Illusion delusions

Illusion delusions .. ..  First let me introduce myself with a few facts.

A.  female (mother of 4)
B.  age 49  (omg how’d I get old)
C.  current weight 183 (feel best at 150)
D.  size 14

~I look around here and see so many wonderfully fit people!  
     ~I look around and realize most are young enough to be my children.
          ~I look around at other women in my town,
            near my age and realize I’m fit in comparison.  

I joined the gym.  
I try to eat right.  

3 months later I do see tone where I used to lack it.
My Arms are getting definition again after an auto accident let them go to Hell last year.  The Butt is rounding out rather then that no Ass look that combines with thin legs to create an illusion of being thinner then one is.  Even the Breasts that gravity and children abused are beginning to perk back up. 
The legs no longer just look thin, they are beginning to show strength.  
The problem is that age old doughnut that is strangling my middle. 
It’s in the way, it makes clothes fit poorly and I cant seem to find the trick
to make it leave.  A tape measure tells me I have NO difference from chest
to waist, and only 4 inches more that make my hips. 
This is all so very unacceptable!  

I could go over to 3fatchicks.com and Blogg my heart out, but I’m coming to you all.  I think chances are you will keep me honest.  

I don’t know if checking in daily with my food intake and what I do to burn energy and build muscle will make a difference or not.  But if nothing else this is a way for me to get the world behind me and push me to make these needed changes.  

As I go along I would really appreciate any suggestions that you feel may help.

Thanks!

yesterday... I noticed somewhere in here that weight has advantages prior to cardio so I switched things up and lifted first.  I am not lifting also, or at least what I think is alot.  And I am horrible at the correct names of machines and mucles they work.  I have always gone by feel, although learning the proper names I am sure would help alot! 

When I do legs and lower body I am doing the following right now.  I start what ever that machine that works thighs is first.  Is it adduction or abduction that pulls the weigh in?  sigh .. anyway in I set at 70 and do 4 reps of 10.  Then up the weight to 120 for pushing it out.  The only difference is someone showed me to crowch (sp?) and stand while doing it too so I add 2 reps that way also.  Then over to that one where you push reclining.  Each leg at 70 pounds alone switching between legs that end up as reps of 5 each.  Up the weight to 130 and use both legs for 3 reps of 10. 

Upper body and Arms since I had an accident almost a year ago that I am pulling back from I start with butterflies?  30 pounds reps of 10, 4 times.  Over to something similar and repeat the same.  Occasionally I will add the thing you pull on, like dragging a grain bag ..  weight at 50 pounds 3 reps of 10.  Then move over to the biceps?  25 pound 3 reps of 10. 

The crunch machine surprised me, although I only do 10 at a time with 50 pounds I am able to pull off 60 in total.  Another one that surprised me was what ever that things is that works your back.  I had no idea my back was so strong!  eeeeks ... consern over a bulging back, should I be?  80 pounds, 10 at a time repeated 5 times is actually easy. 

Leg lifts on that standing machine almost feel like a waste of time.  For some reason if you
havent noticed I work off of tens.  On that 10 is effortless even when that 10 is now 60.  Whats up with that? 

Cardio... humm, well yesterday and for the last few weeks I have leaned to the eliptical.  It is flippin hard!  Yet yesterday I did hit a groove, got sweating and breathing hard, even did 20 minutes fairly easily for a change.  Somedays I will follow that with another 15-20 on a treadmill.  Yesterday I did not.  But I did notice that at one point my heart rate skyrocketed to a whopping 170.  ........... sucks to be old.  Really screwed up my groove. 
BTW, I wanted to thank who ever for the site FitDay.  I learned so much from my very first entry!  A.  I have way too much Fat in my diet.  B.  I eat way under what everything tells me I need to.  C.  I am scared to eat what I should! 

Sheddin ... out, for now

Welcome to DB.com,

I'll let you in on a bit of insider info here, the best post on this website for information about burning fat is right here: http://www.discussbodybuilding.com/m_111175/mpage_1/tm.htm

Remember that the stomach fat is usually one of the last to go, so just because it hasn't left immediately, it doesn't mean you're not going in the right direction!

Thanks No Quarter!  If I am not mistaken that is where the link for FitDay was!  That itself has been quite an eye opener.  Right now I'm sore, really sore... LOL  But it is all good.  All I did today was Cardio.  Pushed myself for an extra 10 minutes and at a slower pace, the sweat was running.  When I started this I thought I couldnt sweat.  I was told to be patient.  Which is why I have come to you all.  Advice from those who've been there seems on target.  My only consern is the difference in ages.  It seems so few nearing 50 are into this!  . . . Thanks again! 

OMG, aching alot today.  well ok, maybe it's not ache really, i'm stiff but not sore.  I suppose Saturday and Sunday did me in some.  I took today off.  Still working on tweeking less fat out of my diet.  Wow, I had no idea it would be so hard! 

0500, coffee in hand and would prefer to be asleep.
Cant .........

It's been a busy few days but I need to update this.

I spoke with someone at the gym the other day, I was looking for motivational tips.
He mentioned to me how we as people tend to see someone who's fit and give their body credit when actually it's' their mind we should be trying to emulate.  His point was that many times we fail to give credit to the discipline it takes to create and keep that body.  His words have helped me focus.

I'm noticing something.
It seems that one muscle say in a thigh will begin to gain strength first.
Eventually followed almost like a flow up the thigh after a few weeks with no change in the excersize that started it all.  I'm assuming this is normal?

well crap, i've gained 2 pounds! 
Yes I know they are most likely muscle, but i have to loose this tire!
ick!

on the other hand I bought an mp3, loaded it up and found my cardio alot easier to accomplish. 

Finally!  3 pounds gone................

wow that's taken forever.  course i didnt do it actually the right way.
fasted monday.
ate semi right the rest of the week.
eating 5 small meals wasnt working for me, it was just too much food.

enjoying fitday.com .. wow the things you learn when you see how everything breaks down is amazing. 

i've added alot of brown ride to my diet. 
add garlic and veggies and it's damn good.

wondering if i need to lift less, and do more cardio.

belly fat seems to be moving, then i realized it's only the crunches firming up the muscle under it, wondering if i'm doing too much there.
say 3 times a week, 100 in groups of 20 with 50 pounds...  ??

added the stair stepper to the eliptical. 
first time i had done the stepper it was comical, 5 flipping minutes!  now it's 20, thats good progression. 

cardio is now at 40 minutes........

heart rate is still an elusive thing. 
if i keep it in a fat burn area i dont feel like i'm working.
but if i bump it up to work my heart rate is up like 150 and better at times.
i'm old, i've been told that's not good.

can anyone explain better about heart rate? 
what burns when?  and why by increasing it means i'm no longer burning fat?

Grrr, but over all a good week.