Health and fitness has become one of my obsessions. I've been training since the Spring of 2010; I'm currently clean bulking (building muscle with a healthier diet to have less bodyfat, which keeps muscle definition during the process). I usually do 4-day-splits, but I'm starting a 6-day-split every other week that hits all the muscle groups twice in the time of a normal split, which I'm looking forward to.

I just got back from the gym. I lifted wights, used every device there, and I concluded with a mad aerobic workout.
It really pays off. I have a joint subscription with a friend of mine. However, she insists on taking a taxi to the gym, which is kind of funny since we are going on a treadmill after we get off.

The main things you have to keep in mind in order to be healthy are as follows:
Eat healthy and pure foods. You can eat a lot of it and you shall still be heatlhy. And some people are simply born bigger than others, which is perfectly fine.
Exercise is great for cardiovascular health.

I, myself, pretty much never eat anything impure...

-BlackFeather

I walk. A lot. I've just started working again too, which involves a lot of moving and running around, carrying heavy things and general working. I'd say daily I exercise about 5 hours, 2 if you only include walking. I sometimes do pushups and situps, depending on whether or not I feel like it.

Personally I think everyone should do some exercise, even if it's only doing one thing (like sex, walking, jogging, lifting weights) for about 30 minutes. Obviously people who are incapable with disabilities and physically draining illnesses are not going to do that, but the average human should definitely exercise. Besides, I plan on living forever anyway, so far so good and with exercise I'll probably get closer to my goal.

Oh and eating healthy is a must. I'd say about 60% of my food is classed as "healthy" food and I have a balanced diet for the most part too, so that helps keep me active. Of course, you can succumb to gluttony from time to time, there's no shame in eating a tonne of chocolate one day, but when it gets a habit that's when you just let go of yourself and start to gain weight (depending on your metabolism) and lose energy to do things and as a drummer, energy is totally important to playing so I don't want to lose that!

Decided to try on jeans last night, and I'm now a 5/6!!! Still going to train hard, as I'm on the end of the 5/6 where it would still be very easy for them to become uncomfortable (like a bad water day). Time to seriously concentrate on toning! I'm out of the gym this week as I'm home for the holiday...took some much needed time off. Going to work up a new workout plan that concentrates a lot on toning...maybe more of a circuit type training (instead of hitting 30 minutes straight of cardio, work in some 5-minute sprints between toning exercises, so that I still get in at least 20 minutes, but the heart rate actually stays up the full 45 minutes running back and forth between exercises, and doing quick reps). I really need to hit the core hard...my tummy is my biggest trouble spot. Will probably do heavy core on MWF, arms/chest/shoulders on Tuesdays, and lower body on Thursdays...knowing that these groups will also get residual workout in the core exercises.

Back to the gym this morning after a 2 week hiatus, and hit it pretty hard. Will probably feel it later, but my cruise is 25 days away, and I've got abs that need serious toning!! Going to watch the carbs very closely the next 25 days! Not Atkins kind of restriction...basically just making sure that for every gram of carbs, I have at least 2 grams of protein. Going to cut out potatoes completely for a while, and be very easy on any rice products...going to keep my carbs in the form of fruit, veggies, and beans. Going to load up on those "flat tummy" foods...beans, greens, nuts, berries, eggs, lean meat, protein powders, and soy/almond milk.

Meh. I don't gain weight easily but I don't lose it easily either, it just kinda comes and goes when it wants to no matter what I eat or how much I exercise. Quite pudgy but eh, I'm still growing and my size changes all the time.

I wouldn't say I was OMFG SOOO OVERWEIGHT though.

People ALWAYS tell me "You've just had a baby," but that excuse totally doesn't wash anymore. I was a size 10 at 5 months pregnant and now I can't fit into size 16! (UK sizing).
I'm devastated and have decided to start my diet on Monday. I've had that date in mind for a long time now as I knew Christmas would break my resolve.
I dread to think what the scales will say Monday morning!

I can so completely relate!!! My son just turned 17 about 2 weeks ago. The last time I saw my current size was about the time I got pregnant with him! About 4 years ago, I was wearing a size 16 (US), and was pushing an 18, as my 16's were getting uncomfortable in the waist. Up to that point, I had yo-yo'ed between 12 and 16...12 being the size I rested at 3 weeks after my son was born. I was about 200 lbs, on a 5'2" tall frame, and was miserable! My resting heart rate was 92 bpm, and I would be winded walking from my car to my desk each morning. About this time, my mother was diagnosed with diabetes, and I knew I had to do something to turn my life around. I've tried several diets, and still did a bit of yo-yo'ing here and there, but 4 years later, I'm nearly 65 lbs lighter and just had to go buy size 5/6 jeans. My resting heart rate is now between 60 and 65 bpm. 2011 has been the only year in the last 17 where I've seen a consistent loss the entire year. Yes, I hit a huge plateau for about 6 months, but I didn't gain, and THIS was the important part! As the holidays approached, I found myself worrying that I would again see the 5-10 lb gain I had seen every holiday season before...a gain that always kills my motivation going into the new year giving me every excuse in the book to eat wrong and not go to the gym. This holiday season, I actually lost 5 lbs, and that was with hardly going to the gym at all (during the busy season, getting to the gym is difficult...I don't get to bed as early as I like most nights, so stumble in the morning, etc.).

I think the biggest factors this season were my being just over a year eating gluten-free (discovered just over a year ago that I had a slight wheat allergy), and the fact that I have been eating mostly organic since about April 2011, after reading a book that helped me see what all the junk in our food was actually doing to me (migraine headaches, painful menstrual cramps due to uterine fibroids, etc.). It seems your mind plays tricks on you. I mean, when I simply cut things out of my diet before for the sole purpose of losing weight, those things were all I wanted. However, after linking certain things to actual health conditions I was suffering from, I don't even crave those things any longer.

Bfly, rock on you are doing great! Counting the days until cruise time, I see

I've found that to lose weight I have to watch portions AND run AND lift heavy. I'm down to the same weight I was back in February and want to lose about 19 more (depending on body fat %). Plus my running speed has gone up.



Living forever is a good goal
And walking is great exercise.
Sex for about 30 minutes? I and LS can live with that
Yesterday - ran 3 miles including 3 x half mile at 10 min/mile, with 1 minute walk breaks in between. I could have done more except it was getting hot in that gym room.
Bfly, so you're doing high intensity? I hear that is a big help.

@harpy...I've learned to push my muscles to the limit...not just do what to feel comfortable. I work with lower weight, but lots of fast reps so that my strength training is also cardio. By the 3rd set, my muscles start screaming about halfway through the set, and I have to push really hard just to do the exercise. I'll work like one leg or arm at a time, so I have the other free to provide that little bit of push to get through the remaining rest, since I don't have an exercise buddy to do that for me. Learned this from my trainer...when he saw I was at the point I couldn't do it any more, he would push on my arm or the weight just a little bit so that I could complete the rep, and boy can I feel the burn all the way through each time! I feel like jello as I head back to the locker room.

I've moved to not having actual cardio days. Tuesdays and Thursdays I'm working arms/shoulders and lower body. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I'm going hardcore core! My warmup is about 15 minutes on the incline, at 12% and a speed where I'm just on the verge of having to job. This gets my heart rate up to about 150, and I'm able to maintain about 120 through my strength training (I have one of those wrist monitors and I check between sets). Then, I do a 10 minute cool down on the treadmill at an incline of 3% and about 2.5 mph (which is my normal walking speed).

I'm hurting a little today after yesterday's workout. Today was heavy duty core, so we will see how I feel later! Did some roman chair knee raises today, which is an exercise I haven't done in many, many years...mainly because I didn't have the upper body strength before to hold up my body weight (and I was heavier), and my shoulders would kill be after just a couple of reps.

Doing a 2-day cleanse diet today and tomorrow. Didn't gain any weight over the holidays...actually lost...but didn't make all the best food choices. As a result, my body is feeling very sluggish. Got this plan from Women's Health:

Breakfast:

1 Cup Almond Milk
1 Cup Blueberries
2 tsp Almond Butter (or peanut butter for flaxseed oil)

Blend all these together into a smoothie...can add some ice if desired.

AM Snack

1 Cup Cucumber Slices
Green Tea

Lunch

4 oz Lean Meat
1 Cup Greens
2 tbsp oil (used mine with some herbs to make a dressing for the greens)

PM Snack

10 Asparagus Spears
Green Tea

Can make a dip using plain yogurt and herbs, if desired (which I desire)

Dinner

4 oz Lean Meat
1 Cup Greens
2 tbsp oil (again, can use as a dressing or to prepare the meat)

Drink as much water as possible!!!

Also, my friend got me one of those sea clay slimming wraps as a gift! I'm doing this a couple of days before the cruise. I don't know about the inches it claims you lose, but I do know that the clay is great for detoxing the skin, making it very soft and clean, as well as helps tighten the skin. I use a clay mask on my face at least once a week , and find it really helps keep break outs and wrinkles at bay, so for that alone, it is worth a try! That will be followed by another day of cleansing diet, as the before/after care instructions from the spa doing the wrap say you should eat raw foods for 24 hours after getting the wrap and as much water as possible for 48 hours after the wrap, as the detox effects still continue after the clay is washed off (as it sits and soaks in for an hour). I will probably detox/cleanse diet from the time the wrap is put on until we get on the boat. Couldn't hurt!

Okay folks...I've decided to start a blog this year with good information I've learned in my struggles to lose weight over the years...the stuff that has finally worked!

http://2012healthandfit.blogspot.com/

I am going to start back on the treadmill again tonight.

I haven't been doing it as much as i'd like in the last two weeks, but most of it was because of health issues. I really want to lose this weight. It's not a resolution or anything, I want to look sexy for our wedding (no set date yet).

Plus, I want to be more fit for when we get everything sorted out and start building our home later this year. We'r going to build a barn and convert it into an Eco-friendly home made with recycled materials and renewable energy.

Oh, i've been losing about 1-2 lbs a week just from eating a lot healthier and walking. I still have a long way to go. My goal is 160 lbs.

Great job everyone! I love reading all your posts (may not always reply to them as I don't know what to say). Trust me when I say they inspire me. You guys really are great.

As for me, back to trying to lower my portion sizes (that's what always gets me). I've lost somewhere around 12 pounds for the year already (I was really bad during the holidays...so the loss puts me back to about where I was before). Ran on our nature trail the last two days but my back is killing me (legs are sore of course, but I can deal with that...the lower back death is new for me and very unpleasant). As such, I'm taking today off and hoping enough repair is done so I can resume tomorrow.