Let's Get Fit Together!

[smashleec]

So I was looking around Portrait, and I went to the 25 random things board. I was reading it and i saw that a lot of people are unhappy with their bodies! And I think that is not good! We should all be comfortable with ourselves and have confidence in ourselves! So AS A TEAM, LET'S GET FIT!!!

I am not talking about going on fad diets and losing weight real fast and doing it an unhealthy way. If you try to lose weight like that, you will lose it, but it will come back twice as fast with twice the weight.

I want us to set goals and help each other out with tips and see each others progess. If you want to post pictures of your progress or just how much you have been losing, or just how its feeling, just anything you feel comfortable with, that would be awesome! It is easier to get healthy and stay on track when you have a support team. Let's be each others support team

A Healthy goal to set is to loose 1 to 3 pounds a week. Don't expect to loose like 10 pounds in a week. That is just not healthy!!

So lets do this together!!!





Food

1. Try to make healthy substitutes. Instead of eating ice cream, try a low fat frozen yogurt. If you are looking for somethhing sweet, try eating bananas with honey and peanut butter.

2. People say to stay away from Carbs. That is not true. You will just crave them more. Instead, just try to stay away from startchy whites like white bread and pasta, and rice. Try to eat whole wheats instead.

3. Salads are healthy, sometimes. If you have a salad with croutons, cheese, bacon bites, and heavy ranch dressing, that keeps adding up with a bunch of unhealthy little things and turns into something aweful!! When you have salad, have it with dark leafy greens (they have more nutrients than iceberg lettuce) and a lot of different veggies, and even fruit if you feel like it! And use a vinegrette type of dressing. There are TONS of amazing tasting flavors out there.

4. Sort of like number two, do not ban yourself from anything! You will have cravings for it all the time and eat up munching out on it a lot! Let yourself have what you want, just in moderation. If you are a chocoholic, just have half, and save the other half for another day. Or even just buy the new 100 calorie bars, BUT ONLY HAVE ONE!!

5. If you drink a lot of juices, or pops, or coffees throughout the day, that adds a LOT of empty calories. Try to only have one drink a day that is not water. All other drinks have water. Have water with you at all times. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are actually thirsty, so try having a glass of water, wait at least 15 minutes and then see if you are still hungry.





Excercise

You should work out 5 to 6 days a week.
Make sure that you pick a day or two each week for resting your muscles. It is a MUST! But don't pick two days in a row if you make it two days.

You need to do cardio AND muscle workouts. You wont get as good a turnout if you just do one. if you want to do them both in one day or switch everyone other day that is fine, however you want.

When doing cardio try for at least 30minutes. If you can go for an hour that is even better. Do not push yourself toooo hard! take everything at your own pace. If you can only start with 10 minutes everyday for a couple weeks that is fine! Just gradually start adding 5 minutes every week and you can build up and eventually go for longer.

When doing muscle training figure out what works for you. If you want to do lower body a few days, then upper, then core, or a few of each in one day that is fine too. Here are some that I like.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YBnm2ZJNCM

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U9bVmVL7FY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6udf_EV3JU

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YI0cxuNcq8

And check out more from Sparkpeople's youtube. Make sure when using dumbbells you dont try to use something too heavy. try for a maximum of 6 pounds. using 6 or lower will give you a nice lean look. if you use more, it could bulk up your muscles and make you less lean and too muscley.

Whatever you do for your workout find out what works for you and stick with it!

[onlymystory]

Hey great idea! I know I'm definitely wanting to lose weight. A couple thoughts off the top of my head.
1) Technically health experts say to aim to lose at most 2 pounds a week. You might end up losing more and that's okay but 2 pounds a week is a healthy amount that will stay off.
2) I think sparkpeople is awesome and I know I'd love to be kept more accountable on my fitness. Interested in starting a Portrait group in Sparkpeople with me?

[smashleec]

I checked out a site that you can find out your BMI and With my height and how much I am suppose to weight around, I am aiming to loose a total of 40 pounds. it will take a while, but I am going to keep at it

[Kat]

So I saw this yesterday and decided to give it a go today (but hold off posting in case I failed.) lol.

So far I'm doing well. Today's achievements:
No butter on sandwiches at lunch.
No Juice.
Drinking a lot of water.
Didn't eat all the skin on some chicken I had for dinner.
Did about 6 minutes on the treadmill (small, I know but the video I was watching ran out and I hate walking and staring at a wall), including two bursts of jogging for a minute at a time (that counts toward cardio right?)
Did twenty laps at the swimming pool.

Today's deviations:
Ate a fruit popsicle after work.
Considering having a hot chocolate for dessert. Still far better then a Sundae or cookie.

How's everyone else doing?

[smashleec]

OH!! Another thing to remember is do not skip breakfast! even if you are not hungry eat something just little. eating breakfast starts up your body. and Do not skip meals or starve yourself. if you try to just not eat to lose weight, your body will be starving for energy that when you finally do eat, it will take all the fat from anything and store it away because it will be on panic and not know when it will get more food later. and you will end up gaining more weight. If you find that you get hungry a lot, try to eat very little meals every 4 hours or so. that way you dont overeat anything, and you are still giving your body energy. it sounds like a lot, but it doesnt need to be anythign crazy. it can just be some fruit and a little bit cottage chesse, or cheese and crackers. just simple stuff.


It is still afternoon for me, so i will post at the end of the day how i did today

[Sunshine]

This is such a good idea.
Here's my little "story" if you want to call it that, lol.

I used to be one of those people that can eat whatever they want and never put on weight, but still thought I was fat (sad but true). Then I acquired an eating disorder and obviously lost a lot more weight. When I recovered from it a few years back, my body seemed to store every little thing as fat, and the weight piled on. I need to lose about 12 kg now to be in the healthy weight range.
Soo I'd really like to try this out with you guys. It's always more motivating with other people, and this sounds like a nice healthy way to do it

[Sunshine]

Mar 10, 2010 14:56:52 GMT -5 smashleec said:

Do not skip meals or starve yourself. if you try to just not eat to lose weight, your body will be starving for energy that when you finally do eat, it will take all the fat from anything and store it away because it will be on panic and not know when it will get more food later. and you will end up gaining more weight.

Very, very true. This is what happened to me. NEVER starve yourself. It makes everything worse.

[smashleec]

i dont know kg, i go by pounds, so i looked it up. and for anyone else that doesnt go by kg that is about 26pounds.

and I really hope we all do this together the healthy way

[Sunshine]

^ It sounds so much more when it's in pounds haha.
I haven't been able to do any exercise today because I'm sick with a head cold and I feel so crappy Trying not to snack too much though, that's a big thing for me. I always snack on bad foods when I'm bored.

[smashleec]

awe that sucks! hope you get better soon!!!

and a way to help stop snaking on junk food, is to prepack healthy snacks in little baggies or containers so that when you are lazy but hungry you can just grab a baggie and you got a healthy snack!!
When you buy fruits, wash and cut them right away. that way you just have to grab and go as well.


and today any bread or pasta i had was whole wheat. and usually i work out for 45 minuts, but for some reason my leg was hurting so I only did 15 minutes of cardio on the tony little gazelle bahha yea, i have one of those.

[Sunshine]

I've just been out for a run around the block. Terrible, I only lasted 5 minutes. Feel better for it though

[smashleec]

Yesterda for me was aweful. lol. I knew i was going to party so I tried to eat super healthy because alcohol is just empty calories. and I didnt work out either. but i was dancing around a lot. So it was meh. lol. but i do work on my feet all day, so i was up working for 8 hours. but that doesnt really feel like working out or anythinh, but I am sure it is something. lol

[onlymystory]

Yesterday was good for me, I ate healthy and planned meals but then work was insane and I was exhausted & today I've been in a bad mood so I've eaten way too crappy.

I'm going to work out for like 2 hours tomorrow though to work some of it off (and preplan my snacks-great suggestion).

^ya know for low cal alcoholic drink options (because I like a good drink but it really does pack on the calories) there are a few good options. White wine & zinfandels are good, most are only about 80 calories a glass. And plus with wine you don't usually chug it down so it can be a better option. Try to always use diet soda as a mixer and never juices. Juices in bars are always cocktails and that one little vodka/cran can be 350 calories! If you're out to really party and not just enjoy a couple drinks, its much smarter to just sip on water and participate in shots. They have fewer calories & you're actually less likely to drink as much because you can count how many you're drinking. Always alternate. If you have a drink, then have a glass of water.
Most shots have about 65 calories so I usually go with either a whisky sour (118 calories) or use a flavored vodka with diet sprite for about 80 calories. & any frozen drink is a no go. A pina colada has about 600 calories.

[smashleec]

I have been doing pretty good lately. I haven't been working out too much, but I have been eating pretty good.

[Kat]

So I've created a special place for us all to hopefully really get into this idea.

There's a new sub forum called 'Let's Get Fit together' here: portraitmag.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=fit

I was thinking we could each have our own thread that we update talking about our personal goals where others can offer encouragement.

We could also post tips and news we find that might be helpful.

I always find it easier to follow a couple of topics then one giant one.

Hopefully it works and people post. Otherwise I'll just delete the forum. No harm done.