Weekly Workout Thread: June 26-July 2

[Mara]

Figured I'd get this thread started for the week...

I found this online website...called sparkpeople.com which actually has a ton of articles and resources, you can do an online profile and it can create meal plans for you and this and that. Not sure I will use all that but it actually has some interesting articles about how to beat a plateau, the importance of eating enough calories, etc.

This is a funny article about 'The Bikini Diet'...
http://sparkpeople.com/resource/nm_articles.asp?id=432

Anyway, according to this online thang, I should be eating between 1200-1550 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week. Which is pretty much what I have been trying to do (aka more around 1500) except the two days on the weekends, yikes. I figure those are more around 2k.

It also says I should work out 4-5 times a week and burn about 1400 calories doing this (walking and kbox or whatever else) per week. I'd kind of been thinking that I could eat up to 1800 a day and then burn off about 300 a day so 1500 total. But it seems like I need to stay within 1550 and then still burn ~300 a day. Hrm!

Want to know how many calories you burn doing various exercises? Check this out:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=578

Interestingly enough... the jumping rope for 30 minutes is almost as good as running for 30 minutes!! But Monarch that other website said 10 minutes of jump rope was like running for 30. Which is it?! hehe.

I also read another article on iVillage that said if you walk for an hour a day, it doesn't matter if it's one 60 minute walk, 2 30 minute walks, or 3 20 minute walks etc...that you could lose up to a pound every 1.5 weeks by doing NOTHING else in your life, aka no diet changes. They said that is about 35 lbs a year just by walking an hour a day. Food for thought.

 

[monarch64]

Ooo, interesting reading here this morning, thanks Mara!

I think the only explanation for the discrepancy between how many minutes of jumping rope it takes to burn as many calories as 30 minutes of walking must be due to how fast you jump rope. I bet you have to go at super speed to only have to jump rope for ten minutes and burn the same amount of calories as walking for 30 min.

I''ve also read many articles just giving tips on little things you can permanently change about yourself that will contribute to ultimately losing weight. But even if you do all those little things, what it comes down to is that you STILL have to watch how many calories you consume! It''s so easy (for me anyway), to say, "oh, I exercised for 2 hours today, so it''s okay if I eat a little more pasta at dinner." You know what I mean? It''s me defeating my own purpose. Even though I will be healthier in the long run with parking far, far away, taking the stairs, etc., it''s still important for me to be conscious of what I eat every day.

I did jump rope for a few minutes this weekend...it''s hard! I was totally huffing and puffing, and things were jiggling but not THAT much. Not to the point of discomfort, really. I think it''s because you don''t jump super high off the ground, just an inch or two, enough so the rope can pass under your feet. My dog thought I was insane...he just sat and watched me with a puzzled look on his face, ha ha. I did about 30-45 seconds of jumping, followed by the same amount of rest, and then repeated about 5 times. So I think that was something like 4-5 minutes total. (it''s Monday, can''t do math on Monday, lol)

Hope everyone is pumped for another great workout week!

 

[hlmr]

Thanks for the very interesting info ladies! I am loving that walking stat Mara.

I am off for a walk right now. I must get back into my regular routine as being on vacation added a couple of pounds to the scale and I don''t want to head back in that direction.

I hope everyone has a great day!

 

[Lorelei]

Great links, thanks Mara. I have printed out the calorie burn one so Hubs and I can refer to it.

We are both doing well, went to the gym this morning and had a really good workout, my third week. Did 25 mins crosstrainer and upped the level by 1, also 10 mins on the treadmill at a steep incline and I felt really good after it. Hubby is doing brilliantly and I am very proud of him!

We went for a walk last night near home to a nature reserve, it was fun but no good for serious walking as the tracks were too bumpy, but it was still a walk and it was good. Hubs also has some new gym shoes with the proper arch supports, he is finding they are making a lot of difference.

Good job everyone, lets keep at it and have a great week!

 

[KimberlyH]

Happy Monday Everyone:

Thanks for the information Mara, especially about walking, it''s really encouraging to know.

This weekend we had a tree blow over that had to be cut apart and hauled away, so I counted that as my Saturday exercise. Yesterday I did 30 minutes on my eliptical and 30 minutes of free weights and lunges and then we went for a 45 minute walk last night, so I''m feeling good today, like I''m back on track. Saturday night we went out to dinner and finished it up with a walk to Baskin Robbins, not the healthiest way to end the day, but I only had one scoop!

I''m going to clean house today and then it''s time to hit the books. Tonight will be a walking night.

Have a great first day of the week everyone.

 

[lovelylulu]

excellent info mara!

i''m going to have to read up on it a bit more post-wedding, when i''ll have tons more time -- but, it''s great to know that little things add up. I think that''s the lesson i''ve learned over the last few months -- i''ve heard it over and over and over again -- how things like dieting and exercise has to be a "lifestyle change" not just a fad. i never appreciated it or didn''t want to accept it, but in order to get in and stay in shape you have to put in the work. except, perhaps, if you are blessed with fortunate genes

thanks so much to monarch and everyone else for the positive feedback. it''s so nice to have some place to read about and share our achievements, frustrations, setbacks...it has definately helped me stay on track.

don''t have much to report. spent the weekend at my bachelorette party in new orleans and it was an excellent weekend. but for some recreational swimming, i didn''t get a whole lot of exercise

and i''m fine with that.

Have a great week!

 

[Mara]

another interesting factoid from that site...

it said that basically once you consume all the calories that your body needs for it''s basic functions and to replace calories from workouts kind of thing...that ANYTHING you eat that is caloric will begin to be converted to fat. this does not matter if the extra calories you eat are from a tomato or ice cream. basically once your body has received it''s calories for the day, anything else is superfluous and is processed for fat.

i was like WHAT! they also said, lets say you ate all day only fruits and veggies and you overate. even though you basically ate no fat, your body would still convert the extra calories into fat. yikes!!

i think that is pretty important because i know that i always think well if i am eating healthy then it doesn''t matter if we overeat a bit on sushi since it''s healthy! but that''s not true.

so i guess that is also why it''s very important to be sure that you are taking in your calories at just the right point but not overdoing it or underdoing it. they also said this is why knowing what you are consuming calorie wise is really important because while it is important for you to have a balanced daily diet, this makes me go hmmm well if cheese is 100 calories but it''s like 5g of fat and veggies are 100 calories but 0g of fat but it''s just about meeting my caloric intake, then i should just have the cheese!!!

interesting anyway. i will have to see if i can find that link. but when i read that i went WOAH. maybe that is why my progress has not been as speedy as i hoped, the whole justification thing on just another 100 calories won''t make a difference but if it''s being converted to fat?!?!?

 

[coda72]

Today after work I want to get do some jogging. It will definitely be on the treadmill because the weather is awful! I leave tomorrow for Hawaii and I would like to get some jogging in while we''re gone. Our house seems to be in a decent area for jogging, so we''ll see how that goes.

Have a great week, everyone!

 

[bee*]

thanks for the link Mara! Its interesting to read.
Well done on the 25 mins on the cross trainer Lorelei-after ten minutes on that Im exhausted. I ran my first 15 mins without stopping on the threadmill today-thought I would die by the end of it but Im really stubborn so I kept going till I got to the 15!

 

[fisherofmengirly]

Interesting articles, Mara. I''m all for eating more tootsie rolls and less lettuce!

I didn''t do *anything* last week, at all, fitness-wise. I did do good today, though. We walked two miles, toned arms, then did the elliptical for 20 minutes. At the end of the hour, that all but made me vomit! It was good to begin a routine again, though. I was grumpy about going, but I felt *SO* much better afterwards. My partner was on vacation last week, so I took a break, too.

 

[Mara]

kudos ladies..you guys are doing so well!!

so here's a question for this week's thread...maybe we can learn from each other some better habits...on snackies!!

what is your 'healthy-ish' snack or indulgence??? not talking a snickers bar here...but rather what do you eat as a snack that hits the spot and keeps your sweet or salty or whatever cravings at bay but doesn't blow the diet outta the water?

here are mine...
--pom tea (YUM, no fat, tasty and lots of antioxidants and other good things depending on the flavor)
--kashi hard granola bars in almond honey (YUM and very healthy actually)
--1% chocolate milk (protein, hardly any fat and CHOCOLATE..yum)
--fuji apples and lately adding a really stinky yummy blue cheese with it on the apples (YUM, very salty and the apples are sweet, so good, a little cheese goes a really long way)
--redi whip...i know this is lame but someone just a quick squeeze into the mouth hits the spot and it's like 10 calories..hehe.

other recent finds was that making a chocolate mousse from the box, aka jello and using 1% milk is actually very low cal and fat but super tasty with the chocolate...squeeze some redi-whip and it's a very yummy summer dessert that is pretty healthy.

anyone else??

 

[fisherofmengirly]

My favorite thing when I''m wanting saltiness/carbs is Reduced Fat Cheez-its, or Reduced Fat Wheat Thins. My favorite sweet thing is taking Yoplait yogurt and freezing it, or a Caprisun juice and freezing it to the point of being a slushee. That''s some good stuff! I had a wild cherry tonight after work. Yumm!!

 

[nicolejrx]

Hey girls,
My FI and I have been very good this weekend about working out!
Saturday- 1 hour weight training (chest and arms), plus 40 min of the elliptical
Sunday- 1 hour 15 min weight training (legs and back, 30 min of elliptical
Today- 1 hour cardio (30 min elliptical, 15 min treadmill (1 mile), 15 min on bike

As far as my fav. healthy snack, I really enjoy soynuts and soycrisps. Mmmm yummy, salty, delicious. If I am craving sweets, I have a Jello sugar free pudding! Those are really great if you just want something a little sweet and chocolate. I believe they are well under 100 calories, zero grams of sugar!
Nicole

 

[bookworm21]

Wow, Mara, thanks for sharing. That's some really interesting information there.

I agree about jump roping being just as or more effective than jogging or walking. I did that for an entire week as my cardio, and I found that it developed my calves much better than the treadmill. Here's a tip I learned from my cardio kickboxing classes: It's somewhat easier if you learn to do the boxer's shuffle, as opposed to jumping up and down on both feet. It's also easier on your joints overall.

Me, well, I've been lazy today. No exercising today, although I was running errands all day. I'm trying to do at least 2 miles/day, at least 4 days/week. I have to get back to the gym tomorrow and see if I can do 2 miles or more on the treadmill.

Fave snack would have to be the Jello cups tapoica pudding. I have one a day, which is 100 calories. Doesn't hurt my diet, and I get my sugar fix too!

 

[Mara]

fisher i love freezing things and eating them too...i've never tried yogurt but i don't know why...haha. i sometimes freeze my pom tea and then drink it slushie.

so i went to work out tonite, i was pretty proud of myself since i was really kind of sore today from saturday and i could have easily just relaxed, but i went anyway. it was hard, whew but i made it. hehee.

dinner was cumin and five spice fish and veggies with some garlic salt. i also went for a 25 minute walk this morning with portia. i'm trying to add one 25-30 minute walk a day to my regime whether i work out at night or not. i figure it can't hurt and it gets me out of the house rather than just being glued to my computer working in the mornings.

 

[Lorelei]

I like the Hunts puddings that Coda recommended - I can get them here and Jello sugar free. Also I have a fat free yoghurt when the sweet craving strikes, or a small bowl of dry bran cereal

I can munch on. It is sweet and fills a hole and being dry takes ages to chew so it does help! Hub thinks I am nuts but it works for me! I do have a little chocolate a day, 2 small kitkat bars. If I am having a hungry day I try to spread my meals out more to 4 - 6 smaller meals.

I did 25 mins crosstrainer this morning and 15 on the treadmill with a very steep incline - that made me work! Thanks for the encouragement Bee!

Coda you have a wonderul time in Hawaii

 

[lovelylulu]

indulgent snacks:

almonds
teaspoon of smuckers natural peanut butter and an apple
half of an avocado and a dash of vinaigrette
whole wheat pita or veggies and hummus
totally agree on the 1% chocolate milk

these are indulgent because they contain fat, but because they contain fat they tend to really hold me over aka they are tasty and satisfying.

 

[monarch64]

Date: 6/27/2006 12:33:25 AM
Author: Cinderella
Wow, Mara, thanks for sharing. That''s some really interesting information there.

I agree about jump roping being just as or more effective than jogging or walking. I did that for an entire week as my cardio, and I found that it developed my calves much better than the treadmill. Here''s a tip I learned from my cardio kickboxing classes: It''s somewhat easier if you learn to do the boxer''s shuffle, as opposed to jumping up and down on both feet. It''s also easier on your joints overall.

Me, well, I''ve been lazy today. No exercising today, although I was running errands all day. I''m trying to do at least 2 miles/day, at least 4 days/week. I have to get back to the gym tomorrow and see if I can do 2 miles or more on the treadmill.

Fave snack would have to be the Jello cups tapoica pudding. I have one a day, which is 100 calories. Doesn''t hurt my diet, and I get my sugar fix too!

I read also that it makes your muscles more efficient overall...it doesn''t "build" them up, it works them so that they are able to get more oxygen and work harder. Then when it comes to strength training it''s easier to build up muscle. That''s why a lot of pro athletes are cross trained with jumping rope, so they are getting a better overall workout.

I jumped for a few minutes again last night...I''m liking it even though it''s tough. I feel like my lungs will explode, but hopefully that will get better before I give up, lol! I think I will probably go ahead and get one of the digital jump ropes that tells you how many revolutions you''ve done, how many cal. burned, etc. I think that would keep me more motivated.

I found a walker buddy in my neighborhood--yay! I get so bored walking by myself. The ladies on my Avon Walk team that live by me usually walk during the hours I''m at work, so they were all out except for weekends. Then I happened to meet a gal who went to high school with my DH at a White Sox game people from his industry had been invited to. We discovered we lived a block and a half away from each other and she is dying to find someone to walk with...I love it when things like that happen--it''s such a small world!

So, on the favorite snack topic...I guess currently mine is Snyder''s peanut butter pretzel sandwiches! They''re about 140 calories for 8. I try to eat two at a time, lol! I figure I''m not really "hungry" when I''m reaching for them, I''m just looking for excitement for my taste buds. I also love Krunchers potato chips, any flavor. They are my downfall so I try not to buy them very often. I try not to buy any chips for that matter, if they''re in the house I am like a magnet to them! Now ice cream or anything sweet, I have no desire for whatsoever. Go figure.

I have been keeping up with toning my arms, and I am very satisfied with my results currently. Honestly, every time I''ve worn a tank top in the past few weeks, I''ve gotten a compliment from someone! It is such a great feeling. I feel like my arms are the easiest part of my body to work on ( my lower half is a different story), so it''s not like I did A TON of work on them, but I was religious for the last few months about keeping my weights in the living room and doing reps while I watched t.v.

I am one of those who would rather not spend 2 hours continuously at the gym, but do little things here and there in addition to longer amounts of time spent walking or whatever. About an hour at the gym is all I can handle.

Everyone who''s chimed in on this thread is doing so awesome! Even if you fall off the wagon (and we all do), at least you can come here for inspiration and support.

Keep up the good work!

 

[KimberlyH]

Yesterday was a great food day. I ate my usual oatmeal, a Zone bar for lunch and ground turkey tacos for dinner w/ fruit salad. We went on a 5 mile walk last night.

Today is going to be a bad (but good!) day. We''re going wine tasting, which typically means too much food, too much wine, not enough exercise.

Have a great day ladies!

 

[ammayernyc]

I was bad this weekend, but I got back on track yesterday. I had my trainer and did about 20 minutes of cardio before she got there. I didn''t eat that much for breakfast or lunch (chicken apple sausages and salad) and dinner I splurged on chese tortelini, but I didn''t eat that much. I''m trying to motivate to exercise today, but it''s not working so far.

My bf''s mother is coming this weekend and I''m super nervous for some reason. I wish we had a closer relationship, but I''m not sure that''s ever going to happen. We''re just so different... Also, I''m super body concious around her because she''s very thin and fit and I''m, well, I''m not... but, I''m getting better. Just very slowly. Being sick really set me back it''s amazing.

Anywho... great job ladies! I''m glad I''ve got you all to keep me motivated!

 

[Mara]

monarch the jumping rope is kind of like my jumping jacks. when i first started doing them i was huffing and puffing but it has seemed to help my cardio and i can do more of them now without feeling as winded. also i do about 50 of them where i come down into a squat a little bit, so i use more of my leg muscles than just a regular jumping jack.

today i am SOOO SORE from my workout last nite. i have been working out a little harder the last few times i went to class, and i can totally feel it the next day, esp in my butt (we do a lot of kicks), arms, and my gut area because we do alot of twisting/pulling exercises meant to work your core. i had to put some energy relaxing cream from the spa on my arms last nite because they were hurting when i went to bed, but today they feel a lot better. toned arms? mine are totally getting there too, monarch!! i definitely am getting more definition and even my collarbones leading to my arms are showing a bit more which is cool. not hidden under blobby fat anymore!

anyway i think most importantly is that i feel really good about what i am doing and the path i am on. i tried my bikini on sunday night and i was kind of disappointed that i didn''t look...i dont know...like the VS model it was on in the catalog??? talk about unrealistic..hahaa. anyway...i was kind of down thinking well i guess i just will never have that FAB bikini body esp at my age, so then i ate some PASTA for dinner, haha....but i realized afterwards that i was still happy with what i was doing, the changes i am making in our lives, the little things that we are doing that is more healthy, period, regardless of how the bikini looks.

so even if the bikini looks bad, keep on it!!! you guys are making lifestyle changes that WILL benefit you long-term for the rest of your lives. we may not look like the VS models even after we lose the 10 lbs or 20 lbs or whatever, but that doesn''t matter because if you FEEL good that goes a long way IMO.

 

[aquarius_ser]

Hi there,

I love to read everyone''s low cal/carb treats, I''m always looking for new ideas! Some of the things I eat are:

Sugar Free Jelly w/celery (5 calories TBSP) w/a little PB
I heard celery actually burns calories!

Sugar Free Chocolate Cappuccino (30 calories) 0 sugar YUM!
Sugar Free Jello, FF whipped cream and fruit. Blend it all together with a mixer.
Boca Soy Burgers 90 cals, low carb & a lot of protein
Sugar Free Werthers Originals candies - I love them!
Sugar Free Caramel Nips candies

and as hard as it is... no eating 2-3 hrs before bed. This is very hard for me!!! If I''m hungry when I go to bed, I know I had some discipline!

 

[Mara]

hehe aquarius, i can''t eat any of that sugar free stuff, it totally makes me SICK!!!

unfortunate for me...!

 

[ammayernyc]

Here''s an interesting article on the top 10 reasons why Americans are fatter than ever:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13562741/

 

[bee*]

woohoo another pound and a half down on ww!
My treats that I always give myself are a loop the loop icepop(don''t think you have them in the states?). When I get back from the gym I love having one of them before my shower. Also love a packet of low fat crisps or some crackers.Need to get better on the fruit though-Im really bad at eating it daily

 

[hlmr]

I was such a good girl yesterday and then today, not so good. But tomorrow is another day and......well I just had to have that cheeseburger and vanilla shake for lunch. I tried to make up for it at supper but lets face it - some days we are weak!!!

Anyway, I do love reading this thread and hearing how committed everyone is to feeling good about themselves and their bodies.

 

[bookworm21]

I was somewhat good today. Did fifteen minutes on the elliptical and then another 5 on the treadmill. But I also spent 30 minutes speedwalking through the downtown district to finish my errands. I was all sweaty and gross. Eww...stupid Bay Area microclimates. I was wearing a thick turtleneck sweater.

Anywho, I ate two servings of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal, and that sufficed for lunch and breakfast because I woke up late. After the gym, I came home and ate a mango, a pear, and two string cheese sticks. Then I had one serving of sorbet. For dinner, I''m cooking half pound wild salmon with spinach and white rice.

No dessert today for me. Amazingly, all that food is still within my caloric limits.

I''m going to try to go for half hour on the treadmill tomorrow, plus an additional 15 minutes of jumping rope. How''s everyone doing so far today?

 

[KimberlyH]

I forgot to add my healthy-ish snacks in my previous post. They are frozen yogurt and granola bars.

 

[TravelingGal]

OK, I avoided reading this thread in the past because I thought all your workouts would make me feel guilty. Now I have decided it is better to read this thread than threads about pies, chocolate, cookies etc. I am hoping that since reading threads about sweets = me eating sweets that reading threads about workouts = me working out. One can hope!

The worst for me is the traveling! I mean for business, not fun. After a day of meetings, all I wanna do is have wine and veg (and look at sparklies!). Going to the hotel gym sucks.

We have sirius radio, so now I log online to get workout music on my computer and bop around my hotel room like a maniac. Boy you work up a sweat being a dancing dork! I''m going to start bringing workout DVDs too. Anyone know of a good one?

Healthy snacks: Hm...I do like the sugar free jello cups. Mara, they aren''t bad...I hate sugar free too, but even my FI likes these. Tea is also key for me these days...most of the time I just want to eat SOMETHING...and tea keeps my mouth busy and is yummy to me. I also really like celery with a bit of laughing cow cheese and cracked pepper. Sounds gross, but my friend says this from the South Beach diet.

Also, if you have trader joes near you, buy some greek yogurt...it''s thicker than regular yogurt. You can add artificial sweetner if that''s your thing (I add a bit of honey instead). It''s rich and satisfying, and much lower carb than regular yogurt which is full of sugar. I can have this for breakfast and feel full.

The calorie in/out thing is correct - if your only goal is to lose weight. If HEALTH is your goal, then there are other things to consider. I just read an article today somewhere on this I think.

Do you girls have alcohol on weekdays? I only drink water, so no empty calories when it comes to beverages....EXCEPT wine for me. I think I need to cut that out, even on weekends. FI and I can share a bottle easily during dinner, even on a weeknight.

 

[hlmr]

Date: 6/28/2006 2:59:23 AM
Author: TravelingGal

Do you girls have alcohol on weekdays? I only drink water, so no empty calories when it comes to beverages....EXCEPT wine for me. I think I need to cut that out, even on weekends. FI and I can share a bottle easily during dinner, even on a weeknight.

This is my downfall too! I drink water all day and then at night I enjoy my wine. Too much sugar & too many empty calories undoing the good I have done with food all day. It''s strange because I never cared for wine too much until I hit about 37 and now I LOVE it!