Thread: Fitness challenge IV: Join Our Fitness Team!

kmonte i could not have said it better! thank you!!!!

had nothing to do this afternoon so i researched weight loss. i think this is very important information for all of us.

let me be frank when I tell those out there willing to listen that there is no other way to drop the fat. you must make better nutritional choices and you have to get off your butt more often than to run up to the corner store. sorry y'all, there are no magic pills, no magic diets, and no ab blasters will help you and your body lose fat. it's hard to accept sometimes isn't it? fat loss is about the ratio of calories in vs. calories out. plain and simple. but what most sources don't tell us is that in order to achieve our fitness goals the ratio is actually 70% nutritional and 30% exercise. but that does not mean starve yourself and do as little exercise as possible. it means eat sensibly, have 5-6 smaller meals per day to balance the blood sugars, that will also keep the metabolism stoked, and exercise on a regular basis, which should include strength training to maintain and develop lean muscle mass. this too helps boost your metabolism.
folks. remember to only drop your caloric intake by 500 calories per day via a proper nutritional plan and exercise. if you increase your caloric deficit by over 800 calories per day nature has a way of protecting the body against excessive weight loss. at first you will lose alot of water, a little fat. then suddenly you stop losing. you've plateaued, because your body now refuses to give up the fat. it is a scientific fact that when your calorie count suddenly drops, your body will compensate for the fact by reducing your metabolic rate. as a result, you'll need fewer calories to maintain your weight. this explains why some people lose weight up to a point and then cannot lose any additional weight, no matter how hard they try. friends, this is one of the most dangerous myths in the weight loss world. you literally have to eat yourself thin, not starve yourself thin. know your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate - the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day) , know your activity level and know your caloric needs, and monitor them closely. the key is that the number of calories you eat directly affects your metabolism. if you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into "starvation" mode. tricked into believing you cannot find enough to eat, your endocrine glands PURPOSELY slow your metabolism to conserve energy. slowing the metabolism means burning less fat. counting calories is an important aspect of fat loss.

hate to be a post hog but.... crystal, my research this afternoon was for you. your lack of forward movement in our challenge was driving me crazy. i felt bad for you and could not stop thinking about how hard you were working. please take it to heart. i want you to succeed with rest of us. i am not saying i am not guilty of the same thing. i am. i think we all are. thats why i needed to post this. you folks are all awsome. lets keep learning how to be fit and healthy, one month at a time!!!

Great posts ladies! It took me awhile to check in today. I've been cleaning and working out most of the day, but I'm in a great mood and all the supportive replies to each other is even more of a boost. Yay for new participants! Welcome KMonte. Your workouts are awesome! We're going to get some great workout ideas from you.

Gibson, feel free to jump right in too. The beauty of getting to pick your own exercises is you can choose the ones at your level. Don't go straight for the extreme workout. Get yourself used to the change of becoming a more active person. And like everyone said, if you don't wanna post your stats, don't worry about it, but you should take your measurements so you'll be able to see your results. It's anonymous here so I hope you will feel comfortable enough to share, but no pressure. Maybe at the end of the month you can post the difference? It looks like you have the right idea though. We're anti-diet plan and pro-life changes. Lol.

I went over to my friends yesterday and she fed me too much for a nonworkout day. Lol. It was mostly healthy, aside from a cookie that was delicious. My calories were 1784, 94 over, and I burned 184 walking for 30 minutes. I had 9 cups of water, fiber was 23, and protein was 112.

I checked my email today and apparently ten days ago I signed up for a 30 day fitness challenge on About dot com. I took a look at it and it looks like it can go right along with what we're doing here, so I'm using it to get a daily list of new workout ideas. Today I rode the elliptical for 45 minutes, stretched for about 10 minutes, then I used the dumbbells to work on my weak wrists and shoulders. I decided to drop the bicep curls for the week until my wrists recuperate. 15lbs was too much for them, so I'll do the wrist curls for awhile and see if I can fix that. My chest and shoulders are starting to show improvement from the lifts though, so that's a great reward. After that I went up and down the stairs for 15 minutes (part of the email workout). I ran up & down half the time and walked the other half.

Cyndie, that's how I am!! I still have a medium sized muffin top, but it's a lot better than what it was!! I am! I hadn't realized that until you said it. I do have my downfall's at time, but I expect them, and I work hard for my day of sweets or for a day of not doing . But you've changed a lot too!! It is a good sign? Maybe I need to run a mile more often, lol.
Gibson, don't worry about being embaressed!! It's perfectly ok to be nervous about sharing your info with others, but once you start working out and getting slimer, it's so much easier to tell people what you weigh and what size pants you wear and everything else! But first, you have to jump in and get started.

I'm so proud of myself! My bus has two drivers (one who actually drives and the other is for the little kids, but they do switch positions now and then) and the one who keeps an eye on us and the little kids has a daughter who is the manager of Areopostale and Dehalis, and gives clothes to Deidra, the one who walks around and everything, and if she doesn't want them, she brings them on the bus, and hands them out. The other day, she sat down next to me and said that she had some shirts in her closet that she didn't want and wanted to know if I wanted them, because she knew that since I was big in the chest, I may need something else than the other girls. So today after school, I got on the bus and on my seat there was a Wal-mart bag. Inside, there were 10 tank tops. I didn't think I would be able to wear any because they're all S/M. But, I can wear them!! Some are a little snug in the belly, but if I have a shirt on over them, you wouldn't tell I had a muffin top. But I love them! Mom and I were talking and said that last year, I wouldn't have been able to get any of them over my chest. But now, I can!! My good news for the day