New to the group, an intro

Joe_Atlanta

Hi folks, since I've been lurking here a bit I thought I may as well go ahead and join. I'm a musician (bass guitar, double bass, vocal), pretty much sedentary for the last 5 years, not too active before that. Into my forties. I played tennis and golf but gave them up from time pressure (and injuries) and got into terrible shape. Since last September I had lost 40 lbs just by daily walking and making some basic diet changes.

I've lost another 15 lbs and hope to lose 25 more working the MFP plan. I use Runkeeper to track my daily walking and hiking exercise and have also been doing "gentle" yoga (Svaroopa) and therapeutic Tai Chi (Qi Gong). MFP has really helped me eat a more balanced diet (as well as a "cleaner" one since processed foods have so much added sugar, salt and fat).

Although I've done alright so far on my on (pro musicians usually have pretty good discipline), I know the last 20% or so is the hardest to get off. I hope by participating here I'll get an extra impetus to continue working hard.

Joe

gramanana

Welcome, Joe. I've lost 15 pounds in the last year and my doctor says I'm at a good weight and work now to stay there. I play piano, hammered dulcimer and mountain dulcimer--not very well, but I do enjoy switching off. I know I need to exercise more and eat less junk food, but it's really hard for me so hearing what you have done is an inspiration. I also had to go gluten free because of a life long allergy that I finally got a handle on and recently discovered a dairy allergy. So I'm still making lots of changes.

This group has helped me a lot with all the encouragement and stories that are shared and the support. It is a great group! Look forward to seeing more of you here and learning about your continued progress.

Joe_Atlanta

Thanks for the welcome. Learning to eat healthy (not just the recommended standards, but what your individual body needs to feel best) is an ongoing challenge. The cool thing for me is that once I got out of my rut of beige foods (fried everything with hamburgers, chicken wings, pizza and sandwiches with loads of cheese) I found that I actually like exploring new tastes. Wasabi with anything and Mahi Tuna are two of my current faves.

Although I don't currently play any "old time" or mountain music, I love the hammered dulcimer. One of the most magical concert experiences I've had was many years ago (late 70's) when I saw John McCutcheon in a small venue touring in support of his album "Wind That Shakes The Barley".