40+ Club: Fall Fitness Fanatics

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!!!!