Your ideal figure

[applejacks]

I don't have any specific ideal I look at, but my mind has plenty of images from various media sources against which it likes to compare my mirror's image. *sigh*

Happily my mother raised her children with some pretty solid nutritional habits, plus a good portion of my genetic heritage inclines me toward slenderness. However, I do have certain fitness/beauty goals that require some effort and discipline, and especially in the last few months I've buckled down and started doing them more consistently. What I'm focusing on right now are overall better muscle tone (especially stomach and arms, but everywhere really) and getting my heart a little stronger - feeling faint while climbing mountains isn't fun.

Somewhat related, I'm discovering I might be gluten intolerant...


How about you, applejacks? Do you have any goal ideals? (By the way, I'm not on here much anymore currently, but from what I've read lately you seem like a really nice person and a good addition to the forum.)

Thank you for your sweet comments!

What mountains have you been climbing?

How did you find out about the gluten intolerance? Did you remove it and re-introduce it later on? I removed gluten and dairy for a couple months, then re-introduced one at a time very slowly. Turns out my face breaks out with too much dairy / lactose. I've since replaced it with unsweetened almond milk.

Unfortunately, I was raised on the seefooddiet, and pretty much grew up eating whatever was in front of me. I got to a certain age when I realized my outside didn't match my inside, and wanted to make lifestyle changes, so I did. Six years later, I'm still trying to learn and incorporate better habits, which is why I ask folks.


Although I doubt I'll ever be able to achieve a physique even remotely close to her's, I really admire and respect Jamie Eason Middleton. She started as a model, fought cancer, and has since become an inspiration for men and women to eat clean. She seems very genuine to help women make better nutritional choices, and preaches an 80% nutrition / 20% exercise ratio for healthy change.






Her program, tips, and recipes have helped me re-learn how to live and be healthy. I'll have to post before & after pictures sometime. I went through quite a transformation, although it was gradual and stretched out over the course of 3 or 4 years.

EDIT: @Minde - hope you start coming around the forum more often!

[Minde]

What mountains have you been climbing?

I live in an area where there's a lot of good hiking spots with plenty of up and down, so I mostly refer to that.

How did you find out about the gluten intolerance? Did you remove it and re-introduce it later on?

I have a few friends who can't have gluten at all, so in the last year or so I've been experimenting with different gluten-free recipes and food options. I want my friends to be able to enjoy food, especially when I'm in any way providing some of it! Also, I've long believed that our bodies ask us for what they need, it just takes some practice listening and interpreting the signals. Sometimes it's concrete symptoms, other times (for me, anyway) it can just be an indefinable feeling - like when I look at a certain food and either want it or feel revulsion for it.

A lot of the time, when I'm paying attention, I notice that my body seems to tell me it doesn't want starches, or things with lots of wheat in it at least. When I feel like that, I'm starting to seriously pay attention and I'm noticing differences, like I have a bit more energy and I get bloated feelings less.

I haven't gone longer than a week without gluten, so I haven't done a thorough testing of my suspicions. I probably should, but I keep forgetting when I go out places, haha. I am going in the gluten-less direction, though. I haven't actually bought anything with wheat in it for a couple months at least.

Six years later, I'm still trying to learn and incorporate better habits, which is why I ask folks.

Asking and learning things is fun. I think that's a healthy approach. Plus it's a good way to positively connect with people, asking them about themselves.

Although I doubt I'll ever be able to achieve a physique even remotely close to her's, I really admire and respect Jamie Eason Middleton. She started as a model, fought cancer, and has since become an inspiration for men and women to eat clean. She seems very genuine to help women make better nutritional choices, and preaches an 80% nutrition / 20% exercise ratio for healthy change.

Her program, tips, and recipes have helped me re-learn how to live and be healthy. I'll have to post before & after pictures sometime. I went through quite a transformation, although it was gradual and stretched out over the course of 3 or 4 years.

Her muscles are a bit more defined than I'd want, but from what you say she seems like a good role model / ideal, particularly in terms of habits.

EDIT: @Minde - hope you start coming around the forum more often!

Thanks! I've been put off by some harassment before, but who knows maybe I'll increase my time here again?

[applejacks]

Thanks! I've been put off by some harassment before, but who knows maybe I'll increase my time here again?

YES. Come back!

Also, I'm incorporating a new rule: No Harassing within a 5 post radius.

Everyone that knows me knows that this is a No Judging Zone