Sick and tired of feeling unhealthy.

I've had it. I'm tired of sitting around on the couch all day thinking about being healthier, working out infrequently just when I think of it again, and half-heartedly working on a diet. I'm making a change now.

This is half rant and half... potential workout log. Starting small, but not too small.

Setting my first goal: start walking everywhere. No more driving to anywhere I want/need to go that's within a reasonable distance.

I'm gonna start now, by walking to the closest gas station to get something to drink. :D

Yep.... Anyone got any tips for general health improvement?

Eat small, balanced meals. You're right to start slow at first and work up from there; try to add stretching and breathing exercises into your routine, and eventually jog or find an elliptical (better for the knees). Hydrate constantly, maybe even take vitamins, fish oils, etc. Keep your sleeping consistent, and try to stay away from too much caffeine/sugars, moderation is key. Don't drink too much alcohol.

Don't forget about your brain muscle!

I'm back! :D That was actually really energizing.

Thanks for the advice, Phion. :) I'll definitely follow it! I'm doing well already, I already take fish oil and have been off caffeine for the last seven or eight months, and am now giving up alcohol. :content:

How about yoga?

I can't bend for shit myself, and I don't know what I'm talking about. But it seems to bridge physical health, mind and a sort of spirituality.

Oh yeah, I really should look into that.... I've been meaning to anyway, it just always slips my mind. :roll: Thanks for the tip!

I think I'm going to ask my friend about this one herbal medicine place he goes to, too. It seems they've helped him a lot with digestive problems (he used to have them really bad) and the like, and he always talks about these cool massages and stuff they do. It sounds like a cool place. :D

lol....when I was about 17-18 I had bad acne, and tried all sorts of remedies. None of which worked. I ended up going to a Chinese herbal medicine place and asking for help. I expected to walk out with some bottle of weird stuff, but no. Instead, I walk out with 6 massive carrier bags full of fking loose leaves, roots....and what seemed to be dirt. The guy said: 'Boil it. Drink it'. Nastiest stuff I've ever had....and I ended up with bloody more. Thankfully cleared up from age (hormonal).

Yeah, any place with massages sounds like a cool place to me. I'd get acupuncture and fire cupping just for the hell of it too. I keep forgetting about doing that too... just for my curiosity.

Hahaha, that sucks. :lol: At least it's gone now!

Those both make me nervous to think about. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...ashamed004.gif I'd probably have to work up to them. I just want something basic and relaxing for now.... I've been itching for a massage for ages. X3

I love giving massages.

I love receiving massages. So what're we gonna do about this? :P

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Originally Posted by Wolfwood

lol....when I was about 17-18 I had bad acne, and tried all sorts of remedies. None of which worked. I ended up going to a Chinese herbal medicine place and asking for help. I expected to walk out with some bottle of weird stuff, but no. Instead, I walk out with 6 massive carrier bags full of fking loose leaves, roots....and what seemed to be dirt. The guy said: 'Boil it. Drink it'. Nastiest stuff I've ever had....and I ended up with bloody more. Thankfully cleared up from age (hormonal).

Yeah, any place with massages sounds like a cool place to me. I'd get acupuncture and fire cupping just for the hell of it too. I keep forgetting about doing that too... just for my curiosity.

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Bottle of weird stuff. You don't say.

I went to a Chinese medical hall once to find a cure for my skin allergies. The physician gave me lots of tiny pills and I had to pop 12 of them into my mouth twice a day I think. I have phobia of pills ever since. :eek:

And my skin allergies cured when I played netball in school, most probably because of the sunlight, etc.

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Originally Posted by Carrot

Bottle of weird stuff. You don't say.

I went to a Chinese medical hall once to find a cure for my skin allergies. The physician gave me lots of tiny pills and I had to pop 12 of them into my mouth twice a day I think. I have phobia of pills ever since. :eek:

And my skin allergies cured when I played netball in school, most probably because of the sunlight, etc.

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Yeah, I read it'd be something along the lines of 'pearl paste' before I went in. I was wrong.

Sunlight really does do a lot of good....doesn't help being cooped up inside like a vampire. 12 pills... >.<

Yeah... pills get pretty tiring after a while. I used to abuse an OTC drug that required a ridiculous amount of pills for a strong trip. The most I ever took at once was 40. >.<

Jesussss. Did it work?

edit: have you tried nutmeg, is there any validity to it?

On topic: um, do jumping jacks.

It sure did. I used to do it all the time, it was my escape drug. That was just the highest dose I ever took, and I tripped hard. I got into an argument with a paper bag about something for fifteen minutes, only to tell it I wasn't going to put up with its shit anymore because I had company over and we were being rude, and then when I turned to apologize to my company I realized that I was all alone in my room. And that was only the first few minutes of it. :shock:

Anyway, I haven't tried nutmeg, but it is valid. However, using the actual nuts more often than not produces effects that are weak and dysphoric. Certain subsets of psychedelic users lately are investigating ways to use and enhance the effects of nutmeg essential oil, which contains mostly just the active compounds in high amounts. Not all of them (including similar chemicals in other plants) are active in everyone without certain enzyme inhibitors, so effects vary a lot. The main three chemicals are myristicin, elemicin, and safrole. Myristicin (in strong doses) causes powerful visuals and a bit of a psychotic edge. Elemecin is basically myristicin but just the visual aspect, supposedly it's more calm and mescaline-like, and in higher doses the visuals take on a visionary aspect that myristicin doesn't since it follows a different path due to its mental aspect. Safrole is a somewhat psychedelic entactogen, reminiscent of MDMA. (Which makes a lot sense, considering that it's a MDMA precursor.) I'm intending to get some and write a trip report at some point.

This is actually the second time today I've gone over this on DV. :chuckle:

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Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Yeah, I read it'd be something along the lines of 'pearl paste' before I went in. I was wrong.

Sunlight really does do a lot of good....doesn't help being cooped up inside like a vampire. 12 pills... >.<

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Pearl powder you meant? Yeah, that's edible. I'm not sure how good it actually is to your body but I think it's just fun eating it.

There's cordeyceps too, it's an insect before it dies and turns into a "herb". When I first drank a water mixed with it, I thought it was nice then the idea of drinking dead insect started creeping me out.

Talking about sunlight, Aly maybe you can get out of your house more often too? We're both vampires... LOL.

On a side note, I find skipping fun.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alyzarin

I've had it. I'm tired of sitting around on the couch all day thinking about being healthier, working out infrequently just when I think of it again, and half-heartedly working on a diet. I'm making a change now.

This is half rant and half... potential workout log. Starting small, but not too small.

Setting my first goal: start walking everywhere. No more driving to anywhere I want/need to go that's within a reasonable distance.

I'm gonna start now, by walking to the closest gas station to get something to drink. :D

Yep.... Anyone got any tips for general health improvement?

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Try to eat healthier food. try avoid processed and packaged foods, or food with preservatives.

Drink alot of water and less of any other drinks.

Practice meditation daily.

Stretch daily.

Avoid drinking to much caffine.

When you feel angry or stressed it can be good to work out to feel better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carrot

Talking about sunlight, Aly maybe you can get out of your house more often too? We're both vampires... LOL.

On a side note, I find skipping fun.

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Yeah, I've been trying to go on walks more often. :chuckle: Maybe I'll try going on skips, too. :P

Quote:

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Originally Posted by saltyseedog

Try to eat healthier food. try avoid processed and packaged foods, or food with preservatives.

Drink alot of water and less of any other drinks.

Practice meditation daily.

Stretch daily.

Avoid drinking to much caffine.

When you feel angry or stressed it can be good to work out to feel better.

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Thanks for the tips! :content: Stretching is something I definitely need to do, and getting back into meditation.... I really need to get on this yoga.

Anyone know any good starting points for yoga? :huh:

Yeah, do it.

As stupid as that sounds, if you're anything like me you'll spend time thinking about doing something, researching the best methods, checking beginner mistakes, etc without actually jumping into it. Sometimes you just need someone to kick you off the diving board so you just learn from within that activity. Doing the basic thing is usually better than reading about doing the best thing.

If you're not like that, then discard it. :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alyzarin

It sure did. I used to do it all the time, it was my escape drug. That was just the highest dose I ever took, and I tripped hard. I got into an argument with a paper bag about something for fifteen minutes, only to tell it I wasn't going to put up with its shit anymore because I had company over and we were being rude, and then when I turned to apologize to my company I realized that I was all alone in my room. And that was only the first few minutes of it. :shock:

Anyway, I haven't tried nutmeg, but it is valid. However, using the actual nuts more often than not produces effects that are weak and dysphoric. Certain subsets of psychedelic users lately are investigating ways to use and enhance the effects of nutmeg essential oil, which contains mostly just the active compounds in high amounts. Not all of them (including similar chemicals in other plants) are active in everyone without certain enzyme inhibitors, so effects vary a lot. The main three chemicals are myristicin, elemicin, and safrole. Myristicin (in strong doses) causes powerful visuals and a bit of a psychotic edge. Elemecin is basically myristicin but just the visual aspect, supposedly it's more calm and mescaline-like, and in higher doses the visuals take on a visionary aspect that myristicin doesn't since it follows a different path due to its mental aspect. Safrole is a somewhat psychedelic entactogen, reminiscent of MDMA. (Which makes a lot sense, considering that it's a MDMA precursor.) I'm intending to get some and write a trip report at some point.

This is actually the second time today I've gone over this on DV. :chuckle:

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Interesting: explains why when I tried washing down a whole jar of nutmeg powder it did nothing at all.

haha what were you taking when you had the paper bag crisis?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Yeah, do it.

As stupid as that sounds, if you're anything like me you'll spend time thinking about doing something, researching the best methods, checking beginner mistakes, etc without actually jumping into it. Sometimes you just need someone to kick you off the diving board so you just learn from within that activity. Doing the basic thing is usually better than reading about doing the best thing.

If you're not like that, then discard it. :D

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Yeah, I do have that problem sometimes. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...ashamed003.gif It's good advice... but I still do need SOME kind of starting point. :P I guess I'll just look up the basic thing to start with without pursuing too much information beyond that. :chuckle:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wolfwood

Interesting: explains why when I tried washing down a whole jar of nutmeg powder it did nothing at all.

haha what were you taking when you had the paper bag crisis?

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That would likely explain it. :P

Diphenhydramine. Evil, evil drug. It basically works the same way as datura, with the main difference being that it's safer to dose because you actually know the milligram amount, but it's otherwise not really any safer to use. Deliriants are pretty... ridiculous. They're the only type of hallucinogen I've used that I would not call psychedelic in any way. They're more just like psychosis, and clearly very damaging to the mind. The after effects (like lingering visuals, short-term memory problems, anxiety) last a looooong time....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alyzarin

Yeah, I do have that problem sometimes. http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...ashamed003.gif It's good advice... but I still do need SOME kind of starting point. :P I guess I'll just look up the basic thing to start with without pursuing too much information beyond that. :chuckle:

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Haha, well this is what I'd do after reading something basic to determine what type of yoga I'd want to do (if I was to actually DO it):

Yoga Playlists

But all I'd really end up doing is just watching those videos, and going: 'oh, yeah, I see, I see. Right, next one'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Alyzarin

That would likely explain it. :P

Diphenhydramine. Evil, evil drug. It basically works the same way as datura, with the main difference being that it's safer to dose because you actually know the milligram amount, but it's otherwise not really any safer to use. Deliriants are pretty... ridiculous. They're the only type of hallucinogen I've used that I would not call psychedelic in any way. They're more just like psychosis, and clearly very damaging to the mind. The after effects (like lingering visuals, short-term memory problems, anxiety) last a looooong time....

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I'll stay away from that then. ^^

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Originally Posted by Alyzarin

I love receiving massages. So what're we gonna do about this? :P

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Well, we could always stand on some thin ice and break out the fragrant oils!

Balanced diet, don't have the same meal everyday, try to mix around what kind of vegetables and fruits you have each day.
Don't eat too much of the same meat: e.g. It is recommended to eat red meat just 3 times a week, unless of course you want to be a body builder then go all out.
Drink plenty of water: Seriously it is so good for you.
Avoid junk food: pop, sweets, saturated fats like deep fat fried food.
Carbohydrates are not your enemy: Just try to eat more whole grain foods, the reason for this is that your body has to work harder to break down the grain, increasing the energy used in digesting it and also helps raise metabolism.
Exercise regularly: Like an hour a day maybe? If you get out of breath and sweat its good :)
Don't eat because you are bored, only "snack" if you are really hungry, maybe a bowl of rice or pasta, something which will swell up and release the energy slowly.

Do core body exercises and exercises which use your body as the weight, to try to tone your muscles, this helps improve posture aswell as sitting up straight, posture has an effect on how your body looks too.

I haven't read through the thread, but here are my general comments on switching to a "healthy" lifestyle.

I've never been overly unhealthy--I've always been a real skinny guy. But I didn't eat great. It's been a gradual process, but the most radical change was in January when I moved. I decided to "start over" and get in good habits away. Really, that's the most difficult part--creating the proper habits. Once you get used to "being" healthy, it's second nature.

Create your planned diet. You're better off making/preparing all the food yourself. Don't plan on getting a "healthy salad" from some place, because if you're like me you'll buy some extra stuff you don't need. Or, completely disregard the salad and order something else not on the plan. So basically, don't go out to eat. I still eat out every now and then, but it's gotten to the point where I just prefer eating my own food even though it often doesn't taste as good. The difference is it FEELS good.

Don't buy extra food either. Plan your diet, and buy exactly what you need when grocery shopping. If you're feeling hungry or too full, adjust the diet. Your best bet is seeing a nutritionist (that's what I did), but there's a lot of information online as well if you do some research.


With exercise, walking is good. Although, with your original post I'd vote against walking to a gas station. Too much crap food in there. I don't know about you, but if I walk to the gas station to buy a drink, I'd probably walk out with some crappy snack as well. Maybe find a good physical hobby as well? I like biking and going to the gym. Doesn't have to be a brutal workout. Often times I just cruise around on my bike and mess around. Also, hiking is a blast because I love walking around taking pictures.

Getting a good workout sucks at first. But if you're body is taken care of (proper diet), physical activity will become more and more enjoyable. Kinda like an car. Poor maintenance will keep it from running like it's suppose to, thus making it less enjoyable to drive. Keep it in good working order, and it'll run great and be a blast to drive.



I'm really good and rambling on and on when making forum posts. :? And now I suddenly feel too lazy to even re-read what I wrote, so hopefully it's not horrible. Basically, "being" healthy is really hard at first. But stick with it. Once you get over the bump (and it's a pretty big bump, more like a mountain), you won't even notice at the huge display filled with candy as you make your way towards the veggie isle. :D

Best tip I read on here was plan your diet. Basically take a good look through the healthy parts of the grocery store and make notes, then get used to making a healthy balanced plate of food.
Also spend $70-100 on a good pair of nike running shoes if you want to walk. Invaluable to have light, well designed shoes.

I've been thinking about writing some kind of running guide for a while now, just to get down into words some of the things I've learned over the years. Idk, I don't read running guides, so I don't rightly know what good my advice would actually be to anyone but myself....

But the first thing I would write about is something that you can translate to any activity you decide to try to do, and that is about prioritizing "frequency" over any other way you care to measure your workout. That is, the number of days on which you actually go for a run. You may get to the point where you start caring about the distance you run or the the speed you run, but these are utterly meaningless if you don't run frequently. Even if your run is pathetic, a half kilometer, with bad form and you don't even break a sweat, even if you don't feel like you made any respectable effort, as long as you focus on your frequency goal with seriousness, say... 3 days a week.... you will reap a great deal of the benefits, and eventually the rest will take care of itself.

For a long time, (for as much as 10 years) I found that frequency was the only thing I really had to watch myself on. I'd be in a great groove of running 3 or 4 times a week for months at a time, but something would cause me to break my groove and I'd be back to... not running, for months at a time. I have finally reached a point where I get cranky and restless if I haven't gone for a run after like a week, so I don't have to worry about it so much.

What I would always notice, is that just knocking over the first domino was all it took. If I didn't necessarily feel like running, I would just do the first step, put my shoes on (or whatever). Once I started the motion, all the other steps would come automatically... get everything else on I would wear, maybe have a coffee, maybe pick out some music, and eventually I was out the door.

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Unless you think positively and actually want to change, you will not. You need to sit down for a while and seriously make a list of the things that are unhealthy and contributing to your personal imbalance. The words, "sick and tired" in the topic of the thread indicate much more serious issues than a lack of exercise or not eating well. Diet and exercise is only a part of being healthy. Wellness is holistic. If you are interested in walking, try walking barefoot on the ground -- preferably grass. It is therapeutic. Wishing you the best.