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| Fitness | How Can I Become More Flexible? | Sep 03 2007 18:17 (UTC) |
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| Hey Erinzz...thanks for the stretch info. I always did want to do the splits (I could in highschool, but that was a long time ago). I may just have to try it! | |||
| Fitness | Belly Dance anyone? | Sep 03 2007 18:13 (UTC) |
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I started belly dancing in June and LOVE it. It makes my back feel sooo good. I try to get there as often as I can, but at least once a week. I've been steadily losing weight and inches, but I'm watching calories and doing other stuff too, so I don't know how much if because of the belly dancing. I figure any movement things I do for FUN will be best in the long run because I will continue them even on days when the WORK part of working out is a drag! |
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| Fitness | Would greatly accept any weight loss advice | Sep 03 2007 17:54 (UTC) |
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I think I'd rent some exercise or dance videos at the library and try different ones out. That way, if you are really tired or have a lot of homework, you could put in one of the shorter ones, and if you have more time, you can do longer ones. It will also help you to try different things without investing money in them...try kickboxing one week, a "Firm" video (with weights) another week, then salsa dancing, belly dancing, tai bo or yoga. Maybe you'll find one that you really fall in love with and suddenly you have a new sport and it won't even be like exercise...it will be for fun. Other tips...I like pre-portioned foods. I buy the "slim a bear" icecream bars and individual fat-free cottage cheese containers and bag 10-15 mini carrots into ziplock snack bags. Then, I try to every three to four hours, making sure I have some protein and complex carbs with my snack. (Protein and fat with your carbs will slow down their absorption so you don't get hungry again as fast.) And also, don't think of yourself as a "fatty". I tell people I am a perfect "Size 6"...right now it's just buried beneath debris, much like a beautiful piece of art which has been covered with dirt or painted over. It must be carefully restored to its original intended beauty. And to do it right, it must be done slowly, over time, using intentional care. Good luck.
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| Fitness | Hot Yoga! | Aug 28 2007 21:34 (UTC) |
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| I take Bikram yoga and really like it. It has been great for the arthritis pain in my knees. They advise us to have a small amount of food before coming. I usually have an apple about a half hour before. Take lots of cold water (room temp water will end up warm and yucky). We are advised to try to stay in the room, but if you feel nauseous or dizzy, it is okay to leave. At first, I could only stay for half the session, but every time I was able to stay longer. Some days, if the class is very crowded, it will be warmer and then it is harder to stay in. If you are doing "Bikram" hot yoga, it is a series of 26 poses, each performed twice. While I was learning and increasing my endurance, I would only do one of the two sets. Also, as I tried to increase my time, I would watch the clock, which made the time creeeeep by. Then, another student advised my to just try to stay for one more pose each session. That worked much better. It's not for everyone, but I feel great afterwards (excepting the first session...I had to take a 4 hour nap). | |||
| Fitness | Dogs and running... | Aug 28 2007 21:26 (UTC) |
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| I have two dogs that are always leashed when they leave my property. They are sweet dogs and people always ask "Do they bite?" I always reply, "Of course they do, they're dogs!" They never have (and they are about 13 years old), but that's what dogs do. They don't have speech and they don't have fists. They have little doggie brains that don't process things like human brains. You never know what might flit across their little doggie brains at any time and result in a dog-reasonable response which is totally unacceptable to people.
When my dogs are in our very large yard, they are controlled by an electric fence. I get VERY irrate at people who come into my yard, (strangers, not neighbors) to cut through, especially if they bother my animals. I came close to taking a rake to a woman whose dog came in to our yard (she was carrying his leash, but he wasn't on it). She tells me, "he was on his leash". WAS... didn't keep my dog from getting bit!!! Fortunately, Belle (my dog) was fine. I can tell you, that dog owner won't be back for awhile...I think I went nuts...it was probably scary for her!!! |
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| Fitness | Why can't this extra fat be used to build my muscles? | Aug 28 2007 11:32 (UTC) |
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| That made more sense than anything has all day! Thanks again tgpish. Science is so cool. | |||
| Foods | Eating out | Aug 28 2007 01:42 (UTC) |
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| I love Panera bread for lunch...get a pick two with salad and soup and an apple (instead of bread). Their chicken poppyseed salad has fat-free dressing and several of their soups are low-fat or vegetarian. Just stay away from their breads. While they are delicious, they are not low calorie.
Max and Erma's and P.F. Chang's also have some good choices. |
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| Weight Loss | Is this mealplan healthy? | Aug 28 2007 01:37 (UTC) |
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| You need to eat protein regularly throughout the day. If you don't, your body will use the protein from your organs and muscle. It can't make protein out of the salads and fruit you are eating. | |||
| Weight Loss | Carbs Before Bed | Aug 28 2007 01:31 (UTC) |
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| If you are doing heavy training, you should probably be upping your protein, as your body needs the protein to repair and build muscle...or so I've been told...
Your body can turn anything into fat or glucose, but can only make protein from protein. |
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| Weight Loss | ideal numbers | Aug 28 2007 01:27 (UTC) |
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| Tom Venuto (Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle) recommends 20% fat, 30% protein, and 50% carbs for beginners for weight loss. Then play with it to see what works best for you. | |||
| The Lounge | Has anyone read any good books-sorry if this is a repeat topic! | Aug 27 2007 19:58 (UTC) |
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| He's written some crazy books (along the lines of Hoot) that are for ADULTSs (capitalized for a reason). I enjoyed Sick Puppy, Lucky You and a few others...but I forgot their titles. | |||
| Foods | What to eat at Chipotle today | Aug 26 2007 13:03 (UTC) |
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| Or here: http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutri tion_calculator
This is the one you can build things other than a burrito on. Sorry. I think the previously posted link only does the burrito. |
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| Foods | What to eat at Chipotle today | Aug 26 2007 13:01 (UTC) |
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| Try this site: http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=burri togenerator. You can build a virtual burrito (or whatever) and it will tell you the calories (and its fun, too). | |||
| The Lounge | Has anyone read any good books-sorry if this is a repeat topic! | Aug 26 2007 02:48 (UTC) |
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| I love alot of those books you all mentined, especially the Ted Dekker, Neil Gaimon, Terry Pratchett, Handmaid's Tale, Time Travelers Wife, and Curious Incident of the Dog...
Here's some of my other favorites: The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell (and the follow-up Children of God) Geek Love (can't remember the author) Songs in Ordinary Time, by Mary McGarry Morris Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follet Memoirs of a Geisha, (forgot the author) Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver A Tree Grows in Brooklyn anything by Carl Haiason (Spelling??) |
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| Recipes | New Salad dressings | Aug 25 2007 23:09 (UTC) |
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| This isn't a salad dressing recipe...but I find if I have some flavorful fruit on my salad (blueberries, pineapple, mandarin oranges, etc.) and some green or red onion, I can be much happier with far less dressing. I also don't care for the fat-free dressings on the market (tastes "gloppy"), but if I put fruit and onion on, I don't notice the dressing as much. I think it is because of a big flavor boost, and also the moisture in the fruit. | |||
| Fitness | Any other bellydancers? | Aug 22 2007 05:08 (UTC) |
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qamar- your pictures are awesome!!
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| Fitness | Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle | Aug 22 2007 04:49 (UTC) |
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| Yeah...I kinda wondered if it was mostly the heat making the arthritis feel better. (But I don't belong to a gym to get to a sauna...the community center has to do for now.) However, it also has the element of being hard and rising to the challenge has been fun...sort of like a mini goal. My son's personal trainer recommended it for him (he plays soccer) because of the pounding the joints get in that sport. I just went along to see how it was. 'Course, it's probably a "food thing"...the professional chef next door to the Bikram yoga brings over organic vegan meals to purchase when the class lets out. While I have decidedly carnivorous tendancies, he does make some pretty good tofu and vegetable stuff!! | |||
| Fitness | Any other bellydancers? | Aug 22 2007 04:37 (UTC) |
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| I take belly dancing classes a couple days a week. LOVE IT!! And it feels great on the back!! | |||
| Fitness | Dancing - calories burned? | Aug 22 2007 04:35 (UTC) |
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| I'd just pick one of the other dancing activities, either ballroom fast or general dancing. | |||
| Fitness | The Firm... | Aug 20 2007 22:37 (UTC) |
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| bellgirl's idea about getting them at the library is a good one. I got mine at a sports resale shop. | |||
| The Lounge | How did you hide it?...or pretended to hide the weight? | Aug 20 2007 18:53 (UTC) |
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| I loved and still love the "spanks" pantyhose and underwear from Lane Bryant. (And apparently, even the skinny little movie stars wear them!!) | |||
| Fitness | Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle | Aug 19 2007 19:30 (UTC) |
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| tgpish...
Again, you have such good information. I hope in a year or so I will be able to be giving back some of what I've learned to others on this site. I'll try what you said about doing 5 instead of 6 meals. Usually the in between meals are more like snacks, but I call them meals because I try to make sure they are balanced like meals, with fat and protein and carbs. [I try to keep the fat especially low to make up for when we end up going out and I have no/little control over what is in my food, but do take Omega 3 capsules with my vitamens.] I did regular yoga years ago, and still do tapes occasionally, but the heat of Bikram (which is absolutely unholy) has an incredible effect on the joint pain I have--end up being painfree almost 24 hours. It's too bad it has to be so inconvenient. Thanks for setting my head on straight about those little hand weights and balls. It's so easy to fall for all those gimmicks and they package them so nicely. Plus the girls in the pictures are PERFECT!! Hah! Tomorrow, I'll go get the graph paper and graph my results like you said. Right now, it's all in a little chart, but the visual aid will be helpful. I'm not too bothered by the noise in my weight changes (I spend a good part of my day dealing with statistics and explaining them to parents and other professionals), but I wanted to be absolutely sure that the time of day I was doing my weight/BF measurements wasn't just going to completely blow it. You are so awesome to help all of us new and ignorant (but working to change that...) folks out. I know I appreciate it. |
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| Fitness | The Firm... | Aug 19 2007 19:11 (UTC) |
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| I also have several of the older firm tapes and really found them to be great for home work-outs. (Should have kept using them....then I wouldn't be in the shape I am now having to change!!) | |||
| Fitness | Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle | Aug 18 2007 14:00 (UTC) |
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tgpish....you are so right about the Burn the Fat and Feed the Muscle book. It is a wealth of really good information and I am incorporating new stuff into my lifestyle with every chapter. I can't follow it exactly yet (too much change to fit in), but when I finish I'm going to start the book over and add more. Anyway, I need a little advice about some things in it...and about some of the good information you are posting: I'm doing weight training and cardio at our community center. It doesn't have free weights...just about 8 machines, a couple bikes and two treadmills. But...it is only ten dollars a month and there is never anybody on anything...so I never have to wait and can get in and out really fast (a plus because I'm a working mom). I figure since I am so new anything I do will be a plus coz my body is so shocked at what's happening!! I also salsa dance from 2-4 hours on Sunday nights (hubby and I used to dance competitively). Question 1: Since it is summer (I go back to work in 2 weeks), I've been able to take some belly dancing and Bikram Yoga (105 degree heat) classes in addition to what I usually do. They both make me feel really good. The belly dancing has done incredible things for my back (feels like I've had a massage) and I can count it as a cardio. The Bikram yoga has really helped my arthritis. I have osteoarthritis in both knees (virtually cartridgeless in right knee), elbows and fingers (not so bad). Anyway, I come out and I'm pain free in the joints (though the muscles are sometimes complaining). When school starts, I will not be able to work out as much and be as flexible. If I continue Bikram (it is 90 minutes), I will have to give up a little of the cardio or the weights, because I won't be able to do anything more on those days. I know you have experience with yoga in the past and didn't find it all that helpful with weightloss/muscle gain, but I think it will be helpful to me because of the pain issue and I'll be able to maintain the weights and cardio longer because of it. I would like to do the Bikram at least two days per week. Any thoughts? Question 2: I got a scale that also does body fat. I measure first thing in the morning, before eating or drinking. The weight will sometimes fluctuate as much as four pounds, which I know might be mostly water weight. But the BF is also fluctuating a bit too...is that for the same reason? They recommend weighing at the end of the day because water weight is more stable (I think that was the reason) and I notice that other posters have recommended drinking the same amount of water 1 hour before weighing. I'd hate to have to do that because I don't want to measure at night. (No privacy. Once my husband realizes I'm on a diet/fitness thing, he'll start bring home "gifts"....like chocolate cover strawberries or coffee cakes). So just to confirm....as long as I see a general downward trend, I shouldn't worry about the fluctuations and can weigh in the am, right? Question 3: Do you have any ideas on some resistance/weight exercises I can do at work sporadically with hand weights or tubing? I thought maybe I could keep some small items at each of my offices and work a little bit in during the day....15 minutes here or there. Or is that stupid? Question 4: I'm a speech therapist and sit at a table most of the day. Somewhere (maybe here) I saw a thread that people were replacing chairs with exercise balls. Is that a good idea...or just silly? Question 5: (Last one...really). I have a hard time getting all my calories in on some days...especially work out days!! Bedtime comes...check my logs....and I'm way short on calories. Should I have a snack right before bed, even if I'm not hungry....or just skip it? I've added some "EAS" protein drinks (17 g protein, minimal fat and carbs) to increase protein and calories on those days. I just have to be really efficient with my time when school starts. Otherwise, the day will go by with just the necessities of work and hauling kids to soccer, to band, to orchestra, to bible studies, blah, blah, blah...and I will have left myself out...again. Thanks |
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| Foods | teaching kids healthy eating habits?? | Aug 16 2007 22:01 (UTC) |
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| At my house, I always have a fruit bowl out with at least three kinds of fruit and a veggie bag in the fridge. Anybody is free to eat from either whenever they want, even right before dinner. If you don't eat dinner, you can eat from the bowl or the bag...I'm not a short order cook. Otherwise, you're out of luck--this is dinner. Period. (I rarely have chips or cookie type things around the house, so it's not like that can be an option.) Nobody is ever made to eat anything, ever...but their only option is the bowl or bag. Sooner or later, they eat a fruit or veggie if they're hungry enough.
My two sons are teenagers now and both are good fruit and vegetable eaters (although they are definitely CARNIVORES at heart). This has also worked with my foster children, who often have never had a real fruit or vegetable ever!! They resist at first, but after awhile they like the freedom of having something to eat WHENEVER they want!! Also, this always went for when we went out to dinner, too. If we chose a restaurant that our kids didn't like (which was rare), I washed a couple of apples and stuck them in my purse "just in case." I can't remember anybody every eating the purse stash, but it reduced their worry if we were trying a new place that they thought might be "icky." |
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| Foods | long-lasting breakfast | Aug 13 2007 23:12 (UTC) |
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| I like the individual cartons of lowfat cottage cheese (or a stick of lowfat cheese) and an apple.
Or...a sandwich. Or hardboiled eggs ( I make a bunch of them on the week-ends). |
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| Foods | Restaurants with Healthy Breakfast Menus? | Aug 13 2007 23:05 (UTC) |
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| Bob Evans will also make omelets with their egg beaters AND they have a new turkey sausage, which (IMO) is better than their regular sausage. You also can get fresh fruit there, and oatmeal.
Also...First Watch makes omelets and other good stuff with Egg Beaters. |
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| Foods | PB & J | Aug 13 2007 22:57 (UTC) |
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| I like the "Better'n Peanut Butter" that I get at Trader Joes. It is 100 calories for 2 Tb, 2.5 g fat, 13 g carb, 4 g protein. It is sweeter than regular peanut butter, but tastes great. | |||
| Foods | sandwich ideas | Aug 13 2007 22:54 (UTC) |
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| And...I also like Trader Joe's chicken lime burgers. I grill extra ones and keep them in the fridge...nuke them when I want one. Delish!! | |||
| Foods | sandwich ideas | Aug 13 2007 22:53 (UTC) |
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| I love French's "Gourmayo" light mayonnaise. It is 50 calories a tablespoon (which is way too much for a sandwich for me...I use maybe 1/2 T). I keep the Wasabi horseradish and Chipotle flavors on hand. They really dress up a sandwich.
For bread, I like Country Hearth Lite whole wheat (45 cal per slice). Oscar Mayer's lean shaved turkey, ham or roastbeef is 45-60 calories a serving (about 6 slices). I also like leaf lettuce, tomato and pickles to flesh it out. It comes out to less than 200 calories for a very nice sandwich!! |
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