<p>How do I “get” to like running? My biggest issue is that there is just no exercise I like. At all. I don’t play anything like tennis, I can swim but I won’t do more than a few laps; the only way I can get myself to stay on the elliptical or exercise bike is reading, watching TV or putting on my favorite tunes. But I still hate it all. My husband is an exercise maniac and really loves it. I can’t understand how he gets there.</p>
<p>Would like to hear how all of you deal with small meals during the day versus 3 “traditional” meals. I am a breakfast eater, but I hate stopping during the work day to take time to eat, so you guessed it … I get super hungry and then I scrounge.</p>
<p>Sorry if I’m sounding whiny!</p>
<p>I eat two meals a day. I’m not really a believer that you have to eat five or six small meals a day or that you have to eat breakfast to lose weight. I usually supplement the meals with a “~100 calorie” snack late afternoon and again before bed. An apple, a bowl of strawberries, a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese.</p>
<p>If you hate exercise, then I would focus on short 30 minute high intensity interval type workouts. Get in, get sweaty, and get it over quickly. At least that way you can hate it for just a few minutes instead of hating it for a long time. Honestly, three 30 minute sessions a week is enough to provide a good solid baseline.</p>
<p>I bring a bunch of small containers. Today, I had two one-half cup containers of pistachio nuts (with shells), a GlassLock container of white cabbage, broccoli and tomatoes, and a GlassLock container of chili + pinto beans. Sometimes I leave little meal/snacks in the office (non-perishable) and use them on a day when I’m hungry.</p>
<p>I always eat at my desk in my office so location and timing aren’t issues. There is so much junk food available in my office so that I want to have complete control over what I eat and how much I eat.</p>
<p>iDad- I feel the same way about your great core workouts and the weights. I can’t imagine having the discipline to do that BY MYSELF!! Maybe if a trainer was watching over me at the gym… I know what you mean about not forgetting “where you came from.” That’s how I feel about losing the 28 pounds or so. I do NOT want to go back there! </p>
<p>Pizzagirl- Do you like to walk? I’ve seen people “trick” themselves into running/jogging intervals by starting with just a nice walk. Usually if someone tells me they really hate running, it’s because they are trying to run faster than they need to be going and it is uncomfortable. Go for a walk with music, and pick a mailbox or phone pole up ahead and jog to it. Elevate your heart rate some, but not too much so that you can’t say brief sentences. Then stop and walk. Rinse and repeat. You might find that you get a good feeling from it and you might start to like it a little. </p>
<p>As for the eating- take some easy snacks to work and have something every couple of hours. A hard boiled egg, piece of cheese, Greek yogurt, applesauce or something. I like those individual sized hummus packs. Anything to keep you away from the donut box or Starbucks pastry counter!</p>
<p>Some activities are developed when young and become lifelong and others are acquired in adulthood. It’s harder to acquire them in adulthood because the learning curve for most sports is steep and it takes quite some time to become proficient and we all want to be reasonably good in a short period of time.</p>
<p>I think that you just have to try things to find out what works for you. Many people like to workout in groups because they enjoy the social aspect of the activity. In tennis, there’s a changeover every two games (or every set) and you come to a netpost and drink some water and chat with one or three other people.</p>
<p>Some people like something competitive where you compete with yourself or against others or compete as part of a team.</p>
<p>Similar to the many small meals is a bunch of small workouts. I have a gym at the office and two gyms to/from work. I can go down to the gym and do a short workout on the Smith Machine or the Ab Dolly Plus or the Elliptical or the free weights in the main gym or the weights, bands, balls, mats, body bars, etc. in the classroom.</p>
<p>At home, I have short and long videos, a barbell, dumbbells and small hand weights. I can do all kinds of things depending on how I feel and how much time I have. I can bring my tennis racquet and an old can of balls and hit against a wall at the Y or shoot hoops.</p>
<p>It helps to have exercise outlets that are convenient; otherwise it is too easy to do nothing.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Lately, I’ve been loading up the iPod with podcasts: some fitness stuff, all the Patriots football stuff, some politics. I just spike a list of the exercises for that day’s workout to a nail in the basement, hit play on some podcasts, and blast through it. For the most part, core and strength training is not so intense that you can’t sort of pay attention to a podcast or a Bill Belichick press conference! It’s not like Airdyne intervals where it’s just too overwhelming for anything but music.</p>
<p>The dynamic warmup is like second nature now and then it’s about 12 minutes for core, 12 minutes for the first pair of strength exercises, and 12 minutes for the second pair of strength exercises. Yesterday, I got caught up with all the Patriots Monday interviews. Today, I’ll probably do burpees/swings and blast thru PBS Washington Week in Review and Fox News Sunday.</p>
<p>I really need to find some interesting podcasts! The only ones I ever listened to before were ones about the TV show, LOST!</p>
<p>I really am not a fan of exercise, but I do it. On my own – I need music. I’ve built playlists for walking that definitely make it easier. I also find that I am much, much, much happier walking outside than on the dreadmill. I like looking at nature, houses, business,… If I do use the dreadmill, I never go longer than 30 minutes and I do a lot of intervals. I really can’t bear more. Some people manage to read or watch TV, but I’ve never done either while using the treadmill.</p>
<p>The trainer I work with (once a week now) really pushes me very hard, and that’s been a huge help. Perhaps participating in classes or group exercise would accomplish the same thing.</p>
<p>Ouch. Burpee Fusion workout for me tonight. An ol’ Zuzanna favorite. </p>
<p>Staring every 60 seconds:
12 swings
6 burpees
12 swings
6 burpees
12 swings
6 burpees</p>
<p>Rest until heart rate falls to 60% of max and repeat for a second set. Rest again and repeat for a third set. 22 minutes start to finish.</p>
<p>I haven’t done that in a while and it just about killed me! Halfway thru the first set, I wasn’t even sure I could do it, but I pressed on, got drenched in sweat, and was OK for the second and third sets. So, for everyone who says they don’t enjoy exercise, I’m right there with you. There is nothing the least bit enjoyable about that 22 minutes. It’s pretty much hell, but then it’s over and I do like the results.</p>
<p>Good thing I got the little note from my doctor in the mail with the results of the not one, but two EKGs that I didn’t ask for and had absolutely no reason to suspect I needed. “Normal”. After my various little interval training stress tests a couple times a week for 18 months, I kinda guessed that would be the case.</p>
<p>4 miles, 9:31 pace. Weights at home, 15 minutes of stretching, floorwork and abs off a video and some time on the Smith Machine.</p>
<p>Had a nice 2.5 mile walk today. Someone linked the President’s Fitness test on the fat presidential candidate thread so I thought I’d see what my 1 mile heart rate was. (120 for a 15 minute mile). Interestingly my heartrate went up when I just stood still, and went down as soon as I started walking slowly. My heart rate for the second mile was 110, but that mile took 17 minutes which is my preferred walking pace. Anyway, for walking Mr. President thinks I’m in the 70th percentile of fitness. I was in the 90th for pushups! Yay me. I bet if I ran 1.5 miles I’d actually come out as more aerobically fit, but I’ll have to either go to the track (not possible on weekdays) or run somewhere pretty hilly. Anyway, that was my amusement for today.</p>
<p>I checked out that site too but I didn’t spend enough time to find the metrics. Two thirds of the population is overweight and one-third is obese. A lot of people don’t workout and you’re not going to be able to do a decent number of pushups without regular practice. But it must feel good to be in the top third of the country for those fitness metrics.</p>
<p>idad, your doctor must think you are the shiz!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>The doctor I had when I was fat quit the practice, so my new doctor has only seen me starting from when I had already lost 55 pounds. He usually says something like “keep it up” or something, but, in general, he’s not very talkative. Doctors are not really trained to be very good at diet and exercise stuff.</p>
<p>Speaking of medical training and so forth. I took a gander at the President’s Fitness Test. Two of the five exercises – the sit ups and the V-sit reach – would be be considered dangerous and not recommended in current fitness training thought.</p>
<p>I’m actually sore from the swings tonight. I had to quit doing this workout a couple months ago because the iPod nazi workouts had me doing so many crazy pushup variations that I couldn’t do additional burpees without getting permanently sore. So it’s been a while. I’m out of burpee and swing shape!</p>
<p>Unless you are Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the guru of aerobic activity for cardiovascular fitness. I knew I looked bad after a race when Dr. Cooper said to me, “You better come into the clinic on Monday!”</p>
<p>Been away for a few days and catching up here–Great job with your 5K, Idad. Love the photo.</p>
<p>idad - actually I think the situps are okay - you don’t really bend your back for them. That said I don’t think how fast you can do sit ups is a measure of much of anything. That was my worst score. I think they should substitute planks for it.</p>
<p>Even the U.S. Army is ditching the sit up from their standard fitness testing:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>[TRADOC</a> revises Army Physical Fitness Test | Article | The United States Army](<a href=“http://www.army.mil/article/52548/tradoc-revises-army-physical-fitness-test/]TRADOC”>TRADOC revises Army Physical Fitness Test | Article | The United States Army)</p>
<p>They actually have a lot of the strength and conditioning coaches from Mike Boyle’s circle doing training and pushing for these changes. The standing long jump is an interesting choice. Done properly, it’s just an explosive deadlift or kettlebell swing – all hip hinge.</p>