The Workout Thread

[Tweedling]

ponch1028, what a great post. Loved it. I have faced similar things. It is so easy to go through life and add those couple ponds every year and then look in the mirror or at the scales and think, "How the hell did this happen." That may or may not have been exactly what went down with you but it is close to what happened with me.

I just want to say thanks and it's stories like your's that are normal but incredible. I'm looking forward to working out in the morning!

Oh, and the part about listening to your own breathing while swimming....spot on!

[Guest Hollinger.]

My right forearm is so strong.

[The High Heat]

The best workouts never involve exercise.

[gogo]

Seriously, you people with your 5 hour workouts and P90X dealies are scaring the bejeesus out of me.

 

I've always been fat. I was born fat, I was a fat kid, a fat teenager, and for the past 20+ years, a fat adult. I've been on tons of diets over the years, but always gained back any weight I had lost. So a year ago, I made a bet with my sister (with myself, really): I gave her six checks for $100 each, dated for the next six months. Each month that I didn't lose 5 pounds, she could cash the check. At the end of the six months, she would get to use whatever money she'd made off of me to do something really fun with a group of our family and friends, and I wouldn't get to participate. Best motivation ever! I lost 45 pounds over the course of the six months, didn't lose a penny to my sister, and have kept it off for the past six months. I'm still probably at least 20 pounds overweight, but I can live with that (for now ).

 

But the thing of it is this: losing weight requires cutting calories, no way around it. Maintaining weight loss requires exercise on a regular basis, and continuing to eat the reduced amount of calories (more than one nutritionist told me that, and I didn't believe it, but it seems to be true). I'm eating a bit more now than I was when I was actively losing weight, but I'm also working out a LOT more.

 

I've been stepping up my work-outs over the past year, to where I currently run four days a week (three short runs of 2-4 miles, and one long run on the weekend; this weekend my long run is 12 miles, I'm training for my second half-marathon). I also work out with a trainer doing strength training one hour a week. I'm going to start adding in another hour of strength training on my own, so I'll be up to working out six days a week.

 

I also work out in the morning, because I'm a lot less likely to feel motivated after work, and because I know that I'll get sucked in at work and feel like I can't leave early to work out, once I'm in the office. Also, I hate having to take a second shower when I work out later in the day. I will take a 4:45am alarm over that extra shower, any day.

 

So yeah, the worst things about adding working out to my daily routine: early mornings and extra laundry. Best things: delicious Gu Chomps!

[ih8music]

I love the technique for getting motivated, gogo -- whatever works, works. Congrats on the great results so far & I wish you the best of luck continuing the journey.

 

My story is kinda the opposite. I was always an athlete through grade school, HS & college. Even after college when I started my career and stopped athletics, I managed to stay in decent shape for my 20s, mostly by being careful about what I ate. Although I progressively was getting flabbier due to reduced activity, I never really appeared "out of shape" at all.

 

Then when I was in my late 20s, I suffered a major foot injury (crushed heelbone), which put me in to physical therapy & then rehab for the next 12 months. The scare I had with the injury (fears that I wouldn't be able to walk without a limp, let alone do anything athletic ever again) really got me fired up about rehab and working out again. I started jogging a lot, lifting a lot of weights, playing a lot of basketball -- I was a workout junkie.

 

Then, about 6 years ago something wonderful happened -- my wife and I had our first child. About a year and a half later, our second child arrived (a "happy surprise" if you get my drift). This, coupled with the fact that my wife was completing her doctorate and starting her own career, meant that finding time to work out was becoming nearly impossible. We were barely able to maintain our two jobs and raise our two small kids -- "me time" was not an option.

 

Unfortunately, during the time that I was working out a lot, I developed some bad eating habits -- I was also one of those "I work out so I can eat/drink whatever I want" people -- and to this day, I'm finding a lot of those bad habits being really tough to break. Getting older doesn't help, either - seems like the lbs have a tendency to stick around longer the older you are.

 

Anyway, fast forward to the present and I'm now in a situation where the kids are more self-sufficient and I have a little bit more time to work out, but I need the motivation that the P90X and Insanity-type of videos give me. Working out for the sake of just doing it isn't exciting to me, I've tried it -- I need a goal in my sights (and the harder the journey, the better).

 

I'm 38 yrs old and figure I have about 10-15 lbs to lose to get to where I want to be. I'm only a week into it, but this Insanity program seems to be a really good fit for me. But like I mentioned in an earlier post -- my challenge will be finding a routine (actually a non-routine) that will keep me there.

[welch79]

this is off topic, but some of you have alluded to the benefits of working out and eating well in concert. here are some things to consider:

 

two things that really, really pack on the pounds: sodium and processed sugar, both of which are found in massively high quantities in the american diet.

 

calories from fat (as long as it isn't from synthesized fats...think margarine), aren't as big a deal as "they" have made them to be in diet. in fact, if you consume "low fat" goods, probably they have more sugar/sodium to make up for the "low flavor." and, lower fat foods also can equal lower vitamin absorption.

 

and, of course, overall calories. you have to burn something like 3500 extra calories to burn off one pound of stored body fat, so, if your bmr is 1600, you'd have to run a caloric debt of 300 for ten days to burn off the weight. of course, bmr does not include calories burned working out, so working out is key to "creating space" in your diet for beer or a treat from time to time. and, depending on your fitness level, a good workout may be a nice walk with ipod on. well, regardless of fitness level, a half hour walk can free up a couple hundred calories. and, another important issue is portion size. have you ever counted the calories in a normal day's diet?? you can easily, easily consume 1200-1500 kcal before you even think of dinner. at that pace, barring exercise, you will be consuming 2400 kcal in a day. let's say you don't workout that day, and just sat at your desk, sat in your car, came home and plopped down on the couch, while you walked around a little, the calories your body will have required wouldn't be all that much higher than your bmr, SO, at a calorie excess of 800 (2400 consumed - 1600 bmr), it would only take you 5-6 days to gain one pound of body fat. so if you do that (overeat) consistently for a year, you will have gained close to 60 lbs of body fat.

 

another thing to consider beyond all of these i have listed (read: if there is still a "leak" somewhere where you can't shed pounds and you feel you are following a good diet): examine if you are eating food or food products, meaning that if you are eating an apple, a potato, a chicken breast, those are foods in that they aren't "produced" by a process. whereas, if you eat a power bar, or anything composed of an ingredient list that reads like a chemistry article, you are not eating food, but rather food products, the effects of which are just now being made present in the obesity of our nation versus the other parts of the world.

[Lynch]

This is a great topic!

 

Since spring I have started a much healthier routine. I bike 7 miles five to six days a week, and throw in a few good walks on the weekend too when I have time.

 

I have also made huge changes to my eating habits. Much healthier choices are being made these days. Very little junk food in the house, and making more meals myself. I read somewhere once that preparing your own meals/cooking can be mentally therapeutic, so that's a bonus. I have also cut out coffee too. This was huge, but it has been beneficial. Less anxiety these days it seems.

 

My reasons for being more active are as much about my mental/emotional health as my physical well-being. I am probably the healthiest I have ever been right now. No smoking, no bad habits at all anymore. It's a pretty empowering feeling to really take control of your life!

[jcroach]

I can really relate to what u2roolz and ponch1028 wrote about.

 

My neighbor the junior high PE teacher does P90X. he gets paid to be in shape. Me, I jog.

 

I started exercising a little more than a year and a half ago. I'd never been one to do a lot of physical activity. Never more than hiking or bike riding.

 

My motivation came from a check-up where I learned I had crazy high triglyceride levels and my glucose levels indicated "pre-diabetic." This was a freak'n wake-up call. Doc. got me on a cholesterol drug, but told me that what I really needed to do was exercise more. Never really told me to lose weight, which was interesting, but lose weight I did.

 

I started jogging. Nothing more fancy than that. i lost 30 pounds in 9 months and have kept it off more than a year. I've dropped 3 inches from my waist. Dropped by BMI from "Overweight" to "normal." I sleep better (well, until my baby was born!), have less headaches and I'm less tired. I jog on a treadmill about 45 minutes 4-5 days a week. I've been gradually trying to increase my speed. I can now do 5K on my lunch break. I'd like to compete in a 5K race next summer. I need to get my 5K time down to about 30 minutes. wish me luck! I've even done some bike commuting into work. It's about 5 miles. Not that bad, but I have to plan for it in advance. I might get back on that this week. It's been about 2 months since I did it last (again, since the baby was born!). This winter I'm going to work on my upper body strength. Maybe start swimming.

 

I agree that diet and exercise go hand-in hand.

 

I knew how to eat right, I just didn't always do it and I ate too much. I now eat less fast food and smaller portions. I cut out soda. I've reduced the amount of alcohol I drink. I'm become a liquor/soda/sweets snob. i try to only drink on the weekend and I refuse to drink sodas with High Fructose Corn syrup anymore. Mostly just to limit my consumption. I avoid the store bought sweets people bring into the office. I hold out for the good stuff. I switched to a high whole wheat diet. I try to eat more unsaturated fats (fish, nuts, avocados, olive oils). Avoid HFCS. I typically try to eat red meat no more than twice a week and try to have at least one vegetarian dinner a week.

 

The program system are good if you can do it and keep it up. My neighbor can do it, my boss can't. He stopped P90X after about 2 months. Change your lifestyle, that's the key to getting healthy. Now, if you already are healthy and are trying to get buff, you're on your own. I have no idea!

[jff]

Suffer enough and you can damn well eat whatever you want.

 

True. A few months ago I watched the documentary Ultramarathon Man, about a guy who runs 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. During a marathon, he'll take a large pizza, roll it up into a log, and eat it while running. I thought that was pretty funny.

 

There was a lot of talk during the olympics about the insane amount of food Micheal Phelps eats each day.

[Wilco Worshipper]

This is a such a great and TIMELY thread for ME!

 

I've been overweight since the year after high school ended (for 20+ years now). The only thing that EVER worked for me was Weight Watchers combined with exercise. The year I lost the most weight was the year I got married (thank God for that!). I STILL remember this new cousin-in-law who I had known for years coming up to me at the reception and saying "Ellen...you look ABSOLUTELY beautiful!".

 

I know, I know...EVERYONE says that to EVERY bride but it has stuck with me for years and really struck a chord at that moment (obviously).

 

The wedding was over 15 years ago. I have given birth to 2 beautiful baby girls and went through a very traumatic divorce and years of stress and unhappiness left me at the highest weight I've ever been until about 2 years ago.

 

Too much change made it VERY difficult to create any sort of "me time" routine. Also, I ended up working in the restaurant business. While we may not have time to eat at work, we always ended up at late-night places eating and staying up all sorts of hours and then getting back up early in the morning to do it ALL over again.

 

Sooo...not eating properly during the day, late-night eating, no exercise, not enough sleep, too much stress, general personal unhappiness = BAD FOR ELLEN!

 

A couple of years ago, I FINALLY moved into a beautiful place that I can really call "HOME". The same week I found a man that makes me happy like no other before. Shortly after, I found a job that I love (for now). The girls are doing well and things have stabilized over the past year with the ex and his new wife.

 

NOW...it's time for Ellen!

 

As soon as school started back up for the girls this year, I went back to the gym. Luckily, my eating habits had started to change over the past 6 months anyway. I'm careful what I keep in the house and don't ALWAYS feel I have to snack on whatever the kids are having. More water, less Diet Coke (CANNOT give it up completely as it is my ONLY vice). I have even been known to take the girls to fast food and not get myself anything! That IS saying something for me!

 

I've only been doing the treadmill for 45-60 minutes 2-4 times a week right now. I'm hoping to add in some strengthening exercises soon. My job is on-the-go ALL the time. We don't sit for 7+ hours and hardly is there ever a stand still moment. So while I can't get to my gym on the weekends, I do get some strolls in after work during the good weather. I figure the key is...KEEP moving!

 

I am actually EXCITED to be going to the gym and even get sad when I don't get to spend as much time as I would like. I find it very therapeutic! I am in the process of looking for some weekday morning work but don't want it to interfere with my working out...lol

 

 

As for the music I listen to...I have friends in Jersey who are reggae/punk/jazz/Latin/rock/pop (seriously!) and their stuff works GREAT for the really sweaty, heart-pumping minutes. Beyond that I use Nirvana to get moving and Wilco to cool down.

 

Btw, gogo I TOTALLY hear ya on the 2nd shower thing! Which is WHY if I don't go in the a.m., I don't go!

 

I've lost 10 pounds so far and hope to continue to watch them slip away as the days go on. My clothes are fitting more like I lost 25!...

 

And it's GREAT to know this is here because if I start to feel lazy or bummed I can come back and read this thread!

 

 

 

(Sorry for the length. After reading everyone else's stories, I felt the desire to share.)

[Tweedling]

You go girl! That's an awesome story. Keep it up!

[Wilco Worshipper]

You go girl! That's an awesome story. Keep it up!

THANKS!

[Wilco Worshipper]

I RAN today people...RAN!!! Thanks to inspiration from this thread!!!

[ih8music]

I RAN today people...RAN!!! Thanks to inspiration from this thread!!!

 

That's awesome. Good job.

[Moss]

True. A few months ago I watched the documentary Ultramarathon Man, about a guy who runs 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. During a marathon, he'll take a large pizza, roll it up into a log, and eat it while running. I thought that was pretty funny.

 

There was a lot of talk during the olympics about the insane amount of food Micheal Phelps eats each day.

 

 

There are guys around here (Boulder) that run so long and far they push a baby stroller full of food the whole time.

[Wilco Worshipper]

That's awesome. Good job.

Thank you!

[ih8music]

Was just reading that Mike Tyson announced in Sept that he was starting P90X -- only to find out that he decided to quit because of travel. That's a shame, I'd love to see the progress that a once-stellar athlete like Tyson could make on the program.

[lizish]

Anusara Yoga for me.

 

It is fucking difficult, but I love it. Transformed and repaired my back and joints after years and years of Racquet sport abuse.

[Wilco Worshipper]

Any advice on avoiding shin splints?!? I was running a bit more than last week. I slowed down even my walking until they went away but they hurt BAD! I did stretch first.

 

Thoughts?!?

[PigSooie]

Any advice on avoiding shin splints?!? I was running a bit more than last week. I slowed down even my walking until they went away but they hurt BAD! I did stretch first.

 

Thoughts?!?

 

 

Get shoes that fit. You might even need orthotics.

[Wilco Worshipper]

Get shoes that fit. You might even need orthotics.

Thanks.

[welch79]

Any advice on avoiding shin splints?!? I was running a bit more than last week. I slowed down even my walking until they went away but they hurt BAD! I did stretch first.

 

Thoughts?!?

generally, shin splints are an overuse injury and crop up either when you are running too frequently OR increasing mileage too drastically. you have to build up your shin muscle gradually to the stresses of running to avoid this painful and irritating condition.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Toe Taps! One of the problems with shin splits is that the rest of the muscles in your leg aren't up to snuff. I'm terrible at explaining this kind of stuff, but here's a good exercise for you to do twice a day, barefoot/socked:

 

With your feet pointing forward flat on the floor, tap your toes ten times;

Turn your toes inward (making an arrow), tap them ten times;

Turn your toes outward (like a V), tap them ten times;

Feet pointing forward again, raise your toes ten times; do the other directions, too.

Repeat the tapping cycle again.

 

So. 90 taps in all; 3 cycles of 3 sets of ten. Helps to work the muscles you're not working (enough) at present. Doesn't outright cure, but it's a good step.

[Wilco Worshipper]

welch - Yea, my cousin who is a runner said I was probably adding too much too quickly and to SLOW down!

 

recorded - Sounds good and I understood you PERFECTLY! I can feel the exertion right where the pain WOULD be, so I think that's perfect. I will take all three suggestions into consideration.

 

Thank you all!

[Winston Legthigh]

I've attended my first two yoga classes ever, this week. I'm all kinds of sore.