Thanks BSL, and in terms of your increased endurance while swimming or biking; have you considered incorporating more speed work or interval training into your bike and swimming sessions?.
That's probably the answer....the thing is, it's really uncomfortable to push so hard & intense that it leaves you breathless & wiped-out. By the time I'm done spinning, I'm pretty wiped-out and my swimming is low-intensity steady-state with a few burst here and there. With the biking, I don't wanna thoroughly deplete myself, I save a bit for swimming. I guess I'm in a routine of sorts....lots of low/mid-intensity exercise. Two things come to mind:
1) I also play racquetball, weight-train and do other stuff on a near daily basis...if I push it with HIIT & speedwork, I'll need a day or two to recover and given my schedule of exercise, I don't really have it. As it is, I'm often in a perpetual state of light muscle fatigue....I don't think I should push/rip it further if I intend to stay active with my other activities.
2) In all reality I'm not training for a triathlon or any contest, I'm just plain & simple trying to lose weight, burn fat and look better. I do mix in some burst and higher-intensity rounds into my routine, but again; it's uncomfortable & unpleasant to push so hard again and again.
I had another friend of mine comment that he noticed I was looking skinnier. It helps since the weight loss isnt showing up as much on the scale as it is when I look at myself in the mirror. Long way to go however before I am satisfied.
I totally hear ya!!!!!!!
As you may know, I've worked my butt off super-hard for weeks only to find little or no drop on the scale. The good news is there was a body-fat% drop, but still...that darn scale is the constant measure of dieting success. When someone ask how you're doing, what do they say? "So how much have you lost thus far?". It's downright frustrating because you find yourself having to explain that while you've only lost about (say) 12 pounds on the scale, your body-fat% would indicate that you actually lost more like 17 pounds of fat while gaining 5 pounds of lean muscle. Most people understand this, but still....that darn scale dictates our EVERYTHING.
Just 30 minutes ago I put on an outfit and could really see a big difference in my body...for whatever reason it just seems like I'm expereincing some nice drop in weight...as in FINALLY. In reality, I've been losing all the while, but it's just a hard thing to realize.
Just know this (and I've confirmed this!!!):
No matter how skinny you are, even super thin....you will always experience times when you feel bloated, heavy, flabby and lathargic. When you sit on the toilet, your stomach skin will be collapsed & fold and you will see rolls!!!!! There will be positions, poses and other body-contours that will make you look heavy in the mirror. So, even when you do lose a LOT of weight, you'll still have moments when you feel like nothing has changed. It's not a day/night perception....in fact, you'll lose weight so slowly & gradually that you may not even realize it or feel different. So, you're not supposed to feel different, don't expect it and don't set yourself up for such disappointment.
If you are like me, you'll likely feel as if you are working-out for hours, sweating like a pig, eating light and doing the right things.....ALL FOR NOTHING. That's how it goes. If you get a haircut: BOOM, instant change you can see. Weight-loss, the opposite...no perceived loss!
So I suppose it's like sailing across the ocean with no land-references to visually see....it just seems like you're going nowhere, and sometimes you can look down and see the current flowing so it actually seems like you're going backwards....BUT YOU'RE NOT. It's a long journey, a slow journey and one of persistence. So join me in my pirate's voice as we say "Stay the course Fatty, for there shall be less of ye come morning!"
