Fitness

GWC Community Geek Hobbies
#21

I’ve played basketball and softball my whole life, from about the time I could walk. I started having problems with my shoulders in jr. high, and typically had to ice them after every game/practice. At the beginning of basketball season my senior year, we were doing a lot of drills with heavy balls, and they got really bad. I didn’t have to have surgery, but I was done for the season. When my family moved after my senior year, my brother and dad broke my basketball goal when they tried to move it, so I haven’t been able to do that either.

Going from that level of activity to pretty much nothing in college has made me put on a lot of weight. I’m not that heavy now, but I come from a big family, and my weight is definitely going in the wrong direction.

This week, I downloaded Lose It! for my iPhone, and I’ve started walking from Lot 56 to my classes every morning. It’s about a mile uphill. I’m going to try and start playing basketball again soon. There’s really no excuse since there’s a court right outside of my door.

#22

I downloaded Lose it Today, and it’s an awesome program. It really puts into perspective what you eat, and how it affects you. I don’t think it’s 100% accurate. Calorie math isn’t cut and dry because metabolism plays a big roll.

The best way to increase your metabolism is a regular periodic sustained period of increased heart rate. The metaphorical mammoth chasing. That is, get out and work out for at least 30 minutes each day, get your heart rate up.

Day one of my caloric adventure didn’t turn out awesome… Jamba Juice gives you a false sense of healthy… :wink:

#23

It would be great to a GWC Fitness Club going. I lost like 25 lbs in 2007 and by the end of 2008 gained it back. My fitness level is good but need to watch the sweets. I think with all of us supporting each other we could really kill it. :smiley:
Maybe we could make a spreadsheet using an online program like Editgrid. It just depends on what info we all want to share. Maybe we just need a place to look at what everyone’s goals are and track their progress. We could also start a Fitness Forum here and each person could ask questions and share their knowledge with the community. LETS GET RIPPED! :smiley:

#24

The juice is healthy if you want to get 1/2 of your daily calories through a drink. Don’t forget about all the sugar. :wink:

#25

I really, really need to get back in shape. I’m not overweight, but I’ve lost pretty much all the muscle tone I had in high school and college from colorguard, bike riding, and working outdoors. My family is prone to heart disease and diabetes, and I’d really like to avoid both.

My two problems are finding time to do it and doing something that doesn’t aggravate my back (ignored and reinjured a herniated disc for about six years straight, lost most of the feeling in my left leg, and had surgery to fix it two years ago) or head (possible trigeminal neuralgia aggravated by stress). I tried yoga but the school I went to turned out to be a scam, and I tried iaido but I didn’t have the time or money to continue. But, I’ve been trying to take the stairs at work, no easy feat on the twelfth floor :stuck_out_tongue: And I’ll be picking up some light weights on the way home today or tomorrow so I can at least go back to doing the stuff my physical therapist told me to do.

#26

Sithwitch, you might want to look into Tai-Chi.

#27

so are we all in for this? when would we want to get it going and get some preliminary numbers in or at least all start keeping track even if we don’t choose to share the info?

#28

What is a good start date for everyone? I am up for May 1st-bikini season will be here before we know it!! I won’t be wearing one, but I thought I would throw it out there. :rolleyes:

#29

May 1st sounds good to me or May 2nd since its a Saturday, plus c’mon we all know we’re going to be seeing Wolverine May 1st!

#30

Start Today!

Health and Fitness is a way of life, not something to be scheduled. :smiley:

#31

See now this is when support & sheer will-power comes in!!

#32

Ok so let’s get an official count of who’s all in

add your name to the list as we go here

  1. Darth Revan Rules
#33

add your name to the list as we go here

  1. Darth Revan Rules
  2. BSG Widow
#34

Will Jamba make any of their smoothies without the added sugar? They’re so good but too sweet to eat a whole one.

I am a huge fan of making smoothies with:
active culture plain low-fat yogurt
frozen raspberries
two spoonfuls of OJ concentrate
two tablespoons of crushed flax seed
1/2 of an over-ripe banana is also a good addition

It’s a tasty breakfast or lunch.

In terms of GWC Fit Club, I’d be in to tracking with people. I need something to motivate me to get out on the streets more since I lost my gym membership.

Any recommendations for good cardio workouts that won’t overly aggravate the ankle I sprained 3 weeks back?? That’s been keeping me from hitting the pavement and it still hurts.

#35

I would stick with making your own, that way you know exacTly what is in it.
I like Pomegranate(POM) juice in place of orange juice and some low-fat milk couldn’t hurt. I would recommend throwing some Whey Protein Isolate in because it is usually hard for people to get a decent amount of protein these days and it really fuels the metabolism. Just be aware of the calories in it and keep reasonable.

I also believe it is better to think of the shake as an post workout snack rather than a full meal. That is why it is good to get more protein in it to help your muscles rebuild after a workout.

As far as workouts go I would say Taebo is great but might be too much for a sprain. You could just avoid any moves that put your full weight in that leg.
If you have access to a pool, anything in there is good. Boxing is a great upper body workout. Resistance bands will also give you a good workout.

Do keep some resistance training in the mix with the cardio to help build muscle. It will help burn more calories and increase how hard you can push for the extra burn.

#36

While I’m terrible at tracking my food, I’m making an effort to control portion size (no easy feat since my meds make sure I’m ALWAYS hungry), limit snacking and soda, and getting back into exercising. This week I’m starting easy with crunches and a lot of stuff I can do with free weights, and later this week/next week I’m going back to swimming three or more times a week. I need to build back into it, since I haven’t gone swimming since before my surgery.

#37

I have been meaning to ask what kind of surgery you have had. I also had 2 herniates discs (1 fully, 1 3/4) in my neck. I had 2 discs replaced with donated bone & a titanium plate screwed in (literally) connecting C5, C6 & C7. I had lost feeling in toes & fingers, had major pain in the center of my shoulder blades to the point in came through my chest & I thought I was having a heart attack. Lots of little things that didn’t add up, of course once I had the MRI & met with a neurosurgeon it all made sense.

Anyway, long story short-I am 100% better, and thank who ever is up there looking out for us that I have such a wonderful Dr, who immediately sent me to a wonderful surgeon. I was lucky.

And now when I say I have a screw loose, I might actually be serious! :rolleyes:

That is why I want to run a 5K-I now have the ability to train!!

#38

Eek! That sounds terrifying, and I’m glad you’re doing better.

I only had a partial discectomy/laminectomy since I only had one herniated disc, the L5/S1. I had been living with it for about five or six years at the time of the surgery, ignored it, reinjured it several times, ended up in the hospital with numbness in my left leg once, and I was in so much pain that I couldn’t think right there at the end. My back is awesome now, it’s usually hardly noticeable and when it hurts it’s never as bad as it used to be. (Mornings and cold weather are lame, though, I walk like an old woman until I loosen up.) My left leg is still not quite back to being equal with the right, but I don’t limp anymore and I can walk a mile without feeling like it’s going to drop off and die.

#39

I can help if anyone wants some pointers. In my squad role in the army, I lead the officers the special PT program. I specialize in helping soldiers that have been injured or have had children. Some of our women are in excess of 60lbs so I am sure that I can hlp a little.

The most important thing is what you guys have been talkng about. setting reasonable goals, keeeping track of your status, and communicateing with your support structure.

I have all the charts here for calorie count for ht and weight, estimated BMI, and most importantly the plan for how to start out slowly!!!

just let me know. I am in prretty good shape for a “big guy”. I have never drank a protein drink or lifted to get big and am about 240lbs. I would like to be about 210. I am going for the “helo” look. Right now I am more like a tall lee adama with +15 lbs of fat suit. I need to get myself in gear as well. Problem is… I busted my knee up a few years ago. I used to run when I was 190. now tryin to run just hurts. but, I need to get off my lazy elipticle machine and get back outside in the game. So I am in as well.

#40

feel free to join anytime guys, send me a pm if you’d like to join up, right now only BSG_Widow and myself have ‘officially’ signed up, but let either of us know if you want in :slight_smile: