Exercise Goal ?? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

wendymeows · 03-20-2008, 09:04 AM

What are you counting while exercising...are you counting steps, calories burned, times spent, miles, etc.?

I have just been walking 1-2 miles per day at a medium pace but is there something I should be aiming for or counting? I know this question sounds silly but I want to make sure that I make the most out of what I am doing.

scoobie74 · 03-20-2008, 09:16 AM

With me, I count the time that I do the excercise and the amount of effort that I put into it.

FB · 03-20-2008, 09:16 AM

I count time, exertion and progression.

The exertion and progression are as important to me as the time spent. I want to make sure I'm kicking my own butt! The exertion ensures my progression which helps with the calories burned.

Gack, it's early and I'm not at my typing best but I hope you get what I mean.

Marathon Mom · 03-20-2008, 09:18 AM

I usually calculate using time and intensity.

Either way... It's ALL good! Keep up the good work!

femme fatale · 03-20-2008, 09:19 AM

My goal is to walk a mile, 5 days a week. I did it once and it felt so good!!

fiberlover · 03-20-2008, 09:27 AM

I aim for 30-45 minutes of exercise per day. I do try to push myself a little bit, since your body can get used to what you do if you do the same thing all the time.
I do different things on different days as well to keep my body from getting into a rut.

sarahdafiregal · 03-20-2008, 09:45 AM

I try to do one form of exercise a day, whether it be walking on the treadmill (hopefully soon to be outside if the snow ever melts!) or yoga. I know if I miss a day, it'll become two, then three...until I'm not exercising again.

Pita09 · 03-20-2008, 09:53 AM

I keep an excel spreadsheet for tracking my miles and calories burned. I go from month to month so that I can gage how much I'm progressing and to challenge myself. I don't incorporate the calories I burn into my diet plan, but it's fun to see how many I burn in a week, month, etc. I track what I do on the weight machines in my head and by how my muscles respond. I try to increase whenever it feels too easy.

Schmoodle · 03-20-2008, 10:20 AM

I participate in an exercise challenge on a different part of the forum, and I track minutes exercised for the month. My goal for this month was 900 minutes, but I am almost there, so I am excited to see how far above goal I can get this month! I challenge myself to increase intensity, but I don't really have any way of tracking this. And I have a goal to do something every day. On occasion I have to skip a day, so I allow myself 5 no exercise days in a month if I need them. So far, I have only used two this month!

Nori71 · 03-20-2008, 11:28 AM

I get up to 2 hours of childcare for 2 little ones for 4$ at my gym - so I get the most out of my time and stay for the full 2 hours. Usually 1 hour of cardio (various activities) and 1 hour of weight training (alternating UB/LB)/core work. I have 1-2 days off a week.

So, actually I pay nearly 3 times more a month for childcare than for my gym dues!

I recently started wearing a HRM and that been a HUGE motivator for me. I was wasting much of my time not working out hard enough. Being able to see my HR all the time keeps me in a good range. Now I'm doing HITT and interestingly, my weight is dropping faster.

LaurieDawn · 03-20-2008, 11:43 AM

You're right! There are so many ways to do it. If I feel like I can conquer the world, I pay special attention to intensity (using my HR monitor to make sure I'm pushing myself really hard for intervals and not completely dogging it when I'm not at maximum intensity). If I feel like I'm dragging myself through the workout (which happens from time to time, and it's not entirely predictable), I just make sure I put in my time. Just recently, though, I've decided to train for a half-marathon, and I love having a minimum required amount of exercise to meet my training goals. I also love forcing myself to take a rest day because I think it's better for my body and I am not likely to do it otherwise.

I think the bottom line is that exercise is like diet. It can always be better, and a lot of it depends on what your goals are. But it doesn't have to be perfect (or even close to perfect, really) to get results. You just need to find what works best for you, and continue to find what works best as your body changes and your life changes.

I love it, though. It makes me feel accomplished and powerful, and I think my body looks so much better than it would if I had accomplished the weight loss that I've achieved through dietary changes alone.