Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with health and exercise

Puff, puff, OWWWWWWW

Madamina — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:21:22 -0800

All my life I've had this problem when doing any sort of cardio activity: my throat can stand my breathing for about 15 seconds before it starts to burn like hell. I've tried breathing differently, asking for medical advice, drinking various beverages before/during/after working out... nothing. It's happened when I've been in better shape and when I'm a lazy slob. So I avoid cardio, which I have always desperately needed. How can I overcome this and work out pain-free? This proudly Amazonian fattie is joining the MeFi Fitness Challenge (hells yeah!) and must get a throat problem taken care of. I've seen this thread, among others, which lead me to think it might be some sort of exercise-induced asthma, but who knows.

Drinking water before or after the exercise doesn't really do much; neither does trying very hard to breathe through my nose instead of my mouth. I've brought it up with various doctors and fitness instructors, but nobody has given me even a hint of how to fix it.

I've historically also had respiratory problems (constantly running nose, infections like clockwork when the seasons change, strep throat loads of times when I was a kid), so I've considered having my tonsils out, but haven't had it done.

Because I work at the top of a large hill (and, in fact, DO walk uphill both ways when walking to/from work), having good cardiovascular health is important even if I don't lose weight/bulk. I've been avoiding it for the last six months, and even walking up it twice a day for four years has rarely made it any easier.

So are there things I can do to make running/elliptical/aerobic exercise less searingly awful? Are there particular exercises or activities that will promote good cardiovascular health while not making me breathe so hard? I feel like the slow recumbent bicycle gets me exactly nowhere.

Special consideration goes to stuff that won't make me bounce too much, as parts of me bounce enough already. Pounding joints = bad. (5'7", 240ish, top-heavy.)

I'm looking for a good set of free weights for my apartment. Any suggestions?

decrescendo — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:15:21 -0800

I'm looking for a good set of free weights for my apartment. Any suggestions? I'm looking to buy some free weights to use in my apartment. Does anyone have any recommendations?

I've seen PowerBlocks advertised before but I've never seen them in person.

Anyone have any ideas?

Or should I just finally suck it up and go to the gym? I seem to be avoiding that for some reason. I feel like I want to be a little more in shape before I take the gym plunge. Is that stupid?

Left biceps hurts on weightlifting noob. Now what?

nomadicink — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:08:08 -0800

Recently started lifting weights a few months ago. Now arm hurts, wtf? In the bid to get in shape, got a trainer, worked with him, did a lot of crossfit stuff, some weightlifting lessons. Have since left "class" and am lifting on my own for about 6 months.

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a dull ache in my left upper arm, in my biceps I think. It's not a fierce or sharp pain, just a dull ache that feels worse if I lift. I tried shifting down to a lower weights, say going from 195 on a seated press to 130 and that helps a lot but the ache is still there.

What should I do? Should I totally stop lifting with my left arm? If so, can I still do weights with my right? Do I visit a doctor? Like I said it's not sharp pain at all, mostly unnoticed as I go through a normal day, so it seems odd to visit a doctor. Is there some time frame about long I should lay off?

Mostly, I'm really kinda freaking out over starting to develop nice definition and form and losing that. Is there anything I can do to prevent that, while attending to the pain/ache?

YANMD/PT: How to maintain push-up-related fitness while recovering from hand surgery?

mccn — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:00:43 -0800

You are not my doctor or physical therapist. I am getting some minor surgery on my hand in a few weeks. (And I'll repeat the surgery on the other this coming year.) The surgeon stated it would be about 10 days before I could put my full weight on the hand to do things like push-ups (and probably, to get up from a seated position on the floor). I have recently been pretty out of shape, but started doing tae kwon do in September. Since then, I have graduated to being able to do 20 full-style pushups in a row, without a break, or 50-60 kneeling style (I'm a girl). I like having this facility, and it makes me feel better given how much work I still have to do in other areas.

If I purchase some wrist weights so that I'm not straining the hand, what kinds of exercises can I do so that I don't lose the muscle/endurance I've built up and have to start all over again? (For my next belt test, I have to be able to do 55 pushups/minute to pass - which would be about one month post surgery.) I tend to build muscle rather quickly, up to a point - but I also lose it fast.

When yr only havin' seconds, I'ma havin' twenty thirds.

orville sash — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:46:08 -0800

Why do I want to eat candy so badly? Over the course of the summer, I starting watching what I ate and exercising a lot. This has paid dividends in the form of losing about 15 pounds, feeling a lot better, looking a lot better, et. al. Ideally, I'd like to lost another 15 pounds, but strangely, I have recently (as in the last month or so) developed an overwhelming urge to eat candy all the time. and I mean ALL THE TIME. Everytime I see a candy bar, I start salivating. Its not that I'm not getting enough sugar, because I eat bananas and stawberries for snacks, but I've broken down a couple of times and gotten some really crappy food.

Why am I coveting all this shitty food?

How do I keep myself from eating it?

How Does Exercising Work?

AzraelBrown — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:37:36 -0800

The kids wanted to take skateboarding lessons and swimming lessons and use the climbing wall at the YMCA, so we got a family plan...now what can *I* do with it? I have, literally, never intentionally exercised. Last time I really did any "exercise" was 1990, sophomore year of high school, the last gym class I was required to take to graduate. I worked in carpentry a while, did odd-jobs that were physical (delivery, furniture assembling, etc.), so I was pretty fit into my twenties. Now, I'm 35, 5'10", 190lbs, and sit all day long in front of a computer, and recently had a high cholesterol test for which exercise and diet changes was advised. I've put on weight slowly, a couple pounds a year since I've gotten more sedentary, and I can tell I'm becoming un-fit. Yes, I've searched AskMetafilter for previous exercise advice, but it is all mumbo-jumbo to me.

This is the nearest YMCA, although I can go to either of the local ones; they say they have someone who can help using the equipment appropriately ("free orientations"), but they're not a personal trainer. I'm not trying to lose a lot of weight or build muscle: I'm just aiming for general healthiness, and since the YMCA is available to me, I'd like to use it. I don't expect anyone to hand me an exercise plan or go into great detail, but just put me at a starting point in the maze and a general idea of which way to go. I guess what I'm looking for is terminology, expectations, or direction -- how does intentional fitness happen?

Help me, O Exercise Gurus.

canadia — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:26:01 -0800

Burning calories while exercising: how important is how much effort you put into it? Does difficulty enter the equation, or is it all time and distance? Here's an example of what I mean: I've been riding my single gear bike to and from work for the past month on a route that is rolling hills that go as high as a 7% incline. It takes me about 40 minutes to get 5 miles, and I'm huffing and puffing for most of the trek. A few hours later, after standing on my feet all day, I turn around and bike home, which takes me roughly an hour. As I get more used to the ride and it becomes easier, does the amount of calories I burn drop, since my heart rate is no longer skyrocketing, or does it go up, since I'm going faster?

What counts as "moderate" exercise? Does all my heart-pounding biking count as "leisure," since I'm only going a total of 10 miles? Do calorie calculators take effort into consideration, or is "difficultly" measured by how fast you go in a certain amount of time, regardless of your heart rate?

Help me build an exercise routine.

so_gracefully — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:22:29 -0800

General advice in the area of finding my exercise/fitness niche? Good, structured DVDs or programs to try? I am a female in my mid-twenties, and I have never been too "sporty" or all that excited about exercising in general. I want to become excited about it, but I have not yet been able to find something that I really like or something that feels like it's working well for me. I also have no idea how to structure it so that I'm doing something that is definitely worthwhile, so I guess that's my main question--what can I add in to create more structure so that it's effective and simple to stick with?

Goals:
- Improve heart health, lose a little bit of weight, feel more connected to my body, strengthen my muscles and make myself less vulnerable to aches/pains in my largely sedentary job.

Limitations:
- Can't afford a gym membership or even yoga classes right now
- Don't really have any equipment, or access to any

Things I already know/like:
- I am working on the nutrition part, and that is going well.
- I like to try to challenge myself a little bit throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of elevators whenever possible, parking at the back of a parking lot to give myself more of a walk, etc.
- I have really loved yoga classes in the past, but the DVDs I currently own are very meditation-focused, and I want something more strength- and challenge-focused.
- I like walking and sometimes hiking; how can I incorporate them in a way that maximizes their benefits?
- I would love to be able to swim, but don't have access to a pool!
- I have been having fun playing Dance Dance Revolution. Dance-focused workout videos make me feel very defeated because I have some problems with coordination.
- I like to follow along with DVDs, and currently I have: some basic yoga videos, some basic pilates, cardio pilates (this is the one I enjoy the most). I am definitely looking for recommendations on good videos that are meant to increase overall strength and encourage weight loss, while being fairly simple and not complicated with a lot of intense dance moves!

Help us design a fair exercise competition!

bristolcat — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:27:46 -0800

Help us design a fair exercise competition! My cousin and I have both decided to put an effort into incorporating more exercise into our daily life. Instead of working toward some kind of tangible reward, we agree that competition would be a good motivating factor.

We are both women at nearly the exact same age (27) with very similar physical builds and goals. Our chosen exercises include a variety of things including bicycling, running (C25K), strength exercises and "leisure exercises" such as golfing or walking the dog.

In the past, we have tried doing a competition based on cumulative minutes spent at the gym, but this turned out to be somewhat lopsided when we found we had different levels of activity going head-to-head, such as forty minutes of walking and light strength exercises versus thirty minutes of intense cardio.

We like to record our efforts on a shared Google spreadsheet. How can we "score" our activities fairly? Would it make sense to have different tiers of exercises worth different points? What would the tiers be based on - something such as calories burned per hour?

In summary, we are looking for a way to compete for fitness based on effort, rather than weight-loss or achievements. Have you had a similar plan that was successful? How can we make this as fair as possible?

Thanks in advance!

How do you know when you are at a healthy weight?

seppyk — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 11:19:00 -0800

How do you know when you are at a healthy weight? I am a large-framed, 5'11" male that has been overweight for the majority of my adult-bodied life, starting when I was a teenager. At my peak, I weighed as high at 340 pounds reaching that point for a variety of reasons (anxiety, apathy, low self-esteem, genetics). At a certain point, I got fed up with the negative side-effects of being overweight and started dieting and exercise. After hundreds of miles of running and calorie restriction, I am currently at 224 pounds; approximately losing 1-3 pounds per week. I feel comfortable with what I have achieved and where I am headed towards.

I definitely have my Dad's gut along with a good amount of body fat that I would like to reduce. Based on the BMI as a generic, yet flawed benchmark, I think I would like to get down to approximately 170 pounds in order to tighten everything up, but I am unsure.

I have no perception as to what it means for me to be average weight or skinny, so I do not know when I should switch from a weight loss routine to a healthy weight maintenance routine. All I have to go by currently are numeric metrics (weight, body fat %, pant size, etc.) but I don't know how low is low enough for me.

For those who have been on a weight loss program of any type, how do you determine when you are finished with your regimen and what criteria did you use for that determination?

Idle hands are eating a devils food cake

abdulf — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:55:48 -0800

I have the opportunity to exercise in the morning, at lunch and in the evening. Does it matter if I do certain exercises in order? I have an hour to workout before work, around 7-8am in the morning. Then another hour at lunch from 12-1pm. Finally, I have about 2 hours in the evening, typically 5-8pm or 7-10pm.

This is about 5 hours a day, possible more, that I could be using to reach my fitness goals. Right now I use 1 hour of that time.

I already follow a 3 day a week lifting routine from a Men's Health book. That typically takes about 20 to 40 minutes. Once or twice a week I attend a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class in the evenings that lasts 45 minutes.

I could do this indefinitely (have been doing this for almost a year) but it's not helping me reach my goals of weightloss. It has helped me maintain my weight and it has improved my fitness levels, but that isn't enough. My goal is to reduce weight (I'm 25 years old, 5'10, 240lbs).

Can you point me to extended exercise routines for people with a lot of time on their hands? Maybe the routines used for Olympic athletes or "the biggest loser tv show"? The only exercise I hesitate to do a lot of at this weight is running for extended periods since it tends to cause pain in my shins and knees.

I know nutrition matters. The issue on the nutrition end is not daily things like sodas or cookies. Rather, it's things like eating an entire box of cookies out of boredom. Being aware of this problem, combined with burning that spare time staying physically active, I think, will help me with this.

Gimperobics

EatTheWeak — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:01:10 -0800

Please help me develop a one-legged workout. Last Wednesday, I broke my ankle - a distal fibula fracture. The doctor instructed me to not put any weight on the foot, to elevate it as often as possible and to avoid moving it in any way.

All good advice, but it does present a problem. Over the last year or so, I'd finally developed a workout routine that worked for me - lots of standing dumbbell and resistance band exercises, push-ups and situps, jump rope for cardio and lots of walking and biking. In short, all stuff that requires two working feet - a feature I won't have for about two months.

Thing is, I need my workouts - they keep my anxiety and depression at bay better than anything I've ever tried. I don't want to lose my fitness progress, either - this weight was goddamn hard to lose. But this injury has put just about my whole routine out of reach. Even sitting down for some concentration curls exerts forces on the bracing leg.

So, what do you think? I've accepted that I'm not likely to maintain the same level of intensity during my convalescence, but I don't want to become completely sedentary. How can I work out as much of my body as possible without moving my right leg or putting any weight on it?

Help my legs.

lpsguy — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 07:29:19 -0800

Help my legs. Is there any way to help my legs recover faster/better?

Here's my current activity level. I run three days a week at ~8 minutes a mile that gives me a 10 mile a week total. I play basketball (full-court, man-to-man with ex-college players most of whom are younger than myself) once a week for ~three hours a pop. I walk five days a week about 30 minutes a day (my commute from the train station to my office and back.) Oh, and I'm 52.

So, excluding the walking, that has me doing something four out of every seven days. And while there are rest days built in, I obviously have to do two of those days back-to-back.
Most of the time, my legs feel, well, heavy and tired. I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do to help them recover faster/better?

I should add that my diet is good. My weight is good. And I have no other restrictions. No knee or joint pain nor muscular pain beyond what could be normally expected for my workload.

My knee-jerk reaction is to shed weight. But I believe my body is at its comfortable set point and weight loss would be artificial. So am I missing something? Vitamins? Supplements? Or is this just probably what I should expect for a 52-year-old guy refusing to slow down?

How do I get my cardio fix without shrinking too much?

fructose — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:34:51 -0800

What are some good cardio workout videos for someone who is not trying to lose weight? I'm looking to get back in shape cardio-wise for my health, and like to workout at home with videos. I currently do Pilates and yoga, which are great for strength and flexibility, but don't really get my heart pumping. The only video I have that works well for this is a Cardio Pilates video, but it's pretty short and since I like to do Pilates other days, would like something different. It seems like all of the cardio videos I see at stores and on places like Netflix are geared toward people who are looking to lose weight/burn fat. I don't need/want to lose any weight, and I can't afford to burn too much fat (I've been slightly underweight/low body fat % my entire life because I can only eat small amounts of food at a time and have a fairly fast metabolism to boot, but I'm going to try to add a little more to my diet if I can handle it).

Any suggestions for cardio videos with 30 min+ workouts geared towards people who are mostly after the heart and lung benefits, rather than any sort of weight-loss goals?

I am definitely out of my element.

kerning — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:02:02 -0800

This whole exercising thing, how does it work? So I just turned 26, and I've decided that this is the year that I'm finally going to exercise on a regular basis.

The problem is that I'm pretty overweight and VERY out of shape, and I don't really know where to begin or what to do as the last time I exercised for real was in 10th grade gym class.

Right now I'm just walking on the treadmill at 2.5/mph with an incline of 2 for a half hour. Last night I pushed it up to an incline of 3 and it was not fun in the slightest.

The treadmill seems like a good option for me as a starter, but am I doing it enough? If I'm only walking, should I be working out everyday for an hour instead of the half hour? I hate seeing the number of calories I've burned at the end of 30 minutes because it just discourages me - I spent all that time and sweat for 200 calories? I've just started turning that aspect off and forgetting about it.

So is just walking for a half hour okay for now or should I be doing more?

Weight loss plateau normal?

paulg — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 19:11:23 -0800

I lost thirty pounds since September by calorie control (about three months), but I haven’t lost any weight in the last two to three weeks. I’ve heard that weight loss plateaus are normal, but what is the best way to continue my weight loss? If I continue the same calorie count, will I begin to drop weight again, or do I need to mix it up? I’m a 5’ 8” male who began at over 280 pounds. I’m under 250 pounds now, but I want to get to a healthy BMI. To do so, I need to drop at least another 40-60 pounds. I got to this point by reducing my calories to 1200-1400 per day. I haven’t begun any serious exercise regime, although I have been walking slightly more (20-30 per day). Do I need to further lower my caloric intake to restart my weight loss? Do I need to add exercise?

I’ve read some of the previous questions along this line (googled “site:ask.metafilter.com weight loss pleateu”) but most suggest that calorie count is more important than exercise. I was pretty heavily into weight lifting in high school and college, but was never into organized sports. I’m eating healthy foods now. I feel like--once I drop the weight--I can keep it off. I know exercise is important for cardiovascular health, but I feel like (at this point) I could easily get discouraged if, as a fat slug with no prior sporting experience, I had to join a soccer team. How far below 1200 per day can an adult male reasonably go?

Am I on the right track keeping to the 1200-1400 calories per day and little to no additional exercise, or do I need to refine my plan? What’s the normal time frame for a weight loss plateau? Maybe be I just need an “at a by; stick to it.” Thank you all.

How can I stay on this diet?

arniec — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:24:04 -0800

How can I stay motivated on a very long term diet/exercise/weight loss routine, and eventually convert it to lifetime maintenance? I have fought weight my entire life. My first diet was at age 5, controlled by my parents. I'm now 34, and starting yet another diet. I am morbidly obese and would like to lose at least 160 lbs, which will still leave me as obese but in far better health than I am now. (for my height, my BMI would be only "overweight" were I to lose 50% of my body weight)

I realize that most of my previous diets have been hampered by two things: reluctance to exercise for various reasons, and an inability to stick to the diet long term.

Currently for exercise: My wife and I have joined a gym and will be doing basic weight-loss cardio (exercise bike and treadmill). Our current goal is 60 minutes 4 times a week.

The diet, we have recently started the South Beach Diet.

Here is where my past failings have come in:

Exercise: I usually am gung-ho about working out for a period, then it becomes more reluctant. I finally find an excuse to miss one (weather, sickness, too busy) and the routine fails until I am paying for a gym club membership I don't use (or have a treadmill/exercise bike as a clothes rack), and then I cancel the membership.

Diet: I again start off gung ho, but I end up "cheating" on the diet for whatever reason. It usually involves eating out with wife or family or friends and just desiring food I shouldn't have. I then find that I don't gain as much as I imagine, or perhaps don't gain at all, which justifies more cheating on the diet, which then leads to fear of the scale, and then to a complete abandonment of the diet and weight gain.

Additionally, plateaus can be very frustrating and lead to quitting the diet, though I know they are a required part of weight loss.

I know my patterns, I've done them for almost 30 years now, time and time again. But I'm coming to the point where I am considering surgical weight loss options (which I know don't stick either without regular exercise and proper diet, and if I could keep to a proper diet and exercise regularly I wouldn't need the surgery). Additionally, my mobility is starting to be impacted by being obese for my entire life... I'm viewing this as a "must do, last ditch effort" to save my own health.

But I realize I'm looking at lifelong lifestyle changes, hard ones, and years and years of strict diet and exercise in order to lose the weight in the first place.

How can I stay motivated during this process? (You'd think the health problems, life extending, etc. would be enough but I'm an immediate gratification kinda guy....)

Help me mefites to stay motivated before I lose it this time.

Is my vegan diet causing memory and focus problems?

davathar — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:22:22 -0800

My diet is almost totally vegan. I can no longer think straight and my memory is getting worse all the time. I'm struggling to regain mental clarity and control. I'm not willing to give up veganism. But I need solutions. For the last three years I've been practicing a vegetarian diet that is almost totally vegan. I occasionally eat dairy and egg products when other people cook for me as a concession to the difficulty of cooking vegan without experience. That, and I love cheese.

My decision to practice a mostly vegan lifestyle is morally motivated by my feelings about animal treatment. So I don't plan to ever go back to eating meat or fish of any kind. And more and more I'm cutting out dairy and eggs as I prepare more meals at home and seek out vegan friendly restaurants.

The problem is that I've noticed that my mood, mental clarity, and energy levels are poor these last few years. And I noticed the same thing when I was vegetarian about 10 years ago, but my diet was quite loaded with bread and cheese back then, so I figured that accounted for it.

I can read the same paragraph 5 or 10 times before realizing that my mind was elsewhere the whole time and I don't remember what I've read for the last few pages. The feeling that comes with this is the same thing all day long in all activities. My days end up being like a scattered random series of events that I'm in control of, but don't always remember initiating.

My memory has gotten so poor that I can watch a movie that I saw just 6 months ago and absolutely know that I saw it and remember scenes after I see them happen again. But I can't remember anything about what will happen for the rest of the movie at any point. In my programming work I struggle to remember the names of functions and the structure of the framework I'm using, or the code I've written already. In the past I used to be able to remember whole stories in great detail and keep complex programming structures in my mind while I worked on them.

I'm in my head all the time.

My Diet:
I currently take Omega 3 supplement in the form of Flax Seed Oil with added vegan source EPA. I have a spoon full of Lecithin daily, usually with pulpy OJ that makes the lecithin granules almost disappear. I take a high quality but low dosage whole food vegan multi. I take a B complex. And occasionally I take C, B5, Magnesium, and Zinc supplements also.

I have about a cup a day of Soymilk and tofu maybe once a week. Though that will likely increase soon since I just got a Soymilk Maker to save on costs. I'm a little worried about all the contriversy about Excessive Soy consumption.

I do eat a lot of bread, and consequently a lot of Gluten and high starch food. A friend of mine only buys "Sprouted grain bread" saying that it doesn't have the same tiring effect on her after eating that more refined and non-sprouted grain breads do. That stuff is very expensive ($4 or $5 a loaf) though, so I haven't tried it at home.

Due to not living near a good source of fresh foods and usually eating single course meals, I don't eat a lot of greens or other fresh veggies. I eat cereal for breakfast every day. And I eat a lot of dishes with beans and rice. Usually it's black beans or chick peas. Onion and green pepper are about the freshest I get with veggies.

I drink about 6 beers a week (one or two at night occasionally) and a few times a year I might actually get drunk. I drink about 3 cups (8 oz)of coffee per day mostly to keep from getting withdrawal headaches and because I like the taste. I don't think it helps with my clarity. It may even hurt.

My activity levels:
I work from home and almost never leave except for shopping or dinner with friends.

My exercise habits are that a few times a week I'll do a few sets of push ups and maybe sit ups. I stretch almost every day. And I walk my dogs in the yard a few times a day for 5 or 10 minutes. I haven't worked up a sweat in months.

Stress:
I sleep well most of the time, getting about 8 hours a day on average. My schedule is mostly consistent but I take naps occasionally when feeling particularly down.

My business has been crushed by the real estate economy the last few years and the stress has been overwhelming at times. The business hasn't gotten better yet, but I've settled into a pretty constant stress level. My lack of energy combined with the stress often leads me to feel depressed and hopeless.

What I try already:
I've taken the strategy of isolation from friends and family and even business associates in order to combat the growing challenge of mental distraction that seems to consume entire days and weeks with almost nothing to show for accomplishment. In the process I've given up my personal homes, my vehicles except for an old van, and most of my possessions like my tools. I've broken up with two good girlfriends and resisted new relationships from forming. Thinking about all that adds to the feeling of depression. But if I regain control of my mental clarity, I expect it will be worthwhile and recoverable. And I'm not much help or fun to be around when I'm stressed and scatter brained anyway.

I'm at my most clear when writing something like this or writing to a friend or in my journal. But it's incredibly time consuming. I limit my writing so I don't end up doing it all day long.

I've dabbled with Meditation, but as with exercise I've lost focus to develop the habit and it's a rare thing for me to sit still doing nothing unless I'm going to sleep.

I have almost no emotional content to my feelings lately. I'm holding on to sanity for the most part. But the days are passing and I'm aging with nothing changing for the positive in my life. I only keep going on the hopes of something more interesting being around the corner. But daily motivation to do anything is such a struggle that it's seeming less and less likely I'll get over the hump to that more interesting life I've enjoyed in the past.

The major potential factors I see as being responsible for what I consider borderline schizophrenia and severe memory loss are Lack of Exercise, missing nutritional elements, and stress.

I'm trying to fight the stress by simplifying everything in life and removing the distractions so I can focus better and get back in control of my daily life.

I'm trying to satisfy my dietary needs while staying vegetarian, but there's so much conflicting information out there that it's confusing and I may be missing something critical.

Exercise is probably the area I have the most trouble with. I just never have the energy to "feel like" doing it. I know it's sort of a chicken or egg argument. But I find it so incredibly boring that it takes a ton of motivation to get me to even spend 5 minutes working out. And the whole time my mind is screaming out to be doing something productive instead.

The challenge:
I almost hate to waste the time of readers here with all of this. I feel like I already answered the question of how I can improve my clarity and get my brain back. Diet and Exercise. Just do it. Stress will take care of itself if I take care of myself... But there is obviously something missing. Every time I try to do something, I do it once and the next day I forget, or don't feel like it, or get distracted by something new to try.

How can I become consistent in doing something that works? What mental perspectives may work well enough to stick with this rattled brain long enough to develop good supportive habits? Are there any quick fixes in diet or otherwise that may help in the mean time?

Thank you.

Blood for Every Limb!

EatTheWeak — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 10:17:02 -0800

I'm looking for advice on how to improve my circulation. Hi AskMe! I'm interested in improving my circulation, and I'm hoping the hivemind might have some guidance for me in this matter. I know it is best to consult medical professionals in such matters, but doctors cost a damn sight more than a $5 lifetime membership charge.

Now, with my complete lack of medical knowledge, I reckon the most obvious answer is to increase my cardiovascular exercise. If that's the case, are there any workouts better than others for promoting a strong, healthy blood flow to every part of my body? Like, is jumproping better than cycling or what? I'm looking for specific exercises, if possible.

Are there any supplements or dietary changes that I might try to boost my circulation? How significant a role does hydration play? Any and all information you might have on how to get my blood pumping better is of great interest to me.

Thank you very much.

Help me work out my gym routine .

handee — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:59:22 -0800

I am getting to the end of my weightloss programme (62lb gone, 9 to go before healthy BMI), go to the gym 3+ times a week, and am wondering if I should consider optimising the gym part for something other than calorie burn. Exercise geeks, please read the more inside and give me some advice... Right now, a long gym session is 30m X-train, 15-30m stepper, 5m hand bike and 5m row, with 240 varied (straight, each side, legs up, sets of 30) situps twice a week for core stuff. I've been upping the "levels" and I now do the step and X-train on "hills" setting about level 12 so (looking over the shoulders of others) I figure I'm quite fit. But I don't do weights. The 5m on handbike and row is because I find them really boring, so I do short on high resistance rather than anything longer. Maybe once a week I swim a km breast stroke. Should I introduce resistance training? Why?

My aim is to be fit and to keep fit and to generally be healthier - I'm not interested in building bulk, and I'm not training for any event. I'm sort of worried about getting in a rut, but I quite like what I'm doing now.

Why am I so tired all the time?

decrescendo — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:20:56 -0800

Why am I so tired all the time? On weeknights, I go to bed between 10:30 and 11:30 usually. I attempt to get up for work at 6:45. I somehow always manage to get up 15 minutes late, too. It's honestly painful in the mornings to wake up when my alarm goes off. I don't remember it being this bad in high school.

I then do not eat breakfest. At work, I'm always exhausted. I'm always 90% falling asleep in meetings. Even after lunch, I'm tired but it's not like I really do anything physical at work. I sit behind a desk or in meetings all day. This tiredness just makes me feel like shit all day and I hate it.

Why can't I be the person going to bed at midnight, getting up at 6:30 and having energy all day? Is that easily attainable? I hate that I feel close to falling asleep all day. The older people don't have this problem, why do I? I'm 23 for God's sake.

Is it my eating habits? Is it that I haven't worked out in a while?

What practices have at the most effect on your health, for better or worse?

schroedinger — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:13:26 -0800

What are a few significant things you wish you did when you were younger that you believe would have helped better preserve your mental and physical health? What are a few significant things you did do in the past that you now see paying dividends? I know aging is a complex dance of genetics, childhood circumstances, diet, good habits, bad habits, and myriad other factors. I know where to find hard data about the positive effects of exercise, doing crossword puzzles, maintaining a social network, etc. As I lay out a "healthy life plan" in my early twenties, it would be great to know more personal experiences, whether they're of regret or relief, and to see if there's anything that would make me massively re-prioritize my efforts.

For example, do you attribute your great teeth to thirty years of flossing? Did running end up hurting your knees more than it helped your health? Do you you have inexplicable mental acuity in the face of a family history of deterioration because of a voracious book-reading habit? Do you wish you ate more vegetables or swam twice a week? Did the hip surgery pay off? If you could give your age (or approximate for privacy's sake) and the length of time you sustained the good or bad habits that would also be extremely helpful.

Help me lose the apples and pears - why do I have trouble losing weight?

wingless_angel — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:06:16 -0800

Help me lose the apples and pears - why do I have trouble losing weight? I'm nearly 30 and need to do something about the extra kilos I've packed on in the last decade. I am becoming very much an apple shape like the other women in my family - all of the weight I have gained is around my stomach, hips and back. Just like my mother and sister I have a belly.

I've probably gained about 15kg in 10 years (though I was underweight when I was 20). I gained about 7kg of this right after I had glandular fever at 20. I do a lot of walking (several hours per week) and cycling and this doesn't seem to make a difference. Last year I tried a gym, and my weight and size never changed over three months (and I was working out hard!). I was slender when I was a skater, but I don't get the benefits I once did from that as I don't have the stamina for crazy stomach crunching spins and jumps anymore. I don't swim as I'm a very weak swimmer and I find it uncomfortable due to my sinusitis.

I generally eat pretty healthily, drink a lot of water and green tea, but no change. I do get very full and swollen after my meals, and am prone to IBS type symptoms. Is there some non-exercise reason why I find it hard to lose weight? Or am I stuck with my genes?

Not looking for a magic bullet, just ideas on what I should do to be less of an apple!!

Long weigh to go

t0astie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:44:27 -0800

Have you, or anyone you know personally, every lost more than 20kg in weight – and kept it off for five years or longer? And what was your / their key to long term maintenance of the new healthy weight? I'm just curious. I know a couple of people who've lost recently shed substantial amounts of weight (20kg-plus) They've done it, as far as I can see, through moderate, health eating and exercise.

Lots of people who lose weight *do* put it back on. But that's not what I'm interested in.

I really want to know about people who've shed the kilos, kept the weight off for a long period of time - and what it was you/they did (or didn't do!) over a period of years, rather than weeks or months.

Set Point Blues

freshwater_pr0n — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:22:41 -0800

I have been trying, off-and-on, to lose five to ten pounds, or at least decrease my bodyfat percentage, but I've had no luck. I'm not overweight, but I would like to get back to the body weight I had ten years ago. I'm a pretty active person - I row several times a week, take Pilates classes regularly and hike at least one hour every day. I tend to eat fairly healthily.

When I fall into a rut and neglect my exercise routine or eat lots of junk food for two weeks, my weight doesn't go up appreciably. But when I stick to a 1500-calorie per day diet plan for two weeks, my weight doesn't go down at all.

Is there any way that I can convince my body to quit holding on to it's favorite weight of 118 pounds for dear life without starving myself, and maintain that lower weight once I get there?