2019 Fitness Adventures

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

The hardest part about giving up sweet tea is getting accustomed to the actual taste of tea as opposed to the sugar. Once you start developing taste for the actual tea it opens up your options for drinks quite a bit with the different flavors of herb and green teas.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

What apps do you guys use? Whether its for routines, tracking, nutrition, etc.

I personally don't use any apps but most people I know are either Fitbit or Apple watch people. I'm too primitive/lazy for that stuff.

I think I’ve been scared straight.

My lab results from my check up weren’t great. Decided it was time to get serious. Hit the gym every night this week. Zero soft drinks and zero sweet tea this week (a major accomplishment for me). Lots of salads and grilled chicken. Got a long way to go but I already feel better.

It's always good to transition to a more healthy lifestyle, and obviously you should be congratulated for your efforts. I think the thing is to pace yourself, though, and make sure you are making changes gradually that are sustainable.

In the long run, it won't matter if you went super-clean on diet and worked out like a maniac for 2 weeks straight, then went back to whatever you were doing before. It will, however, matter a great deal if you have started eating a little healthier and started working out relatively consistently (say, 3-times-a-week) for an entire year or two.

Fitness is a long-game, at which we're all always 2 runs down in the bottom of the 7th inning. But all of us have a lot of good hitters coming up to the plate, so hope springs eternal!

[tdawg3782]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

What apps do you guys use? Whether its for routines, tracking, nutrition, etc.

I use the 5x5 Stronglifts app for workouts (obviously that's for a very specific routine). I also have a Fitbit but I don't track nutrition on it because I eat pretty well for the most part and am not worried about it for the time being. I just like it for the HR/Resting HR info and the sleep tracking mostly. I'm on my feet for 8.5 hours a day at work so I usually walk 25,000-30,000 steps a day lol.

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[LowerWolf]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

The hardest part about giving up sweet tea is getting accustomed to the actual taste of tea as opposed to the sugar. Once you start developing taste for the actual tea it opens up your options for drinks quite a bit with the different flavors of herb and green teas.

So true. You don't realize just how much sugar they put in there until you get away from it for awhile. I've gone to CFA a couple of times this week and gone for unsweet tea with no sweetener. It's really not that bad.

In the long run, it won't matter if you went super-clean on diet and worked out like a maniac for 2 weeks straight, then went back to whatever you were doing before. It will, however, matter a great deal if you have started eating a little healthier and started working out relatively consistently (say, 3-times-a-week) for an entire year or two.

Also very true. I slacked off at the gym over the fall. I started going more consistently in January, now I'm trying to pick it up a bit more. The diet, and especially the soda/sweet tea addiction, will be the bigger challenge for me.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

So true. You don't realize just how much sugar they put in there until you get away from it for awhile. I've gone to CFA a couple of times this week and gone for unsweet tea with no sweetener. It's really not that bad.



Also very true. I slacked off at the gym over the fall. I started going more consistently in January, now I'm trying to pick it up a bit more. The diet, and especially the soda/sweet tea addiction, will be the bigger challenge for me.

What worked for me is to pick 1 thing that I could do that would have a decent impact and try to stick to that. I mean, if you have the willpower to go balls-out on stripping all sugar and sweets and unnecessary carbs from your diet for the long-haul, obviously that's great. But for most people (myself included), there's no way I can get that to work over any appreciable length of time, short of stranding me on a desert island for a year.

So the 1 thing I picked was to try to limit soda/sweet drinks to once-a-week, or less if possible, and replace it with water or some significantly lower sugar drink. It surprising how much that alone makes a difference (if you're a regular soda drinker), and it's actually pretty easy to accomplish. I don't really miss it all that much, and on the relatively rare occasions that I have a hankering for a soda, I'll just go drink one, because I know I'm doing it less than once a week.

Anyway, different strategies work for different people. The key is to find something you think you can maintain over the long-run. It might take some trial-and-error, but so what? Whatever you try isn't wasted effort, and isn't a failure. It's just 1 step closer to finding something that works.

[LowerWolf]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

My eventual plan is to "reward" myself with a Coke at the end of the week if I've had a good week health-wise.

I probably drank more sweet tea than anything, but I've adapted to unsweet. In theory, I just need to keep moving forward there and not look back. It's starting to not feel weird when I grab a bottle of water while gaming/watching TV.

[T_Ramifications]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I've always felt like I was too skinny and so I've made it my goal to start gaining weight in terms of muscle mass. I'm starting to track my calories and to possibly meal plan as well. I've also made it a point to start going to the gym at least 3-5 times a week.

[Smallville102001]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I have seen a few people bring up the soda thing and I have heard that it makes a big difference on its own but I am more addicted to soda than any thing and dont want to give it up. I normally drink 1 a day some times 2 but like 90% of the time one but if I go one day with out it I crave for it and I dont drink tea or coffee and I get tried of just drinking water all the time. I still drink water a lot of water but I need something else darn it. Sure wish soda wasn't so addictive.

[pietasterp]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I have seen a few people bring up the soda thing and I have heard that it makes a big difference on its own but I am more addicted to soda than any thing and dont want to give it up. I normally drink 1 a day some times 2 but like 90% of the time one but if I go one day with out it I crave for it and I dont drink tea or coffee and I get tried of just drinking water all the time. I still drink water a lot of water but I need something else darn it. Sure wish soda wasn't so addictive.

Yeah, it's tough as hell, no doubt about it. If it's something you want to try, though, maybe start very modestly - instead of worrying about the day-to-day (which is really a set-up for failure), think of it in terms of sodas per week. For starters, try to drink 1 fewer soda a week. That's a modest goal but probably reasonable to start. Then see how it goes and go from there.

Alternatively, you could find somewhere else to cut out sugar from your day-to-day. Doesn't have to be soda, if that's your weakness. I think whatever you try, though, is worthwhile.

[mattsb84]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I have seen a few people bring up the soda thing and I have heard that it makes a big difference on its own but I am more addicted to soda than any thing and dont want to give it up. I normally drink 1 a day some times 2 but like 90% of the time one but if I go one day with out it I crave for it and I dont drink tea or coffee and I get tried of just drinking water all the time. I still drink water a lot of water but I need something else darn it. Sure wish soda wasn't so addictive.

Its not addictive, break the cycle. Quick 'did you know'; soda makes for good engine de-greaser. Let that sink in. Imagine what thats doing to your stomach lining/digestive tract.

If you want to make a change, stop making excuses for why you dont want to/cant, and make the change. Be as consistent as you can. Start small. Go a week without soda, then 2, then a month, then 2 months, etc. You will see a difference.

Try something like nuun with carbonated water. Not exactly soda, but its close and its not destructive. Just be aware that you still need to drink plain ol water as well. Black coffee/tea are also fine if you need a kick of caffeine.

[Smallville102001]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I need to get back into working out. The last like week has been hard. I dont want to like take up this thread to much but I made a thread about Grieving and lose that goes more into detail if you want to check it out. But in just the last week I have been eating a lot of sugar and a lot of just unhealthy foods like pizza and in just that week I have gained like 2lbs. Sure is easier to gain it than lose it lol.

[Smallville102001]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

Its not addictive, break the cycle. Quick 'did you know'; soda makes for good engine de-greaser. Let that sink in. Imagine what thats doing to your stomach lining/digestive tract.

If you want to make a change, stop making excuses for why you dont want to/cant, and make the change. Be as consistent as you can. Start small. Go a week without soda, then 2, then a month, then 2 months, etc. You will see a difference.

Try something like nuun with carbonated water. Not exactly soda, but its close and its not destructive. Just be aware that you still need to drink plain ol water as well. Black coffee/tea are also fine if you need a kick of caffeine.

I beg to differ about it being addictive has 1 day with out it and I crave it. What would you call that? Oh that is true I saw some kind of video before where soda was like used to clean something. I dont like coffee and tea and that is part of it to I still drink a lot of water but water is so tasteless its like I need something with some taste to drink and like un less you make juice your self they all have a lot of added sugar to. lol the carbonated water thing is funny because I see a lot of people that drink a lot of that and I always think to my self do they ever drink plain water because the body needs a lot of just plain water.

[mattsb84]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

I beg to differ about it being addictive has 1 day with out it and I crave it. What would you call that? Oh that is true I saw some kind of video before where soda was like used to clean something. I dont like coffee and tea and that is part of it to I still drink a lot of water but water is so tasteless its like I need something with some taste to drink and like un less you make juice your self they all have a lot of added sugar to. lol the carbonated water thing is funny because I see a lot of people that drink a lot of that and I always think to my self do they ever drink plain water because the body needs a lot of just plain water.

I wouldn't drink carbonated water all the time, it can cause gas (obviously, its carbonated), particularly when training, but it could be an alternative for you to use.

What you're describing is a habit, which you can change through repetition/re-programming. If you drop caffeine completely, you will get minor withdrawal effects, but those subside after a few days. Me personally, I enjoy black coffee, so i dont see myself dropping that, its low calorie, and wakes me up. Plus its not really all that bad for you. There's no upside to drinking soda long term. I dont think theres any research out there saying, "Yeah, you should drink soda". That said, its your goal, you chose to single out soda (its a good decision btw), so if thats not something you think you can conquer, you should look elsewhere to cut calories. Do what you think you need to do to hit your goal.

[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

There are plenty of flavored water options - many of them with zero calories or fairly close to it. Herbal and green teas, too. They're essentially flavored water anyway.

[KG]

Re: 2019 Fitness Adventures

What apps do you guys use? Whether its for routines, tracking, nutrition, etc.

I just use the apple watch fitness. My buddy uses the Under Armor app and it has some really good metrics but I don't want to use two separate apps and I compete with a lot of my buddies with the apple watch fitness app.

I used to log all of my food in myfitnesspal but once I started feeling and looking like I wanted to I stopped. It's a good way to really track your macros if you're into that.

I beg to differ about it being addictive has 1 day with out it and I crave it. What would you call that? Oh that is true I saw some kind of video before where soda was like used to clean something. I dont like coffee and tea and that is part of it to I still drink a lot of water but water is so tasteless its like I need something with some taste to drink and like un less you make juice your self they all have a lot of added sugar to. lol the carbonated water thing is funny because I see a lot of people that drink a lot of that and I always think to my self do they ever drink plain water because the body needs a lot of just plain water.

Sugar and caffeine are def addictive. Hell, they're probably two of the most addictive substances in the US. You withdraw from those two and like you said, you'll def have headaches and maybe some nausea.

Yeah I'm pretty much all regular all-the-time but every once in a while if my stomach is upset I'll drink some ginger ale. I do love carbonation though (beer, flavored water, ginger ale) so I'll have some flavored water but I workout in the morning and only do coffee before I workout.