Speeding Up The Metabolism

[FurryFury]

*subscribes and takes notes*



I too need to get in better shape, up my metabolism and all that jazz.

I find it helps to have a buddy. I don't have a buddy. *sigh* To exercise with or bug you when you flake out. At the VERY least it helps me to have an accountability system.

I so need to get into better shape before I hit the beach or I'm going to be hating on my body the whole week.

It helps me to develop a habit. I need something I do everyday NO MATTER WHAT or I tend to miss one, two, three days and then a week and a month and yeah, it's bad.

I need to do what Netzach says and eat more often. I've gotten really bad about not eating but maybe twice a day and not eating much. I'm just lazy about it. I don't want to get up and go fix anything. I'd rather eat a cup of raw mini carrots, a pre cut salad, some pita and some hummus that fix anything KWIM?

The more water I drink the less other crap I shouldn't be drinking I drink. I don't like water but I can appreciate it when I'm thirsty enough. I always keep 1-2 bottles of water near me everywhere I go. That helps.

There has been some GREAT advice given on this thread! I'm really impressed and a little inspired. I just wish I still had an exercise Dom.

 

[graceanne]

I'd never heard about the eyelid thing. I just checked. Ugh, freakishly white. I look like something out of a horror movie!

I hope you enjoy your liver. I'm not sure I could stomach it unless it was disguised in something else, though I know it's a really iron-rich food. *Shudder* I have to admit that I'd love to see you chasing it with orange juice!

Yeah, you've scared me straight. I'll call the Health Center at school Monday and see if I can get hooked up with an appointment. It'll be my luck they don't even do blood tests, though, LOL. I promise to find someone who will before I get started heavily with this working on my body thing.

Holy freaken cow. YOu need to see a doctor. I know what you're talking about, the whole freakish white thing (been there, done that) and I ended up needing a blood transfusion I was so anemic. NO EXERCISING UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN A DOCTOR.

 

[FurryFury]

I'd never heard about the eyelid thing. I just checked. Ugh, freakishly white. I look like something out of a horror movie!

I hope you enjoy your liver. I'm not sure I could stomach it unless it was disguised in something else, though I know it's a really iron-rich food. *Shudder* I have to admit that I'd love to see you chasing it with orange juice!

Yeah, you've scared me straight. I'll call the Health Center at school Monday and see if I can get hooked up with an appointment. It'll be my luck they don't even do blood tests, though, LOL. I promise to find someone who will before I get started heavily with this working on my body thing.

I'm so glad to see you post this.

*HUG*

 

[BiBunny]

Holy freaken cow. YOu need to see a doctor. I know what you're talking about, the whole freakish white thing (been there, done that) and I ended up needing a blood transfusion I was so anemic. NO EXERCISING UNTIL YOU'VE SEEN A DOCTOR.

Yes, Ma'am.

I'm so glad to see you post this.

*HUG*

*Hugs back* No problem.

 

[graceanne]

Did you get to the doctors? How'd it go?

 

[BiBunny]

Did you get to the doctors? How'd it go?

Yep. And I'm a total idiot. That'll teach me to jump to conclusions next time, LOL.

My iron is basically ok. But, apparently, I had a MASSIVE inner ear infection that I had no idea I had. (Didn't hurt at all.) It was fucking with my balance and causing all that dizziness and light-headedness. The doctor looked in my ear and said, "Doesn't that BOTHER you?"

Nope. No idea it was there. Which is weird because every other earache I've ever had has been freakin' excruciating. Anyway, she gave me antiobiotics and something for the dizziness. I'm feeling better already.

 

[Feelfreetotouch]

Don't drink coke (cock optional) or juice. Eat smaller portions. Drink a lot of water. Go for a walk 20 min 3 times a week. Do some sit ups and pushups everyday.


It's that simple.

 

[catalina_francisco]

Don't drink cock...
It's that simple.

This is not simple and I am sure BB and a few others will second that!!

I am guessing you meant Coke.

Catalina

 

[Homburg]

Don't drink cock

Ignore this post. That is quite simply the worst advice ever. Cock is well known to produce anabolic and lipolytic reactions.

Cock is good for you.

 

[Primalex]

Let's see what other things I can add.

1) Don't dish your favorite meals for a "diet". Find a way to integrate them by reducing the calories.
For example:
You can make chili con carne out of meat loaf mix, ground beef or steak tartare. If you use steak tartare, you just cut down the calories by at least 1/3. If you then focus on corn and beans and less on the meat, you've got a fine meal that still tastes like what you did before. You can convert nearly every recipe into a lighter version without ruining the taste.

2) The negative effects of artificial sweeteners are nothing compared to the negative effects of the fat on your body right now. Better drink diet soda than normal one if it helps you to reduce your calories count.

3) If the weight drops too slowly for you, don't reduce your calories too much - instead increase your workout.

4) If you are hungry, you are doing something wrong.

5) I would go for swimming or just walking. Weight-lifting would be too boring for me. But pick whatever floats your boat. Any movement will be fine, even chores. Keeping yourself busy is the key.

6) I would recommend a food diary, too.

7) Don't use recommendations if you think they won't work for you, just because they worked for others; f.e. several small portions per day might work, but most often it will lead to several large portions instead, because overweight people have the habit to ignore the "i'm full" signal and wait for the "hey, if you eat more, you gonna look like the guy in Alien soon" signal. Check everything whether you think you can do it this way for the next 5 years. If you seriously doubt it, find an alternative.

 

[intothewoods]

Yep. And I'm a total idiot. That'll teach me to jump to conclusions next time, LOL.

My iron is basically ok. But, apparently, I had a MASSIVE inner ear infection that I had no idea I had. (Didn't hurt at all.) It was fucking with my balance and causing all that dizziness and light-headedness. The doctor looked in my ear and said, "Doesn't that BOTHER you?"

Nope. No idea it was there. Which is weird because every other earache I've ever had has been freakin' excruciating. Anyway, she gave me antiobiotics and something for the dizziness. I'm feeling better already.

Oh my gosh! Well, glad you went to the doctor!

This is not simple and I am sure BB and a few others will second that!!

I am guessing you meant Coke.

Catalina

Ignore this post. That is quite simply the worst advice ever. Cock is well known to produce anabolic and lipolytic reactions.

Cock is good for you.

Too freaking funny.

 

[BiBunny]

I'm sorry, but if I have to give up cock, I'm just going to have to die fat, happy, and thoroughly fucked.

But I will say that it might be easy to sit there and tell ME how to do it, but it's not so easy to put it into practice, either. I'm not known for my willpower at controlling my impulses (and overeating and being lazy are certainly impulses). But I have overcome things through sheer force of will before, and I'm going to try it again. Can't hurt, might help.

 

[intothewoods]

I'm sorry, but if I have to give up cock, I'm just going to have to die fat, happy, and thoroughly fucked.

But I will say that it might be easy to sit there and tell ME how to do it, but it's not so easy to put it into practice, either. I'm not known for my willpower at controlling my impulses (and overeating and being lazy are certainly impulses). But I have overcome things through sheer force of will before, and I'm going to try it again. Can't hurt, might help.

If it helps, I have horrible willpower too. I really think strategizing on how to get to those short term goals is the key. And posting here there everywhere about it helps. Support helps me.

 

[BiBunny]

My willpower gets much better when I'm mad. So I'm thinking when I don't feel like exercising or like getting up and cooking something healthy, I'll run through a list of all the things that make me angry. By the time I get to the end, I'll be ready to do whatever I have to do, LOL.

 

[Feelfreetotouch]

I'm sorry, but if I have to give up cock, I'm just going to have to die fat, happy, and thoroughly fucked.

But I will say that it might be easy to sit there and tell ME how to do it, but it's not so easy to put it into practice, either. I'm not known for my willpower at controlling my impulses (and overeating and being lazy are certainly impulses). But I have overcome things through sheer force of will before, and I'm going to try it again. Can't hurt, might help.

Once you make the change, it gets much easier. You can still have things you like, you just have to eat less of it. Try eating what you want but stopping halfway through. Wait 15 minutes and you'll notice your not hungry anymore. Your stomach will adjust and you'll feel full faster.

Example. I eat ice cream but I only have a small scoop. I eat dark chocolate but only a few squares.

 

[BiBunny]

Once you make the change, it gets much easier. You can still have things you like, you just have to eat less of it. Try eating what you want but stopping halfway through. Wait 15 minutes and you'll notice your not hungry anymore. Your stomach will adjust and you'll feel full faster.

Example. I eat ice cream but I only have a small scoop. I eat dark chocolate but only a few squares.

You do realize that the problem generally isn't overeating, right? I do it some, but not often. I usually find that I can't finish my meals.

The problem is that I have slowly let all this weight creep up on me. I went on Depo-Provera for birth control my sophomore year in college. I gained nearly 100 pounds on Depo, which, by the way, the doctors told me was NORMAL. How the fuck is 100 pounds NORMAL? It slows down your metabolism because it makes your body think it's pregnant.

The other problem has been my move toward a sedentary lifestyle. When I was in high school and lived at home with my parents, I rode my horses nearly every day. Two horses, three horses, four horses, however many horses I had at the time, I rode them at least 4 times a week. I also did lots of manual barn labor. Between riding that often and pushing wheelbarrows full of horsey crap around (and playing softball in the summer), I had some killer thighs and calves. I'm 5'9". I weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of 170-180 pounds. Yes, that's supposedly "overweight," but I was in the best shape of my life, and my horse-rider's thighs could leg press more than anyone on the football team, much to the boys' chagrin.

Now I'm nearly two hours away from my ponies, and gas prices are ridiculous. I don't get to ride and work like I want to. I'm off the Depo, but because I've been rapidly losing muscle tone and gaining fat stores over the last five or so years, my metabolism hasn't miraculously sped back up. I truly would live quite well in the Arctic with the way my metabolic system runs right now.

This is why I need to change the KINDS of food I eat more than the amounts. This is why I need a workout that will whip my ass on a regular basis. A short walk around the park won't do jack shit for my elephantine metabolism. I need something that wears me the fuck out, so I KNOW I'm getting results. If I can tell that I can walk up stairs with no problem that I couldn't climb two weeks ago without getting winded, I'm going to be more likely to stick with it, too. I need to be challenged, even if it's boring as hell, or I'm not going to do it. I need something HARD, so I can keep telling myself, "I can beat this." Plus, if I make food mistakes, my grueling workout will help compensate for them.

I have a question for Primalex, though. You know how you said, "If you're hungry, you're doing something wrong"? I've heard that many times before, but I'm not really sure how it works. How do I keep myself full without falling into the trap of eating too damn much? Green veggies and water? Or is there some great secret I'm missing out on here?

 

[Rosie_Riveter]

Bunny, a couple of thoughts:

Squats and push-ups go a long way for strength training. A small collection of weights is great, but you can do a lot without them. At least until you get much stronger.

The low carb/high carb thing is very personal (as Homburg said). I go nuts without carbs--so I eat a lot of veggies, fruit, and whole grains. If you don't eat a lot of refined carbs, your body will let you know how many you need, mainly by crumping if you don't get enough.

I don't eat meat so I get protein mainly from tofu, fish, and protein powder (separately, not all together).

You might think about taking smoothies/shakes to school--fresh fruit, protein powder, a little peanut butter, yogurt, some mix of carbs, protein and sometimes fat. I also cook up lots of veggies, puree them, and make veggie smoothies with protein powder and soy milk.

Yeah, with you on the water. I add a splash of juice, just a splash. It helps a lot.
But I've also found that water tastes a lot better if I'm not drinking diet soda all the time--previously my only form of liquid intake other than coffee.

 

[Homburg]

I'm sorry, but if I have to give up cock, I'm just going to have to die fat, happy, and thoroughly fucked.

But I will say that it might be easy to sit there and tell ME how to do it, but it's not so easy to put it into practice, either. I'm not known for my willpower at controlling my impulses (and overeating and being lazy are certainly impulses). But I have overcome things through sheer force of will before, and I'm going to try it again. Can't hurt, might help.

Laziness is not an impulse. It's an anti-impulse =P

You do realize that the problem generally isn't overeating, right? I do it some, but not often. I usually find that I can't finish my meals.

Big sign of metabolic crash. Honestly, you do not need caloric restriction at all.

I have a question for Primalex, though. You know how you said, "If you're hungry, you're doing something wrong"? I've heard that many times before, but I'm not really sure how it works. How do I keep myself full without falling into the trap of eating too damn much? Green veggies and water? Or is there some great secret I'm missing out on here?

That's one way. You can pretty much all the cruciferous veggies in creation and be fine. The big thing is eating more frequently. Eating once or twice a day will kill your metabolism. Eating before you get honestly hungry will help speed it up. I find it helped for me to look at the times each day when I wandered into the kitchen for a snack, and then eat something healthy somewhat before that to prevent that urge.

 

[intothewoods]

Oh, I dunno, I think it's fine to be hungry. I get hungry. I think that's good - my metabolism is working. It's time to eat! The key, as Homburg said, is not to eat only once or twice a day. Now that Mister Man has finally started eating breakfast AND lunch? He's actually hungry for each meal, and not gorging at dinner. I can already see the difference.

I don't think you need calorie restriction either. You need to eat regular meals to get your metabolism back on track. I've seen how huge that is with Mister Man. And then just as important is walking or doing something active. You've just got rev up that body again.

 

[Feelfreetotouch]

I recommended walking because it's not a good idea to jump into kick your ass workouts if your body isn't ready for it. Knee and back problems can happen quickly and easily if you try too much too soon.

Try wind sprints on grass. Not full speed but constant speed. Do 100 yards every 30 seconds. Do 10 to start. Good thing about this is that you're running at one location-- you don't have to worry about running miles away from your house and hitting the wall.

 

[BiBunny]

Big sign of metabolic crash. Honestly, you do not need caloric restriction at all.

This makes me happy.

 

[Homburg]

This makes me happy.

I went into metabolic crash two years ago because of caloric restriction. I lost a whole bunch of weight and starting losing strength. Did a lot of research and realised what was going on. I don't ever want to be in that state again, ugh.

 

[BiBunny]

I went into metabolic crash two years ago because of caloric restriction. I lost a whole bunch of weight and starting losing strength. Did a lot of research and realised what was going on. I don't ever want to be in that state again, ugh.

I'm going to go research it myself now. It wouldn't surprise me if that's why every time I try to restrict my calories, I end up passed out in the floor within a few days, though. Hmmm. I knew, knew, KNEW that low-calorie, low-impact-exercise bullshit they tell women to do was a large load of crap. I knew it!

 

[graceanne]

Yep. And I'm a total idiot. That'll teach me to jump to conclusions next time, LOL.

My iron is basically ok. But, apparently, I had a MASSIVE inner ear infection that I had no idea I had. (Didn't hurt at all.) It was fucking with my balance and causing all that dizziness and light-headedness. The doctor looked in my ear and said, "Doesn't that BOTHER you?"

Nope. No idea it was there. Which is weird because every other earache I've ever had has been freakin' excruciating. Anyway, she gave me antiobiotics and something for the dizziness. I'm feeling better already.

The last time I had an ear infection I didn't realize I had an ear infection until I lost all my hearing. Woke up one morning and couldn't hear shit. Same thing the doctor looked at my ears and said 'isn't this hurting'?

Example. I eat ice cream but I only have a small scoop. I eat dark chocolate but only a few squares.

You have an amazing amount of self control. I could never do that.

What works better, for me, is share. I get a candy bar and split it with my sister. I get a small thing of icecream and split it with K. That way it's not sitting there, calling my name in the middle of the night.

 

[graceanne]

I'm going to go research it myself now. It wouldn't surprise me if that's why every time I try to restrict my calories, I end up passed out in the floor within a few days, though. Hmmm. I knew, knew, KNEW that low-calorie, low-impact-exercise bullshit they tell women to do was a large load of crap. I knew it!

Doing that, long term, will screw up your metabolism permanently. Cause your body will know that you're starving yourself and slow down your metabolism so that you won't lose as much weight.

AND when you starve yourself all you lose is muscle, not fat. That's why you're flabbier. You know, you lose 10 lbs but it's all muscle. Then you gain back 5 but look flabbier. Why? Cause you just regained it in fat, not the muscle you lost.