DAILY WORKOUT THREAD TUESDAY, APRIL 12

[ammayernyc]

Hi all.
I worked out this morning. Yeah! The trainer came and we did weights... although I wasn''t so into it b/c I slept horrible due to my stupid bf. I know that I should never go to bed angry, but I did. I figured that if I sent him enough vibes he would know how angry and hurt I was by something he did. Obviously, it didn''t work. So, this morning I was physically and emotionally drained. (Talked with the bf post-workout. No longer angry, but still hurt. My thing to get over...

)

Anyway... I''m going to try to jumprope tomorrow. Unfortunately, I can''t do it in my apartment. There''s no room for it and there are too many expensive things that could break. That''s what you get for living in Manhattan!

 

[MissAva]

Have you tried Carmen Electras strip videos not alot of room needed but still a decent cardio workout. I did the new cardio firm this morning! I didnt go to the gym becuase I was afriad of missing my registration time for fall classes. I am sorry you are hurting.

(remember heere at LIW even if it is your faults it is still his.....okay maybe not entriely but if you need to vent we are here for ya *hug*)

 

[ammayernyc]

I haven''t tried those videos, but I''m sure my bf would love me to!

Unfortunately, there''s no room to do even such a tape. I could do it in my bedroom, but I wouldn''t be able to see the tv! It''s hard to stay self motivated...

This was definitely a bad on my bf''s side -- I can honestly say I did nothing wrong this time! However, I think I blew it up a little since I"m freaking out that I''m turning 30 and I don''t have the highest self-esteem to begin with. He would never knowingly do anything to hurt me, but it hurt a lot nevertheless...

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Just got back from my Curves workout!! 2 laps around the circuit + an additional 100 crunches....

I guess I feel frustrated because I''ve plateaued and while I''m happy with my results so far, it wouldn''t hurt to see more results after seeing no weight loss for a year!!

Any suggestions??

 

[MissAva]

Are you drinking at least 100ozs of water a day? At least half of the diets i have been on recoomend this...but be warned if you arent that you will need to pee all the time for the first week to ten days.

 

[Mara]

have you tried changing up your workout and/or diet a bit to jumpstart your body? or take a 2-3 week break and then go back into it or a new exercise? sometimes they say that helps.

my kboxing trainer noted that if you are watching your carbs (my downfall since my waist is where all the carbs go), if you eat a snack before a workout, eat healthy carbs that you will burn off right away, aka fruit or vegetables.

overall i try to stay away from too many processed carbs and choose wheat or 7 grain over white when it comes to pancakes, rice, etc.

also yes drink alot of water...cut back on the caffeine AND sugars (which are the hidden weight-packers since if you consume alot of sugar it turns into fat if you do not burn it off..aka that late afternoon soda while at the desk??)

anyway...these are all tips that i''ve gotten and live by some and at least am aware of others...if nothing works to get it going again, try visiting a nutrionist who can determine what may begin to work for your body in terms of food and possibly a trainer for exercise. my girlfriend who was trying to lose more fat and gain more muscle (but who was pretty thin, just had a bit of a belly she couldn''t lose) worked with a personal trainer for something like $1000 for 10 visits and saw HUGE results...she said the most valuable lessons were that he taught her about HER body and what worked vs didn''t work for her...vs trying random vague things that may not work for everyone.

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Matadora and Mara...

Thanks for the feedback...

Yes...I drink at least 80+ oz/day of water! I have a cup that is marked off with ounces so I can physically see how much I'm drinking and I fill it up at least 4 times a day!! (Yes...I drink it all too

). I don't drink caffeine or sodas at all, so that part is under control!

As for the nutritionist...I don't have that money in my budget right now...I'm about to quit my job due to lack of hours and am looking for new work. so we don't have the budget to be spending on this...

I've tried jump starting...my body doesn't lose enough muscle tone/gain enough fat back to make this an effective manner for me.

Carbs...ah!! The evil food group!! i've tried to cut this out...it's my weakness...I can't...I have made modifications to my diet and lifestyle though...for example, if we go out to eat, rather than ordering pasta, I'll order a salad and chicken...I'll make conscious choices, but I can't give up my bowl of cereal in the morning (tried...I'm crabby when I try to eat something else!!). I've switched to a lot of the "low carb" stuff, so I'm working towards it, but it's my guilty pleasure (and I have so few!!)...

Maybe I need another type of workout routine?? Don't get me wrong!! I'm not overweight by any means, but I have gained about 20 pounds since getting married and would love to drop about 10 of it!! The only problem is that much of it is now converted to muscle (A good thing!) so I have a hard time telling how much weight I actually have to lose?

 

[Mara]

It is SUPER HARD for me to cut out carbs but I don''t do it in an extreme way..I mean there is only so much meat and cheese one can eat (!). What I have been doing for the last 3 weeks with a high measure of success is doing a small ''jump start'' where I eat many less carbs for a time period, aka 4 weeks...and then see where that has gotten me, if anything has changed..can I maintain now, etc. This is coupled with 2 intense kboxing workouts a week and a few 2-3 mile walks a week.

Anyhow, my typical breakfastnow is 4 scrambled egg whites with salt and pepper..sometimes a bit of coffee with milk (though the milk has carbs). Once a week I have Special K with strawberries cereal (LOVE IT!). For lunch I try 90% of the time to have a salad, a substantial salad since I do get hungry...aka chicken, lettuce, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese and vinaigrette or similar (one of my faves is a warmed chicken tortilla salad with warmed chicken, black beans, cheese, tortilla strips and lettuce...YUM!)--there are tons of places around here to get salads so I can have a different one every day so I don''t get bored.

The salads obviously do have some carbs in them from the various items, but it''s not going to be anywhere near the level that a pizza or pasta or sandwich would have if I was dining out all the time. Also I try to stick with lowerfat items in salads, aka chicken and cranberries, beans etc...so it''s more of a combo of lower-fat and carb conscious...not one or the other in an extreme way.

For dinner we have been having fish 2-3 times a week with veggies and a bit of garlic bread or a salad. Other nights we get a burrito or tacos (and I try to not eat the whole tortilla etc), and for desserts we have been into a tiny piece of rich chocolate OR a strawberry shortcake (which amazingly is pretty healthy and still sweet!). Whipped cream only has 15 calories and 1 carb and it satiates the tonge for a ''sweet'' taste, strawberries are fruits, have carbs and sugar obviously but it''s not bad for a dessert!

On the weekends it''s kind of a free for all but I try not to be totally out of control.

aka if we go out I wil try to get fish or at least eat a salad and not pig out on the bread. But I always get DESSERT.

Anyway, my bottom line is at least being conscious of what I eat and making small changes and adjustments where I can, esp where I won''t MISS the empty calories or carbs. In the last 3 weeks I have already seen a huge change in my body, my waist is smaller and less carb-bloated, my husband and mom noticed....I think the diet changes coupled with my stronger workouts are bringing things more ''in'' and tightening up..thank GOD! I don''t want to lose a bunch of weight...maybe 5-8lbs but it''s more of a ''how do my clothes fit'' type of thing and being fit esp for summer with revealing clothes items!

So I don''t starve myself or feel like I deprive myself, if I want a cookie I will have one but I know that I had one cookie...I also could not do this for a long term situation, aka 6 months, so I have to switch it out from time to time, aka 1 month at a time...and see how my body reacts. Oh and once a week I still have TACO BELL...my guilty evil horrible pleasure!!

 

[njc]

I didnt go to the gym last night. Work has been insane for me the last week and a half. Plus i have been running myself ragged trying to get everything in order for our new townhouse and packing. I like to think that all the stress, tension and panic attacks are burning the fat for me!

On the bright side, i made it to the gym Fri, Sat and Sun. Plus lots of outside walking all weekend since spring has finally sprung! Have my stuff so i can stop on my way home from work today.

Slowly but surely...

AChiO - are you worried about a weight number, or what size you are wearing? Because like you said, building muscle will alter your weight "loss". Try and measure yourself, or use the my-pants-are-looser method. Its what ive been doing. At the gym the other day i weighed myself (after a month of intense cardio and lifting) i only lost 2 pounds, BUT my pants are very comfortable from their old, man these are getting tight and busting the buttons. I can also tell a difference in appearance. So try not to get so hung up on that weight number.

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Date: 4/12/2005 12:55:50 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Matadora and Mara...

Thanks for the feedback...

Yes...I drink at least 80+ oz/day of water! I have a cup that is marked off with ounces so I can physically see how much I''m drinking and I fill it up at least 4 times a day!! (Yes...I drink it all too

). I don''t drink caffeine or sodas at all, so that part is under control!

As for the nutritionist...I don''t have that money in my budget right now...I''m about to quit my job due to lack of hours and am looking for new work. so we don''t have the budget to be spending on this...

I''ve tried jump starting...my body doesn''t lose enough muscle tone/gain enough fat back to make this an effective manner for me.

Carbs...ah!! The evil food group!! i''ve tried to cut this out...it''s my weakness...I can''t...I have made modifications to my diet and lifestyle though...for example, if we go out to eat, rather than ordering pasta, I''ll order a salad and chicken...I''ll make conscious choices, but I can''t give up my bowl of cereal in the morning (tried...I''m crabby when I try to eat something else!!). I''ve switched to a lot of the ''low carb'' stuff, so I''m working towards it, but it''s my guilty pleasure (and I have so few!!)...

Maybe I need another type of workout routine?? Don''t get me wrong!! I''m not overweight by any means, but I have gained about 20 pounds since getting married and would love to drop about 10 of it!! The only problem is that much of it is now converted to muscle (A good thing!) so I have a hard time telling how much weight I actually have to lose?

Ahhh....my heart is feeling your pain! I was working out on the machines until I hit 600 cals everyday- drinking my water and eating "good" or so I thought. I picked up a book that I had bought a long time ago and never got a chance to read- South Beach Diet. OHHHHH my heart be still, I was in AWE at what I read. I have learned ALOT and dropped ALOT, it teaches you about your body and what you need to feed it and what you need to limit. Try to have egg beaters for breakfast instead of cereal- that was my weakness. Just check into it, I recommend it TOTALLY. I am one who needs strict guidelines and faster than normal results-just the kind of person I am, this worked wonders for me. I have lost 27 lbs and it has been easy to keep off...... Just a thought, Keep your head up- I know how discouraging it can be to not see the results you want even when you are trying.... Feel free to PM me if you have any questions

Good Luck!!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Date: 4/12/2005 2:23:42 PM
Author: njc

AChiO - are you worried about a weight number, or what size you are wearing? Because like you said, building muscle will alter your weight ''loss''. Try and measure yourself, or use the my-pants-are-looser method. Its what ive been doing. At the gym the other day i weighed myself (after a month of intense cardio and lifting) i only lost 2 pounds, BUT my pants are very comfortable from their old, man these are getting tight and busting the buttons. I can also tell a difference in appearance. So try not to get so hung up on that weight number.

njc...

This is a good point. When I first started working out, I dropped 15 pounds rather quickly. I also dropped 1-1/2 sizes. I was a tight 12 (pushing into 14 if I didn''t do something soon!) into a loose 10. Since then, I''ve gained back about 10 of those pounds, but I''m still the loose 10!! That''s a good reality check...thanks for that!!

 

[fountainfairfax]

AChiO- I was going to say, hey maybe you''re perfect just the way you are and not seeing your weight go down is your body''s way of saying everything is alright! If you''re still in those loose 10s I''m sure you''re right where you need to be....

Just got back from the gym- did my beginners sculpt again- I am so out of shape but did slightly better this time...so maybe next week will show even more improvement. I also re-joined weight watchers last night. I''m feeling good & motivated so I''m going to try the core plan & see how it works for me.

Great job again ladies!

 

[MissAva]

I don’t know if this helps any of you but a lot of bigger universities....ie my current home UofA offer classes like dynamics of weight control and they are open to anyone as transients. Also we have trainers (not where I go so I cant say how they work) for as little as 5$/hr if you go with two others and they have nutritionist who will go over things with you for about 30 for the initial meeting and fitness test and I believe 10$ a meeting (15-20 min) after that. You might try looking into this if you live near a college.

 

[teebee]

Okay, my knee is *still* feeling a little weird, but better than it was... so I did my workout video at home. Then I thought that it was so nice and pretty outside ~ still in that great spring weather that is bright & sunny but not miserably hot yet, actually a little chilly today ~ so I went for a walk around the lake... It was nice but I forgot how freaking windy it is next to a body of water, no matter how small that body of water happens to be!! Anyhow, at least that was another 30 minutes that I spent moving rather than sitting on the couch... or in front of the computer...

AChiO ~ Just my 2 cents and pretty much a reiteration of what everyone else has said, but I really would rely a lot more on what your clothes and a tape measure are saying rather than your scale. Scales just don''t tell the story. If you are still a loose 10, then any pounds you have gained are surely muscle and that is a good thing!! If you are really needing to lose a little additional fat and experiencing a plateau, I would definitely suggest shaking up your workouts and trying some different things. Our bodies are very adaptive and get accustomed to a specific type exersize or routine. As far as food... maybe you could try cutting out starchy carbs for a week or two, just to ''jump-start'' your system. For me, I limit carbs, but I certainly don''t cut them out. I wouldn''t have the energy to workout or think w/out some carbs. The one thing I love that I could not possibly cut out is my cereal: Kashi Go Lean CRUNCH. OMG it''s so good and it is healthy & a great source of fiber. Other than that, I usually eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, and Earth Grains 100% Whole Wheat Extra Fiber bread. The rest of my carbs come from fruits and veggies. One suggestion I got from a nutritionist (of all people) once when I was at a serious plateau was to select a day every few weeks and really indulge myself with my favorite forbidden foods. She pointed out that our bodies not only adapt to exersize, but also our digestive system adapts to what it is processing and the amount of calories it receives on a daily basis... So I guess that means variety is the spice of life?!?!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Thanks everyone for the feedback!! I guess the weight thing is the psychological factor, but honestly, I do feel great and am happy with what I see in the mirror....would like to get my stomach toned up more, but I''m already doing 200+ crunches almost daily, so I guess I need to start finding a different crunch routine for this...

Thanks for all your support and validation!! I needed a swift kick....

 

[Mara]

Date: 4/12/2005 11:52:30 PM
Author: AChiOAlumna
Thanks everyone for the feedback!! I guess the weight thing is the psychological factor, but honestly, I do feel great and am happy with what I see in the mirror....would like to get my stomach toned up more, but I''m already doing 200+ crunches almost daily, so I guess I need to start finding a different crunch routine for this...

Thanks for all your support and validation!! I needed a swift kick....

Kind of a random comment on the crunches and stomach toning...my kboxing trainer told me once that you could do 1000 crunches a day and if you do not have the right diet and cardio exercises to get rid of stomach flab, there will be no visible six pack for you! Fat is fat and crunches will not burn away that belly fat, you may have a six pack UNDER your stomach...like many of us

...but it won''t be visible. But don''t worry, neither is mine. However, ever since he told me that, it gave me a more realistic picture of my stomach..aka if I am not willing to completely go hardly any carbs and hardly any fat, then I should be content with the fact that I could muster 100-200 crunches if I wanted and leave it at that.

Also another trainer told me that her personal feel was that it was not the # of crunches you could do, but rather should be quality over quantity. In fact she used to scoff at people who did hundreds a day, saying that a good 50-100 should make you scream with pain afterwards. For the record, she was probably the most fit woman I have ever met!

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Mara...

Very interesting!! I do see some changes in my abs since doing the crunches, just not the 6-pack...but as you said, I''m not willing to give up everything (aka all the carbs) to achieve that effect....I''ll gess have to remind myself that I have a "hidden" 6-pack!! LOL