weight loss, diet, and fitness thread

[RichCsigs]

I had never considered getting an iPod before moving to Ohio, but I don't get Prairie Home Companion, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, Car Talk, Selected Shorts, and a million other public radio shows that I really enjoy in my little town.

So I'm thinking of getting one over Christmas and use it in exercise and sewing.

-suzi

I just wanted to say thank you because I love "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" but I'm always working now when it's on. It never once entered my head that it would be available as a pod cast (though it should have been obvious to at least check)! Thank you so much!

 

[krissbeth]

I've started the jogging thing again. About four miles (my house to Alewife and back). Start out walking to warm up, jog/run for a short period, walk, run again when I'm ready. I have a heart rate monitor, so that helps me stay in "the zone" without pushing myself to overdo it.

My knees are awful but there's a dirt path next to the bike path and that helps keep it kind of lower impact for me. I'm also doing my knee exercises from physical therapy again.

That path goes out to the Minuteman Trail, so I can go farther when I'm ready but four miles is pretty awesome for me right now.

 

[EricNoah]

four miles is pretty awesome for me right now.

Four miles is awesome for anyone -- great job and keep it up!

 

[EricNoah]

Weekly check-in anyone?

I'm on day 16 in a row with exercise. I do feel like it's still making a difference. Looks like good weather around here for the next week, which means plenty of days to get out for walks.

I had a generally good diet week, but I had a meal at Olive Garden yesterday that really blew my calories out of the water. I'm usually good at estimating calories but after the meal I checked the web for nutrition info and was really surprised to see that I had put away about 1600 calories at one sitting. Ick. I ratched back my eating the rest of the day to compensate, so overall no harm done.

My next goal is to clean my exercise area downstairs. Needs some vacuuming, and until that's done I just seem to avoid doing exercise videos.

 

[RangerWickett]

I did okay this week with dieting. My goal was not to eat out, except for on Wednesday when I normally get lunch with a co-worker. This was as much a monetary goal as a dieting one. Almost accomplished it. Wed she was busy, but I hadn't brought lunch so I got something small at the local cafeteria, and I unfortunately found excuses to get coffee drinks (I justified it as not 'eating').

Then I _did_ get lunch with said co-worker on Thursday, and Friday there was a 'sustainable organic foods farmer's market' at my college, so I ate there, and bought a felafel sandwich. Still, I managed to spend about $30 on food over the course of the week -- way down compared to my normal spending. And the number of calories wasn't too crazy, not until yesterday at least (game night).

Exercise was a different bag. A couple days I took a walk home of about two miles, and another day I jogged two miles on a treadmill for physical therapy, but I didn't do much codified exercises. Still, today is my day off, so I think I'll go to the pool.

This month I wanted to get down to 205 (from ~215), and I'm down to about 209. But I'm getting the hang of it.

 

[Aurora]

Weekly check-in anyone?

I'm on day 16 in a row with exercise. I do feel like it's still making a difference. Looks like good weather around here for the next week, which means plenty of days to get out for walks.

I had a generally good diet week, but I had a meal at Olive Garden yesterday that really blew my calories out of the water. I'm usually good at estimating calories but after the meal I checked the web for nutrition info and was really surprised to see that I had put away about 1600 calories at one sitting. Ick. I ratched back my eating the rest of the day to compensate, so overall no harm done.

My next goal is to clean my exercise area downstairs. Needs some vacuuming, and until that's done I just seem to avoid doing exercise videos.

Great job with your exercise Eric. No worries about the one day at Olive Garden. It is good to fluctuate your calories to keep your metabolism from evening out. We'll call it that I have my doc appt this week, I should be given the okay to exercise again.

***

Congrats on the weight loss RW. 6 pounds is good

 

[GlassJaw]

Going really well for me. The change has been very noticeable. I feel better than I have since I can remember. Even things like my mood, focus, outlook, quality sleep, etc have all improved.

Currently I'm running 3 miles about 4-5 days a week. Next step is to start increasing that to 3.5 - 4 miles.

I'm also doing some upper body weight training also about 4-5 days a week. I do 4-5 exercises, 3 sets of 12 reps each, with 10 and 20-lbs weights targeting biceps, shoulders, and triceps. I also do about 60 crunches using different motions but I might start increasing this number.

I've also started incorporating more organic and natural foods. My sister recommended this book to recently:

Real Food: What to Eat and Why

Looks like a very interesting read.

 

[Eeralai]

Food and nutrition, one of my favorite things to talk about. This is an interesting article on CNN. It talks about how people eat and basically if it is in front of us we will eat it. I think a big problem a lot of us probably face is game night. At least with my groups, everyone brings enough of something for each person to get two or three servings, and then everyone eats two or three servings of everything brought. Thus proving this guys theory that if it is in front of us we will eat it. Is there a way to politely organize a group so that only one or two people bring snacks? I hate breaking with years long traditions, but it seems it would be much healthier. Anyway, I hope you like the article.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/09/21/kd.mindless.eating/index.html

 

[Lord Zardoz]

Minor update for me at the moment. September, as a month, sucked for me exercise wise. My routine was pretty much blasted out of the water by allergies then a chest cold. I did buy myself a George Foreman Grill. Aside from marking me as a sucker for consumer gimmicks, it should let me have hamburgers that have much less grease then they would otherwise.

I also have a fitness evaluation from my gym tomorrow, and should find out then if I have improved much, if at all, since my last evaluation. I am sure I have improved, but I am also sure the improvement has not been as great as it could have been.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[GlassJaw]

I did buy myself a George Foreman Grill.

Ugh, I hate that thing. It's such a PITA to use and worse to clean. I hated the way it cooked too.