working out

[lucaluca]

hey,

i have a problem. on the one hand i want to stay slim and "small" without much muscles. i think i don't have to explain why ;) on the other hand i would love to have a great body like brad pitt in fight club :D
the problem is that i don't know what i want more!

what do you do? do you work out, because your "male figure" is more important to you, or do try to maintain a slim and feminine figure?

[Mikkigurll]

I'm in no condition to workout. Besides, it may put a run in my hose.

[docrobbysherry]

If u REALLY want a pretty fem figure, u must make some sacrifices, Luca. I got serious about mine when I came out of the closet online 5 years ago. And, I made changes in my routines.

Stopped my work outs completely. Now, I do a stretching, leg and ab exercise series every morning before my tea. I've lost muscle definition by doing that. And, I used to get very hungry after my work outs and am able to eat less now.

Switched from beer to red wine. Completely monitored my eating habits but no diets! And, dropped from about 170 to under 150 pounds. Now, the changes in my habits have become automatic. I don't have to think about them too much. I know if I binge and put few on a few pounds, I can lose them easily in a few days or a week at most. Your body stabilizes at various weight plateaus. And, mine is now under 150.

The problem with muscles can be seen easily in arms and legs if they're left uncovered. Since I've stopped working out my legs look pretty fem, but I don't think my shoulders/upper arms ever will!

[Erica Marie]

I too workout to keep a more feminine figure. Since I lost all my excess weight I have focused on cardio and light weights. Tone but no bulk. Either way you look at it, a male body is just that, a male body. It is very difficult to work out to change your figure without hormone changes. Damn testosterone ;(

[Stephanie47]

Mellissawi has the correct approach. Exercise to maintain muscle tone and health. Also watch you diet, especially calorie intake. Proper nutrition and exercise will serve you well all your life. One thing about bulking up muscle is the fact if you do not maintain an exercise routine, the muscle will turn to fat. Most women I have encountered think washboard abs are somewhat ugly. They seem to prefer good muscle tone.

[Beverley Sims]

Do light exercises that are for toning up legs and bust.
Yoga is another outlet. Get your leotard on and let's go.

[kimdl93]

lighten up the weights, do more reps, focus on areas that will compliment your female presentation and do lots of aerobics.

[cathie pantyhose]

ok so I'm a bit of a fitness nut and I am an avid cyclist. I'm not interested in bulk. I'm interested in trim and very fit. I run twice a day, usually road ride no less than 30+ miles almost every day and I take part in a very serious diet plan. I wear a dress size 6 for all this effort.

If you want to remain slim but fit you MUST workout AND diet. Now to stay trim and not add bulk, use light weights (nothing really over 5 lbs) while being active. Such as walking or running on a treadmill. You can even get wrist weights to keep your hands free. Move your arms around during the workout. The lighter weight will help burn off the arm weight while toning. Keep your hands above your heart for even better results.

I agree with the get rid of beer and go to wine but all still in moderation. If you want to drink something with more punch, go with clear alcohol such as vodka, gin, etc. but still the sugars will add up quick.

Diet is huge with exercise. Control you sugar in take as well as carbs. There are good and bad carbs just like everything else. A little research will help you find a balance. I recently went in to a veggie mode and that's it for the next 4 months for me. I have a 100 mile ride in June and would like to shed another 10 lbs. Remember too, muscle weighs more than fat so you can be fooled.

Hardest thing is committing to the effort. You need to push yourself, in the long run, it's worth the sacrifice and effort

Good luck

[sometimes_miss]

For self preservation, when I was younger, I spent a lot of time in the weight room and using the speed and heavy bag in my workout regimen. While if I were a woman, I would have preferred to be slender, as a guy it's been beneficial to be large and (apparently) intimidating, as other people leave me alone, and I've seen it in other people's eyes at times of confrontation that they were having second thoughts about considering anything physical. This can have the reverse effect of course as well; many years ago, when a guy thought I was moving on his girl, I had heard that he purchased a gun to kill me. While it was a misunderstanding, had I not been aware of what was going on I potentially could have gotten shot to death instead of just physically assaulted. So it's a double edged sword.

[Maria S]

I have never had any interest in working out. I have had bouts of dieting over the years but always put weight on again. I am now 2 weeks into a diet trying to loose about 2.5 stones. As I dress much more than when dieting before it is giving me more inspiration to reach my goal weight.

Maria

[Julie Gaum]

Would appreciate all the suggestions I can get. Three months ago I was down to 154 pounds on a shrunk 5-foot 10 to 5-7 but since I moved to a second floor apartment I blew up to 174. Bought a step-glide bike (use legs and arms) and so far got to use up 100+ calories in 30 minutes every morning. Also have good, but light breakfast and drink water instead of lunch. Now the questionable part: before dinner
I have chips that are low in calories along with Crown Royal (equivalent to 4 shots on ice). Dinner is one of the diet TV dinners along with a few gulps of wine. That's it for the day. At 87+ I no longer can go jogging although my heart is very good. What should I do or not do?
Julie

[Stevie]

I tried the workout for the male figure and was never happy with it. All I wanted was to be bigger and bigger week. Now I focus only on my figure. My workouts have been more enjoyable. Also found the best info on diet and exercise cone from women's magazine.