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Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread
sabaray
7044 replies80 threadsRegistered User Senior Member
Over at the Parents of the Class of 2013 thread many of us were lamenting our struggles with weight, exercise and health. Since we seem to be a great many in number and we all want and need support and encouragement, let's use this thread to motivate each other towards our goals for 2010 and beyond.
I have struggled with my weight my entire life and struggle to balance weight, exercise and work. I am now an empty-nester and will hopefully have more time to focus on the diet and exercise. My 25th college reunion will be in June and I want to be in shape to run the 5k! I need to lose about 45 pounds as well.
How about the rest of you? What are your goals for 2010?
62000 repliesI have struggled with my weight my entire life and struggle to balance weight, exercise and work. I am now an empty-nester and will hopefully have more time to focus on the diet and exercise. My 25th college reunion will be in June and I want to be in shape to run the 5k! I need to lose about 45 pounds as well.
How about the rest of you? What are your goals for 2010?
Post edited by sabaray on
Replies to: Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread
I also buy Oui when I don't buy Noosa. I just wish there was a screw on top instead of the foil - I always mix my yogurt with fruit and often nuts/granola so one jar is a couple servings for me.
It is touted to be like a "french" yogurt. When we were in France by cousin who is a runner had a refrigerator STOCKED with yogurt. She ate it at every meal (actually she seemed to survive on it!) and we ate it daily for breakfast and sometimes another meal - something about it was FABULOUS. The Oui yogurt isn't a perfect match, but it is quite good. I find I stick with the basic flavors as opposed to most of the fruit flavors now (so honey, coconut, vanilla and lemon) because I always mix stuff in.
ANYWAY.....just when we were leaving - which was when they were minutes from closing....I noticed a section I hadn't noticed previously....RACKS of athletic wear - Lululemon racks, Athleta racks....WHAT?! Most things were next to new. I had to just walk away and tell myself I would plan a trip there next time. My athletic wardrobe can ALWAYS use a few more pieces - especially stuff like Athleisure tops, dresses, etc. that I can wear to work!
Wait, what? What city is this in? Maybe I can get a layover there. Shoot, I've grabbed trips for worse reasons.....free breakfast, decent haircut, good happy hour....
I was able to send them back and was sent another pair of hiking shoes which I wore in Europe. Walked 10/13 miles everyday on concrete and cobblestones and no foot pain at all.
I might ditch the barefoot shoes for a week or so and see if that helps. If you haven't, I would suggest going to a local running store and getting fitted for a pair of athletic shoes. With good inserts.
My bil was a big proponent of the barefoot shoes when they came out (there was a book, born to run, I think). He couldn't tolerate them either. He's a triathlete and runs a high amount of miles training. Wears a more traditional running shoe now.
@MOWC - sorry about your son. You did a great time at the Twin Cities Marathon.
@Midwest67 - my friend said she thinks we wear out the fat pads in the balls of our feet. She started wearing cushiony inserts to do gym class and said it helped.
@busdriver11 it was in Columbus! But I can't give away all my secret finds until I get the chance to go back!!
My suggestions are:
1. Find a decent calculator of what your actual calorie needs are. If you search, there are dozens. No one is right so do a bunch and figure a rough average.
2. KEEP A FOOD DIARY. Learn to look up how many calories are in what you eat and estimate that so you keep a rough total in your head and then on paper for each day. It's work but unless you have a daily support group, actually writing this stuff down and not lying to yourself about what you're eating is the best way to force yourself to stick to a diet.
3. KEEP A FOOD DIARY.
4. Think about what you want to eat going forward. For example, it's easy to think, "I just won't eat butter," but maybe you like the taste of butter and that's how you cook. Why change that? Maybe you can think about reducing amounts of some foods in your diet - like soda or fried foods. Diet used to mean a way of life so you need to find a way to live, one that you like, one that's not a punishment. (As in, I cook with butter because butter makes food taste better.)
5. Avoid sweets. Avoid even diet drinks because studies now strongly suggest that eating sweets leads to more eating of sweets. In other words, your sweet tooth kind of has a life of its own and it wants you to feed it.
As for exercise, a lot depends on your age and injury history. Interval training seems to have a lot of benefits but many bodies can't take the short bursts of intensity. Other studies suggest that moderate exercise over longer periods is better for you. It's certainly easier on the body. My suggestion is to ignore the rough calculators of heart rate levels and focus on how your body works. My heart rate is typical of many athletic types; it can go way, way up. My usual exercise program has been entirely above what the charts say is my age maximum and moderate exercise for me is still above what many people can reach. So what? The heart rate charts are very, very rough guides. You need to look at your heart rates and then pick a level where you're not working too hard. I define moderate exercise as being too hard to read but not to where you can feel your blood rushing and you're pushing yourself.
Good luck.
But I like my old gym- even though they dont have a pool or handball courts, The trainers are included as are any classes and it is in a classic old building close enough to walk to.
The crossfit sounds interesting, and the classes are even closer, but kettlebells?
Pacific NW | CrossFit becomes an international fitness phenom with its brutal online workouts | Seattle Times Newspaper I would seriously be afraid of having a stroke.
Son's getting married on July 4. I have a summery dress purchased and hanging in the closet, in my current size which is okay by me.
But I need to tone my muscles, especially arms and abs, to look and feel my best in that pretty dress.
My back and feet are disabled. I can walk, but distance walks and running are OUT for me. I can treadmill for about 15 minutes. I belong to a gym but rarely go. Dumb, I know. Maybe I should quit the gym and join a different place with less equipment but a pool.
Maybe free weights? Not sure how to craft a program.
Work with a personal trainer a few times. S/he will help you get on track.
me too- it is impressive how fast the middle can turn to jelly once I stopped going to the gym four tines a week.
Also the German genes are threatening to give me Aunt Bees arms so I really have to stay on top of them.
Personal trainers make me nuts, because they don't get the disability. Physical therapists tell me to go to a regular gym, as I'm in too good shape for PT by now. Ah, the gray area.
My brother says it's all about toning. I need a toning salon.
Maybe we just need to check in here as "buddies." Kudos to the OP for raising The Topic.
Already belong to a gym. Have an exercise buddy for the next three weeks to keep me honest. Already counting calories and eating a balanced, calorie restricted diet. Drink lots of water already.
I'm afraid to look at the Crossfit now! Paying 3, have you thought about Pilates? Or Yoga? Would those be options for you?
I have lost 10 lbs recently but would like to lose 15-20 more. The holidays have been brutal. Keeping sweet and fatty things around the house is really bad for the waistline. I need to clear it all out! I'm also ready to tear up all those Christmas pics...nothing like some pics to show you what you REALLY look like (it's quite easy to be delusional otherwise).
Good luck Paying1tuition!