Thread: April '09 Fitness & Food

I am taking liberties to use "Food" instead of "Diet."

I just learned a phrase here that goes something like "Don't take off all your clothes yet!" [b/c it's not quite warm].

It's true, still freezing where I'm located but my thoughts are turning to open-toed shoes and non-parka-like clothing!

On Week 11 of P90X Classic and really seeing results physically and noticing my strength & endurance building; but probably not as much if I were to have followed a healthier eating schedule. Still stuffing Oh Henry's in my face and dealing with overeating/dysmorphia issues. ..cr.:

How are the rest of you doing?

Needing to restart completely. I was very ill in December and have just not been up for any kind of exercise until the last couple of weeks.

Lost some weight and am now dealing with squishy-middle issues: weirdly (or not) I was firmer when I was fatter. It seems unfair that a slightly smaller butt is accompanied by a slightly larger-looking midsection, but I'm hoping it's just a phase!

Goals for April:
More fruit and veg
Better (but not less) snacking
Get the hydration back up to where it usually is and I know it should be
Be better at resisting the burger-and-pizza impulses of my naturally-slim partner
Bellydancer crunches and shimmy drills!

Light bulb moment ladies...food doesnt happen...**** does.

I have been going to my office believing that manna will somehow drop from above and I will scoop it, pour cream on it and - lunch is served. Flash - plan your food, dont leave the fridge empty, haul the good stuff you find there to work, and dont rely on the kindness of strangers to feed you. The kind of people who leave food lying around (cause it doesnt good bad in their world) are not the people who should be feeding you.

I started going to the gym back in August without any results and so I was pretty much ready to give up.

I had car trouble and didn't drive for a month. Having to follow a bus schedule caused me to make sure I ate breakfast every day and pack a lunch so I wouldn't have to walk anywhere to get food (and to save money). Plus I had to do a lot more walking to and from the bus stop, to the grocery store, to the laundromat. As a result I have lost 4 lbs. I lost NOTHING going to the gym six months.

I have knee and shoulder pain pretty regularly so that limits what I can do lots of days. My car is up and running again and I went back to the gym for the first time last night.

I was thinking of getting P90X and ditching my gym membership. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Oooh thanks Azhia for starting this thread this month. I am sticking mostly to my parameters on the Daily Plate, but sadly I have yet to see results from it. I need to cut the calorie allotment obviously. I vacilllate between wanting to see SOME kind of reslult, but not quite knowing/wanting to make the necessary changes.

I exercise 5-6 days a week and that's not including dancing 4 days a week. I am a Mom at home and somewhat rural so picking up a yoga class or whatever is really not practical, as I would then have to give up dance class and cardiovascular exercise. (Just not time to fit it all in.)

I was told one must get at least 3-6 days of cardio a week to maintain proper heart health. But doing the hour of that (I'm including warmu up strecthing, etc) a day and then trying to fit in practicing drills and dancing on top of that, how would you add to that??

What do you all think? (sorry just ranting I feel I do all the exercise and don't get the payoff)

Originally Posted by HOOKEDNOVICE

Oooh thanks Azhia for starting this thread this month. I am sticking mostly to my parameters on the Daily Plate, but sadly I have yet to see results from it. I need to cut the calorie allotment obviously. I vacilllate between wanting to see SOME kind of reslult, but not quite knowing/wanting to make the necessary changes.

I exercise 5-6 days a week and that's not including dancing 4 days a week. I am a Mom at home and somewhat rural so picking up a yoga class or whatever is really not practical, as I would then have to give up dance class and cardiovascular exercise. (Just not time to fit it all in.)

I was told one must get at least 3-6 days of cardio a week to maintain proper heart health. But doing the hour of that (I'm including warmu up strecthing, etc) a day and then trying to fit in practicing drills and dancing on top of that, how would you add to that??

What do you all think? (sorry just ranting I feel I do all the exercise and don't get the payoff)

How long have you been following this regimen?

What's missing?

When I consider cravings, it signals to me that something is missing and that is why I'm craving.

I realized that even though I eat a well-rounded, healthy meal, complete with the 5 tastes, all nutritional components satisfied, I am still wanting to stuff my face with chips and chocolate afterwards.

Argh!!! ,m:: Why? Why?

Originally Posted by Azhia

What's missing?

I realized that even though I eat a well-rounded, healthy meal, complete with the 5 tastes, all nutritional components satisfied, I am still wanting to stuff my face with chips and chocolate afterwards.

Argh!!! ,m:: Why? Why?

Uh, because chips and chocolate taste good, plain and simple. No sense in even trying to fool ourselves in believing that our cravings for the good stuff will just go away when we start eating healthy.

Too bad that the all the stuff that tastes good is bad for you. When sticking to your diet and you go out to eat and you are trying to determine how much fat and calories is in what, just remeber that if it tastes real good, it's high in fat, salt, sugar and calories. LOL!

Don't beat yourself up too bad. Just try your best to eat those things in moderation. I eat Lay's light chips with olean or olestra and they taste pretty good. According to Weight Watchers you can eat a whole bag of those things and only use up 3 points.

It's so hard to stay away from the chocolate though. I went to Trader Joe's one night and bought one of their pounder plus chocolate bars (it's like a pound and 7 oz. of Belgian chocolate). I ate nearly the whole thing in less than a 24-hour period.

Originally Posted by Azhia

What's missing?

When I consider cravings, it signals to me that something is missing and that is why I'm craving.

I realized that even though I eat a well-rounded, healthy meal, complete with the 5 tastes, all nutritional components satisfied, I am still wanting to stuff my face with chips and chocolate afterwards.

Argh!!! ,m:: Why? Why?

Hormones! ..c::

I need to work on better sleeping habits. Going to bed at 1 am and waking up at 7 is doing nothing for me. I need to go to bed at 11.

Originally Posted by Azhia

What's missing?

When I consider cravings, it signals to me that something is missing and that is why I'm craving.

I realized that even though I eat a well-rounded, healthy meal, complete with the 5 tastes, all nutritional components satisfied, I am still wanting to stuff my face with chips and chocolate afterwards.

Argh!!! ,m:: Why? Why?

I find that if I end my meal with something tiny, sweet and real (no low calorie or light versions) I am less likely to want food after. I keep high quality dark chocolate in the freezer and if I finish my meal with a sqaure or two of chocolate then put the rest away I am less likely to wander the kitchen looking for something to nosh on.

Also if you willingly and knowingly ban a food from your diet (any food) then all you will think about is that food you have banned. You will concentrate on how good that food is, how much you want that food, and then in order to quell the craving you will eat other foods until you are satiated. This is why if I want ice cream I don't eat an ice pop, if I do this I will eat the ice pop, and then because I denied myself ice cream I will probably snack on something later. If I had just allowed myself a bit of ice cream in the first place then I would have probably stopped eating.

Originally Posted by anyadance

I need to work on better sleeping habits. Going to bed at 1 am and waking up at 7 is doing nothing for me. I need to go to bed at 11.

Same here!
It seems like I cannot go to bed after midnight, otherwise I wake up too late the next day (I just woke up, and it's 12h50!! ,f:). I need to go to bed at 11h30 max all week, except for a day or two when I go out.

Also, less alcool! One time a week is enough. For the past month, I've been going out 2-3 times a week and drinking (a lot! - breakup coping). Now I'm reducing this to 1x a week, and max 3 drinks.

I stopped working out a while ago and gained 7 pounds... ,f:: But just by going 2x a week to the gym I lost it all already! Yeah!

My main goals are:
-Going to bed early;
-Drink less;
-Go to the gym at least 2x a week for cardio/weight training.

Well, the basement repairs we had done kicked up enough yucky stuff that I ended up with an asthma attack that lasted a month. So, I had to seriously slow WAY down on my cardio to allow the inhaled steroids to do their magic on my lungs. I should be up to full speed by May. I'm avoiding the scale right now.

My goals for april are to stay properly hydrated so I don't crash and to start running outside now that it will be warming up.

I lift weights 2ce a week, play volleyball twice, and ellipt 2-3 times a week. I haven't seen any drop in weight but I'm firmer all around. I'm going to be getting a body composition test next Friday, I can't wait to see what it says!

Originally Posted by Azhia

How long have you been following this regimen?

The exercise: years (the amp up in bellydancing the past year)
the Daily Plate: a year next month


..l;,You're probably thinking: "So how's it working for ya so far?"

It must be age. (just turned 42) Metabolism is probably grinding to a screeching halt. I hope the only choices aren't:

starving myself into oblivion for the rest of my life on a Jack Sprat plan or

saying f$%k it, I'll grow to embrace my saddlebags.

i've been spinning 3x a , kickboxing x2 a week, and lifting some weights. I also gave up icecream, cookies, and soda. I felt like i've lost a good 5 pounds. And the best part is that my cardio has improved immensly. Just a month and a half ago, I has at a hypertension bp. Now i'm at a normal level. yay!

I've just done my fifth pilates class...plan on going two days a week. My instructor is great even if the machines she makes me use look like impliments of torture!

And I'm jonesin for some chocolate (having given it up for lent).

Now I'm really inspired. If it ever warms up in the Chicago area, I just might start walking around the Loop on my lunch hour and take more dance classes again. Also, more yoga because once you get that flexibility, you hate it when it goes back to inflexibility (like from this stupid virus I have).

My goal for April is to restart weight training. I was sick for most of March with a respiratory infection and stayed out of the gym. Since the first part of December I have lost almost 18 lbs although it was in fits and starts and several weeks with no weight training and very little cardio (can't do cardio when you have bronchitis!) and only a couple of dance classes really hurt. But I am back in the saddle again and losing about a pound a week.

I've cut out ice cream (my weakness) and fried food. Eating a whole lot more veggies and looking forward to even more since my garden is off a good start this spring.

Each day I try to walk during the day. If it is nice out I walk around outside my office building and if it is nasty I walk inside making a circuit through the hallways and parking garage. And now that I am not sick anymore back to dance classes.

One of the keys is trying to set realistic goals whether it is for fitness or weight loss. And that is what I am trying to stick to. Short term realistic goals that only go a month of so out instead of some goal in the distant future that it is easy to get discouraged at not reaching.

Souzan

I got a reclining stationary bike for 99$, wanted one for ages. So it is in front of the tv now so I can pedal through movies.

I've been real bad food-wise lately. Someone close to me lost a teenage son, and between all the emotional stuff and overtime at work, it's been either no food/no appetite or hungry/junk food galore. I feel quite blimpy right now, but I'm not stepping on the scale right now... Would only depress me more. I'll be cooking up a storm later today, lentil stew, roasted sweet potatoes and grilled chicken. That will be my lunched for next week. Basically just trying to hoist my butt back on the train *g*

Originally Posted by damariz

i've been spinning 3x a , kickboxing x2 a week, and lifting some weights. I also gave up icecream, cookies, and soda. I felt like i've lost a good 5 pounds. And the best part is that my cardio has improved immensly. Just a month and a half ago, I has at a hypertension bp. Now i'm at a normal level. yay!

Good job!! Do you miss the sweets?

I was on a veggie kick for the last week and a half. now i have ice cream in my freezer and it won't stop calling my name! I think the best thing would be to just not buy it!

however, in that last week and a half I was also working my butt off at the gym, and it definately shows!

anyone know how good sushi is for you? My instinct tells me it's pretty healthy (unless of course you get tempura tempura tempura....) but one never knows....

Ooh - P90X! I watch the infomercial for that and thought it looked really inspiring but intimidating! Maybe I should consider it...

I did order the Tracy Anderson method. Anyone here try it? She was on Oprah with Gwyn. Paltrow.

BTW, what are bellydancer crunches? ..c::

Dont miss it for now. I think that scare I had with chest pains and prehypertension is incentive enough to change my diet.

Plus I save money on groceries. Those $15 on junk food can go toward school or maybe more bellydance

Originally Posted by HOOKEDNOVICE

Good job!! Do you miss the sweets?

I've been slacking off from cardio due to a hamstring injury. It feels a bit better after my monthly massage therapy and a week off from teaching, so I'm diving back in next week.

Originally Posted by carpediem

Ooh - P90X! I watch the infomercial for that and thought it looked really inspiring but intimidating! Maybe I should consider it...

There are a ton of suggestions on how to modify a move if it proves too challenging at first. This was totally helpful for me during the first weeks.

Lots of inspiring stories! I've been trying to do my home cardio workout as many mornings as I can before I go to work... and not eating crap. Yes, like Anala says, plan, plan plan and take the good food to where you're going to be spending lots of time!!

I've lost 7 more pounds since March! I'm down to 171. That is 89 pounds gone from my all-time high! It won't be long before I'll be able to state that I have lost 100 pounds. That is just astonishing to contemplate! That's almost a whole person (albeit made entirely of fat!)

I work out with my son (age 13) and we just switched gyms....our other one moved up the road. So, our new one costs $5 more/person/month but has nicer equipment and all the classes you want (except spinning, that's extra). We are going to try to squeeze in the "butt & gut" class and hit the machines, as we do intervals.

Had an interesting experience with a cereal-I didn't read the label and after 3 weeks of eating it....had GI problems and thought I was going to die....realized it had soy (duh, finally read the label after buying a 2nd box). So, I can't eat it anymore. Shame it had tons of protein and fiber. I can't eat soy it makes me ill.

So, I'm healing from that, and getting better. Back on track with my eating plan (tons of yogurt to heal my gut). Trying to drink more water, that's always been a problem for me. And eat less junk (another problem for me as well).

Everyone sounds so motivated!!!!!

Originally Posted by TailaDances

Trying to drink more water, that's always been a problem for me.

I abhor plain plain water. But I started drinking it room temperature with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Much more appetizing to me.