Not so great. I'm up a few pounds and I'm not fitting into most of my pants very well. The stress of the end of the semester led to a lot of bad eating habits.
The good news is that I'm getting back to exercise and slowly improving my eating habits. (Though finding out that Wendy's now offers a Waffle Cone Frosty may stall progress.)
My shin splints are healed!! Went running at my normal pace yesterday and they didn't hurt at all! I've been very diligent about stretching before and after I exercise, which I think helps quite a bit. I'm not back up to my regular distance, but I can work up to that again. And seriously, running is just...it fills my soul with happy.
Not so great. I'm up a few pounds and I'm not fitting into most of my pants very well. The stress of the end of the semester led to a lot of bad eating habits.
The good news is that I'm getting back to exercise and slowly improving my eating habits. (Though finding out that Wendy's now offers a Waffle Cone Frosty may stall progress.)
My hip is still giving me issues - the pain has migrated to lower left back/pelvis/hamstring. Over 9000 hours of Googling has led me to something called "Piriformis Syndrome," which basically comes about when you're in a sitting position for long periods of time, combined with large amounts of legwork. Cyclists, scullers and whatnot are prone to it.
So are dumbass cops who squat too heavy with bad form, apparently.
Might have to suck it up and see an actual doc, just to be sure in this. Rather not let myself get to a point where I need surgery - if it is this - thank you very much.
Yesterday was pretty productive. Oatmeal for breakfast, veggie delite (no cheese, EVERY VEGGIE) and a salad for lunch and tortilla soup with a vegan quesadilla for dinner.
Managed to go for a pretty solid run too! Decided I'm going to try and run outside three times a week, considering I've been doing the elliptical in the gym, I figured I'd be able to run outside with little problem (I was wrong). But yeah, jogged about 2.3 miles and then biked another two miles later that night to grab a pitcher of beer with the ol' roommate.[DOUBLEPOST=1368799860][/DOUBLEPOST]
I'm eating all the same foods I used to eat but in smaller quantities, and have added more veggies as cheap (calorie wise) filler. It's not ideal, but I know that I'm not going to be making a huge change in what I eat after this diet, so I'm really just working on how much I eat. When I feel hungry but only have a hundred or so calories left I usually have a big spinach salad, and haven't yet become tired of spinach, but it's only been a week or so, there's plenty of time to become sick of it still.
Jake asked me to help him with a little diet and exercise "jump start." He eats a lot of starchy stuff, and I've pretty much just replaced that with other things. We still have oatmeal in the morning, but instead of the usual rice-and-something-else dish, I've been making lean protein and vegetable dishes. We're not at all planning on doing that forever, but I told him I bet he'd see more results if we made a few small changes. So this week and next week are going to be a little more on the extreme side, and then we'll taper off a little, reintroducing brown rice and whole wheat pasta. He's never really tried portion control for an extended period of time, so we'll see how it goes. Helping him try something new has helped me stay on track as well. It's been fun trying new recipes and exercising together, too. I think I've done an alright job of making sure this isn't a painful or boring experience.
Doctor's appointment on the 31st. Gonna see how bad I've done myself. Gonna continue trying stretches and massage to see if I can work it out in the meantime.
God, I hope so. Tired of constant low-level pain. If it was sharper, I could justify whining. As it is, it's just annoying.
This week I decided to get my ducks in a row. Went to the gym every day this week and started running outside. And right now my entire body is just sore. But it hurts so goooood.
So yeah, gonna take the day off. Might do some running outside tomorrow because it's pretty nice out. But right now I'm just trying to force myself to stretch and just sitting uncomfortably.
I decimated my chest and back yesterday at the gym. It was fantastic. By 9:30pm it was all I could do to drag myself into the bed and fall asleep. Feel sore today but awesome.
I'm also getting close to touching my toes when I'm warmed up! I haven't been able to that in... um... ever!
Oooo... and I can run at 5 miles per hour for just over 30 minutes without my legs failing horribly. Also a very large improvement for me.
Welp... I went to the doctor yesterday, and I'm down 1 lb from last time I weighed in with y'all. So, 165. I guess any progress in the right direction is good.
Here is the deal, though. I'm not losing fat where I want to lose it. So I'm going to continue with the "diet" I've been on with Jake for the past 2 weeks. I'm watching my intake of carbs... I was really going overboard, looking back. I'm going back to measuring everything I portion out, and as soon as this sinus infection is knocked out, I'm back to jogging and yoga. Plus, I'll be in London soon, walking everywhere.
It's not perfect; it's not where I wanted to be at this point, but I feel good.
Welp... I went to the doctor yesterday, and I'm down 1 lb from last time I weighed in with y'all. So, 165. I guess any progress in the right direction is good.
Here is the deal, though. I'm not losing fat where I want to lose it. So I'm going to continue with the "diet" I've been on with Jake for the past 2 weeks. I'm watching my intake of carbs... I was really going overboard, looking back. I'm going back to measuring everything I portion out, and as soon as this sinus infection is knocked out, I'm back to jogging and yoga. Plus, I'll be in London soon, walking everywhere.
It's not perfect; it's not where I wanted to be at this point, but I feel good.
I have zero weight loss advice, but I will tell you that walking everywhere makes you feel fantastic. Your stamina improves, your body feels great, it helps alleviate everything from stress to headaches to stuffed heads...
I walk to and from work (about 30 mins each way) every day and man.. It's awesome.
all I can say is portion control portion control portion control....i do NOT exercise extra at this time, and I am stably dropping a few pounds a month/week.
i am at 210 right now from the high of 255, and if I can get past this hang up heading to 200.
I have zero weight loss advice, but I will tell you that walking everywhere makes you feel fantastic. Your stamina improves, your body feels great, it helps alleviate everything from stress to headaches to stuffed heads...
I walk to and from work (about 30 mins each way) every day and man.. It's awesome.
I enjoy walking to the store. I'm just a few blocks away from a grocery store and a fruit-and-veg outdoor market, so I do that as often as I can. I also walk to school on weekends. It's just 20 minutes away on foot, and the traffic's not too intimidating... ok, it is, but that's ok.
Jay, that's what was confusing for me. I was paying close attention to my calories in/calories out, and I seemed to be at a pretty sizable deficit most days. That's why I've shifted focus more to the types of foods I'm eating and making more vegetable substitutions to see if it helps. I'm also being more diligent about measuring out portions, even though I can eyeball pretty well.
It's more important what you're eating vs. calories, in my opinion. I can eat 1300 calories a day in saturated fats, sugars and not lose weight. Then I could eat 1300 calories in veggies, fruits and whole grains, losing weight in the process. It's different for every person, what works, but for me, counting calories goes hand in hand with what I'm eating; I can't just count calories.
I found calorie counting stressed me out more than anything else. It also made me very grumpy.
Either way, after a while I noticed that I was much more satisfied with meals when I stopped limiting how much I ate and just replaced it with veggies, fruits and whole grains like LittleKagsin said. Carbs are where we get our energy anyway, so I think it's silly to try and cut them out. Just go for the whole-grain bread instead of that bleached-to-white bread.
Basically, this is my diet. (35 pounds lost in 4 months)
Don't read if you can't take honest advice :
1. Don't drink calories. Ever. Basically, water is going to be your life. While writing this post, I drank 2 glasses of water. Sometimes, I'll add some lemon and GO CRAZY like that. Whenever I have a hunger crave, I'll drink a glass of water, if the hunger persists after an hour. I'll snack on something good (more below). Your body will betray you, just like Ravenpoe does every night he doesn't show up for our game of Borderlands 2. Your body makes you THINK you're hungry when in fact, you're thirsty. So drink up bitch and if you're still hungry, go waddle to the kitchen for a healthy snack.
2. I use MyFitnessPal app. ALL THE TIME. Basically, my age, sex, being 6'4 and current weight it provides me the exact amount of calories I need to consume and maintain my weight. I then ask the app to cut me off enough to lose 1.5 pounds a week. I try to respect it, every single day. Most days are a success. This is principally how I lose my weight other than some walking. This is Jason's "No Exercise Diet". Also, this app calculates calories used doing activities. Took a long walk? 150 calories go to the bank. Shovel snow like a good Canadian? 300 calories to the bank. Your significant other gave you a solid 5 minute romp? Boom, 69 calories to the bank. Heeey-oooo!
3. I eat what I want, how many times I want but with regular portion control. I tend to research my choices before I buy/eat them so that I can calculate them a bit more accurately. So yes, I'll research, type names and do what MUST BE DONE. I tend to not give a rat's ass about carbs and all that other shit other people think is important. Gypsy tales IMO. Total bullshit. I only care if whatever choice I'm eating tends to lean on more protein and fiber, you know that shit our body needs and craves. I tend to not be hungry after high protein meals, as I'm supposed to. Lighter meals that make you happy goes a long way. After all, I don't plan to check every meal for carbs for the next 50+ years. I have a list of high protein things I will eat. Also Greek Yogurt is awesome, particularly those with fruits. It's a WIN/WIN.
4. Most snacks I eat are fruits. So I'll have 2 nectarines, some watermelon, mandarin or an apple. A handful of walnuts (high cal but lots of protein and good shit in them). Fresh celery sticks are awesome too. I recommend to do what I do and get a huge topper ware, prepare all your shit ahead of time and just grab whatever is ready to be eaten during the week. (after you drank hat 1 glass of water of course, you've been reading... right?)
5. I avoid most fried foods. So, I'll eat that sexy burger I want but I'll get a side salad or veggies. Fried foods are the devil. Also, my acne has been far less severe since I started dieting.
Now a word from our sponsors.
Do you want this to happen to you when you go out during social events?
Then stop being a fat fuck and listen to Jay in his advice thread!
Welcome back.
6. Be positive about your diet and how you're progressing. If you get grumpy, anxious or annoyed while doing this, you're in it for the wrong reasons. Whatever, you're doing, you're doing it for yourself and no one else and if you get no hunger pains, you'll not get any gains. Sorry. Losing weight has been ridiculously easy for me. Honestly. It's all about your mentality more than anything else and... your cultural environment.
7. Surround yourself with people who support you, who won't give you a hard time you're on a diet, won't push you shit you don't need, you won't give you guilt trips if you don't take more than a slice of whatever they did. This is important. I'm sorry but you're not missing out on any of that food on the table. It's an experience of a few seconds but you'll carry your decision for eating it for days/weeks/months because of your lapse of a few seconds. In the end, you'll shit it all out. So why bother? Eat what you must, enjoy it but never in excess. Don't be 'MURICA! So eat what you can, moderate yourself and results will come and will more importantly... STAY. Losing weight has always been the easy part. Keeping it off, heh, that's the battle.
8. Saturday is a great cheat day. Have that beer or soda you've been craving, eat up to what you need to to maintain your current weight. Enjoy it. Regain some sanity. Enjoy life. But always remember... always that same day. Also, don't eat shit 4 hours before sleeping. Don't go overboard though.
9. Eat a light breakfast. Real granola bars or cereal. My favorite bars are the the ones from Kashi. Same for Cereal. Go Lean Crunch is delicious and hella healthy. Or buy some Whey Protein drinks. They replace your breakfast with upwards of 25g of Protein, are tasty and give you a shitload of energy that will even make your lunches lighter.
10. Don't be an asshole to others when they notice the results. Tell them what you're doing, be excited about stuff and enjoy life. Don't push them to do shit unless they ask. It's OK to watch them roll away.
11. When doing groceries, go eat before you do so, preferably a meal you enjoy a lot. You'll go in there after, well fed and make better choices in what you'll stock your home with.
12. Also while you're in there don't make the best choices in foods right away, don't kid yourself. No one goes from white bread to whole wheat grain everywhere and actually get achievable long term results. Make progressively better choices. Get the stuff you like but make little commitments every time you shot to buy 4-5 things that are better than last time. You want those fudge bars? That's fine. Just make sure to make a logical, honest compromise elsewhere.
13. Some of you won't be like Gusto and be forever alone. You can make better decisions for you and your significant other but rather for yourself. You don't have to share everything. You can have "your bread". You can have "your cheese". It's normal. Despite what they may think. Your health is about YOU, not them.
14. Sleeping is very good for you. Sleep 8 hours a day, nothing less. Sleeping helps your body lose weight. I'm not shitting you. Sleep 8 hours and it'll do your body good. If you're female and hot, sleep with me for 8 hours and you'll lose just as much + 69 calories!
15. And lastly, calories. Don't listen to what all these gypsies are saying. It's all about the calories. 3500 calories = 1 pound of ass. If you are like me and need 2400 calories to maintain your weight and you limit yourself more or less to 1800 a day, you bank 600 calories. A day. After a week you save 3600 calories (don't count Saturdays). Boom, 1 pound. And doing what exactly? Eating the same things but slightly better with smaller portions that will be perfectly find as the weeks go by and your fat ass stomach starts becoming smaller and asking for less shit to keep its mouth shut. It'll get even easier.
There you go.
Read my bible, use it, lose weight.
Don't listen to the gypsies.[DOUBLEPOST=1369763638][/DOUBLEPOST]
It's more important what you're eating vs. calories, in my opinion. I can eat 1300 calories a day in saturated fats, sugars and not lose weight. Then I could eat 1300 calories in veggies, fruits and whole grains, losing weight in the process. It's different for every person, what works, but for me, counting calories goes hand in hand with what I'm eating; I can't just count calories.
Been running outside lately, which has been great. Started last week out with intervals of walking five minutes and running five minutes. Today I started walking for three and running for five. Feels good, man.
I might change my gypsie way slightly and ignore the bad influence that is my roommate with her constant buying of lays potato chips.
stienman I always feel like the calories burned using a calculator are overestimated, so I usually cut the time I put in by 10-15 minutes just to be safe.
My freaking achilles tendons are still hurting. I've stopped my running routine. Still go to 90 minutes of karate 3x a week though, and that actually burns more than a run. Even biking is rough on the tendons. I have heel dip assignments from the doctor that I'm supposed to be doing. Supposed to be the best treatment for tendonitis. I have to do 3x15 straight leg and 3x15 bent leg twice a day, for each leg. The dips have to be done slowly so it's quite time consuming.
Worked out for the first time in about 3 months the other day. I think I'm just going to make a point to work out every day I work, after work. Sundays is going to be hard though because I meet up with my friends later in the day for game of.thrones/ movie night.
I think I'm going to stop drinking for the next two months. I want.to lose as much weight before my birthday as possible. I've even considered only drinking water. Maybe I'll do that for a week and see how it goes.
