I've been working out practically every weekday.

I start with a 30 minute light run. When I'm on a treadmill, I'm at 7.5 mph for the first 22 minutes and I step it up to 8 mph for the last 8.

Then I do a variety of arm and core strengthening exercises. At the Y, I'll do a 2-3 reps on seven to eight machines. At home, I do a alternating reps of full sit-ups (20 for the first rep, 10 afterwards) and dumbbell exercises.

As for my goals, I'm aiming for a six-pack and built up arm muscles. Meanwhile, I hope to maintain my current level of performance when it comes to running.

As a long-distance runner, my legs have become disproportionately muscled compared to the rest of my body, which is why I've switched gears.

Singelli : Here's a few tips for people that don't know.

The best way to meet your fitness goals is to start with your diet. Tracking how many calories and nutrients you are putting into your body, as well as how many calories you are burning during exercise is the only way to really make progress. For this I suggest 2 things.

1. Download an app for your phone like "My Fitness Pal" This app is free, and really makes tracking calories easy. You can search for just about any type of food and enter it into your log as well as scan UPC's off items and it will tell you exactly how many calories you ate depending on how many servings you consumed. Just be honest with yourself and the program in time will help you make better decisions. One thing I recommend is to cut things out of your diet that are "empty calories" with little to no nutritional value (like soda/pop) this will help you lose a little weight quickly and make you a healthier person.

Many people (especially women) don't know this, but the best thing to do is to make sure that you are eating 4-6 times per day (smaller portions of healthier food, obviously) This will help you keep your insulin levels even and increase your metabolism.

2. Get a heart rate monitor for during your workouts. These devices help you keep your heart rate in the "aerobic zone" to make sure your workouts are at their most efficient by making sure you are in the optimal fat burning zone. I personally own a Polar brand monitor and it works great but there are a bunch out there. Just hop online and do your research on what you might be able to afford or what you prefer. Not only that, it helps hold you accountable for your weekly workouts as you can set goals and things like that.

I will also point out that weight/strength training helps keep your metabolism at a higher level for longer than Cardio does, post workout. Your body spends energy building your muscles back up from when you broke them down during your workout and thus burns more fat/calories. Cardio is important but weight training is more efficient.

Also make sure you are eating/drinking something high in protein right after your workout. This will help your body replace the fat you just burned with lean muscle. Your body fat percentage is actually a better gauge on your fitness goals than total weight loss. Burning this fat will help you lose inches.

Feel free to ask me any questions if you need further explanation. I also will continue to add anything I may have forgotten in this first post.

Good luck everyone! You CAN do it!

Haven't been exercising except Tuesday.... Stress, family and friends.....

I'll try to get back to it this Sunday if my mood doesn't get worse....

...So it's been almost a month since the last post in this thread. How's everyone doing with their fitness goals?

Jordanv78 : Well, I can't really do anything my appointment on the 23rd, when I find out if I need surgery or not. But, I have been walking around a little bit more, so that is good news. 

thing1 : Well as long as you are trying to stay as active as possible without further injuring yourself, you are doing well.

Jordanv78 : Honestly, it is more like I am being lazy while I wait on the VA to get back to me, wait to start a job that I have already been given, and waiting on Wal-Mart to find me a new position that I can do that follows my ADA paperwork. ( I had to get a transfer from the DC because my back wouldn't allow me to work at the DC, and my American's with Disabilities Act Paperwork says no more than 20 pounds, even though I could probably do 30 comfortably for 50 out of 60 minutes every hour )

Jordanv78 :  Thanks for posting here again. I kind of gave up because... well... it's awfully odd to be the only one posting here.  That, and my first deadline (for my new job) ate a lot more time than I expected. 

Have you been doing any exercises, out of curiosity?

I think I'm going to start again tomorrow, but I don't know what I'm going to set as my goal. I've managed, at the very least, to not GAIN more weight since I started this thread.  I'd really like to start losing though.  I have to say I'm a bit worried.  I have a disorder that typically causes women to gain weight uncontrollably at some point in their lives.... and I'm worried that might be happening to me.  I'm not very large yet, but I still weigh more than I ever have before.  I need to work extra hard, and I need all the motivation I can get. Instead of thinking that it's pointless, I need to tell myself that I can indeed shed it.... or at the very least, not gain.

I recently got a nice little addition to my pay check, and although I had been planning to buy new clothes with it, I was suddenly tempted to change my mind while walking through Wal-Mart.  A spur of the moment decision.... I got a bike!  I've been wanting one forever, but I wasn't really sure my husband would actually allow me to ride it to work and back.  After a bit of begging, he said he would, and 30 minutes later I was the owner of a brand new 24-speed Mongoose mountain bike.  For those that aren't aware, Mongooses are pretty expensive, so this wasn't a light decision.  However, I could only see benefits to the purchase.

1. Less gas being bought.  My husband and I have been sharing a car forever, basically making four trips a day. I drop him off at work at 11:30, then come pick him up at 7:00am. He drops me off at work, then comes get me when I'm through.  The cycle repeats.  Now that I can bike, we can cut those trips in half.

2. I guessed the trip would only take me an hour, meaning I am losing NO time I wouldn't have lost by our car shuffling.  Thus, I haven't increased my time spent away from home and work.

3. I'm getting 2 hours of exercise a day instead of the 1 hour I was trying to muster on the treadmill.  Even better, I'm not taking an additional hour to do so, like I would on the treadmill.  When I get home, I can hop straight in the shower and I still haven't lost time.  I'd be showering after the treadmill as well, after all.  

4. I get to be outside. I've hated that I don't go outside very often, and this puts me out there. I get fresh air and believe it or not, the exercise is sooo invigorating!  I also get some time in the sun, meaning I can get some color to my skin.  

5. I have no excuse NOT to exercise.  If I don't bike home, I have no way to get there.  I don't have any other option, so even on days where I say 'meh, I don't feel like it'... I still have to bike.

6.  Of course.. I am getting TONS of exercise.  I hope I'll actually start to get fit and lose some weight!

I've only ridden to work once so far because I got the bike this weekend and took Monday off.  I didn't ride today because I had a presentation to give and didn't want to look sweaty or flushed in front of the big dogs.  However, I do plan on biking every day.

I will also say that I'm a LOT less fit than I thought I was.  That being said, I was shocked at how easily the ride came!  It's about 6 miles one way, and half of the ride is very hilly while the other half is flat.  In the morning, the ride was pretty simple.  My workplace is at a lower elevation than my apartment so although there are a lot of hills, eventually..... my average movement over the 6 miles is downwards. Also, it was cool and there wasn't much traffic.  The ride BACK however... I actually got dehydrated very quickly.  It was 97 degrees and my overall movement was upwards. I ran out of my water pretty quickly and had to take two short breaks under shady trees.  There was a lot more traffic since everyone was getting off work, and I think there were two large purple welts on my butt from riding the bike seat in the morning. It hurt quite a bit on the way home.  lol

So I made some adjustments. I got a backpack to help carry my things with more ease, and two water bottles to go through... a full 64 ounces at my disposal. I also got a wider and more cushioned seat.

Another awesome tool I implemented was this app on my phone called MapMyWalk.  This app is... AMAZING!!!!!  It trailed my route with astonishing precision (you can even see the places where I slightly deviated around the sidewalk-less roads or ditches in my path).  It also kept track of my elevation every foot, compared my speeds for every mile and at every elevation, listed the amounts of time I spent at different speeds, tracked my calories burnt, etc etc etc.  The data it gives is just astonishing, and I honestly couldn't do the app justice by describing it here. I highly suggest it for anyone wanting to exercise and keep track of things.  There is a free version and a $4.00 version, and I got the $4.00.  (It will also sync with a calorie counter, sync with myfitnesspal, and just... so, so much more.) The app will keep track of almost any type of exercise despite its name.

Anyhow... I wanted to post here to say that I'm finally in the exercising game for good.  I biked 12 miles yesterday, but none today.  I can't wait to do it again tomorrow!  Between both rides, I burned about 900 calories!  Who's going to join me? XD

Today, I hopped on my stationary bike and cycled a little less than half an hour. I couldn't do a full 30 minutes because I started cramping. I guess that's why you're supposed to wait an hour after eating before you exercise or something.

Anyways, I was amazed that I managed to do that much. I had a headache before I started exercising, but I feel a lot better now after doing it rather than just lying in bed and resting it off. Despite my schedule, I hope I'll be able to have time to cycle on it daily from now on.

EideticMemory : You're a distance runner and your legs are super muscly?  What kind of distances do you run?  All the folks I've run my distance stuff with have thin, sculpted legs.  They don't have the big tree trunks.

I'm here to root everyone on.  Keep working out!  Sweat is fat cells crying!

My goals are 20 pull-ups in a row and dunking on a ten foot basketball rim.  I'm only 5'7 so I have a long way to go and I've been doing some different agility and power training to get the height I need.  I don't know if it's possible but I'm blasting away to get there.

I also do my regular runs, my regular fitness workout, and all the isometrics a person could want.  It's simply a part of my day and I feel better after I'm done.

Singelli : I believe we talked briefly about exercising in another thread, something about doing push ups (I think). I mentioned that I was addicted to exercise and you said something like "What's your secret." Well its safe to say you have found out for yourself! You have bought yourself a bike and started biking to work. That is a great start! I wish I could do that, but I work in Atlanta. Its about a 30 minute drive down I-20 for me, so there is no way in hell I am doing that XD However, I run and/or bike around my neighborhood on a regular basis, anyway.

Don't stop at biking to work! Keep doing your squats each day and running on the treadmill and before you know it, I promise you will be in the same boat as I am...you will get to the point where you'll want to exercise. I'm excited for you, and I hope you keep up your great work!

I am very proud of you Singelli!

warmaker : I think you're overestimating the amount of muscle I have.

Most of my body is too thin, and hasn't been holding much fat or muscle at all.

My legs are the only part of me that's actually decent in size. As for distance, I'm a 5k and 10k runner.

Singelli :

Hey Kelli, I finally did half an hour on my stationary bike today. Did you get a chance to jog after work yesterday? At least the bike issue got you some sort of strength workout.

Anyways, I just want to give a little tip to those who are reading and want to lose weight/get in shape: start small, realistic goals and gradually increase them.

This is what I'm doing right now. I was making my goal to do half an hour on my stationary bike, and I'm planning to increase the time about 5 minutes every day. I guess for me, it's more motivating if I increase my goal just a little bit every day. Some psychological thing that makes me feel better and motivated, I guess. However, if I were to start off trying to make my goal exercising for 2 hours straight and fail, then I'd feel really crappy and demotivated to go on. Do you see where I'm going with this?

MattyIce : I still can't do a single push up.    I also have never really done squats, and I could never seem to stay motivated with the treadmill.  It's one of the reasons I've been so excited about my bike.  Doing something I enjoy so much has made quite the difference.  My bike tire actually got a flat last week and I've been trying to repair it, but to no avail. I've found three holes and patched all three, but the tube still won't inflate. I don't have the money to buy a new one until Friday, so I haven't biked this week and won't be able to. It's actually bumming me out that I -can't- bike. lol  I never really felt bummed about not getting up on the treadmill.

Thanks for the good words of encouragement though... that made me quite happy.    I just hope more people can be motivated to get up and do stuff! It's amazing how much less stressed I feel now that I've been working out consistently for 3ish weeks.  I've been telling myself to make no excuses, so the day after my tire got a flat, I was out jogging/walking.  I've been jogging/walking 4ish miles every day, but I think I'm going to take a break today.  I'm too bummed about my bike tire this morning, after trying and failing at yet another fix.  My body could probably use the break, anyways.

Mistress :
Hey, that's really great that you've been using your bike! I know we've talked about it, so I'm so happy for you!  I did job yesterday, but I had to go at a really slow pace because my dryer destroyed my running shoes and I had to use these floppy shoes. It was hard to pick up my pace and not lose the flopping shoes, and it put a lot of strain on my lower leg muscles.  When I jogged yesterday though, I bought some Epoxy glue and applied it to the soles of my running shoes. I don't know if it will work, but I'll see when I get home.  Even if it did work though, I think I'm still going to take a break.  I've been burning 500 calories or so (through exercise), and consuming about 1600-1700.

Singelli : I agree with you. Its important to try and stay motivated and keep up the exercise, but its also equally important to take one or two days off a week to let your body rest. Even though your bike currently has a flat I don't think you should "lose" too much until you get your tire fixed. It really sounds like you're super excited about riding your bike, and that's enough in my opinion. Riding your bike on a daily basis really goes a long way. And its also great to hear that the flat hasn't slowed you down and you're still jogging/walking in your bike's "absence."

Keep at it Kelli!

Singelli :

Should I wonder why you were using your dryer on your running shoes?

By the way, I think you should consider trying a variety of foods rather than just keeping a low calorie intake. Like, say you ate a tomato for your snack today. Why not eat an apple or a banana tomorrow instead of another tomato? You don't have to make like a huge drastic change on your diet, but why not just try it out on a snack and see how it goes? Oh yeah, and fiber is apparently good for you. That's what my nutrition professor says, anyways. I'm still learning the food groups, so I'm not knowledgeable about that yet.

Also, I did another half hour on the bike today. I wanted to try and stay on it a little longer, but my butt was cramping. I wonder if I'm sitting in the wrong position or something.

Mistress :

Haha, you can ask, thought you might not like the answer.  The first time I went jogging, I got a blister on the back of my heel.  It was really small, but I ended up popping it by accident in the shower because I didn't know what the stinging pain was coming from and was a little afraid a bug had bitten me (shower-spider trauma....lol).  So the next time I jogged... I was super careful (or so I thought) not to rub the back of my heel wrong.  However, when I got home, I discovered that well.... let's say the back of my sock was soaked through and that of course had then soaked into my white shoes.  I tossed both in the washer  with some bleach, and luckily, it all came out.  However, the shoes fell apart in the dryer and also marked my dryer up, even though I tossed a lot of clothes in there with them. lol

The day before yesterday when I jogged with the floppy shoes though, I got some epoxy and "glued" the soles back onto the shoes.  It worked surprisingly well except that I wasn't able to put weight and pressure on the whole shoe, so the front of the sole is a little insecure for my taste.  I think I'm going to force the front of the sole off, re-apply the epoxy, and put pressure on the front of the shoes next (It's a shame I don't have a couple of vice-grips).  That probably means I'm out of the game as far as exercise goes today, as well.  I don't feel safe with the running shoes yet, and despite my frustration with my bike tire, I DID try another patch. However, the epoxy needs 24 hours to set, and I'm not convinced I've found all the little holes yet.  

As for the food stuff....
I had different stuff one week, because I was able to buy some peaches and avocados. However, the only reason I don't have a variety is because I never have the money to buy a variety.    Plus, I'm always afraid that buying a bunch of different kinds of fruit/ veggies means that some of it will end up going bad before I can get to it all.  Lunch is the only meal that I'm super careful about about, though.  I'm watching my calorie intake, but I'll eat whatever is available for the other two meals, mostly.

I do hope to change my lunches up once my bike gets fixed though. See, on the way to work, there are these two old men that always set up a produce stand in a parking lot.  I'm going to stop one day and ask them to make a deal with me. XD  See if they'll sell me something for a buck or whatever each day.  

As for the cramping on your exercise bike... have you thought about buying a padded seat?  That's what I had to do for my bike.

I am so out of shape. I mean, I want to work out and get some muscle backs, even if it is just to impress my girlfriend, and I have the passion and motivation to get into shape... I just don't have the drive to do it. It's one of those things where you want to do it, but you just can not seem to get yourself started on it. 

I tested myself yesterday, and I was able to do 27 push-ups with relative ease. I don't dare do sit-ups because of my back issues, but I should probably start doing them soon. 

After I start my new job this winter, and finish the training and get my CDL license, I might try to find a decent personal trainer for cheap. 

Well I should tell my three days of exercise haha. Sunday, I went out with friends and played soccer. They put me on midfield despite having a bad left leg. Running was hell and my leg was giving out pretty easily. Anyway, after the game, I was sweating and had a nice workout. Body really sore haha. Anyway, I stayed at my friend's house for the night and Monday, he had a digital scale and was surprised at the weight... 204.3 pounds... Since graduation I gained thirty pounds, and I wasn't the only one. My gay friend (who returned from Alaska, thought he was at New York ) gained 20 pounds. Why do we become fat after graduation?


Point of the story: I'm going to exercise more and lose this crappy weight off me. Ugh, so ashamed that gained that much.