Healthy Weight Loss

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by princessbelle

Hooray for you Sylvie!!!!!

I LOVE the idea of challenges!!!!! Just remember us newbies and don't go too hard on us lol. I was out of breath after 10 minutes of my 20 minute workout yesterday. But, maybe today i can go 11 minutes before huffing and puffing!!!

*Can't wait for the challenge!!!!!

Absolutely darlin, heck i still huff and puff, and believe me.. i'll always remember where i started as a newbie .. Every little thing felt like such a challenge, and still can be even.... So the more i progress, the more gentle i am towards where i was when i started.. i'm still a big girl at 244lbs ... You'll find each day it'll get easier and the breathing gets better, and you'll start pushing yourself more because of the energy you have, its a fabulous feeling! SOOO glad the two of you joined us here ♥

The challenge is just for motivation.. *smiles*
i could come in each night before bedtime and post the challenge for the next day - that way the challenge would be here for the times anyone is in, morning, noon or night.. (if ya's want me to do it.... Course ANYone could do it , or we could share responsibility which would be even more fun) maybe take turns doing a week at a time.. i'm game for anything! heh.. i'm easy peasy!

Any ideas anyone?

[PinkieLee]

Ooooooooo I like the idea of a new challenge! It could even involve trying a healthy recipe that someone posts... anything to get us out of our comfort zones & shake things up a bit

sylvie... you go sister! Girl, I remember when D & I were walking one evening, and she said, "let's jog to that park bench." I looked at her like she was nuts! Honestly, I couldn't even tell you the last time I had jogged... not gonna lie, probably childhood. Seriously, I didn't know if I even knew how to jog ~ I felt silly at first, but those little sprints actually made me smile. Jogging... I was jogging! Sister, you keep up the great work!!!

Ok, I've seen a lot of y'all posting about Sparks People. Whats the dealio and is this an app that I can use on my phone?

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by midwest chick

Taking turns with the challenges might be fun--this is such a good idea!!!

Maybe the weight loss is contagious around here---it's been WAY easier and faster since I joined you all

Did you read my mind? hehe i was just posting that about taking turns LOL!!!

And much agreed, having this thread has been so inspiring & motivating for me.. Especially on days you feel stuck.. Come in here and read about someone's motivation or success and it clicks instantly - and that's why i'm always so grateful for you alll each day!

[sylvie]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Ooooooooo I like the idea of a new challenge! It could even involve trying a healthy recipe that someone posts... anything to get us out of our comfort zones & shake things up a bit

sylvie... you go sister! Girl, I remember when D & I were walking one evening, and she said, "let's jog to that park bench." I looked at her like she was nuts! Honestly, I couldn't even tell you the last time I had jogged... not gonna lie, probably childhood. Seriously, I didn't know if I even knew how to jog ~ I felt silly at first, but those little sprints actually made me smile. Jogging... I was jogging! Sister, you keep up the great work!!!

Ok, I've seen a lot of y'all posting about Sparks People. Whats the dealio and is this an app that I can use on my phone?

i'm not sure about if it can be used on your phone, i do know they have a mobile thing going, however i dont use it on my cell..
i'm a Sparker, i love the website.. i find it very motivating as well, and made a promise to myself i would keep up with it daily.. You earn points for everything you do and earn little virtual trophies and such..

they have forums, calorie counter, exercise videos, sparkteams *for challenges & such* , you can log your weight and measurements, there's a blog feature, people can comment on your profile and you can add friends much like the profiles we have here, they have news and so many different things, even a huge recipe section where you can save recipes into your own little recipe books for future use , etc.. (the list goes on and on...) Everyone there is so friendly, i joined a few forums, and love it..

i track all of my fitness there, my calorie intake for each meal, i track my water intake, my weight & measurements, etc.. It's fun to look back and see the previous things.. Reading other's blogs is quite motivating too..

http://www.sparkpeople.com/
Best part is, it's free.. Let me know if you do join and i can add you as a friend.. if you find it overwhelming, i did too.. but i can help you find your way around if you do join.. it's a pretty great site in my opinion!

~~~
As for the jogging, how fab is that feeling, eh?
Seriously, i'm grinning from ear to ear that i "CAN" even..
i'd love to be a runner one day, to be able to run marathons.. a friend of mine does it and i've always been so envious, it just seems fun.. All the friendships and the encouragement and it must feel so great to accomplish it.. Small steps! heh..

i love the healthy recipe idea for a challenge too!

[ruffryder]

Originally Posted by sylvie

Good Morning healthies..
Day 3 in the New Year, GO US!!!
i love seeing so many in here participating, you all rock!

i just got home..This morning i worked 7-10, and right from work i went out walking, did an hour and a half, and for about 15 minutes of that, i jogged... WHAT?? Yep, JOGGED lol..


Can you all believe that sh*t ??
hehe.. i'm so excited, that i have the ability to jog, for an added workout..
15 mins and still felt like i could do more, but here's the kicker..
me + jogging = can't be pretty LOL..
So when i see people, or traffic.. i stop.. i'm shy!
And i sooo need better sneakers, soon.. But, YAY that i'm JOGGING..

It's the little things, eh!!
Hope everyone has a Super amazing healthy day!

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh by the way:
i was thinking, we should have small challenges here each day , just something or anything that promotes healthy lifestyles, whether eating, exercise or even about building positivity .. That'd be fun, for motivation!
Might be fun to have group motivation of some sort each day.. ♥

I love this post Syl!! Walking and added jogging leads to running and added minutes and miles. That is recommended when new to running. I'm one that walks/jogs/walks/jogs. Feels great!

I get daily challenges and can share them here also. Anybody feel free to partake to the ones you can and that will benefit you personally.
Todays is share a healthy breakfast idea. I actually did this the other day talking about yogurt and fav flavors. Someone said add granola. That sounds great and gives it a crunch. Yesterday I was up at 630 as it was gonna be a long day at work and I wasn't sure when I'd get lunch or if I would so I made coffee and grabbeda special k bar and some yogurt to Munch on on the way to work. I also had bottled water throughout the day. I think one should have snacks like this on hand like breakfast bars, yogurt, apples, raisins, nuts..something fast and healthy on the go. Fav breakfast bar?

[Zimmeh]

Thank you

Zimmeh

Originally Posted by ruffryder

Good morning everybody. I Hope everybody is off to a great new year!

Zimmeh you can try chili powder or boil whole New Mexico chilis. I'll be happy to show you some time.

My smart phone has great apps for situps, crunches, including planks. It will show you how to do them. If you figure out different ways to work the abs then you will be doing 50 and 100 crunches in no time.

Since I started working a week ago, there is no sitting. I sit maybe an hour out of 8_10 hours. I can already tell this will help with weight loss and I also drink more water and unsweet tea because that's what is available. Now I just need to remember to keep up with arm and shoulder exercises so they aren't sore and need to find some good shoes for standing and walking.

Have a great day everybody!

[Gemme]

Maybe we all could pitch in and compile a list of simple challenges and pull from that daily? That way, everyone contributes and the weight...ba dum BUM...is not on only one person.

I'm home from my workout (and got my challenge completed too!!!) and am having a yummy salad and a honey crisp apple. If you're an apple lover, you HAVE to try one. They. Are. Amazing. I used to be a Granny Smith diehard but now I love the HC ever since I tried one.

[Medusa]

FYI: For those of us who are near a Kroger and are so inclined, Kroger has Lean Cuisines 5/$10

[sylvie]

Gemme, i love the idea that we all compile a list together!
Evenly distributing the weight is ALWAYS good in this thread ..
(still giggling at your ba dum BUM moment LOL)

& i'm sooo loving the HoneyCrisps as well.. That's the kind Mtn & i used to make a baked apple for our Thanksgiving meal too, because i was super craving apple crisp which i cant have soooo.. the baked apple was perfect - heh..

~~~~
LOVE that everyone is liking the daily challenge idea, go US.. Just another way for us to motivate ourselves, how exciting! Loving all your ideas, too..It'll also give us a reason to come check in here each day too, i always love the good kinds of excuses ♥

[Gemme]

So, maybe it might be good too, to mention how we completed our challenges? The super easy ones aren't such a big deal, but I bet that some of us could glean ideas if we are struggling to complete the more difficult tasks.

So, today I did 35 minutes on the sedentary bike, which I planned on anyway. Then I did some sit ups and crunches, though I still ache from the last set I did two days ago. To complete my task, I hopped on the treadmill, though I don't care for the ones that my apartment complex has, and walked for 10 minutes. I also walked to and from my apartment to the gym, which actually is just a hair more than 100 steps each way. So, I got more than the task required but once I started, it was easy to add a little more on.

[sylvie]

Daily Challenge: to walk 100 extra steps today, than planned.
- Today, i walked to & from work for my morning shift.. Then, after my morning shift, i walked all around the lake which is about 75-80 minutes.. For about 15 mins of that 75-80, i jogged...

Since getting home, i have done my video for a Jumpstart Challenge i joined on Sparkpeople, 10 min video...
i leave in 50 minutes to go back to work for my evening shift.. And i will walk to work the 30 minute way, which will give me more than the 100 steps required..

But because of this challenge i made the decision to go the long way, the weather has been so mild and beautiful here, so taking advantage of that until the snow hits at some point..Then i'll resort to my treadmill LOL.

[midwest chick]

Took Poodleboy for a 1 mile walk--but that doesn't count toward the 100.
Have to work tonight, lots of walking, but that won't count, either.

Taking Poodleboy outback to play ball/frisbee--that Will count.

I really am ready to lose the next 10 pounds, and Thank you Gemme, I did reverse crunches, and standing obliques today.

we'll be out for about 20 minutes

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by midwest chick

and standing obliques today.

What is a standing oblique?

Side planks are good for obliques.

I also like reverse crunches.

[PinkieLee]

So I checked out SparkPeople.... and to me it's kinda set up like the WW website. AWESEOME free tool to use!

One thing I liked, was they asked you to look at three lists and pick ONE goal from each list to stick with every day for the next two weeks. Many of them were easy... and I picked the ones I KNEW I could stick with.

I chose:
Drink (8) 8oz glasses of water each day
Exercise for at least 10 minutes per day
Talk to a friend or family member about my goals (yeah, that would be y'all)

It had lots of choices, so you could easy write down multiple small goals for yourself. It was a good way to focus on the mini stuff first, without being completely overwelmed!

THANKS sylvie for the heads up on the website

I like Gemme's idea of all of us listing some challenges, and we can pick & choose which one we might wanna do that day!

So right now, we've got....

walk an extra 100 steps today
share a healthy breakfast idea
and I'll suggest adding an extra 5 minutes to your workout routine

[PinkieLee]

Oh and I decided to check to see if there were any bellydancing classes offered in my area. SCORE, big time... less than 5 minutes from my house, offering beginners & intermediate classes, Bollywood classes & starting in February BURLESQUE!

Even better, her prices were pretty cheap, too! $10 for each hour class you take

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by ElijahRene

That is where I got the idea! It was a great documentary. The title is quite off-putting, I found it much more enjoyable than I imagined.

How long did was your longest fast? Did you have good results?

Oh goodness, well...the first time i did a cleanse i lasted two days. the second time i did the full ten and then went back to my regular diet, which is pretty darned good but needed some fine tuning. then this year i got whammo'd with cancer/cancer scares/hysterectomy/ruptured appendix/colonoscopy/blablabla...so i returned to the paleo diet since i know from past experience that when i eat paleo i feel a bajillion times better. right now i am juicing carrots for breakfast and lunch and then eating an 80/20 paleo dinner. i don't do it at all for weight issues - solely for digestion and health issues, so the improvement i notice is in my gut, sleeping habits and energy levels.

my partner is doing the primal diet because it includes dairy and she tolerates that much better than i do. i hadn't heard of the primal diet until we met friends for dinner over the holidays. it basically eschews all wheat and gluten and our friend Leah lost 35lbs in just 4 months of being on it. she looks amazing!

once you get through the detox phase (days 1-3) and your body gets adjusted to not eating solids, if you can add a little bit of exercise you will see much quicker results. Even just a brisk 30-45 minute walk will do the trick.

the title of that film was horrible but then again so was the state of his health. ack! i wish everyone would watch it!!

[midwest chick]

Originally Posted by foxyshaman

What is a standing oblique?

Side planks are good for obliques.

I also like reverse crunches.

Not too sure of my ability to describe this, but here goes!

Feet shoulder width apart. Keep shoulders even.
Standing Straight with 5-10 pound weight in left hand, arm straight, lightly rest palm of right hand on right lower abdomen. Tilt/lean to the left, slowly, bringing weight level to the top of knee pause 2 seconds, and raise back up slowly to starting position. Do not bend forward or back, only tilt to the side. Start with lower weights and 3 sets of 15/day on each side.

Work up to 3 sets of 30 each side.

Non working palm on stomach helps draw attention to the muscle group being worked.

[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by midwest chick

Not too sure of my ability to describe this, but here goes!

Feet shoulder width apart. Keep shoulders even.
Standing Straight with 5-10 pound weight in left hand, arm straight, lightly rest palm of right hand on right lower abdomen. Tilt/lean to the left, slowly, bringing weight level to the top of knee pause 2 seconds, and raise back up slowly to starting position. Do not bend forward or back, only tilt to the side. Start with lower weights and 3 sets of 15/day on each side.

Work up to 3 sets of 30 each side.

Non working palm on stomach helps draw attention to the muscle group being worked.

Oh those.... I did not know what they are called. Thank you for clearing up the mystery.

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by PinkieLee

Oh and I decided to check to see if there were any bellydancing classes offered in my area. SCORE, big time... less than 5 minutes from my house, offering beginners & intermediate classes, Bollywood classes & starting in February BURLESQUE!

Even better, her prices were pretty cheap, too! $10 for each hour class you take

I'm moving near you.

[princessbelle]

Ohhhhhhhhhh that Belly Dancing sounds wonderful!!!!! Have fun with that and let us know what it's like!!!

So, today i did better with carbs, since i ate very few yesterday and this morning woke up with a blood sugar probably close to 30. Not really, but i felt horrible.

We had vegetables and cheeses for lunch. Tonight we had pot roast with potatoes and carrots, mostly carrots and baked apples with cinnamon and just a touch of sugar.

We worked out for about 15 minutes, then remembering what Sylvie's challenge was, did it for another 7, jogging in place was the last of it so i'm sure we did 100 steps.

Not to mention i took down all the Christmas stuff today and super cleaned the house and Bully took everything up and down the steps and did all the laundry (another 100 steps i'm sure). So i feel like we met the challenge and it was fun. It was in the back of my mind to do so.

Can't wait to see what the challenge is tomorrow!!!!!!!!

I'm going to eat a no fat yogurt in a couple of hours to hopefully keep my sugar up better for tomorrow. It's a learning process to see what your body can handle. But, just being on day two, i swear i can already tell a difference in my energy level. Hopefully i'm detoxing with all the water i'm drinking.