Weight Loss/Fitness Support!

[kilala]

Haha well actually it's only 4:22, I think the one on my profile is wrong, so I think I will do that, that way I'll get my excersising in and help vent some frustration too

I know you are anxiously awaiting updates on my stories too

[Anonymouse]

Haha well actually it's only 4:22, I think the one on my profile is wrong, so I think I will do that, that way I'll get my excersising in and help vent some frustration too

I know you are anxiously awaiting updates on my stories too

Good decision.

And yes I am, you know me too well.

[kilala]

Haha well actually it's only 4:22, I think the one on my profile is wrong, so I think I will do that, that way I'll get my excersising in and help vent some frustration too

I know you are anxiously awaiting updates on my stories too

Good decision.

And yes I am, you know me too well.

Why thank you, you seem to be doing quite well yourself, way to go!

Yup, sure do! I do the same thing with your stories too.

[polychrome]

ugh....I woke up this morning at my heaviest measured weight ever. Even after peeing. Gross. Although, that is only 2 pounds up from last week and includes 3 full days of poor choices ending just the night before. Please don't take this as a challenge for others to post actual numbers, but my current is 229#. If I can get under 200, I can go skydiving! Actually, skydiving is one way that my weight has really gotten in the way. My siblings and I bought my dad a gift certificate for his 50th birthday and I was supposed to go with him, but I couldn't because of weight limitations and liability issues. Although, the guy there said I looked like I would fit into the harness, so that makes me really hopeful that at the correct weight there shouldn't be a problem.

My quest back to healthy started a little slow this morning (cafeteria breakfast sandwich with bacon, egg and cheese), but has since picked up speed (healthy salad for lunch, plenty of water and a Cliff bar after the gym). I still only did 25 minutes on the eliptical before bolting for the door, but when I got home I took my dog for double his usual walk. I know Cliff bars aren't super healthy, but they sure beat Milky Ways and I am ravenous after work, so my plan is to always pack one in my gym bag and not let myself eat it until after I've successfully worked out. That should help keep costs down if I turn out to have failure of motivation.

@Ouro and anyone else trying SparkPeople -- no beating yourself up for the first week or two of tracking, part of the point is to educate yourself on what foods have the calories and what foods have the good nutrients so you can find a better balance long term. You CAN'T fail or mess up at this point. Hopefully your high calories at least had some good protein, vitamins and fiber.

[PaperThings]

Oh yay, so glad I found this thread!

After much nagging from my parents, several mean comments from friends, and just feeling generally bad about myself, I finally started watching what I ate in mid-April or so. I've since lost 18 pounds.

Basically, I make sure I eat a lot of lean protein and vegetables, fruit if ever I get hungry, and these thin little 15 calorie rice crackers that I love. I work out with a trainer once a week, and this summer I will hopefully get enough motivation to go jogging. Also, one really good thing I've discovered, is that since I live in a city, I can just walk everywhere I go. Like, even if I have say, a sixty block walk, I will simply leave very, very early and walk to wherever I have to go I've now done this about once a week or so, since April; I just walk at a slow pace, with my headphones, and with the right shoes it's not even too tiring.

So yeah . I feel great too because, even though I think I'm still a bit overweight for a teenager, this is the first time in my life I've actively made better choices about eating and exercising. Both my parents cook, and bake, and I've always hated sports/exercise in general, so this has been a problem for my whole life. I'm hoping I can stick with it through the summer and get to my desired weight (which is 105 pounds, but I know it's very unlikely I'll get quite there).

[Anonymouse]

Awesome job polychrome. And I agree, the tracker doesn't just measure your intake, it helps you get used to how many calories certain foods have. A couple of years ago I would have never been able to remember the calorie amount in any given food, but now I have my favorite foods memorized so I can plan out my day roughly in my head.

PaperThings, awesome job losing so much weight already! I'm so jealous of the fact that you live in a city. I like walking but it's more fun if I have a destination. When I was in Bath, England for a month and a half I didn't exercise or really watch what I was eating but I walked everywhere and actually lost a few pounds.

I might post my weight once I lose a few more pounds.

[kilala]

Right now I'm at 127, and that sounds pretty low but I'm only 5'1, and this time last year I was at about 115, so that 12 pounds makes a big difference.

My goal is to get back to 115, build up some strength in my entire body, and be able to go on a vigourous hike without feeling like I'm dying. Oh, and look bangin' in my yellow bikini (sadly it isn't polka doted)

For me it's like this extra weight came from my depression, and it does make me feel bad about myself and I feel like until I get rid of it and get back in the shape I was before I got so bad off, I still haven't full beaten it.

And I feel like I'm posting way too much on this thread *runs away to do something to help me reach my goal*

[RoseFever]

Man! Still living with my parents makes it really hard to not eat sugery things X(. My mom just bought my sister and my dad these GIANT chocolate cupcakes with frosting and other stuff, and she knows thats my favorite food. EIRJGBGFAIDSB. It seems you all that are already moved out of the house and have your own agenda, are able to do things like get up early to go jogging, join a gym, and plan your own meals, ect. Anyone got some advise on what to do about temptations by the way? D:

At least I went from eating 2301 calories yestarday to just about 1200! I didn't even noticed I ate the much crap! It really shocked me!

[PaperThings]

Aeger - Oh, that is my problem too. I live at home and, when my mom (who binges more than me) buys treats, it's hard to resist. Maybe tell your parents of your plan, and tell them just to like, not offer you stuff? Hahaha, sorry, that's sort of strange advice, but it might help if they know your goal. I basically just told my parents what I wanted to do, and they were pretty helpful. Would your parents not let you get up to jog? Really nice job with the calorie cutting!

Kilala - that's definitely pretty thin, as it as, but I know what you mean about twelve pounds making a big difference. Haha, I want to be able to wear a bikini too .

[kilala]

Aeger - Oh, that is my problem too. I live at home and, when my mom (who binges more than me) buys treats, it's hard to resist. Maybe tell your parents of your plan, and tell them just to like, not offer you stuff? Hahaha, sorry, that's sort of strange advice, but it might help if they know your goal. I basically just told my parents what I wanted to do, and they were pretty helpful. Would your parents not let you get up to jog? Really nice job with the calorie cutting!

Kilala - that's definitely pretty thin, as it as, but I know what you mean about twelve pounds making a big difference. Haha, I want to be able to wear a bikini too .

My parents are awful too, if I even mention working out or eating healthy my mom accuses me of being anorexic and threatens to lock me in a mental hospital if I lose one pound. Then buys me a ton of sugary fatty stuff. It's terrible.

PaperThings: I know, I was afraid I may seem like I'm trying to be too skinny, but I swear I'm shooting for healthy here, not thin! My boyfriend doesn't like really skinny girls and told me he would hate it if I got like that. I just wanna lose a little fat and gain a little muscle, I'm not so much concerned with the numbers on the scale because they will probably go up a little anyway. And I'm sure you would look great in a bikini!

We can all do this, you are all doing awesome so far!

[Anonymouse]

Aeger, I don't know about your parents, but my mom used to be the same way. It's amazing how much I've gotten her to change though from a few years ago. She used to buy and eat crap constantly, which is why I grew up with not so good eating habits, but once I started going to the gym at school and we both got jobs (and free gym memberships) at the YMCA we started going together. Now she really pays attention to what she's eating and she looks and feels great (unfortunately I don't think my dad will ever change, he's pre-diabetic and he drinks soda and eats constantly). Maybe if you try to get your parents involved, like if you guys go for a walk in the evenings or whenever they're out of work or whatever. Sounds kind of corny, a family fitness walk, but it might be fun.

Also those chocolate cupcakes sound amazing. I don't think I'd be able to resist either lol.

This morning, just had some oatmeal and strawberries. Going for a walk/jog around the neighborhood. I just found this thing, it's really good if you want to track how many miles you're going. My route is three and a half miles.

ETA: Just got back from the walk. Went with mom. It was sooo hot out so we ran around with the hose afterwards and I'm currently enjoying a huge glass of ice water with lemon. Life is good.

[polychrome]

Congrats on the good work guys

I love map my .... (ride, walk, run)! Although, it's kind of sad how I've overestimated some routes in the past. At least it keeps me honest.

I'm keeping up the momentum with another good day. Although I did buy lunch at work again (slap hand and frown), it wasn't too unhealthy and I did manage to do 28 minutes on the elliptical plus get started on estimating my 1 rep max for leg press, toe raises and hip abduction/adduction. I'm using the Oddvar-Holten diagram for an estimated 1 rep max and then will be doing 2 sets of 10 reps of 70-80% of the calculated resistance followed by a 3rd set to fatigue. For example, I did 22 reps of leg press at 300 pounds, so that puts me at exactly the 70% line. Next time I'll do 10 - 10 - as many as I can (up to 30). If I can easily do 30 on the last set, I'll up the poundage. It's way easier to do the estimated testing than trying to get your actual 1 rep max because...it's really hard to lift your maximum weight! Plus you're often tired by the time you get there. This way you pick a weight that sounds hard but not too challenging, lift as many times as you can with excellent form, do a little math, and then you're on your way. If anyone has questions or wants more info, check out this link http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=16622328716 or send me a message.

ETA - I'm not necessarily advocating that anyone else use this particular method, just trying to share one possible method that I happen to like

[kilala]

Last night me and J went to the park together and walked around the entire place I think four times. probably about two miles. Today I worked 6-1, ate alfredo pasta and watermelon for lunch, when I got off I went for a walk around my neighborhood 4 times, thats between 2-3 miles I'd say, and for dinner I had a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese sandwhich, which sounds bad but I only eat wheat bread, and smart balance instead of butter. I put on my favorite pair of shorts from last summer to wear tonight and they are really tight, so that makes me feel kinda bad. But I guess I can use them to help with my goal, I want to be able to fit into them really good again. It's a slow process for me, but I'm excersisng and cutting out most of the sweets I was eating before.

[RoseFever]

My parents are awful too, if I even mention working out or eating healthy my mom accuses me of being anorexic and threatens to lock me in a mental hospital if I lose one pound. Then buys me a ton of sugary fatty stuff. It's terrible.

THAT. THATS EXACTILY WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME I TOLD HER. I COULDENT OF SAID IT BETTER. My dad on the other hand was strangely ok with it. I just told him, and told my dad too keep it on the DL around my mom. But he says he'll support me all the way through! Thats cool! Thankies~

ATM: I've been eating healthy all day now. No desserts, lean meat veggies and fruits ect. Friends birthday party is comming up though...I wonder if its ok not to have cake, or if it would just be rude But i think my mom's tempting me indirectly, she just bought a bunch of sweetst. Bluh! >.<;;;

Ironicaly, I can tell I'm in the stages catching a cold right now, haha xD;. Im not thrilled considering its one one of those colds where you just feel like all around crap, and I'm having trouble breething. I really didn't know Summer Colds existed > >;;;. I'm still gonna try to do the workouts I've been doing at night the past 2 days though. Bluh, I don't want to die doing this, but I'm pretty determined about this weight loss thing.

[PaperThings]

I think you should have cake at the party. I mean... special occasion, right? I went and (neurotically) mapped out all of the special events I have this month, so I know which days I'll be having more calories than usual. But you know what, as much as I want to lose weight, I'm not going to deprive myself when I'm at a friend's party or when my grandparents take me out to an end-of-the-year dinner. I'll just watch my portions .

Haha, Aeger, I'm sorry . That does sound rather annoying. I have the opposite problem, where my parents are constantly telling me to lose weight; at least, now that I've lost a bunch, they've stopped unsubtly hinting that I'm fat...

And aww, maybe try some more relaxed exercises if you're sick? Like, just stretching or something like that, as opposed to full-on cardio?

[kilala]

I agree you should have cake, you can't expect yourself to never have that kind of thing especially on special occasions.

Parents always seem to make things more difficult. Anonymouse, I'm glad your mom is doing it with you like that, I'm sure that makes it alot easier. My mom would never be interested, she gets so mad at me for it, it's almost like she's jealous of my motivation I guess? I don't know

[StarryView]

My parents are.. supportive and then not supportive if that makes sense. Like, I tell them what I'm doing and ask them to remind me when I start to break my rules. My mother has also been buying healthier stuff. BUT! She still buys sweets and omg it's hard. And yeah, they both are kinda fat but its not their fault. Their parents were part of the Depression so sometimes they went without and vowed to never let that happen to their kids. So, I'm taught bad habits and needing to break them. (my dad is kinda funny/annoying. If he knows something is particularly healthy- automatic yuck. trick him and he's fine)

So I've been very bad lately

What have I done today?

And I didnt wake up to do my early workout with my friend. I feel bad, but I hoenstly slept through my alarm. At least I walked 2 miles today Unfortunately It is now keeping me up since I did it from 7-8pm. But I'm hoping I can keep walking int he evenings.. maybe the harsher workout in the morning will balance it?

One other thing... I'm going to start babysitting June 6th.. How am I supposed to get my cardio then? (live-in babysitter every other two weeks, weekends off) Is my weightloss goal just going to be postponed or should I push myself harder the days I get to work out my hardest?

[VoOs]

This morning, just had some oatmeal and strawberries. Going for a walk/jog around the neighborhood. I just found this thing, it's really good if you want to track how many miles you're going. My route is three and a half miles.

Ohh, that is great, Anony! Thanks for the link! *uses*

According to this, my short route is 6 km, and my long route is 10 km. Eee, I've wanted to know these distances for so long.

---

Tuesday: 40 minutes jog + 20 minutes strength training.

Wednesday: 30 - 40 minutes strength training (I don't time myself, I just count the number of (4-ish minutes long) songs I listen to during the workout.)

Today: Going for another 40 minutes jog. Right. About. Now.

[BlueRandom]

This morning, just had some oatmeal and strawberries. Going for a walk/jog around the neighborhood. I just found this thing, it's really good if you want to track how many miles you're going. My route is three and a half miles.

Amazing link, thanks!! My usual route is just over 5 km - i guess that's okay? Meh.

Does anyone have any advice on using weights? I never ever do them, 'cos I don't want to bulk up, but I think that might be a misconception.

Haven't been able to go running for a few days 'cos I've got too much revision ... It's weird though, sometimes I lose weight from not exercising?! I'm about 105 normally, and it drops a little if I don't go running or whatever. I think it's because exercise makes me hungry ...

[Anonymouse]

Does anyone have any advice on using weights? I never ever do them, 'cos I don't want to bulk up, but I think that might be a misconception.

Someone told me that women are physically incapable of bulking up like the Hulk because they don't have enough testosterone or something. I don't remember if that's the exact reason but I wouldn't worry about it. If anything it's tightened me up, not made me bulkier.

I use weight machines, though I've heard free weights are more effective. I still get results with the machines though, and the Y has computers attached to every machine to track how much you lift in one session. My mom and I always compete to see who lifts the most. I lift between 13,000 - 15,000 pounds in one session (which mostly comes from the leg machines, I have strong legs).

[vote_for_pedro]

Went swimming today. 40 laps! Aw yeah...

[PaperThings]

I do love swimming as exercising. I can keep it up much longer than I can running, and it's just so perfect for the summer. Must plan to take swimming lessons again (because, I mean, I can swim, but my form is awful).

[Evergreen]

i'm gonna throw in my two cents. this topic is great because it will motivate people to act. i used to be all talk, but after christmas, i decided i really wanted to get fit. i wasn't too heavy, on the border of normal and overweight, but i wanted to be thin, so i started counting calories and lost 20 pounds in four months. now i'm 121, which is really exciting. i can't remember the last time i was so thin. it feels so good, but the past few weeks i've been bad considering my birthday was in may. haha. thankfully i only gained two pounds, but i don't feel nearly as tight anymore.

but this topic is getting me back on track! i joined a gym in my hometown three days ago after neglecting my workout routine since i've been home from college.

and maybe as a bit of advice for everybody (not that i have that much room to talk the past few weeks), but don't try any crazy diets. for real. everyone keeps asking me what diet i used or how much i had to starve myself to lose weight, and i'm appalled. i really love counting calories as a way to lose weight. eat what you want, but make sure to be accountable. figure out the number of calories you need per day and per week to lose one or two pounds a week and then make sure you reach that goal through watching what you eat. i ate dessert every single day, but i made sure to eat lighter meals to accommodate what i really wanted. sorry if this sounds common sense, but i used to think to lose weight you couldn't indulge, but i was happily proven wrong.

let me end my massive life story now. i hope that we're all successful!

[Anonymouse]

and maybe as a bit of advice for everybody (not that i have that much room to talk the past few weeks), but don't try any crazy diets. for real. everyone keeps asking me what diet i used or how much i had to starve myself to lose weight, and i'm appalled. i really love counting calories as a way to lose weight. eat what you want, but make sure to be accountable. figure out the number of calories you need per day and per week to lose one or two pounds a week and then make sure you reach that goal through watching what you eat. i ate dessert every single day, but i made sure to eat lighter meals to accommodate what i really wanted. sorry if this sounds common sense, but i used to think to lose weight you couldn't indulge, but i was happily proven wrong.

This exactly. I was shocked when I stepped on the scale in January and found that I lost twenty pounds since October just from counting calories (and not necessarily watching what I was eating, though that's important too for overall health). I never lost weight that quickly before (except when I just plain didn't eat for a while when I was fifteen, which I'm pissed about because I'm pretty sure my boobs used to be bigger).

It's easier for me at college because I control what I buy and when I eat. I would eat throughout the day and never feel hungry and never go over 1500 calories. It was actually difficult for me to eat at least 1200 calories (because it can be dangerous to go below that).

Just now - really proud of myself. I had a manager's meeting and stayed afterwards to work out at the gym. Someone was on my favorite elliptical so I decided to try the virtual reality stationary bikes. They're so awesome, they have giant screens with fake environments you can bike through. Kind of like the Wii Fit. Low quality graphics but it's still nice to have something to zone into besides the parking lot outside the window.

Anyway, the pride comes from me thinking I would quit after the one trail that took me about twenty minutes. Then I decided to do another trail that I estimated would take me eight minutes. Then I decided why not just keep going until I hit at least forty minutes? So I did this cool-looking trail that took me through ancient ruins and before I knew it I was at forty-five minutes. I perservered because I remembered something I read on the Calorie Count boards, that it's harder to start a workout than to keep going during one. Ie, it's easier to do three sixty-minute workouts in a week than six thirty-minute ones because you have to get yourself off your ass more. I still plan on working out everyday if possible from now on, but in case I have to miss a day I want to be able to do as much as I can on other days.

[polychrome]

3 days in a row of going to the gym after work. Today I mixed it up a bit and did 5 minutes on the stepper (had planned 10 but I was *dying*), 10 minutes reverse arm ergometer and 10 minutes on the bike. Then I did 1rm testing for seated chest press, seated row, dips and lat pull downs. I'm focusing most on the proximal, big muscle groups to build up better stability before thinking about bicep curls, etc. It's kind of sad how weak my arms are compared to my legs, but I don't walk on them, so I guess it's only fair. I can't wait until I get my new sneakers so I can start using the treadmill without fear of shin splints or destroying my feet (my old ones are on their very last toes). Depending on what time a friend is coming into town tomorrow I may make it 4 days in a row at the gym and then trail clearing on Saturday.

@BlueRandom: strength training is an important component of a balanced fitness program. General recommendations are 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps at ~70% 1 rep max for all major muscle groups. My post above has one way to estimate 1 rep max. You are generally safest to work the big muscle groups together first and get them strong so you have the stability and control to train smaller muscles later. For example, leg press uses more muscles than hamstring curls and bench press uses more muscles than bicep curls. I'd recommend staying away from military (overhead) press until you have worked on strengthening your shoulders for at least a few months to reduce your chance of impingement. It's recommended to perform your program 2-3x/week with at least one day of rest between sessions for best results. If you have weight machines available, they are easier to use than free weights, but if you have a way to make sure you learn proper technique, free weights can overall give better results because you have to use more stabilizing muscles to control them throughout the range of motion compared to a machine that only moves up and down.