, my hair started to fall out at an alarming pace again, the same kind of hair loss pace that I was experiencing 8 yrs ago!! I went to see a different endocrinologist and he said that there may be any one of several causes. I gave a bunch of blood samples and now am awaiting results. Am seeing him this coming Tues, and will definitely report back. Oh, and I've had about 4-5 inches chopped off my hair now - CRY!!

Hi Phoenix,

Your regimen sounds great and you're obviously having very good results. I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but there is some small-scale but convincing research that very low carbohydrate diets (and possibly super calories restricted diets) aren't great for people with hypothyroidism as they appear to inhibit the conversion of T4 (inactive thyroid hormones) into T3 (active thyroid hormones).

If you're on thyroxine, which is T4 only medication, your body is supposed to convert it into all the various components that your thyroid is meant to produce naturally. For some unknown reason, after being on it for a while, some people seem to lose the ability to do that conversion efficiently-- speaking, unfortunately from experience here-- so even though TSH and T4 and free T4 are fine, they're not actually getting what their body needs. I'm wondering if your hair loss might be related to that? Particularly as it sounds like your carb intake is very low.

At any rate, please make sure they're testing your T3 levels. My life changed enormously after I changed to a medication that contains both T4 and T3.
 

GreenPapaya

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
506
Hi Phoenix,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions. I was hoping you'll have an easy, no effort regiment to look great and feel great! I am still struggling with brownies and dark chocolates (my only sweet cravings) but I'm hopeful that I will work towards eating better since I've admitted that I have a sugar addiction. Oddly enough I did not have any sweet cravings before my cancer diagnosis and ate a diet of mostly fish, rice and vegetables (being southeast Asian). After my diagnosis, I've craved junk food and ice cream (even though it hurts since I'm lactose intolerant). I've heard that sugar feeds the cancer so I definitely need to find some way to cut it. My doctor told me drinking water when I'm craving sugar helps, but so far I haven't noticed. I am 5 years in remission and would like to keep it that way. However, my quality of life can improve and I've been told that diet and exercise can help lower the risk of recurrence and reduce my pain.

Wow, your skin is perfect! I used to have really nice skin, but now I am having the teenage acne I did not get as a teen. And hair! I feel you, I really do. I was smug going into chemo because I had a ton of dark, thick, shiny hair and just assumed that it would come back in all its glory. After all, I've read stories of dozens of women who had thicker, better hair after chemo. Alas, that was not my story. It grew in straggly, frizzy on the bottom and thin on top (like male pattern balding :cry2::roll2::oops2::eek2:). I have about 1/3 of my former hair. I am grateful to have hair at all, but I really missed my old hair. I've seen many doctors and have used biotin, biosil and rogaine. I didn't notice any improvement, except that I was developing a beard on the rogaine:eek2:. After a year I gave up and am working on accepting my new normal. But I've heard hair could get thicker if you take biotin, vitamin B12 and biosil. It didn't work for me but perhaps it will for you.
 

GreenPapaya

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 25, 2016
Messages
506
I forgot to mention that I use latisse for my eyelashes. I had long, thick lashes but it kept on falling out a few months after chemotherapy. The latisse helps it not fall out as much and made it darker, so I still have most of my lashes. I've heard it could help make lashes longer and thicker. I only use it twice a week but it has helped my lashes not fall out as much as it used to.
 

tand*m

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
106
Wow, tons of great info in this thread. @Phoenix, thanks for starting this!

I am curious as to Satan's perspective on joint stability and heavy weightlifting. Is this something that tends to be more individual? I used to be of similar body type (5.xft, 95lbs) before having a baby but now am trying to get rid of more stubborn baby weight... and also have elevated stress levels and insomnia since being widowed so that has not helped with weight loss. I am trying to get my sleep under control.

I had used kettlebells in the past but then it took a toll on my wrists particularly. Do you think heavier weights are more joint friendly because of how they are used? (Lifting vs swinging, etc)

This is getting me really inspired to focus more on my personal fitness journey, thanks again!
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
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@jaaron,

OMG!! Thank YOU soooooooo much for posting this!! You may very well be onto something here!!

I was wracking my brain trying to figure out what it is I'm doing differently from before that is causing the hair loss this time! I've been going through an elimination process, thinking maybe i) I was taking too many supplements, so have cut out one after another of my Vit intakes, ii) maybe my thyroxine was too much/ alternatively not enough, iii) I'm ingesting too much protein etc etc...I NEVER occurred to me that my carb intake was too low, and was thus the culprit!!:eek-2::shock:

Satan has prescribed 100g of carbs a day to me, for this cut. I was telling anyone who cared to listen, lol, that giving up booze was a walk in the park compared to giving up carbs (and giving up booze was an absolute **struggle** for me)!! I never measured my carb intake prior to doing the cut, but I'd guesstimate at least 200g of carbs a day. Granted that my reduction was gradual, it wasn't like I woke up one day and halved my carb intake immediately. But what you're saying is making a LOT of SENSE. I'm at my peak, health-wise. I don't drink alcohol, I don't smoke, have never done any drugs, work out like a maniac, sleep a decent amount every night, am not under any kind of real stress etc, so for all intents and purposes, my hair should be at its peak too, it should be lustrous, shiny, FULL and NOT falling out!!;( I never ever thought that I'd be reaching my highest fitness level, body-wise, at the expense of my hair!! I will tell you this: NO amount of body fat loss is worth going BALD!!:nono: No, sireeee!!

Sorry to hear that you're having a thyroid issue too. But it sounds like you've got it well under control. When I go back to see the endocrinologist on Tuesday, i will def ask him about what you've said. I've done some online research since seeing your post last night and there is definitely credence to the theory that a low carb diet hurts your hair. I will look at the test results and discuss with the Dr. I did ask for free & total T3 and T4, in addition to TSH and antibodies levels (the ONLY indicator of my Hashimotos is that my antibodies is btw 400-600; otherwise everything is within normal range); and they're doing a bunch of other tests too. I will enquire about substituting Euthyrox (I'm currently taking 25 micro-grams a day) to another medication that contains both T3 & T4. I was wondering if I was getting too used to the medication, having been on it for a long time (though my previous endocrinologist did up the dosage a little recently, we never talked about T4 vs T3+T4 meds).

Thank you so much once again. I will report back.
 
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Sparkly2017

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 25, 2017
Messages
69
Firstly, I think I speak for a lot of us here in saying to @Phoenix that this is a fantastic thread. Thank you for empowering us all on focusing on looking after ourselves. It can be hard to obsess about other things that are going on in your life (in my case - being pregnant and DIAMONDS! lol) but if you look good - you feel good and the investment is worth it! You're doing super well at maintaining your beauty and fitness so thank you so much for sharing!

Re hair thinning - it can be v tough to deal with so I totally empathise. I know this isn't on the head buut I've been using castor oil to regrow lashes and eyebrows and have found it really effective so worth giving it a go given how cheap it is!

@happybear I used to own a nail salon and have worn gel nails for 7 years. I do them myself at home with a full professional kit so think I can help! If you are keen on maintaining gel nails, you HAVE to use a hand oil (cover up fingers & put on cotton gloves when resting) as skin gets really dry from the acetone treatment when removed. Otherwise these quasi gel polishes will work really well for you as these work well with dry nail beds. Mine are super oily so I have to get them redone every 10-14 days or they naturally peel off. Hope that is helpful :)
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 24, 2012
Messages
8,507
Phoenix, this thread is brilliant. And gripping, like a good book!

I also suffer hair loss & it is soul destroying. I have naturally curly hair & it turns out I am super hormone sensitive. When I first went on the Pill in my 20's it lost heaps of volume. It recovered mostly, but after the births of both children I again went from super thick, long tumbling curls, to thin curls that looked scraggly & limp. When I came off the Pill for the final time 4.5 years ago (it just wasn't agreeing with me & made my boobs super painful) I lost a lot. And I mean, A LOT. My scalp was visible all over the top. Devastating. I had to have it cut to jaw length & heavily layered to give volume. It mostly recovered, but never completely. Earlier this year I had a coil fitted due to heavy periods, and a few weeks later, yep, you guessed it, hair shed. Huge amounts, so I had it removed asap.

It has been a difficult journey for me with my hair. I have since changed my parting to the side in a zigzag pattern, which is much more forgiving. And it has recovered enough for me to start growing it again - it's shoulder length now & feels quite weighty. I have also discovered a brush in fill-in powder that is used to cover grey roots, but actually works great to take the edge of scalp showing on the top, just where my curls separate. It has done wonders for my confidence! So in the morning I dust gently along each edge of the part line & a bit on the top of my scalp where the curls separate, then clip my fringe back over to one side. It stays in place & voila! No scalp glaring back at me! Unless I stand under spot lights, so they are now my enemy :lol:

I will add also that both of my sisters have under active thyroids & take thyroxin, but I do not. They have both lost lots of hair on occasion. I have my levels checked every year & I'm all good. My Dr suggested years ago that I took an iodine supplement as it promotes thyroid regulation, so I take sea kelp every day without fail. She has no idea if this is helping me, but my thyroid levels have remained steady ever since in the face of a genetic issue. I have also just ordered Biotin but am still waiting for it to arrive. I figured it can only help my hair.
 

PintoBean

Ideal_Rock
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Joined
Jul 27, 2011
Messages
6,589
I've never been a fan of toners until this one. I got a facial once and the facialist sold it to me. It looks like you can find this under various distributors / rebranding. After I shower I spray it into my palm, rub both palms together and tap it into my face and neck. My saturate a cotton pad and create more waste lololol?

The toner keeps my face from feeling tight and dry after my nightly shower. I don't moisturizer right away bc I like doing my teeth first and don't want to deal with lubed up face and hands as I floss and brush lol. After I'm done with my teeth, then I apply moisturizer. I'm a strange creature of habit...
image.jpg
 
P

PierreBear

Guest
I just ran 10 miles a day. Then I started a marathon training plan and had a hard time cutting back the miles bc I was so used to them. That's awesome that your DH has done super distances! I paced a friend who did a 100 miler and he maxed out at 62 miles for a training run. His main trouble during the race was nutrition and keeping cool - he was vomiting all the time and we had to keep covering him in ice. I have another friend training for a 100 miler as well. He's done a few training races leading up to it. He injured his foot a few weeks ago but is now on track. I have many other acquaintances who have done or attempted 100 milers and the the running theme seems to be avoiding injury during training and figuring out how to keep eating during strenuous activities. One person I know trained his stomach by scarfing down food and then sprinting around a track and repeating... I hear it is an extremely painful distance but with good support and training, your hubby sounds like he's built up to it if he's already done a 60 miler. He'd need a good buddy or two to pace him in case anything goes wrong or he starts to hallucinate. Another guy I met who has done Leadville and multiple other 100 milers said he just runs 10 miles a day to train (but possibly is just maintaining fitness as this point and has already developed enough strength/capillaries etc. in the past)

One thing that made me more immune to injury - never had a major one apart from rolling my ankle during a 36 mile hike/jog (I guess I forgot I did that) - was strength training. I got some personal training and then just did bodypump at the gym as well as Cxworks.

Wow thanks for sharing the stories of your really athletic friends! Wow, I can't even relate to training by scarfing down food and than doing sprints. It reminds me of the beer mile though where you run one lap around the track and then have chug a beer, repeat 4 times for time. I've never done it but I've heard people train by practicing with carbonated water/sodas. Dedication!

On the trail runs that are longer distances, I see that they start serving ramen and bullion broth and other items just to help the runners get down more calories they need to keep going. I haven't had issues with keeping food down thankfully but with the triathlon races, I do consume a lot of those gel blocks. It doesn't make me vomit but all that sugar doesn't make me feel good nor excited to eat more.

Good luck to all your friends who are training for those ultra races. Yes, I agree on foam rolling out on muscles and adding in strength training. Some bodies are more resilient than others though. Mine isn't built for 100 miles but maybe for DH one day. One good benefit of him doing that race is that after he puts in a good good 40 miles or so, DH and I are finally at the speed where I can properly pace him. : )

Thanks for sharing the log rolling photos! You look AMAZING and that looks like a ton of fun!
 

Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Oct 5, 2006
Messages
9,975
@PierreBear,
I'm in absolute agreement that you need the carbs for the energy to run. Ironman?!! Wowza!!:appl: I admire so much people who do that. I'd never be able to do it. For one thing, I just don't have the endurance, or even begin to train for that. It is true that weights and the programme that Satan puts me on strength-train me as well as help build muscles. But to do an ironman or run long distance is not something I can do. So, well done! What quantity of carbs do you need to do your endurance training is not something I can or am qualified to say.

In terms of your Q, I'll check with Satan (she knows a lot about nutrition, fitness etc). The fat-burning process is quite complicated; and I, not being an expert this area, do not know how exactly that works. I'd guess though that your body, when it's being exercised, takes up the energy from your carbs and then if there is a calorie shortfall (bc you're not eating enough), then it takes it from the reserve, ie. the stored fat. But it doesn't burn the fat evenly throughout the body, it chooses where to take the fat from first, and then it moves to the next area and the next... And the body doesn't just burn fat it also burns lean tissue. That's why if you look at marathon runners, you'll see that they tend to be thinner and not so muscular. What's more, those chiselled bodies that you see in the gym, I'd guess, achieve their bodies via a combination of a very specific diet comprising of a high protein intake (and specific kinds of proteins too), lower carbs (also particular types of carbs) and again very specific exercises aimed at targeting/bulking up desired muscles.

Now, re performance output, I find that for *me*, Satan has helped me to increase my strength by doing programmes/ exercises designed specifically for strength-training. I find that I'm much stronger than I ever used to be. I can do a lot more than I was ever able to do, for example lift heavier and heavier weights and I last longer and can do much more difficult "moves" than before.

Good for you for doing so many different things!! It sounds to me though that you may be doing a lot of cardio and not much in terms of resistance training or muscle-building. For strength-training, I'd need to do more research and check with Satan, but I'd guess that what you're doing, as incredible as it truly is, is not necessarily geared towards strength-training. You'd need, for example, to work with very heavy weights and lower reps to build up your strength.

And yeah, it's not easy to build up and keep that butt. I'm still trying ...very very hard...working towards that "bubble butt"!!:razz:
 
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Akalahab

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2016
Messages
139
Wow thanks for sharing the stories of your really athletic friends! Wow, I can't even relate to training by scarfing down food and than doing sprints. It reminds me of the beer mile though where you run one lap around the track and then have chug a beer, repeat 4 times for time. I've never done it but I've heard people train by practicing with carbonated water/sodas. Dedication!

On the trail runs that are longer distances, I see that they start serving ramen and bullion broth and other items just to help the runners get down more calories they need to keep going. I haven't had issues with keeping food down thankfully but with the triathlon races, I do consume a lot of those gel blocks. It doesn't make me vomit but all that sugar doesn't make me feel good nor excited to eat more.

Good luck to all your friends who are training for those ultra races. Yes, I agree on foam rolling out on muscles and adding in strength training. Some bodies are more resilient than others though. Mine isn't built for 100 miles but maybe for DH one day. One good benefit of him doing that race is that after he puts in a good good 40 miles or so, DH and I are finally at the speed where I can properly pace him. : )

Thanks for sharing the log rolling photos! You look AMAZING and that looks like a ton of fun!

That's awesome that you're doing triathlons! :appl:You must be an uber athlete! I've only done one so far. I had to learn how to ride a bike for it. (Never lived in a place where I could safely bike when I was growing up and my parents and teachers didn't let me do sports bc they didn't want me to break my fingers so I only started running at age 25). Your DH is very lucky to have you to pace him! Morale is everything during those tough last 40 miles!

And I could never do those beer miles. :confused2:I have the Asian lack of enzyme to process anything alcoholic and would not survive one of those!

@Phoenix - so awesome that you're working with "Satan" and getting so strong! And eating so healthy! Can't wait to see what you'll be able to accomplish in time! Planning to go back to the gym this week. Was just in Colorado for hiking and visited the Olympic Training center...different types of athletes definitely have different nutritional and caloric needs!

Also - I guess during a long distance running training plan, one has to be careful with strength training (esp lower body) - I think people usually do it during off seasons, at least that was what was recommended to me by other runners. (Done it before but it's really hard to run with sore quads that you can barely sit down and stand up with!)
 
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PierreBear

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That's awesome that you're doing triathlons! :appl:You must be an uber athlete! I've only done one so far. I had to learn how to ride a bike for it. (Never lived in a place where I could safely bike when I was growing up and my parents and teachers didn't let me do sports bc they didn't want me to break my fingers so I only started running at age 25). Your DH is very lucky to have you to pace him! Morale is everything during those tough last 40 miles!

And I could never do those beer miles. :confused2:I have the Asian lack of enzyme to process anything alcoholic and would not survive one of those!

@Phoenix - so awesome that you're working with "Satan" and getting so strong! And eating so healthy! Can't wait to see what you'll be able to accomplish in time! Planning to go back to the gym this week. Was just in Colorado for hiking and visited the Olympic Training center...different types of athletes definitely have different nutritional and caloric needs!

Also - I guess during a long distance running training plan, one has to be careful with strength training (esp lower body) - I think people usually do it during off seasons, at least that was what was recommended to me by other runners. (Done it before but it's really hard to run with sore quads that you can barely sit down and stand up with!)

Thanks for the compliments but biking is more straight forward to me than running. haha... running, though something we are all designed to do, is more complicated than it looks to be!
I am Asian as well and experience those flushes too! DH likes that I'm a cheap date. Thank goodness I have a sweet tooth and rather drink a smoothie/milkshake/juice than consuming alcohol.

Enjoy CO! Wonderful state full of outdoor adventures!
 

Phoenix

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D-Day today!

Seeing endocrinologist regarding my blood test results. Will ask about carb intake, T3+T4 meds.
 

Phoenix

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Also - I guess during a long distance running training plan, one has to be careful with strength training (esp lower body) - I think people usually do it during off seasons, at least that was what was recommended to me by other runners. (Done it before but it's really hard to run with sore quads that you can barely sit down and stand up with!)

I can imagine!:lol:
 

LLJsmom

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@Phoenix I've been dealing with hair loss too. I just started biotin and will let you all know how that goes. I think a lot of it is due to stress. Also, maybe my body fat is getting too low. I've got to get it checked. But it's just probably menopause...

I've been good about cutting out the sugar, had only a couple of cheats this week, in small amounts. Thanks @Phoenix for this thread. You're showing me it's possible.

@PierreBear , @Akalahab good for you ladies to keep up with the endurance training and racing. I have discovered I'm at the point where I'm kinda done with the long distances, and 26.2 is plenty for me. I don't have the desire anymore. I think I want to focus on balance, getting in good weight training, stretching and maintaining flexibility, and decent cardio, which is no more than 12 mile long runs on occasion. The rollercoaster of being in training mode, eating like crazy, and recovering from races and changing the eating habits again, being destroyed after long runs... I just don't have it in me anymore. It's good to do it while you still want it. Cause when you don't, you move on.
 

Phoenix

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Ha! Turned out not to be D-day after all! I saw the endocrinologist today and he says that everything is within normal range, except for elevated antibodies levels which I already knew about and slightly higher cholesterol which I also knew about (thanks, mum and dad!:rolleyes:).

@jaaron, he refused to prescribe me meds that also contain T3, on the basis that "it'd affect my heart negatively" (not that there's anything wrong with my heart). And as all the thyroid indicators, except the antibodies, are within their normal ranges, he didn't think I needed to switch meds. He also didn't think there was any correlation between carb intake and hair loss. He simply attributed my hair loss to age!:(sad I must say I don't agree with him on this last bit. Sure, as you age, your hair becomes thinner and thinner, but my hair loss happened almost like overnight!! and I'm having similar symptoms as what I experienced 8 yrs ago, ie. hair loss, constipation etc. And how is it possible that the hair loss just happened all of a sudden like that??!!:confused:

The only changes I've made recently in my diet & lifestyle are my carb intake (lower) and protein (higher). I doubt if a higher protein intake is causation. He also said last week that sometimes, when your body fat is lowered, your thyroxine intake should be lowered too. So, i'm trying to up my carbs a little (and doing more intense cardio to burn it;( off) and 2) lessen my Euthyrox a little too. Let's see if there's any improvement!!
 
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Phoenix

Ideal_Rock
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Haha, a friend just suggested that I enter a body-building competition!::)

I'm a loooong way away - both in fitness and in strength - even if I wanted to do this. I'd have to do a crazy "cut" and make huge changes in my diet. My life would change drastically! This would also pre-suppose that any drastic reduction in body fat would not affect my hair even more negatively.
 
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