Lose Weight (and get fit) Before Roo Thread

Well just so you know, there are more efficient ways to get the results all of us are looking for, and shelley's post highlights a lot of the good information that's out there on the internet. 

it's spring break on my campus and because students run the gym, the gym is closed all week. balls.

Time to pop in a Jillian Michaels DVD or watch a youtube exercise video!  Or Pinterest even has some easy at home workouts that don't involve anything but you and a pair of sneakers.

not sure if anyone else here uses instagram for fitness/health related things but I do if you'd wanna follow each other. shelley_musleh is my ig name. I post my meals and workouts there pretty often

I went out and got some cute workout tops from ON and then got a massive cold the next day.  Still waiting for this cough to go away so I can wear my new gym clothes.  THey really do help motivate.  

Warning: unsolicited advice ahead.

Your goals might be a bit antithetical to each other depending on how much fitness training you've already done. Getting stronger requires building muscle, which generally involves putting on weight (lean muscle mass), whereas going to from non-visible to visible abs requires a reduction in body fat (losing weight). If you're new to fitness/strength training you can lose fat and build muscle at the same time, but after the newb gains are gone, it's pretty much one or the other. This isn't as hard and fast as I might be making it out to be, but it's my general understanding. Getting abs is far more about lowering your BF% than it is having big and strong ab muscles - all the ab exercises in the world won't give you defined abs if there's still fat covering it.

I admire your willingness to do the Roo Run! I've thought about it, and I actually like running in the heat...but Roo's exhausting enough as it is.

It's all in the diet. I run ~30 - 40 miles and bike 30ish miles per week. I also lift 6 days a week. You just gotta make sure you are eating right and it'll work out, albeit a bit slower than if you only focused on one or the other

I read somewhere that for most people an extra of sleep per night is equal to a $60,000/year pay increase in terms of how it effects your happiness levels. Crazy.

anyone have any good workout playlists?

I have to watch something to keep me on the elliptical, so I choose a show on Netflix and watch them while I work out. Music is not enough for me

thank you, kind sir! 

Okay token07, and everyone else who struggles with motivation as I do. Here is what you do:

- Get some index cards and a big red marker
- Create a 7x7 grid on the index card
- Pick a habit you want to change (i.e. going to the gym, not smoking, no sweets, etc) My current cards are for 10 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of Spanish practice
- On the back of the card write WHY you want to change this habit. Put some real thought into this as this will be very important.
- DO IT!! Go to the gym, meditate, go for a jog, whatever your habit is just do it! And then when you're done put a big red X in that first box.
- Repeat the next day, and so on. Post your picture of your card here, or PM me (seriously, I want to see progress!), or text it to your friend, or just find someway to hold yourself accountable for filling up that row with X's

This card serves as concrete proof that you are making progress towards your goal. If you go a day without making an X you'll feel bad about the whole in your card. If you wake up feeling unmotivated flip the card over and remember why you are doing it in the first place! If you do miss a day just get right back to it! Don't let that white hole overtake your whole card. Write down WHY you slipped up that day (I was tired because I stayed up too late playing X-Box, I had a piece of cake because it was my friend's birthday, etc) - and that's it! Don't beat yourself up or get down on yourself. Just forget it and get right back to it the next day! Changing behaviors and habits is a marathon, not a sprint.

One you're card is full then do some sort of ritual. Burn it, mail it to someone, I personally use mine as a coupon to reward myself (yayy I filled up a card, now I'm going to treat myself to sushi dinner!)

Seriously. This method has helped me through a lot of changes. It's what got me to give up drinking almost a 1/5 of whiskey every day last year when my life was a 'mess', it's what got me from sitting in front of my tv all day to winning a couple 5k and 10k races these past few months, it's what has helped me change all my eating habits and start lifting weights and getting healthy. Now it's helping me reach my goal of meditating and not letting my Spanish get too bad.

And I'm not trying to single you out at all Token. like I said this post applies to every one who may find it helpful. I just know exactly what you are struggling with right now.

edit: I don't take credit for this method at all either. It was originally something I seen on reddit

Yeah you are, but it's cool. I still love you.

Great idea though, I dig it. I know for a fact that as time goes on you often forget why you're doing it.

The one thing I learned this last year is that there is no finish line. I was working towards a number, for years and I almost made that number. I started freaking out the closer I got because, then what? So I'd sabotage my diet for a week to gain a bit hahaha. Living the healthy life is something that you will always have to work on and grow with. Just because you hit your goal weight doesn't mean you're done. I guess I'm saying, never get comfortable. Always try to challenge yourself in some way and don't let the scale rule you. I refuse to weigh myself now because of how obsessive I got over it. If I only lost 1 pound when I felt I should've lost 5 I'd binge eat out of disappointment. Like I said before how I feel is more important now than anything else.