40+ Club - Fall Fitness Fanatics

Texssippian

Hi all! I am not abandoning this thread either! I need to kick into high gear now. Been at the same weight for a while. I am wearing clothes that I could not wear before joining MFP. The skirt I bought for my sister's funeral last year now hangs on me. I can't wear it any more!

Got a phone call Friday afternoon when I was in a meeting with the senior executives where I work. It was my brother-in-law, Richie, calling me to say that he had walked in a mall that morning and I owed him at least 50 sit-ups! They will return the wheelchair we "borrowed" when he was discharged from the hospital on September 9 after his liver transplant. The only way we could get him to try to get up and walk was that I promised I would do 10 sit-ups everytime he got up and walked a few steps. My sister and their daughter drove down to New Orleans for the weekend and they all went to a city park for four hours!

My husband and I went to the Texas State Fair In Dallas today. We walked around for about two hours and then went to see the musical, Mary Poppins. It was spectacular! Our daughter came home to watch the Texas OU game with us but left to go back to Austin this morning to avoid all the rest of the traffic. I live north of Dallas on I 35. Friday of Texas OU weekend is the best travel day home for me. Everyone from Oklahoma comes down I35 for the game or just for the festivities. It is packed going southbound but relatively light going northbound. I 35 northbaound from Austin to Dallas is also packed.

Weather is beautiful and it looks like we might even get some fall color in some trees. Yea fall! Take care all! I'll try to be more faithful about checking in so you can keep me honest.

alf1163

Swiss, great to hear from you!!!! Glad you are doing well. Sometimes it is really hard to cook a variety of healthy recipes. We usually grill a variety of meats one day a week (usually on Sundays) and all I have to do is cook a side dish to go with the meat and of course have a big bowl of salad. Also if you make healthy chili, soups, etc you may freeze some and have alternatives for those days that you dont have time to cook. I know it is easier said than done but plan plan plan!! I am glad you love Zumba!! Zumba Love!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tex, at least you have maintained your weight!! You have been extremely busy lately, I cannot imagine doing that myself. Great news about your brother in law! :drinker: Yes, the weather was just gorgeous down here in San Antonio as well. It will be a little warmer this week though...

I started the last phase of P90X! :drinker: I hope I can stay on track with all the running events I have coming. I signed up for a half marathon this Saturday, then a 10K next week and the half marathon on Nov 15. I will take a break from running after that, especially long distance runs. I will decide early next year if I want to continue running as much. I do enjoy it. As far as Zumba is concerned, nothing yet, I am still working on my routine, can't find the time to focus on that. :grumble: I have invested a good amount of money on the training, clothes, etc. so I need to get going with this.

Have a great evening!! :flowerforyou:

singfree

Good morning!

It's so nice to hear from Tex and Swiss again, we missed you! Swiss, thank you for your kind words! You are at home with us. We all need each other, especially as the holiday season approaches. Feel free to post anything that concerns you. I'm sure that most of us has experienced it in the past.

Tex, your BIL's health seems to be improving daily. Great news!!!

Alf, we are the same way about cooking on a Sunday. There are only two people in our house and we both work fairly long hours. Making a larger portion of meat usually lasts us a few meals. Like you, it's just a matter of making a salad and side dish.

Since we are all guilty of snacking, why don't we post some our favorite "healthy" snacks? I get in a rut with my eating, so possibly I eat junk food more out of boredom than anything. Sometimes your body needs (craves) higher in carb, especially during an endurance routine. At other times a high protein snack might be appropriate. I'd love to hear from each of you on this. Don't forget, the holidays are a season for sharing...so please share those recipes!

I had a pretty good weekend. On Friday I bought the latest operating system upgrade for my iMac desktop computer at home. It ran great before, but after installing "Snow Leopard", it's like a new machine! I am not tech saavy at all, so I appreciate how easy Apple makes these upgrades. Just slip in a disk, click "install" and voila!!! No problems or hassles at all. Worth every penny.

It was a cold and rainy weekend here in the Northeast. It's supposed to warm up over the next few days. I'm ready for Spring already!!! :laugh:

Have a great day!

alf1163

Sing, first you want junk treats now you want healthy snacks????? :noway: MEN!! :noway: :laugh: When snacking I like to keep it simple and portable. At work I keep high fiber english muffins and natural peanut butter in the fridge. We have a toaster so I toast the english muffin and then spread a tbsp of PB on them. That is one of my favorite snacks at work mid morning. I also like the other snack I mentioned on my other post, cottage cheese with fruit and nuts. Low fat plain yogurt with fruit. Oh, if you need more protein cottage cheese with some chocolate protein powder in it. Yummy!! Fruit and cheese string. Hummus and healthy crackers, which are very hard to find. I recently found some healthy triscuits but I have not tried them yet. Raw almonds and fruit. One time I made a peanut butter bar, very easy recipe and had those as snacks. I will look for the recipe and post it. I will try to think of others. If you still want ideas for junk treats I am sure you dont need help with those. :laugh: And I am not about to give you any more ideas. :noway: :laugh:

Getting ready to go out for a run this morning with my husband. It is in the 50's right now. I might feel cold. I get cold easily.

Have a great day!! :flowerforyou:

singfree

Alf, thaks for the help. I don't really want junk treats, I just can't seem to help myself!!! You should be here in PA. 31 degrees at 6 am....now that's a chilly run!!! :laugh:

zebras

Good Morning Friends!

I had a nice weekend in terms of celebrating my Mother-in-law's birthday at her nursing home, and seeing my sister-in-law for several hours, as she had made a quick trip up from NC for the birthday, but I think I went into a food coma later on in the day! The birthday cake was amazing, because I had made it myself, LOL, and then we went out to a Deli, and on top of my sandwich, I ate the French Fries. I had just been good before that, because the Deli is next to a bakery, and my sister-in-law went nuts because she says they don't have a decent bakery where they live, and she bought some stuff to take back to her family, and I didn't get anything but some fresh bread to take home.

In typing this I remember something funny as to why she wouldn't want to go to the bakery by her house. A couple of years ago, she told us that a family her kids play with were on that show Wife Swap, and the father is a baker. I don't watch that show, but when they repeated it, The Soup picked up a clip from it, so I saw that. This baker took a towel he had just wiped his dog with (all parts of his dog), and then wiped his own face with it. Well, I wouldn't want him baking for me either!

So, today is a new day, and I will count my calories and get my exercise and do better.

StiringWendel

Good morning everybody!!

Just have time for a quick check-in. I'm like Swissmiss....I NEED all of you, so I'm going to do my best to keep checking in as often as I can over the next little bit. I have no doubt that you all will help me stay on track.

Our first shipment will go out of the house tomorrow, and with it will go my coffee pot :frown: and my scale. :sad: I've been weighing myself everyday now for nine months, so I'm kind of curious how I react to not being able to weigh myself first thing in the morning. I keep telling myself that the scale doesn't matter, but I do find it a useful tool in keeping me motivated.

I had a good weekend with my only indulgences being some wine on Saturday night and a cookie last night. I started my last week on P90X yesterday with Chest/Shoulder/Tricep....and then I did Insanity Plyo later in the day as well because I felt like some cardio. So I'm staying on track with the workouts right now. I've got all of our dinner meals cooked and in the freezer up until the night before we fly out of the US, so, hopefully, that will keep us from eating out more than we should. I'm also mailing some kitchen/food supplies to Korea so that, hopefully, when we get moved into our house over there and don't have any of our household goods yet, I can still manage to make somewhat healthy meals so we don't opt to go to Burger King or Chilis (both of which they have on base) night after night. As Tony Horton would say, 'That would be bad!' :laugh:

Off to do Plyometrics for the last time this phase. But I have all my workout DVDs packed up that I'm taking with me, and I've included a good number of P90X routines along with Insanity (and some Cathe Friedrich workouts, of course). I'm going to take my resistance bands and tubing with me in case I want to try P90X that way a few days a week (when I perhaps don't feel like going to the gym) until I get my weights in at the end of December.

I hope everybody has a great day. :flowerforyou:

singfree

Well, I've decided to be accountable to all of you by posting my food & exercise for the day. it might not happen every day, but at least you will generally know what I am putting in my mouth. The plan is to eat a bit less on non-exercise days (like today) and adjust the cals upward, depending on my workout schedule.

1. 2 cups Special K & nonfat milk & coffee
2. Cup Breyer's light yogurt
3. Bag of Steamfresh mixed veg
4. 1/2 cup cottage cheese & some salsa, whey protein & water/ice.
5. 1/2 cup applesauce
6. Whey protein shake
7. 4 oz ham steak, cauliflower, green beans
8. 1 glass red wine & 1 oz almonds

I've projected my food intake for the remainder of the day. I also am tracking nutrition on MFP. Yes, this is a bit light in cals, but if I "take it easy" eating on non-workout days this should be sufficient. Tomorrow will be a heavy workout day and I will add around 500+ cals to today's total.

Please bear with me while I try this experiment. Who knows, it might just work!

Swissmiss

sing, you want my concern...here it is. While I am at work I do very well. I have my meals and snacks planned. I eat them at certain times, etc. Then, I go home and lose it. My husband loves to cook and he doesn't understand healthy, low-fat or low calorie. I talked to him last night. Don't think that it did any good and I certainly can not tell him that I will not eat what he had worked so hard on.

Also, sing...your daily eating plan sounds great. Good and healthy.


:flowerforyou: stiring, I am glad that I am not the only one who weighs themselves every day. I have had several people tell me to stop doing this, as I will get discouraged. I find it to be the opposite...I know exactly what is going on and I can make changes if needed.

Well, every one, I am at work and had better get going. Have a great day!!!

cardigirl

Happy Monday, everyone! Good to see SwissMiss and Texasippian! Zebras, sometimes we just have to celebrate with The Cake!

Stiring, you are soooo organized. I don't know what I would do if I had to send my coffee maker ahead of me! I also weigh myself every morning, so I'll be interested in hearing how you feel when you can't weigh yourself. If it makes a difference or not.


WE HAD SNOW here yesterday! Brrrrr! Not ready for the winter weather, I can tell you. Supposed to warm up a bit this week though. Thank goodness!

Like everyone else has said, this thread motivates me very well...thanks to all who post their triumphs and struggles...nice to know that we all deal with the same stuff.

Sing, I second the whole wheat english muffins with peanut butter or almond butter. It's very satisfying and keeps me going. I also take to work for my mid morning snack some 0% fat Greek yogurt, with some fruit and Kashi 7-grain nuggets added in. Nice and crunchy! Hummus and carrots are a good snack too. Or I get these whole grain chips (!) called Food Should Taste Good, that are quite yummy, and satisfying and go great with the hummus. I love to pack grape tomatoes for a midafternoon bite, and they are more savory to me than sweet.

Got my body fat percentage measured again this past Saturday, and it is now down to 20%. I was kind of hoping for it to be lower, but at least this means that it won't be impossible for me to lose another 5-8 lbs if I want. So I am re-motivated I guess, because I know there is room for improvement :laugh: ! I know that I am making progress of some sorts, because I have to keep buying smaller underwear. :blushing:

StiringWendel

singfree, your nutrition looks very clean. I would imagine it is a bit light in the calories. Are you sure this is enough for you, even on days you don't workout? I'm curious how many calories it is, but it looks like about 1500 to me (if that). I checked your BMR and it is about 1500.....just to keep you breathing. So if your day's nutrition is about 1500, I might suggest it may not be enough.

But let me explain myself a little bit here. I'm not one who actually believes starvation mode is as easy to fall into as many people on MFP believe, so my first suggestion to people when they talk about weight loss and such isn't usually 'eat more food!' I'm just not on that particular bandwagon. But you are, very obviously, not overweight. And you've mentioned more than once that you have some 'belly fat' (which I find hard to believe....but you've said it! ) that you want to get rid of. Well, as I'm sure you are aware, not eating enough can create an extra layer of fat on the body, particularly the belly. It's the body's reaction to undereating (generating more cortisol, which causes belly fat). So you might want to think about eating a little bit more on your non-exercise days if what you posted today represents a consistent type of eating day for you.

I'm also curious that you seem to get a relatively high proportion of your calories from protein drinks. Is there a particular reason for that? I can imagine your answer is 'It's the best way to get protein without all the added fat that comes in food items like nuts, meats, etc." Again, the only reason I bring this up is, no matter how full they make me, protein and other such drinks don't satisfy my need to munch. I just like to chew on something. You may very well not have the same issue, but since you've mentioned munching on snacks a bit lately, I just decided to point it out. :flowerforyou:

You asked about snacks earlier. I usually snack on homemade granola bars (I have a great recipe for a fruit/pecan granola bar that I really enjoy). But I'm not much of a snacker and prefer to get my calories in my three meals a day. I've tried both ways (snacking and not snacking), and, for the most part, I prefer getting through my days without snacks. I think that has more to do with feeling like I need to watch the clock to eat my snack than it does with anything else. I know that sounds strange, but....I'm strange....so there.

Swissmiss, I don't think there is anything wrong in having a meal a day that is not exactly as healthy as it could be (in other words, eating your husband's cooking). I think the key is to make sure that the portions are right. I really do think it is wise to live by the 'eat healthy 80 percent of the time) rule....and I'm sure your husband's meals are totally unhealthy, so maybe they would count as a half of an unhealthy meal. Enjoy them......in moderation, of course. I don't always cook healthy either, but I really watch my portions on those nights and enjoy the food for what it is.

cardigirl....snow!! :noway: I know it has turned cold and snowy all over the country by now, but it is still hard for me to comprehend that here. Don't worry....in three weeks, I'll be flying into winter. :frown: And great body fat percentage!! That's really low. :drinker:

Well, I must run to do my Christmas letters. Yes, you saw that correctly.....Christmas letters. :laugh: But if I don't do them now, I won't have a printer to do them later....and handwriting all my letters just isn't an option. So I'm going to write them now, carry them to Korea, and mail them from there. I must admit, I'm not in the mood to write Christmas letters seeing as I'm sitting here with all my windows open and wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I'm thinking my letters may not reflect the appropriate 'holiday spirit'. :ohwell:

zebras

Stiring, sending you thoughts of snow and red and green decorations to get you in the Xmas spirit for your letters.

alf1163

Alf, thaks for the help. I don't really want junk treats, I just can't seem to help myself!!! You should be here in PA. 31 degrees at 6 am....now that's a chilly run!!! :laugh:

Oh no, I pass, thank you!! :laugh: The cold weather really gets to me. I am so happy we ended up settling here in San Antonio. I don't mind when it is in the 90's. :noway: :happy:

Texssippian

Stiring: Put some Christmas music on or go to any retail outlet: they already have the Christmas out! I weigh myself every day too. It gets too easy to to start "skipping" when you don't do it every day. I don't worry about a couple of pound change as long as increase only lasts for a day or two.

About to go to the trainer. Hubs is not coming because he has a big project at work due later this week.

Happy Monday all!

alf1163

You guys can really post fast, I cannot keep up!!!! :laugh:

Zebras, don't worry so much about occasional slips especially when celebrating something special. As you said tomorrow is another day.

Sing, is that your meal plan for the entire day? If that is, you don't eat much at all. And it is very low fat. You do need some of the good fat in your diet, at least 20%. Also I have heard that on rest days you should eat even more than on working out days, your muscles need all the nutrients to build up while you rest. I have definitely learned that while doing P90X.

Stiring, I know too well what you are going through, being a military dependent myself. I moved to Germany around this same time years ago and it was not easy at all. Hang in there. I thought of you today, my husband wanted to eat at our favorite Korean Rest today. I love Korean food!!!

Cardi, congrats on 20% body fat!!!!! That is great!!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

Swiss, I second what Stiring said. I would not deny my husband eating the food that he cooked either. Just control your portions and eat well during the rest of your meals.

I had a nice run today, 7 miles, with my husband. The weather was incredible. His birthday is Wed and I have no idea what to get him. He always says that he doesnt want or need anything but I still want to get him something. Any suggestions? He has tons of watches, cologne, clothes, etc. He is not a sports fan nor a handyman. Lately he's been bit by the fitness bug so I thought about getting him a Polar HRM but I want one that will calculate distance. Every time we go out for a run he asks me how far we ran. Any other ideas? I know Garmin has one but it is about $300, yikes!!!

Have a great evening!!! :flowerforyou:

alf1163

Here is the recipe for the PB bars.

1.5 c old fashioned oats
.5 c 100% whole wheat flour
.5 amber agave nectar
2 egg whites
1 tbsp water
.5 c organic no stir creamy peanut butter
16 chips (chopped) ghirardelli bitter sweet chocolate

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Spray bottom of 8x8 pan with canola or olive oil spray. Combine all ingredients. Mixture will be thick/sticky, can use hand to mix all together at the end. Spread it evenly in pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cut in 12 bars when cooled.

Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 170.6
Total Fat: 6.7 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 34.2 mg
Total Carbs: 24.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g
Protein: 5.0 g

They are in the database as Annette's peanut butter/agave bars (something like that). They are delicious, well, that is what I think. My co-workers and my husband loved them as well. You may use brown sugar in place of agave and use less if you desire. Also the chocolate chips are optional. That will lower the calorie count. Enjoy!!! :flowerforyou:

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: stiring and alf...thanks for the advice and I am sure that my husband would agree with you.:happy: He just loves to cook and is very disappointed if I don't eat his food. The problem is that I am at the end of my long journey of losing weight and you know that the end is the toughest. At this point, if I eat something that I shouldn't then I don't lose at all. I really have to be very careful for a while to get rid of these last 10 pounds. I have been eating a little of all that he makes and my weight is staying steady. I can do this after I reach my goal but if I continue as I am now then I will not lose anymore. Do the two of you have any more suggestions?

I went to my strength class tonight and really gave my arms a workout. Last week it was my legs and they were sore for three days. I can expect the same for my arms this week. I do feel so much better since I upped my exercise and I can see a difference in my body already.

StiringWendel

alf :flowerforyou: . This is the second time we've moved this time of year, but this time is MUCH easier because last time we moved at the holidays (from Italy to Washington State), it was in December and we were in a hotel over Christmas. Not going to be the case this time so it really is just a matter of having to think things through a little bit more than usual (like making sure I have clothes with me to wear to Christmas parties), understanding that I'm leaving warmth for cold, and, of course, making sure the Christmas cards (which double as change-of-address cards) are ready to go when we get there. :happy:

And thanks for the recipe. I am definitely going to try those when we get to Korea, except I'll have to use either honey or maple syrup in place of agave nectar since the commissary doesn't carry agave nectar. :sad: I ran out about a week ago and have been having brown sugar in my oatmeal in place of the agave nectar, and I really miss my nectar. But I'm thinking maple syrup or a combination of syrup/honey will make for a good sub in something like this. Any thoughts on either?

Swissmiss, you asked for suggestions about the last few pounds but, for me, you provided the suggestion I would give you in your second paragraph. For me, I think the work you are doing working out is much more important both in terms of overall health and in the impact on your physique than losing the extra few pounds. Focus on the fact that you are feeling better and that your body shape is changing and run with that. I believe that, by and large, a person who works out hard who weighs 140 will have a very different physical makeup to somebody who doesn't work out hard yet is the same height/weight/body shape. I know I lost the last 10 pounds (which were actually 10 pounds I hadn't intended on losing) through exercise alone (pretty much) since I was continually upping my calories while I lost those last pounds. But at the same time I was upping my calories (which gave me more energy), I was increasing the intensity of my workouts because I felt so much better than I had in such a very long time.

So my suggestion to you is to keep on doing what you are doing in terms of working out (and increasing the intensity incrementally) and not worry so much about what the scale is saying. In other words, listen to what your body is telling you (that it feels better and is making changes) over what the scale is telling you. In my opinion, you are doing great! :drinker:

singfree

Good morning!

Thanks friends for the helpful input about my diet. I will definitely take all of your suggestions into consideration. Even though I read a lot about fitness and nutrition, I don't always make the smartest choices. These habits are tough to break! Stiring, you make many valid points. I guess I use whey as a means of getting enough protein. I agree also about good fats. The bottom line for me is...finding a balance that I can live with. My mindset is not to overeat, so when I make a decision to monitor my cals, I tend to undereat. One thing that I am doing right is trying to spread out my meals & snacks so that I have a steady stream of fuel for the day. I'm from the era that we eat 3 "square" meals per day. That's old school thinking. If I want to succeed, I need to eat more, but eat smart too!

Again, you all are a big help and inspiration to me. Even at my age and high level of fitness, I have plenty to learn!

See y'all later!

PS- Alf, your PB bars sound delicious! Can you offer a substitute for chocolate? I love it, but my wife is allergic to chocolate! Gives her a bad headache.

zebras

Sing: Your poor wife, I don't know what I would have done without chocolate in my life LOL

Good morning friends. I had a good eating day yesterday to make up for Sunday, I managed to stay out of the sweets entirely. Quite an accomplishment for me. I went to town with Wii Fit Plus last night, even though it doesn't burn calories nearly as fast as the elliptical and treadmill, I always feel very worked out after. The hula hoop does amazing things for my midsection. It also has an obstacle course game, where all I am doing is walking in place on the board, and doing a sort of squat to get my character to jump over things, but it is so much fun trying to improve my score I did a long time after I met my workout goal last night. I find it funny to have my character knocked around by wrecking balls and rolled over and flattened by rolling logs!