First Diary Ever

Hi! I am new to the forum and wanted to start an exercise log. I am hoping to get some pointers on where I can improve my exercise since I don't have a huge amount of time to workout.

Today: Step Aerobics (1 hour)

I am not hard core at exercising and want to loose fat and tone muscle. I really am not big on weights and only have 3 - 4 days to work out. Monday - Friday I alternate days with hubby on who gets to work out and then we try and work out on Saturday and Sunday.

So any pointers are great. Although there are lots of excellent posts regarding exercise!
 
Welcome and we're here if you need us.
 
Welcome to the forum - since your goal is to lose fat and build muscle, you should also consider posting your diet, since that will have a huge effect on each. That said, you might want to reconsider adding strength training to your routine as it will work your body in a different way, which in turn will burn more energy (since your body is not efficient at performing those movements) and cause it to adapt to the new stimulus (make the muscles more efficient). Changing things up now and again helps keeps things fresh for you as well as causes the body to react to each new stimulus/movement it gets. What I've been doing is a full body strength training routine 3x a week and cardio 4x a week. You can opt not to do strength training of course, but I think it'd be more in your interests, and get you to your goals quicker, if you included it. Just my 2 cents.
 
Thanks so much!

Today was a really good "food" day for me and I stayed within my target of 1500 - 1600 calories...

Breakfast: Oatmeal and banana
Snack: snack size cliff bar and small amount of grapes
Lunch: 1/2 peanut butter sandwich and snack size cliff bar
Snack: medium apple (green)
Dinner: grilled chicken with grilled peppers and onions on top with a salad and 2tbsp of dressing
Snack: Yogurt with grapes/ cantaloupe/ and banana

I know what my 2 biggest mistakes are most of the time...
#1 is not enough liquid (like water)
#2 most of my calories are at the end of the day instead of the beginning.

Today was not as much exercise as I wish --- we put together a monkey bar/ jungle gym thing for kids and then I did like 4 hours of food prep and house work...not anything really "exercise" at all... Fit Day says I burned about 600 cals or so from my "general duties"...

So if I can combine today's eating with yesterday's exercise I would be happy.

I guess I have a goal!
 
You might want to change over to vegetables from fruit from midafternoon on - that's a lot of sugar to be taking in over the day.
 
Thanks for the input and encouragement...

I will do better with veggies through out the day now that I have my veggies cut up and a salad made...

I also need to increase my protein through out the day -- I have a habit of only having protein in the evening (i.e chicken, lean ground beef, etc).

I also forgot to post my stats and if I ever get brave enough I might post my July 2006 vs now pics to show I have made some progress in the past 10 months...

Current Stats:
Height: 5' 3 1/2 "
Weight: 132
Age: 34
Kids: 2 (age 4 and 5)

Goal weight 125 -- I think that is healthy, no?

One last thing: Hypothyroid

Thanks again for all the feedback.
 
Yup - protein was the other thing I was going to mention... Fat free cottage cheese and almonds, whole wheat bread with peanut butter, eggs/egg whites for snacks would all help in that regard. Always try to have a carb source and a protein source at every meal. Keep up the good work - it's a long road that requires determination and effort, both of which it appears you have.
 
Thanks Stingo...

I'll find some protein sources other than eggs and cottage cheese since I think both are disgusting (as well as all seafood)...imo:D

I'll see what I can find to infuse into my diet...

I'll do some searches in the nutrition area...
 
OK so my diet still sucks!!! I just can't get my protein up or my calories.

Today's calorie count was 1360 calories and I am trying for about 1500 - 1600
Yesterday's calories were about the same as well

So today I ate the following foods
Meal 1: Oatmeal with Banana and peanut butter
Meal 2: Apple
Meal 3: Taco Salad (Mixed salad with ground turkey/kidney beans/ black beans)
Meal 4: yogurt
Meal 5: 1/2 peanut butter sandwich and a few veggies (this meal was not by choice)
Meal 6: canteloupe and grapes with yogurt.

So Meal 5 was supposed to be ground turkey pattie with veggies but someone already ate it -- and this meal was about 45 minutes before going to work out so I didn't want to over due it

Meal 6 was after workout and again no real protein readily available.

Workout -- first ever spin class!!
 
What'd you think of your spin class? I've been taking spinning since about Jan 06, and have had some great results with it.
 
It was a good class and my legs were rubber by the end of it! I was excited that I actually kept up with everyone, I am in better shape than I thought.

I will probably go back since no one scared me off. :D
 
OK I had another not so good diet day. Calories were around 1400 so that wasn't bad, it is just how those calories were consumed that was bad...I was in meetings all day and couldn't get away to eat my noon meal so finally I grabbed my bag of veggies so I could get something in me...needless to say that didn't hold me over very well...

And no exercise either...so just a bad day. But tomorrow is another day to try, no?

I need to find something that I can carry as a "quick" meal...I guess I better get searching on the board...
 
Getting close to eating goal finally:

Had 1447 calories with the following breakdown
36% Fat
35% Carbs
29% Protein

I also went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the cross trainer machine and core training -- Planks, crunches, side crunches, push ups
 
Getting close to eating goal finally:

Had 1447 calories with the following breakdown
36% Fat
35% Carbs
29% Protein

I also went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the cross trainer machine and core training -- Planks, crunches, side crunches, push ups

Impressive, considering you're still feeling the spinning class - keep up the great work.
 
Hey there!

Welcome to the club! LOL You and I are very similar: I'm also 5'3, and I'm 132. I am also in hopes to be around 125 and I have 3 kids (ages 8 - almost 9, 6 and 3.5). I wish you all the luck in the world and pay attention to Tom (stingo). He knows what he's talking about and he's very supportive! :D
 
Hey there!

Welcome to the club! LOL You and I are very similar: I'm also 5'3, and I'm 132. I am also in hopes to be around 125 and I have 3 kids (ages 8 - almost 9, 6 and 3.5). I wish you all the luck in the world and pay attention to Tom (stingo). He knows what he's talking about and he's very supportive! :D

I have seen your posts and must not have paid much attention to that! How funny...I don't know about you but I really don't feel like I am making progress but know I need to do more exercise and pay closer attention to my diet...it is slow going and I guess that is ok -- but instantanious would be nice.

Three kids -- and your 2 youngest are very close to the same age as my 2 kids!! How weird is that!!!! Do you find it difficult with 3 kids to get out and workout?

Yes, Stingo has been extremely helpful in assisting me!

Thanks for the words of wisdom!!!
 
A "cheat" day I guess is what you would call this...everything was going smooth until dinner at Macaroni Grill. I tried to stay healthy and remained at 1657 calories for the day -- about 157 over what I normally would like to. Also roasted a marshmellow in the "pit" in the back yard.

I did do my step aerobics this morning and never really was "satisfied" after this as far as food went. I was dehydrated even afer I had about a liter of water.

Anyway, I am going to try HIIT tomorrow morning. It will be my very first time and I read the beginners one so hopefully I will do well.

OK day but not a great day!!!
 
Ah.....yeah, that would be a cheat day. LOL But that isn't bad, only 157 cals over your target. Better than my normal cheat day!!! LOL

And yes, I feel the same way...that it's not happening fast enough, I know what I need to do to fix it, but just can't seem to make it happen (for whatever reason).

No workout for me today. Tomorrow is workout day #1 for me.

Again, welcome! I'll look forward to seeing your progess and perhaps we will do it together!! :p
 
I agree w/Wendy, that's a good cheat day. It's better than mine...:D Good luck and let us know how you are doing. BTW, how did the HIIT go?
 
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