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Staying in Shape/Losing Weight
message 51:
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Erin
(new)
Jan 21, 2009 06:53PM
I'm proud of you Jamie!
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That's what happens to me! I'll start my day being all healthy and then my cravings will take over. But I was good today. Today was my first day without caffeine in awhile. I'm giving it up in favor of water! Hopefully that will be a tiny step to getting healthier!
I had planned on starting the Best Life Diet yesterday, but 1 I didn't even drink my champagne on Tuesday and 2 I haven't had the time to read about phase 1. Maybe next week. I need to just pick a day and get the ball rolling.
oooh goodness.. here we are halfway through Feb and I have not been doing any exercise. I feel really bad. I have been drinking a lot more water though. But this past weekend I made some bad food choices and I saw some pics of myself that made me very ashamed. I really want to get this under control for the rest of my life.How's everybody else doing? Maybe I should finally get on that sparkpeople site.
I haven't drank any soda practically (twice I've treated myself). I'm right there with you on the pictures. I just don't like any of them. I just look too plump. Though I was reading one of the spark people athletic trainers and she almost had me quiting. I'm mostly staying for some of the small things. I don't know if I'll ever get my weight down because I keep replacing it with muscle. I keep getting told I look thinner and yet I don't go down on the scale at all. I try to get to the gym as much as possible but it hasn't happened in a while. Tomorrow I have a body work out class though. The last two classes I missed because I was sick. I really like getting on the tread mill and just going. Its a great relaxing high.
Over the past year or so I've managed to lose 20 lbs. I was super skinny in high school then gained over 50lbs in college I'd like to lose another 10 but we'll see. Basically I am just really conscience of what I eat. At first I was constantly questioning if I was grabbing a bag of chips because I was hungry or just bored but now I'm just used to eating three fairly healthy meals. I also try to walk on my days off and do crunches and play with a medicine ball when I have energy before work. Drinking is my biggest downfall but I allow myself 3-4 beers a night. I've decided that it is mostly about breaking bad habits and making better ones without feeling deprived.
You should check out sparkpeople, Lynn. It's pretty good. I need to get on there more too. Good news! Me and my boyfriend decided we are going to lose weight together starting tomorrow. We both have crazy different schedules, so we are drinking water, eating those smart choice tv dinners for lunch everyday, and going to cook healthy meals for dinner together. No more fast food, pizza, cokes or snacks. We got a bunch of healthy snacks at the store today. I'm going to get more involved with sparkpeople too. We haven't got much of an exercise plan just yet, but we're trying to decide what to do. He likes the gym... benchpress and muscle stuff. I like to walk, yoga, and do those workout/dance videos. So we are going to make up an exercise schedule. I can't wait! I'm sooooo excited! =)
Lynn... I wish we didn't have crazy schedules... we could be walking buddies!! =)
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thanks! it was my 1st day today and I think I average about 1200 calories. yah! and I did wii fit for 30 minutes.. and I'm still out of breath. haha. i really, really need to quit smoking. I feel like an 80 year old man here. geez.
ooo do you have one of those new yoga things for your wii? Those look really neat!
I don't think I'm doing so well. I try to eat properly. I don't really have the time between class and homework to go to the gym and work out, but I walk a mile and a half (or more) 5 days a week. I'm just not feeling any results. My number definitely hasn't gone down.I wish I had a Wii just for the fit and/or yoga thing. Maybe I should join Sparkpeople. Are those of you on it really getting results?
erin... i just have the wii fit.. the yoga thing is like $20 & all it has is this cover to put on your balance board.. but the wii fit is great! i love it!lori... ive been on sparkpeople for a couple of weeks, but i just started my healthy lifestyle changes.. but a BUNCH of people already on there have lost a bunch of weight. its crazy!
Lori one thing to keep in mind is muscle gain. Make sure you're not getting stronger. Also, while walking is very good for you, it takes a lot longer to get rid of weight. Is the mile and a half part of your daily routine or is it on top of walking to class and what not? You might try getting a pedometer to see how many steps you're taking.I was looking on spark people and they have a really great deal on their starter kit. I plan on getting it as a treat to myself when I get money again. This will most likely be a long ways off, like next fall, but it helps me save because I know its my next treat and I'm not getting it with my summer work money.
I've pretty much given up on sparkpeople. I don't like the search features and I'm getting tons of emails from them even though I marked no emails. So I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing because it seems to be working. The last time I weighed myself was about a week ago and I'd lost 7 pounds of my goal.
Lauren: Is the Wii fit worth it...I have a Wii and am considering the fit thing.
I really like the Wii thing cause it looked like you could get basically a personal training class out of it, but with feed back unlike the movies. It just reacts more to you, which I like.I think spark people can help a lot of people, but for me it just was a guide and now I really don't need it. I basically am doing everything right and its a hassle to get on. I think the thing that is helping me the most is having a friend to go to the gym with who knows what she is doing. I really like going to work on the tread mill too because its so stress releaving and gives me that time out plus that I've done something. Working weights doesn't give me that. I'm also going to a class now called Power Pumped which is weights, but I need the class to get anything out of working out. I think I will start taking another class because I like the work outs.
Justine.. I SO KNOW what you mean about the search & emails. I finally clicked something right so I stop getting emails. And the search does suck. I did the weight watchers online free trial once and the search for foods there was fantasic.Anna.. it is & it isn't worth it. Haha. I like to use it and there's some fun games that come with the Wii Fit, but it is costly. I don't know if it's worth how much it costs and I know eventually I'll get bored with it. But for now, I'm like addicted to the dang thing! I'd buy it and try it for a like a week, and if you don't like it, take it back and say it's broken. Haha.
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Anyways, thought I would share a food find I just stumbled across. It is hard to have time to eat right now with work being so crazy, so I was looking for granola bars and stumbled upon Special K Cereal Bars. They are wonderful, pretty filling and good to eat, and 90 calories. Not sure how that stacks up to other things, but it seemed pretty low to me. Oh, and they aren't the protein ones or the diet ones or whatever. These are on the cereal/granola aisle, and the only two I have tried are the blueberry and strawberry ones.
Tami I really like the special k bars too. I keep one in my purse that if I'm out and need to take medicine I can. They aren't bad if you really don't want to eat, but have to. They aren't much to eat, definitely a snack, but great!
I had a special k strawberry cereal bar for breakfast! :) I like the strawberry & vannila ones the best.
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I've started reading some of the stuff on it though. Like the article that almost had me quitting the site. I like their healthy reflections email too. It can be very interesting.
Does anyone here with problems in gaining weight? I've tried everything! Food programs and lifting weights but... after working for a few months and not seeing changes, I quit! :/
Do you have any suggestions?
Rafaela: I could not gain weight in high school. I think my metabolism finally relaxed a little since ive been in college. also the drinking probably helped. Not that Im saying thats what you should do! lolIve always been told like a lot of protien will help. Just wanted to let you know.. been there!
but now that I have NO problem gaining weight! lol:
I did the gym 3 times again this week and Im being much more careful about what I eat.
This blog is an awesome idea! I think it'll keep me motivated knowing other people are trying to get in shape too!
So, thanks all!
Thanks Annie!Today I decided I will try again: next Monday I'll start the gym (wiht weights) 3 times a week.
And I'm trying not to forget to eat!
Sometimes I have appetite to eat even stones! Other times, I forgot to have any meal.
And there is another important point: at home we have very healthy eating habits. It is ridiculous, I know, but I think that it doesn't helps me with my goal. :/
Rafaela I have a bunch of friends who have problems with it. One was told to drink two slim fasts for a meal. I think it'd be easier to just have a regular meal then drink the slim fast as your 'milk.' Slim fast does work for losing weight if you only eat half a sandwich with it. If you eat a whole meal then you will gain weight extremely quickly, thus why people think its hype. And from watching my brother who has a high metabolism eating junk food doesn't necessarily help. He still never gained any wait till he started a desk job.
Thanks for the tip Erin! When I was a teenager I had talking to medical experts. I did several tests, you know, they were looking for some hormonal problem. But they find nothing. Then, they recommended products with high calories and super protein. But unfortunately, anything worked.Maybe, I’ll put a warning reminding the time to eat, even if no hunger!
Rafaela, I used to always forget meals the best thing that I did was just put meals into my routine...like brushing my teeth, eventually I had tricked my body into being hungry at the right times.
That's what I'm trying to do. :)Although yesterday I could not eat anything for breakfast,I think I'm doing well so far.
You think you're very "lean" Anna?
hahaha not anymore. It was mainly high school that I was very skinny, when I got to college I still rarely ate meals but drank a lot...very bad idea because i completely screwed up my metabolism.
Anna, Annie, I had the same problem as you two. I wish there was an easier way to reverse the "damage."
New to this discussion... I am trying to exercise more but I don't have time/can't motivate myself to go to the gym. Does anyone have any ideas?
I'm the same way. I have no motivation to go to the gym either. I make it a point to walk to class instead of driving or catching the bus. I enjoy doing yoga, so I bought a book and a mat and started making it a point to wake up 30 minutes early to do a routine. It doesn't take more than 15 minutes to do a warm-up and the daily routine.Finding something you really enjoy makes it easier to find time for it.
Lori, I do yoga too--I'm trying to do at least one of my DVDs every day. The problem with yoga is that I feel like it's not enough. My friend keeps telling me I have to do something that gets my heart rate up and yoga doesn't really do that for me too often. I'd also walk to school more often if I didn't have to be there at 8 on TR... but I did today! And it's up a crazy hill. It's pretty far away though, it takes me about 30 mins to get there (so if I'm running late there goes that option).
Yoga definitely isn't a cardio workout. But it is a strength workout and can help you lose inches over time. Walking when you can will help get in the cardio. That sucks that you live so far away from campus. I live about 3/4 of a mile away. Maybe you should try to start going on a 20 minute walk in the afternoon around your neighborhood or down the street or something like that.
Yeah I'm trying walk as much as I can, I think that's helping. I just want to get into some sort of shape besides lumpy haha. I think I'm getting there.
I know what you mean! I'm so frustrated because I've been walking at least 1.5 miles a day to campus (not to mention climbing stairs and going back and forth around campus) this entire year and I don't feel like it's helped at all. I've also been eating more vegetables. The yoga has helped me mentally and spiritually, but I haven't been doing it long enough to get physical benefits yet. Last week I went to the doctor and she put me on a different birth control pill, which she said could help with the weight gain. I mention that only because birth control pills are known to cause weight gain, so if you're on one, that might a factor.
Yeah I noticed that when I went on my birth control I gained weight--but that was around the same time I started college soooo who knows what it was haha. I've been eating more healthfully too, at least I've been trying to, and I cut my calories to about 1200 a day (though lately I've been going over by a few hundred...) I think I lost some weight, but I don't know. I feel bad that I can't get myself to go running or something but ah well. Maybe after I graduate I'll have a better schedule to do things like that.
I wish I liked running as well. But I just can't motivate myself to do it. A few years back, I found a Bikini Boot Camp in a magazine that was a 31 day program and you ran and did some weights. I'd really like to do that this year, maybe in May after class gets out and I can do it in the mornings. Personally, I don't worry about counting calories because I don't have the time. I know if what I'm eating is good for me or not. When I buy groceries, I buy organic, low-fat, or whole grain, all of those labels, when I can. And cooking for myself as much as possible definitely helps out.
Sounds like a good plan to me. I try to buy good-for-you foods too; I love grocery shopping haha. I do it entirely too often. I hope I can really start to exercise this summer too.
I just had a scary realization. I put my hands of my hips after stretching and I realized that I didn't feel like I was so huge anymore. But I know I haven't really lost a lot of weight because I tried on some old jeans this weekend and they were still too small. So I'm not sure if maybe indeed I have lost some weight or whether I'm just getting used to carrying all of the extra weight around.
Lori you probably lost some weight, but you haven't lost enough to fit into the old jeans yet. You also could have lost weight, but kept it in the thighs! I'm totally suffering from an attack of the thunder thighs.My scary thing is having people tell me I look thinner, but I haven't lost weight. I think I might have thinned in my face some and am just still growing up in a sense.
I look back at the pictures from my 21st in November and my face is definitely rounder then (first time it's ever been so round) and now it's not round, which is good. The thighs thing is totally throwing me because I've never had a thigh problem. It was always belly fat. Don't worry, I still have an abundance of that, but the thigh fat is sticking around too. Hopefully it will go away soon with my yoga.
I recently looked at pictures of me from last semester and was pretty much horrified at how chubby I looked... I detagged a bunch of pictures.\Erin, that always made me feel really awful when people told me I looked like I lost weight when I was sure I didn't. It made me think that people remembered me as being fatter than I actually was.
And Lori, I bet you have lost weight -- and as long as you feel good about your body that's all that matters. Just keep doing the yoga!
Tahleen its never bothered me. I'm a stout girl (like broad shoulders and that whole thing) so when someone says I look thinner I'm just happy that I look smaller! They also say it in a way that is like you don't look heavy any more. I've grown up always been kinda thick too and it is slightly depressing if people think I'm over weight because I've got a really tiny waist.Lori Tahleen is right there with as long as you feel happy with your body. Its hard for me to sometimes except my thighs or what ever, but then I remind myself that I'm happy with me and I stop.
I'm far from being happy with my body. But if I'm making progress, that would make me feel better. I really should start running but my school day starts too early and I sure as heck am not getting up any earlier to run and shower before class. I just need to maintain the status quo, maybe eat a little better, until summer. And then I can start with the running in the mornings before it gets too hot. Except, I really hate taking morning showers because my hair takes forever to dry and it does something funky when I blow dry it (so I NEVER blow dry it myself). I'll have to figure out something...
I am kind of in the same position as far as exercising goes... I wish we lived near one another b/c it sounds like you'd be a perfect exercise buddy for me haha.
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