Exercise and Weight Loss Challenges
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Welcome, Lill! Glad you found us. I will be inviting one more person -- Claudine -- after the 19th. That will be a nice little group here in Senior Challenge land!0
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I go back to work tomorrow. Have been on vacation since the evening of June 5th! Today, I didn't exercise at all. Parked myself under a big shade tree(s) at the park and read my kindle. Did do a little Tai Chi, but I didn't log it! Tomorrow, back to reality!
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Thanks for warm welcome folks! It is apparent i need a tutorial, but need tutorial to find one. :-)
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@Gayle Yeah I know drinking water will help to slough off the pounds. When I was sick in November, I craved water and lost 12 pounds...so I know it has much to do with the weight loss. It also speeds up your metabolism and makes you feel full. And yet knowing all that, doesn't get it down my throat...
@Lill I agree the site is a bit difficult to navigate. The only suggestion I can make is to keep clicking on things to learn how to get around and ask questions if you get lost or want to do something that doesn't seem possible.0 -
Cheryl: I'm with you about water. It isn't easy to drink that much!
Lill: you will get the hang of it.
Everyone: Okay, I didn't do too well on vacation. Back up 5 pounds! 150! Yikes! Here we go again! Oh well, I had fun!0 -
Confession time and it's not a good one.Still struggling after my downfall at Easter.I had no idea it would be so hard,for me,to get back on track.I had reached a high of 170.5!!!Today is 168.5.I went 2weeks without exercising and that long without getting my water quota in.I did exercise yesterday so that's a plus.
I went to the grocery and didn't buy any junk food.I've got to stay away from any junk food because that's my downfall.
You know what was really hard for me was ,with a gain,I'm losing confidence in myself.Going from my low of 154 to 170.5 makes me feel awful.Nothing seems to look good on me anymore,tighter fit in my clothes.This is day one for me.0 -
Mary, you are so good to stick with it! I agree, it is so disheartening when we gain and so much harder to lose it than the first time. I wish I had some words of wisdom but I seem to be doing the same thing. I just keep allowing myself that "just this once" which turns into "just this once again...and again...and again!" It only takes a couple of days for me to screw up and there is five pounds!
I think you might have hit on something with the loss of confidence, too. I do so much better when I'm feeling on top of my game. It is harder to be good to myself (and let's face it, eating right is being good to ourselves) when we screw up.
I don't have a problem working out, I love it, but I have a problem with MEALS. Not as happy with the smaller portions as I was. For you, snacking and working out.
So folks, what do we do? We have new blood here. Some who are in the throws of that loosing for the first time and really gung-ho! What is keeping you motivated? Mary and I are tired of losing the same 5-10 pounds! Especially since we were going so hot before.
In the meantime, Mary, this is day one for me, too! I had a decent breakfast and will have soup for lunch and something light for dinner. I'm getting ready to take a lunchtime walk. I have Tai Chi tonight and hopefully, I can get a short workout in after (although the gym closes earlier now). So, here we go -- day one!
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Darn internet/smartphone weather apps. Mine said that it was cloudy with 0% chance of rain for a few hours. Went to take a walk and it was pouring.
Shut my office door and did two miles with Leslie Sansone instead! 0 -
Re water problem, i finally found solution for myself - a water bottle carrier so it is always on my body. Seeing it reminds me to drink. I didnt buy anything, just repurposed a small lightweight shoulderbag, just big enough for a sixteen ounce water bottle. Now it is with me where ever i am, exept in bed.0
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I have a glass of water, in my favorite glass, close by all the time. Proud of myself for walking an hour today. Mary, welcome back! mfp has been a big breakthrough to me because I've lost 10 or 20 pounds over and over again and gained it all back each time (when I stopped logging). But somehow I got to 47 with mfp. I've been stuck in the 170's for a long time, and my goal weight is 160. But, little by little I'm going to do it and refuse to get discouraged by the bounces up.0
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I have water with me all the time: in the truck, on my desk at work, in my backpack, on the crate next to the computer at home; it is always there if I become thirsty. I never seem to be thirsty. Before the bypass, I used to drink water to help wash down whatever I ate but I can no longer do that as there is not the capacity for water on top of food. I am hoping with the start of the next challenge I will have my mind sorted out and jump on the wagon so to speak. And if I go with a pound a week and attempt to lose 13 to 15 pounds for that timeframe that should help.
For the most part what I eat is pretty sorted out as anytime I eat something new, I usually pay for it. So really, I just need to be conscious of what I ate yesterday and not eat the same thing today which is a bit of a pain in the *kitten* as I tend to eat the same thing day after day.0 -
Ah, that's the key. You do not wait until you're thirsty. Just a sip, whenever you think of it.0
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Re water. Heres whats weird. The more water i drink, the thirstier i am. Any of you experience this?0
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Re pilates. A week ago i found beginner pilates on youtube, to start my day. It is all on mat and slow moving so very relaxing. However, with my weight and weak muscles, some things i could only try to do. I told myself at least it was isometric. This morning i suddenly could lift my butt an inch off the floor. Yay!!!
So i recommend beginner pilates because the results are quick.0 -
Re the plateau. Gayle i admire your determination and effort to get past the plateau! Last time i plateaued i eventually got discouraged, depressed and gave up and gained forty pounds. This time i have you for my guide so i wont give up again. And i am going to research ways to get past a plateau, so will be ready with bag of tricks to try.0
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In the library of articles, I have posted some "plateau" links to articles from MFP.0
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Thanks guys! I think part of me is ambivalent about losing any more weight because of how much it has aged my face in the last year! I know it was just the fat in my face pushing the wrinkles out, but it still is a shock. I think I should still lose 10 - 20 pounds but been bouncing between 171.9 and 175 for a long time, it seems. 174 on 4/11/2015, 173.9 today. I guess that's only 2 months of little downward movement, and need to acknowledge that I HAVE lost around 10 pounds since the start of the new year.
On the plus side I have gotten a peek at maintenance. Intend to keep the daily weigh going as long as I can stand (hopefully, a long, long time) and select my "treats" wisely.
The one thing I've been doing differently is not doing the "fast" days very often (600 calorie high protein days). I was doing them once a week. I have been pretty tired and just not up to it, but hope to add them in again soon (once a week). I've also learned that I must not close out my diary early in the day, even if I think I know what I'm having for dinner and evening snacks. Some part of me thinks I can start on the new day I think. So back to closing out the diary when I shut down my computer for the evening.0 -
Lill, I think you are right. I do feel more thirsty, especially in the car it seems, when I'm drinking my water throughout the day, but always have my tall glass of water with me.0
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I've also learned that I must not close out my diary early in the day, even if I think I know what I'm having for dinner and evening snacks. Some part of me thinks I can start on the new day I think.
@Gayle This is part of the reason why I changed the diary to time frames as opposed to breakfast, lunch, supper. When it is set up that way, I seem to look at it as I can only eat 3 times a day and with the capacity I can hold now, that doesn't work...I have to eat more often. I also wanted to make sure that I ate the bulk of my diet mid day which is usually supper time for the rest of you guys. And even though this website turns over to a new day at midnight, I am usually up for another 4 hours or so and the usual set up didn't give me the option of writing it down without really thinking about where to put it. I am brain dead at that time of night.0 -
Thanks for plateau articles! Simplified my research :-)0
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Challenge Goal: 140 by July 3rd
4/3/15: 152
4/10/15: 151
4/17/15 150
4/24/15: 149
5/1/15: 150
5/8/15: 150
5/15/15: 145.5
5/22/15: 146
5/29/15: 146
6/5/15: 145
6/12/15: Vacation
6/19/15: 150
So, I negated all the hard work I did in May to lose the five pounds I had gained in March! Would someone kick me, please!
Continue to use the rowing machine most days. 0x Just not motivated for some reason.
Continue Tai Chi twice a week. - 2x at class. (weather not nice enough to go to park to practice though).
Try to get more sleep. Averaged over 6 hours.
Start back up on outdoor walking -- weather permitting. Weather hasn't been permitting this week, so I have lunchtime walked the courthouse or evening walked the track. Really sick of rain!
Continue meditation - 3X in past 7 days.
Try, try, try to at least do strength/resistance training once in a while. Didn't get this done at all. I tend to do this at lunchtime and I can't bring my dumbbells back into office until this weekend. I can't get them through security, but on Saturdays, there is not security so I'll sneak them back in then! Also, I park a lot closer on Saturdays.
So, I've been reading articles about make habits and setting goals. Like Gayle says, they should be SMART; but I have also been reading that you should only set ONE goal as that is all we can realistically handle and if we set up more we end up subconsciously prioritizing them. Then, because of that prioritization, when we don't meet the others, we get discouraged, feel like failures and give up.
So, my goal for the next challenge will be to leave food on my plate at one meal a day four days a week, even if just a bite. I will increase from there adding one day after I am successful for a week, until I hit seven days. This is a huge problem for me. I don't like leftovers and I love meals. I always feel like I'm wasting money if I throw food out. Yet, if I eat it and shouldn't, isn't that waste, too? I am hoping that if I am successful, the ultimate payoff will be weight loss anyway. So I'm not going to name a number of pounds to lose, but I will continue to log and report my weight each Friday. I created a spreadsheet (nothing is worth doing if you can't create a spreadsheet
) and sent it to my smartphone so that I can track my challenge each day.
It is silly for me after all this time to have most of my other goals anyway. I do the ones I like such as working out and tai chi. Calorie deficit is something I know and something I did religiously in the past so as it is a lifestyle (when I don't allow myself to screw up), I shouldn't have to make it my goal anymore, right?
All that said, I will reserve the right to change my goal, mid-challenge if I meet the first one and do it everyday consistently.0 -
Challenge Goal: 250 by September 4
Water - I need to be drinking 2 Smart Water 23.8oz bottles a day or more
Sweet Tea - Limit myself to one 18.5oz bottle a day
Exercise - Continue to get at least 30 minutes in a day 3X a week, money permitting buy kettlebells so I can screw up my back again.
Believe in myself!0 -
Hey guys, working this morning but will check in this afternoon.0
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Challenge Goal: 157.6
April 3rd-157.5
April 10th-164.5
April 17th-161.5
April 24th-166
May 2nd-164.0
May 8th-164.0
May 15th-165.0
May22-165.5
May 29th-164.0
June 18th-1700 -
I can't believe i got so far behind on my posting.Sorry ladies.
As i'm writing this i'm cooking a couple of things for a breavement meal.A dear lady who goes to my Church is being laid to rest today.Please keep her family in your prayers.I'm also going to a cookout this afternoon at my cousins where i'm taking a dessert.Tomorrow i'm cooking a meal for my children who's coming over for Fathers day.They were going to take us out but I wanted them to come here because you just can't spend much time to visit in a restaurant.I'm going to try REALLY hard to behave myself.I'm so tired of struggling with my weight.
I did walk 4 miles yesterday and need to start exercising at least 3 days a week.I'm also going to start drinking 1/2 my body weight in water again.
Cclill-After I drink water my mouth is always dry.That surprises me.I know i'm not dehydrated.I'v already had 6 glasses this morning and mouth is dry.
Drags59-I didn't know you could do the frame time change.I write everything down and then write in on MFP.Sometimes I wonder if it makes me too focused on food.I don't know but i'll figure it out.I do know i'm eating to late at night.
Charlie-Thanks for the articles.Very interesting on the plateau.I need a breakthrough,that's for sure.
Gayle-You are so faithful on logging in .My goal this week is getting pass day 1.
You ladies have a great day.0 -
@maryschwartzroby: Make sure there is not something else going on with the dry mouth. I have an autoimmune syndrome called Sjögrens where your own white blood cells attack your moisture producing glands. I don't have bad symptoms and my rheumatologist diagnosed it (often accompanies RA). Symptoms dry mouth and eyes, joint pain, fatigue and can lead to more serious stuff.
Here is a link: https://sjogrens.org/0 -
Oh man Charlie, that sounds just like my symptoms: dry mouth, dry eyes, joint pain, fatigue. Thought I was just suffering from getting old. But then, hard not to think you have stuff just from hearing a list of symptoms. I can't really get serious about my health until I turn 65 (one year) and get on medicare. At least that is what I am thinking now.
Guys, need to read the plateau articles and just keep on keeping on. Gaining, not losing. Moving more but think I am also a bit jammed up.
Hello Mary, Lill, Cheryl, Pam and Charlie! My next post will be my current weight and goals.0 -
Challenge Goal: 164169
4/03/15: 177.3
4/10/15: 174.7
4/17/15: 173.9
4/24/15: 174.1
5/02/15: 174.7
5/08/15: 172.4
5/15/15: 175.2
5/22/15: 173.6
5/30/15: 174.2
6/06/15: 172.9
6/12/15: 174.3
6/19/15: 175
Doing a fast day tomorrow (600 calories) and maybe will feel more like I'm going forward. Think my progress was much better when I included one of those a week.
So, my goals: one fast day a week, drink all my water, figure out how to make myself "regular" again without eating a cup of almonds a day. What I have been doing (except for almonds) is 2 prunes, 1 activia, fruits and vegetables, whole grains. Other suggestions?
Beginning to think I should just start maintenance at this weight and see how that goes.
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Challenge Goal: 250 by September 4
Water - I need to be drinking 2 Smart Water 23.8oz bottles a day or more
Sweet Tea - Limit myself to one 18.5oz bottle a day
Exercise - Continue to get at least 30 minutes in a day 3X a week, money permitting buy kettlebells so I can screw up my back again.
Believe in myself!
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