Posts by alexxandra

Original Post by soph1984:

Original Post by flonklar:

Perhaps someone here can educate me.

I am happily omniverous, but I have no problem with people not wanting to eat meat, or even animal products.  I'm assuming that people choose to be vegetarian for various and particular reasons (unknown to me).  However, I also see many posts like this where the "vegetarian" is apparently (for lack of a better grasp on the subject) "relapsing," as if an alcoholic has been unable to resist having a drink or a recovering substance abuser found himself snorting lines at a party. 

My question then is: Why is it such a problem for a "vegetarian" to "slip" and eat some meat?  Obviously, if meat is knowingly being eaten by the "vegetarian," it is his choice to do so, but I don't understand the "guilt" that accompanies these "relapses."  It's not a crime, it's not an addiction or illness, and as far as I can tell, it's not a morality issue (or is it?).  He just feels the need or desire to eat meat at that point in time (which of course negates his self-imposed status as a true vegetarian). 

For example:  I'm on a quest to lose some weight.  I am a self-proclaimed "dieter."  I have sworn off Krispy Kreme in an effort to improve my general health and facilitate my goal of weight loss.  But once in 4 months, someone brings donuts into the office, and I eat one.  I choose to do so.  I don't feel bad about it, or walk around with a guilty conscience all day.  I simply have decided that 5 minutes of a favorable taste sensation is a reasonable trade-off for introducing a few extra calories into my diet.  It doesn't ruin my disposition for the day, I don't immediately get on the CC forums and lament my lack of self-control.

In my mind, a vegetarian just DOESN'T desire to eat meat, regardless of his level of intoxication.  If the temptation remains to eat meat after proclaiming vegetarianism, how (or even WHY?) can the person claim to be vegetarian?        

Could some knowing vegetarian please help to put this in terms that I can relate to?

Thanks. 

 Well I can't speak for other people, but the reason I have turned vegetarian is not because I don't like meat (I love it!) or because I think there is anything wrong with eating meat.  Fundamentally, I don't have a problem with eating meat at all, I think it is something that we as humans naturally do.  BUT my problem is with the meat industry.  It is wholly unethical, animals are kept in horrific conditions and treated in a tortuous way.  That just doesn't sit right on my conscience and if I buy that meat I am directly funding the industry and therefore condoning it.  I have a friend who lives on a farm and his cattle are all out in the fields living a happy life and when they slaughter them they keep the meat for the family.  I'd eat that and the same for other meat where the animals had been kept humanely.  But you can't really guarantee that unless you buy direct from source (I live in London so the free range ahppy farms are a little thin on the ground!!) and it can be so expensive, so for that reason I'm a vegetarian.  And that is why I could see myself slipping if I had had too much to drink but I would feel guilty the next day because I would have contributed to an industry that I am against and therefore gone completely against my morals.

Does that make any sense?

I am in the same boat as soph, I also do not think it is morally wrong to kill animals, but cruelty to animals and the health risks that are associated with cruelty has kept me a vegetarian. The animals in factory farms (specifically the cows in this example), at the very least, eat corn for 70 percent of their lives. They become sick because their stomach isn't able to break the corn down, thus the need for antibiotics. Many are also given bovine growth hormone, which we ingest while consuming the steak/hamburger/etc. The cows are confined all of their lives to make them grow even faster - and because of the lack of exercise, their body has a lot more fat than grass-fed free range cows. There is way more trans fat than there should be thanks to this method. There is also a strong link between a high protein and dairy diet and cancer, diabeties, obesity, autoimmune diseases, and brain diseases - among other things. Raw meat and raw dairy have not been studyed to that extent yet, so I choose to drink raw milk and cheese from a local farm because it does not bother my already lactose intolerant body. Something about the casein in raw dairy being broken down, thus rending the potential carcinogens harmless. 

A good place to start is to read "The China Study" if you're interested in the health risks of the standard american diet. Its not the know-all-end-all book, and the writer is an avid supporter of veganism so it is a tad biased in my opinion, but you can't argue facts - and this definitely gives you a world of studies to refer to. 

I never measure or obsess, I just round out everything and estimate. It works for me! I've lost 20lbs with this method alone, only now am I adding excercise to the equation.

I feel myself becoming an addict. Just finished W2D2. :D

Hi!

I'm from the other Couch25k board under "Fitness". Glad to see so many people doing this too!

Today I'm on W2D1 and I couldn't believe this, but I actually thought it was easier than week one? I also used to always get side stiches - but I decided not to eat this morning and breath properly (I'm a shallow breather) and I felt great the entire time! Except for the bee -I'd be a great sprinter, you should have seen how fast I started running when it chased me!

Good job everyone!!!!

Shanfood, thanks! I think that because my husband is sooo much faster than me, I push myself harder so that I won't be so far behind when the 1 minute is up. Lol!

mspadaccino ~ Well mine might be kind of extreme, I also play basketball so I'm trying to gain muscle. I actually am eating over my mantaince calories right now. For weight loss your calories would be at a deficit, so when you lift it would only maintain.

The easiest way to maintain muscle is probably using the machines (though free weights usually leads to less injury, and is more fun). Make sure you lift heavy weights, and low reps. You should probably be "maxing out" at about 6-8 reps (to the point where you just cannot do another rep). Then take a break, and do it one more time. You're muscles will be sore at first - when you lift weights you are literally ripping your muscle fibers so that your body can rebuild them (thus maintaining them) so make sure you have protein and carbs within an hour of the lift to aide with recovery (i drink a glass of milk and a nutrigrain). Oh, and mix it up! Do your arms and back one day, and your legs and shoulders another.
Because you're running, lifting two times a week should be fine (especially because your muscles really are sore when you first start out). Just make sure to lift on off days, and only work on your legs when you're not running the next day (if your legs muscles are sore after running, then I would count that as resistance training. Once they stop hurting, that would be the time to start using the machines for your legs). It might seem complicated at first, but it really isn't that time consuming. It takes 20mins when I go to the gym, and if I can't make it I do something quick at home (push ups, pilate moves I know). Any resistance you put on your muscles will be great for you and your weight loss plan! :)
Hope that helped! There's a whole bunch of information on the fitness forum that goes into detail too!

Well, technically you could fracture a rib just from sneezing. I'd deffinetly go and get it looked at right away.

Yay! I just did my second run around this beautiful park in 38 minutes, and though I'm still dying (still out of breath) - the one minute runs are getting easier. My legs must be made of steel, because they aren't sore the least bit. My inner thigh muscles burn, but its a good burn. Thank you Alice and Lozzle on the advice about the stitch, it was still there but felt much better because I didn't eat before hand! So I'm thinking of running tomorrow (it *should* be my off day*) so that I can be ready for next week, I just don't know if that would be hurting myself. Everything is fine except for my chest when I run (it gets tight) so I figure the more I run the easier it will get.

Lozzle, Congrats!! I can't even imagine running 3 minutes, yet alone 17. That is a HUGE inspiration to me.

Alice, I remember when I had shin splints, I took pain relievers before I exercised. I ended up not being able to walk up and down stairs for months because of it! Make sure you listen to your body, if your shins hurt at all that means they're not healed. And don't be so hard on yourself, it takes a while to form a habit - you're doing great!

Original Post by girlfighting27:

maybe its a step in the right direction but i think people need to be held accountable for their own food choices. We can't blame the fast food places just because they're there. We always have the option of going home and making something healthy, or selecting a restaurant with better options

Well, though that is true - children eat what a) is in front of them if b) it tastes good. If fast food chains weren't so readily available to children/teenagers, they wouldn't aquire such a taste for it in the first place, especially if they have healthier alternatives that are just as good if not better (so that when they ARE educated and grasp why it is important to be healthy, they would not already be at a huge disadvantage by being overweight). Child obesity happens because a lot of the time they just do not know any better, so it may not be such an obvious option to them when their entire city is filled with these food chains and stuck onto every corner. So in that aspect, I do blame the industry (and its marketing).
I absolutely think that adults should be held accountable, education about healthier lifestyles are readily available - but maybe if they had better alternatives when they were little, maybe the transition could be easier now. People are picky, and people hate change. *Shrug*

So I saw this thread on Friday and thought it was a great idea. I even convinced my husband to give it a try! Yay! This morning at 9:20am we were both ready, and walked out the door ready to give it a try.

.......

And it was POURING out!!!

So anyways, we went to do it anyways, and I felt great until I actually had to start running (lol). It took us until 10:00am to finish (is 40 minutes for the first time any good??), and by the end of it the running was getting a little bit easier, so I'm pretty motivated! My husband thought it was too easy though. He plays basketball so he has great cardio health (though he does need to lose some body fat, time to start lifting!). He wasn't even out of breath, and was way ahead of me when we ran (he's 6'1, I'm 5'1). But I have a feeling he'll stick it out for me until it gets challenging.

My only problem was that I kept getting a really bad cramp on my right side. I drank water and ate 70cals an hour before we went out, so it couldn't have been dehydration. Does this usually go away the more you run?

Anyways... this marks my first day to many on our mission to running a full 5k without walking! I'll be posting here everytime I run until its complete :)

Yup, a deficit is a deficit... doesn't matter if you get it from intake of food or through cardio. And it looks like you got a good idea when it comes to high weight low reps... I would ask a trainer to show you how to use freeweights, but thats just my personal opinion...

I do think that your calorie intake is too low if you're not making up for the calories you burn while lifting... your weight loss *will* eventually stop if you do not give your body enough calories to survive...

 Ok I hate to sound like the Fruit Nazi but you, my dear, are a delicious banana (your waist is around 90% of your bust or hips, it needs to be less than 75% to be an hourglass). So you can join our fruit salad!

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Yay! A banana is so much better than a box! And now I can feel envious of all the hourglasses *glares*.

Fat does not necessarily make you fat. :)

Thanks melkor, good to know considering I only do 20 min. cardio and 30 min. weight training when I go to the gym. And no, their not pink either, however the strength training equipment at the gym happens to be purple. :-/