Daily Fitness and Weight Loss Thread.

[Pedaling Fool]

Here John, Wiki on Calorie... (for anyone else who might be interested). Sails ET's explanation was spot on, and more simple then Wiki's.

Yeah, I read it and basically it boils down to semantics, cal and kcal are equivent. Excerpts from the link:

The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867.^[1] In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule. However, in many countries it remains in common use as a unit of food energy.


The gram calorie, however, is a very small unit for use in nutritional contexts. Instead, the kilocalorie (symbol: kcal) or large calorie is used. In this context calorie and kilocalorie are equivalent.

[JAK]

The only trouble you might get into with calories is if you tried to figure out how we could possible stay warm at night while producing only 60 gram calories of heat per hour = 0.070 watts. The answer is that we produce about 60,000 gram calories of heat = 70 watts. If you say you are eating about 2000 calories a day, people know what you mean. I'll try and drop the kcal from now on, and use Cal instead.

[louisb]

Did 10 miles yesterday (1500 cals) and hit the gym tonight.

--louis

[birdygal]

[QUOTE=Tinker;1239215]Fat people forcing the U.S. Coast Guard to revise capacity numbers for ferries and other boats, i.e. Tourist vessels, etc... http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-no...coast_gua.html


No surprise - safety first!

I used to have to wear XL clothing. Now I fit into LARGE in most brands, (and I haven't gotten thinner).

Clothing manufacturers are "super sizing" their patterns to match the steadily increasing obesity of the so-called "average" American.

It's a financially motivated deception which makes Americans feel as though we're not FAT (if you try something on in one brand that is, say, XL and it's too tight, you feel better about yourself if you can get into another brand that says L on the tag, but actually measures exactly the same, and you're more likely to buy the brand that strokes your ego, or "flatters" you.

Same deception has been going on for years in shoes - women's shoes. (Guys feel big and tough if they have big feet. It isn't the same with women - it means that they aren't feminine, or so we've been brainwashed to believe).[/QUOTe

Thats interesting, I always wondered how these Stars and models can wear a size 4 and are almost 6 ft tall when I could never wear a size 4 when I was pencil thin with petite size bone frame and only 5 ft 2 in

[Pedaling Fool]

The only trouble you might get into with calories is if you tried to figure out how we could possible stay warm at night while producing only 60 gram calories of heat per hour = 0.070 watts. The answer is that we produce about 60,000 gram calories of heat = 70 watts. If you say you are eating about 2000 calories a day, people know what you mean. I'll try and drop the kcal from now on, and use Cal instead.

I'm alright with either use now, just a curiosity since I've recently seen it used lately (not just here), it's as if one day everyone was using "cals", then they suddenly switched to "kcals"; but noticed that if you convert the kcal to cal the number was really high, but I now somewhat understand the change now. It's not like anyone really has a working knowledge of those numbers, but we need a standard. Much of my experience in life is with technical stuff involving electricty, hydraulics and mechanical things. Seems like the units of measure are more cemented in those areas than in biological things, but maybe that's just my inexperience in this area


Anyway, speaking of cals and types of workouts (aerobic vs anaerobic) I noticed a funny thing. I can do an aerobic exercise, say ride a bike or run... and at a HR of about 130bpm I'm very comfortable to the point of not even feeling like I'm exercising. However, when I do an anaerobic activity, say weightlifting, I can get my HR up to the same level (130bpm) and my heart feels like it's about to pound out of my chest. So I was thinking when does an exercise switch from aerobic to anaerobic? In other words, virtually anything can be considered weightlifting (anaerobic exercise), but over time you muscles get accustomed to that exercise and it becomes aerobic. For instance squatting is aerobic (without weight), but once you put some weight on your shoulders it becomes anaerobic at a certain point, but at what point? And that must mean there are different levels of aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Because if you add weight at, say 10lb increments the first 10 lbs add will still be considered an aerobic exercise, but harder, keep adding and eventually it'll become an anaerobic exercise. And with more exercise that amount of weight to switch from aerobic to anaerobic will need to increase.

Not sure of my point here, just random thoughts....

[double d]

My experience, focus on the change NOT the end result.

Do the best that you can every day, week, month, etc.

If you adjust by 2% per week......that is a 104% change per year.

Have gone from 290 to 230lbs., obese and not fit at all......... to fit, flexible and getting firm.

Slow and steady wins this race.................on the AT lighter and fitter is tons better.

The AT is brutally tough..........get in the best shape you can and flow with the trail, don't fight it.

That is some of the best advice I've seen and congrats to everyone here at WB who are trying to get into better shape, but as Del Que says, its the change that counts, not the end result. I've got 40 pounds to loss by June, working out is harder during the winter months (if you live in areas with cold winter months), but still can be done well. Good luck eveyrone.

[Freedom Walker]

Since Dec 27th, (I didn't wait until Jan 1st) I have lost about 8lbs by making better food choices and eating smaller portion sizes. I have also been making it to a local fitness center 3 times A a week. One thing I learned right away was that i needed to stretch my hamstrings daily. This has helped with the knee pain I have been having since my last AT hike in early Oct. I need to lose another 12 lbs to reach my goal of 190lbs. I was 202 this am. If i lose the weight and get my knees in shape in that they don't hurt after a long hike such as the AT, I will begin the job of going UL. I have already gone from heavy pack to light pack, now to be able to manage those climbs on the last of GA into NC I must go UL.

[JAK]

Did 10 miles yesterday (1500 cals) and hit the gym tonight.

--louis

Thanks for posting that because I've fallen off the diet and exercise wagon again, and we finally had some xc-ski conditions this weekend, so I'm really ticked off at myself. Will start fresh yet again tomorrow morning. I actually start a small morning paper route tomorrow also, which will help with exercise and hopefully get me into a good routine. I'll be done the route by 7am every morning so it doesn't cut into my full-time job search and other stuff.

Plan for Monday, which I will once again call Day 1:
1. Weigh in, yet again.
2. Deliver the morning papers.
3. Work on the job search. I have the plan. Work the plan.
4. Get out for a ski and burn at least 1000 calories doing that.
5. Don't eat so much. This is usually not a problem when I exercise.
6. Don't eat so little that I might not exercise on Tuesday.

[birdygal]

My diet is just to go hiking, Since I don't have an appetite when I hike for the first few days I always seem to drop a few lbs each time without gaining it back

[jerseydave]

Just added the "14 minutes in hell" to my standard cardio routine. Give it a shot if you are looking for a real challenge. Builds stamina and endurance while seriously working your calves, glutes, arms, shoulders and upper back.

I do this routine on a treadmill while holding a 2.5lb plate weight that I pass back and forth from hand to hand as each minute is ticked off on the clock.

I will lightly hold on to the upper bar of the treadmill with my free hand to steady myself since it is easy to drift backward while doing this exercise.

Warm up on the treadmill at full incline (this is all done at 15* max incline) @ 3.4 mph for a couple minutes.

I then grab the plate weight in one hand (I put my thumb through the hole to make grasping it easier) and bump the speed up to 3.6mph, swinging the weight in my right hand in time with my stride for 1 minute..... at the end of that minute I pass the weight to my left hand and swing my left arm for the next 1 minute interval.
At the end of the second 1 minute interval (1 minute right hand, 1 minute left hand) I will bump the speed of the treadmill up to 3.8mph while passing the weight back to my right hand, continuing for another 1 minute interval, the passing to my left for the next 1 minute interval.
I continue this next with 4.0mph, then 4.2mph each time passing the weight back and forth between hands at the "minute mark" and bumping the speed up.
After completing the 2 minutes (1 minute each hand) at 4.2mph, I then decrease the speed just as I had increased it........ 4.0mph, 3.8mph, 3.6mph.

If you complete it as I normally do it, it is a total of 14 minutes, increasing through 3.6, 3.8, 4.0, 4.2 then decreasing through 4.0, 3.8, 3.6.

It's a real challenge but sure to make a huge difference in your hill climbing abilities.

jd

[Del Q]

My experience?

Sweat 5x per week
Days off help the process
Eat food (not preceesed crapola), not too much, mostly fruits and vegetables

What helps me the most as pre-section-hike conditioning is going up and down steep hills, with and without a pack.

I am just now getting into really solid shape, has taken years. Have lost 60 lbs so far, 20 or so to go.

[-SEEKER-]

Does anybody seriously know how to lose weight when you really don't need to? I can lose weight when hiking the trail and I lost 11 pounds while sick with the stomach flu but I always gain it back. I'm 5'7" and weigh 135 lbs. I want to weigh 128 lbs but, want to lose in a healthy way. Open to suggestions.

[jerseydave]

Does anybody seriously know how to lose weight when you really don't need to? I can lose weight when hiking the trail and I lost 11 pounds while sick with the stomach flu but I always gain it back. I'm 5'7" and weigh 135 lbs. I want to weigh 128 lbs but, want to lose in a healthy way. Open to suggestions.

Regular, vigorous exercise, well balanced diet focusing on protein, no snacking, plenty of water, regular sleeping habits.

[Del Q]

Something I read last year................have a BORING meal plan. Losing weight is all math, right food & calory count daily + hard workouts 5x per week = weight loss for me.

To me its all about the food plan............and not drinking too much!

[-SEEKER-]

Regular, vigorous exercise, well balanced diet focusing on protein, no snacking, plenty of water, regular sleeping habits.

AH... I'm lacking in the protein and sleeping habits department I bet.

[brian039]

BTW, you ever had your max HR measured? I'm kind of interested in what mine would be, but never had it measured. I do know that it's way above the average max for my age (174bpm). I actually workout very comfortabally around 150-160 bpm and 170 isn't hurting too much. If I stay at 130 I don't even feel like I'm doing anything, so all them charts of HR/type workout are useless to me.

John, I used to work in Cardio/pulmonary rehabilitation. We were always looking for people to be guinea pigs for using our equipment to keep staff trained and testing out new equipment. You could probably try asking around at rehab centers to find if any were willing to allow you to take a metabolic test (about a $1,000 value!). I can tell you the HR charts are pretty useless. It was rare anyone actually had the theoretical Max HR. And I can just about guarantee you that the range you gave of 150-170 bpm is exactly where you should be when exercising if that feels "comfortably hard" to you. I found that subjective information like that is more accurate than the objective information that researchers have found in university studies.

[brian039]

Oh, and as an interesting side note, I had a co-worker who was a world-class 10k and marathon runner. We had the same VO2 Max though he could run a 10k twelve minutes faster than me. Which goes to show that running efficiency plays a huge role in performance.

[Camping Dave]

Does anybody seriously know how to lose weight when you really don't need to? I can lose weight when hiking the trail and I lost 11 pounds while sick with the stomach flu but I always gain it back. I'm 5'7" and weigh 135 lbs. I want to weigh 128 lbs but, want to lose in a healthy way. Open to suggestions.

I dropped from 195 to 160 two years ago over a three month period. Ate a lot of salads and fish. Ran a lot. Stopped dieting and have worked my way back up to in about 1.5 years without regulating my diet at all: ribs, popcorn, chips, whatever.

[Sailing_Faith]

FWIW,

I have been walking daily since August and eating a low(er) carb diet. I have lost just over 50# as of this morning.... (246# -> 195# this am).

The dietary changes have not been as difficult as I initially thought, and I feel great. My daily exercise has been walking 4-7 miles with my pack carrying between 20 and 60 pounds.

I have been eating some of the products from Doctor's Weight Solutions, they are not 'miracle' type stuff, but just good quality (and eatable) lower carb stuff... the owner of the practice is a member here and a hiker chick. I ate some of the stuff on my November SNP hike (bars and soups) and never felt like I did not have enough calories / carbs.

Talking with a friend the other night... I realized I have been walking more then 150 miles a month... since August. With the dietary changes I have made, I guess it is not rocket science that makes this work out...

Cut the carbs (I target <20g... most target <50g) and get out there and walk!

Pardon me now, it is time for my evening hike.

[jacob_springsteen]

Came across this site for calculating calories burned per activity. Hope it helps:


http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc