Posts by theatrelily

Keep in mind too that that calorie "guide" is a rough estimate on portions and chances are you aren't getting the full portion sizes that they are based on.

You are right about the sugar. A majority of those side dishes have corn syrup added to them to balance out the amount of salt they use to pickle.

Nothing?

"F---- me if I'm wrong, but isn't your name Gertrude?"

This may sound wrong to some, but I lovelovelove vanilla ice cream and orange juice.

Pour a bit of OJ over a scoop of ice cream and wait for it to freeze up a bit....each spoonful tastes like an orange creamsicle.

I also second the following:

mrsj's cherry pie and vanilla ice cream

robsalot's cold beer and a warm summer evening

nzm102's hot pita and hummus

jmtomlinson - great info! thanks for that...next time I'll look at the elyptical's activity information.

dollface- thanks for the estimate. I really appreciate you taking the time to find out for me. As mentioned earlier, the treadmill here does offer some info as far as calories, distance and time left, but that's it. They are older treadmills and the calories burned is programmed for an average sized Korean male....the treadmill is in KOrea...so I doubt its accuracy for my own calculations.

Thanks again!!

Hey again,

Spiro - I didn't work at a Curves, or a Curves-esque place.

As for the free weights versus machines debate....if you set the trainers at my gym on fire, you'll need enough matches to also get the people at the Mayo Clinic ,  AskMen.com, and About.com

Basically, they all say that it is a matter of what you are looking to achieve and preference.

Each person should read up on the pros and cons and make their own, personal, informed decision.

Take care!

I am on the fast track to becoming an addict as well.

 What's worse is that my job facilitates the addiction. I teach English in South Korea and only have to be in the classroom 2 hours a day...but then must spend 7 hours in the office.

With 7 hours to kill, lesson plans prepared and no marking, there's a lot of CC'ing to be had.  

hey....mind if I throw my two cents in?

I used to work at a major, women only, national fitness chain as a sales rep. While I was working, I had the opportunity to work with, work out with and pick the brains of the higly qualified personal trainers they had.

The chain had a basic strength training routine that they would instruct all members to use because it was fast and really effective.

It is not a 'bulk up' routine, despite the fact that it seems counter-intuitive.

There is a similar routine suggested here (and no, this isn't the chain I worked for ...).

Basically, Do ONLY ONE SET of 8-15 reps. The trick is to use weights that are set high enough that you can only do between the 8-15 reps.

Again, it seems counter-intuitive but  it really works. The workout takes 30 minutes- but it's a trying 30 minutes. 

Make sure the weight resistance is low enough that you can do at least 8 reps, and challenging enough that you can do no more than 15. When you are able to do the 15 reps, up the weight resistance again.

The basic routine we used was:     back extensions

                                                       leg extensions

                                                       leg curls

                                                       lat pull down

                                                       chest press

                                                       shoulder press

                                                        bicep curl

                                                       triceps push

                                                       hip abductor

                                                       hip adductor

                                                       abdominal crunch

These should be done in the order stated above because they are grouped according to muscle groups...and something to do with primary muscles targeted versus secondary…but I can’t remember the exact details of the explanation at the moment.

They also mentioned that asides from a ten minute warm-up before the weight training, cardio should only be done AFTER the weights; doing cardio before the weights can tire you out too much and affect your strength and efficiency with the weights. I think I also remember my personal trainer mentioning something about doing cardio after weights helping with overall muscle soreness the next day.

As for the question of weights machines versus free weights: I think it’s all a matter of personal preference. The machines do help you target the muscles better and are more helpful for maintaining proper form but the free weights allow you to also get the added workout of hitting other muscle groups that go into supporting the basic movements the machines control for you.

Hope all this helps.  

. Calorie Count Name (user id): theatrelily
2. Name you prefer to be called in discussions: theatrelily  
3. Age & Sex: 29, female
4. General Location: Canadian, teaching English in Seoul, South Korea
5. Married? Single? have a wonderful boyfriend.
6. Kids? Furbabies? no.
7. Favorite color? in general: purple. To wear: red. To decorate with : green
8. Favorite movie? I don't really have one.
9. Hobbies? Writing, traveling, reading
10. Favorite Snack? olives, hummus, cheese, chocolate
11. Favorite Beverage? COFFEECOFFEECOFFEECOFFEE
12. Biggest Obstacle to Getting Healthy? sheer flippin' laziness, generous love for beer.
13. Weight/Fitness Goal? to tone up, hit a healthy BMI and feel good. Would like to also run a 5K race this summer.

14. Least Favorite Household Chore? Dishes. I hate washing dishes. I would rather scrub a dirty toilet clean with my teeth. And most Korean apartments don't have dishwashers.   T_T

15. How did you find Calorie Count? The Google gods were kind enough to direct me here.

16. Anything Else You'd Like To Share? um....unless there's a way to email lowfat cookies to everyone...then....nope, that's it...thanks.