Anyone up for a supportive fitness challenge this fall??

[MightyPen]

I think since breaking off an emotional affair, I've become somewhat depressed for the past few weeks. Things have been okay at home, but I'm eating too much and I've slacked off on exercise. I just need to get motivated and pull myself out of my slump.

 

I've always found that being accountable to other people helps me meet goals and stay on track. Also, I figure with the holidays looming, many people might be dreading seasonal weight gain and overeating as well as the "blahs" that accompany less sunshine and more hours spent inside.

 

So is anyone interested in setting personal goals for the rest of 2015 and perhaps posting updates so we can all see how we're doing?

 

By New Years Eve, I'd like to lose 15 pounds. I would accomplish this by walking 6 miles per week bare minimum, lifting weights twice per week, and limiting my calories to 1700 per day. I would cut down diet sodas to no more than 2 per day (I currently drink more like 4 per day. Ugh!)

Edited October 19, 2015 by MightyPen

[Blue08]

Yeah I am interested!

[Michelle ma Belle]

Is this just for the guys or can gals chime in?

[StBreton]

I'm in. Had the same thing happen to me after a bad break up several months following my divorce which compounded my heartache (they tell you not to date for a year post divorce but I thought I knew better sigh)

 

Have you tried the app "map my walk"? You can add friends in there.

[MightyPen]

As far as I'm concerned, EVERYONE is invited, regardless of gender, age, fitness level, political persuasion or NFL team preference (although we might want to avoid the generally obnoxious Pittsburgh Steelers fans!) We will all have different goals, and that's to be expected. Let's help each other crank it up this fall, or at least avoid going backward.

 

If you want to join in, go ahead and think about your goals for the rest of 2015 and post them when you're ready. I made my realistic but optimistic.

Edited October 19, 2015 by MightyPen

[Michelle ma Belle]

Okakeedokee.

 

I've already been on this path of self improvement for the past couple of weeks or so. A much needed distraction I suppose.

 

My goal is simple; eat better, move more and find my balance again spiritually.

 

Food - No sugar of any kind. No white flour/gluten. No dairy. I've been juicing most of my meals lately as well as supplementing with lots of fresh fruit, veggies, legumes and the occasional piece of fish. Personally, I'm done with the counting calories and carbs and whatever. It's about eliminating the bad stuff and replacing it with lots of good stuff until I'm satisfied.

 

Exercise - For right now I'm focusing on (hot) yoga, rebounding, walking (love the fall!). Eventually I'll ramp it up now that I've purchased a new gym membership.

 

Mental - I've been doing a LOT of meditating these days. I've been reading some amazing books. I practice daily gratitude and I've started to paint again which has been very cathartic in and of itself.

 

Goal - My goal isn't to fit into a certain dress size or weigh a certain amount but to just feel cleaner, lighter, healthier both physically and mentally.

 

Good luck everyone!

[MightyPen]

Michelle, good luck on your goals as well!

 

My goals for today: ignore the doughnuts in the break room, drink lots of water, take a 30-minute walk at lunchtime instead of playing on my phone and eat a reasonable dinner. I'll be happy accomplishing those things.

 

I weighed in this morning and it was quite shocking.

[Cali408]

For me, the working out and conditioning are not issues. I lift weights, kettlebells, do sprints and play basketball.

 

I need to lock down the diet and be mindful. Not worried about scale weight, within 5 lbs of my ideal weight, I just want to look better naked.

 

My goals, fast once a week and cut down on the booze on weekend. I'm great Monday-Thursday, but love my cocktails on weekends.

 

192.8 is the weight this AM

[MightyPen]

Did anyone hit their goals yesterday?

 

I didn't even touch the doughnuts (they are still on the break room table today...ugh). I walked 2.2 miles during lunch, drank only 2 Diet Cokes and had a sensible dinner of about 500 calories. It was amazing how refreshed and "awake" I felt after taking my walk.

[newmoon]

i had a goal last year in Nov/Dec of not eating any baked goods/cookies/sweets/holiday party food through the holiday periods. i ended up losing weight through the holidays instead of gaining it, so that's my goal again. stay off all the sweets until at least mid-Jan.

[Michelle ma Belle]

Stuck with my juicing and added spurulina to my morning concoctions (yuck).

 

Stayed committed to the no sugar, no white flour and no dairy despite being surrounded by it all week

 

Did a 90 minute hot yoga last night. I looked like a drowned rat at the end of it but it felt A-MAZING!

 

Made several entries in my gratitude journal but did not get around to meditating like I had planned. Tonight will be a quieter evening for me so I'm hopeful I'll around to doing it.

 

Ciao for now!

[fitnessfan365]

Hey OP are you a guy? If so, 1700 calories per day is WAY too low for a guy that's going to be generally active and has weight to lose. It seems counter-intuitive. But a key element of changing your body composition and losing fat, is metabolism. When your calorie intake doesn't match up w/your activity level, it slows your metabolism down causing your body to hold onto food longer and convert to fat.

 

Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year ) x 1.55

 

Once you get the final answer, subtract 500-700 calories from it. This will give you a range of calorie intake you should be consuming per day to lose 1-2lbs a week which is healthy. Even with a calorie deficit, I guarantee that it will be more than 1700. This will lead to longer term success and not have you binge eating after you crash. Remember, fitness and changing your body is a lifelong process. Not a sprint w/short term results that you'll want to undo within 2-3 months of New Year's ending. Just saying..

 

BTW - Any time you feel like drinking diet soda, drink water instead. It's a zero calorie drink that will actually keep you hydrated and regulate your metabolism. Unlike diet soda which will only end up making you thirsty and crave more.

Edited October 21, 2015 by fitnessfan365

[MightyPen]

Just got back from my walk and saw your post. Thanks for the tips!

 

Yep, I'm a guy. I'm fairly knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition but certainly not an expert. I used to lift weights a lot but as I'm getting older I'm protecting my knees and other joints. I have a disk issue in my cervical spine so I really have to limit weights now and give the inflammation a chance to subside (per doc's orders).

 

So most of my exercise will need to be cardio, and I won't be able to build a lot of muscle to build that metabolic furnace as I did in my 20s. The 2xweek weights will mostly be very light with higher reps.

 

Does this change your analysis any?

 

The only time I've lost significant weight for a sustained period since age 30 occurred when I paired low calories (1800 and under) with moderate cardio, so I wanted to recreate the magic there.

 

Oh, and your formula said I should eat about 2,500 calories a day. That seems high for my purposes, but I'd love to hear more from you.

[MightyPen]

Stuck with my juicing and added spurulina to my morning concoctions (yuck).

 

Stayed committed to the no sugar, no white flour and no dairy despite being surrounded by it all week

 

Did a 90 minute hot yoga last night. I looked like a drowned rat at the end of it but it felt A-MAZING!

 

Made several entries in my gratitude journal but did not get around to meditating like I had planned. Tonight will be a quieter evening for me so I'm hopeful I'll around to doing it.

 

Ciao for now!

 

 

Are there any guys in your yoga class? I've been super interested in building core strength and flexibility in a hot yoga class but I was afraid of being "the token guy." Like when I get my pedicures.

[fitnessfan365]

Just got back from my walk and saw your post. Thanks for the tips!

 

Yep, I'm a guy. I'm fairly knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition but certainly not an expert. I used to lift weights a lot but as I'm getting older I'm protecting my knees and other joints. I have a disk issue in my cervical spine so I really have to limit weights now and give the inflammation a chance to subside (per doc's orders).

 

So most of my exercise will need to be cardio, and I won't be able to build a lot of muscle to build that metabolic furnace as I did in my 20s. The 2xweek weights will mostly be very light with higher reps.

 

Does this change your analysis any?

 

The only time I've lost significant weight for a sustained period since age 30 occurred when I paired low calories (1800 and under) with moderate cardio, so I wanted to recreate the magic there.

 

Oh, and your formula said I should eat about 2,500 calories a day. That seems high for my purposes, but I'd love to hear more from you.

 

Well you have to remember that not all weight is created equal. There's fat weight loss which comes from proper metabolic stimulation which happens more slowly but is long lasting. Then there's losing weight from muscle loss. When you lose a lot of weight rapidly on the scale, it's usually due to getting rid of fluid retention/water weight from increased sweating/exercise and muscle. Muscle is more energy dense. So when the body doesn't get enough calories, the body turns to muscle for fuel which is a bad thing.

 

Sorry about the disk issue. As a personal trainer, I come across so many people that used to lift weights on their own that developed bad habits causing injuries and limitations. That's why I actually prefer working w/people who have limited to no experience. They're able to start from scratch and learn proper form from the get go. With many clients, I have to spend months helping them unlearn all the bad habits they picked up.

 

What I'd recommend :

 

3x a week when you walk, try to find some steep hills. Walking hills is actually lower impact on your feet/joints and will help you burn more calories in less time. Way more efficient than flat ground walking.

 

2x a week, instead of weights I'd recommend body weight circuits. You'll be doing all body weight exercises utilizing compound exercises and short rest periods. You'll be working your entire body so the metabolic output will be higher than isolation exercises w/light weights.

 

Example :

 

10 squats - stick your butt out and sit back on your heels going all the way down hamstring to calf right below parallel. This will actually strengthen your knees (going deep being bad for the knees is a myth)

 

10 push-ups

 

10 walking lunges per leg - once again, by engaging your glutes, hamstrings, and quads you protect your knees by strengthening surrounding muscle groups.

 

10 inverted rows (YouTube this). - This is when you're at an angle and pull your chest up to the bar

 

60 second plank (YouTube this) - A proper plank keeps your entire core (abs and spine neutal) and will help strengthen both. The stronger your core is, the more protection you give your lower back.

 

Start by taking 30 seconds rest between exercises and a minute rest after the round before you repeat. See how many times you can go through in 30 minutes. Doing this 2x a week with walking hills 3x a week will definitely go a long way to increase your basic fitness and help with fat loss.

[StBreton]

Are there any guys in your yoga class? I've been super interested in building core strength and flexibility in a hot yoga class but I was afraid of being "the token guy." Like when I get my pedicures.

 

You get pedicures? Cool!

 

Ok My goals for this week:

 

Do 100 push-ups, 100 squats with weights and 100 planks and run 5 miles by Sunday

 

Thx for leading the charge

[MightyPen]

You get pedicures? Cool!

 

Ok My goals for this week:

 

Do 100 push-ups, 100 squats with weights and 100 planks and run 5 miles by Sunday

 

Thx for leading the charge

 

Hah! It was a bit of a joke, although I have enjoyed a couple of pedicures before. They are delightful! Now I will immediately regret using the term "delightful."

 

And I hope this thread picks up steam and more people notice. I'm pretty sure everyone probably has a fitness goal or two they want to reach. And 100 push ups?? Like all at one time or spread over the next few days??

[xxoo]

I'm a woman and I do the intervals of burpees and squats and stuff. I've gained muscle doing so. 1700 calories sounds really low to me! I eat almost that much and I'm 115#.

[xxoo]

 

Do 100 push-ups, 100 squats with weights and 100 planks and run 5 miles by Sunday

 

100 planks? How do you do them? Hold for 60 seconds?

[fitnessfan365]

I'm a woman and I do the intervals of burpees and squats and stuff. I've gained muscle doing so. 1700 calories sounds really low to me! I eat almost that much and I'm 115#.

 

Good post. Not just because of your exercise selections but also because of your handle on calorie count.

 

BTW - When you do burpees, are you including a full push-up chest all the way to the ground? Or are you doing a squat thrust (burpee w/o the push-up)?

[Michelle ma Belle]

Are there any guys in your yoga class? I've been super interested in building core strength and flexibility in a hot yoga class but I was afraid of being "the token guy." Like when I get my pedicures.

 

Oh yes

 

Of course, women out number men most days but there is no shortage of handsome yogis where I am.

[xxoo]

Good post. Not just because of your exercise selections but also because of your handle on calorie count.

 

BTW - When you do burpees, are you including a full push-up chest all the way to the ground? Or are you doing a squat thrust (burpee w/o the push-up)?

 

burpee without the push up. I can't do full pushups yet, and I'd have to take the extra step to put my knees down.

[Cali408]

Mighty Pen,

 

First, lay off the diet soda. Period, there are plenty of articles how diet soda makes you fat.

 

Second, 1700 calories a day is unsustainable over time.

A better way to do this would be:

1. Stagger your calories, 2200 one day 1700 other days

2. Keep your carbohydrate intake at 100 g per day

3. Fast for 24 hours once a week.

4. Avoid sugar and anything white. Eat sweet potatoes, beans, quinoa and oatmeal for carbohydrates

5. Portion size, make a fist, that's your portion

6. Eat all the veggies, especially green that your heart desires, because of the sugar intake veggies are better than fruit.

7. Have a cheat meal/day once a week, next day follow with the 24 hour fast

8. Cook with coconut oil, it's good fat, also great as a tablespoon

 

Exercising, stick with bodyweight exercises. Body squats and pushups and do some cardio. For a while this summer, I was running 5 miles 3 days a week, doing hill sprints 3 days a week, with 100 body squats and 100-200 pushups a day. Felt so athletic.

 

Going out in SF for dinner tonight but my workout was great. Kettlebells and sprints.

[fitnessfan365]

burpee without the push up. I can't do full pushups yet, and I'd have to take the extra step to put my knees down.

 

That is actually a good starter to work up to full burpees. That is what I start out my female clients on that can't do full push-ups from the ground yet.

 

1) Squat hands to the ground

2) Jump back into push-up position

3) Knee lower to the ground and then full push-up

4) Knee raise into push-up position

5) Jump in and jump up as high as possible clapping your hands over your head

[MightyPen]

Oh yes

 

Of course, women out number men most days but there is no shortage of handsome yogis where I am.

I'm in! It will also give me a reason to wear my sweatband! People tell me I really rock the headband look. (I wonder if they are being sarcastic?)