The fitness bug

[F Horn of Valere]

Anyone besides Jea get the physical fitness bug lately? I am TERRIBLE at self-motivation, but after about six months of mulling it over (cost vs. how well, knowing myself, it will work), I bought a Nike+ Fuelband, which I've been wearing for about 26 hours so far. (Basically, Nike did to the pedometer what Apple's iPhone did to the boring flip-phone.) I really need to lose some weight, but I seem to only ever have motivation when it is impractical (i.e., when my 14-month old needs supervision, during the middle of a 4-hour class, when I need to do some reading for school, etc).

 

Anyone else have that problem? What did you use to get around it? 

[Lazy]

I will share my story with you.

 

Around the time I last was on here I was sitting around 110kg and not all of it good weight. Not huge but not happy with myself. I was very depressed as well. It turned around to begin with when a friend asked me to coach a young football(soccer) team (under 12). I threw myself into this with the thought of, I dont know a huge amount but I used to have a decent fitness history and knew the basics. Also, I only made the kids do something if I was willing and able to do it. Laps for a warmup, other fitness drills (random fun games) and then basic and intermediate skill drills. Over the course of the 6 month season, I lost 20kgs. I felt less depressed and better about myself in general. The next season I couldnt coach as I had started working and the times clashed. I didnt want to lose all the hard work though so went and joined an outdoor cricket club. I did a bit of personal fitness stuff as well as practice and playing with them and gained 5kg over the next year or so. After that I found my current passion, Salsa Dancing. I took this up and have been doing it for the last 3 years now. I joined a competitive team and found that I was able to keep the same weight, 95kg for the last 3 years. At the start of this year one of the friends I made in the team enticed me to join the gym. This was to help balance out my muscles and prevent some injuries that had started reoccurring (bad knees from playing sports when I was younger). Since February this year I have been going to the gym with a special plan to help strengthen and increase fitness. I have also recently started joining the same friend at the gym twice a week working on weights to help improve upper body balance now. With the gym and the dancing (and the odd martial arts class I get time to go to) I find my fitness is slowing improving. Its definitely not perfect but heading in a direction that I am happier with. 

 

So sometimes its not best to just jump straight into the gym. If you start alone and try to hard with it and you self motivation is weak (like mine was) you can end up just quitting and not getting anyway. Start with joining a social club for a sport you enjoy. Or if you have other friends who are regular gym goers or keen to improve their own fitness, join up with them. Working in a group always helps and you are less likely to let someone else down than you are to let yourself down. 

 

Hopefully I dont sound to crazy or anything with this post :P

[F Horn of Valere]

My problem is I am just fat! Not at all obese, but 20 pounds over what the Army says I should be (I am in the U.S. Army Reserve). I have muscle, but when I left active duty 4 years ago, I went to school, where, in addition to a lot of down time when my son was born, made me balloon out a bit. To add injury to insult, I have absolutely terrible knees, so I can't just go out and run. My new apartment though has some great treadmills that have some soft impact, and I'm able to run more than any other time in the last 9 years since my injury. That means my only cardio is in the gym, which when I have to drive to it, I have zero motivation to go most of the time. Now that I live in a short walking distance to a 24-hour facility, I am hoping the Fuelband will help. (So for example, tonight, I had 2700 "fuel points" (3000 is my initial daily goal, I'll do 3500 when I consistently reach it with not much trouble), so when I was ready to quit, I did an extra 5 minutes. The idea is that principle will apply all day-- if I don't reach 1500 before lunch, I should go for a walk, etc.

[Rasheta Ardashir]

Anyone else have that problem? What did you use to get around it?

 

Well as i'm a recovering anorexic I have issues with my weight and remembering to work out a healthy amount and eat a healthy amount. That being said I had to find something I liked to do. In my case dance, and then make time to do it, I kick everyone out of my living room and dance there. It is a bit of a hassle sometimes esp if i'm tired, but I like being a healthy size so I keep it up. I also have small hand weights that I use every other day. I try and remember to do my squats but that's a hit and miss. *laughs*

 

I took out eating high carb/starch laden food. So bread is out, as well as potatoes and rice more then once in a great while, beef burgers are also out because mostly they are pretty high in fat, most beef is unless you get lean stuff. I don't tend to like beef anyway so that was an easy switch. We soak our beans and nuts for a day and a half and peel them before eating them. It makes them easier to digest as well as being better for you.

[Guest]

Ive nevre had an issue with weight/fitnes except in childhood but thatt was malnourishmnt and not friom anything I wanted and just this past yearr in the course of an illness I have, again malnourishment. The majourity of my life has been pretty healthy othrewise, mostly because I folow a life that is tailored to put my physicall health before work or othre artificial, stress-inducing priorities - I onlly take jobs where I am on my feett most of the time, so very physical jobs, and only ones I mostly love doingg so usualy very little stress, and that wuold basicaly allow me to eat almostt anything I wanted becuse dont have to watch calories or carbs or wahtever else. I primarly stick to high fat, mostlyy meat diet thuogh suplemented with some cereal sources and dairy; I wouldnt call it precisly a diet correct to man's evolutionary history becuse I do still eat quite bit of breads and milk and things, but I feel it is somwhat closer than what averag person does becuse theres usualy generous portionn of meat every day, grains are at leastt not processed or covered with pesticidess or something, etc. I enjoy gardenin and figure I might as well eat some of grains I grow besids my other vegetables and milk is something religious to me so wuoldnt cut that out. Being on my feet most of day, having usualy low stress, and eating fresh, unprocesed food with meat the centre of my diet then has kept me very physicaly fit most of my life. A strictly paleo diet might help for you; basicaly cuts out grain/starch, dairy, procesed crap, beans, and alcohol completly because those aer often fattening, self-destructtive, or pathology-inducing substances, while encouraging fresh food, healthy fats and meats, vegetbles other than cereal crops, nuts, and seafood. There are a lot of websites abuot it if you just search paleo diet.

[dicetosser1]

im currently in training.  i do need to lose weight  im a bit over 100kgs but i also have a 90km bike ride to do in november to raise money for MS.  The thing i find hard is going to the gym on my own.  I much prefer if someone is there   preferably my brother.

 

I also ride 25kms to work regularly. the plan is to ride to work everyday in october 
+ the gym in the evening

[HorustheSilver]

Hey hey, Dice!! Good to see ya, buddy!!

 

Always hard to find that motivation, struggled to get off me behind and get back into a fitness regime. Recently completed the 4 month GCC (Global Corporate Challenge)...did this thru work. Was great cause we were put into teams. If I didn't have the motivation someone could push me into getting my kilometres up.

 

Now I'm used to working out its become a habit. Hopefully one I'll continue with, now and into the future. Need something to work of all those brews I consume!! :)

[Jeannaisais]

I only have a pedometer at the moment but am planning on gitting the fitbit flex when i can afford it (yes, I started teaching but as a first year teacher I haven't quite been paid yet...fun times right?)

 

I actually got to be pretty small during college, and then when i started working as a para in the schools last year I put back on literally all the weight I had lost during college :( So, I'm working hard to get that back off, which is why I got a cheap pedometer to wear for now until I can afford the fitbit flex (I'll also be getting the Samsung Galaxy S4 which will communicate with the fitbit flex as well as myfitnesspal account).

 

My secret to success so far is definitely having the motivation of others to spur me on, and also the tracking capabilities of myfitnesspal (my username on there is cjfaulkenberry12 if you wanna add me).

 

Also, a note of advice, it's not going to drop off all at once as much as you want it to - it's much better to go 1-2 pounds per week. Yeah it's slow and sometimes it'll be frustrating but in the long run, slow and steady weightloss means it will stay off whereas the quick drop generally comes back to bite ya!

 

Nice to see lots of others that concentrate on their fitness as well!!

[BFG]

I need something to work towards...  At the beginning of the year we decided to walk the GR20 and I knew I needed to be fitter, but now we've done that and I'm fit enough to do all the standard stuff (walk up mountains, bike to work, run 5km) I need something to work towards or I'll slip into bad habits, particularly given that I'm away from home for the next few months (it would be easy to be lazy)

[F Horn of Valere]

Maybe this fuelband thing would be a good fit for you too. It is not a physical goal of being able to do something though-- it is more of a daily activity level goal, so I don't know if that is what you are looking for or not.

[Jeannaisais]

I need something to work towards...  At the beginning of the year we decided to walk the GR20 and I knew I needed to be fitter, but now we've done that and I'm fit enough to do all the standard stuff (walk up mountains, bike to work, run 5km) I need something to work towards or I'll slip into bad habits, particularly given that I'm away from home for the next few months (it would be easy to be lazy)

 

My big goal that helped me was to run the half marathon - my first goal was to finish it, now I want to do another half marathon and this time actually run the whole time!

[Lazy]

Maybe we should have a Band fitness drive or something. Each of us set a fitness goal or two and work towards that. Use the other band members to help motivate and keep on track.

[BFG]

Sounds good to me, but I may be starting a week or so later than the rest of you :)

[BridMorgan]

Great idea Lazy!

 

I've lost 75lbs over the past year it was a life change decision for me because of my son.  I was WAY overweight and knew that I needed to change for him.  I now park at the farthest parking spot at work, I walk across campus to my office and classes rather than drive.  When I have the free time at work (which is very rare right now) I try and get in a 1/2 hr walk with one of my co-workers who makes me work hard, not just stroll.  And I try to not eat processed foods and make the right choices. 

 

Hey Tal!  Nice to see you here.  :)

 

HORUS!!!!!!! 

[Lazy]

Sounds good to me, but I may be starting a week or so later than the rest of you :)

 

All good. There is no timeframe for this apart from what you decide. Just set a fitness related goal. And keep people updated on the progress. If you start feel like you are lagging, we will help with support and motivation (if we can). 

 

So my current fitness related goal is to increase my core strength and leg stability to reduce my injuries and downtime from dancing. This has been a goal for the year and has been rather a successful so far. Only needed a few trips to the physio and with the recent big push to increase training at dance (from 1 hour a night  to 2/3 hours a night) I havent had a problem yet.

 

Another goal I have is to increase my overall fitness and get to 90kg. Current weight is 94kg and my fitness is average. Will be starting running soon with a friend and I have a 5km mud obstacle course to train for in October.

[dicetosser1]

Well today i went and worked on arms with my boss who lifts weights everyday......it may have been a mistake. I will tell you when i stop hurting lol

 

My goals are that 90km ride   wanna try and do it in 4 hrs  and i need to lose at least 20kgs.  thats the longterm one

 

Good to see u too H!!

[Lazy]

Sire Dice. The 90km ride in 4hrs is an honorable goal.

 

And the first few times working on your arms are always difficult. Or if you take a break for a week or 2. But the pain is good, shows you worked hard.

[dicetosser1]

lol just shows me it hurts:D

[Lazy]

Yea. Well that too. The good thing out of it is down the track when you are dancing with a girl and just pick her up and spin her around effortlessly. Leaves them breathless and all. ;)

[Jeannaisais]

Lol you boys are entertaining.

 

I've been doing quite a bit of weightlifting lately, mainly to maintain and increase strength in my shoulder after the injury I suffered there, I'm very proud of the fact that I'm up to lifting ten pounds now!

 

I can definitely have a friendly band competition to help us all lose weight!

[dicetosser1]

will throw this up here just in case anyone wqants to sponsor me for the MS city to gong ride.  names Wayne stewart

 

http://register.gongride.org.au/2013-Sydney-to-Gong-Bike-Ride/waynestewart

[Jeannaisais]

Well definitely look into it dice!

 

Si what kind of bandwide fitness competition should we have?

[BFG]

not sure of a bandwide competition, but my personal one will be to find stuff that tones me up. So far I have tricep dips for my upper arms which I really need to start doing instead of just thinking about.

[dicetosser1]

i was thinking that maybe we just post our goals  what we intend to do to meet them and update what we ARE doing to meet them.  Mutual support plus monthly activity points maybe?

[Jeannaisais]

i was thinking that maybe we just post our goals  what we intend to do to meet them and update what we ARE doing to meet them.  Mutual support plus monthly activity points maybe?

 

We could probably go for that!