Healthy Lifestyle and Excercise routines!

I found that we need a thread where we can share what healthy lifestyle related things people are interested in sharing about. I myself want to know what kind of routines everyone is doing so I can try them out. So, if you're into fitness, weight control, weight loss, muscle building, healthy living, trying one of the fitness challenges, etc. Share!

Walking around walmarts and the mall. Eating chicken or salads instead at fast food restaurants. About all i got really. XD

BAM! Proactive... Aaand... Yeah... Don't follow my health advice. I keep wondering how the hell I'm not heavier than I am. Taco bell, cookies, popcorn ( with extra butter, please and thank you), chicken salad ( extra mayo if you please), gummy worms, peanuts...lots 'o peanuts, fries count as vegetables.. .etc... I know my heart will pay... The only thing I can figure is I'm only managing to keep around 195 because of physical labor. You wouldn't keep pumping gas into a full tank, would you? Only what it will burn. I've managed to pretty well figure out how much I need if I want to lose weight and honestly, I don't think my way would work for everyone. I honestly think the tried and true way of diet and exercise is what works best, but it'sjust a matter of figureing out whst works for you. Everyone has a different body chemistry and what works for you might not work for me. The only way to figure it out is to put forth the time, effort and not give up. Also, remind yourself, this is not a diet, but a life change.

My favorite things are swimming, tennis and badminton! I Also like to go walking at night but its kind of dangerous here where I am. Roller blading and bike riding is also very fun. I also like to dance or zumba is fun too! Making sure to drink lots of water inbetween exercise helps alot also eating fruits and vegetables everyday and making sure you have balanced meals is good for your body. Which means like for dinner don't eat potatoes and steak alone. Make sure you have some vegetable on the side or even a grain like wheat bread. Its important to eat properly balanced meals for the body to stay healthy. And just because I am plus size doesn't mean I'm not healthy. I'm sure this goes for a lot of other people too.

Missallyyesterday, I commend you for starting this thread. Many people are guilty of neglecting their health by eating too many unhealthy foods and lack of proper exercise. I usually lift free weights at least 3 days per week and try to get the right balance of macros (carbohydrates, protein and fats) for proper nutrition. I get most of my protein from foods such as sardines, chicken, eggs and tuna. It is also important to include sufficient amounts of micro nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in your diet as well as fiber and lots of water.

In general, dietary adjustments will yield much greater weight loss gains than exercise will (or so I've read), but can be tough to do. Eating 500 calories takes a few minutes, but burning it off can take hours. Just as an example. Diet and exercise is definitely an effective combination though. When you diet only, you risk losing muscle in addition to fat as your body adjusts to the reduced nutrition, which isn't desirable. When you exercise only, its much slower and while you will slim down, weight wise it will sound disappointing as you'll be adding heavier (but much more compact) muscle as the fat is lost. A good combination of both is key. Diet wise, I had great success with Atkins before. So for anyone looking to diet for weight loss, I will definitely recommend it. It can be tough to follow tyrough with though. As for exercise routines, that will largely depend on your goals. But in general, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) is a good choice. Sports (even fencing if you fancy that) naturally incorporate this, but in a gym you have to emulate this by varying the intensity of your exercises. If you can do sports (or some form of manual labor) that would be ideal, but when that's not an option a gym can work well too. If your only goal is weight loss, cardio should be the primary focus of your routine. Jogging, biking, Zumba, whatever you enjoy most is best. At the same time, you will want some muscular development. Ladies, do not be afraid of this. I promise you won't accidentally get buff. Men work at that intensely for years to get huge arms and ripped abs. It doesn't just happen, especially if you are dieting at the same time. What it will do is bolster your overall fitness level, improve your metabolism, and make you a tidbit stronger. While burning a few more calories in the side. Its also important to have some variety in your workouts too. Its easy to get stuck in the same old routine, but your body will get used to it eventually and your progress will start slowing down. One thing thats helps if rotating exercises, such as doing arms every other day and legs in between. Maybe jog and bike on certain days, and do something like Zumba or ab routines on the other days. Then every few weeks you can change it up and incorporate other exercises, or change your routine entirely, so that your body can't adjust and diminish the effectiveness of your workouts. And one thing for sure, never over exert yourself. You may get injured or be forced to skip workouts because of it, which does you no favors. This is just general advice for anyone interested in weight loss. Specifics are hard to give since they vary from person to person a lot. If you have extra money, a personal trainer can tailor a diet and exercise plan for you that should work very well. Theres a ton more that can be said on these topics, but these are the general ideas. Im sure others here will have more input that would be of help as well. Feel free to ask for clarifications or additional detail. I'm glad to help when I'm around. I'm basically just sharing my knowledge from personal experience and what I learned from those far more knowledgeable than myself.

just do macros, there's plenty of sites online that con help you figure out your daily calorie intake I usually try to hit 3 different muscle groups every day for like 5 days every week and I check all the foods i eat to figure out my calorie intake. sacrifice, consistency, and dedication are key to progress

My job is pretty much full of manual labor and heavy lifting, however I also walk my dog for 30 minutes on top of that daily. I really want to get into a sort of workout eventually, though. Because of my medication I have to strictly watch my sodium and cholesterol intake. This means most pre-packaged treats are off limits to me. I have a protein shake in the morning. (It can be Special K, Slim Fast, Atkins, Monster Milk 100 Calorie whatever I'm in the mood for.) If I don't I get some oatmeal, then as a snack I have a banana or a cup of fresh fruit (usually watermelon). For lunch it is either a roasted chicken sandwich, tuna sandwich, or a salad with either chicken, tuna or turkey on top, I usually include something like another banana or cup of watermelon because I'll start craving cheese puffs otherwise! For dinner sometimes I just don't feel like cooking and grab another shake, but if I do I bake a fish with garlic, lemon slices, parsley, and an olive oil drizzle, and have a cup of brown rice. It doesn't matter what kind of fish to me, but it's always down to these ingredients only. This is because they are heart-healthy. As far as calorie intake, these foods are naturally low in calories, but I always watch my intake. Also, I forgot to add but thanks everyone! :)

I play basketball, baseball, football I run with my dog (when weather permits it) I do push ups & crunches in my house 4 times a day. That's pretty much my workout routine. The thing you gotta do is not work out but follow a routine. otherwise nothing will be accomplished.