The SDMB I'm-Getting-In-Shape Support Group

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
61

I guess i’ll try to jump on this bandwagon. I have been thinking about this recently, mostly because I took a look at myself and while i’ve started to care about how I look (clothes, hair and all), my body needs to get into shape. I’ve gotten tired of this flab I carry around, so, I think i shall attempt to lose it ;). I have lost some weight this year. At the beginning, i was at 260, and i changed my habits to take in less carbs. Well, i slipped from that, and am now stuck at 245 lbs.

Also, it’s pissed me off that in middle school, while I wasn’t really thin at all (in fact, I think i was bigger then), I could make it up this fairly steep hill at the end of my street. Now, it’s difficult for me to bike all the way up it (that illustrated how out of shape I am).

So, i bought a bike pump for my bike, inflated the tires, and put the wide seat back on it (that’s what stopped me the last time, the other bike has such a narrow seat my ass hurts when I ride for any good amount of time on it). So, it’s ready for me to take out and around town. I have a course in mind that i’ve ridden before that’s got many hills (the steep one at the end of my street included, as well as several smaller ones. What joy it is to live on sand dunes :D). It’s probably a mile or two total, so i can ride around that for 30 minutes at least every day. I dont know when I can do this. I’m not a morning person, and I value my sleep during school days, so i’d probably go out in the afternoons. I’ll also bring my walkman along to help keep it from getting too boring.

The last time I took the bike out, I must say it was quite invigorating. Even though my legs burned, it felt good to get out there and ride around. I hate jogging or walking, but I can do the bike. I’m not so much into muscle gain as getting my legs in shape, as well as losing weight, so my focus is cardio to help my heart and lose the weight.
Stats:

Name: Doobieous
Age: 21
Height: 6’2"
Weight: 245 lbs
Target Weight: 200

I figure i’ll go for 200 because its a nice even number, and losing 45 lbs seems doable to me. I dont want to set the goal too high, but who knows what may happen further down the road, i may decide to go lower.

Interesting family fact hi-jack: My dad seems to not be able to keep his cholesterol up. One of his last physicals, they tested him twice because his cholesterol was so low, they thought they made a mistake. So, they told him to eat more fat. I sure hope I have the gene for that.

62

Name: Michi
Height: five feet
Weight: 123
Goal 110-115 by Jan 1, 2001

I have been doing the weight watchers thing, but I have not been monitoring myself as closely as I should, nor have I been exercising enough.

For those of you interested in aerobics tapes, try Jane Fonda’s “Step and Stretch” and “Step and Abs”. Also try Kathy Smith’s “Step Workout” and Reebok’s “The Video”. All these tapes contain routines that are SUPER easy to follow. Trust me, I can’t walk and chew gum at the same time but I picked up the steps with no problems.

63

I, too, have recently tried to get in shape. I’m attempting to gain at least 25 pounds, but I figure that will take me a while. This site that I’ve tried seems really cool though. www.gymamerica.com

64

I’ve been reading along with everyone’s commitments and am really thrilled to see we’re in such good (and supportive) company in our desire to get healthier, leaner and stronger. And I wanted to add something here…mostly because I’ve never been good at the “group support thing” as far as receiving support. I love to give encourage and help others but battling my weight most of my life (and sometimes winning for a year or two) has made me incredibly self-conscious around others in regards to my weight. And I’m sure I’m not the only one reluctant to share a lot about myself.

Now, many of us have chosen to post our weight and our goal weight, etc., but I hope and want to encourage anyone reading this and thinking of joining in the whole “support thing” not to feel intimidated or obligated to post their stats (I’m going on faith here that no one who’s already joined this little thread is going to disagree). The important thing is to get fit. So, IMHO, you don’t have to post stats or even goals, but if you want to post goals or target dates without exact stats (i.e. without stating current weight to say you want to lose/gain 15 lbs, for example), I’d think that’s great too.

Just my two-cents…

65

Okay, damnit.

I cut my walk short today for several reasons, only about a 15 minute walk. No I am not wussin out here.

My shoes are hand-me-downs from my step-mom and they were rubbing my heel pretty bad and I am starting to get a blister, okay so I am going to go shopping today for new shoes. Proper shoe fit is important when walking. If I continued and got a major blister I would have not been able to walk for a few days.

It was hotter outside than I anticipated, it wasn’t the temp so much as the sun beating down.

Last and the most important thing for me to look at is, my frickin smoking. I did okay yesterday but today with the heat my lungs were screaming for air. Time to get some nicorettes and if not quit completely (hey you can’t change your lifestyle completely in one day) at least give my lungs a break from the smoke while aiding my need for nicotene.

Once I get my new shoes today, I will go for another walk today. I have nothing better to do anyway.

66

It wasn’t so much my weight, but where I was carrying it.

So I joined Bally’s and lift weights, run a lot (I like the treadmill, so I can catch CNN Headline News while I’m grinding out the miles) and I swim laps.

I also changed my eating habits: much less meat, leaner portions of meat, more salad and veggies, less caffiene (almost none, now), very seldom sweets.

Lots of yoghurt and Slim Fast-type drinks (breakfast, lunch and a mid-afternoon snack).

And I moved that flacid spare tire from my waist to a fairly toned chest/arms/shoulders over a year.

But my weight didn’t change all that much.

ExTank

67

Oh, and I broke my arm last Thursday, so I’m open to suggestions on how to work-out without destroying this hunk o’ plaster ensconsing my arm from fingers to mid-forearm.

Thanks.

ExTank

68

Name: Rob
Location: Everywhere (no, really, I travel a lot in my work)
Age: 33
Height: 5’6"
Weight: 155lbs
Waist: 31"
Chest: 40"
Biceps: 14"

SilverFire (and to all others that this applies):

“Put Down That Cookie!”

ExTank
“Pecan Sandies and Striped Shortbread are the tools of the Devil!”

69

ok, I’ll join in. None of my old pants fit. I worked out regularly for about 6 months 4 years ago and I remember actually being able to see my abdominal muscles. I’d like to get back to that. My fiancee has said she thinks it would be sexy, so there’s some motivation.

Sublight.
Age: 28
Height: 186cm, 6’1"
Weight: 86kg, 189lbs.
Fat: 21% (according to one of those hand-held electric fat meters)
Target weight: whatever. I’m more concerned with lowering my fat level. If I put on weight in muscle, great.
Target fat: 17%

Good luck to everyone here,

–sublight.

70

about not feeling obligated to post your weight and other stats. And it’s nice that people here at SDMB are so supportive of each other.

I’m afraid one of my biggest problems is going to be staying away from the computer and going outdoors more. I’m so fascinated by this board that I spend way too much time here. I guess I am going to need to figure some form of postitive reinforcement so that when I exercise, I am sufficiently rewarded to do it frequently.

71

Wow. My age & stats are exactly the same as tatertot’s. Freaky.

How’s this for motivation - the mother of all SDMB get-togethers. It could be in a warm, vacation-y type of place. Then we’d all have no choice but to look buff and sexy to show off to other dopers.

To accomplish this, I think I’d also need a new thread: “Stop spending all of your money on stupid crap and save some of it for a fabulous vacation.”

I’m currently trying to run, but the motivation (or lack thereof) is a little tough. I’m also looking for a place to take yoga, but so far none of the places I’ve tried are compatible with my schedule. Are there any good yoga tapes that anyone can recommend?

72

Gretchen, we should be get-fit buddies. :slight_smile: Yoga sounds like fun, too - doesn’t it build those long, lean muscles? I’d love to be able to swim, but the chemicals they put in pool water give me hives. It’s too bad, because I love swimming and would happily do it all day.

I’ve got a question for the Mommy Dopers who have sucessfully got back into shape: Will my hips ever go back to 33 inches or are they stretched beyond repair? Do the bones actually widen, or is that an old wives tale? I’ve been trying to find a definative answer on the internet but no luck.

73

:eek:
Count me in. Actually, I have already lost a considerable amount of weight but I’d like to lose about 10-15 lbs more (or at least keep off what I’ve lost to date). It’s been worth the effort. My blood pressure has dropped from 145/95 to 110/70 and I feel pretty good.

There have been some great suggestions by other posters: keeping careful track of what you eat (reality check), keeping a set of old clothes so you can see what you’ve lost (reward). For my diet, I’ve done a “zigzag” of low calorie for several days, maintenance calorie for a couple of days, then a fast day. This has worked for me (resulting in about 125 lbs lost over about 2.5 to 3 years). I’m very active for much of the year, walking mist nets all day long. I lift weights (okay, they’re only 2 lb weights, but I move 'em around) and I’ll need to find something to do during the winter when I’m not catching birds.

Say, Girl Next Door: why not get the puppy now and exercise with it? (I’m waiting myself for my field season to be over to get a Golden - love these dogs. I’ll take her out in the field when she gets older.)

Motivational ‘before’ picture: While it’s a little old (last fall) it’s fairly accurate and I ain’t putting one of my pre-diet pics up. I’d like to get my belly, hips, and thighs in better shape (or am I cursed with cellulite to my dying day?). I’m the blonde having a bad hair day in the middle.

::stands up and takes deep breath::
name: brachyrhynchos
Age: 44
Height: 5’9"
Weight: 160-165 lbs currently size 10 or 12 pants (I don’t have a scale, best estimate)
Target Weight: About 150 lbs or size 8 to 10 pants.

74

Well, I have to try to lose a teeny bit of weight, but with vball season in full swing now, I’ll probably gain some in muscle. I just have to try to keep up with the exercise plan after season ends, which means running again.

75

Brachy, you are so pretty! If you want to get fit for health, that’s one thing, but I’m telling you your figure is very nice, not need to change anything. And coming from me, the queen of catty women, that should mean a lot.

76

Something that I have found very motivating in my weight-loss endeavor is to have a pair of “reference jeans.” Reference jeans are one size smaller than what you currently wear. It is a tremendous ego boost when you first zip 'em up, and even better when you can go out in public and wear them. My first set of reference jeans was a size twelve - I never bought a bigger pair because I started wearing the horrid “stretchy pants” when I grew out of my 12s. Now I don’t have reference jeans because I can wear size 8s in public. :smiley: However, I am still trying to gain muscle and lose fat. I don’t really care what my weight is, as long as I look good. However, I am bummed that I will never be able to wear a size 8 dress. Some things don’t shrink no matter how much weight you lose. :frowning:

Reference jeans are particularly motivating when the scale isn’t moving. I’ve lost inches but no actual weight at times. Another idea is to get a tape measure and regularly track your changes.

I now consider stretchy pants to be Spawn of Satan and they are banned from my closet except for work-out/lounging clothes.

Even if you’re not trying to lose weight, just get into shape, you’ll notice a tremendous amount of difference in the way your clothes fit. And since muscle is more dense than fat, you can end up gaining weight but fitting into smaller clothes.

77

I just stared working out too, but haven’t seen any results yet.

Name: Tracy
Height: 5’6"
Weight: 172lbs. (ouch)
Goal: 150lbs.

I am biking for about a half hour every other day. I slacked off this summer because of the 107 degree temps. here in Louisiana, but I’m trying to get started again. The University where I teach has a gym and I need to check it out. I started arm work today (I have some hand weights at home). I haven’t really changed my diet much. I eat entirely too much cheeseburgers and mexican food!

Oh, and iampunha . . . you are so goodlooking, hon! :slight_smile:

Peace,
Tracy

78

I’m in.

I need to start running again, or something.

My asthma is not appreciating all the butt smushing, I’ve been doing.

79

Wow, tatertot, thank you! Actually I feel fairly comfortable with my general body shape, at least when I’m in regular clothes. It’s more how I feel, literally. Sort of like squeezing soggy Charmins. I think this is an age thing - I was a lot firmer 20 years ago.

The health aspects of losing weight have been the best. Like I mentioned, my blood pressure is now normal - a good thing for me since high blood pressure gallops through both sides of my family. And I was certain I was headed toward a knee replacement. I had torn my left anterior cruciate ligament several years ago and eventually both my knees ached all the time. Now they are fine. And now I know what I’ll do during the winter - tune up my x-country skis and pray for snow! Haven’t been able to do that since the tear.

80

Not a bad idea!