Health and Fitness

Nellaundra

Alright, so I figured that since I'm gonna start trying to put my life back on track a bit health-wise, I may as well start a thread.

Everyone, feel free to share your horror stories, tips, suggestions, and facts to help people get healthy.

I would start, but I am fitness-stupid and most of my plans end at diet and running.

Peak

Wii fit.

Though, you might want to try just an everyday activity.

List of things that might help:

Drink about 10 bottles of water throughout the day. 

Limit fast food.

Everyday activity.

Exercise/work out 3-5 times per week. (martial arts/zumba/working out/whatever you prefer)

Cut back on deserts and portion control

Sherazad

Dance Central. 

Cooper

I had my annual physical checkup last week. My doctor informed me I had gained some weight and it might not be a bad idea if I lost it (read: she told me if I continued my weight gain trend I would be fat in a few years), and she gave me some good workouts/stretching exercises to fix my back issues and told me to get new shoes and sleep with a pillow etc and so far it's been helping.

I've been trying to cut back on sugar, alcohol and to slowly start exercising.

But I have no idea how to eat healthy I ate fish and yogurt today but it was not very filling.

Rean

Don't overdo it when you start running, especially if you're like me and didn't run for 4-5 years after a highschool sport. When I tried to run, I did it 6 times a week and got burned out because I started to hate it (also walking up the stairs started to really suck).

Careful with your diet too, make sure you're still getting your vitamins and minerals. Don't eat things you find disgusting, there are crazy amounts of vegetables out there - if you don't like something, don't stick with it. Instead, replace it with another vegetable you do like. 

Orklanishkal

@Cooper why were you sleeping without a pillow

Cooper

lol. I meant to sleep with a pillow underneath my knees if I'm on my back, or between my knees if I'm on my side to reduce stress on the lower back.

Halios

been doing powerlifting for a couple years now

haven't lifted for 4-5 months because of law school

Tahquil

You can get apps to slowly get into running again. Couch25k is good, there is even Zombies, RUN! version of the C25k. These apps tell you when to run, when to walk and you can put the music you like into the program so it's not boring.

Cuting down on sugars is very, very hard to do but if you can, Hooray!

Aepas

Squats.
Oats.
Just. Move.

The hardest part of any workout is A)Knowing what you want and B)making the plan

Know what you're going for, and find some exercises for that, then find a time to do it. I get a 1.5 hour lunch break every day. I know that is more time than most people get, but find out what you have to work with. During that, I take 30 minutes to run two miles and lift some, as that is what my workout is for the body type I desire. If you just "work out" without really knowing what you're wanting, you won't get far.

If you want to just be fit and not really worry about much, biking is a good way to go. It's a good activity that burns a ton of weight and gets you fresh air. There is also racquetball, rock climbing, different activities will get you going. Just move, don't sit still, and don't put off till later. that's the hard part.

Erasariel

I once played Dance Dance Revolution regularly.

Helped a lot haha

Peak

Boom Boom Dollar was the best

Oceana

Swimming!

Iocun

Someone should sell huge keyboards with extra hard-to-press keys, so we can work out while playing Achaea.

Chryenth

Two martial arts, for a total of ~4hrs per week. (Down from 10hrs, which makes me sad.)

Running twice a week, Wed. and Sat. mornings, ostensibly for a 10k around my hometown in Feb. Keep oversleeping/being too ill, but I try.

I wish I knew how to eat well.

That all being said: Find something you enjoy, and don't dive in too deep to start. And whatever you do, find a way to keep going. Being fit >>> Not being fit.

Lianca

I started by limiting soda and adding a second walk everyday for my dogs. I now get a single medium coke on saturdays and drink water (occasionally flavoured) through the week. I couldn't run a marathon but I'm happy with my weight and appearance.

Don't try to alter everything at once, that gets depressing and overwhelming, pick one or two things to change, and don't cut something you like out entirely, instead use them as rewards (in moderation), or rarely, or for special occasions.

Erasariel

Also, dietary things. My mom cooks for me (I'm young <.<) and we switched from pork and beef to mostly fish and a side of beef. She also tried to condition me by limiting my servings - it worked wonders, I have a really small appetite for someone my size (medium-heavy build). I also don't drink sodas regularly...I haven't drunk sodas regularly for a very, very long time. All the little things help! I keep hovering below 100kg, which is great!

Kinda fearful this winter though. The climate prohibits most of my usual exercise activities - I usually go to a local park and ride a trail there, or go to a nearby office park after closing hours and do numerous laps either by walking or by cycling. I don't really want to go to a gym since I always don't feel like it when I go there. I guess the treadmill will have to do until spring!

Mishgul

i haven't bothered getting rid of my belly because it keeps me warm in the winter, and i am still (surprisingly) agile with it. I am 6 foot 2 and weigh around 180 lbs. I am working on building my endurance through cardio tennis, since I want to try and get to a high amateur level in tennis so it helps on two fronts.

Finding an active sport or exercise which you enjoy doing is a good way of getting into shape.

Daklore

You're still at a healthy weight @Mishgul

I'm 183 centimetres(better than saying six foot, give or take a quarter inch), and weigh 250 pounds.

I really -should- be working out and eating right. I know this ... aaaand.. I do nothing about it.

To top it all off, I have Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome(heart defect, long terms short)... so.... yeah...

*shifty*

I am right now eating a pot of Kraft Dinner. Yes, I am eating the entire contents of the pot of Kraft Dinner, not the recommended serving...


Don't be me, people. Don't do it.

Mishgul

I have criggler najjar syndrome which is pretty nasty too, but the best way to deal with those things is to be positive and optimistic.

Heart defects not easy to deal with, but table tennis or racquetball/squash or netball are not bad choices for sports, that have minimal effort with good benefits, or just putting the fridge at one corner of your house, and your computer at the other corner. 

Achilles

I went from having a super metabolic rate up until I turned 24 (31 now) where I could eat/drink pretty much anything and still have a six pack.  But yea... that ended so adjusting was a pain.  But for the most part subtle changes to your lifestyle will make a big difference.  I switched from white rice/white bread to brown rice/whole grain.  I eat way less red meat now (boo), eat way more lean meat (chicken/fish).  I don't eat fast food regularly (and usually order the grilled chicken options), I avoid cheese and I drink moderately now (double boo), mainly light beers now.

I also maintain a reasonable workout schedule.  I lift twice a week, do cardio twice a week and play in a local basketball league with friends.  I also have a few workout friends to keep each other accountable.  I also opt for stairs, walk the dog, park at the first available spot (not the one closest to the elevator/entrance of the store).

Don't go for the fad diets/gimmicks.  You need to find something you reasonably like to do otherwise you'll stop and regain all the weight (and more).  

Amunet

@Tahquil, that app got me through the gym this summer, while I was training for Run For Your Lives. I didn't turn into a gold medal sprinter, but I can run so much faster - and farther - than I did before. I definitely recommend it.

To the OP, I became a vegetarian back in January in an attempt to get my weight and diabetes back under control. I made the decision with the help of a dietician, so I wasn't just jumping on the hipster bandwagon, and it has ended up working very well for me, despite my initial inability to cook. Some of the little changes I made that had a big difference:

-Replacing all instances of white bread with either melba toast or a whole-grain bread - usually Dave's Killer Bread, which is my favourite. I don't care that it costs $5 a loaf; regular bread sucks by comparison. 

 

-Replacing all instances of mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise - usually Vegenaise, which tastes nearly identical.

-Replacing nearly all instances of cheese with avocado, or with a good cheese substitute. Daiya is one of the best on the market, but it's a little pricey. Tofutti is cheaper, but when it comes to cheese substitutes, you get what you pay for. To replace cream cheese, Trader Joe's "This is not a tub of cream cheese" is, by far, the closest I've tasted. 

-Replacing all instances of milk with either soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk, depending upon why I'm using it. This was easy, since I was fairly lactose intolerant, anyway, and I never liked the taste of milk. Chocolate almond milk tastes like you're drinking a Hershey bar. It's fabulous.

-Eating breakfast in the mornings, for the first time in at least twelve years. Smoothies, oatmeal, and toast are my staples, though sometimes I'll go all out with tofu scrambles, tofu benedict, or vegan crepes or French toast on the weekends. Not often, though. I'm lazy.

-Trading coffee and soda for tea - Indian chai with rice milk in the mornings, and unsweetened iced tea (usually Tejava, Honest Tea, or Tazo) with meals and throughout the day.

-Walking the extra eight blocks from my house down to the park-and-ride instead of stopping at the bus stop closest to me.

Doing that alone helped me to lose about thirty pounds. I'm now adding actual exercise into the mix, and experimenting with a lot of new foods and methods of cooking.

This app has helped me to pay a lot more attention to the nutritional content of the things that I eat, and this app has helped me to track my caloric intake, exercise, and weight-loss goals. Both are available for Android and iPhone, and the former is actually available online as well, as a searchable database. They're very user-friendly and beginner-oriented, and their basic versions are both free.

Peak

Life's secrets:

[spoiler] Eat right. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] Stay fit. [/spoiler]

[spoiler] Die anyways. [/spoiler]

Skylana

Lots of great suggestions above. I've been getting more conscious of what I eat and my activity level lately and I’ve incorporate these:

-If the destination is considered within walking distance I just slog it out and walk/bike it there. Getting a shiny new bicycle provided more enthusiasm!

-I’ve got what basically amounts to a desk job, so I'm always mixing up my tasks to ensure I get up at least every 5 minutes to attend to something. Always take the stairs

-Getting creative with salads via light dressings, nuts (walnuts usually), rare sprinklings of feta, boiled eggs, roasted chickpeas and tofu is fantastic, and also serves as a no-brainer for what food to prepare/purchase for lunch or dinner throughout the week. If you add a bit of bulk to your greenery it’s a more satisfying meal and adding zesty or spicy elements helps as well. Try vegetable soups for lunch with wholegrain bread if you're after something on the side.

-Create a short fitness regime that works indefinitely and suits your lifestyle. Because space is precious in my apartment and I haven't got the room for equipment, I started skipping 5 days a week same time daily in the hall. Start with 300 skips, then work your way up and aim for at least 1000 in 10 minutes or less - time yourself once you’re comfortable. This is hands down one of the best/easiest exercises you can do for the heart, lungs, legs and arms. Endurance significantly increases.

-Buy two cheap weights you can tuck away with your rope and add 10 minutes training on the arms (while watching television)

Chryenth

I'm proud to say that I've never driven anywhere within walking distance, despite being licensed to do so. Did me good when I was walking 45min into and out of work, in addition to actually working, which was physically strenuous at times as well.

Wysteria

Work in hospitality for 10 years doing 70+h/wk. I lost about 20kg in one year just being in that industry, and the exercise from all the heavy lifting and running around non-stop kept your fitness levels high enough to rival most labourers. You forget about eating and when you do, scoff it down quickly enough that your body burns it all off in the next hour anyway.

Now that I work in a call centre, I'm getting lazy, hopefully I can find time to get into swimming again.

Sigge

Scooby's Workshop has ALL of the info you need, and a very friendly Forum, just google it and have a look around, it's completely free!

Namino

Find something you enjoy doing. I'm not the sort of person who can work out just for the sake of being healthy.

I was never active until I took up boxing in college, and then again when I took up HEMA. If you're burning energy in the pursuit of something tangible like punching the other guy in the face (or outswimming the guy in the next lane, or climbing a specific rock formation or whatever you enjoy), the 'getting healthier' thing is happening, but you're not so focused on it that it becomes a chore.

Just my opinion.

Chryenth

What's HEMA?

Namino

This is HEMA.

Chryenth

That looks like a lot of fun.

Me and edged weapons don't get along, though.