Fat Force: Because we love Jelly Doughnuts too much.

HEY, FATTY!

Sorry, that was me talking to myself in the mirror. I'm sure you've been there, staring at that flabby bod after a long shower, checking out that bulging profile. It might hurt a bit knowing that you were once a hot bitch but now you're just a soft peanut.

Well guess what, you're still hot and we love you anyway, but that's not the point. The point is there's a bunch of us that wanna get fit or slightly fitter (if I may invent words) and the one thing we need more than self doubt and stupid ass skinny people showing off their washboard abs (GREG, YOU ASSHOLE) is a sense of COMMUNITY!

So I say unto you, my wobbling brethren, if we stick together and share our stories of woe and then proclaim from atop the mount that yes, I will lose some weight this summer and yes, I will stop eating fried-everything for every meal! Say it with me, sisters, we shall overcome our food follies!

So here's what you do:

#1: You don't have to tell us how much you weigh, but you can if you want. What's important is tossing out a goal, something reasonable, that you'd like to accomplish over a certain amount of time.

#2: Describe how you think you might be able to reach that goal. Everyone is different and everyone wants to do their own diet. Because diets are pretty much ridiculous in nature I'll just state that it isn't so much a diet that is important as is a change of lifestyle. That sounds extreme, I know, but I think not eating fast food or processed foods (::ahem::Hot Pockets::ahem: more than once a week isn't so bad.

#3: Pick some activities and share them with us! Biking, walking, running, DDR-ing, whatever, something active that you think you can handle doing three or more times a week consistently. Don't over exert yourself, for the love of god.

#4: Expect tips about what you're doing. Nobody can be the keeper of all knowledge but we can share what we think might be a not-so-great idea for weight loss. Obviously purging or starvation are out of the question for this thread as is taking speed or the lap band as their first choice.

#5: Show off your progress! Some people love before/after pics. If you have some, show em as inspiration. Bi-weekly updates are probably the best since that amount of time is enough to give us an idea on any one person's progress. Think not just weight, but stamina, strength, and even how your clothes are fitting. It's all progress, ladies.

There's only one rule: DO NOT BE A COCK.

Losing weight and body acceptance is fucking emotional especially in today's society when we're all emo about body image. Not all of us can take fat jokes in stride so let's be sensitive. Also don't start a fucking fight about how shitty you think the atkins diet is. We all think we know that it's a stupid way to lose weight but what many don't know are the exact details of that diet and that most people are idiots about being on it. Check the facts, provide ::constructive:: criticism and support.

Learning to cook for ourselves is definitely something we might learn here. For those rooting us on, feel free to post tips and recipes for our health.

I think we can do this. I'll post my own journey/goal/whatever in a while. Let's get touchy-feely and get our hearts pumping and just say no to those delicious, greasy, sweet jelly doughnuts, OK?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I mentioned this in the journal entry, but I'll bring it back up here again.

This is a good cardio training workout that I was doing for awhile before the stress and constant busy-ness of the last term of school totally ruined my time allotment for working out. I plan to get back into this workout schedule.

This can be done on a trail (Springwater trail for example, Erik) or on a treadmil/eliptical at a gym. If on a treadmill, I recommend increasing the elevation between days as well to help push toward the end goal.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

MY NAME IS [NAME REMOVED] AND I WEIGH 157 POUNDS AND WOULD LIKE TO EVENTUALLY WEIGH 135.

WHAT I AM DOING TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL: lately? nothing. my workout schedule at the gym has been spotty, largely due to work conflicts and also being incredibly lazy.

WHAT I DO LIKE TO DO WHEN WORKING OUT: that all depends. i do like to run, like, a lot. nothing quite compares to that burning sensation in your legs after a good jog, although i guess i could do without the throbbing temple headaches. maybe i should see a doctor about that.

MY DIET: uhhh well i still kinda eat everything but im working on eating less of those things.

WHAT IM HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE: honestly im entirely shallow and just want to look more gooder. im tired of being the pasty, pudgy fatto with flab everywhere, jiggling this way and that. i also want to be able to crush beer cans with my thighs, because i hear thats a huge turn on for men (because who doesnt love walking talking garbage compressors hoo-doggy) in an ideal world, i would not have bingo wings or a noticeable gobbler going on. also my abs would be ripped, RIPPED I TELL YOU



PROGRESS SO FAR: hmmm ummmm nnghhhh

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

be right back weighing myself for the first time in months

175 pounds. That doesn't seem right, I've put on a couple of waist sizes since the last time I weighed 170ish. I might see if I can get another scale. I thought I'd be closer to 190.

In any case, I know I've put on weight simply because my pants and shirts are magically getting smaller, so for now, my goal is to fit back into those clothes. I'll assign actual numerical goals to myself once I'm confident about my actual weight.

WORKING OUT: I should run but it's summer and it's hot out and bawwww. Actually, I'll probably start running in the evening. I used run every day but I fell off the rails years ago. I don't think I can do that any more, but I can at least strive for 3 times a week/

DIET: Honestly, I think I eat pretty healthy, just too much of it. So no more second (and third and fourth helpings) for me, and no more snacking after 9 pm.

I'm hoping to lose weight in time for my wedding at the end of the year so that I can look good in my wedding pictures.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

So here's my thing:

Personally, I'd like to lose 20-30 lbs this year. It's a lot of weight I've put back on since moving away from Washington DC where I biked almost everyday for an hour. I hate the idea of growing out of my cloths because, aside from being real-real fat I'd have to buy new clothes. F- that.

So what I've already begun doing is riding my bike for an hour every day around my neighborhood. To make the trip less boring I've been listening to the Star Wars Radio Drama on my iPod. After that I'll move on to audio books. It's shocking, really, how time flies when your mind is distracted by something interesting to you.

Food wise I'm staying far away from fried foods, especially doughnuts and french fries, as well as ground meats, like hamburger, because all of these things are calorie laden and pretty much not-great for you. The double-trouble combo of a massive amount of fat and carbs is something I'm moving away from and have already done a good job of avoiding this year, actually.

A regular eating schedule is something I need to get on as well. I've kind of forgotten about breakfast and getting the metabolism started for the day is really important.

So, with that said, I'm going for a bike ride~

Most amazing jew boots

I'm a skinny son of a bitch, and I know it.

THAT SAID

It's probably not all that obvious, but I've got a bit of a gut. That's not really my concern [though I wouldn't mind if it went away]... What I'm getting at though is that I need to build some muscle, and Interactive Dieting and Working Out could potentially be a good idea.

So would you guys allow a skinny fuck like me in? Even if we're not striving for the same goals, it's probably similar means to reach said goals.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

went to the gym today after a hearty breakfast of a fistful of goldfish and coffee. i got funny looks from the staff when i was getting red-faced doing pectoral exercises. and then i sort of greened out and hobbled to the locker room and dunked my head in a sink for like 10 minutes before calling it quits for the day.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

FELIPE NO

Well, as much as I know people would hate on me for wanting to join the club, here's my membership application.

I've been depressed lately and some good healthy food and exercise should do me wonders.

MY GOALS: Be able to run 1 mile without stopping or panting in 2 weeks, stretch it to 2 miles in a month.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

to whoever added the thread tags <3<3<3<3<3<3<3

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

oh and weighed myself today: aw yeah 275 pounds doo hoo~

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Skinny people are allowed in Fat Force as proof that even the skinny have health woes and a desire to build strength and stamina... so, yeah, share.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Weena Mercator as The Hopping Woman

to whoever added the thread tags <3<3<3<3<3<3<3

Just doing my job.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I weigh more than I'd like to mention here. Seriously.

If I can take a second to be emo (knowing that none of you will attack me), I've struggled with weight since I was about 11. In high school, I dropped down to about 120 lbs at one point (pictures can prove this), but I always felt huge. I think my issues are much more mental than physical. I quit smoking at the drop of a hat without any struggle, but my weight has been a battle I've been losing since I was a kid. I've made decisions based on my weight for so long that I feel like it's a part of who I am now, and I'm afraid of what I would become if I wasn't a cow.

As for goals, I need to start small. The road is long, and I am overwhelmed by it emotionally.

I'll start by saying I want to lose a meager 25 pounds in the next 4 months. Can we do timed weight loss?? That seems like an acceptable amount to lose in that period of time.

How do I plan to do it? Biking. Walking. Eating half of what I normally eat at every meal (because I am a fucking sucker for good food).

Maybe joining a gym. Never felt really comfortable in a gym, let alone buying "gym" clothes. Does anyone else feel as stupid as I do about gyms?

If anyone has reasonable work-outs to suggest or meal plans that worked for them, I'm always willing to try them out. I do much better with structure and systematic approaches to things. Losing weight is one of the things that I've tried since forever but nothing ever seems acceptable.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

About to start another bulking routine. Lean-gains time. SMUGFACE.

Something folks need to bear in mind is that fixing up your diet should be at the top of your list. You can bust your ass at the gym nonstop, but if you're eating terribly, then your progress will be almost non-existent. A pretty accurate estimate from personal experience (and from speaking with others) is that probably 75% of your progress depends upon your diet. I know a few folks who eat cleanly, but are pretty sedentary (WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS ) and still lose weight. It isn't as fast as those who are working out, and the end result will leave you skinny-fat or looking like Skeletor, but it works. I still encourage folks here to pick up heavy stuff, however.

Back on topic, though: there are countless folks I've seen over the years who talk and talk and talk about their workout routine, but when you ask them about nutrition, they clam up or are paying little-to-no attention to it. It's kinda like supplementing: it's okay to an extent (although there's a lot of snakeoil on that front), but you need to get the basics down first: your diet. Once that's done, get a basic workout plan laid out. Once you've done that for a while and are confident with it, THEN you can micromanage stuff. While still talking about it, don't dump money on supplementing. Basic stuff I recommend? Fish-oil, maybe some green caps (for extra vitamins), whey, and casein. Whey and Casein are different protein powder sources, where Whey is ideal for post-workout (Whey peels rubber through your system. If your body isn't starving for protein after a hard workout, then it won't get much use out of it. Casein limps itself through your system slowly and is good for meal replacement in general).

Ladies, don't avoid free-weights. Speaking as someone who has done bulking a few times in the past (and is a GUY), you have to be TRYING to pull it off. Without hitting chemicals and meticulously tailoring their lifestyle around it, ladies won't get huge. Plus, regular loading and lifting helps reduce the possibility of developing osteoperosis (which has been on the rise for ladies in recent years), so that's another plus to it. It's good for your health, will help make you look pretty awesome, and is good fun in general. Way better than just being a treadmiller 4 lyfe.

On the dieting front, folks are brainwashed in to "whelp, lower calories and I'll lose weight". That's not exactly the whole truth, actually. If you're eating too little, feel like crap, and are losing weight, then you are most likely losing muscle. When you eat too little, your body will start going to the muscle before fat. Eating at a caloric deficit is what you want to do in most cases, but you need to hit a few bases:

1) Get somewhere around 0.5-1.0g per pound of Lean Body Mass (LBM) of Protein daily. The actual protein figure gets scooted around a lot, but try to get at least 100g if you want to dumbfire it. Folks can be pretty bad at guessing their LBM, so that should be okay-ish.
2) Past that, structure your diet. Are you going low-fat or low-carb? A basic, cookie-cutter low-fat diet is a 40/40/20% P/C/F breakdown. Low-carb is generally under 50g of carbs per day, although many settle at sub-30g once they hit a groove. Also, if folks want to respond with a "hr hr gonna heart attack urself on locarb", go die in a fire or something. There's so much inaccuracy, bro-science, perpetuated misinformation, and misleading on health in general that it's maddening. Low-carb is definitely a victim of this.

While on the topic of bro-science, the whole "eat five times a day yadda yadda" thing is myth. If anything, it's to keep you from getting too hungry. On the flip-side, intermittent fasting (eating your full day's intake within a 6-8hr window) does work, but that's something different entirely.

Also, spot-reduction is bull. What's spot reduction? It's talk about folks using, say, a stairmaster to "tone mah glutes". Know what happens when you use a stairmaster? You work out your legs and glutes. Your body doesn't burn fat that way. If you're eating properly and have a good fitness regimen, your body will burn fat where it damn well pleases. Case-in-point, for guys, you might have cases where a fella's six-pack is visible around 15% bodyfat, whereas there'll be a case where a second person needs to hit 11% for that visibility. This ties in to genetic and dumb luck.

I could go on and on. The first thing: fix your diet. If you want meaningful changes, viewing a diet as a short-term fix is setting you up for failure. This is a lifestyle change and should be approached as such. Second: develop your workout. Strictly cardio is fine, but I really recommend weight-lifting for BOTH genders.

Starting off is the worst thing, because people will slug the same BS pseudo-science in your face they heard on TV yesterday morning on some random commercial. There is a ridiculous amount of bull that folks see as gospel, and many of these are why losing weight seems to be so freaking hard or impossible for people. Losing weight is NOT hard. Getting started and moving past the maddening smokescreen folks have set up around it is. Once you're past that, you're golden.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Ahaha, man. Gech. So many people have an opinion on what's "right" and what's not for dieting and exercise. You're right - it gets hard to wade through all the shit, but on a basic level, the premise seems so simple. Don't eat more than you need to, and don't sit at a desk and do nothing all day.

Meanwhile, could I mention that I don't do pre-packaged meals in our house. I do everything from scratch. I originally started spending a lot more time on meals because my blood pressure was through the roof due to way too much sodium in our our diet.

If you're looking to reduce your blood pressure, either learn to cook or find someone who will cook meals for you. My blood pressure is almost normal now (too much rage still) and we're eating much more healthy. I understand not everyone wants to make everything they eat out of basic materials, or that they don't have the time, but it really did help.

I hope to cut my intake in half to help accomplish my goal. It will be rough. When I don't allow myself what I want in food, my mind says I am punishing myself. Sigh.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

That's the problem -- they have opinions. Not fact from personal experience or from seeing others address those issues. Folks spout these opinions and other folks latch on to it ("oh yeah I heard that from so-and-so") and before you know it, EVERYONE MUST DO THAT. The whole "toning" spiel or eating X-number of meals every X-number of hours crap; if you go on to some bro-lletin board like Bodybuilding.com, folks latch on to those like crazy. In those cases, even if you've got some guy at a low bodyfat and is in his early 20s or so, he's trim IN SPITE of that. They will take a step back and say "well, I'm fit, so I'm doing everything right. Everyone should do this." Then folks get in to stupid micromanagings and chasing ghosts (ie: NO-XPLODE BEFORE EVERY WORKOUT. PARA-WORKOUT BCAAs. DO IT OR YOU WON'T GET SWOLEOSIS). It's not something I like talking about much, but I was a hefty fellow when I was younger and in to my early college years, so I'm speaking from experience on this front. I've also advised and helped buddies/family members trim up with good results.

Also, it isn't always a case of someone eating too much. If you consume a large amount of fats and carbs at the same time (carbs causing an insulin spike, making your body want to store fat. Fat being abundant gets snagged), even if you keep your calories to a restricted level, you can still pack on weight. Lots of folks are fat simply due to running in to this wall; not due to "lol he's fat because he eats too much". Fat person eats far less, sticks to straight-up boring food in general (ie: "health food" or living off of boring-ass salads), and they end up lacking in energy, making zero progress, and end up bailing on it entirely. Then folks once again go "lol fatty fat fat".

On the topic of some "health foods": take a look at the vast majority of readily-available snacks-and-foods. If you even go the simplest method of going low-fat, many of those foods compensate for a lack of fat (or loss of good flavor) by packing it full of sugar. This is why cooking your own stuff ends up being better for you, because it doesn't have extra stuff crammed in. I'm not talking about crazy voodoo mystery ingredients (WHAT IS THIS. IT HAS A WEIRD NAME. IT MUST BE MAKING ME FAT), but rather sugars being tucked in.

If you go low-fat, you remove fat from the equation. Your insulin spikes won't lead to fat storage. If you go low-carb and remove carbs from the equation, you don't have crazy insulin spikes, meaning you won't store fat. Regardless of what you do, whether it's head on fitday and build every meal, plan your daily intake, low-fat, low-carb, etc: CUT OUT SUGAR. READ LABELS. You would be surprised at how that shit works its way in to things. Also, if you go low-fat, don't be afraid of fats (saturated, mono, poly, etc. Trans is still bad, though, brah). Nuts and eggs are awesome foods; don't you dare neglect 'em. Oh, that reminds me: dietary cholesterol fears in foods are unwarranted. Ignore it. Cholesterol within your body is regulated by your overall diet quality, not by the fact that you just ate two eggs. I once ate one of my ginormous plates of scrambled eggs in front of someone who sided with this, and he freaked the hell out about it :V

Most amazing jew boots

Originally Posted by Gechmir

Something folks need to bear in mind is that fixing up your diet should be at the top of your list. You can bust your ass at the gym nonstop, but if you're eating terribly, then your progress will be almost non-existent.

Everything in moderation. I've lost a good deal of weight eating what I want but in smaller doses and changing only a few things. Since the start of the year I've been on a weight loss kick... Well, not entirely true. I pretty much stopped when life got stressful back in April and I've been fluctuating ever since... But the point is, I didn't change a whole hell of a lot.

1. Started making smoothies for breakfast. Fruits, protein powder, orange juice. Tasty as hell and got the metabolism going.

2. Didn't change anything about my lunch. I usually have a pretty good-sized lunch to keep me going at work.

3. Smaller/healthier dinners. Usually ate the same stuff but I either made it healthier or in smaller doses.

4. Smaller doobie snack. I smoke a bowl every night and I like to have a snack with it to end the day. I've reduced the size of this snack considerably so I can still get my chocolate fix but not eat a whole pint of Ben and Jerry's... mmm.......


The biggest change for me was breakfast. I very rarely eat breakfast but having the smoothie was a great way to wake up. Like I said, I've fallen out of it lately but I'm determined to get back into it now that the craziness of the meet is behind me. I certainly didn't hold back on eating last week, so I need to get back into a good groove.

Right now I'm hovering around 248 pounds. My target weight is 235. I suppose I could go lower but that's where I find I'm perfectly content.

The same weight loss methods aren't going to work for everybody, but in general getting your body in motion is a good start. Go for more walks. Park the car further away. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Basic shit like that is good for everybody.

I too hate the gym. I've never been a huge fan of going there and the only machine I really enjoy using is the rowing machine. My hope is to get my own when I move to a bigger apartment, as they're only around $900 to own one. I'd use it every day and I'd be comfortable using it, so even though it would be more expensive than a gym membership in the grand scheme, I'd be much happier using that at home than using it at a gym.

Anyway, I'm down for this whole losing weight thing. I've done it before, I just need to motivate myself to do it again

How ya doing, buddy?

I'll be honest. I'm not going to be doing the low-fat, low-protein, low-calorie, low-brain mass thing. I can't do it. Honestly. I've tried pretty much all of them. Having to run calculations before I even sample the dinner I'm making. I also can't stand the thought of "low fat" stuff; it never tastes right and it's usually full of chemicals.

That's another thing: Chris is fine. He may not agree, but I don't think he needs to lose anywhere near as much weight as I need to. Why should he suffer it out with me? This is cause for a lot of (admittedly stupid) guilt.

I think one of my other detriments is that I eat nobreakfast (save for a cup of coffee), usually nothing for lunch, and then a large, often late-in-the-evening dinner. Probably the biggest problem I could give myself.

I'm curious to know what I should be eating in both portion-size and timing-wise.

My doctor recently asked me about how I was addressing my diet (as I expressed concerns). I explained the meal timing and the quality of meals to her. She seemed pretty convinced that it's a matter of portion since we agree it's not a matter of quality (garbage food) or a sedentary lifestyle (I pretty much never stop save for when I am paid to sit at a desk).

I really feel bad for posting this many times, but I'm hopeful that maybe someone will have some advice for me that doesn't involve table calculations and definitions of "saturated fats," etc.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Dunno Gech. All I have been doing on the diet front is eating straight protein. No sugars and starches. Fuck rice, bread, pasta and all of those. 4 months and it has helped me tremendously.

Thanks for the additional info too. Just going past 1k calories to build.muscle. Really helpful shit you have added here, thanks!

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Before you start planning a diet, a good first step is to go out and buy some smaller plates. It's a pretty natural instinct to fill your plate with food when you serve yourself so by having smaller plates, you're naturally giving yourself smaller portions. My mum managed to shed half a stone just by doing this. She'd been the same weight for ages, heading upwards rather than downwards and she bought new plates, kept eating the same stuff and being as active as before and started losing weight.

Obviously that alone probably ain't going to cut it but it's a good starting point.

How ya doing, buddy?

For the sake of activity:

This week I've been working on two main things: activity and regular meals.

When I say regular meals I mean eating when I wake up to get the juices flowing. I've been eating fairly normally, I haven't really taken anything out of my diet that I already haven't been eating (soda, fries, etc). Change isn't just difficult, too much change at once can lead to depression and regression!

Activity wise I've already biked 40 miles this week, which seems like a lot, but it's been mostly flat (there's a short 200 yard stretch that's slightly uphill). I worked out this path around my small neighborhood that's 1.2 miles and bike it at an even pace for an hour a day. If I don't bike I walk one of my dogs on that path, but I keep the activity going for an hour or an hour and a half at least.

Obviously there haven't been any noticeable changes over five days but I've definitely been enjoying the audio books~~

Hopefully I can keep it up, it's been good so far and I do enjoy biking and getting to know the area. I did almost crash once, but I blame the city for that pot-hole, not my zoning out.

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Updating:

Since about a week ago, when I first read Raspy's journal, I've lost 3.5 pounds.

The only real method I've employed was "don't eat so much you fat whore." Every meal (with like one exception), I've eaten half of what I would normally eat. I exclude fruits and veggies from that - I can have as much as those as I'd like, which makes it mentally a little easier for myself.

So far, so good. Kind of surprised about it, honestly. I'm in denial. I keep telling myself "that's just water weight, don't worry, you'll fuck it up." This is my problem, I think.

I was speaking idiomatically.

okay, tried the running thing yesterday and was shocked to find how much wind I've lost in the years I've been rotting away in front of a computer.

This definitely needs a fixing.

How ya doing, buddy?

So I decided to take a stab at this since I've been dealing with weight issues my entire life, but even though I've been pretty comfortable with my own appearance the biggest thing I have to admit is that my weight gain contributed to my sleep apnea.

Even though losing weight will improve my sleeping disorder it is something that I need to live with for the rest of my life.

Currently I'm 6'1 and I weigh right now at 240 lbs. I'm constantly alternating between 230 lbs to 245 lbs because of my hectic work schedule. I would personally like to weigh anywhere between the 205 to 215 lbs pound mark even though my doctor wants me to drop to around the 185 to 195 mark which trust me I may get myself to be motivated to lose weight but not that motivated.

One thing you have to understand about my body is that a lot of my weight is evened out, even though I don't have a lot of weight in my stomach (while I do have a considerable amount). I have really large legs, kind of like tree trunk legs. My upper thighs are incredibly large.

Deep down I do understand the main issue with my weight gain and it is my diet. I'll be the first person to admit that especially for a guy that eats some kind of junk food at least one day and has fast food once a week. To be honest I'm surprised I'm not heavier but I guess having a physical grueling job counters the poor diet. Its one of the reasons why my weight has stayed pretty consistent over the last 5 years.

The problem that I face, is my work and how little free time I have when I do eat. It is easier for me to control my diet especially when I live at the work camps since the food is always prepared for you and you have a lot of choice with regards to what you want to eat. It is when I'm living on my own is when my diet really suffers.

To give you an example, I barely eat breakfast, if I have any kind of breakfast it is usually just a few fruit. One of the main reasons for that is that if I eat any kind of breakfast especially if it involves eggs, I get stomach sick incredibly easy if I do any kind of hard labor.

Basically the biggest thing I would need help with is a diet because of my work I work up a really good appetite. Sometimes when it comes to fixing my lunches I have no idea what to put in it, and when I can't find anything in the house. I usually pick up things at a gas station (big mistake). A lot of times when I get home I barely have any energy and can't really muster the time to fix anything too complicated for supper. I guess with the nature of my work and constantly working 12 hour days, but technically being out and about for about 14 hours. Its really hard to put time to make anything that requires any effort. That's when it comes to supper it is always ends up being quick and convenient.

Any suggestions for quick easy healthy lunches, or any options for supper that require very little effort would be greatly appreciated.

With regards to exercise, I can't bring myself to a gym. I really can't and I've really tried, the only time you'll ever see me at a gym is when I stay at the campsites. The gyms are within walking distance and they're really convenient.

For me the only time I exercise is the time that I do work, I get more than enough exercise with that especially walking the long distances and carrying and heavy lifting of 20 lbs to 40 lbs objects.

For me outside of work I can't really push myself to exercise if its not fun. That's why I have no problems exercising when it comes to playing sports or even playing DDR/ITG which I actually do play quite a lot when I'm home in Newfoundland.

To sum it up guys, I work really hard, but because of the little free time that I have my diet usually suffers because of lack of free time and from just being exhausted from constantly working long work days. I'm just looking for ways to improve my diet, and any suggestions you can think of for healthy lunches since it is usually during my prime work time.

FELIPE NO

Originally Posted by Sass

Does anyone else feel as stupid as I do about gyms?

Perhaps someone has already answered this (probably GECH since he DOESNT SHUT UP... F U GECH >=[ ), but no, you're not the only one. I joined a gym probably about a month ago, and it can honestly be overwhelming. I always run when I go, but its really tough when I look at some of the equipment available and just go "How the hell does that thing work?". Even if I look at the diagram and get the gist of it, I'm still skeptical of whether or not I'm even doing it right. We all know that if you use a machine wrong, at best it probably wont do much for you, at worst you could seriously injure yourself.

Thankfully my gym allows guests on weekends, so my boyfriend has shown me how to use a number of machines... and I'm still working myself up to asking the people that work there to help me out (there's gotta be more than ONE core-working machine there).

I dont have an accurate scale on hand just yet (pretty sure the one my parents bought is older than I am... I never remember NOT having it in our bathroom), so I'm trying not to focus on weight too much right now, as opposed to just getting back in shape. As shorty said, its pretty pathetic how low my cardio and endurance has gotten. My high school self would be running circles around me now... and thats saying something, since I was the goalie in soccer, so I didnt really run then either.

Anyways, I'm gonna try listing the numbers of my workouts weekly here, to keep track of improvements and such. Last week was pretty pathetic, as the week after vacation is always hectic for me, so I only got to the gym once.

Week of June 12th to the 18th:

Treadmill
1 Mile in 14.3 Minutes - Average speed of 4.5, 92 calories burned, 0 incline
1/2 Mile in 8.4 Minutes - Average speed of 3.5, 58 calories burned, 5.0 incline

Elliptical
.83 Mile in 18 minutes - Average Heart Rate at 145 (Cardio workout vs fat burning), 127 calories burned

Weight Machines
Leg Sled, Sitting - 3 sets of 10 at 140lbs
Abdominal Crunch - 5 sets of 10 at 10lbs

I wont post this week's, since the week isnt over... but its probably gonna look even MORE dismal, as I pulled something in my back at work on Monday night, so I have to take it easy.

As time goes on and I get into a routine, I'll be posting averages of the week instead of the whole workout, and probably my weight too (FAT).

Also, for anyone interested in starting a workout routine without a gym, try downloading the App 'BodyFitness'. It has a TON of workouts and exercises that use small stuff, like dumbells and medicine balls, along with descriptions and diagrams on how to use them for specific exercises.

As for dieting, I'll update on any changes, right now its pretty much moving towards salads for lunch instead of the fatty stuff I've always had, greek yogurts, and a fruit of some sort (besides whats already in the yogurt).

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Everything was going great until a few hours ago when halfway through my run I rolled my ankle, tore the flesh of my knee apart and had to walk home on said damaged ankle.

This'll probably put me on the shelf for at least a week.

Jam it back in, in the dark.