MENA diet/exercise thread

[Nasturtium 500]

OK! Progress! After a bit of farting around with exercise for a few months... this week I have done an entire week straight of a routine. I also noticed strength increase-- i walked 4 flights of stairs and didn't even realize i was a the 3rd floor until I saw the number-- i do this every night at work and so it has been a tiring event until just now. Also i used to be able to so a plank, any position, for a minute-30 without being tired... today I did 2 side planks for 30 seconds and 1 front plank for 60 seconds-- which was 2 30-sec planks with a 5 second break. Last week I was doing 10-15 sec planks and then giving up lol.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I haven't done squat except switch back to eatting McDougall. My workout buddies must be outta town. Ok I did sign up for coolrunning.com forum to track my progress and see if I can get an activity partner in my area. I'd like to start surrounding myself with healthy ppl.

[amal 4]

i lost the 10lbs i gained. woohoo! Now I'm back to a loss of 25lbs YIPPEE.

[Nasturtium 500]

I haven't done squat except switch back to eatting McDougall. My workout buddies must be outta town. Ok I did sign up for coolrunning.com forum to track my progress and see if I can get an activity partner in my area. I'd like to start surrounding myself with healthy ppl.

Has the diet switchback been nice? I would be too shy to exercise with a stranger, but then again it could work to make you the msot accountable-- because it's harder to bow out and think "they will understand."

i lost the 10lbs i gained. woohoo! Now I'm back to a loss of 25lbs YIPPEE.

You are close to halfway on your goal! That's really awesome! Is that your total goal or a minigoal? I know some people set minigoals and so it's kind of hard to remember who had what sometimes. I do remember Jenn had a smaller goal and then reached it and then increased hers, and that I am going to FedEx her my extra weight so she can burn it off for me.

[Nasturtium 500]

Well, since last week I lost all of one pound and I lost half an inch on my waist, an inch on my bicep, an inch off my hips, and that's about it for loss. I figure one pound means I probably have little to no actual weight change at all. That's OK! When Ammar said he was going to give the winner a prize after 2 months, my competitive jealousy kicked in and I am just going to have to win because for real, I am going to get his prize. I don't care what it is, I want it. If anyone is going to get a freaking gift from him, it's going to be me! Now, I am off to do 10 more push-ups just thinking about that!

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

Good job Julianna!

I haven't met anyone yet on the coolrunning site but I did make my introduction. I doubt I'll meet anyone but who knows. I prefer to get into a begining running group. If not I'm not shy about going to the gym. I only have 4-5 weeks left before school starts.

Once school starts I know this last year is going to be a hectic semester. My hope is that I can get healthier before hand to have a jump start on the semeser.

1:11 here make wish!

[Nasturtium 500]

Good job Julianna!

I haven't met anyone yet on the coolrunning site but I did make my introduction. I doubt I'll meet anyone but who knows. I prefer to get into a begining running group. If not I'm not shy about going to the gym. I only have 4-5 weeks left before school starts.

Once school starts I know this last year is going to be a hectic semester. My hope is that I can get healthier before hand to have a jump start on the semeser.

1:11 here make wish!

Do you think that your college would have an intramural running group covered in your fees? Or is there a community center nearby with something? We have this center like a mile or so from my hosue which has free EVERYTHING-- indoor track, weight rooms, ice rink, swimming, classes... and some of the classes have a really low fee which is to cover teh cost of something you get-- like a karate outfit or whatever. I am thinking about looking into karate classes. They also do belly dance, but I am not sure if I can do it or not. i'll have to check the new schedule.

Do you spend a lot of time walking around campus or do you take mostly shortcuts, etc? Do you live a wlakable distance? I know I dropped a lot of weight one year walking to classes from home, which was about a mile each way-- but it was going up the mountain lol.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I live a half mile from class and walk and ride my bike everywhere. To the store to school everywhere! I haven't had a car since 2003. I used to work at the Student Recreation Center which is a pretty great facility. We have an indoor track, and a 150ft climbing wall, a hockey rink, volley ball, basket ball, machines, weights, ect, ect, ect... It's included in our fees. Next semester I'm taking a yoge class to get limber and I plan to run before or after that.

[Nasturtium 500]

I live a half mile from class and walk and ride my bike everywhere. To the store to school everywhere! I haven't had a car since 2003. I used to work at the Student Recreation Center which is a pretty great facility. We have an indoor track, and a 150ft climbing wall, a hockey rink, volley ball, basket ball, machines, weights, ect, ect, ect... It's included in our fees. Next semester I'm taking a yoge class to get limber and I plan to run before or after that.

Sweet! that's what I'm talking about! Yeah, I was thinking about yoga again as well. The problem for me and yoga is that I am naturally really flexible, and most of the poses (beginner) are not challenging for me.. but.... I don't know enough about the poses to actually move up (i mean if they were calling out a list I'd be lost). I loved it though when I took it as a HPER for my credits as an undergrad.

I wish I knew more about martial arts. I wonder which is better--Judo or Taekwon-do? I imagine it depends on your goal. I would love to be able to have some good self-defense going on. They have a self-defense class, but I don't know that I want to take that. I want to be able to jump and kick and look awesome lol.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

That might be a good question for off topic. I spoke with a martial artist once and he discouraged me from pursuing karate or anything like that saying it's not just for self-defense you can take that in one class. It's a lifestyle. He said if I did anything to do Tai Chi.

[Nasturtium 500]

That might be a good question for off topic. I spoke with a martial artist once and he discouraged me from pursuing karate or anything like that saying it's not just for self-defense you can take that in one class. It's a lifestyle. He said if I did anything to do Tai Chi.

See, self-defense is offered twice a week, each one being a one hour class. Judo is 2 hours twice a week, TKD is the same, both of those are two hour classes each. Judo is more of a sport-oriented with a lot of pinning and such. I can't see Ammar liking that if I was sparring with a guy, but something tells me they probably try to pair sexes anyway. Self-defense does fit better into my schedule though... the other ones conflict with either Tuesday night Torah or my sleep. So i guess it's going to either be self defense or Judo, because judo looks cooler . I guess I'll see what their schedule is for the fall when that comes out. SD is free, Judo is $80, TKD is $30.

[Nasturtium 500]

posted in PT about it. The more I type, teh more I think self-defense may be the best for realizing the most logcal part of my two-part goal quickly (the self-defense part, not the learning to kick like Jackie Chan part.)

[caybee 21]

My husband has started walking at the park with me. He takes his soccer shoes along in case there's a pick-up game, so I'm going to fill up my mp3 player just in case I need the company one of these days. We walked 1.5 miles yesterday and would have done 2, but a thunderstorm came in. The last time I really lost weight successfully, I was walking 3 miles a day, so I want to work back up to that as soon as possible. He's also really encouraging me to stop drinking sodas. I drink a lot of diet sodas, but he doesn't really believe they have no calories. I know they're really not healthy anyway, calories aside, so I'm trying, but it's sure difficult. I'm not fond of plain water, so I'm putting a little lemon in it. I'm having leftover lentils and tomatoes for lunch. We've been hitting the farmers' market on the weekends, and I'm packing my lunches these days instead of hitting the fast food places, so there's some progress, even if the scale isn't moving as much as I'd like.

[amal 4]

Its a mini-goal...a real mini-goal... but doable and possibly achievable....ensha'allah

[Jenn! 918]

I do remember Jenn had a smaller goal and then reached it and then increased hers, and that I am going to FedEx her my extra weight so she can burn it off for me.

No thanks! I have enough to burn!

Congrats on your progress, btw! And also to Amal, WTG!

Oh, what are planks exactly? I've heard of this, but I don't think my gym has them - it's special equipment, right?

Planning to do my 5 miles after work today. Then I've got some cash set aside for some new clothes burning a hole in my pocket, so I think I'll stop at Marshalls on the way home, yay! Wadi told me I need new clothes because my pants look "hiphop".