I certainly wouldn't call myself a health-nut, and I certainly wouldn't call myself athletic, but I've been doing my best to exercise each day this summer. It doesn't feel like I've built up any more stamina because of this, but I guess only a month or so won't make a huge difference. I can't say that I'm a very healthy eater much, but I have a few fatfree recipes up my sleeve. I found a site a little while back full of Fatfree Vegan Recipes, most of which are very tasty.

Edit: I'm a member of Planet Fitness. It's a pretty nice gym. A bit small and cozy. I definately prefer it to the YMCA I used to go to.

Last edited by dollface (07-02-2007 08:06:03 PM)

Thank you for the link, dollface -- I'll definitely devote some time to this in the future.

SleepDebtFairy - I have a similar problem, being at 5'7" and staying below 115 pounds no matter what I eat.  Sitting around and being hedonistic rarely works as your metabolism is just naturally configured to quickly utilize whatever you're eating.  You're on the right track with the idea of exercising to build up muscle, though; specifically you should be focusing on weight training.  Eat lots of dense food (not junk food, but foods high in protein) and then work on exercising in anaerobic ways that promote muscle growth.  The female body generally won't "bulk up" from exercise unless the regimen is excessive, but you should be able to attain enough muscle mass to flesh you out, more.

On that note, a myth that needs dispelling is the fear that strength training will transform you into a linebacker.  Perhaps in the case of men, but for most women our bodies are simply not composed in such a way to have this happen easily.  Strength training in addition to aerobic exercise is the best way to lose weight and tone up -- the exercise makes the body more fuel-efficient by improving things in the cardiovascular and circulatory systems, while the increased muscle mass fires up the metabolism.  Also, drink your water; it helps flush out toxins and is essential to promoting one's health.

College gyms are actually some of the best in terms of getting help, I've found.  There should be someone on duty there who can explain to you how to use the weight training machines safely and effectively.

I'm not really a gym rat, but I do make it a point to be very active in some way (just because my body likes moving around, really).  However, I've always struggled with my weight, and it's a very frustrating thing for me.  Recently I decided to change up my diet and started eating more fruits and veggies (...and put on 10 pounds, WTF?!) and for several months I've made it a point to ride an exercise bike through a couple of episodes of anime (or an hour of watching whichever tennis tournament is on) about 4-5 times a week.  Now that the weather is pleasant, I try to play about an hour and a half of tennis (slowly increasing the time--husband doesn't have the stamina for it yet though) 3 to 4 times per week as well.  Given the 10 pounds I put on this summer (seriously, where in the HELL DID THAT COME FROM?!) I've decided to start focusing on counting calories again (in combination with more fruits and veggies).  I lost 20 pounds (and kept it off for 2 years until this summer) the last time I did it--but believe me, it's not fun.  I hate having to write down absolutely everything.  I know I have to do it, but geez...it's such a nuisance.

The thing is, I've only lost weight 2 times in my life.  Right before university I developed a borderline eating disorder and dropped 40 pounds in 3 months.  I actually kept if off (and didn't lose anymore weight) for 2 years until my boyfriend moved to my town and started taking me out to dinner.  Then I packed on 50 pounds over the course of 2 years.  When I hit 180 (I'm only 5'3") and realized my BMI was "obese," I found the determination to start counting calories and dropped 20 pounds over about 1.5 years (most people would have dropped more having the same diet as I did, but I have a lot of trouble losing weight unless I literally do not eat.)  So now it's time to see if I can get focused again and lose weight for a 3rd time.  It's very frustrating because I'm always very active (play tennis hardcore all summer long, DDR and ride my bike throughout the rest of the year, walk a lot, etc.) and at my worst I eat 2000 calories/day (which is considered a normal number of calories, given my activity level) but the weight stays and I look awful (although I've been told I don't look like I weigh as much as I do.)  To lose 1 pound per week, I'm supposed to eat a minimum of 1900 calories (based on my weight, height, age, and activity level), but in reality, if I eat more than 1500 calories not only do I not lose weight, but I flat out gain.  *sigh*  I hate my body.

Don't get me wrong, all of this ranting is about just being obsessed with my appearance.  I want to be healthy.  I don't want to hurt all over like all of my obese relatives.  I want to be able to live a long, active life.  Sure, I'd like to look good (but I can do that without losing just a ton of weight--I look better at a heavier weight than most people my height), but really it's just a desire to be at weight that isn't unhealthy for me.  I've seen people freak out because they weighed, omigawd, 130 pounds at 5'3", but for me that's the right weight.  1. My body doesn't go any lower than that--even when I don't feed it and exercise my ass off, and 2. I don't want to be thin, I want to be healthy.

Geez, I've gone on and on, haven't I?  At least now I'm hungry, so I can eat my breakfast (142 calories...) then get to exercising.  I love being active, and I'm trying to reprogram myself to eat better foods, so hopefully one day I can call myself a true "fitness nut" and be healthy to boot.

I have never had the testicular fortitude to work out in front of other people, as I can only imagine I'd not only embarrass myself, but cause physical and emotional pain to those around me. The closest I've ever been is I used to be quite a swimmer, but since I'm in Florida, an indoor pool is completely unheard of, and I do not like tanning. I'm trying to start getting back into a routine of working out now, I do it in my room, lifting weights and then basically 'dancing' (making an ass of myself), for as long as it takes for me to physically collapse. Unfortunately I've done this routine so many times I'm bored shitless of it and look to working out like it's a train to Auschwitz. I'm trying to think of some way to make it less mindcrushingly boring, without having to go outside in daylight or run. (I don't trust my ankles to run yet, I'd need to get much more in shape first.) The other problem is even if I did work up the nerve to go to a gym, the closest one to me is still a half hour drive each way, which makes things impractical to say the least. At any rate, my usual routine takes about an hour and ten minutes, and I think half of my problem is this is a rather large investment of time for every day, at least at this point. Can anyone recommend a site or something with free weight positions that will cover enough muscle groups to maybe cut down my time a bit? Or would there be any one item I could buy that would help expand my options without busting my bank?

As far as dieting, I've been on a diet for a little under two years, and in that time gone from 284 to 169. (NO, I didn't staple my stomach...everyone asks that when I tell them how much I've lost.) Almost a year of this has been without working out for medical reasons most of you all have already gotten an earful of. I've been on every end of the dieting aisle, I was a chronic failing dieter from about 8 years old to 15ish, at which point I gave up, and then gained about 20 pounds spending the next several years living on Oreos and potato chips and soda and playing video games. A couple years ago I just finally decided that was enough, started a low calorie diet, and I've been losing weight ever since. I would say I'm in a reasonably good position to suggest what people should and shouldn't do with dieting, since I've been on every diet in recorded history and it's the simple one that's worked best. My only gripe is I realize I should probably be getting more protein, but it's tricky to work into a low-cal diet sometimes, especially if you're avoiding soy, which I understand is not the best one for muscle building.

First off, Shattered, 185 is nothing to be ashamed of! I must admit that the bench has always been a weak point for me, at the height of my weight training days I could squat about 400, but I've never been able to bench more than 160.

Gio, have you ever tried running on one of those tracks made from recycled tires? They're very friendly to your ankles and knees.
For a weight routine, I don't know if you can find it online and I don't remember all of it, but there's a man named Istvan Javorek who works at the same college I do who's weight program is nationally renowned and used by conditioning coaches all over. I need to get back into that, you guys are making me feel guilty...

Regarding diet, soy is extremely controversial, but I think a lot of that has to do with who's pushing it. Most body builders seem to prefer whey protein, but you can always go with egg whites, which are almost pure protein. Anybody know why protein is spelled "ei", not "ie"? Anyway, even if soy doesn't build muscles, I can testify to it's ability to lower cholesterol dramatically, so don't go out of your way to avoid it.

I have a fetish for muscular girls. 

Anywho, I love working out, and I try to do so at least once every other day.  Emphasis on try.

Usually I forget.

But, anywho, I will be getting a super good workout at camp in a few weeks.  I plan on doing some farm work.  Wish me luck.

Archambeau, you're gorgeous and a fitness nut?

STOP BEING SO DAMN PERFECT OR I'LL FALL FOR YOU!

s to hyacinth and dollface.

I know that finding an enjoyable form of exericise is one of the hardest parts of starting a fitness routine for many people.  There really is nothing fun about pedalling away to nowhere on an exercise bike, or shuffling your weight back and forth on a treadmill.  Exercise where you don't really realize that you're exercising seems to be most effective.  As we're mostly all nerds here, Dance Dance Revolution is an example.  Focus more on the completionism of getting all the hidden songs, and you can easily burn five hundred calories and give your lower body and abdomen a decent workout.  Also, fencing is a fantastic form of exercise.  Your thighs will positively burn for the first few weeks, and it's quite hard to keep up the stamina for footwork initially, but the benefits are noteworthy.

Lastly, on the food front, check the ingredients labels.  "Organic" and "no trans-fat" means nothing.  You specifically want to avoid "partially hydrogenated oils" and "high-fructose corn syrup."  Both are just terrible for you, really.

I have an exercise bike and a Bowflex


Well my parents do...

Cerise wrote:

First, three cheers for DDR (and I'll toss in tennis for being fun--not to mention a GREAT calorie burner that words lots of parts of your body).  But I will say that you can make an exercise bike enjoyable, or at the very least not so much of a chore, if you do it right.  I like finding anime with a lot of action (fighting, sports, what have you) mixed with a fast beat to the BGM, and then riding my exercise bike while watching.  The better the BGM and action onscreen, the faster I ride without ever realizing it.  It's sort of like riding a regular bike, with all the fun of "scenery" changes as you go.

Yes, definitely, and tennis can certainly be added to the list.  Like Cerise said, for those whose only option is a standard exercise machine, distracting yourself with something you enjoy as you toil makes the time fly by.  Even a nice, upbeat mix of music helps.

purplepolecat wrote:

Dumb question for Shattered or Stormcrow: is it customary to include the weight of the bar when quoting max lifts ?

Not a dumb question, but yes it is. A standard bar weighs 45 pounds - that's pretty hefty.

I never made it to 400 for squat, but I made it to 325, and 300 for deadlift, and that was limited by my grip strength. I hate having small hands sometimes.

As for protein, soy's not bad. It's the only "complete" protein that comes from any single plant. As such it's just fine. Generally whey is popular with bodybuilders and powerlifters, etc., but that's mostly because it's cheaper than egg protein which according to my reading is just about the best kind there is. Besides, if you eat soy you'll get even more fiber.

steamed edamame.

It is important to protect one's back.