Fitchella 2012 It's GO TIME!

[faxman75]

I figured I would start this up now that we have all had some time to recover from Coachella 2011.

Just like the last thread. Share your meals, exercises, progress and anything else in this thread. Fitness is a lifelong process so having a long term plan and creating new and good habits would be ideal. We almost have an entire year to get to where we want to be healthwise and at a healthy pace that will allow us to sustain a healthy lifestyle.

You can post pictures of your progress if you like or not, you don't have to do anything. I have even used this thread to hold myself accountable. Whatever suits you. Just know in this thread you will be safe from any ridicule and you have nothing to be embarassed about. I say this as one of the fattest members of this thread. That said, FAT should not be an offensive word, if you are fat, it's because you have more fat on your body, it's just a fact but don't worry no one is going to be calling you a fatty in this thread either. As seen in last years thread, this is not just for overweight people and it's not JUST about weight loss. This is about living healthy. You are welcome to set any goals you like in the short term and long term as well. It doesn't have to be just about losing weight. It's also productive to create habit goals. For instance, one of my goals last go around was to start jogging in the morning. Something I didn't think I was capable of, mission accomplished! For the past few months I have made it a routine to jog for 1.2 miles every single morning to start my day.

Newcomers are WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED to post as well.

I wish everyone continued success and a healthy year. For this round i've cleaned out my closet, gotten a crash and burn on the mountain out of the way and on to a new belt and 3 notches in already. I'm 35 years old and 5'7 inches tall and started this living healthy routine about 5 months ago at 300 pounds. I'm currently somewhere in the 250 range and i'm trying not to weigh myself for a few more weeks. I'm trying to shed the numeric way of thinking and not dwell on a number every week. If i'm living healthy, exercising and eating right, the pounds will ultimately come off over time, so no reason to focus on the number and get discouraged during some weeks when the scale doesn't change or shows a positive.

I hope to see you ALL at Coachella 2012 with healthier habits and feeling the best you ever felt!

[ThatGirl]

Great that you started this new thread! I have lost 30 lbs since January with the help of a website called Sparkpeople.com, which is free and is great for tracking your food intake and your exercise minutes. It also has reports showing your calorie burn, daily basal metabolic rate, lots of tools and tips, and (GASP) a message board. I hit my goal weight around the time of Coachella and am determined to continue to exercise and track all my food so I can keep it off. I've lost and gained weight back before and need to stay on track this time. My exercise regime includes Zumba dance 3 x weekly and strength training 1 -2 x weekly.

Faxman you are doing awesome and you should keep it up! You are right that if you keep at it consistently you will see those results!!

[chairmenmeow47]

i keep doing weird things to my feet that prevent me from wearing sneakers. i'm hoping this will be resolved soon cause i want to walk!!!!

[PlayaDelWes]

Fitchella 2012 - STRETCH GOALS!
Going above and beyond your casual targets

[faxman75]

Welcome ThatGirl and thank you!

Ivy, i'm trying to start wearing this pair of Nike running shoes my roommate passed on to me. They are a little snug but I really like how light they feel. Today though, I feel them slightly starting to dig into my heel. Boo.

I hope your feet get sorted out and you can walk again soon!

My current daily routine is as follows.

6:00am 1.2 mile jog around the apartment (18 min. 25 sec. average)
5:45pm 1.2 mile hike South Mountain javelina/beverly canyon loop (22 min. 30 sec.)
I take the stairs daily at work. That's down 8 flights a day and up 10 flights a day.
I'm currently trying to add weights though I haven't been consistent yet. I get in a couple of days a week on average and i'm trying to make a habit of doing them every day after my hike.

My weekend is a bit less strict. I usually get my jog in on Saturday before 9am (1.2 miles around the apartment) and a hike later in the afternoon usually around 4PM. Sunday I usually miss the morning jog but still do the afternoon hike. It's rare that I ever miss a day completely, I try to keep this a dailiy routine.

Some basic eating tips that have helped me with a balanced diet. I used to be crazy addicted to sweets and sugars. I replaced ice cream, chocolate, candy with fruits, a variety is good, I tend to eat bananas every single day and also like oranges and apples on a regular basis. These work great for snacks too. I also eat raw almonds. I actually love almonds and have started to add them to my Healthy Choice Steamer when I eat those on occasion. I also now drink more water. On average I drink about 80 oz. a day. The general rule I have heard is half your weight in ounces each day. For bigger people like me, that's very difficiult, I have not been able to 125 oz a day but I know some days I get around 100.

They say breakfast is the most imprtant meal of the day but I must admit, i'm not a big breakfast eater. Every day I eat a banana and munch on raw almonds for breakfast, i'm just not all that interested in anything else and i'm fine with that. I sit in a cube all morning so i'm not very active at that point anyway.

Lunch: I usually prepare a lunch and i've added salmon to my diet so I usually cook a fillet of salmon and bring bags of frozen veggies to work. If it's not salmon it might be a chicken breast or if i'm too busy I always have a few healthy choice steamers in the freezer so that i'm prepared.

Snack: Every afternoon around 3:00PM or so I have an orange, apple or another banana. I also get this thing out of the vending machine called Energizer Mix which is nuts, raisins and banana chips. It's probably the healthiest thing in there and it's a rather small portion and the bags look 100 years old but I figure it's better than the Peanut M&M's i'm always wanting so i'm content.

Dinner: Dinner is always different. I've been into lamb chops, fish or any other peice of meat with some more green vegies (usually broccoli or green beans) and I tend to add fresh green peppers and onion chopped up and sprinkle shredded cheese on top and it's delicious. I usually have a glass of diet green tea. I've cut out ALL soda at this point and have taken quite the liking to diet green tea. I was addicted to diet soda for a long time and having a can or two a day. There are apparently health benefits to green tea as well. I have stopped going to the buffet and sitting down and eating 3-4 plates of food and started getting a to go carton from the buffet. It's cheaper than sitting down and it gives me a more healthy sized portion, so I figure that's an improvement.

At night I tend to have a bowl of cereal with splenda and 1% milk. Ok I lied, it's usually 2 bowls.

That's about it. If you like some of those ideas, implement one at a time and see how they work for you. I use all kinds of other tools to help every single day too. I post in this thread, another on facebook and I also use an app to hold myself accountable every single day. The app I use is cardio trainer on android. It works great for me and I would recommend it. It deciphers between workouts (walk, run, treadmill, hike) and it uses GPS for outdoor exercisers like myself. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to be as specific about as many of my habits as possible. I also quit smoking a couple of months ago and the only time I get cravings are when I drink alcohol but i'm pretty strong and flat out have mentally learned to ignore and just know i'm a non smoker now, even if I want one, I tell myself I can't because it's poison. Plain and simple, no bending or cheating on that one.

[OutOfmYminD]

Make it happen!

I'm on step one, the most important step after which everything else is going to fall right into place if I can maintain it. Pre-Coachella wasn't the best time but now smoking has officially got the boot.

[faxman75]

Alright, i didn't post a photo at the start of last fitchella so this time I will so I can see the progress come next April.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff98/faxman75/May_4_2011_294.jpg

[yardbird]

I take the stairs daily at work. That's down 8 flights a day and up 10 flights a day.


I'm not trying to be a dick but could you explain the discrepancy?

This is the only solution I could come up with:
http://fitnessofthefuture.com/web_pic/history/firmanpole.jpg

[chairmenmeow47]

i have good shoes, it's just first my work shoes gave me a really uncomfortable blister. i tried walking one day, but it just aggravated things. then a few days later, i went to my parents and went outside to water the grapevine. i came back in to play piano, and noticed my other foot was bleeding. no clue what i did, but i haven't been able to wear normal shoes since. i'm hoping this weekend will be better. i'm also going to do south beach for the umpteenth time next week. i miss cooking.

[GuyInTucson]

Keep at it Mark. I haven't stopped working for longer than a few days - not counting my honeymoon - since November 2009 and i don't plan on it any time soon. Once you get to your goal, you'll feel outstanding both physically and emotionally.

[faxman75]

I'm not trying to be a dick but could you explain the discrepancy?

This is the only solution I could come up with:
http://fitnessofthefuture.com/web_pic/history/firmanpole.jpg

lol no problem. The parking garage is a different structure than the building I work in. They are across the street from eachother. I normally park on the 4th floor of the parking garage and I work on the 5th floor of the office building. As you can see that still makes my math from yesterday wrong ha ha. It's down 9 flights and up 9 flights. Math is not my strong suit.

Thanks Jason! I will. I feel better every day.

[Mr. Dylanja]

lol, I thought that was the new, "uphill both ways," I was gonna let him run with it.

[zircona1]

I jog a few times a week around my neighborhood, I average about 12-15 miles a week.

Ever since I got back from Coachella, I have felt weaker when I jog. My legs don't feel as strong, and I've been wheezing after about 15-20 minutes.

I've made an appt. with my dr.

[PotVsKtl]

It's strange how this is a topic year after year populated by the same individuals. Shouldn't you all be skeletons at this point? Is there a perpetual weight loss machine?

[GuyInTucson]

Getting fit does not necessarily mean losing weight.

[chiapet]

How many years has this topic been posted? I'm only aware of the previous thread, which really only picked up steam a few months before Coachella, so not even a year's worth of discussion really. ;)

Plus... the point was not to be skeletons but to encourage each other about making good fitness choices, on an ongoing basis.

Why post on threads that don't interest you or that you don't need?

[PotVsKtl]

I post on threads that will allow me to make quips at my leisure. Why read words with your eyes?

[faxman75]

I've only been at this 6 months so i'm not part of the Pot's analysis. A search shows another fitchella thread that was started January 2010. So this is the 3rd. I wasn't aware of that first thread.

[chiapet]

Yea, I'm pretty sure our preparedness for 2010 mostly included discussion of how many costco sized containers of junk food to buy. Not exactly fitchella.

[Premium Roast]

decided to just let go and refrain from daily scheduled exersize. Energy levels may slightly suffer, but metabolism is high so it's not a big deal. More drinking and smoking too.

[faxman75]

Just got back from the hike. First one since the crash and burn on Monday evening. I'm on par with my best times so aside from scabs all over my right leg and elbow, i'm perfectly fine.

It was also extra dry the last two days, I heard the humidity yesterday was around 2% which ties some record lows. This was also the hottest hike yet as it was 97 degrees. I did skip weights and have not done them since Saturday. Apparently i'm only doing weights when I feel like it as I can't seem to make them a habit yet, which is fine. Plenty of time to implement them.

[weeklymix]

I stopped eating a bunch of crap late at night and I'm pretty sure it was directly responsible for 15-20 of the 25 pounds lost before this Coachella.

[Hannahrain]

I stopped cleaning bloody footwounds altogether and I'm pretty sure it was directly responsible for 3-7 of the 9 toes lost before this Coachella.

[weeklymix]

Ugh.

[Hannahrain]

No no, it's a blessing. Now I can fit into the discount shoes from the sample sale and there's still room left in the toe for lipstick and a little mad money.

[weeklymix]

Clap clap.

[bmack86]

I'm starting to hit a problem: the three pairs of pants I can wear with a belt without looking like a clown are starting to become pretty loose. I don't have money to do pants shopping right now, but I'm starting to look really goofy wearing pants that are now 4 or 5 sizes too large for me.

[weeklymix]

Spend less time worrying about pant size and more time convincing everyone of your true gangster nature.

[Hannahrain]

Wear them all at once. The two inner pairs will fill out the outer pair in a convincing leg-shaped way.

[Mr. Dylanja]

I'm pretty sure everyone knows B-Mack is a gangster as soon as they see him. If not, just introduce yourself as B-Mack and your problem is solved.

[faxman75]

Just had my best time on the morning jog by about 30 seconds or so. It's so much easier of a jog when I do it this much later in the morning but I only get to do this every other week when i'm off on Friday. It's 85 right now which is beautiful but it's supposed to be 100 when I go hiking later. Good times.

[keeshonjohnson]

Hooray for the new thread :). Tonight I wore my wedding dress to a party (8 year olds wedding themed birthday party). This is the first time in almost 10 years that I have been small enough to do this! So happy :)
next years fitchella goal is to be down 10lbs and be incredibly strong and fit. Go fitchella 2012!

[johnatx]

i just wanted to say that you guys rock.

working out has been the 2nd most positive force in my recent life, and i'm so glad to see you guys beginning/sharing in the experience of making yourself physically fit.

keep up the great work! but, don't obsess too much over it or you may hurt yourselves.

once again, you guys rock!

[RedHotSgtPeppers]

I want this to be me in a year: (may this inspire you guys)

4R9BUH37lmc

[Westy]

That doesn't help. I've been working out pretty hard for about 10 months, and I think I look like the guy at about 8 seconds.

[RedHotSgtPeppers]

That doesn't help. I've been working out pretty hard for about 10 months, and I think I look like the guy at about 8 seconds.

I'd be happy to look like him at 8 seconds.

[faxman75]

i just wanted to say that you guys rock.

working out has been the 2nd most positive force in my recent life,

Awesome to hear! Keep it up.

[Mr. Dylanja]

i just wanted to say that you guys rock.

working out has been the 2nd most positive force in my recent life, and i'm so glad to see you guys beginning/sharing in the experience of making yourself physically fit.

keep up the great work! but, don't obsess too much over it or you may hurt yourselves.

once again, you guys rock!


The first thing is skrillex, right?

[johnatx]

nope, family is 1st. then physical fitness. THEN skrillex is a close whomp whomp whomp third!

[meowlouder]

Keep up the good work y'all your motivation is inspiring!

I was updating my workout playlist earlier and remembered how great this song is for any sort of cardio:

EU1CDSP7FRk

[chairmenmeow47]

i used to shove people out of the way at clubs to dance to that song

[nathanfairchild]

i've gone part-time bulimic to get ready for next years chella. wish me luck.

[DFrank]

I know it's not accessible to everyone, but swimming does wonders. I swim 3 or 4 times a week and i love the post-workout feeling much more than running.

Reading enough online, it's the best aerobic exercise you can get and is non-impact on your body (in case you have knee problems etc).

[LooseAtTheZoo]

i used to shove people out of the way at clubs to dance to that song

Truth. No other physical responses seem appropriate

[faxman75]

Awesome weather for a hike today. I breezed through it and it almost felt easy, another personal fastest time on the trail. I was up late drinking last night so I missed the morning jog, not a big deal though. I notice I don't really think or worry about it when I have a not so healthy meal anymore. I'm eating right more than 90% of the time so I don't get stressed or angry with myself when I do go out to eat. It think that's a healthy thought process. I'm also enjoying not getting on the scale and worrying about what it reads, even if i was only doing it once a week. The rules have gotten much more simple for me. Follow a balanced diet and exercise every day. As long as I am doing that 90% of the time I will continue to have to success. This has also allowed me to focus more on school as I have 2 final exams this coming week.

[ThatGirl]

I know it's not accessible to everyone, but swimming does wonders. I swim 3 or 4 times a week and i love the post-workout feeling much more than running.

Reading enough online, it's the best aerobic exercise you can get and is non-impact on your body (in case you have knee problems etc).

There is a pool at my gym and if I get bored with my regular workout I do laps..I'm a weak swimmer but I go between front and backstroke and even use foot flippers to really get moving, but you are right its a heck of a cardio challenge! And it's a nice reward to hit the steam room or hot tub after.

[meowlouder]

Today I went to the gym for the first time since Coachella. It's been closed due to remodeling so everything is brand new. They seemed to have glued TV's to everything so I just watched Sex & the City while stairclimbing the entire time. Hooray for being lazily active

[faxman75]

Fit Fit Fit! Where is you all at?

This week has been busy. Two finals and they are done and I got B's in both classes so I feel like a winner. I am taking 2 summer classes but one is online so that will free up another day for hiking! Speaking of hiking I saw my first snake yesterday near the start of the trail. I was already into a jog and as I approached it looked like a stick and by the time I noticed his head I leaped over him. It wasn't a rattler or anything but am so unfamiliar with desert wild life I don't know what it was. It blended in with the ground rather nicely. This encounter became quite the distraction for the rest of the walk. I was obsessively thinking about desert animals that could poison and kill me and wondered if this non-incident would have me changing up my entire routine and instead of hiking, back to the apt. gym using the treadmill. I started to develop other justifications like the oven getting hotter (the phoenix weather) day by day now. At the end of the hike I decided I wouldn't go for a 2nd go around but I wasn't going to give up because of just one little snake.

Everything else is going just about the same. Still eating pretty well. I haven't been on the scale in over 2 weeks which is good. I'm starting to get more and more comments on my weight loss and appearance which is nice to hear. Mostly, I just love not being physically miserable anymore. I'm still taking the stairs at work. If i'm feeling sluggish in the morning or running a bit behind, I NEVER skip the morning jog but there has been an occasion or two in the last few weeks where I have shortened it as to not be too late to work but I jog 1.2 miles every morning and shortening it just means 1 mile even.

One final thing i've been noticing is I am tucking in certain shirts, something I wasn't doing at all for a long time. I'm starting to care just a tad about my appearance which I had not cared about for several years. I figured this was a necessity if I care to ever date again in my life.

How has everyone else been?

[chairmenmeow47]

it's nice to know you're keeping up with the jog, even if you're just shortening it. i try to do that with walks. when i'm in my rhythm, i try to walk just around the block even if i don't have time or don't feel well. it can be hard to find that motivation, but at least if you do a short walk/run you feel like you've done SOMETHING.

i'm back in the habit, even though i've been sick. i have frankly been too broke to eat properly, but hopefully next check will be better. it's nice to have the time to do things for myself again :)

oh, and as i said on your facebook, i saw my first daytime coyote. i kept my eyes on him until i was far away. i kept acting out scenarios in my head of what i'd do if he approached, but running into the nearby street screaming seemed to be the only thing that made sense.

[Mr. Dylanja]

How has everyone else been?

I've just been sitting here wondering about your hair.

[faxman75]

If it starts running at you, standing still seems like a bad idea but I swear that's the answer I hear for everything. Just be calm and stay still.
BUT A COYOTE IS CHARGING AT ME WITH SALIVA DRIPPING FROM HIS FANGS!!?

Regarding shortening the jog. I'm pleased that I have not abused this as well. The old me would have started going out later and later every morning and by now I would be down to a 5 minute walk. It was funny though, yesterday morning I was looking all over the place for my Roku remote and for some reason I felt I could not jog until I found the damn remote. I was being so ridiculous and stubborn about it. Finally I found it on the floor behind my bed. Today I was right back to the normal jog but I have to laugh at my frustrations and justifications in hindsight.

I found this forum post to be rather helpful regarding poisonous Arizona creatures.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/arizona/136728-some-facts-about-scorpions-spiders-snakes.html

and after looking at pictures of desert snakes for the last half hour, I have no idea what kind of snake I saw. It was maybe a foot and a half long and blended in with the ground. It didn't appear to have much color either. I knew once I saw one, I would become preoccupied ha.

[faxman75]

I've just been sitting here wondering about your hair.

I got the Bieber cut, it's pretty sweet.

[Courtney]

Bumpity bump. I'm jumping into this thread. Hi fitchellites.

So I've started riding my bicycle into work, both for health and budget and general saving-the-world type reasons. Man is my butt sore. But I think it's going to have a really positive impact on my overall fitness level as long as I can stick with it. I'm super psyched about it!

I've also been getting back into packing my lunches after a couple months of being very, very bad about not doing it. Today's lunch was smoked turkey and brie with homegrown arugula and Big Island tomato on toasted whole wheat, and an apple on the side. Mmmmmm yum.

[Courtney]

Also, office-dwellers: have any of you experimented with non-traditional chairs for your desks? I used an exercise ball for a while at work, but eventually I brought it back home because it was too much of a pain when I was wearing sky-high heels. I haven't taken a foray back into the fitness-type chair arena since, however this "Ergo Ergo Stool (http://www.momastore.org/museum/moma/ProductDisplay_ErgoErgo%20Stool_10451_10001_69080_-1_11461_11467_null_shop_#)" at the MoMA Design Store has me reconsidering. Look how pretty it is!

http://www.momastore.org/wcsstore/MOMASTORE1/images/m_86373.jpg

[ThatGirl]

I am still losing weight unintentionally? .. Lost 3 more lbs even though I'm eating according to a maintenance program. Still exercising but maybe i'm not tracking my food correctly. That said I've been travelling and my job has changed and I'm under a ton of stress.

[Courtney]

ThatGirl, do you normally find that that's your body's reaction to change and stress? I know some people who are like that (of course, I tend to be the opposite).

[ThatGirl]

ThatGirl, do you normally find that that's your body's reaction to change and stress? I know some people who are like that (of course, I tend to be the opposite).

I don't normally lose weight under stress. Normally I feel compelled to overeat when i'm stressed .. i feel like I've indulged a few times but most days I am eating the calories recommended for maintenance- but still losing.

[chairmenmeow47]

i just want to thank rick for the tuesday walk & keeping my ass motivated. *chunky fist bump*

[downingthief]

i just want to thank rick for the tuesday walk & keeping my ass motivated. *chunky fist bump*

Ummm...there is no way in Hell you are chunky. Just sayin'.

I found out that the City of Scottsdale has a gym pretty much right around the corner from me. $75 gets me a year membership...time to take the fitchella plunge!

[TommyboyUNM]

I am still losing weight unintentionally? .. Lost 3 more lbs even though I'm eating according to a maintenance program. Still exercising but maybe i'm not tracking my food correctly. That said I've been travelling and my job has changed and I'm under a ton of stress.


I don't normally lose weight under stress. Normally I feel compelled to overeat when i'm stressed .. i feel like I've indulged a few times but most days I am eating the calories recommended for maintenance- but still losing.

Have you had your thyroid checked out? I went through the same thing about a year and a half ago. I unintentionally lost almost 30 pounds in less than 2 months, and it turns out I had a hyperactive thyroid.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Checking Ebay for hyperactive thyroids.


So that minor foot injury I had a couple of weeks ago just kept getting worse. May have to have surgery, but for now it's just physical therapy and staying off of it. I haven't done any cardio (outside of walking) in 5 weeks now. So frustrating. Thinking about upgrading my 24 HR Fitness membership so I can go to a club with a swimming pool. Despite all this nonsense, I started lifting again and I'm still cooking my lean protein/low carb meals at home. Down 3 lbs in the last month. Can't wait to get back to cardio again.

[ThatGirl]

Have you had your thyroid checked out? I went through the same thing about a year and a half ago. I unintentionally lost almost 30 pounds in less than 2 months, and it turns out I had a hyperactive thyroid.

Jesus. Ok..I have a lab sheet from my annual physical that I still need to go do the blood work etc for, I think a thyroid check is on there. I have to fast and all that crap before hand so it's been a pain to find a time to do it. But I'll get on it.

[chairmenmeow47]

it's not much, but i've managed to walk almost every day since tuesday of last week. i didn't walk friday & saturday because i worked, went to urgent care & slept all day with a sinus infection and bronchitis, so that's pretty good.

i'm just glad to be getting back into the rhythm again. i forgot how much energy i have after my walks and i'm just in a MUCH better mood. it's also so much easier if i do it the second i get home. like yesterday, IFA was coming over, but i convinced myself to just do the 15 minutes around the area where my complex is. then once i got going, it was easy to just add another 15 minutes onto that. and it had been raining/sprinkling, so i'm even more happy i was able make it out in between rainfall.

hope everyone else is keeping up the fitchella!!!

[nathanfairchild]

i'm starting to not hate green vegetables, so i think this is a start.

[chairmenmeow47]

shit that's like half the battle.

[chiapet]

I haven't been posting because I'm totally off the wagon. Will rejoin you on June 1 :/

[faxman75]

COME BACK HEIDI!!

Another 30 days in a row of fitness comes to an end next week. I think it's good that I managed to stay away from a scale for several weeks. My last weigh in was 255 just after Coachella and you know what? I feel the exact same weight, clothes fit the exact same and so on, so i'm thinking come next week when i do actually weight myself i'm going to be right around the same.

I felt good on the morning jog today, better than I have in a while. I was thinking my body was wanting a break from the every day but I felt good this morning. My times had been slipping to a couple of minutes slower than normal but I made up some time today so that was good. I like that I break my exercise up into two 20 minute sessions. I think that has to help with metabolism in the morning and the evening. I'm still taking the stairs every day.

During the next 30 days challenge I plan on making some changes. I've been doing the same routine for quite some time now.

So, in about 2 weeks I plan on keeping the jog, stairs and hiking all going. As well as the same basic balanced diet but here are the changes.

-I have been slacking with water, I will get more vigilant with making sure I drink at least 80 oz. of water a day.

-50 jumping jacks after my hike

-push ups I plan on starting with 10 and increasing little by little to see how many I can do by the end of the next 30 days

-diet green tea, I drink a lot of it, I want to limit myself to 1 glass a day

-breakfast, I have been living on raw almonds and bananas for breakfast each day, I think I'm going to start having eggs for breakfast every day and making the banana a mid morning snack.

-NO MORE LATE NIGHT CEREAL This is a big downfall of mine. I'm cutting it out completely and if i'm craving something right before bed I will have a peice of fruit.

-Buffet take out. I have stopped dining in at the buffet and started taking out a carton, I was saving a couple of dollars and it was less food than if I was sitting there. I have been eating it 2-3 times per week on average. New rule, once every two weeks no exceptions.

That's about it for the next 30 days. In fact I think it's more than enough change and if I can stick to them all I will be that much better off for it.

Because this isn't all about body health, but also mental health and education. Tonight I start summer school and another law class and in two weeks an online elective about liesure and society (seems right up my alley ha ha). While i'm continuing my education I want to add to that as well. I have wanted to start reading books for YEARS. It's sad. I have not read a novel or a full book from start to finish in over a decade! Terrible. So, an acquaintance who actually is on this board but probably hasn't posted in quite a long time just finished her first novel in a series and I decided to buy it, just to support someone who was doing something creative. I read the first two chapters the other night. My goal is to finish this novel by the end June or shortly thereafter ha ha.

So here is a plug. The book is called Darkhouse and it's by Karina Halle. Her board name is stubbadub or something like that. I won't imbed for the sake of space...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhQhK3kyRRE

Anyone else changing things up or tweaking things for the summer? Anyone else want to get on board with getting healthy who hasn't been into this as of yet? I hope everyone continues to do well and we get some more people active!

[chairmenmeow47]

heidi, you can do it!!! why june 1st?

and mark, those are some ambitious goals! you've been doing great so far, so i have no doubt you'll be able to do even better in the future.

[bmack86]

I got a big success today: 30 pounds off since I've started my weight loss work. My dad and I started our weight loss competition mid August last year, and I weighed 213.8 at that time. My initial goal with all this was to get into the 170s, which is where I was at the end of High School, but now I'm at 183 and I still want to get rid of my gut, so it looks like I'll be hanging out in this thread quite a bit.

[chairmenmeow47]

congratulations! that is quite an achievement. i've noticed when i'm fit it's easier to stay motivated because the goals become much smaller. what are you doing to say goodbye to the gut?

[faxman75]

That's fantastic Bryan and welcome back to the thread, just in time for summer!

[bmack86]

I've gotten to 125 crunches a day, I always take stairs rather than elevators, and I've almost completely cut fast and processed foods out of my diet. For me, the biggest things were all more little lifestyle changes than big dietary or exercise pushes. In the past year I've been really focusing on being more accountable to myself for my diet, my fitness and general well-being, and I've definitely seen the positive effects left and right.

Oh, and I've also stopped drinking so frequently. That was a big one. When you have two beers a night every night, at least, you're gonna get a gut eventually. When you do that for six years, you're gonna have a bowling ball sized gut.

[chiapet]

Eh, I've managed to get sick again, and I go on vacation in a week, so right now I'm in self-preservation mode and not going to re-start exercising until my respiratory illness goes away. But I'm back from my trip by June 1 - and have that day off work - so it seemed like a good time to re-commit.

I never really got back on track after Coachella, but happily I've only gained back 1 or 2 lbs from where I was before the festival (despite 4 weeks of minimal exercise and not watching my diet!), so I feel really confident that I can pick up again in 2 weeks. Plus I'm going to burn a few million calories dancing my ass off at DEMF :)

[chairmenmeow47]

that's the best way to burn calories :) i also noticed in the past year or so i haven't been going out dancing much, so that has contributed to the weight gain. there just hasn't been much to go dance to here unfortunately.

and bryan, lifestyle changes are the hardest to make, but probably the most beneficial in the long run. i'm happy to hear it's been working for you :)

[faxman75]

We'll be here when you come back :)

Bryan, those adjustments can make all the difference in the world. I didn't recognize the most basic things for a very long time. I'm a bit slow though. Sounds lke you are developing the right habits based on what you have figured out.

[I.F.A.]

that's the best way to burn calories :) i also noticed in the past year or so i haven't been going out dancing much, so that has contributed to the weight gain. there just hasn't been much to go dance to here unfortunately.


The nothing to dance to thing has been a huge problem for me as well, since for a long while that was my main mode of exercise. I'll occasionally have solo dance parties in my living room, but it ain't the same.

I have managed to lose about 7 pounds since Coachella though, so that's good. Mostly though I think it's because I haven't had much of an appetite the last few weeks. I certainly haven't been exercising at all. Pretty much all I've been doing when I get off work is go home and paint.

I am looking forward to some serious dancing at Melt on Saturday. :)

[PlayaDelWes]

Great opportunties for fun exercise this weekend in LA:

The Big Parade (http://www.bigparadela.com/)

The Big Parade is a two-day walk through Los Angeles that will start in downtown, at the famous Angel's Flight Stairway, and finish at the Hollywood Sign above Beachwood Canyon. Day One ends - and Day Two begins - at the famous music Music Box Stairs - site of the Oscar-winning Laurel & Hardy film of the same name - in Silverlake. It will take place May 21 and 22, 2011.

There’s also going to be a prologue on Friday, May 20, led by Bob Inman, covering the stairways between Eagle Rock and downtown.

Most important: This is a community walk. That means we stay together as a group, and it means that YOU CAN DO IT! Why? Because we break the walk into segments so that walkers of all ages and levels of fitness can join us at specific times (of course, anyone is welcome to meet us at any point along the way - and all are invited to join us at the end to celebrate the walk).

A core group of will be doing the entire event. But - as the name "Big Parade" implies - the true nature of the journey is community-based. In addition to passing dozens of landmarks, we will be joined by community members, both individuals and in groups, as we pass through the city's most diverse neighborhoods. The walk is broken into specific segments.

Among the other features of the walk will be:

A "backcountry" bushwhack along a secret dirt road between Silverlake and Echo Park.
A cross-country segment that runs through Griffith Park.
Landmarks that are famous, not-so-famous, infamous, and just-plain-weird (over thirty of them, mapped and ready for viewing)
Music.
Visits with community groups and local organizations.
And a movie, Saturday night, 8:30, at the Music Box Steps (that’s a still, above, from the film we’re showing.)
Open to all.

[bmack86]

i also noticed in the past year or so i haven't been going out dancing much, so that has contributed to the weight gain. there just hasn't been much to go dance to here unfortunately.


I've been seriously noticing this. If there's dancy stuff going on around me, it tends to be brostep or kandykid-style boring stuff. Bands aren't, by and large, making me dance much anymore, and people are increasingly standing still at shows again. I definitely used to use dancing as my main exercise, so all that's been making me sad.

[chairmenmeow47]

i'm glad to hear it's not just arizona that is feeling the great dance drought of the 2000 and teens.

[chiapet]

I've found more stuff than ever to go dance to, but I've also been making more of an effort to do so. I think it's out there if you try. And if not, organize your own :P

[chairmenmeow47]

i'm sure it's a bit easier in SF than phoenix ;)

we used to have weekly drum and bass nights, not anymore. and most of the dnb scene has moved to dubstep. there were other weeklies that played good music. i don't even know where to find good hip-hop anymore except for the bottom floor of this one club that has practically zero room to dance because the dancefloor is essentiallyt he walkway to the bathroom & there's a giant staircase in the middle. those were usually cheap. i can't really afford regular concerts or anything.

i'm sure there's some stuff out there, but it's not like it used to be and i don't know as many of the promoters to get on the lists anymore.

[ThatGirl]

I've found more stuff than ever to go dance to, but I've also been making more of an effort to do so. I think it's out there if you try. And if not, organize your own :P

If I couldn't dance every week, I'd probably jump out of my own skin. Zumba is a life saver for me because it's fun and expressive, and burns a crapload of calories. Plus it's a lot of fun and doesn't feel like a dreaded "oh god 60 mins on the treadmill" cardio workout.

[chairmenmeow47]

i would like to take dance classes.

[chiapet]

I didn't mean concerts, Ivy, just club nights or whatever. I've been trying to branch out more, not just electronic stuff.

[chairmenmeow47]

most of our nightclubs here are in scottsdale and generally play top 40s. you're right that there probably is SOMETHING out there worth going to dance to, but it takes real digging.

[chiapet]

Salah and I went to a New Wave one last week, it was brilliant. There are various nights here like 80's, goth, britpop, etc, that have me thinking I need to go out dancing more.

[ThatGirl]

i would like to take dance classes.

Have you tried Zumba? It's like latin mixed with hip hop, African, Bollywood, all wrapped up into a giant cardio sweatfest. :)

[bmack86]

I've been really wanting to take dance classes. Seems like a fun and hot way to get some exercise and meet people.

[chairmenmeow47]

Salah and I went to a New Wave one last week, it was brilliant. There are various nights here like 80's, goth, britpop, etc, that have me thinking I need to go out dancing more.

we used to have a night called hot pink that played that style of music. i would MURDER BABIES for a night like that. generally i can find like one dj that will play that stuff, but then it's like electrotrash before/after.


Have you tried Zumba? It's like latin mixed with hip hop, African, Bollywood, all wrapped up into a giant cardio sweatfest. :)

i've heard so many good things, i may need to try this.

[ThatGirl]

If you have a gym membership a lot of gyms offer Zumba now, or you can take classes at dance studios, there is even a Wii game that I have at home, but it's not got the same energy as being in a room with a bunch of people dancing. Another plus is that the instructor doesn't shout instructions during class - you just follow the movements. They sometimes do hand signals to tell you change from right to left, or go back to the top but that's it. No yelling over the music "1, 2, 3, 4" blah blah". It's great.

[locachica73]

I would love to do a weekly dance night somewhere, but unfortunately the only places I know are hole in the wall bars with crappy dj's. They can still be fun with the right amount of booze though. I would also be interested in doing a dance class if that is the only option, I just prefer to get my excercise with a beer in my hand.

[baily]

fun fun

[nathanfairchild]

are there ever any guys at these zumba classes, or is it women only? this kinda sounds like something i'd enjoy.

[ThatGirl]

are there ever any guys at these zumba classes, or is it women only? this kinda sounds like something i'd enjoy.

My class does have a couple of guys, husbands joining wives or just guys that prefer to see a bunch of women shaking their booties for an hour vs. doing something mindless for their cardio. That being the guys generally lack rhythm and just follow as best they can. Some of the hip hop moves are tough, but if you can salsa, rumba, and that sort of thing you may really get into it.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Great opportunties for fun exercise this weekend in LA:

The Big Parade (http://www.bigparadela.com/)


This sounds great! If I didn't have such a busy weekend with Kylie at the Bowl, SD Symphony and Long Beach Pride (not to mention my damn injury), I'd totally do this. Are you going, Playa?

[Courtney]

it's not much, but i've managed to walk almost every day since tuesday of last week. i didn't walk friday & saturday because i worked, went to urgent care & slept all day with a sinus infection and bronchitis, so that's pretty good.

i'm just glad to be getting back into the rhythm again. i forgot how much energy i have after my walks and i'm just in a MUCH better mood. it's also so much easier if i do it the second i get home. like yesterday, IFA was coming over, but i convinced myself to just do the 15 minutes around the area where my complex is. then once i got going, it was easy to just add another 15 minutes onto that. and it had been raining/sprinkling, so i'm even more happy i was able make it out in between rainfall.

hope everyone else is keeping up the fitchella!!!

Way to go Ivy! That's awesome. I definitely also notice the energy and mood thing. It's such a positive feeling to know that I am making steps to do something good for myself.


i'm starting to not hate green vegetables, so i think this is a start.

Hahaaaaa. Yes, that is a start. I consider myself very lucky that I have always loved all sorts of healthy food. For me, it's more a quantity issue than a content issue. But yeah, things like lightly blanched sugar snap peas or fresh spinach sauteed in a little olive oil and garlic are so heavenly. I don't know what I would do without green vegetables.

[Courtney]

COME BACK HEIDI!!

Another 30 days in a row of fitness comes to an end next week. I think it's good that I managed to stay away from a scale for several weeks. My last weigh in was 255 just after Coachella and you know what? I feel the exact same weight, clothes fit the exact same and so on, so i'm thinking come next week when i do actually weight myself i'm going to be right around the same.

I felt good on the morning jog today, better than I have in a while. I was thinking my body was wanting a break from the every day but I felt good this morning. My times had been slipping to a couple of minutes slower than normal but I made up some time today so that was good. I like that I break my exercise up into two 20 minute sessions. I think that has to help with metabolism in the morning and the evening. I'm still taking the stairs every day.

During the next 30 days challenge I plan on making some changes. I've been doing the same routine for quite some time now.

So, in about 2 weeks I plan on keeping the jog, stairs and hiking all going. As well as the same basic balanced diet but here are the changes.

-I have been slacking with water, I will get more vigilant with making sure I drink at least 80 oz. of water a day.

-50 jumping jacks after my hike

-push ups I plan on starting with 10 and increasing little by little to see how many I can do by the end of the next 30 days

-diet green tea, I drink a lot of it, I want to limit myself to 1 glass a day

-breakfast, I have been living on raw almonds and bananas for breakfast each day, I think I'm going to start having eggs for breakfast every day and making the banana a mid morning snack.

-NO MORE LATE NIGHT CEREAL This is a big downfall of mine. I'm cutting it out completely and if i'm craving something right before bed I will have a peice of fruit.

-Buffet take out. I have stopped dining in at the buffet and started taking out a carton, I was saving a couple of dollars and it was less food than if I was sitting there. I have been eating it 2-3 times per week on average. New rule, once every two weeks no exceptions.

That's about it for the next 30 days. In fact I think it's more than enough change and if I can stick to them all I will be that much better off for it.

Because this isn't all about body health, but also mental health and education. Tonight I start summer school and another law class and in two weeks an online elective about liesure and society (seems right up my alley ha ha). While i'm continuing my education I want to add to that as well. I have wanted to start reading books for YEARS. It's sad. I have not read a novel or a full book from start to finish in over a decade! Terrible. So, an acquaintance who actually is on this board but probably hasn't posted in quite a long time just finished her first novel in a series and I decided to buy it, just to support someone who was doing something creative. I read the first two chapters the other night. My goal is to finish this novel by the end June or shortly thereafter ha ha.

So here is a plug. The book is called Darkhouse and it's by Karina Halle. Her board name is stubbadub or something like that. I won't imbed for the sake of space...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhQhK3kyRRE

Anyone else changing things up or tweaking things for the summer? Anyone else want to get on board with getting healthy who hasn't been into this as of yet? I hope everyone continues to do well and we get some more people active!

Faxy, you are kicking so much butt. It's awesome. It's really motivating to watch your progress, so thank you for sharing with us!

Personally, I don't see what the harm is in keeping breakfast simple. I do love eggs sometimes, but really, I find I mostly just have a piece of fruit and some nuts or yogurt or something for protein. I figure as long as I'm getting the nutrition in there, that's what matters. But to each their own.

[chiapet]

I don't think the simple/light breakfast is harmful, but my personal experience so far is that if I eat breakfast, I am much less hungry for the entire day and tend to eat smaller portions for the rest of the day. Not suggesting it needs to be a huge breakfast -- eggs or turkey sausage, some wheat bread, fruit, maybe veggies (such as home-made "salsa" type stuff) has been working really well for me.

[Hannahrain]

-diet green tea, I drink a lot of it, I want to limit myself to 1 glass a day


What about switching to real green tea in bags that you brew at home, not adding any sweetener, and drinking as much as you want? It's cheaper, too - a few bucks for a box of tea usually gets you 24 cups or so.

[fatbastard]

Made 2 gallons of the above suggestion on Monday. 4 bags to 1 gallon of water.

[bmack86]

And if you need sweetness, one thing to try with fresh leaf green tea is mixing in a little bit of a rooibos red or a good white tea. They'll add a bit of flavor and temper some of the bitterness that can come with green tea.

[Courtney]

I find the trick to not having green tea get bitter is to make sure you are not using boiling water, and not to steep for too long. It shouldn't be bitter.

[chiapet]

I don't find green tea to be bitter, but I suppose you get used to the taste over time. In fact if I add anything to it, it's usually a bit of lemon or lime juice.

Edit: and yea, what Courtney said. I never catch my kettle before it boils, so I just take it off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes before making my tea.

[faxman75]

What about switching to real green tea in bags that you brew at home, not adding any sweetener, and drinking as much as you want? It's cheaper, too - a few bucks for a box of tea usually gets you 24 cups or so.

It has been a progression with me and I use these beverages as a crutch in a way for sweet flavor. I went from regular soda to diet soda to diet green tea. I'm crazy addicted to sweet. I have never enjoyed unsweetened tea though I know it's much better.

I do wonder if I was better off without the diet green tea at all. There was a point where I was strictly drinking water but every now and again I get a craving for a flavored drink. Now i'm just abusing it though.

Courtney, thank you for your continued encouragement. I think the reason I was going to try and have a real breakfast was to see if that would cut me back a bit on my appetite later in the day and early evening. I don't know that it will work or not. Plus I kept hearing about how important and good it was to have a big breakfast. I'm torn on this one and open to suggestions. Maybe i'll have eggs just a couple of days a week or something.

[faxman75]

And if you need sweetness, one thing to try with fresh leaf green tea is mixing in a little bit of a rooibos red or a good white tea. They'll add a bit of flavor and temper some of the bitterness that can come with green tea.

Not a bad suggestion. I'm just not sure how badly I need the tea. I figured cutting back to just one cup of diet green tea a day and i'll be all good.

Talk about challenges, I just got my dried fruit/nut snack out of the vending machine and out came a milky way with it. Both have the same amount of calories.

I stared at the labels long and hard and decided all the sugar in the milky way was a bad idea. Now to gift this candy bar to someone.

[chiapet]

I don't think one diet green tea a day is harming you in any way. Just make sure you keep drinking plenty of water too.

Mark, the breakfast thing really helped me, and I suspect that's one of the reasons I've not really gained weight back, even though I stopped watching my diet otherwise. Portion size is my biggest challenge, and after eating a reasonably full breakfast, I'm just not hungry for the rest of the day. I eat lunch and a snack because I should/need to, but I am physically unable to eat very much and more over I find my interest in eating is quite less for the rest of the day. That's key for me -- I am not preoccupied with food or what I'll be eating later.

[bmack86]

I find the trick to not having green tea get bitter is to make sure you are not using boiling water, and not to steep for too long. It shouldn't be bitter.

I couldn't think of the exact description for the flavor I'm thinking: not quite bitter, it's more the dark grassy flavors (again, fuck if I know how to describe what I'm thinking of) that some people love in real green tea and that tends to turn others away. I brewed a cup of mixed green and white today and it's pretty damn heavenly.

[Hannahrain]

Pungent earthiness.

[I.F.A.]

"Diet" tea has always kind of pissed me off. Tea has zero calories - what the fuck are they adding to it that they have to make it diet?

Also, Mark, green tea is really good with just a little bit of honey in it. That way you get the sweet fix. :)

[chairmenmeow47]

iced-tea maker, faxy. invest in one. i drink a ton of tea and both twilight & amy gave me one for xmas. it's wonderful and a cheap way to get my caffeine fix, like hannah suggested.

also, faxy, they make these water bottles that i get at target for like $10. they have measurement indicators on the bottle & a dial on the top that you can adjust to show how much water you have drank. that might motivate you to keep track.

[I.F.A.]

I couldn't think of the exact description for the flavor I'm thinking: not quite bitter, it's more the dark grassy flavors (again, fuck if I know how to describe what I'm thinking of) that some people love in real green tea and that tends to turn others away. I brewed a cup of mixed green and white today and it's pretty damn heavenly.

Have you ever tried pu-ehr? Talk about grassy. I've always described it as tasting like the 4H booth at the fair.

I actually really like it, but it's definitely a tea lover's tea.

[Hannahrain]

I'm worried about why you're running around licking 4H booths.

[I.F.A.]

I should say, tasting like the 4H booth smells... kind of like liquid alfalfa.

[faxman75]

iced-tea maker, faxy. invest in one. i drink a ton of tea and both twilight & amy gave me one for xmas. it's wonderful and a cheap way to get my caffeine fix, like hannah suggested.

also, faxy, they make these water bottles that i get at target for like $10. they have measurement indicators on the bottle & a dial on the top that you can adjust to show how much water you have drank. that might motivate you to keep track.

Oh, I do have a water bottle at work. It's 24 oz. I drink from it daily and try to sip and make sure it's full at all times. I drink a minimum of 3 of these but I should be drinking at least four me thinks. At home, I have maybe 1 or 2 glasses of water at night as well. Up until recently when it's been replaced with 2-3 glasses of diet green tea. That's really the only adustment I need to make as far as the tea goes. Drink water all day and keep track of my oz's and then have one cup of diet green tea with dinner and just water after that.

[Mr. Dylanja]

Ice water burns more calories than room temp water.

[Bud Luster]

Grrrr, I have to get in on the happenings of this thread. I was such an out of shape puss this year.

[chiapet]

The old standard was 8-8oz glasses a day but now I usually read that you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. I definitely need more than 64 oz a day. Even when I was a scrawny little kid I drank water constantly. I use 1 or 1.5 liter bottles, drinking 2 of those a day is more than enough.

[faxman75]

Yes, I was starting to dip below 70 oz a day. I probably need about 125 oz. a day right now. Drinking that much water also helps with portion control and appetite as well.

[faxman75]

I have had some great great compliments about my appearance and weight loss the last couple of days. It's been really nice to hear so many compliments. I have to admit one co worker this morning was a bit too excited and made it rather embarassing. She was just so loud about it and she kept repeating it over and over again and saying things like "oh my god" and "you really really look great". I don't do well with those. I can take a compliment and say thank you but the whole spectacle she was making made me uneasy and probably sound ungrateful. It was also very exciting for her that I was wearing a shirt tucked in. I felt like a kid who was getting slobbered over before heading off to church on Easter or something. Awkward!

Anyway, tomorrow is the completion of this months 30 days in a row of exercise. I will finally weigh myself either tomorrow evening or Wednesday. I don't physically feel like i've lost any more weight since the last time I weighed myself a week after Coachella. I think i'll always have that fat boy mentality though no matter how much I lose. I will say I haven't felt this good and alive in a very long time. I had a fantastic weekend and ate a bunch of food I should not have but I don't even get angry about that stuff anymore. I know that 99% of the time i'm making the right choices and more importantly I know i'm exercising every single day and being active and having a not so healthy meal isn't nealry as bad as eating that way every day and never exercising.

When I went to L. A. this weekend I made it a point to get in a jog on Saturday morning in N. Hollywood. It felt great. The weather was fantastic and it kick started the day in a great way. I knew I was going to be eating some not so healthy food too so the jog was definitely a priority. I followed it up with my first ever chicken and waffles experience at Rosco's in Hollywood. I had 3 chicken wings and a waffle. Delicious. In the afternoon I had some great Mexican food while visiting my roommate in El Monte. I don't remember the name of the place but I had an all meat burrito and a hard shell deep fried shredded beef taco. Again, delicious and I was stuffed. Then I drove back to phoenix and obviously wasn't hungry the rest of the day and night. Then yesterday I didn't eat anything all morning and afternoon. I went to eat some tasty BBQ for dinner though and that was the most full I felt in a very long time. Absolutely stuffed. I got a sampler which was bbq chicken, rips, briquette and slices of pork, mac n cheese and cheesy potatoes and TWO giant cups of homemade rootbeer. Damn that was tasty. As stuffed as I was I unnecesarily ate some hot cappy and provalone cheese around 10PM on a low carb tortilla.

I did get my exercise in yesterday as well. I jogged for 1.5 miles on the treadmill in the late AM and then I spent a couple of hours in the pool in the afternoon. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect pool weather yesterday. I was doing laps and my arms are even a bit sore today. So i've found another active outdoor activity. I plan on swimming more this summer. I didn't step foot in the pool once last summer but it was such a great day, I would do laps and then read a book and get sun for a bit and then back in the pool some more and read some more. I felt like a million bucks after that.

I have been neglecting my bike for a bit, I was waiting to lose more weight before taking it out again and I think it's about time for me to do that again soon. Hiking, swimming, jogging and next biking! I feel like a different person with a whole new active lifestyle. It even sounds weird saying active lifestyle when i've been a non mover for so long. I have made my list of a few changes for this next month and I will review it. Tomorrow is day 30 so it's likely I will not push myself very hard during the week long break between 30 day challenges. I'm going to let my body recover a bit. I know for a fact though I won't be stopping everything during the short break.

How was everyone elses weekend? Hopefully you didn't eat as much as me but you got out and did some stuff!

[Hannahrain]

Mark - I forgot to suggest earlier that if you don't want to give up your sweetened green tea, you could always dilute it with home-brewed tea and then your allotted one bottle would last you longer. The same method could be used to step down gradually from the sweetener, too.

[faxman75]

Thanks Hanna, I hadn't thought of that and I had some regular unsweatened tea this weekend. That would work well. I'm taking a break from the tea all together for a bit. I finished the last bottle last night and i'm going to try sticking to water except on occasions when i'm out and traveling. I'm not even going ot have the one glass a day for a while. I'll come back to it more gradually next time and use your suggestion.

[Courtney]

Ok, if you all will indulge me for a bit, I am going to try something new this week and document exactly what I'm doing, because I'm in a rut and something really needs to change. I'm seriously frustrated and don't know how much more plateau I can take. Suggestions welcome!

WORKOUTS
jog, 30 mins
bicycle commuting, 40 mins roundtrip

FOOD

Breakfast: gruyere omelet, tomatoes and basil, hashbrowns, black coffee, 552 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3574/5754042072_47a6696406.jpg

Lunch: Brie and turkey bacon sandwich with arugula, papaya, and dijon mustard on whole wheat toast, 558 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2758/5752753118_db0e195b67.jpg

Dinner: Seared blue marlin topped with caper, chive, dill, lemon juice and olive oil, over mixed greens and tomatoes, beer, 393 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/5753498749_652b81d474.jpg

[Courtney]

The old standard was 8-8oz glasses a day but now I usually read that you should drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces. I definitely need more than 64 oz a day. Even when I was a scrawny little kid I drank water constantly. I use 1 or 1.5 liter bottles, drinking 2 of those a day is more than enough.


Yes, I was starting to dip below 70 oz a day. I probably need about 125 oz. a day right now. Drinking that much water also helps with portion control and appetite as well.

YES. Me too on the water. I seriously drink a lot of water. But I get thirsty if I don't!


I have had some great great compliments about my appearance and weight loss the last couple of days. It's been really nice to hear so many compliments. I have to admit one co worker this morning was a bit too excited and made it rather embarrassing. She was just so loud about it and she kept repeating it over and over again and saying things like "oh my god" and "you really really look great". I don't do well with those. I can take a compliment and say thank you but the whole spectacle she was making made me uneasy and probably sound ungrateful. It was also very exciting for her that I was wearing a shirt tucked in. I felt like a kid who was getting slobbered over before heading off to church on Easter or something. Awkward!

Anyway, tomorrow is the completion of this months 30 days in a row of exercise. I will finally weigh myself either tomorrow evening or Wednesday. I don't physically feel like i've lost any more weight since the last time I weighed myself a week after Coachella. I think i'll always have that fat boy mentality though no matter how much I lose. I will say I haven't felt this good and alive in a very long time. I had a fantastic weekend and ate a bunch of food I should not have but I don't even get angry about that stuff anymore. I know that 99% of the time i'm making the right choices and more importantly I know i'm exercising every single day and being active and having a not so healthy meal isn't nealry as bad as eating that way every day and never exercising.

When I went to L. A. this weekend I made it a point to get in a jog on Saturday morning in N. Hollywood. It felt great. The weather was fantastic and it kick started the day in a great way. I knew I was going to be eating some not so healthy food too so the jog was definitely a priority. I followed it up with my first ever chicken and waffles experience at Rosco's in Hollywood. I had 3 chicken wings and a waffle. Delicious. In the afternoon I had some great Mexican food while visiting my roommate in El Monte. I don't remember the name of the place but I had an all meat burrito and a hard shell deep fried shredded beef taco. Again, delicious and I was stuffed. Then I drove back to phoenix and obviously wasn't hungry the rest of the day and night. Then yesterday I didn't eat anything all morning and afternoon. I went to eat some tasty BBQ for dinner though and that was the most full I felt in a very long time. Absolutely stuffed. I got a sampler which was bbq chicken, rips, briquette and slices of pork, mac n cheese and cheesy potatoes and TWO giant cups of homemade rootbeer. Damn that was tasty. As stuffed as I was I unnecesarily ate some hot cappy and provalone cheese around 10PM on a low carb tortilla.

I did get my exercise in yesterday as well. I jogged for 1.5 miles on the treadmill in the late AM and then I spent a couple of hours in the pool in the afternoon. It was absolutely beautiful and perfect pool weather yesterday. I was doing laps and my arms are even a bit sore today. So i've found another active outdoor activity. I plan on swimming more this summer. I didn't step foot in the pool once last summer but it was such a great day, I would do laps and then read a book and get sun for a bit and then back in the pool some more and read some more. I felt like a million bucks after that.

I have been neglecting my bike for a bit, I was waiting to lose more weight before taking it out again and I think it's about time for me to do that again soon. Hiking, swimming, jogging and next biking! I feel like a different person with a whole new active lifestyle. It even sounds weird saying active lifestyle when i've been a non mover for so long. I have made my list of a few changes for this next month and I will review it. Tomorrow is day 30 so it's likely I will not push myself very hard during the week long break between 30 day challenges. I'm going to let my body recover a bit. I know for a fact though I won't be stopping everything during the short break.

How was everyone elses weekend? Hopefully you didn't eat as much as me but you got out and did some stuff!

Way to go Mark. You're seriously kicking butt.

I had a nice mellow weekend. On Saturday I went to a beach party thing and probably ate and drank too much, but I also did a lot of swimming and played some volleyball (poorly), so at least there is that. Sunday I spent most of the day walking around a nursery checking out plants, harvesting worm compost, and whatnot. I ate pretty well Sunday, but didn't workout.

I'm determined that this week is going to be AWESOME.

[faxman75]

Courtney, those meals look like works of art! I bet they are delicious too. Do you snack at all Courtny? I know at work I have a giant bag of raw almonds that I snack on all day. They tend to get a bit boring after a while and then I resort to this thing called "energizer mix" which is a small bag of raisins, other dried fruit and nuts. I seem to be averaging a bag of those a day. Stay determined! :)


I finally got on the scale today and i'm 253 lbs. I'm at the end of another 30 day challenge and as much as I want to give my legs a rest i'm not sure I will. The next week will definitely be a bit of a break. I'm going to Vegas this weekend but I even intend on bringing workout clothes and using the gym while there. It's likely i'll keep getting in a mile of jogging every morning and skipping the hike to let the leg muscles rest for a few days.

I plan on starting my new goals when the next 30 day challenge starts but i'm already starting on some of them like more water since I need to gradually build up to over 100 oz. anyway. I've been more tired than normal the last few days and spent almost the entire evening last night night in bed watching the West Wing. It was nice doing nothing for a change.

[ivankay]

Must get to Hawaii for excellent looking eats.

[chairmenmeow47]

i love looking at courtney's meals.

faxy, as far as the snack thing, is there a sprouts near you? they have all sorts of bins of different types of trail mixes like that. perhaps that would give you some variety? you can buy them by the pound, so you could try a bunch of different kinds without spending too much.

i do wish sprouts wasn't so far. i am in dire need of nuts. i've also been pretty broke, so i haven't been able to justify a big trip there recently. i've been going to trader joe's more, which is closer and has lots of pre-prepared stuff, but i would like to cook more now that i have the time to.

still walking, but this weekend i was bad. the coup helped get me motivated yesterday though :) i don't know how i'd walk without headphones.

[faxman75]

Ivy, the problem with me buying the very large bags of trail mix, is I tend to eat way more than I should. It's probabaly a good thing that I get it from the vending machine. Some days I don't have change so I skip it all together and when I do get it, it's only one small bag so I can't munch all day long at work on them.

I'm totally with you on the headphones thing. They are my lifeline when it comes to any/all hiking/jogging .

[chiapet]

Courtney, your meals look awesome. I definitely have a lot to learn about food presentation, most of what I cook tastes good but looks a little iffy.

How is your dinner only 393 calories? Isn't the beer alone like 150/200 calories?

[chairmenmeow47]

Ivy, the problem with me buying the very large bags of trail mix, is I tend to eat way more than I should. It's probabaly a good thing that I get it from the vending machine. Some days I don't have change so I skip it all together and when I do get it, it's only one small bag so I can't munch all day long at work on them.

faxy lemme clarify. you don't HAVE to buy by the pound, it's just priced that way. if you want to buy a handful, you can. it also helps if you buy those tiny little tupperwares or small baggies and divvy out your daily portions at home. then you only bring a small container to work. i generally keep a couple of small containers of nuts. so i know once i've finished the container, i'm done and don't keep snacking. that might help you, though i totally understand that sometimes you just need a visit to the vending machine.

[Courtney]

Courtney, those meals look like works of art! I bet they are delicious too. Do you snack at all Courtny? I know at work I have a giant bag of raw almonds that I snack on all day. They tend to get a bit boring after a while and then I resort to this thing called "energizer mix" which is a small bag of raisins, other dried fruit and nuts. I seem to be averaging a bag of those a day. Stay determined! :)

Thanks! I actually am a HUGE snacker, but it's just that yesterday I had meetings pretty from straight from 10am to 4pm, so there wasn't a lot of opportunity. If I had planned better, I guess I would have packed something I could munch on in between the meetings. But instead, I just ate an unusually huge breakfast, and that was that.

I love trail mix, but I find I have to be careful because it is so energy-dense (aka, caloric). I tend to go the route of a handful of nuts and a piece of fresh fruit instead, because I find the fresh fruit fills me up more than dried. But that's just me.


I finally got on the scale today and i'm 253 lbs. I'm at the end of another 30 day challenge and as much as I want to give my legs a rest i'm not sure I will. The next week will definitely be a bit of a break. I'm going to Vegas this weekend but I even intend on bringing workout clothes and using the gym while there. It's likely i'll keep getting in a mile of jogging every morning and skipping the hike to let the leg muscles rest for a few days.

I plan on starting my new goals when the next 30 day challenge starts but i'm already starting on some of them like more water since I need to gradually build up to over 100 oz. anyway. I've been more tired than normal the last few days and spent almost the entire evening last night night in bed watching the West Wing. It was nice doing nothing for a change.

Sounds like a good plan! I'm impressed about the working out in Vegas part. I find it difficult to stick to a normal routine while on vacation. Keep up your awesomeness!


Must get to Hawaii for excellent looking eats.

Yes. You must!


i love looking at courtney's meals.

faxy, as far as the snack thing, is there a sprouts near you? they have all sorts of bins of different types of trail mixes like that. perhaps that would give you some variety? you can buy them by the pound, so you could try a bunch of different kinds without spending too much.

i do wish sprouts wasn't so far. i am in dire need of nuts. i've also been pretty broke, so i haven't been able to justify a big trip there recently. i've been going to trader joe's more, which is closer and has lots of pre-prepared stuff, but i would like to cook more now that i have the time to.

still walking, but this weekend i was bad. the coup helped get me motivated yesterday though :) i don't know how i'd walk without headphones.

Man, I miss Trader Joe's. I find it so much easier to eat healthfully when I have ready access to things like cheap bell peppers, almonds, greek yogurt, and whatnot.

And yay for headphones :) What other kind of music do you like for motivation?


Courtney, your meals look awesome. I definitely have a lot to learn about food presentation, most of what I cook tastes good but looks a little iffy.

How is your dinner only 393 calories? Isn't the beer alone like 150/200 calories?

Thanks Heidi :)

I dunno on the dinner, but I calculated it out, and came up with 393. The fish was like 150, the beer was 150, the olive oil was like 60 or 70, and then all the green stuff was pretty nominal. I guess that's why Atkins works for people -- it's easy to be low calorie if you're not eating carbs.


faxy lemme clarify. you don't HAVE to buy by the pound, it's just priced that way. if you want to buy a handful, you can. it also helps if you buy those tiny little tupperwares or small baggies and divvy out your daily portions at home. then you only bring a small container to work. i generally keep a couple of small containers of nuts. so i know once i've finished the container, i'm done and don't keep snacking. that might help you, though i totally understand that sometimes you just need a visit to the vending machine.

Yeah, this is a great way to do it. I do it for nuts -- I get some ziplock snack-size bags and a measuring cup (ususally 1/8th cup) and then just portion out a bunch of servings individually so that they are ready to go.

[chiapet]

That's incredible... that looks like a lot of food for under 400 calories. Perhaps I need to look further into calorie counting. I just base my meals on how much I think I should be eating... :)

[locachica73]

Courtney, I think you need to go on food network and start your own cooking show, your food always looks so amazing and healthy. I would love to take a cooking with courtney lesson. :)

[faxman75]

Ivy, thanks for the tips. That's how terrible I am at portion control. I purchased a fairly large bag of trail mix this past weekend before the road trip. I'm fairly certain it said serving size 11. I ate half on the way to L.A. and half on the way back and I was worried that I was going to eat the entire bag on the way there.

Sugar-free red bull and trail mix is fuel on my road trips. I need to just add some beef jerky and cut back on the portions a bit.

Courtney, the caloric content of trail mix is what always scares me. My small bag of energy mix has the same amount of calories as a milky way, I think I mentioned that in this thread last week. Scary.

[Courtney]

That's incredible... that looks like a lot of food for under 400 calories. Perhaps I need to look further into calorie counting. I just base my meals on how much I think I should be eating... :)

Ha, yeah, I don't usually go through and calculate out all the calorie values of everything I eat. Normally I just eyeball it. But I thought I should try it this week as part of my effort to shake things up.


Courtney, I think you need to go on food network and start your own cooking show, your food always looks so amazing and healthy. I would love to take a cooking with courtney lesson. :)

Aw, thanks Audra :) I actually used to work at a cooking school, when I lived in Los Angeles. So I guess maybe some of that rubbed off into my home life.

But I will come cook for you anytime we're in the same city on the same day!


Sugar-free red bull and trail mix is fuel on my road trips. I need to just add some beef jerky and cut back on the portions a bit. .

Jesus. Sugar-free red bull sounds unusually horrible. I mean, regular red bull is bad enough. I had no idea that a sugar-free variety existed.

Sorry faxy, but ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[chiapet]

Sugar-free Red Bull actually tastes a lot better than regular, to me anyway. I like it a lot.

[Courtney]

I think I will just have to accept that Red Bull is not for me. I'm an old fashioned, coffee-only sort of person.

[concertgoer]

Sugar-free Red Bull actually tastes a lot better than regular, to me anyway. I like it a lot.

I agree. I don't even like to drink regular Red Bull anymore

[faxman75]

Ha, I actually don't drink it for the flavor, I drink it for the feeling of being wired. I don't like risking being sleepy behind the wheel and I also like drinking vodka and SF red bull because it doesn't make me sleepy like other drinks do. I like it better than Rock Star, Monster and the myriad of other energy drinks i've had over the years.

I just purchased a snack from our snack stand downstairs. I got a Dannon light and fit vanilla yogurt....sprinkling raw almonds into this is even good. I sprinkle raw almonds on everything these days, I swear.

[chiapet]

I can't stand any other energy drink. And I drink it for the same reasons as Mark... it's not because I just want a beverage, I drink it where I need/want to be wired. (Drinkable) coffee is not available all the time, and coffee gives me awful heartburn if I drink it late in the day.

[concertgoer]

I most only drink Red Bull when I am at shows or I have to be up really early in the morning.

[chairmenmeow47]

i only drink red bull when i'm out of anti-freeze. unsweetened iced-tea is my crack :p

courtney, i try to listen to a lot of dancey stuff, which for me is hip-hop, dnb, robynesque shit. albums & dj sets are also good since i know i won't have to change the ipod. i also make a playlist every year of the songs i can't get enough of which i call "obsession 20XX" and end up listening to that a lot. really i'll listen to most anything, but i find when i need motivation, the dancey stuff does it for me.

i used to do audiobooks for awhile, but for one, my ipod is full and i have to remove stuff to add more stuff and for two, i'd find i'd get distracted for a part of a chapter and have to rewind. i reaaaaaaaally wish my school's textbooks had a better audiobook program. their idea of "audiobooks" sounds like stephen hawking.

i also try to use my walk to call people like my brother. lately though i've just wanted time with my headphones and have been slacking on my dialing.

and i do the tiny gladwares instead of ziplock bags because i can never close them properly.

http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/public/VxNMIAWrVjESCxHNaWL5qvr4Unq17eZRPdo3n6Psc8BiI_cOxe NrFfFONfxp74b7RNv1WxO3pa0U0kwnUyYppUEirxwdqsoscy5g MsxI9gpQdAAjLcShScIcFGzUfv9-88I1AL3-CoLVpG79hr9gc8be6vP-_60Hqe9JxFirQh3LMB4qVsPTGQ

[chiapet]

I love the small reusable gladware type things. They are really great for snacks, and I use them even for leftovers in order to have small portions handy.

[chairmenmeow47]

i sometimes use them for olive oil or soy sauce, though i have found all the gladwares leak a little if tipped over. and they are a pain in the ass to put in the dishwasher. they inevitably turn over, collect water. i should just wash them by hand.

[Courtney]

WORKOUT
bicycle commuting, 40 mins roundtrip

FOOD

Breakfast: Poached eggs with shaved parmesan and pistou on toasted sourdough, orange, black coffee, 562 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5757095473_d63fda856d.jpg

Snack: Vanilla lowfat yogurt with sliced strawberries and wheat germ, 186 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3542/5756581252_f5f13edb0a.jpg

Lunch: Seared blue marlin over arugula with new potatoes, red and golden tomatoes, red onion, green beans, olives, and topped with a dressing of capers, dill, chive, fresh lemon juice and olive oil, 440 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5756232009_3e27502235.jpg

Snack: 20 chocolate-covered raisins, not pictured, whoops, 78 calories

Dinner: Soy-tamarind marinated steak, okra with ginger, scallions and thai chili paste, brown rice, 344 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3476/5757097003_3dc2e3db59.jpg

I ended up skipping the gym and also snacking on some chocolate today, so probably not the best of days, but it could have been a lot worse. It's also good to remember how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE okra when it's actual fresh okra and not just the frozen stuff. I don't eat it enough.

[fatbastard]

I'm gonna scream. I'm going to go make a bowl of cereal. Damm it.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

God damn, Courtney. You are going to make the most amazing wife someday.

[SONR801]

This thread is awesome and after seeing it last year it really inspired me to work out and get in shape before the next chella.

I started last week on the 16th and have already noticed a change in my mood, energy levels and how productive i can be in a day. Been switching between rest days and days where i do H.I.T's to help boost my metabolism. In a notebook ive been keeping track of my activity and food intake which has helped me realise how much i use to eat that i didn't need and how much could easily be replaced with healthy food like fruits and veggies (which i already love, so its great)

this time last year, i weighed in at 302 lbs, heaviest ive ever been. I weighed myself in when i started my "Fit-Chella" program and was 275.1.....after a week of working out and just getting out more(the park/walking around the mall...etc) i came in at 268.4. My goal is to lose close to 10 pounds a month before chella and try to get under 200 pounds for the first time in my life since i was 14. 75 more pounds and 11 months to go :)

Knowing this thread is even here gives me that much more want to keep it up and share my experience with those who have inspired me..hopefully i can get a camera soon to start tracking my progress visually.

[chairmenmeow47]

i think we're going to need some "cooking with courtney" videos. preferably in a cute apron.

yesterday i was supposed to walk with rick, but we got some glorious news at work and my boss took us out to celebrate. still though, when i got home i managed to walk for a half-hour which was good. i've been trying to eat more yogurt in the morning. i got sick of hard boiled eggs & i need to stop going to fast food for breakfast. unfortunately i apparently got coconut yogurt instead of vanilla and it is fucking foul. so hungry am i!!!

and welcome, SONR801! best of luck :)

[SONR801]

^thank mate, glad to be apart :)

Its funny you mention that you got the coconut yogurt instead of the vanilla, I did the same thing and absolutely hate coconut but cant let it go to waste.

Try mixing the yogurt with about half a serving of cereal and some fresh berries of your choice, ive noticed raspberries with some special k cereal mixes well with the coconut and tastes pretty dang good

[chairmenmeow47]

i generally mix my yogurt with almonds. it was just gross. i'm glad i only bought one pack of four. i need to mix it up though and start mixing in cereal, granola, or even fruit *gasp*. i'm not big into fruit, but mixed in with yogurt might be a good way to get me to eat it.

[I.F.A.]

^Welcome!

I must be the outlier here in that it's gotten to where I hate flavored yogurt and always buy plain. I think that once I made the switch and got used to not needing yogurt to be sweet (at first, I'd put brown sugar in it, but now I don't even do that - usually just some kind of fruit and maybe some flax seed), now really sweet yogurt kind of weirds me out.

I'm going through a funk, and definitely off of the fitchella routine, but at least I haven't gained any weight back. I did have to walk a mile to the light rail this morning, since I had a flat tire, so I guess at least I can count that as exercise!

[faxman75]

WELCOME SONR801! Sounds like you're doing great. Nice to see another person who started at around 300 dropping so much and doing it the right way. My goal pretty similar to yours as well. Under 200 by Coachella! I have only been under that weight once since high school and it was not for more than a few weeks i'm sure.

Yesterday was the final day of the 30 days of fitness (min. of 20 minutes of exercise per day). This was the 4th one I have done I think. I definitely started to fizzle at the end. Yesterday I jogged in the morning and totally skipped the after work hike. I'm on a break until next week when it starts up again. After skipping the hike AND the jog this morning I feel pretty guilty and have a total fear in the back of mind that i'm doing something very wrong or that by taking a couple of days off i'm going to be ruined. It's so odd feeling anxiety over this. I also did next to nothing last night. I cooked dinner and layed in bed watching the West Wing for hours as I dozed in and out of sleep. I felt bored and restless too like I should have been doing something but rather than give in I just stayed in zombie mode. I did that on Monday too but that's the end of that. I have things to do this evening, school tomorrow night and off to Vegas on Friday so I kind of enjoyed the doing nothing even though it felt very wrong. Skipping the jog was especially awkard this morning. It's such a routine and I skipped it for no good reason but I kept telling myself it was a little reward for how well i've been doing. It just doesn't compute that a reward is somehow skipping something that makes me feel better. I'm taking all of these feelings as a positive and it should be that much better when i start back up with a routine on Monday and i'm planning on checking out the gym in Vegas and getting in some jogging or hiking tomorrow as well.

Lunch today is salmon and green beans. I've done a really good job of eating fish weekly ever since I had my health assessment at work and was told to add more fish to my diet. I'm starting to get curious about how much my cholesterol levels have improved too but i'm very much putting off making that doctors appointment. I have to do that by the end of summer or at least that's another goal.

[chairmenmeow47]

faxy, i think it's normal to fizzle out a bit. there are days where i would push myself to just walk around for 10-15 minutes. it's not exactly vigorous exercise, but it's simply something to keep the habit going. you have lost a lot of weight and may be at more of a maintaining phase right now. keeping up with the morning jog and missing the evening hike isn't the end of the world though and at least you did something :)

[chiapet]

You all are not strange - I don't like flavored yogurt very much. The kind with fruit at the bottom is OK, but tastes more dessert like to me than something to eat with breakfast. However, I usually pass on yogurt in favor of cottage cheese. Sometimes with honey, so good.

[ivankay]

i use plain yogurt and add a little honey for sweetness. The other stuff that usually gets mixed in there are strawberries, granola and raw almonds.

[vibesandstuff]

For those of you struggling to keep a regular fitness routine I recommend a goal. I like to run, so when my sister called wanting to run a marathon next winter with me, I started training. This after being a bit sporadic over the last 6 months and putting on a few pounds. IMO it is so much easier to keep a routine if you have a goal in mind. It might not be a marathon, but a 5K or a bicycle race, whatever it takes to motivate you.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Go on, vibesandstuff...


Looks like I might FINALLY be able to start regular workouts again next week. So happy. It's amazing what a lack of exercise can do to one's mood and feeling of well being. I'll get the final ok next week.

[Courtney]

God damn, Courtney. You are going to make the most amazing wife someday.

Haha thanks. Let me know if you're ever looking for one kick-ass, meal-making beard ;)


This thread is awesome and after seeing it last year it really inspired me to work out and get in shape before the next chella.

I started last week on the 16th and have already noticed a change in my mood, energy levels and how productive i can be in a day. Been switching between rest days and days where i do H.I.T's to help boost my metabolism. In a notebook ive been keeping track of my activity and food intake which has helped me realise how much i use to eat that i didn't need and how much could easily be replaced with healthy food like fruits and veggies (which i already love, so its great)

this time last year, i weighed in at 302 lbs, heaviest ive ever been. I weighed myself in when i started my "Fit-Chella" program and was 275.1.....after a week of working out and just getting out more(the park/walking around the mall...etc) i came in at 268.4. My goal is to lose close to 10 pounds a month before chella and try to get under 200 pounds for the first time in my life since i was 14. 75 more pounds and 11 months to go :)

Knowing this thread is even here gives me that much more want to keep it up and share my experience with those who have inspired me..hopefully i can get a camera soon to start tracking my progress visually.

Welcome SONR801! Congrats on all your progress thus far. It sounds like you are well on your way to your goal. So awesome.

I find keeping the notebook is definitely a good technique for staying accountable. Thus my digital notebook in this thread. Hopefully it will work out, but normally I'm good with the old-fashioned notebook kind.

And yes, photos please! Progress pictures are the BEST.


i think we're going to need some "cooking with courtney" videos. preferably in a cute apron.

yesterday i was supposed to walk with rick, but we got some glorious news at work and my boss took us out to celebrate. still though, when i got home i managed to walk for a half-hour which was good. i've been trying to eat more yogurt in the morning. i got sick of hard boiled eggs & i need to stop going to fast food for breakfast. unfortunately i apparently got coconut yogurt instead of vanilla and it is fucking foul. so hungry am i!!!

and welcome, SONR801! best of luck :)

Ha! I love cute aprons. And people love giving me cute aprons for gifts too. This may have to be a thing.

Congrats on your work news. Sorry about the coconut yogurt -- that sounds foul. I am not really understanding this whole coconut craze right now with foods. I keep on seeing the coconut water everywhere, and people are saying stuff about substituting coconut oil because it turns out that although it has saturated fats, it's healthy saturated fats? I dunno. I like my coconut in frozen popsicle form and that's about it.


^Welcome!

I must be the outlier here in that it's gotten to where I hate flavored yogurt and always buy plain. I think that once I made the switch and got used to not needing yogurt to be sweet (at first, I'd put brown sugar in it, but now I don't even do that - usually just some kind of fruit and maybe some flax seed), now really sweet yogurt kind of weirds me out.

I'm going through a funk, and definitely off of the fitchella routine, but at least I haven't gained any weight back. I did have to walk a mile to the light rail this morning, since I had a flat tire, so I guess at least I can count that as exercise!

Amy, I wish I was like that bout the plain yogurt. I will buy it because I like the versatility of being able to cook with it, substitute it for sour cream in mexican dishes, etc, but I definitely need to add some sort of sweetener. Maybe I will try to wean myself off of it.

Bummer about the flat tire. But I guess it's a start!

[Courtney]

Lunch today is salmon and green beans. I've done a really good job of eating fish weekly ever since I had my health assessment at work and was told to add more fish to my diet. I'm starting to get curious about how much my cholesterol levels have improved too but i'm very much putting off making that doctors appointment. I have to do that by the end of summer or at least that's another goal.

I love, love love fish. What sorts have you been incorporating in your eating? And, out of curiosity, what is the cholesterol benefit of eating fish as opposed to just taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements?


For those of you struggling to keep a regular fitness routine I recommend a goal. I like to run, so when my sister called wanting to run a marathon next winter with me, I started training. This after being a bit sporadic over the last 6 months and putting on a few pounds. IMO it is so much easier to keep a routine if you have a goal in mind. It might not be a marathon, but a 5K or a bicycle race, whatever it takes to motivate you.

This is great advice, and something I already know, but haven't been very good at putting into action. I should try to think of something. Unfortunately, with my current fitness level, I'm in no shape to run the races I used to do because a half-marathon or even just a 10K is probably too much for me right now. But a 5K would be a good place to start. Or maybe I'll register for one of the open-water swimming races that happen over the summer here.


Looks like I might FINALLY be able to start regular workouts again next week. So happy. It's amazing what a lack of exercise can do to one's mood and feeling of well being. I'll get the final ok next week.

That's really exciting. You must be incredibly antsy. Let us know as soon as you hear!

[Courtney]

Ok, so today was better than yesterday. Yay!

I slept through my alarm clock. Of course. Which meant no gym this morning and no fancy breakfast. But I did survive one more day of bicycle commuting to work, I ate pretty well all day, and I did also make it to the gym after work (unfortunately, only briefly though because I got pulled away from the machines by an urgent phone call). But still, the fact that I made it there is a step in the right direction, so I'm celebrating it.

I was also delighted to realize that after a week and a half of bicycling every single day, my butt finally isn't sore anymore. I mean, there's still a little residual soreness when I get up after having bumped along a pothole-filled road, but it's nowhere near as bad as before, and not really noticeable unless I'm thinking about it. Hurrah!


WORKOUT

elliptical machine, 20 minutes
bicycle commuting, 40 minutes round-trip

FOOD

Breakfast: Vanilla yogurt with sliced strawberries and wheat germ, black coffee, 276 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/5760430792_8300d86d3a.jpg

Lunch: Sourdough with asian pear melted brie, mixed greens, topped with pistou, 479 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/5759884553_3fbb6f7b04.jpg

Snack: Papaya with lime, roasted almonds, 193 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2724/5760603830_579a7ab629.jpg

Dinner: Panko and cumin-crusted pork chop with pineapple, red onion, ginger salsa and a bed of mixed homegrown greens, 517 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/5760709849_5fe715c203.jpg

[chiapet]

No love for coconut??? :( I don't love it in my yogurt, but in general, coconut is amazing. As for the fat being healthy, I think most of the studies around it come from Pacific Islander populations, where, even when their diet is high in fat, most of the fat is from coconut/butter/oil, and even where people are obese, there is really low incident of heart disease. The acids in it are also supposed to be natural anti-fugal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral remedies.

But whatever the true benefit, I just think it tastes lovely. I love raw, unsweetened coconut, and occasionally put coconut butter in cooking.

[Courtney]

I like coconut in limited doses. Like, I enjoy buying a local brand of organic granola that has toasted coconut flakes in it. I really like that coconut-based vegan ice cream substitute stuff that's made in Oregon.

But I still think the coconut-water-as-health-drink trend is super odd.

[chiapet]

I've never had coconut water, so I'd agree that it's odd for a health drink. I'm not sure the "water" is really THAT healthy. It has potassium, but I think you'd have to add sodium to get a sports drink type balance out of it.

I actually don't really like toasted coconut... something about the toasting changes the flavor and texture so much that to me it starts to resemble tree nuts (to which I'm really allergic so anything that remotely resembles nuts in flavor makes me uneasy). I'm more of a raw coconut mixed in the salad kind of person.

[faxman75]

I love, love love fish. What sorts have you been incorporating in your eating? And, out of curiosity, what is the cholesterol benefit of eating fish as opposed to just taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements?


I was eating fish probably less than once a month so I started buying bags of salmon that are frozen and individually vacuum sealed. It made it easy to take one fillet out and put it in the fridge to thaw over night and leave the rest frozen. It's also substantially cheaper and smaller portions than fresh salmon. I have it at least twice a week for lunch. I'm not sure there is a benefit over the supplements, i just didn't want to start buying and taking supplements. I figured I would rather add fish to my diet than start taking a pill (s) every day. I don't like to complicate things too much and I actually like salmon so it works. I'll know how well it works at that doctors visit.

I was just looking at the history of my cardio trainer app for my android phone. I have recorded every jog and hike except maybe a dozen because of battery or not having my phone on me but since December 26th I have recorded 176 workouts for 206.5 miles.

I am also finally doing a mile in under 15 minutes. That was a goal that seemed to take forever to reach and I knew I was right around there but outdoors this morning I did a mile in 14:25. I've probably been at that time for almost a month now and just hadn't really realized it.

[chairmenmeow47]

congrats, faxy! it probably helps motivate you to keep track of everything.

and i'm happy to hear rage is getting back on track! the exercise definitely improves mood.

i went on a short walk yesterday, then decided to ride my bike to return some video tapes, deposit a check at the bank and get more yogurt. i was inspired by courtney :) it was rough at first, took me 40 minutes (including stops) to get to the store. i stopped at subway and had a sandwich because i simply could not wait to eat. but the way home only took like 15-20 minutes. i love paths where the way there is harder than the way back. i'll have to do that again.

[GuyInTucson]

Fuck it, I am walking to Coachella next year. Who's in?

[NachoCat]

http://ck.cx/media/weblog/20091003-burger.jpg

[Courtney]

So, today fucking sucked. For various personal reasons. I pretty much just want to do something really violent and personally harmful right now. Fuck I hate today.

WORKOUT

None

FOOD

Breakfast: Fried rice made with brown rice, scallion, ginger, edamame and pineapple, topped with fried egg, 440 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/5761991133_40174c7a1b.jpg

Lunch: Sliced steak and dijon mustard on sourdough with tomato and parsley salad, 474 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/5762775341_723a5349b8.jpg

Snack: Asian pear and cashews, 160 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3099/5763932312_ffee892278.jpg

Dinner: Roasted eggplant, chickpeas, tomatoes, garlic, ginger and garam masala, 341 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5308/5763882869_b1767c622b.jpg

Liquid therapy: beer, scotch, 651 calories

[ivankay]

Whatever crummy day i was having, these meals would have been glorious oasises. Sorry about the shitty day.

[locachica73]

I am hitting the beach in August and want to be in better shape for it. Not just losing weight but building up some more endurance, my leg still bothers me quite a bit after any long walks or dancing. It has been a year, it shouldn't hurt as much as it does. So the girls I work with and I are going to start planning healthy lunches instead of going out for fast food and I am going to start hitting the gym. Hopefully the fact that I put this in writing here will force me to actually do it. Does anyone have any advice for excercise that will not bother my leg and possibly strengthen the ligiments so it hurts less?

[rskapcat]

Try the recumbent bike, Audra. Low impact, and your leg isn't bearing your body weight. Your leg might benefit from yoga, as well. Lengthening and strengthening all at once.

[chairmenmeow47]

just watch your ass, my butt hurts so bad from bike riding the past two days lol.

[locachica73]

I have been throwing the yoga idea around quite a bit lately but keep chickening out, after the move I am doing it!!!

[locachica73]

just watch your ass, my butt hurts so bad from bike riding the past two days lol.

lol, I think I have a lot more cushion back there than you do though. :)

[chairmenmeow47]

you do have more, but the area that hurts generally doesn't have a lot of cushion. it gets better, but at first it HURTS.

[Courtney]

Whatever crummy day i was having, these meals would have been glorious oasises. Sorry about the shitty day.

Thanks :) All I really wanted last night was mountains and mountains of ice cream with my sympathy scotch. It's a good thing that I was too drunk to drive to the grocery store and Honolulu does not have grocery delivery.


I am hitting the beach in August and want to be in better shape for it. Not just losing weight but building up some more endurance, my leg still bothers me quite a bit after any long walks or dancing. It has been a year, it shouldn't hurt as much as it does. So the girls I work with and I are going to start planning healthy lunches instead of going out for fast food and I am going to start hitting the gym. Hopefully the fact that I put this in writing here will force me to actually do it. Does anyone have any advice for excercise that will not bother my leg and possibly strengthen the ligiments so it hurts less?

Yay Audra! I agree with Becca about the recumbent bike. Swimming too, if you have access to a pool.

[Courtney]

So on my front, today marks the completion of my second full week of successful bicycle commuting. Hurrah! And I'm also only mildly hungover from last night. So there's that.

WORKOUT

bicycle commuting, 40 minutes

FOOD

Breakfast: Vanilla yogurt with wheat germ, grapefruit, 267 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2213/5765862157_3170dff418.jpg

Lunch: Unagi over brown rice with side salad and miso soup, 534 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5185/5766722892_90c68c72da.jpg

Dinner: Minestrone and sourdough, 468 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5310/5766807985_04d8f6acc7.jpg

[fatbastard]

I need to read this thread for inspiration.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Grilled up some lean coconut lime pork chops with a green papaya salad this evening. Finished with a tablespoon (and that's all) of Lychee Pinkberry. God damn is that some good yogurt. If only it wasn't loaded with sugar! That being said...?



Haha thanks. Let me know if you're ever looking for one kick-ass, meal-making beard ;)

GSAM seeks K-A M-M B

[Courtney]

I have found that I actually have a much easier time sticking to eating healthy and working out on the days when I have the structure of a 9-5 job. Which I realize is ironic, because on Saturdays and Sundays I have so much more time. But somehow, I never seem to utilize that time well. That's definitely one of my big goals forward is to get better about that.

WORKOUT

none

FOOD

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with chives, sourdough, grapefruit, herbal tea, 368 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/5769701062_75d10bf788.jpg

Lunch: Sardines over quinoa with kahuku sea asparagus, red onion, dill and lemon, 414 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2484/5769213013_78a6a26642.jpg

Snack: Orange, roasted peanuts, 198 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2688/5769645281_8aa2ea8c07.jpg

Dinner: Kalua pig, poi, lomi lomi salmon, okinawan sweet potato, long rice, and salad, 566 calories (I forgot to take a photo)

[fatbastard]

Yesterday was the worst eating day since Coachella weekend. Will try and rebound today and tomorrow.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Yeah, I fucked up yesterday too. Out to dinner with a friend for a 4 course meal, then too many drinks at a club and then Korean wings at Kyochon at 2:30am. You gotta live a little once in a while, right?

[Courtney]

Yeah, so, add me to that didn't-do-so-well-today group. Er. Um. Yeah.

WORKOUT

walking, 40 minutes
dancing, 3 hours (that counts, right?)

FOOD

Breakfast: Cereal with skim milk, 196 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2789/5773354490_cd811b2fa5.jpg

Lunch: Salmon salad, beer, 507 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2535/5774010437_f6629f6649.jpg

Snack: Malasada, 237 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/5774546954_8502a734c6.jpg

Dinner: Open-face breakfast sandwich (same recipe but re-purposed photo), 549 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5296/5503874116_535c55c140.jpg

Late Night Snack: Pinkberry, 200 calories (no photo taken for this one either. oops)

[Courtney]

I finished cat-sitting tonight, which means I am now back at my apartment. I couldn't be happier. Although staying in a big gorgeous house sounds like it would be fun, it makes cooking difficult when you're got a completely empty fridge and cupboards without even the basic spices and olive oil and whatnot. So, I did a lot of takeout over the past two days, but hopefully I can get back on track starting tomorrow.

Also, geez, NO MORE FRO YO FOR ME.



WORKOUT

hula hooping, 45 minutes (Kylie inspired me! yay!)


FOOD

Breakfast: Cereal with skim milk, 196 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3243/5777351751_24c25b1103.jpg

Lunch: Carnitas mulitas with salsa, 673 calories
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5778159557_3be35fa24d.jpg

Snack: Frozen yogurt with fresh fruit and shredded coconut, 236 calories
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2340/5778720776_9071ff4f13.jpg

Snack: Carrots and hummus with roasted red pepper, 145 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/5778978563_6e23302a61.jpg

Dinner: Leftover quinoa with kahuku sea asparagus, dill, lemon and olive oil, 221 calories
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3260/5780024118_742aba05b4.jpg

[locachica73]

So I already failed at this eating healthy thing. Not only did I forget my lunch at home (baked talapia with long grain rice) which will make me go out to eat fast food, but I also forgot I was suppose to be eating healthy this morning so I had a donut for breakfast... Double fail.

I think after work I might go check out the community work out facility at my new apartments. I will also take a walk around the complex and check out the three pools so I can plan my upcoming pool party.

I did get plenty of exercise this weekend while moving so I will not be so hard on myself regarding the donut.

[faxman75]

:) I really enjoy swimming or so i'm discovering. I swam a bit in Vegas. I used the treadmill in Vegas. OMG did I feel great for it too. I slept very little and drank very much but the hydration and exercise made me feel fantastic compared to how I felt the one day I didn't. I had tons of different and awesome food this weekend. Went to a chinese/mexican fusion place and had a dish called "like water for chocolate" it was fried qauil but very light breading. I had dragon fruit for the first time ever and that was delicious. I also had guava. Delicious scallops and everything was really really good.

We cooked in our suite on Sunday and had pasta with vodka sauce and I had a ton but I don't regreat any of the eating I did this weekend....or the drinking. I've never had so many different combos of vodka. I drank excessively the last 4 days.

Last night when I was at home drinking I drunkenly got on the scale. 247 pounds. Smiles. Back to the grind this week though. I'm munching on fruit this morning for breakfast. I have a ton of school work to do this week. I hope to get some of it done at work.

Oh and while at the fitness center at the MGM Signature this weekend I did my fastest and first full straight mile of jogging. It was an 11.5 minute mile, I varied speeds after that and did just over 2 miles. It really felt good on only a few hours of sleep too.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Courtney, I feel you on the fro-yo; well on the Pinkberry at least. I swear they put crack in that stuff. The new lychee flavor is so refreshing. Just do yourself a favor and don't look at the nutritionals!

Got the final ok from my doctor to resume regular workouts!! Did my first set of HIIT in over 2 mos. I'm completely wiped out from one HIIT session. Gonna take a couple of weeks to get back to where I was in terms of endurance. Onwards!

[locachica73]

I took a half hour walk around my apartment complex last night, it probably would have been shorter if I hadn't gotten slightly lost. There is an awesome walking path that goes around the golf course. In the process I found the workout facility too. I talked to Nick about wanting to lose a few pounds/shape up before our trip and he agreed that on the nights we hang out we can try to hit the gym as well. I just think it will be a lot easier if I have someone to go with.

I sucked at eating healthy though. Oh well, maybe I will do better today.

[beeerplease]

Going running...aka fast walking

[sonofhal]

14 hour drinking session on Monday. Am I doing this right?

[faxman75]

5 days now of eating terrible food and being tired. I feel less tired today so i'm catching back up at least a little. My morning jog has suffered in a great way, just way off. After an 11 1/2 min. continuous mile on the treadmill in Vegas i've been doing 15-16 minute miles in the morning, cramps, not feeling awake, lazy and lathargic. All bad. Had two peices of fried chicken today and a chocolate chip cookie.

I think I needed to feel this and do this in order to remind myself how terrible it all is. I just hope i'm completely over it now because it's not even stuff I enjoy any more. I also deserve for the workouts to be more difficult, punishment for gluttony.

Back to feeling great starting tonight with a better run on the treadmill hopefully.

[faxman75]

14 hour drinking session on Monday. Am I doing this right?

Yes, I spent Friday - Monday pretty much drunk. Monday night I weighed myself and I was down like 5 pounds from my last weigh in.

We are awesome.

[ThatGirl]

I'm in England right now and have been eating nothing but high fat junk food and drinking booze all week. My plan is to crack down when I get home but in the meantime I am guiltily enjoying myself while feeling blech. I will need a full on cleanse next week.

[TommyboyUNM]

I haven't worked out in two weeks, and I've either been sick or out of town for the better part of a month. I've eaten like shit while out of town. Needless to say, I've regressed. When I feel better, I'm going to get back into a routine. I'm not leaving town for the foreseeable future. Congrats to everyone who is kicking ass.

[Courtney]

thisiswhyyourefat.com, Hawaii edition:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5190/5788219566_65ce4914b9_z.jpg

(Note: I actually asked for a half-size portion of brown rice instead of the standard serving.)

[tarabull]

Really excited I found this thread! My name is tara and I'm a crossfitter. Started last august and loved it so much I'm going to get my certification this month! I'd definitely say nutrition is the hardest part of my fitness life since I own/operate an italian kitchen and pizzeria. So many good options but we are always getting samples of pastas, cheese etc. Today so far steak and eggs for breakfast, greens beans with bacon for lunch and I snacked in some bread with exprimental olive tapenade today. Going to work at the gym right now and I'll post my work out after dinner. Nice to meet all of you!

[faxman75]

Welcome Tara! Can't wait for your contributions to this thread. Italian kitchen, steak n' eggs and green beans w/ bacon all sound fantastic. I'm Italian and was raised on home made Italian food. My grandfather was born in Italy. Anyway, we look forward to more posts!

[chiapet]

Eating healthfully is certainly not mutually exclusive to Italian cooking. My Italian family members tend to live to the 90-95 years range, and very few of them have been overweight. Of course they ate little or no fast food, were picky about ingredients, drank mostly water or wine, ....

[ivankay]

One thing i'm recently happy about: push ups. A couple of years ago my left arm (shoulder to wrist) got strained seriously to the point of therapy. The shoulder and arm got better, but the dorsal part of my wrist constantly sucked ass. One simple push up meant a lot of pain (pushing a door open hurt). To be cautious, i would wear the wrist brace the therapist gave me in almost any situation where i had to lift something that appeared to be more than 10 pounds (a regular occurrence at werk). For some reason after Coachella, things seemed to get better and better. Although flat palms on the ground push ups can still hurt, using push up bars is pain free at this time. Not trying to push myself, so i started at 15 and now am up to 20. Looking forward to adding an additional one each day. Nice to have this simple option back in the arsenal of my poor exercise regimen.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

2nd day back in the saddle. Doing the P90X Ab Ripper workout after several weeks off? Oh GOD. It's like starting all over again. I'm going to be in pain tomorrow.

[fatbastard]

Walked for an hour the past 2 nights. No biggie. Just trying to move the body.

[locachica73]

I ate pretty well last night, even though we were at the bar. I ordered a half oriental chicken salad, it was so gross though that I only nibbled the chicken and wontons (yes, i know wontons aren't healthy). I will probably need to spend less time in the bar if I want to be serious about healthy eating, there just aren't many healthy options on a bars menu.

This morning I had an egg white/veggie quessadilla for breakfast and I am having my leftover talapia and rice for lunch since it took this long to remember to bring it to work. I am hoping it is still good, I cooked it on Monday night.

[tarabull]

Went to tepanyaki with my husband last night and avoided the rice. Started off the morning with 3 hard boiled eggs and some cashews. Just mowed through some pho noodle soup because I'm starting to feel sick. Still sore from yesterday's workout and today's looks dreadful! Here's my workout from yesterday:
200 m run, 10 burpee tuck jumps, 10 overhead squats, 5 squat snatches, 3 rounds of 15 thrusters and 15 chinups, 10 overhead squats, 5 squat snatches, 200 m run. My legs are so toast. Took me almost 30 minutes!

Not sure what's for dinner tonight. Prolly fish and spinach. I've been having a stare down with our slices pizza all day. Trying to say no!

[Mr. Dylanja]

200 m run, 10 burpee tuck jumps, 10 overhead squats, 5 squat snatches, 3 rounds of 15 thrusters and 15 chinups, 10 overhead squats, 5 squat snatches, 200 m run. My legs are so toast. Took me almost 30 minutes!

These are some big time calorie burners, good job.

[keeshonjohnson]

Hi friends :)
Sorry that I have been sucking at posting lately. I just read through and am happy for everyone that is still rocking this, and totally understand those that have had set backs. I have been maintaining nicely, although had been slacking a bit at the gym (went out of town for a funeral and never got back on track). Time to get back on track, so yesterday I signed up for the 30 day challenge at the Bikram yoga studio. This means that isn the month of June I will attend 30 classes. The idea is to go once a day every day, but if you miss a day you are allowed to do a double to make up for it. So far I am 2 for 2. Wish me luck!

[keeshonjohnson]

Oh and since I am going to buy lay a way tomorrow, what weekend are we all going? :D

[faxman75]

From what I can tell, most are trying for weekend 1. I'm going to be a baller though. Weekend 1 camping....travel to vegas for some mid week fun then a resort package for Weekend 2! I can't believe how much awesome that week will be filled with.

[fatbastard]

Walked for an hour again tonight.

[faxman75]

*high five* fatbastard!

[keeshonjohnson]

Faxman, if I could come for that long I would totally be with you! That sounds AMAZING :)

[stuporfly]

My post-Coachella fitness regimen has been yielding results, though a terrible cold mixed with allergies has kind of knocked me on my ass since late last weekend. I've tried to at least do something every day, which this morning meant a combination of running and walking through around two miles of my neighborhood.

The other important thing for me, one which I've performed a bit less successfully, is keeping a fully stocked refrigerator. We had a couple of months where even my local fruit stand had phenomenal oranges and grapefruits I could snack on, but the quality has taken a pretty significant nosedive over the past week or two. Even reliable spots like Fairway and Whole Foods have let me down (I peeled a grapefruit from the latter last night, and the first penetration through the skin sounded like I'd poked a hole in a balloon.) Still, bananas and apples have been pretty tried and true.

The refrigerator has also been a major player for meals, too. I work from home, and unless I've got something I can put together for lunch, I sometimes find myself making old mistakes like running out to a local Chinese place. These slips don't happen nearly as often as they used to, but I still need to make a concerted effort to put myself in a position to succeed so they don't happen at all. My girlfriend is also super healthy, so that doesn't hurt.

This weekend is the official start to my second season of Nerd League basketball. I fucked my knee up a little bit during a pickup game two weeks ago, though I attribute some of that to my still being heavier than I'd like and some of that to being 41 years old. But hopefully sticking to my guns regarding fitness will help remedy that and will reduce some of the other aches and pains I've felt after playing for an hour or two.

I was pleased to learn that I'm still fairly quick, in spite of my heaviness and age, and I imagine that will only get better as I continue to get myself into better shape. I'm also as agile and skilled a basketball player as I was when I was young, unfortunately that means I still kinda suck. But I'm tall and like to rebound, so I still serve a purpose in a semi-organized rec league.

I've really appreciated everyone sharing their own experiences in here, and I want to congratulate all of you who have taken steps both great and small in the right direction.

[locachica73]

I suck at trying to diet. Mostly because I have never really tried to diet. Plus, I have a hard time denying myself anything I really want. If one day I work late and don't want to cook, well damnit I am going to stop and get myself something quick and easy. That usually means fattening. With that in mind, I am really trying to make better choices when I do go out to eat, cutting some of the calories/fat that I normally wouldn't even think about. But since I have never really counted calories or even paid attention to food labels I am not sure if I am even doing that right. For instance, last night we stayed in but I didn't really feel like cooking so Nick went and got us Pei Wei. I would have normally ordered kung pao beef with fried rice (probably a million calories plus 1000 grams of sodium?), but opted for the curry chicken over brown rice, then I forced myself to only eat half of it instead of gobbling down the whole thing. Then after dinner Nick decided to have an ice cream cone, I was suffering from the munchies (probably a good idea to quit smoking if I want to be serious about losing weight) so I decided to have one as well, but I only made a very small one, instead of the 2.5 scoops I would normally eat. Man, I totally suck at this. :(

[faxman75]

Audra, I still smoke the herb and I am losing. I'm not saying it's easy, just that it can be done. For instance for a while I substituted the half a quart of ice cream I was eating with a bowl or two of cereal with 1% milk and plenty of splenda. It's hard but you just have to start making substitutions and I imagine it's harder when you have a partner who isn't on the same plan as you. This all takes real work and doing things that you aren't in the habit of doing and doing things that aren't simple. Work is a battle for me every single week. They are constantly popping popcorn, bringing in doughnuts, ice cream, root beer floats. It's ridiculous and I finally decided I am going to be an absolute asshole about it because they don't let up. To me being an absolute asshole is saying no and absurd number of times while rolling my eyes and loudly explaining why I am not eating those foods. I can be obnoxious like that but it's the only way I know. I do something like this "listen people, I was 300 pounds and i'm making some progress here and I see you all have food you are willing to share and i'm aware of it, I see it, so I don't need you coming to my cubicle every single day announcing that food is here, I got it".

I win most weeks but this week they won. I was weak, I was tired and I finally said fuck it, i'm having some fried chicken, cake oh I can go on and on. It was someone's baby shower so we had leftovers floating around the office all week long. It sucks but you really have to make people aware of what YOU want. It's not that they don't care it's that they are used to always offering and you can't change their behavior. Unless of course this is just a passive thing and you'd just sort of like to lose 10 pounds and it's not a big deal to put it back on. It was hard for me to really commit. It involved changing so many habits but it's not as difficult if you do these a little at a time. Make sure a habit sticks before making another change. Be patient with yourself too. Don't throw your hands up in the air when you stumble. That was a really hard one for me. I still get frustrated big time.

This week i'm getting frustrated. Every single time I pick up to a jog I am getting a cramp in the exact same spot. It's distracting me, it's uncomfortable, I can't always jog through it and it's discouraging. I WANT to jog and to be comfortable. This morning was great, a little slower on my time than normal but NO CRAMP. I was so happy about that but this evening it was back and and my normal 12 minute mile was about 15 and it was uncomfortable and distracting the entire time.

I'm making sure I drink water, i'm stretching, i'm breathing well. All I can do is keep doing these things and keep trying to jog through it but at some point if this persists i'm going to have to go to a doctor and boy I hate that as i've made clear here. I wondered it if had to do with all the alcohol I drank last weekend followed by all the crappy food I ate all week at work. Is it just muscles that need to rest? The pain is at the bottom of my right rib cage right where the abdomen starts and it sometimes can get sharp for a moment but normally it just nags like a cramp. Walking and it goes away. If I stand in place and jump up and down I start to feel it. I wonder if the bouncing up and down of my belly has twisted or caused something internally to be off kilter. I'm grasping at straws. It's just day 4 of the exact same pain in the exact same part of the body.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Got back from the gym about an hour ago. Lord, I hate my gym. Always several machine broken down. Effing K'town. Anyway, anyone know of a club in LA with an indoor track that doesn't require raiding one's 401k?

This was my 5th day back in the saddle after nearly 2 mos of doctor mandated inactivity. I usually make myself wait a week before checking weights, but I cheated and I'm down 6lbs since Monday. I think my body's just in shock from the sudden return of HIIT. I certainly don't expect to continue dropping at such a rapid clip.

Stupor, congrats on all the progress so far!

locachica, you definitely have the desire. I'm sure you can make this happen.

[faxman75]

Alright, i'm done bitching about my cramp. At least for today. I just did my routine hike that hadn't done in over a week and was right back up to my best times. I searched my cardiotrainer app to see when I first started this hike and how long it took me. It looks like in late February and it took me about 32 minutes. Today I did it in 20:15. My fastest time yet. I felt awesome out there too, totally made up for how shitty I had been feeling all week. I hope to add some diversity today and do some biking and swimming as well or at least one of the two.

Hope you all have fit weekends!

[chiapet]

loca, baby steps. If you normally would have had 2.5 scoops and had a small one, that's probably at least a couple hundred calories you cut. I feel like depriving yourself of everything you want is probably the quickest way to fail at a diet.

Rage, glad to hear you're on the mend and back to the gym. Congratulations on a great week!

I've been avoiding this thread because I've kind of been in a bad place mentally for a while, and at some point, just decided I was not going to keep dieting or working out. I wouldn't say I'm necessarily the sort of person who eats due to depression, but I definitely am prone to drinking and then hibernating in bed or on my couch for days. Anyway, I just kind of gave up on myself again, and frankly, didn't really want to read any of your encouragements or successes.

I've had a terrible week but finally on Thursday decided that exercising is the only thing that would really help improve my mental state. I've been on the exercise bike the last few days, and yesterday had a 2.5 hour workout with exercise bike, run on the beach, crunches/situps/etc, yoga, some freeweights, and a long stretch. I felt amazing after and had so much energy left over. TMI: Last night, I drank too much, ended up inviting over someone I shouldn't, and... normally the morning after this sort of decision, I'd be beating myself up and would hole up in my apartment feeling sorry for myself, most likely with a carb fest in front of the TV. I'm trying to learn to change my reactions in stressful or emotional situations. This is really tough for me to control, but I finally feel like I could be ABLE to get a handle on it.

Getting on the scale this morning was a bit scary, since I've not had a work out in weeks. I've lost a couple of pounds since my last weigh-in, which was definitely better than the gain I expected. Anyway, I'm back on the wagon. :)

[faxman75]

Hugs Heidi. You had an amazing weekend last weekend and it's hard crash re-entering the daily grind. Just relax and ease your way back in. Read and you'll be back in no time.

I'm making up for my completely sucky week today. After hiking this morning I just got back from a 7 mile bike ride. It was really nice and enjoyable. It took me about 50 minutes but that's stopping to sip water and take a photo or two.

When I first got this bike I was probably in the upper 280's and I couldn't do much of anything on it or last more than 15 minutes. It felt great actually going further and being able to peddle a lot more. My bike is a shitty used mountain bike but after todays bike ride I feel like I got my $40 out of it already ha ha.

I'm off to swim and read by the pool. Going to get some laps in, I mean how else will I be a tri-athlete if i'm not hiking, biking and swimming? J/k but i'm feeling really good today and it's just what I needed after the terrible week. :)

Oh and food is getting back to healthy again too as of yesterday. It's odd I have all this energy because it just occurred to me I have not had a single bite to eat today and i'm not hungry at all. I think i'm burning the fuel from last night still. Anyway. I'm off to the pool.

[chiapet]

PS after posting that, I went and signed up for that gym membership I've been bluffing about, did a quick weights workout, and am waiting for a trainer to call me back about setting up some personal trainer sessions to get started on a routine. New goal is exercise bike 5x a week (whether at gym or at home), gym for toning type stuff 3x a week, and yoga at least once a week. Hope I stick to it. :)

[faxman75]

You CAN do it Heidi and WILL do it. Just use that same ambition we have for music festivals! Awesome job on signing up for the gym membership too :) You are going to feel so much better in no time.

[keeshonjohnson]

Well this weekend I FAILED at going to yoga every day (sometimes life just gets in the way), so today I did 3 classes to make up for it. 6am, followed by a quick swim and breakfast, 9:30am, followed by a quick swim and lunch and 12pm followed by a shower! I bet I will be sore tomorrow, but man do I feel accomplished today :D

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

3 in one day? Someone's hardcore. After my first full week of HIIT in 2 mos. my legs absolutely hate me. I forgot what running or "elliptical-ing" at such a fast speed does to one's legs. Does anyone take any supplements (natural or otherwise) specifically for muscle recovery? I know there's no substitute for lots of rest, plenty of water and balanced nutrition, but that's why they're called supplements.

[chiapet]

I've not, but I also don't push myself as much as you do. I've been trying to remember to take a B vitamin supplement (whether I work out or not), vitamin C, and lots of water, but nothing specific for muscle recovery. The Vit C seems to help with my tendency to start catching minor illnesses (colds and such) whenever I get back into exercising or exercise almost every day.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Yeah, I take a multi vitamin, glucosamine chondroitin and calcium. That's it.

[PotVsKtl]

Just stop eating so much.

[RageAgainstTheAoki]

Thanks, Pot.

[GuyInTucson]

I took a week off of exercise. After spending nearly every conscious minute moving / cleaning our old house over Memorial weekend, I decided to take a rest for a few days. I generally work out 5-to-6 days a week and the last time I took a week off was my honeymoon in January. Before that it was sometime in January 2010.

Got back into it today and it felt pretty good. I gained roughly six pounds in that week and I put on the pounds quickly, so I had to get back into my routine.

[GuyInTucson]

3 in one day? Someone's hardcore. After my first full week of HIIT in 2 mos. my legs absolutely hate me. I forgot what running or "elliptical-ing" at such a fast speed does to one's legs. Does anyone take any supplements (natural or otherwise) specifically for muscle recovery? I know there's no substitute for lots of rest, plenty of water and balanced nutrition, but that's why they're called supplements.

I just take a whey protein mix within 20-30 of the conclusion of my workout. The amount of protein for the serving I consume is 40-50 grams.

[faxman75]

Fact, i've been eating like a pig for well over a week now. I realized I hadn't ate anything on Saturday after hiking, biking and swimming and then I couldn't stop eating. I ate an entire rotisserie chicken, an additional grilled chicken breast, an entire container of strawberries with half a container of lite kroger whipped cream.

Sunday I hiked again but then...I ate 2 eggs scrambled with red/green peppers and onions, salsa and sour cream around 10:30am. Then around 5:30PM I went to the buffet and ate plate after plate of meat. Probably 4 plates. Then I still wasn't done. Later that night I had a tortilla with peanut butter and splenda sprinkled on top. Then 2 bananas and the rest of the kroger whip cream.

Today, banana and almonds for breakfast, lunch was a cafe steamer. I jogged this morning and I will hike after work and then a lamb chop and green beans for dinner.

It appears the tortilla w/peanut butter and spenlda has replaced cereal. Seriously though, what a fucking appetite. I need to get that under control asap.

[chiapet]

I've had the opposite problem... I realized yesterday that I definitely am not eating enough, and that it was probably one of the reasons I've felt so moody. Here's to both of us getting back into a more normal routine!

[bucketofpower]

i haven't posted in this thread but have been reading it and appreciate everything that everyone has been accomplishing. i applaud everyone!

a little history about myself: i went through a difficult time personally about 1.5 years ago, and was down on myself and not wanting to do anything.
while i love to compete in sports and the like, i couldn't bring myself to do anything. i've always been relatively skinny, but i carry fat in my stomach and my face gets a bit pudgy. after a while, i realized i needed to do something with myself. i became extremely bored, so i started training for a triathlon. for a month straight, i ran on the treadmills and rode the exercise bike at my gym and would run and bike in my neighborhood. the next month, i alternated days between swimming and running.

i never classified myself to be a runner, but i've evolved into one. the most difficult obstacle to overcome is the mentality; the exhaustion settles in and you tell yourself and that you're done, yet there is that small part of you that tells you to keep going. magnify that voice that tells you to keep going, and you will build your endurance and confidence. the mentality aspect also plays into the fact with your diet. i had set my goal and wasn't going to let anything stand in my way, so i stopped drinking alcohol and eating desserts. the diet became difficult since my birthday occurred during my training, and while the temptation was there, so was my stubbornness to accomplish my goal.

i competed in a triathlon on a cold, rainy day in scottsdale, and couldn't believe how much fun it was. it was nothing too crazy, 250 yard swim, 9.5 mile cycling, and 2 mile run. i did really well, and because of how much fun i had, i actually signed up for another triathlon 2 weeks later.

i haven't competed in any triathlons since, and decided to focus on doing some weight training and running. i've been lifting weights for 9 months straight now, and go 4 times per week and try to run at least once a week. i recently did the warrior dash in florence, and will be doing the *gulp* tough mudder in january.

i just wanted to share with you that if you set your mind to it, you can meet your accomplishments. i was down in the dumps about a lot of bullshit, but this helped me both physically and mentally. keep at it, and know you have my support!

[faxman75]

Thanks for sharing bucketofpower. I was joking about my tri-athlete abilities because I did some hiking, biking and swimming on Saturday but you're the real deal! I know what you mean by listening to that small voice that says keep going. It's totally mental and breaking through those fears and shallow expectations. I hope you post a bit more here too and update us on your competitions. I know most of us aren't as much of an athlete as you but it's still helpful to read about coming through the otherside of tough times and seeing the success that it brings!

Cheers to you and yes Heidi, normal routine it is!

[chiapet]

Tough mudder? You're nuts!!!! Congrats on the self-transformation though.

I actually found it easiest to be a runner. It was simple, straight forward, and effective for/to me. You don't have to go to the gym to do it nor buy any fancy equipment (other than a pair of good shoes). I was thinking about this last week, and I can trace my weight problems back to the first time I blew out my knee. I stayed in shape through PT, and as soon as I was done -- not being able to run like I used to -- almost immediately started putting on the pounds.

I knew I couldn't go back to running every day, but I've been fighting that for like 15 years. When I was younger, I'd just work through the pain (having been raised to work out in the manner of... if it doesn't burn, you're not working hard enough). As I've gotten older, not only is it simply not possible to work through it, I'd been winding up in the orthopedist's office too frequently and sidelining myself from an active life in general. A week of running usually meant hobbling around for a month after.

It has been an interesting journey these last 4 months to find replacements for running and to fight the urge to go on runs. I've yet to find anything else that gives me the same mental/emotional satisfaction, in addition to the physical benefits.

[chiapet]

I just had a great workout, I can't believe how much I've sweated and how awful I smell, like awful chemical ugh. Feels like I expelled everything bad I've put into my body in the last few weeks. And I'm so full of energy I'm tempted to go back for more later. :)

[bucketofpower]

thanks faxy! and i honestly feel that if i can do a tri, anyone can. whether it be a mile, 3 miles, or whatever, it's an incredible feeling to breakthrough the barrier. judging by your previous posts, you're competitive with your times that you're running and that is awesome to see; keep on breaking down those walls!

yeah chia, i was kind of roped into doing it. i'll admit, after seeing 'electric shock therapy,' i was sold. it'll be 11 miles with 23 obstacles. i can't tell if it's going to be one of the better things i've done in my life, or just the opposite. when i registered, it was imperative to purchase insurance for the event. wtf?! regarding your knee, have you done any swimming? there is a lot less impact, but it's still intense!

[chiapet]

Swimming would be perfect, but there are not a lot of public pools in my city, and sadly, I am too vain AND too out of shape to go to a gym and wear a swimsuit where I may run into people I know. That's one of my goals - to get over myself or get really fit. :) Right now I've been doing a lot of stationary bike riding, I've been able to do 50-70 miles per week on a bike without any knee problems.

[tarabull]

These are some big time calorie burners, good job.

Thanks! Today's morning workout seemed a lot easier then it was. I could not get my double unders. (jump roping but the rope goes under twice instead of once)

3 rounds for time: 20 wall ball 20 double unders 20 pullups

I've been thinking about getting into some swimming since there's a swim facility in my restaurants complex but finding time seems impossible. Gonna go for another workout after the work. Gotta burn off the meat lovers pizza I ate =\

[Kyliediscope]

Yeah, 45 minutes of cardio today. Then, I did some SERIOUS stretches and then some free weights and core training. I want to be as flexible as I was when I was a cheerleader and lose some weight. 10-15 pounds. Something in that area.

[tarabull]

Second workout of the day:
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes
5 20" box jumps
10 kettle bell swings (35#)
15 wall ball (14# 8 ft target)

Got 9 rounds plus 5 box jump 10 kettle swings and 5 wall balls. Definitely kicked my ass harder than the first one today. I work at the gym tomorrow so I'll prolly work on some strength and olympic lifts. I'm definitely ready for bed.

[chiapet]

Today was supposed to be my day off, but I managed to get about 45 minutes in. And I made an appointment for a session with a trainer on Saturday morning bright and early... :)

[faxman75]

Great work Heidi.

jog this morning and 5 flights of stairs. My goal was to start ignoring numbers and it was for good reason. They psyche me out and I confuse myself. I could swear I was doing 13 minute morning jogs but now that I look at my history I nev...er was. I was doing 12-13 min. miles on the treadmill but never the outdoor morning jog. So i've been recording times of 15-16 minute miles in the morning and wondering what gives?! Nothing gives, those morning jogs used to be 17-18 minutes. The after work hike had me concerned but not as much. I know my absolute best time on the hike was just over 20 minutes. Yesterday I was at about 21:30 so i'm barely a minute off of those as well. I have to stop focusing on the numbers so i'm not fixated during the actual workout. I'm doing fine and I don't need to get discouraged. I also had zero cramps the last two days but this morning i felt it creeping back a bit. Nothing that stopped or slowed me but I felt it rearing it's head a bit. I think it was the lack of stretching though. I'm also really starting to understand more and more that the food choices I make totally effect my workout. The lighter and healthier I eat, the better I feel on that jog or hike. I got hydration down at least and i'm drinking my water regularly. Finally food. Today breakfast banana and a handful of smoked almonds with 24 oz of water. Lunch will be salmon w/ green beans with smoked almonds sprinkled on top. Dinner will be ground turkey tacos on low carb small tortillas (5 net carbs per tortilla) with cut up red/green peppers, onions, a bit of salsa and shredded cheese. How is everyone else doing today?

Yesterday I jogged in the morning before work, hiked after work and then did about 10 underwater laps in the pool and also read some more of my book. A third of the way through my first novel in over a decade. I gave myself the entire summer to finish. Just finishing it will be an accomplishment and with school, work, fitness and travel that gives me plenty of time.

[GuyInTucson]

Ignore numbers until you start getting in better shape. Once you do, the numbers can be motivating.

[faxman75]

They are already motivating. I feel like a champion when I get a new best time. It's like breaking through walls. I love it. That's why it gets in my head when I think i've slowed a bit.

[GuyInTucson]

What I try to always do when I am not hitting my goal is tell myself that I have done it before so I can do it now and I just push through it. It's definitely a mental thing, that's for sure.

You're going to need to go into beast mode to get through two consecutive Coachella weekends.

[chiapet]

Mark, don't worry too much about the numbers, the distance, or how fast you're completing it. Just be concerned that you're putting in the time. That's why I like the HIIT method. It's all relative. Last week, my "maximum" speed for intervals on the bike was around 32-34 mph. The last couple of days I can't get past 28 mph. Rather than get upset that I'm getting slower, I'll just acknowledge that my muscles are fatigued from working out every day, and I've not been drinking enough water or eating well/enough to recover well. So I'm going to take a day off and make sure I eat well, and if on Thursday, I still can't push myself as much as I did last week? Who cares? I've "biked" (on the stationary bike) over 80 miles in the last week.

Speaking of numbers, I am pretty sure I have GAINED weight since my last weigh in. While I'd like the numbers on the scale to be lower, what's important to me is that the too-tight jeans at the very bottom of my drawer are too way too big in the waist now (I've lost like 5" of waist... well, belly since January?!?). I can see that by my next goal, I'll be able to wear form fitting stuff without worrying about a beer belly. :)

[faxman75]

True that, Jason. Two weekends with Vegas in between will be quite the test but I think it's going to be ok since i'm camping week 1 and that's the hardest part, then it's hotels the rest of the week. I guess we'll find out next year though! I will hopefully be another 40-50 pounds lighter by then too.

You're right Heidi and i'm getting better at ignoring the numbers and not becoming as frustrated. As long as I put the time in and stick to routines and challenge myself when i'm ready is well and fine. I need to keep reminding myself this isn't a race or a competition to get to a finish line. There is no magic number i'm striving to get to with my weight. I'm looking to enjoy this as I do it. I'm looking to sustain a life long fitness routine and that requires mental balance and not burning out or overdoing things. This is why i'm still hiking and not retreating to the treadmill despite the heat. I enjoy being outside so i'm going to do it as long as possible. Being in the desert I expect the heat to win at some point but I will always be able to still do a hike on the weekends in the am and once temps come back down a tad I will be able to do it daily.

I'm such a creature of habit. I've been doing the exact same hike for several months now. This parking lot for this hike has 2 trail options. I make it one looping trail that combines parts of both trails. Rather than explore what these trails have to offer individually, i stick to my routine. I figure I do this until I get bored with it and then move on or broaden my horizons out on the trail. It's also so much more difficult to jog on rocky/uneven surfaces. It almost feels like I have weights on my ankles. I kind of love that diversity though. Finally, I was looking at my road rash from the spill I took several weeks ago. The scarring looks pretty ugly. If I remember i'll post a picture.

I was at a point where I thought I was ready to hike this trail back to back about the time of that fall. Now i'm completely drained at the end of one hike it seems. Maybe instead of thinking I need to do both hikes for time, I can simply walk one of them. Hmm. That might be the best way to get to doing it twice. Small steps.

[chiapet]

Mark, could the weather be part of it? I'm sure it's much warmer than when you started out. I get drained really quickly in warmer weather.

My approach is this: You don't need to push yourself to your absolute limit every day. In fact, I don't think that's a realistic or healthy approach for people that are not very young and very fit (or professional athletes).

For me, pushing very hard constantly just results in injuries, getting sick, or feeling frustrated about my fitness level. Instead, I tend to set a baseline requirement that I won't let myself fall under (such as - I have to exercise for at least 20 minutes, 4 times a week), and then day by day to push myself to do more (for example, focus on doing 40 minutes instead of 20 minutes, today, only). I try to focus on congratulating myself on doing more than I expected to do, rather than beating myself up over not doing more every single day. It's made me look forward to exercising, especially if my 'minimum' is something I absolutely know I can do -- it leaves me with no excuses.

[faxman75]

Part of it could be the weather but i've gotten my best times in this heat and we are having a pretty mild summer thus far. I don't think we've been over 105 yet. That said, it's definitely a factor. You are so right about pushing too hard though. I am such an impatient person and lose focus so easily on everything that often times my frustration will come from unreal expectations or as I said earlier, simply getting confused on where I was hitting those faster miles. Often times I have to step back, pause and think about the big picture rather than 'OMG i'm doing as well or better than I was doing yesterday".

I am also noticing my biggest emotional responses to stumbles come from overeating or thinking i'm not exercising enough. Which is kind of silly considering I haven't gone more than 2-3 days without exercising since I started all of this and I only have done that a few times. I'm starting to get it though. It just takes me a while to understand how it's all effecting me. There are some days I want to jump out of my skin and share how awesome I feel with the whole world. It's crazy how full of energy and great I find myself feeling. This past Saturday was definitely a peak. I just kept feeling better and better and was getting more excited about doing different things like the bike riding and then coming home after and going to the pool and I just feel so god damn healthy in every aspect of my life.

I'm doing so many things I used to I dunno, fantasize about doing? I honestly would sit there just thinking and thinking about the life I wanted to live for at least the last couple of years before I started this. It was like I was meditating on it and I often wondered how the hell I was going to get started on all of this. There was so much I wanted to change about how I live and I knew what it was I wanted to change but it really did seem out of reach.

I sometimes wonder if I ever went to a shrink when I was younger or got on some medication that allowed me to focus how much further I would be right now? Focus has been my problem ever since I can remember but growing up I never though about it. I just figured it was normal to be able to focus on an interest, hobby or activity but I am finally understanding I have never been good with focus. Anyway, I feel like i'm figuring out a rubics cube and i'm a little late to the game but i'm getting it. Finally. I have never spent this much time on myself before and understanding all that I enjoy and how I need to learn and what not. Some of this sound like it could go in the therapy thread for sure but as awkward as it is to say, I am finally loving me and I think i've shed any co-dependency issues i've had. That is absolutley huge as I think i've been codependent pretty much my entire life. It feels different fixing myself for a change.

[ThatGirl]

Have you had your thyroid checked out? I went through the same thing about a year and a half ago. I unintentionally lost almost 30 pounds in less than 2 months, and it turns out I had a hyperactive thyroid.

Got the results finally, turns out the thyroid is fine. And I'm not losing weight anymore, or gaining really. When I was on holidays I did a ton of walking but was missing my Zumba classes, and the heavy cardio I'm so used to. It felt good to get back in a routine going 3 or 4 times a week again.

[chiapet]

This is kind of fucked up and goes into whiny therapy thread/girls' thread stuff, but only in the last few months have I really gotten a handle on why my behavior is so self-defeating. When I was younger, I really wanted less attention for my appearance and wanted people to like me for what I felt were more valid attributes, like being smart or funny would have been fine. I didn't want to be thought of as being cute or fit. Partially because I was really uncomfortable with that type of attention, and partially because I felt like people would take me much more seriously in career if I could be.. dowdier?

It worked. It worked really well. I've done very well in a profession full of men and was able to fit in perfectly. But now I see that the handful of women I work with who are a few years older than me... have great careers and hopeless personal lives. I don't want that to be me. I don't want to hit my 40's, get a bunch of cats and stay home for the rest of my life. I copped out a long time ago, and now I've been working on making myself believe I can be anything I want. </cheese>

It's really tough though, I always find myself thinking ... I can't do all of this... or it's not possible for me to be anything more than I am. Or that I'm just not meant to be attractive. It's really a matter of giving myself excuses so I don't have to try to better myself.

[faxman75]

now I've been working on making myself believe I can be anything I want. </cheese>

THIS THIS THIS. It was always bullshit hearing that growing up and the fact that it was a big cliche made it seem like a ridiculous possibility but it wasn't. It never was. In my head it was but this is what I mean by finally getting it! Turning off those outside influences or ideas is so benficial. The potential for greatness comes entirely from believing in yourself and not having so many walls or thoughts of impossibility. If I've learned anything it's that I can do a LOT of things I thought I was NEVER capable of. Eliminating doubt is so empowering!



It's really tough though, I always find myself thinking ... I can't do all of this... or it's not possible for me to be anything more than I am. Or that I'm just not meant to be attractive. It's really a matter of giving myself excuses so I don't have to try to better myself.

I agree again. It so easy to not even try for something when you have all the answers (excuses) lined up. It's almost like reprogramming your brain or training it to look at things differently. I grew up with tons of scary expectations that I felt were unreasonable. My grandfather thought the world of me and would bring me over to his brothers and cousins whenever he would go visit them (they were all italian we had italian picnics and many times a week we would be at someone elses house where all they did was speak in Italian, share italian lunch meats, drink italian coffee etc...not for fun they were all born there and this was life). He would tell them constantly how I was this brilliant kid who was going to be a laywer, doctor or astronaut. He was dead serious but he totally believed in me. The problem was I didn't believe any of it. HA! So I wonder where all this doubt came from...ooh psychology.