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Old 04-29-21, 06:33 AM  
Tugger31
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Unhappy Success Stories with Low Impact and light weights??

I'd love to hear any success stories! I'm struggling with fat loss/ weight loss (and menopause). Due to health issues I can't do high impact nor can I lift heavy. Maybe my goals are just not achievable at this point??
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Old 04-29-21, 07:29 AM  
txhsmom
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What would "success" be for you?

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Old 04-29-21, 08:35 AM  
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You mentioned fat loss/weight loss, and menopause. During perimeno I gained a lot of weight (who doesn't? rhetorical question, I know you're out there and I don't want to hear about it ). When I got serious about losing, my fastest loss was with Slim in 6, yoga, and walking. I didn't follow the rotation as written, I think maybe I alternated Si6 workouts with yoga, and added in dog walks (not real long). I was able to keep that up for quite a while before I got bored, because I was seeing results.

The thing with low impact and light weights, in my opinion, is - you're not gonna get good results in 30 minutes a day. The Sin6 workouts are long and they need to be. You're working at a lower intensity so you need more duration. And honestly, through my years of working out, that formula has been more effective for weight loss than anything else. I really love heavy weights and they make me stronger and shapelier, but for weight loss, I gotta go light and give it more time every day.
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Old 04-29-21, 09:36 AM  
star117
 
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the other advantage is that it is less stress on the body and you do not get as hungry.
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Old 04-29-21, 10:18 AM  
adrien_73
 
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I was always an intensity junkie. Now that I am 48, my joints won't allow me to do what I used to do. I am not 100% certain that I am periomenopausal, but given my age and some body changes I have experienced I assume I am...

I've switched from heavy strength and running / high impact cardio to mostly walking workouts, kickboxing and much lighter strength training. As others mentioned, my appetite has decreased substantially and I have lost about 7 lbs in a year.

I do exercise ("formally") around 90 minutes a day and try to add on as many outdoor walks as possible, even if only for 5-10 minutes. Since I have a job that requires me to sit for 10-16 hours a day, and I find that I get the best results if I move as much as possible...even if it is not intense.

ETA: Using a fitness tracker to track my caloric expenditure vs. calorie intake is an important part of the equation for me as well.
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Old 04-29-21, 10:20 AM  
Demeris
 
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Without talking diet, which is HUGE for recovering from that peri/menopausal weight gain, one of the big culprits in that weight gain is cortisol. Do everything you can to manage your stress.

I've found prayer and journaling to be most helpful, along with knitting, crochet, embroidery. Anything that focuses your mind and allows you to relax, even simply enjoying being out in nature.

Several rounds of diaphragmatic breathing several times during the day will also shift your body from fight/flight to rest/digest.

Deep stretching also helps, so anything like Classical Stretch is powerful.
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Old 04-29-21, 11:24 AM  
laurajhawk
 
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Originally Posted by Demeris View Post
Without talking diet, which is HUGE for recovering from that peri/menopausal weight gain, one of the big culprits in that weight gain is cortisol. Do everything you can to manage your stress.
True, and that includes getting enough sleep. Shorting yourself on sleep to do longer workouts is NOT a good tradeoff (either for weight control or for general health).

Adrien mentioned tracking calories in/out and I also did that when I was making a big push to lose weight.
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Old 04-29-21, 10:25 AM  
kat999
 
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I think sometimes that HIIT gets a lot of love because it's quick and supposedly "efficient," but steady-state for a longer period of time (like Si6 and similar) is easier on the body and yes, you don't get as hungry. I have had good results when I'm actively training myself to work up to a 10K of intervals of walking, light jogging, and sprinting outdoors in the warmer months and keep my at-home workouts in the AWT/steady state/long realm, maybe mixed with some yoga and barre. Right now my weight sizes are just 5, 6, and 7 lbs. when I do stuff like old FIRMs and Jari Love. But I try to jog literally as many days of the week that the weather cooperates (some weeks it's 6 days, some it's only 3) and for around 1-2 hours at a pop. I know that's not logistically feasible for everyone, but several times I've lost a lot of weight with that regime.
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Old 04-29-21, 03:21 PM  
Gemini2874
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tugger31 View Post
I'd love to hear any success stories! I'm struggling with fat loss/ weight loss (and menopause). Due to health issues I can't do high impact nor can I lift heavy. Maybe my goals are just not achievable at this point??
I have now come to a place where I find ways to move my body that I enjoy (exercise dvds, horseback riding, kayaking, dancing, etc.). I work out to help my mood and to strengthen my body. I don't work out to change my body anymore. Instead, I made the radical decision to just love my body just the way it is. Good luck to you. I wish you the best!!
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Old 04-29-21, 03:44 PM  
Lori_Michigan
 
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Originally Posted by Gemini2874 View Post
I work out to help my mood and to strengthen my body. I don't work out to change my body anymore.
This! Yes, this realization that exercising harder and longer won't do anything to move the scale for me is part of the mindset that I still struggle with (and that's even after getting injuries that I totally could have avoided if I had just really realized this!!). I have to repeat this to myself daily.

I probably should have made the down shift a few years ago when I couldn't recover anymore and was just causing my body too much stress. Case in point --I gained 10 pounds just from last summer to now even while working out heavily for 2 hours a day for 6 days a week. And I wonder why my body finally gave out...
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appetite, high rep, journaling, menopause, outdoor walking, results, steady state results, weight loss

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