HRT, exercise and weight

[Guest ZoeG360]

Right now I work out 3 times a week with an hour of cardio, 45 minutes of strength, and 30 minutes of core. I weigh in just shy of 200lbs

Once I start HRT, I realize my muscle mass will decrease and I understand my metabolism will too. I figure that as my muscle mass converts to fat, I'll lose some weight. I still want to keep up with my workouts and though I won't be as strong, I don't want to stop and dropping my weight a bunch would be great.

I am curious about what experiences (other than locker room issues!) you all have with changes in your workouts and your body as you started HRT, and how you adapted.

I know, YMMV, everyone is different etc.

Thanks!

Zoe . .

[Guest Lacey Lynne]

Zoe:

Go for the gusto, girl!

NOTHING is better for your transition than sensible exercise ... nothing! On this particular topic, mine is the voice of experience, so may I say a thing or two? I'll assume I may.

Splendid that your mxing cardio with weights. You've got that right. It behooves you to do cardio and weight workouts on different days. Why? Because, your body needs to recover, and doing both routines on the same day overtaxes anybody ... IF you're doing them with some intensity. Professional bodybuilders will tell you this is so.

Be aware that the workouts are the stimulus. The REAL benefit of working out comes when you sleep, so get ample sleep. You should NOT work out every day. A split system is best ... especially for older folks. Remember, the benefits come to you in the RECOVERY phase. Many people do not know this and overtrain. Learn how to opitimally space out your workouts. It's different for everybody, but learning to do so is easy.

Diet! Of paramount importance. There is no one overall diet that is right. Why not? Age matters. Goals matter. Body type matters. The combination of all three matters. Gotta get 'em right. Some rules of thumb: Fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible. Whole grains and whole-grain breads. Avoid white breads. Avoid highly-processed foods. Avoid white sugars. You CAN do meats; however, white meats (fish and chicken) are advisable. Why? Cardiac issues ... among others.

Drink plenty of water. You can do caffeine but should do so in moderation (My HUGE sin, because I do 20-30 ounces of straight black bold daily ... which is too much)! Avoid alcohol. No drugs. Candies, ice creams, deserts? Small amounts and rarely.

Muscle will NEVER turn to fat. You WILL lose strength on HRT ... I'm half to a third as strong as I used to be. You WILL lose muscle mass on HRT. Shirts that I used to burst out of now hang on me like tents ... yeah, I've kept many of them. Endurance? That should be okay.

Bodybuilding (which is what you're actually doing) is a science. That means there are fundamentals. Know them. Know why they work. Know how they work. Learn how to apply them to reach your fitness goals. Learning this science is simply learning a skill. How do you do that? Study. Practice. Adapt. It's that easy.

GET THE FITNESS LIFESTYLE!

It's a way of life. When others go to The Cheesecake Factory for a desert or ice cream, you have some fruit or a salad. You get the idea. Bummer? At first, yes. However, you get used to doing so ... and then eventually ENJOY doing so. Do what it takes. No excuses. Get committed. Get exercising. Then, one fine day, you'll look in the mirror and say:

"Heck, yeah!"

Best of all, you FEEL as good as you look. Workout, buff up ... and you won't have to worry about makeup and hair so much. Dress to YOUR body type. Then, you'll be WORKIN' it!

Sounds like I'm preaching? Sorry, but, yeah, I am! I LIVE what I preach, girl, so I'm talking the talk, but I DO walk the walk too.

Peace & Commitment Lacey Lynne

Postscript:

Hie thee hither to the gym and WHIP IT ON, girl! Feel free to PM me if you want to. I know THIS topic.

[Guest ZoeG360]

Lacey:

Thanks for the workout info.

I had been going to the gym 3 times a week ever since I quit drinking nearly 17 years ago and I gots the religion at the church of Lifetime Fitness. :>) Lately though I have a support group on one of those nights so I am down to two for a little while but going without is not an option.

So I am committed.

The strength is probably the one thing I am going to miss when I go on HRT; I am benching 280 right now, not bad for a 59 year old. But those kinds of weights are coming to an end anyway because of my age, and that’s OK but I still want to be a fit, strong woman.

But if muscle mass does not turn to fat, does it just metabolize away?

I do need to work my diet a bit better though I am usually pretty careful but from what you are saying, it seems that my weight will likely drop. Given that fat redistributes and muscle mass drops, my weight is likely to go down.

At least theoretically.

According to my heart rate monitor, I burned off 1250 calories today with 55% of them being fat calories.

Smokin….

Zoe

PS: You sure know your stuff and I appreciate your sharing!