I need a kick up the bum! And an exercise plan.
cprobertson12
Posts: 90 Member
I'm a batchelor - and I admit it, I'm not terrifically fit. It is too much effort.
The only reason I don't weigh a metric tonne (or 0.984 tons if you prefer) is because I walk about 20 miles a week - about 400 calories a day I've worked it out as.
Conveniently, I have a short-term goal - which I can use to kick start a diet: I start diving training in 5 days - and I need to go swimming! Oh the horror! People will SEE my BOD!
So - that's a good kick in the right direction. What we need to do is get a plan together!
Things needing fixed:
-Activity levels
-Diet - which I'll deal with in a separate thread over on the diet section.
My current activity levels consist of walking to work each day: 2x 2.1 mile walks per day - 21 miles a week - so that's about 400 cal a day at best - though it will probably be less! I'm not too concerned about exact figures here :P
And... that's it: I sit at a desk at work... and I sit at a desk in the house - and I sometimes stand when I'm workin the lab.
Outstanding! The problem is that I do a lot of design work in my spare time - and a lot of other technical pursuits that just aren't suited to being done on the move! Ever tried doing electrical engineering while walking? It never ends well!
Allow me to rephrase, I'm lazy :P I would much rather sit around doing technical pursuits than going for a walk or a run. Also, running is hard because I'm lazy and can't be bothered doing it properly!
The diving will help with the laziness as it gives me a recurring excuse to exercise - plus it's an extra 3 miles of walking each week
Let us suggest that diving has no exercise value - it does - you're swimming and lugging heavy gear around- but let's assume it doesn't for the sake of getting the rest of my fitness life in order!
What else can I do? I was thinking about getting either a gym or a swimming membership - but I reckon it will only get used maybe once a week - is once a week enough to be noticable?
See, I'm scared to get a gym/swimming membership in case I don't use it. That'd be crap! While I'd like to think that the fact that I'm spending money on it would encourage me... I'm not convinced I won't get in from work and say "nah, I'd much rather be working in the lab!"
Obviously, that one is on me - and getting into a routine is probably the best thing I can do - any suggestions on where I should start!?
--EDIT-- this should be in the "exercise" section, shouldn't it... whoops.
The only reason I don't weigh a metric tonne (or 0.984 tons if you prefer) is because I walk about 20 miles a week - about 400 calories a day I've worked it out as.
Conveniently, I have a short-term goal - which I can use to kick start a diet: I start diving training in 5 days - and I need to go swimming! Oh the horror! People will SEE my BOD!
So - that's a good kick in the right direction. What we need to do is get a plan together!
Things needing fixed:
-Activity levels
-Diet - which I'll deal with in a separate thread over on the diet section.
My current activity levels consist of walking to work each day: 2x 2.1 mile walks per day - 21 miles a week - so that's about 400 cal a day at best - though it will probably be less! I'm not too concerned about exact figures here :P
And... that's it: I sit at a desk at work... and I sit at a desk in the house - and I sometimes stand when I'm workin the lab.
Outstanding! The problem is that I do a lot of design work in my spare time - and a lot of other technical pursuits that just aren't suited to being done on the move! Ever tried doing electrical engineering while walking? It never ends well!
Allow me to rephrase, I'm lazy :P I would much rather sit around doing technical pursuits than going for a walk or a run. Also, running is hard because I'm lazy and can't be bothered doing it properly!
The diving will help with the laziness as it gives me a recurring excuse to exercise - plus it's an extra 3 miles of walking each week
Let us suggest that diving has no exercise value - it does - you're swimming and lugging heavy gear around- but let's assume it doesn't for the sake of getting the rest of my fitness life in order!
What else can I do? I was thinking about getting either a gym or a swimming membership - but I reckon it will only get used maybe once a week - is once a week enough to be noticable?
See, I'm scared to get a gym/swimming membership in case I don't use it. That'd be crap! While I'd like to think that the fact that I'm spending money on it would encourage me... I'm not convinced I won't get in from work and say "nah, I'd much rather be working in the lab!"
Obviously, that one is on me - and getting into a routine is probably the best thing I can do - any suggestions on where I should start!?
--EDIT-- this should be in the "exercise" section, shouldn't it... whoops.
2
Replies
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Walking is perfectly fine, it is great and free. Stick with it, you don't need a gym membership.
What you need is a food scale to ACCURATELY measure your food intake and you need to log and monitor everything you eat.0 -
If I'm honest, you're not going to reach your goals.
You don't want them enough, you don't have any self discipline.
You either need to stop being lazy and just get it done. Or quite frankly not bother.
I know thats brutal and harsh but you can't do both, you can't be lazy and expect to achieve your goals.
Sounds like you work hard at your job.. Would you expect them to pay you if you just sat at your desk and did no work? No! So you can't be lazy and expect to miraculously meet your goals.
However
You have a very good starting point, you do a lot of walking.. That's good.
But if you want to achieve your goals then you need to do more. Try googling ways to get exercise in at your desk.
You'll also need to go over your food choices and see if they're hindering you.
You need to get serious, stop being lazy or your goals will not work out for you!6 -
Find non-traditional ways like the diving to get exercise. Find an activity you can get addicted to so laziness doesn’t even come into play.0
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If I'm honest, you're not going to reach your goals.
You don't want them enough, you don't have any self discipline.
You either need to stop being lazy and just get it done. Or quite frankly not bother.
I know thats brutal and harsh but you can't do both, you can't be lazy and expect to achieve your goals.
Sounds like you work hard at your job.. Would you expect them to pay you if you just sat at your desk and did no work? No! So you can't be lazy and expect to miraculously meet your goals.
Hell - yeah! Not brutal at all. Well it is brutally honest but it's not brutally brutal! As I said, I need a kick in the ar--bottom.However
You have a very good starting point, you do a lot of walking.. That's good.
But if you want to achieve your goals then you need to do more. Try googling ways to get exercise in at your desk.
You'll also need to go over your food choices and see if they're hindering you.
You need to get serious, stop being lazy or your goals will not work out for you!
That is a good shout actually... I see no reason why I couldn't do some exercise on my breaks - I have 30 minutes.
Jogging round a field for 25 or so minutes a day doesn't seem like much - but it's better than nothing - and with any luck it will get me able to jog. I could probably combine that with a period of jogging at the end of the day as well (why not before work? It's not like I'm not up early anyway!)
Yes... let's hijack my psychology here - see, after work I'm tired and I "just want to get home" - pfft, useless. Before work I'm full of vim and vigour! I'll aim for +30 minutes every morning, starting monday.
Doing it during the lunchbreak might be an issue - I might only manage 20 minutes given that I'd need to change beforehand - in which case I can just move that forward into the morning bracket as well.
Now you'll notice I've chosen 30 minutes to get started - my reasoning behind this is precisely because I don't see it "as much" - and I can always increase.
So how does one start jogging? I see lots of google-advice on the subject - can you think of any that particularly stand out?
In fact... I think the NHS has a "couch to 5K" thing - I'll take a look to that for inspiration while I'm at it! My uncle is a fireman who runs regularly - I should bother him about it as well!
Good! Excellent in fact!
And thank you for that most agreeable kick on the bum!Brabo_Grip wrote: »Find non-traditional ways like the diving to get exercise. Find an activity you can get addicted to so laziness doesn’t even come into play.
Excellent advice! This ties in with Bex's comment in that a change of lifestyle is needed (i.e, stop being lazy!). Now all I need to do is find that exercise!
Right - jogging: I need new shoes - will get them at the weekend, as I'm going to the shoe shop to replace my boots anyway.
The last time I tried jogging, I failed - in part because I done it on the way home; in part because I didn't do enough warmups; in part because I got a minor injury (inflamed IT band) that made it sore to run and took ages to heal - all signs that I was doing it wrong. That's not me making excuses btw, everything I just mentioned was my own fault! :P
So - priorities:
- Warmup - get it right this time!
- Consistency/routine - it is important that I don't miss days "because I don't feel like it" - I can get my coworkers to shout at me if I miss it so I have some negative feedback. Positive feedback will be all on me though!
Are there any other priorities regarding my jogging plan that I've missed?
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i am naturally lazy...then i became a runner. so now i'm lazy apart from when i'm running. :laugh:
weight loss is 100% calorie deficit. exercise for good health. (if you exercise to lose weight you run in to problems if you're then unable to exercise)
general recommendation is some cardio and some strength/resistance training, ideally stuff you enjoy.4 -
cprobertson12 wrote: »However
You have a very good starting point, you do a lot of walking.. That's good.
But if you want to achieve your goals then you need to do more. Try googling ways to get exercise in at your desk.
You'll also need to go over your food choices and see if they're hindering you.
You need to get serious, stop being lazy or your goals will not work out for you!
That is a good shout actually... I see no reason why I couldn't do some exercise on my breaks - I have 30 minutes.
Jogging round a field for 25 or so minutes a day doesn't seem like much - but it's better than nothing - and with any luck it will get me able to jog. I could probably combine that with a period of jogging at the end of the day as well (why not before work? It's not like I'm not up early anyway!)
Yes... let's hijack my psychology here - see, after work I'm tired and I "just want to get home" - pfft, useless. Before work I'm full of vim and vigour! I'll aim for +30 minutes every morning, starting monday.
Doing it during the lunchbreak might be an issue - I might only manage 20 minutes given that I'd need to change beforehand - in which case I can just move that forward into the morning bracket as well.
Now you'll notice I've chosen 30 minutes to get started - my reasoning behind this is precisely because I don't see it "as much" - and I can always increase.
So how does one start jogging? I see lots of google-advice on the subject - can you think of any that particularly stand out?
In fact... I think the NHS has a "couch to 5K" thing - I'll take a look to that for inspiration while I'm at it! My uncle is a fireman who runs regularly - I should bother him about it as well!
Good! Excellent in fact!
And thank you for that most agreeable kick on the bum!Brabo_Grip wrote: »Find non-traditional ways like the diving to get exercise. Find an activity you can get addicted to so laziness doesn’t even come into play.
Excellent advice! This ties in with Bex's comment in that a change of lifestyle is needed (i.e, stop being lazy!). Now all I need to do is find that exercise!
Right - jogging: I need new shoes - will get them at the weekend, as I'm going to the shoe shop to replace my boots anyway.
The last time I tried jogging, I failed - in part because I done it on the way home; in part because I didn't do enough warmups; in part because I got a minor injury (inflamed IT band) that made it sore to run and took ages to heal - all signs that I was doing it wrong. That's not me making excuses btw, everything I just mentioned was my own fault! :P
So - priorities:
- Warmup - get it right this time!
- Consistency/routine - it is important that I don't miss days "because I don't feel like it" - I can get my coworkers to shout at me if I miss it so I have some negative feedback. Positive feedback will be all on me though!
Are there any other priorities regarding my jogging plan that I've missed?
I've bolded some of your points so you know which bit I'm Specifically talking about lol.
Right now I don't work, which will probably make you think well she has all the time in the world! I don't haha.
I have 3 kids, 4, 2 and 5m.
In the morning I am grouchy. Not a morning person, my kids however are up at 5:30am. I must have spawned them from hell. Anyway, first part of the day you will naturally have more energy so it seems right to do it then, it boosts your mood, your energy, your metabolism. Sets you up for the day. Although if you've ever tried yoga with 3 kids then you'd realise that it's simply not possible. Not when one's laughing their head off at you and ones on your back.
So my exercise is when they've gone to bed. Let's not forget all day I have to cook and clean and clean some more and more, and I have to stop squabbling, stop them jumping off things, stop them poking the dog and jumping on the sofas. Answer about 200 questions, who's that, what's this, why does that do that, why is the rabbit a boy? I want him to be a girl. What's that noise. Where are you going? Can I have a juice.? Can I have a biscuit? Can I have another one?
Question after question. I'm mentally and physically drained! And now getting to my actual point...
Does it sound like I want to work out then?
F%£# No.
But I get off my butt and I DO IT. I never WANT to do it, I never FEEL like doing it. I do it to achieve my goals. I have to put aside my feelings and just do it.
Also i think 30 minutes is good, it's fine. Quality over quantity right? You can do a decent workout in that time. 30 mins is all I spend on my workouts.
And how to start jogging, well that's probably your scientific brain over thinking it!
All I do is put on my shoes, look at the time and step out the door!
And if I fancy it later on I calculate the distance.
I prefer time over distance at the moment.
But I also have the C25K app. Just not used it yet. But I think for you it could be good because its an end result. You will run 5K and say you achieved that.
Also how do you fail at running? What made you fail? (injury aside) did you fail because you couldn't run the whole way? Or you stopped for breathers too many times?
You can't fail, I have a workout video, I've been doing it for 3 weeks. It's 40 minutes long. For the first week I only managed 15 minutes. But just because I couldn't do it didn't mean I had failed. Because now I can do about 30 minutes (with a few pauses) yesterday I did 35 with less pauses but still quite a lot. I reckon in a months time I'll be able to do the whole video with no pauses!
Not being fit enough is not failing, that's what you're working towards.
Strive for progress not perfection.
Lastly,
FU£K your feelings. If I listened to my feelings every time I had to do something then Id never get stuff done. I'd never do anything!
Think of your feelings after.
You'll feel a sense of achievement, youll feel happier you tried. You'll feel tired but know its worth it!1 -
If you are concerned about general fitness and how you look, some strength training would probably help a lot.
Check out Nerd Fitness online, they specialize in turning getting fit into a game and have a few great body weight routines that you can do at home with no equipment.1 -
wow, love your post. Who isn't lazy??? I know I am, I know I have to do something more. but something for you to think about... I do about 50 crunches every morning while I wait for coffee to brew. And then squats when I brush my teeth. Try doing something little like that while you do your normal routine. Leg lifts on couch while watching TV? It is something. good luck1
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I am NOT of the "kick up the bum" school of motivation. I'm in the carrot school. I learned to cycle through various exercises and the ones that stuck were those I did not think were deadly boring. Don't beat yourself up if something isn't working. Consider it a failed experiment and change your game. There are thousands of ways to be more active.
I also think a lot and fitness routines that take me away from my analyst time is deadly boring for me. But there are things you can do to get fitter and respect your mind. Here are some ideas:
- Get a height adjustable work table and gradually do more of your work standing up.
- Go through the C25K program and in eight weeks you will be running to work instead of walking. Hence, a shorter commute time.
- Get yourself one of those new fancy waterproof FitBits and water resistant bluetooth sports headphones.
- Read Iconoclast. You can kick start new ideas by being exposed to fresh horizons. So get moving.2 -
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The morning jog didn't go so well... I mean, I done it - but I nearly twisted my ankle in a rabbithole, got followed by a horse, met some magpies, fell down a different rabbithole, and got laughed at by a foal.
I jogged for about 50% of a circuit and walked the other 50% - so my duty-cycle isn't very high yet.
I also discovered that somebody has stolen the showerhead off the work shower... well the jokes on them; they have to work with me today
Seriously... who steals a showerhead?
Anyway, I think I may reduce this to jogging every other day (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays) until I get my stamina up a bit; but that's as low as I'm willing to go!0 -
cprobertson12 wrote: »The morning jog didn't go so well... I mean, I done it - but I nearly twisted my ankle in a rabbithole, got followed by a horse, met some magpies, fell down a different rabbithole, and got laughed at by a foal.
I jogged for about 50% of a circuit and walked the other 50% - so my duty-cycle isn't very high yet.
I also discovered that somebody has stolen the showerhead off the work shower... well the jokes on them; they have to work with me today
Seriously... who steals a showerhead?
Anyway, I think I may reduce this to jogging every other day (Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays) until I get my stamina up a bit; but that's as low as I'm willing to go!
Definitely DONT try running every day if you running base is 0... that way injury lies.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »
Definitely DONT try running every day if you running base is 0... that way injury lies.
Noted!
I wasn't sure if it'd be alright since I wasn't going far (or for very long); in retrospect I didn't consider that the run would get longer and by that hypothesis I'd have to dial it back again at some point (and I hadn't worked out where that point was; and as you said, that way injury lies!)
3-days-per-week jog it is!
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cprobertson12 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Definitely DONT try running every day if you running base is 0... that way injury lies.
Noted!
I wasn't sure if it'd be alright since I wasn't going far (or for very long); in retrospect I didn't consider that the run would get longer and by that hypothesis I'd have to dial it back again at some point (and I hadn't worked out where that point was; and as you said, that way injury lies!)
3-days-per-week jog it is!
And a good stretch afterwards!
:drinker:0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »cprobertson12 wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »
Definitely DONT try running every day if you running base is 0... that way injury lies.
Noted!
I wasn't sure if it'd be alright since I wasn't going far (or for very long); in retrospect I didn't consider that the run would get longer and by that hypothesis I'd have to dial it back again at some point (and I hadn't worked out where that point was; and as you said, that way injury lies!)
3-days-per-week jog it is!
And a good stretch afterwards!
:drinker:
"Afterwards".... WHOOPS! At least I done some beforehand!
Oh, I also discovered that it's more difficult to balance while stretching on uneven, springy, mossy ground (for added unbalanceness, add a family of rabbits staring at you from a distance.) I'm going to stretch on the tarmac next time - even if it disappoints the hundred-acre woods. xD0
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