Health and Fitness

[Tremayne]

A thread similar to this was on the old site, though I think it focused on weight loss. I'd like this to be more general, referring to whatever health goals you may have, whether pounds, muscle mass, blood sugar or cholesterol levels, distance, speed. Declare the change you want to make, share your progress and ask questions of others.

[Tremayne]

The reason I restarted this thread is because my health has been critically slipping. I need to get back to exercising, both aerobic and strength, and I need to pay closer attention to my diet, specifically carb intake.

I hate going to the gym, though I have a gym membership, and I've never been good about devoting significant amounts of time developing my fitness, yet it appears it's going to be critical to my overall health from here on out. As I'm sure you all know, it's really hard to coordinate workout schedules with a partner, so finding the support of others as I make this change has been a struggle. I've realized I have no friends who engage in anything other than casual exercise--not a fitness freak among them (probably because I'm so low energy there's no way I could keep up). I've known naturally hardy types but no one devoted to fitness. They're more likely to look at the level of exercise I want to engage in (engaging in 1-1.5hrs of aerobic exercise 5x a week--and not sure what for muscle building/toning) as grueling. The sort of thing they'd prefer to cringe and look away from than call you up to talk about your improvement/plateaus, give rahrahs, groan over setbacks, etc.

So in my attempt to develop some healthy habits, I'm going to check in here every now and then, perhaps daily at times, to give reports on what I've done or not done as a way of being accountable.

Sooo, I made the 1-1/5 hrs of aerobic exercise 5 or more times a week on Wed of this past week. On Thursday and Friday I surprised myself with how well I did. I did an hour each day of alternating walking and jogging with my 3 dogs (I take them out in succession--total time out each day was an hour). However, I've been fighting a stomach problem and today felt like crap. I feel like I've barely gotten started and my body is throwing me a curve.    Really, I started back to serious exercising because my body was throwing me unhappy curves, so I shouldn't be surprised that I'm not miraculously feeling well enough to leap out the door for a jog every night. Still, I found it discouraging.

I've also decided to cut back on carbs--no sugary sweets, no bread, less fruit. More celery.   I have blood sugar problems and have gotten too off track with my diet.

I promise subsequent accounts won't be so chatty 

[John]

Great idea Tremayne.  Eye of the tiger lass.

[Escarlata]

I understand completely the trouble with having exercise buddies at the low exercise levels you're speaking of, Tremayne. My "routine" consists of much less than what you're getting even. Every weekday morning, there's a fifteen minute walk. Speed varies, depending on whether the knee likes me or has decided that it's going to be a PITA. Either way, I get the walk done.

On alternating days, I either use the Bowflex (we picked it up practically new for $400 on CraigsList) or do floor stretching exercises for another 15-30 minutes.

I know it's not a lot but I figure at this point anything is better than nothing. Maybe I'll pick up the pace ... maybe not. A lot depends on the knee, I refuse to move to the point that I have pain in it. The old adage of "no pain ... no gain" just doesn't get it for me.

I read something interesting the other day about adults and their eating habits:

• Dieters can eat the same breakfast each day for six weeks or longer without tiring of it.
• Dieters can eat the same lunch each day for six weeks without tiring of it. After six weeks they like a second choice for lunch
• Dieters like variety, at least three selections, for dinner each day

The Bowflex Body Plan  - The power is yours by Ellington Darden, PHD, pg 139

While I've not ever restricted myself enough to see if those statements are all true, I can tell you that I am completely satisfied eating the same breakfast every day. I've got my apple/oatmeal and cinnamon latte down to a science, so much so that I can do it even on those days that I wake up fuzzy from allergies or migraine residuals.

[Storm]

I wish you luck Tremayne!..

I certainly understand what's going on! I use to be a gym rat for the better part of 10 years. I use to work out for 3 to 3.5 hours a day (once in the morning, then once in the afternoon) 6 days a week. I watched what I put in my body like a hawk. I pretty much ate only a hand full of foods. Rice, tuna, chicken and veggies was pretty much my entire diet. I pretty much lived on stir fry! I had that at least 3 to 4 times a week.

Then I met my wife and the diet went out the window. A couple of years later the exercising pretty much went out the window too. I really don't do much anymore, and have been meaning to get back into it myself. But, I really don't have that "want to" anymore. As I always told people, exercising is all about will power. You have to have that will power and that want to to get started and to stick with it. I just don't have it like I use to. Luckily, I have a job where I am on my feet, moving around all day, so at least that counts for something. I do have an Olympic free weight set and exercise bike here at home and do use them from time to time. Not nearly as often as I should!

As for the club thing and work out buddies. I never really had work out buddies per say. The only time I ever did was when I 1st started working out. I kinda needed a friend to get the whole thing jump started and to teach me the ropes. After a few months I pretty much knew what I was doing and had my routines set and from then on out I always went to the gym at my leisure and did my own thing when I was there. But, over the course of time I always got know the "regulars" who worked out at the same time I did so if I ever needed a spot or something it was easy to find someone. I've always found working out easier that way since then you don't have to worry about matching schedules with someone, etc. I have been a member of several gyms over the years and have always found it easy to get to know the regulars. All gyms have them, and for the most part, once they know you are serious about working out, they'll be happy to help you out whenever you need a spot or something. They are also a great source of advice. In all honesty, these club regulars often know a heck of a lot more then the trainers who work at the gym. Don't get me wrong, there are some excellent trainers who really know what they are doing and can help you out a lot, but for every one of them there's about 4 or 5 that really don't know chit and are just preaching the company line and getting most of their knowledge from the company manuals so to speak. To many club trainers don't practice what they preach so really don't know what they are selling. One thing I always hated was when you 1st joined a club they always seemed to want to have you do a session with a trainer before you started working out there. It always seemed I knew more about fitness and dieting then they did. A few pointed questions was all it really took to figure out if they knew what they were talking about or not. Working out is really an individual thing. What works well for one persons body may not for another. Over the years I found that my dieting and routines were all bits and pieces of things I had learned from other regulars that worked well for me.

Sounds like you have the aerobic part of your workout figured out pretty well. As for the toning part, I'm guessing you're probably not really interested in building mass, but just toning and firming up what you already have. For that, if you are still going to a gym, exercise machines are the way to go. If not, using a Bo-flex, or something similar, works just fine. A half an hour to an hour of that 3 times a week, along with the cardio, is all you need.

On to the low energy levels. Carbs are a good thing when you are working out. They are your primary source of energy. One thing I always did (as did a number of people I knew at the gym) was to eat a banana or an orange right before working out. Both give you a sort of natural energy kick that will help carry you through your workout. And, always remember to keep drinking water while you are working out too! Nothing will ruin a good workout faster then getting dehydrated.

Any ways. Good luck. Maybe one day I will manage to get back into some sort of work out routine too!

[Tremayne]

No pain, no gain doesn't work for me either--too much potential to hurt oneself and end up in worse shape. I believe paying attention to body signals is important--at least at the level of (non)fitness I'm at. Perhaps those who are attempting peak fitness can do the npng with less risk.

I tend to be a habitual eater too but I've gotten into a negative version of it--eating the same thing even though it isn't all that satisfying. I guess I need to experiment more with what the right food combo for every meal is.

I've also read that healthy eaters know what they want well in advance of their meals. So again, tuning into body messages seems important.

When I was younger I was good about stretching and enjoyed it. These days, seems like I never have a good area in which to do it (except the gym). I MUST do it though if I'm going to be jogging. From past experience, I know I'm going to develop back problems if I don't.

[Tremayne]

Thanks for the helpful advice, Storm! Hopefully you'll continue to pop in here and help out those of us without your experience.

You know, I've noticed at the clubs I've been too that there's a lot more camaraderie among the men than the women. The women may have friends that they work out with but they usually don't make friends at the gym. I've kind of wondered about that phenomenon. Someone needs to do a do a study on gender differences in fitness psychology    Maybe women don't feel like they know enough to share or help others?  What acquaintances I have made at gyms, of the helpful sort you mention, have been men.

The fruit before workout suggestion sounds good to me--fruit lover that I am 

And I think I can do half hour to an hour of machine work 3x/week at the gym during my lunch period (an intolerably hot time of the day here--do my outdoor jogging in the evening).  I see a sustainable routine forming! 

[Lady Mikayla of Phoenicia]

I love being at the gym because one I physically feel better after going and two to see my friends. 

I prefer the free weights, if I ever take a class it's yoga (when they offer it which is never lately  - oy vay Pilates is NOT yoga).  I enjoy the camaraderie of seeing certain regulars there and have nicknames for many of them.  Currently I am having to readjust working out at different times therefore with different people and that's been a bit of a challenge.  Granted most of my friends there are guys however the girls I am friends with work out in the free weight area too.  It could be a lot of the classes don't really allow for interaction and in my observation they are normally full of ladies. 

[Storm]

You are right about the guy/gal thing Tremayne.

I think that's because you always find more guys over in the free weight part of the gym then you do women. Free weights are primarily used by people looking to put on mass as well as sculpt. You need a lot more help with free weights. You need spotters there! Exercise machines are pretty simple to use and you really don't need help with them. I think there has always been more camaraderie among the free weight people in the gym and most of them are guys. The people I always got to know the best were the ones who worked out with free weights. A lot of those people are the ones who really know their stuff and are serious about things. I worked out for a few years at a gym where there we're some serious body builders. Guys (and a couple of gals too!) that competed in amateur competitions. A couple of them even won Mr. Minnesota titles, and one of the gals won a Ms. Fitness title too. I became pretty good friends with them and I learned most of what I know from them. They really knew their stuff, especially when it came to dieting and nutrition. You won't find anyone more serious about diet and nutrition then a body builder. They are really good people to talk to about that.

It's good to split your weight work and cardio up like you are going to do too. Doing them at different times of the day is great if you can do that. It's a good thing.

If I ever start working out again I am going to focus on the cardio. When you boil it down to brass tacks  cardio (and diet) is way more important when you get older then weights are. I'd probably do cardio 5 times a week and light free weights 2-3 times a week. I am not really interested in building mass any more. I'd just do enough work with the weights to keep things firm and toned.

When you do start with the exercise machines one thing to remember is to not work a muscle group that is sore. Generally speaking, when you do a good weight work out you will be a little sore the next day (It's a good sore though!). That is why you see so many people who are serious about working with weights split up their weight work outs by muscle group. Generally speaking they will do chest, shoulders and triceps the 1st day, back and biceps the 2nd day, legs on the 3rd day, rest on the 4th day, then start the routine over again. Abs are the one muscle group you can pretty much work every day, and most people I knew usually did some ab work every day at the end of their workout.

Of course, you don't need to be that serious about things when you are just using exercise machines for the toning/firmness thing. For that it is just usually the best to work with the machines every other day. It's just important to remember not to work a sore muscle group. That is when you get hurt.

Speaking of getting hurt, stretching is really important too. I can not stress that enough. The older you get, the more time you have to spend stretching to. I had to spend a lot more time stretching in my 30's then I did in my 20's! Stretching was always the thing I hated to do the most. I always seemed to want to get right to the work out. It only took me a couple of times of not doing enough stretching, and pulling something to learn my lesson about that! Pull something and you can usually forget about working out that muscle for a couple of weeks! Not good!

[Morgan Dreadlocke]

Speaking of getting hurt, stretching is really important too. I can not stress that enough. The older you get, the more time you have to spend stretching to. I had to spend a lot more time stretching in my 30's then I did in my 20's!

Wait till yer 50's Lad

I was a gym rat from high school till the mid 1990's. Found that when workin out hard an regularl like,  I needed the "See And Grab" diet. It be bloody  expensive to maintain extra muscle mass. After bein' out of it fer a decade+ I be findin' a decline in strength @20%, a large decline in endurance @75% an flexibility gone all to hades. Damage ta joints keeps me out of a gym nowadays. Stretching and flexibility trainin' is an upcommin' necessity.

[Elennare]

Yay!  More support for fitness/weight-loss goals!  One can never have too much of that.

I'm trying to lose weight/get in shape before my wedding in October.  Not having as much success as I'd like, but results are starting to show a little bit (~8 lbs at present).  I need to get more exercise in.  2 hour gymnastics class once a week, while an awesome work out, is not enough by itself.  I AM going to start swimming regulary this week.  Going to take the finace to get new swimsuits when I get home today, and make him be my fitness buddy. *evil grin*

I've been using sparkpeople.com to keep track of what I've been eating, and it definately helps.  I have been eating much healthier since I started using it.

People who can go to the gym regulary amaze me.  More power too you if you can do it, but it's just not for me.  I like to get my exercise from other activites (like gymnastics class, or swimming, or soccer, or...). 

As for the "no pain, no gain" thing...taken at face value, it's stupid and a good way to get hurt.  If an exercise is actually causing you *pain* then stop!  But what it actually means is working a muscle to fatigue (feeling it burn/shake).  Which, from what I hear, is the best/fastest way to get improvement.

Tremayne and Escarlotta, grats for working out regulary! Keep it up.  Lady Mikayla, good luck getting your schedule re-arranged.

[CatAshtrophy]

I've been dieting since January and have lots 31 pounds so far. I still have a little more to go to reach a healthy weight. What I have done is keep track of my food. I gave myself a calorie limit and I write down everything I eat. I stick to my amount really well most days, and even if I eat a little extra every once in a while I still don't go overboard. I love dieting that way because I still get to eat what I want, as long as it is in moderation. Even after I reach my goal, I'll still continue to stick to a certain amount of calories to maintain a healthy weight.

I am not able to exercise much because of back problems that I have. I used to love pilates, but my doctor took me off it now. Adding to exercise difficulties is that I hate going to the gym. Instead, I walk in place while watching a tv show or two. It makes the time go by much faster than in a gym. I also lift some light free weights to work on muscles.

[Tremayne]

Congrats, Cat! That's an impressive loss and it sounds like you've been doing it sensibly. I'm sorry to hear about your back problems but  kudos to you for being determined to remain healthy regardless of that limitation.

I would like to lose about 20 lbs figure it will come off in some measure as I exercise more regularly.

I see I'm not alone in my distaste for exercising at the gym. I have yet to take up my new plan in earnest because of feeling ill. I'm hoping to see a dr to speed along this bug's exit. The delay is all the more reason to have this thread though. I need to remember to get on track when this is resolved. For me, various glitches in routine really throw me off if I'm not careful. This latest bout of generally feeling run down has come on the heels of inviting 3 dogs into my life. I found that though I was taking them for short walks 2x/per day, they were very slow potty walks--a low grade of exercise that tended to tire me out instead of giving me any benefit. Now they've got a kennel area to do their business and our time away from the house can be more rigorous. I've also figured out each one's heat/exercise tolerance and the time of evening that's best for getting them out. So once this latest illness is out of the way we can all enjoy life more.

I really heard Elennare when she acknowledged that her gymnastics, though it sounds like good exercise, isn't enough. I had to sort of overcome this notion that 20 minutes of aerobics 3x/week is enough. This body I've got, with its health quirks, needs more.

[lilaney]

People on a diet should have a salad dressing called '250 islands'
-George Carlin

Having a three steps forward, one step back problem.
I loose, then panic as my body image changes, gain a bit back and
then press on loosing more weight.
I think this is the example of yo-yo dieting, but, I prefer hula-hoops.

Seriously though, am working on this.
I am working out and tracking my eating. So far it isn't that hard.
as long as I have access to a computer.
*Hug*
I wish everyone out there, luck in their ventures.
Goodness knows I am there.
Have to do this for my health.

[SirRichardBear]

Cat have you tried Tai Chi?  Its a good system for those that have back, legs, or knee problems.