The Count

if you want good muscle tone and a flat toned stomach then Pilates is the answer.

Are you for real?

I'm 11st and carry it pretty well, however, it's not the loosing weight that I'm interested in, it's the toning up and shaping up.

I wouldnt have thought you would have carried that but perhaps blown away at that weight/height ratio.

Answer quick and simple without seeing pics of you and also without knowing current bf levels (although i can tell you are classic ectomorph):

You need weight resistance training; join a decent gym.

Depends on what you're after - something sustaineable or whether you want to waddle around with excess bulk. don't knock it until you've tried it. I've found everyword of the following true.

Pilates - its benefits

What is Pilates? An innovative system of mind-body exercise evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates.

Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body and a flat abdomen.

It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain.

Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention.

Developed from the rehabilitation techniques of Joseph Pilates, Pilates is a safe, sensible exercise system using a floor mat or equipment, that will help you look and feel your very best. No matter what your age or condition.

The Benefits of Pilates

Build strength without "bulking up" - gain long, lean muscles and flexibility

Conventional workouts tend to build short, bulky muscles - the type most prone to injury. Pilates elongates and strengthens, improving muscle elasticity and joint mobility. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.

Develop a strong core - flat abdominals and a strong back

Building on the principles of Joseph Pilates, Pilates exercises develop a strong "core," or center of the body. The core consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle.

Create an evenly conditioned body and prevent sports injuries

In conventional workouts, weak muscles tend to get weaker and strong muscles tend to get stronger. The result is muscular imbalance - a primary cause of injury and chronic back pain. Pilates conditions the whole body, even the ankles and feet. No muscle group is over trained or under trained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and conditioned, helping you enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease and less chance of injury.

Learn efficient patterns of motion

Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion - invaluable for injury recovery, sports performance, good posture and optimal health.

Be confident and safe

No other exercise system is so gentle to your body while giving it a challenging workout. Many of the exercises are performed in reclining or sitting positions, and most are low impact and partially weight bearing. Pilates is so safe, it is used in physical therapy facilities to rehabilitate injuries.

And be challenged

Pilates is also an extremely flexible exercise system. Modifications to the exercises allow for a range of difficulty ranging from beginning to advanced. Get the workout that best suits you now, and increase the intensity as your body conditioning improves.

I'm a similar build 6' 2" about 10.5 stone,

if you want good muscle tone and a flat toned stomach then Pilates is the answer. Really - its easy, good variety in the exercises and tones the whole body, but particularly the stomach. I had to take it up after a back op because its really good for supporting the back. Gauranteed Results :D

i went a few years ago....top tips

get one of those uv protective swimming tops for snorkelling....definately well worth the money and will save a charred back!!!

the currents can be pretty strong so be a bit carefull - especially further out.

Don't get scraped by the coral unless you want a dose of fish tank hand

....apart from that it's stunning :D

I've recently done my bathroom - If you want a sealent Fernox is really good for small areas

I use Gliptone which works very well on my beige leather (http://www.liquidleather.com/) I've also used scuffmaster to recolour worn bits, very easy to use and you can't tell the difference from the original :)

Reliant Scimitar GTE Se5a

Fast enough, easy to work on, practical and fun

Totally agree - the service from my local Lexus main dealer has been crap. In the end I had to go to Lexus GB to sort it out - and they were very helpful.

I've just noticed the steering wheel on an IS200 is not quite circular It's ever so slightly squared off at the bottom......or do i have the IS300 Allegro Special Edition

depends if your is200 is pre march 2001

before £175

after £190

group g is only for cars registered after today

:tsktsk: mine is registered 2nd march 2001

I compared the 318i and is200 when i bought my Is200, since they were both similar prices at 4 years old and both around 2 litres. Compared to the IS the BMW was slower yet more expensive to insure, bland inside and lacking spec. in terms of leather seats, the BMW handbrake was so awkwardly positioned it was virtually impossible to use, and overall less involving to drive. Add to that the IS looks far better, is better quality all round, does not have excess or useless gimics and has a nice smooth straight six its no contest.

I had no preconceptions about which i wanted and drove one straight after the other - no regrets at all.

We live in a hardwater area... andfor a while I have been thinking about getting something to sort out the problem..

Any suggestions?

I have seen the cheapo electrical magnetic "coil" type solutions, but I'm not sure whether actually work, like this one:

Softner

Any help would be appreciated...

They do work... to an extent, but they don't noticably soften the water much. Where you have flowing water like in taps they will clear the scale out and keep it clean, but if its just standing water like on a sink drainer, then it will still leave the limescale deposit when it evaporates. For the car, i have a rainwater butt, and give it a final rinse with rainwater if i can't be bothered to dry it after washing and don't want the marks

A drivers car is all about stimulating the senses, that means direct steering, hearing the engine, feeling the subtle vibrations and mechanical movements. With the earlier car you get that plus comfort, refine the car too much and you miss half the fun.

"So which are better in the snow- fat or thin tyres.

and does letting air out help ?"

Thin, for the reasons noted above. Look at any old rally pictures in the snow ( pre studs, or where they weren't allowed) Everyone always used the narrowest tyres possible.

Thin tyres, with fat tyres the weight of the car is spread much more, so less contact pressure and less grip. A modern rear wheel drive car with a full fuel tank should be getting hear a 50/50 front/rear axle weight disribution anyway, so there is no reason for it to be inherently bad, but relatively wide tyres will make it much worse.

Have been plagued with this problem, but seems to be improving - what helped was drying them out and venting them on a very low humidity day. Cold and dry.

The difference is in the additives, good quality petrols like Shell, Esso and BP add things which clean your engine and fuel system which arn't in the supermarket fuels - long term you will do damage by putting in cheap supermarket petrol