Anyone up for weekly check-ins and weigh-ins, for giving each other support, talking about our goals and our slips?
I am all for it as well - have been trying to get people to chat in this group and so far there are about 2 or 3 of us that do. I usually weigh in on Mondays - just to give me motivation. Have been doing this thing about 10 days and have lost 3 lbs...but I am noticing my pants are fiting better :) Trying not to focus too much on the scales until I have given it some time.
cool! we could all do on our favorite day. I guess the important thing is to put it out there.
I'll do mine on Friday.
Ten days and you've lost 3 pounds? Congratulations!
I hope that I'm that successful when I do my first weigh-in on Sunday morning!
Keep up the great work!
Thanks. Yeah, I suppose I can't be too disappointed. It never seems to come off as fast as it goes on. I am aiming for a 2 lb per week loss, trying to stay at a 1000 cal. defecit with both watching calories (I will not use the word diet, cause I don't think this is what this is) as well as cardio 6 days week and I alter weights every other day. Personally, since my big weight loss 6 years ago I have grown to love cardio...it is only recently that I have incorporated weights into the mix and am really starting to look forward to the days that I get to lift. Part of that is because when I started, I had no upper body strength to speak of and I have been able to increase my weights in increments and no longer feel like the weakling :)
What are you guys doing to lose?
Well - I can say that I'm not as disciplined as you are (not that I'm knocking that at all...I WISH I was that disciplined). I just started on January 10th - I'm counting calories like you are and staying below my burn rate...
I really haven't had any trouble switching to a new outlook on food - in fact, I'm enjoying doing research and finding new foods to try! I also juice quite a bit to get my daily fruits and vegetables...
My challenge is exercise - I work full-time and go to school full-time and find that I just can't get motivated to get a workout in. I do have a Wii so I will play tennis and do boxing (which works up a huge sweat for me) but other than that, I can't motivate myself to do more than that...There is a gym on the property where I live and I can't even get up and make the trek over there - I know that sounds completely pitiful but I've been so used to focusing on my career and education, that nutrition and exercise always took a backseat. I know it's just a matter of lifestyle change but I sure can't seem to get myself up and going!
So - while the food isn't a struggle for me...exercise is. Any suggestions?
Wow - that is a challenge....I vaguely remember those days (working/school full time). It definitely is a challenge and it is good that you do something you enjoy like WII. If you are moving constantly and working up a sweat, that is a good start. Is there anything that gives you an indication of how much Wii actually burns? I'd think maybe their website might have some information since they have been pushing their workout platform. I'll see if I can find some information on that too. What I find for me is that because I work long hours and I am NOT a morning person, that if I have my gym bag all ready and just force myself to go straight there after work, then I will do it - but if I go home even for a quick minute, my motivation drops completely. You might try that too - I know you have an excercise room where you live but the concept might work the same...just force yourself for 3 weeks to stop at the office and go straight to the gym for just 20 mins....I bet that after 3 weeks of doing that you'd find that you will be able to bump that up to 30 mins. and combined with you Wii activity that is probably giving you enough....I assume the gym has some weights - so try alternating between that and the cardio machines every other day and if you are playing wii every day as well...I would guess you are probably getting in some good excercise. It is hard to do that I know when you are busy with school AND work...but look at it as a 30 min. investment into you. It is a great stress reliever as well. I use to have the luxory that my gym was right across the street from my work and so I could just go for an hour every day instead of lunch and eat at my desk as I needed...that was a huge help but that went away, so now I just have to force myself and I actually look forward to it on most nights...on the nights that I don't, I know that if I just get there and start, I might have to back off a bit if I'm overly tired but that once there I'll at least put the time in. Curious what the other guys suggest.
I did forget to mention two important facts:
1. I work from home so there is no trek to the office (unless you count me walking from the bedroom to my desk where I do my work)...
2. My Masters program is all online so I don't go to a physical school campus.
So - that's why I have a hard time getting motivated about going to the gym where I live...Everything I do is right here in my home...
If you're working from home on a computer, then you should google for "exercising while on computer" to at least have some exercise throughout the day, and then really try to allot 20 minutes a day to work on half cardio/half weight training. There's plenty of online free videos that are great for that -- I can suggest you some if you want. You could do it in alternate days -- in the odd days, do wii fit. I can tell you I am in a PhD program right now and was doing my master's and working a few years ago, and I can understand the stress and the feeling of never having time and always being focused on your studies, but 20 minutes per day is a really small amount of time! I also found that it helped with my mental sanity to have 30/1 hour per day where I only think of myself, my health and my fitness vs. thinking about my work.
HTH
I'll kick it off 
starting weight (Jan 10): 183 lbs (5' 11'', 26 yo)
today's weight: 181.2 lbs
goal weight: 170 lbs
doing good so far :)
Congratulations! You're doing very well!
Regarding the exercise post you submitted earlier - I actually went ahead and ordered a fitness ball and something called Billy's Boot Camp (which had a ton of rave reviews). I figured if I actually had some workout stuff here - I would be a little bit more motivated to do it than getting in my car and driving to the gym...at least it's better than nothing!
I'm actually proud of myself because I went to the movies last night. When I typically go, I get a large popcorn and soft drink. But this time I had a plain baked potato and a side salad before I left and ordered NOTHING at the movie theatre! Huge achievement for me!
I was going to weigh in earlier but I don't have a scale - if I did, I would be tempted to weigh myself every day and my best friend across the hall went out of town for the weekend. So - when she gets home, I'll run over and weigh in on her scale and report back!
Again - congratulations!
Good for you!
I also used to ALWAYS get something to munch at the movies (pistachoes, popcorn, etc.), but when at our third date a few years ago my partner said I was making way too much noise, I since stopped (which is good, I guess?) :)
Okay - here is my weigh-in for this week...
Starting point: 180/5'8"/41 years old
Starting date: 01/10/09
Goal weight: 148
Current weight: 174 - 6 pounds lost! Only 26 more to go!
Guess all that healthy eating actually pays off!
Im in too. Just Started today
Starting point: 290/6'4"/31 years old
Starting Date: 01/20/09
Goal Weight: 200
I had a cheat day yesterday with my kids because of MLK day so I didn't weigh in this week and going to skip until next week - otherwise, I am afraid it would be depressing.
Last week though I was down 4 lbs. Started at 218, now 214. Time doing this 10 days. Goal is 180 by June (it is my hags wedding). After June I'll re-evaluate goals. Ideal would be in the 170's - looks good on me - but hoping in process to put on some muscle definition.
Welcome Peter - glad to see more people joining us! Oh, CONGRATs guys on the big losses...you guys are doing great! Wish I'd hit the 6 lbs loss (jealous much).
So - today I started the Barry's Bootcamp Hollywood Fat Buster exercise program...Wow! I didn't realize how out of shape I was (it was actually embarrassing). Today was emphasis on the lower body and tomorrow I will do emphasis on upper body (you alternate programs every other day and rest the 7th day). It's a combination of cardio and then working out with bands and a fitness ball...Very challenging!
Sounds great. I looked at the website and it looked quite intense!
Today I went with my girl buddy to the gym and we totaled 90 minutes. Now I'm tired and feeling like jelly... but good...
When you go to the gym what do you generally do?
I alternate weight training every other day always followed by 30 mins of some sort of cardio. On my alternate days I only do cardio to give muscles a break. Last night was 75 mins on the eliptical machine - I try to do sprints 2 mins lower resistence and fast, followed by 2 mins of high resistence but slower followed by 2 mins recover, lather, rinse, repeat at necessary.
I start with 15 minutes of ellipticals (more than that hurts my knees), 15-30 minutes of stationary bike, weight training upper body / lower body in alternate days and crunches (every time I try to add a rep of 8; we did about 80 last time). When I know I'm not able to go three days a week I try to do both lower and upper in the same sitting.
On the down days, I try to go hike for 15-30 mins before going to school. Every night I do a yoga geared for relieving pains (I've had neck pain on and off all my life, and it really helps).
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