going to keep the diet Mediterranean since I'm staying in Egypt now and have access to a lot of fresh fish and veges.
There are many online options for taking measurements and calculating BF%. Any of them work as long as you keep with it; you want to measure progress by the same scale each time.
I ride pretty much everywhere, but probably not nearly enough. The bike ride to college in the morning takes between ten and twenty minutes depending on how much I push myself and is partly uphill. The ride back usually takes less than this as there is some downhill but then there is a very slight incline that goes on for about a quarter of a mile that usually manages to take it out of me completely. Now I don't have a particularly good diet and I'm trying to stop drinking and eating so much crap but even though I'm teetotal I have quite a slow metabolism. One of my goals for this next year (I'm taking a year out, not entirely by choice) is to lose my pot belly and moobs. EDIT: Oh, and seeing as I will finish college in about three weeks, I'm going to need to push myself to get out of bed in the morning.
Lets make that happen. Use this thread as motivation. Its what we are here for! I got in an hour of good trail running/walking. Rough trails had parts that I damn near had to crawl over, and I'm in terrible running shape. But I know that if I stick with it, I will get better.
So, I just got back from an ice hockey pick up game. I haven't played in three years. My jaw hurts, my heart is imploding. I haven't felt this good in months.
I'm able to jump on the trampoline, but not high or often or for very long.... once my boot comes off on May 11, I can be active again, yaaaaaay!!!
Well I really do need to start getting into shape. I've been dieting since October now and managed to shift 45 lbs now! But the more I lose the harder it's getting, so was planning to start running, skipping and crunches to tone and get myself fit, the trouble is I'm lazy! I hold my hands up and admit it, I need a good kick up the bum to get me going!
That is what we are here for! Just remember that spot-reduction is a myth; fat is stored evenly across your body. Wanna run 3-4 times a week like Mercy and I?
True, true, and absolutely true. The only spot reduction method that actually works is liposuction. Cardio is the way to go. Cardio and a reduction in caloric intake. It is a simple formula if you want to drop some weight, burn more calories than you take in. Do not be discouraged if after the first 6-8 lbs you seem to not get any further. The body drops those first few pounds from the liver and they are dropped quickly. After this is when the real work begins. Stick with it! And, as always, check with your doctor first before beginning any kind of regimen. This advice may not be correct if you have preexisting conditions like diabetes.
I'm beginning to feel like maybe I need you guys to kick me in the butt...I used to be so good about keeping myself motivated, but since we moved, I haven't been as good about it. Just ordered all my roller derby gear, though, so after that gets here, I'm sure Joel will make sure I skate every day!
I'm upset with myself. I keep staying up too late and then over-sleeping my cardio days. I need to focus on getting to bed earlier (may not be possible this close to finals) so that I am not so exhausted the next morning. I'll have to do a longer cardio routine on Thurs to make up the difference.
I'm feeling terrible. I haven't ran in several days, and have been ignoring my strength-training regimen. I need some motivation to get me out of this lazy slump... That's the hardest thing about exercising... Keeping at it. Because as we all know, people who actually enjoy exercising are crazy.
I enjoy exercising. I probably enjoy it more now knowing that I'm physically incapable of going for runs more than a couple of times a week and playing football once a week thanks to this flipping knee problem of mine (and a groin strain I've been playing with for about a month). I'm actually starting to wonder whether, in the long term, it might be to my benefit if my knee went again, just so it could be seen to by a specialist in an attempt to get it sorted out. Still, it hasn't stopped my goals flowing this season in my occasional appearances - 17 goals in 14 games (last season: 52 goals in 44 games).
Because of scheduling I have to do my cardio after work these days. I'm thankful that the work schedule allows for it all, so I am not complaining. I have found that an hour and half at the track makes for very early nigh-nigh. I don't run or jog save for the last 17 minutes. I do a walk that is as brisk as the walking gate will allow for the majority of the time I am there then I pop on my favorite kirtan song and jog for the last bit. When the song comes to the end, then I run until I can't run no more. Then I go home. Then I sleep like baby. For everything else, there's Mastercard.
It takes me several hours post workout to wind down to a state where I can sleep. Workouts get me pumped, exhausted, and ready to take on the world. If I were a viking I'd toss 10-20 captive slaves off a high sea-side cliff before battle. Just to get the juices flowing This new workout sucks by the way. I'm going to have to discuss it with my PT. I just am not enthusiastic about it at all. I leave it exhausted but my muscles don't feel particularly fatigued (except for my forearms. The zero recovery time is definitely taxing them).
I think I pulled something in my knee. I'm not sure if it was the workout or my stretch routine that did the damage. Sure hurts however. I guess I'll have to ease back on my squats and deads for a little while.
Apologies for just barging into the thread. Fitness and health are things I've been wrestling with for...well, I guess years now, though I've finally gotten more serious about my efforts in the last year. I;m 6 feet tall and was 270 lbs at my peak. I weighed in at 200 five days ago and then the next day was struck down by a cold. I haven't been exercising, just going to work and sleeping, and the hiatus is really worrying me. All my hard work, the muscle I've gained and weight I've lost. And I know how easy it is to not drag one's tired butt out of bed early for a workout; I don't want that to become a habit again. I can sympathize with your knee pain, LordKyleOfEarth. For awhile, for me, if it wasn't foot problems it was shin splints. Now it's a shoulder injury and this cold. Very frustrating. As if this wasn't hard enough!
Weakling! I'm doing 2.5 minute planks! Yeah, eat that! I hope to be able to do a 5 minute one by the end of summer.
Five minute planks?? God, I hate planks...I can hang in there for about 45 seconds right now. I decided today that I need to come up with more at-home workouts. Joel and I went to the gym, and one of the other couples living in the complex had decided to not only bring their laptop and play a workout video (for everyone to hear, hooray!) but also commandeer like half the machines. Thanks, guys.
Hidden, when that happens, just politely ask if they are finished with a machine. Most people will get embarrassed that they were being greedy and start sharing.
That's true, next time I'm in that situation, I'll do that. Happily, though, the main thing I did at the gym was cardio, since I like using machines better than running outside, and now that my derby gear is here, I can just skate for my cardio!
The analyzer thing at the gym said I am at 11.x% body fat. I'm not sure if I believe it, but if it is accurate, I'm getting close to my target 10%!
I'm back to exercising! Got myself out of bed yesterday and today early in the morning to work out before going to work. I'm not at full strength yet, taking it easy, but I'm doing it and feel better because of that. This morning after doing cardio intervals I decided to try jogging my usual mile, to see how I was after a week off with this blasted cold. I was slow but not too bad. I felt mildly asthmatic during the whole thing this morning but it never really kicked in. I assume that was due to all this mucus I still have draining down my throat.
