Can't really workout without proper sleep. Worse, studies show that the less you sleep, the more you want to eat.



Get your sleep, and try to fit exercise into your waking hours.

I hear ya. Those weird things can get you. I did that a few times and at first I thought, hey cool. Next thing you know BAM! You pay for it.



Why not a good idea to follow the scale daily.

According to this site, the best method for measuring lean body mass is a technique called Bioelectrical Impedance. It basically takes into account that muscle / tissue / fat have different eletricial conductivity. This test is more accurate because the skill of the practioner is less of a factor, and it's quite accurate. The only thing is that you must be well hydrated and not eat food / alcohol several hours before the test.



A good fitness trainer should know about Bioelectrical Impedance and should do this measurement as part of initial consultation.







I checked out the link. The device uses impedeance as measurement method. Thanks for that. I should check it out.



For more information check it out here:

http://www.new-fitness.com/body_fat_measuring.html

The term energy drink does carry a high degree of variance, but sounds like the one you use is fine.



Since you can't weight train for medical reasons (which is perfectly valid), maybe yoga or pilates? Again check with your doctor first. Heck, even some stretching / physiotheray type exercises helps.

That may be worth investigating since large meals = huge spike in sugar levels = pancreas working very hard to produce insulin. An overworked pancreas may lead to failure = diabetes.

Even if you lose no weight, your workouts are never wasted. You will see results soon, and know that they wouldn't be there if you didn't do what you did.



Don't forget the story of the stonecutter.

I basically have my protein drinks like this:



- 1 scoop whey protein powder (I get chocolate flavour)

- some fruit (berries, banana, or watermelon)

- water or skim milk, depending on how thick I want it

- 3-4 ice cubes



Put in blender, and serve!



I have never tried egg whites, peanut butter, or oats in the mix, but I will soon.

Lay off the sugar, and especially the whip cream. Starbucks Frappuchino is a big no no lol. If you can't drink coffee straight, either buy better quality coffee or drink tea (green is better, but less caffeine).

Check out the local bakeries, delis too. They are way better than chains for good tasting, wholesome food. I buy all my bread and sandwich meats from them and never looked back.



Be careful with Thai or Indian curry though, as I've seen them made with a lot of oil. Definitely check out Vietnamese restaurants.



One last thing to add is Boston Pizza salads. The spinach and Chipotle chicken salads are very good.

It is a very common misconception to think that losing weight and weight training are mutually exclusive. Especially if you are a beginner to weight training, you can do both. In fact, you should do both since both elements are critical to physical health.







It is counterintuitive because energy drinks give you quick carb energy. Unless you have a need to burn it right away (such as in the gym), the sugars will simply convert to fat. This is the same reason why you don't consume anything really sweet. Most of the time you want carb sources that are slow to digest, to make your body work hard for them.



About energy problem while working out, the issue is very real because in order to burn fat, you need some sugar in your blood. The fat burning mechanism involves sugars, and if you are already completely sugar deprived before a workout, you are going to feel tired because your body is in starvation mode. When it's starving, the body will literally tear down muscle cells to get the sugars. Assuming you have enough raw motivation to not cave in to the fatigue in the first place, the workout will still be a lot of pain with very little gain, since you won't be able to keep a high intensity, muscle cells lost (more muscles you have, the more you burn per day just by being alive), and you burn less fat too.



I cannot emphasize enough that an energy drink for me is a LAST RESORT. I normally eat fruit, whole wheat grains, or a health bar about 30-60 minutes before a weight training workout, and about 60-90 minutes before a cardio workout. If I do both in one session, always weight training first before cardio.



For mornings to get your energy up consume any of the following:

fruit, oatmeal, bran flakes, multi-grain bread, all-bran buds, whole wheat tortillas

Avoid Arby's. I find all their meats very much processed and not good for you at all. Homemade sandwiches are way better for you, and you know exactly what's in it!



Don't forget soups. A healthy, home-made soup is just as good for you as salads, and they tend to feel more full and satisfying.



Subway and Wendys' (for the salads, chilis, and baked potatoes, no sour cream nor bacon) are viable options. Don't get the chicken caesar though since caesar dressing is quite fatty. Get a low-fat dressing and you're fine.



If you have vietnamese restaurants in your area, Vietnamese style sandwiches and Ph'o noodles are great alternatives as well.

Personally I avoid energy drinks, particularly when you are trying to lose weight, since it runs counterintuitive to what you are trying to achieve.



Having said that, I will drink Gatorade just before or during a weight training workout if I have not eaten over a hour prior. Lifting weights with low glycogen makes your workouts harder and less motivating. You get less benefits out of it too since you are not able to work your muscles properly.

Remember that even top shape professional athletes follow their diet about 80-85% of the time. They do snack and eat foods they are not supposed to, but they often plan those ahead of time, and stick to it. So rather than "fixing the trangression" later, it's about train first, reward later.



It's an issue of discipline more than anything. Eating BBQ buffet when it's your birthday (for example) is very different than eating the same thing when it's a regular day and you got peer-presured into it.

Red wine is fine. Avoid beers, but a glass of red / white wine is OK, although it is important you don't drink more than 2 glasses a day.



I love wines and I drink about 3-4 glasses a week. On special occassions I do drink more than that, but rather that than pop or beer.

Weight loss is only one element of health. There is no reason not to weight train since the benefits of muscle growth cannot be replaced by other means. It's health that's the ultimate goal, and weight loss is only one component of it.

No easy achievement by any measurement. Keep it up! Go, go, go!

You are almost as beautiful as my wife! Tee hee.

Starbucks really should be considered fast food (BAD!). Their drinks easily have as much sugar and fat as a McDonald meal.



For me, I'm proud because yesterday I did beyond my normal workout and did high intensity cardio afterwards!

I second Brian's comments, and I just helped another user find this "hidden" feature earlier today. That imho is top priority, because I use it all the time.

This site's quite new and very much in its infancy. I'm sure more users will come soon.

You can, but it took me a bit to figure that one out too. That's one part of the UI I don't like.



Anyway, on your main page (where you enter exercise info), there's one to the right that says "Jump to a date"



Click on that, and you can select a date.

That is actually a very good point. This is why rituals like weddings & christenings have so much psychological power still today. Throwing bad food away is a ritualistic behavior that will shock your psyche. It reminds me of what were, and that you are now no longer that person. It is a powerful indicator that something permanent inside you has changed for the better.

I agree about the UI. Took me very little time to get started. Having said that, it took me a bit to figure how to change the date of entry. Other than that it's solid, clean, and pretty. GJ!

Found this on digg.com.



I have tried other sites like fitday or thedailyplate, but they take too long to punch in stuff. I like this site because it doesn't take up a lot of time to enter, concise, and good use of graphs.



I value my privacy so I never post real pics or names on forums, but that doesn't mean I don't like to add a cool pic to my profile, heh.

Consider trading food with someone. I once traded some "bad" food for "good" food with someone who had to eat it because his wife made him lol.



Or bring the "bad" food to the office, offer it for free, and build likeability. I did that too.



Hope this helps.

I will definitely agree that less intense workout is better than no workout at all. If distrations are absolutely necessary, then go for it.



For me, I will listen to music / watch TV during a cardio, but only if I am not doing intervals. And I never have a distraction during weight training.



I used to need TV or music during workouts, but I find now that my workouts are generally more rewarding without them. Like Sabrina, I simply find intensity consuming my conscious thought. And it feels very good too. Having your entire psyche focus on 1 singular motion, when we live in an age of multitasking and over stimulation, brings a zen-like experience.

I am sure Sadrhino will give a better answer, but I think I can provide my 2 cents.



First off, I am going to repeat the usual caveats about me not a personal trainer or a physician. YMMV.



Now, first off, I don't see any core training (ie. lower back, abs, hip flexor). You simply need to train those areas. They are the center of your entire body. Almost all muscles are connected to them in some way. With core muscles, it's more important you work on endurance (20-25 reps). You may want to spend a day's worth of gym time for them. Pilates are highly recommended for core training and toning muscles, which seems to be your goal here.



And the key to the change advice is simply to change. For example, next time, try 2-3 notches more weight and do less reps, or do 25 reps instead of 15. Do 4 sets instead of 3. Do different weight and rep on each set in an exercise. Do the exercises out of order. The possibilities are endless. Change often. Don't let your exercise become routine / clockwork.



Hope this helps.

It's probably the sodium more than anything than makes pork "bad". I find that if I gradually lower the amount of salt intake, my taste will gradually adjust to adapt to it. To give an example, now I find eggs better without any salt: I don't even miss it anymore.

Like you, Jennifer and Anne, I lost about 30 pounds in the first 3-4 months, then nothing for the next 3.



I am losing weight at a good pace again, and the suggestion here really hits home (from a previous poster):



3. Change. Your body does whatever it can to sabotage your weight loss. So you need to keep changing your workouts to "fool" it. I have 3 weight training routines, one week comfortable weight @ 12 reps, one week I increase weight each set until till I fatigue out, and one week where I go heavy (1-3 reps at the most weight I can take).



You simply must change and not let your body adapt to the workout. Your body is designed to burn as little energy as possible. Once you stick to a routine for awhile, your body will adapt. This is where a personal trainer really makes a huge difference.



Jennifer & Anne, I highly recommend you see a trainer. This is a critical time where you either find that second gear, or fall off the wagon. I was hesistent at first, but it's well worth it.



I hope this helps.

I find that if I need to be entertained, I am not working out hard enough. One can only feel bored when there's not enough physical or mental stress put on the body.



Besides injury, boredom is the worst thing that can happen in a workout. It kills momentum and drive. Continual boredom will only lead one to quit.



Rather than looking for entertainment, I suggest you do any of the following (or a combination):



- increase your workout intensity (do heavier weights, run faster).

- change your workout duration (shorter duration is OK, as long as you mix it up. Works best with increase in intensity)

- change your workout routine. Try new machines / techniques. Mix it up.

- get a personal trainer. A good trainer will find many ways to get you out of boredom.

- if you are weight training, make sure you eat some healthy carbs (e.g. oatmeal, grains) before you go. You lose your drive to push weight very quickly if you don't have the glycogen reserves to burn.



I let boredom got me in the past, and gained over 50 pounds at one point as a result. I have lost significant weight now, but I am still paying for it. Now when I feel bored, I know it is time to change my workout.



I hope this helps.