2016 Resolvers: Fitness Support

[FundieFarmer]

...and I don't mean, "Fittin' all this cake in my mouth."

The most recent Fitness Thread I could find was archived, so I've made a new one. So as we found out in the "Lord Laid it On My Heart" thread, a lot of us have fitness resolutions and would love a nice supportive community! Obviously no body-shaming or guilting or any of that nonsense, and please use your discretion to determine if this is a safe thread for you. I know that I look forward to the accountability.

I guess I'll just start off with a little sound-off about me...because this is clearly the FF show
Goal: Drop my remaining 30 lbs by 1 May (about 8 lbs a month, so approx 1.5-2 lbs a week)
My reasons for motivation: getting in shape for heart surgery, and my wedding gown!
How I'm gonna do it: follow my prescribed eating plan from my weight loss center/neurologist (gfree!) and attend workouts (yoga & OTF) three times a week
What I've already done: Signed up for a weight loss physician (but now I need to stick with it!) and started using MyFitnessPal (I need to stick with that too!). Today, I've taken my vitamins for the day and took my first class at OrangeTheory fitness this morning!

And as of right this moment, I commit to an experiment with meal planning this week from Tuesday (tomorrow) through Tuesday, complete with set out grab-n-go foods, just to see how it works for me. To the grocery store with me!

How about y'all?

[19 cats and counting]

I dropped 3 sizes in 2015.  I'm trying to just maintain (because not in the budget to keep replacing harlot jeans) this year but going for the 'long and lean' shape.

I hate to sound like a walking ad, but a Fitbit was one of the best investments I made.  It seriously changes your habits (ie parking far away).   (Of course being the data nerd I am, I have a cardio mileage tracking spreadsheet).  

[singsingsing]

@FundieFarmer I hope you don't mind but I'm shamelessly stealing your template.

Goal: Lose approximately 20 LBS and just generally be in better shape.
My reasons for motivation: To feel better, physically and mentally. To hopefully build a foundation of better health and fitness as I age. To improve my brain function.
How I'm gonna do it: Start tracking calories again, but focus more on eating well than on staying within my caloric limit for the day. After all, you can eat like crap and still not go above 1300 calories (or whatever your goal is) if you're having a kitkat bar for breakfast, a bag of chips for lunch, and half a pizza for dinner. I'm also going to try to exercise every single day. Some days that will just entail a 20 minute walk, or some basic body weight exercises, but I'm aiming for a good 30-45 minutes of cardio at least 4 times a week.
What I've already done: Well, I've tried and fallen off the wagon a few times. 

[FundieFarmer]

Not at all, @singsingsing! I have tried and fallen off the wagon a few times, but for work we published some articles about how to set yourself up for success, so that's how I came to the template! Small reasonable goals with attainable steps along the way.

I'm glad you guys are here, because you don't have a personal, dedicated interest in me shrinking. No fear that your daughter won't look thin enough or something like that adding to the rabid-ness. I love it. 

[keen23]

GOAL: Lose 30 lbs (was going to be 20, but I managed to gain back 10 lbs over the month of December)

MOTIVATION: 20 Year High School Reunion is coming up! I can't believe it!

HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT: Fitbit and My Fitness Pal. Both apps will keep me on track. Cut back on the drinking, because that's a LOT of carbs. Continue yoga classes- go from 2 classes a week to 3 or 4.

WHAT I'VE ALREADY DONE: Put both apps on my phone. Logged my meals for today. In the past, I did Weight Watchers, and that helped me a LOT. On that program I went from 220 lbs to 160 lbs. I pretty much plateaued at 160, and stayed there for almost 2 years. This winter, I put back on 10 lbs, and I feel myself creeping closer to losing control of the situation again.

 

I'll be friends with anyone on either app.

FitBit URL:

//www.fitbit.com/user/29G26H

View account settings

 

If you want to find me on My Fitness Pal, my email is [email protected]

 

Good luck to all of us.

[Whoosh]

I hereby purpose to make a plan to start thinking about considering what I might do with regards to these types of goals.  Just kidding.  I actually have a pretty detailed plan that I already follow (though I did take a planned break in obsessiveness and record keeping for the holidays, it was a planned break spanning from Dec 21 to Jan 3 as I had planned events).  I report in to my health care team about all of it, but some friendly FJ support and encouragement would make the whole thing a lot more pleasant.  I wanted to throw my name in the hat here and will figure out what I want to share in this thread soon.

Thanks for getting all this started and GOOOOO TEAM!

[Maggie Mae]

I don't have a fitbit anymore. I'd like one, but I can't justify the cost of having both a multisport watch & a fitbit. 

I'm focusing on my training for various events, along with nutrition. My biggest problem when it comes to "training mode" is making dietary mistakes. I KNOW not to eat certain things, yet I have a hard time saying no to free foods at work. And there are a lot of free foods that I enjoy at my job. Or I eat too close to a class or training session and then I feel crappy the entire time. 

Good luck everyone!

[formergothardite]

My Goal: I need to lose around 30 lbs. I've actually lost a good bit of weight, but to get to where I want to be, I need to lose around 30ish more.

Motivation: I have no motivation, which is the problem. I would like to wear the pants I have in the closet that are too small. That is about it. 

How I'm going to do it: I have no clue.  I guess I just need to stop being lazy and start eating healthier. I want to try yoga, though. 

What I have done so far: Nothing besides try to remember my username for Sparkpeople. 

 

[Grimalkin]

Oooo, can I join? Not clear on my goal at the moment and my tummy feels yuck, but I will come back and type it all out later.

[church_of_dog]

I'm in!  One goal of mine is to lose 15 pounds by the end of March.  The end of March deadline is random and can change if needed.  The 15 pounds will take me to 145 which I think is the right weight for my body.  We'll see once I get there if I think I should drop more, but right now that's my best guess at a healthy weight for me.  I purpose to accomplish this with a combination of diet and cardio exercise (mostly walking).  I have a Fitbit to help with tracking.

Another goal is to build strength in my arms and my abs.  I have chronic back weakness and have had debilitating spasms in the past.  I thought that was mostly behind me but about a month ago I had another episode and it was bad and scary and motivating.  If it's true (not certain but seems right) that developing strong ab muscles will greatly reduce the chances of further disabling back spasms, then how can that not be the right answer?  I plan to do this with a schedule for exercises at home (no real gym nearby), plus a yoga class most weeks (and if she offers more than one daytime class each week then I will attend more than once, but right now all the other classes are evenings and I'm not up for that).  I have the Bob Greene book with stretching and strength exercises, a yoga mat and blocks, a yoga ball (or whatever they're called, the big chair-size ball).  I have several pairs of free weights but mostly have been using the 3-lbers.  I am more interested in endurance than in sheer strength, but a little of that would be nice too.  A belly 6-pack is my motivation even without knowing if it's even realistic for me.

A third vague goal is to change how I eat/cook.  I have been struggling with what food path I feel is right for me, and my ethics and my biology don't necessarily jive.  I'm not a natural cook but am ready to tackle that, but first need to know "what my rules are" so to speak.  My most recent thinking is about getting off grains and dairy.  I have frequent days when I go for comfort food, so I know I need to establish yummy, easy comfort foods for whatever path I choose, if I am to succeed.  Am looking into Paleo diet.  My big issues with eating meat are about ecological disposal of the waste, especially the fat.  I try not to have much "garbage", preferring to burn or recycle paper and to compost food scraps -- but not meat or fat, so if I start eating meat at home, I need to figure out how to deal with this aspect first and foremost.

I have been pondering starting a thread with some of my Fitbit questions, since I know there are many dedicated users on FJ.  I'll see whether maybe the questions would fit the discussion on this thread, or if this thread gets too busy I'll make a separate thread for Fitbit discussion.

[Destiny]

GOAL: Loose 25 or so pounds. (I gained 5 while in Nassau. Whoops. Not really even sorry tbh.)

MOTIVATION: Because I can, I guess? Also, mister destiny is extremely overweight, so if I work on this, hopefully he will too, and he can get to a more healthy weight.

HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT: Start logging all my food again on My Fitness Pal, and actually work on being competitive in fitbit challenges again. I've been slacking the last few months. Also, I'm going to try to do at least 30 min of yoga 3 or 4 times a week.

WHAT I'VE ALREADY DONE: I've lost and kept off 50lbs for two years (unless you count the five nassau pounds) this way, so it's just a matter of finishing the process.

If you wanna friend me on Fitbit, I'm here: https://www.fitbit.com/user/234SHM

@church_of_dog, I've been a fitbit user for YEARS if you wanna ask questions.

[halcionne]

GOAL: Lose another 10% of my body weight, or maybe just start feeling better about my body's appearance, whatever size it is

MOTIVATION: I want to feel sexy when I'm naked! And the rest of the time. 

HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT: Eating low carb, high fat and getting back to the gym. I want to try yoga, but social anxiety makes attending a class feel impossible right now. I may look into youtube vids or something to get started.

WHAT I'VE ALREADY DONE: I already lost 10% of my body weight doing LCHF and logging every god damn thing that goes in my mouth. 430-ish day streak on mfp. Friend me and I will "like" your 5 day milestones and fitness achievements! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/halcionne 

[Destiny]

I just tweaked my MFP. If you want to friend me there: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/destiny31fj

[Fundie Bunny]

Goal: Loose the weight i gained during some rough 4 years (wich is maybe 45 pounds)

Motivation: Clothes!!! I want to feel okay again wearing anything. And not in a fuck it way i am wearing whatever i want way.

How i'm going to do it: Gym 2 to 4 times a week, starting taking a little more care of my diet. (Hello junk food only once a week or even less)

What i have already done: Not much in the last few months, just paying the gym (A house move got in the way)

I realize that expecting to drop all this weight in a short time require a lot of effort, so i am being realistic and just expect to get healthier. I needed this thread, i need to feel guilty if i don't go to the gym

[ClaraOswin]

Some background...Until the age of 25 I was thin. Didn't exercise and ate whatever I wanted. *sigh* Those were the days! Ha! Around that time, I started gradually gaining. By the time I was 31-32, I had put on about 30 pounds. Then I got pregnant (2013.) During pregnancy I gained an appropriate amount (27 pounds.) I had a c-section. The weight gradually came off except for about 5 pounds. Then....my weight started creeping up again. I am currently about 10 pounds up from my pre-pregnancy weight. 

I have NEVER been a person who exercises or watches what I eat. I've never intentionally lost weight. EVER.

This past August I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I was told I should exercise and stay healthy. I joined a wellness center located inside a hospital. It's basically a gym only the clientele is mostly older people. The trainer did a body analysis for me and I wasn't in too bad of shape in terms of muscle mass and whatnot. But I could stand to lose around 25 pounds.

I basically want to feel less uncomfortable. Since adding extra body weight, it literally hurts. I hate it. I also would love it if I didn't look pregnant.

Since losing weight is foreign to me, I am starting with very small goals that probably seem ridiculous to other but oh well. 

Short term goal - Go down at least 1 notch on my belt by my 35th birthday in May. (I always wear the same belt and sadly the last few months, I've had to loosen it a couple notches.)

Motivation - Comfort. I also would like to go to my cousin's wedding this summer and NOT have anyone ask me if I'm pregnant because of my gut.

How I'm going to do it - This is trickier. With RA, there are some days that my hands and feet hurt way too much to exercise. I was told that if something hurts, I shouldn't do it. So that does limit things a bit. I also have to stick to low impact. Basically I am going to use the elliptical and exercise bike at the wellness center. I also will walk the track there. And swim laps in the pool. I am going to force myself to join some of the water aerobics classes as well. I am only able to make it over there once or twice a week though. So at home I will walk on the treadmill, play my dancing came on Wii (it gets my heart rate up,) and do my yoga/pilates DVDs. 

What I've done so far - Recently? Nothing.

Sorry for the novel.

[church_of_dog]

@halcionne, I'm very interested in hearing more about your LCHF diet, including asking you for some of your favorite recipes etc.  I'm really resistant to joining a new program like My Fitness Pal, but if it will make it easier for me to learn from others (such as you) without asking them to type a ten page essay about their habits, I will consider it.  Does it cost anything?  Does it coordinate with Fitbit in any way?  I'm still learning about Fitbit and I'm sure only using about 10% of its capability, so I'm wary to add something else that I'll only do half-assed.

Appreciate all thoughts.

 

And @Destiny, thank you.  I have three questions at this point:

1 -- How can I adjust the sleep logs and see my full sleep displayed?  Two things have come up on this -- one is when I have a gap in my sleep.  For example on New Year's Eve I went to sleep at 10:30.  Then at 11:30 I woke because the idiots neighbors were setting off fireworks.  I was awake until 12:30 when I fell back asleep.  In the morning my dashboard only showed the sleep that started at 12:30.  I tried to manually log a new sleep from 10:30-11:30 but it said "there is already a sleep logged at this time" but yet that time wouldn't show on my sleep graph.  Any clue how to get it to recognize all sleep?  A similar question arose the other day when I was watching a movie or something and sitting really still, apparently.  Fitbit thought I went to sleep at 8:30.  I couldn't figure out how to edit that sleep to remove the hour or so that wasn't really sleep.

2 -- The chart that says whether my heart rate was in resting zone, "fat burn" zone, cardio zone or peak zone, doesn't match the numbers next to it.  So for example, at the end of a day with no cardio exercise, it might say that I had 1-2 minutes in cardio zone but my heartrate graph doesn't actually show the line crossing into cardio zone anywhere during the day (because the chart is a rolling 15-minute average, I think), so I'm left wondering when during the day that happened.  Is there any way you know of to get detailed information instead of the 15-minute averages?  I thought I could do that with workouts, which leads me to question 3.

3 -- Last question is about workouts.  I have learned that workouts must be more than 5 minutes in duration or Fitbit doesn't count them (I tried to use it to test my heartrate while shoveling gravel, but only did it for ~ 2 minutes and discovered it didn't show up).  But I want to know what the other criteria are for a workout.  For example, I tried to call a sleep session a workout (to get more detailed info about my heartrate during sleep) but it doesn't recognize it as a workout -- but I can't figure out why not.  I'm tempted to call my whole day a workout if that's the only way to get the detailed information.

I should clarify that I have a Fitbit Charge HR and that I don't use it on a mobile device but on a laptop.  I haven't actually downloaded any data into a spreadsheet but I do look at the dashboard throughout the day.  Thanks for all advice from anyone familiar with them!

[Destiny]

15 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

1 -- How can I adjust the sleep logs and see my full sleep displayed? 

It should have logged them as two separate sleeps. As far as I know, there is no way to combine sleeps, but you could delete the short one, then edit the long one to start at the proper time. https://www.fitbit.com/sleep should let you see all the sleeps in a period, and edit them.

15 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

2 -- The chart that says whether my heart rate was in resting zone, "fat burn" zone, cardio zone or peak zone, doesn't match the numbers next to it.  So for example, at the end of a day with no cardio exercise, it might say that I had 1-2 minutes in cardio zone but my heartrate graph doesn't actually show the line crossing into cardio zone anywhere during the day (because the chart is a rolling 15-minute average, I think), so I'm left wondering when during the day that happened.  Is there any way you know of to get detailed information instead of the 15-minute averages?  I thought I could do that with workouts, which leads me to question 3.

You have to jump through some hoops to get minute by minute data. http://quantifiedself.com/2014/09/download-minute-fitbit-data/ explains the process, but imho, it's too much work for too little gain. Your mileage my vary.

15 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

3 -- Last question is about workouts.  I have learned that workouts must be more than 5 minutes in duration or Fitbit doesn't count them (I tried to use it to test my heartrate while shoveling gravel, but only did it for ~ 2 minutes and discovered it didn't show up). 

You can manually log workouts by pressing and holding the button on your tracker to start and stop. I'm not sure if there is a requirement for how long it has to be, because I don't use the functionality. I just let the device notice that I'm doing something, which it's actually pretty good about. Same with sleep. You can start and stop a sleep by pressing the button, but I don't think it's going to achieve your goal, as minute by minute information is not available without jumping through the hoops.

19 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

I'm really resistant to joining a new program like My Fitness Pal, but if it will make it easier for me to learn from others (such as you) without asking them to type a ten page essay about their habits, I will consider it.  Does it cost anything?  Does it coordinate with Fitbit in any way?  I'm still learning about Fitbit and I'm sure only using about 10% of its capability, so I'm wary to add something else that I'll only do half-assed.

Honestly, most of the things MFP does, fitbit does too, and you can connect them. I have my fitbit and MFP connected, because the food logging in Fitbit leaves a lot of things to be desired. I track activity via Fitbit, and food via MFP, and the two sync the data back and forth.

[halcionne]

@church_of_dog My Fitness Pal is free and easy to use. It's basically a food and exercise journal, that's it. I've tried WW a few times and always hate hate hated logging food, but it's so super easy with mfp and logging has made a huge difference for me. I have my food diary set to public, I think, so you may be able to see it without an account. I had potato chips for dinner last night. 

Yes, mfp syncs with fitbit, but I don't have one.

I'm lazy and don't cook much, so I don't think I'd be a very good example for LCHF. I also cheat a lot.  I'm really just trying to be mindful of what I eat and slowly (sooo slowly) do better than I have up until now. AND I don't want to be hungry, or feel deprived, at all, ever, so I set my calorie limit and carb intake kind of high: 2000 calories and 100 g carbs daily. If I eat whatever, whenever, I can easily eat more than 3000 cal/day and an insane amount of carbs, so just staying within those parameters feels like success. I eat a lot of full fat cottage cheese, peanut butter, pork loin, chicken thighs, eggs, green salads, broccoli, and the occasional sweet potato or squash. I would like to get a bit more fiber in there, but lately I'm getting my carbs through fudge rather than eating more veggies. 

[keen23]

My Fitness Pal is experiencing high volume today, and isn't working 100% correctly. At less busy times of the year, there doesn't seem to be any glitches.  It usually works seamlessly with Fitbit to track steps and whatnot. Fitbit is SUPPOSED to talk with Mindbody (the app I use to book my yoga classes) but it doesn't always pick up my exercise hours. That's easy enough to book though.

[FundieFarmer]

LOLOLOL it's probably freaking out with all of the NYR people. My gym trainer told the class to make sure we booked ahead for the next six weeks until the NYRers thinned out. I felt like a dorkus because today was my first day at OTF but joining was not really a NYR thing as much as it was a long-term goal that I waited to use my Christmas bonus for the signup fee bahahaha

[ladyamylynn]

I lost 70 pounds in 2013, and have gained about 25 back. I'm in! Just downloaded fitbit on my phone. I've been walking an hour 3-4 times a week but I'm going to start back with the rowing machine and diet piece, too. Good luck everybody! 

[19 cats and counting]

Destiny, I sent you a friend request on fitbit.  

Maybe the fitbit people should do a FJ group to keep each other accountable.

BEfore I bought my fitbit, I was using my phone's pedometer (S health is preloaded in newer Samsung phones) until I dropped the phone (cracked the screen).  Only caveat to that is I had to have my phone on me at all time (ie bring it into the bathroom).  I'm sure there's other free pedometer apps that you could download.

 

If anyone wants to friend me on Fitbit

https://www.fitbit.com/user/3RPX8V

[keen23]

Oh we are totally doing a workweek step challenge next week!

[Destiny]

 

15 minutes ago, keen23 said:

Oh we are totally doing a workweek step challenge next week!

it's not too late to start one! I vote you do cos not at home.

[Jeebusismycopilot]

GOAL: Tone my body. I would like to lose a few pounds as well , but the toning is just as important if not more so. Looking and feeling better is the main goal. 

MOTIVATION: Side Boob and wedding dress do not go well together.  I want to be able to feel confident at my wedding. 

HOW I'M GOING TO DO IT: Swimming, yoga at home and stretching/toning exercises from my best friend/matron of honour who is also a dance instructor (sooo lucky to have her!) Healthier cooking, less eating out. 

WHAT I'VE ALREADY DONE: I've put together my SMART goals (cuz I'm cool like that) and implemented a chart system. I volunteered to coach the Junior school swim team so I have to be at the pool 2 afternoons a week - cuts down on excuses for not going.  I am in the process of figuring out the S Health on my new phone.  I have a chronic condition that can make things difficult at times, but that's why I specifically chose yoga and swimming as well as the toning/stretching.  If my legs are bothering me, the stretching and yoga tend to help, and the swimming has generally been beneficial because I am not putting weight on them.  

I've also told the future mrJeebus and our lodger (friend who's been temporarily transplanted to Toronto for work) that we will be eating healthier.  Since I am the one who does the grocery shopping, it should be easier. We generally eat healthy-ish stuff anyway but in the winter, we tend to slack a bit since veggies are pricier and don't look as appealing and comfort foods go hand in hand with cold weather. I have an obsession with cook books, so I have flagged a few different recipes I want to try and I have the books set out on the coffee table and told the boys to flag things in there they might like and I will attempt to make them ( I love cooking so I am looking forward to trying new things) 

 

I think I will check out my fitness pal as well. It might be another way to track my progress.