40+ Club - Summertime Fun

Donnie46

I am Donnie and I found this site today and I have joined up, it all looks so good, although I haven't quite found my way around the site as yet.

I have loads of weight to lose so I am going to need some help and advice along the way.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

DONNIE x

Swissmiss

Welcome Donnie...I found the site hard to use at the beginning also. If you have any questions just ask or you can go to the thread (found at the bottom) where technical questions are posted.
I asked my Zumba instructor what to do about my knees. She recommended dance shoes with a split sole. She also has knee problems (worse than mine) and this is what she wears.

alf1163

Welcome Donnie!! This site and thread will be very helpful to you. Just ask away!! :laugh:

Swiss, I didnt know you did Zumba? I love it. I am actually considering becoming an instructor. Luckily my knees dont bother me when I do it, it is mostly after I run. I found a place in town that they help you find the best pair of workout shoes to meet your needs so I am going there as soon as possible. That might help with my knee issues. Do you do strength trng? Strengthening your quads protect your knees and also good stretching after your workouts. I also take glucosamine/chondroitin pills. I feel my knee pain has been reduced some considering how active I am.

Well, guess what? I come to my office and what do I find? They are having a meeting in my office, some staff sitting at my desk and everything!!!! :grumble: :mad: I cannot believe this!!!!!!!!! So I am using someone elses computer right now and I cant really do my work because my space is being utilized. I feel they are slowly pushing me out of here. And I had a nice run this morning, well it was really hot and humid, but I was feeling great until I got here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I could have stayed home with my family since my husband is off work today. We are meeting for lunch though...

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: alf...I sure do strength training. On the days that I do not have Zumba. I have also been told to work on my hamstrings as they help hold the knee steady. I am so glad to find someone else who does Zumba. I love it and am feeling so good. I am seeing more of a waist every week. The weights were not doing this for me. I looked up online for the shoes. The cheapest I have found is $30. I don't think that is bad at all. Husband, however, says nope not at this time. I knew all along that the shoes I have been wearing are not good. My feet hurt even when I am using weights.

singfree

Alf, can THEY do anything else to push you out? What is wrong with those people? Really, this is beyond belief! Please enjoy your lunch and don't let them get to you!

StiringWendel

Hey everyone!

alf, if I were you, I would have probably walked out of work by now. Kudos to you for staying. How rude of these people! Take care and don't think about this over your holiday weekend. Just enjoy!

Swissmiss, shoes are SO important. I was having some serious problems with my feet earlier this year, and I thought I might have them permanently. But the right shoes have really worked. I hope you get a chance to buy new shoes sometime soon because you don't want to do any permanent damage to your feet.

singfree, congrats on the weight loss/toning up! Interesting that this might be the result of increased protein. My carbohydrate consumption has been going up a bit lately, and I think I look a little 'puffier'. Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll toy with trying to lower the carbs a bit later and upping the protein to see if I have different results. For now, though, I'm going to continue enjoying the homemade bread. :blushing:

Donnie, welcome! :flowerforyou: Please feel free to post whatever questions you might have.

I didn't lose weight this week. :drinker: Okay, that's the first time I've ever celebrated saying that. :laugh: But I weighed 103.3 this morning, up about 1/2 pound over last Friday. I'm hoping this holds for another week, and then I figure I'll have my maintenance answer--holding my calories between 1800-2300 might just be the trick for me. I hope so.

I have two weeks left in STS. It's so hard to believe I've been with this program since February. I'm not going to know what to do when I wake up the day after I finish! But I'm looking forward to doing some different workouts, and then really kicking some butt with P90X in September.

So I was a little upset yesterday. I told my husband that I wanted to get rid of my bigger clothes (we were headed to Goodwill with some other things) and he told me he thought it would be best for me to wait six months or so. Intellectually....I know he's right. I mean, I don't have the best track record for keeping weight off. But emotionally....it kind of hurt. But I suppose what I need to do is prove him wrong! :bigsmile: So I'll spend the next six months staring at my bigger clothing in my closet and thinking to myself 'Never again'.

And on that note, I've decided to keep counting calories. I think I really need that to keep myself accountable to myself. So onward I go.

I hope everybody has a spectacular Fourth of July! :drinker:

Swissmiss

alf, you are lucky to be able to use the computer at work for personal purposes. I do go online during my lunch break just to record my food. But, I have been told that I shouldn't be doing that. Rules!!!

cardigirl

Happy daybeforethe4thofJuly, everyone!

Welcome Donnie, you've come to the right thread! You'll find lots of support and good fun here. We are a nice bunch of people.

Sing, glad to hear that you've found a good combination for yourself. Lower carbs and more protein. My kind of food intake!:laugh:

Stiring, I'm sorry your husband said that, but you're right, use it as motivation to not gain the weight back! You can do it! That's my biggest fear...I've lost weight and gotten under 140lbs several times in the last 10 years, but it always creeps back on and brings another 10 lbs with it. I vow to not do that to myself this time, and I think the combination of training and eating right may keep us both from regaining! Here's to keeping off the weight. :drinker:

Alf, I'm sorry you had to work today. And I'm really sorry that they are not respecting your space. That is so aggravating. I hate when someone sits at my desk and uses my computer. Grrrr. I've been looking a videos of Zumba, and I really admire anyone who can move so well. Unfortunately, I am not one of them. My poor trainer has to show me things over and over and over again before I get the hang of it. He had me doing some sort of leg exercise where I had my hands on the floor with my legs on the exercise ball, and although I could do the exercise, I'm pretty certain I got no points for grace.:ohwell: He hasn't had me do that exercise since. :laugh:

And thanks Stiring and annaliza for encouraging me about the weight. I don't know why it's moving back up. It is the most frustrating thing. I'm burning at least 3000 calories a week, and really watching my intake, so it seems like I should be going in the opposite directions. I'll have to talk to the trainer about it on Monday.

And Stiring, you are right, he is an amazing trainer, very enthusiastic (well, he's young!) and very motivating. He told me on Monday this week, when I said that maybe my BFP was too low, that I needed to start eating steak and ice cream. I don't know if he really meant it, or not, but hey, ya gotta love a trainer that tells you to eat ice cream.

Texassippian, I love that your boss knows you're protesting something by looking at your footwear. And Sing, you made my day saying you were wearing the same thing. LOL...

ETA: I forgot to ask, but I went to Trader Joe's today and was looking at the almond butter. Of course they had to confound and confuse me by having roasted almond butter and raw almond butter. Which is the better for you? My instinct is that raw is better, but the roasted sounded good too! Thanks in advance for any responses!

Everyone have a safe and happy 4th of July!

singfree

Happy 4th of July!

My company is now owned by a British corporation: One of the British gentlemen was at out facility over the 4th of July several years ago. He was asked what he was going to do on Independence Day. He said jokingly, "We like to call it Good Riddance Day". :laugh:

Anyway, I hope you all have a great time this weekend and celebrate safely.

I think we will take a hike on the Appalachian Trail today, since there is a trailhead near our home.

Remember friends, keep the faith about your personal weight loss goals and don't EVER become discouraged. If something is not working, try a new approach. Clean eating and exercise will never go out of style!

Cardi, I hope I can see some of the fireworks from Boston tonight. I believe CBS is carrying it for the final hour.

Hoosiermomma

Happy 4th of July!!
No Big Plans today. Just SEVEN days away from Jessica and Jake's wedding! Lots of family coming to town (57 at last count) and 4 solid days of celebration. Obviously am not going to count calories for the next little while. I do believe the wedding prep is good for weight loss though. So much running around. I have yet to look up what the polish dog and raspberry ice tea at Costco add up to for calories but that has been my lunch on 3 different days last week. Yikes, I just looked it up -- 640 cals. with ice tea !!:noway: :noway: Does it help that I put lots of raw onions on it?? With the wedding expenses the $1.57 price tag is a nice break!

I did say that I would post a new photo once I lost 15 lbs. We haven't been taking very many picures lately but this one is with a friend in Chicago and I am very close to that goal. New photos should be coming soon since weddings are photo extravaganzas! I had planned to be 141 by the 11th but am super content to see 143 on the scale. It has been so great to be on this journey with all of you!

Conrats :flowerforyou: Annaliza on your 3 lbs. down! Such a nice reward for the hard work. Really the lbs. off are a bonus to me. I am figuring you are also enjoying the feeling of gaining control, increased energy and fitness!

So sorry Alf:brokenheart: for the mean folks at work! We would like to think that the monetary compensation is enough but truly we do need to feel needed and appreciated too! I am sure that many of your co-workers really do appreciate you, so sorry you are being pushed around by the those "stinkin' " thoughtless ones!! Keep up the good work and look for the positive people!

Tron, have a great trip!! I cannot believe that Alf has a 26 waist! I mean I don't think you're fibbin', Alf that just amazing. Me? I am 5'5" and pretty happy with my 29 1/2 waist. I figure my goal before the next daughter's wedding is to beef up the excercise routine and wittle the body a bit. I am hearing about some pretty awesome programs here on MFP!

Love those side benefits of your tough work schedule, Sing! :flowerforyou: The pre-wedding brough-ha-ha might be doing the same for me. No time for exercise though!

Back in April I had signed up for "the Biggest Loser" contest at our town's Health Centre. I couldn't officially finish because we were gone to Cali the closing days but I went in a week later for final measurements and tied the score of the person in second place!! :drinker: You all can celebrate with me that I am UNOFFICIALLY the SECOND BIGGERST LOSER in our little town. A dubious honor to be sure, but I'm Excited!:drinker: :drinker: "I am thanking all of my friends at MFP you for their support." (a line from my imaginary acceptance speach for my unofficial award!)

Whew!! So much to say.. so little time. The house is up and running. I was just enjoying a quiet morning break from the usual rush between 5:30 and 6:50 getting 8 people out of the door with breakfasts and lunches! Hope you all enjoy a wonderful weekend as we celebrate the freedoms we enjoy yet today due to the sacrifices of our Founding Fathers!

Swissmiss

HAPPY 4th TO ALL !!!! Everyone please be careful now.
Question for alf and stiring....what would be the worse that could happen to me if I did my Zumba in stocking feet until I can get new shoes? I realized even before I was told that I am wearing the wrong type that they made my feet hurt. Now with the Zumba my feet and knees hurt. I was thinking this morning that going without shoes all together may be preferable to wearing them.
:flowerforyou: Hoosiemomma...Congrats on tying for 2nd place. I am sure that it is showing.:happy:

StiringWendel

Happy 4th Everybody! :drinker: I hope everybody has a great day.

cardigirl, I got the roasted almond peanut butter. I think I looked at the calorie content, saw it was the same as the raw, and thought roasted sounded better. I too wouldn't doubt that there is some reason the raw may be better....but the roasted is so good! :happy: I also get the unsalted kind.

Hoosiermomma, great new photo! You look great. And congrats on The Biggest Loser contest!! :drinker: I hope you get a chance to enjoy this week despite how busy it is going to be. What a fun and special time!!

Swissmiss, there are some different thoughts on exercising with and without shoes. I am no expert (BY FAR!) on the subject, but I think alot of it depends on the nature of the pain. For instance, I did alot of research on plantar fasciitis when I was having so many problems with my foot earlier this year. And many doctors recommend that people with plantar fasciitis NEVER go barefoot, even like to move around their bedroom in the morning. But if you don't have an inflamed ligament in your foot that's causing pain or something like that, and all of your pain is being caused by your shoes, my very unprofessional inclination would be to say that you might be better off going without shoes. I don't think that is ideal, and I wouldn't recommend it for a long period of time because your feet really do need the support that comes from shoes (arch support, lateral support, etc). I wish I had a better answer for you. :flowerforyou:

singfree, as always, thank you for the words of encouragement for everybody here. :flowerforyou:

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my day yet. I think I'll start the day with a good cardio interval session and then work from there. We might go to the base to watch fireworks tonight. But I think we aim to just enjoy the day as much as possible....within reason, of course.

Everybody be safe!

Texssippian

Hello all! Happy 4th! Going to be a very quiet (I hope) time at our house. Both kids are in Austin. Will be going there next week to help move the 24 year old son back home before he goes out to school in San Francisco in September. I have posted two of his school assignments for a graduate level illustration class on my page on MFP. My husband thought they were photographs.

Getting fruit flies around the FIVE big bowls of cherry tomatoes. Need to see who is home on our street and give tomatoes away. I think we will bring some basil too. Have 4 big bushes of basil. One of the giant pumpkins is turning orange and is probably done with growing. The other is continuing to grow.

Donnie: Welcome! You will find lots of encouragement here. Don't be shy in asking for help or just venting frustrations.

Alf: My boss wore sandals yesterday (the 3rd). She did not know she was protesting how they are treating you in San Anton. I have an idea: Take you son's framed puzzles and chain them around your computer. Put glass shards on your chair and biohazard stickers on your desk. Maybe that will keep people away from your work area.

Swiss: I am so sorry that new shoes are not an option right now. Seems like a small price to pay to avoid knee and hip replacements later on plus expensive name brand ASAIDs. Maybe that will sway the opinion. Maybe you can take the money saved from those medical expenses plus the money saved eating "junk" and apply toward new shoes?

Stiring: Great job on the maintenance work. I hope to be there one day. Looking back at the last time I lost weight, I did not (obviously) do the maintenance thing well. I think that is the hardest part. I am glad we are here for each other. As far as counting calories, if it works for you, then go for it. Sorry what your husband said about keeping the "fat" clothes. Maybe they need to go on his side of the closet???

OK Sing. I am mightily jealous of the Appalachian trail. What a wonderful thing to have so close by. Probably need to change out of our hot pink polka dot sandals for the hike.

Cardigirl: Hang in there. Muscle weighs more than fat so even if the scale does not move, I bet that your clothes fit differently and you feel differently. I fit into clothes now that I couldn't wear at this weight before the exercise and eating clean.

Hoosier: Happy wedding. So proud of you to be fitting into wedding clothes so well and looking so awesome for the wedding pics which will become part of the family lore. We have four generations of wedding pictures on our walls. Four brides in the same dress: my mother, my two sisters and me. Dress is waiting for my daughter now (not any time too soon). Yea Second Biggest Loser. Better yet is what you have gained!

My new quest is lowest sodium intake possible. My little sister's husband is in bad shape, but improving, and is on a low protein, low sodium diet. I am working on recipes with as little sodium as possible. I have been pickling jalepenos with 1/4 the amount of salt in the original recipe for about a year now. Made a chicken pot pie last night with fresh veggie and no salt canned veggies and low fat sour cream. I can really tell when I have had over 2000 mg sodium in a day. Will be making my own low sodium chicken broth today. Take care all! Texssippian.

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: stiring, I also had plantar fascilitis. I stepped wrong at work back in 2000. Boy, is that painful. I didn't have pain until I would go to step on my foot and then the act of putting any weight on it was horrible for the first few minutes. It took over a year to get it healed. I also could never go without shoes at that time. I will occasionally, like maybe once a year, have the pain again. I really think that my shoes are causing more problems then anything.

:flowerforyou: Tex, I would have so much trouble lowering my sodium intake. I love salt. I know, bad..bad..bad. But, that is my biggest weekness.

alf1163

Happy 4th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drinker: We just came back from the Circus We had a great time!! I ate too much junk though...:laugh: Oh well...now we are back home resting a bit. We are going to Sea World to watch the fireworks display tonight. We will wait to go until it gets "cooler", it was 105 degrees on our way home from the circus. :noway:

Everyone is doing a wonderful job!!! :drinker: :drinker: Hoosier, congrats on your weight loss!! :drinker:

I appreciate everyone's support!! Tex, thank you for the ideas to keep people off my desk. :laugh: :laugh: My co-worker, who organized yesterday's mtg in my office, apologized profusely about it. She said she did not realize I had moved into that space until they went in there. And she said I could have joined them...blah blah blah...I told her that she'd better let me know next time they are planning a mtg in there or hold it some place else. :grumble: I am not going to bother with them anymore.

Swiss, I would not recommend doing Zumba barefoot. Is there anything else you could wear for now? Or, do you think you need a break until your feet feel better? I know it is not easy...I hope you get better soon.

Take care!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

tron3002

thank goodness for free wi fi and my kids I phone. Just wanted to say that I hope you have a great 4th. right now we are in Sedona Az. tommorrow we will be going down slide rock and later that night going on a UFO tour. should be interesting.
now as for my waist measurements... I am sad to say I am a lot bigger than that. I carry all my weight there. oh well guess I had better work on that.
we will be here tomorrow also so I will try to check in and see how you all are.

alf1163

Tron, good to hear from you! An UFO tour, interesting, my husband is into that. We always talk about going to Roswell but have not had a chance to do it. :laugh:

Major Oops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was re-reading some threads and noticed hoosier say that I have a 26in waist...I was like, huh? when? :laugh: went back to my older post and there it was, the mistake!!! :noway: My waist size is actually 27in on good days. :laugh: :laugh: I only once remember measuring at about 26.5 but that did not last long...:laugh: I guess the 26in was wishful thinking. I am pretty much happy with my body size and shape. With the weight loss there is something I need help with if you know what I mean. :grumble: :grumble: :laugh: But oh well...

I had a good run/walk this morning. I was out there for 1:40mins. :noway: I have no idea yet what the distance was, I need to map it. I am seriously considering signing up for the Rock n' Roll half marathon, it is in Nov. Now my husband said he might sign up as well, that maybe that is what he needs to do to force himself to exercise more often. He asked me to stick with me and not take off running fast if he signs up for it. I am willing to do that to support him...we will see.

Have a great Sunday!!! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: alf..why not get a pedometer. A good one will show you how far you have run. I carried mine in my pocket all the time until the battery ran out.

:flowerforyou: tron...I live close to Wright Patterson Air Force base. They have a museum there. I hear there is one hanger that no one is permitted to enter because of UFO stuff being stored there.:laugh:

I am planning on doing my Zumba class in my stocking feet. I hope that will be allowed.

singfree

Good Monday morning! Well, it's been a fine long weekend, now back to reality (work). I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend. Yesterday we had a cookout at a friend's home. It was very nice, since we also got some quality time with our Grandson, who will be 20 months old on Thursday.

I need to get on the healthy eating bandwagon again. Picnic food is not very healthy. On Friday we are going to Arlington, VA to visit friends for the weekend. He is a retired Lt. Colonel (ARMY). When it is hot outside, he cannot do much, since he developed respiratory problems from his many (4) tours in Vietnam. As you can tell, I admire him greatly!

Swiss, I'm thinking about you and sending my best wishes for your health!

Tron, thanks for checking in...I hope you are enjoying your weekend.


Alf, your HRM monitor will give you a good idea of your energy expenditure during non-standard workouts. I'm referring to your run / walk. It's funny, but I can get different readings on my HRM on the exact same routes. It's the variables that change, intensity, weather (temp), general mood, etc...

ColinQ

Excellent its been a while since I have been to bavaria. I went skiing there while in the army, Oberjoch and unterjoch and we visited the beautiful castle Neuchwanstein. I loved it:glasses: Every time I see Chitty Citty Bang Bang I say I've been there:bigsmile: