is this a good idea or am i mad?

toodelies

Hi everyone,

i have a question.. i hope this is the right forum (want a girls view rather than a fitness fanatic so didn't post over there!) but please feel free to move if not...

ok I need some motivation to lose weight. basically if i am left to my own devices i will stay on the couch watching "friends" reruns forever! i moved in with my OH a year ago and its been seriously downhill weightwise. i used to live with a girl and we used to go walking at least three times a week and we were great at motivating each other on eating healthy etc - i was really healthy and sorta skinny then. the OH is naturally tall and skinny and has quite a physical job so he doesn't appreciate being dragged around the block for walks... (GRRR!).

so my question is: do you think it is a good idea to sort of advertise for a "diet/fitness buddy" - some one that would be available a couple of evenings a week to meet up and go for a walk with and discuss how we're getting on dietwise? i lost my job and have taken a massive wage cut in the new one so i can't afford the gym (i hated it anyway) but i love walking.. i just can't seem to motivate myself into doing in though. or would it be a bit nuts? i can't make up my mind!

opinions?

thanks a million!

Rayven199

Thats a cool idea, having an exercise/diet buddy, wish I had one!! I know exactly how you feel, I moved in with my OH about 9 months ago and the weight started going up. Lately I have taken to going for a 10-20 minute jog at night with our dog and trying to cut down on the crap I eat, I work in an office so don't get much exercise in here!
I'm sure that there are others in the same boat as us and i would say you would find someone if you looked!

Macha

No friends you could go running with, etc?

Try this website [url]www.stickk.com:[/url] you might find it useful.

Sinall

I have thought about this too and think its a great idea! I love walking too and would be much more motivated if I had someone to go with. The time passes more quickly too.

toodelies

taconnol - don't have any friends that live near me so thats that one out, had thought of that! thanks for the link though, i will check it out.

Rayven, i wish i had a dog. i think that would sort all my problems out as i'd feel bad if i didn't take him for a walk - no talking the OH into that one though...

thanks for the replies guys.

Sinall

toodelies if you lived near me we could go walking! Will PM you....

toodelies

Sinall that would be mega! i hope you live near me now... will save me having to prostitute myself over in fitness (scaarreedd at the thought!). looking forward to your PM

ztoical

Not a mad idea at all, have thought about doing it myself. I tired doing it with some friends but we could never work out a time that suited us - mornings suited me and evenings her and I ended up slacking and using it as an excuse. I think having someone that you know just for working out with your more likely to push each other and get results.

My mum did something similar for playing golf, she looked for golf buddies to play with as none of her friends played and she actually made some really great friends out of it.

mink_man

good!!

itsallaboutheL

toodelies wrote: »

Sinall that would be mega! i hope you live near me now... will save me having to prostitute myself over in fitness (scaarreedd at the thought!). looking forward to your PM

we don't bite!!..... much:pac:

MJOR

good on ya girl!

valery

if all else fails you could consider an exercise dvd, as long as you keep doing the exercises they really work and the bonus is you do it when you want. if you go down that road let me know and i will post you a few titles i find good.

Khannie

toodelies wrote: »

(want a girls view rather than a fitness fanatic so didn't post over there!)

For what it's worth: I think having a fitness buddy makes a HUGE difference. Myself and a friend go to the (company subsidised) gym at lunch and he's been injured recently....well....I've found it very hard to get up off my bum and go tbh.


edit:

toodelies wrote: »

will save me having to prostitute myself over in fitness (scaarreedd at the thought!).

Jaysus. Is the fitness forum really that scary? (serious question...cos if it is, I'd like to change that somehow...apologies for the off topic)

Maddison

Ill join you too if you all live near me...mabey we should start a boards walking club....I might actully bite the bullet & get married next year so want to be a skinny minny....depends on finances & how drunk I get(hoping for a Las Vegas shindig)

sillyputty

Back at Easter i took the plunge and got out and went for a walk.

I did this consistently every other day for about a month always at around the same time and seemed to bump into the same person around half way through my walk, never took any notice as i had headphones on.

About 6/7 weeks of meeting this person and just nodding politely as our paths crossed one evening she stopped me and asked if i would be interested in meeting up and walking together from the same point, after the randomness of this request subsided i decided sure why not, my ipod wasn't much company.

Next night we met up, found out she is doing it to lose weight her wedding - to which i am now invited. We walk 4 nights a week around 4/5 miles a session my weight loss has been very noticeable.

There is great motivation in knowing someone is waiting for you to show up plus it helps to have a pacemaker to make sure you are not just out for a leisurely stroll and doing some real exercise.

Go for it OP, Im not sure what i'm going to do when she gets married because she doesn't think she will keep it up, i just hope i have the motivation to continue, i really want to lose another good bit.

Khannie

Maddison wrote: »

mabey we should start a boards walking club

Nice idea there.

ztoical

The idea of a boards walking club or a find a gym buddy forum sounds good, maybe a sub forum of fitness?

Khannie wrote: »

Jaysus. Is the fitness forum really that scary? (serious question...cos if it is, I'd like to change that somehow...apologies for the off topic)

I wouldn't say scary but alot of people take their work outs very serious and I think newbies can worry about saying something wrong and making themselves sound silly.

Ginny

Khannie wrote: »

Nice idea there.

Deffo, propose a forum/sub-forum and you'll have my vote plus I'm guessing a load more too!!
I go to the gym with my OH but I was injured for a while then he was and its so hard to get back into it, plus is so much easier to cry off when its your OH...:D

Clare Bear

Would definitely be up for something like this! Lovely beach walks out my way, I hate walking on my own so always trying to drag someone out with me, my boyfriend would be very happy to get rid of his walking duties

neuro-praxis

Khannie wrote: »

Jaysus. Is the fitness forum really that scary? (serious question...cos if it is, I'd like to change that somehow...apologies for the off topic)

Yes it is scary. A lot of the regular posters are consistently harsh and aggressive.

There are also a lot of extremely helpful and friendly posters, such as yourself.

herya

Mmm a walking club... sounds great! Anybody in Dublin 14/16/18?

herya

Khannie wrote: »

Jaysus. Is the fitness forum really that scary? (serious question...cos if it is, I'd like to change that somehow...apologies for the off topic)

I wouldn't say it's scary but it's very gym/weightlifting oriented so if you ask about anything "lighter" like walking or toning you'll get free weights recommendations!

Corb

Great idea.

Khannie

Thanks for the honest feedback on the fitness forum (apologies again OP for the slight hijack there). I'm away with work at the moment (so not online much) but I might get back to ye on the walking club thing (or someone can just fire ahead and start a thread). I think it's a really good idea, though I'd have some mild safety reservations I'm sure they could be overcome with some cop on.

edit: of course it doesn't have to be a fitness forum thing either....if y'all think it'd be better to start it up in tLL then fire ahead by all means.

itsallaboutheL

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Yes it is scary. A lot of the regular posters are consistently harsh and aggressive.

There are also a lot of extremely helpful and friendly posters, such as yourself.

And there's some really annoying posters too:rolleyes:;)

Could TLL have a Ladies Fitness Sub-Forum??
or would that be sexist or some-such?

Maddison

Or a Fitness 4 Beginners type of thing where people that are finding it difficult to motivate themselves/have got into bad eating/exercising habits & are looking to start off lightly. I went walking with one of the lads in work around the Phoenix park...we started at the Garda HQ and I made it as far as the far side of the park but I ended up with the biggest blister on the back of my foot so I made him run back over to the other side to get my car:o Now that was embarrasing!! Starting off lightly, mabey taking longer walks by the week...then we could all help motivate each other....Im in D11 If anyone else is in that area. We should try get a poll up(Ive no idea how to) with area codes & who would be up to it....Remember safety in numbers people especially If we are going to do evening walks.

herya

devereaux17 wrote: »

walking will do nothing for you, you need to have a much more harder workout. walking is for old people.

That's not true, I lost a stone in 3 weeks when I went to Amsterdam - from nothing but walking and sighseeing for a couple of hours everyday (I absolutely loved to sample their great foods, no special diet of any kind). It crept up again in the following years though and I'd love to lose it for good!

Maddison

devereaux17 wrote: »

walking will do nothing for you, you need to have a much more harder workout. walking is for old people.

Really....well why do doctors recommend it then?? I lost 5 stone within 8 months I went to the gym 6 nights a week but in all that time I walked for miles every day. Irish Heart Foundation recommend it also.

devereaux17

never. maby if u were a very fat person walking will have advantage but really a hard 20 minute run with lots of weights is the best way to get toned up for female.

Maddison

devereaux17 wrote: »

eh hello im a fitness and nutrition expert i think i know a little bit what im talking about:rolleyes:

walking is a nice pastime, and its great and wonderful but it won't do anything really once your body gets used to the routine.

I bet rolling your eyes gets you plenty of custom:rolleyes: Your mannerisms leave a lot to be desired.
I could show you before & after pics that would make you eat your words.

I walked every single day for 8 months & the weight continued to fall off me....then when I lost all I could lose I began to tone up.

neuro-praxis

itsallaboutheL wrote: »

And there's some really annoying posters too:rolleyes:;)

Well, you know how to solve that problem. Ignore list.

Maddison

Got this from weightlossforall.com

Walking is not only a great exercise for maintaining health its also one of the best exercises to help control weight. Many people trying to lose weight often perform an exercise they believe burns more calories and wonder why after a few weeks they hardly see any results. Permanent fat loss will take time, even though calories do count its not just about burning as many calories as possible, especially during the beginning stages of weight loss.

To lose fat weight its vital to start off with an exercise that will help burn fat directly, one which also helps to slowly develop fitness levels so that higher calorie burning exercises may be performed later on in the program in order to speed up weight loss. Walking is probably the best exercise to start losing permanent weight.

Even though a walk won’t burn lots of calories just look at the positive benefits of walking:

*

Higher percentage of body fat burned
*

Increase health & fitness
*

Boost energy levels
*

Decrease in health risks

Jules

devereaux17 banned for 3 days for breach of charter and derailing thread.

jules

Maddison

Thank you soooo much Jules.....felt so many swear words building.

Jules can you do up a poll for us....we would like to see what areas people are in that would like to set up the walking group.

Thanks:D

Parsley

That guy's 17 and repeating his leaving cert. And a pretty bad troll.

Anyways, having a training partner is so much better than trying to work out alone. Times you'd be thinking 'screw it i'm tired' or having a case of the mondays they'll be there to give you a kick up the arse. As well as that, the discipline of having to be a certain place at a certain time to meet up keeps you on your toes and stops you slipping up. Good luck with it!

Khannie

Mods, if you wouldn't mind, could you delete the crap? This actually was a really good thread until it got derailed.

Ok...I just want to address some of the crap that muppet has been spouting....

devereaux17 wrote: »

walking will do nothing for you, you need to have a much more harder workout. walking is for old people.

Walking is not for old people. I walk around 5K every day and I consider it an important part of keeping my weight down. Also, if you're unfit or just starting out trying to change your lifestyle, walking is a great place to start IMO. It's easy to build up a sweat if you keep your pace reasonable.

In terms of calories burned, walking burns nearly as many calories as jogging the same distance (i.e. if you walk 5K or jog 5K you're burning a similar number of calories).

Once you've been walking for a while, it is worth looking at other exercise if you want to increase your overall fitness, but I couldn't recommend regular walking more as something that helps to control weight.

Other advantages walking has:
It doesn't require any equipment
It gets you out and about
It's very easy to incorporate into your normal day (e.g. walk to work instead of getting the bus, or get off two stops early, or walk to the shops and carry the shopping back, or park the car further away from the supermarket, or use the stairs instead of the lift, or whatever).
You're not going to be a filthy sweaty mess after it (unless you want to be)
and so on and so on

Xiney

I won't delete the posts but we will continue the thread as intended.

Walking is good, having a fitness buddy is good too. Finding a fitness buddy on the internet is a great idea

Maddison

I think another idea would be that If we vary where we walk also ie. one week we can do howth walks another week Malahide walks, then Phoenix Park...I found when I was walking that If I took the same route everyday I would get bored so If we can vary It we will get to see different scenery on our walks. I suppose this is okay for people that drive, I would be willing to collect anyone that lives Northside??

Maddison

Oooh and thought of another one!!!I know we will all have our own personal goals which may be weight loss/maintaining weight/ trying to get fit. But I know that I would like to run the Maranthon next year, have always wanted to do It but never had anyone that would be willing to come along so If anyone wants to do it with me-Happy Days:D

Dutchie_in_DUB

Maddison wrote: »

Oooh and thought of another one!!!I know we will all have our own personal goals which may be weight loss/maintaining weight/ trying to get fit. But I know that I would like to run the Maranthon next year, have always wanted to do It but never had anyone that would be willing to come along so If anyone wants to do it with me-Happy Days:D

This sounds like a great idea. Been trying several things myself, aerobics, gym, dance. But really miss the interaction with others from when I was playing teamsports. Many of my friends do go to gyms (awkward times) or live a bit away from me. Would love to join yourselves if you are anywhere near me? Could you maybe keep me updated on this, cause walking with someone is so much more fun and motivating. Thanks a mill and just send me a personal message if you want.

Joey the lips

Get intouch with a leaflet company. Deliver leaflets and make money while you walk!

itsallaboutheL

neuro-praxis wrote: »

Well, you know how to solve that problem. Ignore list.

I can't put myself on an ignore list!!


@ Joey... what i ginormously brilliant idea!

all_smilz

Joey the lips wrote: »

Get intouch with a leaflet company. Deliver leaflets and make money while you walk!

just make sure u arent delivering leaflets for chineses/pizza delivery and junk food- not only will you be tempted but you;ll also be tempting loads of people like me- i got a flyer from Hillbillies today- i SWEAR the walk from the letter box to the bin felt like 10 miles!

itsallaboutheL

all_smilz wrote: »

just make sure u arent delivering leaflets for chineses/pizza delivery and junk food- not only will you be tempted but you;ll also be tempting loads of people like me- i got a flyer from Hillbillies today- i SWEAR the walk from the letter box to the bin felt like 10 miles!

i can haz breast in a bun?? nyom nyom

Trinity

Khannie wrote: »

For what it's worth: I think having a fitness buddy makes a HUGE difference. Myself and a friend go to the (company subsidised) gym at lunch and he's been injured recently....well....I've found it very hard to get up off my bum and go tbh.


edit:


Jaysus. Is the fitness forum really that scary? (serious question...cos if it is, I'd like to change that somehow...apologies for the off topic)

Yes!!!!

Nah there are some lovely people (G'em for one) and the advice is amazing however for lazy couch potatoes like me it can be intimidating at first like walking into a gym alone, you are imagining super fit buffed up bods and your sitting there typing with your flab hanging over your jeans feeling lazy and totally out of your comfort zone especially when you have no clue about healthy diets carbs etc. when its something you feel you should know about, your own body!

Most people over there really know their stuff but if you are serious about it then i guess you have to work and learn, its the 1st step is always the hardest.


Back on topic yes its a great idea. I am a lazy biatch, spend hours moaning about my weight and months later i still have not moved but i know if i had a 'walking date' i would show up

Maddison

Rite Trinners we begin tomorrow.....whos up for it(Northside of the Liffey or those at least brave enough to venture over to the dark side mwah ha ha ha*feeble attempt at an evil laugh*)

Trinity

Maddison wrote: »

Rite Trinners we begin tomorrow.....whos up for it(Northside of the Liffey or those at least brave enough to venture over to the dark side mwah ha ha ha*feeble attempt at an evil laugh*)

Back to the age old problem, who de hell is gonna mind de kids

would take more planning for me i'm afraid now i am all on me lonesome

herya

Maddison wrote: »

Rite Trinners we begin tomorrow.....whos up for it(Northside of the Liffey or those at least brave enough to venture over to the dark side mwah ha ha ha*feeble attempt at an evil laugh*)

All the fun is on the Northside again! :cool: Southside anyone?...

Maddison

Well how about we meet in the middle...the phoenix park is half north & half southside is it not?

g'em

Khannie wrote: »

Mods, if you wouldn't mind, could you delete the crap? This actually was a really good thread until it got derailed.

Deleted because frankly I don't want gobshytes like that giving the Fitness Forum a bad name.

Girls there's absolutely nothing wrong with walking, it's a fantastic way to get out and enjoy the outdoors... but at some point down the line I would *highly* encourage you to look into doing some sort of resistance training or a form of exercise that will push you that little bit further.

Gyms are scary places, of course they are, but they're scary in the same way that lingerie shops terrify to the average man: it's because there's so much stuff in there that you don't know and understand.

Our bodies are, at the end of the day, designed to move around a lot. Walking, while being a great start, can't substitute pushing your body that little bit further.

Tell you what, how would y'all feel if I was to organise some sort of exercise class in the Phoenix Park/ some alternatively convenient location some day soon (for no cost obviously, I'd just love to see everyone getting out and about and realising that resistance exercise really ain't all that bad )?

Edit: I'd also be more than willing to throw in a Nutrition talk if people were interested/ I could find a venue?

kizzyr

g'em wrote: »

Deleted because frankly I don't want gobshytes like that giving the Fitness Forum a bad name.

Girls there's absolutely nothing wrong with walking, it's a fantastic way to get out and enjoy the outdoors... but at some point down the line I would *highly* encourage you to look into doing some sort of resistance training or a form of exercise that will push you that little bit further.

Gyms are scary places, of course they are, but they're scary in the same way that lingerie shops terrify to the average man: it's because there's so much stuff in there that you don't know and understand.

Our bodies are, at the end of the day, designed to move around a lot. Walking, while being a great start, can't substitute pushing your body that little bit further.

Tell you what, how would y'all feel if I was to organise some sort of exercise class in the Phoenix Park/ some alternatively convenient location some day soon (for no cost obviously, I'd just love to see everyone getting out and about and realising that resistance exercise really ain't all that bad )?

Edit: I'd also be more than willing to throw in a Nutrition talk if people were interested/ I could find a venue?

I'd be on for the Phoenix Park. I've been walking 40 mins per day 5/6 days per week and while at the start found it great, of late it simply hasn't been enough for me. My legs have certainly started to look much better but my upper body is still as untoned as before. I've tried the gym in the past and didn't like it, however an exercise call like that discussed here would be fantastic. I think we'd encourage each other hugely, share the pain and the gain.