Dan,

You are such a trooper to respond to all of our questions. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I am 26 years old. I just had a baby 2 months ago. I am 5'8" with a small to medium frame. After giving birth I weighed 200 lbs. and freaked out!!!! I went on LC and have been doing it for about 7 weeks. So far, I've lost about 23.5 lbs and 5.5 inches.

Here's what I do for exercise. I workout 6 days a week. I do a tape program called Power 90. (Don't know if you've ever heard of it...it's hosted by Tony Horton and basically you do cardio/abs one day and circuit weight training the next). I have also (in the past week) just begun adding Windsor Pilates to my routine. I do a 20 minute session after my Power 90 workout. BTW...I use 5 pound weights while doing my curcuit training.

I am fairly pleased with my results so far. I can already tell the Pilates is somewhat firming up my middle. However, I do have some problems. First of all, due to the pregnancy, I have basically destroyed my tummy muscles. I have a LOT of loose skin to deal with and a "Jabba the Hutt" gut!!! I seem to be losing inches in my waist and hips, but not my stomach or inner thighs. They just aren't budging. Also, I am just not seeing any improvement on the underarm flab!! My biceps are really coming along and I can see some good development in my shoulders, but my tricep area is not responding. I'm very frustrated. Should I be increasing my weights? I just don't understand why I still have the flab. My upper arm measurements are 13 inches. That's down only half an inch in the past 7 weeks. HELP!!

Thanks for reading this far! I appreciate all you do!

Megan

First, good job with you weight loss. 23 lbs is GREAT!

The belly area will be handled by the ab work and the Pilates. It just takes time. Also, since the skin was stretched it will take time for teh body to resolve that issue.

As for yout triceps, what exercises are you doing for them now? I have a few good exercises and techniues for that area, but I would need to know what you are doing for that area now.

Dan,

Thanks a million for responding. I'm sorry I did not include the exercises I'm doing to tone up my triceps.

I do circuit weight training every other day using 5 lbs. free weights. I follow a video tape program. This is the routine: heavy pants, tricep kick-backs, bicep curls, standard press, swimmers press, back flys, back scratchers, lawnmower, shoulder flys, dips using a chair and standard, fly and tight push-ups.

Today marks 30 days of doing this program (cardio one day/wieghts the next). I am considering increasing my weight from 5 lbs. to 8 lbs. Is this a good idea?

Thanks in advance for your input.

-Megan

p.s. I also do a series of lunges and squats. However, I am noticing some discomfort in my knees. I especially notice it when climbing stairs or getting up from a chair (any time there is added pressure on my knees). When lunging or squatting, I make sure my knee is over my ankle (this is what the video says to do...is this wrong?)

Sounds like you are doing enough motions for triceps. So, go ahead and increase the weight. See what 8 lbs. does.

As for your knees, the pain you are feeling suggests that you are starining your patella tendon. Your form sounds good, but maybe you are going too deep? Try doing partials (not going down as far) and see if the pain begins to subside.

If it doesn't after 2 weeks, stop doing the lunges and see what happens.

Just my two cents about the knees, I've always had knee probs and they're better right now than they've ever been.

Try a technique called KLT which stands for Knee to Little Toe. No matter what you do - workouts, standing at the kitchen sink, walking up a flight of stairs anything!

Make sure your feet are pointing straight forward about hip width apart (not out to the side), and your knee is aimed toward your little toe rather than pointing inward. Your stomach is tight, and your back is straight (not arched so that your butt sticks out, a position many of us women use to look sexy). You want your shoulders in line with your hips, so stick your chest out and up, and tighten that stomach.

Another position that is common, is that the abdomen sticks out while the shoulders are actually behind the hips when you look in a mirror sideways, and the chest is concave with the shoulders rounded forward. Keep the shoulders back and down, and the chest sticking up.

It might feel as if you're making yourself bowlegged at first, but believe me it really prevents knee pain, and it is so important that you use those thigh muscles to prevent the knee from pointing toward your big toe.

Obviously in certain exercises your feet are angled outwards, but besides those try using this technique all the time and you will notice a huge difference in how your body feels. You'll look slimmer too.

Take care!
Meg