Adventures in Attempting to get Healthy - Failure

[azphx1972]

Aww, don't get discouraged! Life happens sometimes, just keep your eyes on the prize and get back into it as soon as you can. Good luck tomorrow!

[Artemis Windsong]

The gym doesn't have you chained to the machines. To expand your exercises, you can do a warm up, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups and plank to have a full body work out. A lot of the online health magazines have nice fill-in workouts, and are great for the 12-week acitive-off weight training week.

At work, you can do side bends, body weight squats, leg ins, arm curls, tricept extensions and the full free weight routine w/o weights. A couple minutes break you can do one set or two of an exercise.

Any time, any place, there is an exercise option.

[Deleted]

Good advice above. Don't pin yourself into thinking there is only one place and way to exercise. Come up with an alternate plan in case you can't make it to the gym. Even if it isn't the workout you usually do, something is better than nothing. You can do it.

[KaraBoo]

Thanks guys! I really didn't think about alternatives when I first signed up for the adventure. Since the gym is at work (and I'm usually here 5 days a week anyway), really cheap (comparatively speaking) and convenient, I hadn't thought ahead to days I couldn't go.

When watching the weather reports Monday morning, I got bored and started flipping around to other channels and discovered yoga on one and chair exercises for those unable to do regular excercises on another. The yoga one was a little intimidating as it was obvious by the participants flexibility that they had been doing it for a while. But....I know I can do it if I try. That's my back up plan for now if it happens again.

I'm not going to stress about missing a day or two here and there too much. DH is also starting to work out with me, but in the evening and he wants me to go with him on the weekends so we can work out together. Because of that, I worked out with him on Saturday, which meant 6 days in a row for me last week. So, skipping Sunday and Monday wasn't as bad as it sounds like. I was just super pumped to go that morning for some reason.

Am I wrong for thinking my body may need a day of two of rest every week if I'm working out an average of 5-6 days a week?

[KaraBoo]

Okay - I've finally got a before picture ready (kind of - I still have to download it). Will you guys be okay if I post it here?

I'm wanting to stay as motivated as I am right now, so I'm hoping if I add a before picture of myself, I can look at it and go....

"EEEEWWWWW!!!! I NEVER want to look like that again!!"

Feel free to reply with how gross I look! Even more motivation!!

[Deleted]

Go for it!

[KaraBoo]

Okay, here it goes......lets see if this works:

[KaraBoo]

Can anyone see these pictures? I'm not seeing them, but I don't know what I'm doing either......

I uploaded the pictures to Flickr, but I've never tried to use the links from there before...

ETA - screw Flickr - I finally got it to work using Photobucket.

[Sum Dum Gai]

The tags I use to post links are just "img" and "/img". In square brackets not quotes though, obviously.

So, the line would be:
"img" linktopic "/img"

[Deleted]

No, I can't see them, but your red x's don't look too bad.

[KaraBoo]

This message has been deleted.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I can see them now! You've definitely got some work ahead of you, but if you keep at like you've been doing so far it'll melt off pretty quick.

[KaraBoo]

Yes I do - although, I'm in my workout cloths in the picture. I figured the more form fitting the bigger the EWWW factor for myself.

In my regular every-day cloths, many, many people have told me I don't look like I'm 210 lbs.

[Deleted]

Don't be so hard on yourself. The important thing is that you have made a commitment to better health.

[queenofcorona]

This is my must read thread each day. Thanks for sharing your great sense of humor with us! (I hope you don't mind that I've somehow twisted your user name in my mind to nuttykangaroo) Keep up the good work! (exercising & journaling)

[HappyCat]

QueenofCorona: Thanks for pointing me (from the Midwest WIRR thread) in this direction. This is exactly what I was looking for.

I love this thread. I am going through something similar as I just started back to the gym and spinning classes. I can totally relate!

[KaraBoo]

Sorry I haven't been posting lately - I've been really busy at work this week.

I'll try and catch up tomorrow or next week. FWIW - I've been working out everyday this week and I have lots of observations to add!!

[queenofcorona]

You're gaining a following Nutty Kangaroo, you'll just have to quit your job and journal full-time.
(Snerd apparently thinks you need to be home more anyway ... to that, I say Good Grief, it's not like you aren't working on addressing the issue)
HappyCat, No problem

[Empire the P.A.]

Mar 29, 2011 12:41:50 GMT -5 KaraBoo said:

After 5 minutes on the elliptical, I thought I was going to die – lower impact my ass!!! My ass never hurts like this when walking on a treadmill, but let me tell you – my gluts are screaming!! I promised myself a huge reward if I held out 10 minutes. During those extra 5 minutes, I noticed a note on the machine to walk backwards for targeting other muscles. So, I decided I made it that far, 5 more minutes shouldn’t kill me going backwards. WRONG!! OMG!!

I know exactly how you feel. I'm on day 2 of my rarely used 6 years old elliptical machine. After 5 minutes I kept conning myself to do 1 more minute while desperately trying to keep my attention on the tv. I was able to make it to 20 minutes! That walking backwards sucks rotten eggs. That is as much as I can do in total for now. I am going to slowly build up my endurance, hopefully to a point where I can exercise at a gym without embarrasing myself. Good luck on keeping to your goals.

[azphx1972]

Apr 7, 2011 15:19:46 GMT -5 KaraBoo said:

Sorry I haven't been posting lately - I've been really busy at work this week.

I'll try and catch up tomorrow or next week. FWIW - I've been working out everyday this week and I have lots of observations to add!!

No worries. I've been busy with work myself this week and haven't been able to visit this board as much as I would like. I did make it to work and the gym though, so I don't feel too bad. And I have all weekend to catch up on interesting topics that I've missed.

[KaraBoo]

Week 2 – Storms and Steps and Sleep – OH MY!!

Have you ever noticed that how the first day of the new week starts out tends to be how your week goes? Well, last week, my week started out stormy. A little bit of lightening here, a little bit of hail there, and a whole lotta wind blew into my life bright and early Monday morning, right at 4:00am as I was waking up.

Great! There goes my work out for Monday! Just when I was getting into the groove of things, Mother Nature throws a wrench into my plans. Watching the weather report is boring at 4am, so flipping through channels I discovered yoga. Man, those pretzels….I mean…..people made me hurt just watching them. I think I was sweating just trying to imagine myself “relaxed” as the instructor was trying to encourage!! Those positions sure didn’t look relaxing!! There’s a reason skinny people do yoga – us fat people can’t get into positions like that.

Tuesday is better – I’m up on time, out the door on time, at the gym on time – WOOHOO!! Start on my first day of the weight machines….um…..can I have my woohoo back please? I’m not sure what is worse now…..weights or elliptical. Both should be employed by the military as torture devices – at least for fat terrorists anyway!! Good thing The Trainer gave me a cheat sheet to follow. I’m pretty sure I look like a dork carrying my clipboard around to the various tortu….machines I’m supposed to start with – after all, everyone else just jumps on a machine like they know what they’re doing.

Whatever class doctors take to make their handwriting illegible, Trainers must take the same class. I can’t read half of what he’s written down. I fumble through the weights as best I can, adjusting a few of the weights. It’s obvious that I’m mis-reading some of his notes as I can’t lift 50lbs without straining, but 30lbs seems like just enough to make me curse my flabbiness. Oh – and the leg press – The Trainer claims to be helping me out by also writing the number down where the seat adjustments should be at for me. I mis-read it the first time as a 5 instead of a 9. I’m sure I looked like a fetus with my knees by my ears while I tried to get into the damn tortu…..machine….

Wednesday – I never thought I’d be thankful I was ONLY doing the elliptical and the rowing machine for the day…..it was almost blissful.

Thursday – I should be doing weights again, but my muscles are still sore from the different weights I put them through and I just can’t bring myself to look at the weights, so I decide to hold off one more day and just do the cardio again. Walking around the track on the floor, I’m trying to scope out a machine to claim. I’m wanting to try out the StairClimber, but they’re located directly in front of the line of treadmills that are occupied by the Senior Citizen Brigade. I’m pretty sure I’m not willing to put my fatazz on display for all to see just yet, especially since they’d get a REAL good look with me being a few feet above them. In the corner, away from everyone, I spot an older model stair stepper that isn’t being used. Bingo! I found my machine.

I enter into the display I want to do 20 minutes on a various cycle. Just like the elliptical, 5 minutes into the countdown, I’m begging to be let off. Everything is hurting. I plug on, desperately trying to ignore my muscles screaming at me. I make it through 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 18 minutes……the last 2 minutes seem to drag on into eternity. Finally! I make it a full 20 minutes. I rest for a minute before stepping off the machine (because I remember the face plant I almost made on the elliptical last week) and the machine decides to mock me, flashing it’s display at me - THE END. I pictured it actually saying - OW OW OW GET OFF GET OFF GET OFF!!! Geeze, no need to be pushy about it.

Friday – I’m sorry to announce the alarm clock died a sudden and untimely death. I think it was the fact it had the nerve to go off again at 4am when I had just crawled in bed at 11pm Thursday night after being at work from 5am-9pm. I plead temporary insanity to any charges that may be brought against me. Rest in Peace faithful frenemy.

On a lighter note, the sleep felt wonderful.

[KaraBoo]

Apr 6, 2011 20:21:35 GMT -5 queenofcorona said:

I hope you don't mind that I've somehow twisted your user name in my mind to nuttykangaroo

OMG!! I totally missed this! Nutty Kangaroo! I love it!! I'm going to have to add that in somewhere.

Thanks QOC!! Karma for that!

[tractor]

Good Work nqty, it really does get easier after the first few weeks. Before you know it you'll be looking for ways to keep a few extra pounds on instead of working them all off at the gym.

[Artemis Windsong]

Keep the clipboard and your list. That makes you look more official than the jumpers on/off. Some of them in my gym have been there so long, they pick up their mail there. Not really, just an expression. The list will keep you on track, with the correct settings and weights. This is your benchmark work or foundation that you will build from.

ETA: Save your lists to look back on.

I use different colored pens as my list looks like: leg press [ / ] , with all the exercises on a verticle list. The top is for the weight and bottom is for the reps. Things like stretch are listed but I just put a check mark. The color tells me I did it that day. I can get close to a month on half a page.

Some days the exercises or one particular exercise is easy then the next they aren't. It's a biorythm thing and the rotation of the exercises. After a few weeks or months, switch the order by doing legs before arms.

[azphx1972]

Keep it up Nutty Kangaroo! ;D

I hit the gym this morning and it felt really good. I wish I could work out with you though, it would be a lot more fun than doing it solo!

[motherto2]

Nutty Kangaroo! I'm going with that because I can't figure out what your name means. I am totally with you - I'm just getting back to my workouts. I was doing so well last year. Lost about 20 pounds, was actually doing some running on the treadmill. Then Christmas hit, and the cold weather. I've probably mentioned this on other boards, but I absolutely HATE cold weather . So I tend to put weight on in the winter since I refuse to go out and do anything. Plus I'm bored just sitting at home trying not to go out and spend money. So, I eat junk. But now, even though I'm trying to eat better and exercise, it just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I guess I've yoed one too many times in my yoyo diet Keep up the good work. I'm rooting for you! And, karma for you for posting your before pics. I don't think I could do it, even if I could figure out how to post pics. I've tried, and it's been ugly.

[KaraBoo]

Morning everyone!

Gotta get to work, but wanted to check in for a minute. The weight machines are still killing me, but I think because I'm trying to do more than I actually can - I've adjusted a few of them down a few pounds for now. I don't think I'm supposed to be as sore as I am after using them. Maybe I'm wrong and I am supposed to be this sore....but I don't want to get burned out either.

AZ - You're so sweeeet!! I would love to have a work out partner. I would probably be a boring partner though because I'm usually huffing and puffing and trying not to pass out!! It's not until I'm done that most of these 'funnies' have hit me. I'm great at come-backs - 20 minutes after the fact!! ;D

Motherto2 - Keep it up! You can do it! I know what you mean about cold weather, I can't stand it either. As for my name:
nqtykarabo stands for: NotQuiteThereYet (which was my screen name on MSN Money) and Karaboo (which was my DH's nickname for me until I pointed out to him that he was calling me a fat moose).

I like Nutty Kangaroo better!

[Artemis Windsong]

The journaling page is www.fitday.com.

I am keeping my method as I don't want to be ocd about tracking.

[motherto2]

I like nutty kangaroo better, just saying ;D

[azphx1972]

I love your new avatar, NK!

I think you'd be an excellent workout partner! I like to think that I'd make a good trainer, and you'd make a great guinea pig. ;D

I'd like to have a workout partner just for helping to keep each other accountable for showing up at the gym. Being able to share the pain is just icing on the cake. ;D