getting in shape

[musincy]

Hi Ladies-

I''m just a little over 5 months away from the wedding (yay!! and yikes!!) and I need to start getting in shape. Working out has never been exciting to me, so I barely do it. I don''t need to lose weight, just get in better shape. I would like to tone my arms, tummy and thighs a little. I eat okay, but could probably work on eating healthier too.

Are there any websites that could guide me? I''d like a plan to be in better shape and have a healthier diet by July. If you know of anything out there like that, please share!

Thanks!

 

[Guilty Pleasure]

I am sorry if this advice is something you already know, but you may find it helpful.

If you don''t have any drastic or immediate goals but would jsut like to become "healthier" as a life long habit, I''d recommend adding one habit at a time. Make a list of things you would like to add to your lifestyle and add them to your life one at a time, week by week. Also, if you want this to stick, it''s not just about taking things away; it''s about adding to your habits. For example, it''s a lot healthier to drink water than diet coke, so you could make a goal to only drink one diet coke per day or every other day (that''s taking away something) AND drinking at least 5 glasses of water per day (that''s adding a healthy habit). If you simply remove bad behaviors without replacing them with good behaviors, then the bad behaviors will come right back.

Here are a list of healthy habits that you could easily add to your life.

Drink water, Add a non-processed fruit or vegetable to every meal, replace white bread with wheat bread, try whole wheat pasta, use leaner cuts of meat, cook more meals at home, walk twenty minutes a day, start doing push-ups and situps before work, limit yourself to one or two desserts per week (not including fruit!)... the lsit goes on and on.

Trying to change all that at once is a big hassle, but tackling it one at a time can lead to life-long success.


As far as work-out regimens go, I would try googling "fitness web site" and see what you get. I''m sure there are PLENTY of tips out there for working out.


good luck!

 

[whitetulips]

I don't know if you have ever been to the women's health magazine website, but they have a fitness coach that you can use. You fill out questions about what you do and how long it takes you and then it customizes a workout you can do at home for you. You fill your progress daily and it recalculates your workouts based on the progress you are making.

Its actually a really cool website if you use it. I made the mistake of signing up and using it for about a week and then I got busy and forgot about it. I think it costs around 15 dollars a month to use, which I think is well worth it if you actually keep up with it.

Good luck!

eta: it also makes a menu for you and you can adjust it to fit your needs but it tells you what the calories, fat, carbs, etc. are for your meals.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I lost 30 lbs last year by doing exactly what GP suggested and I went to the gym four days a week. I tried to go every day, but I usually averaged around 4 per week. I gave myself 1 hour each day to do whatever I felt like as long as it was in the gym. Some days I felt like walking, some running, some swimming, etc. and sometimes I combined them all. 20 minutes on the treadmill, 20 minutes on the bike, 20 minutes lifting etc. I didn''t care what I did as long as I was there (which let''s be honest is the biggest challenge), and I was moving. I gave myself silly goals like running for the length of a song and then walking for a song and for some odd reason I adopted sweating as a goal. I measured how intense my workout was by the amount I sweat in the hour. LOL so gross. Anyway, it worked and I went from a 12/14 to a 6/8. I know it''s too late for this, but I started over a year out from my date (which is close to yours I think). I knew that I would fall off the wagon at least once, so I wanted to give myself a head start. I did, of course lose motivation and I only go randomly now, but I know I fit in my dress so it''s not the end of the world if I can''t get it together again.

Speaking of which, I need to get my arse BACK to the gym ASAP....

 

[Smurfysmiles]

lol i measure my workouts by if i start sweating too
and if im on the treadmill i stay on until i get my runners high, thats the best part of it lol

 

[tlh]

You know, I love working out. Lifting weights sculpted my arms, chest and back. I figured I''d focus mostly on upper body since you wouldn''t see my legs anyway. I did a lot of compound movements so that I worked all my body, just paid close attention to arms, chest and back. i found that compound movements made more bang for my buck, so I didn''t have to spend as long in the gym. I also upped my cardio. Then I freaked out, because I gained muscle mass, which changed my shape around my bust, and I feared the dress not fitting (I had a destination wedding, and my dress was shipped to my parents house)... so I starved myself for about 3 weeks, having a liquid diet of about 700 calories a day. I only lost 2 frickin'' pounds... but then I got my dress and found out I lost over 3 inches from my bust and had to have emergency alterations....

So basically the moral of this story is, just don''t over do it. Also, if you don''t know what you are doing, use a personal trainer for a few sessions, incorrect form can cause injury! and that would be awful.

Best wishes to you getting wedding ready!

 

[jfus]

weight watchers weight watchers weight watchers!!!

I swear by it!

 

[stephbolt]

For a quick workout that will definitely tone you up, I really like Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. She is one of the trainers from the Biggest Loser. The DVD is set up with 3 levels of workouts, and each is only 20 min and works your entire body and really gets you sweating and sore. I was doing that every other day for a while this fall, and my arms and abs really looked great. The con is that it can get boring doing the same workout over and over, the variation between the three levels helps but it depends on your personality how quickly you will get tired of it.

Also I like gyminee.com for tracking calories, it''s pretty easy to use and helps you aim towards eating a balanced diet. I never realized how carb heavy my diet is until I started tracking everything! Good luck!!

 

[galvana]

I highly recommend fitnessmagazine.com
exercises, healthy eating plans, everything!

good luck

 

[lemony]

these podrunner interval sessions are perfect for getting you off your butt and motivated... i highly recommend trying them out. you will be amazed at what your body is capable of.
they suggest doing each session three times per week and incorporating other forms of exercise in between (strength training, yoga, etc)

Podrunner: Intervals

 

[Lanie]

Musincy, I''m with you!!! My wedding is late July, but bridal portraits are early June, so I''ve got to get my body the best it has ever been.

I HIGHLY recommend the healthy recipes thread started by Mara (just search for healthy recipes) and there are so many on there that are yummy and easy to make. Also, make Cooking Light a favorites page on your computer because most of their recipes are so good, and they include all of the nutritional info.

I''ve been working out for about 3 weeks now and I''m at a really good weight, but I just want to tone up myself. I want to buy Jillian''s workout...I''ve heard so many good things about it! My thing is that cardio gets so boring...UGH....I hate doing it.

 

[Winks_Elf]

Couple of tips(, and you really should talk to your GP before starting any major changes to your diet):

1. Eliminate sugars from your diet, especially sugar in your coffee or tea, sodas, sports juices (Vitamin water is a BIG sugar source!), etc.

2. Up the raw fruits and veggies. Careful with the fruits though, some are higher calories than others. Go here for a chart of negative calorie foods. They''re high in vitamins, and it takes more effort for your body to burn them off than the calories you actually get from the foods.

3. Get moving! Exercise does not have to be drudgery. Go play in the park, get some rollerskates and go to a rink (just make sure you''ve got the pads too!). Got any friends with a farm in your area? Offer to help with the hay delivery, stack firewood or rake leaves or shovel snow(dunno where you live, but up here we''ve got snow). Sweep the sidewalks, scrub floors on hands and knees or wash and wax your car (GREAT for the arms, believe it or not!). Park your car on the far side of the shopping center lot and walk. Go to the mall and walk one length to the other a few times if you''ve got nasty weather by you.

Good luck, I''m needing to drop about 10-15 pounds myself!

 

[musincy]

Thanks for all the suggestions-- I think that should help get me started at least!
I''ve heard lots of good things about Jillian''s video, so I went ahead and ordered it. Hopefully it''ll help me get toned without losing weight.

 

[Bex215]

I would recommend the 30 Day Shred too. I worked all the way up to Level 3 and then decided I wanted a light workout one day and went back to Level 1 and it was like starting all over again! You can definitely mix and match the levels.
I''m also a big interval fan. They''re great for burning fat fast and you really don''t need to do more than 20-25 minutes. You can start by doing one minute on, one minute off on a bike, elliptical or running, then work up from there.
Be sure to let us know what you think of the Shred. I have a crazy love/hate relationship with Jillian!

 

[bee*]

I''ve always found weight watchers and going to the gym very effective. You can still have some treats provided you stay within your points.

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Ooooh good thread.

I have three suggestions.

1) Sparkpeople.com Free website with fitness tools & trackers, menus, and support
2) Stickk.com I have a Stickk contract (what the 2nd K stands for) with my sister... We have a goal to workout 4 days a week, and if either of us fails to fulfill the weekly goal, we have to pay the other one $5. The best thing is that other individuals serve as our "referees" and report as to whether or not we met our goals... So there''s no way to lie and get out of it
3) Keep a journal of EVERY LITTLE THING YOU EAT. You don''t even have to write down the fat/calories/salt/carbs... Just the amount.[ie: 1cup Chex w. skim milk, 1 small banana, 1 cup fat free yogurt, turkey sandwich with light bread & spinach, etc) If you do this every day, you''ll become hyper-aware of what you''re putting into your body. And honestly, it takes only a minute.

Good luck getting toned, and keep us updated!!!

 

[Kelli]

I recommend not being too hard on yourself if/when you mess up a little. I always mess up my diet with an "all or nothing" attitude. (Well, I already broke my diet with that piece of pizza, might as well have another one anyway since I already ruined today.) And try going for bike rides. If you have a hilly area you can ride in, it''s great exercise and isn''t so boring. I''m also a big fan of just walking outdoors though.

 

[Winks_Elf]

Believe it or not, a regular slice of plain pizza really doesn''t have that many calories, especially if you take a paper towel to the oil sitting on the top (you know, the stuff that drips off when you hold the slice point side down?). It''s only 230 calories.

 

[allycat0303]

I did Jillian workout for a while before my accident. The pounds flew off (I think 5 pounds in 2.5 weeks) although I dreaded doing it because I didn''t like to work out. However, it''s a 20 minute workout, so I imagine everyone can fit it into their schedule.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 1/29/2009 12:19:42 AM
Author: Kelli
I recommend not being too hard on yourself if/when you mess up a little. I always mess up my diet with an ''all or nothing'' attitude. (Well, I already broke my diet with that piece of pizza, might as well have another one anyway since I already ruined today.) And try going for bike rides. If you have a hilly area you can ride in, it''s great exercise and isn''t so boring. I''m also a big fan of just walking outdoors though.

If you fall off the wagon, get your butt back on it. You don''t have to punish yourself the next day for that pizza. Just continue to eat for your calorie range and exercise. Weight loss is cumulative, so what matters is consistency. If you''re more good than bad you''ll see positive results. Likewise, if you''re more bad than good you may not have the results you want.

BTW, I''m going out to buy 30 Day Shred today!!

 

[Skippy123]

I would do a muscle hour type class where you use weights in a group setting or 30 day Shred is great too!

 

[Liane]

I''ve found a combination of yoga and weights to be most effective for toning. Rodney Yee has a series of DVDs ranging from beginner to advanced intermediate that can ease you into yoga if you haven''t tried it before (and continue to be useful years down the road, especially since he''s really good at separating the movements and showing different ways to make them flow, so you can design your own sequences to keep things interesting).

Re: pizza slices -- as with everything else, keep an eye on portion size. 230''s about right for a medium slice of plain cheese from Domino''s, but one of those big slices from a New York mom and pop place could easily get close to 1000 if loaded down with toppings. Calorieking.com is a pretty good starter for looking up the calorie values of various foods. A food diary is a great idea, as is cooking for yourself as much as possible instead of buying prepared foods or eating out.

I''ll get off my diet-nut soapbox now.