Posts by emo79

The answer to this question depends a lot on your current weight, height and lifsetyle patterns and whether you have been exercising a lot lately, or are just starting out.

The general rule of thumb is...if you are more or less active, and just need to lose 5 pounds/ or maintain your weight, then you should do more of strength training and core exercises. But if you are over your ideal weight, then you must have a mix of cardio + strength as well have a very clean eating habit.

If you are just starting out, maybe...you should develop some muscles, strengthen your core...and then go for high intensity cardio...........actually it depends a lot where you are standing currently in terms of weight and fitness.

Very useful information. Thanks!

@missnicolaeanna

Every workout counts, so I would suggest don't budge! Keep on working out, join a women's gym if you're comfortable.

I'm 170 pound at 5' 2" and I've had the same feelings as yours. But it took me a while to realize that you need to get out, to get there. And you've to do it, nobody else can do it for you.

All the best.

@oxsunrisesunset

I know what you mean! Class time and grad school can totally ruin your sleep patterns and play with your weight. Try to go to bed early....make a specific going-to-bed hour and stick to it.

The rest will fall in place

I'm 29, female, 5'1-1/2", 40 pounds to lose (I will, no matter what). [ CW: 170 pounds] I'm in Toronto. Where are you located?

Oh yes...I've lost 3 inches off my waist, two off my arm and so on without losing a single pound of weight. The weight doesn't matter, it will go off in a matter of time but as long as the inches go you should be really happy.....since oftentimes the problem is the other way round!

Strength training incorporates the muscles in your body, making it look more toned...and although the fat goes, your weight doesn't because it's muscle weight. But this is a temporary phase....and with all that muscle gain you'll see that your fitness level has improves, your metabolism is roaring and you'll be able to push yourself even more.....which will eventually result in the drop in weights.

Hi Meganleigh6!

First of all, the thought of doing something about your weight is just great. That, in itself, is a big start.

My height is 5'1-1/2 inches and I started out at 180 pounds. I'm 29 right now.  When I was heavier, I had stopped meeting friends, people or sending pictures back home to my parents. The graduate student life killed me with sitting at the computer all day long, and I also had severe insomnia, making it very difficult to eat right and sleep right (which are the cornerstones of losing weight).

I've been exercising lately, but unfortunately due to sickness and Ph.d qualifiers, I had to take long breaks. But I'm back once again. Right now, I'm sitting at 170. 5, and I had lost upto 168. My target, with lots of lean mass is 133.

So, it's not impossible or difficult to get there....there will be good days and bad days but a lot of patience and motivation is the key.

Now, the steps:

1. Check with cc what your calorie intake should be.

2. Eat clean, raw and fresh--that is, leave out all carbonated stuff, and things with saturated fat and the bad guys (there are tons of information on diet...I'm not going to clutter here).

3. Go early to bed and rise early. I was a night owl and that can make matters really, really worse, trust me. You must sleep for 8 hours, at the least.

4. Go to the gym or run or jog or walk...do something. Ideally speaking, based on your weight, you should go to the gym 4-5 times in the week in the beginning and then take it up to 6 times a week, after 2-3 months. Incorporate strength training as well as cardio in your work out. You won't be able to lose fat and keep it off unless you build lead mass, so strength training is an absolute must.

5. A very important thing is--you need to build and strengthen your core. Firming up your core will indirectly help you lose weight, and they are your "functional" muscle.

6. You need to eat 5-6 times per day, in the interval of 2-3 hours. This is because by eating more, you revv up your metabolism, and having long gaps sends signal to the brain that you are starving yourself, leading to a drop in metabolism. So, eat a lot of times, and eat healthy and right! (lots of fibrous veggies, lean dairy, lean protein, healthy carbs, and some nuts (omega 3s!!)

7. Good Luck. To get this, combine all that you can do for yourself and luck will be on your side.

All the best!

It was my Day 2, Level 1. It was easier doing the jumping jacks and I did perfect push-ups (my hubby is my supervisor, he said it!!) and my reverse crunches were also better. But I got sore on the sides of my knee muscles (don't know what they are called...and don't know whether I'm expressing it right...). So I'm thinking whether I'll be able to do it right tomorrow...especially the side lunges.

Anybody felt this way?

Thanks everyone!

I did Day 1 with 3 lbs. weights. And just for everybody else like me (starters...) I paused the video in several places to see what weights the girls are using. It's 3 lbs....so just breathing easy!

@augenblick, I've seen your results and a hearty congratulations to you! I'll join the other 30 DS discussion soon enough...and let's see how good each of us does!

Amen.

Pure and authentic "Ghee" is not as smooth as butter but is has some texture.. and it has an awesome aroma and a very distinct flavour.

In lieu of ghee, we work with butter too

I've never tried olive oil in Indian cooking, but in some other forum, I heard people say different things; some said it made no difference to the taste, others said it did! I do stick to Canola oil while cooking and use Olive oil only when cooking cuban dishes/grilling/salads.......in Indian cooking....you can just try it for once!

And yes, you are right about the papad bit! I also microwave my papads when I eat them (which is not at all frequently though!) 

I'm Indian... and honestly speaking, if you are looking for "authentic" North Indian food with lots of spices and ghee, there's no way to make it healthy
 

 I was spoiled by the wonderful culinary skills of my mother. Consequently, when I had to leave home and manage cooking on my own I realized what I received by tradition: a tongue... hard to please by experimental and novice cooking. With that revelation, food had to be tasty.

Which meant--not till a long time ago--that healthy food cannot be tasty!

But grad school taught me one more lesson, the hard way: most of the time, in Indian Cuisine, with such long periods of boiling and frying stuff, I guess all we are left with are fibre, oil and of course... awesome taste!

Nonetheless, thought I would share what I learnt in the process:

1. Always use non-stick cookware.

2. Put only the oil you need and not the oil that looks good. If you see oil floating around, get rid of it with a teaspoon, via the sink!!!

3. A better alternative to using oil is using oil sprays, whenever possible!

4. Get a grill. It's one of the investments you'll never regret. You could get crispy, crunchy, fried flavour of vegetables minus the calories and the troubles of frying! Sprinkle a little "Chat masala" on fried stuff and it would taste just as delicious! (For "bhajis"). Virtually, you can cook anything you would like in it....fish, shrimps, chicken patties, .....you name it!.... sans the fat.

5. Microwave stuff. Innovate on recipes and try to make them microwaveable....it cuts down the cooking and boiling time of food, keeps its nutrients in and also requires less oil to cook.

6. Use flavourings on oil before cooking. Heat oil, and before putting in other stuff, try using "asefoetide",  a tsp of "Cumin Seeds", "Coriandeer", "Kalonji (Onion seeds) and so.....work around with tomatoes and cilantro leaves, crushed garlic and natural flavours. That way, you would need to use less spice and therefore less oil to fry the spices (and bring up the aroma)

Bon Appetit!!