Our weight-loss warriors are discovering the joys of reaching their target heart rates.

        Teacher Jerome Manigan, nurse Mary Youtsey and Metro bus driver Tanya Chinn are getting serious about the fitness component of their weight-loss efforts as they continue on the Cincinnati Diet.

UPDATE

Youtsey     Mary Youtsey, 39, of Southgate     Starting weight: 190 as of Dec. 30    Weight lost: 18 pounds since Jan. 2. Chinn     Tanya Chinn, 47, Springfield Township     Starting weight: 210 pounds as of Jan. 4.     Weight lost: 20 pounds. Manigan     Jerome Manigan, 53, Avondale     Starting weight: 269 pounds (as of Dec. 30).     Weight lost: 14 pounds. (One pound gained last week.)

        Mr. Manigan is heading to the gym “at least four mornings a week.”

        But he discovered there's a mixed blessing to all that sweat: Muscle weighs more than fat, so sometimes a workout can pack a pound or two onto the fitness-seeker. Mr. Manigan reported a one-pound weight gain, which his trainer and dietitian believe is linked to the workouts.

        He likes the cardiovascular machines — the treadmills, the exercise bikes, etc. — the best.

        His favorite is “nothing but a treadmill, but it's a fancy treadmill. It's got hills and inclines and everything built in.”

        The advantage of going to a health club, he says, is the variety of machines available. “When I get bored with one, I can move on to the next.”

        There is a downside to choosing the health club, he adds: His pooch, Mr. Buster, misses their long daily walk.

        Mrs. Youtsey loves her cardio workouts — running, walking and her trusty treadmill — but working out with the free weights is getting to be a little boring, she says.

        So on the advice of her fitness consultant, she has ordered an exercise video to spice up her routine.

        “I'm hoping that will help me keep my interest in the weights. I dread those. The walking, the running, the treadmill, those are fine. But the weights, I just say, "Oh, it's that again.' ”

        And Ms. Chinn and a fellow bus driver are going to be heading to the health club together to work out.

        She isn't sure what kind of activity she'll like best yet. “I'm just going to explore,” she says.

        Ms. Chinn is hoping the workout routine will help end what's turned into a four-week plateau. After losing 20 pounds, the scale hasn't budged. But she's wearing a smaller size, so something's happening.

        “I had a friend measure me to see if I'm losing inches if I'm not losing the poundage,” she says.
       

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