I've always been a fairly active person, and never had much extra weight to lose. Granted, I'm not very muscular, either. I'm 5'9," and the most I've ever weighed before was around 160 lbs, which was around the spring of 2012, and the least was around 130, which was around the summer of the same year, when I spent about 2 hours hiking daily and dropped the extra before I was really even aware of it. My body has always responded pretty immediately to how I treat it.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with a pretty severe blood clot, and was forced to be on bed rest for several months. In pretty quick response, I gained quite a few unwanted extra pounds, and was sitting somewhere around 170 last I checked. I don't know what has changed between before and after this blood clot issue, but since I've been medically cleared to start heavy exercise again, try as I might, I can't shed the extra pounds. For the past few years I've eaten pretty well, opted for healthy snacks instead of sweets, cut out soda and other junk...everything I ought to do. I've tried running on and off, but I can't seem to motivate myself to stick with it. I started the Insanity program and was doing pretty well, but our schedule at home switched up and with 5 kids, I literally can't find time to fit it in anymore.
In an effort to try to change my daily routine, I decided I wanted a job that would let me be active enough to lose a little bit. I ended up taking a very labor-heavy job as a railroad track worker. When I say labor-heavy, I really mean 10-ft-snow-drift-trench-digging, pick-axe-swinging, mountain-hiking, sweating buckets, hardest thing I've ever done in my life, Insanity can eat my dust, type of labor-heavy. And I'm doing this 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I've had to start eating a little bit more - this job just requires it - as with everyone I work with, I'd pass out if I didn't. I don't mean in excess, I mean an extra granola bar here and there, an extra (healthy) snack at lunch, and maybe seconds at dinner, but often I don't feel hungry enough for that.
The thing is, I feel like the extra pounds haven't budged. I can very much see the muscles building - I can see the serious 6-pack going on under this extra layer! I just want to be able to actually see it and get rid of the love-handles. Ideally, I'd like to just look toned/chiseled, not bulky. I'm again considering getting up early to run in the morning. Does that sound like too much? Any pointers on where I may be steering myself wrong?
About a year ago I was diagnosed with a pretty severe blood clot, and was forced to be on bed rest for several months. In pretty quick response, I gained quite a few unwanted extra pounds, and was sitting somewhere around 170 last I checked. I don't know what has changed between before and after this blood clot issue, but since I've been medically cleared to start heavy exercise again, try as I might, I can't shed the extra pounds. For the past few years I've eaten pretty well, opted for healthy snacks instead of sweets, cut out soda and other junk...everything I ought to do. I've tried running on and off, but I can't seem to motivate myself to stick with it. I started the Insanity program and was doing pretty well, but our schedule at home switched up and with 5 kids, I literally can't find time to fit it in anymore.
In an effort to try to change my daily routine, I decided I wanted a job that would let me be active enough to lose a little bit. I ended up taking a very labor-heavy job as a railroad track worker. When I say labor-heavy, I really mean 10-ft-snow-drift-trench-digging, pick-axe-swinging, mountain-hiking, sweating buckets, hardest thing I've ever done in my life, Insanity can eat my dust, type of labor-heavy. And I'm doing this 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I've had to start eating a little bit more - this job just requires it - as with everyone I work with, I'd pass out if I didn't. I don't mean in excess, I mean an extra granola bar here and there, an extra (healthy) snack at lunch, and maybe seconds at dinner, but often I don't feel hungry enough for that.
The thing is, I feel like the extra pounds haven't budged. I can very much see the muscles building - I can see the serious 6-pack going on under this extra layer! I just want to be able to actually see it and get rid of the love-handles. Ideally, I'd like to just look toned/chiseled, not bulky. I'm again considering getting up early to run in the morning. Does that sound like too much? Any pointers on where I may be steering myself wrong?