Let's Get Fit and Healthy Together!

[Antonia]

Well, I'm only 4 days in to my food diary but it's going well. It made me realise how much I was snacking on rice cakes and stuff. I'm trying to eat 3 times a day, no snacks other than fruit and the occaisional homemade muffin. I'm starting to really enjoy a fruit smoothie in the morning too. Ice and soya milk seems to give them a flavour reminiscent of fruity ice-creams!! I was talking to friend recently who was thinking of going vegan purely to lose weight . If only it was that easy.

[foxytina_69]

oh jeez. lol. i wish i could lose weight from just a vegan diet alone. but there are still too many things to eat being vegan!!!

i do find that when i eat only whole foods, my calorie content is alot less though. if only i could run away from the chips/crisps!

[speedylemons]

i sometimes make my own chips using these really low calorie tortillas- theyre like fifty calories and pack 8 or 10 grams of fiber PER TORTILLA.. and they're vegan. I'm not sure what brand they are though, i haven't bought em in a while... but you could always just search for some really good tortillas and make your own chips, and then either make or buy some all natural salsa without any oil or fat etc.. and you've got yourself a healthy version of chips and salsa! Heh, i know it helps for me...

[foxytina_69]

im not supposed to eat wheat products, which is what tortillas are, but i can eat the corn tortillas. that would work. or i could just eat the corn chips. but theyre so plain compared to the flavoured delicious high calorie ones LOL.

[Antonia]

I'm guessing what u call chips are to me crisps, and your fries would be my chips. I've recently discovered vegetable crisps. A mixed bag contains crisps made from carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beetroot (they're my fav cos they're purple... purple crisps!!!!!!!!). I like to view them as a healthy-naughty-snack. As for chips (and soya ice-cream) they live in the deepest depths of my freezer and I pretend they're not there. It seems to work.

Losing weight from vegan alone would be great. I gained tho, too excited discovering all the vegan chocolate and icecream.

[speedylemons]

aw sorry about that foxy! Maybe if you come across some really great corn ones, you could also put your own spices on em? maybe spritz with a teeeeeny bit of olive oil or something.. then just cut em like a pizza and bake em. yumm..

oh and i definitely gained when i first went vegan. I was so excited about all the stuff i could eat! mainly the junk food... lol. mmmmm junk food. it really evened out now though, i think i crave raw fruit or nuts over chocolate or soya icecream or other junkfood now.. so that's good.

[Blueshark]

I am a very heavy build - weigh over 100 kilos, but am over 6ft.

My weight has gone down marginally (about 5kg) but my body fat has decreased a lot. That is more important to me.

I always swim alone, thats how I focus.

[ladyaprille]

well, i suppose ive upped my vegeatables alot- but im still eating alot of rubbish like biscuits, white pastas, desserts- on top so im not eating a calorie controlled diet at all. i just want to eat fruit for brekky-- make a real special effort in such as a smoothie, a salad for lunch and a stirfry for tea.. that kind of thing. ive been doing 3x ten minutes of exercise with some weights- only bcos the idea of 30 mins a day is pretty daunting and so il not do it at all. but hey- its getting sunnier.. im getting winter withdrawals like headaches n stuff but hoorah.. theyre worth it seeing as whats to come good luck to me. well done to all of you!
AND I GAVE BLOOD TODAY

[veganbikerboy]

AND I GAVE BLOOD TODAY

is that good for weight loss?

[veganbikerboy]

still not made the gym

worked till really late, then had to go to meet someone from work to sort them out for tomorrow (work again) had more beer!

ate ok. had a pack of redwood sausages for tea straight from the packet. had a bean chilli pastie and dried pineapple pieces for lunch. had fruit for brekkie.

next week big push to get back to gym

[tabitha]

Antonia - those vegetable crisps are delicious!! I had some the other day. My eating habits are better this week, but I am still struggling to train. I work 4 days a week at the gym and have managed to train twice! although I have been doing the routines with the customers to help them and me. Next week will be better.

[ILoveBunnies]

Hello, I am new here.

I recently had a foot injury and I am feeling chubby so YES, I would like to get fitter too. For me this means making more of an effort to exercise and controlling my food intake especially snacks. I have the tendency to be a mindless muncher.

Amy

[Yoggy]

Ok, I want in too!

I'm at quite a healthy weight at the moment, but I'm very out of shape and my diet could definitely use some improvement. Here are my goals:

* Lose 3 inches off my waist and have a flatter stomach by getting my abs in shape
* Make chocolate and other refined sugar a very rare treat (this'll have to wait until after I get through my bag of chocolate covered macadamia nuts and the chocolate I ordered off veganessentials )
* Eat 2-3 servings of fruit and 7-8 servings of vegetables a day

I've been doing from 100 to 300 situps a day for weeks now and haven't noticed any difference in my abs . Granted, I usually take 1 to 2 days off a week, usually due to remembering after I've gone to bed that I forgot to do my exercises LOL. So another goal is to do my situps every day WITHOUT FAIL, even if it means getting up after I've gone to bed. I also want to increase to 500 a day over the next month.

I'm enjoying reading about everyone's progress on here! Keep up the good work everyone!

[foxytina_69]

wow yoggy thats alot of situps! lucky girl to be at a healthy weight! i sure wish i was at what would be considered a healthy weight!

this fit and healthy thing is just not working out for me lol.

my sister ended up wanting to get pizza so i gave in.

sigh atleast its whole wheat organic crust, and the fake meats have lots of protein, and theres veggies/fruit on them. lol.

im getting 2 medium pizzas. 1 w/ veggie ground round, red pepper and red onion, and the other will be veggie ham and pineapple. both with vegan rella cheese. ofcourse i couldnt just get 1 medium. i had to get 2.

well maybe ill do pilates in a bit anyhow.

[foxytina_69]

hows everyone doing?

well i obviously didnt do well with the pizzas. jeez.

you know, i find it so annoying that i KNOW exactly what i would have to do to lose weight and im not doing it because im pmsing so bad this month.

all i have to do is eat mainly whole foods. nuts, seeds, dried fruits, fruits, veggies, brown rice, healthy grains, lentils, beans, etc.

sigh...... cant wait till im not pmsing anymore and i can stop wanting crap foods.

maybe ill start tommorow with a strawberry kiwi smoothie. and eat some yummy brown rice and lentils with sauteed kale and onions and tamari. mmmmm........

[puffin]

maybe ill start tommorow with a strawberry kiwi smoothie. and eat some yummy brown rice and lentils with sauteed kale and onions and tamari. mmmmm........

That sounds lovely Tina

Yoggy, i do about 100 to 200 sit ups 3 to 4 times a week. If im right (please someone tell me im wrong if i am) you need to give the muscles time to grow and recover from the exercise.

I have been doing quite well at the gym. When i first started working there i found the stepper a real strain on my legs but now i can do 10 mins plus with out an ache. I have been walking on the tredmill on an incline and using the rowing machine. I am amazed at how fit i have become in such a short time. I also do circuit traning on Friday which hurts but its quite enjoyable.

[veganbikerboy]

Yoggy, i do about 100 to 200 sit ups 3 to 4 times a week.

i have no idea how you manage to do this amount of sit-ups, even when i'm super fit i struggle to do 50.

i tell people it's cos my upper body is so heavy

[puffin]

i have no idea how you manage to do this amount of sit-ups, even when i'm super fit i struggle to do 50.

i tell people it's cos my upper body is so heavy

Oh i cant do the proper sit ups, the ones when you can touch your knees

I have a advantage then because there is no way i am top heavy

[tabitha]

Oh i cant do the proper sit ups, the ones when you can touch your knees

I have a advantage then because there is no way i am top heavy

Do you mean crunches? Have you got a roman chair at your gym? Theyre good for your tum. Also heel digs, where you lay on your back, raise your legs in a 90 degree angle, flex your toes towards your head and slowly lower your legs til your heels dig on the floor, keeping your legs in that 90 degree angle, breath out as you go down and simultaneously contract your tummy muscles.

[puffin]

Yeh thats them I couldnt remember the name.
I can only do sit ups if i have my feet under something

I do the, lye on your back, flatten the arch of your back onto to floor, raise the knees and slowly bring one down at a time still keeping your back flat. Or the plank.

[tabitha]

I do my sit ups on a decline bench at the moment. Ive only just resumed doing that because of the appendix op, but Im pleased that the muscles are coming back to life.

[puffin]

Glad your feeling better and the muscles are coming back
I still remember what my tummy was like after the kids. I could pinch it and i had hardly any feeling in it but i am sure they were worth it

[Tigerlily]

I can't do any kind of sit-up or crunches. I just can't.

I would like to tone my stomach as that is the only part of my body that is chubby. I think I'm pretty decent everywhere else (heck, my collar bones even pop out)--just that my belly is so soft and like jelly.

[PercysLion]

I'm sure a lot of people know this, but in addition to situps/crunches/strength training, if you want flat abs, you must do cardio workouts several times a week. It can be as little as 30 minutes a day walking the dog, but it'll help so much.

Also, according to most fitness sources I've consulted, the abs are the one muscle group that you actually can work every day. But I think that's more of a personal choice.

I've been belly dancing for quite some time, so I have really strong stomach muscles, but my stomach was always soft until I joined a gym and started doing 35 minutes on the arch-trainer three times a week.

I'm not interested in a six pack, something you have to really work at, but now my abs look defined and toned.

I did skip my gym workout today though, to take an extra long walk with Mr. Darcy, but I figure that's good for the both of us!

[ILoveBunnies]

I am not doing great but I decided to join up with Weight Watchers online because I have lost weight doing that in the past, if I can just keep track of what I am eating and keep it below a certain level. wish me luck!

[Tigerlily]

I am not doing great but I decided to join up with Weight Watchers online because I have lost weight doing that in the past, if I can just keep track of what I am eating and keep it below a certain level. wish me luck!

Good luck! I lost 40-ish lbs on Weight Watchers.

[Yoggy]

I did 250 situps this morning! And I'll probably do 250 more when I get home!

Just to clarify: the situps I do are pretty lazy situps. I can't do the reverse crunches (lying on your back and lifting your legs in the air while bending your knees) because I never have any stability and end up tipping to one side. So I just do the old fashioned kind, where I lie on my back with my knees bent and feet on the floor, and lift my upper back off the ground while contracting my stomach muscles as hard as I can. I keep my lower back on the ground because I'll get back pains otherwise. I also cross my arms over my chest because I get lower back pains if I try to do situps with my hands behind my head. So it's no wonder I can do so many; I'm doing the lazy man's situps

Other than that, I don't consciously work out, but I do walk to work every day and believe me, that's a work out! It's 20 minutes of straight uphill climb, and it's a steep hill! I'm always sweaty when I arrive at work. It's getting easier though; on my first day of work back in January, when I arrived I was just about ready to collapse! I could barely breathe, my legs felt like rubber, and my shirt was soaked under the arms. Now I'm just a little sweaty when I arrive, and never out of breath. It's great to actually see a difference!

So my situp goal is already being met, which means the goal to lose 3 inches off my waist will probably soon be met too. Now I just have to work on the chocolate and sugar thing. I'm not sure if I should gobble down the whole bag of chocolate macadamia nuts so that I can start fresh and sugar-free tomorrow, or eat them gradually so I don't gain like 5 lbs in one sitting!

[puffin]

Yoggy, i love chocolate so i know what you mean.
I dont eat a great deal but i believe if i didnt eat choc i would be super slim. I will try giving up the choc tomorrow to and see how i get on

[foxytina_69]

tigerlily, my body is the same way

today we spent allllllll day moving. so ive done a ton of exercise today for several hours. we started around 4 and didnt finish until midnight. (this is just moving boxes and other things. tommorow is the actual furniture move. argh!)

so i ate on the run pretty much. kept coming home and making myself quick meals.

today:

lunch:
-brown rice pasta w/ sauce, spices and nutritional yeast
snack:
-baked potato w/ vegan butter, vegan bacon bits and catalina dressing
dinner:
-brown rice/lentil/onion/kale mixture w/ tamari

mmmmm.

too bad i didnt get any fruit in like i planned.

ohwell, once the moving is done ill beable to eat better.

[ladyaprille]

breakfast. apple and a pear
lunch. courgette and spring green lettuce wraps MMMMMM
tea. broccoli and purple sprouting brocolli chinese style "stir steam" (no oil)
snack. apple and small bowl of summer fruits.

WELL DONE APRILLE (sorry but i feel good if i support myself in public lol)

[Tigerlily]

I just drank 500ml of water! And it's only 11:48.

[veganbikerboy]

had some great food over the last couple of days, but not very healthy. Went out for lunch had raosted pepper tortilla wraps with gaucomole, salad, chips and onion rings it was good but dripping in oil

Had a busy week last week so didn't really make a proper start on my 'healthy thing'. start tomorrow.

bought some fresh veg so going to cook tomorrow and be doing DIY all day so should be good excercise then gym on monday

[ILoveBunnies]

Good luck! I lost 40-ish lbs on Weight Watchers.

T/L that is so exciting! I really need to find ways of eating healthy, I have been overdoing it so much on fats and junk food. What do you eat that is low in points, especially snacks? I know I can stand to eat more fruit and veg.

-Amy

[Tigerlily]

T/L that is so exciting! I really need to find ways of eating healthy, I have been overdoing it so much on fats and junk food. What do you eat that is low in points, especially snacks? I know I can stand to eat more fruit and veg.

-Amy

When I'm following the points plan, this is what I normally snack on:

Fruits (obviously)
Vegetables (obviously)
Rice cakes/rice crackers
Crackers
Baked chips/crisps
Chocolate soy milk
Cereal
Oatmeal
Soups
Plain brown rice with soy sauce
Nuts (most are 4 points for an ounce, and ounce really fills you up!)

[Wildflower]

hows everyone doing?

I lost 3.5 lbs this week!

Even if some was water, i have to figure at least 1 or 2 wasn't.

Hee hee, i would like to think it is because i have been lifting weights for a month now (and doing cardio). When I gain muscle my metabolism goes crazy and i have been getting hungry quickly lately.

But i have also been under immense stress from work and getting little sleep and eating out a lot. (subway and noodles&company mainly).



I hope it sticks, it always motivates me to even lose a few pounds because I don't want to gain it back. we'll see...

[foxytina_69]

wow good job wildflower!!!

im sure i havent lost anything as i ate crap today on the go again with all the moving

today i ate:

-vegan brownie (most delicious brownie ive ever had, my sister and bf got it for me from a deli in a healthfood store!)
-brown rice chips (they got me these also lol)
-hashbrowns
-onion rings

oh dear.

i cant say ill eat well tommorow as ill be very busy with moving my sister still and baking and cleaning and whatnot. hopefully i can eat semi healthy. i know its important when youre on the go like this.

well, atleast i got 10 hours of exercise today lol. (we moved furniture and things for 10 hours today :S)

[TofurkyZombie]

I have had a crap couple of days which is why I haven't been around. I got exercise in on Thursday + Friday and I went out dancing last night but consumed way too many calories on those days for it to make any difference. I know I can exercise all I want but if I'm not keeping track of my calories and keeping them low I won't lose any weight. I need to lose 10lbs immediately and get super toned. I finally got my arm surgery done after losing 100+lbs so now I need to make them look super great. My oldest friend is getting married in May so I need to get a move on I can't believe it's April 2nd already. The time goes by so fast anyways might as well go by quickly while I am improving myself right? Right.

I will exercise today. I will eat under 1500 calories.

Ilovebunnies Weight Watchers is great, good luck and hi!

[Freckles]

Whoa .. more than 100lbs!! Freakin' A, that rocks! I want to lose about 10-15 lbs for a beach trip. I want to show up my old highschool cronies in a bikini. Tee-hee! I'm normall pretty active - I need to stretch more and really work on my triceps and abs - specially the ones on my sides. I'd also like to tone up my calves and strengthen my lungs/heart. I want more endurance. I started today - walking my dogs up and down the backroads by my house. I plan to do about 50 crunches a day, lots of stretching exercises and a little-free weight action.

[assilembob]

oh man...i definately need to get back to the gym. It's been since the first week in march. Stupid sick.
My plan:
Stop binging, start eating more raw veggies.
Get more fruit.
exercise 4-6 times a week depending on my schedule.
STOP DRINKING SODA!!!! (haha...how many times have I said that?)

I really need to do about 20-30 minutes of intense cardio a day to keep my endo undercontrol but I have been so sore and tired and depressed it's difficult to move, but it's def. time for a change right?? Spring cleaning. Cleaning out my soul

[speedylemons]

maybe you could start off a little lighter for the exercise and it'd be easier to stick to...? I know personally i'd be able to stick to like a walk each day better than 30 minutes of intense cardio every day.. at least at first.

regardless, good luck assilembob

[assilembob]

well i did actually go 6 days a week until the first week in march. I can do it, I have just gotten depressed recently over some pretty bad stuff in my life. After a few cleansing rituals I am ready to get up and get moving. 4 days a week is less than my usual so I am hoping that doing the intense cardio those four days will do for now. I gotta hit this pain head on cause i can't cut it anymore.
As one of my roommates says: STOP MOPING!
and i will. Working out is one of the best ways to combat depression.

[Wildflower]

wow good job wildflower!!!

Thanks Foxy! When I start really trying to eat healthy, things should be even easier, so that is exciting.

i cant say ill eat well tommorow as ill be very busy with moving my sister still and baking and cleaning and whatnot. hopefully i can eat semi healthy. i know its important when youre on the go like this.

You should pack up a cooler with food and bottled water. I know when I travel I usually bring fruit, nuts, and some sandwhiches. Lots of water/gatorade is important too, to keep hydrated. Also, treat yourself at the end of the day to a nice big healthy meal to replenish all those nutrients spent up moving! Rice pasta and veggies w/tofu or something like that.

[TofurkyZombie]

assilembob I am with you on so much of what you said!! The soda thing is an issue for me, I stop for a few weeks and then go back. Lather, Rinse. Repeat! I cannot have it in the house, if it's not in the house it's not a big deal I just drink tea and water. However if it's in the house it's the only thing I will drink. I am drinking a Diet Sprite as I type. I too am trying to be undepressed without antidepressants (I stopped taking them on Feb. 26th) and need to work out more. I know I need exercise in my life to keep me happy, it's a proven fact of myself. 4 days a week I think is a very doable goal for someone who is used to doing more. You can do that easy.

My day today was pretty good actually! I went for an hour and a bit walk around my neighbourhood. Didn't eat anything too entirely exciting throughout the day. It consisted of bread, margarine, peanut butter, jam and mexicali squares (the cornbread/tomatoes/beans/red peppers/tofu concoction I am always eating!!) Calories for the day were 1125, but I ate like an oinker on Saturday and drank a lot of calories so I needed a lighter day to balance out my weekly calorie total.

Here's to a fabulously fit and healthy week.

[foxytina_69]

wow tofurky, i cant believe you lost 100 pounds! how did you do it?

wildflower, that sounds so yummy (you knew about the rice pasta ) but i didnt even time to cook today so we ate out. unfortunately.

for dinner i had 2 veggie burritos with mexi fries and an icedtea.

so much moving and running around today. im so tired. and ive only gotten 3 hours of sleep. this weekend has been hellish. lack of sleep and unhealthy food and hours of moving. phew. cant wait until this is all over.

right now im having a cup of breathe easy tea and some water. hoping itll combat my eating wheat today, which makes me very bloated. sigh!

i dont even want to weigh myself. im sure ive gained weight over the weekend with all this crap eating well ill weigh myself next monday, when ill be done pmsing and not bloated anymore! hopefully i can get in lots of exercise this week!

[veganbikerboy]

i worked hard on the house yesterday and ate really well. had beans on toast for brekkie, chickpea and corriandor salad for lunch, then had chilli stir fry on jacket spuds. So good start to the week.

decorating the bathroom so have to make the effort to go to the gym - even if it's just for a shower

[Monday]

Hello

I'd like to join in too!

I need to lose about 14lbs but I'd like to lose 23!! I want to be able to wear all my old clothes again.

I suffer from depression so have trouble motivating myself. I am on a low dose of anti-depressants which helps a bit. I am revising at the moment - have 3 weeks off for Easter and then 3 weeks of lectures and then its my finals!

So I plan to do a couple of hours of revision every day and then exercise, clean and cook healthy food in the rest of my time.

I have started doing some cooking (never really bothered before) and hubby has been doing some, using lots of veg and pulses and I have been a bit more active. Have lost 2lbs in the last week which made me feel like I might get there!

Am off to the dentist tomorrow for a tooth removal and root canal work (am utterly terrified!) so won't be able to eat much for a few days, so that should help!!

Well done everybody for making the effort - it's a great idea for us all to post our successes and get support when we are struggling.

Monday xx

[tabitha]

i worked hard on the house yesterday and ate really well. had beans on toast for brekkie, chickpea and corriandor salad for lunch, then had chilli stir fry on jacket spuds. So good start to the week.

VBB - do you drink during the week.? Im not judging or anyfink cos I very often have a crap day and do it myself. I would like to just half 1 bottle of wine a week (half on Frid and half on Sat), but sadly it always ends up as more. The amount of calories in alcohol must be a heck of a lot. My husband had about 8 pints last night but when I told him he said "beers ok its only water" (fool!!lol).

decorating the bathroom so have to make the effort to go to the gym - even if it's just for a shower

[tabitha]

Sorry I posted in the quote again (i will never learn).

[veganbikerboy]

Tabs, you are right about the calories in alcohol, loads even in spirits. Alcohol and biscuits are my downfall!

Contrary to popular belief i don't tend to drink in the week, but once i start i tend to carry on. I have a stressful job so can't afford to be hungover.

Last week i drank every day - which is unusual. ( i had over half a bottle of vodka on thurs whilst online here i won't give u the figures from fri).

When training i prefer the gym to the pub. Me and a good friend have just been going through marriage break ups so we have tended to meet for a pint more regular then usual but i am determined to change that back. maybe gym 3 times and pub once in the week.

[Blueshark]

So I am going to get back in shape. About 3 months ago I could swim 1 km breaststroke in 21mins. Now it will probably be about 25 mins. Going to aim for under 20mins then move on to crawl.

I reckon it will take about 5 months to get to 20 mins !!

My excuse for not keeping it up, was too much work but now I have free time, I can do the things I love again