I'm SOOOO happy for the last few replies.
I've said on forums before that people don't really workout. I've also described my "marathoner" friend who runs and runs but doesn't burn anything....she is so slow that I can walk next to her. She is morbidly obese. No, she doesn't get points for "trying" and I am not a total b for saying that.
I was jumped on by everyone and even cussed at. You know what, it's true. VERY few people REALLY workout. They don't even know what hard work is in the gym. I watch this day in and day out. There is a reason fat people stay fat. I go to the gym and bust my ass everyday. I have the muscle and physique to show for it. I'm a female and I squat more than everyone (except this one guy who was here TDY and squatted 450 for like 15 reps...it was awesome). yesterday was leg day, I squatted only 225 pounds but guess what I did 15 sets of reps at declining numbers....so I did 15-14-13-12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 That is 120 squats. I never see people working like that. Oh and then I jumped on the treadmill for 3 miles and then on the bike for another 20 mins.
My husband and I are ripped. There are no short cuts. You want to be thin and in shape...you can't have cheat days and eat cake and bon bons. There is no magic to this. burn calories and eat good food.
Well, if she is a marathoner, it really doesn't matter how fast she is going, she *is* working out.
But I've learned a lot in the last few years about "working out" and what works. Chronic cardio (can you tell that I read Mark's Daily Apple?) really isn't the best way to lose weight long term. But for years, that's what we've told people, so that's what they do. And they wonder why they can't take off 10 pounds when they spend 45 minutes on the elliptical.
However, "chronic cardio" is good for your heart and your body. I used to train for 1/2 marathons and I tell you - my legs were ripped and my heart rate/ BP was never so good. My joints? Not so much. So swimming (gentle) and walking are what I do - they are good for my body (which is meant to MOVE) and mind.
I read a comment on a blog once that "exercise is the junk food of fitness". Meaning, your body is supposed to MOVE so if your method of being fit is just a short workout here and there, it defeats the purpose.
The good thing about having 2 kids and working full time is that I just don't HAVE time. So I turned to shorter workouts, which are apparently pretty effective. I do at home weight training workouts, at home body-weight yoga-type workouts (PiYo), and at home interval training workouts. (In addition to just walking and such whenever I can.) If you do it right you are SWEATING after only 15 minutes (which is sometimes the only amount of time I have!) Never underestimate the effectiveness of 10 minutes of burpees.