:applause: I believe its important to set goals for the year! Last year I made a goal and reached it! It was kind of a big goal, and I'm pretty proud of myself.
This year my goal is to get super in shape! Two years ago I went for a health check and the doc said I needed to stop smoking. I don't smoke! Clearly I was unhealthy. This year I went to the same hospital for a health check, and they said I was fine. But, fine is not enough, I want to be very healthy. This year, that's my goal.
I know starting something new can be tough, so if there are any out there who've made a similar resolution (male or female) I'd love to hear from you, your tips, progress, and anything related to exercise and healthy living.
-Right now my favorite exercise is running.
-My favorite vegetables are cucumbers!!
-And favorite health snack is strawberries with yogurt.
:purpleangel: :yay: :bouncy: What about you? Also, got any secrets that you might want to share for people getting in shape?
perhaps get a friend to exercise with you regularly, that way you have friend time to look forward to and physical rewards to be happy about afterward.
don't try to change everything all at once. It's easier to juggle one ball and then add more balls slowly, than it is to try and hold 10 balls in your hand and hope you can learn how to juggle and juggle 10 at the same time.
Getting rid of pop out of the diet is a good start if a person is a pop drinker. This could be replaced by water, fruit juice (in moderation), or 0 calorie flavored waters, etc. Staying away from fast food is a given (one can always pick up packs of healthier snacks to eat in the car if necessary). Also, it's good to keep an eye on whether one stress eats, and if so, how much. Sometimes there isn't a better alternative to stress eating (to manage stress at the time), and so buying things that one can munch on that are low calorie or at least healthier can help to lessen the stress eating's effects. Fiber and protein help a person feel satisfied in the food department longer, though too much fiber can lead to things like constipation. Some foods help us to feel better, and I believe there was something in dark chocolate that did so (it may have been how much cocoa was actually in it); it might be worthwhile to google a list of these type of foods.
Some people need to stop assuming popular magazines' pictures are of unedited people. I've heard that the vast majority of pictures in popular magazines these days (featuring celebrities and etc) are images that have been photoshopped. The body-type of the ideal American woman only exists in 5% of the actual population, and even some of those have had breast implants. Enjoy the diversity you were born with. I can pass along a couple Youtube videos about photoshop (in regards to women and etc, not how to use photoshop) if someone wants. Just message me (or look for it on Youtube).
Find a friend to trade massages with. Massages help to release tendsion and stress, and they help to meet the basic human need of physical touch.
StandingOnTheRock, planks are when you lie on your tummy then lift yourself off the ground, supported by your elbows and toes. Its kinda hard to explain.
Push-ups! A super good suggestion, if only I could do them. I have chicken-noodle arms, and can just do 8 female pushups, knees on the ground. I still incorporate them into my workout, but they�re still hard to do.
What is Precision Nutrition and what are kettlebells, ESU?
Hey Gourd, is too much fruit juice bad? I drink 100% apple and grape juice or any kind of juice 3 or 4 times a week? Is that within moderation?
Gourd, I always stress eat� or stress drink�coffee.
Chocolate gives you endorphins� which makes you happy, I do believe. It works for me��I already feel happy just thinking about it.
I agree about with you about massage. I have a friend who is a therapeutic masseuse �
Besides massages, hugs are super important for one�s emotional wellbeing. Tactile expressions of affection are needed for socio-emotional stability I think. I love it when people give me platonic hugs, as it is actually psychologically and physically helps me keep the rest of my life in balance.
It is kind of frustrating because I�m trying to gage my progress, but its hard to judge this by weight because muscle weighs more than fat.
There's another version of push-ups that might be easier. And I can do them with toes. Instead of the palm of your hands being on the ground, you make your hands into fist, so that the knuckles are on the ground. It can hurt a little at first, but eventually you get use to it.
