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2015 Health and Fitness Challenge!

kyuuei

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2014 was a year a bunch of people got on here, committed to fitness, and there's all sorts of awesome blogs of participants rooting for each other, posting to keep themselves accountable, and sharing fitness tips and ideas without even knowing it sometimes.

2015 may not have set parameters or sign-ups like the 2014 challenge did, but I think it's good to keep the ball moving. Report in, drop a line, encourage and support anyone who's running for their resolutions, eating their goals, or moving their lives in a new healthy way.

No need to sign up or anything, just drop in things you use/discover/are using to keep yourself on track, music that's motivating you, what you're doing, how you're moving and eating, and if you're seeing what you want to see in yourself.


Bring it 2015!
 

kyuuei

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I'll start off with my stuff:
January goals:

Exercise:

I've been stretching the past two days for an hour a day. I'm going to continue the stretching routine until I get home from vacation, and then I'll start at home with yoga twice a week, heavy weights for the legs (2 days) and arms (1 day), and a run day and work my way up from there. Abs three times a week. That gives me a day off inbetween those things with just the stretching. Three times a week I need to do physical therapy on my legs on top of the stretching too, to keep my legs in shape enough.

Nutrition:

I've been making plans to get my teeth into better health. I've been reading a lot of research about A/D/K2 vitamins and calcium and teeth. I was taking a multivitamin (half doses with gummies which are notorious for not being as readily absorbed) to supplement my diet, and I need to get back on that track again. I'm going to try a new tooth care routine, one piece at a time, and see how that goes for the next few weeks.

Also, for some reason my stomach has started rejecting whole milk. I'm going to try dropping back down to 2% or skim, and see if that helps, but if it doesn't then I'll be a very sad bird.

Diet:

My main goal is just home cooked, from scratch foods at least 6 days a week--no convenience foods or instant packets of soups, gravies, and things like that. I'll make broth if I want a soup, for example, or just use water. Or I'll make my own salad dressings. This doesn't include condiments like ketchup though I will buy no-sugar-added low-sodium versions. This will start officially on January 7th when I am home and settled in more. Canned goods that are low sodium are okay, and freezer-packed vegetables and fruits are okay as well.
If I go out to eat, I'm going to pick a restaurant that serves healthier foods and options like sushi, pho, or salads and protein from the menu.
I keep track of my calories with myfitnesspal, but I am going to start keeping better track of my water and drinks (I used to not track those at all), and I don't have too much trouble hitting calorie marks but I want to focus on trying to stay under the sugar goal and over the protein goal. (Next month I aim to start tracking my vitamins and minerals and such to see if I'm getting enough)
I want to switch over to coconut and olive oils nearly exclusively.
I'm going to try eating sprouted grains for the vast majority of my grain intake (or sprouting/acid washing and soaking them myself), and try baking goods with more alternative flours or eating grains with less sugar/unsprouted content.
I'm going to make a new health food recipe each other week that I've never tried before.
I also want to incorporate vegetables into each and every meal.
It seems like a lot, but with a bit of foresight and planning and freezing my cooking I can make it happen all at once pretty easily.

Health:
I'm going to start being more diligent on washing my sheets and pillow cases and cleaning my cell phone and sunglasses daily, and work on not touching my face so much.
I'm going to try steadily lowering the temperature of my shower water so that I'm not drying out my skin.
I'm going to do a power clean of 15 minutes in a section of the house each day.
I'm making doctors appointments and writing them down and sticking to them, and I'm also going to pay my primary care provider a visit and see if I can't get things back on track for my hips and jaw, and I also need to speak to my VA representative and ask him questions about the documents and paperwork I was sent by the VA.


Boom! I think that about covers it for January. :D I'll start checking in after the 7th to start checking blocks and making status updates.
 

GarrotTheThief

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power cleans are nice.

I have trouble sticking to going to the doctor too. Nice to see other people on the same page.
 

Ivy

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Okay, here's my shit for 2015.

-continue working on uprooting my food and body image issues, cement previous progress with repetition
-continue tracking food and aiming for a small deficit under the calorie intake that I have established keeps me stable- without judgment/shame and with an eye on the overall, not on specific choices or days
-increase activity by completing strength workouts 2-3x/week plus walking daily (joined Ingress to motivate myself to do the walking part of this)
-love my damn self
 

Riva

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Goals for 2015 novermer/december.

Lose weight by 7 kgs. Current weight 87 kgs.

The goal is to gain a few killos of muscle and drop body bad level to 5-10%. I realized that it looks sexier to be 80kgs at 6 feet at body fat levels of 5-10% than to be at 90kgs with a body fat level of 15 or less.

Being slim-masculine has more benefits of being bulky and masculine. Also chicks seem to dig tyler durden from fight club than ronny coleman. Not only that, you also feel lughter and it's much easier to maintain a slim physique than a overly masculine one.

(Google tyler durden from fight club. He is apparently at 75kgs in that movie and is 6 feet tall.)

Gym 5 days a week, mon wed fri weights and tue thursday cardio. 4 meals per day with a calorie intake of slughtly above 800 per meal.

Considering my last goal was only half achieved, i feed a lot of luck and guidance to achieve this goal atleast.

Slim and sexy here i come.
 

INTJMom

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Good for you kyuuei!
Here's to a successful year! :cheers:

I have been trying to touch my face less, as well... only if I have just washed my hands.
At work, when I got to the water cooler, I grab a piece of scrap paper to touch the handle with,
I use a pen to touch the photocopier key pad.
 

INTJMom

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Thanks for joining in Ivy.
I hope you have a great 2015! :hug:
 

INTJMom

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Hello riva... welcome to the thread!
I wish you good success in all your endeavors! :)

Please come and post every Sunday and let us know how you have fared with meeting your goals for the past week.
Being accountable here is sometimes the only thing that motivated me to do my exercise routine.
 

INTJMom

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My goals for 2015 are these...
Exercise 3 times per week... I do this with a video for women over 50.... using bands and hand weights.
Every morning when I am getting dressed do 30 ab crunches or more... I started last year with 10 a day and worked my way up.
Try to remember to hydrate myself regularly... I have a pretty good routine at work.

I think I gained a few pounds this holiday... I'm not sure I can lose them... I will have to banish junk food from the house... I lack will power in this area.
Once I get back to work tomorrow and get back to my regular routine, perhaps I will be ok.
I don't have a food plan at this point... I will have to develop one.
 

ReadingRainbows

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My goal is to join the local boxing club and actually go the recommended 3 - 4 times a week.
 

GarrotTheThief

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Okay, here's my shit for 2015.

-continue working on uprooting my food and body image issues, cement previous progress with repetition
-continue tracking food and aiming for a small deficit under the calorie intake that I have established keeps me stable- without judgment/shame and with an eye on the overall, not on specific choices or days
-increase activity by completing strength workouts 2-3x/week plus walking daily (joined Ingress to motivate myself to do the walking part of this)
-love my damn self

one way I solved some of my own body issues was by tailoring my workouts to my goals instead of self-image based on the mirror.

Every guy is programmed to want a killer chest and arms but really it is the back muscle group and the leg muscles group which a person needs most in our world. We need good postures, we need to sit at desks and stay up straight, and we need good mental clarity.

This is the cardio, pushup, pullup workout that many people think they can skip by benching and doing the standard "body builder lifts."

For men this is really bad. IT rips your shoulder joints up and destroys you over time...bench pressing itself is very bad for you. As a youngling I didn't notice it cause my body would repair the damage, but you start to break down.

A good rule of thumb is to go by your feeling. Do you feel more energy, do you strech and feel lose, or do you just go in the gym and the next day wreck yourself?

No pain no game is only best served in small doses...it should not be a cornerstone of a healthy way of life.

But yeah, body image is a big issue in our society cause of the pictures and stuff.
 

kyuuei

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Grateful for Lentil Gravy

I started sharing things that motivate me in the previous year.. and nothing motivates me more for good food than a new recipe. One of my things is to include vegetables as much as I can in my meals. I'm a fan of substitution dieting.. taking something unhealthy and re-working it into something delicious. Lentils, spices, some wholesome fats, and a decent puree would make a great thick gravy.
 

Galena

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I'd like to participate, but don't yet have a plan written up. Be back sometime in the next week. :hi:
 

Evo

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1) WATER - I realized that last year i was still not drinking enough water. So i bought a new water bottle thats cute and every else wants. Hah Be jealous!

2) SALAD - I stopped our little salad club at work cause the guy that did it with me moved. So i want to bring that back!

3) JUICING - I want to start juicing at least once a week. (Maybe once every two weekd, we will see how much work/reward it is) I know it always makes me feel great when im sick.

4) UPPERBODY!?? - I've been moving right along with exercising regularly. I definitely can feel the difference since last year. I want to get a pullup bar. The only challenge i'm coming across is how to gain all this muscle without loosing my boobs!
 

kyuuei

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1) WATER - I realized that last year i was still not drinking enough water. So i bought a new water bottle thats cute and every else wants. Hah Be jealous!

2) SALAD - I stopped our little salad club at work cause the guy that did it with me moved. So i want to bring that back!

3) JUICING - I want to start juicing at least once a week. (Maybe once every two weekd, we will see how much work/reward it is) I know it always makes me feel great when im sick.

4) UPPERBODY!?? - I've been moving right along with exercising regularly. I definitely can feel the difference since last year. I want to get a pullup bar. The only challenge i'm coming across is how to gain all this muscle without loosing my boobs!

If #4 makes you feel any better, weight loss doesn't necessarily coincide with muscle gain.. If you maintain your eating and calories and fat intake, you probably won't lose your boobs with pull ups.. but you WILL gain (some) muscle in your pecs, which could make them look even fuller and sit them up a bit more.

I have this gimmicky perfect pull up bar and I highly recommend something like it, it was only $20 at walmart here in Texas and I'm sure similarly online. You can swing it down if it gets too tough to do it.

Perfect Pullup Basic - Walmart.com

Alternatively, some rope on a pull up bar with a loop in it can help you give yourself assistance if you're struggling to start out. You can use your leg to push yourself up, and slowly stop using your leg as much. Same can be done with a chair, but I find that chairs can be pretty unstable sometimes and fall over.
 

Evo

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If #4 makes you feel any better, weight loss doesn't necessarily coincide with muscle gain.. If you maintain your eating and calories and fat intake, you probably won't lose your boobs with pull ups.. but you WILL gain (some) muscle in your pecs, which could make them look even fuller and sit them up a bit more.

I have this gimmicky perfect pull up bar and I highly recommend something like it, it was only $20 at walmart here in Texas and I'm sure similarly online. You can swing it down if it gets too tough to do it.

Perfect Pullup Basic - Walmart.com

Alternatively, some rope on a pull up bar with a loop in it can help you give yourself assistance if you're struggling to start out. You can use your leg to push yourself up, and slowly stop using your leg as much. Same can be done with a chair, but I find that chairs can be pretty unstable sometimes and fall over.
Dude. Have i ever told u how much i love you! Thanks girl! :)
 

kyuuei

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Dude. Have i ever told u how much i love you! Thanks girl! :)

No problem! :D

Yeah I learned the hard way that you cannot lose weight where you want it to lose anymore than you can prevent weight loss in other areas first. For women the breasts, hips, butt, and thighs tend to hold onto weight naturally (stomach area for men), so while overall consistent fat loss will eventually make you lose a bit of breast tissue... it will generally take a more dramatic transformation of your body to start seeing weight loss there, and it can easily be made up for in food.

When I was in basic training I lost a considerable amount of weight (145lbs to 119 in 5 months) and I lost breast tissue then.. But when I was in Iraq despite losing weight I stayed the same cup sizes because I was working on my pecs and lifting heavier weights regularly (like doing pull ups).
 

Beorn

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Really feeling into new year fitness after busting out a run this morning like Rocky in Siberia.

Already down 15 lbs last couple of weeks thanks to a bad case of gastritis and the flu. I would like to drop another 30 over the next 2 months.

Exercise: running/walking. Figuring out how to take care of my knees and see if I can get into a ultramarathon later in the year. With weights I'm just starting with a simple full body dumbbell workout 3 times a week. Also, I'm doing some physical therapy to help deal with my sciatica.

Diet: food, mostly plants, not too much. Also, limiting stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.
 

kyuuei

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Phew! 2 days late getting home, and I had to stay up late to finish off some paperwork I needed to turn in about 4 days ago. :laugh: Hitting the ground running today though! Early wake up, a good cup and a half of water down, and a couple posts before I head out the door for some titers.

SugarScience.org | SugarScience This page is really awesome if you're looking for some sugar education to motivate you to track and reduce sugar consumption.



Really feeling into new year fitness after busting out a run this morning like Rocky in Siberia.

Already down 15 lbs last couple of weeks thanks to a bad case of gastritis and the flu. I would like to drop another 30 over the next 2 months.

Exercise: running/walking. Figuring out how to take care of my knees and see if I can get into a ultramarathon later in the year. With weights I'm just starting with a simple full body dumbbell workout 3 times a week. Also, I'm doing some physical therapy to help deal with my sciatica.

Diet: food, mostly plants, not too much. Also, limiting stimulants like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.

I'm a bit worried about 30 pounds in 2 months... It's a lot of weight to drop so suddenly.. especially with other problems. :/ I'm sure I don't know yourself as well as you do, just sayin'.
 

Ivy

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Man. This weight is coming off SOOOOOOO slowly. I need to remain patient. I lost about 5lbs a month for the first half of last year, then stalled out, now it's moving again but VERY slowly. I have 50+ lbs to go, but better for it to take a long time and be sustainable than go fast and come right back, right? Somebody reassure me. :)
 
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