This is a common topic at the at-work WW group we have. Some of the women are almost in tears talking about their spouses or PARENTS pushing food on them and being completely unsupportive of their weight loss and fitness goals. You get a lot of “can’t you eat it ‘just this once’ since it’s a holiday/birthday/special occasion?”</p>
<p>There was a guy at Monkey (I think I posted an article about him earlier this year) who has lost over 300 pounds. He walked Monkey both years due to injuries. His wife is very heavy and seriously needs to lose weight. She seems very supportive of her husband and appears proud of him, but I can’t help thinking about what the family dynamics are like in that household. Surely she feels badly that she is still so heavy.</p>
<p>My daughter used to tell me that I’m fat. I guess that’s kind of positive reinforcement.</p>
<p>My wife throws food at me but backs off when I don’t eat it. She enjoys cooking.</p>
<p>Son works out.</p>
<p>The work environment is very supportive of losing weight and staying fit.</p>
<p>Everyone in my group works out regularly except for one person that works offsite - I don’t know if he works out or not. Most of the people on my floor workout too. Some are really crazy-fit.</p>
<p>Having those around supporting a healthy lifestyle certainly makes it easier and provides positive reinforcement when you don’t feel like eating well or working out.</p>
<p>Interesting to read about the family/friends reactions to this. I went shopping for jeans with my (once an Olympic-level athlete) mother today and all she said was “I can’t believe that you’re a size -insert-size-larger-than-hers-here-! You really should be trying harder to lose weight.” And then we come home and she offers me candy and pasta.</p>
<p>Entering my meals on LiveStrong is proving very interesting. Even after only a few days, I can tell that I get way more protein than I need (I am addicted to basically every form of dairy possible). I guess that’s not bad, per se, or at the very least it could be a lot worse.</p>
<p>Crazy that you have to turn to work groups or “strangers” on the internet to get support, encouragement, and even occasional “tough love” to positively reinforce a healthy lifestyle change, isn’t it? I see it in smoking cessation, where internet groups provide powerful support. Group support is probably the single most effective way to increase the odds of somebody successfully quitting smoking. It helps stay focused.</p>
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<p>I thought about trying for the third set of Spartacus today… until I got about halfway through the second set and quickly realized that didn’t seem like such a good idea! These timed interval workout circuits are diabolical. They never get any easier. As you get stronger, you do the exercises more aggressively with more reps and end up just as gassed. I did my eight and eight rep sets of t-pushups again, but I’m now being more aggressive going all the way down on the pushups and doing them faster.</p>
<p>My daughter is very sensitive to comments about her weight and especially any comments from me. She really doesn’t need to worry about it but she does anyways.</p>
<p>Didn’t make it to the YMCA but I can ask my son for help with the barbell to do some squats tonight. I took a long nap this evening. Holidays are my time to catch up on sleep.</p>
<p>BTW, the run felt great and I felt energized for quite a while. Until I got sleepy again.</p>
<p>BC, I’ve got one for you if you are lookin’ to kick your squats up a notch. I can’t do this one yet, but it’s my goal. I can go down about three inches. Really tough.</p>
<p>At the very least, “Svetlana” should provide some motivation for your squats:</p>
<p>This is Mike Boyle’s favorite squat, although he has his athletes do it on a box, so the raised leg can hang free to the side, rather than being held out in front. He’s got a video of an NHL player doing these with a 50 pound weight vest and two 25 pound dumbbells. Crazy strong.</p>
<p>I’ve been working hard on squats and lunges lately, trying to improve my flexibility and depth, especially on split squats – which are a precursor to these single-leg squats. I’m slowly making some progress, but my thighs and hips are in a perpetual state of soreness.</p>
<p>I tend to have the opposite problem. My husband nags and I start acting like the bad kid. It’s irritating because I got him back to exercising, but he actually likes it more than I do. </p>
<p>I don’t do anything that involves bending my knees that much. I never go beyond 90 degrees.</p>
<p>“Anybody else have to deal with negative reinforcement for getting fit and losing weight?”</p>
<p>So far, everyone around us has been very supportive. However, my baby sister keeps poking fun at me. I emailed her some pictures of us, and she replied that I looked “like Nefertiti”. ??? “Do you mean the Egyptian Queen ?” “Yup, exactly, sis, you look like just her mummy!” LOL. Ahhh, my bratty little sister!</p>
Going beyond 90 degrees isn’t going to be much of an issue for me! Getting to 90 is a major accomplishment on a regular two-legged squat. I think it it is for most guys. Knee, hip, and ankle flexibiity are all issues. It’s not necessary, either. Boyle lmits his guys to 90 degrees with the thigh parallel to the ground. I’ve been doing a series of lunges – split lunges, lateral lunges, and “rotational” lunges as a flexibility warm up, no added weight, just trying to be smooth and looking to stretch increase range of motion over time. It’s helping.
The single leg squats require incredible leg strength, partly because you are supporting your whole body on one leg, partly because the demands of maintaining your balance are tough.
<p>Well, I have to stick with both legs on squats as my knees aren’t 100% when I’m playing a lot of tennis and my odds of a balance problem go way down with two knees for support. I had my son helping me out in getting it over my head and back again. Wasn’t all that sure of my right arm either.</p>
<p>I will have to test out the arm on the weight machines at the YMCA to see what it can and cannot do.</p>
<p>At the moment, I’m just looking to get back to where I was three weeks ago.</p>
<p>Both my sons are fit fit fit and in fact they’re my role models. DH used to be fit – he played football in college and has done every other sport you can imagine – but unfortunately his muscle has turned to fat and he’s put on around 50 pounds since our wedding. He still plays tennis and squash non-stop but whenever I suggest he lose 5 or 10 pounds, I get a dirty look and the silent treatment.</p>
<p>Because I’m only 5 feet tall, lots of casual acquaintances like to encourage me to eat. I joke that they think I’m going to grow taller. Ain’t gonna happen – I’d only grow wider!</p>
<p>Ugh…I feel like I’m suffering from a sodium hangover. I didn’t overindulge much on Thanksgiving (I was careful to eat just a taste or two of most foods) but I’m up 2 pounds today! I’m 99% sure it’s salt because I have been watching my salt intake very carefully for months. I’m sure everything I ate Thursday was loaded with sodium.</p>
<p>I need some suggestions for a good pre-workout snack or small meal. I often work out first thing in the morning or right after work and am usually hungry at those times. I don’t want to work out on an empty stomach but a full meal isn’t all that great either. I need to be careful about what I eat because I’m watching my calories. I’m not sure a piece of fruit would do it for me. I need a little bit of protein. Thoughts, anyone?</p>
<ul>
<li>You can double the protein portion because these two items are so low calorie. So with celery, you could have 2 TBS of peanut butter or 2 slices of cheddar cheese.</li>
</ul>
<p>I would think you could also add a hard boiled egg to the protein list.</p>
<p>The other tip is that right before or after a heavy workout is the ideal time for your big carb splurge of the week – pizza, pasta, sub sandwich, etc. Your body will probably be in a carb deficit from a hard workout as any available carbs will have been used as fuel.</p>
<p>MomLive, I exercise after work, and I cannot function properly if there is food in my stomach. I eat a snack (an apple and a cup of Greek yogurt or some cheese) at the very end of my workday, then digest the snack during my bus ride home When I arrive, I’m ready to burn it off!</p>
When I arrive, I’m ready to burn it off!</p>