So, a bike? I guess the consensus is that riding a bicycle is a good way to exercise, and it's obviously a mode of transport.. plus, cheaper than a car. I always liked taking walks in the park (I used to walk our dogs a lot), and there are tons of bike trails, so I could get into that I guess.
Well, there is one problem though. This is kind of embarrassing, but I am not really sure if I know how to ride a bike. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
I grew up rurally, and I always had a bike during my childhood... but I just never used it much. I was busy riding horses and riding lawnmowers and doing other livestock-related things, and beyond lack of interest in biking, it was always difficult for me to ride a bicycle on a gravel/dirt road... there just wasn't pavement out there in a rural area outside of Plattsmouth, Nebraska (pop. ~6,500 at the time). And I don't know if weight could have had anything to do with it, but I was somewhat overweight as a child, too, so I was pretty lacking in athletic confidence and it just seemed really too hard to ride it. So it just sat in the garage.
Then a few years back we moved to Omaha, and we're still here. I guess I don't have any more excuses not to get a bike and just try it, except that I don't really remember how to ride and I would be so embarrassed to have to relearn it as a teenager (please, no training wheels jokes ). Any suggestions?
Beyond that, I just have to get a bike.. and considering the price of the exercise equipments I was saving up for, I'm sure I have enough money to buy a really decent bike and stuff. So give me suggestions, I don't know anything about bikes either. Aesthetics, price, and safety are important to me... durability and features are always an added plus, and obviously comfort is as well, if there are any varying degrees of that... I told you I didn't know anything! Also, where should I shop for a bike? Don't you have to get a bike license or some weird thing like that? Oh, and a helmet! (I'm smrt.) I need a stylish helmet of course.. But I better not get ahead of myself.
I did some jumping jacks and crunches this morning. I had been trying to do like 50 or something every morning a few weeks ago.. that lasted like, 4 days, then I was in a rush because I overslept and I forgot that I was trying to do that. I'm going to have to get up earlier in the morning! :eek:
well, cycling is certainly a great sport and doubles as an effective mode of transport. Some people hate bikes though, and if you're not a very well disciplined person, you should make sure you're doing something that you find fun so as not to lose interest. So if you think riding a bike will be fun for you, go for it. It's easily one of the most challenging sports in the world
As for getting a bike... it's going to sound snobbish, but I'm not in the least bit familiar with consumer offerings these days. Go to a real bike shop... Trek, Specialized, etceteras are a good sign of a shop offering decent brands. They should have acceptable consumer offerings. Analyze the type of riding that you will be doing... I mean, it sounds to me like you don't need to be looking at a bike that has a front suspension fork, but you don't need to be looking at a road bike with drop bars either. Plan to spend $300 or so (I'm guessing, it's been a while since I worked at a shop) to get a decent bike.
Getting up in the morning is only difficult if you stay up late ;-) Go to bed by 10pm, get up at 6am You'll eventually just get in the habit of doing that. Find out how many situps you can currently do, set a goal, and work towards it. Same thing with pushups and pullups. They all come quickly. If you'd like to hear the USMC PFT, it consists of the following:
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff
I am coming into this one a bit late, but here's my two cents.
I don't recommend running. It severly stresses the joints and connective tissues. Fast walking (4 mph) should do you fine. Biking is great, swimming is too. I also recommend Pilates or Yoga (you can get a video of these, or far better, take a class.), Yoga is, for me, one of the hardest workouts that I do. I take a Power Yoga class two times a week, and it has made a huge difference.
I do recommend a gym. I have found that if I have paid for it, I am likely to use it. Even though you might feel really self-concious going at first, I think it's worth it. I go to Crunch, a very trendy Hoolywood-y place here in LA. It's filled with 25 year olds with 5% body fat and 25% silicone, but I go. In old shorts and a t-shirt.
As for diet, unfortunately, common sense is really the only way to go. Look at the packages of everything you buy. If it has anything you can't pronounce, pass it up. If it has anything ending with an -ose (dextrose, fructose, etc.) put it back on the shelf. Stay out of any aisle that has pre-made or processed foods. I also suggest giving up caffeine and alcohol while you are on the diet. Go to the health food store once every two weeks even if you have to take a cab. If you buy a juice, make sure that it's juice, and not "juice drink". Drop bread entirely. Have pasta or rice infrequently. Before you grab that piece of chocolate or whatever, ask yourself, "Is this worth being fat over?" most times the answer is no. (of course, once in a great while you have to treat yourself to something. If you like chocolate, let yourself have a few ounces of of something wildly delicious once every two or three weeks, like some Valhrona, and really savor it.)
Diets are boring, no doubt about it. That's why people start popping pills and doing the "48 hour Hollywood Diet" crap. The b1tch part is that you basically have to just change the way that you eat and move to lose weight and keep it off. It's like getting religion or joining AA. And like AA, don't beat yourself up if you sleep late and miss a day, or get a cheeseburger at McD's. Everybody slips. The key is to get right back on the diet, right then. Don't say, I'll start tomorrow, or after that dinner party on Friday, or that trip to the club with my friends, or national sofa-care month, or whatever.
It's going to take work and time, but it took time to get you where you are now. And believe me: if I, whose dedication to doing nothing is formidable can do it, you can.
<strong>If you'd like to hear the USMC PFT, it consists of the following:
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff </strong><hr></blockquote>
Whoa... I could do that (except maybe for the run, I'll have to clock myself tomorrow.) That's encouraging; I have a real self-image problem.
bradbower, I'd certainly suggest that you start jogging before you invest in any equipment. I find that a good run every morning is enough for me and twice-weekly trips to the Y take care of the weight lifting.
The bike sounds a good thing! i used it for years cos i dint have money to buy the monthly bus ticket... it's the fastest way to move in the city i suggest an OLD one if u need it in the city... otherwise suppose it's gonna be stolen sooner or later...
Then find something you like as sport. i love swimming... or often walk.
I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). Some things i guess could work: become a vegetarian ora at least use a lot of green and vegetables... fish is good. i prefer no-fat and low-fat.
Don't eat when you are not hungry. And when yuo are not hungry anymore, quit eating. Eat slowly. Drink lots of water.
Ehehe.. i rad somewhere you need 1 000 000 clicks to burn the calories of a marc chocolate bar...
I dun't know how many it would be with touch pad? 1 500 000 ? <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). </strong><hr></blockquote>
You and Alley McBeal should get together then
You should go weigh yourself, I used to date a girl that was 5'1" tall, weighed about 100lbs, and she was rather skinny. I'm about 5'10" tall and my target weight zone is between 145 and 155 lbs
I wouldn't cut meats out of your diet, they are your best source of protein. Definitely add more veggies though. Keep in mind that your body uses carbohydrates as energy, however, if the carbs that you intake go unused, they turn into fat. This is why eating high carb foods like rice, breads, and pasta aren't good to eat if you're not going to be burning them off.
There is actually a diet out there by a Dr. Atkins where you don't intake more than 20 - 30 grams of carbs per day, and you end up dropping, on average, 10 lbs a week. It's actually starting to gain some credibility with doctors and nutritionists, and if you want to drop weight quickly, I'd suggest doing it, and following it up with proper nutrition and exercise. Just read the labels on your foods... adding up the carbs in things shouldn't be too hard.
Mh i guess the most basic rule is FAT is FAT... so if you think every gram of fat you eat (bigmac has 36 g of fat!!!! plus potatoes) will be in your waist or a$$ .. you are gonna eat less fat!!
check somewhere a fat content table.. try it.
but don't eliminate the fats completely..
lets say at least 20g a day (as a man) but ALL of them.. so the ones that are already in the food you eat..
i guess those low carb diets can be quite dangerous. i've been a veggie for ages (so not considering to skip back to meats) and don't like the taste of fat... if I would try the low carb having no fat and no meat i guess i'd be quite dead.. and brain dead! the brain needs sugar..
how many clicks on a toucpad i need to burn a chocolate bar?? with a mouse it should be 1000 000 but i don't know if that's in windows or in mac <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
buy an OLD keyboard where you have to hit the keys!! you'll burn mmore calories writing..!! haha <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>Find out how many situps you can currently do, set a goal, and work towards it. Same thing with pushups and pullups. They all come quickly. If you'd like to hear the USMC PFT, it consists of the following:
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff
Motivation and confidence are the keys to success </strong><hr></blockquote>
In both of my years as an ROTC cadet we had to do this "Presidential Fitness" competition whatever thing, which most students lovingly referred to as a stupidass waste of time and energy (myself included), but we were forced to embarrass ourselves in front of all of our classmates watching us for a grade as we were compared to supposed national standards for exercise-type things. Just like your little test. It was pretty close to that, too, but then again it doesn't matter how close it was, it seemed unreasonably and unachievably high as far as standards go. It was ruined by the strict enforcement of rules and meticulousness of the instructors, who were of course actually in the military (the army, not the marine corps). Of course upon learning that we had to do it in front of all of our classmates I wasn't exactly thrilled, either... Needless to say I skipped that period. I feel sorry for people whose job requires it, too. But then, I guess you like it... and who wouldn't like something they're good at, all the more if they had to work to be good at it?
Annnnnnnnyway, I digress... other than that bit of unpleasant history, that story does bring up a few questions for me about situps and pushups. How do you do them? Like actual situps, or just like crunches? Pushups, there are alternate styles of as well. Or do you do both? You'll probably give me the military answer though, that being The Hard Way? on both counts.
<strong>I am coming into this one a bit late, but here's my two cents.
I don't recommend running. It severly stresses the joints and connective tissues. Fast walking (4 mph) should do you fine. Biking is great, swimming is too. I also recommend Pilates or Yoga (you can get a video of these, or far better, take a class.), Yoga is, for me, one of the hardest workouts that I do. I take a Power Yoga class two times a week, and it has made a huge difference.
I do recommend a gym. I have found that if I have paid for it, I am likely to use it. Even though you might feel really self-concious going at first, I think it's worth it. I go to Crunch, a very trendy Hoolywood-y place here in LA. It's filled with 25 year olds with 5% body fat and 25% silicone, but I go. In old shorts and a t-shirt.
As for diet, unfortunately, common sense is really the only way to go. Look at the packages of everything you buy. If it has anything you can't pronounce, pass it up. If it has anything ending with an -ose (dextrose, fructose, etc.) put it back on the shelf. Stay out of any aisle that has pre-made or processed foods. I also suggest giving up caffeine and alcohol while you are on the diet. Go to the health food store once every two weeks even if you have to take a cab. If you buy a juice, make sure that it's juice, and not "juice drink". Drop bread entirely. Have pasta or rice infrequently. Before you grab that piece of chocolate or whatever, ask yourself, "Is this worth being fat over?" most times the answer is no. (of course, once in a great while you have to treat yourself to something. If you like chocolate, let yourself have a few ounces of of something wildly delicious once every two or three weeks, like some Valhrona, and really savor it.)
Diets are boring, no doubt about it. That's why people start popping pills and doing the "48 hour Hollywood Diet" crap. The b1tch part is that you basically have to just change the way that you eat and move to lose weight and keep it off. It's like getting religion or joining AA. And like AA, don't beat yourself up if you sleep late and miss a day, or get a cheeseburger at McD's. Everybody slips. The key is to get right back on the diet, right then. Don't say, I'll start tomorrow, or after that dinner party on Friday, or that trip to the club with my friends, or national sofa-care month, or whatever.
It's going to take work and time, but it took time to get you where you are now. And believe me: if I, whose dedication to doing nothing is formidable can do it, you can.
I don't think I'd be running anyway... I'm a little too self-conscious for that, and I doubt I could sustain what I consider to be actual running for long enough to get a decent workout or whatever.. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" /> But fast walking is good. Our dogs are so funny, they always walk fast and pull on the leash so that they almost choke themselves, so whenever I do go for walks in the park with a dog it's always a brisk one (but not a jog).
This is going to sound like I'm making excuses here, but there's no way I'm going to do any swimming because we don't have a pool and I'm just too self-conscious to start learning how, even if I were physically fit enough to handle it. Maybe someday.
And yoga... I have a few really cool friends who recommend, but I'm just not sure of it. It sounds.. well, to put it bluntly, like a yuppie/gay/pussy activity. Nothing against gays or anything, but that's the rep. I don't know how I would even go about breaking it to my mom, my family, my friends, my coworkers... I don't know, I'd like to take a class, but I need some help on how to correct the propaganda-like ideas of the general public and maybe I'll go for it... Then again, do fat people do yoga? I don't know. I don't want to gross out a room of people "at peace" or whatever. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
Thank you for the rest of your advice too. I'm going to join a gym in a few weeks (I'm having to make some large purchases lately, for my pay at least, like a car.. insurance.. license.. food.. etc), I'm going out walking in just a little bit (determined to get back into that habit!), and I'm going to start taking more fruit and veggies and salads (no dressing) and just water for lunch I think.
<strong>I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). </strong><hr></blockquote>
Wow, I wish I had that problem. Eh, the grass is always greener I suppose.
I don't really care what I way, I just don't want to look fat. And of course to not look fat, I have to not be fat... I've been well-conditioned psychologically by today's world to look at fatness, being overweight, and obesity as a repulsive, disfiguring epidemic.
I guess my goal is to lose 35+ lbs by the end of this year, and keep it off through the holiday season, by adopting actually healthy eating habits and a good exercise regimen.. Then after that I'll have to assess things. I do have the ultimate goal of becoming a serious hottie, also fed by the unreachable standards set forth by society. But that's a ways off, I guess.
There are three different types of pushups: Wide Stance, Shoulder Width, and Ranger. Shoulder width should be self explanatory, just put your hands down at shoulder width, go down, and back up Wide stance puts your hands roughly perpindicular to your upper arm. Ranger stance is where both of your hands are practically right next to each other, inside the width of your shoulders. what I found extremely helpful was to get a pushup bar. There is this thing called the "Door Gym" that acts as a situp aid, a pushup bar, and a pullup bar. With the bar being used for pushups, it allows you to lower your body farther than you would normally be able to do. If you don't go down far enough, the pushup doesn't count, and I don't just mean technically. You're not going to be able to do a lot at first, but trust me, they come quick. You just have to stick to it.
There are a few variations on the situp as well. A traditional situp, where you lie on you back wth your knees bent, and while keeping your back completely straight, you "sit up" towards your knees. The Navy actually does "chinese situps". A chinese situp starts in the same stance, but place your hands on your thighs, and as you start to "situp", you have gone far enough when your hands extend to your kneecaps. You can also do crunches, basically just keep your back straight, chin high, and elevate your abdomen.
I personally had to work terribly hard to get where I am, and it wasn't easy... at all. You won't start off being able to do many reps... but really push yourself. When you think you can't do anymore, make yourself squeeze out two more. You have it in you. Remember, the mind tires before the body.
As for the self conscious issues, I understand where you're coming from, but if your physical fitness is important enough to you, you will overcome it. Maybe instead of Yoga, try a self defense class However, Yoga is a perfectly legit thing for a guy to do... think about the exercises.. they help
P.S. Yoga seems to be very much in the vogue now. I think anything that gets you out there doing something is cool. Too bad I'm such a slug <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> .
<strong>Mh i guess the most basic rule is FAT is FAT... so if you think every gram of fat you eat (bigmac has 36 g of fat!!!! plus potatoes) will be in your waist or a$$ .. you are gonna eat less fat!!
check somewhere a fat content table.. try it.
but don't eliminate the fats completely..
lets say at least 20g a day (as a man) but ALL of them.. so the ones that are already in the food you eat..
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Fats are necessary for life (our brain is full of fat), the more important thing to have a non variant weight is to have an balanced food : 50 % of glucids, 30 % proteine and 20 % lipids. That does not mean 100 g of glucid, 60 g of proteins and 40 g of lipid, that means that 50 % of the caloric energy is bring by glucid, 30 % by protein and 20 % of lipid. Lipid are more energetic than glucid or protein ; 100 g of lipids bring the same amount of calory than 220 g of glucids or proteins.
I think its important to set yourself goals, so long as they are realistic ones. You could always try aiming for the stars and you may reach the moon, but you could just as easily give up along the way. My goals are just to be fitter and stronger at the end of the month than I was as the beginning. Over the months and years, this adds up to alot of progress. When you achieve one realistic short term goal, it gives you the motivation and confidence to aim for others.
I found in my life inactivity was the biggest reason I put on weight.
The summer after I graduated high school all I really did was sit around and watch TV, played a little golf on occasion and generally had a good time.
In 2 months I put on about 20 pounds.
Anyway, after summer I decided that the only way I was ever going to loose any weight was if I got a job that was physically demanding, seen as though I had no personal motivation to exercise.
I got a job at a farm, where it's all physical all day, and in about 5 months lost 30 pounds and am as buff as ever.
Working on the farm is great because I only stop for my lunch when it's lunch time, and I'm not sitting around all day snacking, and I;m outside all day in the fresh air.
Getting paid to get in shape, that's the way I like it.
Also, try this link as well. It gives you a basis for how many calories you burn doing different activities, as well as talks about how to judge how many calories you should intake in a day to maintain body weight, or try and lose it. Basically, take your current weight, multiply it by 15. That's how many calories you need a day to maintain that weight. 500 calories less will lighten you, on average, a pound per week. Read the site, they explain it all...
And yoga... I have a few really cool friends who recommend, but I'm just not sure of it. It sounds.. well, to put it bluntly, like a yuppie/gay/pussy activity. Nothing against gays or anything, but that's the rep</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, that kind of is the rep, since it has become very popular. But it is a very serious workout. And it tones your body faster than almost anything else. And all sorts of people go to the classes. The class at my gym is held in the workout room that is glass on two sides. At least once a week some body-builder type will try a lcass, clearly thinking that it's a wussy workout. They last about 20 minutes, usually.
Here is a yoga based workout that a friend of mine does at home. You 25 of each. (Or you try to, you'll have to work up to it)
The Five Rites of Rejuvenation
Rite One: Stand erect with arms outstretched, horizontal with the shoulders. Now spin around until you become slightly dizzy. There is only one caution: you must turn from left to right. (Clockwise)
Rite Two: Lay flat on your back on the floor or on the bed. Then place the hands flat down alongside the hips. Fingers should be kept close together with the fingertips of each hand turned slightly toward one another. The feet are then raised until the legs are straight up. If possible let the feet extend back a bit over the body, toward the head; but do not let the knees bend. Then, slowly lower the feet to the floor and for a moment allow all muscles to relax. Then perform this Rite all over again. "
Rite Three: All one needs to do is to kneel on his 'prayer rug,' place his hands on his thighs, and lean forward as far as possible with the head inclined so that the chin rests on the chest. Now lean backward as far as possible; at the same time the head should be lifted and thrown back as far as it will go. Then bring the head up along with the body. Lean forward again and start the rite all over.
Rite Four: Sit on the 'prayer rug' with the feet stretched out in front. Then place the hands alongside the body. Now raise the body and bend the knees so that the legs, from the knees down, are practically straight up and down. The arms, too, will be straight up and down while the body, from the shoulders to the knees, will be horizontal. Before pushing the body to a horizontal position, the chin should be well down on the chest. Then, as the body is raised, the head should be allowed to drop gently backward as far as it will go. Next, return to a sitting position and relax for a moment before repeating the procedure. When the body is pressed up to the complete horizontal position, tense every muscle in the body.
Rite Five: Place the hands on the floor about two feet apart. Then, with the legs stretched out to the rear with the feet also about two feet apart, push the body, and especially the hips, up as far as possible, rising on the toes and hands. At the same time the head should be brought so far down that the chin comes up against the chest. "Next, allow the body to come slowly down to a 'sagging' position. Bring the head up, causing it to be drawn as far back as possible. "After a few weeks, that is after you become quite proficient in this movement, let the body drop from its highest position to a point almost but not quite touching the floor. The muscles should be tensed for a moment when the body is at the highest point, and again at the lowest point. Before the end of the first week this particular Rite will be one of the easiest ones to perform for the average person.
Comments
<strong>I wish I was fat(ter.)
Give it a few years.
Well, there is one problem though. This is kind of embarrassing, but I am not really sure if I know how to ride a bike. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" />
I grew up rurally, and I always had a bike during my childhood... but I just never used it much. I was busy riding horses and riding lawnmowers and doing other livestock-related things, and beyond lack of interest in biking, it was always difficult for me to ride a bicycle on a gravel/dirt road... there just wasn't pavement out there in a rural area outside of Plattsmouth, Nebraska (pop. ~6,500 at the time). And I don't know if weight could have had anything to do with it, but I was somewhat overweight as a child, too, so I was pretty lacking in athletic confidence and it just seemed really too hard to ride it. So it just sat in the garage.
Then a few years back we moved to Omaha, and we're still here. I guess I don't have any more excuses not to get a bike and just try it, except that I don't really remember how to ride and I would be so embarrassed to have to relearn it as a teenager (please, no training wheels jokes
Beyond that, I just have to get a bike.. and considering the price of the exercise equipments I was saving up for, I'm sure I have enough money to buy a really decent bike and stuff. So give me suggestions, I don't know anything about bikes either.
I did some jumping jacks and crunches this morning. I had been trying to do like 50 or something every morning a few weeks ago.. that lasted like, 4 days, then I was in a rush because I overslept and I forgot that I was trying to do that. I'm going to have to get up earlier in the morning! :eek:
As for getting a bike... it's going to sound snobbish, but I'm not in the least bit familiar with consumer offerings these days. Go to a real bike shop... Trek, Specialized, etceteras are a good sign of a shop offering decent brands. They should have acceptable consumer offerings. Analyze the type of riding that you will be doing... I mean, it sounds to me like you don't need to be looking at a bike that has a front suspension fork, but you don't need to be looking at a road bike with drop bars either. Plan to spend $300 or so (I'm guessing, it's been a while since I worked at a shop) to get a decent bike.
Getting up in the morning is only difficult if you stay up late ;-) Go to bed by 10pm, get up at 6am
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff
Motivation and confidence are the keys to success
I don't recommend running. It severly stresses the joints and connective tissues. Fast walking (4 mph) should do you fine. Biking is great, swimming is too. I also recommend Pilates or Yoga (you can get a video of these, or far better, take a class.), Yoga is, for me, one of the hardest workouts that I do. I take a Power Yoga class two times a week, and it has made a huge difference.
I do recommend a gym. I have found that if I have paid for it, I am likely to use it. Even though you might feel really self-concious going at first, I think it's worth it. I go to Crunch, a very trendy Hoolywood-y place here in LA. It's filled with 25 year olds with 5% body fat and 25% silicone, but I go. In old shorts and a t-shirt.
As for diet, unfortunately, common sense is really the only way to go. Look at the packages of everything you buy. If it has anything you can't pronounce, pass it up. If it has anything ending with an -ose (dextrose, fructose, etc.) put it back on the shelf. Stay out of any aisle that has pre-made or processed foods. I also suggest giving up caffeine and alcohol while you are on the diet. Go to the health food store once every two weeks even if you have to take a cab. If you buy a juice, make sure that it's juice, and not "juice drink". Drop bread entirely. Have pasta or rice infrequently. Before you grab that piece of chocolate or whatever, ask yourself, "Is this worth being fat over?" most times the answer is no. (of course, once in a great while you have to treat yourself to something. If you like chocolate, let yourself have a few ounces of of something wildly delicious once every two or three weeks, like some Valhrona, and really savor it.)
Diets are boring, no doubt about it. That's why people start popping pills and doing the "48 hour Hollywood Diet" crap. The b1tch part is that you basically have to just change the way that you eat and move to lose weight and keep it off. It's like getting religion or joining AA. And like AA, don't beat yourself up if you sleep late and miss a day, or get a cheeseburger at McD's. Everybody slips. The key is to get right back on the diet, right then. Don't say, I'll start tomorrow, or after that dinner party on Friday, or that trip to the club with my friends, or national sofa-care month, or whatever.
It's going to take work and time, but it took time to get you where you are now. And believe me: if I, whose dedication to doing nothing is formidable can do it, you can.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071383832/qid=1027543181/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-7172790-2254501"; target="_blank">This book was helpful in jump-starting my system</a>
[ 07-24-2002: Message edited by: tmp ]</p>
<strong>If you'd like to hear the USMC PFT, it consists of the following:
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff
Whoa... I could do that (except maybe for the run, I'll have to clock myself tomorrow.) That's encouraging; I have a real self-image problem.
bradbower, I'd certainly suggest that you start jogging before you invest in any equipment. I find that a good run every morning is enough for me and twice-weekly trips to the Y take care of the weight lifting.
The bike sounds a good thing! i used it for years cos i dint have money to buy the monthly bus ticket... it's the fastest way to move in the city
Then find something you like as sport. i love swimming... or often walk.
I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). Some things i guess could work: become a vegetarian ora at least use a lot of green and vegetables... fish is good. i prefer no-fat and low-fat.
Don't eat when you are not hungry. And when yuo are not hungry anymore, quit eating. Eat slowly. Drink lots of water.
Ehehe.. i rad somewhere you need 1 000 000 clicks to burn the calories of a marc chocolate bar...
I dun't know how many it would be with touch pad? 1 500 000 ? <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). </strong><hr></blockquote>
You and Alley McBeal should get together then
You should go weigh yourself, I used to date a girl that was 5'1" tall, weighed about 100lbs, and she was rather skinny. I'm about 5'10" tall and my target weight zone is between 145 and 155 lbs
I wouldn't cut meats out of your diet, they are your best source of protein. Definitely add more veggies though. Keep in mind that your body uses carbohydrates as energy, however, if the carbs that you intake go unused, they turn into fat. This is why eating high carb foods like rice, breads, and pasta aren't good to eat if you're not going to be burning them off.
There is actually a diet out there by a Dr. Atkins where you don't intake more than 20 - 30 grams of carbs per day, and you end up dropping, on average, 10 lbs a week. It's actually starting to gain some credibility with doctors and nutritionists, and if you want to drop weight quickly, I'd suggest doing it, and following it up with proper nutrition and exercise. Just read the labels on your foods... adding up the carbs in things shouldn't be too hard.
check somewhere a fat content table.. try it.
but don't eliminate the fats completely..
lets say at least 20g a day (as a man) but ALL of them.. so the ones that are already in the food you eat..
i guess those low carb diets can be quite dangerous. i've been a veggie for ages (so not considering to skip back to meats) and don't like the taste of fat... if I would try the low carb having no fat and no meat i guess i'd be quite dead.. and brain dead! the brain needs sugar..
<img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
how many clicks on a toucpad i need to burn a chocolate bar?? with a mouse it should be 1000 000 but i don't know if that's in windows or in mac <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
buy an OLD keyboard where you have to hit the keys!! you'll burn mmore calories writing..!! haha <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
<strong>Find out how many situps you can currently do, set a goal, and work towards it. Same thing with pushups and pullups. They all come quickly. If you'd like to hear the USMC PFT, it consists of the following:
3 mile run in 18 minutes
20 pullups without dropping
200 situps in 2 minutes
Each event is worth 100 points total, officers must score 225 or higher. It's fun stuff
Motivation and confidence are the keys to success
In both of my years as an ROTC cadet we had to do this "Presidential Fitness" competition whatever thing, which most students lovingly referred to as a stupidass waste of time and energy (myself included), but we were forced to embarrass ourselves in front of all of our classmates watching us for a grade as we were compared to supposed national standards for exercise-type things. Just like your little test. It was pretty close to that, too, but then again it doesn't matter how close it was, it seemed unreasonably and unachievably high as far as standards go. It was ruined by the strict enforcement of rules and meticulousness of the instructors, who were of course actually in the military (the army, not the marine corps). Of course upon learning that we had to do it in front of all of our classmates I wasn't exactly thrilled, either... Needless to say I skipped that period. I feel sorry for people whose job requires it, too. But then, I guess you like it... and who wouldn't like something they're good at, all the more if they had to work to be good at it?
Annnnnnnnyway, I digress... other than that bit of unpleasant history, that story does bring up a few questions for me about situps and pushups. How do you do them? Like actual situps, or just like crunches? Pushups, there are alternate styles of as well. Or do you do both? You'll probably give me the military answer though, that being The Hard Way? on both counts.
<strong>I am coming into this one a bit late, but here's my two cents.
I don't recommend running. It severly stresses the joints and connective tissues. Fast walking (4 mph) should do you fine. Biking is great, swimming is too. I also recommend Pilates or Yoga (you can get a video of these, or far better, take a class.), Yoga is, for me, one of the hardest workouts that I do. I take a Power Yoga class two times a week, and it has made a huge difference.
I do recommend a gym. I have found that if I have paid for it, I am likely to use it. Even though you might feel really self-concious going at first, I think it's worth it. I go to Crunch, a very trendy Hoolywood-y place here in LA. It's filled with 25 year olds with 5% body fat and 25% silicone, but I go. In old shorts and a t-shirt.
As for diet, unfortunately, common sense is really the only way to go. Look at the packages of everything you buy. If it has anything you can't pronounce, pass it up. If it has anything ending with an -ose (dextrose, fructose, etc.) put it back on the shelf. Stay out of any aisle that has pre-made or processed foods. I also suggest giving up caffeine and alcohol while you are on the diet. Go to the health food store once every two weeks even if you have to take a cab. If you buy a juice, make sure that it's juice, and not "juice drink". Drop bread entirely. Have pasta or rice infrequently. Before you grab that piece of chocolate or whatever, ask yourself, "Is this worth being fat over?" most times the answer is no. (of course, once in a great while you have to treat yourself to something. If you like chocolate, let yourself have a few ounces of of something wildly delicious once every two or three weeks, like some Valhrona, and really savor it.)
Diets are boring, no doubt about it. That's why people start popping pills and doing the "48 hour Hollywood Diet" crap. The b1tch part is that you basically have to just change the way that you eat and move to lose weight and keep it off. It's like getting religion or joining AA. And like AA, don't beat yourself up if you sleep late and miss a day, or get a cheeseburger at McD's. Everybody slips. The key is to get right back on the diet, right then. Don't say, I'll start tomorrow, or after that dinner party on Friday, or that trip to the club with my friends, or national sofa-care month, or whatever.
It's going to take work and time, but it took time to get you where you are now. And believe me: if I, whose dedication to doing nothing is formidable can do it, you can.
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0071383832/qid=1027543181/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/102-7172790-2254501"; target="_blank">This book was helpful in jump-starting my system</a>
[ 07-24-2002: Message edited by: tmp ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't think I'd be running anyway... I'm a little too self-conscious for that, and I doubt I could sustain what I consider to be actual running for long enough to get a decent workout or whatever.. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" /> But fast walking is good. Our dogs are so funny, they always walk fast and pull on the leash so that they almost choke themselves, so whenever I do go for walks in the park with a dog it's always a brisk one (but not a jog).
This is going to sound like I'm making excuses here, but there's no way I'm going to do any swimming because we don't have a pool and I'm just too self-conscious to start learning how, even if I were physically fit enough to handle it. Maybe someday.
And yoga... I have a few really cool friends who recommend, but I'm just not sure of it. It sounds.. well, to put it bluntly, like a yuppie/gay/pussy activity. Nothing against gays or anything, but that's the rep. I don't know how I would even go about breaking it to my mom, my family, my friends, my coworkers... I don't know, I'd like to take a class, but I need some help on how to correct the propaganda-like ideas of the general public and maybe I'll go for it... Then again, do fat people do yoga? I don't know. I don't want to gross out a room of people "at peace" or whatever. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
Thank you for the rest of your advice too. I'm going to join a gym in a few weeks (I'm having to make some large purchases lately, for my pay at least, like a car.. insurance.. license.. food.. etc), I'm going out walking in just a little bit (determined to get back into that habit!), and I'm going to start taking more fruit and veggies and salads (no dressing) and just water for lunch I think.
<strong>I guess i have the opposite problem .. i'm 5'10" tall and i guess soemthing like 105 to 110 lb (but don't want to be any heavier either). </strong><hr></blockquote>
Wow, I wish I had that problem. Eh, the grass is always greener I suppose.
I don't really care what I way, I just don't want to look fat. And of course to not look fat, I have to not be fat... I've been well-conditioned psychologically by today's world to look at fatness, being overweight, and obesity as a repulsive, disfiguring epidemic.
I guess my goal is to lose 35+ lbs by the end of this year, and keep it off through the holiday season, by adopting actually healthy eating habits and a good exercise regimen.. Then after that I'll have to assess things. I do have the ultimate goal of becoming a serious hottie, also fed by the unreachable standards set forth by society.
Also, is there anyone in the Omaha, Nebraska area looking for a workout buddy? <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />
[ 07-25-2002: Message edited by: bradbower ]</p>
There are a few variations on the situp as well. A traditional situp, where you lie on you back wth your knees bent, and while keeping your back completely straight, you "sit up" towards your knees. The Navy actually does "chinese situps". A chinese situp starts in the same stance, but place your hands on your thighs, and as you start to "situp", you have gone far enough when your hands extend to your kneecaps. You can also do crunches, basically just keep your back straight, chin high, and elevate your abdomen.
I personally had to work terribly hard to get where I am, and it wasn't easy... at all. You won't start off being able to do many reps... but really push yourself. When you think you can't do anymore, make yourself squeeze out two more. You have it in you. Remember, the mind tires before the body.
As for the self conscious issues, I understand where you're coming from, but if your physical fitness is important enough to you, you will overcome it. Maybe instead of Yoga, try a self defense class
good luck
Here's something that's not so constructive:
<a href="http://dailynews.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=571&ncid=751&e=1&u=/nm/20020726/hl_nm/fastfood_dc"; target="_blank">Man sues fast food chains over his obesity</a>
P.S. Yoga seems to be very much in the vogue now. I think anything that gets you out there doing something is cool. Too bad I'm such a slug <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" /> .
Edit: Fixed smily.
[ 07-26-2002: Message edited by: frawgz ]</p>
<strong>Mh i guess the most basic rule is FAT is FAT... so if you think every gram of fat you eat (bigmac has 36 g of fat!!!! plus potatoes) will be in your waist or a$$ .. you are gonna eat less fat!!
check somewhere a fat content table.. try it.
but don't eliminate the fats completely..
lets say at least 20g a day (as a man) but ALL of them.. so the ones that are already in the food you eat..
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Fats are necessary for life (our brain is full of fat), the more important thing to have a non variant weight is to have an balanced food : 50 % of glucids, 30 % proteine and 20 % lipids. That does not mean 100 g of glucid, 60 g of proteins and 40 g of lipid, that means that 50 % of the caloric energy is bring by glucid, 30 % by protein and 20 % of lipid. Lipid are more energetic than glucid or protein ; 100 g of lipids bring the same amount of calory than 220 g of glucids or proteins.
So the important is to have a balanced food.
<strong>What are you guys' goals?
[ 07-25-2002: Message edited by: bradbower ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
I think its important to set yourself goals, so long as they are realistic ones. You could always try aiming for the stars and you may reach the moon, but you could just as easily give up along the way. My goals are just to be fitter and stronger at the end of the month than I was as the beginning. Over the months and years, this adds up to alot of progress. When you achieve one realistic short term goal, it gives you the motivation and confidence to aim for others.
[ 07-27-2002: Message edited by: RodUK ]</p>
The summer after I graduated high school all I really did was sit around and watch TV, played a little golf on occasion and generally had a good time.
In 2 months I put on about 20 pounds.
Anyway, after summer I decided that the only way I was ever going to loose any weight was if I got a job that was physically demanding, seen as though I had no personal motivation to exercise.
I got a job at a farm, where it's all physical all day, and in about 5 months lost 30 pounds and am as buff as ever.
Working on the farm is great because I only stop for my lunch when it's lunch time, and I'm not sitting around all day snacking, and I;m outside all day in the fresh air.
Getting paid to get in shape, that's the way I like it.
<a href="http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa043001a.htm"; target="_blank">http://bicycling.about.com/library/weekly/aa043001a.htm</a>;
<a href="http://www.shapeup.net/Calorie.html"; target="_blank">http://www.shapeup.net/Calorie.html</a>;
<strong>
And yoga... I have a few really cool friends who recommend, but I'm just not sure of it. It sounds.. well, to put it bluntly, like a yuppie/gay/pussy activity. Nothing against gays or anything, but that's the rep</strong><hr></blockquote>
Yes, that kind of is the rep, since it has become very popular. But it is a very serious workout. And it tones your body faster than almost anything else. And all sorts of people go to the classes. The class at my gym is held in the workout room that is glass on two sides. At least once a week some body-builder type will try a lcass, clearly thinking that it's a wussy workout. They last about 20 minutes, usually.
Here is a yoga based workout that a friend of mine does at home. You 25 of each. (Or you try to, you'll have to work up to it)
The Five Rites of Rejuvenation
Rite One: Stand erect with arms outstretched, horizontal with the shoulders. Now spin around until you become slightly dizzy. There is only one caution: you must turn from left to right. (Clockwise)
Rite Two: Lay flat on your back on the floor or on the bed. Then place the hands flat down alongside the hips. Fingers should be kept close together with the fingertips of each hand turned slightly toward one another. The feet are then raised until the legs are straight up. If possible let the feet extend back a bit over the body, toward the head; but do not let the knees bend. Then, slowly lower the feet to the floor and for a moment allow all muscles to relax. Then perform this Rite all over again. "
Rite Three: All one needs to do is to kneel on his 'prayer rug,' place his hands on his thighs, and lean forward as far as possible with the head inclined so that the chin rests on the chest. Now lean backward as far as possible; at the same time the head should be lifted and thrown back as far as it will go. Then bring the head up along with the body. Lean forward again and start the rite all over.
Rite Four: Sit on the 'prayer rug' with the feet stretched out in front. Then place the hands alongside the body. Now raise the body and bend the knees so that the legs, from the knees down, are practically straight up and down. The arms, too, will be straight up and down while the body, from the shoulders to the knees, will be horizontal. Before pushing the body to a horizontal position, the chin should be well down on the chest. Then, as the body is raised, the head should be allowed to drop gently backward as far as it will go. Next, return to a sitting position and relax for a moment before repeating the procedure. When the body is pressed up to the complete horizontal position, tense every muscle in the body.
Rite Five: Place the hands on the floor about two feet apart. Then, with the legs stretched out to the rear with the feet also about two feet apart, push the body, and especially the hips, up as far as possible, rising on the toes and hands. At the same time the head should be brought so far down that the chin comes up against the chest. "Next, allow the body to come slowly down to a 'sagging' position. Bring the head up, causing it to be drawn as far back as possible. "After a few weeks, that is after you become quite proficient in this movement, let the body drop from its highest position to a point almost but not quite touching the floor. The muscles should be tensed for a moment when the body is at the highest point, and again at the lowest point. Before the end of the first week this particular Rite will be one of the easiest ones to perform for the average person.