THE OFFICIAL VNA EXERCIZE & FITNESS DEPARTMENT...

[PeterL22]

... or give this one a try... good cardio....

Transfer window open - we could do with a strong striker at Saints!

[hotjulie]

George I've heard of it, but I'm not a big fan of it, we need carbs, like Vicky said, all carbs aren't the same.

My calories are 60% protein, then I try to keep carbs at 25-30% the rest fat. One thing I never do is buy fat free, all they do is take out the good fats and replace them with chemicals. If someone in a lab jacket is making your food, do you really want to eat it? Also I try to take my time eating, 15 minutes is recommended, gives your brain time to say, you've had enough, stop eating!

I snack on veggies all day long, doesn't matter how many you eat, unless your dipping them in dressing, then well, you know.

We all know this stuff, but a reminder never hurts, trust me I need reminding more then most people, I just keep more active then most

[PeterL22]

Talking of taking your time eating - which works really well; one little technique to eat less is to put the fork down between fork/mouthfuls. Slows the rate at which you each and you get satiated (great word) so eat less!

[Kirstie]

Trying to get healthy again and lose some weight. I was down about 20 pounds in January and since I've been in school, I pounded the 20 pounds back on. Dx I ran 2.5 miles on Tuesday and me and my bf hiked up the mountains, 4.7 miles to and back. I'm cutting out soda, junk food, and the greasy food, the latter two being the worst for me. I've been having fruit and salads and trying to eat less, so we'll see what happens!

[WalterB]

Wow! Girl! You're serious. Glad to hear all that.

I'm trying to eat more salads, too. I get at least 2 a week, and some other veggies for munchies (small peppers etc, sometimes a tomato. I can get bag of small red, orange and yellow peppers.)

There was a recipe for baked tomatoes. Of course I lost it, but something like this:

Slice a beefsteak tomato thick (1/4" - 1/2".) Place tin foil on your baking sheet, place the slices on the foil. Cover each slice with a slice of Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and maybe parsley and/or a little other seasoning. I forget what was mentioned, but I'm betting most anything you like would work - some sort of garden/veggie seasoning.

Stick it in the oven and broil for 5 mins or so, until the cheese starts to melt and the tomato starts to soften up.

I remember they were pretty good. Obviously, make your own ideas, but try it out.

[hotjulie]

Just from what I've seen, when you make massive changes, it's hard, really hard! What I suggest to people at the gym and we had a competition last year with it, but I start people with 2 weeks of drinking 8 glasses of water a day. After that it's protein with every meal for 2 weeks, it's still easy but your taking control of your eating habits. Next veggies with every meal, and you can snack on them all day too, then your proper fats, have fun with that one. After that make your meals last 15 minutes, peter gave great tips, another tip is to never shut up and keep talking like I do. Whatever you do, don't stave yourself, cause that only backfires. I'm 5'6", 130lbs and eat more then 2000 calories everyday, just choose food that will fuel your body.

Things I never put on the list of things to eat, processed foods of any kind, deep fried foods and sugar (donuts), I know it's incredibly hard, but it's control and choices. When you do eat them, don't sweat it, and move on. I ate a donut a few weeks ago, I didn't plan on it, but the kids at the school shoved it in my face.

[PeterL22]

Wow! Girl! You're serious. Glad to hear all that.

I'm trying to eat more salads, too. I get at least 2 a week, and some other veggies for munchies (small peppers etc, sometimes a tomato. I can get bag of small red, orange and yellow peppers.)

There was a recipe for baked tomatoes. Of course I lost it, but something like this:

Slice a beefsteak tomato thick (1/4" - 1/2".) Place tin foil on your baking sheet, place the slices on the foil. Cover each slice with a slice of Swiss cheese. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and maybe parsley and/or a little other seasoning. I forget what was mentioned, but I'm betting most anything you like would work - some sort of garden/veggie seasoning.

Stick it in the oven and broil for 5 mins or so, until the cheese starts to melt and the tomato starts to soften up.

I remember they were pretty good. Obviously, make your own ideas, but try it out.

Wow Walter it must be working - you're fading away (can't see you on the bike)

But seriously, to both you and Kirstie - I'm impressed by your efforts - I know you will be successful!

[avguy001]

Finally have the time to get back in a gym.
Feeling better after only a few weeks with Planet Fitness.

[Kirstie]

I just overdid it so bad on the greasy food...I had it almost every day because Sheetz was down the street from my school. I've always been chubby, I mean I haven't been skinny since I was like...6. :( I like being curvier but I do want to shed some pounds.
Most food doesn't even interest me anymore. I want to start learning how to cook cause I bought a bunch of spices, but I'd need to find some healthier options first.
And it doesn't help that I'm a picky eater.
I made kickass chicken thighs wrapped in bacon a few weeks ago but bacon probably isn't the healthiest thing for me right now. Lol!!

[PeterL22]

Good rule of thumb is anything you cook from scratch (raw ingredients) is better than pre-prepared food. Again lower the fat intake and you WILL lose weight - even if its only leaner cuts of meat, and less cheese and butter.
If you are getting the bug for cooking I'm sure that will help too!

[hotjulie]

Kirstie, try turkey bacon, it's higher in protein, has less fat. That's what I use, it's more expensive, but it does go on sale to about the same as regular bacon. There's also Canadian bacon, we call it back bacon, but it is more lean.

We did a program that was called "For The Curvy Girl" we had 14 girls in the program, 5 are still very active in the gym. We weren't trying to get them skinny, but to be the best they can be. In 8 weeks they did loose so weight, but their confidence grew so much, and strong, wow their amazing!

[George B]

Good rule of thumb is anything you cook from scratch (raw ingredients) is better than pre-prepared food. Again lower the fat intake and you WILL lose weight - even if its only leaner cuts of meat, and less cheese and butter.
If you are getting the bug for cooking I'm sure that will help too!

Meanwhile in my diet, I'm eating fatty meats, adding cream, cheese and butter to everything and I'm down to 171lbs from 197 lbs since April. All without regimented exercise. Avoiding all carbs (minus the carbs I get from leafy veggies), especially processed sugars, starches and grains, my insulin stays steady without the peaks and crashes that come with eating sugars. It definitely takes discipline, lots of food items are now off limits and I'm always ordering substitutions off menus at restaurants, but the results have been eye opening. The chemistry works.

[PeterL22]

Good rule of thumb is anything you cook from scratch (raw ingredients) is better than pre-prepared food. Again lower the fat intake and you WILL lose weight - even if its only leaner cuts of meat, and less cheese and butter.
If you are getting the bug for cooking I'm sure that will help too!

Meanwhile in my diet, I'm eating fatty meats, adding cream, cheese and butter to everything and I'm down to 171lbs from 197 lbs since April. All without regimented exercise. Avoiding all carbs (minus the carbs I get from leafy veggies), especially processed sugars, starches and grains, my insulin stays steady without the peaks and crashes that come with eating sugars. It definitely takes discipline, lots of food items are now off limits and I'm always ordering substitutions off menus at restaurants, but the results have been eye opening. The chemistry works.

That's what Atkins said his diet did - you went ketotic (changed your metabolism) and lost weight. In the short term it does lose a bit of weight quite quickly, but that levels off and then starts to reverse. If you have diabetes you need to be especially careful of cholesterol levels - and despite his claims the Atkins diet produced a worse lipid profile - and what did he die of ? Yep cerebrovascular disease - furring up due to cholesterol. I really would discuss this with your doctor.

[George B]

and what did he die of ?

73 year old man slipping on icey New York streets, suffering head trauma, resulting blood clot and death from complications in surgery...

Just the fact that so many people argue against it, while still propagating the food pyramid (6-11 servings of bread, cereal, rice & pasta). It's no wonder we're facing a type 2 diabetes and obesity epidemic in most 1st world countries. Government entities (any govt) that dictate their standards to the population never want to admit their mistakes, plus they have a lot of money riding on it in so many different ways.

I'll let you know how my blood panels go the next time I get a checkup, in the meantime I'm gonna stick with it.

[stickyvicky]

My girl killed me at the gym yesterday, lol... I was sore all over this morning when I woke up and I felt like my body weighed 1000 lbs, it was so hard to get out of bed this morning. Besides the walking lunges with weights in each hand, we did this strange exercise where you go from standing to kneeling on both knees, getting up and down, alternating legs, but holding this oblong bag half filled with water. It probably weighs 20 or 30 lbs but the hard part is that it's only half filled with water so you need so much balance because the water swishes around and throws you off balance! Who comes up with these things! They must lie there at night and think up ways to fuck with their paying customers! Julie! I have been so bad this last few weeks, not working out because of the server migration, still working out kinks here and there, and building and rebuilding sites. JuliaAnnLive is almost 100% mobile responsive now. Will be finished today.

[hotjulie]

Awww Vicky I feel so sorry for you, that your sore all over

We have plastic pipe that are half full of water, they're different sizes and lengths, it's so much fun doing squats with them over your head, trying not to fall on your ass.

[CGYMike]

Handcock is a member at her gym :)

[PeterL22]

My girl killed me at the gym yesterday, lol... I was sore all over this morning when I woke up and I felt like my body weighed 1000 lbs, it was so hard to get out of bed this morning. Besides the walking lunges with weights in each hand, we did this strange exercise where you go from standing to kneeling on both knees, getting up and down, alternating legs, but holding this oblong bag half filled with water. It probably weighs 20 or 30 lbs but the hard part is that it's only half filled with water so you need so much balance because the water swishes around and throws you off balance! Who comes up with these things! They must lie there at night and think up ways to fuck with their paying customers! Julie! I have been so bad this last few weeks, not working out because of the server migration, still working out kinks here and there, and building and rebuilding sites. JuliaAnnLive is almost 100% mobile responsive now. Will be finished today.

Hey Vicky - needing the extra weight is a sign you are doing well!
Some of us carry that extra around and can't put it away at the end of the session.
But whatever you are doing sure as hell works - you look fabulous (and I'm a professional remember!).

[stickyvicky]

What kind of exercise do lazy people do?

Diddly-squats

[PeterL22]

What kind of exercise do lazy people do?

Diddly-squats

well, I go to the fridge, take out the beer. Then I lift the beer to my lips and do 12 reps (per can)!