weight loss, diet, and fitness thread

[greymist]

Congrats on the weight lost so far! My mom lost a lot of weight on the atkins diet too, but watch out for your cholesterol.
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there are tons of web-sites addressing glycemic index and glycemic load for the home cook.

If you want to be rid of the gut, exercise is the only way.
<snip>
I feel like fricking wonder woman.

Holy hard body, Batman! Suzi, you are an inspiration to us all!

Last time I did Atkins my good cholesterol shot up, and my bad cholesterol went down, maybe your Mom did not have the full set of tests, I know my doctor mentioned that if he did not have some extra done, he might not have seen the true picture.

Glycemic index is where I am heading with my diet. I find Atkins easy to stick to, so I plan on staying with it until I get down to 200#. At that point, I expect I will switch to GI and add complex carbs back into my meals. I am looking forward to eating lots of fruits and vegetables again!

 

[GlassJaw]

Update: I'm running in my first road race this weekend! It's a 10k (6.2 mile). I had been running 4 miles pretty regularly and I've done 5 a couple of times and 6 once but felt really strong. Ran 6 this past Fri and did it in about an hour.

The temperature and time change has screwed up my routine though and I haven't been running as much as I was (I usually run outside after work). I'm still running Fri-Sun and have been hitting the weights more.

 

[EricNoah]

Ah, nice to see this thread back from the dead.

I haven't been quite as hardcore as I was six weeks ago. I am still exercising something like 5 days a week. However, I need to do better at avoiding the urge to hibernate in the winter (when it is dark, cold and gloomy by the time I get home, it's very hard to get motivated to go out for a walk). And I need to do a better and more consistent job of recording my food intake (been slacking off there as well).

 

[Rl'Halsinor]

I just started seriously exercising 4 weeks ago after almost a year's hiatus after major ankle/foot reconstruction this past January. I also have cut way back on soda and food intake and now I drink a ton more water.

With the weight lifting and swimming I am feeling the best I have felt in a long time.

 

[xrpsuzi]

We took a few weeks off dieting for Thanksgiving and Joe's birthday, but we are back on the wagon until Christmas. I'm on the last week of Fitness Challenge #2, which is giving even emphasis on cardio and strength. I'm still 5+ pounds lighter than when I started, and while I'm glad that I took the break (starting diviating from the plan from attrition) it's time to start making more progress before I get discouraged. Nothing sucks more than not eating what you want and exercising regularly and still not losing weight.

Like Eric, the cold also makes me want to hiberate. Can't I just eat more starch-laden foods and curl on the couch with a blanket?

I try to get my exercise in to an interesting radio program b/c boredom is the biggest killer of exercise initiatives for me. I haven't gotten an MP3 player or IPOD, so right now, I'm getting exercise in during All Things Considered, just about the only NPR news show that plays on my local radio stations and doesn't require me being in close proximity to my computer in order to listen.

I also got an alternate cardio plan to keep things interesting. I started learning belly dancing, and it's a nice break from the elliptical machine.

Update: I'm running in my first road race this weekend! It's a 10k (6.2 mile). I had been running 4 miles pretty regularly and I've done 5 a couple of times and 6 once but felt really strong. Ran 6 this past Fri and did it in about an hour.

Awesome! When I ran, I never cared to run more than 2 miles at a time and that was at my top physical fitness. Did you run cross country in school by any chance?

 

[GlassJaw]

Awesome! When I ran, I never cared to run more than 2 miles at a time and that was at my top physical fitness. Did you run cross country in school by any chance?

Nope. In fact, my endurance and overall fitness ability has historically been pretty poor. I played basketball in junior high but that's about it (and I wasn't very good). I've always sucked at running.

I started running a few years ago when I was laid off but when I got a new job in 2004, I put the weight back on. I was never overweight per se (I'm 6' 1" and was about 200 lbs.) but certainly not toned.

I was on vacation for 2 weeks at the beginning of August (including going to GenCon) and just ate and drank a ton of crap the whole time. I spent a lot of time on the beach during the week as well and seeing my brother was great inspiration. He plays volleyball in college and is RIPPED. After I got back from GenCon, I decided enough was enough.

I really went cold-turkey. I changed my diet and started running 4-5 times a week. I started hitting the weights the past couple of months as well (moreso now since I'm nutting running as much because of weather). So from mid-August, I've gone from a 40 waist to a 34. I've had to buy a LOT of new clothes. I started from barely being able to run a half-mile to running 6 miles averaging 10 min miles.

I highly recommend everyone to check out Dr. Oz on Discovery Health. He changed my life. He really advocates changing your lifestyle rather than "going on a diet".

But really, it's just been pure willpower, persistence, and patience. You have to WANT it. Enjoying inflicting pain on yourself helps as well. It makes me feel more alive.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

My biggest problems are:

1. Not going to the gym regularly
2. poor diet.

I'm in better shape now than I was last year at this time, but I haven't lost a pound. Back in Sept. I was hitting new personal records in weight lifting, but then I stopped going as much and so I've dropped off on the weight to avoid an injury.

The biggest change for me this year has been the addition of vitamins and fiber supplements to my diet. After getting sick a few months ago, I did a careful analysis of my diet and found I wasn't getting nearly enough vitamins or fiber and was getting way too many carbs.

I'm about to move a lot closer to my job and there is a gym right across the street from where I'll be living, so I hope that I'll be a able to get back into the habit of going to the gym 3-5 times a week instead of 1-2 times like I've been doing lately.

Where I'm at: 5'6", 195 lbs. (34" waist, 44" chest)

Where I'd like to be: I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness. I do a lot of weight training so my muscle-to-fat-ratio is important. Waist size is also important, as I am slowly outgrowing my pants... So I'd like to drop at least 2 inches off my waist.

Exercise: When I'm going to the gym regularly, I spend 1 -2 hours there and do a lot of push-ups, bench pressing (flat, incline and decline), military pressing, and butterflies (on a machine). I also do a lot with my back (rowing motions, pull-ups, etc.). I also do several exercises for my abs including crunches, leg lifts and sit ups on a decline bench. This past year I've also added some Cardio to my workout routine. I usually spend 10 minutes on a stationary bike and burn about 100 calories (according to the machine, which could be wrong).

As long as I can go to the gym at least 3 times a week and control my diet, I should be fine… I’ll keep you all posted on how well I do at that.

 

[Morrus]

Where I'd like to be: I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness. I do a lot of weight training so my muscle-to-fat-ratio is important. Waist size is also important, as I am slowly outgrowing my pants... So I'd like to drop at least 2 inches off my waist.

Weight is misleading if you're also doing weight training - by putting on muscle, you increase your weight. If you're using weight as well, don't go near the scales - the informaiton doesn't help you. You could be losing body fat and still putting on weight in the form of muscle (which is a good thing). In addition, muscle weighs more than fat per volume.

The mirror's your best guidance here.

 

[Bloodstone Press]

Yeah, that's why I say:

I'm not so worried about "weight" as I am fitness.

I weigh the same as I did a year ago, but I'm a lot stronger now. So I'm sure I've lost some fat and gained some muscle.

It is sometimes hard to see changes in the mirror, as change is usually slow and people often look at themselves in the mirror everyday. So I rely on a tape measure and how my pants fit as indicators of my fat level.

 

[GlassJaw]

Exercise: When I'm going to the gym regularly, I spend 1 -2 hours there and do a lot of push-ups, bench pressing (flat, incline and decline), military pressing, and butterflies (on a machine). I also do a lot with my back (rowing motions, pull-ups, etc.). I also do several exercises for my abs including crunches, leg lifts and sit ups on a decline bench. This past year I've also added some Cardio to my workout routine. I usually spend 10 minutes on a stationary bike and burn about 100 calories (according to the machine, which could be wrong).

Sounds like you need to be doing a LOT more cardio.