Are there any good sites/apps to help put together reasonable workout strategies for people trying to get back into shape? I'm completely out of shape, but have started eating well and we've committed to the point we have a good amount of equipment accumulated and setup in a room now. It's just trying to figure out the best way to use that equipment to lose the weight without over/under doing it.
Weight-loss is mostly diet, so first thing is to get your diet into order. Don't do anything too gimmicky. Cut out the garbage. Lots of clean protein, veggies, cut down the carbs, try to cut out as much sugar as possible. Portion control is really important (I found having a small healthy snack mid-afternoon helped me not feel so hungry come dinner-time). Remember to account for your fluid calories/sugar. Don't beat yourself up for falling down. Every meal is another chance to eat right.
As far as exercise, my go-to recommendation for people trying to start getting into shape is the beginner body-weight workout from NerdFitness. I'm having success with a variation I've been doing for a little while now (the walking lunges, pushups, and plank but I'm using a barbell for front-squats and bent-over rows, plus I'm adding in glute-bridge and OHP also using the barbell). What kind of equipment are you talking about having setup? You could use the body weight circuit as a starting point and add in stuff using your equipment like I did with the barbell stuff.
Make sure you have a good warmup (I jump rope until I get a good sweat going) and stretch pre-workout (I do Joe DeFranco's Limber 11). Then post-workout I do some static stretching (calves, hamstrings, groin, glutes (my wife told me I was weird when I said the glute stretch was my favorite), quads, hip flexors (keep the back leg straight and really sink your hips into this one), shoulders, triceps, and lats (reach out as far as you can)). I hold each one for 30 seconds. Don't bounce.
Don't half-ass the pre- and post- stretching. I hurt myself cause I was trying to save time by half-assing my stretching and warmup. Don't do that.
TheCanMan on
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KwoaruConfident SmirkFlawless Golden PecsRegistered Userregular
I need to get a new belt or punch some holes in my current one because it isn't going tight enough to keep my pants in the right spot and the little clasp thing on the pants won't stay hooked
good problems?
now i just need to try not to swell up like a balloon when I move back in with my parents for a little while and also start exercising beyond the walking I've put into my commute
Are there any good sites/apps to help put together reasonable workout strategies for people trying to get back into shape? I'm completely out of shape, but have started eating well and we've committed to the point we have a good amount of equipment accumulated and setup in a room now. It's just trying to figure out the best way to use that equipment to lose the weight without over/under doing it.
Weight-loss is mostly diet, so first thing is to get your diet into order. Don't do anything too gimmicky. Cut out the garbage. Lots of clean protein, veggies, cut down the carbs, try to cut out as much sugar as possible. Portion control is really important (I found having a small healthy snack mid-afternoon helped me not feel so hungry come dinner-time). Remember to account for your fluid calories/sugar. Don't beat yourself up for falling down. Every meal is another chance to eat right.
As far as exercise, my go-to recommendation for people trying to start getting into shape is the beginner body-weight workout from NerdFitness. I'm having success with a variation I've been doing for a little while now (the walking lunges, pushups, and plank but I'm using a barbell for front-squats and bent-over rows, plus I'm adding in glute-bridge and OHP also using the barbell). What kind of equipment are you talking about having setup? You could use the body weight circuit as a starting point and add in stuff using your equipment like I did with the barbell stuff.
Make sure you have a good warmup (I jump rope until I get a good sweat going) and stretch pre-workout (I do Joe DeFranco's Limber 11). Then post-workout I do some static stretching (calves, hamstrings, groin, glutes (my wife told me I was weird when I said the glute stretch was my favorite), quads, hip flexors (keep the back leg straight and really sink your hips into this one), shoulders, triceps, and lats (reach out as far as you can)). I hold each one for 30 seconds. Don't bounce.
Don't half-ass the pre- and post- stretching. I hurt myself cause I was trying to save time by half-assing my stretching and warmup. Don't do that.
Thanks - we're trying on the diet thing - carbs are the hard part to really get a handle on. We both work and have to eat breakfast and lunch on the go so sometimes finding non-bread items can be a challenge - but we're getting there.
For equipment we have a weight system one of our neighbors didn't want to move - it's a basic model with the adjustable weight amounts and pulleys to let you do arms and legs with it. We have a stationary bike, old manual rower/skiier thing, and a decent motorized treadmill. We also have a Wii with Wii Fit and recently got a heavy bag.
I know diet is a key, but I lead the epitome of a sedentary life. I wake up, work at a desk, head home and most of my activities are board games, video games, tv. Even if my diet were under control I'd feel completely lazy and out of shape.
Are there any good sites/apps to help put together reasonable workout strategies for people trying to get back into shape? I'm completely out of shape, but have started eating well and we've committed to the point we have a good amount of equipment accumulated and setup in a room now. It's just trying to figure out the best way to use that equipment to lose the weight without over/under doing it.
A lot of people like myfitnesspal, but there's also fitocracy and any number of others.
Another good bodyweight resource that is not free, but you might be able to pick up at the library or poke around online for samples of, is Convict Conditioning. I liked that it gave a base exercise, and then increasingly difficult variations on that theme. The gimmick is a bit much, but the writing/exercises are sound. Look into getting a doorframe pullup bar if you can, I love mine.
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Donovan PuppyfuckerA dagger in the dark isworth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered Userregular
There's a place near here that rents kayaks, and I try to every weekend that isn't thunderstorming during the summer, just to paddle around for a few hours.
I haven't had the opportunity to try to learn how to right yourself if you're underwater though, I'd like to do that.
But the rental kayaks aren't the ones where you really strap yourself in, they're just leisure ones.
Two kinds of kayaks, sit-ons, and sit-ins. Sit ons if you go over, you just fall off. Sit ins, if you're going over you take in a big lungful of air, reach forward as far as you can, and hug your boat. 99% of the time you will pop right back up if you don't end up caught in some rocks or trees or something and drown. In that case you pull your skirt and push off out of the boat backwards so that your legs aren't trying to bend 180 degrees the wrong way. You can keep your boat upright through most gnarly shit by slapping the water with your paddle, you rotate your wrist so the the flat of the blade is toward the water instead of the edge, and smack it hard into the water.
Open water paddling bores me to tears, but gimme trees and rocks to manuever around and rapids to go down and I will have a fantastic time.
I hadn't heard about the lean forward one, thanks!
I remember some cousins of mine in alberta were big on white-water river kayaking, and they were able to right themselves just by turning in their seat (no leaning forward or getting out - just some sort of magic and leaning to the side), that's the method I was wondering about possibly learning.
I'm okay with open water paddling if the scenery is really nice. Also being on the st-lawrence river and out in no-where land, the scenery is usually pretty nice.
Well, leaning is how you turn. You float naturally, so I suppose if you are upside down and lean to either side, you are going to pop up on that side.
2 years ago i took some classes, and did some kayaking up the hudson, which was kind of crazy with all the boat traffic, but is a hell of a way to see nyc
that was in preparation for my camping and kayaking trip on the belize barrier reef, which was open water, but so pretty and could just like, stop at reefs and snorkel, so it was awesome
wuz fun, should do more
but yeah i haven't posted in this thread in forever because is embarrassing how little exercise or healthy eating i've done in last half of year
am basically starting off from a worse or as bad place i was a year ago, despite how good i was doing 6 months ago
sooo
yay
Thanks - we're trying on the diet thing - carbs are the hard part to really get a handle on. We both work and have to eat breakfast and lunch on the go so sometimes finding non-bread items can be a challenge - but we're getting there.
For equipment we have a weight system one of our neighbors didn't want to move - it's a basic model with the adjustable weight amounts and pulleys to let you do arms and legs with it. We have a stationary bike, old manual rower/skiier thing, and a decent motorized treadmill. We also have a Wii with Wii Fit and recently got a heavy bag.
I know diet is a key, but I lead the epitome of a sedentary life. I wake up, work at a desk, head home and most of my activities are board games, video games, tv. Even if my diet were under control I'd feel completely lazy and out of shape.
You sound pretty much exactly how I was about a year ago. My downward spiral of lethargy running into (or rather being run into since I wasn't gonna be the one moving) the bottomless pit of uncontrolled energy that was my 3yo son was what finally got my lazy ass of the couch (a couch which now only has one comfortable cushion because I crushed the stuffing in the rest of it).
Carbs are definitely my downfall, too. The key I found in pretty much anything diet related was to start small. Instead of having two bagels, have one and some yogurt or fruit or something. Instead of pasta 4 times a week, cut it down to 3. If you typically have 4 slices of pizza, try to stop yourself at 3 (and instead of getting the pepperoni, sausage, & bacon heartattack special, go for mushrooms or pepper & onion or pineapple). Then when all of that starts to feel normal as opposed to something that feels like you're actively reminding yourself you need to do, take another step. You need to (or atleast I needed to) wrap your head around the idea that you aren't starting a diet, you're changing your lifestyle. If you think of it as a diet, that means it's a thing that you can fail at. And it's something that has a start and an ending. That's not a helpful mindset.
I mentioned the diet stuff first because it really is vitally important. But personally, I don't think I would have stuck with my much better eating habits if I wasn't also able to see my physical progress in my workouts. The feeling of accomplishment from putting on more weight than you did the previous session is addicting. I started out overhead pressing 15lb dumbbells for reps, my last workout session my OHP hit a calculated 1 rep max of 100lbs. And now I want 105. The key is to find something you like doing and keep reaching for the next incremental goal.
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Lost Salientblink twiceif you'd like me to mercy kill youRegistered Userregular
I want a veggie and fruit stand.
Today I forgot lunch (among other disasters) and wandered in literal circles for fifteen minutes because I didn't want carbs or grease.
Small soy latte + hard-boiled egg + protein powerball from the coffee shop. Feeling better. But I wish I could've gotten a piece of fruit or a bunch of sliced veggies.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Another good bodyweight resource that is not free, but you might be able to pick up at the library or poke around online for samples of, is Convict Conditioning. I liked that it gave a base exercise, and then increasingly difficult variations on that theme. The gimmick is a bit much, but the writing/exercises are sound. Look into getting a doorframe pullup bar if you can, I love mine.
Also fitocracy recently did a thing with bodyweight stuff and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's actually quite a good workout, and you can just ramp up the sets.
Carbs are my downfall not because I love them so much, but they are in so many quick to grab foods like sandwiches, pastas, etc. Generally though I don't think I eat that poorly. Today for example I had a protein bar for breakfast, nonfat greek yogurt and some no calorie special k chip things for a snack, a wrap (flour) with ground turkey, spinach, nonfat sour cream and cheese, and some other veggies for lunch. Dunno what supper will be tonight...oh and coffee with creamer in it.
I think that the laziness is my biggest issue. It's very hard to be motivated. I'm exhausted pretty much all the time (part of that is my lack of sleep) and even with Netflix walking on the treadmill feels like torture and I'm having a hard time getting past that feeling.
Carbs are my downfall not because I love them so much, but they are in so many quick to grab foods like sandwiches, pastas, etc. Generally though I don't think I eat that poorly. Today for example I had a protein bar for breakfast, nonfat greek yogurt and some no calorie special k chip things for a snack, a wrap (flour) with ground turkey, spinach, nonfat sour cream and cheese, and some other veggies for lunch. Dunno what supper will be tonight...oh and coffee with creamer in it.
I think that the laziness is my biggest issue. It's very hard to be motivated. I'm exhausted pretty much all the time (part of that is my lack of sleep) and even with Netflix walking on the treadmill feels like torture and I'm having a hard time getting past that feeling.
Motivation thing could be tough. A lot of times I use the "10-Minute Test" that someone in here or in the weightlifting thread mentioned once: I'm gonna go to the gym, even if I feel icky, or lazy, or whatever. And I'm gonna lift for ten minutes and see how I feel. If it sucks too much, I'll cut it short. But it still gets me in the door, which has a better chance of doing something than nothing.
Maybe approach it like a list to check off - physically if you have to, on paper. List out your weight routine, by day, exercise and set. Check off your list. Mark on your calendar the days you completed all of your dailies. "Gamify" it if you want to. Regardless, maybe it just throws the accountability and some level of measurement back in front of you as tangible checkmarks or what have you, rather than just the fuzzy abstract of "working out" in your mind.
Worth noting: Distraction is a place to start, but it does give you a bit of an ability to slack off, which is going to diminish your results. You don't have to love going to the gym or working out. I know a lot of people looooove going to the gym and they feel sooooo great afterwards and lah-ti-dah, but hey, I still hate it. It's a chore. It's like taking out the garbage: I don't like doing it; it's inconvenient and not fun. But it's better than the alternative of not taking the garbage out. Working out is the same way (especially as you get older).
Hey thanks for the support folks! Also thanks to @TheCanMan for those stretching links, I definitely need to work on my flexibility and improve my pre and post workout routines.
I see I'll need to check in on this thread more often!
edit: And @Lindsey Lohan, I'm no expert, but I was pretty much in the same place a month ago. Just exhausted all the time, unmotivated, and definitely very lazy. I work as a graphic designer out of my house, so I was just spending entire days sitting in my recliner doing jack. And yeah, when I said "I started going for two miles over an hour" what I really meant was "the first time I got on the elliptical, my thighs burned like hell 5 minutes in and I barely gutted it out for 20 minutes."
It is very much a process, if you can only go for a few minutes on the treadmill, try doing it for a while. Maybe the next week you'll go for half an hour, and so on. You'll find that exercising gives you more energy as you go on, you just have to take those first steps, no matter how small they are.
There's a company in the city that delivers healthy high-protein breakfasts/lunches/snacks to your workplace, so I think I might start treating myself to that once a week instead of ending up treating myself with junk. My eating habits in the mornings and at work are really good right now but the minute I get home after the day and my commute I overeat like crazy.
This morning I made smoothies for breakfast. Of course that will be countered by going to happy hour tonight with sales (free beer). I hope to start working out tonight, but honestly it will depend on how much I drink.
Thanks for all the pointers on motivation folks. I realized this morning I've gained about 10 pounds over the winter so I definitely have reason to really push myself. On top of that, I really need to start sleeping again - I know the lack of sleep we get will impact how effective my exercise is and my motivation to actually get to the basement.
What do folks recommend for improving flexibility and/or back pain from sitting at a desk all day?
For discomfort from too much sitting you are going to want to look at stretches for your hip flexors, something like warrior lunges. Also a stronger core should help so things like planks, also just general compound lifts (deadlifts, squats, etc) with good form will help with core strength. The other thing is making sure you are sitting at work with good posture, as to not compound the effect. Try to get up and walk around some if your work will let you, walking in general is good for loosening things up some.
Chuille: I am not sure if this is doable for your situation, but you could make it harder to overeat when you get home by not having much, or any, stuff at home to overeat on. The apartment I got set up with has a very tiny fridge, and can only store my next couple breakfasts and dinners, tops. If I want to snack, I basically can't. If I want to overeat, well, I better go shopping because I am out of food, and once I got broken out of these habits by not having the food to do so, the desire to do so has gone away. Something to consider if it is possible for your situation.
Also, go ahead and fret a little about doing exercises safety, but don't worry much at all about a perfect plan for max results. That is a quick way to an excuse why you are not going to work out that day. Even if all you do is piddle around on the machines, and lightly bike for a few minutes, that is better than not going. Obviously work on getting a plan together, but don't let the stress from that, or lack of a plan stop you from going. When in doubt, just go slow, focus on your movements, and don't be afraid to ask for help/look up youtube videos.
Yeah, the trap of "I won't be able to do it 100% right, I won't do it at all!" is super easy to fall into and super destructive. There is a similar mental trap of "Well, I already messed up my diet for today, might as well say fuck it for today and fix it tomorrow" that my girlfriend falls into all the time and it is the opposite of what you should do. Don't throw a whole day out over one mistake, note it and factor it in right away.
I try to go to all of my scheduled gym days, even the days when I am feeling like crap. Sure, one day all I did was briskly walk on a treadmill for an hour while listening to an audiobook (I was hung over as fuck) but still better than having not walked for an hour.
Personally while I work, I've started sitting on a big inflatable exercise ball that I got with some infomercial exercise dvds I got a long time ago and never used. I can't do it all day, but for an hour or so at a time.
It's worked wonders for my posture and my back pain. That and I try to get up and stretch a bit a few times a day.
This morning I made smoothies for breakfast. Of course that will be countered by going to happy hour tonight with sales (free beer). I hope to start working out tonight, but honestly it will depend on how much I drink.
Thanks for all the pointers on motivation folks. I realized this morning I've gained about 10 pounds over the winter so I definitely have reason to really push myself. On top of that, I really need to start sleeping again - I know the lack of sleep we get will impact how effective my exercise is and my motivation to actually get to the basement.
What do folks recommend for improving flexibility and/or back pain from sitting at a desk all day?
A few of the cool-down stretches I already listed "should" help with back tightness (specifically, the static stretches for glutes, hip-flexors, & lats). The glute stretch can be done from an office chair, so that may be particularly helpful.
Chuille: I am not sure if this is doable for your situation, but you could make it harder to overeat when you get home by not having much, or any, stuff at home to overeat on. The apartment I got set up with has a very tiny fridge, and can only store my next couple breakfasts and dinners, tops. If I want to snack, I basically can't. If I want to overeat, well, I better go shopping because I am out of food, and once I got broken out of these habits by not having the food to do so, the desire to do so has gone away. Something to consider if it is possible for your situation.
Unfortunately, I live at home with my mom and younger siblings, so there is always food in the house, and usually something that can be made unhealthy with very little effort. I think its as much a habit as anything these days.
Ah, bummer. Yeah. I have really enjoyed living on my own because I have control of what ends up in my fridge. I personally find it much easier to resist temptation at the store than at home. But I'll be moving back soon to a home that constantly has soda in the fridge and fresh bread on the counter and snacks. Hopefully two years away from that has broken me of those habits though.
Ah, bummer. Yeah. I have really enjoyed living on my own because I have control of what ends up in my fridge. I personally find it much easier to resist temptation at the store than at home. But I'll be moving back soon to a home that constantly has soda in the fridge and fresh bread on the counter and snacks. Hopefully two years away from that has broken me of those habits though.
Definitely true. If there's candy or snacks like sesame sticks or bread in the house I will eat it. But since I shop for myself (well, and the dog), I can resist buying really bad things most of the time.
And @Radius I know exactly what you mean; I had a couchsurfer in town so we ate out Tuesday and Wednesday, and I had carbs and other carbs basically. Yesterday I had a big salad with a hard-boiled egg and zucchini and I was like oh thank god.
Lost Salient on
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Ah, bummer. Yeah. I have really enjoyed living on my own because I have control of what ends up in my fridge. I personally find it much easier to resist temptation at the store than at home. But I'll be moving back soon to a home that constantly has soda in the fridge and fresh bread on the counter and snacks. Hopefully two years away from that has broken me of those habits though.
I am so proud of myself for not drinking any soda for two weeks.
That doesn't seem like a lot, but I generally went though 2 energy drinks and a liter of soda each day.
Everyday we stray further from God's light Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
I'm getting more in the habit of doing something while watching television after work. I used my weighted hula hoop for 15 minutes instead of just immediately crashing on the couch.
Bought new runners and cute workout gear. Yay payday and yay motivation!
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KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
Hmm,
Guess you should make sure that any mud runs you do aren't around fields or anywhere that can lead to animal shit contaminating the mud pits.
A case-control study using data provided by patients and healthy persons who also had participated in the race showed a statistically significant association between inadvertent swallowing of muddy surface water during the race and Campylobacter infection (odds ratio = 19.4; p<0.001). Public health agencies and adventure race organizers should consider informing race attendees of the hazards of inadvertent ingestion of surface water.
Ah, bummer. Yeah. I have really enjoyed living on my own because I have control of what ends up in my fridge. I personally find it much easier to resist temptation at the store than at home. But I'll be moving back soon to a home that constantly has soda in the fridge and fresh bread on the counter and snacks. Hopefully two years away from that has broken me of those habits though.
I am so proud of myself for not drinking any soda for two weeks.
That doesn't seem like a lot, but I generally went though 2 energy drinks and a liter of soda each day.
No, we get it, that's a lot! I went a week without beer and felt really proud of myself
In the spirit of the thread name: Know how to get a bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. Trite? Certainly! True? Certainly!
Secondly! I have a question that is probably stupid. I feel like it's stupid.
I've been reading about net calories, and reading a bunch of things that say I need to have the calorie goal per day in my body. What do I mean? Well, let's say my calorie goal per day is 1500. Let's say that I burn about 2100 by doing bloody nothing in a day. So, I eat 1500 calories. Cool. But then I run, and burn 800 calories. This now means that my NET calories puts me at 700 calories for that day.
I've been told (and read) so many times that the bigger the deficit the better, but now I'm starting to read things saying that if I have a NET of under 1200 for the day, I need to eat back those calories (preferably protein) for my body to know what's up, and continue to build muscle and not stop losing fat.
Weight loss is a random crapshoot so people just make up stuff that sounds good?
Seems to me that if you're excercising you'd wanna be eating more than if you're not, though. Mostly so you have energy. Dunno about balancing deficits or whatever.
i'm thinking of working my way up to half-marathon lengths. Not actually racing, just doing 20km or so at a time. I've been kind of stagnating with the running lately - getting slightly faster but not really pushing myself at all.
i'm thinking of working my way up to half-marathon lengths. Not actually racing, just doing 20km or so at a time. I've been kind of stagnating with the running lately - getting slightly faster but not really pushing myself at all.
Just keep going faster and faster until you're running 5k at Olympic 400m sprint speeds!
Posts
Weight-loss is mostly diet, so first thing is to get your diet into order. Don't do anything too gimmicky. Cut out the garbage. Lots of clean protein, veggies, cut down the carbs, try to cut out as much sugar as possible. Portion control is really important (I found having a small healthy snack mid-afternoon helped me not feel so hungry come dinner-time). Remember to account for your fluid calories/sugar. Don't beat yourself up for falling down. Every meal is another chance to eat right.
As far as exercise, my go-to recommendation for people trying to start getting into shape is the beginner body-weight workout from NerdFitness. I'm having success with a variation I've been doing for a little while now (the walking lunges, pushups, and plank but I'm using a barbell for front-squats and bent-over rows, plus I'm adding in glute-bridge and OHP also using the barbell). What kind of equipment are you talking about having setup? You could use the body weight circuit as a starting point and add in stuff using your equipment like I did with the barbell stuff.
Make sure you have a good warmup (I jump rope until I get a good sweat going) and stretch pre-workout (I do Joe DeFranco's Limber 11). Then post-workout I do some static stretching (calves, hamstrings, groin, glutes (my wife told me I was weird when I said the glute stretch was my favorite), quads, hip flexors (keep the back leg straight and really sink your hips into this one), shoulders, triceps, and lats (reach out as far as you can)). I hold each one for 30 seconds. Don't bounce.
Don't half-ass the pre- and post- stretching. I hurt myself cause I was trying to save time by half-assing my stretching and warmup. Don't do that.
good problems?
now i just need to try not to swell up like a balloon when I move back in with my parents for a little while and also start exercising beyond the walking I've put into my commute
Thanks - we're trying on the diet thing - carbs are the hard part to really get a handle on. We both work and have to eat breakfast and lunch on the go so sometimes finding non-bread items can be a challenge - but we're getting there.
For equipment we have a weight system one of our neighbors didn't want to move - it's a basic model with the adjustable weight amounts and pulleys to let you do arms and legs with it. We have a stationary bike, old manual rower/skiier thing, and a decent motorized treadmill. We also have a Wii with Wii Fit and recently got a heavy bag.
I know diet is a key, but I lead the epitome of a sedentary life. I wake up, work at a desk, head home and most of my activities are board games, video games, tv. Even if my diet were under control I'd feel completely lazy and out of shape.
A lot of people like myfitnesspal, but there's also fitocracy and any number of others.
Well, leaning is how you turn. You float naturally, so I suppose if you are upside down and lean to either side, you are going to pop up on that side.
i meant to do more last year but i did not
2 years ago i took some classes, and did some kayaking up the hudson, which was kind of crazy with all the boat traffic, but is a hell of a way to see nyc
that was in preparation for my camping and kayaking trip on the belize barrier reef, which was open water, but so pretty and could just like, stop at reefs and snorkel, so it was awesome
wuz fun, should do more
but yeah i haven't posted in this thread in forever because is embarrassing how little exercise or healthy eating i've done in last half of year
am basically starting off from a worse or as bad place i was a year ago, despite how good i was doing 6 months ago
sooo
yay
You sound pretty much exactly how I was about a year ago. My downward spiral of lethargy running into (or rather being run into since I wasn't gonna be the one moving) the bottomless pit of uncontrolled energy that was my 3yo son was what finally got my lazy ass of the couch (a couch which now only has one comfortable cushion because I crushed the stuffing in the rest of it).
Carbs are definitely my downfall, too. The key I found in pretty much anything diet related was to start small. Instead of having two bagels, have one and some yogurt or fruit or something. Instead of pasta 4 times a week, cut it down to 3. If you typically have 4 slices of pizza, try to stop yourself at 3 (and instead of getting the pepperoni, sausage, & bacon heartattack special, go for mushrooms or pepper & onion or pineapple). Then when all of that starts to feel normal as opposed to something that feels like you're actively reminding yourself you need to do, take another step. You need to (or atleast I needed to) wrap your head around the idea that you aren't starting a diet, you're changing your lifestyle. If you think of it as a diet, that means it's a thing that you can fail at. And it's something that has a start and an ending. That's not a helpful mindset.
I mentioned the diet stuff first because it really is vitally important. But personally, I don't think I would have stuck with my much better eating habits if I wasn't also able to see my physical progress in my workouts. The feeling of accomplishment from putting on more weight than you did the previous session is addicting. I started out overhead pressing 15lb dumbbells for reps, my last workout session my OHP hit a calculated 1 rep max of 100lbs. And now I want 105. The key is to find something you like doing and keep reaching for the next incremental goal.
Today I forgot lunch (among other disasters) and wandered in literal circles for fifteen minutes because I didn't want carbs or grease.
Small soy latte + hard-boiled egg + protein powerball from the coffee shop. Feeling better. But I wish I could've gotten a piece of fruit or a bunch of sliced veggies.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Also fitocracy recently did a thing with bodyweight stuff and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's actually quite a good workout, and you can just ramp up the sets.
I think that the laziness is my biggest issue. It's very hard to be motivated. I'm exhausted pretty much all the time (part of that is my lack of sleep) and even with Netflix walking on the treadmill feels like torture and I'm having a hard time getting past that feeling.
Motivation thing could be tough. A lot of times I use the "10-Minute Test" that someone in here or in the weightlifting thread mentioned once: I'm gonna go to the gym, even if I feel icky, or lazy, or whatever. And I'm gonna lift for ten minutes and see how I feel. If it sucks too much, I'll cut it short. But it still gets me in the door, which has a better chance of doing something than nothing.
Maybe approach it like a list to check off - physically if you have to, on paper. List out your weight routine, by day, exercise and set. Check off your list. Mark on your calendar the days you completed all of your dailies. "Gamify" it if you want to. Regardless, maybe it just throws the accountability and some level of measurement back in front of you as tangible checkmarks or what have you, rather than just the fuzzy abstract of "working out" in your mind.
Worth noting: Distraction is a place to start, but it does give you a bit of an ability to slack off, which is going to diminish your results. You don't have to love going to the gym or working out. I know a lot of people looooove going to the gym and they feel sooooo great afterwards and lah-ti-dah, but hey, I still hate it. It's a chore. It's like taking out the garbage: I don't like doing it; it's inconvenient and not fun. But it's better than the alternative of not taking the garbage out. Working out is the same way (especially as you get older).
I see I'll need to check in on this thread more often!
edit: And @Lindsey Lohan, I'm no expert, but I was pretty much in the same place a month ago. Just exhausted all the time, unmotivated, and definitely very lazy. I work as a graphic designer out of my house, so I was just spending entire days sitting in my recliner doing jack. And yeah, when I said "I started going for two miles over an hour" what I really meant was "the first time I got on the elliptical, my thighs burned like hell 5 minutes in and I barely gutted it out for 20 minutes."
It is very much a process, if you can only go for a few minutes on the treadmill, try doing it for a while. Maybe the next week you'll go for half an hour, and so on. You'll find that exercising gives you more energy as you go on, you just have to take those first steps, no matter how small they are.
More at eleven
(Man that was a good donut)
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Thanks for all the pointers on motivation folks. I realized this morning I've gained about 10 pounds over the winter so I definitely have reason to really push myself. On top of that, I really need to start sleeping again - I know the lack of sleep we get will impact how effective my exercise is and my motivation to actually get to the basement.
What do folks recommend for improving flexibility and/or back pain from sitting at a desk all day?
Get up and move around a bit every few minutes, and reinforce good sitting technique. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/sit-better-live-better-excerpt-from-becoming-a-supple-leopard.html
Chuille: I am not sure if this is doable for your situation, but you could make it harder to overeat when you get home by not having much, or any, stuff at home to overeat on. The apartment I got set up with has a very tiny fridge, and can only store my next couple breakfasts and dinners, tops. If I want to snack, I basically can't. If I want to overeat, well, I better go shopping because I am out of food, and once I got broken out of these habits by not having the food to do so, the desire to do so has gone away. Something to consider if it is possible for your situation.
I try to go to all of my scheduled gym days, even the days when I am feeling like crap. Sure, one day all I did was briskly walk on a treadmill for an hour while listening to an audiobook (I was hung over as fuck) but still better than having not walked for an hour.
It's worked wonders for my posture and my back pain. That and I try to get up and stretch a bit a few times a day.
A few of the cool-down stretches I already listed "should" help with back tightness (specifically, the static stretches for glutes, hip-flexors, & lats). The glute stretch can be done from an office chair, so that may be particularly helpful.
Unfortunately, I live at home with my mom and younger siblings, so there is always food in the house, and usually something that can be made unhealthy with very little effort. I think its as much a habit as anything these days.
Who knew?
Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
Definitely true. If there's candy or snacks like sesame sticks or bread in the house I will eat it. But since I shop for myself (well, and the dog), I can resist buying really bad things most of the time.
And @Radius I know exactly what you mean; I had a couchsurfer in town so we ate out Tuesday and Wednesday, and I had carbs and other carbs basically. Yesterday I had a big salad with a hard-boiled egg and zucchini and I was like oh thank god.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
I am so proud of myself for not drinking any soda for two weeks.
That doesn't seem like a lot, but I generally went though 2 energy drinks and a liter of soda each day.
Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
Guess you should make sure that any mud runs you do aren't around fields or anywhere that can lead to animal shit contaminating the mud pits.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6317a2.htm?s_cid=mm6317a2_x
No, we get it, that's a lot! I went a week without beer and felt really proud of myself
Secondly! I have a question that is probably stupid. I feel like it's stupid.
I've been reading about net calories, and reading a bunch of things that say I need to have the calorie goal per day in my body. What do I mean? Well, let's say my calorie goal per day is 1500. Let's say that I burn about 2100 by doing bloody nothing in a day. So, I eat 1500 calories. Cool. But then I run, and burn 800 calories. This now means that my NET calories puts me at 700 calories for that day.
I've been told (and read) so many times that the bigger the deficit the better, but now I'm starting to read things saying that if I have a NET of under 1200 for the day, I need to eat back those calories (preferably protein) for my body to know what's up, and continue to build muscle and not stop losing fat.
Anyone know anything about this?
Seems to me that if you're excercising you'd wanna be eating more than if you're not, though. Mostly so you have energy. Dunno about balancing deficits or whatever.
"Sandra has a good solid anti-murderer vibe. My skin felt very secure and sufficiently attached to my body when I met her. Also my organs." HAIL SATAN
Just keep going faster and faster until you're running 5k at Olympic 400m sprint speeds!