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

[LLJsmom]

Phoenix, first off, thank you for responding to my questions so clearly. I will tell you. #1 Your thread has motivated me to get back on a regular weight workout regimen. I may even try heavier weights. #2 The cutting back on carbs thing is going to have to be limited to the bad carbs for now. But I am at least motivated to cut out the sweets and the crap food, specifically salty processed from a box stuff. I will tell you that on Friday, someone brought in a box of donuts, and I did not take a single one. I'm so proud of myself. My DH brought home a milk tea that was sweet last night, and I only had a few sips, and poured out the rest. And I didn't ask him to buy me my favorite jalepeno Last August tortilla chips last night. Progress! As for brown rice and fruit, I think I will have to keep those on my menu if I am going to keep training. I simply cannot finish my long runs if I don't carb up. I have one, maybe two half marathons in November, and I may be doing a full in May. I can see my weekly (not daily) mileage getting back up to 25-35 and if I don't eat carbs, I CANNOT function. I did very recently realize that doing only isometric exercises (you described them exactly correctly) other than my running, has greatly compromised my fitness level. I'm healthy, uninjured, but don't have the strength to tackle hilly long runs, which I used to do quite easily. So it is likely I will add Barry's Bootcamp, high intensity weight and sprinting workouts, which will definitely improve my fitness and blast calories. And given the changes above, I'll just see how my body responds. I've cut out sugar before and I swear it's like I got a face lift. I even saw fewer wrinkles and clearer skin. You have motivated me to do that if nothing else. With a skin routine, I will try to generally remember to moisturize. My poor face is a mess, but one thing at a time. Oh, yes, I will make sure I drink at least 5 16 ouncers a day, of just water. Thank you for that. I can do that.

One question about body fat percentage. I think I am around 16%, and at my lowest and fittest I was about 13%. I didn't think that was too low. I ate a ton, and worked out a ton. Btw, I did the hydrostatic body fat calculation. What method did you use? I have to say that often times, calipers way overstate. When my gym used calipers on me, they calculated 24%. Is it possible that your rate is overstated? Or did you use the hydrostatic weighing? Or maybe the bodypod?

 

[LLJsmom]

Thanks, @Phoenix, for the really helpful insight into your thought processes and approach to getting where you want to be! It's clear from how you talk about it that you love being fit and exercising and it's that sheer enjoyment of it, and having it as something that I don't even think about doing, that I want to get back to.

I think your approach of setting a fairly medium/long term goal (something that will take a year or so to achieve) is probably a good way to go for me too. I've had a few false starts because I focussed on getting fit for, say, a wedding or special event - but then my motivation became tied up with that, rather than being driven by the desire to get healthy for its own sake. Hence the interest in how you view your routine and how you think about 'staging' targets and what your objectives are. So thanks again - you've given me lots to think about in terms of keeping my motivation going permanently again!

Hi @lissyflo - just thought I would add that I do it to stay sane. It's mostly mental, as well as seeing progress in my fitness levels, the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a hard workout. My brain gets rewired after a hard work out. Everythings is gonna be ok, my brain tells me. Whereas before, I just can't handle the stress. Good luck to you finding your purpose and motivation.

 

[Austina]

I must be the odd one out, because when I was lifting weights, I really bulked up and not in a good way. I was at my fitest when I was kickboxing, but unfortunately a knee injury has put paid to that.

The menopause has also had an effect on my body, and not in a good way either I had a lovely flat toned stomach until a couple of years ago.

Fortunately I have good skin, which I take care of, so don't have a crushed brown paper bag face - yet!

 

[PierreBear]

@PierreBear, skincare is, to a large extent, dependent on your own skin type as well as your genetics & diet etc...It's best that you find out what works for you (the proverbial you) and stick to it. My preferred routine & products are for myself and what work for me. While my recommendations and what I share may work for someone with similar skin type, ie. very dry to combo, they may not work for others with say oily skin or those who don't eat a healthy diet or who smoke, let's say. They may not see any or much of an improvement. However, certain things remain true, always always = cleanse, prep (with serum), moisturise, being religious with sunscreen.

I'll share another couple of anecdotes. A friend (the one who always suns herself without sunscreen) only uses high-street/ drugstore products and I don't know if that's the main or one of the reason(s), but her skin is sooo dry, full of black spots (this one from too much sun) and looks dull and lifeless. Now, she's got genetics on her side and her face is pretty young looking (she's a couple of years younger than I am). But her skin could certainly do with some rejuvenation treatments (which I'll share later and would actually like to hear from others too), and she could start using some richer products which are unfortunately only available at the luxury end. I'd also LOVE to tell her to go for a laser or chemical peel, but I don't dare opening my mouth!! lol

My oldest niece has pretty poor skin too, even though she's quite a few years younger than I am. Now, this one is interesting. She uses high end products, BUT she smokes and does not drink anywhere near enough water nor eat a healthy diet (she has a sweet tooth) and she never exercises. She says she wants my skin, but she won't change her lifestyle!

My point is that you need to do as much as you can if you want to have healthy looking skin. Whilst expensive brand-name skincare may not be desirable or possible for whatever reasons (cost being one, I'd imagine. I wasn't able to afford such skincare when I was younger), I'll do whatever I can - within reasons of course - to give my skin the best treatments and care I can afford, cost and time-wise.

The electric exfoliator sounds interesting. I've always been tempted to use one myself. But I don't have breakouts and as mentioned, have super dry cheeks. Would it still benefit me? Could you share with me some tips and how useful you've found it, ie. when/ why did you start using it etc. Also, you mentioned using an electric brush with an oil cleanser. May I ask why you use the brush?

Re my moisturiser: the weather is the same here all year round, ie. hot and humid. The rainy season is roughly Nov-Jan, but it still stays hot and humid pretty much all the time. As a result, I use the same day and night. I used to use a lighter moisturiser but am too lazy now; plus my cheeks are so dry, the same rich moisturiser actually benefits me for day time too.

Hi Phoenix! Thanks for sharing those other stories. I'm happy to about the electric brush. Below is the link to the brush that I have been using for the past 4 years. I believe it's the same manufactuer as the electric tooth brush company that I use for brushing my teeth. I assumed that if the vibrations can better clean my teeth then surely the same concept applies for cleaning my face. As I mentioned before, I don't think I've seen major changes to my skin whether I use different products and I will be honest to say that I don't think I saw much of an effect using a mechanic device as an aid. Perhaps I'm just not sensitive to the changes but I do see that my foundation is being picked up by the brush when I use the device and then dry my face on a white towel. If I do it by hand, I can occasionally miss some spots and when I dry my face on the same white towel, I'll see more of the foundation that I missed cleansing. So does it work better? Perhaps it does if you aren't diligently cleaning your face so I think it's just more of an aid that gurantees a cleaner face on those late night days that you want to rush to bed. I wouldn't say that my skin got smoother or clearer. It's not really an exfoliator. I heard you aren't suppose to use a cleanser that those microb plastic massagers in addition to the electric brush. It would be too abbrasive for your face that is delicate. Let me know if you try it out!

https://www.amazon.com/Clarisonic-S...TF8&qid=1505700826&sr=8-1&keywords=clarisonic

In terms of the oil cleanser, I started using a brand called Algenist. Below is the link to the product, which I pick up at Sephora. I believe I just got a sample of it at the store one time thought it was unique as I've never had a cleanser that turned into an oil when you rubbed it on your face. Then when you add water, it turns into a milky substance that washes away easily. So I put a dab on my fingers and rub it onto my face and use oil to wipe away the additional makeup that my eye make up remover might not have captured. Then I wet my clairsonic device as mentioned above and let that baby vibrate away. I've been impressed with the cleanser since it leaves my skin feeling moisurized even though it's a cleaser and feel that I don't need as heavy of a moisurizer. My neck is also a bit bumpy. You can't really see it but I can feel it. When I started to use the Algenist cleanser on my neck, the bumps started to go away a bit. I'm been a fan of the Algenist brand and it's actually what I use for sunscreen that I put on before the makeup goes on.

https://www.sephora.com/product/gen...V1rjACh18oAmiEAQYASABEgLrJ_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Let me know if you have any other questions! Keep on looking strong and beautiful!

 

[PierreBear]

I can see my weekly (not daily) mileage getting back up to 25-35 and if I don't eat carbs, I CANNOT function. I did very recently realize that doing only isometric exercises (you described them exactly correctly) other than my running, has greatly compromised my fitness level. I'm healthy, uninjured, but don't have the strength to tackle hilly long runs, which I used to do quite easily.

@LLJsmom @Phoenix - Hey Ladies! Ya'll are hitting the nail on the head with something I've always struggled with. Similar to LLJsmom, I do a lot of endurance training. With an upcoming ironman race, I need to train/energize my body to last 14 hours (I'm not a fast triathlete by any means)! I already have a fairly athletic build but always thought that as I'm training so much, it should be easy to "lean out" or "cut" as the body builders to show those muscles. However, the way they get that definition is by working just as a hard but on a caloric deficit right before a show. I do know a few ladies at the gym though that look really defined all year long and it just baffles me to achieve that look. If I do lean out, then I'm finding as LLJSmom mentions, the lack of energy to perform well during my training runs/bike rides. It seems a bit counterintutive to me though that the leaner or more "athletic" my body can look, the lower the performance output. Perhaps it goes down to whether your body is used to burning carbs or fats during the workout?! Would love to hear ya'lls thoughts.

I do strength train and weight lift by doing a pump class about once or twice a week. Other days it's rotating the running and cycling. On my rest/easier days, I throw in swimming. Oh, one thing I do nee dto mention to ya'll is that the stair master works wonder. It sure does plump up the booty! However, the effects don't seem to last that long. Need to always keep at it. haha!

 

[Phoenix]

Thanks for posting - I really should start going back to the gym again...maybe this will inspire me.

I found actually though that I lost weight (at my peak fitness, running 70 miles a week, and watching what I ate I was 103 lbs or more) when I ate more...now I just eat what I feel like and am 90 lbs (I'm only 5 ft tall). Granted, I don't like sugary and processed foods anyway - they make me feel tired and lightheaded! My weakness is salty foods - I will eat an entire bag of chips in a few hours of snacking. I also play violin all day, and I stand to do my practicing so I guess this makes it hard to keep the lbs on. And I've possibly lost some muscle - my abs were definitely more rock hard when I weighed more!

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?!! lol

 

[Phoenix]

@Sparkly2017, thank you so much for your kind compliments!

Yanno, funny thing is I don't feel like it's a lot of work at all. You know what they say when you're enjoying yourself... I just love what I'm doing and don't feel like I have to push myself or make an an extraordinary effort. Sure, training with Satan is very very tough (make no mistake!), but I absolutely LOVE it! And bc I've been working out for most of my adult life, it's not impossibly strenuous, YKWIM? Same for skincare and makeup, I've been doing it since my teens - the only difference is that my makeup is now a bit more polished since I've watched like a gazillion makeup videos! lol All of what I'm doing seems like second nature to me. It's a lifestyle.

RE your Qs:

1) Eyelash extensions: I used to use someone else and her lashes used to itch so much that I'd end up pulling the extensions out after a week or so, taking my own lashes with them! I now go to another place and they have 2 choices of extensions, individual lashes and "clusters" (the latter with a group of lashes, I think 4 or 5, grouped together onto a single base). Individual lashes are much more natural but you need to have lots of your own lashes to enable each extension to be glued onto each one of your own lashes. They also take a lot more effort, so a lot of salons either do all clusters or a mix of clusters and singles. Now, clusters on their own will look very false and heavy. I have a mixture, individual lashes glued onto my own and clusters towards the end of my eyes to "open up" my eyes and give me more of a cat's-eyes-look. If you have lots of natural lashes, which I don't being Asian, then I'd just do individuals only. Also, the length of the lashes makes a HUGE difference = I'd go for 6 and 8mm or 8, 10, 10mm (shorter ones closer to the inner corners and longer towards the end). I'd suggest also 8, 10, 8mm for an even more natural look. I go to this place, Milly's, for both my lashes and my eyebrows. I realise you don't live in SG, but read it for infor:
http://millys.com.sg/eyelash-extensions

I've been doing extensions for over a year now and can't live without them! They should last you for 1-2 months, depending on how you take care of them. I have mine changed every 5-6 weeks with "touch ups" every 1-2 weeks. They make your eyes look super large and made up, I don't bother much with eyeliner now (you're not supposed to use any eyeliner with them but I still do, once in a while; and absolutely NO mascara whatsoever). You can't rub your eyes or wash them rigorously when you clean your eye makeup as you would without the extensions and you have to be more careful when washing your face or yr hair. Otherwise, you're good to go, voila!

One thing I'd like to point out is ask your lash place if they use Japanese or Korean lashes and glue. They're the best ones. Another place I tried used a glue which burned my eyes!! Yikes!!

Oh oh one more thing: extensions do harm your own lashes, which end up falling out once you've done too many extensions. So, unless your lashes are super short like mine, I'd stay away from them or just do them for special occasions, say. Once in a while, I have the extensions removed and let my own lashes grow out, for about a month or so.

2) Eyebrow embroidery: yes, I believe microblading is another term for it. There's a thread about it here on PS:
https://www.pricescope.com/communit...icroblading-for-eyebrows.232063/#post-4189213

I've been having mine done for a little over a year now too, and I go back for touch ups every 3-6 months (depending on how fast they fade and how lazy I am, lol). Yes, they are semi-permanent. Initially, your brows look extremely dark, but then the scars (like tattoo scars, I guess, as they use a needle to draw and ink your brows, which pricks your skin) scab up, taking a lot of the colour away. Eventually, they will fade and you'll have to still draw your brows if you want more defined, darker brows. I like it bc my brow shape is now more defined and it's a lot easier to draw them. I'd NEVER go back to natural brows.

 

[Phoenix]

I fully intend to go up by a few hundred calories a day, but maintain my current body weight and 18% body fat. Maintaining or increasing my body mass will certainly be my long term goal too, and eating a few hundred more calories should help to facilitate that.

EDITED to clarify: I meant I'm aiming to maintain or increase my muscle mass (NOT BMI), ie. to be more lean and muscular.

 

[Phoenix]

@dizzyakira, sorry to hear about your cancer. I hope you are now in remission.

To answer your first Q: how do I motivate myself to eat healthy/ clean? It's a lifestyle choice for me, driven initially by my fear of being sick due to my genetics and seeing my mother suffer. Now, I'm driven by feeling amazing and healthy and to be honest by looking the best I've ever looked. My clothes fit better, I feel sexier, more confident. Where I am, due to the hot climate, ppl tend to be in t-shirts & shorts when out of the office and women strut around in bikinis on the beach. Added to that the fact that I'm "type A" personality, so I tend to strive towards perfection whenever I do anything. Now, I am aware that this isn't going to work for/ isn't applicable to everyone. You have to find what's important to and what works for you. I'd imagine staying healthy and beating cancer (since you are sharing, I hope you don't mind my speaking frankly here), should be your primary goal, is it not? And you mentioned looking fit should be your motivation - there you go!! Let's start with that.

I don't practice yoga or meditation. I tried yoga a few times but didn't like it. You'll have to find what works for YOU. I love the intensity and the challenge of super heavy weights. I wish I meditated. Working out helps me to de-stress. Boxing is great for de-stressing too. But yeah, definitely start with walking - BABY STEPS!! You have to start from somewhere and build up gradually.

RE sweets, I actually love ice-cream. It's about the only sweet that I really adore. But I do not eat it, hardly ever, maybe 2-3 times a year. I think about my teeth and all that sugar!! I think about all the hard work I put into training which would be gone, puuuffff, if I were to stuff my face with a tub or even half a tub of ice-cream. You'd find that once you've started and stick to it, a lot of it becomes like second nature, it'd be so ingrained into yr brain that you'd think twice three times before you reach for that dessert. Once you start seeing a change in your body and your face (yes, sugar is super bad for your skin and incidentally your hair too), you'd be more motivated to stick to your fitness regimes and healthy eating habits. I'd agree with not buying sweets. When I struggled with giving up drinking, I made sure my house was completely devoid of alcohol. Now, there are several bottles of wine in the fridge which I don't even think about. I go out with friends and am the only one who doesn't drink. But yeah, start with not buying any more sweets or desserts or go anywhere near to any place that sells them.

Good luck and please do not hesitate to come back should you have any more questions or require clarification of anything I've said.

 

[PierreBear]

Thanks for posting - I really should start going back to the gym again...maybe this will inspire me.

I found actually though that I lost weight (at my peak fitness, running 70 miles a week, and watching what I ate I was 103 lbs or more) when I ate more...now I just eat what I feel like and am 90 lbs (I'm only 5 ft tall). Granted, I don't like sugary and processed foods anyway - they make me feel tired and lightheaded! My weakness is salty foods - I will eat an entire bag of chips in a few hours of snacking. I also play violin all day, and I stand to do my practicing so I guess this makes it hard to keep the lbs on. And I've possibly lost some muscle - my abs were definitely more rock hard when I weighed more!

Hello! I don't know the answer to the weight relationship versus working out but I would imagine that you were weighing more due to all that awesome muscle you put on! Lean muscle is heavier than fat. I really just wanted to comment on the amount of mileage you were putting in. Wow!!!! You must be an endurance ultra runner? Way to go! If I ran that much, I would most likely injure myself.

 

[Phoenix]

@dizzyakira, Oh, I forgot to mention something else. Since I have Hashimoto's, my immune system is compromised; or rather it would be if I didn't watch my diet & exercise. So, that's another HUGE motivator for me. I need to stay fit & healthy to beat this!

 

[Akalahab]

Hello! I don't know the answer to the weight relationship versus working out but I would imagine that you were weighing more due to all that awesome muscle you put on! Lean muscle is heavier than fat. I really just wanted to comment on the amount of mileage you were putting in. Wow!!!! You must be an endurance ultra runner? Way to go! If I ran that much, I would most likely injure myself.

I don't really consider myself an ultra runner - I've done some marathons and a 29 miler for my 29th bday but never an ultra marathon. In grad school, I started running and I just found myself running that much! I took one of those DNA tests and I have the athletic gene that allows me to build muscle and I actually have fast twitch muscles - more conducive to sprinting than distance running. I think it is a bit of both muscle loss in certain places - not much since I'm still somewhere under 18% body fat and I have actually done more weight training since running those miles - I've always been more muscular. And also just some reason I'm not exactly sure of that eating more actually is better for my metabolism.

 

[Phoenix]

@Austina, first good for you for taking care of your skin! You only have one face, so take care of it - that's what I always say.

Sorry to hear abt your knee injury. That sucks! Hope you're gonna recover 100% soon. I've thought about trying kickboxing, at some point.

Re bulking, I'm surprised to hear that. Did you have a change in diet? How long did you lift weights for? Were you lifting a lot of very heavy weights? I ask bc to bulk up, one (particularly a woman) would have to lift lots and lots of very heavy weights, repeatedly, and eat a very specific diet - lots and lots of protein, and cut down on the carbs and fats drastically. And how did you bulk out? Would you mind sharing pls? I'm intrigued.

 

[Dancing Fire]

 

[PintoBean]

I'm sorry if anyone's asked about this. Hands and feet, especially hands. I find hands can age someone especially if there is fat loss, crepey skin and spots. Do you have a ritual for your hands?

As for feet, I find myself getting rough heels more readily than 10 years ago. Then again I live in flip flops nowadays...

 

[PintoBean]

What size are your studs? They lay nicely. What kind of setting?

 

[Phoenix]

@PintoBean,
Ha! I'm answering easier Q''s first. This one is easy! I'm super OBSESSED with my hands (and feet, to a lesser extent). I agree, the hands are the first to go and the easiest way to tell someone's age! So, to this end, my "ritual" is:

- I have a mani and pedi every two weeks, without fail, or even every 10 days.

- I moisturise my hands, obsessively, every single time I wash my hands (and I wash my hands more often than your average person, I'd say). I do a double moisturising, or even triple, quadruple: I put on a rich hand cream after washing, wait a min or 2 and then moisturise again and again and again if they still feel dry. I scrub them with a scrub whenever I scrub my face, which is about once every 2 weeks. Feet get moisturised almost as often. But of course I don't wash my feet as much as I wash my hands.

- Before I go to bed, I religiously put on a mountain of rich cream on my hands and my feet (I moisturise my entire body, after the shower - at least twice a day).

- Sunscreen is also super important, especially for the hands, to prevent age spots. I had a couple of sun spots, one on each hand, a few years ago and HATED them! Have since then had them lasered off.

I wear flip-flops too but don't have hard rough skin on my heels. I think it's bc they're constantly moisturised. Fat loss wise... not much I can do if my hands start getting bony.

 

[Phoenix]

What size are your studs? They lay nicely. What kind of setting?

Haha, trust you to notice my studs! I guess this is a diamond forum after all!

They're my BGD Signature studs and abt 2.3ct each. Leon Mege set them in 3-prong martinis. and they lay low on my ears, which I prefer. They're super comfy. I wear them almost everyday, everywhere.

 

[Austina]

Hi @Phoenix

Diet - I just ate normally, didn't up protein or cut out carbs, or eat anymore than I normally ate.

My knee is as good as it's going to get, I shredded all my medial miniscle cartilage, so now don't have any left in my knee. I can't kickbox anymore, and the physio told me not to use any of the weight machines for legs.

When I was using weights, I usually did 2-3 sets, 10-15 reps, worked on all the major muscle groups 3 times a week. I ran a little (which I hated, and don't really believe is good for you) did an hour a week of kickboxing and jujitsu. Also did lunges. I tried kettle bells, which I loathed.

Now my exercise is walking 6 days a week, and a session of Pilates.

 

[PierreBear]

I don't really consider myself an ultra runner - I've done some marathons and a 29 miler for my 29th bday but never an ultra marathon. In grad school, I started running and I just found myself running that much! I took one of those DNA tests and I have the athletic gene that allows me to build muscle and I actually have fast twitch muscles - more conducive to sprinting than distance running. I think it is a bit of both muscle loss in certain places - not much since I'm still somewhere under 18% body fat and I have actually done more weight training since running those miles - I've always been more muscular. And also just some reason I'm not exactly sure of that eating more actually is better for my metabolism.

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.

 

[valeria101]

.
This is a magic thread !

You clearly are being good to your body & it loves you back. Highly contagious ! My body ... has keept doing the right thing, for no particular reason - your posts make its piled up demands obvious. [Detail: the water thing works. Ending the 'drought' changed my skin so much over two days, it is hilareous ... Of course, there are more, subtle, good changes. TWO DAYS. H2O.]

There are other small changes in the works toward a workout routine - starting with some old reliables & a local hunt for professional assistance, which is fun enough, truth be told. I am still looking for just a de-stress mechanism - crucially, with no gear involved: the routine needs to come with me everywhere. [sidenote: I love weights - eh... the least portable thing imaginable ! You are certainly lifting more than what I ever dared without consistent training for them.] It was foolish of me to give up working out - not realizing that my peace of mind dependend on it, while weight did not & strength is +/- a nicety (OK, to each level its own, for sure) ...

Old Pricescope was good teaching diamonds, new Pricescope [I came back after approx a decade of hiatus] has certainly grown beyond - with your thread, 'Fragrance of the Day' & Yoram's news - extras over WWW. Always a great place !

 

[Sparkly2017]

@Phoenix I love that with or without make up, you're always rocking that BLING! You're an inspiration to us all!!! Thank you for sharing on this thread!!!

 

[jaysonsmom]

Hi Phoenix,
Chiming in to ask an obnoxiously rude question....but did you ever divulge your age? Did I miss it somehow? I mean, you look great for any age, but if you are in your 30's, never had kids etc it would be hard of me to relate!

 

[PintoBean]

Hi Phoenix,
Chiming in to ask an obnoxiously rude question....but did you ever divulge your age? Did I miss it somehow? I mean, you look great for any age, but if you are in your 30's, never had kids etc it would be hard of me to relate!

Yeah Phoenix I'm reporting this thread if you're 25.

 

[Phoenix]

@LLJsmom, I'm super proud of you!! Bravo!!You're making the right changes, no more sweets, no more fattening crappy processed food, a ton more water etc etc!! Yaaaayyy!! Regardless of your goal, be it reducing body fat, weight, bulking up etc. all that stuff is just no good for your health. And yaaaay again for drinking way more water!

If your goal is to do more marathons, then I'd def agree that you'd need to carb up. But as mentioned, I have absolutely no idea about the amounts of carbs you'd need, as a runner, for yr training & for the actual (half) marathons. I'd imagine that you're already losing a lot of body fat doing all that cardio, but then the carbs would replenish your energy; and maybe - depending on your calories consumed & expended - the former would exceed the latter and you may end up losing weight too. To this end, your current body fat of 16% is athletically low (and wowza, 13% is suuuper athletic). I guess all that cardio is keeping it super low. I suspect then that perhaps the extra weight you're wanting to lose may be muscles? Why do you say 5kg? For me, I can see pockets of fat, on my lower abdomen; and thus my goal of 18% b.f. should help get rid of the fat, which is slowly disappearing. If you cannot see the fat (and I suspect you can't bc 16% is so so so lean already), then do you really want to lose the 5kg? I can't tell just from reading your posts; is there a way you could measure your muscle mass? Bear in mind that too much cardio may eat away at your muscles. My muscle or lean mass is currently at 35% (I think?) and it may go down a bit since I'm doing a cut; but my long term goal should be to either maintain or even increase it.

I'd still do more & heavier weights and intense, fast-paced exercises like you're planning to do. It'd simply be good for strength. You may even end up gaining muscles, if you do heavier weights and up your protein intake, if that's what you want to do.

The hydrostatic b.f. measurement method is quite accurate, or so Satan tells me. She uses the ultrasound method, which is supposed to be accurate too. The calipers way is rubbish, I agree.

 

[LLJsmom]

@LLJsmom, I'm super proud of you!! Bravo!!You're making the right changes, no more sweets, no more fattening crappy processed food, a ton more water etc etc!! Yaaaayyy!! Regardless of your goal, be it reducing body fat, weight, bulking up etc. all that stuff is just no good for your health. And yaaaay again for drinking way more water!

If your goal is to do more marathons, then I'd def agree that you'd need to carb up. But as mentioned, I have absolutely no idea about the amounts of carbs you'd need, as a runner, for yr training & for the actual (half) marathons. I'd imagine that you're already losing a lot of body fat doing all that cardio, but then the carbs would replenish your energy; and maybe - depending on your calories consumed & expended - the former would exceed the latter and you may end up losing weight too. To this end, your current body fat of 16% is athletically low (and wowza, 13% is suuuper athletic). I guess all that cardio is keeping it super low. I suspect then that perhaps the extra weight you're wanting to lose may be muscles? Why do you say 5kg? For me, I can see pockets of fat, on my lower abdomen; and thus my goal of 18% b.f. should help get rid of the fat, which is slowly disappearing. If you cannot see the fat (and I suspect you can't bc 16% is so so so lean already), then do you really want to lose the 5kg? I can't tell just from reading your posts; is there a way you could measure your muscle mass? Bear in mind that too much cardio may eat away at your muscles. My muscle or lean mass is currently at 35% (I think?) and it may go down a bit since I'm doing a cut; but my long term goal should be to either maintain or even increase it.

I'd still do more & heavier weights and intense, fast-paced exercises like you're planning to do. It'd simply be good for strength. You may even end up gaining muscles, if you do heavier weights and up your protein intake, if that's what you want to do.

The hydrostatic b.f. measurement method is quite accurate, or so Satan tells me. She uses the ultrasound method, which is supposed to be accurate too. The calipers way is rubbish, I agree.

I'm remembering the water Phoenix! And I ate just the teensiest bit of BBQ pork. Did not do sugar today. Trust me. I do not look athletic. I carry lots of weight around my midsection and legs and you would be surprised how not lean I look. Having two kids hasn't helped but I was never lean to start with That's ok. That is how God made me. I just want to be strong and healthy. I'm not getting any younger. I need to get disciplined so I can live a healthy independent and capable life as I age. Your talking about your steps to take good care of your body and skin inspires me. Whether or not you have had kids to me is not the point. Yes, having children changes your body. That is just a fact of life. But valuing the body you have and doing your best to respect it and take care of it by shedding some bad habits that you know is bad for you is for everyone. I think of all the crap food I shove in my face, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, cake, snacks and I just know those are processed chemicals that the human body was never meant to consume and not only does nothing for the body but harms it. It's not even real food. Eventually I will get to dealing more with my skin. It depresses me to think about but I will soon bite the bullet and deal with it.

Seeing how wonderful and strong and beautiful and healthy you look inspires me. Your hard work and habits and attitude have clearly made a difference in your life. It inspires me to find my own regimen to get me to a similar place.

 

[happybear]

I totally agree with what LLJsmom said. Doesn't matter if you have had kids. The sheer discipline and determination you have to lead a healthy lifestyle is inspiring.

Recently I cut down my carbs and ate healthier for a few months which helped me shed almost 10kg (I need to lose another 10kg ). But lately I've been slipping in my diet (eating chips, cakes) and due to a knee injury can't exercise much, not even Swimming

Seeing this thread has reminded myself of the goal to lead a healthier lifestyle. I need to get back to eating healthy!

Phoenix, about getting manicures, do you do gelish everytime? I find that my hands get really dry after doing gelish manicure. Not sure if it's the UV lights. I find the soak off also weakens my nails. So now I have reverted back to the normal nail polish. It doesn't last as long but at least it doesn't dry out my hands as much.

 

[LLJsmom]

I totally agree with what LLJsmom said. Doesn't matter if you have had kids. The sheer discipline and determination you have to lead a healthy lifestyle is inspiring.

Recently I cut down my carbs and ate healthier for a few months which helped me shed almost 10kg (I need to lose another 10kg ). But lately I've been slipping in my diet (eating chips, cakes) and due to a knee injury can't exercise much, not even Swimming

Seeing this thread has reminded myself of the goal to lead a healthier lifestyle. I need to get back to eating healthy!

Phoenix, about getting manicures, do you do gelish everytime? I find that my hands get really dry after doing gelish manicure. Not sure if it's the UV lights. I find the soak off also weakens my nails. So now I have reverted back to the normal nail polish. It doesn't last as long but at least it doesn't dry out my hands as much.

Can't believe I have anything useful to add. At home. Essie Gel Couture. Super fast drying. No UV lights. At home. Removes like regular nail polish. Looks really good after 6-7 days. Never painted my nails cause I chip them so fast and take so long to dry. Not anymore! Check out tons of YouTube videos.

 

[happybear]

Can't believe I have anything useful to add. At home. Essie Gel Couture. Super fast drying. No UV lights. At home. Removes like regular nail polish. Looks really good after 6-7 days. Never painted my nails cause I chip them so fast and take so long to dry. Not anymore! Check out tons of YouTube videos.

Thanks, LLJsmom! I'll go check Essie Gel Couture out!

 

[Hayley87]

Thanks, LLJsmom! I'll go check Essie Gel Couture out!

Another vote for the Essie Gel Couture line! Their Gel Setter top coat is also great for prolonging the life on non-Gel-Couture polish of any brand.