Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

[alfablue]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Our office building is having a weight loss challenge.



It actually looks solid. I need some sort of help. I know what do to and how to do it, I just lack motivation. Taking their money might just do it.

DO IT- that kind of competition triggered Mrs Alfa's weight loss, and then further enhancement of shape. Once she got into the swing of the stuff they were working on, she took it a step further, and ended up winning by loosing 45lb. It has stayed off, too.

I'm doing it now with my aerobics class.

 

[JF_Gophers]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

My body is very unhappy with me right now.

Every part of me is sore after 2 workouts. I know that's to be expected when you go from dormant to 60 in just a few days. But it sure makes it hard to want to keep doing it.

I won't stop though, I have much better discipline than that.

 

[Dirty Bottles]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

So since I know some of you are triathletes, I figure this is a good place to ask.

As a beginner, what sort of gear should I get? I don't have a road bike, I'm going to use my mountain bike for the race. But should I get a tri-suit, shoes, etc? Or is it better just to figure out if I'm going to enjoy it first?

Definitely keep it simple. At triathlons you'll see ALL kinds of bikes, outfits, etc. so don't worry about what to wear or being an oddball.

Swim - if in open water, and it's cold, and you're not comfortable in the water then consider renting a wet suit.

Bike - assuming this is a shorter ride (less then 20 miles), just wear your running shorts or jammers of some kind.

A fitting editorial... http://www.bikesportmichigan.com/editorials/0000021.shtml


Good luck and let us know how things go. I did my first one 4 years ago and was instantly hooked. I moved from sprints, to olympic distance to 2 half iron's last year. This year the big race is Ironman Wisconsin. So be careful, this sport can suck you in!

 

[moose97]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Speaking of bicycling, I want to start riding to work again (only a couple miles each way), but am concerned about the seat on my bike. See, I've had two, um, "man" surgeries in the last year (doing better now, thank you very much), and had to skip riding all last summer (at the urologist's suggestion).

Anyway, enough about me. I was researching better male bicycle seats the other day, and found Hobson Easyseats. The local bike shop says they take some getting used to, but might be a good option for someone who's had surgery "down there." Anyone know anything about these seats? Know of a better option? I'd really like to start biking again, as my daughter finally learned to ride last summer, and like I said, I'd like to ride to work as well. Thanks!

 

[Sloe Gin]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

So be careful, this sport can suck you in!

yes it can...

how's your Ironman training going? I'm ramping up the Olympic training right now...swimming is going very well for me!

 

[Dirty Bottles]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Speaking of bicycling, I want to start riding to work again (only a couple miles each way), but am concerned about the seat on my bike. See, I've had two, um, "man" surgeries in the last year (doing better now, thank you very much), and had to skip riding all last summer (at the urologist's suggestion).

Anyway, enough about me. I was researching better male bicycle seats the other day, and found Hobson Easyseats. The local bike shop says they take some getting used to, but might be a good option for someone who's had surgery "down there." Anyone know anything about these seats? Know of a better option? I'd really like to start biking again, as my daughter finally learned to ride last summer, and like I said, I'd like to ride to work as well. Thanks!

I've seen those seats and I think it depends on what type of bike you ride, how long you ride, etc. The enemy when doing long bikes is chaffing and having a soft cushy seat will create lots of chaffing. There is a reason why all the TdF guys have hard seats

I always had ummm... numbness issues with normal bike seats so I bought the Adamo and love it. http://www.ismseat.com/products_racing.htm

It's a seat with no nose and a split down the middle so your perineum can "breath". If you go this route, just make sure you give it time as your sit bones will kill at first but they will adjust if you ride regularly.

yes it can...

how's your Ironman training going? I'm ramping up the Olympic training right now...swimming is going very well for me!

Good to hear it! My 'official' IM training plan doesn't start until the end of April but I'm still training fairly hard (around 10 hours a week).

My run training is taking a hit though because I'm having IT band issues. I've getting graston done on it though so hopefully I'll be back to running in another week or so.

 

[MissThundercat]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

In my case I did need to switch some of the foods I eat, because I wanted to exercise in addition to the eating more often per day. I am used to eating once per day, which of course causes me to store food and keep some extra weight.

I can't have Pizza, hamburger, and cokes 4-6 times a day and expect to be healthy. Nor will those kind of calories help me have energy for exercise.

I'm probably only 20 lbs overweight. So now is the time to change before it becomes worse and much more difficult to fix.

When I started losing weight, I started by cutting back on the pizza, coke, etc, and started eating more fruits and veggies. It worked. I've also been tracking my calories, keeping a record of what I've eaten. And since I'm now about 20 lbs underweight (at least), here's what I've done to ensure I don't collapse during a run:

-Started using healthy fats in meal preparation. Learned that olive oil really brings out the flavor of certain vegetables, like spinach, zucchini, broccoli, etc. Also helps with chicken; found a great marinade in Runner's World magazine that calls for olive oil and soy sauce... my parents say it's the best chicken I've ever made.
-Cut back on the caffeine. Granted, there are days when I'm still slurping cup after cup of coffee, but overall, I'm not drinking as much as I used to.
-While I still snack on reduced-fat cheeses, I can now appreciate a small portion of the good stuff, such as Brie, Camembert, Manchego, Muenster, and Provolone without overdoing it.
-Same with meat. While I prefer to eat lean cuts of meat, such as chicken breast and turkey, having a small portion of steak is good every now and then.
-Nuts. I've become a huge fan of roasting my own almonds, plus I like to snack on walnuts...
-Breads: Still using whole wheat whenever possible, but I've added pitas, rye, and sourdough to my routine.
-Sweets: Finally relented enough so I can enjoy a good peppermint or butterscotch candy. Otherwise, I'm still avoiding things like ice cream, cake, etc. I figure if I'm going to have dessert, I want to go all out, rather than eat something that will be gone in three bites or less. In other words, bring me the Kitchen Sink sundae...
-Finally, Overeaters Anonymous has helped me to stop panicking over what I've eaten. I can't change what I've already done, and running around after dinner to burn off a "bad" food doesn't help at all. "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..."

Our office building is having a weight loss challenge.



It actually looks solid. I need some sort of help. I know what do to and how to do it, I just lack motivation. Taking their money might just do it.

Nothing to it but to do it. Anything that motivates you to change is a good thing...

 

[unh_hockey]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

this year I have been more of a stickler about what I consume, namely anything with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. This effort has led me to start reading the labels pretty in depth every time I hit up the store. One conclusion I have come to in the past few months; everything has sugar in it. Its almost unavoidable. I find myself having to try and get stuff that isn't bad for you...its simply too easy to pick something up with sugar and thinking one is eating pretty well.

Milk, spreads, nuts, cereals, dressings are all culprits!

Thats my rant for today.

 

[BUT09]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Thanks for the triathlon advice, everyone!

I did a really hard interval workout tonight, and I've realized I really enjoy working out to the point of nausea. Not hard enough to actually throw up, but just shy of that point.

There is something slightly sick about that.

 

[MissThundercat]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

this year I have been more of a stickler about what I consume, namely anything with sugar or high fructose corn syrup. This effort has led me to start reading the labels pretty in depth every time I hit up the store. One conclusion I have come to in the past few months; everything has sugar in it. Its almost unavoidable. I find myself having to try and get stuff that isn't bad for you...its simply too easy to pick something up with sugar and thinking one is eating pretty well.

Milk, spreads, nuts, cereals, dressings are all culprits!

Thats my rant for today.

Since I know that sugar is mostly unavoidable, I tend to look for products made with real sugar, rather than HFCS or an artificial sweetener. Yeah it means paying a lot more, but it's worth every penny...

 

[alfablue]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Running update...

Did 10 miles today- first time in a few months I've run that far. This seasons work outs have been paying off. Did the 10 miles at a pace of 9:18, and with a heart rate of what I used to run 10:15 in. Basically, with the group and the group workouts- I'm running farther, faster, and lighter.

So very cool!!!

 

[Case_04]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Checked another one of my goals for the year off the list, ran my first 5K of the year yesterday sub 25:00, 24:48 to be exact. Wasn't a ton of fun slogging through the wind and rain but it was worth it in the end. Got my next one in two weeks, hopefully another PR.

 

[melmac]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

DO IT- that kind of competition triggered Mrs Alfa's weight loss, and then further enhancement of shape. Once she got into the swing of the stuff they were working on, she took it a step further, and ended up winning by loosing 45lb. It has stayed off, too.

I'm doing it now with my aerobics class.

Nothing to it but to do it. Anything that motivates you to change is a good thing...

So, I paid my $29 and have my shape scan analysis tonight. The first official meeting is Wednesday. Not only do I want to take their money, I don't want to put anything else in; it's a dollar for every pound gained during the 12 weeks. I'm pretty excited about this. I'll actually have someone and something to be accountable to.

 

[BUT09]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

it's a dollar for every pound gained during the 12 weeks.

I've never heard of that particular incentive, but it's pretty brilliant!

I really need to work on improving what I eat - I was really good about it over the summer, but I'm so busy lately that I'm alternating between eating crap because it is fast and I don't have time to cook, or just not eating because I don't have time to eat.

And it really sucks that every time I mention that I need to go on a diet, people ask me if I'm anorexic. It is not about losing weight, it is about living a healthier life, and somehow I can't get the people around me to understand that.

Anyone have suggestions for healthy meals/snacks that don't require much prep?

 

[nmu_27]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

And it really sucks that every time I mention that I need to go on a diet, people ask me if I'm anorexic. It is not about losing weight, it is about living a healthier life, and somehow I can't get the people around me to understand that.

Anyone have suggestions for healthy meals/snacks that don't require much prep?

Don't say 'diet.' Just say you need to eat healthier.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Don't say 'diet.' Just say you need to eat healthier.

+ eleventy infinity.

This isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle change. "Diets" are temporary. Your diet and how it fits with your lifestyle is not. Well, if your diet is really really bad, I suppose it's temporary...

But like nmu implies- it's your health- you need to know what you need to eat to make you the right health.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Anyone have suggestions for healthy meals/snacks that don't require much prep?

Are your weekends booked, too? It's pretty easy to make a bunch of pre-done foods that are fresh on Sunday, and they either freeze or stay fresh enough in the fridge that it's better.

 

[BUT09]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Are your weekends booked, too? It's pretty easy to make a bunch of pre-done foods that are fresh on Sunday, and they either freeze or stay fresh enough in the fridge that it's better.

Most of the time I work Saturdays, and I've been having a lot of away hockey games that drag me away on the weekends. It should calm down soon, though. I guess I just need to be sensible and schedule in time for cooking the way I schedule everything else (my day planner defines OCD ).

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

Most of the time I work Saturdays, and I've been having a lot of away hockey games that drag me away on the weekends. It should calm down soon, though. I guess I just need to be sensible and schedule in time for cooking the way I schedule everything else (my day planner defines OCD ).

My suggestion is whenever you actually do get around to cooking, make a family size meal and package the leftovers in single serving size containers. You can either freeze them or put the in the refrigerator, and bring them to work for lunch. It won't take any more time to make the larger meal, but it will save you a bunch of time in preparing lunches.

 

[alfablue]

Re: Diet and Exercise 2010: Whatever it takes

(my day planner defines OCD ).

Actually, I bet a lot of us can ask the question- do we really need to be this busy?

That, and does watching TV really mean time needed, or is that really time wasted? (that's directed at myself- BTW)