getting fit for your trip - a place to share & ramble

[alicia1506]

as per bec's suggestion, here is a lovely new thread just for us disers who are interested in getting a little more healthy, a little bit fitter etc.

feel free to rant, complain, share, encourage, motivate, support, fall off the wagon, get back on, get dizzy spells, experience the endorphin rush etc. this thread is for those of us who want to share & support each other with our fitness and health journey

so...

hi. my name is alicia and i'm an emotional eater.

(hi alicia)

i've hit rock bottom and am determined to get myself in shape. it's a long battle, but i wanna make it work. i have my bike and some willpower. i'm fine giving up carbs and sugar and fat and carbs and good stuff like cheese.

the thing i struggle with the most is soda. soft drink. coke. omg. the awesomeness that is the rich brown joy that is really chilled coke. it's hideously addictive, and probably most of the reason my butt and thighs are in the shape that they're in...

so my aim is to cut out soda as well. and if i can't cut it out altogether, to at least switch to coke zero (zero calories, zero fat, zero sugar) in the meantime to wean myself off the sugar & caffeine and to get to a water intake of approx 2 litres per day.

so... who else is with me??

 

[kyl]

O.k I am in...but I have to share something with you first. I had a lap band for four years and had it removed 3mths ago. It worked really well at first but as the years got on it caused me more and more problems until it moved yikes. Anyway to cut a long story short the surgeon that did it, is a lovely guy and has been really supportive along this journey has offered to do another procedure called a gastic sleeve. I am having this done in 4wks!!! So I will be only 15wks post op when we leave, which he said will be fine. As I am a registered nurse I have really done my home work with this and know about 10 other nurses who have had it done with no complications and great outcomes. So some people say its cheating....yeah hello its cheating a early death thats what! I had high blood pressure, high sugar levels etc etc and my father died at age 53yrs from a heart attack. So since the band has been out my hunger has returned and then some....o.k 12kgs in 3mth! But I know there is light at the end of it...Sorry alicia hope I haven't crashed your thread.

 

[becpee]

hi. my name is alicia and i'm an emotional eater.

(hi alicia)

i've hit rock bottom and am determined to get myself in shape. it's a long battle, but i wanna make it work. i have my bike and some willpower. i'm fine giving up carbs and sugar and fat and carbs and good stuff like cheese.

the thing i struggle with the most is soda. soft drink. coke. omg. the awesomeness that is the rich brown joy that is really chilled coke. it's hideously addictive, and probably most of the reason my butt and thighs are in the shape that they're in...

so my aim is to cut out soda as well. and if i can't cut it out altogether, to at least switch to coke zero (zero calories, zero fat, zero sugar) in the meantime to wean myself off the sugar & caffeine and to get to a water intake of approx 2 litres per day.

so... who else is with me??

I'm in

My name is Bec and I am a sugar addict/food addict, full stomach addict

I love anything bad for you that tastes amazing.

Yoyo dieter, weight watchers escapee etc

I am attempting this after watching 60Minutes the other night and being shocked by the amount of sugar they said the average Aussie would consume per year (around 45kg)
My sister has PCOS and I have many of the symptoms although not officially diagnosed, when my weight fluctuates so do my cycles with anything up to 75 days, although at the moment sitting at 36 (now thats a nice normal number ) anyway TMI

So, I am cutting the sugar, the fat (not all of it), the carbs and will eat most of my daily intake as close to it's natural form, cutting out most importantly I think white sugar and high GI (am I leaving much LOL?)

So, tonight the spin bike kicked my butt, but I did a bit then came inside and did some cross trainer and floor exercises, it's better than sitting on the couch eating icecream (which is what I would normally do )

O.k I am in...but I have to share something with you first. I had a lap band for four years and had it removed 3mths ago. It worked really well at first but as the years got on it caused me more and more problems until it moved yikes. Anyway to cut a long story short the surgeon that did it, is a lovely guy and has been really supportive along this journey has offered to do another procedure called a gastic sleeve. I am having this done in 4wks!!! So I will be only 15wks post op when we leave, which he said will be fine. As I am a registered nurse I have really done my home work with this and know about 10 other nurses who have had it done with no complications and great outcomes. So some people say its cheating....yeah hello its cheating a early death thats what! I had high blood pressure, high sugar levels etc etc and my father died at age 53yrs from a heart attack. So since the band has been out my hunger has returned and then some....o.k 12kgs in 3mth! But I know there is light at the end of it...Sorry alicia hope I haven't crashed your thread.

You know what, you do what you need to do, nobody lives your life, and who are others to judge?
I have contemplated looking into lapband further, but my problem is when people see me although I am overweight, others tell me I don't "look" huge, and I am obese (as far as numbers say) but i'm proportionally large (large all over), size 16-18 but at 5ft4in I look short and wide.
I am strong but unfit, but once I get in the zone I feel great.

This is a start for us, my aim is to not get my butt stuck in the airplane seat and have armrest marks in my hips

The more the merrier people, bring it on, we can do it!

 

[BemaniAK]

So some people say its cheating....yeah hello its cheating a early death thats what!

I can't say I'd enjoy having half my stomach stapled to replace good food and exercise but I totally get that the majority of people simply don't have the same amount of time or energy to put into it as others do, so I wouldn't call it cheating.
I'll just leave some points:
1. Read this: http://4chanfit.wikia.com/wiki/Harsh's_Worksheet_(WIP)

2. Try your hardest to find fun in the challenge, never try and find a comfort zone, always try and push yourself in your workouts, and try and get in the state of mind where you enjoy pushing yourself.

3. Never restrict yourself to pure Cardio if you're planning on losing a lot of weight, if all you do is cardio you'll be left with excess skin and you won't feel good about it, always try and fill that skin with muscle, tone it up, looking great and weighing 70 than going a few dress/shirt sizes down and feeling bad about excess skin.

4. Even the ladies should follow this rule, don't worry, you won't come out looking like a roided bodybuilder just by lifting weights.

5. Natural>Machines, the best case scenario for lifting and cardio is running, and lifting barbells and dumbells in an open space, part of the workout is keeping form, and machines do that for you, as far as running is concerned, you'll simply be doing longer workouts for the same turnout if you use a bike, if you have knee conditions or something that restricts running, bike is one of the best alternatives, however, always run if you can run.

6. Remember if you're in it for the long haul, your first month or so of working out is almost exclusively building up endurance, do not be put off if progress is slow at first.

7. Chuck the Coke away, Soft Drink is one of the worst things to consume as far as energy:fat ratio is concerned.

That's about all I can think of at the moment, might pop in again if any others pop into my mind.

 

[Minnie Sue Oz]

Hi all

First, thanks so much for starting this thread, in fact, you must have read my mind. I had only been thinking how nice it would be to have others that understand and somewhere to share those thoughts.

So, without further ado......

My name is Sue and I am an over eater with bad habits. I eat the wrong foods and most of the time, at the wrong time! I work full time and like so many others out there, am flat out in my work. So it's a cup of tea for breakfast, no lunch and then by the time I get home, I am sitting down to my dinner at 7pm. Then, I will get something to snack on later which is usually around 10pm
I also suffer with an immune disorder called Lupus. I manage this most of the time with medication, but that in itself can be a problem. I try to avoid steroid medication where I can, but sometimes to carry on any sort of day to day activity, I have little choice. I never use that as an excuse for my bad eating habits though, that simply is my fault alone.
I am however, very active as I find this helps keep me moving easier. By active, I mean active and quite fit to boot although I just don't look it at all
I do at least 1 hour on the treadmill every day and alternate jog/walk. I have increased the distance a number of times and now am slowly increasing my speed. This has low impact on the old joints and I feel really good after I have completed a session!
I am limited to what I can do, as weight bearing exercises are out of the question! I have enough trouble lifting the shopping bags, let alone anything like a dumbell.
I have always been overweight, then got to obese and then morbidly obese. I find that term just horrible, but at 109 kilos, I suppose there is no other way to put it. My DH and I have been together for 24 years, and in all that time I have never been under the 100 kg mark. At my heaviest, I was 132 kilos...............happy to have shed some of that let me tell you!!!
My aim was to get under the 100 kilo mark before we went to Disneyland in October. I still hold out some hope.................I will just have to see how I go.
BUT, with you guys out there to help me along, I am hoping to make the journey for myself a little less painful!

So, here's to a new attitude, a new look, and new friends to share the highs and low along the way

 

[BemaniAK]

and if i can't cut it out altogether, to at least switch to coke zero (zero calories, zero fat, zero sugar) in the meantime to wean myself off the sugar & caffeine and to get to a water intake of approx 2 litres per day.

Trust me, Coke Zero is not any better, if you need anything to ween yourself off Soft Drink, keep it to regular Coke and Pepsi, and try to restrict it to before a run or workout to give you a light sugar rush, and yes, ween it down to water and juice (The Vitamins outweigh the Calories)

I am limited to what I can do, as weight bearing exercises are out of the question! I have enough trouble lifting the shopping bags, let alone anything like a dumbell.

If this is not due to a medical issue, you can most definitely start out lifting small things and build strength and endurance in the arms, if you really want to get under a specific number in 4 months, it would be better to just keep active and eat healthy, but I highly recommend you start once you get back from WDW, If you have any of that under-arm skin that many Women get, it'll be almost completely invisible with some toned muscle filling it in, you'll be much happier about your arms.

Another point that I remembered from this post:
8. Weight Loss is about health, appearance, and self-confidence, keep the numbers at a safe distance, I never recommend people "keep an eye" on their actual Weight, only their habits, just make sure you eat well and excersize regularly, if you find yourself slipping, it's best to talk with someone to motivate you again, this thread's probably a good place.
Muscle growth (As explained earlier to help tone and minimize excess skin) does mean you will gain weight, if you are in fact doing weigh-ins, never be scared about weight gain unless you know you've done the wrong thing.

 

[alicia1506]

re: the lapband thing. i think it's actually a brave move, as is any kind of bariatric/gastric surgery. the side effects and potential complications involved, plus the fact that it is ultra major abdominal surgery (i know what they say, keyhole is better than an open cut, and it is... but they still cut through all your muscles and so forth internally, it's just that externally you only have a few small scars) that takes a long time to get over. you do whatever you need/want to do for your situation. live your life as you need to, regardless of what others say...

my mum recently asked if i was going to have the surgery... and to be honest, i'm a really viable candidate, but after my recent surgery experience... nope, not going back there, so i'll just sweat it off and curse my PCOS genes and hormones..

i recently had my gall bladder surgery, and let me tell you, that wasn't fun. i had keyhole surgery, but there were some complications (not due to my weight) that meant that the procedure was more invasive than they had planned. my 3 weeks off afterwards to recuperate were gruelling, exhausting and i was physically unable to even walk short distances for up to a month afterwards. now that i'm fully recovered, i'm eager to get back on the health kick and exercise regime, however the one thing i noticed... because they had to cut through internal muscles etc during my procedure, my stomach now rests lower than it used to... i have really good, strong abdominals with just a few layers of fat on top that give me my belly... now after surgery, my abdominals are shot, my skin tone is shot, my stomach sits lower on my body and the few layers of fat are slightly less pudgy... grrr. not liking this new post-op body.

so today is my birthday. and i woke up feeling terrible. i'm coming down with carlo's flu. he woke up feeling great. stupid karma. anyway, i'm going to stick to my calories and try and do an extended workout on the bike tonight so i won't feel guilty eating a slice of birthday cake tomorrow at me/my sister's joint birthday celebration

good luck all

 

[KiwiMouseGirl]

Hi all, i'm Cass! And i'm just a general bad eater! I went through a phase where it was coke and a sausage roll for morning tea, subway for lunch and then snacking on chips and chocolate throughout the rest of the day until dinner. HOWEVER! We have changed our ways! I lost a bit of wait previously when I gave up soft drinks and I figured if I could do it once, I could do it again! And I did! It wasn't easy though! It took alot of will power to fight the cravings and horrible headaches from sugar withdrawls! But I got there in the end! I've changed my diet for a much more balanced one and i'm noticing the difference! Yoghurt and a handful of museli for breakfast, crackers and hummus for morning tea, toast with tomato or avacado (sometimes banana!!) for lunch! And then more yoghurt or a piece of fruit for dessert! It's not super healthy, but it's reasonably balanced and keeps me feeling full and my energy levels up. I try to drink as much water as possible, but if im feeling like something sweet I have a cup of tea or a milo I go for a short 30ish min walk on the treadmill five days a week in the morning before work on an empty stomach, and then eat breakfast in the staff room. It's not alot, but it works for me I put on 8kgs just before and while I was in America, and I plan to loose it again!!! Woo!

 

[becpee]

So, a quick workout this morning, nothing massive, but got the heart pumping which is important.
I can't believe i'm waking up so early!
I actually have luggage under my eyes
It'll go tonight, early night for me (early start tomorrow 2X)
I think for me the most important thing is to keep moving, and hopefully checking in here will keep me honest!
I've cut out white bread and when I need to use bread I will try and use something a bit more grainy and less fluffy than what i'm used to.
My sister is doing The Michelle Bridges 12 week challenge, so we're going to head out some time over the weekend for a walk/run maybe around one of the manmade lakes around here.
Don't know if I said already but I bought some workout skins, they're not very forgiving so you can see everything so need to get rid of the jellyroll around my belly that has been there since my c-section (when i'm done with childbearing I may need it surgically removed if I can't decrease the size).
My DS is very fitwise, so he is coming along with me in parts for the ride, he loves holding my ankles while i'm doing pushups or counting my situps, I don't want to be the fat school mum forever

I resisted the tearoom sausage sizzle yesterday, that in itself is an achievement, you know how hard they are to resist!

Have a good day everybody!

 

[kyl]

I can't say I'd enjoy having half my stomach stapled to replace good food and exercise but I totally get that the majority of people simply don't have the same amount of time or energy to put into it as others do, so I wouldn't call it cheating.

No having my stomach reduce is going to give me back my life. It is a tool to help, its not the total answer. They actually cut away the part of the stomach that produces hunger its called "ghrelin". They have done alot of research into this and found that yes some people do have more than others. The way to tell, look at your family tree. I know in my family many of us have struggled with our weight. Not everyone but about a third. I have put the "time and effort" in put I always feel hungry. I never feel full and if I do its for a very short period. It is something I have struggled with for most of my life. My grandmother, my cousin and my father all struggled with it. I just don't want to end up in an early grave like my father at 53yrs So yes I will still need to eat "good food and exercise". Its just that I will be satisfied with a smaller amount. Its not for eveyone I know that, but its also not a time saving or lazy way out. I think if you can lose weight though diet and exercise alone great, I wish I was could do that as well I have tried weight watches, naturapathaic treatements the list is endless. I am 5ft 3inc. And 100kg. I am classed as morbidly obese, its not something I am proud of and I hate that its not something that I can keep to myself. Every one sees it....they see me and I am over feeling self concious and living a half life. When I was a teenager I starved myself to 68kg so that I could "fit in" at school. I can't tell you how hungry I was all the time, I would wake up hungry it was awful more awful than being big. Needless to say I only lasted a couple of years like this then I started to pack it all back on. Thats my little story....I am really happy for those like I said who can do it the other way, I just wish it was me as well

 

[BecBennett]

Hello my name is Bec and I snack a lot!

the thing i struggle with the most is soda. soft drink. coke. omg. the awesomeness that is the rich brown joy that is really chilled coke. it's hideously addictive,

Yes! This exactly.

However while I might cut it down I'm not going to cut it out. My weight is very manageable and if that changes then this might too, but I feel the amount of endorphins it releases outweighs the sugar intake. Sorry, I know this doesn't help with this thread, but I've said my piece!

I'm trying to cut back on the crap I eat to help clear up my complexion. I have worse skin now then what I did when I was a teenager

My "excuse" is that I have ulcerative colitis and while there's little I love more then fruits, salads, yoghurts, etc. I can't eat too much of them without my stomach playing up. Plain bland food (read: carbs) are great for me though - luckily I love them, and there's nothing I enjoy more then getting home from the gym to eat a potato packed meal One of my favourite cold weather meals is a beef casserole with many chunks of potato served over a bed of pasta! I love to carbo load...

Before my wedding I had this amazing diet - round meals with no snacking, no added sugar (except coke) - doing everything right - really a nutritionist's dream. Except I found out that I lack salt, so I had to start drinking sports drinks - or having the occasional packet of chips to stop myself from getting excruciating night cramps.

Then I went to WDW and my old habits came creeping back... I snack on chocolate and chips and biscuits very regularly. Last weekend I made a batch of brownies and topped it with chocolate frosting and mini m&ms (still not helping am I?) and then proceeded to eat the whole thing over the 3 days...

My problem is not having enough healthy options for lunch. I can't eat enough fruit to fill me up, or I'll get sick. So I have to have maybe a piece of fruit, and then a tin of tuna, the next day I need to have something plain, so maybe chicken noodles , the next day I could have a tuna salad, but then the next day I'd need something plain again... This is where I start snacking, I'd pick up a pack of chips and munch on them while I stare into the pantry Then I'd realise the saltiness of these chips would go really well with some chocolate

Lately I've started having the alfredo etc. single serves, which are really yummy, but again I can't have them 2 days in a row or the dairy in the wrecks havoc

If DH lived at home during the week and not just of a weekend I'd have left overs to enjoy, but because he doesn't I usually eat dinner over at my mum's and therefore don't get any.

What does everyone else eat for lunch?

I have a confession - I've already eaten a twirl this morning, and now I'm eyeing off a sour strap...

 

[BecBennett]

OK... I had the sour strap...



Well it was more like 3...

 

[CairnsGirl]

Hi all!,

I'm am an avid reader of the disboards, even through I do not post very often.

I too have been on the diet treadmill all my life and could have shares in weight watchers by now!

I am a walker and enjoy a brisk walk for an hour every morning.

I have tried to shed the weight for years. I got hold of the Davis Gillespie book 'Sweet Poison" and weaned myself of sugar. I have also dropped 10 kilos with no major hunger pains.

I no longer crave the sweet things I used to and have got rid of my headaches. I feel fantastic and hope to lose another 10 kilos by next year for my USA holiday.

I do indulge occasionally on a dessert or chocolate but find I don't crave it any more. I love being sugar free!

The USA holiday will be a time to splurge on all the goodies in the USA. After I get back I will keep up my sugar free diet.

Good luck to everyone trying to shed the kilos, I know how hard it is!!

 

[BemaniAK]

words

I can already tell where this thread is going to be in 5 pages.

 

[LizfromOz]

I've been a yoyo dieter all my life. I have no medical reasons, I'm just a guts-ache. I eat when I'm happy and when I'm sad. I also tend to eat when I'm bored. At my lightest I was 62kg and 112kg at my heaviest. Last January I started to eat less and move more and have gone from 108kg to my current weight of 94kg, which is still too heavy for my 5ft 2 inch body.

Ideally, I would like to drop another 5-10kg before our trip in mid September, but I am getting more excited by the day and I eat when I'm excited too

Like MinnieSue, I am quite active ( i work as a teacher's aide with special needs kids and in the office at a school), and also try and get to the gym 4 times a week, so stamina is not a problem. I can only imagine the size I would be if I didn't move my butt

I just love yummy food!! Beignets, churros, In and Out burgers...aaarghh

To borrow a phrase from Marjorie Dawe, I'm a fat cow, fat cow, lol.

 

[australiankaren]

ok

move up the aisle ladies..one more joining this bus

i should be going to the gym today, as well as all this week but i just don't want to. I am so overwhelmed with life, that all i want to do is eat....and then feel guilty, so eat some more. to make it worse, the DH has started his diet, and hes a man of the "go hard or go home" variety..so he's living on friggin boiled chicken and lettuce, when all i want is damn pizza and hamburgers.
he cant understand why i don't want to go to the gym.

anyway, i'll go back on monday..as I want to chill this weekend (the GK's & DS are away this weekend, so we have an empty house)

and to make it worse, i work in an all women dept. who bring in damn home made yummy cake EVERY FRIGGIN DAY and its on the table behind my desk Oh give me strength.

 

[BecBennett]

When I'm feeling overwhelmed with everything I find the best gym workout is body combat. You just punch and kick all of your frustrations out!!

 

[hjd0411]

Hello!! May I join??
I have been going to Weight Watchers for ages (this time!! ) and have lost a grand total of 6kgs!! Even on this I go up and down!
But I am determined to lose another 5 kgs (at least) before I leave in October. I want to be able to enjoy myself when I'm away!! I know I'll be doing lots and lots of walking - I always do, but I need to be fitter to do it!
I have a lovely German Shepherd who helps me with my walking here - and that is really all the exercise I do. I'm a shift worker which sometimes makes it hard to get out, not to mention the cooler winter days!
Still, I try!! And perhaps some "accountability" and chatting here will help!! I'm willing to try anything!

Oh - and Happy Birthday Alicia!!!

 

[mindy32]

Hi All!
I know I'm only new here so I hope noone minds me joining in?
I'm constantly craving junk food lately! I weaned myself off soft drinks, have coke maybe once a week now, but chocolate, desserts and take away are my killers. I managed to loose 22kg in 18 months before my wedding, but in the last 6 months I've put back on 6kg and if I'm not careful I'm going to be back where I started! I want to loose this 6 and a few more to get into my healthy weight range and feel good on our trip! When we went to Europe three years ago I was pretty much at my heaviest and I hate those photos, I want to be happy with photos we take this time.

But I just can't get back into it. Last year I was exercising 6 days a week, now I don't even want to once lol. We've just bought a treadmill which isn't working (brand new I might add!) so as soon as thats fixed I'll be back into the exercise. And I just have to stop the junk food!

Aiming for 3kg gone by my mums 50th at the end of July. I have PCOS too, so always hard to loose weight. And hubby trains all the time at work so he doesn't have to watch what he eats!

Anyone else have specific goals in mind?

 

[becpee]

So good to see so many people here for support.

I work in a supermarket, junk food on tap (Cadbury popping candy and jelly beans anybody?).

I'm filling up on protein, this works for me, not ideal probably in the long run but I need to kick start.
In the days that i've been doing this I already feel better about myself, i'm making a start which is the hardest part.

For lunch today I had egg and bacon mini quiches made in the muffin tin (no pastry required), second day salad and a protein bar, I was very satisfied when I was done, but all I kept thinking was bec vs bike
Those seats are so damn uncomfortable.
The upside? It makes me stand when i'm spinning/cycling which is good for your thighs

I also bought some weis bars (gives me the little sugar I need), single serve sorbet, just don't eat all of them at once

Back out to the garage soon for Bec vs Bike, see how long I can sit on the seat tonight