motivation to get in shape

[cocolaw]

wedding is, according to martha stewart, in 96 days. yet i am still eating chips, ice cream, i had wings on friday, made barbeque sandwiches at home on sat night, have been drinking wine and beer. it''s as if i don''t have to be in a wedding dress in 3 months. i need motivation because evidently the dress and the thought of pictures isn''t working.

i know that i am at my healthy weight, but i also know that my arms/face tend to look chubby in pictures.

please help. what are you doing? are you motivated? what works for you?

 

[charbie]

i''m looking forward to what people have to say to this! i need the help too!

 

[sunnyd]

I fell off the wagon after my epics/bpics/1st fitting marathon in June/July. I''ve only put back 4 lbs though. I''m enjoying my "time off"

and I figure my motivation will come back soon. If it doesn''t, I''ll have to force it!

I don''t have any tips, maybe we could bring back the healthy brides thread?

 

[omieluv]

I am in need of motivation myself. However, I have found that just cutting back on some of the "bad" stuff can make a difference. Since it does not sound like you have much weight to drop, just go out for a walk a few times a week, that will help too.

 

[miss_flo]

I totally empathize with your chubby arms/face lament. I have a big square head and my arms are bulky, so of course those are the two things emphasized most in a wedding dress. Of course. lol You''ve got three months so that''s plenty time to tone up without having to "diet" consciously. I say give yourself one "treat" meal a week, otherwise just make sure to pay attention to food labels and restaurant menu calorie guides. Also, take a brisk walk or jog every evening to get your heart rate up. I''m sure you''ll look gorgeous either way!

 

[Luckyeshe]

For me personally, I found a picture of me at my heaviest and another of me in my bikini at my skinniest. Put them both on the fridge with a note to self, "Which do you want to be when you get married"....it keeps me from eating junk....

 

[Lanie]

I was a healthy weight before my wedding, but I dropped probably 10 pounds in the 6 months leading up to it. Maybe even 12? I''m not sure...anyway, I cut out Cokes completely. And I drank champagne instead of wine...supposedly less calories, but I don''t think it''s that much of a difference. The days before the wedding I was WAY down in weight...I think it''s nerves. And I definitely was enjoying desserts that whole week, so who knows. Also, the week of the wedding I drank water all day long so my skin would be good. My skin was the same, but it filled me up so I didn''t each as much.

Oh...and don''t eat after 6pm...earlier if you can wing it. And eat lots of small meals. Basically everything you read about in magazines! Nothing new here...sorry.

 

[Diva0413]

My motivitation is actually not to look at it as a countdown. Meaning, I know I have 6 weeks until my wedding, but I''m not setting a goal to be a certain weight by then. I''m just taking it one pound at a time.

 

[cindygenit]

You can eat as much as you want as long as you're active enough to burn off the calories!

This is what i tell myself BUT I am still struggling to lose the pounds

I never listen to my own advice and always give in to ice cream and twisties and potato chips...

Btw cocolaw, we have the same weakness in junk food. When you find something that works please let me in on the secret!

Much Luck Darl!

xCindy

 

[treefrog]

I don''t think I''m supposed to create a link to an outside source but I''m not sure there is anything wrong with providing the address. So... here is the location of an article I think you''ll find interesting. It talks about exercise and nutrition and misconceptions. Very good read.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090806/hl_time/08599191485700

Treefrog

 

[cindygenit]

Date: 8/10/2009 10:03:49 PM
Author: treefrog
I don''t think I''m supposed to create a link to an outside source but I''m not sure there is anything wrong with providing the address. So... here is the location of an article I think you''ll find interesting. It talks about exercise and nutrition and misconceptions. Very good read.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20090806/hl_time/08599191485700

Treefrog

I agree with this article. I don''t do any exercise except walking. I don''t intend to join the gym. You are what you eat. The biggest hurdle for me and perhaps cocolaw is commiting to eating healthier and forgoing those yummy delicious junk food.

*droollllll*

 

[laughwithme]

Its interesting you posted this thread because I have been telling so many people, "the best way to stay in shape is purchase a $1,000 dress in a size 4!" And I think its so true! I have been buying low-fat everything, drinking more water, taking the stairs...I am just soooo terrified of not being able to fit in that dress.

I guess, if that still isn''t enough motivation for you, it might be time to take the "just do it" approach - 96 days is SOON, girl! If you WANT two helpings of dessert - just don''t do it. You don''t need to be motivated by anything, necessarily - just be disciplined. Know that you''ve only got 96 freaking days left...! You cannot give in right now - you need to be more disciplined than ever! Get RID of the beer/wine for a few months, keep only healthy foods in the kitchen, take the stairs, drink water until your pee is clear, and make conscious decisions when eating out - eg. don''t supersize the fries. A few small choices here and there can make a big difference.

 

[soontowed]

I think the best way to keep yourself from eating poorly is to excercise. For the last month, I''ve been running 3 miles a day, 5 days a week. I don''t feel like eating as much and I definitly don''t want junk food. I haven''t made a conscious effort not to eat poorly, i just don''t crave it. It''s really easy IMO to eat well when you excercise.

 

[supergirl10]

I am sooo glad you have started this thread!

I am serverly lacking in the motivation department also so i am keen to get some handy hints also. I eat very well but are very lazy in the exercise department lol.

It doesn''t help that i am in my final semester and grad is just around the corner and i am up to my eyeballs in uni stress. And when i am stressed i eat and eat

Anyway keep the handy hints comming girls!

 

[livinginsg]

Hi girls! Thought i will share what worked for me..Massages!! I had Javanese massages for 8 weeks leading up to my Big Day in April. Though i did not lose any weight, many of my friends commented that i looked more toned and my skin looked nice and shiny (due to the moisturizing lotion that the lady used).

 

[honey22]

I have been seriously hitting the gym. Aerobics sessions three times a week. Last night I even did Body Pump and Body Step back to back! I am loving it, I think I am addicted.

I have lost 27 kilos now!!!!!!!! Wohoooo!

What keeps me motivated? Thinking of how I will look in the gown of my dress unless I stay focussed!!!

You can do it sweetie!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 8/11/2009 6:16:42 AM
Author: honey22
I have been seriously hitting the gym. Aerobics sessions three times a week. Last night I even did Body Pump and Body Step back to back! I am loving it, I think I am addicted.

I have lost 27 kilos now!!!!!!!! Wohoooo!

What keeps me motivated? Thinking of how I will look in the gown of my dress unless I stay focussed!!!

You can do it sweetie!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow honey that is impressive!!

What gets me motivated? Putting on my bikini and looking in the mirror... it makes me think twice about getting the chocolate out of the fridge.

 

[Deelight]

Date: 8/11/2009 6:16:42 AM
Author: honey22
I have been seriously hitting the gym. Aerobics sessions three times a week. Last night I even did Body Pump and Body Step back to back! I am loving it, I think I am addicted.


I have lost 27 kilos now!!!!!!!! Wohoooo!


What keeps me motivated? Thinking of how I will look in the gown of my dress unless I stay focussed!!!


You can do it sweetie!!!!!!!!!!!!

That is a fantastic achievement - congrats

 

[honey22]

Thanks guys! How is this for crazy - old fat jeans (sorry for the threadjack!)

 

[honey22]

These were skin tight on me when I first got them! Size 22.

How''s that for motivation guys?!

 

[Deelight]

You deserve another round of those and a wavey - seriously WELL DONE , that is just awesome

 

[honey22]

Thanks buddy! I am a bit pleased with myself, I have to say

 

[Deelight]

I don''t blame you

 

[cocolaw]

oh wow!! HONEY you look great!! we lost power last night, so sorry for not responding sooner. i guess my biggest problem is that i am already an exerciser-i have been doing 30-60 minutes of daily cardio for about 6 or 7 months now, and before that it was the same but more like 4-5 times a week. i really enjoy exercise AND eating. like i said...after i wrote this post, our power went out. the only place with with power was a bar....so dinner was pizza and beer. then, i decided that since the power was out i should probably finish off the ice cream in the freezer. seriously, my thinking is so warped!! can we please start an accountability thread? does anybody want to just post our daily food/exercise? no weigh ins for me-i don''t like that.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Date: 8/11/2009 7:35:15 AM
Author: cocolaw
oh wow!! HONEY you look great!! we lost power last night, so sorry for not responding sooner. i guess my biggest problem is that i am already an exerciser-i have been doing 30-60 minutes of daily cardio for about 6 or 7 months now, and before that it was the same but more like 4-5 times a week. i really enjoy exercise AND eating. like i said...after i wrote this post, our power went out. the only place with with power was a bar....so dinner was pizza and beer. then, i decided that since the power was out i should probably finish off the ice cream in the freezer. seriously, my thinking is so warped!! can we please start an accountability thread? does anybody want to just post our daily food/exercise? no weigh ins for me-i don''t like that.

i think that''s a great idea. I think seeing exactly how much junk food i eat everyday might motivate me to stop!!

 

[DiamondsforDee]

That Time article is a load of garbage that ignores the majority of major medical studies with contrary findings. It was pretty poor journalism on the part of Time to publish it. Exercise does help. It helps a lot. It helps because you lose weight by burning more calories than you take in. Exercise burns calories. It''s not rocket science. The reason diet is such a HUGE component of weight loss is because it is very easy to accidentally consume 1000 calories at a meal it is incredibly hard to burn 1000 calories during a workout. So many people work out then reward themselves with food for doing a workout. Not surprisingly if the food reward has more calories than you just burned off with the excerise, you won''t lose weight. Not only does exercise help with weightloss it also helps with general fitness, which is more important than fitting into a certain size dress. Imagine the results the author would have had if he cut out the desserts AND continued to exercise. If you diet but don''t exercise you''re just becoming skinny fat. I''d rather be fit and healthy, but that''s just me. I think the article is just a poor attempt at justifying why the author is being lazy and not concerned with his true health and well being.

Honestly, I don''t get off work until after 6pm ever so if I didn''t eat after 6 I''d never eat dinner. I don''t know anyone who eats dinner that early other than my Grandpa. It does not matter when you eat. What matters is that you burn more calories than you take in. If you have a bigger lunch you do have time to throw in a workout and eat a lighter dinner to balance your calories on the day, whereas a large dinner doesn''t give you much time to "correct" the mistake. But that doesn''t mean you need to not eat after a certain time. It means you need to plan your meals and eat healthy and make working out a part of your regular lifestyle so an opps at lunch or dinner isn''t a big deal. If you eat 1200 calories a day and all of them are after 6pm you''re still going to lose weight.

My motivation suggestion is to sign up for a race of some type. There are lots of great bike races, triathlons, and road races during the summer and fall. Almost all of them benefit a charity and it gives you a concrete event to train for. Or look for a local workout group to run or walk or bike with. If you know you''re supposed to meet some people at 6pm for your group walk you are less likely to skip than if you''re just going out on your own. Final suggestion is to bribe yourself. Set some nutrition and exercise goals for the week, then if you manage to complete 75% of your goals, you get a manicure, 100% of your goals = mani and pedi. Or some other fun present that is not food related. Thinking of how good that pedicure will feel or that cute new skirt will look can really help to get you on the right track.

 

[SassyB]

Date: 8/11/2009 9:46:44 AM
Author: DiamondsforDee
That Time article is a load of garbage that ignores the majority of major medical studies with contrary findings. It was pretty poor journalism on the part of Time to publish it. Exercise does help. It helps a lot. It helps because you lose weight by burning more calories than you take in. Exercise burns calories. It''s not rocket science. The reason diet is such a HUGE component of weight loss is because it is very easy to accidentally consume 1000 calories at a meal it is incredibly hard to burn 1000 calories during a workout. So many people work out then reward themselves with food for doing a workout. Not surprisingly if the food reward has more calories than you just burned off with the excerise, you won''t lose weight. Not only does exercise help with weightloss it also helps with general fitness, which is more important than fitting into a certain size dress. Imagine the results the author would have had if he cut out the desserts AND continued to exercise. If you diet but don''t exercise you''re just becoming skinny fat. I''d rather be fit and healthy, but that''s just me. I think the article is just a poor attempt at justifying why the author is being lazy and not concerned with his true health and well being.

Honestly, I don''t get off work until after 6pm ever so if I didn''t eat after 6 I''d never eat dinner. I don''t know anyone who eats dinner that early other than my Grandpa. It does not matter when you eat. What matters is that you burn more calories than you take in. If you have a bigger lunch you do have time to throw in a workout and eat a lighter dinner to balance your calories on the day, whereas a large dinner doesn''t give you much time to ''correct'' the mistake. But that doesn''t mean you need to not eat after a certain time. It means you need to plan your meals and eat healthy and make working out a part of your regular lifestyle so an opps at lunch or dinner isn''t a big deal. If you eat 1200 calories a day and all of them are after 6pm you''re still going to lose weight.

My motivation suggestion is to sign up for a race of some type. There are lots of great bike races, triathlons, and road races during the summer and fall. Almost all of them benefit a charity and it gives you a concrete event to train for. Or look for a local workout group to run or walk or bike with. If you know you''re supposed to meet some people at 6pm for your group walk you are less likely to skip than if you''re just going out on your own. Final suggestion is to bribe yourself. Set some nutrition and exercise goals for the week, then if you manage to complete 75% of your goals, you get a manicure, 100% of your goals = mani and pedi. Or some other fun present that is not food related. Thinking of how good that pedicure will feel or that cute new skirt will look can really help to get you on the right track.

I agree! I do believe we are what we eat partially.....but muscle looks great and burns calories like mad! "Skinny fat" is BAD!
Exercise gives us strength (think about your heart!) and healthy foods give us nourishment. Big difference.
In my opinion, I think the main goal should be health.

As for motivation. Just think about what you want to look like in your dress and the compliements you will get. How will you feel when you look back at your pics? My motivation would be to think about someone telling me I have great/strong arms! That would be awesome!

Fill up on heathy carbs (oatmeal, vegies, fruit) and lean meats. LOTS of water is obviously good too I also do not eat after 6 PM - most days Doesn''t sound like you have far to go. Cocolaw, You will look amazing I''m sure!!

 

[marlie]

what works for me is looking at a picture where i think i look a little heavier. i get reminded of how much i don''t want to look like that again. i''ve never been heavy but i have those 5 pounds that come and go. since last november they''ve been gone and i do not plan to have them return! i think that you should pick a date, say next monday, where you START. mark it on your calendar. plan out your weeks meals. plan your workouts. make everything feel like an appointment. if it were a vendor appointment for your wedding you wouldn''t skip out on it, so treat it like that. up until that day, eat what you want, and by the time monday or whenever comes around, you''ll be ready to go. i find that if i mark the calendar and stuff, i''m less likely to cheat or skip the gym.

i also believe in drinking lots of water (i could do better with that myself!) and eating small frequent meals. i eat every 3 hours and i''m never hungry. my meals are all planned and packed for work so i can''t just eat fries or whatever b/c i''ve planned everything out. it takes the thinking out of it which is freeing.

also...honey...you look amazing! talk about results! wow!

 

[andex23]

Let me start off by saying that my FI and I are extremely sarcastic and in no way have I taken offense to what he''s said...

Our running joke is that when we started dating, FI weighed me and I have a +/- of 10% range that I have to stay in. Meaning if I originally weighed 100 lbs, then my weight could fluctuate between 90 and 110 lbs. He doesn''t want me too skinny, or too fat. If I would have fallen past 90, he''d shove my face with candy bars. If I would have gotten over 110, he''d only let me eat lettuce. (Remember, we are sarcastic and this is our joke. And I originally weighed more than 100 lbs...I just used that to make the math easy.)

Well, after three years, I''ve managed to "exceed" the weight range. (And he still decided to propose anyway...) So, to get back into the weight range, I''ve done the following: (and I do have to say, it is encouraging me in it''s odd little way because I know that 3 years ago, I weighed x amount and if I was there before, it''s not unreasonable to be there again)

I joined a gym. I work out every morning before I head into the office (well, about 3-4 days a week). I also hit up a yoga class every Monday night.

I thought that just working out would be the answer, but it wasn''t. I wasn''t losing any weight. So, at FI''s suggestion, I started counting my calories. I have a log and I write down the caloric intake of everything I eat.

It is simple. 3500 calories = 1 lb. If I can reduce the number of calories that I eat in 1 week by 3500, then I lose a pound. So instead of eating 2000 calories a day, I eat 1500. I can eat a snickers bar, then work out. Or skip working out and not eat the snickers bar.

Also, at the gym...I''m not doing personal trainer-type stuff. I bought a heart rate monitor and use it to try to keep my HR in the "fat burning zone" (per the HR monitor). That means that I walk on the treadmill for about 30 mins to an hour every time I go to the gym. If the treadmills are all full, then I''ll get on an elliptical for 35-45 minutes.

Overall, since the 4th of July, I''ve managed to lose 7 lbs. In addition, I feel much better. Also, my body just looks better. Don''t get me wrong, I''ve still got a little muffin-top to get rid of and I need to work on some tummy and arms, but my body looks a lot healthier than when I was at the same weight a year ago. (Does that make sense?) My butt is more toned, my legs/thighs are toned, and FI keeps commenting on how good I am looking naked. (and I''m just grazing the top of the "acceptable range" on his ridiculous weight range.

It''s weird...by looking at the calories that some things have versus others, it really makes a difference. I also don''t feel hungry, I don''t feel that I am starving myself, etc. You don''t know how surprised I was to find out that a Healthy Choice Frozen Dinner can sometimes be 370 calories (if not less) and really fill me up. Chix Parmesan, Broccoli, and Peach Cobbler...all in 370 calories. I can find lower cal stuff at Taco Bell (my favorite), and even McDonalds...(A Double Cheeseburger is better for you than the (2) cheeseburgers. The internet is a great place to find out "how many" calories are in things too.

So my usual meals are: Quaker oatmeal for breakfast (130 calories), A TV dinner for lunch (ranges between 270 and 370 calories depending on what I have), and then "whatever I want" for dinner. I figure that I have about 1000 calories to "spend" and that can encompass a lot. If I get hungry during the day, I eat a Quaker Chewy Granola bar (90 calories).

It''s really working for me.

 

[treefrog]

Date: 8/11/2009 2:48:54 PM
Author: andex23

It's weird...by looking at the calories that some things have versus others, it really makes a difference. I also don't feel hungry, I don't feel that I am starving myself, etc. You don't know how surprised I was to find out that a Healthy Choice Frozen Dinner can sometimes be 370 calories (if not less) and really fill me up. Chix Parmesan, Broccoli, and Peach Cobbler...all in 370 calories. I can find lower cal stuff at Taco Bell (my favorite), and even McDonalds...(A Double Cheeseburger is better for you than the (2) cheeseburgers. The internet is a great place to find out 'how many' calories are in things too.

So my usual meals are: Quaker oatmeal for breakfast (130 calories), A TV dinner for lunch (ranges between 270 and 370 calories depending on what I have), and then 'whatever I want' for dinner. I figure that I have about 1000 calories to 'spend' and that can encompass a lot. If I get hungry during the day, I eat a Quaker Chewy Granola bar (90 calories).

I think we have the same diet! Must be the diver diet! Well, I don't diet per se but I try to eat healthy and exercise. I'm a GIW so I'm not trying to fit into a wedding dress.

Breakfast:
Quaker chewy granola bar and/or oatmeal: 100 - 250 calories
Banana

Lunch: something in a red or green box. I like the Healthy Choice Chk Parm but I also like a few Smart Ones. More often than not, I eat Michelina's Lean Gourmet beef pepper steak and rice (270 calories). Sugar-free Jello (10 calories), and some kind of fruit and raisins mid-afternoon.

Dinner: Whatever - fish, chicken dishes, something on the grill, brown rice, spinach, green beans... pretty much anything from the outside walls of the grocery store.

I don't go to the gym or take classes but I do several bike rides a week at about 1000 calories a ride. I also do a couple of bike races a year to prevent me from getting lazy. The races are great motivation and you don't need to be fast or fit to enter most races out there. The good thing is that they are self-motivating. If I did a course at 1:15, I'm naturally going to want to do 1:14 the following year.

I'm sorry some of you didn't like the article. I guess we got different things out of it. It could have been streamlined, structured, and titled better but the main point I took home was that many people leave the gym and then eat like kings.

The statement ""In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless," was not that of the author's. The author furthered that quote with:
The basic problem is that while it's true that exercise burns calories and that you must burn calories to lose weight, exercise has another effect: it can stimulate hunger. That causes us to eat more, which in turn can negate the weight-loss benefits we just accrued. Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.

He also doesn't say exercise is bad or doesn't work:
Doesn't exercise do anything?

Sure. It does plenty. In addition to enhancing heart health and helping prevent disease, exercise improves your mental health and cognitive ability.

So cocolaw, you have time to make changes. Watch what you eat, try a journal to estimate the calories you take in each day. You say you are at a healthy weight and just need a little help. I think light exercise (at least 30 minutes, several times a week) and paying a little more attention to what you eat will do wonders to how that wedding dress fits.

Treefrog