Reality check

So we all rigorously keep track of our calories right?
You know, we eat healthy balanced nutrition, stay at our calories set on the goals, add our exercise calories, EAT THEM. Blah blah blah?
And you wonder, "hmmm, I'm not really changing as fast as the site says I should. Am I doing something wrong?".
Do you wonder why, after a month or two of this you aren't really seeing the results you thought you would? You should be able to overcome a bad day here or there, but you aren't.
I wanted to talk about the oft talked about, almost always the brides maid, portion of a healthy lifestyle and weight loss.........the dreaded........exercise routine.
It's like the elephant in the room for many people. Everyone does it (right?), but there are wildly varying results. Why? You wonder.
I submit for your consideration this: Its not that you exercise, how often you exercise, or how long you exercise, it's HOW HARD you exercise (well, within reason, you can't exercise once every two weeks and expect results but... you get my point).

If you exercise regularly throughout the week and you aren't seeing dramatic changes, are you really pushing yourself? Light cardio is fine if your trying to maintain and you just want to add a few calories to your daily intake and keep your muscle where it is now, but it's not going to cut it for really shaping and building muscle.
I realize some of you guys have never had the opportunity to push yourself (think biggest loser last chance workout day, this should be 3 times a week for most.), but I feel personally, and it really has worked for me, that if you push yourself every time you work out, you will see results, rather quickly.

A couple of things to keep in mind. First, if you aren't pouring sweat at the end of a cardio workout, almost unable to catch your breath, then it wasn't really a vigorous workout. If you do a weight training or circuit and your muscles aren't burning and quivering, it wasn't a vigorus weight session.
Second, I realize this isn't for everyone, if you are older, this type of thing can be dangerous, so only do so under supervision until/unless you feel very comfortable in your body. If you are considered obese, this can be a large strain on your heart and other organs, so I would probably be wary of staying at these levels too long. Lastly, if you have injuries, chronic or acute, always see a doctor first.

I am not a fitness god, or anything, but I know what I know, and I know how to push my body, I learned (something I thank football for every day of my life) very early in life that the body, however frail, is a unique machine in that it will take the abuse you give it, and make itself stronger in anticipation for the next time.
So maybe, next time, forget the magazine on the tred mill or eliptical, if you can read while you exercise, you aren't working hard, instead, push the level up a few notches. It hurts, but in the end, you'll see much better results.

Hope you all keep the faith!

-Banks

Thanks Banks....you always have suck wonderful words!

dd

Was this a freudian slip?

Ahh, but of course, that is a different question mary. :happy:

Do you have the willpower to work through it? Stopping after once may mean it's more physically then you can handle, but if you stop after 6 weeks, obviously your body can take it, but can your mind (with the possible exception of chronic injury)?
that has always been my worst part. I would start it, last a few weeks or a month, and then quit because quitting was easier. Now though, while I still have moments I want to quit, I have stuck with it (I can't pin down why, maybe my age, or the fact that I was in the worst shape of my life and knew it...etc. but what ever it was, I have passed the first hurdle). And now that I have seen real, physical changes, it's so cool that I doubt I will ever quit.
I have begun, over the last year or so, to re-examine my drive, found myself lacking in a lot of area's, and have begun taking steps to fix it. The exercise is my first (so far so good), but I have more goals to achieve, and with this sucess, I have the confidence I need to begin them.
I hope everyone else experiences something similar in their life. It's a very fulfilling feeling.

Ok I am new to this website and fairly new to the whole diet exercise thing (dieting my whole life - exercise yeah - I was a pack-a-day smoker until 7 mos ago). Hubby and I joined our local gym Wed. night today we go and have one of our three "free" training sessions. Banks - this is the second post I have read from you - the other talked about how the Army can transform big flabby gutted people to lean fighting machines in 9 weeks. So - I am committed in my mind to doing this exercise thing - I have heard ALL the rumors - don't push yourself - you will be sore and then you will lose interest and if you miss more than 2 days you wont go back - etc etc etc.........Now I realize that you have said you are not the excercise God (or was it Guru) but you seem to be very knowledgable in this arena (yes it is a compliment) - here goes:

1) How does one develop a routine when it takes 21 days to create one but all the recommendations say to not work out more than 3 days a week when you begin?

2) How does one NOT get bored?

3) How does one utilze the "free" training sessions? ( I have heard rumors that they will put you on the machine and leave you there kinda hanging out trying to party by yourself - how does one avoid such traps - BTW I get that they are not "making money" on these "free" training sessions)

4) Where on earth can I find information on beginners training that is not redundant to what I have already asked?

5) Really there is no 5 I just wated to leave it out there!!!

Cheers

Tkerbell (aka J)

well, first, thanks for the compliment. Oh boy, some of these questions are tough ones.

I'll go in order just for my own sanity.

1) Hmmm, well, if you have the willpower, sometimes it's a matter of working through it, I know nobody wants to hear that, but the old cliche is true "nothing worth while comes easy". You don't have to like the exercise, you don't have to enjoy it, but you have to believe it is the right thing to do. If you believe in it and believe in yourself, you can work through the wall that you will, inevetably, hit. Look, i hit that wall on at least 4 separate occasions in the past, that I remember, and failed all 4 times before it finally took. It's HARD. But you have to have confidence in that it's the right thing for your body. And know that, if you do work through it, you will, eventually have results.

2) easy, work hard enough that your mind is too busy being tired to get bored. That's the beauty of a circuit, it's lots of different exercises, so boardum is a lot easier to avoid. But during my light days when I just run, I basically put on my headphones, dial the tred mill up as high as I dare, and try not to stare at the timer, because that will drive you crazy, like watching a pot come to boiling.

3) First, find a smaller gym, smaller gyms are more personal, and less likely to shut you out after you express interest. 2nd, tell them (may or may not be true) that you are looking to hire a personal trainer for a few sessions, and if you like it here, and you like how you are treated, then you will come back (don't be shy about this, make it a NO UNCERTAIN TERMS type of statement). That usually kicks the trainer into gear. 3rd, if they don't have a CERTIFIED personal trainer show you around, ask if one can, you don't want some 18 year old gym rat who works there part time showing you around, you want someone who knows how someone should begin. You can gleen some good workout tips from that first session. 4th come in prepared, have questions in your mind or written down about your first workout, the gym, the atmosphere, yada yada yada, what ever you are interested in.

4) wow, all over. Ahh, there are plenty of articles out there. ahh, I refer to webmd a lot, but there are plenty out there, just make sure the site is reputable. If your not sure, post it here and ask if it sounds reasonable, someone here will surely be able to help.

5) um, hehe. Look ma I can type.:huh:

4)

Well, best of luck. I hope it works out for you! If you can't find anyone, let us know, I'll try to dig up some stuff that should work for you. May not be as good as a trainer, but should be good enough to get you started.:drinker:

:laugh:

thanks for the words all. And just so you all know, I practice what I preach. I did the indoor crazy army workout today. I'm beat. But the best kind of beat.

:drinker:

Excellent. I LOVE it. It doesn't matter how good you are, it matters how hard you work!

One thing I will say though, jogging can be rough on your joints if you don't do it well, be aware of that.
here is a quick primer for jogging. Don't worry, it's easy to jog right, It's just a couple of things to keep in mind.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-267-268-8210-0,00.html

glad I could help. :happy:

And cobra, yeah, I listen to Godsmack, Disturbed, Limp Bizkut, Rage, and Korn when I run. It really does make for a better, if angrier, workout. Course, skip Voodoo in your playlist, that will slow you right down. LOL!