Fitness Advice and Inspiration - Need it? Got it? Want it? Come on in here...

Bada Bing · #11 05-22-2008, 03:45 PM

Fitness has to become an addiction for it to work. I'm convinced. I used to hate working out because it didn't involve competitive sports. I don't do well competing with myself. But after my "sports" career ended, I had to do something.

I know I'm addicted to working out now, because I have been sidelined with a concussion for the last two weeks and I actually miss working out....bad. Can't wait to get back on track.

Spyder08 · #12 05-22-2008, 03:47 PM

I keep a log of everything I eat on a daily basis and what kind of exercise I do. I also log how i'm feeling that day. You can use a free site like www.fitday.com. When I log I can see exactly how many calories i'm consuming in a day and approximately how many i'm burning. The website also has a place to journal. I have noticed that when i'm feeling down in the dumps, I tend to eat more. I think emotional eating is a big problem with alot of women.

I also do the 6 small meals a day. Lots of veggies and fruits and I drink lots of water. I don't drink soda anymore. If I'm in the mood for some flavor I usually drink some Crystal Light Iced Tea.

Also, I kind of do what Bada Bing had said about the sprinting. I don't run or job because it hurts my chest. I will walk a couple of minutes at around 3.0 mph and then I speed it up for a couple minutes to around 3.6. I do this several times. It gets the heart rate up and it definately burns more calories.

witchofthedogs · #13 05-22-2008, 03:47 PM

The same thing I tell my clients applies here as well: It takes approximately three weeks to break a bad behavior and ingrain a new one (I'm not talking about excessive/dangerous/obsessive behaviors, just general ones).

Therefore, I need to keep at it for at least three weeks before I get over that "extinction hump" of my old laziness.

Bada Bing · #14 05-22-2008, 03:52 PM

BC, what Spyder said is most def true. You have to be anal (no pun) and write it all down. Organization is key. I know why alot of people are overweight.... eating healthy takes a lot of mental energy. You end up thinking about food all the time, because you have to plan when you eat healthy. otherwise, you can just get junk food whenever you want without a thought.

that Fit Day site is very good. It's free (I think) and it really gives you an idea of your past performance.

It's very hard work, mentally and physically... but I can now look at myself in the mirror and not want to hurl.... that's my motivation.

witchofthedogs · #15 05-22-2008, 03:55 PM

I've actually got an account at SparkPeople.com. It was the effort of having to calculate everything and getting it all down in a log that made me throw up my hands and get frustrated.

But, I was also trying to do everything at once - change all my bad habits - and I got overwhelmed.

I figure, if I start with baby steps, that'll be key.

It's not necessarily my eating habits that are bad (though, they've gotten worse in the past few months), but my exercise habits are pretty much nil.

*grins*

Bada Bing · #16 05-22-2008, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boundchaos

It's not necessarily my eating habits that are bad (though, they've gotten worse in the past few months), but my exercise habits are pretty much nil.

*grins*

Well, you are TYPING.... it burns some calories!

If you like math, I think you have to create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of body weight. So that means, you have to come up with 3500 calories from where you are now. This means, burning more calories and eating less calories. So either eating well only, or working out only, can only get you so far. You need both to get to the 3500. So if you ate 250 less calories starting tomorrow, and burning 250 calories more working out, that would get you to lose a pound a week. That is about ideal as you could get. Drastic weight loss, IMO, is not healthy. It's a slow and steady race.

There is an old saying "Abs are made in the kitchen". Couldn't be more true. You can do crunches til your blue in the face and puking up your stomach lining....it won't matter unless you're eating right. Crunches do not burn fat, they strengthen your core. But nobody will see the core unless you burn fat.

bubbies6 · #17 05-22-2008, 05:23 PM

wow you really know your stuff. i could take a lesson from that. like i said i work out pretty good, but my dieting habits could use a little work. thanks for sharing that wealth of information. i am going to do my best to put some of it to work for me.

Decent · #18 05-22-2008, 05:39 PM

I'm about to give up on ever losing down to my goal weight, I'm going to be a cow for the rest of my life. I've lost 30 pounds so far, but then I get herniated and bulging disks and wind up flat on my flat/fat ass again.

I'm a tiny bit on the fidgety side though, so even when I'm sitting, I'm not 'just sitting', so at least that helps. Music is a big incentive. Find something that you just cant sit still while you listen to it. If i had a portable player of some sort, I'd be listening to Rick Astly, he wlays get sme going, lol, just wantin to dance or move or something.

witchofthedogs · #19 05-25-2008, 09:14 AM

Wooohoooo!

I got the street tires put on my bike yesterday and took it out for a 30-minute ride this morning. I would have gone longer but I didn't have a pump or tire levers on me (just in case I got a flat) and this was the first time I'd done any kind of exercise in months.

But it feels good!

longnecker · #20 05-25-2008, 01:25 PM

I used to sit and snack all day and couldn't exercise much do to really bad arthritis is my left shoulder. Then I started working overnight.I take a container or 2 of cutup fruit and berries with me to work .A lot of the time I would be snacking I'm now sleeping.With some pushing from my doctor I had begun walking every day (on nice days of coursre) Then we got the dog and she has to be walked. So now it's 3 1/2 hour walks a day.

Bottom line I just put back on 38" waist pants.Not where I'd like to be but much better than the 42"waist I had been wearing.

Do what ever works for YOU!!