I don't mean to sound pathetic, but its such a hard habbit to stop, especially this time of year! Not that I'm especially out of shape or anything, but I have come to the conclusion that I should start to get into better shape.
so I'm into my third day of daily exercise and 'healthy' eating, I've done pretty well not to snack, apart from a couple of little chocolates I had after dinner last night. Anyway I find my self periodically looking into the fridge or pantry, I didn' realise how much I ate between meals as I would have likely taken something small (or large) on each visit.
so yeah, snacking, how many people realise they do it, how many people have faught the battle to stop doing it?
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I'll give you 3 months. To help ...
I'll give you 3 months.
To help stop snacking -
Eat 3 large full meals a day you know breaky, lunch, dinner.
Go easy on the caffine as this speeds up metabolism in the body and burns the fat off thus making you feel hungry in need of a snack.
Eat food that fills you up for longer - like brown bread, rice, spuds, green veges etc and protein rich foods like lean meat, chicken etc.
Instead of eating that certain snack food go drink a glass of water. This is a healthy sub for a snack which is usually something sugary and un healthy and it will fill you up, keep you hydrated and help you maintain concentration later in the day.
But I think make sure you have a decent filling breaktfast. As they say "its the most important meal of the day".
By the way the three months thing I was ...
By the way the three months thing I was kidding.
OH one more thing, I find that when I snack the most it is when I am bored and just eat for the sake of it, I know it's hard to keep yourself occupied 12 hours a day or however long you are awake for but try do something to take your mind off eating or just to keep you interested in something so you aren't bored and you aren't thinking inspecting the pantry to see if that certain item you are craving has suddenly appeared in the pantry since you last checked 15 mins ago.
well I've been good on the brown ...
well I've been good on the brown bread, veges and lean meats, maybe a little creative with dressings and things though. I don't drink coffee and pretty much only drink water most of the time anway, so I'm off to an okay start. just getting in a good breaky is tuff for me, not a morning person at all.
thanks for the tips
although my biggest allie has been ...
although my biggest allie has been breakfast in the past, on the occasions where I have had a really good breakfast I've found I'm able to get right through to a 1 o'clock lunch without even a real thought of eating.
A lot of nutritionists I've read ...
A lot of nutritionists I've read recommend eating six smaller meals a day rather than forcing yourself to stick to three - that way your energy intake/output is more stable. Also, most people eat way too many processed carbs, which mess with your blood sugar - meat, cheese and legumes (eg baked beans) make you feel full for longer, so incorporate a bit more of those into your breakfast and lunch. I started making a point of including a bit of meat or cheese in my lunch and the difference was remarkable - suddenly I stopped eyeing the snack box at 4pm.
Obviously whole grains and fruit/vegetables are a preferable alternative to high-sugar or processed snacks, so if you try and stick to those then it doesn't matter quite so much if you snack through the day. When you're doing your dinner, take five minutes out to set up a snackbox to take with you the next day for your "between-meal meals" - throw in some nuts, fruit (fresh or dried), chopped-up vegetables & even cheese & water crackers - then laziness is a factor that works in your snacking favour - easier to snack on the stuff to hand than wander aaaall the way over to the vending machine / down to the dairy. You can just stick the dried fruit and nuts in your desk, although I found when I relied entirely on that kind of snacking I got really bored eating fruit and nuts.
Also, carry a water bottle and when you start getting hungry, drink water instead. About half the time that'll reduce your desire to eat. Oh, don't force yourself to drink enough to get waterlogged - lots of people on a health kick think "oh, 2 litres a day" but make the mistake of turning it into a couple of water-binges - not helpful, and also difficult to maintain since it's not very pleasant.
So..yeah. The pink-tutued good fairy has spoken..
...oh, probably I should've read right ...
...oh, probably I should've read right to the bottom of dantheman's post first...
its all food for thought, the girl I ...
its all food for thought, the girl I work with has her own mass snack supply of nuts and things that are generally healthy, so it might do the trick for me. That 4pm craving for the snack box is about 3pm for me though ;)
as for meats and cheese I think I'm the other extreme where I have too much as I tend to have meat in my lunch at work, if not two types of meat (say chicken and bacon) notably with green salad, tomatos, italian herbs and other healthy bits to go with... but then I'll also have meat with my tea in the evening.
Heh, sounds like you're doing pretty ...
Heh, sounds like you're doing pretty well, one of my resolutions is to cut down on the dressings. Maybe instead of focussing on not-snacking you just need to have something more substantial (and healthy) when you do feel peckish? When you start finding yourself in the pantry every 27 seconds, just go "ah fuck it" and do yourself a proper BLAT on Vogels, rather than just grabbing a "just one won't hurt" kind of thing (y'know, when you end up eating a whole packet of chocolate biscuits)?
Wow, I just ate a Wendy's Big Bacon ...
Wow, I just ate a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic Combo upsized. I had been hankering for one for a few days, but now, over an hour after I finished eating (and by finished, I mean the burger and regrettably the fries, the drink was honestly over a litre of coke, I had about a third of it) I STILL feel a bit rough. Big regrets. I didn't realise baked beans were good for you in that they fill you up - I'll be taking to them with a vengeance from now on. I like the nuts and fruit idea too. I'm totally into this health shit!
BUT I have been jogging every other day, and after about four runs, I notice that I now don't dread the run, rather I actually sort of crave it. Having done Outward Bound, I can tell you that if you run every day for like 20 days in a row, you'll not only start to crave your daily jog, you'll also have so much energy that you'll feel like you NEED to run to burn it all off before bed. It's an awesome way to be. I'm working up to every day again. I only go for like 20 minutes but it makes a huge difference to my general state of well being - the endorphins from it last a good 24 hours (well, I feel good about it for 24 hours anyway). Just after the run I'm basically high (here comes the science).
Wiki: Another widely publicized effect ...
Wiki:
Another widely publicized effect of endorphin production is the so-called "runner's high", which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts, when the level of intensity is between moderate and high and if is difficult to breathe. This also corresponds with the time that muscles use up their stored energy and begin functioning without oxygen. Workouts that are most likely to produce endorphins include running, swimming, cross-country skiing, bicycling, aerobics, or playing a sport such as basketball, soccer, or even football. However, some scientists question the mechanisms at work, their research possibly demonstrating the high comes from completing a challenge rather than as a result of exertion. (Klosterman) (Altman)
ugh, running, the thought of it hurts ...
ugh, running, the thought of it hurts me... its okay in short bursts, I play cricket in the weekends and being a bowler means I do a lot of short bursts of running. However I do bike to work most days, not a huge ride by any means, but its still better than driving... the trick will be forcing myself to take a ticky-tour home.
Excercise is a funny creature. I ...
Excercise is a funny creature.
I never really felt the particular High with rugby and cricket trainings, as fatigue usually ruins that with cross code training and overlapping training sessions in the change of seasons.
But with the Gym and weight training if I have a couple of days off I feel really anxy and need to get back, hell I checking out to see if the gym was open on the second of Jan this year as I got back from holiday on the 1st, in dire need of a weight session.
The way most gyms make their money is ...
The way most gyms make their money is that either
A) people get a membership go a few times then lose motivation and never return.
or
B) They go a few times and don't see any results after say 3 weeks and stop going.
Both A and B result in the gym making money from peoples memberships with out them actually using it.
You just got force yourself the first few times man then it will become habbit and routine.
Soon it will become boring though and you will need to change your route or find somewhere new to keep yourself interested.
I never thought I'd be the type of the ...
I never thought I'd be the type of the person who'd be all "yay gym!", because apart from going out dancing, I'm really not big with the exercise. Except that I've started going and I love it. It really does help with my moods. I haven't been in a couple of weeks cos of Xmas and various family dramas and I really miss it and I'm looking forward to going back. It really does good things for my mental health.
the people that I know that go to the ...
the people that I know that go to the gym all seem to share your view. I think I'm too self conscious for it though.
...and you are at your best when you ...
...and you are at your best when you are mentally healthy Joanna.
The reasons for me wanting to go and being eager to go to the gym are sure because I enjoy it and I am seeing great results but also because it does cost a bit of money and not going is just a complete waste. ( And the fact that my rugby club is paying for me membership and I have to go at least 3 times a week for them to continue paying for it hahaha )
//I think I'm too self conscious for it though.
I was like that too when I first started but the thing you gota remember is - no one is watching you they don't care how much you can bench press or how much you CAN'T bench press. Everyone is doing their thing.
It helps though if you sign up with a mate that you know will go regularly and you can push each other and make each other go even when you don't feel like it, PLUS if you are starting to lift more and pushing yourself he can be there to spot you for those last few reps that you are struggling through.
Make sure if you are unfamilier with gym surroundings and machines and exercises that you get an instructor to make a plan for you and that they show you how to perform each exercise correctly because there is nothing worse than spending 6 months going to the gym 4 times a week and doing the exercises wrong and not seeing any results.
//too self-concsious Seriously, ...
//too self-concsious
Seriously, that's just temporary. If you go once or twice, you'll get over it real fast. Most gyms these days are about half-and-half fit spunky bods to huffing puffing people-with-fat-ankles (and in my Pilates class at least, it seems that half those fit spunky bods are complaining about the exercise just as much as the fat ankles (ie, me)). Noone pays any attention to anyone else, at least at my gym - too busy concentrating on the exercise.
If you're at all interested, ask at your local gym if you can go to a couple of classes for free, just to check it out. Wouldn't hurt. There are probably plenty of other reasons you wouldn't want to sign up, but that mental block doesn't have to be one.
I'm sure I would get over it quickly ...
I'm sure I would get over it quickly enough, I think its a matter of finding a mate who is interested in starting. I've had a few hastle me in hte past to go with, but they'd already been into it for a long time so it seemed a little intimidating at the time (and I wasn't as curious back then).
//I was like that too when I first ...
//I was like that too when I first started but the thing you gota remember is - no one is watching you they don't care how much you can bench press or how much you CAN'T bench press. Everyone is doing their thing.
Having been a gym goer in the past (the past three years, my two best friends were personal trainers and we trained together, in a non-homoerotic way), I have to disagree. While it's a nice idea that no one cares, people definitely do care. Guys especially will stop what they're doing to watch someone bench 100kg or more. Women don't really care and seem more interested in trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but guys are competitive creatures and will push themselves purely based on what the guy next to them is doing - i.e. get dumbells that are 5kg heavier than they usually use to keep up with big Jim on the next bench.
Probably the funniest thing about the gym is the guys who really don't give a fuck what you think and will stand in front of the mirrors flexing their quads or whatever, enjoying the view. Classic.
// I have to disagree. While it's a ...
// I have to disagree. While it's a nice idea that no one cares, people definitely do care. Guys especially will stop what they're doing to watch someone bench 100kg or more.
I can bench 100kgs and sometimes 110kg and have never had anyone other than my spotter watching me at the gyms I have been and currently go to. NOR have I seen anyone staring at the rookie kid who can only bench 20 kilos or whatever. Everyone basically is doing their own thing getting on with it because they have come straight from work and want to get home or whatever and I have been to about 4 or 5 different gyms in the past 5 years, averaging 3 -4 times a week too.
You must go or have been to really superficial gyms full of hyper competive males all searching to be the super dominant male.
But if you are worried about it this is what going in a pair of 3 helps, it is less daunting facing a gym with a couple of others there and they can help push you and motivate you to try harder. I wouldn't have even known that I could bench press 110kgs unless my mate pretty much dared me to try it. It also helps having someone to spot you because believe me 110kilos is a lot fucken heavier trying to push it up than comming down hahaha.
//Probably the funniest thing about the ...
//Probably the funniest thing about the gym is the guys who really don't give a fuck what you think and will stand in front of the mirrors flexing their quads or whatever, enjoying the view. Classic.
I will have to agree there, and whether you are looking or not it is hard to miss those fuckers. especially the ones who spend more time looking in the mirror than actually lifting weights.
It's good to be a girl. The only time ...
It's good to be a girl. The only time I notice what other people are doing at the gym is if they're on the machine I want, or if they're on the machine next to me and they're going at a faster pace which puts me off my own time. But mostly I have my eyes shut on the cross trainer anyway, 'cos if I'm a little dehydrated I can pretend I'm just at a gig somewhere dancing. Good times.
//While it's a nice idea that no one ...
//While it's a nice idea that no one cares, people definitely do care. Guys especially will stop what they're doing to watch someone bench 100kg or more.
Ah, but on the subject of being self-conscious, the difference is that noone stops to watch a pale puny guy walking the treadmill for 10 minutes. I can understand a bunch of guys hovering around and admiring/aspiring to/envying the Auckland Blues doing their thing, but if you're new and wimpy, noone's going to point and laugh. The only thing a newbie has to avoid is going to the gym when the hot bods are there to highlight just how much work you have to do.
Being self conscious at a gym is a ...
Being self conscious at a gym is a problem that is easily solved...Go at a time when there is fuck all people in the gym. I have found that saturday and sunday mornings are the best mainly because everyone is either still asleep or hungover from the night before and/or the really hardout gymmers have already been 5 times that week and are either having a rest or end up going later in the day.
The gym I am at around 9:30 - 11am on sat and sunday mornings are ideal for those who like to have the gym to themselves like me, OR for people who are a bit weary about certain machines and are self conscious in the new surroundings of a gym.
Easy solution, sure it may mean getting up a bit earlier in the weekend but if you are serious about being fit and/or strong and toned like I am ( mainly because of my physical needs for Rugby ) then you will take it on the chin and just carry on.
I love that the "R" in rugby is ...
I love that the "R" in rugby is capitalised. It makes me wonder if this whole "dantheman" character is someone's elaborate joke.
//I love that the "R" in rugby is ...
//I love that the "R" in rugby is capitalised. It makes me wonder if this whole "dantheman" character is someone's elaborate joke.
I love it that you're such a critical asshole that you completely ignore everything I have said because it goes against your post then you try make a joke from the dumbest thing you can.
Fuck off mate. You are a wanker.
Jesus Christ Dan, try taking it with a ...
Jesus Christ Dan, try taking it with a grain of salt.
//Jesus Christ Dan, try taking it with ...
//Jesus Christ Dan, try taking it with a grain of salt.
No Fuck you. There ya go try taking that with a grain of salt asshole.
There was no fucken need for your smart ass remark.
You're a grade A arsehole Dan, and you ...
You're a grade A arsehole Dan, and you prove it time and time again.
//You're a grade A arsehole Dan, and ...
//You're a grade A arsehole Dan, and you prove it time and time again
No mate you are, with your smart ass remarks fucken snide comments and that are generally un needed.
You and the other people like you on this board are always doing it, fuken taking that snobby atittude and your "my music taste is more obscure than yours which means I am smarter than you" bullshit.
I am sick of pieces of shit like you doing it. You can't keep your mouth shut can you? You can't just let it go. Oh no you have to comment.
Sure I could take it with a grain of salt but I have been doing that since the day I signed up to this board. How about you just not make those comments? That would be a shit load better.
I've found OceanSpray Craisins to be ...
I've found OceanSpray Craisins to be ideal snack-food - they can kick raisins' arses any day of the week.