Yo cadwackle, don't stress. First of all, you just started a half-marathon training program. That means throw out your scale. I always gain weight during marathon/half-marathon training ... It's muscle. Your scale will lie to you about your progress. Instead, just focus on the fit of your clothing and how your body feels.

Also, we do all have to start somewhere. For me, Florida has beach weather year-round, so it's easier to stay active year-round.

I think tomorrow I'll post some older pics where I'm 30 lbs heavier. Just bc before and after shots are motivating. But we can always make adjustments to get in better shape. Even when you reach a goal, sometimes you have to set new ones to stay motivated or reach new levels of fitness.

5/25/2010 4:49:48 AM

bout to hit the gym again, you should see my old pics

5/25/2010 5:01:15 AM

So I don't think I'm going to enter this, but I'll stick around to make sure there's no shitty advice

I like this calculator for people who have varying activity levels by day..just don't overestimate

http://exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 5:40 AM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 5:32:41 AM

Thx PackMan. Just ran 5 miles. Today is my 27th bday. I hope people don't try to shove cake down my throat all day.

5/25/2010 6:08:56 AM

So far today:
Breakfast
- double honey oat bagel
- blueberry Greek yogurt
- glass of skim milk
- cup of coffee (skim, no sugar)

Mid-morning snack
- chocolate peanut butter Balance bar
- cup of coffee (milk, no sugar)

5/25/2010 8:24:27 AM

^^

Told me 3300 which is pretty close to what I have seen.

5/25/2010 8:26:26 AM

Hmm ... it just told me 2300. Perhaps I will have some cake after all!

5/25/2010 8:34:46 AM

sorry if I sound dumb, but when it says:

Quote :

"1536 BMR (Calories) 1088 Activity (Calories) 2624 Total Calories"

.. that's basically telling me I should burn 1,088 calories a day, right?

5/25/2010 8:52:18 AM

it's telling you that's how much you burn daily based on what you inputed as your activity level.

to lose 1lb a week subtract 500 calories from the total (2624) to get 2124
if you also burn 3500 cal/week you can lose another 1lb (2lb total)

obviously eating less than that and burning more could result in more weight loss. I prefer consistancy week to week vs. speed though.



[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 8:56 AM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 8:53:51 AM

khcadwal, don't forget that you have to see where you've been to know where you're going.

5/25/2010 8:54:28 AM

^2 oh... duh

thanks for that calculator

5/25/2010 8:56:13 AM

^^Ex: I was at 187. In the morning, I weigh 162. Have a practical goal.. just ignore the first page if you want

5/25/2010 9:01:07 AM

eli what gym do you work out at? maybe we can partner up. we're both about equally as weak.

5/25/2010 9:15:19 AM

the calculator says i should eat about 2700 calories a day....i don't think that's very true.

diet today
breakfast: 1 egg and 1/2 medium sized avacado
snack: banana
lunch: about 5 ounces of baked skinless chicken, 1/2 medium sized avacado, 3/4 of a small red potato baked with olive oil
snack: 0% greek yogurt
post-workout snack: AdvantEdge protein drink
dinner: pork roast and corn on the cobb

5/25/2010 9:25:45 AM

I would REALLY love to join this challenge...but looking at all you other people its clear I could never win ;-)

5/25/2010 9:30:51 AM

Don't forget that standard calorie diets, the ones you're used to seeing, are designed for a rather sedentary person with a normal amount of body fat.

As you exercise, you're going to need more fuel to replace what you've burned, to repair your damaged body, and as you develop muscle you'll need more in general since muscle is more "fuel hungry" than fat.

5/25/2010 9:32:32 AM

^^do it anyway!
i'm certain i will not win but it'll be fun to see how hard i can push myself and what i can do (and if i have enough self control!)

and if i end up looking worse than i did. then oh well.
i'm sure most of the individuals in here will let me live it down

5/25/2010 10:15:44 AM

I just realized that with two eggs I'm having 156% of my daily cholesterol by 7:30am.

5/25/2010 10:33:14 AM

^^^^ It's not like there have been any judging criteria posted anyway, so no one knows how you "win".

WE'RE ALL WINNERS

5/25/2010 11:58:46 AM

Agreed! Everyone who participates is going to win.

5/25/2010 12:15:03 PM

Well...for me lets make it beach body 2011

No Pics atm...somehow I think taking pictures of myself 1/2 nude at work might not go over well.

STATS

Age: 26
Height 5'10"
Weight: 275 (misleading...I've got quite a bit of muscle mas...though there's a good supply of fat covering that up)

Diet: Recently revising...but usually a cup of rolled oats and an instant b-fast in the morning, mid-morning yogurt/granola bar, lunch a small portion of a homemade chicken/black bean salad, handful of almonds mid afternoon, and a serving of roasted fish, chicken, or pork loin for dinner usuall with a side of a green veggie.

Workout: To be honest its been years since I've done this, and I'm always happy to take suggestions. I'd mainly like to drop the fat, but gaining a bit of muscle definition wouldn't be bad either. Using my apartment's gym mostly.

Weaknesses: Alcohol. I have a beer or two out with the boys on Monday nights, then usually 3-4 drinks on Friday and Saturday night. Drink of choice there is usually just gin and seltzer. Weakness two...weekend meals. I'm a decent cook, and I like to show off to my lady on the weekends.

That's embarassing enough for now!



[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 12:30 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 12:30:32 PM

^^Everyone who meets their goals win. If you fail, you don't win. Or at least that makes sense.

And Quinn, I still live in central MA, son.

5/25/2010 12:42:14 PM

^ "Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." - Henry Ford

5/25/2010 12:54:09 PM

Quote :

"I just realized that with two eggs I'm having 156% of my daily cholesterol by 7:30am."

dietary cholesterol has little to no affect on blood cholesterol...so I'm not sure why it matters that you're already at 156%

5/25/2010 12:54:23 PM

It just surprised me.

5/25/2010 12:55:04 PM

Quote :

"i would post in this thread except everyone's pictures i've seen (i only spent time on page 1) are already WAY WAY better than mine and way skinnier than i am and already look beach ready so that pretty much ends my motivation to use this thread as motivation "

shut up.

go to the bottom of page 4, take a look at my gut, feet better about yourself, take some pics, and enter the damn contest.

oh and

5/25/2010 12:56:56 PM

^ because you entered, I'll enter

but I'm waiting til this ridiculous water retention at least goes down... I'm not taking pics when I'm 5 lbs heavier than I should be

5/25/2010 12:57:45 PM

Today:

diet: 2 pieces bread w/1tbsp smart balance, 1 slice of homemade banana bread, protein shake, pb&j sammich, 2 diet mt.dews, lots of crystal light

exercise: 60min pump & ride class, taught 30min lower body/abs class

5/25/2010 1:38:44 PM

I tried taking a photo this morning for this competition, but the auto-focus on my camera went crazy while taking photos through a mirror. I'll figure out how to fix that for future pictures.

Stats:
5'-11"
283lbs

Goal: to drop all this extra fat I'm carrying. I'm estimating my goal as losing 40 pounds over the next 16 weeks. That puts me at a 2.5 pound a week weight loss goal, or a deficit of 1200 calories a day. It's a little on the ambitious side, but I think it's possible. I've been steadily gaining weight over the last couple of years, and I am ready to do something long-term about it.

I'm going to follow a ketogenic diet with a target of 2,000 calories a day. My diet is going to still consist of a lot of chicken, but I'm going to start buying chicken with the skin still on it instead of skinless chicken breasts all the time. I'll be eating a lot of salads, green beans, and broccoli to complement the chicken and serve as a source of fiber and nutrients. I plan to limit my intake of salad dressings and stick to more oil and vinegar type dressings. I'm going to continue to eat a can of tuna as my pre-workout snack, and I'm going to limit my PWO shakes to just one scoop of whey protein mixed with water.

Since my calories are going to be severely restricted, I'm going to focus on weight training and low intensity cardio to shed the weight while retaining muscle. My lifting will be 3-4 days a week, focusing on core exercises in the 8-12 rep range. My cardio will consists of the other 3-4 days a week, playing video games for an hour while having the treadmill set at 3mph at a 4-7% incline, varying based on heart rate.

My body has responded very well to ketogenic diets in the past, so I plan to start off with one. If I start feeling sluggish during my workouts, I'll switch to a cyclic ketogenic diet. If I make the switch, I will change my workout routine to be 2 days of condensed lifting and 5 days of cardio.

5/25/2010 1:43:33 PM

^ I need to do exactly the same thing you are...looks like we have similar body types and weight at the moment...damn I wish I had a treadmill in my apt so I could play and work at the same time!

5/25/2010 1:52:27 PM

Off to the gym. Will probably do another hour on the stationary bike or the treadmill. I would love to go outside and do it, but the weather is being stupid. Will likely do some more light lifting after that. I'm probably looking at deadlift as my big exercise, as well as a couple of other back exercises, but I'm also going to biceps and forearms today as well.

Diet today has been pretty sparse. I didn't get my normal breakfast today because I went into work at 4 AM.

Breakfast:

2 banana
1 chobani greek yogurt
1 starbucks Americano (espresso and water) with a pretty decent amount of sugar and half and half

Lunch:

Nothing so far. Will probably eat a footlong tuna or turkey sub on wheat after I work out.

Dinner:

Planning on tuna steak
baked sweet potato
12 oz. broccoli

Gotta get to sleep early today as I'm going in at 3 AM tomorrow!

5/25/2010 2:41:03 PM

I wonder if I should get in on this. I appear to be late to the party.

5/25/2010 2:44:24 PM

DO IT

you have til the 30th to "officially" sign up

5/25/2010 2:46:52 PM

I have not mastered the art of taking pictures of myself so I might get Ken to take a better one later.

This is my schedule that I hope to stick with. I have been struggling with getting more toned since having Maya. I just need to be routine about my work out schedule. I can do this!

Monday 1 hour- kick-boxing class (my hardest class that loves to kick my ass)
Wednesday- 45 minute elliptical
Thursday- 20 minutes elliptical, 1 hour yoga/pilate fusion
Friday- 30 minute elliptical, 15 minute All Abs class
Saturday- 45 minute elliptical

I am a type I diabetic so I have to eat fairly well but when I have diabetic lows (too much insulin and no sugar in my body) I am prone to eat the crap out of anything and everything in site that will keep me from dying. I am trying to manage my diabetes better so that I am not screwing up my health because of lack of control.

I need advice on how to stay hydrated all the time. I have started the challenge of only drinking water (I shoot for 96 oz a day, that does not include working out water). If anyone should dare, some advice on how to keep myself from having diabetic lows during my workout would be awesome. When I played soccer, at one point in my life-NOT NOW, I would eat a banana, pack of nabs, and 16 oz of OJ before I would practice. I have noticed when I have lows while working out I get these horrendous headaches because I am pretty sure it couples very nicely with dehydration. Any advice on sustaining during a workout would be taken.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 2:53 PM. Reason : I am not in it to win it, just to challenge myself with others work outs]

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 2:58 PM. Reason : 5'6" 160 lbs, 35-29.5-39]

5/25/2010 2:51:36 PM

^4 did you post your stats? Even what you have planned to eat doesn't seem like that many calories. Do you track at all? I can tell right away that you're not getting enough protein or healthy fats (breakfast sure is full of starch and sugar though)


^have you looked into the Zone Diet or Paleo Diet at all? Both are great for controlling insulin levels, which could be beneficial to you. Also, how come you're not doing any weight training?

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 2:54 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 2:52:25 PM

I do some in the yoga/pilates class. I guess I should, I am just working more with my own weight, which is a good amount right now. What do you suggest, low amount that is?

I will look into those diets and talk to my doctor about them.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:00 PM. Reason : dr]

5/25/2010 3:00:10 PM

Yeah, I posted my stats (6 ft. even, about 205 right now). I don't calorie count for the most part, and that's not my normal breakfast. Surprisingly the greek yogurt actually has 14g of protein and very little sugar (19g).

Normally I eat 2 eggs for breakfast, a whole wheat english muffin w/ a tiny bit of jelly, and a banana.

Lunch is normally a salad, but occasionally a sandwich.

Dinner is generally a chicken breast or two or a 6 oz. serving of salmon or tuna, and then either brown rice or a sweet potato, and then a shit ton of veggies. I do snack on things like raw almonds and canned tuna a couple of times a day.

Today has just been a bit off because I had to get up stupid early.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:04 PM. Reason : asfsadf]

5/25/2010 3:01:27 PM

What I've eaten today:

-(2) Egg
-Toast
-Glass of V8
-Cup of Coffee
-Slice of leftover pizza
-20oz. Cherry Dr. Pepper
-(2) Quaker Chocolate Chip granola bar
-Red Delicious Apple

AND I'M STARVING

5/25/2010 3:03:35 PM

^^^I would aim to do at least 2 days a week of weights...you'd be amazed at what that will do for your overall body composition/energy levels/etc.

Try to do the big stuff: squats, deadlifts, lunges, pull-ups, dips, overhead press (2-3 sets, 6-8 reps)

if you're not comfortable doing those, I'd suggest finding someone to teach you how. You won't be sorry.

I'd be completely shocked if your doctor didn't recommend either of those diets...completely shocked

Quote :

"(2) Egg -Toast -Glass of V8 -Cup of Coffee -Slice of leftover pizza -20oz. Cherry Dr. Pepper -(2) Quaker Chocolate Chip granola bar -Red Delicious Apple "

I see a lot of simple/processed grains, little protein, and no healthy fats...that's why you're starving

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:06 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 3:05:01 PM

Definitely recommend a lot of the exercises he mentioned.

The best strength and muscle building exercises you will ever find are squat and deadlift. I used to do a ton of powerlifting exercises, and they will rapidly pack on muscle if you're a guy, and will hugely increase your functional strength regardless of gender.

Pullups are another often neglected exercise that everyone should do.

OK, i really am off to the gym now.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:08 PM. Reason : asdfa]

5/25/2010 3:07:48 PM

w00t! Thanks!!

5/25/2010 3:11:50 PM

today I had:

breakfast: special K red berries (I think about 1 1/2 - 2 cups, oops ... didn't realize how much til after I looked at the tupperware container I had it in) w/ 1 cup of 1% milk (I refuse to switch to skim)
lunch: Panny B's... got the you pick 2 with salmon salad, black bean soup, and a whole grain baguette (and unsweet tea w/ lemon)

tonight... I'm thinkinnnnnnn steak strips w/ mushrooms/squash/zucchini and spicy quinoa

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:15 PM. Reason : oh and blueberries for a snack... PACKMAN, how am I doing?]

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:17 PM. Reason : amounts]

5/25/2010 3:15:39 PM

food for the day

berkfast: 1 egg, 3.5 oz chicken, ezekiel bread

snack1 : 1.5 cup grapes, 5 cashews (oops....ate a little too many grapes, gosh i love em! )

snack2: small peach, cup of coffee (with 1/4 cup soy milk and splenda)

lunch: 3 oz chicken, arugula leaves, carrots.




did insanity resistance before breakfast this morning
i think im hitting the weight room this evening

5/25/2010 3:16:05 PM

Quote :

"I see a lot of simple/processed grains, little protein, and no healthy fats...that's why you're starving"

Yeah I didn't bring the beef jerky to work

Did I mention the toast was whole wheat?

Basically everyone should not eat what I eat.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:16 PM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 3:16:29 PM

Agreed on pull-ups, they're so much fun when you can do them, especially if you can do them with extra weight added on.

Quote :

"I see a lot of simple/processed grains, little protein, and no healthy fats...that's why you're starving"

I've had...a turkey wrap, apple, grilled chicken breast and some bbq so far today. A couple handfuls of dried fruit as well. I love dried fruit, too bad it's got a ton of sugar added to it

5/25/2010 3:19:45 PM

Question, PackMan: Do I actually need dietary cholesterol?



That's my daily intake from yesterday, according to The Daily Plate. And that's a typical diet for me. For whatever reason, the baseline is a bit screwy for yesterday. Can't figure out how to update the baseline for retro dates.

Stats for today:

Workout
5-mile run in 40 minutes
Power walked the mall for an hour

Diet so far
Venti Iced Americano
One serving of plain oatmeal
One cup of decaf earl grey tea
A grilled chicken/veggie wrap, cut in half--half eaten as early lunch, half as late lunch
Cup of apple cider vinegar
24 ounces of water

Anticipated for dinner
Veggies
Nuts
2 glasses of red wine

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 3:31 PM. Reason : .]

5/25/2010 3:24:58 PM

^SODIUM lol

I'm right there with you.

5/25/2010 3:29:30 PM

actually she did pretty good on sodium

5/25/2010 3:30:14 PM

I had some ramen last night before I went to bed.

5/25/2010 3:30:52 PM

i logged my food (to daily plate) from yesterday and went way over on sugars because of grapes

5/25/2010 3:31:08 PM