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2012 - get fit and eat healthy - whos with me?

M

Mr Bedfordshire

right, thats it, enoughs enough - im going to dust off my running trainers and clear the garage out and get back to working out and running to see if treating my body (and guts) makes me feel any better.

Is anyone else thinking along the same lines as me and ditched the crisps and biscuits for fruit and rice cakes?

Motivation is the key for me, especially during these cold and dark nights.

New years resolution..
 
Cookie

Cookie

Most definitely. I know from experience that my body treats me as well as I treat it, so when i am feeling bad I can only blame myself (well, to a degree, anyway). I am back on my gluten-free diet and exercising regularly. I feel better just thinking about it!
 
nitty

nitty

Count me in. I'll probably be a slow starter as I'm a bit of a fair weather exerciser, but being newly diagnosed has been a bit of a wake up call to looking after myself a bit better. I'd love to lose a stone of the extra weight I put on when I was pregnant - and my youngest child is nearly 9 years old!!

I'm not one to exercise for the sheer sake of it, and I hate running and anything high impact, but I do like to get out walking, and have done a couple of bike rides recently. So as an incentive I have persuaded my sister to sign up with me to do a bike ride for charity. It's about 55 miles long and it's in August, so plenty of time to start gently and build it up, but with a goal at the end to keep me going. I live with a husband who is a fell runner and triathlete - he'll probably eat his cycling shorts if I manage to do it!!
 
SandyM

SandyM

Still some leftover biscuits and beer etc. after Xmas to be had although I am definitely going to ease myself into the running and healthy eating again soon.
I find exercise and healthy eating go hand in hand and I definitely notice an improvement once I get into it as long as my crohns isn't playing up that is.

Right - just need some willpower
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

This is good folks, keep em coming!

I've just ordered myself a fitness DVD and earlier today tidied the garage up and washed down my weight bench and other bits, so it's all systems go from here on in.

Keep us posted on your progress, any goals set and basically an overview of how it's going:dance:
 
__JK__

__JK__

I'm in! Deffo want to sort my lazy backside out. Not long had surgery and it's really given me a craving to get fit.

Just posted a thread asking advice cos i've never run without being chased in my life.

I don't like doing things by half. If i'm gonna run, i'm gonna run a marathon! anyone up for that?
 
Tesscorm

Tesscorm

Moderator
Staff member
__JK__ said:
i've never run without being chased in my life.
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:rof: Me too!

Nitty - also trying to lose some of that 'baby-fat' and my baby's 17 years! :lol: How pathetic is that! :ybatty:

I'm in! Need some willpower and some friendly shoves to get this New Years resolution going!

Good luck everyone!
 
nitty

nitty

Just to encourage those who may not be able to have some sort of major event as a goal to aim for, and speaking as one of the laziest people I know, I started this morning by simply walking to the chemist for my meds. Normally I would have gone in the car on my way to somewhere else, but I made the conscious effort to drop the kids at school and then keep walking. The chemist was not open yet, so I made a little detour through the local church and library gardens. It was actually very relaxing.

Little steps...:thumleft:
 
ekuskrash

ekuskrash

Location
Portugal
I've done that today! I went out to take some photos and walked to the place I wanted to go (5 km each way). I felt tired but good... But I messed up when I got home, showered ate 3 pieces of bread with butter and some cookies (don't know how to describe them u.u
But hey... you got to start somewhere right?
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I just wanted to offer some encouragement to you guys! You can do it! I started exercising regularly (I try to do 3x per week) around the time that I hit remission. I've been working out for about 8 months or so and I've got some muscles now! I am loving seeing the results and I feel great when I exercise. Hopefully my success can motivate somebody to keep up with it. As the old cliche goes, if I can do it then anybody can!
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Thanks soo much for the encouragement, it defo helps!!

Just got in from 5 a side footie and so we'll see how I feel in the morning.

I've got a hospital appt tomorrow with my consultant so we'll see how that goes, but I'm gona crack on with staying as fit and healthy as I can!

Keep going everyone!!
 
J

Juansin

I am really thankful to all of you for Great encouragement from your side because i was feeling tired last night and there was also very cold . I admire your posts too .
 
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B

bkbigfish

Location
Shelby Township, Mi
I can't run, it's to hard on my body. I mtn bike, usually about 20-60 miles 5 days a week, it's not hard on your body. I know that being really fit helped me recover well after open small bowel surgery, even all the Dr's and nurses really made me feel good about being fit and surgery would not be too hard on my body, they were right! I recovered very well and gained 30 lbs and can eat everything. I attribute a quick recovery to taking care of my body, no smoking, drinking and not too much fast food. Billy.
 
nitty

nitty

Took the kids for our first geocaching trip today. It's been a crisp sunny winter's day, and having regular targets helped keep the kids interested and keen to keep going. We didn't go very far, perhaps a couple of miles, but it got us all some much needed fresh air and sunlight, and stunning views of the beautiful Peak District. Definitely therapy for body and soul!
 
DanaDeadPetals

DanaDeadPetals

I started in December, joined the gym and I've been motivated. A little flare has kept me away for 4 days, but I'm determined to get back! Great thread! Let's get fit and take our bodies back!! :)
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

DanaDeadPetals said:
I started in December, joined the gym and I've been motivated. A little flare has kept me away for 4 days, but I'm determined to get back! Great thread! Let's get fit and take our bodies back!! :)
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fantastic, well done!!:thumright:

keep going, we can all reach our goals and stay fit and healthy if we all pull together, share our experiences and motivate one another to keep on with this!!;)
 
Nerple

Nerple

I started about 2 years back, and hoping this year is the year I finally get to my goal weight and maintain it. I am currently down 60 lbs from the start but the last 10 have been a pain and I keep bouncing around between my goal and 10 lbs over. Getting back to logging my food and exercise as I did best when doing that. Though now trying out myfitnesspal.com (previously used fitday.com, but myfitnesspal has a bit more of a social aspect so hoping having friends doing the same will push me more)

Was very happy today, with the day off for MLK day, managed to get 160 minutes on the bike and 50 minutes of strength training.
 
S

secrets

I dance! In the nice weather, I get lots of exercise because I have a 2 acre farm which I mow, snip, take care of grass, gardens, etc., in winter, I could SO easily become a couch potato (complete with bag of potato chips). I got a WII two years ago for Christmas from my children, and my grandchildren gave me the WII FIT and a Michael Jackson WII dance. This year I got the ABBA DANCE for WII. So when the house is empty and all are gone out, I dance for 15 minutes or so every day. Trying to dance to a MJ is a REAL WORKOUT --- but, HERE'S A QUESTION FOR YOU?

I cannot seem to rebuild muscle --- is it my age (60) or is it the drugs. I don't weigh much, I average between 105 and 110 and that's about it for the last decade or so. Tiny but not muscular. Have been assuming it was the drugs, but never asked anyone, so do you know?
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Well, so far so good my end.

I've been on numerous walks, played footie and generally been more active since starting this post and feel pretty good?!

However, I still struggle not to eat things like crisps and the odd biscuit, but I have cut down on fatty foods quite a lot-I've even 'tried' having sandwiches without spread, which is a little dry, but it's better for me I guess.

I've switched to brown/whole meal bread, dry cereal in a bag for lunch at work instead of a bag of crisps, and try (guts permitting) to eat an apple a day.

Well done to everyone who's giving this a go!!
 
rygon

rygon

Moderator
I wouldnt go too far with dieting. I you dont enjoy your food then you wont stick to it. I found I had to try other things and change my diet slowly.

I'd watch out for wholemeal products as it can cause us lot problems (yuo might be ok but be careful). Bread is supposed to be very bad for you anyway. I stick to rice cakes with cheese or peanut butter (2 ricecakes with stuff in the middle fills me up more)

If theres a microwave at work you can always make a stew or something and put it in containers. Easy to make in the slow cooker and will last over a week
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

rygon said:
I wouldnt go too far with dieting. I you dont enjoy your food then you wont stick to it. I found I had to try other things and change my diet slowly.

I'd watch out for wholemeal products as it can cause us lot problems (yuo might be ok but be careful). Bread is supposed to be very bad for you anyway. I stick to rice cakes with cheese or peanut butter (2 ricecakes with stuff in the middle fills me up more)

If theres a microwave at work you can always make a stew or something and put it in containers. Easy to make in the slow cooker and will last over a week
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I guess i just find it hard to eat/try anything different. My body is used to pretty much the same foods, as too much fruit and veg makes me go to the loo a lot. I used to love salad with croutons and cubes of cheese, but I can hear my guts rumbling with anger and the mere mention of it?!

I'm also trying to up my fibre intake after my consultant said it would "bulk things up a tad" but I've got a jpouch so I don't want to go too mad and find myself with a blockage?!

My main aim this year is to get back to weight training and build a bit of muscle and tone up.
 
rygon

rygon

Moderator
Someone wrote a great article about fibre (notice how we spell it americans :p ) on here, and that soluble fibre is good, but the insoluble fibre can cause troubles.

My mate has a jpouch and finds it hard putting on weight. Hes just started going to the gym and drinking sci-mx omni hardcore which is doing him good. Its gluten free which he needs. Ive tried it and its been ok on my stomach, so has pHd synergy iso 7. Not sure if you want to go down that route tho.
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

So how's everyone getting on?

Bit of a lapse for me today-full English fry up this morning, pizza for lunch then a full roast?! I'm taking it as my naughty day and I'll get back on it tomorrow!

Remicade no4 this week as well so we'll see how that goes!
 
G

guest9933

Mr Bedfordshire said:
So how's everyone getting on?

Bit of a lapse for me today-full English fry up this morning, pizza for lunch then a full roast?! I'm taking it as my naughty day and I'll get back on it tomorrow!

Remicade no4 this week as well so we'll see how that goes!
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wow your crohns musn't be that bad if I ate all that I'd be suffering horribly today but it sounds so yum I can't even tolaerate pizza the sauce a dough mess me up badly roast are good though.

And on the topic of exercise I'm so tired from the remicade I can hardly keep my eyes open I've only had 2 doses and waiting for the third and hopefully I can get back to the gym.

I'm 5'7 and was 90kg not sure what that is in stone or ponds but had people telling me I was a tank oh how I miss my muscles and training I love pumping iron in the gym now I weigh 50 kg and look like a 12 year old thats what my friends GF said to me and I just felt worse why can;t some people just shut they're mouths sometimes
 
indianhart

indianhart

Yaaaay!

Just had my husband hook up my Wii and will start with my Wii-fit yoga tomorrow! :) Thanks for the uplift and its great to see everyone on board too! I go for a colonscopy on Thursday but will forge forward and do as much yoga as I can!! Thanks for the inspiration!!! :ghug:
 
SandyM

SandyM

Started back at the gym Thursday last week and making more healthy diet choices. The plan is to go early morning before work twice a week to start with and build myself back up to running outdoors again come spring. Hard to beleive I was running 10k's at this time last year! It's going to take some commitment to get back to that level but gotta start somewhere and you still get the feel good factor no matter what level of fitness when you hit the shower after a good workout. Feel better already for it.

We all need help with motivation at times.
Again thanks for the inspiration :)
 
indianhart

indianhart

Yoga!

Did 15 minutes of yoga today! :thumright: I'm so happpy to have at least done something! Thanks for the motivation! Starting slowly but slowly but surely!!! Very happy about this! :biggrin:
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
SandyM, you can do it! It took me awhile to get back up to the fitness level I was at before I became ill, but I did get there. In fact, recently I looked over my fitness logs from back when I was healthy. I'm currently lifting around the same amount on the weight machines now as I was back then - but when I looked closer at my logs, I saw that I was only doing 12 reps on each machine back then. I do 20 reps per machine now! I'm more fit now than I was before I became ill! You can do it too, it might take awhile and there might be setbacks, but if you keep at it you can do it.

And for those who have mentioned having difficulties eating healthier - me too! I have a tough time with fresh fruits and veggies. Strawberries and tomatoes seem to hit me especially hard and I always seem undigested bits of them in my poo later. I have tried juicing my fruits & veggies and that's been going really well. It's very easy on my tummy, I think it's because all the fiber and seeds and skins and stuff like that has been completely broken down. Steamed veggies seem to sit in my tummy okay also. And if you're a snacker (I am!), I've found that rice cakes are a good alternative to stuff like potato chips. Any other suggestions for tummy-friendly healthy snacks would be welcomed!
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

After my day of eating rubbish yesterday, I've stuck with healthy foods all day today and played footie tonight, even though I felt very tired after work and couldn't really be bothered?!

I've still got to print off a workout plan of some sort as otherwise I'll just do a load of different exercises in my garage gym with no real clue as to if it's doing anything?!

Well done to everyone, keep up the good work-I'm sure our body and guts are thankful.
 
D

Derfernerf

I've kind of started this also, as a new years resolution. I'm going through a pretty rough flare at the moment but I've started trading soda for water, started cooking my own meals instead of fast food (using fresh ingredients). The weather is not so great here right now, but when it warms up I plan on walking, riding my bike, and even hoping to buy a kayak come spring time. I love kayaking, but only go about once a year, 2 of my buddies picked some up last year, so I have people to go with, and theres plenty of places around here to drop the kayak in the water and just go.

This idea started not so much as getting fit and healthy, but actually just getting out more. I feel like I spend my free time at home (sleeping most often) because of the fatigue and whatnot. I would like to be out, enjoying the nice weather. Walking/hiking, biking, kayaking, camping. Heres to 2012 and enjoying the beautiful outdoors!
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Great to see so many people onboard with this thread;it's given me a boost knowing I'm not on my own!

Let's get more people involved-come on guys, post up, we're all in this together!:thumright:
 
Cookie

Cookie

Thanks for keeping this thread going...misery loves company, right? Only kidding. I am actually feeling great since i have been eating better and excercising. Since Jan 1, I have been gluten-free again. Also been running (Tues/Thurs/Sat), strength training (M/F) and attending a power yoga class (W). I have noticed a definite increase in my energy level. Hoping to regain the level of fitness I had prior to my fistula surgeries, but I am turning 40 next month, so I guess I need to be realistic and just be happy that I can still do any of these things at all.

Thanks for the boost guys!
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Derfernerf, I used to kayak often before I became ill. I haven't taken my kayak out since I became ill though - it's been collecting dust in my basement for the past 2 years. I am definitely going to take it out this summer though! (It's a 2 person kayak, so if worse comes to worse and I feel too ill to paddle, my husband can pick up the slack.) It's so much fun going kayaking. There's a little stream that goes right near our house that is absolutely wonderful for kayaking in. One end of the stream is right by a nature preserve, and you can actually paddle into the nature preserve and it's the area where cars and hikers don't go, so you're totally alone. The first time we paddled in there, we saw a mother and two baby deer drinking at the edge of the water. It was so beautiful in there! I am definitely going kayaking there again this summer!
 
D

Derfernerf

Cat-a-Tonic said:
Derfernerf, I used to kayak often before I became ill. I haven't taken my kayak out since I became ill though - it's been collecting dust in my basement for the past 2 years. I am definitely going to take it out this summer though! (It's a 2 person kayak, so if worse comes to worse and I feel too ill to paddle, my husband can pick up the slack.) It's so much fun going kayaking. There's a little stream that goes right near our house that is absolutely wonderful for kayaking in. One end of the stream is right by a nature preserve, and you can actually paddle into the nature preserve and it's the area where cars and hikers don't go, so you're totally alone. The first time we paddled in there, we saw a mother and two baby deer drinking at the edge of the water. It was so beautiful in there! I am definitely going kayaking there again this summer!
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It is a blast! We have tons of little rivers around my area, and plenty of places to park a car and just go. With how low-impact kayaking is, it's nice on the tummy and joints, yet still great exercise and a great way to enjoy the outdoors and see some beautiful scenery. The best part (if you have extra time to burn) is if you get tired/want a break, set the paddle down and relax. The current will carry you downstream. Or like you said, bring an extra person to pick up your slack. It's not a race, enjoy it! Heres some basic info I found on line about the health benefits of kayaking:

To move the kayak at about 5 mph is going to require about 0.1 hp of effort.Which is going to use up about 400 calories per hour. And so, four hours of paddling is going to burn up about 1600 calories! A weight watcher's dream!

When you are paddling you can expect to do about 500, maybe more, maybe less, strokes per mile! Placing the paddle in the water and executing a good stroke is going to incorporate every muscle in the upper body and some lower body muscles as well. This means that in one hour at 3 mph you are going to do about 1500 repetitions of low impact upper body movements, which no matter what your fitness goals are, you are going to tone up almost every muscle in your body. Hey, you are going to look good!
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I didn't realize kayaking burns that many calories! Who knew you could sit down for a few hours and still burn nearly a day's worth of calories, ha ha. We have tons of streams around here although some of them are weird because they go right through the city. There's one creek that starts out in a scenic area and goes through the botannical garden, but then you start to go past houses and then you go right under the main drag and past McDonalds and stuff! It's crazy.
 
SandyM

SandyM

Cookie said:
Thanks for keeping this thread going...misery loves company, right? Only kidding. I am actually feeling great since i have been eating better and exercising. Since Jan 1, I have been gluten-free again. Also been running (Tues/Thurs/Sat), strength training (M/F) and attending a power yoga class (W). I have noticed a definite increase in my energy level. Hoping to regain the level of fitness I had prior to my fistula surgeries, but I am turning 40 next month, so I guess I need to be realistic and just be happy that I can still do any of these things at all.

Thanks for the boost guys!
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Hey Cookie,

That's a good mix. Good for you!! You must have been super fit before your fistula surgeries. (Been there and it's not fun) I'd be sleeping all weekend after that lot of training on top of work.

I am slowly building my running up again and signed up with a gym today after a few pay as you go sessions! It will take me a while to get back to my target fitness level and it will depend on my guts behaving as well. I am already noticing improvements and I seem to have a fair bit more energy although my appetite has increased as I'm now burning more calories. Hopefully signing up will give me the incentive to go more frequently and also to get my monies worth.

Hey folks - As we are talking fit and healthy - What foods do you all find go well with exercise? I try and eat white rice or pasta with chicken or fish the night before a hard session. For a small session I'd just opt for porridge or banana before hand.
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
With regards to food, I read somewhere that it's good to eat protien after exercising to help heal the muscles. So I try to eat something like eggs or goat cheese or soy yogurt after I get back from the gym. Hard boiled eggs are one of my favorites. I'm lactose intolerant so I can't do a lot of dairy, but I've been meaning to try greek yogurt and see if it affects me negatively (I can do some dairy like butter and ice cream - can't do milk or cheese though). I've also been snacking on rice cakes and bananas lately as those sit really well in my tummy. For fats, I try to do "good" fats like avocado, almond butter, and olive oil. A banana with some almond butter smeared on it is a lovely snack!
 
rygon

rygon

Moderator
Ive got some "make your own" yoghurt (powder you mix with water) and it says its lactose free (Think it contains lactose but the bacteria eat it all), its a probiotic yoghurt as well. Called Easy-yo, seems to be about the same price as natural yoghurt in the supermarkets in UK
 
Cookie

Cookie

SandyM said:
Hey Cookie,

That's a good mix. Good for you!! You must have been super fit before your fistula surgeries. (Been there and it's not fun) I'd be sleeping all weekend after that lot of training on top of work.

I am slowly building my running up again and signed up with a gym today after a few pay as you go sessions! It will take me a while to get back to my target fitness level and it will depend on my guts behaving as well. I am already noticing improvements and I seem to have a fair bit more energy although my appetite has increased as I'm now burning more calories. Hopefully signing up will give me the incentive to go more frequently and also to get my monies worth.

Hey folks - As we are talking fit and healthy - What foods do you all find go well with exercise? I try and eat white rice or pasta with chicken or fish the night before a hard session. For a small session I'd just opt for porridge or banana before hand.
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Yeah Sandy, I find the hardest thing is accepting the fact that I am not near the level of fitness that I once was. Like when I run and struggle to get up a hill and think about how easy that hill once was. It is comforting to know that somebody else can identify-Thanks! On the bright side, they say that it is much easier to re-gain fitness than to build it in the first place, so I try to keep that in mind. Now if only the Crohns would cooperate!

As far as food, I agree with Cat. I try to have a proetin snack following a workout. Favorites are sweet potatoe chips or veggies with hummus, a scrambled egg with avacado or Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts. I often eat a gluten-free waffle with banana and peanut butter, a Lara bar, or a smoothie with Carnation Instant breakfast and soy milk for breakfast. For my other meals, I follow a gluten-free diet (found it helpful for my gut) and try to eat low-fat, nutrient rich foods.
 
David

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
I'm in! I've been doing well with fitness lately but will step it up a notch. For diet, I am:

1. Cutting out junk food except a tiny bit of dark chocolate covered pomegranate each night to keep me sane.
2. Going to work VERY hard to get my n-3 / n-6 fatty acid ratio in line. Historically, humans are about 1-2 in that ratio. The north american diet is more like 1-25! And lo and behold, n-6 fatty acids are inflammatory.
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

One thing I know I'm going to struggle to deal with is expecting too much too soon.

Before crohns (as with many) I was a keen gym goer and even had the added bonus of being one of those people that could stuff my face full of takeaways, chocolate and rubbish and not put any weight on aside from muscle as I was working out 5 out of 7 days. Basically, I'm know I'm never going to be in that good shape again, but have no patience when waiting for the 'guns' to reappear!

I haven't had a marsbar for weeks-aaaarrrrgghhh!!:ybatty:
 
SandyM

SandyM

Thanks to all for their advice and post workout suggestions.

Great thread Mr B. - Lets hope we can all make some improvements and continue on for the rest of the year. I'm sure we can stick with it if we help each other :)
 
rygon

rygon

Moderator
Now that I am feeling much better (thanks Infliximab) Ive been doing a lot of exercise. Since coming out of hospital august Ive put on 2 stone.
Just bought some new trainers (4mm drop from heel to to toe, which should allow me to run using my forefoot instead of my heel)
Also been doing a lot of weights (1st time ever done these) I cnat remember who had it in their signiture but www.bodybuilding.com had some great training programs.

Also started kickboxing again :)

Need to sort out my diet and start having more veg juice drinks and stop going for the crisps when I feel hungry (my main weekness)
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Mr. Bedfordshire, I used to be the same way - got impatient with not seeing results in the mirror right away. That was before I became ill. Now that I'm on the other side and have been through tough times and now am in remission, I focus on my health when I exercise and I think that's really helped me stick to it. I've been working out since about May 2011 and I do see results now, which is a great added bonus. I love that I have muscles! But that's just the icing on the cake, the real and ongoing goal is to get as fit and healthy as I possibly can be, because I know how miserable it is to be very weak and ill and I'd like to push my body as far in the opposite direction of that as possible. :)
 
SandyM

SandyM

rygon - thanks for the link. Stop buying crisps and get rice cakes instead! You can have with savory or sweet topping or can buy them flavored. Much better for you than crisps.

Cat a tonic - I like your thinking. I can relate to that. My wife says I always go too far when I am on a health+fitness kick. She may be right so this time I am trying not to overdo it. It is addictive when you start seeing results and makes you feel so good about yourself but I guess a little often is a good start point and depending on how one feels in the crohns dept you can decide if best to increase levels as you decide.
Good for you :)
 
Cookie

Cookie

Cat-a-Tonic said:
Mr. Bedfordshire, I used to be the same way - got impatient with not seeing results in the mirror right away. That was before I became ill. Now that I'm on the other side and have been through tough times and now am in remission, I focus on my health when I exercise and I think that's really helped me stick to it. I've been working out since about May 2011 and I do see results now, which is a great added bonus. I love that I have muscles! But that's just the icing on the cake, the real and ongoing goal is to get as fit and healthy as I possibly can be, because I know how miserable it is to be very weak and ill and I'd like to push my body as far in the opposite direction of that as possible. :)
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That's awesome Cat. I couldn't agree more. I have two extremely ill parents so I have been fighting genetics my whole life. My view was that I needed to be as strong as I could to fight off what inevitably may be coming my way. Of course I never wanted to believe that I would actually get sick. But I also believe that if I was not in the shape I was in when I got my diagnosis, my Crohn's would have been a whole lot worse. There are certain things that we have no control over, but I think we owe it to ourselves to control what we can and that is always my motivation.
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Thanks Sandy! Oh, and I love rice cakes too! In fact I'm snacking on some chocolate rice cakes right now. :) Every Monday morning I go to the grocery store before work and stock up on snacks for the week. I used to buy stuff like potato chips (crisps) and donuts, now I buy stuff like bananas and rice cakes. And you're right, rice cakes come in a ton of different flavors! I prefer the chocolate ones personally. Yum!

And yeah, it is tempting to overdo it when on a fitness kick. I exercise 3 or 4 days per week and that seems like a good amount for me. Any less and I'd feel lazy, any more and I feel like I might risk making my guts angry. I started at 2 days per week and worked my way up. I know not to overdo things - my mother is a marathon runner and she totally overdoes it. She has given herself running-induced asthma as a result of running too much, and she's had some bad falls while running and has a lot of back pain. Going overboard with too much exercise has some bad consequences! And she's otherwise healthy, I'm the only person with IBD in my family.
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Cookie, I'm the opposite in one regard - both my parents are healthy, as is everyone else in my family. I'm the only ill one! (I had a great-grandfather with UC but he died many years before I was born - he's the only one in my family that I know of with IBD, and I'm the only living one in the family with it.) So this illness just sort of hit me out of the blue in 2009. (I'm not fully diagnosed yet, but GI and GP both agree that it's some sort of IBD.) So yeah, up until I got ill, I would exercise, but I was doing it more to look good & lose flab/get toned than anything else. Now it's all about reclaiming my health!
 
tiloah

tiloah

rygon said:
Now that I am feeling much better (thanks Infliximab) Ive been doing a lot of exercise. Since coming out of hospital august Ive put on 2 stone.
Just bought some new trainers (4mm drop from heel to to toe, which should allow me to run using my forefoot instead of my heel)
Also been doing a lot of weights (1st time ever done these) I cnat remember who had it in their signiture but www.bodybuilding.com had some great training programs.

Also started kickboxing again :)

Need to sort out my diet and start having more veg juice drinks and stop going for the crisps when I feel hungry (my main weekness)
Click to expand...
I've been looking for a source for a good weight lifting program. A lot of the communities out there aren't terribly newbie friendly. I don't want a full body program because my lower body gets worked a lot more than my upper. I want to balance it out a bit.
 
Cookie

Cookie

My husband just stumbled upon a website called myfitnesspal.com. It is a great way to track your diet and exercise and has a huge nutritional database with calorie, fat, carb content, etc. There is also a phone app to track your meals. Worth checking out to anyone trying to stick to a program. (sorry if this was mentioned somewhere before...seems like I may have seen it, but i couldn't find it).
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Cookie said:
My husband just stumbled upon a website called myfitnesspal.com. It is a great way to track your diet and exercise and has a huge nutritional database with calorie, fat, carb content, etc. There is also a phone app to track your meals. Worth checking out to anyone trying to stick to a program. (sorry if this was mentioned somewhere before...seems like I may have seen it, but i couldn't find it).
Click to expand...
Thanks for the heads up-defo worth a peek. This got me looking at other apps and there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of apps to assist us.

I spent quite a few hours on bodybuilding.com which I think is a superb website, packed full of everything and anything you could possibly need.
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Just a note to say well done to everyone for getting onboard with this thread-it's great to see so many of us wanting to get fit and healthy, which in turn will hopefully aid our symptoms associated with crohns.

Some great hints, tips and motivation which has definitely helped me, especially this week as here in the UK it's been -2 degrees with flakes of snow in the air as I make my short walk into my garage and put the fan heater on ready for my workout.

Feel free to post up your aims, goals, achievements and even a log of what you have-or will be doing to get in shape.

Keep going everyone- it'll be worth it!!
 
SandyM

SandyM

One step at a time for me - although feeling tired. It is a good feeling of being tired if that makes sense?

My programme as of last few weeks:-

Mon - Leaving car at park+ride on City outskirts and walking last 2 miles to work and back.
Tues - Gym 1 hr before starting work, cardio
Wed - As Mon
Thurs - Gym 1 hr before work, cardio
Fri - Walk or Gym (depending on energy levels)

Sat - short run or cycle
Sun - rest

Plan is to increase my Sat run/cycle and introduce weights in a few weeks time after pulled muscle in shoulder is better and to be more careful what I eat as well.

Thanks for the inspiration!
 
tiloah

tiloah

My plan at the moment is:

3/week - couch to 5k and weight lifting
Tuesdays - roller derby practice
Remainder - ab workout/plyos

Rest days are by necessity, either on days where I didn't get enough sleep the night before or when I have a migraine (like today).
 
tiloah

tiloah

rygon said:
whats your weight lifting program diesanduhr?
Click to expand...
Right now it's 3 sets of 10:

Bench press
Triceps push down
Lateral pull down
Leg extension
Weighted crunches
Free bicep curls
Triceps extension

at whatever weight that I am spent by the end of the sets.
 
tiloah

tiloah

Thanks! I will look at that. I had been thinking about trying this out. If I use the gym where I live I have very limited equipment. So eventually I'm going to have to choose between motivation/convenience and progress (I have a Y membership but it's so faaaaaar). :p
 
tiloah

tiloah

Ugh. I would love to jump rope but I am super conscious about the people below me. I live on the 5th floor!
 
tiloah

tiloah

Haha. I also can't keep dumbbells (or books) in my house because we move at least once a year and they are a pain. Bluuuhh!
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

I've started:

-5 aside footie Monday night
-gym workout in my garage tues, thurs and Saturday, 2 muscle groups per night. Got a workout routine from bodybuilding.com, which I tweaked a bit as I've got a gym in my garage and not got all the kit.
-walk the dog every night for a good hour, which I've always done, but I'm just going that little bit further these days.
-Sunday rest.

Starting Monday I'm switching from toast in the morning to porridge with fruit, or toasted pancakes with honey and tortilla wraps for lunch alternating between that and a home made pasta salad.

I've already stopped eating crisps and a chocolate bar everyday, and now opt for fruit and a bag of cereal at work for lunch as a snack.
 
PVail

PVail

Location
Northern Ireland
I started cycling again after two years off, 2 degrees outside and sun shining . never enjoyed a day out like it. Took all after noon and went 20 miles. So cold I could hardly feel my Alien inside . God I almost felt normal. keep fit yes within reason .
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Thought I'd bump this up to top of the page just to keep us all going.

Its bloody freezing in my garage but I'm still plugging away in there. Music loud is my motivation!

Keep going everyone!!!:ybiggrin:
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I have a cold but did my workout today anyway. Sheesh, it is hard to count reps while your head is in a fog from cold meds! I feel good though, I was so congested and exercise always makes my nose drip, so going to the gym cleared up my congestion (although my nose is still dripping a bit now, ha ha). My husband has this theory that you can "sweat out" germs so he likes to make himself really sweaty when he's sick. I got sweaty in the gym and I do feel a bit better now - I wonder if there's any merit to that theory?

Mr. Bedfordshire, loud music gets me going too when I'm exercising! And I wouldn't complain about working out in a cold place, I love working out in the cold. I crank up the air conditioning in the gym even during the winter - it makes me work out that much harder to get warm! ;)
 
Girun

Girun

Exercise

I def. Am in started a long time ago but am off an on seems like I would do so much better if could stick to foods I know agree with me maybe self sabatage. Will def. Try harder glad to know others are doing the same with same or similar issues:poo:.
Needed extra inspiration thanks formboost:thumright:
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
How's everybody doing? I've been stressed out lately but I find it really helps to hit the gym hard when I am stressed. Also, when I get the afternoon sleepy feeling, I do a bit of yoga in my cubicle at work to get the blood flowing. I usually do something like the warrior pose or sun salutation where I don't have to get down on the floor as I have no yoga mat in my cubicle. It's been helpful! I'm still somewhat struggling to eat healthy foods every day but I'm working on that. I got this food & calorie tracker app for my Kindle and I'm trying to use it more often to see what I've been eating and how many calories I should be eating. I'm at the upper limit of being at a good weight for my height and don't want to gain any more weight, and ideally I'd like to drop a few pounds. Of course I can lose weight super easily when my illness is active, but now that I'm in remission it's a bit more difficult! (Not that I'm complaining, I'd rather be in remission than ill and skinny, and I'd rather lose weight the right way than through d & malabsorption.)
 
S

simon47

Location
calgary, alberta, canada
Lost 20lbs since xmas...yaaay ! I know it sounds like a lot for month and a half, but I've always been a gym rat. I've been in remission since Dec. so I figured it was time to go all out (while I can !) Changed by diet and workout 5 days a week. Also before my resection I lost 5o lbs due to not eating (scared to). so I have clothes that I bought post-op that i can get back into. I turn 48 in three weeks ,and feel better than i have in a long time. If you can do any exercise..I recomend it. cheers
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

Well, it's the 3rd week of February and it seems many are still keeping up with this, which is fantastic!

From a personal point of view, I'm trying to workout 3 times a week, that's weightlifting, 5 aside footie once a week and doing my very best to eat healthy, but I'm finding that the hardest thing?!

I defo feel better, and the main differences I've felt is that I'm not nodding off at 9pm every evening and also when my alarm goes off in the morning I'm straight up with a spring in my step.

With regards to losing the areas of unwanted fat in certain places and to try and get the muscles to show through, I've been looking at fat/shredding pills to just give me a helping hand-what do you guys reckon?
 
tiloah

tiloah

Just truckin' on the Couch to 5k. Today is week 4 workout 3 and I am not looking forward to it! XP I think I've lost 13# now. And I've been kickin' *** in my new league. In March I might skate in my first public bout!
 
Cookie

Cookie

I went skiing last weekend and it threw me out of my routine. Although I consider downhill skiing to be a pretty good workout (at least my 40 year old body thinks so!), the 4 day break from my normal routine made it hard to pick things back up when I got home. It was technically only a 3 day hiatus from exercise, but when I hopped on the treadmill last night it was dreadful. I'm hoping I fare better with my strength training video tonight.

BTW, has anyone else here done The Firm workout videos? They have been around for ages, but I still find them to be the best thing going. I update my collection regularly to keep it fresh, but I just realized that I have been doing these things for 15 years now!
 
tiloah

tiloah

Whew, just finished week four! I am pretty amazed I was able to do it. Guess now we'll see how week five goes.
 
SandyM

SandyM

Oh Dear!!

I seem to have let the healthy eating and training slip somewhat this last week!!

On the plus side my company sent me out to Houston, Tx on a training course on short notice and I can honestly say I have well and truly stuffed my face with all sorts of food & drink including a few alcoholic beverages but my guts have held out really well and I am going to miss the food very much. Flying back home tomorrow after a week here.

I am told the weather in Houston isn't normally so wet and cold but it has still been warmer than I am used to in Scotland.
Hopefully get back to USA for a holiday in the years to come rather than business :cool:

Back in training next week after I get over the jet lag. Oh well - One has to indulge from time to time :)

Hope everyone is sticking to their plans? I am thinking if not for Crohns I'd be 3 times the size I am :lol2:
 
S

simon47

Location
calgary, alberta, canada
For those of you who say you,ve slipped a bit ... don't feel bad about that. But DO get back to it if you feel well enough. You are better just walking down the road and back if you dont want to do a full workout. Mentally , you've still done something. And the next day it will be easier to do it again . Also SandyM...glad you liked the food inTexas( and it liked you). With our disease anytime we can actually enjoy the food in front of us is a plus. cheers. Keep it up people. YaaaaaaaY us !!!
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

simon47 said:
For those of you who say you,ve slipped a bit ... don't feel bad about that. But DO get back to it if you feel well enough. You are better just walking down the road and back if you dont want to do a full workout. Mentally , you've still done something. And the next day it will be easier to do it again . Also SandyM...glad you liked the food inTexas( and it liked you). With our disease anytime we can actually enjoy the food in front of us is a plus. cheers. Keep it up people. YaaaaaaaY us !!!
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Wise words Simon! Doing something is better than doing nothing at all guys and girls! Just try and not to make it a walk to the chip shop or pizza place?!:shifty:
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I agree 100% Simon! Everyone will slip up on exercise or diet from time to time, but you can't get discouraged and give up because of a slip-up or two or ten. ;) Just do your best. I've certainly not eaten the most healthy foods lately but that's okay, what's done is done and I've just got to try to eat more healthily (healthfully?) in the future.
 
tiloah

tiloah

Totally agree with you guys.

I am so proud of myself today. I ran 5, walked 3, ran 5, walked 3, ran 5! (Week 5, workout 1). I thought it would kill me but it was actually pretty okay! I am dreading week 5, workout 3 though, which is just running for 20 minutes. Eek!
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Nic, I panicked when I read your post because I thought you were talking about miles. Then I realized it must be minutes. Ha ha! I thought you ran a marathon today or something! Still, even if it's minutes that's a lot of running and I bet that does feel good, good for you. I dislike running although it's been growing on me and I can now run for 5 minutes at 5 mph on the treadmill. I do that as a warm-up before lifting weights 3x per week. It definitely gets me warmed up and I'm not at the point where I could run any further than that!

I did yoga today and then I attempted to walk the dog, but she's got a foot injury and her bandage came off on our walk, and long story short, I ended up carrying her home to keep any dirt from getting in her stitches. I carried her about a block and she weighs 50 lbs. Wow, my arms were tired after that! So I did some unintentional strength training today, ha ha. I feel good now though. Maybe I should carry my dog around more often! ;)
 
S

simon47

Location
calgary, alberta, canada
Hey Cat-a-Tonic, why don't you trade your 50lb dog in on two 25lb dogs and you could do arm curls and shoulder press exercises while you walk. !! ..Just kidding. Serously though..do you find the yoga helps reduce daily stress..I've been thinking about adding it to my regimine. cheers
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Simon, I like weight lifting best and I do find that significantly helps reduce my stress. Yoga is nice, I do it on the weekends and when I can't get to the gym, and it's good for stress relief too. But I really, really like weight lifting. I love pushing my muscles to the point where I can't move them anymore - there's no room left for stress when you're that spent! Now, I am in remission, and I don't think I could have lifted weights when I wasn't in remission. I was able to do yoga back when I was still really ill though. So give it a try, it's a decent workout but not too rough on you if you're not feeling well. I find that I'm better at yoga now that I've been lifting weights for awhile, so they do seem to complement each other. :)
 
S

simon47

Location
calgary, alberta, canada
Thanks, Cat-a-T, I hope I didn't offend with my dog comment.. very much a dog person myself. Yeah, weights are my thing too...have to force myself to do cardio, but the more i do it the easier it gets for me. in remission now for a couple months after thirty years of nasty. Even managed to do the required obstacle course for my police application 8yrs ago at 40. LOVE THE WORKOUTS !!!
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
No worries Simon, I'm a cat person myself (as if you couldn't tell by the profile pic ;)) but I love my dog too. Wouldn't trade her for the world although she could stand to lose a few pounds! Ha ha. Maybe I could bench-press her. I have heard that there's this thing called baby-aerobics or something like that, apparently when you have a new baby you start doing exercises using the baby as a weight. As you get stronger the baby gets bigger so the workouts get more difficult the more the baby grows! It's very weird. I don't have kids and I don't know if I could use a baby as an exercise tool! Let alone my dog.

I have to force myself to do cardio too. I jog to warm up before lifting, and I try to do the exercise bike for at least a few minutes a day too. But I just don't like it very much, ha ha. My mother is a marathon runner and I just don't see the appeal of that! I think I would get bored, not to mention exhausted, running for hours like that.
 
tiloah

tiloah

Haha, oh Cat I wish! I am so out of shape!

The reason I run is because it has always been a struggle for me. Even in junior high and high school. I was on track and we had to run a mile as a "warm up." I was always a sprinter and I considered the 200m long distance! I run to prove to myself that my will is stronger than my body.
 
nwood10

nwood10

Location
Salt Lake City
I'm in! I got the Kinect for xbox 360. It is great fun and great exercise. I purchased Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012 which is a great work out. It monitors your progress and gives you feed back while you work out (like, "lift your legs a little more", "keep your arms straight").

I started this a while ago, but stopped because I haven't been feeling well. I need to start it up again.

I also want to start running again. My wife and I are planning to run a 5k in May...so we'll see how that goes!
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Nic, that's great, mind over matter! And wow, a mile "warm-up", that sounds like one heck of a warm-up all right! I used to do gymnastics for a couple years when I was in middle school and they'd do all sorts of cruel things to get us warmed up too. They'd make us run laps and then go right into jumping jacks and then more laps and then crunches or push-ups and more laps. It was way more exhausting to do the warm-up than it was to do the actual gymnastics!

This reminds me, they must have done similar warm-ups at the track team at my high school. I was never in track, but I knew a girl who was quite obese and she wanted to do shot-put or something like that (it was one of the things where you hurl stuff, and I don't think it was javelin). So she joined the track team but quit after one day, apparently she couldn't handle their warm-ups. It does seem weird that they make everyone do so much running even if you're just doing sprints or shot-put. I guess it would look bad if a track team has someone who can't run a mile? That's all I can figure.
 
Girun

Girun

I love to run however have to talk myself into anything anymore so not motivated. I hate that about myself. Once I'm out there I think how glad I am to b doing it, but ughhhh. Got to find motivation
 
tiloah

tiloah

Girun said:
I love to run however have to talk myself into anything anymore so not motivated. I hate that about myself. Once I'm out there I think how glad I am to b doing it, but ughhhh. Got to find motivation
Click to expand...
Oh yes, I can relate to this. I have the same problem with derby. I have to drive quite a ways to get to practice and sometimes I positively dread going, but once I start skating I am always, ALWAYS so glad I did it. Our brains are so weird sometimes.
 
M

Mr Bedfordshire

This is going ok for me so far, but I just feel as though I need a slight boost, so after doing some research both on this forum and on the net in general, I've ordered some 'hemp protein powder'.

I'm by no means expecting to be a muscle Mary in a matter of weeks, but after a workout I struggle to get the protein in, so have opted for the easier way of just buying the stuff.

I long for the day when/if someone says to me "you been working out?":cool2:
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
Mr. Bedfordshire, that day will come! I've been working out since May of 2011, so coming up on a full year now, and lately I've had a few people ask me if I've been working out and then they wistfully say they wish they had the willpower or drive to exercise too. It's a nice feeling and I've actually recently told a few people that I work out regularly and I have IBD (technically I'm still undiagnosed, but both GI and GP have unofficially said it's IBD). One co-worker of mine in particular, her jaw just dropped when I told her I have a chronic illness and I exercise. I think it must make "regular" people feel very unfit to see that someone with an illness could kick their butt in the gym! It's a nice feeling for me though. :)

I have some issues with getting enough protien after a workout too. I've been trying to have 2 hard boiled eggs after each workout (I don't eat the yolks though as they are gross, I just eat the egg whites). I need to incorporate more protien into my after-workout meals besides just eggs though. I'm still struggling with diet - the exercise is the easy part! Let us know how the protien powder goes for you, I'll be interested to hear if it helps.
 
tiloah

tiloah

I have serious difficulty getting enough protein and I always have. Eggs don't even have that much! Argh. I really don't like the idea of protein supplements because they're just processed nonsense, but protein is a tough one.
 
rygon

rygon

Moderator
Ive tried a few suppliments (shop bought generic whey one) that did bugger all. Sci-mx Omni pro which I found great (although just came out of hospital and feeling better so expercted to get better) and PHd synergy, which I find better than the shop bought one as I dont get much aching at all after a hard workout but dont think it was as good as the omni. Without taking these and just keeping to omlettes instead I find the suppliments better
 
tiloah

tiloah

I'm starting to get to the point where I think protein supplements, as much as I am not a fan, are probably better for me than simply not getting enough protein. But they're expensive too! Protein is always expensive.
 
Cat-a-Tonic

Cat-a-Tonic

Super Moderator
I am so stressed out today and I can't wait to go to the gym. I'm going to absolutely kill it in the gym and try to let go of as much stress as I can!

On the subject of protien, my husband told me something interesting the other day but I don't know if it's true (hubby knows a lot of trivia but not all of it is necessarily facts). He said rabbit meat is super high in protien, probably the highest protien meat you can get. Anybody know if that's true? I don't think I've ever actually eaten rabbit but if it's got that much protien then I would be willing to give it a try. My father-in-law goes hunting often so it wouldn't be a problem for me to get some rabbit meat from him.
 
tiloah

tiloah

I was too scared to attempt week 5 workout 2 today, so I went for a hike instead. Haha! Tomorrow though, no more putting it off.
 
SandyM

SandyM

I am greatful for this thread. It has gave me the motivation needed to recover form my business trip to Houston last week..so much food and with the jet lag - it has been hard to get back into training. It is so so weird how the body works. I have had almost a week off from serious training and was starting to feel very lethargic and today I got up at 6am and managed 10k on the treadmill! wow Surprisingly I got the energy from somewhere? So weird how you sometimes do real good when you are feeling drained of all energy.

Boy will my legs be sore tomorrow though! Keep motivated people :)
 
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