briansluv

Thanks Mari!

And thanks! I hope to get up to like 30 minutes... that is when my ankle started getting bad before, I think, but then I never tried less... maybe 20 mintes will be my stopping point. I will go as far as I can go though. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Alison

~* Mari *~

[img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] Yes, those guys are def. hot. Some guys at my gym actually look like that. Tis amazing [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Alison- That's what's important. That you do as much as you can. Don't puch yourself to hard, always listen to your body. I've never believed in the whole "no pain, no gain" philosophy. It's stupid and it can get you seriously hurt. Just slowly build up.

Well, I read this article on aol. Basically states what most of us already know on this thread but it's always good to know we're on the right path,no?

Get More Burn From Your Workout
by Jeanie Davis

We walk and we walk. We could walk from Atlanta to Los Angeles, and still not lose that extra 10 pounds -- at least, that's how it seems. If you've hit a plateau in your weight-loss program, here are some tips to get more burn from your workout.


Boosting your metabolism is the secret, says Katie Heimburger, an exercise physiologist in Atlanta. What exactly is metabolism? It's the amount of energy -- in the form of calories -- that we burn during the day.


Sure, we burn calories when we run or walk. But we also burn calories when we sit at the computer or TV, even when we sleep -- what's referred to as "resting metabolic rate."


Tip #1: Build muscle mass. When you increase your muscle mass, you boost your resting metabolism -- and that makes your body burn more calories, says Heimburger. "That's why we recommend adding weight training to an exercise program."


Some examples: using hand weights to do bicep curls, using weight machines at a gym, even doing specific calisthenics like push-ups and abdominal crunches. "If you're building strength, you are losing weight," she explains.


Any kind of strength training is going to increase muscle mass, agrees Jamey McGee, fitness director at Wellness Center at Meadowmont, part of the University of North Carolina Healthcare System in Chapel Hill.


"That's why we have classes like yoga and pilates, to strengthen your body," she tells WebMD. "Pilates is about strengthening the core of your body -- your back, your abdomen. Some forms of yoga have a similar effect."


Heimburger recommends weight training twice a week. One advisory: "I don't recommend carrying weights or wearing ankle weights while you're walking. Adding weights could damage your joints. Weights should only be used when you're standing still."


A personal trainer or exercise physiologist can also set you up with a well-balanced strength-training program that targets the major muscle groups, Heimburger adds.


Tip #2: Get plenty of cardiovascular exercise. There's no getting around it -- the biggest burn comes from cardiovascular exercise, she tells WebMD. That means running, hiking, walking, cycling, taking aerobics classes, dancing, kickboxing, or using cardio machines at a gym, anything that gets your heart rate up.


Ideally, you should do this four to five times week for 30 to 40 minutes each time. "The whole idea here is just getting out there and burning as many calories as you can," says Heimburger. "What we say is, you should be exercising at a level where you can talk, but you can't sing."


Tip #3: Focus on frequency, duration, intensity. "As long as you step up your exercise program from what you're doing now, you're going to see faster weight-loss results," Heimburger tells WebMD. "Step up the amount of exercise, the length of time of your workouts and the intensity, and you'll definitely see progress."


Tip #4: Target losing one or two pounds a week. "That's pretty much the limit because any more than that would require severe diet restriction," says Heimburger. "If you think about it, one pound of body weight equals 3,500 calories. That's a lot to burn. Actually, that's all the fat your body will let you lose anyway. Any more weight loss will be water weight or muscle weight, and you'll gain that right back."


Tip #5: Don't run if you hate running. "If you don't like what you're doing, you're going to end up dropping out," Heimburger says. Find a form of exercise you enjoy, one that you'll like to do.


But consider this: Popular sports like tennis or racquetball let you combine muscle conditioning and cardiovascular burn. However, you won't build as much muscle mass (or lose as much weight) as you would with other forms of strength training, says McGee.


Tip #6: Exercise in the morning. You'll stick with your exercise program, says Heimburger. "I think it's because if you decide to exercise at lunch, you have plenty of time to come up excuses. But if you do it first thing in the morning, it eliminates the time you have to come up with those excuses."


Published Feb. 10, 2003.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SOURCES: Katie Heimburger, exercise physiologist • Jamey McGee, fitness director, Wellness Center at Meadowmont, University of North Carolina Healthcare System, Chapel Hill.

[ 01-15-2004: Message edited ~* Mari *~ ]

~* Mari *~

Another article:

Keep the Weight Off
Avoid Common Diet Traps That Cause People to Regain Weight

By Daniel DeNoon

Take it off. And now that you've got it off, keep it off. The first part is easy. The second sometimes seems nearly impossible.


Yes, this is about those extra pounds. You know the ones. You lost them last year, and the year before that. Yet they come back year after year like reruns of A Charlie Brown Christmas.


Last year you tried the latest miracle diet. You bought that hot new diet book right off the best-seller shelf. And maybe the pounds didn't exactly melt away as promised, but at first you did lose weight. Then the weight loss slowed down. The fad diet didn't seem so new any more; the special diet food packs were expensive; the new diet just didn't feel healthy; you nibbled a few sweets and felt too guilty to continue.


You aren't alone. For every 20 dieters who lose weight, only one keeps the weight off. Don't despair -- you can beat those odds.


Diet Traps


The U.S. FDA says most people trying to lose weight fall into diet traps. The diets promise quick and easy answers. The diet industry makes $30 billion a year by telling people what they want to hear: that modern science has at last discovered effortless ways to lose weight.


Here are some common diet traps:

Eat all you want and still lose weight. Sounds too good to be true, right? It is. The laws of physics still apply. Your extra weight is energy stored up as fat. To lose weight, more energy has to come out than goes in. Energy is measured in calories. When you move your body, you burn calories. When you eat or drink anything other than water, you take in calories. If you burn more than you take in, you lose weight.
I have to starve myself to lose weight. Very low-calorie diets are dangerous. This should be done only with medical supervision, and only when there is a medical need to lose a lot of weight as fast as possible. Gradual weight loss is much healthier -- and much easier.
I have to diet to lose weight. One diet after another isn't the answer. A consistent plan for a healthier lifestyle lays the groundwork for lasting weight loss.
A fad diet worked for my friend. We all know someone who went on a diet and swears by it. These diets rarely work for long. A sudden change in your eating habits can lead to a pattern of quick weight loss followed by rebound weight gain once you go back to a normal diet.
Lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks! Early weight loss from fad diets is usually from water loss. The bathroom scale may show that you lost weight, but it is not fat weight. Most experts say that losing a pound a week is an excellent goal. This means eating 500 fewer calories a day. This can be done by learning -- and practicing -- healthy eating habits.

Diet Programs


There are lots of diet programs out there. Before you sign up, the FDA suggests that you ask these questions:

What are the health risks?
What data can you show me that your program really works?
Do your other customers keep their weight off after they leave the program?
Do you have a weight-maintenance program? Does it cost extra?
What kind of supervision do you offer? What credentials to these supervisors have?
What's involved? Are there special foods, counseling visits, or exercise plans?

The Sensible Approach: Get Real


You don't have to join a diet program to lose weight and keep it off. You do need to make a plan. This plan must be realistic. If you can lose a pound a week, that's great. If all you are able to do to stop gaining weight, you're still ahead of the game.


Here are the first steps:

Talk to a professional. A doctor, a dietician, or another qualified health professional can help you determine your ideal healthy body weight -- and the safest way for you to get there.

Eat smaller portions.

Eat a wide variety of foods to be sure you're getting the nutrition you need.

Eat lots of foods with lots of fiber. These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

Eat fewer high-fat foods. These include dairy products like cheese, butter, and whole milk; red meat; cakes; and pastries.

Exercise for at least 20 minutes at least three times every week.

\m/beefshake-weezer\m/

wow! only one

~* Mari *~

I know! Only 1 out of 20! That freaks me out so much. But I tell myself that I can be that one. I can keep the weight off. I can do it [img]smilies/glow.gif[/img]

\m/beefshake-weezer\m/

I maintained all Christmas season..so I think I might be that one. But I still wanna lose more weight

briansluv

Thanks Mari... I agree... at least I am doing *something* [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Thanks also for sharing those articles! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Alison

-Kelly-

I have to eat more Fibre foods [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

I found a cool site, and it's free to join [img]smilies/wave.gif[/img]
http://www.dietclub.com.au

\m/beefshake-weezer\m/

I'm frustrated at myself for eating out twice this week.

But I have been drinking my share of water...100 oz a day. And eating my veggies and fruit.

I'm frustrated that I love bread so much.

~* Mari *~

I'm mad at myself for having given into my cravings for something sweet this whole wk. Thus far I've eaten a brownie sundae obsession from friday's twice and I had hot chocolate with a crumb cake. *sigh*

Personally, I think they're worth the calories but I hate feeling like a loser for having eaten them. Yes, I can run them off but they're extra calories that I didn't need, ya know?

Besides that's not going to help me fit into my dress [I bought a new dress one size to small in order to get me moving more...]

Lyndsey-Do you run on a treadmill or outside? If on a treadmill, do you run at the same speed or do you vary it? What strecthes do you do before and after your runs?

\m/beefshake-weezer\m/

I run on a track in the gym...9 times to make a mile...I would love to run outside, but it's too cold. And yes I try to vary my speed.

I stretch every muscle...legs, arms, back, sides...

Lyndsey

Mio

Figures. You always see buff people in a "get a flatter tummy, tighter abs" article and never a regular shmoe.

You cannot look like that in three weeks. Especially for a guy to do that, the hidden message with that is definately steroids. [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

I need to start doing sit ups once my neck stops hurting. I pulled a neck muscle while sleeping and now it really hurts and I wouldn't dare doing sit ups or crunches yet.

I also need to get back lifting weights. Next payday, I'm going to buy 5 lbs weights.

briansluv

I wish I could use weights. Stupid meds have a weight gain side effect. Thats nice.

Hope everyone is doing well.

Alison

-Kelly-

I ate some junkie foods today [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] I went to the movies [img]smilies/lol.gif[/img]

Mio

same here. yesterday was my cousins 2nd birthday party and i had a huge piece of cake with tons of icing and a pudding middle. it was a nice treat. plus i came home and had chocolate. [img]smilies/jaw_drop.gif[/img]