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2007/03/23, 07:31 PM
Hello to all that will respond.
I am a 48 year old mother of five children. I have suffered from asthma most of my young adulthood and have been placed on predisone which cause me to gain a lot of weight through the years. I am now off the meds and am now a plump 140 at 4'11 inches. ( can you imagine?) I'm looking to make a major change in my life, (for me). I want to be a size eight again not a 18. I've just started eating right, vegetables,fruits and lean meats , lots of chicken (broiled) and fish. I'd say that I'm eating about 1200 cal a day. I have a treadmill at home that I try to walk on at least a half hour a day. I work two jobs and I find that joining a jym was a waste of my money because I could never get there.
What I am looking for is help getting to my goal. Along with some incouraging words; to keep me motivated,thanks in advance!
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2007/03/24, 09:15 AM
HI!
I have asthma, too, but not as severe as yours sounds. I do tend to have a yearly bout that is bad enough for prednisone, so I know how that sucks. But the fitter I get, the les my asthma acts up, so that is one motivating thing!
There is a great at-home, no-equipment exercise plan here. At the top of the screen look for 'Exercise Program' click on it and it will ask you about your goals, equipment and schedule then generate a plan for you. walking is great, but the addition of resistance training will yield greater results!
Welcome to freetrainers - stick around, read a lot, asl good questions and enjoy the journey!
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Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.
Thomas Carlyle
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2007/03/26, 02:08 AM
Hey lbwtus,
My mother has really bad asthma as well. Walking is good, especially if you have asthma, yet, asmimmer is right, you need to do some weight training as well. Building muscle increases your metabolism. Also, "Eat Clean". This means eating healthy, every 3 hours or so (normally comes out to 5-6 meals per day). Eating like this helps keep your metabolism consistent as opposed to the hyperbola effect with merely eating large meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which causes your body to work extra hard to try and metabolize what you've eaten, which your body can't do very easily. Some other tips: Stay away from anything that says "High Fructose Corn Syrup" in the ingredients. Studies have shown that since HFCS has come on the market (circa 1984), obesity has increased compared to what it was before then. Stay away from sweets (i.e. candy, cake, soft drinks, etc.). If you like soft drinks, drink diet. Splenda is a good alternative. However, don't drink a ton of diet soft drinks containing aspartame. In the past, some have complained of chest pains that they compare to a heart attack. They go into the doctor and the reason for their pains cannot be determined. It has been found that too much aspartame intake can cause pains such as this. Aspartame in large amounts, too often, can build up into aspartic acid poisoning. Aspartic acid is the poison found in fire ants, so, keep that in mind. Don't workout on an empty stomach. Take in some carbs at least 1 hour before. This helps to build up your glycogen levels making your workout more beneficial and less tired after you workout. After you workout take in some more carbs but especially some protein, to help build muscle, engage nutrient synthesis, and help in muscle recovery to prevent soreness. Drink minimal amounts of caffeine. Limit any saturated fat (I prefer none) to no more than 4-5g a day. Leave out trans fat (raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol). Try not to eat carbs after 7 or 8 pm. Your body is starting to slow down by then and has a tendency to convert the carbs to fat. Take in at least 15-25 g of fiber a day as well (cleans your body of toxins). Fish is good (or fish oil supplements) for EFA (Essential Fatty Acids, fats your body needs but can't make naturally). It raises good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. Take a good multivitamin (micronutrients). Eat sufficient macronutrients each meal (protein, carbs, fat, fiber). Hope this helps. This may seem like a lot, but you should now have a lot of ammo to get you started. You can do it! Let those of us engaged with ft.com help. Besides the wealth of knowledge you can receive from others, one of the best things about this website is the motivational support for you. Let me know if you have any questions. Go get 'em! Best of luck.
- Andrew
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HARDWORK SPOTLIGHTS THE CHARACTER OF PEOPLE: SOME TURN UP THEIR SLEEVES; SOME TURN UP THEIR NOSES; AND SOME DON\'T TURN UP AT ALL.
GOD GAVE US TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH; FOR THE SAKE OF HELPING OTHERS, USE THEM IN THAT PROPORTION.
Be good to your body, it is the only place you HAVE TO LIVE! STAY THE COURSE!!
Andrew Williamson,
Lieutenant Commander
U.S. Coast Guard
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2007/03/26, 02:27 AM
Hello again lbwtus,
Something else I was thinking about. Like I mentioned before, my mother has really bad asthma. Yet, she has had great success doing Qi Gong (much like Tai Chi). Like yoga, it helps flexibility and tightening your muscles because of the fluid motion and slow movements. Take a look at http://www.exercisetoheal.com/. The dvd's by Lee Holden are what my mother uses. You might find them rewarding with what you are trying to accomplish. Best of luck.
- Andrew:dumbbell:
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HARDWORK SPOTLIGHTS THE CHARACTER OF PEOPLE: SOME TURN UP THEIR SLEEVES; SOME TURN UP THEIR NOSES; AND SOME DON\'T TURN UP AT ALL.
GOD GAVE US TWO EARS AND ONE MOUTH; FOR THE SAKE OF HELPING OTHERS, USE THEM IN THAT PROPORTION.
Be good to your body, it is the only place you HAVE TO LIVE! STAY THE COURSE!!
Andrew Williamson,
Lieutenant Commander
U.S. Coast Guard
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