Roni's Weigh » exercise

Ask Roni: Is Running Enough?

roni — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:36:03 +0000

Sometimes I get into some pretty interesting conversations in email. This one all started with a question Brandi left on my A 5th Birthday 7 Mile Family Filled Weekend post last week…

When you run 2 or 3 miles in the AM is that your only workout that day?? I have just started running, I have completed 2 5K’s and I can run up to 5 miles. My pace is slow. I can run at a 5.5 to 5.7 on the treadmill. I just wonder if that is a good enough workout for me?? I feel like I need more cardio or something after I do only 2 to 3 miles? I have at least 35 more lbs to lose.

Hi Brandi – I usually run 2-3 and then do weights. In my opinion that is more beneficial then cardio-ing yourself to death.

I also don’t wonder if my workouts are "good enough" I do what I can when I can and that’s all. Once I cross the line into that type of thinking (like I have to do something or minimums or whatever) it’s not fun anymore. Again.. that’s just me.

Are you weight training at all?

I have just started to weight train. I say weight train, but I am not sure really what that means. I have started doing some of the weight machines at our local YMCA. In the past I have felt like I have "this much time" away from my family so I have always concentrated on cardio. But my weight isn’t coming off as fast anymore. I heard adding weight training will help me build more muscles which will help me burn more calories when I am doing my cardio. I have almost hit the 60lbs lost, but I still have a long way to go on my weight loss. I am still just above the 200lbs mark and I want so badly to be under 200lbs.

I would love any advice you can give someone like me. I love your blog, I found it right when I started my weight loss journey about a year and half ago. I do weight watchers, I don’t go to the meetings but a friend and I hold each other accountable. We have started to run together which makes the runs so much nicer!!!

I really enjoy running!! I am not real fast but I know I am increasing my time slowly.

Thanks for emailing me back so quickly. And…I like your new haircut!

Thanks!

Well you are weight training! I started on those machines too. Here’s the way I look at it… Cardio is good. It’s raw calorie burn but you can easily counteract that with what? 1 stinking cookie??

However, weight training has a more long term effect. You build more muscle and you will naturally burn more calories all the time. Not just at the time of the activity. Not to mention some of the side effects I experienced with weight trainings is more strength, confidence, muscle tone and a better body image.

Of course both is recommended and I’m not a trainer so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Now, when it comes to weight loss I’ll say this until my dying day… It’s more about what you eat then your workouts. At least that’s been my experience. Many will probably disagree but working out or not if I’m on point (pun intended) with my food choices the scale starts to budge.

I hope that helps.

For almost a year now I have felt like I have the working out down pat. It is routine now and I really enjoy doing it. My eating has always been an issue. I am so much better about eating whole grains, vegetables, drinking my water, and really watching what I eat. But I know this is my down fall. The holidays, the parties, the celebrations —- that is where I fail every time. But I also know if I can’t learn to make better decisions I will never reach my goal! I have enjoyed emailing you so much! Thank you so much! I know you have been there and I know you understand where I am standing today. I do have one more questions. How often would you suggest a person weight train? Does a Core/Strengthening class count as weight training?

Brandi,

That is where I fail as well. It’s always been about my "diet" and I mean that the true sense of the word as "what I eat" or rather for me how MUCH I eat.

As for weight training anything where you are providing your muscles "resistance" is considered weight training, I believe. So any class called Core/Strengthening would probably fit the bill. I shoot for 3 days a week which is a common recommendation. I also try to mix it with cardio. For example, I’ll run 2 miles and then do 45 minutes of weights. That’s just over an hour workout so I don’t have to spend too much time at the gym.

According to the ACSM… "Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week 8 to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week."

You got the cardio down. Now I’d just mix in 1 day of lower body machines and 1 day of upper body machines. That’s pretty much how I started. Oh! and I also try to vary the cardio now and then too. Try a spinning class or step. It could help your running too!

I stand by my philosophy that once it (all of it, exercise/eating) feels like work you won’t do it. So find a class you like that incorporates resistance or a friend that will brave the free weight room with you. I befriended a trainer. Best thing I ever did. ;) But in all seriousness don’t overwhelm yourself with a rigid schedule. Do what you can when you can. I just lifted weights for the first time today after a 2 week hiatus. Life happens. Do your best. And remember it’s your day to day choices that matter more then sticking to some program or plan religiously.

Again, hope that helps!!

— Does anyone else have any other advice for Brandi? Do you consider a morning run workout enough? How do feel about weight training?

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Ask Roni: Finding Your Exercise Groove Again.

roni — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:26:21 +0000

Roni I need some advice. Three years ago I weighed 206 today I weigh 160. I have come a long way. My problem is last year I was really healthy. When I lost this weight I really got into exercise. I felt I had to exercise all the time. Now I have gotten in a funk. I use to get up every morning at 4:20 a.m. and do a cardio dvd for 30 minutes, then prepare healthy food for the day and get my 2 boys off and ready for school. By 6:45 a.m. I was hitting the pavement and walking. I did this every day 5 days a week for three years. I eventually started running. I am not very well at this but I try. I have done 3 5k. Running is something I have always wanted to do. I can’t seem to get it though. I end up having to walk then run a while then walk. Well now I don’t want to do anything! Not even walk. And this stuff I use to enjoy. How do I get this back. Last year my weight at Christmas was 144 I was fit and healthy. Today I am16 pounds heavier and feel awful. Please give me some advice as to how to find myself again.
Thanks you so much for your time. I really enjoy your websites.
Rhonda

Rhonda,

I feel you. I really do. I no where NEAR have the desire or motivation to do what I was doing last year at this time. I’m not sure what’s up with that.

What do I do?

What I can.

For starters I do NOT beat myself up about it. That will get you no where. There is no right or wrong or good or bad when it comes to what you choose to do for yourself. If you are anything like me you end up punishing yourself for not working out by ordering a pizza or going out to eat. This will get you no where. Let’s disconnect that part of our logic, ok?
Second, accept that you may have changed. It happens to all of us. If running isn’t motivating you anymore try a class at the gym or find a friend that wants to play racquetball or tennis. I find that when I change it up I get a little jolt of motivation purely for the fact I’m doing something new. I just did this with a new class at my gym. I signed up for a 12 week boot camp session on Saturday mornings because I was simply unmotivated to do anything else. I’m hoping the variety and commitment will help me get back into the groove.
Third, pat yourself on the back and own your accomplishments!
"Running is something I have always wanted to do. I can’t seem to get it though. I end up having to walk then run a while then walk."
Ummm I hate to break it to you Rhonda, you ran 3 5k’s not many people can say that. You are doing great! Own it!
Fourth, Don’t spend time worrying on how much more you weigh. This will get you no where. I know it’s WAY easier said then done but find something else to focus on like your new workout routine or some new healthy recipes to try. Again, if you are like me you will drown your sorrows about your weight with food. I still fight this urge but let me tell you, as someone who is maintinging this loss for almost 5 years now, the thing that stops me from going back is not beating myself up about the little gains. And yes I have them. It’s when you let them drag you down into funkville that there’s a problem. Keep trucking. Keep moing forward. Life is worth living and it’s not worth worrying about a number on the scale.
Finally, accept that you may just need a break. 5 days a week waking at 4:20 and working out. That’s a pace not many can maintain. You may have just burned yourself out! Do what you can when you can and don’t beat yourself up for taking a break. We all need one now and then.

I hope that helps. Chin up girl. You are awesome and you are maintining an amazing weight loss! As my Weight Watchers leader once said… Mainting is harder then losing. No one is patting you on the back and saying "Look at you! Good job maintaining that weight loss there!" :)

-Roni

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Why Do you Exercise?

roni — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:05:45 +0000

It’s 11PM and I’m getting ready to head to bed trying to mentally prepare myself for a morning run tomorrow. I want to go but I don’t want to go. It’s weird.

On one hand I’m EXHAUSTED and I’m wondering if I want to get up a half hour early just to run. On the other hand, I KNOW how great I feel when I start my day doing something for myself. Something that allows me to clear my head and set out on the right foot.

So as I listen to arguments from the little angel and devil on my shoulder I ask you this… Why do YOU Exercise? Is it for Weight Loss? Mood? Training? Toning? The way it makes you feel?

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Ask Roni _v29-On Plan, Binge Eating, Exercise Weigh Gain, Choosing a Goal Weigh

roni — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:32:01 +0000

I did it! I recorded an AskRoni! It’s been long… so long. I missed them and I’m hoping to do two a month now that I’m settled.

Topics included in this video…

Becoming Scale Independent
Staying on Plan
Coping with Binge Eating
Gaining Weight After Exercise
Choosing a Goal Weight

Podcast Version (Audio Only)

Links mentioned in the video…

It’s not called the shark! It’s the Mouse Massager. This thing does wonders for my back!
My Scale Habit History
My Core Hurt Eating – A MUST Read for those that Overeat
Butternut Squash Fries
The Story of 3 Boxes of Candy

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What do you do for activity?

roni — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:52:52 +0000

Recently I posted about my workout history and new training routine. I can’t stress enough how my love of exercise didn’t form overnight. It started simply as a commitment to "being more active." Activity is a funny thing. It could be something as simple as vacuuming the living room or as intense as training for a marathon. Movement of any kind is good. I mean, we don’t want to end up like this…

Side note: You guys have seen Wall-E, right? LOVE it. (sorry – Just had to share)

Anyway, inspired by that recent workout post I thought it would be fun and beneficial for us to think about all the ways we are active. Why? Well for 2 reasons.

For starters it may make us feel better about ourselves. Let’s be honest not all of us have time to go to the gym for hours a day. When I share my training schedule or you hear of celebrities that workout with their personal trainers I think, unconsciously, you may feel like being healthy and active is impossible. So why even try? You know, the whole all or nothing syndrome. If I’m not able to go to the gym I might as well "fill in your bad habit here." Admit it, admit it… you’ve had this thought before. I know I have especially with "I already ate ‘this’ so I might as well eat ‘that’ too” thought process. It’s the same with activity. I had a friend once tell me if she didn’t have an hour and half she didn’t bother going to the gym? WHY?? Isn’t 20 minutes on the bike better then nothing?
In addition to recognizing how much you may (or may not) be doing I hope by reading others responses will give you some ideas. Maybe you didn’t think of taking the kids roller-skating or checking out a local putt putt. No one says "exercise" has to be taking a step class or running a mile. The point of a healthy lifestyle is to simply move more. If that means turning off the TV and simply dancing around the living room then so be it. You’re moving and that’s what counts!

For me, before my crazy fitness goals, my activity included…

Dancing (I think we established that) ;)
Taking family walks
Visiting local parks for trail walking
Seeking out stairs in buildings (I have a 5 story rule – 5 or under I MUST take the stairs)
Bowling and Mini-golf once a week instead of watching TV.
Simple walking MORE (I leave my car at one store and walk to others at long strip malls or shopping districts.)
I use the basket at the grocery store whenever I can. (EVEN if I have to buy a gallon of milk and soda for the husband)
When the toddler was "younger" I carried him everywhere. You know those backpacks and slings(I had both). Even today I put him up on my shoulders.
Playing active video games. We didn’t have a Wii back then but I had Dance Dance Revolution and the Eye Toy.
I also looked for ways to add activity instead of shying away from them. I remember jumping at the opportunity to shovel snow and carry the 40lb bags of mulch to the back yard.

Doing those things and overhauling my diet is how I lost 65 pounds. Never once did I go to the gym or run a mile. I lost every pound on my terms by (and this sounds SO cliché) eating less* and moving more. Sounds almost too simple, doesn’t it?

MAN! Why did it take me so freakin’ long to figure it out! Sometimes I just get so mad at myself. Sorry… Let’s get back to the question at hand…

Go ahead, lay it on me. How are you active? What do you do to on a daily basis to move more? Let us know the mundane and the structured. Do you play racquetball? Take a Zuma class? Walk the mall? ANYTHING! The point is to get a good list going to inspire others. I’m hoping to get a few ideas myself! :)

*"Eating less" for me doesn’t mean just eating small amounts. It means eating healthier, whole unprocessed foods that have less calories naturally.

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Review & Giveaway: Nuru Exercise Anywhere Cards

roni — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 18:30:20 +0000

I’ve been falling short on one of my goals. No, not a weight loss goal, or a fitness goal but a blog goal. I wanted to share some fun workout ideas and I haven’t posted any since November! Yea… I need to get on that! I think I’ll ask my trainer today if he’ll help give me some ideas.

In the mean time I have a product review and giveaway that that may help on the workout front. Crystalee emailed me way back in Jan (see I’m just behind on everything) asking if I’d review the Nuru Exercise Anywhere cards. They are small, take anywhere, exercise instructions on a set of cards that are held together by a key ring. I have to admit for such a tiny package they pack a bunch of information on there. Yet they are still easy to read and use.

The deck starts out by giving you information on "the basics" and then goes through every muscle group.

Chest
Back
Lower Body
Shoulders
Arms
Abs
Even "Cardio Lab"

There is an introduction to each muscle group with illustrations and multiple exercises. Most of the exercises use your own body weight as resistance or simple dumbbells. So you could literally do them anywhere.

Crystalee was nice enough to send me 5 decks for a giveaway so you all could give them a try yourselves. Leave a comment and I’ll randomly pick 5 winners and announce in this weeks Thursday Thoughts post. Note: one packet will be open as I opened one to for the review.

Good luck and happy exercising! :)

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Ask Roni _v21s2 – Exercise, PMS, Drinking, Stretch Marks

roni — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:09:39 +0000

Here’s the second recording I did the other day. As usual it’s pretty long, just about 27 and a half minutes.

Topics i this video include…

Cardio vs Weight Training
PMS Cravings
My Drinking Habits
How much exercise should I be doing
Stretch Mark Help

Podcast Version (Audio Only)

Links mentioned on that you may find interesting…

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Vintage Ask Roni_v01 – Activity Points, Not Losing, Fav Snacks, Eating Out, Exercise ideas

roni — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Right now I’m probably in flight to Nashville for Blissdom09! Before I left I actually had time (can you belive it??) to pull some audio from an old video.

As I say in the podcast, I’ve decided to take the few videos I recorded last year before I figured out the podcast thing and turned them into podcasts. This one happens to be the first I ever recorded. It’s so old I original published it on WeightWatchen (Pre-RonisWeigh.) It’s also hysterical cause I think a 12 minute video is too long and now look at me. They are routinely 20-25!

Click here to watch the original movie (any links mentioned will be linked there) OR listen to the podcast below…

Podcast Version (Audio Only)

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Ask Roni _v16s2 – Guilty Feelings, Warming Up, No Plan, Self Analysis, Accountability Tools, Fiber One Bars

roni — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 19:36:13 +0000

So funny that I’m posting this as I’ve been feeling bleh and I wasn’t feeling bleh when I recorded it. So my answers were actually interesting to me as I edited. LOL

Just to warn ya, it’s a LONG one but I cover lots of different topics this time and Irish makes an appearance. :~)

Topics in this video include…

Guilty feeling when eating all your points/calories
Warming up before working out?
How do I start without paying on a professional plan
Self Analysis
Accountability tools
Fiber One Bars

Podcast Version (Audio Only)

Links mentioned or that you may find interesting…

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Ask Roni _v16s1 – All Exercise Questions

roni — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:59:06 +0000

It’s so funny that I’m posting this now as I just return from my 2 hour workout at the gym. Ok, well, maybe it’s not THAT funny, but it struck me that I’m all about exercise lately. I’m really liking this "new active Roni". ;~P

Side note… what is about a turtleneck that makes people look old? oh wait…. that’s just me, I am getting old. :~P

Topics in this video include…

Am I doing enough exercise to jump start weight loss?
How much exercise should someone get in a day?
Did I lose weight before starting to exercise?
Just an inspirational comment. :~)

Podcast Version (Audio Only)

Links mentioned or that you may find interesting…

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