Mrs. Pearl, Los Angeles
Age and Occupation: 26, High school history teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 37, Software engineer
Engagement Date: No official date, we just decided :-)
Wedding Date: July 2007
Venue: St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Church, Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel
About Me: Mr. Pearl and I have been together for about four and a half years now. We've been "engaged" since 2004 and were originally supposed to get married in June 2006, but postponed the wedding to July 2007. I love shopping for housewares and office supplies, music, reading chick lit, football, and the diverse world of Los Angeles dining.
I Be Up In The Gym Just Workin’ On My Fitness…
May 17th, 2007 @ 10:23 am by Mrs. Pearl
Checking back in here. I’ve been a very bad bee…though in my defense, I’ve been extremely busy with work. I’m heading into my prime busy season — the last 5 weeks of school. We just started Senior Week here, which is basically a nice way to wrangle the seniors while the rest of the school is in testing, and we are coming up on prom in a couple of weeks. As senior class advisor, this is a bittersweet time.
Nonetheless, wayyyyyyyyyyy back in the day, I posted about starting my diet and fitness plan and I’ve been posting updates about monthly. I am now ready to post yet another update. Since about January 8, I have lost 29 lbs. It has definitely been a long, hard road and I have wanted to quit sometimes. I kept going because…well…I want/need to fit into my dress! The depressing part has been that I haven’t really noticed a big difference in myself. I mean, I’ve seen it in the measuring tape somewhat, but not visually and I don’t think my clothes fit any differently.
For kicks today, I tried on a pair of jeans I bought online before I went on my winter holiday to NYC. The jeans were too tight for me to wear (especially after the trip when we ate all that yummy food). They fit perfectly today. It felt like such a great victory.
OK, back to wedding-related…I still need to lose weight in the tummy region. I feel like I’m starting to look all funny built and weird because it’s coming off my shoulders and arms and chest and then in the hips, but I’m keeping the gut (unfortunately).
I know you can’t lose weight in spots and it just comes off where it wants, but does anyone know any tips or tricks to help firm up and slim down the abdomen? Any other brides slimming down for the big day? Post some of your successes!!
**For what it’s worth, my gym routine is 3-4 days per week and I start with about 45 minutes of weight training, followed by about 30 minutes of cardio. I’m also eating a higher protein and lowered carb and lowered calorie diet***
22 Responses to “I Be Up In The Gym Just Workin’ On My Fitness…”
Basic cardio with crunches and side crunches are a great start! Try an elliptical machine with handles that move back and forth. It tackles cardio and highlights the abs at the same time.
FMIL is a nutritionist and personal trainer. I can only hope to look that good when I’m 51!
Wow! Nice work, that’s amazing.
Doing some crunches before you start your cardio helps to engage your tummy muscles and give them more of a workout WHILE you’re doing the cardio. It’s actually very helpful.
Also, pilates is amazing for your middle. A nice easy starter dvd is crunch gym’s “pick your spot pilates” which you can get on amazon. it has three easy but effective 10 minute workouts, one for the belly. “Abs of Steel” is still a classic too.
Keep up the rockin’ work, Miss Pearl. 29 lbs! it’s awesome.
miss pearl, add more cardio! the weight training is great (esp. for your bones) but it won’t burn calories like cardio does. and that’s what you need to lose weight. there are a few interesting studies about the myth of adding muscle to passively burn calories through the day. you will burn a few more calories an hour, but it doesn’t add up to what you’d burn if you did, say an hour of cardio and 15 minutes of weight training instead of your current routine.
also, consider running. i know a lot of people hate it, but it burns a heck of a lot of calories.
Way to go! I started the end of January and have lost 25. You are not alone!! I’ll think of you as I swear at the treadmill 
Wow, good for you! I can’t even force myself to get to the gym on a regular basis for more than a week, so I’m really impressed with your persistence. Keep going!
oh yeah - NOTHING takes it off like running. props, suzy. i hate running myself but I’ve been getting better at it since i discovered podrunner on itunes - FREE weekly one-hour mixes at a consistent BPM to keep your momentum up. i think you can also get the mixes at djsteveboy[dot]com
Congrats on your success!
I agree with Suzy. Maybe you can add an additional 10-15 minutes to your cardio workout to burn some extra calories?
That is great! I saw switch up the cardio and the weight training. Last year I lost 30 pounds running 4 times a week and weight training for two.
The cardio really melted away the #.
I sluffed off for about 6 months but I am back in gear and ready to run again!
i’m a former athelete who has gotten soft and i hate it. i also hate running (with a passion), but when it comes down to it, it is the best thing for you. i think of it like medicine: the worse it tastes, the better it is.
one thing i notice is that my weight has stayed the same since i started working out regularly again. most likely because my dormant muscles are waking up again - and muscles weigh more than fat.
if you really want to work on your abs, i would suggest an ab circuit of a variety of exercises. example: 1 minute of crunches, 30 seconds rest, 1 min of toe couches, 30 seconds rest, etc. we did that as part of our program in college (we each would come up with an exercise - about 10, and go through the circuit twice), and it was really effective - and not as boring as doing 90 zillion sit-ups!
from personal experience: i just bought an ab lounge and am seeing positive results. really supports your neck and decreases back pain that i was experiencing when doing other ab exercises.
Good on you!
I’m guessing you gain in the middle first. If so, the way to lose there is to keep losing everywhere else. If you are doing plenty of compound lifts, you probably have a very strong core already.
One of my favorite lifting/fitness resources is Stumptuous:
I agree with alot of the other folks……go ahead an increase the intensity of your cardio by doing intervals (jog/sprint). i would also throw some pilates in there too. I’d recommend 10 min Rapid results Pilates (got mine off of amazon) because it’s not too much more to add to your workout, and it concentrates on your core. another good one is Beginning Pilates or Intermediate Pilates by Ana Caban.
First off, congrats on your loss! That’s fantastic!
Something that hasn’t been mentioned yet, try REALLY cutting down on “white” food - flour, sugar, pasta, potatoes etc. I found that the higher fiber, higher nutrient, whole grain alternatives (sweet potato/yam for potatoes, whole grain pastas and breads) went a long way to reducing bloat, gut and feeling better in my abdominal area.
Good luck!
Congrats on fitting into your jeans. I’m also working on losing a little weight but with no success.
Anyhoo, I would add more cardio to your exercise regimen, and try cutting out your “white” carbs completely, sugar, bread, rice, etc. That should help with the tummy region.
Great job, keep up the good work. 29 pounds is really impressive!
Whenever I have gained or lost, it seems to be all of a sudden that the clothes fit differently, so keep going and you will hit it, though it’s hard to know exactly when. For me, South Beach Diet made the difference (there are 3 levels, so pick the one you can handle). It’s nice how you are using a garmet (jeans, rather than a scale) to help feel the difference.
Also, now that you are 29 lbs lighter (YEA!) it might be easier to do some types of exercise or certain movements, so maybe try something new to mix it up.
For the final confidence-booster, invest in a flattering slimming undergarment for under your gown.
Whatever the result by w-day, be gentle on yourself, you have a beautiful face and are beautiful in all the ways that count for your husband-to-be!
Hey, 29 pounds is a huge achievement! That’s fantastic! I agree with what everyone says about cardio- it really is the way to go. You are doing great- keep up the good work!
Oh, also, I forgot! You might consider interval training- if you do something like the elliptical or the bike at the gym, try the setting where you do a few minutes at a higher incline/resistance, followed by a few minutes at a lower one, etc etc. This is supposed to be very good for switching things up and getting a ‘boost’ from your workout. Just a thought.
as much as i HATE running [i won’t even run after the ice cream truck] i have to agree…when i wasn’t doing my cardio/weights circuit [which i LOVED], i lost the most weight with running/walking combo. if you keep on with the workouts you’ll eventually start losing the tummy. it’s sometimes the last to show any progress.
pilates helps too since it focuses on your core for the entire workout. so maybe add that to your routine, just to add some variation. your body has great muscle memory so after a while the same workouts don’t have the same effect so it’s smart to change things up to confuse your muscles.
congrats on the hard work you put in so far and good luck!
Nice work getting fit. I hope all this work will turn into a lifetime commitment to living a more healthy and balanced life. The dress is just what gets you started…
WOW! GOOD WORK! FEEL GREAT, BECAUSE YOU ARE INSPIRING ME TO GO TO THE GYM TODAY!!!
Thanks for all the tips, ladies! I plan to increase my cardio and also incorporate some Pilates into my routine. I’ve already cut out my refined sugars, potatoes, white bread, and flour pasta (using whole wheat tortillas, bread, and pasta instead), so I’m on the right track
Weight Watchers. Totally swear by it - lost over 50 lbs….
