# 2016 exercise and diet/healthy eating thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 2, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997 "2016-01-02T15:03:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/61 "2016-01-10T19:35:46Z")
So I switched off of my holiday break from being healthy and back to more veggies a couple days ago. And It’s a good damn good thing I live alone, cause I am a gas factory right now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/62 "2016-01-10T21:22:27Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Over the last few years I’ve REALLY tried to change my eating habits. I started slowly making a small change at a time and it seems to have worked. Of course I occasionally fall off the wagon, but as my dietician\* says, I don’t have to be perfect. My goal is to become a vegetarian and I’m getting closer. The key for me is to not make huge changes all at once and expect them to stick. I learn about something small, make a small goal and it becomes a regular thing. Then I make another small one. My very first one was to cut out white bread. That was it. > > I started this year with a whopper of a cold so I’m definitely off the wagon (all I wanted was french bread and apple juice :smack: ) but I’m back to it now. My main thing is not being able to stick with exercise. My favorite is walking because I live in a lovely area and it’s easy for me, but I’ll be all gung-ho for a few months (or less) then I slack off. Last year my goal was to walk my first 5K and I did it! Then my goal was to walk another one! Which I didn’t. :rolleyes: Now I’m not walking at all and need to get my rear in gear. > > I really am learning the importance of vegetables. Like **Sattua** I want to eat nine to 10 vegis/fruits a day with only two being fruit. I’m pretty good with five or six being effortlessly incorporated and need to work to do better with the rest. I’ve really noticed a difference in my hair, skin and fingernails. I’ve taken vitamins for years and can tell that getting nutrients from food is much more effective. > > I’d love for this to be an ongoing thread and hope we can share tips and cheer each other on to better health this year. 🙂 > > - She’s not a regular thing. I had cancer in 2014 and consulted with her on nutritional requirements, and now she’s happy to answer an occasional email from me on healthy eating in general. I’m trying to make small changes too. Right now it is one healthy/home cooked meal a day. I am doing ok on that and will swap to eating more healthy meals soon, I hope. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/63 "2016-01-10T22:16:12Z")
Last summer, I went empirical. I planned week-long diets with very precise amounts of food (in terms of protein/fat/carb proportion as well as calories) and stuck strictly to them, taking notes and measurements. I made charts and graphs, analyzed them to find maximum loss points, then planned a diet based on sticking to the best of them (750-800 calories/day) for a week-long “on” period, then return to normal (but not excessive) eating on the off-week. I’ve been losing about 10 pounds/month, even allowing for the holidays (when I went off the diet). I’m going to stick to that as long as it keeps working. I’m also going to repurpose a post left behind where I tore down a fence this week to make a pell (a padded post for sword training), so I can practice with my heavy wooden swords as well as my boffers. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/64 "2016-01-10T22:38:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Bolding mine. Like I said, fads seldom work. ‘Balanced diet’ means just that. Dude, don’t. Just don’t. After all the threads where people smugly announce they drank less beer and lost weight–after all the threads where people excoriate fat people for never eating a vegetable–after all the crap I go through with my five separate metabolic disorders. I cannot lose weight without being hungry and crabby. It doesn’t happen. _I have to suffer_. More than most. And I am trying really damn hard, and it’s not working, and I don’t need throwaway comments from people who know nothing about my health, my life, or my weight loss history. I am so tired of people who lost weight when they stopped _force-feeding themselves tons of crap_ coming in and crowing at me that if I just did what they did, I’d lose weight! You know what? If you lost weight that way, then you were the one eating too damn much of the wrong damn stuff. My diet’s always been pretty fucking good, it’s just that I have a shitty body that can’t regulate itself. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/65 "2016-01-10T22:56:09Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Dude, don’t. Just don’t. After all the threads where people smugly announce they drank less beer and lost weight–after all the threads where people excoriate fat people for never eating a vegetable–after all the crap I go through with my five separate metabolic disorders. I cannot lose weight without being hungry and crabby. It doesn’t happen. _I have to suffer_. More than most. And I am trying really damn hard, and it’s not working, and I don’t need throwaway comments from people who know nothing about my health, my life, or my weight loss history. > > I am so tired of people who lost weight when they stopped _force-feeding themselves tons of crap_ coming in and crowing at me that if I just did what they did, I’d lose weight! You know what? If you lost weight that way, then you were the one eating too damn much of the wrong damn stuff. My diet’s always been pretty fucking good, it’s just that I have a shitty body that can’t regulate itself. Perhaps mentioning that up front would have been informative to my comment. But if you’d rather ambush someone so you can be righteous, be my guest. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/66 "2016-01-10T22:58:58Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I’m using My Fitness Plan to help with my eating and following a pretty strict clean-eating plan. My gym (which is a MetCon/CrossFit hybrid) is holding a 12 week challenge and there are some great prizes, so at this point, my motivation has been great. > > I have several fitness goals: > > [ol] > [li]Double-unders (which I sort of have, just not strung together)[/li][li]Pull-ups[/li][li]Box-jumps (got this one)[/li][li]Hand-Stand Push-ups[/li][li]Sub-30 5k[/li][/ol] > [@lorene](#): > > My goals are mostly around fitness benchmarks, too. I just restarted Crossfit and my first goal is Xfit 3times per week and running twice per week. I want to look 10 lbs thinner, but I know that that might not mean losing 10 lbs, muscle being denser than fat and all. > > My Xfit specific goals are really about getting my lifts heavier. In the time I wasn’t doing Xfit, I seemed to just cherrypick what I was working on in the gym, so my squats and deadlifts are great, but anything overhead is poor. And running twice per week (at least) is just because I love it. wow, good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/67 "2016-01-10T23:01:03Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Dude, don’t. Just don’t. After all the threads where people smugly announce they drank less beer and lost weight–after all the threads where people excoriate fat people for never eating a vegetable–after all the crap I go through with my five separate metabolic disorders. I cannot lose weight without being hungry and crabby. It doesn’t happen. _I have to suffer_. More than most. And I am trying really damn hard, and it’s not working, and I don’t need throwaway comments from people who know nothing about my health, my life, or my weight loss history. > > I am so tired of people who lost weight when they stopped _force-feeding themselves tons of crap_ coming in and crowing at me that if I just did what they did, I’d lose weight! You know what? If you lost weight that way, then you were the one eating too damn much of the wrong damn stuff. My diet’s always been pretty fucking good, it’s just that I have a shitty body that can’t regulate itself. I understand that you are frustrated but most people do mean the “typical” situation when they give either advice or criticism. I’ve learned from struggles with depression if I listen to “typical” advice about how to do more or achieve more, I am just going to get frustrated. It is best to address my situation on my own terms. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/68 "2016-01-11T01:18:27Z")
Back on Lite ‘n’ Easy and recharging my Fitbit. It’s a start, right? ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/69 "2016-01-11T01:20:54Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Back on Lite ‘n’ Easy and recharging my Fitbit. It’s a start, right? whats FitBit? ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/70 "2016-01-11T02:08:13Z")
I live about 5km from my work so I’m doing an eight week Couch-to-5-km program (Zombies! Run) which is a lot of fun. About 1/2 way through that at the moment. If I can do that OK I’ll switch over to the regular version which is a lot more story driven. I can’t stand going to the gym so my current program is: [ul] [li]Mon-Wed-Friday: C25K (mix of walking and jogging) to work. Walk home [/li][li]Tue-Thurs: cycle to and from work [/li][li]Weekends off but I chase the kids around, do yard work etc[/li][/ul] Which works OK in summer. Once winter hit’s I’ll see how I go. ---
**Author:** ![Robert163](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4af34b/32.png) [@Robert163](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robert163)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/71 "2016-01-11T02:52:55Z")
> [@Battle\_Pope](#): > > I live about 5km from my work so I’m doing an eight week Couch-to-5-km program (Zombies! Run) which is a lot of fun. About 1/2 way through that at the moment. If I can do that OK I’ll switch over to the regular version which is a lot more story driven. > > I can’t stand going to the gym so my current program is: > > [ul] > [li]Mon-Wed-Friday: C25K (mix of walking and jogging) to work. Walk home [/li][li]Tue-Thurs: cycle to and from work [/li][li]Weekends off but I chase the kids around, do yard work etc[/li][/ul] > Which works OK in summer. Once winter hit’s I’ll see how I go. winter outdoor work/exercise is ok if you have the proper clothing. it sound slike yo ulike to stay active. thats good. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/72 "2016-01-11T07:33:33Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > whats FitBit? Step/kilometre/stair counter. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/73 "2016-01-11T17:36:47Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Probably the most important thing about starting exercise is creating the habit to exercise. Make a commitment to make exercise a part of your life rather than searching out an activity which is enticing enough to motivate you to exercise. > > If you’re not exercising now, start by picking 3 specific 30-minute times during the week when you’ll exercise (e.g Mon/Wed 12:00, Sat 10:00). If you don’t know what to do, start by walking. You can easily walk from your home or work and it’s only 1.5 hours per week. Keep a strict schedule for 4-6 weeks so it becomes a habit. Schedule the times in your calendar so you’ll be less likely to skip. After it becomes a habit, you’ll think “Which activity shall I do during my exercise time?” as opposed to “Which activity is so fun that I’ll be enticed to turn of the TV?” The change in mindset is important to ensure a lifetime of activity. This is the biggest thing that worked for me. I found that right after work was the best time to exercise. I tried in the morning and my blood literally doesn’t get flowing right. I just can’t work out hard enough. People are different, that’s what so many don’t get. They think, well if I can do it, so can everyone else. Not the case. Do what works best for you. Me, I go straight to the gym on the way home. I also didn’t try to fill every single day with exercise, hence the four days a week. That way it’s nice to look forward to the weekend, AND, if I miss a day, it’s easy to make it up over the weekend. I don’t like to run or job (impact!) so I just don’t. I tried the couch to 5K but I will tell you right now if you hate an activity you just won’t do it. Find the things you like to do and do them. Winter is a problem as I don’t like winter and don’t like winter sports, but when spring comes back I intend to do some hiking and kayaking again and bikeriding, too. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2016, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/74 "2016-01-11T23:58:11Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Winter is a problem… Summer is my major barrier right now. I hate gyms and might go back to swimming but I quite like walking. Unfortunately, for most of the day, it’s just too damned hot to get out there and pound the pavement. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/75 "2016-01-13T23:04:35Z")
Do you have an indoor shopping mall or an IKEA store you could walk in? It’s apparently a popular pass-time here in it’s too hot to be outside. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2016, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/76 "2016-01-14T01:14:20Z")
> [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](#): > > Do you have an indoor shopping mall or an IKEA store you could walk in? It’s apparently a popular pass-time here in it’s too hot to be outside. Excellent idea! It’s going to hit 40°C today and I’m just back from the mall. The world and his wife were there, trying to stay cool but I think if I got there early it’d be a good idea. I bought myself a swimming costume while I was there (40% off - yay!). First one in well over ten years. Now I just have to work out which pool is the closest/most convenient etc and get myself going. ---
**Author:** ![InsomniaMama](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ad7895/32.png) [@InsomniaMama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InsomniaMama)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/77 "2016-01-25T13:47:09Z")
I’m back on using My Fitness Pal for calorie counting. I’ve generally gained a pound a year since high school, which was fine for quite awhile as I was pretty damn skinny to start with. But it’s true, you know, what they say about middle age. It comes with a decreased metabolism. Halfhearted healthy eating and exercise ain’t cutting it anymore. Bah. ---
**Author:** ![orderfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orderfire/32/10908_2.png) [@orderfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orderfire)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2016, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/78 "2016-01-25T14:42:23Z")
Watching this thread for ideas and waiting for February to come and go…I’m participating in a study that requires me to maintain my current weight, diet and exercise level for six months and I’m finally down to four weeks remaining. The study is testing a supplement on people who have Metabolic Syndrome…way to feel great about myself, right?! Anyway, as non-intrusive as this study is, I can’t wait til it’s over and I get my $$. Beginning of March I’ll be cleaning my diet and increasing my activity as best I can. I already eat pretty well (cook at home, lots of whole grains, fish & vegetables) but have tendancies to binge out on pasta and drink a little too much wine. Goals are definitely to lose some weight in addition to getting my clothes to fit better, improve my general health, help my creaky knees support my body and get me out of that Metabolic Syndrome group. I live in a quiet neighborhood, so walking is a good thing. I can also walk at work during lunch if I make myself. 🙂 Am also thinking about joining the gym to get some resistance training, but may also try to just do it at home with an app. I’ve tried the 7 Minute Workout and might go back to that. I use Daily Yoga occasionally (although I suck at Yoga and basically hate it, I feel better afterwards) and love My Fitness Pal and Map My Walk. Might be able to make good improvements without shelling out for the gym! And of course, more (ballroom/latin/swing) dancing on the weekends when we can find it. That’s the kind of workout that never feels like work. Thanks for all the ideas, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/79 "2016-03-11T21:12:45Z")
I think I need to stop drinking alcohol. I’ve been monitoring my diet carefully but wine is my downfall. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997/80 "2016-03-11T23:37:03Z")
If carbs didn’t exist, I’d be as thin as Twiggy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2016-exercise-and-diet-healthy-eating-thread/741997.md?page=5)