Anyone else determined to get fit in 2018?

[deecoily]

Oh I am trying so hard to get fit again. I haven't spent enough time doing physical labor in 2017 and the pounds have come on PLUS hormones. I was doing Paleo and lost a lot of weight but that diet requires so much effort that I couldn't stick to.

HELP!

[underthehood]

Honestly, moderate weight and high number or reps. If your legs don't wobble when you get off the machine- it wasn't done right lol. That's my philosophy.

Hahaha I will keep that in mind. Leg day is tomorrow!

I was doing Paleo and lost a lot of weight but that diet requires so much effort that I couldn't stick to.

HELP!

The one thing that's always worked for me is CICO: calories in calories out. As long as I monitor my intake (regardless of what kind of food I'm eating) I lose weight or maintain it depending on my goal. I use www.mytdee.com to calculate my "total daily energy expenditure". The weight loss calculation on the website takes away a certain percentage from your TDEE to give you the calories you should eat a day to hit your goal. Depending on how quickly/aggressively you want to lose the weight, the calorie deficit varies. Hope that helps!

[Brown.Beautiful]

@deecoily | I feel your pain. The problem with most diets or eating styles is that they feel unmaintainable. I do low carb for a week and then ALL carbs and then no carbs and sure i'm down from my highest which is like 7 pounds, (up and down up and down) its also been MONTHS.

@siennamoonshine | Sugar is my kyrponite! Its really bad. When I'm off sugar and carbs I feel great and then one "treat" turns into a full spiral.


Honestly, my best successes has been minimizing carbs (with the little will power I have) and just overall caloric intake. I recently read this article on the importance of calorie restriction on longevity. And it just went with all the other stuff i've learned in this body journey- we don't need as many calories as we consume. Actually it serves us more metabolically to fast than feast. Geneen Roth always says eat when you're hungry and only when you're hungry. Like truly. I can account that much of my weight gain is mindless or even emotional eating. When I do stick to the biological need, I'm usually dropping pounds.

I actually had to get stitches in my leg (right on the side of the knee) last night. So I need some tips on how to get some exercise in while i'm off my feet.

[underthehood]

The problem with most diets or eating styles is that they feel unmaintainable.

Very true. For me it helps to set small goals. Instead of, I don't know, aiming to lose 40 lbs in a year, I would tell myself to just get down 4 lbs in a month. And then break that down to a pound a week. When I see progress I'm more likely to maintain my new habits and a week soon becomes a month and a month a year. No perfect record but it helps overall.

I actually had to get sticker in my leg (right on the side of the knee) last night. So I need some tips on how to get some exercise in while i'm off my feet.

Not exactly sure what a sticker is but if you're off your feet could you focus on upper body exercises for a bit? Would an elliptical machine still be too much on your knees (as opposed to a treadmill)?

[Brown.Beautiful]

Not exactly sure what a sticker is but if you're off your feet could you focus on upper body exercises for a bit? Would an elliptical machine still be too much on your knees (as opposed to a treadmill)?

Well hot dog- you have just been catching ALL my mistakes lol.

I got stitches. In my leg. I definitely can't do elliptical. But I have some kettlebells at home- and can focus on upper body. I might after two weeks be able to walk on the treadmill.

[underthehood]

Let's just go with sticker is slang for stitches

Something I found: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wel...out-in-bed.htm

It sucks that they don't describe the exercises but some of them you can figure out intuitively.

Your Upper Body Cardio Quickie Workout in Bed consists of:

Flying- - 3 minutes.
Bounce and Circle- -3 minutes, each side.
Conductor- - 3 minutes.
Speed Bag- -3 minutes forward, 3 minutes back.
Hand Pedaling- -3 minutes forward, 3 minutes back pedaling.
Shadow Boxing- -1 minute forward, 1 minute up, 1 minute down.
Jump Rope- -3 minutes forward, 3 minutes backwards.

It looks kind of challenging to be honest. I've never done arm only cardio!

[Scribetastic]

I didn't hit my 3 visit goal for the gym this week, but I did hit 2. I'll take it. This week has been hectic but not as bad as the week before it where I got to the gym one time. :/ (Last week, I got a reminder why I don't do auto-pay: they can take money out by mistake and just f$%k up your whole week because it takes about that long for them to put the money back.)

As it's the weekend, I weighed myself today and, hot dog, I've lost 3 pounds in spite of the craziness!

Actually, it makes sense; I haven't had time to shop, so I didn't have my usual vices sitting around the house. However, I also think all the tea I've been drinking helps.

I'm being REALLY manic about not getting sick this winter. The flu is here. It's a vicious strain and people are dying. As an insulin-dependent diabetic, I HAVE to be mindful of my health in the winter. I just don't have it in me to feel physically awful as well as mentally stressed, so I'm drinking around 4 cups of green, white, and herbal tea per day. I'm also back to oil pulling and making sure my diet includes fresh fruits and veggies. It all seems to be working because I'm coughing up icky looking phelgm before the cold or flu hits me.

#nothavingit

Onward to next week! I will hit 3 visits next week, dammit!

[Brown.Beautiful]

It looks kind of challenging to be honest. I've never done arm only cardio!

Thank you for posting this!

I tried the 3 minutes of "Flying" and it was surprisingly difficult lol!

Also thank you for posting about www.mytdee.com . Its a wake up call about how many calories I intake in a day. I live in NYC and eating out for 2 meals a day (been better in the new year though) adds the calories quickly. I'm hoping to set a daily target of 1800 or below. Like a budget but for food! Also really going to try and reduce animal products.


@Scribetastic | Congrats on getting to the gym at all and dropping those three pounds! When did you start oil pulling and why do you do it?

Is anyone here into detoxing? If so what do you do and how has it worked for you?

[Scribetastic]

I've been up for 90 minutes and have been obsessing about getting to the gym. I've got to get better at getting up and getting out. I get up and meander until I'm out of time. Good today is a holiday. This is my week of getting back to 3x a week minimum.

Thank you for posting this!
@Scribetastic | Congrats on getting to the gym at all and dropping those three pounds! When did you start oil pulling and why do you do it?

I miss NYC and often wish I were still living there.

I learned about oil pulling 2 or 3 years ago. I can't remember exactly what led me to read about it. I'm deep in the medical complex because I have insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes. I'm thinking about or dealing with something health-related a few times a day. I use both mainstream and folk medicine. Anyway, at that time, I tried oil pulling, but I was also in a relationship that was distracting and, ultimately, not good for me. I mention that because I remember talking to my ex about it, and whenever I think about that time I see the moment where he and I talked about it. (I have a visual memory.)

Anyway, this time around what caused me to take it up was realizing I'd neglected my oral hygiene. I've been dealing with a truckload of stress over these last few months, so while I've been brushing, I've not been flossing regularly. I got a reminder card from my dentist about my 6-month checkup, and that got me flossing again. My gums on the upper left and right sides of my mouth let me know. I know the drill: keep flossing and the gingivitis will calm down. However, it was particularly painful this time. As I did more digging I realized my new habit of drinking kombucha isn't helping. Kombucha is very acidic and can wear tooth enamel down. Visually, my teeth are fine, but this is the first time in my life I've had to deal with sensitive teeth. It's awful, so I'm glad I caught it.

I've rolled back my kombucha consumption. It's not bad, but I was doing fine already with having a probiotic-friendly diet previous to drinking it. I like it, so I'll keep drinking it. I just won't do what I was doing which is sometimes drinking it as a nightcap. Instead, I'll drink it at the start of or during the day.

I started doing some research on how to soothe my painful gums and remineralize my teeth, and that's what led me back to oil pulling. I read a lot of good stuff about oil pulling with coconut oil. I figured if that was a fail I could use the oil for my skin and hair. Win-win no matter what.

It seems to be working on both fronts. It's been two weeks since my gums were in pain and all is back to normal now. The oil pulling did help soothe my gums during that time.

Also, I've been hardcore about not getting sick this winter. I've just got too much going on to also come down with a bad cold or even worse that flu that's going around. I got the flu shot, but it's not as effective against this strain that's filling up ERs. I can't say exactly how oil pulling is helping, but it seems to be helping, I think. You know how you'll get really phlegmy at the end of having a cold? Well, I'm having that reaction after oil pulling. It's gross to cough up phlegm, but I'm glad to cough it up and out vs. being sick.

I don't have that every day. I had that "you're going to get a cold" tingle in my throat. I was doing all I could to keep it away: bundling up, drinking tons of tea and water, making sure I was staying up on my supplements, and fresh fruits and veggies. I added oil pulling to that. I think swishing around that oil for a few minutes does help and makes it easier for me to cough out the bad stuff before it makes me sick.

Long but that answers your question.

Now let me get to the gym.

[law]

Yep I am fed up and making 2018 my year. I had lost about 60lbs about seven years ago and kept it off for three years before gaining it all back. I have figured out calorie counting an I don't get along. I already knew a very restrictive diet won't work for me. I have always exorcised so that isn't a problem, but I need to step that up. I had been reading up on fasting so a few days before new years I started intermittent fasting and it works great for me (down 9lbs currently). I think it is working because I realized that many times I ate because I just thought I should (breakfast is the most important meal of the day ......NOT). I find it helps me to eat when I am actually hungry. I have not changed what I eat just the time I eat. This is something I believe I can easily stick with. We will see.

Side not I have also started jumping rope more. I like doing it and doesn't require a gym. All I need is a rope. I jogged for years but I am just bored with it