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Day two: Lots of thoughts going through my head

Monday, February 27, 2012

I'm at work at the moment and after work I'm going to go work out at my school's gym. I'm kind of excited and worried at the same time. First off, I have no idea how to use any of the machines except the treadmill lol.

For some reason I'm worried I'm going to have people make fun of a fat woman exercising at the gym. I'm in college now and people should be mature (I should think) . Then again another thought in my head is basically saying, "Who cares what people think? Just do it."

I've been keeping calorie count on my breakfasts and lunches but with dinner I have no idea what the calories are. My family cooks something different everytime so it is hard to count calories.

When I get my paycheck, I'm going to buy a food steamer for my vegetables. I LOVE steamed vegetables and my parents and I usually buy just the bagged frozen steamables. I've only looked at walmart and it's about $20. I'm not too sure where else i should try looking for a veggie steamer.

I've bought a water bottle that says it's 28oz (Although it has a freezer stick so I'm not sure if it's actually 28oz) Trying to make myself drink the water as much as I can.

I also have my ipod nano keeping track of how many steps I'm taking a day. I also brought it for work out music for the gym. People are saying you shouldn't use work out music because it might slow you down. I'm not too sure what to do. :P

The only thing I've realized is that I have this motivation. And A LOT. But I've also realized that I'm kind of "Freaking out" and the past few days ate a lot of snacking here and there. Kind of like "Okay, this week I'm starting a change. I'll eat all I want then I'll be okay because I'm going to lose the weight anyway."

I recorded the measurements yesterday and my weight. I'm suppose to weight weekly according to the site but I've heard from people you should weigh monthly.

I'm also on my monthly cycle, which I'm wondered if I measured at the wrong time because of being maybe bloated or water weight.

Anyway, gotta get back to work. Let's see how today goes!
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  • RIGEIN24
    Calculating dinner calories -- you could try getting more involved with your mom or dad / siblings / whoever in cooking dinner and measuring the ingredients, that way you'll have a better idea of the calories in each serving. I know it sounds like a pain but it would be a valuable life skill and also time for bonding with the fam. Have fun with it, makes the journey nicer. :)
    3294 days ago
  • no profile photo CD6210994
    For steaming veggies, you can also use those little bamboo things used for steaming dimsum. Just place it over a pot of bowling water - and they're super cheap. I got mine for $4 at an Asian kitchen store. Orrrrrr, if you have a rice cooker, most of them come with steamer attachments. Mine did and was only $15 and is large enough to make 2C of rice and steam veggies at the same time.

    As for places... If you're in Canada, I find Canadian Tire is excellent for small appliances. I got my slow-cooker at CDN Tire too and I *love love love* it and it was only $20. Not a programmable one, just a cheapie, but it does the trick. Another place you can try is Superstore or London Drugs (also both CDN, I guess). London Drugs often has sales so watch the fliers.

    As for the music thing... I can see how it would be distracting, I guess, but you're way more likely to continue exercising if you enjoy it - or if there's at least an enjoyable aspect of it. Plus, if you find workout music that has a good beat I find it totally helps to get a rhythym going is you're doing something repetitive like using a punching bag or skipping rope or running on a treadmill.

    Finally... with regards to how often you weigh... The reason people say you should weigh in less often is so you have less chance to obsess about your weight and focus more on other aspects of it like rising fitness levels or whatever. But thing about this: What if that one day of the month that you weigh in you're all bloaty? How do you know that it's not your true weight? You don't get to know again for a whole month if you actuall gained weight or if all your hard work is paying off properly and you just had a high sodium day the day before or something.

    Another option which I personally prefer is to weigh daily at the same time every day. Don't get fussed if you see small movements from day-to-day. Having so many measurements allows you to see how your diet or exercise affects your next weigh in. If I went up a couple pounds overnight, chances are it's something innocent like I needed to drink more water the day before or I ate something I know I shouldn't have like MSG or something made me a little... backed up, shall we say? So long as you see a downward trend, you're doing good :)

    ----edit----
    PS: With the weighing every day thing, it helps to take an average of your week. That makes it easier to look past the daily ups and downs and see if you're staying the same or edging your way down :)
    3294 days ago

    Comment edited on: 2/27/2012 8:41:55 PM
  • SMILINGTREE
    If anything, I think you will inspire people at the gym rather than get laughed at. As for the music, just do what you like. I listen to music when I run because I seem to slow down when I can hear myself breathing. Weird, but true. Also, you don't have to go fast, especially at first. As long as you are going, you are doing well.

    One word of caution: don't let all that motivation lead you to jumping in too much, too fast. Lots of people burn out really quickly or hurt themselves during that first, super enthusiastic rush of motivation. Other than that - have fun!

    Oh yeah - I have a metal colander that I use to steam veggies. I boil water in a pot, put the veggies in the colander on top of the boiling water and cover it with foil. BAM! Super cheap steamer :)
    3294 days ago
  • BECKYB73
    Don't be afraid to work out at your gym!! As fat as I am, I've never encountered someone at a gym that makes fun of me. Quite the contrary, I've had people come up to me and tell me to keep up the good work, or that I inspired them to work out. I mentioned in another comment that you should see if there is anyone available to give you an orientation....this would serve two purposes. Usually, people doing orientations are friendly and outgoing, so you will meet someone nice that you can wave to or say hi to, when you come to work out. The second, it's important to cross train, so while you can get results on a treadmill, if you mix that up with an elliptical or a rowing machine, you're working more muscles and building strength and endurance.

    As far as meals with the family goes...control what you can. Maybe switch to a salad sized plate for those meals so that you're controlling portions, even if you don't know the whole list of calorie breakdowns...just a thought.

    I am so excited for you and can't wait to hear how the gym went.
    3294 days ago
  • SPARKCHANTAL
    like your spark name, and love that wallpaper!
    3294 days ago
  • AKWALSH
    Best of luck! Don't worry about people looking at you at the gym. Most people are there for a workout, so they aren't looking at you. Hope you find a steamer you like!
    3294 days ago
  • no profile photo CD293307
    Do what works for you. Try something and if it's not a good fit try something else. When I'm really working on my weight, I weigh daily because it keeps me focused. For some that's too often and they start obscessing. Find what works for you.

    You've got the right attitude when it comes to working out. So, what if someone thinks you're funny. You know who you are and why are you working out. It's for you not them anyway. Hang in there. There will be many bumps along the way. Keep on headed in the right direction and identify those thoughts that get in your way and figure out how to deal with them.

    BTW, I didn't know ipod nano could track your steps. I may need to look into that. I'd like something to help me figure out how many steps I take.

    emoticon
    3294 days ago

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