Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

Parent Cafe
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<p>interesteddad, I watched that video about how to lose belly fat, is that your ipod nazi? He’s pretty intense. As much as I would love to lose some belly fat (and just why do I suddenly have belly fat?) I’m not sure I’m up to that workout. Maybe after I’m exercising for more than one day, I’ll feel differently. </p>

<p>I started tracking my calories in the livestrong site that someone here mentioned. I cannot believe how little I get to eat. I had serious trouble last night resisting the urge to run out for some Chips Ahoys :)</p>

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<p>I’ve dropped soda and Gatorade/Powerade from my diet.</p>

<p>A bag of cookies like Chips Ahoy is a killer. I can probably eat a half-a-bag of those things. That’s the problem with our modern diet. Things that would have been luxuries fifty years ago are now commonplace.</p>

<p>My daughter bought two bags of potato chips with ridges on Sunday. I’ve had some and it’s hard to put the bag down.</p>

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<p>blankmind:</p>

<p>Yes, that’s my iPod nazi, but those particular workouts are pretty challenging. He has workouts geared for everyone from old fat couch potatos just getting started to young whippersnappers, like training the U of Toronto soccer team. I thought I had to be the biggest out of shape tub of goo that has ever bought his iPod program, but I’ve learned from his blog posts that I’m not even a contender.</p>

<p>It’s all about just getting started and building on little victories week to week. I had two curve on an imaginary graph: a slightly increasing curve of my physical fitness headed towards a decreasing curve of my weight. In bodyweight exercises, you are moving your entire bodyweight, so losing 45 pounds makes a BIG difference. Now, add in the increasing fitness and you eventually reach a point where the seemingly impossible becomes possible.</p>

<p>Trust me, it’s been a slow process. Phase II of the program I bought is supposed to be the second month. I’m just now, this week, to the point where I can do it at full speed without pauses, at five months. I break down each step, repeating it as necessary until my fitness catches up to the exercises and/or the pace. My biggest problem, after smoking for 38 years, was a long slow process of building up some aerobic capacity. When I started, I would get winded walking up a flight of stairs, so you can imagine how gassed I was during these workouts. </p>

<p>It took me over a month to even be able to do lunges. The squat presses he does with the kettle ball have been a five month journey. That is one of the most demanding exercises you can do. All the large muscles of the body. It’s guaranteed to leave your legs and lungs burning, but the reward is an exercise that makes real changes in day to day fitness. For example, I have completely changed the way I get out of a chair, climb on a stool, or lift a bag of groceries – all from those squat presses.</p>

<p>Here are two examples of beginner iPod nazi:. The first one, Lesson 9, is the three most basic core exercises. This is where I started last February and the plank and side bridges have been part of workouts every week since:</p>

<p>[How</a> to Lose Belly Fat & Get Six Pack Abs](<a href=“http://■■■■■■■.com/yhgmlut]How”>http://■■■■■■■.com/yhgmlut)</p>

<p>And this is an actual workout from my first week:</p>

<p>[First</a> week workout](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/user/yelkaim1#p/u/198/ouwjECM945k]First”>http://www.youtube.com/user/yelkaim1#p/u/198/ouwjECM945k)</p>

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<p>blankmind, it’s a little daunting when you look at the calorie tracker. The trick is to get a lot of bang for your calorie buck. Filling your plate with lots of vegetables, some lean protein and a maybe some good complex carbohydrate allows you to eat a lot of food without consuming a lot of calories. Roasting vegetables creates great flavor.</p>

<p>I’ve lost 70 pounds recording every speck of food that goes into my mouth on livestrong. Initially I spent a lot of time reading labels in the grocery store and looking up food values online. Now it’s easy.</p>

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<p>Went out for lunch today and had pizza. Ack. Celery for dinner perhaps?</p>

<p>I remember doing those squat thrust things in gym…in my rock-ugly mustard-colored public school gym suit… Anyway, those things are HARD. I might just give them a try for old-times sake. Chintzy, you do them with a bosu ball? Got on of those…use it for abs mostly. Need to find other things to do with it.</p>

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<p>Fresh haddock. Pat of butter in a non-stick skillet. Sear one side over high heat. Flip the fish, salt and pepper. Pour in some white wine, and poach until the fish is cooked through. Put the fish on the plate, stir in some fresh parsley into white wine sauce (and an optional pat of butter). Pour over fish.</p>

<p>Serve with frozen spinach, microwaved, and sauteed in a tablespoon of olive oil and some garlic.</p>

<p>15 minutes start to finish. Lo cal. Delicious.</p>

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<p>toneranger–no bosu for that one. My trainer actually makes me jump onto one of those steps they use in step aerobics (about 18 inches high). I do sometimes life weights while balanced on the bosu–presses, lat raises, curls. Engages the whole body.</p>

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<p>Note to fellow DEHW support thread members: Do NOT open up the Cupcake Shop thread. I was thisclose to googling cupcake shops in NJ before I got a hold of myself.</p>

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<p>I had to look. Fortunately I’m not a big fan of cupcakes.</p>

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<p>Surprisingly, cake and cupcakes – without the icing – are not that horrible as far as fat food goes.</p>

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<p>True, but they are not talking naked cupcakes on that thread. They are talking 50/50 cake and frosting. :eek:</p>

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<p>idad…my you’re good in the kitchen. I’m with you. I do seared fish about two or three times a week, sometimes topped with salsa, sometimes with sauce made up of white wine, lime and a pat of butter. I also like using aged (and sweet!) balsamic vinegar on my seared scallops. </p>

<p>It’s just that I’ve been avoiding junky pizza for SO long…and just couldn’t resist today. I almost always order salads when I go out. Once in a while is not bad though I guess. I’m thinking I’ll be up 5 lbs tomorrow :)</p>

<p>Thankfully, not a cupcake fan here. Now, vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce…that’s another story.</p>

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<p>I did the salsa variation earlier this week. Made fresh homemade salsa and dumped a cup of that into the fish to sear the salsa and poach the fish. Hmmmmm. Gooood.</p>

<p>My favorite scallops recipe is a new one from Bobby Flay’s latest cookbook. It’s a “deconstructed” bacon scallop thing. Basically make a warm bacon vinaigrette wilted spinach salad. Sautee the scallops. Serve them on the same plate with the spinach salad. Top the scallops with diced scallion, red bell pepper, diced bacon, a drizzle with some of the salad dressing. It’s not lo-cal (the sugar in the dressing is the killer), but it’s awesome. He adds a bunch of fresh thyme to the classic bacon/vinegar spinach salad dressing that takes it in an interesting direction. I leave the classic hard boiled egg out of the spinach salad because it’s just not necessary when serving with the scallops.</p>

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<p>sounds good. My scallops are low cal…but good. They get nice and brown after I coat them in the sweet balsamic and sear at high heat.
I have tenderloin pork and peach salsa in the slow cooker right now. That will have to do for tonight…but I’ll have a small amount! And a side of celery…</p>

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<p>Study shows that regular use of weight-loss website is nearly as good as having a personal coach for keeping the pounds off:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/725889?sssdmh=dm1.629478&src=nldne&uac=138937FR[/url]”>Weight-Management Web Site Helps Regular Users the Most;

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<p>Toneranger,
How do you do the pork tenderloin? I have one in the refrigerator for tomorrow night. Do you just put it in the crock pot with the peach salsa?</p>

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<p>EPTR…yes, every crock pot is different but I put mine on high for 3-4 hrs with TJs peach salsa. I then wrap the shredded pork (after draining it a bit) in whole wheat tortillas with a bit of sour cream, light mexican cheese, chopped tomatoes and avocado. I stick each one in foil and put it in the oven for about 7 minutes. And serve with black beans. Real good.</p>

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<p>1.75 hours of tennis today - two sets which I won. The guy that I played hit several drop shots. This was effective when I was 15 pounds heavier and less fit as my chances of getting there were probably 50/50 and even if I did return the shot, I’d be very tired for the following point. It’s nice to play competitively when you don’t have to worry that the other guy is going to be able to tire you out.</p>

<p>I thought about running tonight but I think that I’ll bag it. Looks like I won’t get 20 miles in this week unless I run at the hotel later this week.</p>

<p>I made sure to bring enough hydration. One 32-ounce bottle of water with two packets of Emergen-C from Trader Joes. It contains vitamins, electrolytes and very few calories. My wife has been complaining of cramps recently and I suggested that she take emergen-c (the box is on the dining-room table). She’s been doing a ton of walking lately and may not be getting enough 'lytes.</p>

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<p>Thanks, Toneranger. The pork loin is on the menu for tomorrow night.</p>

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<p>Oh, gawd. Same iPod nazi workout as Monday, except it was 85 degrees in the house and 53% relative humidity. I did all three sets, without pausing, but it was pretty much hard labor. Then, hopped on the Airdyne for five intervals to get the heart rate up. 20 seconds fast, 40 seconds easy. Did them at Cardinal Fang pace 75+ rpms. Saw a heart rate of 97% on the last one and then threw in a bonus interval at 80 rpms and then I pretty much toast. Definitely deep into panting like a dog territory. </p>

<p>Got in 36 of those squat presses and, I think, 39 pushups. It would have been easier on my arms to fly in from Cleveland, I think…</p>