As I indicated in a previous post, I have lost a lot of weight recently, and now I have begun to exercise regularly. Two of my better decisions.

I am using an exercise DVD (too hot to exercise outdoors right now in the desert): Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pounds, 3-Mile Walk." This is a moderate workout (with a couple of intense moments) that combines aerobic walking for cardio and light weights for toning. I do this 3 times a week. I am also doing some pushups, situps, and squats...all with an eye toward toning NOT building muscles bulk.

I am curious what some of you do for exercising, if you exercise.

I know that there is a concern among some of us (a big concern to me) of making our bodies look more masculine rather than more feminine if we exercise. This is why I am focusing on toning and cardio so much and avoiding muscle building exercises.

Thoughts? Input?

Hi Jenette,
Good post. What I do is use the Total gym, but like you said, I go for toning not muscle ( which is weight ) by doing high repetitions. I played hockey a large part of my life. so I go ice skating, and I roller blade which is great for cardio. When I played hockey I was 5 ft 10inches and almost 200 pounds, which was a must to play in the league that I was in. I am now 145 lbs, and by the grace of age ( one of the few things I might add) I shrunk 3 inches, and now I am 5ft 7inches, which is great for our life style. Some of my close friends here call me the incredible shrinking women...
I also did some training in kick boxing, when I was younger. I still use the heavy, speed bag, and rope jumping, to keep up some self-defense abilities....one never knows. One of my daughters ( 40yo) is a black belt kick boxer, and you would never know it by looking at her, she is a small petite women. So there is nothing wrong with being able to defend ones self.
Some humor goes with this, I have had a few guys that got a little to persistent with there advances, until I said, excuse me then I whispered in there ear, that I used to kick box and play hockey....wow did they back off, and I might add, showed some respect as they should
I believe in being fit, it keeps a person looking younger, ( especially as one gets older, no body picks my age correct) and the best part is that I wear between a size 10 or 12, depending on the outfit and my weight which bounces between 138 and 145lbs, so I just alter all my clothing, I like things fitting nicely.
Well enough rambling, sometimes I can divulge to much detail.....Tammy

Exercise...you can't live with it. you can't live without it...

Like Tammy, I too was a life long hockey player. So the routines that keep me a young 59 include ice skating and roller blading...toss in cycling (long distance, slow-moderate speeds) and then there is my favorite, running in a swimming pool. Looks kinda weird to see me running laps in the neighborhood pool, but it does wonders for the cardio and overall tone of your body to submerge yourself to your chin and just run up and down a swim lane. Plus there is no stress at all on your joints and you can beat the heat by being in a pool when it is sooo hot outside, like it is everyday here in Virginia for about 6 months.

That said, if you do exercises that tend to promote bulk, always stretch afterwards...when finished lifting weights, I'd always grab a chin bar and just hang from it....helps elongate your pumped up muscle groups....

Hope it helps....

Traci

Marla here:

I find that the best form of exercising is walking, I enjoy getting out early in the morning and going for o brisk stroll. i live in a smaller northern city were the air is crsp and clean, and we also have an exstensive biking/hiking trailsystem which I can use if I want.

Melody...

I have lost 25 lbs. since April, virtually of them in the mentioned zones you're trying to hit, by reducing portions, eating better foods, and avoiding late night snacks...not easy when you do an occasional 420 romp...LOL Couple that with crunches, walking, running in a swimming pool, and some light lat work and the results have been remarkable! I feel great and look even beeter than I could have hoped for...I intend to shed another 15 within 6 months...I'll be happy then with my "Tomboy" body! Oh, and we're about the same age....

Best wishes to you going forward...

Traci xxx

As a yoga instructor, I'm naturally going to recommend taking a yoga class. It's fantastic exercise and has also been a real help to me personally in helping me become much more accepting about myself and crossdressing.

I've personally been practicing yoga for almost ten years now and I've never been more flexible or healthy as I am right now - physically, mentally and emotionally. Yoga doesn't build up your muscles but will make them leaner and stronger from regular practice.

Plus yoga clothes are great!

Good luck!

Jamie

I failed to mention it, Jamie...but, I do three days of the above described exercise, which I alternate with 3 days of yoga. I go through a routine that is pretty basic, but builds toward an interrupted series of Sun Salutations. The routine takes about 40 minutes. I love yoga.

Thanks for bringing it up. Can't buy women's yoga clothes in Saudi...wish I could.

The last time I retired(joke) I joined the YMCA and worked on strecthing and bicycling - that got booring so I went over to the weight machines - still no significant weight loss. I went from 210 to 190. I migrated to water aerobics - which I enjoy - and have my weight down to 183 - I'm losing it slowly so that I won't put it back on. My target weight is 165-170.
For me the benefit of the water aerobics is it's low impact, good cardio and your muscles don't bundle - the arm and leg muscles stretch out - It's totally diffeerenct than lifting free weights.
I became an instructor and now I'm in the pool four days a week - that's four hours. When I can I "finn" too...that's a tough workout.
I feel great.
Any questions?
hugs
Gracie

Mary , for me it''s house work, walking and yard work ............. Ellen S.

Jenette,

Glad to see I'm not the only yogini here! Sun Salutations are such a great series - I always do two or three as a warm up. I also like to do a Moon Salutation as well.

For great deals on yoga gear, try www.yogalifestyle.com. The shipping is pretty reasonable and they've got some awesome pants from a company called Shining Shakti.

Nikki
I know a few female life guards who look like footbal (not soccer) players. Vee shaped.
hugs
Gracie

"Don't forget your eating habits too, it's all just a simple balance of putting in the right amount of nutrients and exercising to suit yourself, i.e. something you will stick with, and the weight will come off."


You are absolutely correct. As I mentioned, I lost a lot of weight over the last several months - since December - and it is almost all due to changing how I eat. I have lost over 70 pounds. I also didn't do it to look more feminine; I did it for my health. Plain and simple.

The exercise, on the other hand, I am doing for my health, also; but, I am just trying to be conscious of doing it in a way that doesn't make me look more masculine.


Excellent replies, ladies! Thank you.

Like Marla, my primary exercise is walking. Every day, without fail for the last decade, at sunrise I take my dogs (well, just the one currently) to a park, trail or wildlife preserve in the Eastern part of Contra Costa County where I live. The only time I don't take them is during thunder and lightning storms, but we go as soon as it's safe even if it's still raining.
My legs are in fine shape after 40 to 90 minutes a day. My trouble is my waistline, I've lost a couple of inches but I can't seem to loose the "love handles." I've tried sit ups and devices like the AB Rocker" but I've had very little luck toning up the area between under bust and belly. Maybe it's too late for my nearly 60 year old body....

Best,
Melody

I've just had 4 months on crutches and its made me bulk up a lot as basically hopping on crutches is the same as using weights or a chinning bar...been off them for a good couple of weeks and already notice my hands, arms and shoudlers slimming back down again..
trouble is the ankle swells up badly if I try walking...
I hear hula hooping is back in fashion...
lol

Traci,

Thanks for the tips and congrats on the weight loss.
I suspect you're are right about the food. I do love my pizza and white wine dinners. Have been cutting down on portions, though.
When I was younger I could eat anything and in any amount with no gain in lbs. or body fat. Well into my thirties I was 6' tall and weighed about 150 lbs. I had very long blonde hair in the fashion of the day and tended to dress androgynously and had virtually no facial hair. I was sometimes "mam'ed" by store clerks. Those were the days....

Best,
Melody

Unfortunately I did bodybuilding for years before walking away from it four years ago so I have that dreaded masculine physique you talk about. Urgh!! However, the last four years have seen a change in routine, light weights/high reps and lots of cardio work, stepper, versa climbers (best thing ever), rowing, cycling as well as the usual swiimming, racquet sports etc have allowed me to lose the majority of that bulk, although I still have too much muscularity so I have to choose my clothing wisely. (That's why you won't see me in a strappy top)! I know my regime is a bit too intense for many but I enjoy anything that requires maximum effort, I always have, so a brisk walk doesn't do it for me.

Don't forget your eating habits too, it's all just a simple balance of putting in the right amount of nutrients and exercising to suit yourself, i.e. something you will stick with, and the weight will come off.

Nikki

I wish I had less muscle Mary, that's for sure but I can't change the past. Besides, it's not that bad, I just look like a girl who works out! It didn't stop me climbing into my bikini on holiday and noone gave me odd looks then so I guess my wife is right when she says I'm a little paranoid about it. It could be a whole lot worse.

Nikki

Stay with it Jenette, 70 pounds is really good. I'm have no doubt your fitness level will improve soon enough as well. Just don't overdo it, particularly in the early days.

Nikki

I have said this before and I shall repeat it here.........and elsewhere, forever:

Lose Weight + do not exercise at the same time = loss of muscle mass in preference to fat. ---> loss of calorie burning muscle that will keep the weight off. Result, more fat comes back when the diet stops.

Lose Weight while exercising = loss of fat, growth of muscle -----> increase in fat burning muscle that makes it easier to keep weight off as you burn more calories every minute of every day. You do not lose as much WEIGHT this way, but you lose more SIZES as muscle is denser than fat.

To avoid bulking up, exercise with light weights using many repetitions to build tone and endurance. Walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, "aerobics", dancing, etc. all contribute to non-bulk muscles. Stretching makes you limber and makes your movements more fluid.

And, of course, for svelt, lioness-like muscles. It helps to be on estrogen (under doctor's supervision).

Gimmicks are gimmicks and science is science. Weight is all about calories in = calories out.