Getting Fit: Shedding Pounds and Achieving Goals Together

[lisab]

OK, so I've gained a bit of weight over the winter . I need to lose about 7 pounds.

I thought I'd start a thread, with two goals. First, as a way to keep me on track - nothing like a good old-fashioned public shaming to change one's behavior, haha. Second, if there are others wanting to lose too, join in and track your progress!

Share what you're doing, what works for you.

Also I'd like to know if anyone is working on a really, really tough goal, like running a marathon or earning a black belt.

Tonight I jogged/walked about 2.5 miles. Nothing too taxing, I'm starting slow.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I need to avoid a lot of carbs, good or bad, so I basically went on the Atkins diet and lost 30 Lbs in about 4 months. That was a year ago and I have gained a bit back but am holding my own. I still want to lose another 20 Lbs so I plan to hit the hard-core diet again. That means no more than 25 grams of total carbs a day, IIRC.

I absolutely love my protein drink [Body Fortress]. It made a huge difference in my life; in large part because I didn't realize how many problems even good carbs like my high-grain toast, and milk, were causing. By replacing my morning calories with protein I feel soooooo much better. But again, I am a special case. This diet is controversial. It may be able to cause liver damage, which I why I limited my own time on the full-blown diet. I still eat a low-carb diet because I really have no choice. But I must say, it sure works! I was shedding pounds so fast that Tsu was absolutely blown away. She said she could see me changing almost daily. And I was adding muscle mass at the same time, so the percent body fat loss was surely greater than the weight loss alone would suggest.

 

[dlgoff]

I need to gain about 7 lbs. Lost it building fence.

 

[Q_Goest]

Share what you're doing, what works for you.

ok, oddball story - There was a guy on the radio a few years back that was explaining his diet. He'd eat a small portion but before he went and had more, he'd have a spoon of castor oil. He claimed it killed his appetite and he wouldn't over-eat.

I tried something similar but instead of castor oil, I'd have a small meal then eat a large carrot. No salt. No ranch dressing. Just a raw, unadulterated carrot. Seems to work for me anyway. It's not only good for you (and not nearly as disgusting as castor oil) it helps fill me up and curbs the appetite. I lost 10 pounds in about as many months which is where I want to be.

For exercise, and since I sit behind a desk most of the day, I take 15 minutes in the afternoon and walk up and down the stairs. I figure I climb 450 feet up and back down in that time. Get some strange looks though when someone's following me to the bottom and I turn around and head back up.

 

[lisab]

I need to avoid a lot of carbs, good or bad, so I basically went on the Atkins diet and lost 30 Lbs in about 4 months. That was a year ago and I have gained a bit back but am holding my own. I still want to lose another 20 Lbs so I plan to hit the hard-core diet again. That means no more than 25 grams of total carbs a day, IIRC.

I absolutely love my protein drink [Body Fortress]. It made a huge difference in my life; in large part because I didn't realize how many problems even good carbs like my high-grain toast, and milk, were causing. By replacing my morning calories with protein I feel soooooo much better. But again, I am a special case. This diet is controversial. It may be able to cause liver damage, which I why I limited my own time on the full-blown diet. I still eat a low-carb diet because I really have no choice. But I must say, it sure works! I was shedding pounds so fast that Tsu was absolutely blown away. She said she could see me changing almost daily. And I was adding muscle mass at the same time, so the percent body fat loss was surely greater than the weight loss alone would suggest.

I discovered years ago that when I let myself eat what I want, I gravitate to high protein foods. Like you said - I just feel *good* when I eat lots of protein.

I've almost cut out the base of the food pyramid below - everything in that layer makes me feel like a slug.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pmap1.gif

 

[lisab]

ok, oddball story - There was a guy on the radio a few years back that was explaining his diet. He'd eat a small portion but before he went and had more, he'd have a spoon of castor oil. He claimed it killed his appetite and he wouldn't over-eat.

I tried something similar but instead of castor oil, I'd have a small meal then eat a large carrot. No salt. No ranch dressing. Just a raw, unadulterated carrot. Seems to work for me anyway. It's not only good for you (and not nearly as disgusting as castor oil) it helps fill me up and curbs the appetite. I lost 10 pounds in about as many months which is where I want to be.

For exercise, and since I sit behind a desk most of the day, I take 15 minutes in the afternoon and walk up and down the stairs. I figure I climb 450 feet up and back down in that time. Get some strange looks though when someone's following me to the bottom and I turn around and head back up.

Castor oil...ugh, lol. I think I'd rather smack my wrist with a rubber band (I've heard of people using that method to stop lots of habits, like smoking).

The carrot trick is a great idea!

 

[Astronuc]

Balance food intake with exercise. Eat complex carbohydrates such as vegetables and cereals, and minimize processed food. Oatmeal or multi-grain cereal with fruit is good for breakfast.

Exercise is really important for maintaining fitness, not only from the cardiac standpoint, but also for muscle tone and joint movement.

I try to walk 2 to 3 miles each day, usually around lunchtime. It takes about 45 minutes, or slightly longer if I add some additional distance. I also have some light weights to play with. Walking and weight training are also good for stress relief.

On the weekend, I can do chores such as yard work and/or gardening.

 

[Danger]

OK, so I've gained a bit of weight over the winter . I need to lose about 7 pounds.

I thought I'd start a thread, with two goals. First, as a way to keep me on track - nothing like a good old-fashioned public shaming to change one's behavior, haha.

I'm afraid that I will have to see a naked photo of you before I can offer an informed opinion.

 

[Gnosis]

Greetings Lisab,

It pays to bear in mind that dieting will never rival some manner of activity that serves to increase the rate of your metabolism.

Diets have never worked for me as they only left me miserably hungry, weak, shaky, gave me headaches, and increased my desire to eat something delicious to appease the belly god.

After not pedaling a bicycle for 30 years, I commenced bicycling regularly in late April of 2011. By late December of 2011, my weight had dropped from 205 pounds to 175.6 pounds. Currently, my weight is 168.4 pounds, so bicycling has quite literally transformed my body to the body I had 30 years ago, which has shocked family and friends. The best part is, I’ve enjoyed the various bicycling challenges and I enjoy every bicycle ride to and from my cousin’s house (round trip 16 miles), which includes many long steep ascents.

I bicycle everywhere these days. In fact, I just bicycled 100 miles on March 14, 2012, which isn’t bad when you consider I survived a near fatal heart attack in late August of 2009 at age 53 and I’m about to turn 56. Cardiovascular improvements came swiftly via bicycling and I was stunned by how quickly it melted away the fat from my stomach and sides. I had anticipated that it would slim my legs, but I hadn't expected it to melt away the pounds around my stomach and sides like it did.

 

[lisab]

I'm afraid that I will have to see a naked photo of you before I can offer an informed opinion.

Afraid you're going to have to use your imagination - so here we go. Imagine me naked. Now imagine 7 lbs. Imagine that 7 lbs all over me...yep, that's it

 

[lisab]

Greetings Lisab,

It pays to bear in mind that dieting will never rival some manner of activity that serves to increase the rate of your metabolism.

Diets have never worked for me as they only left me miserably hungry, weak, shaky, gave me headaches, and increased my desire to eat something delicious to appease the belly god.

After not pedaling a bicycle for 30 years, I commenced bicycling regularly in late April of 2011. By late December of 2011, my weight had dropped from 205 pounds to 175.6 pounds. Currently, my weight is 168.4 pounds, so bicycling has quite literally transformed my body to the body I had 30 years ago, which has shocked family and friends. The best part is, I’ve enjoyed the various bicycling challenges and I enjoy every bicycle ride to and from my cousin’s house (round trip 16 miles), which includes many long steep ascents.

I bicycle everywhere these days. In fact, I just bicycled 100 miles on March 14, 2012, which isn’t bad when you consider I survived a near fatal heart attack in late August of 2009 at age 53 and I’m about to turn 56. Cardiovascular improvements came swiftly via bicycling and I was stunned by how quickly it melted away the fat from my stomach and sides. I had anticipated that it would slim my legs, but I hadn't expected it to melt away the pounds around my stomach and sides like it did.

I'm the same way. I don't do well cutting back substantially on food. Besides, my diet is already really pretty good - I avoid processed foods, and I think the last time I went to McDonalds was...wow, I don't even remember...it was over 5 years ago.

But I can do moderate exercise for long stretches (once I'm in shape). And it feels good, I love it. So my plan is to ease into getting more active. Over the winter I was taking engineering classes and working full-time, and I really let my exercise schedule slide into nearly nothing ,

That's really great that you recovered from nearly dying! Welcome to life part II!

"Appease the belly god"...

 

[QuarkCharmer]

I second bicycling. I asked about it on PF last year and decided to purchase a road bike in October or something. I take it every day for a 6 mile round trip to the campus, and do about 30 miles on the weekend. I've only lost about 5 lbs of weight, but more like 15 or so of just fat and put on about 10 in leg muscle. I'm 185 lbs now, which is great for my body type. It's also really relaxing and fun. If I need to get somewhere, and I don't need to be presentable, I will take my bike whenever possible. It's relaxing not having to fuss with traffic, or parking, and I use the time to think about physics related stuff mostly.

I used to run a few miles every other day, but I enjoy this more, and I feel like I got a great work out, without the usual pain in the knees and ankles that most of us non-18 year olds get from running.

 

[Danger]

Afraid you're going to have to use your imagination - so here we go. Imagine me naked. Now imagine 7 lbs. Imagine that 7 lbs all over me...yep, that's it

Just call me Kermit, and I'll be there...

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I've almost cut out the base of the food pyramid below - everything in that layer makes me feel like a slug.

Same here. But I can measure the effect when my blood sugar dives. I've only had one piece of bread since a year ago last January. I don't eat anything with wheat and very little in the way of other grains. Now I can actually eat a meal without almost passing out! But it makes Thanksgiving dinner quite a disappointment!

I can't even remember the last time I had a piece of white bread.

 

[alt]

Castor oil...ugh, lol. I think I'd rather smack my wrist with a rubber band (I've heard of people using that method to stop lots of habits, like smoking).

The carrot trick is a great idea!

Dunno about castor oil .. but here's a good one;

I usually have a very light breakfast. By about 2 PM I'm ravenous and can't wait for dinner. About a year ago, I found a wonderful thing - chocolate, yep, chocolate. or at least, chocolate with a minimum of 85% cocoa in it. I have a 25g bar at that point, and as well as providing a quick fix, it actually kerbs my appetite. Strange but true - it's actually an appetite supresent, I found.

You can find out a lot about the many benefits of cacoa by researching it on line.

 

[rootX]

I still barely make to the minimum BMI

 

[rhody]

But I can do moderate exercise for long stretches (once I'm in shape)

I was about 30 lbs over college weight 3 years ago, and even though I did exercise I found that I never had the energy levels I had say even five years ago. I systematically over the next three years did the following:

1. Cut out all artifically sweetened drinks, processed food snacks, devil dogs, etc...
2. Cut back food intake 30 - 40% resulting in less desire over time, weird how that happened but it did.
3. Stopped weighing myself weekly, I can tell how I am doing by how baggy my pants are and by belt notches.
4. Increased level, intensity, longevity of exercise, sometimes walking 5 miles and regularly bicycling (in season, between 10 - 25 miles at a time), do cardio, and weight lifting at the gym, mixed, don't ignore one for the other either, keep it mixed. I was losing muscle mass from too much cardio, too little working weights.
5. Eat small healthy snacks, during the day.

Sticking with this regimen I have been able to cut the weight by 15 lbs and have kept it there for three years. As you said, sometimes things you have to do (school, homework) get in the way, increase your stress levels and to relieve it, you fall back on old bad habits, candy bars, comfort food, etc... and the weight doesn't come off and even increases.

I find comfort in pushing myself to physical limits just a bit above what I have been capable of in say the last two or three years. I am having baseline testosterone level checked now, if it is low, I will have the remaining three levels checked. I like to push myself emotionally and psychologically as well, and set goals for the long and short term. If testosterone boost is needed, based ont the results of the second series of levels, there are creams or weekly shots you can give yourself to raise the levels to a normal range.

Rhody...

 

[DragonPetter]

Exercise is much more important than diet. Modern culture has confused us into thinking everything we put into our mouths is a medicine or potion.

I see a lot of fat people who drink diet coke and eat salads, but I don't see a lot of fat people running every morning for 2-3 miles.

I'm very skinny, and I eat anything I want. I know this is not the most healthful lifestyle, but being active or having a high metabolism keeps me regulated more than anything I eat.

I think its foolish to deny yourself natural urges like being really hungry at midnight or wanting to eat pizza or something else comforting. It only makes yourself miserable and that ruins your motivation. Sign up for some sports classes or just make a routine of running. You can't do it this way tho "I ate a cake, so now I need to run a couple miles". You need to exercise regardless of what you eat.

 

[nitsuj]

Exercise is much more important than diet. Modern culture has confused us into thinking everything we put into our mouths is a medicine or potion.

That I think is the proper perspective.

There is a remarkable science industry behind agriculture feed. Generaly speaking human food has less of a focus, so that should surprise you. I've questioned why there is no "perfectly balanced" human feed, designed in the same fashion as Agriculture feeds.

 

[ThomasT]

OK, so I've gained a bit of weight over the winter . I need to lose about 7 pounds.

I thought I'd start a thread, with two goals. First, as a way to keep me on track - nothing like a good old-fashioned public shaming to change one's behavior, haha. Second, if there are others wanting to lose too, join in and track your progress!

Share what you're doing, what works for you.

Also I'd like to know if anyone is working on a really, really tough goal, like running a marathon or earning a black belt.

Tonight I jogged/walked about 2.5 miles. Nothing too taxing, I'm starting slow.

Whoo, seven lbs. ? Yes, that is disgusting.

I'm looking at my gut now, which, by itself, probably weighs more than one or your legs.
Just kidding (or maybe not) ... but I am about 20 lbs. overweight, and all of the excess seems to be in my gut. Everywhere else is ok.

My fitness friend told me that midsection exercise won't necessary reduce the gut size. Apparently, the only solution is to eat less and exercise more.

So, I've been walking to the store, walking to the beach, walking to the tennis courts, and taking walks at night instead of driving or bikeriding. Additionally, I stopped eating Hostess Suzy Q's, and bacon and eggs. Everything else is about the same. Lots of meat, some potatoes and a few vegetables. No milk. No soft drinks. But I do use butter on my morning grits.

And lots of water.

I'm going to the tennis courts now. Walking there of course (about 10 blocks). It's sunny so I should burn quite a few calories. All I've had so far today was a peach and a cup of black tea.

Best of luck with your program.

 

[DragonPetter]

Whoo, seven lbs. ? Yes, that is disgusting.

I'm looking at my gut now, which, by itself, probably weighs more than one or your legs.
Just kidding (or maybe not) ... but I am about 20 lbs. overweight, and all of the excess seems to be in my gut. Everywhere else is ok.

My fitness friend told me that midsection exercise won't necessary reduce the gut size. Apparently, the only solution is to eat less and exercise more.

So, I've been walking to the store, walking to the beach, walking to the tennis courts, and taking walks at night instead of driving or bikeriding. Additionally, I stopped eating Hostess Suzy Q's, and bacon and eggs. Everything else is about the same. Lots of meat, some potatoes and a few vegetables. No milk. No soft drinks. But I do use butter on my morning grits.

And lots of water.

I'm going to the tennis courts now. Walking there of course (about 10 blocks). It's sunny so I should burn quite a few calories. All I've had so far today was a peach and a cup of black tea.

Best of luck with your program.

Have you had any positive results? Bacon and eggs are awesome - I think they're worse for your cardiovascular system than they are for fat storage issues tho. I think its great if you can do without all of those things and not miss it tho.

I have read before that high intensity workouts are required to burn the most amount of fat. Walking is probably making your heart and muscles stronger, but it might be just using more of your immediate energy reserves instead of using fat energy. This is why its so hard for overweight people to get fit, because their weight limits the amount of high intensity exercise they can do.

 

[turbo]

Until I ended up in sedentary jobs, I had no problem with extra weight. Just like in HS and engineering school, I could eat like a pig and burn it off. Now I eat maybe one meal a day. I used to love running, but arthritis has put an end to that. I don't want to keep popping Aleve, because sure as sunrise, some future study is going to implicate it in kidney failures, etc. I'll just put up with the pain, and let my dog take me out for walks. Soon, it will be gardening season, with lots more upper-body exercise and lots of fresh greens and vegetables to eat.

 

[nobahar]

I always find skipping is intensive. Much more so than running, and its more fun (yes, I am male. I refer you to boxers).

 

[lisab]

Whoo, seven lbs. ? Yes, that is disgusting.

Better 7 than 70 !

And I'm not very tall, so I can't hide 7 lbs.

 

[lisab]

I always find skipping is intensive. Much more so than running, and its more fun (yes, I am male. I refer you to boxers).

Skipping really is fun.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

That I think is the proper perspective.

There is a remarkable science industry behind agriculture feed. Generaly speaking human food has less of a focus, so that should surprise you. I've questioned why there is no "perfectly balanced" human feed, designed in the same fashion as Agriculture feeds.

For people like me with repetitive motion problems - bad knees, bad back, bad joints in general - regular exercise as such is out of the question. Getting any real exercise without suffering injuries is all but impossible. Obviously one should do what they can, but being able to exercise to such an extent that one loses weight is beyond the practical. I have to save myself for actual work that needs to be done.

Just walking up to the house a few times a day can cause me knee problems.

Given that I was always an athlete, this has been terribly difficult to accept. I have two friends who constantly harp on me to exercise, which only makes it worse. I would give my eye teeth to be able to run again. I miss all of the activity. I can't do most of the things that I used to enjoy most.

 

[phoenix:\\]

I never grasped the point of dieting if all you're going to do is go back on the previous diet that helped you obtain the weight you dislike.

Eating in terms of your overall fitness level and exercising everyday (not the same exercise) keeps you in the optimal weight range? At least that is what I've been doing all these years.

 

[lisab]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

 

[ThomasT]

Have you had any positive results? Bacon and eggs are awesome - I think they're worse for your cardiovascular system than they are for fat storage issues tho. I think its great if you can do without all of those things and not miss it tho.

I have read before that high intensity workouts are required to burn the most amount of fat. Walking is probably making your heart and muscles stronger, but it might be just using more of your immediate energy reserves instead of using fat energy. This is why its so hard for overweight people to get fit, because their weight limits the amount of high intensity exercise they can do.

Thanks for the tips. I'm not well read on these subjects. I feel a little ... lighter, and my gut does seem to have gone down ever so slightly. I do get high intensity from the tennis (lots of sprinting and stretching, and of course the force needed to hit the ball).

 

[ThomasT]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

Marathon ...

 

[rhody]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

I work toward small achievable goals, like being able to bicycle up a mountain I used to live next to as a kid. A smile comes across my face each time I reach the top. I have done it twice and never did it as a kid, so it makes me feel good. It is over always two hours of pure hell each time I do it, but I feel better for having done it.

Rhody...

 

[Astronuc]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

It's more like avoiding heart attacks, strokes and cancer, and preventing premature deterioration of one's capabilities for mobility and independence.

 

[lisab]

I work toward small achievable goals, like being able to bicycle up a mountain I used to live next to as a kid. A smile comes across my face each time I reach the top. I have done it twice and never did it as a kid, so it makes me feel good. It is over always two hours of pure hell each time I do it, but I feel better for having done it.

Rhody...

I think you and I are kindred souls, Rhody .

It's more like avoiding heart attacks, strokes and cancer, and preventing premature deterioration of one's capabilities for mobility and independence.

Probably so. I'm just so goal-oriented!

 

[Borg]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

I would like to run a half marathon but I really need to lose at least 15 pounds or I'll injure myself. I've been running 6 - 8 miles two or three times per week for almost three years. I was running around 8 - 10 at a time last year and even ran 12 a few times so I know that I could do 13.1. Also, my wife and I take 3-5 mile walks several times per week.

On the food front, I am definintely not perfect. I snack more than I should on things that are bad for me which is why I need to lose some. My weigh has been very stable for years though (+-5 pounds).

Two good things that I do are I mainly drink water except for coffee in the morning and I can count on one hand the number of times that I get fast food in a year (two hands for other restuarants).

 

[rhody]

It's more like avoiding heart attacks, strokes and cancer, and preventing premature deterioration of one's capabilities for mobility and independence.

Well said Astro, well said, younger folk just don't understand, yet...

Rhody...

 

[Danger]

I almost envy you tubbies. My weight is the same now as it was 30 years ago, and it seems to be almost entirely independent of diet or exercise. I was always 115 lbs. until then, but was diagnosed diabetic and put on a diet. I shot up to 125 in the first week, and that's what I am now. The only exception was that when I payed baseball I would go up to 132 lbs. due to increased muscle mass until the season was over. I ceased being diabetic over 20 years ago, and so went off of the diet. I found that my normal eating habits were actually more attuned to what I needed than the prescribed intake was. While I severely miss those eating habits, I am simply neither physically nor financially capable of maintaining them. Those habits might seem appalling to those of you who want to lose weight, but they sure didn't work for gaining any. A meal for me, which I ate at least twice a day, was 8 or 9 eggs and half a dozen slices of heavily buttered bread, or 1 kg. of lean ground beef with an equal amount of bread. I still eat 2 cans of tuna at a time, made into "salad" and split between 2 sandwiches, but in the old days that was a snack rather than a meal. Nowadays, I eat once per day or less. My entire menu for the past 4 days was a stick and a half of crackers and about 100 gm. of cheese. No change in weight.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I really need to take this challenge as I am obese according to the BMI calculator and according to my wife. I was 196.5 lbs on the 20th and am 192.5 lbs now on the 23rd. That's 4 lbs in 4 days just from eliminating snacking. Let's see if I can keep dropping. I have no special diet, just eat less and especially less junk food. As for the marathon, I did plan to run in the Marine Corps Marathon in DC a few years ago and started training for it. I started out with 4 miles in one hour and got up to 18 miles in 5 hours, not quite fast enough. However, my knee started hurting and I quit training and don't ever intend to try again.

 

[turbo]

Jimmy, you're a nut! Come up here with a camper-trailer and I'll work the hell out of you all summer in the garden. At least you'll have healthy food and something physical to do. I have a tractor, a chain-saw, and other labor-saving devices, but there is plenty to do around here. Firewood doesn't throw itself into the shed.

 

[Borg]

I get aches and pains also which is what causes me to change my workout routines.

2004 - 2005 - practiced playing tennis against a wall - quit because of tennis elbow.
2005 - 2009 - lifted weights - arthritis in hands.
2009 - present - running - some aches but not too bad.

The best shape that I've been in during the last 10 years was when I spent 6 weeks doing home renovations in 2008. I didn't have time for anything other than water and an occasional quick sandwich.

Firewood doesn't throw itself into the shed.

Yeah, it doesn't split itself either.

 

[Danger]

2004 - 2005 - practiced playing tennis against a wall - quit because of tennis elbow.
2005 - 2009 - lifted weights - arthritis in hands.
2009 - present - running - some aches but not too bad.

2004 - 2005 - practiced pretending to be a wall - quit because some bastard kept hitting me in the face with tennis balls.
2005 - 2009 - spotted some guy in the gym - quit because of carpal tunnel syndrome from prying his hands off of the bar
2009 - present - observed some twit running through my 'hood - couldn't' get close enough to ID him - quit due to severe eye strain

 

[Borg]

LOL, Danger.

 

[ThomasT]

It's more like avoiding heart attacks, strokes and cancer, and preventing premature deterioration of one's capabilities for mobility and independence.

Astronuc, you're so rational and level headed. I'm looking forward to the day when you say something silly just to get a laugh.

 

[ThomasT]

Better 7 than 70 !

And I'm not very tall, so I can't hide 7 lbs.

I'm 5' 11'' and shrinking. But my weight has been steadily increasing. I weigh about 205 lbs. I think I should weigh about 180 lbs. or maybe even 170 lbs. I don't know. The fact is that I feel good. But I have this ... gut, which looks, and, to be honest, feels, disgusting.

Anyway, regarding our programs ... today I walked about 6 miles and played intensive tennis twice. I think my strokes are improving, however I sort of deviated from the program by consuming mass quantities of brewsky following the evening tennis match.

I can see that this might be a problem ... for I love brewsky. Nevertheles, I am a senior citizen, and my very age does seem to limit the amount of brewsky that I desire to consume. So, I predict that for tomorrow and Sunday I will eat conservatively and consume no alcoholic beverages. This will be largely due to the visitation of my artistically gifted, yet crazy, girlfriend who I'll be spending the weekend with.

So, how tall are you?

 

[Astronuc]

I think you and I are kindred souls, Rhody .

Probably so. I'm just so goal-oriented!

Well, preventative maintenance is ongoing for a healthy life when one is much older. It's difficult to undo a chronic situation such as diabetes or an illness such as cancer.

As for a goal, I'd like to hiking in mountains, e.g., Andes and Karakorum - above 14,000 ft. That requires good cardiac fitness.

I'd also like to do a rim-to-rim round trip at the Grand Canyon in as short a time as possible. That also requires considerable cardiac fitness, strength and endurance.

South Kaibab trail: 4,740 ft descent, 6.3 miles. 3 hours from trailhead to the Colorado River.
Colorado River to Phantom Ranch: negligible elevation change, 0.5 miles. 1.5 hours including stop at the Ranch canteen.
Bright Angel trail: 4,360 ft ascent, 9.5 miles. A slow, almost 8 hour, hike from the Ranch to the South Rim.

http://www.u.arizona.edu/~sandiway/hikes/grandcanyon/index.html

The North Kaibab Trail: Starting Elevation 8250'.
It's 14.5 miles (Trailhead to Bright Angel Campground) and a 5841'. descent. The North Kaibab Trail begins by winding down a steep trail through a high alpine forest of aspen, Douglas fir and ponderosa pine. Hiking the trail after the mule rides quit for the season is ideal.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/rim-to-rim-grand.htm

Day Hike: Not recommended. This trail is best done as a three day hike. Do not attempt to hike down to the river and back in one day.
Distance: 23.5 miles (37.82 km) one way
Average Hiking Time: 3 days.
Difficulty: Strenuous

I know a group that did the round-trip in less than one day - but they were 20 years younger.

A related activity - http://www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/features/world/grand-canyon-basics-rim-t.shtml - running at altitude. It certainly would be easier if one lives in places like Colorado where one could go running at 6000+ ft on a normal routine.

 

[Astronuc]

Astronuc, you're so rational and level headed. I'm looking forward to the day when you say something silly just to get a laugh.

Maybe I should have added after my comment. I like dry, subtle humor.

I do have a sense of humor, although it's not often apparent.

Having a good sense of humor is also important for good health!

 

[nobahar]

So no one's working towards a lofty fitness goal, like a marathon or something similar?

What counts as a lofty fitness goal? I have been weight training for the last year and intend to keep going, progress is 'slow' (or I'm impatient). I try to train everyday. I don't do much cardio but I don't really have any excess fat. I use protein and creatine; my brother used weight gain when he first started a few years back, but now he's taken to putting more cardio in - he's big but not 'toned'. I figured I'd try to keep of the weight (due to fat) instead of trying to work it off later, although his might be due to beer...
Does that count as a lofty fitness goal?

 

[Illuminerdi]

I don't have a hard time staying in shape, but I have low self-esteem, regardless, because my body isn't like Bruce Lee's, but here's how I live:

I run a few miles every day (I do the barefoot thing).
I don't lift weights very often, but I do plenty of pushups, situps, walking on my hands, etc..
I'm a vegan.
I don't consume bread, pasta, sugar, fruit juice, and most "western diet" foods.
I drink plenty of water.
I eat quinoa, legumes (lentils and chickpeas are the best), lots of green vegetables, brown rice, nuts, mushrooms, and snack on fruit.
I prepare virtually every meal I eat (it's a good idea to make a quinoa salad and bring it in some tupperware on the go).
I usually cook when I'm hypomanic.
I don't eat big meals.
I don't ever count calories because I know damn well when I've had enough.

 

[leroyjenkens]

About a month ago I set my mind on losing some body fat and so far I've lost about 15 pounds. Some of that may be muscle, since I haven't been working out, but I can definitely see the body fat decrease.

Here's the things I changed in my diet. Trust me, if you do what I did, you will lose body fat.

I stopped eating peanut butter. I used to have a peanut butter sandwich every day.

Stopped eating cereals with more than about 5g of sugar, which are mostly the plain flakes or plain shredded wheat.

No sugar in my oatmeal except what's in the milk and the few raisins I put in it.

The only meat I eat now is tuna with some plain yogurt mixed in instead of mayonnaise. I'll sometimes put low fat cottage cheese in it instead.

I only drink water, with the occasional fresh orange juice from the orange tree in my backyard. If you drink fruit juice from the store, you may as well just be drinking Kool Aid.

A lot of the calories I cut out of my diet are replaced with vegetables. So I eat a lot more vegetables, since they're so low in calories.

If I'm a little hungry, I'll grab a big pickle, which has zero calories, and that keeps me satiated for an hour or more. (Although I want to find out the effects the acid has on the body and teeth. I don't want to eat too many. I try to only eat one a day, or maybe two if I have them.)

If I have a salad, which I try to have one every day if I have the vegetables available, I won't use salad dressing on it. I'll just pour some apple cider vinegar on it and mix it together. You get the taste of the vegetables that way, and it's not too dry. Normal salad dressing can almost negate the reason you're eating the salad in the first place.
And I only put vegetables on my salad, no meat or cheese or anything like that. My usual ingredients are spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, tomato, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. You know, the cheap ones. I used to put avocado in there, but those are just too expensive now. But I do love them.

And the most important change I've made, that has allowed me to drop so much body fat in such a short amount of time is not eating as much as I normally do. I used to eat when I was starting to get hungry, and I would eat until I'm full. Now I wait until I'm actually hungry, and then only eat about half as much. I eat slower, and when I start to feel like I've taken the hungry feeling away, then I'll stop.
I think my problem was that I was having trouble knowing whether I was hungry or just bored. I don't eat when I'm bored now.

I'm really not sure how many calories I was eating before, but now, based on a pretty liberal estimate, I take in about 1,500 calories a day.

I'm not fat or anything, I just decided to make a goal to be able to see my abs without flexing. Of course, I may have to work out to reach that goal.

This diet is kinda difficult to stick by. You just have to have some real motivation. I have mine, but it differs for everyone.
I think real motivation comes when you are unhappy. If you're content in your life, it can be hard to find the REAL motivation you may need to change.

 

[phoenix:\\]

^ I don't stick by that diet as I do consume more calories/day than 1500, but my diet is a bit similar. Almonds, fruits, vegetables, rarely any dairy products, and meats. But I can see my abs relatively well without flexing. Primarily weight train and do low-impact cardio workouts on gym days, and days I am not in the gym (TTHS) are days I cross-train and do plyometrics.

I am trying to get bigger in terms of muscle mass without resorting to supplements. So far, I have gained 5kg of muscle mass over the years I began working out. But my overall fat percentage now is only 10% but I look a bit on the skinny side (runner build), so I need to add a diet to my current eating habits (increase the food intake possibly). I've been eating potatoes a lot and that seems to be working as I definitely see a minor increase from before in the forearm department. But it may take me a while because I don't want to get into bad habits of consuming more food than I need to and end back where I was 4 years ago.

4 years ago I weighed 95kg at 5'9'', now I weigh 77kg at 5'11''. Had a minor growth spurt when I was about 19 and dropped a lot of fat/weight through low-impact cardio routines and a tae-bo dvd set. I didn't start serious muscle training until I was 70kg.

Now with my usual routine, I want to learn how to swim. While not a lofty goal, I plan to start learning this summer and hopefully it won't take me that long to learn.

 

[Evo]

My lofty fitness goal is to be able to kneel down and be able to get back up without help.