# Here I go!



## kaliraksha (May 9, 2006)

I've come to really love Specktra... all aspects of it. I've started a journal elsewhere but I don't get the feedback I'm looking for because it's a lot of people I don't know or relate to... and there are literally... hundres of fitness journals... so I post and my post gets stuck on the 10th page where no one sees it almost immeaditely. Also, part of why I started it here is I'm here most often anyway ... I forget to visit the other forum =)
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I appreciate all comments and advice... any advice would be beautiful! _

Generally speaking... I feel like I'm young and I don't feel my age... I've always been overweight... and I don't want to be super slim or even slim... I want to be curvy and healthy.  I've always been the heavier of my friends... and I'm tired of being the "cute one" or the one with the "pretty face".  I also think I have a little bit of a financial shopping problem a little directly related to my weight... I've always felt like I compete with my friends by being the better dresser... or spending more time on my makeup. I have a few goals... one is to look good wearing a designer wedding dress... the other is to be able to feel well dressed in jeans and a cute shirt. I don't even wear jeans because I don't feel like I look dressed up enough. 

I notice when I eat badly I feel icky. So that's my main goal... I want to eat well a good 90% of the time... and the other 10% for realizing that it's a way of life... and I can't expect to eat grilled chicken and veggies for the rest of my life. I really want this to be more of a life change... and I'm happy to be starting early. I'm in the debate of whether fitness videos are enough or if I should join a gym? Any input would be appreciated =)

I don't plan to post weights... until it's all over.. because it's just a number to me... I can weight 5 lbs more and feel great somedays... and 10 lbs less and feel like crap the other... so I'm going to go on how I feel that day... and how I took care of my body that day. Ever since I lost weight after high school (I was at a happy weight then)... I gained back 25-30 lbs out of depression, lack of time.. and lack of comittment. 

Goals- Make healthier decisions everyday. Explore cooking healthy meals, since I love cooking. Do something active everyday, but really work up a sweat 3 times a week in some form of dance (I love dance in almost all forms). Have a little cheat day... and have it be worthwhile... aka it better not be McDonalds! 

Here is to a better tomorrow for anyone who has any goals!


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## roxybc (May 10, 2006)

Congrats to setting a weightloss and lifestyle goal.  Most of in this forum and who are reading these threads know how hard it is to stick with a new fitness and lifestyle plan.  You had questioned about joining a gym, and honestly doing so was one of the best decisions I made about 6 years ago when I decided to first get into shape.  The "other" best decision I made was actually the purchase of the "Body for Life" book.  I followed the workout plan pretty closely with a few minor changes that I liked better than what was in the book.  I am planning on starting the Body for Life plan again. After about 3 months on it I was in the best shape of my life and bikini ready for my trip to Mexico.  I've gained about 30lbs since then, but I'm determined to get back to where I was before.  I'm going to post a few links for you that really helped me out before, and that I am starting to refer back to again this time during my weightloss battle, so I hope that you can find them as helpful as I did.

http://www.bodyforlife.com/  : Has excellent workout tips, and a great and very extensive healthy recipe section.

http://www.fitday.com/  : Free to join, and allows you to track your daily calorie intake, weight loss and goals, etc.  I used to be addicted to this site!  I've started using it again, and I like that you can add your own food nutrition info to it.

http://www.calorieking.com/  :  Allows you to look up the nutritional info on almost everything you eat, even fast food!

http://vegweb.com/  : Lots of healthy recipies.  This is a vegetarian recipe website, but I'm sure if you wanted to you could customize them with meat. 

Anyways, good luck with your plan, and post your progress in the forum so we can know how your doing!


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## Jennifer Mcfly (May 10, 2006)

I agree with you on the support from this site. I never even thought about joining strictly a fitness forum. I'm so glad this section is here b/c it's really helped me. You'll get alot of help and support here. Since you're not looking to be a body builder (aka go to the extreme) then there's no need for some crazy fitness forum.

I am the same as you, just looking to tone up a little and be healthy. If you don't have a gym where you live then I think you should join a gym. Cardio in itself will help you lose weight but you also want to tone and build muscle. There's nothing like seeing a super skinny girl walk by who is all flab!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			




Building some muscle also makes you look much slimmer. Even though muscle weighs more then fat you might not drop as much weight as you want but you can still look hot! Know what I mean?
I'll use myself as an example since I just started working out a few months ago.
I was a flabby size twelve. I started doing cardio and weight training and I'm now down to a size ten but I'm much leaner and toned so I look like I'm a size 8. It's awesome!

I think you need to do as much cardio as you can, but do not skimp on the weight training. If you'd rather buy weights and balls and work out at home, that's fine, as long as you really do it and go the extra mile and push yourself. I know when I workout at home I tend to slack off a little. But when I'm in the gym I'm already there so I really push myself to make the time worthwile. But everyone is different. So if you feel you'll push yourself at home, then do it at home. Just make sure you get the proper items for a good at home workout!!!

Good luck, lookin' great in a pair of jeans is an awesome goal! It doesn't matter the size as long as you are healthy!!!


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## kaliraksha (May 11, 2006)

Thank you ladies so much! I need to start light probably with cardio... I also need to get out of a small financial bind that will be over in 2 months (yay!) so I can pay for a gym. I really want to go to a gym because I like the idea of having time for myself... if I do it at home I will be distracted with my dogs.... and the door.. and the phone.


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## roxybc (May 11, 2006)

Just thought I'd let you know that going to a gym with a women's section made me much more comfortable when I first started going.  I'm not sure if that's an issue with you or not, but there are plenty of all women's gyms, and gyms that offer women's only sections.


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## kaliraksha (May 11, 2006)

I don't think that's a huge issue to me... but I wouldn't mind one with a woman's section.... thanks for letting me know!


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## kaliraksha (May 11, 2006)

It's amazing... the past couple of days I had been eating mediocre... asian food... subway... etc... and I kept going to sleep and waking up with a knot in my stomach. Yesterday for lunch I had a whole wheat grilled cheese and for dinner I had baked salmon and grilled spinach in garlic and some whole weat rice in vegetable butter... and I woke up in such a great mood... no stomacache or anything. That alone is worth changing my eating habits. <3


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## islandblossom (May 12, 2006)

Sounds like you're doing a great job! Keep it up! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 We're here with you supporting you along the way.


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## kaliraksha (May 16, 2006)

Thank you, islandblossom! <3


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## kaliraksha (May 16, 2006)

I decided to join a gym on May 20th... that's when they are running a decent student discount... it's 40 a month... but the classes there are really awesome. I think I will start with lots of cardio and once I feel up to it... do some strength training. Thanks to anyone who reads my journal... I'm going rather slowly... perhaps because I haven't really set any real goals... I'll start thinking about that tomorrow.


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## islandblossom (May 16, 2006)

So how about them goals?  Have you made any yet?


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## kaliraksha (May 22, 2006)

Yeah, I work in a somewhat hedonistic manner when it comes to goals for myself. I bought a really nice rather expensive sundress for my boyfriend's birthday trip to Costa Rica. So my motivation is to look great in it for the trip to Costa Rica for his birthday dinner. I'm going to hang it on my closet door and look at it in the mornings for motivation! I don't want to set a certain pounds lost goal... I just want to feel up to all that hiking and fun in the sun activities in Costa Rica.


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## kaliraksha (May 31, 2006)

I wasn't suppose to care about weights... but I was dying to weigh myself. I lost 10 lbs so far! Yay me! I realize a lot of it is water weight but who cares when you look better in jeans!


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## farra712 (Jun 1, 2006)

Wow!  Congrats on the 10 pound loss!  I think your plan sounds much like mine, and totally do-able.  If you like to cook and try to make fun things, you should try hungrygirl.com.  She reviews all kinds of food items and also gives healthy recipes for foods that are usually unhealthy.  Sounds like you are doing great so far!  Good luck and keep it up!!!!


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## islandblossom (Jun 2, 2006)

10 lbs that's amazing!!!!!


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## kaliraksha (Jun 4, 2006)

Thanks for the website rec, Farra... I've been looking at it and I'm cooking up some great ideas... just need to adjust my shopping list a little.

Thank you for the comment, islandblossom... I feel pretty good about it =)

I joined a gym today so I'm also excited about that... the soooner the better for all of us! Good luck to all the ladies reading this with whatever your personal goals are =)


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## kaliraksha (Jun 5, 2006)

Yay, doing Cardio 4 times a week, weight training 2 times a week, and two 15 minute walks with my puppies twice a day... a hell of a lot more active than I ever was before. My food choices can still be poor for lunch because of work/school. I don't have a fridge or a microwave... and school caters to the grease lovers in all of us! 

Wattage, thanks for all your great topics in the Health and Fitness forums... this is much more comfortable/informative than the actual health forum I frequent.


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## farra712 (Jun 16, 2006)

Sounds like you are doing awesome with the exercise!   I need to get busy with it again!  Anyway, you have inspired me to bust my ass a little more.  Off to bed now so I might actually wake up to do that tomorrow! keep up the good work!


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## MAC_Whore (Jun 18, 2006)

Congrats on your 10 pounds and your gym routine is great!  Well done!


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## kaliraksha (Jun 19, 2006)

Thank you ladies! I would be glad not losing any more weight and just keeping the way I feel... active and healthy... blargh so cheesey! Although the weight loss is inevitable...yay!


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## kaliraksha (Aug 13, 2006)

My boyfriend is out of town and out of boredom I've been working out 1-2 hours a day... this is so weird. Haha =)


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## kaliraksha (Apr 25, 2007)

Oh you guys, I'm slacking! I need motivation so badly. I just booked a trip to Cozumel for May 24th and that should be motivation enough but I feel like I have so long to go on with little time. Swimsuit shopping is so discouraging to me right now. 

I can't seem to make the time for working out in my life right now. I'm so stressed out and I know working out helps with stress and yet I can't make the connection and just go. I always pick something..anything... over working out. I am eating just fine for the most part but I really need that extra push =(


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## Deirdre (Apr 26, 2007)

Don't give up!  There's lots of time to buy that swimsuit, use the time to go on a powerwalk.  Getting to the gym can take time too, so even if you could just go around and around the block!  Maybe you can manage a 10 minute goround in the morning, and another 15-25 at night, that would add up to close to three hours a week (especially if you upped it a bit on weekends).

You can do it!


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## hoemygosh (Apr 26, 2007)

motivation is - wearing a bathing suit this summer & feeling hot as hell. 
or at least thats what i always think about. you may not have time to work out, but even 15 minutes a day makes a difference. stand up instead of sitting down. clean things. lol. be more active. 
today i got my carmen electra striptease dvds in the mail. if you want a good fun, sexy workout, the routines are pretty fun. & before you know it your sweating like crazy. 
just keep strong. you can do itt!!!!! 
you're in control when it comes to your body & your health, you can change it. .
=]


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## kaliraksha (Feb 9, 2009)

I did get those CE striptease tapes! I am trying to get more into yoga... I mean people in India practice yoga and some of the hardcore practitioners live to be like 90... something has to be right! Plus, it's very relaxing.

But, you guys... I feel so... deflated... I keep eating entirely emotionally or out of boredom. I need to feed something else inside of me... and I'm substituting it for food. Like everytime I feel bad inside I think it's hunger... that's how it actually translates in my irrational mind and I have to fight with pure mathematical logic of I ate x calories x hours ago I shouldn't be hungry. If I persevere and convince myself not to eat I continue to feel hungry, if I give in and eat I feel shameful.

It's really hard reaching a good balance in your life and even worse within yourself.


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## kaliraksha (Feb 24, 2009)

Well, I'm starting to counteract my need to snack and my constant hunger by having small 300 calorie meals and snacking with carrots and blanched green beans. It's really helped keep me under my calorie limit without me feeling hungry at all. I'm starting to see the difference between calories that fill me up and what I call stupid calories. I love to drink yummy drinks, but I've given them up for decaf tea with sweetener, water, crystal light and milk. Simply because a 200 calorie hot chocolate is not worth a plate full of veggies and some fruit.

My taste buds are changing. I use to crave cheesy or fried foods. Now, I crave my usual lunch- veggie burger on one piece of wheat bread with grilled tomatoes and sliced cucumbers,lettuce and a small sprinkle of melted mozzarella all for under 300 calories. Knowing I can have that like 4 times a day is insane.

I also did some research a bit on the Mediterranean style of diet and I am starting to understand. Did some research on how many calories to eat and I've read some studies, evidence that eating under your BMR is bad and puts you into starvation mode. I use to think, well, people with weight loss surgery eat little and lose weight- so, the less I eat the less I will weigh. But, I realized (after visiting some forums) that some of those women are eating 600-900 calories which I can't hope to achieve. Plus, they're under doctor supervision. I wasn't eating little enough to achieve weight loss surgery stats, but I wasn't eating enough to maintain my daily functions. So I was in limbo, and in turn I was weak, dizzy, nauseous almost all day when I was eating 1000-1200 calories a day because I'm a heavier girl and I needed more calories. Now, I'm realizing that maybe it's not an exact science and I'm trying out what will work for me... and when that doesn't work anymore I'll play with it and find something else. Right now, I'm eating between 1400-1600 calories and so far I'm not hungry and I don't feel sick half the day.


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## kaliraksha (Feb 24, 2009)

Also, I'm trying to build up my savings account so everytime I feel like shopping I'm going for a walk, or watching tv while I do some floor exercises. I figure something is better than nothing. I'm definitely not in the I-love-to-workout mode yet... I was once... but it seems so long ago I'm just trying to stay active and kill the boredom so I don't eat.


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## kaliraksha (Feb 24, 2009)

Wow, I'm updating again so soon. Well, it's my journal so I guess I can.

I also wanted to encourage anyone who is interested in not losing motivation to _not_ go by the scale. I know how important of a number it is, trust me, I want nothing more than to see it shrink. But, this is the first time that I've been more concerned with my choices... so eventhough I'm not weighing myself I still haven't lost any motivation to keep moving because I'm proud of my current eating habits. If I were counting on weight loss for this, it may not have budged or not been what I expected and I would have felt defeated by now. But, I feel great that I'm watching what I eat and working out more instead of feeling bad that I may not have lost weight.


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