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Dave's latest dare triggered thinking about something I've tried to ignore for too long: I am in bad shape and need to fix it. I want to get healthy, eat better, and get in shape. Problem is, I'm not sure how to start. And once I start, I'm not sure how to keep going so that the changes become permanent and not some sort of stupid freak diet thing.

My job and lifestyle don't afford me a lot of time to cook meals, join a gym, or get any exercise on the job, so anything I have to do is going to have to fit into a small and convenient time frame, or else I won't do it. Trust me, I know the best solution is to do complete life alteration, but a sudden and complete paradigm shift is simply not going to happen. I need to start slowly and gradually build toward a healthy lifestyle, so that the inconvenience doesn't overwhelm my desire to change, as it has many times in the past.

So, I guess the question is, where to start?

First off, cut back on things that are bad for you but you can replace with healthy alternatives. If you drink lots of sugary soda, cut back to the diet stuff. I know it's weird but that goes a long way.

If you have to do fast food (because of time or whatever) then check the caloric information very carefully before choosing. I know that double cheeseburger is good but it's very, very bad for you.

Find someone you can work out with and start by walking. Doesn't have to be that exerting at first. Play games? Walk instead. Got a dog? Take him around the block a time or two.

Eat until you are full, not until the food is gone. Portions in the US are staggeringly huge. Eat half of what you would normally get. Instead of 2 or 3 HUGE meals eat 4 or 5 small ones staggered throughout the day.

If your work has a weight-watchers or healthy living thing join it! You will be gaining a great support system that is in the same boat as you.

I'm glad my insensitivity caused you to take a look or two and I'm sorry again. Good luck!

Look around for quick, healthy food. If you can't change what you eat drastically, be sure to always leave something on your plate. Or serve yourself on a salad plate. If you have a 15 minute window, do something as simple as stretching--just get off your butt and move somehow. Take the stairs and take the longer route if you walk somewhere, provided it's safe.

One thing that's helped me is taking a low sodium V8 with me in my purse when I'm running errands. Keeps me from stopping for fast food. Also, don't drink anything but water and skim milk... and maybe tea without too much sweetener.

That's just basic stuff. If you can scrape up the time, talk to a doctor about it.

Visit your Doctor first. Get a physical. Make sure your endocrine system is ok. Stop drinking soda, or eating ANY processed foods including dining out. Stop using sugar, or switch to diabetic safe sugar substitutes like ideal, or etc. Its still bad for you, but the goal is to wean yourself off sugar. Halve your portions. Walk 15 minutes a day until you can run 5 , then boost it to 30, then an hour. Use music to exercise too, take advantage of free podcasts. Photograph yourself nude and hang those pics on the fridge. Put an electronic scale near the fridge. Weigh yourself every day at the same time of day, keep a food and weight diary, but only put one weight each week (like Tuesdays, eg) Accept that failure is learning, and keep going. Accept no excuses

Also know that very soon I'll be joining you. I'm not as heavy (195) but my triglycerides are so bad that I have to start watching myself or I'm not making it to 50 and someone else will have to take over here.

Step 1 complete: Called doctor to set up an appointment for the end of May (when it's not an emergency, it can apparently wait a while).

Step 2: Soft drinks are done. Going to keep myself to Diet Snapple peach tea, water, fruit juice and lowfat milk (have a toddler that needs a bit of milkfat for the next year).

Doesn't matter when. You did it. That's already father than most people take it.

Piotyr said:

Diet Snapple peach tea

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Does Diet Snapple contain HFCS? I know regular Snapple does. This seems like a bad idea.

Toddler! You have a child! Take thee thy child to a park! Take a walk with child. Go to the zoo. If you try and keep up with a toddler you'll get in shape in no time!

Gusto;374572][QUOTE=Piotyr said:

Diet Snapple peach tea

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Does Diet Snapple contain HFCS? I know regular Snapple does. This seems like a bad idea. [/QUOTE]

Crap, I'll have to check.

^It probably has aspartame. Artificial sweeteners have been known to cause a bloaty feeling. It's not great for you, but it's fewer calories and won't kill you. I wouldn't drink several a day the way some people do with diet cokes, but the occasional one is probably ok.

Just a head's up--the sugar in fruit juice can REALLY add up. So if you have to have juice, have one small serving--measure it out. That's the main thing that's helped me: Measuring out my portions, serving myself an exact cup or half-cup of something instead of guessing. That way you know exactly what you're putting into your body.

Also let me say--I believe in you 100%. Feel free to talk to us about it if you ever need.

I'll use this thread as part of my accountability. Being accountable to just myself doesn't count for enough.

Ditch the snapple, but take a good look at the ingredients first. Either sweetened with sucralose, Aspartame, or some form of sugar, it's still very bad for you.

the sweet taste induces an insulin response, which causes blood sugar to be stored in tissues (including fat), but because blood sugar does not increase with artificial sugars, there is hypoglycemia and increased food intake the next time there is a meal.

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The real trick is to get away from those. Eat fruit, and drink water instead. Cut out the fruit juice also. Don't reduce it, cut it out. Look at all the nutrition labels and don't believe that just because some marketing company puts the word diet on their products they are good for you.

Have you considered doing some shadowboxing? You don't need a lot of space, you don't need any equipment, and you can set your own pace and duration. Plus, you can pretend like you're kicking Ivan Drago's ass. It can make for a pretty effective aerobic exercise, and you can add weights later to add a bit of strength training. You can check youtube for some basic boxing tutorials

I have a small apartment. I have room for pilates and yoga. I also use some free-weights. I try to run 20 min. every other day. Cut out the sugar and you'll see some serious results.

Step 3: Walked for 15 minutes with the boy today, carrying him for half the time because he tripped on the sidewalk halfway through. Carrying an additional 35 points just walking made it a bit of a workout. Going to see if I can get this walking routine going.

Step 4: Weigh in. Will do it by the end of the night.

For me any artificial sweeteners make the tinnitus I have really freaking awful. Good luck Piotyr!

Real Life Adventures from April 21, 2010

I lost 10 pounds just by cutting out HFCS and most sugars this yr (and I didnt drink soda or sugary candy b4 changing). Almost all fruit juic has it. Brad and rolls too. yogurt, catsup and tons of things you wouldnt think of, just look at all ingr. and pick 1 without or with not as much sugar. You can do it. Changing food brings about sustainability and working out drops pounds quickr

They can make gold nano cages to wrap cancer cells and kill them, why can't they wrap fat in like, saran wrap and zap it out.

Just came back from the doctor.
I have been eating really healthy for like two months and I still felt like a hippo so I decided it was time to visit the doc.
It was good. He weighed me and I closed my eyes and yelled "DON'T TELL ME!" ...he laughed, said it really wasn't so bad and that I was overreacting but it wasn't so funny for me.
He said my cholesterol is fine, my sugar levels are fine, my blood pressure is fine, and it was good to hear that but in reality it's not just about the "numbers", I'm glad I'm healthy but, I want to FEEL healthy again, and that's the tricky part for someone who's been on both sides of the scale: too little and too much. We'll see how it goes.


Piotyr: always remember, carbs are the enemy.
Also be careful with the fruits you eat and how you eat them. It's good to EAT one orange in the morning but it's quite bad to drink orange juice... that's like 5 oranges and it's basically drinking water with a whole lot of sugar.

Step 4 cont: Weigh-in on the Wii Fit scale: 321 lbs.

Has anyone suggested meth yet?

phil said:

Has anyone suggested meth yet?

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Only Jim Carrey.