Cause Workin' Out is 'fun' to do...

[Young Val]

I've been on my "walking and water" kick for almost two weeks now, and today I weighed myself for the first time. I've lost two pounds! After another couple of weeks on the "walking and water" kick, I want to add on something else as well. Some cardio activity (I'm thinking jump-rope. I already own one, and I think it's something I'd enjoy) and changing one small thing about the way I eat (I'm thinking about making breakfast a mandatory meal--I almost never eat it and wind up binging later on in the day).

A someone who's gone to extremes with her weight and health in the past, I know for a fact that radical, sudden lifestyle changes do NOT work for me. I can't maintain them. I need to build up slowly. Believe it or not, getting to the point where I can actually meet my goal of three nalgene bottles of water a day was a struggle!

[locke]

YAY! Great job, you can keep it up!

I missed my workout before I had to head to work, so I made myself go to the gym once I got back. It was hard but one of the most satisfying workouts I've ever had. Pushed myself harder than ever. four rounds for time of running 400m (1/4 mile) usually I go about 7 or 7.5mph my times:

2:07 9mph
2:04 9mph
2:01 9mph
1:51 10mph

the first one was easy, the second tough, the third one was hard, almost a struggle. and then on the two minute rest in between the third and fourth I got pissed and decided to go for broke I worked myself up before the last round and hammered my way through the first two thirds and then almost gave up and turned the speed down. but I pushed through and made it, those last five seconds were brutal, but god damn I could do it. I really f****** did it. I'm still high off that.

[Derwyddon]

Years of experience with clients, my own 100 pound weight loss, college and medical education, and lots and lots of hands on experience helping people lose weight. All of these forms of information are much more reliable then the links you provided.

I can promise you the person who put together the programs on sparkpeople has a lot less college education and real world experience then I do. You don't have to take my advise, of course, but I promise it's sound advice.

Are you a registered dietician?

For the record, the links that I provided are from reputable sources, not pop science sources.

I don't care to have a fight about it, and don't understand why you seem to be so offended by my questions and comments. I didn't ask you for advice, you offered it. I said thanks for your input back up the page there, but you interpreted my post as hostile and responded in kind. You still seem to be responding to my posts in a hostile manner.

I don't know anything about you or your background. You similarly don't know anything about me or my background, but you seem to have made assumptions that I don't know what I'm talking about. I don't think it's unreasonable to request some background research information to back up your assertions. I guarantee you that even if it's technical, I have the background to understand it.

Oh I actually wasn't offended at all. I simply felt like I may have butted in where i wasnt' welcome and was just respectfully backing off. Sorry if i sound hostile, because of my wording and phrasing I'm often mistaken as hostile in a text-only environment.

I also never assumed you didn't know what you're talking about, it just seemed like you weren't interested in getting advice from me so I was trying to respect your own personal boundries instead of being like HERE IM RIGHT TAKE IT AND SHUT UP!

[Ela]

Okay.

[Derwyddon]

Okay.

[locke]

inspired, I got to three nalgene bottles of water at work yesterday. Thanks! usually I just drink two.

todays workout was comparitively light, since I had to do two subs, but I made up for the lightness by refusing to rest and pushing myself hard throughout. I could have perhaps given a bit more, but still did a good job instead of a slacker workout.

Five rounds for time of 30 situps and 25 good mornings.

my times:
2:01
1:59
1:54
1:54
2:00

TRT: 9:46 (it doesn't add up b/c of tenths of second and whatnot, rounding errors, but that's what my stop watch (on my phone) says.

[Eaquae Legit]

Made it a whole mile this morning. We'll see how things go tomorrow.

[locke]

yesterday's workout has left my lats very sore.
it was
on a continuously running clock do one pullup in the first minute two in the second minute, three in the third minute and so on until you cannot complete all the repetitions in a single minute. If you can't do pullups do jumping pullups

so not only does your rest time go down but you're getting more tired so in order to really get a work out you have to force the intensity out and not give up. I was ready to give up at round 13 and I managed to force myself through another four rounds after that, not letting myself slow down and 'try' to not make it and then being exasperated that there was still time in the minute when I finished all the reps. :p

I got the first five sets with regular pullups, had to resort to jumping pullups after that.

Started myself on a meal plan today. then work had to ruin it by ordering pizza and I had two slices. grumble grumble. and I even brought food for myself which is the worst of it (much healthier than pizza, fish and stir fried veggies).

[Eaquae Legit]

Made it to the pool at lunchtime, managed another mile. I feel like I am finally back up to a credible plateau! To push things a bit, I did 75 yards of butterfly (in 25-yd stretches). Go me!

[locke]

had a couple workouts this week, missed last weekend because I was an usher in my cousins wedding. I also drank more alcohol than I've had in several months. yay!

today's workout was tougher. run 1/2 mile, 35 situps 35 good mornings, complete three supersets for time. I forgot to time myself overall but my times on the treadmill were aobut 4 minutes, 5 minutes and 6.5 minutes. overall probably about 35-40 minutes.

[locke]

some easy workouts the past few days than whammy today, for time do 50 pullups, 50 pushups, 50 situps and 50 squats in that order complete an exercise before moving to the next one.

I got about 16 pullups before finally switching to jumping pullups for the rest, not bad, but this was definitely the longest part of the workout.

the pushups were brutal as I've recently switched to the full body contacting the ground every rep which makes them much more difficult. at fifteen I was collapsing, but I managed to grind through the rest in 10 and five rep increments.

managed to get the situps in essentially one go, but they could have been done faster.

squats were no problem, probably should have done 60 on that.

the scary thing is this is the 50% scaled version of the workout, people who are in crossfit shape do this with 100 of each, and the record is something like 13 minutes.

I managed about 21 minutes for all 200 reps, not too bad, a great workout.

[mazer]

yesterday i ran for about thirty min. than did 100 sit ups, 25 push ups, and i did some thing that i have no idea what to call it you get in push up position but with your elbows on the ground anyway i did that 1 min two times. now pretty much every muscle i have is sore.=(
none of the smiley icons looked right

[Young Val]

What motivates you guys?

I'm still sticking to my own personal plan and inching slowly toward my goals, but motivation is always a factor for me.

Thought it would be interesting to hear what keeps everyone else on track.

[locke]

getting and feeling healthier generally, the neverending battle to not be fat and actually appear lean. those are my motivations. crossfit helps in being able to improve times or accomplishments of workouts when they cycle back to them. just being able to improve my pullup count is one of my strongest motivations, decreasing my 400 meter time is another.

[Gravity Defier]

What motivates you guys?

My father is a retired Marine. He wakes me up at 5:30am every weekday and 7am on the weekend to do some PT(that amounts to nothing more than walking/jogging 2-3 miles). He keeps me motivated.

A lesser motivating force is a suitcase in my closet at home. It is full of clothes that are too small for me now that I once fit into when I was working out daily.

[Analytic Mind]

What motivates you guys?

Maxing (both in reps and total weight) has always motivated me. My body doesn't really change much any more, but my stats do e.g. i maxed on squat at 325, deadlift at 365, bench 180 and did 100 squats with 95 pounds in 3mins45secs. So i would say that progress makes me more motivated.

[locke]

apparently nothing is motivating me now as I haven't been to the gym in a week! oy.

[Wil]

I have no motivation, simply extreme boredom. >.>

My motivation.. er.. I lost it I suppose. So I'm running on fumes. At least I'm doing SOMETHING, however. That something is.. running a mile a day six days a week.

[starlooker]

It's becoming part of my summer routine, which is awesome. Come to school, play piano, do some work, go swim, eat lunch, do some more work, do whatever, perhaps go walking. So, that helps that it's starting to feel just built into my day. Which is good to know -- if I can find some kind of exercise to do over the noon hour in future jobs/real jobs I'll be better off. Morning and evenings have never worked for me real well.

I haven't exactly lost weight (though, I do consistently weigh just 3-5 pounds less than I did last year at this time), but I feel change in clothes fit, etc. Also, my arms are definitely showing it. I have muscles! Who knew? And my waist is definitely approving clothing it would never have let me wear a few months ago.

What's motivating me right now? Clothes. There's a pants style I like that I was planning to buy several of before I go on internship. So, naturally, it's getting discontinued. So, today I went into the store and found two on sale in a size smaller than i normally wear. Tried them on and they did fit, although just a bit on the tight side. I do not want them to not fit, and I'd like it if they were looser (major, major sale. Normally over $40 each, today cost me $10 each).

Also, next week is our farewell party from the department. I'm planning to wear something a lot clingier/lower cut than I normally wear (bear in mind that I normally dress very conservatively.) And while I know I can't drastically change prior to the event, I want to be looking as good as I can look for it. So, that's been motivational since I bought the clothes.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in buying clothes that fit, not clothes you hope you can wear someday. These all do fit and look reasonably good (as judged by friends who I know would tell me were this not the case). It's just I'm at an awkward between sizes point right now, so buying a couple of items at the lower of the sizes I'm between is motivational, rather than misery-inducing or money-wasting.

[starlooker]

Okay, yesterday I started doing this strength-exercise routine that I've been meaning to begin for awhile now.

I actually only did half of it. (It's circuit-style, do all the exercises twice. I did them once.)

Ouch. Ouch. OUCH. OUCH OUCH. OWIEEEEEEEEE.

Going down the stairs today was pure, pure hell.

[locke]

Going down the stairs today was pure, pure hell.

I love that feeling. I'll have that tomorrow as I'm about to go do a workout for the first time in a month or more.

[Wil]

You should stretch after you workout so as to help work out the lactic acid buildup that causes that burned feeling after.

Or, just be patient and wait a few weeks as the muscles should get used to it and it won't burn (as much).

I started working out again and I got that feeling. Makes it impossible to even really function as easily for the first week or two.

[Ela]

I got a lot of inadvertent exercise in the past week moving both my kids out of their college residences, and walking around the town where JaneX's college is. (We did a LOT of walking.) And I can get into a pair of jeans I haven't been able to wear for two years.

JaneX graduated last week.

Now she can sing, "What do you do with a BA in English?"
I suspect the minor in Logic might help.

[Rei]

Hurrah!

And congratulations to her!

[locke]

huzzah and congratulations all around.

I did my warmup for a workout yesterday and I"ll probably do that again today but add more pullups dips, pushups and lunges. I'm already doing enough situps, I think.

[Rei]

I think carrying books and a computer around count as exercise.

[Wind Swept]

What motivates you guys?

Wii Fit.

I've found it pretty much impossible to motivate myself to exercise in the ever leading up to now, but have been doing at least a short workout every day since I picked up the Wii Fit. Who knows if it will last, but it's better than I've done in ages.

[Wil]

Saw this and it reminded me of your post.

[Eaquae Legit]

I took my bike out today. It was awesome. One of the things I miss most about home are the long, straight roads to bike on. But I took my bike down to campus, cut my time in half or more, and I didn't feel tired and cranky when I got back, except for when I got lost in the city centre (I know where all the streets go as a pedestrian, but it's a different matter when you're cycling and all of a sudden every street is one-way and not the way you need to go).

Anyway, I loved it. I will definitely be out more, now. I think I just needed to get used to this place first.

[Wind Swept]

Saw this and it reminded me of your post.

For anyone who is actually interested, there are a couple of reviews I found quite interesting.

Edit: Um... Am I missing something, or did the mass amount of dashes just kill that link?

[Wil]

Well of course it's actually going to work. They say all the time that if you get up and actually break a sweat for 20 minutes a day several times a week you'll look and feel better. ANYTHING is better than NOTHING.

If you're serious about looking and feeling better, you don't need to spend $80 on a game that tells you what to do and how to do it, all the while giving you points and pictures that "show you" you're doing something. I have an easier website for you: www.simplefit.org -- it's totally free and more than likely much more effective. Three times a week you work as hard as you can for 20 minutes. The rest of the time you eat sensibly. Results appear in the mirror and as you move up through the levels!

One positive point about the game that has been pointed out to me is this: (NSFW really) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v31qxrXsxv0

[zeroguy]

If you're serious about looking and feeling better

You've lost me. And most gamers.

[Wil]

If you're serious about looking and feeling better

You've lost me. And most gamers.

I laughed.... and then I realized that I game quite a bit also. I don't think gamer should be synonymous with fat/unhealthy. Sadly, for the most part, it is.

[locke]

Saw this and it reminded me of your post.

For anyone who is actually interested, there are a couple of reviews I found quite interesting.

Edit: Um... Am I missing something, or did the mass amount of dashes just kill that link?

fixed that for you, tinyurl is our friend.

[MaryOutside]

I've been boxing for the past three years or so, and the key, my coach says, to a thorough work out (as opposed to formal "training" that focuses on boxing skills: plyometrics, speed skills, foot work, etc) is muscle progression. That is, working biceps, triceps, delts, lats, etc. in increasing intensity, but in groups as you'd use them normally, so your body doesn't begin to use already stressed muscles. It's different that isolation exercises in that muscle groups are used together in pairs or threes, in a progressive combination. Same goes for core and legs. Intensive strength training should be interspersed with, say, jump roping and cardio. At least it's worked for me. As for caloric intake, it should just be balanced with the intensity of workout. Use the calories you eat. Eat lean meat, nuts and lentils, and vegetables (mostly green). Dessert three times a week is okay. Peanut butter works wonders for people with low blood sugar who still want to work out. No flavored water, gatorade, poweraid, etc. Supplements like EmergenC are okay in moderation.

My two cents!