Let's Get in Shape for Sakura-Con 2011!

[dragonacid16]

and the high amounts of antioxidants...

[Ceci-chan]

Actually, i believe that's "Pure Maple Syrup". which is very high in sugar. not regular male syrup you might take out of a regular store

not so much portion size as to what you're looking at i think here, but yes, be careful with the syrup

I'll check her book and see what kind of maple syrup it specifies.

Yeah, not necessarily portion size, but when you take carbs into account, it can change your meal size dramatically.

Good thing I'm not counting carbs to get fit, or I'd fail hard. XD

[Washing]

Yay for randomly dancing to music ;3

I've been doing that constinetly and really, it's quite fun. What makes it funny is that I dance to those Anime Ipods xD

[TofuTessa]

Maan, been awhile since I've been in here. So since school has ended a month ago I've lost about 5 pounds or so. And also gained some muscle. I guess it was because as soon as I had all this free time I decided to crack down on taking care of things at my house which turned out to be a lot of work.

[Ceci-chan]

Ok, now that OtakuCon is over, I've been able to get back into a regular routine with my exercise and eating habits. The week before the con my sleep, food, and exercise went waaaay down because of all the work that had to be done. |||OTL

I noticed that during the actual convention itself, I drank almost six 16 oz. bottles of water each day but hardly ate at all, except when friends shoved food in my face in the evenings. I figured all the water and the running around did it. >.>;;

So, how do you maintain your routines before/during/after a convention?

[Kato Shiroi]

Ok, now that OtakuCon is over, I've been able to get back into a regular routine with my exercise and eating habits. The week before the con my sleep, food, and exercise went waaaay down because of all the work that had to be done. |||OTL

I noticed that during the actual convention itself, I drank almost six 16 oz. bottles of water each day but hardly ate at all, except when friends shoved food in my face in the evenings. I figured all the water and the running around did it. >.>;;

So, how do you maintain your routines before/during/after a convention?

Lol, well your con sounds about like mine. Great that you drank lots of water, I (and alot of others) don't drink enough (water) and no sugary energy drinks & sodas while better than nothing, don't count or do as much for you as water.
I basically try to work really hard before and after con on maintaining a regular/healthy schedule/diet so that at con I can just be busy and not worry about it.
I too have friends chasing me down & forcing food in me but I do try at con to always have an energy bar with me so If I start to get dizzy I can have that.

Con and events like it will always be the exception to the rule but if you work hard before & after then you will feel stronger/fit and not be unconscious for more than a day or two after con

[L2Phantom]

So, how do you maintain your routines before/during/after a convention?

Before: Right now I'm walking about 6-7 miles a day (except on Sunday). I just keep thinking about how great the con will be and how much more comfortable I will feel wearing my cosplay and have more fun because of it.
During: I usually eat pretty well during the con. However I only have time for one big meal around 3'ish and that will count as my breakfast/lunch/dinner for the day. I usually have a gameworks burger/salad, sushi at dragonfish asian cafe (or the blue c sushi this year I'm thinking), or something at subway/cheesecake factory.
After: The hardest part for me is keeping motivated right after the con ends, its like... awwww... another whole year away! I got time~ lol...

I dunno, I've pretty drastically changed my eating habits and I'm getting used to them. I consume about 600 calories before 4 PM due to work (starts at 3 AM), then when I get home I have a big dinner around 5 PM (non deep fried stuff). Seems to work pretty well, definitely not putting on any weight. Although I think I need to incorporate more running into my schedule even though I walk so much already, progress is slow >->!

[Ceci-chan]

The hardest part for me is keeping motivated right after the con ends, its like... awwww... another whole year away! I got time~ lol...

I totally almost did that when I realized I wouldn't be able to cosplay Yoko at OtakuCon. And then my friend teased me about having an ugly gut for the con, so I started working extra hard for my wanna-be-abs-of-steel. xD

Lol, well your con sounds about like mine. Great that you drank lots of water, I (and alot of others) don't drink enough (water) and no sugary energy drinks & sodas while better than nothing, don't count or do as much for you as water.

When I ran karaoke, I kept bothering volunteers to refill my water bottle for me since I couldn't leave my event. >.>;; they probably thought I was some sort of diva |||OTL
It was during karaoke that I drank the most water, about three bottles in a three hour time period.

I'll probably load up on snacks for Sakura-Con. At OtakuCon, I packed my bag with three small snacks each day, since the staff would be getting pizza. (not that I ate it, though. Grease and cosplay don't mix!) And, when I come to Seattle, I'm totally hitting up Uwajimaya for the fabulous lemon water we had a couple weeks ago and fresh fruit. |D I'll be at Kinokuniya anyways, sooooo... *shot*

[koromir]

I hate to admit but I was a bit flustered at Otakucon. I did have my own water bottle but with several events going on and having to constantly fret over wig, cosplay, make-up and nails, I kept forgetting to refill my bottle. ;_; Thank you Ceci for making me drink that water at the rave, I soooo needed it.

I thankfully didn't drink any energy drinks but I only ate twice each day. I had one major meal and a snack from the maid cafe. I was so busy the week right before the con that I had very little preparation. Hopefully after the next three weeks, (Getting a Japanese exchange student), I can get back to eating better and working out more.

I am afraid to wear my running shoes for anything but running. Can anyone recommend a good pair of cross trainers to get? As much as I love my chuck's I need something that won't hurt my feet at the end of a day at con.

[Ceci-chan]

^No prob. : ) you were looking a little flushed when I gave it to you, so I thought you'd need it to cool down a bit.

I thankfully didn't drink any energy drinks but I only ate twice each day. I had one major meal and a snack from the maid cafe. I was so busy the week right before the con that I had very little preparation. Hopefully after the next three weeks, (Getting a Japanese exchange student), I can get back to eating better and working out more.

OMG I don't understand how people at the con could function on sweets from the maid cafe, Monster energy drinks from the vending machines, and pizza sold by staff. It was like, where's the nutrition?? I understand that sometimes at a con people go into survival mode and will eat whatever to keep up their energy, but at least be a little kinder to your body and consume less sugar/grease. @A@;;

As for the shoes, you could try the tone-ups from Reebok? They work similarly to the Shape-ups from Skechers, except they don't have an ugly, chunky heel on them. Dx Have you seen the flip-flop versions of Shape-ups? TACKY TACKY SHOES.
I really like Airwalk shoes from Payless. I bought my first pair of skater shoes from Airwalk way back in middle school and wore them until I couldn't fit them anymore in high school. They're really comfy~ I also really, really like Sofft Shoes (http://www.sofftshoe.com/default.aspx). I bought my mom a pair of their low-heel shoes in a gorgeous red color, and I ended up getting them because I wore them too much, LOL. I also bought a pair of 3-inch wedge sandals from Sofft. Super comfy! I can walk in them all day long~ <3

I personally wear flip-flops all the time, so I can't really give any other suggestions. |||OTL

The best advice for shoes I can give is this:
-make sure you have good arch support
-don't settle because a shoe is slightly too loose/too tight. make sure it fits right.
-make sure the shoe is made of a breathable fabric so your feet won't stink. xD
-most important of all, make sure it's comfortable to wear! : D

[PockySnowshadow]

Hey, the topic of syrup has come up before in this topic, but I was wondering: is sugar-free "maple" syrup OK to use? I tend to put it in my tea each morning with some soy milk, because it only has 25 calories every 1/4cup. I know that calories don't mean everything though, so that's why I wanted to ask.
A friend of mine scolded me on sugar-free items, pointing directly to a package of Twizzlers (which, by the way, I find disgusting), and told me how not all sugar-free things are healthy. Any opinions on the syrup would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[L2Phantom]

Sugar-free options are a better departure from real sugar for diabetics and those who are dieting, however in place of real sugar they use sugar alcohol which is partially digested through your small intestine into your blood stream. This means you will experience a less drastic change in your blood sugar levels from sugar alcohols than you would from eating regular sugars. In terms of calories, sugar alcohol contains less calories than real sugar does by a ratio of about 2:4, which is a good place to be if you're a calorie counter. The biggest problem with sugar alcohol is if its eaten in excess it can build up in your intestines and cause bloating which will cause you to gain some weight, so make sure its eaten in moderation just like everything else in your diet and you will be perfectly fine.

[Ceci-chan]

^A lot of sugar-free products use aspartame or other sweetners instead of sugar, which, if not taken in moderation, can be as unhealthy for you as eating sugary foods in unmoderated amounts. Artificial sweetners are basically chemicals in the food, which is a reason why people get so freaky about them. what he said. xD

Instead of going sugar-free, have you tried other syrup alternatives? A girl at my workplace uses agave nectar instead of maple syrup because it has a lower carb count, and it has the consistency of maple syrup. Haven't tried it yet myself, but she seems to like it. : )

[L2Phantom]

I recommend sweetening things with natural honey too, its full of antioxidants and really healthy for you, tastes delicious, and can be used cleverly on nearly anything.

[Solex]

With the reference to diabetics having to watch out with what they eat, there are some pretty nifty magazines out there for diabetics that you can pick up, and surprisingly, what you find inside is very amazing, even if you aren't diabetic.

The food inside is generally quite healthy because it has to watch your amount of nutrition taken in while its other goal is to still be tasty. cakes, treats, dinners, etc. the only limit is the internet and that magazine you picked up

[PockySnowshadow]

Instead of going sugar-free, have you tried other syrup alternatives? A girl at my workplace uses agave nectar instead of maple syrup because it has a lower carb count, and it has the consistency of maple syrup. Haven't tried it yet myself, but she seems to like it. : )

I'll have to check that out, it sounds interesting (in a good way ) Thanks for the suggestion!

[Kato Shiroi]

Excellent discussion on sweetners. I sometimes check out the store isle for healthy - diabetic choices to see what they're made from. I do like to point out that everyone's body reacts differently to foods and you have to experiment a bit.
For me i cant digest alot of the sugar alchohols - sweetning substitutes, so I try to stay with honey, real maple and agave type sweetners and I feel pretty good.

Cheers,
Kato

[Ceci-chan]

With the reference to diabetics having to watch out with what they eat, there are some pretty nifty magazines out there for diabetics that you can pick up, and surprisingly, what you find inside is very amazing, even if you aren't diabetic.

I know, right??
My mom has been buying those magazines, and the food inside looks totally delicious~ We've even tried some of the recipes and they were really good! : D

[Emi-Chan]

What is your fitness Goal?
Lose the wieght of course! Alot of my character suggestions are fairly skinny which is not a suprisement - considering all anime characters are totally fit. But aside from that I want to reach a wieght of 130 lbs, any less than that would be even better.

Do you Have a Daily or Weekly Fitness Routine?
Actually I do. I take trips to the gym almost every day and hop on either the elliptical machine or the bicycle machine. Maybe even trot on over to the wieght section every so often.

If you don't have a routine, how would you make time for one? or add to what you do?
I would probably just ride my bike. My options are pretty limited.

Do you eat a balanced Diet? or How would you improve what you eat?
Not really - I actually eat under what i'm supposed to consume. I'm trying to eat three meals a day now and get to bed earlier so I don't wake up around noon.

Suggestions?

Yup. If this wasn't mentioned earlier than I definatly suggest going and joining http://www.sparkpeople.com
It helps me keep on track.

Another thing is ( I know it might sound sllly ) But pooping helps alot. I went in recently and found out that my digestive system wasn't at it's best. Something about it being blocked, so I was given "MiraLax". Keeping regualar helps alot. Activia also helps in that department.

[rundevilrun]

What is your fitness Goal?
Tone my whole body. I'm 5'3 and around 110, maybe 112 lbs, so I don't need to lose too much weight, plus I still manage to have curves so toning is all I need xDD

Do you Have a Daily or Weekly Fitness Routine?
I dance with my crew. Shuffle, jumpstyle, jerk, and break. We practice for several hours each time we meet up, which is around 2-3 times a week. Trying to burn as many calories as possible!

If you don't have a routine, how would you make time for one? or add to what you do?
Maybe run on the treadmill when we're not practicing? If I had a stationary bike I'd totally spend all night on one xDD

Do you eat a balanced Diet? or How would you improve what you eat?
I eat tons of fruit & veggies, though I have a day when I'll curb my cravings by giving in, but ONLY on that day! I'd go crazy if I couldn't have my Sour Patch Kids.