Fitness thread anyone?

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Good job dude! Keep it up!

Oh, I forgot to tell you, if you get the job here, it comes with a FREE gym membership!

[nissangirl74]

Ok, I started on 1/4 at 232 lbs. My goal is 200 by summer, and able to run a 5k no problem.

So I'm 6 weeks in, and as of tonight I'm at 216. So my weight is half way there, so I'm doing good and ahead of my goal. I'm up to 2.4 mi in 24 mins on the treadmill (0 incline for now), so that's coming along well too.

If you run at an incline, it increases your workout substantially.

Day 1 / Week 2

I have come to a couple of conclusions this week:One - I need to go buy a scale. I don't know how much weight I gained this week but I do know my jeans are a little tighter today than they were last week. I'm off to Wal-Mart tomorrow.

Two - I am really going to need to place a big emphasis on my workout because I love food too much to live off of celery sticks, yogurt, and mini carrots.

I am watching the amount of salt I am using, I use low calorie oil and butter, and almost everything in my fridge is either low fat or reduced fat. So I am making a conscious effort to cook healthy, I just can't live off of boring stuff. If I have to exercise an extra 15-20 minutes a day to burn it all off, so be it. As long as my cholesterol and triglycerides are OK, I'm gonna eat well. Side Note: If my a** ends up being big as a barn door, I'll give the carrots and celery another try, I promise.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

^hahah. I can't stand celery, but carrots are A-OK in my book. Side note: I actually prefer running on an incline, it seems to be much much better on my knees. Probably why I did so much running when I was in Germany. I lived on the side of a freaking mountain ridge or something, and I used to run up it all the time, and walk back down (it was BRUTAL on the knees on the way down). I worked at Bosch and the building was at the top of the mountain thingy, along with a bunch of kick a** bike trails... everything was in place for me to lose massive amounts of weight, and I did. I wish I had a setup like that around here.

Update for me: 172.6 lb today. I can't really seem to crack 170... but I'm sure it will come.

I pulled a Bex last night and made food that actually tastes good. Lightly Saute'd onions and mushrooms with garlic and chicken, then dumped in a few shots of rum and some grated cheese (Alcohol helps it to bond together for some reason), and tossed it in pasta... sooo kinda garlic butter cheese chicken pasta with onions and shrooms. It was bangin.

[numbnuts240]

I've never woken up after a "hard night of drinking soda".

one question: when was the last time you drank 24 sodas in a 5 hour period?

[EZcheese15]

^hahah. I can't stand celery, but carrots are A-OK in my book. Side note: I actually prefer running on an incline, it seems to be much much better on my knees. Probably why I did so much running when I was in Germany. I lived on the side of a freaking mountain ridge or something, and I used to run up it all the time, and walk back down (it was BRUTAL on the knees on the way down). I worked at Bosch and the building was at the top of the mountain thingy, along with a bunch of kick a** bike trails... everything was in place for me to lose massive amounts of weight, and I did. I wish I had a setup like that around here.

Update for me: 172.6 lb today. I can't really seem to crack 170... but I'm sure it will come.

I pulled a Bex last night and made food that actually tastes good. Lightly Saute'd onions and mushrooms with garlic and chicken, then dumped in a few shots of rum and some grated cheese (Alcohol helps it to bond together for some reason), and tossed it in pasta... sooo kinda garlic butter cheese chicken pasta with onions and shrooms. It was bangin.

Similar to what I had last night, only sans pasta and cheese.

I did some lightly sauteed asparagus and mushrooms with grilled chicken and tiger sauce. It too was bangin.

[nissangirl74]

I pulled a Bex last night and made food that actually tastes good.

Even though I was craving something incredibly unhealthy tonight (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and homemade peach pie ), I fought the temptation and actually had a chicken salad tonight. I did have a not so healthy lunch but I had raisin bran for breakfast and have been drinking unsweet tea and lemon water all day. No sodas or coffee with cream / sugar / flavorings and no snacks.

I am going to be researching some healthy recipes so I can have good food / healthy living at the same time. That way if I want to have something sweet once a week it won't be so bad.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

one question: when was the last time you drank 24 sodas in a 5 hour period?

Good question... I don't know if it was 24, but I've definitely had a lot in a 5 hour period nursing a hangover (in Germany), as well as back in the day when I was a kid and didn't drink. I used to slam some Dr Thunders. I can honestly say I've had more than 12 in a 12 hour period for sure... like I said, I went an entire week drinking nothing but soda, while working in a kitchen sweating my balls off, so my intake was pretty huge.

[seang]

I started my jogging regimen today. After being unemployed for a while I can feel my body deteriorating. My testosterone is dropping off big time and I know that I need to work my heart more. I am 5ft10in 168lbs.

I used to unload semi-trucks by hand 6 nights a week, so it is a big dropoff just sitting on my a** all day burning 1500 calories a day when I used to be able to burn 3500 just working. It was a great job and I never even needed to excercise.

Anyway, my regimen is this:Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

I alternated jogging 60 seconds and walking 90 seconds for two reps. I never even completed the 20 minutes before my legs felt heavy. I hope as the weeks go by that I can do more. It is a 9 week regimen, and the final workout is a 3 mile jog

[nissangirl74]

Wk 3 / Day 1

I have no clue how much I weigh but my clothes are looking better on me so I must be doing something right...hahaha.

In my quest for a healthier lifestyle, and the fact that i have to watch my sodium now, I have learned a lot. Some of it is mind-blowing too. One bowl of Raisin Bran w/one cup of lowfat milk is almost 400 mg of sodium. How retarded is that? 2,300 mg is recommended for people with no health issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, or a history of stroke or diabetes. If you fall into any of these categories, your intake should be 1,500 mg or less. Holy hell!

FYI - There are 240 mg of sodium in a 2 liter of Diet Coke. There are 1,920 mg of sodium in a gallon of 2% milk.

[RobPaulson]

holy crap bex i never knew that stuff... wow ... that is kind of mind blowing.

i use alot of seasoning when i cook (adobo, hot sauce, salt etc) ... wonder if i should start watching that...

[nissangirl74]

It's in EVERYTHING! I would definitely keep an eye on labels. also, eat tons of fresh fruit and veggies (without the salt). You can't go wrong there.

Last fact of the day before I go start on supper

There are 1,920 mg of sodium in one level teaspoon of kosher salt.

[Empty V]

It's in EVERYTHING! I would definitely keep an eye on labels. also, eat tons of fresh fruit and veggies (without the salt). You can't go wrong there.

Last fact of the day before I go start on supper

There are 1,920 mg of sodium in one level teaspoon of kosher salt.

That's a lot of kosher salt and I don't think anyone would be eating that much. Kosher salt is great because you need very little and opposed to masking the flavor of food it helps enhance it.

You have to be careful because there's lots of sugars and carbs in fruit so eating fruit as a replacement isn't necessarily beneficial. Speaking of nuts those are great to eat as a snack albeit extremely borrrrrring. I'm still trying to find a balance when it comes to diet and being a huge fan of food makes it that much harder.

[PEZi]

my regimen got kinda busted up last week.... i got sick with something viral and wasn't able to do much since the week before wednesday until this last saturday... so well over a week

i think i lost weight.... and saturday i had a hard time lifting my normal amounts of weight... i hate when s*** like this happens

anyway... we'll see how it goes tonight cause my goal of 180 with more definition is supposed to be by summer time and now i'm behind

[Dire91]

^ SAME HERE!!! I got this stupid cold that is going around campus and it messed up my whole week. I'm restarting my regimen today because I've been lacking motivation. I don't want my results to lag on and take a year or two I want to push myself 100% and see my results in 12 weeks.

[Griz]

Sorry I got a little behind on the updates, my computer decided to contract cyber-aids and die. But now that i got a new one we're good!

[HashiriyaS14]

My new fitness aid is my fixed gear.

My f**king a** hurts though, saddle is crazy hard. I haven't cycled in years and so my legs are just burning today even though I only rode yesterday for about an hour.

[Empty V]

So I haven't updated my workouts for a while. I've had some pretty excruciating workouts the last few weeks. One day was the Filthy Fifty for time which consists of:

50 Box jump, 24 inch box50 Jumping pull-ups50 Kettlebell swings, 1 poodWalking Lunge, 50 steps50 Knees to elbows50 Push press, 45 pounds50 Back extensions50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball50 Burpees50 Double unders

Todays workout was amazing. We split off into pairs and performed the Deck of Pain. Each team(pair) had a deck of cards. One teammate draws a card and the other has to perform the assigned task. So essentially your partner draws a card and you do the workout. After your done you draw a card for your partner. You do this back and forth deal until you've run through the entire deck. I was partnered up with a newer guy and being only six weeks into it myself, our workout was scaled down. Face cards are worth 10 and aces are worth 11.

Hearts - Push-upsDiamonds - Goblet Squats (squat while holding 36# kettle bell)Clubs - Box JumpsSpades - Sit-ups

I ended up performing about 50 of each exercise. We finished at around 21min and it was a total blast. It's really cool not knowing what you're going to do next and adds a sense of excitement to the workout.

EDIT: Just hit the scale and in the last month I've lost 8lbs but gained lots of muscle. I'm getting lots of compliments about looking thinner and I'm really stoked! The scale I used when reporting earlier in this thread was waaaaay off. My starting weight was 238lbs and now I'm at 230lbs.
Modified by Empty V at 7:59 PM 2/22/2010

[nissangirl74]

I finally went and bought myself a scale today. I've lost four pounds since last month (if my scale and the doctor's weigh the same). I've also lost an inch around my waist. All this has been from changing my diet. Exercise has been nil. I've got too much to do to devote the time i need to to help the progress along. Hopefully things will ease up in the next month or so and I can start a walking regimen.

You have to be careful because there's lots of sugars and carbs in fruit so eating fruit as a replacement isn't necessarily beneficial

FYI - eating an apple or of a celery stalk burns more calories than you will gain from the fruit

[PapaSmurf2k3]

FYI - eating an apple or of a celery stalk burns more calories than you will gain from the fruit

I think that's true for Celery and Lettuce (and maybe some other veggies), but I'm almost positive that's not true for apples.

[Dire91]

I'm gaining weight again!!! FOr some reason the past few weeks my weight gaining slowed, probably because I had to start eating this crappy cafeteria food again. Wooohoo I'm 179 now

[Empty V]

I finally went and bought myself a scale today. I've lost four pounds since last month (if my scale and the doctor's weigh the same). I've also lost an inch around my waist. All this has been from changing my diet. Exercise has been nil. I've got too much to do to devote the time i need to to help the progress along. Hopefully things will ease up in the next month or so and I can start a walking regimen.

FYI - eating an apple or of a celery stalk burns more calories than you will gain from the fruit

Congrats! It's always nice seeing hard work pay off, and I truly believe that changing eating habits is hard work.

Tuesday

Warmup*Fish Game on Rower, basically row for 4min straight.*Hang on Bar for 30sec*10 Perfect Pushups*Shoulder Dislocates*Stretches - Twisting Lunges, Handwalks, Samson Stretch, Iron Cross, Scorpion, Up/Down Dog (x5)

WOD - Workout of the Day - AMRAP 20min (As Many Rounds As Possible)*7 Thrusters 75# - With 75# barbell in clean position do a squat and end finish with a push press*Parking Lot Sprint*12 Kettle Bell Swings w/36# KB*Parking Lot Sprint

I was able to complete 4 full rounds and a full set of thrusters. The top guy finished 7 full rounds so I've still got a ways to go.

Today

Warmup*Hang on Bar for 30sec*10 Perfect Burpees*Shoulder Dislocates*Stretches - Twisting Lunges, Handwalks, Samson Stretch, Iron Cross, Scorpion, Up/Down Dog (x5)

Buy-In3 Turkish Getups on each side x2

WOD - Workout of the Day - For Time20 Kettle Bell Swings w/36# KB20 K2E - Knees to Elbows20 Push-ups20 Sit-ups20 Wall Balls w/20# Medicine BallPLUS start with and @ every minute mark immediately do 4 burpees.

Cool Down*Fish Game on Rower, basically row for 4min straight. Finally I finished first in something! I got the highest score of the day which was 1530, 2nd place was somewhere in the 1200's.

This was another extremely demanding and high impact workout. The faster you complete the WOD the less burpees you have to do, I wasn't so fortunate. I completed this WOD in approximately 12min which means that aside from the assigned tasks I did a total of 48 burpees. The fastest x-fitter did it in a little over 6min. Hopefully next time(which could be the year 2000never) I'll finish a lot faster. I'm feeling better and performing better everyday. In the past 6 weeks my quality of life has increased dramatically.

[nissangirl74]

I think that's true for Celery and Lettuce (and maybe some other veggies), but I'm almost positive that's not true for apples.

I think my mom told me that at some point. Nurses hear all sorts of stuff.

I'm not sure how reliable the source is, but I found this.

http://www.burningbodyfat.com/....html

Also,

I received an e-mail talking about all the benefits of bananas. If anybody wants it, send me your e-mail address and I'll forward it to you. Source claims they are more beneficial than apples.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm not sure how reliable the source is, but I found this.

http://www.burningbodyfat.com/....html

Yeah, I didn't see apple on that list. There are definitely more foods listed than I thought were catabolic though. It makes sense. Apples are just really high in sugar. Bananas (from what I understand) are high in potassium, but also kinda fatty and suggary. We should get Ray in here.

[nchopp]

Right now I'm working on building up my Army Physical Fitness Test scores. For a perfect 300, you need:

77 pushups in 2 minutes82 situps in 2 minutes2 mile run in 13:18

I'm currently at 67 pushups, 65 situps, and the 2 mile run in 15:16. That gives me a score of 247.

For running, I'm pushing hard intervals on a treadmill. 1 minute at 11mph, 1 minute at 8mph, than 1 minute at 4mph (recovery). That's for two miles right now. As I progress I keep shortening the length of the recovery period, and extending the length of the sprint periods.

For the pushups and situps, I'm just setting an egg timer for 2 minutes, and banging out pushups to failure - once I hit failure, go to the knees and keep going until 2 minutes.

Same for situps - once you hit failure, start grabbing your legs to help pull yourself up.

I started with P90X, but right now I have to focus on the run\situps\pushups as much as I can. Once I get to my goal I'm gonna switch over to P90X.

[SHIFT_Z]

Right now I'm working on building up my Army Physical Fitness Test scores. For a perfect 300, you need:77 pushups in 2 minutes82 situps in 2 minutes2 mile run in 13:18

Not sure if my numbers are the same for enlisted soldier, but they're very close.

I'm almost there for push-ups (est. I can belt out 71 before /end time) My sit-ups still need some work. I'm probably very close on the run as well.Edit: I think for me I need 20+ pull-ups in 2 mins.. Which I have in the bag already. (Don't ask me how I got there, cause I have no idea. Strong back I guess.) Bent-over rows are excellent though.For a basic daily workout.. I will do 4 rounds of 30 push-ups, 50 machine-crunches (80lbs), 50 body squats, and 7 pull-ups, with 1 minute rest between each round. 30 to an hour of cardio afterwards.) It's helping a lot.

In terms of running.. I'm just going 4 miles one day, then 2 the next. Trying to get my endurance back up. (long day / recovery day.)

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Week 2(?) update- 172.2

The scale says I didn't lose much weight, but I do look slightly thinner, and actually dropped a belt notch.

[frapjap]

My oh my you guys. There is a good bit of misinformation in this thread. Exactly why the food pyramid and government education doesn't work...But I digress, I'm here to help.I don't stick my head into chats or topics of nutrition very often anymore because most people won't listen to my educated explanation or would rather believe what they read in Mens Health, Cosmo, Womens Health, Teen People, etc.

However, since James wrote me and asked that I clear up inconsistencies and answer questions for you guys and because you are all actually making a change in your lives already and are committed to it, not just pondering it, I'll be happy to lend a helping hand.

Just as background- I went to college and graduated with a BS in Nutrition, became a Registered Dietician for a while, got out of the job, and then moved on to become a food scientist. I also spent some time doddering around in "holistic nutrition," but I don't care for it or its approach. But I digress... Now, I design frozen food from the idea/concept phase which will eventually become your freezer section frozen dinner. In summation, I have a good deal of food knowledge. However, if I don't know the answer to your question, I will find out for you. I am still very into what I eat and how I exercise.

With no further adieu, I'll start with James' post and the sugar.

Yeah, I didn't see apple on that list. There are definitely more foods listed than I thought were catabolic though. It makes sense. Apples are just really high in sugar. Bananas (from what I understand) are high in potassium, but also kinda fatty and suggary. We should get Ray in here.

Don't be so concerned with this catabolic food thing. Its all relative. For instance, one apple contains just as much carb (I'm going to say carb, not sugar, and will explain later) as 3/4 of a cup of pineapple. There is no "apples are higher in sugar than oranges." You have to look at it relative to the serving size. If you want to compare apples to oranges (excuse the PUN) 1, 4oz apple has the same amount of carbohydrates and calories as 1, 6.5oz orange or a 1/2 cup of fresh or unsweetened 100% orange juice.

So you have the "why?", how about the "how?" The reason I say "carb" instead of "sugar" is because there are different forms of sugar- all of them playing a different role in energy, calorie density, and digestion & formation of "energy."The three simplest, and by default, easiest and best forms of "sugar" for you to consume are monosaccharides. You may have heard these terms before: - glucose. "Blood sugar", the immediate source of energy at the cellular level - galactose. The sugar in milk and yogurt - fructose. Found in honey and fruit. This is the sweetest of all sugars. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HCFS) contains a lot of this *in unnecessary amounts I might add*The other "sugars" are disaccharides aka, 2 sugars: - sucrose. Glucose + fructose = Common table sugar. Table sugar is made by refining the juices of sugar cane and sugar beets and becomes granulated. Depending on the extent of refining, it becomes brown, white, and powdered sugars that you're familiar with. - lactose. glucose + galactose = Major sugar in milk. Depending on the milk's far content, lactose contributes 30-50% of milk's energy. This is why skim milk and 1% milk are best for you when dieting. - maltose. glucose + glucose = Product of starch/carbohydrate digestionThese are the most basic and common forms of sugars that you will hear about most often. There are many, many more, but these will serve our purposes well. Basically, the sugar that you are trying to eat when losing weight should be simple and derived from sources where it isn't added. I could go on and on about complex carbohydrates, the amount of carbs in starch, fruit, milk, and vegetables, and how they interact with your blood and insulin, but thats another lesson for another time.

The lesson I want to teach today, based on the confusion I see, is the Glycemic Index. In simple terms, Glycemic Index (GI) is the effect of various sugars in the blood. wakopedia actually puts it quite well. You'll be well served to read this article for a better understanding.http://en.wakopedia.org/wiki/G...foodsThe provided table on the site is actually very useful, too.Basically, what you want to do is consume more items that are low GI foods than high GI foods. Not coincidentally, these are usually less calorie dense too. However, these foods will release glucose more slowly and steadily, and serve to keep you FULLER LONGER, thus preventing you from snacking on high GI foods that will not satisfy your hunger quite as long.

Also, bananas ARE NOT FATTY, and cabbage does not have that much sodium unless its been added. http://oto2.wustl.edu/men/sodium.htm (When reading/research, its also advisable to check for a .edu in the website name)

And saying apples are high in sugar is 50% true. When you guys say "sugar" I think you mean sucrose, aka table sugar. Which makes that statement false to me because apples contain fructose, a very simple and easy form of sugar to digest and use for basic building blocks of body processes.

As always, please feel free to post and ask nutritional and diet questions. Like James' "I'm new to 240's and I have a question" thread," I'll try to get to this post daily and see what I can help out with. Good luck, and keep up the hard work, guys!

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Thanks Ray!

By suggary, I mean... well, suggary. But that was to suggest that the apple contains lots of energy and is not a catabolic food.

[ThatGuyRoger]

Update!

Going into week 4, I've lost 3lbs, but over all since i started working out in January I've lost about 7lbs. As of late, i haven't been consistent with working out or dieting, but I'm kicking it into high gear and getting motivated again. I adopted a new running regimen today and now have new goals I would like to add.

next month there will be a 5K I will run in. Last year my finishing time was 26:38. this year I want to finishing in under 24 mins.Then in May, I am participating in a team relay marathon race where each member will run 4 miles, some more than 4. Last year when we timed our 4 miles, I finished in 24:40. But during the actual race my hip cramped and my time suffered greatly.

after that i put on weight and my times got slow.I timed myself last week and I have;

an 8:10 mile and a 12:04 mile and half

my goal is to get back down to a 6:30 mile and do 4 miles in 24 mins by the relay race.

wish me luck guys!

[EZcheese15]

Update for me:

I started on Jan 4 @ 234 lbs. My first week back running I was doing about 1.75 mi in 20 mins with 0 incline on the treadmill. My goal was (and still is) under 200 and able to run a 5k by summer. And a goal of 180 by fall.

I'm well on my way. As of tonight I'm @ 213 lbs and doing a 5k @ 1 degree incline in 31 mins on the treadmill. I should be doing a 5k @ 3 degrees in 31 mins by the end of the week. I'll then start bumping up my speed again. Maybe I'll make my new goal to be a 5k @ 3 degrees in under 25 mins by mid summer. That's insane for me to think about, considering I've never run a mile in under 12 minutes my whole life until this year.