40+ Club: Fall Fitness Fanatics

singfree

Darman, welcome! I see that you from Salt Lake City. I just returned from helping my BIL and his wife move to Washington, UT (St. George area). Great people in UT!! They are thrilled to be there after many years in Los Angeles. We can't wait to visit them in a few months.

kbefit

Cardigirl...thanks for the article. I will definitely read it. I have learned my lesson about under eating. About 2 years ago I lost about 30 pounds. The pic of my profile was at that time....I still had 30 to go. The only reason I use that pic is because I'd had computer issues and when I joined, it was the only one on my system. I should probably post a better "before" picture. Anyway, at that time I was exercising like a fiend. I have actually found what I love to do and so I did it for at least an hour everyday and wasn't really that hungry. After losing 30 pounds, my body just stopped losing. My doctor said that my body was probably going into starvation mode and refused to lose. But once I slowed down on the exercise my weight crept up and here I am again. I have yo-yo dieted all of my life and have to say I've probably only been thin about 4 times in my life....and for very short times. But when I was thin, I knew that's how I was supposed to be. And for me, I'm realizing that it's all about the food. It's not even what I put in my mouth because while I love sugar and junk as much as the next person, you'd be surprised at how healthfully I eat. For me I believe, it's the portion control. Even healthy food can become a detriment when eaten in mass quantities. I guess I need to listen to those signals. I admit it - I love good food and good wine. I also love to cook and like to eat what I cook. But guess what? I love pants with zippers too....and the beach....and tank tops....and the pool...and not shying away from the camera....and so on and so on. So I guess that those are the things I need to focus on. This journey WILL be exciting and I can still love what I love, but maybe just in smaller quantities

You're right alf...I need to follow the rules this time. It's getting to a point where food almost becomes scary to me and that's not the way it's supposed to be. Stirring thanks for your advice too...I do have supportive friends and I'm not afraid to tell them what I need. It was the same when I quit smoking years ago because you're right, this is my life, and I want to be around to live it!!!

cardigirl

kbefit, I did that too. I would lose 30lbs and then start to gain it all back plus another 10. Frustrating. And all on very low calorie intake. I must have done it at least 5 times since my 20s. I love food too, but I will tell you, that since I've started looking at food as fuel for optimum performance for my body, I feel the best I have ever felt! So much more energy and I look much better too!

I'm glad you found us! This journey is so worth taking and it really helps to have lots of support along the way! :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

cardigirl, you posted while I was posting! Thanks for the article. Nutrition is key, that's for sure. I'm glad you like your trainer and I totally agree that it is about finding the right person.

singfree, I find this current story kind of interesting too. I saw he and his mother on the Today Show this morning, and his mother is so deperate for him to turn his life around. I hope this is his time and he takes it.

darman, welcome! I'm with alf...I would like to know what you've done to lose the weight. My husband keeps saying he wants to lose weight, but he just won't listen to me. He'd rather read David Zinczenko that listen to what I say. Now, Zinczenko knows what he's talking about, but I feed my husband and it hurts me when he will say things like "I need to start eating better so I'm going to read Abs Diet". Granted, I only feed my husband when he is home, but it still annoys me because if he would just pay attention to what I've serving him (or what I'm eating when he is around), he'd know what 'eating better' is. Oh, well. Enough of that rant. Congratulations on your weight loss. Those last few pounds are tough. The thing that worked for me in losing it was intense exercise including strength training. You indicate you're running 15 miles a week. That's great, but is that your only exercise? If so, you might be able to shock your body into losing that little bit if you add a little more variety to the program.

alf, I'm so glad to hear I wasn't steering you in the wrong direction with exercises!! And I'm glad you talked to your PT about it as well. It sounds to me like you want to work out six days a week but have eight days worth of exercise, right? Can you fit in shorter workouts on the days you're doing Zumba at all? I'm just curious because if you can, then on one day you can do a 20-30 minute upper body and on another maybe one of the shorter premixes from Butts and Guts (since you'd mentioned doing that). On one day during the weekend, you can do a longer leg workout (like the entire Butts and Guts) and on Friday, you can do a longer upper body routine. The only important thing to remember, as you know, is to not do your upper or lower body workouts on consecutive days. To keep your upper body workout shorter, focus on the larger muscle groups (chest/back) if that's the only time you've got. Working these muscles burns more calories AND you also work many of the smaller muscle groups as well (note: you can hit the biceps doing back if you perform a bent-over row with an underhand grip). As far as the belly fat, it is all about the diet (or at least mostly about the diet). There is no quick way of getting rid of it. You just have to watch what you eat, avoid sodium, alcohol and processed foods, and drink plenty of water. Sadly, the place we add fat first is usually the place it comes off last. For me.....its my thighs. :grumble:

kbefit, I completely echo what cardigirl just wrote about looking at food as fuel. Once you start seeing it that way (and paying attention to how poorly junk food makes you feel) it will turn your life around. As she said, this is a journey well worth taking!

cardigirl

I am very lucky to have a trainer who is as enthusiastic about his work as mine is. And although he's only 26, he is a former Marine, and has some world experience that way, having served in Iraq. Plus, he does MMA and runs, so he practices what he preaches and I find that more important to me than his age. He seems to care about the progress his clients make, which makes him a good trainer. He listens to me, but he also challenges me to try things that I might not have tried otherwise. Burpees and boxing come to mind.

I was just suggesting that ageism can run both ways, and just because someone is young, doesn't mean that they would be a bad personal trainer. Nor would someone in their 40s or 50s be bad either. Jack LaLanne is still going strong.

It does pay though, to research and interview trainers before committing significant funds or time with them.

I think that Stiring is going to make an EXCELLENT trainer, because she is dedicated and thorough and smart!! And FIT!!! :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

Thanks cardigirl. :blushing: :flowerforyou: And I totally agree with you and the whole 'ageism' issue....as well as what you said about trainers.

altushe

Hi, kadetr recommended that I check out this thread as I too am a 40+ fitness fanatic looking for maintenance support. Thanks for the recommendation, kadetr - great group!

Quick question - how do you bookmark a topic or is the assumption simply that the last pages in the post are the most recent? Some of the MFP threads are not sequential and it seems you need to scroll through to read recent posts (although I do find even the older ones helpful in searching for advice/key words on various topics).

As for me, I am a 5'2" 47 year-old NY'er working to maintain a 40+ pound weight loss. I have been working out my whole life - even at my heaviest and througout my pregnancy; however I have never been in as good shape as now - toned, really low body fat, energetic, etc. I workout at a gym every weekday morning at 5:30AM and on the weekends and while I would love to run a marathon - I have never run for more than 60 minutes - usually do the stairmaster or treadmill. Maybe now that I achieved the weight loss, I will focus on fitness goals.

Right now just struggling with maintenance trying to figure out calories needed not to lose - but not to gain. It's harder than the weight loss ever was. Initially I lost more than I intended in trying to transition to maintenance and still not 100% sure I have found the right balance. I eat all my maintenance calories (1540 according to MFP) plus estimated exercise calories. Do all of you track exercise in MFP? I just go over by about 500 everyday as that is my estimation of my exercise calories. Never though I could eat 2000 calories a day and still struggle not to lose weight.

Anyway, thanks for letting me join your group and look forward to sharing experiences. For those who are further on this path, any advice is MUCH appreciated. Thanks!

kbefit

Totally agree about the fuel thing. That is why we never have "junk" in the house and HFCS isn't in our house either. Like I said we eat pretty healthfully, and we treat ourselves from time to time. We just need to watch those amounts. I have three active kids but I can see that sadly my 8 yr. old could follow in my footsteps and so we talk about health a lot. I am so glad I found this thread. You guys are all very knowledgeable and I know that I can learn a lot from you. What a great place!

Altushe I agree too that the message boards are slightly hard to follow. I'll get there though! :laugh:

alf1163

Good morning!! Happy Saturday!!!! I went to bed late last night taking down Christmas decorations. Not 100% finished but took care of most of it. Soon I will do a lower body workout. I am looking forward to it!!! Thank you for the suggestions Stiring!!! I might start with the following schedule: Su Upper M Zumba T Zumba W Lower (am) Z (pm) Th Upper (am) Z (pm) F rest Sat Lower I truly like a rest day during the week and Friday is the only day I dont teach. Besides, I tend to eat more on weekends so I need to burn some extra calories. :laugh: If that is working out for me I might add a couple more alternating days during the week (M L and T U along with Zumba in the evening). How does that sound Trainer Stiring?

Altushe, welcome!!!! :drinker: :drinker: The easiest way to find a thread for me is to post and when I log in I click on my topics. This thread is usually the first one on the list since it is so active. :drinker: CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!!!! :drinker: Now the fun really begins. :laugh: :noway: But you can do it!!!! The good thing about you is that you like to exercise, kudos!!! How about training for a half marathon? You said you have run for about an hr? Then you can do a half marathon easily. There are some websites that help you train for it but I would just say get out there every other day and increase the mileage slowly until you can do 13 miles or more. I participated in 2 half marathons among other races in 2009. I would suggest to look for one in 4 to 5 months and sign up for it. That way you will be motivated to train. :happy: As far as maintenance calories it might take some time to figure out exactly how much you need but it seems to that your are doing it right. If you continue to lose perhaps eat a little more, it is trial and error. You are at the same height Stiring is at so she can help you out figuring it out. How much do you weigh? Some of us are not weighing anymore and are trying to just go by how we look and feel. I dont track my calories anymore. I did that for about 2 yrs (been a member for 3), I pretty much eat the same everyday (except on weekends), drink a lot of water (about a gallon), eat every 2-3 hrs mini meals, now it is not that perfect all the time but most of the time.

kbefit, WTG for not keeping junk food in the house. That works for us really well. Out of sight out of mind!!!! :laugh: My little problem is that I can be a carboholic and when I want something sweet and carbs and luckily there isnt much around I grab a cereal box and sometimes I eat too much of it in one seating, dry, out of the box!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAD GIRL!!! :noway: :laugh: So I have to really control that.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!! :flowerforyou:

kbefit

Good morning everyone!

I have a question. Last night I just zero'd out my calories because I was going out to dinner and didn't know what the calorie count was at the restaurant. I ordered grilled vege fajitas...no meat...no cheese so I don't think it was a high calorie meal but you never know how it was prepared. Anyway, at the end of my diary it said if I continue to eat like this, I would be 3 pounds heavier then what it said the day before when I didn't eat back all of my exercise calories. If eating back your exercise calories can alter your outcome by that much...why would anyone do that? I understand about the under eating thing and your body going into starvation mode, but at the same time the same time, especially since I am in my 40's...wouldn't I want to do the maximum amount of weight loss since my metabolism is so slow and it's harder to get that weight off. I suppose logically I get it...but 3 pounds? That's a lot!

altushe

Alf, thanks for the note and the advice on the 1/2 marathon. I'll do some research for one in the spring time. Congratulations on maintaining and not tracking calories for a year - hope I can get to that point. Did you use MFP for two years to track and find the right balance? I will exchange notes with Stiring on some calorie advice. At 5'2" (barely!) my weight is now at 105 (ish). Sunday's are my weigh-in day and being away over the holidays, I haven't weighed since 12/19 - hoping I did not lose any since then. I think I did a good job maintaining normal eating and exercise in the Dominican Republic since we were at a Club Med and there were lots of healthy food choices and I brought a lot of my own stuff to supplement (nuts, seeds, rice cakes, homemade granola, etc. so I would have some healthy snacks). Well see tomorrow...

StiringWendel

altushe, I sent you a note, but I will say again here that I could have written your first post. Maintenance IS very hard. alf and I were fortunate (or at least I feel fortunate for it....don't know if she does ) that we hit our weight loss goals at about the same time, so we bounced alot of stuff back and forth about how to properly maintain. So please ask any questions you have. We're here to help! Congratulations on your weight loss!!!! :drinker:

kbefit, you ask a GREAT question that has been asked and answered alot on this site. I will give you my very long-winded answer on this. This is just my opinion based on everything I've seen, read and heard.

MFP is set up for you to have a calorie deficit of either 500 (one pound a week) or 1000 (two pounds a week) calories a day. The common rule of thought is that 'safe' weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week, and that is how MFP calculates your initial daily calorie setting. The reason MFP recommends eating back exercise calories is because they have already created the deficit and they want to keep that deficit in the 1-2 pound range.

Let me just say that I believe it is perfectly 'safe' to lose more than 1-2 pounds a week. As long as a person is eating enough calories (over 1200 for women), has more than 10-15lbs to lose, and is appropriately active (by that, I mean doing regular exercise and not something like training for a marathon), there really is no reason why a person can't opt to create a larger deficit than 1000 calories a day for a two pounds a week loss. Why this isn't more often recommended is that most people don't think this is realistic for many people. In other words, people get too hungry and stop with the weight loss altogether. This is why a smaller defict is recommended.....because it is sustainable. Of course, you also don't want to create TOO big of a deficit because then you are at risk of slowing down your metabolism so when you do start eating more 'normally' after weight loss, your body is apt to put it on as fat and such.

But, in my opinion, if you have a 500 calorie a day deficit and burn 400 calories a day in exercise, that's perfectly fine and you don't need to eat back your exercise calories. If you have a 1000 calorie a day deficit and burn 400 calories a day in exercise, then I would go based on how you feel and on how much you need to lose. That last statement is key! The more you have to lose, the more of a deficit you can safely have. But if you've only got about 30 pounds to lose or so, that's when you need to start paying more attention to that deficit. And, again, the story completely changes with the last 10-15lbs when adequate nutrition is really important.

I'll share my experience (see, I said this was going to be long-winded). I'm short (5'2") and had 40lbs to lose. Because of that, I actually could not create either a 500 or 1000 calorie a day deficit with diet alone. So I HAD to create part of my deficit from exercise. I never ate any of my exercise calories and I was perfectly fine. I never plateaued. I never went into starvation mode. I lost very consistently. And I've been able to sustain it for nearly two years.

So my recommendation to you is to do what makes you feel best. If you can handle not eating your exercise calories and you meet all of the info above, then I would say 'go for it'. If you need the extra nutrition, there is no harm in a longer weight loss journey as long as you are feeling well and are able to stay on that journey without getting frustrated by hunger, feelings of weakness, etc.

One word of caution about estimating exercise calories....the MFP estimates are just that......estimates. They can be wildly off depending on the type of activity, your age/weight/height, and such. So if you are going to eat back your exercise calories, then I would recommend you buy a heart rate monitor that may more accurately assess those calories. If that isn't possible, then I would actually suggest cutting the calories burned as suggested by MFP almost in half during your weight loss phase. That may be more restrictive than necessary but I think that's a safe place to at least start.

Hope that helps! Sorry this is so long, but I think more information in this matter than less is good so you can make your own decision. And, again, this is just my opinion and you will find very different opinions on this matter on this site.

alf, your workout plan sounds great!!! And if you can add those two extra days, all the better. But if you do add two more days of strength training in the week, I'd suggest the same thing that I recommended to sing....make two of those upper body sessions splits (for example, Monday work chest/back and Wednesday work tricep/bicep/shoulder and Saturday work all muscle groups) to prevent overtraining and the possibility of overuse injuries. There is no benefit to working each muscle group three times a week but you may find you can work them better if you do them in split sessions. As far as legs go.....you can do standing work one day, floor work one day and then both on one day. Just a suggestion, of course!

Enjoy your Sunday!!

kbefit

Stiring thanks so much! I am actually glad that you were long winded. That was the best explanation I've heard thus far and I actually "got it". It has always been a little mathematical for me and language arts is much more my forte! :laugh:

I do have 50-60 pounds at least...when I get there I'll know if I need more. The "charts" actually say about 70 but at 48 I'm just not sure I can get there. Willing to try though! At least I know now where I stand. I just worked out for 90 minutes and I am hungry so I'm going to follow that signal. However if there are days when I just don't feel that I need to eat anything back, I'll feel a little safer. I think I'm going to copy and paste this post so that I can always refer to it. It truly was excellent information!

Thanks again for the help and have a great Sunday yourself!

kbefit

One more thing....is the deficit the net on your food diary?

alf1163

Happy Sunday!!! Ouch, I am sore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :ohwell: I did the standing workout and the abs portion of Cathe's video. While doing the workout I already knew I was going to be sore. :noway: :laugh: Thank God I didnt do the whole video as I had planned earlier. It is good soreness, havent been sore in a long time. This morning I did a very light upper body workout. I am not going for heavy weights at this time. I need to be very careful with my shoulder/biceps. So right now I am planning on doing the 4 sessions of resistance trng, 4 Zumba workouts and one day of flexibility (Chalene Johnson), planned for tomorrow morning. I will try that for at least 3 wks. I really hope nothing gets in the way. It has been like that lately, where I start a routine to stop it in 2 wks or so...:grumble:

Altushe, Wow, you must feel really proud. :drinker: You are doing great!!! I did use MFP the first two years religiously, logging in food and exercise daily. I learned a lot about my eating habits and right portions, etc. I also learned that a calorie is not calorie. At first as long as I was meeting my calorie requirements I thought I was doing just fine. I was including a lot of easy to eat processed foods. About a year into it and losing weight slowly I started getting healthier and fitter and decided to start eating more nutritious cleaner foods. I only wanted to lose 10-15lbs when I first started but ended up losing a little over 26 lbs!!! I am 47, 5'5". I have gained a few during the Holidays but that always happens to me. :laugh: I dont know how much I've gained, havent weighed myself in at least a month.

Kbefit, dont worry too much about what MFP says. As Stiring said it is just an estimate. Focus on eating heathy, cut back on processed foods, drink lots of water. Of course monitor your calories now. About portion control, are you measuring, weighing the meat, etc? That is something I learned in the beginning. I still measure my svgs of rice, weigh my meats, etc. Watch your sodium intake. That is one thing I was monitoring in MFP. I started seeing a big difference when I kept that under 1300mg daily.

Take care!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

alf1163

Oh I forgot!!! I am having my MRI with injection tomorrow in my left hip. :noway: Wish me luck!! I really hope I can teach tomorrow night. I didnt plan to get a sub and I would hate to cancel it. It is going really well. :flowerforyou:

singfree

Good morning!

Alf, good luck with your MRI. Even an MRI with an injection should not keep you from teaching. The injection itself might cause a bit of soreness in the hip, but you can probably push through it. You're a tough 'ol gal!! Best wishes to my dear friend.

I second what Stiring said about exercise calories being just an estimate. I might add that your food intake might not be as precise as you think. Yes, you can get close most of the time, but I think that most people tend to underestimate or under report what they've eaten. This can be especially true when you make your own meals. Portion size can be another critical element when estimating calories. I get a kick out of some people reporting that theyve eaten 1577 calories today, or that EXACTLY 1200 calories is the set point for the so-called "starvation mode". Yes, there is something to it, but it simply does not work that way. As Stiring and others stated, start your weight loss with a "mild" caloric deficit and burn some calories with some kick-butt exercise. We've all been there. Depending on you individual circumstance and goals, your game plan (fitness strategy) will vary from person to person as well. I've used the same fitness strategy for many years, and to be honest, it was not the right one for me. This year I am trying something different, and I will keep you posted on my progress. In other words, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!!

Stiring, I think this is a great opportunity for you (becoming a personal trainer). First, you won't be moving soon, so you can establish yourself in the fitness community. Second, you can get your certification as you develop a rapport with some local fitness centers. I think there could be a big need for a female trainer who is not a 20 year old cheerleader type. Frankly, I would much rather train with someone who's had more shall we say "life experience" than someone fresh out of high school with a chip on his/her shoulder. [note to self: never, ever say life experience to a woman...might be misconstrued]. Stiring, this IS really supposed to be a compliment!!!!! :flowerforyou:

As for me, the person on this thread with the most "life experience", I am working from 7 am until 9 pm most of this week. I will, however, get to the gym daily as I am on a fitness quest as well. My eating was not great over the weekend, and I feel a bit bloated from the party food I've recently eaten.

I hope that everyone is well and has a great day!

StiringWendel

Good Morning!

kbefit, the net on your food diary may include any exercise you add to MFP. What MFP recommends you eat is the 'goal' you see when you first log in. Hope that helps!

alf, good luck with the MRI. Good job with Butts and Guts. It's a toughie, isn't it?

singfree, I echo everything you said about estimating calories. Many experts think the average person underestimates their calories by as much as 25%, and that's when trying to count calories! Even if you measure everything, there is no guarantee that everything on packaging is accurate.....because it isn't. But, despite that, I think counting calories is still a good place to start when trying to lose weight. I just don't think anybody should get too wrapped up in the numbers. Thanks for your encouragement for my becoming a personal trainer! I'm still giving it alot of thought right now (and research).

I had a good weekend here. I'm continuing a tough endurance rotation which I think I might carry on longer than expected right now. A fitness instructor I respect recommended to a friend of mine to stick with any rotation for 16 weeks because that's where you'll see the best results. In thinking of my own history, it is true that the best results I've had from rotations came on those that I carried over the 90 day point. So I may take this one to 16 weeks before moving back to heavier weights. It means some tough cardio, so we'll see if my body can handle it. I started my day with what is for me the toughest Insanity workout (Max Interval Circuit) and I'm going to do a tough upper body endurance workout here in a few minutes. My eating is MUCH better and I was literally bursting with energy all day yesterday. Hopefully I'll remember this next time I reach for a cookie.

Enjoy your day!

Robin1117

Good morning! Wow, so much activity over the last few days! So great to see it.

kbfit--I'm with you on liking my food and wine, and liking to cook. I too didn't have a problem with eating well...all natural, the right choices, etc. The most important tool MFP taught me was weighing my food. I have been using this site for a year and a half and still weigh quite a bit. I find it most important for pasta (to keep at the 2 oz), cheese ( I live in VT and LOVE local cheeses....taking these out of my diet is not an option). An ounce of high fat cheese isn't bad, but boy can you make a big mistake if you don't weigh it...., yogurts, cereal, meats, etc. I still do drink wine most nights. I really feel the way to sustain the weight loss is not to deprive yourself of things you love. I actually find since joining MFP I have been liberated to eat foods I hadn't eaten before--namely breads, cereals, pasta, rice, all the whole-wheat grains. I had cut most of that out of my diet 10 years ago thinking they were too fattening and now, with weighing and calculating calories, I know how much I'm eating and can confidently eat these foods that I love again. I do eat my exercise calories back, and it did take me a long time to figure out how to estimate correctly--but I have never had a problem with eating too little--so always want as many calories to eat back as possible. When I first started using MFP I was using the estimate on my elliptical machine and MFP's estimates--I still lost all my weight--even when I was estimating as much as 50% too high (confirmed later when I bought a HRM). Once on maintenance though, that can't happen--I really have had to be as precise as possible to keep at the same weight.

altushe--so glad you checked in. How did the weigh in go??

darmin and mrsward and clio--glad you joined us!

Alf--good luck today with the MRI.

CardGirl--welcome back!

Well, not the greatest weekend eating weekend for me. I started the week off well, eating below goal most of the week until the hubby came back from a trip. We had big dinners. Then, on Saturday we went to a b-day party where they had huge plates of pasta, lasagna, soup and homemade breads for lunch. Then yesterday I made 2 loaves of bread and sampled heavily. I like the iphone application for MFP, where they actually show you in total how your eating summed up for the week. I actually was relatively on plan when you look at it that way, but I feel really sluggish this morning. I am going to make sure to keep it light for a few days.

As I mentioned last week, I did test my activity level with the pedometer this week and was not impressed. Without looking at what I did in my hour of cardio exercise (that is on track with about 6 hours a week), I only averaged around 7000-8000 steps a day. I was bummed. This did include taking walks, sledding and going up and down hills and feeling like I was on my feet most of the day. If I want to keep myself fit I have to find ways to pump it up. Well, the pedometer can go back in the drawer because it's too much of a pain to think about wearing for more than a few days, but I think I'll plan to use it every so often to keep me on track.

Sing--sounds like we are in the same place today. Good luck getting back on track!

Stiring--thanks for all the posts--I always learn so much from from the long-winded stuff...keep it coming!

Have a great Monday everyone!

kbefit

Good morning everyone!

My results are in...I have lost 8 pounds since I first weighed in and I am thrilled. It's probably not really that much because I was sick and at the bare minimum this weekend but I'll take it!

kadetr I am with you on deprivation...I never think it's a good idea. I've never been a fast food junkie so I'm not concerned about the choices I'm making. All is good in moderation. Sadly over the years I don't think I knew what moderation was! :happy:

alf good luck with your MRI!

stiring and singfree thanks for always having such great information. stiring you certainly are an inspiration!

singfree

kbefit, good for you on your weight loss!! Keep up the good work!!

tron3002

I finally did it!!! The moment I was dreading!!!! I weighed myself!!!! And to my surprise I've only gained a couple of ounces. I am just under 133 which I hate but at least I didn't gain back a ton. Altho I must admit I feel a lot bigger so maybe I shouldn't be celebrating too much. I just thought I'd jump on here and let you know. Now off to work out!

kbefit

I say don't ever beat yourself up no matter what! You're off to the next positive thing and that's all that matters. My resolution this year is to do at least one thing every day that will benefit me in the future. You're going to work out now, that's what you should celebrate!

tron3002

kbefit.... Why thank you... Very wise words I'll have to remember that. It is true, we beat ourselves up WAY too much. Some how we are never good enough. Even when I was in high school, a senior, and only weighed 82 lbs I thought I was nerdy and ugly. Boy, what was I thinking??? I'll post my high school pic cuz honestly I was crazy for thinking that.

I worked out for an hour so far, just taking a break before I head off to drop off some bills. I did 13 minutes on the wii hula hoop and the rest on the stair stepper. I place my wii board on an already raised stair step for more of a challenge. I did all 3 step challenges and on the last one I did 3000 steps so I'm guessing I probably did 3500 all together.

How long do you all work out for? Time wise that is?

(Thats my senior picture, Nerdy??? Dont think so... Do I still feel "not good enough" ALL THE TIME)

singfree

Good morning!

Great picture, tron! I'm sure all the boys were after you in high school. Lots of girls were after me, too...with a stick in their hand!! :laugh: I try to work out for an hour daily during the winter months. I get a LOT more exercise when it gets warm outside. My weight is easier to control then because I'm not sitting around all day.

Working long hours is bad for my waistline. I guess I get bored and look for something to eat, usually in the form of junk food. I will be glad when all of the leftover cookies, etc...are out of the office. Today and tomorrow I am working 14 hrs and on Thurs. I am working 16 hrs. I refused to do that on Friday, so I might even take a vacation day and do something fun.

Today is lower body day and then some cardio. I'm really getting itchy to hit the cardio hard and drop some of this fat weight. But, I'm sticking to the plan of lots of weights for a while, then switch to more cardio when I give my muscles a break. Not giving up on weights then, just going into maintenance mode. I'm still researching how to most effectively tweak my diet when I finally transition to more cardio. Right now, other than feeling a bit pudgy, I am getting much stronger as well. The only drawback is that my wrists get a bit sore from lifting, especially with bicep curls.

I hope everyone has a great day. We are expecting more snow later today and tonight...just in time for my drive home!

alf1163

Good morning!!!!! Well, MRI done. It went well. It was painful, at one point I had a tear running down my cheek. The doctors were very caring. They did put a large amount of fluid in my hip so I couldnt teach last night. They said I could tonight but I have to take it easy. One of my students who recently got licensed is going to co-teach with me tonight. My follow up appt is on the 21st to discuss test results and possible treatment. I am not ready for any kind of surgery. They also injected cortisone to reduce inflamation. I was quite sore yesterday but it feels good this morning. We will see what happens.

I love all this talk about eating. It is a big part in weight loss. That is another thing I learned by using this site. I used to kill myself exercising and thought I was not losing weight because I was not doing enough. It was not until I started eating healthier that I started to see major changes and have been able to maintain. Yes, the Holidays still get me off track...:grumble: :laugh:

Tron, gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You look like a Beauty Queen. Keep working at your goals, dont give up!!!

Sing, do you pack your food? I know those treats in the office are tempting but perhaps pack healthy snacks and keep them in your office and not in the break room. Just a little suggestion.

Kbefit, congrats on your weight loss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!

kadetr, you will get back on track. At least you are not alone. We are all going through the same right now. We will all help each other out.

Have a wonderful day!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

StiringWendel

Good Morning!

kbefit, congratulations on your weight loss!! That is amazing. I think your resolution is a great one! I love it!!

tron, I love your photo! I wish my high school photo looked so nice. If you want to see 'nerd', I'd show you my senior photo but, luckily, I don't own a copy (my mother has them all). I think it is absolutely terrific that, given the tough times you've been experiencing, that you've maintained your weight. That deserves HUGE congratulations!! Pat yourself on the back for that one. Good job on getting back to working out. I workout a couple hours a day, but that's because I have the time and enjoy it....because it certainly isn't necessary to workout that long. It's just my hobby of choice. I think a wise choice is to try to workout 30-60 minutes at least 5 days a week (60 minutes would be optimum). But don't overdo it since you are just starting back at it. If, right now, your body is telling you to only workout every other day, do just that. If you can do more, do that. But listen to your body and work up to the five days a week/60 minutes per session goal.

singfree, I'm kind of opposite of where you are at right now in terms of working out. I'm focusing more on cardio and keep worrying that I'm losing all of my strength. :laugh: But, like you, I know this is good for me so I'm going to stick with it. I can't tell if it is having any significant impact on my physique yet since I just cleaned up my diet last week. But I do feel better right now, and I can tell that my cardiovascular system is getting stronger right now. So that's a good thing. Sorry to hear about the long work hours! I hope you get a chance to take Friday off (or at least shorten it up a bit). We're due for some snow this afternoon as well, but they aren't expecting much here. It's really sad when it looks like Atlanta and the Carolinas are going to have a snowier winter than DC!

alf, I'm sorry to hear about the painful MRI!! Take care of yourself and take it easy. I have my fingers crossed that you won't need surgery.

I got in a good intense cardio workout this morning and will do a lower body workout a little later this morning. I also recently ordered Jillian Michael's new abs workouts, so I might give that a shot as well later today. I've never done a Jillian workout, so I'm curious how I like it. But I heard good things about this one, and I know she focuses more on core work than crunches, and that's my preference as well. My diet is completely back to normal (by that, I mean 'clean') and it really has made a huge difference in how I feel. I'm just now beginning to fight some cravings, but I think that may be because I'm undereating right now. I recently started wearing my GoWearFit again for the first time since we left Korea and it is showing my average daily calorie burn as being slightly higher than when we were in Korea. So, without all the chocolate and junk I was eating, I might be undereating by 500-1000 calories a day right now. :noway: I'm not too worried about that because I can stand to lose some of the weight I've gained over the past few months. But I'm going to continue to monitor it over the next couple of weeks and make adjustments as necessary. And keep fighting off the cravings!!

Enjoy your day. :flowerforyou:

singfree

Alf, sorry to hear about your MRI being painful. I've never had a painful experience (other than the loud noise it generates). I do pack my own lunch and I keep yogurt and applesauce in the fridge. But like the Lorelei luring the sailors to their demise on the rocks, those darned treats keep calling me..."eat the sweets...not the yogurt!!!!!!!". :laugh:

Stiring, I'm looking forward to getting my cardiovasular endurance back up to par as we approach the warm weather. I can't believe how I suck wind in the beginning. By the time mid-summer rolls around, I'm in a much better place with strength and cardio. I can thank my bike and those rolling hills for getting me back in shape. As I told you and your husband, the best part of living here is the total lack of traffic when biking or walking.

Tron, you could work out for less time. I'm just crazy. I like to work out hard and I feel like I cheated myself if I don't kill myself for at least a hour (or more). Right now I'm just getting to the point that workouts are fun again. I'm a bit lazy and unmotivated in the cold weather, so I need to set goals for myself. Not weight goals, but general fitness goals. It works like a charm when I finally put my mind to it. BTW, your picture reminds me of the actress Kelly Le Brock.

clioandboy

HI there I am sidelined at the moment, saw a physio yesterday who has diiagnosed tendonitis in my calf and told me not to run for the time being. I'm seeing him again on thurs for more TENS machine, and massage - would anyone on here have any experience of this I am a new runner who didnt warm up sufficiiently and went out too far too fast with my new hrm..... advice greatly appreciated, debbie

cardigirl

The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.
~ Ayn Rand


Okay, that's my quote for today! Good morning fellow over-the-hill, er, 40+ and FABULOUS group!!! How is everybody doing?

We in the Northeast are preparing for a snowstorm of epic dimensions!!! Wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow, but unfortunately the papers never close. I'm wondering if I'll be able to get to the gym tomorrow. I'm actually more concerned about that than getting work. :laugh: I wanna do my workout!!!!

Tron, your high school picture is lovely! I work out for an hour two times a week with the trainer, and then on my own it's a little more than an hour, because I'm doing lots of different stuff. Cardio for 30 minutes, weights for 20-25 ( I do 3 set of 20 reps for two types of exercises), core exercises, and then stretching. I've found that interval training works well for me. Short intense bursts of exercise, followed by short rests. And I try to get into the gym 6 times a week, but two of those times is with the trainer, and one time is a class. So I'm doing lots of different things in those six days.

LOL at Sing about the treats! They are hard to resist! I am never (almost never) tempted by cookies, unless they are homemade and at Christmas time I was SURROUNDED by homemade treats. So difficult! I too pack a lot of healthy stuff to have on hand at work, so I never get too hungry or have to raid the vending machines. But it is hard to be good. My trainer told me that if I eat clean 85% of the time, I'm doing really well. And I think it works out to just about that percentage. LOL.. .well maybe 80% of the time if I'm truly honest.

And I find that having a goal to reach makes it that much easier to workout. It's so motivating!

Alf I'm sorry the MRI was so painful. Hopefully you can find a course of physical therapy that will work instead of having to opt for surgery. I'm so impressed by your dedication to your Zumba students! I bet you are an excellent teacher!

Stiring, wow, undereating by that much? You go girl! LOL...I generally leave about 400 calories on my plate a day, but that's for the underestimating of food and the overestimating of exercise that I am pretty sure is happening to me. As long as you're not feeling ill effects, it doesn't hurt to go under for a bit. Are you craving sugar? I find I have the most difficulty with that.

Kbefit, congrats on the weight loss! WTG!!!

Hope everyone has a great day, and if you've got snow coming, be safe!!!!