If you don't mind me asking... why did you get one so young??

8/27/2011 8:42:51 PM

i've been sick and having problems for about a year, pretty sure it's endometrosis that has attached to my bowels but they just wanted to give me one as an exclusionary diagnostic....

[Edited on August 28, 2011 at 3:06 AM. Reason : sdgfdds]

8/28/2011 3:02:37 AM

had a stressful moment this morning where i thought i signed a 1-year contract (in german) at a gym that didn't have a squat rack...

thankfully i discovered there was a second level w/ plenty of racks and free weights (after improvising a lame workout on a bunch of machines, but at least i can workout for real for the next 12 months)

i should really learn some german

8/28/2011 1:39:22 PM

i can't use the wedding/top300/tattoo as an excuse any more to not work out.


BUT i am happy to see where this will lead me, there have been some major overhauls done in my daily routine as well as diet.....
[Edited on August 28, 2011 at 7:10 PM. Reason : -->

8/28/2011 7:10:04 PM

So I'm putting myself on a training regiment when I get back from vacation. I've been wicked lazy lately with my diet and even though I'm working out, I'm eating crap.

I'm hoping that by sticking to my guns on a training regiment it will help me regain focus on my eating awareness.

I've got my first Olympic tri in 2 weeks (will most likely be a disaster) and then a half marathon on my birthday in November.

Let's see how the next 2 months go.

8/28/2011 7:19:30 PM

I got up at 4:30

drove 2 1/2 hours to Chattanooga

started rappelling at 9, then rock climbing at 11

then white water rafting for 1 1/2 - 2 hrs

then a 2 1/2 hour drive back


I am super tired but it was so fun

this is my only action shot so far (not very far off the ground at that part, but it was super hard)

8/28/2011 11:03:00 PM

Registered for a 5K this weekend. Pretty pumped. I think I'm almost ready to pick out my second half-marathon, too.

Also, I bought a scale that measures body fat percentage. I know it's probably not as accurate as some other methods, but this is fine for me. The website I use to track everything also calculates BMI, and I found a formula that uses BMI to estimate body fat percentage.

So back in April when I was 227 pounds, using the BMI I had back then and this formula, I think my body fat percentage was around 30 percent.

The scale I bought this weekend put me at 23 percent. So I've decreased my body fat percentage by seven points in four months. I'll take it! Still have a ways to go.

8/29/2011 9:47:24 AM

I finally figured out how to do power cleans

8/29/2011 10:29:19 AM

so what was wrong before?

8/29/2011 10:42:43 AM

I realized I have to lean my torso/shoulders forward more than I thought. It's not a big change from what I was doing, but somehow it just clicked one day and now I don't choke myself. I feel like the difference is hard to explain (and either reads like "duh" or "that isn't what you should be doing") but before I could only manage to hold the bar and be able to breathe if I leaned back a tiny bit, which made catching it not really work. I still haven't gotten too much weight on them, but I'll get there.

8/29/2011 10:59:30 AM

So slightly odd Question...

BUT I am curious to know people experience of working out in the morning. I am not at all a morning person and I find the times I've tried working out in the am, I'm tired, not fully awake, don't get an awesome workout and then am more tired than i was before I worked out.

I love working out right after work, no excuses...but now due to my schedule there are things I'd love to do after work but have my spin classes so often times I miss them because of my scheduling conflicts.

I am wondering for those who work out in the a.m. if it was like this for you as well and it was something you just got over, or no you just have to be a morning person. Also any tips for am workouts?

8/29/2011 12:20:23 PM

I thought I was going to absolutely hate working out in the morning because I always tended to hit snooze until the very last minute I could get out of bed and make it to work on time. But I started almost two years ago and haven't looked back. It took me a couple weeks to get used to it, but now I can't stand working out after work. I don't feel like eating when I roll out of bed and out the door, but I have to make myself eat something (lately it's been a banana and sunflower seed butter) or else I crash.

It's still hard to get up and make myself go sometimes, but I'm always glad I did even on the days I'm really tired. It gives me energy throughout the day and I love being able to leave work and have the rest of the day free. And you don't have room for excuses either, because nothing is going to come up overnight that'll keep you from going, whereas if you're dreading your p.m. workout it's easy to come up with something else you realize you "need" to do instead.

And most gyms are SO MUCH less crowded in the morning. That isn't an issue for me anymore since I'm not at a regular gym, but when I was and I couldn't make a morning workout I grew to really hate going after work. Way too crowded.

I did switch back to evening workouts for 2-3 months in the spring and hated it

[Edited on August 29, 2011 at 12:34 PM. Reason : .]

8/29/2011 12:33:27 PM

i hate mornings. badly. but i try to work out at 5am-630am. my gym gets absurd by the time i can get there after work.

to me, the hardest part of working out in the am is telling the snooze bar to fuck off and getting out of bed.

i've found it helps to get up and allow like 10 minutes or so of just walking around to wake up before heading out to the gym. i usually take the dogs out and run em around or something. i'm trying to get into the habit of eating a little something with some carbs at this point too, as well as a glass or two of water. it's worth the extra few minutes just to compose yourself or something, instead of rushing into the car and off to a workout.

(i've also read speculative journal articles about the impact on the spine after laying down for such a period and then immediately going and loading up with weights or other things in a vertical position. they suggested walking around or at least being upright for at least half an hour or so before doing weights. idk. makes sense.)

i also allow time such that ill go home after working out in the am, eat a huge breakfast, shower, then go to work. idk, i feel like i've accomplished a lot before i even get to work. i'm fortunate enough that the gym i go to is ~1mile from my house. i keep telling myself im going to do leangains and fasted training, but never start.

i also feel more productive the first few hours at work because im totally already awake and got some blood pumping.

what really sucks is that it seems like it takes FOREVER until it's lunch time.

[Edited on August 29, 2011 at 12:42 PM. Reason : get out of my head skwinkle]

8/29/2011 12:40:07 PM

i prefer to work out in the morning (around 6am) but only currently do on Thursdays and Fridays. i have to be at work at 7am and since i run a lot outdoors, i don't like running until it's light outside which prevents me from doing so before work. i get off work at 3pm though so i come home and work out in the afternoons Monday-Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday i work out right when i wake up so between 9 and 10.

8/29/2011 12:43:19 PM

ya I've tried it but not consistently tried it for weeks, there was only one time in college that i had a running class in the early am like 8 I'd never eat anything before crashed a few times. so good tips, I'm just debating if i should try it again and for myself to give it a month and not like a week and quit.

8/29/2011 1:15:37 PM

i worked out in the morning for almost a year
it was the only time i could do it though and it was nice to get it out of the way, but ultimately i hated it with a passion.

i found myself so tired that i wasn't working to full potential.

i love working out on an empty stomach and i'm not a breakfast person so that worked out great....

but yeah i despised it and i work out in the afternoons now and i love it 784923578347593 times more.

i'm also more of a night owl than most.
i am most productive from 7-11ish at night, so sleep was an issue too....

i would try and fall asleep at 9 but i wouldnt be able too until around midnight....it was so frustrating...and it lasted the.whole.year.
you would think that you would be able to fall asleep earlier when you are lacking sleep but nooooooo, my body was being dumb

so i was working on 5 hours of sleep mon-friday for a whole year.

no thank you.


but this is just my experience

8/29/2011 1:15:38 PM

it definitely has taken time for me to adjust. i used to have to eat as soon as i got up or i would feel sick the rest of the day. now i can work out, go hours without eating, etc with no problem. but this is all recent....in the last year i've been able to do this.

8/29/2011 1:34:44 PM

i really am demotivated right now. i have zero desire to go to the gym. buuuuuuuut, I'm gonna do it anyway

8/29/2011 7:16:41 PM

Had to do some major shopping today. I've gone down 2 pant sizes from a 10 to a 6 (and even the 6 is a tad loose) and down from a medium to a small in tops! I still have about 5 more pounds to go but I'm really happy with my progress so far.

Total weight loss: 20 pounds

8/29/2011 9:34:10 PM

^ nice.

I dunno what happened today lost all my energy my HRM said my Hr was really low...

8/29/2011 10:39:25 PM

MattJMM2's 5 Random Fat Loss Tips:

1. Actively reduce portion sizes! I.E. stop eating BEFORE you are full.
2. Eat more protein! Try to get at least 15-30grams every meal.
3. Strength Train! This means lift weights that are challenging in the 3-10rep range.
4. Get off your ass! Actively move as much as possible through the day. Take the stairs. Park far away. Do not stay seated longer than 45minutes at a time. Aim for 5-10hours a week of movement activity.
5. Get enough sleep! Also, keep stress levels low.

Bonus Tips:

-Don't fret over "starvation mode". It may not even exist. In your quest for weight loss, hunger is your friend. Just make sure you are fueling yourself enough for your work outs and getting enough protein (1g per pound of body weight per day).

-Caffeine, green tea extracts and other stimulants can be used to effectively reduce hunger pangs and beat low calorie energy slumps. Be sure not to over do it and cycle it so reliance is a non-issue.

-Calcium supplementation (~1250mg x day) has also been found to be effective in increasing fat loss.

8/30/2011 12:27:33 PM

total body weight or lean body weight?

8/30/2011 12:28:27 PM

Lean body weight being the minimum target.

8/30/2011 12:33:25 PM

I've started exercising again and reducing calories. Last two days I've felt kind of weak and shaky the last two days. I want to eat 1300 calories/day but right now I am eating 1500-1600 and still feeling weak. Do I need more protein?

8/30/2011 1:03:44 PM

if you're exercising i would stay around 1500-1600 calories a day. i feel like 1300 might be too low. i aim for about 1500-1700 a day depending on how much i plan on working out. i also listen to my body. some days i need a little more calories than others.

what is a typical day for you food wise?

8/30/2011 1:05:39 PM

yes

8/30/2011 1:05:43 PM

If you are going super low calorie, then you must keep a close eye on your work out intensity/volume.

You either kick ass in the gym, and have a moderate/slight calorie deficit. Or, you do a deep deficit and keep your work outs conservative.

Pay attention to your body and tweak things as necessary.

The secret to body transformation (and almost everything else in life) is balancing stresses. I.E. Getting an appropriate balance of calorie deficit, strength training, activity, sleep, protein, recovery, movement, etc. Those are all types of stresses.

If you are going overboard on one variable, compensation must be made somewhere else.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 1:19 PM. Reason : p]

8/30/2011 1:18:45 PM

^^ AHAHAHAHA

8/30/2011 1:30:18 PM

i just got that

8/30/2011 1:34:14 PM

I usually eat:

Either a mini bagel with strawberry cream cheese and yogurt or Total ceral for breakfast.
for lunch I have a peanut butter sandwich with baked chips and a 90 calories special K bar. Maybe an apple or banana for a snack in the middle of the day and a granola bar. I eat a full dinner accompanied with chicken or lean meat. And to treat myself I have a 90 calorie frozen snickers icecream.

For workouts I walk/run my dog for 2 miles and then do the elliptical until I burn about 300-400 calories. I think I burn about 200 walking the dog. I also do some situps and physical thearpy tecniques for my shoulder, but I'm not even sure if thats enough to count.

What can I eat to keep be stable and still have lower calorie intake? I got a wedding in October with some high school classmates I haven't seen since graduation and would like to lose 20 pounds.

8/30/2011 1:52:11 PM

oh lawd

8/30/2011 1:55:48 PM

I'd completely revamp your breakfast/lunch so there's more protein and less total calories.

Also, get more activity in. Walking, bike riding, anything low intensity that just has you moving on your feet. Add in 2-4days of strength training.

Take the time you have left until your weight dead line, then divide the 20lbs by the amount of weeks til the date. Now you've set your weekly weight loss goal. If you aren't losing enough weight every 3-4days to hit your weekly goals then you have to modify your strategy (calories, activity, exercise).

8/30/2011 2:01:21 PM

Quote :

"90 calorie frozen snickers icecream."

Where the hell do you find these? Tell me now. The only 90 calorie bars I see are those little granola shits with maybe three bites in 'em.

8/30/2011 2:05:39 PM

Quote :

"For workouts I walk/run my dog for 2 miles and then do the elliptical until I burn about 300-400 calories. I think I burn about 200 walking the dog."

not to be mean (ok i don't feel good so i'll probably be mean, my apologies) but i guarantee you're not burning 200 calories walking the dog. running at about 6.0mph for 10 minutes will burn about 100 calories (that's a mile) so i doubt you're burning anything close to that. you're probably burning about 80-100 calories walking 2 miles (also depends if your walk is hilly?) but it also depends on how fast you're walking and how often you're stopping so the dog can sniff every scent along the way.

your breakfast is crap and you don't really eat any vegetables. you also eat a more carbs than you should and it looks like you're eating quite a bit of dairy (cream cheese, ice cream, milk for cereal)

you should look at doing oatmeal with blueberries or strawberries and another piece of fruit in the morning. also try to incorporate some protein in there - like eggs.

lunch should be lean meats with veggies and maybe a whole grain carb. dinner should be the same but if you eat a carb at lunch don't eat one at dinner and vice versa.

i aim for 4-6 servings of veggies a day and 2 servings of fruit a day. i also limit my dairy to one serving a day if i can.

8/30/2011 2:08:08 PM

For those of you who hate running, you should sign up for a 5k 8 weeks in advance, and train/focus on that the entire time. Once you tell everyone what you're doing, you'll be more motivated to succeed so that you don't look like a pussy to everyone by not following through.

Tried that this summer and it worked out very well, and the weight burn was just an added bonus of accomplishing the run.

8/30/2011 2:08:22 PM

Quote :

"Either a mini bagel with strawberry cream cheese and yogurt or Total ceral for breakfast. for lunch I have a peanut butter sandwich with baked chips and a 90 calories special K bar. Maybe an apple or banana for a snack in the middle of the day and a granola bar. I eat a full dinner accompanied with chicken or lean meat. And to treat myself I have a 90 calorie frozen snickers icecream."

What is this I don't even

8/30/2011 2:09:35 PM

^An invaluable contribution, thanks!

Some clarifications:

She power walks/runs with the dog off the leash (yay country) for the 2 miles, so its not some leisurely walk around the block. Generally around 25 minutes. This plus about an hour on the elliptical per day for cardio activity (has a surgically repaired ankle, so running is hit or miss).

Strength training is rough because her shoulder is fucked...getting there though.

Her dairy intake is about 1 serving per day. Generally cream cheese on a bagel OR milk in cereal, plus an occasional 1.5" 90 calorie ice cream treat.

How much protein does milk count for, 8g? How much should you be shooting for at breakfast?

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 2:47 PM. Reason : lkj]

8/30/2011 2:30:53 PM

I get the 90 calorie snickers bar from Food Lion. They are small but usually help my cravings.


This whole Summer I exercised "hard" for a few days and eventually fuck my shoulder up and have to take time off of exercising and that led to me getting out of the habit and not doing it for a few weeks. This time I'm trying to be a little more tame and stop when my shoulder starts aching. It's a pain in the ass because when I work out I like to go full on hardcore. However, the slow and easy has been working and I think my shoulder may be getting stronger. *fingers crossed* Since I can't workout more often, I want to eat less calories to compensate. I have to force myself to eat most all veggies. As a kid I would always throw them back up. (tmi?) Also, I have to force myself to drink enough water as well. If my Mom took away soda, then I would unintentionally become dehydrated. I'm doing decent with the water now, but still need to work on the veggie issues. I wish I ate less carbs, but 100 calorie back and peanut butter sandwiches are easy and I like easy.

But a side of all that, I really just want recommendations for food with high protein that I don't have to cook.

^I'd say the asthma fucking up my running more than the plate in my ankle. I can run thru the ankle pain, but I can't run with closed airways

8/30/2011 2:52:36 PM

Bmel, you might be getting sluggish because you're dehydrated. I can't drink plain water because it makes me nauseous. BUT, I can drink sparkling water, like evian and off-brands.

You may want to try a carbonated water with a slice of lemon or lime. This helps me tremendously. I get a lot woozier on days when I'm dehydrated.

Additionally, are you getting enough sleep? Sleep can also help.

I would also recommend reducing your intake of simple sugars. This should help keep you stay a bit more even-keel when it comes to energy levels.

For example, instead of the strawberry cream cheese, maybe try plain cream cheese ... possibly with sliced strawberries or bananas?

Please note, I do not recommend swapping sugar for artificial sweeteners.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 2:59 PM. Reason : d]

8/30/2011 2:58:29 PM

She's actually allergic to artificial sweeteners

8/30/2011 3:00:56 PM

Quote :

"I can't drink plain water because it makes me nauseous."

Ha wtf is this

Africa says go fuck yourself

8/30/2011 3:04:16 PM

LOL. I'm not the only person like this. I'll drink it if I have to, but I typically have to have lemon in it, otherwise it comes right back up.

Green tea, water with lemon, sparkling water ... fine. Plain water upsets my stomach.

8/30/2011 3:06:05 PM

Besides OJ and scotch water is my favorite thing to drink. It's yummmmmmmy.

8/30/2011 3:09:47 PM

^^ you could be right, I was aiming for 8 glasses of water/day. But I sweat so much when I work out that I probably need twice that. I use to drink propel a lot and then switched to gatorade. Now I'm tryin to get back to water. I'm trying to cut cost where ever I can right now. So no more fast food for me and drinking tap water. I love strawberries, bananas, watermellon, pineapples, apples. Most all fruits. Fruits don't stick around very long though.

I usuallly sleep 8-9 hours a night. Being hungry makes me bitchy enough, so I don't need to be tired as well.

I hate reading about diets on the internet becasuse it seems everyone contradicts everything else. Sometimes I wish I could just take a pill and be done with it

and sometimes plain water makes me nauseous as well but I always thought it was because I was chugging it

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 3:15 PM. Reason : moar]

8/30/2011 3:12:59 PM

Some fruits freeze and dehydrate very well. Buy them on sale and then store them in a way that makes them last longer. Dehydrated apples are great ... and have a longer shelf life. Frozen berries are a delicious addition to your cereal. Once they're in cereal, a slight difference in texture won't matter.

Uber ripe (black) bananas make for great banana bread and banana muffins.

Also, lemons are cheap. Just add some lemon to your water and it will be a million times better. Or, buy lemon juice and add a squeeze to your water. Makes it so much better ... and it's a cheap fix.

Oh yeah, and your fruit will also last longer, once cut, if you put lemon juice on it.

[Edited on August 30, 2011 at 3:20 PM. Reason : s]

8/30/2011 3:16:18 PM

lime in water works well too.

8/30/2011 3:24:11 PM

will lemons stay longer if you put lemon juice on it?

8/30/2011 3:24:42 PM

LOL. Whoops. Most fruit. Citrus lasts longer in general. Berries, melon and apples last longer if you put lemon juice on them.

A fruit salad trick.

8/30/2011 3:28:27 PM

Quote :

"I hate reading about diets on the internet becasuse it seems everyone contradicts everything else. "

This is very true. Nutritionists should be ashamed of themselves. They let confirmation bias and politics get involved in scientific matters.

It sounds like you really like carbs which is the . Are there really no veggies you like?

Breakfast: Meat (eggs)
Lunch: Meat
Dinner: More Meat plus some veggies

MEAT!!!!

8/30/2011 3:29:41 PM

If you don't like veggies, I have some awesome veggie recipes that will convert you into a veggie-lover.

Mashed cauliflower
Sauteed spinach and mushrooms
Veggie spring rolls

NOM!

8/30/2011 3:31:39 PM