Completely Depressed & Frustrated...HELP!

[Gathina]

Well, for me I know I am paying for the gym and I don't want to waste my money so I use it. At home I can find a 1000 things to distract me..like cleaning out a closet I haven't looked at in 5 years.

 

I responded to a fitness challenge a long time ago to not use my car UNLESS it was absolutely necessary (like commuting on the highway). When I was home I rode my bike to publix, drycleaners, etc. I found I spent way less at the grocery store and shopped more carefully because I had to figure out how to lug everything home. It really made me stop and think about how many excuses I can make for eating poorly and exercising.

 

I notice that when I travel to Europe or South America I always am healthier because I'm forced to walk everywhere, the food quality is better, fresher, no preservatives and I gain no weight. We have juice stands in Brazil the way we have Starbucks here on every corner and nothing taste better at the beach than a cold coconut water.

 

 

I cant speak for Brenda, I have no idea what an ab rocket is!, but for me I dont have the room to do DVD's that are areobic where you need a long space because you are not staying stationary, while a ball or an ab contraption stays in one place or at least you just need a place the length of your body near a TV. I found a space long enough by my TV for my Ball DVD.

 

Intereting for me though, I have no problem getting up and going to the gym yet I find it very hard to motivate myself to exercise at home... I wonder why that is.

 

BTW, do you know of any ipodcasts that motivate you?

[LauraJo08]

Just want to make sure you realize that just doing ab exercises does not make you lose weight. Abs are done to strengthen your core so that when you do cardio your muscles work harder and burn more fat.

 

Oh and btw, a taebo video, I can honestly use in a very small space (just enough so that you can do a roundhouse kick).

[smoothdancer]

I did not know that Laura. Sure I understand ab exersises does not cause weight loss but had no idea your muscles work harder if they are toned..... Interesting.

 

Oh my goodness Gathina the life experiences you have! That was some challenge you took on. LOL, yes you are the toughest and most intense in the group and If I was just starting out I would not be able to keep up with you. I am now reaching month two after my operation and returning to the gym and I am right at the point to work harder, so for me this is great.....I did 40 minutes on the cross tranier today when I said that 30 was my max....yea for me!! I honesty dont think I would of pushed myself this hard this week had I not begun to read this thread.

 

Oh another at home that is compact... If your kids have a play station the dance dance revolution is a great work out and so much fun! (My husband is the kid with the playstation.)

[Gathina]

Tis true..learned this from two different trainers. The exercises do just that, but if you don't do the cardio all you're doing is kinda making the belly fat harder. Cardio is what burns the fat. They help, but the trainer said with a heavy duty cardio routine, you really need to do not just a few sets of 12 crunches..you have to do more like hundreds. He was a navy seal and the other trainer I had was a former army ranger. After the navy seal guy had me do like 500 plus in 25 minutes, I remember laying in bed crying that night because I couldn't roll over! :) That was two years ago and I'm not quite up to snuff as I used to be, but boy it paid off.

 

Smooth: maybe one day I'll issue a challenge on here for all of us to not use our cars as much as possible and use our legs for doing our "extra curricular" activities. Some of the other women in the group did roller blading, walking, and running. I can't imagine carrying groceries while roller blading though. I saw a family out walking the other night..they were all visibly overweight but I thought it was cool to see the mom, dad, and kids out power walking together after dinner. That's inspirational! They were all sweating too!

 

Just want to make sure you realize that just doing ab exercises does not make you lose weight. Abs are done to strengthen your core so that when you do cardio your muscles work harder and burn more fat.

 

Oh and btw, a taebo video, I can honestly use in a very small space (just enough so that you can do a roundhouse kick).

[rugbypopsie]

good morning....

 

I've actually tried exercise videos....problem....there is not a spot in my house with enough room. Each room is very tiny and not much room to move around. I got an ab rocket. It came in the mail yesterday. Its from one of those "as seen on tv" commercials. It looks really good. DH will put it together for me today and I will give it a whirl. I am hoping this will help tone the abs. It came with a DVD that includes pilates. Perhaps I won't need much room for this.

 

Well gotta get a move on....my son has a soccer game this morning. Its so cute...a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds running around aimlessly. LOL Have a fabulous day everyone.

 

Hi Brenda,

Everyone has given you the correct advice, eat less, exercise more.....now I will tell the real secret to long term lasting weight loss! It is a "head trip" no matter what you do or what you buy unless you get your "head" together you will yo yo forever!!!

 

Be happy, baby steps, you are doing the right things but are setting yourself up for failure by judging your life by the scale. Every day you have stuck to your plan, eaten right, exercise, congratulate yourself...it is a life time change not week here or there so you are in for the long haul.

 

Make small reachable goals and celebrate every time you get there....just focus and be determined, dont undermine yourself, be happy you will get there a lot faster than running all over the place depressing yourself

[Brenda33]

Hi all! I am so happy to have all this help!! I did my ab rocket today. Oh, its very small...and I barely have room for it...but I did it. Some of the moves are very hard for me. I don't plan on just working the abs....I do know I have to do cardio too. But, since abs is my problem area at the moment, I figured adding that in couldn't hurt. Tomorrow I am checking out both Curves and Shapes Express. Shapes Express is similar to Curves, but also has other machines like treadmills, etc. They have a room where they have classes like step and dance, etc. So it is Curves with extra. Has anyone used the Curves system for working out? Has it worked? Well have to get to giving my DS his tubby. Have a fabulous night!

[NailLady]

Is there a different gym around that doesn't do a Curves type workout? This would be a good start but it is not the best form of exercise because your body will adjust to it to easily. You need to continue to challenge your body with a variety of exercises and increasing weights.

[Gathina]

Brenda, I am a diehard LA Fitness member. I joined them because there were many in south florida where I live and on the days I had to wait in traffic for 2 hours I'd bail out and hit one along the way..figure it was better to be productive for 2 hours then by time I was done working out traffic had subsided. The only thing I don't like about them is that their trainers are NOT very qualified or skilled, and the corporate office treats them like dogs...they only get like 6.00 per half hour pay from the company and they treat them like slaves. I hired someone on the outside.

 

Remember when you are tempted to overeat, ask yourself...do I REALLY need to have 5 cookies if the serving size is 2? etc. Little steps, awareness, everything you've already been advised on.

 

Hi all! I am so happy to have all this help!! I did my ab rocket today. Oh, its very small...and I barely have room for it...but I did it. Some of the moves are very hard for me. I don't plan on just working the abs....I do know I have to do cardio too. But, since abs is my problem area at the moment, I figured adding that in couldn't hurt. Tomorrow I am checking out both Curves and Shapes Express. Shapes Express is similar to Curves, but also has other machines like treadmills, etc. They have a room where they have classes like step and dance, etc. So it is Curves with extra. Has anyone used the Curves system for working out? Has it worked? Well have to get to giving my DS his tubby. Have a fabulous night!

[Chigirlcruzin]

Brenda, I am a diehard LA Fitness member. I joined them because there were many in south florida where I live and on the days I had to wait in traffic for 2 hours I'd bail out and hit one along the way..figure it was better to be productive for 2 hours then by time I was done working out traffic had subsided. The only thing I don't like about them is that their trainers are NOT very qualified or skilled, and the corporate office treats them like dogs...they only get like 6.00 per half hour pay from the company and they treat them like slaves. I hired someone on the outside.

 

Remember when you are tempted to overeat, ask yourself...do I REALLY need to have 5 cookies if the serving size is 2? etc. Little steps, awareness, everything you've already been advised on.

 

I couldn't agree with you more. I joined a Bally's - there's one a mile from my office in the Chicago suburbs, so I can miss traffic on my way home, and there's one 2 miles from my condo in Chicago to go on the weekend. And they have great rates - I pay $29 a month from my corporate rate, but I don't believe the base rate is that much more. Their trainers are horrible too - I've found that I know more than they do (I had one trainer tell me I needed to eat 500-700 calories a day if I wanted to lose weight:eek:; yes, that's right 500-700 a day, not 500-700 less calories; besides that, I only needed to lose 15 pounds).

 

Another thought, and you're going to tell me I'm crazy, but I've seen it work. Do you have Team in Training in your area? It's an endurance training program. You train for a marathon, half marathon, triathlon, or 100-mile bicycle ride in exchange for raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My former roommate never worked out a day in her life and was able to successfully do a half-marathon. People that didn't even know how to swim were able to do a triathon with .9 mile swim. You start out with 15-20 minute workouts, and work your way to the full deal.

[smoothdancer]

I belong to Bally's too... I am a consultant and my work location changes about 4 times a year, still I can always find a Ballys close enough to the office I am in. What is up with thier personal trainers? I am a dancer and last year I worked with a trainer to help with flexibiliity and stamnia. He designed a program for my needs and was fantastic.... Now they have a whole group of new trainers and no way would I spend money on one. They seems to walk around aimlessly and one girl has got to be at least 50 pounds overweight. What does that say?? At close to 60.00 a session I am not even tempted to work with any of the trainers there.

 

I agree that Curves can be a great place to start out but long term it fizzles. I think though they have a 6 week program that is about right. I have a sister that is quite overweight. She joined curves, it was not intimadating to her, it got her out of the house and finally doing some physical activity, so I think it has its purpose and benefits just not long term.

[Brenda33]

Good morning everyone!!! And, yes, it IS a good morning! After 10 days of no weight loss I FINALLY lost another one pound!! YIPPEEE!!!! That is 6 pounds in total in 2 weeks 3 days!! Of course, I lost the first 5 in the first 4 days! So it was a long struggle after that for the next pound. I have always been a non exerciser, so this is a huge step for me that I am doing. So far, the bike, and now ab rocket....and today I am going to check out Curves and Shapes Express. I will be working out at both places today!! I'm very excited about getting started, even if I do find I need a bigger gym type place in the future. Wow...I'm not depressed today!! This is a GREAT DAY! Have a great one....everyone!!! :)

[gerif]

I'll cast another no vote for Curves as well - it's great if you are really, really out of shape to where any movement is better than none, but even for me (over 60), there just isn't enough of a workout. While I usually just use the treadmill and light weights, I did notice that most of the really in-shape skinny girls are on the elliptical - think I'll give it a try.

[Brenda33]

Well I went to Curves this morning. I found it very challenging. I sweat my butt off. I feel all my muscles. I pushed myself to the max and went for an hour. I'm disappointed to hear that others don't think its challenging and a good choice. For me it was killer. My heart rate was all the way up the entire time. I tried Shapes later in the day and for me it wasn't as structured....which is what I think is drawing me to Curves. Its a big decision. I'll have to think about it.

[cruisinjerseygirl]

Brenda,

 

Have you thought about doing weight watchers at all? I found that this is the only way that I can lose weight...it spells out everything for you as far as what and how you have to eat in order to lose weight. I have been doing it for 4 weeks and have cheated a bit here and there and probably could have lost more had I not cheated..but oh well...I am down 12.5lbs in 1 month with no exercize at all just changing my diet and portions...I like the fact that WW tells me what I can eat and how much I can have of it and after a few weeks on it I don't need to look anything up for the most part I know off the top of my head how much I can have of something...and I can eat everything just in moderation...I think it's great because it allows me to eat whatever I want and helps me control it all properly...good luck!!

[smoothdancer]

Certainly, I cant say a bad thing about weightwatchers, but exercise is so important.... Once you reach your goal if you dont have a good exercise habit behind you there is a good chance that the weight will come back on. For me, I found maintaining weight loss much harder than loosing.

 

Brenda, we all have to reach our own decisions as to what gym or workout place we are comfortable with... If you are not comfortable you just are not going to go...If Curves is going to work for you, so be it. I just would caution you not to purchase any long term memberships in case in time you want to move on elsewhere.

 

Congrads on that pound!

[Gathina]

The main thing here is that for YOU it's challenging. If you like it and are satisified, that's what matters.Maybe it'll be a good starting point for you for the next few months. Another thing I did years ago was to take advantage of all the "free" trial memberships at the various gyms. That way I could work out at each gym for a week before I made my choice.

 

Hmm..the gal that didn't have an hour went to the gym and sweated for an hour...GOOD JOB!! Menina

 

 

Well I went to Curves this morning. I found it very challenging. I sweat my butt off. I feel all my muscles. I pushed myself to the max and went for an hour. I'm disappointed to hear that others don't think its challenging and a good choice. For me it was killer. My heart rate was all the way up the entire time. I tried Shapes later in the day and for me it wasn't as structured....which is what I think is drawing me to Curves. Its a big decision. I'll have to think about it.

[happysinglemom]

I You can go on an elliptical and burn 200 calories in 10-12 minutes, so if you start there are build up your stamina, in 30 minutes you will be burning twice as many calories.

 

That figure is too high. About the maximum that you can burn, going full out, is 300 - 350 calories per half hour. Don't trust the machine to give you the calories, get a HRM and you will get an accurate number.

[happysinglemom]

Tis true..learned this from two different trainers. The exercises do just that, but if you don't do the cardio all you're doing is kinda making the belly fat harder. Cardio is what burns the fat. They help, but the trainer said with a heavy duty cardio routine, you really need to do not just a few sets of 12 crunches..you have to do more like hundreds.

 

I just want to clarify for those that may be confused by this statement. You can't make belly fat "harder". Fat is fat. Cardio activity is exercise that is done at such an intensity that it raises the heart rate enough to strengthen it. (When your heart is stronger, it needs to beat less to pump the same amount of blood - so you have a lower resting heart rate - a very good thing. ) The intensity of cardio activity is high and constant, and so burns a higher amount of calories for the same period of time. This makes cardio a great fat-burner. Stregthening exercises also burn calories, but not as much since the intensity is as high or as consistent. My heart rate can go up to 125 or so doing crunches (and I do 350 every workout), but it drops right back between sets. On a stepmill, or running, my heart rate gets up to 155 or 160 and stays there...for the duration. Easy to see what burns more calories, for the time spent. However, strengthening muscles increases the metabolic rate since the more muscle mass you have, the more calories burned by your body every day. So strengthening the muscles is good - both heart and body. Do it all.

[happysinglemom]

Good morning everyone!!! And, yes, it IS a good morning! After 10 days of no weight loss I FINALLY lost another one pound!! YIPPEEE!!!! That is 6 pounds in total in 2 weeks 3 days!! Of course, I lost the first 5 in the first 4 days! So it was a long struggle after that for the next pound. I have always been a non exerciser, so this is a huge step for me that I am doing. So far, the bike, and now ab rocket....and today I am going to check out Curves and Shapes Express. I will be working out at both places today!! I'm very excited about getting started, even if I do find I need a bigger gym type place in the future. Wow...I'm not depressed today!! This is a GREAT DAY! Have a great one....everyone!!! :)

 

6 pounds in 2 weeks 3 days is AWESOME! You should be very proud of yourself. Don't get too hung up on the numbers, believe me you will have weeks where it seems like nothing is moving,but it will. It takes time, but you have made a terrific start. Progress is the best motivator. And congrats on the exercise too - I can't overstate what a terrific habit you are starting! Make it part of your day...every day if you can. You will reach a point where it is just like eating and sleeping. ;)

[happysinglemom]

Well I went to Curves this morning. I found it very challenging. I sweat my butt off. I feel all my muscles. I pushed myself to the max and went for an hour. I'm disappointed to hear that others don't think its challenging and a good choice. For me it was killer. My heart rate was all the way up the entire time. I tried Shapes later in the day and for me it wasn't as structured....which is what I think is drawing me to Curves. Its a big decision. I'll have to think about it.

 

While I would not personally go to Curves, I think it certainly serves a purpose for many gals that are just starting exercise programs. If it gets you moving, then as far as I'm concerned, it works! I belong to 2 gyms...I go very frequently (often twice a day) and having one near work and at home is what works best for me. As long as you are exercising, do what works!!

[minncruisers]

Brenda, I just want to say that you're doing an awesome job and keep up the great work. Everyone has given you great advice and we're behind you so keep going. I'm also over 40(er...41 to be exact) and I found it's very difficult trying to lose weight once we've gotten past 40. I've been working furiously to get under 160 before our cruise. I started out at 167 just after the holidays and I'm about 161 now. I don't know if I'll make my goal before the cruise but I'm ok with that. I just feel good knowing that I'm working hard to get healthy. I think I read somewhere that 3500 calories equals 1 pound. So when you think about it, there is a lot of work involved in expelling 1 pound of weight. I can see how the scale can refuse to budge if the weight is really still there. It's all frustrating but very doable.:)

 

I do about 1 hour on the treadmill and about 10 minutes of stretching and a few weights afterwards. Occasionally I change up my routine and do a Turbo Jam or Tae Bo video because I like the variety. So try a good variety of exercises to keep your interest up and metabolism revved. When your son is at soccer practice maybe you can find a few minutes to do some laps around the field. Park your car a little further from mall and store entrances. Do a few jumping jacks during the day. Go up and down your stairs a couple of extra times throughout the day. Every little bit helps. Keep it up! Go girl! Go! Before you know it summer will be here and you'll be looking MARVELOUS! (Secret: We'll BOTH be looking MARVELOUS!;))

[Brenda33]

Good morning,

 

I first want to say that all of you are so awesome!! I can't believe all the support I am getting and I can't begin to tell you how much it really helps. I see that so many of you support Weight Watchers. With WW you have to go to a meeting every week, correct? And you have to count points for each food? I am not sure at this point I am ready to commit to more time....like meetings.....but if I find that my diet is not working, I will definitely push through and give it a try.

 

My muscles are sooooooooooo sore today. Does this mean I overdid it yesterday? OR....is it a good thing? I am even wondering if I will be able to even do the squat machine today. LOL Oh yeah, I am actually signing up for Curves today. It does seem right for me....at this point anyhow.

 

I wanted to share something I learned at a health meeting I attended yesterday.....it was when I checked out the Shapes place...... anyhow, you probably all know this, but just in case, I'll share. I was told that breathing during a sit up is extremely important. You need to exhale on the coming up motion and inhale going down. If you do it backwards your stomach may get a hard bump on it instead of being flat. I never realized that the way you breathe could be that important.

 

Oh well.....gotta eat my fiber cereal. Enjoy your day!!:)

[smoothdancer]

I am with you Brenda... I have learned so much and keep motivated reading this thread.... It is great!

[Chigirlcruzin]

Brenda, I'm doing WW and not attending meetings. I never had done a meeting. My mom and dad lost 75 pounds between them (30 and 45 respectively), and they gave me one set of their materials since they had two. I travel too much for work to commit to meetings, and I'm motivated enough on my own to pull through it. I started on 1/5, and I've lost 13 pounds. Of course, I'm also at the gym 6 days a week for at least an hour doing spin classes, tae bo like classes, treadmill, eliptical, and weights. Have to mix it up so your body doesn't get used to it! I want to lose about 10 more.

 

WW actually has two plans - flex and core. Flex is the one you hear about most often where everything has a points value. Core doesn't track points, but you're limited in the foods you eat. I switch between the two plans depending on if I'm traveling or not. If I'm not, I do flex. If I am, I do core. WW does allow for the switching as long as it's a week by week basis, not a day by day basis.

 

As for joining Curves, good for you! However, I would not sign a long-term contract with them. You will likely "outgrow" it.

[LauraJo08]

That figure is too high. About the maximum that you can burn, going full out, is 300 - 350 calories per half hour. Don't trust the machine to give you the calories, get a HRM and you will get an accurate number.

 

 

Actually this isn't true. First of all the amount of calories you burn all depends on your weight, therefore a larger person will burn way more than someone who is small. Second, it also depends on how much muscle you have in your body. Someone at 145 pounds (my weight) who is muscular will burn way more calories than someone who is 145 pounds but has much more fat on their body. I don't run for how many calories I burn, but I run for one hour per day and burn about 1000 calories , because my body is basically all muscle after weight training and running since I was 14. Also, your heart rate doesn't necessarily tell you how hard you are working, because a person who is very fit will continue to have lower and lower heart rates if working at the same difficulty level. On a machine with 20 levels, I put it on 20 and I run 70 rpm, something me and my best friend (personal trainer) figured out. I have also used a special moniter to see how many calories I burn, and we figured out that the number on the machine was correct.

 

So many different factors go into how many calories that you burn, so you can't stereotype it.