Exercise, Diet & Health

[Janie]

I wanted to start this thread in hopes of some serious discussions, comments and advice for anyone interested in exercise, diet and health.

 

A little background: I've been interested in those areas pretty much my whole life. Although, my health in my 20s is questionable ( )...

 

I run daily and go to a gym in the afternoons. I run 7 days a week and work out on the gym machines 5 days a week and take 2 exercise classes a week. I am very well aware that is a lot but I love to exercise. I love how I feel. I have a lot of energy and I just feel good. H*ll, I'm almost 40 and have two kids! I am at a stage where I want to be as healthy as I can be.

 

Recently, I started working with a personal trainer. Something I've never done in the past. I'm starting a few new routines like clean eating and increasing my protein intake. I have to admit, I'm not thoroughly happy with the idea of clean eating but I want to give it a good shot.

 

So... do I have a few other TRF members who are into exercise, diet and/or health?

[Cygnals]

Yes, I am in that regiment now. It was more a preventative thing as hypertension and diabetes run in the family. After taking stock of my life after turning 40, I've decided it was the time to take care of myself. So I've taken up running--about 3-4 times a week, 15-18 mile a week (6 months of that now). I also lift weights. Basically, I run every other day while lifting on the days I don't run. However, if there is a day I am lifting and running, I make sure I lift first, then run.

 

Been eating healthy for quite awhile now. I don't eat processed foods or anything with high sodium content. I cook my own food mainly, that way I can control what goes into it. Intake a lot of fruit and veggies, ingest some whey protein, banana/peanut butter smoothies that I make myself as well as going for whole wheat breads and pasta. I eat lean meats and fish too. Salads are in the diet too. And I make sure I eat breakfast everyday. What they say about it is so true. I can't start day without it.

But I do treat myself once in awhile to desserts (dark chocolates mainly) and wine.

 

Oh and I don't drink beer anymore--that was my gut buster right there. Once I quit that, it was great. Best thing I've done since giving up soda and coffee many years ago.

 

 

 

 

[barney_rebel]

There is also a thread here "Time to get swole", used to be head up by Riv. He was the master. Unfortunately he doesn't post much any more.

[ReflectedLight]

i watch my sodium intake somewhat. as we all know, high sodium can cause higher blood pressure. i think they call sodium the silent killer. i pretty much don't eat cold cuts anymore except for a grilled cheese once in a while. i do know they offer low sodium cold cuts if you want to have them but still watch. i eat alot more vegetables and beans than i used to and i love them both. my protein sources are fish, beans, eggs, some nuts, pork, chicken, and turkey. i rarely eat steak but like the lean sirloin chopped meat for meatballs and burgers even though the fattier chopped meat makes for better tasting hamburgers. i'm trying to shake my coca cola habit which is one of the worst things you can drink.

[tkdryan]

Remember to stretch before and after each workout,, it is important to remain flexible and it prevents injury.

 

I am not much of a runner, My cardio comes from my Martial Arts ,, such as Forms, and bag work, and Sparring ,, Try hitting a bag Janie,, it releases a ton of energy and stress ,,, you wil feel it too, try going for two minutes per round,, though make aure you are wearing bag gloves for your hands

 

Make sure you do a variety of exercises to keep the bidy guessing,,, and core is always important

 

Diet, some say that your caloric intake should be at its highest eraly in the day, and decrease it as the day goes on,,, I eat a bowl of mixed fruit at night before i go to bed now, I have been traing for competition but have dropped 20 pounds while doing this,, it is surprising because i had no idea i could lose that much bt you know how it is,,

 

Stay away from fast food if possible,, if you have to eat there, take the mayo off of the burgers and the chicken sandwiches are just as bad

[ReflectedLight]

i don't go to gyms anymore. i'd rather walk outside, bike, or do some calesthenics in the park. if i decide to use some weights i go very light or will use resistance bands which i love. i have a set of 10 lb. weights and resistance band in my apartment and can get a good workout from that. i don't like the whole gym atmosphere.

[alphseeker]

QUOTE (Janie @ Feb 15 2011, 09:33 PM)

I run 7 days a week and work out on the gym machines 5 days a week and take 2 exercise classes a week.

Wow - that is alot - and i'm sure you know the experts recommend to take at least one day off a week since recovery is such an important element in fitness - Other than that it seems you are doing great -

[iluvgeddy05]

I run 3-5 times a week, 5 in training season, currently about 3. I have taken up doing Jillian Michael's 30 shred DVD again since it gave me a rad body right before my wedding. Post wedding and holidays, I am feeling the pudge again and my clothes are ill fitting

 

 

Nutrition wise, I've gone natural. Meaning, I try not to eat a lot of processed foods or those with preservatives. I'd say 75% of my diet is like this. My husband and I raised beef cattle and they were grass fed, so we eat that beef. Same with our pork and chicken - other than fish, I have not purchased meet at the grocery store for months! I like knowing how my food came to me and what it ate before the chopping block.

 

 

My main hinderance to all of this is years of poor body image and eating disorders. I try to be healthy and workout as much as possible without going overboard into the "black hole" territory but it's hard for me. Often I don't realize I am at that point until I am well into a relapse either, but I do a hell of a lot better managing it than when I was in high school.

[theredtamasrule]

I recently went through a 4 month program with a nutritional health coach to learn about using diet as a way to prevent health problems and improve how I feel on a day to day basis. It was not about going on a diet or losing weight.

 

I learned a tremendous amount and it's been great how much better I feel after making small adjustments to how and what I eat...no major overhauling of my food but small changes here and there that ended up crowding out the bad stuff that I don't really miss.

 

Basics such as:

 

Plenty of water every day. It's amazing what adding simple, plain ol' water to your life every day will do for you. Your body will work better if you give it lots of water. It's true and it's the first step.

 

Paying attention to how your body reacts to certain types of food. For example I found that if I have a muffin and coffee for breakfast I'm starving in 2 hours and I feel all jittery. If I have some protein, and egg or shake, I feel solid and good to go until well past noon.

 

If you have a history of family problems such as diabetes you can fight that with a change in diet now.

 

If you have access to a nutritionist or a food coach I'd recommend talking to them, it's incredible what you can learn...and you don't have to eat tree bark or be a whacked out vegan to work the programs.

[theredtamasrule]

QUOTE (iluvgeddy05 @ Feb 16 2011, 12:41 PM)

Nutrition wise, I've gone natural. Meaning, I try not to eat a lot of processed foods or those with preservatives. I'd say 75% of my diet is like this. My husband and I raised beef cattle and they were grass fed, so we eat that beef.

This was a point of emphasis for me also. I'm lucky enough to live in a rural area where I can buy local, grass fed angus beef, chicken, turkey and lamb.

 

Natural food is the way to go. Your body simply can't correctly process all the artificial junk that gets pumped into all kinds of foods.

[iluvgeddy05]

QUOTE (theredtamasrule @ Feb 16 2011, 01:02 PM)

Plenty of water every day. It's amazing what adding simple, plain ol' water to your life every day will do for you. Your body will work better if you give it lots of water. It's true and it's the first step.

I do this consistently. I get headaches from not drinking water.

 

 

In the morning, I have no more than 2 cups of coffee, and usually just one. Splash of cream and no sugar in that either. After that, water water water. At dinner, I will have skim milk, (black) iced tea or low-sugar juice (I like the Tropicanna Low 50 calorie juice, I have it maybe 2-3 times a week).

[theredtamasrule]

QUOTE (iluvgeddy05 @ Feb 16 2011, 01:14 PM)

QUOTE (theredtamasrule @ Feb 16 2011, 01:02 PM) Plenty of water every day. It's amazing what adding simple, plain ol' water to your life every day will do for you. Your body will work better if you give it lots of water. It's true and it's the first step. I do this consistently. I get headaches from not drinking water.     In the morning, I have no more than 2 cups of coffee, and usually just one. Splash of cream and no sugar in that either. After that, water water water. At dinner, I will have skim milk, (black) iced tea or low-sugar juice (I like the Tropicanna Low 50 calorie juice, I have it maybe 2-3 times a week). Per a suggestion from my coach I keep a small cup of water with a little bit of lemon or lime in it next to the bed so when I wake up the first thing I do is drink the water.   It's refreshing and really helps to wake up. Then a couple of glasses with breakfast and before I know it I don't even have room for the pot of coffee I used to drink. Now I'm down to about 2 cups in the morning.   And water throughout the day.

[barney_rebel]

I remember the days of Ephedrine. That drug did wonders; suppress hunger, and really made you run like a b1tch.

 

Too bad people had to abuse it and got it banned.

[Cygnals]

QUOTE (theredtamasrule @ Feb 16 2011, 01:27 PM)

QUOTE (iluvgeddy05 @ Feb 16 2011, 01:14 PM) QUOTE (theredtamasrule @ Feb 16 2011, 01:02 PM) Plenty of water every day. It's amazing what adding simple, plain ol' water to your life every day will do for you. Your body will work better if you give it lots of water. It's true and it's the first step. I do this consistently. I get headaches from not drinking water.     In the morning, I have no more than 2 cups of coffee, and usually just one. Splash of cream and no sugar in that either. After that, water water water. At dinner, I will have skim milk, (black) iced tea or low-sugar juice (I like the Tropicanna Low 50 calorie juice, I have it maybe 2-3 times a week). Per a suggestion from my coach I keep a small cup of water with a little bit of lemon or lime in it next to the bed so when I wake up the first thing I do is drink the water.   It's refreshing and really helps to wake up. Then a couple of glasses with breakfast and before I know it I don't even have room for the pot of coffee I used to drink. Now I'm down to about 2 cups in the morning.   And water throughout the day. Count me in as another water drinker throughout the day too. Cannot do without it!   But I also drink 1% milk, decaffinated green tea in the morning and powerade zero after running.   Oh and red wines on occasion.

[ReflectedLight]

QUOTE (alphseeker @ Feb 16 2011, 10:37 AM)

QUOTE (Janie @ Feb 15 2011, 09:33 PM) I run 7 days a week and work out on the gym machines 5 days a week and take 2 exercise classes a week. Wow - that is alot - and i'm sure you know the experts recommend to take at least one day off a week since recovery is such an important element in fitness - Other than that it seems you are doing great - i'm all about the time off and recovery period.

[Janie]

QUOTE (alphseeker @ Feb 16 2011, 08:37 AM)

QUOTE (Janie @ Feb 15 2011, 09:33 PM) I run 7 days a week and work out on the gym machines 5 days a week and take 2 exercise classes a week. Wow - that is alot - and i'm sure you know the experts recommend to take at least one day off a week since recovery is such an important element in fitness - Other than that it seems you are doing great - I'm an extremist. It's just in me to go whole hog. Honestly though? I love to exercise. I also like my muscles to feel a little sore.   I love running and it's a nice feeling for me to get out there every day. You don't know how many people lecture me about my running! When I ran 8 miles a day, I would lie to people how much I ran because I didn't want to hear about it. Since I exercise at the gym in the afternoons, my running routine is: 6 miles/day with 8 miles one day a week.   My body has taken to this schedule and it responds best to running.

[Janie]

QUOTE (Cygnals @ Feb 15 2011, 08:38 PM)

Yes, I am in that regiment now. It was more a preventative thing as hypertension and diabetes run in the family. After taking stock of my life after turning 40, I've decided it was the time to take care of myself. So I've taken up running--about 3-4 times a week, 15-18 mile a week (6 months of that now). I also lift weights. Basically, I run every other day while lifting on the days I don't run. However, if there is a day I am lifting and running, I make sure I lift first, then run. Been eating healthy for quite awhile now. I don't eat processed foods or anything with high sodium content. I cook my own food mainly, that way I can control what goes into it. Intake a lot of fruit and veggies, ingest some whey protein, banana/peanut butter smoothies that I make myself as well as going for whole wheat breads and pasta. I eat lean meats and fish too. Salads are in the diet too. And I make sure I eat breakfast everyday. What they say about it is so true. I can't start day without it. But I do treat myself once in awhile to desserts (dark chocolates mainly) and wine. Oh and I don't drink beer anymore--that was my gut buster right there. Once I quit that, it was great. Best thing I've done since giving up soda and coffee many years ago.

I am very similar.

 

I'm almost 40, have two kids and cancer and heart disease have pretty much eliminated my entire family (on both sides). So, it's very important to me now to keep the best health I can.

 

I only eat at a restaurant once a month. I agree that it's so much easier to watch your diet when you cook at home. I know exactly what I'm eating and I know exactly what ingredients are in there.

 

I love salads like how I love running. Glad to see I have a salad partner! I also treat myself to chocolate almost every day.

 

[Janie]

QUOTE (tkdryan @ Feb 16 2011, 08:05 AM)

I am not much of a runner, My cardio comes from my Martial Arts ,, such as Forms, and bag work, and Sparring ,, Try hitting a bag Janie,, it releases a ton of energy and stress ,,, you wil feel it too, try going for two minutes per round,, though make aure you are wearing bag gloves for your hands

I will admit that my upper body remains weak. I've never had really strong arms. I'm starting to concentrate on that. And you're right, working on your core muscles is very important. Another area I'm trying to focus on.

 

And my butt.

 

I think I will always have my trouble spots!

[Janie]

QUOTE (ReflectedLight @ Feb 16 2011, 08:17 AM)

i don't go to gyms anymore. i'd rather walk outside, bike, or do some calesthenics in the park. if i decide to use some weights i go very light or will use resistance bands which i love. i have a set of 10 lb. weights and resistance band in my apartment and can get a good workout from that. i don't like the whole gym atmosphere.

I've been a member of a number of gyms and have always hated them. But the one I belong to now is an absolute dream! I love it. It is incredible.

 

One gym I belonged to had extremely poor air circulation. It always felt like a sauna in there and that just grossed me out. Most people at my current gym seem to actually go there to exercise. This is nice. I have belonged to gyms where I swear people join solely to "meet" people.

 

When I'm exercising, don't talk to me. I'm in my element and will hurt you if necessary. Do not get all up in my sweaty grill.

[Janie]

QUOTE (iluvgeddy05 @ Feb 16 2011, 10:41 AM)

Nutrition wise, I've gone natural. Meaning, I try not to eat a lot of processed foods or those with preservatives. I'd say 75% of my diet is like this. My husband and I raised beef cattle and they were grass fed, so we eat that beef. Same with our pork and chicken - other than fish, I have not purchased meet at the grocery store for months! I like knowing how my food came to me and what it ate before the chopping block. My main hinderance to all of this is years of poor body image and eating disorders.

This is "clean eating." Nothing processed. Basically, if it's made in a factory, you don't eat it. This is supposedly a very good diet but one that is hard for me to maintain. I don't know if I can do this.

 

I think a lot of women suffer/have suffered from poor body image. I certainly have not been immune.

[treeduck]

After reading this thread I feel like being a total slob!

 

[barney_rebel]

Those who know me, know I go to McDonald's way too often. Mind you, we hardly eat any of the burgers, mainly breakfast items.

 

We have to stop.

[Janie]

A few new steps I've added to my diet are taking a fish oil supplement (1000 mg) every night with dinner and taking a protein supplement right before hitting the gym since it's there where I work on building up and toning muscle. I'm using a protein powder that I mix with water. My trainer said she adds her protein supplement (also powder) to her oatmeal and includes some peanut butter. I was going to try that this morning but opted for a toasted english muffin instead. I do want to try this though because it sounds really good.

[treeduck]

QUOTE (Janie @ Feb 16 2011, 03:28 PM)

A few new steps I've added to my diet are taking a fish oil supplement (1000 mg) every night with dinner and taking a protein supplement right before hitting the gym since it's there where I work on building up and toning muscle. I'm using a protein powder that I mix with water. My trainer said she adds her protein supplement (also powder) to her oatmeal and includes some peanut butter. I was going to try that this morning but opted for a toasted english muffin instead. I do want to try this though because it sounds really good.

I've not been to a gym since about 1978 at primary school!

 

[Janie]

QUOTE (barney_rebel @ Feb 16 2011, 01:27 PM)

Those who know me, know I go to McDonald's way too often. Mind you, we hardly eat any of the burgers, mainly breakfast items. We have to stop.

I think their breakfast items aren't so bad. Just don't get the hash browns. But something like a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit (honestly) isn't that bad. Don't eat one every morning but every now and then should be fine. I treat myself to one of those every so often. They're good!