40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge
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Good morning everyone!! I am Dominique and I started my new lifestyle a year ago. I was a gymnast in my teens and later a gym coach until I was hit by a car while crossing a street some 23 years ago. I guess my years in gymnastic helped me because I fell on my arm and not on my head. I also had a knee surgery in June 2008. I am on permanent disability because of the head trauma I had, but beside a few limitations and a few aches and pains in my knee, my back and my neck, I don't have major aftereffects of my physical wounds. In May 2007, I had to start to take a medicine... The only problem is that it caused a lot of muscle pains. I stopped it last March because I was starting to have difficulty just to walk and I did not accept it... I was only 41!!! I will never be able to run because of the accident, but I am now able to move freely and that is worth so much!!
So last March, I started to exercise and to eat healthier foods. When I started, I had practicaly no muscle tone and I had to be very careful. I still do actually. I had to build my muscles and we all know that muscles weight more than fat. I guess that is why I didn't lose so much yet. My official weight-in is on Mondays and last time I was at 155.2. I still step on the scale every morning and this morning, I am at 157.2 :grumble:
I exercise everyday. It is my challenge this year. The intensity and the lenght of my exercise is not important, what is is that I do something with my body every day. I try to work my abs and to do cardio, but it can also be a 20 minutes on the treadmill, walking at 3.5 m/h.
This week, I set myself a new challenge. I am now wearing ankle and wrists weights to do my training. It is more challenging. Yesterday, I went to get myself a HRM and a set of adjustable weight that go from 0 to 20 lbs. They have 20 X 1 lb bar that can be inserted in each weight. In my training room, I have a treadmill, a cycling-rowing machine, a Gazelle http://www.tonylittlestore.com/2-edgeplus.html and a Ab King Pro http://www.clubpiscine.ca/accessoires/produits/categorie_81_en.aspx I also have a few series of DVDs, the Mary Winsor Pilates, the Hip Hop Abs and the Classical Stretch. I will soon get myself the collection of Louis Van Amstel Latin dance educational DVD. I then will be able to say my gym is complete.
I have a lot of tools to do an effective workout without always doing the same thing. This week, I would like to start doing a DVD every day on top of my abs work and my cardio.0 -
I HATE SNOW!!! The only good thing about snow is you burn LOTS of calories while shoveling it out of the way! Here in Western PA I've had almost 4 feet of snow since last Friday and, guess what, ITS STILL SNOWING!
Anyhow, still going easy on the weight loss but I'm tracking food and measurements and such as well so hopefully I will see some benefit of all the work I've been doing start to kick in soon. I'm doing a workout program called PACE developed by Dr. Al Sears which I really like because it's fairly simple and quick. Plan to add in bicycling outdoors and some other activities this summer when I'll hopefully be back home in Colorado.
Hope everyone has a nice Valentines Day weekend!
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Good morning!!! Welcome to all the new members of this wonderful group!!! :drinker: My weight is holding steady at the maintenance weight so that is great!!! If I want to lose some more I think I am going to have to take it to another level, pretty extreme. I am happy with what I am doing right now and how I feel and how I look so I might have to reconsider. Still doing ChaLean Extreme and teaching my Zumba classes. I love love love teaching Zumba!!!! :drinker:
Duffy, I hear you about wrist pain. I also get pain in my forearms...I would love to read that blog about this issue with people doing CX. :noway: And I don't think I am lifting as heavy as you are...What is a sled? A Smith machine?
Missou, welcome, glad to hear that you have recovered from your accident and can challenge yourself now. Just be careful not to do too much. I noticed that you like cruising. We love it as well!!!
Wow, a lot of you are on the east coast...all that snow, wow!!! Here in San Antonio, not even a lonely flake...it's been "cold" here lately but today high will be around 55. Not bad!!! The rodeo is in town so I am going today with my daughter and grandbaby. My son is also going on a field trip there today.
JuliaSoCal, congrats on your accomplishments. You are right, most people will not be honest and tell you that you are gaining weight BUT thanks to the honesty of a friend it is why I have lost 24 lbs in the past 2 yrs. I remember so clearly Nov 2007 when out with friends she said to me that I had gained weight in front of everybody!!! I already knew I had gained and was not happy with myself. I was so embarrassed by it but instead of getting mad at her and get depressed I vowed to do something about it. I found MFP in Jan 08 and I have not looked back since. We need more honest people, like my friend, in this world. She tells me now that I look great!!! :laugh:
Have a wonderful day!!! And if I cannot check in before Sunday, Happy Valentine's Day!!!! :flowerforyou: 0 -
Friday Check in Day!
Exercise Good :drinker: Food not so good:grumble: I blame it on too many leftovers from the superbowl party not to mention leftover beer.
8 weeks till Spring Break so my goals for next week are to continue the great job I'm doing with Chalene Extreme but add more cardio workouts (hopefully a few runs outdoors) and get back to clean eating and no alcohol during the week.
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0 -
Alf: Not sure what it's official name is I only know it as a sled. Here is a similar model:
www.csnstores.com/asp/show_detail.asp?sku=YKF1038
I have actually found that wrapping or taping my wrist is really helping with the heavier weights. Now off to the net to see what the right technique is for that -0 -
I noticed that you like cruising. We love it as well!!!
Cruising is what life is all about for me. Hubby and I are talking about moving to the Caribbeans in 10 or 15 years either on an island or on a catamaran. Between you and I, I'd prefer to go on a catamaran, go where the wind blows and live as freely as possible 0 -
Friday Check In = 1 more pound lost, woo hoo :happy: Eating okay, fell off the sugar wagon and had some desserts a couple of times this week. Although I'm in Ohio, like you Sing and all the East Coasters, I've been shoveling too and secretly loving it as it means I get a few more calories added to my goal!!
Here's a question about those extra exercise calories: We are supposed to eat those right? Now, can I "save" them and use them for a dinner out or a dessert or something like that later in the week? Wasn't sure about that, but that is what I did this week, I guess the scale will ultimately tell. Thanks for any input on that!
Welcome to the newcomers, I'm pretty new myself, but these folks who have been here for awhile are super!! Very kind, considerate and truly compassionate to our common cause of good health!! :flowerforyou:
Happy Valentine's Day to you all!!
Tammy0 -
Even though it is late Saturday afternoon here in Korea, I know it is still Friday night in California....so here is my Friday check-in.
Not the best week eating-wise, to be honest. But I had a great week working out, so.....I'm planning on cutting myself a bit of a break on the eating front for a little while (like I said earlier in the week), so I'm not counting calories or weighing myself. My clothes fit, and that's what I'm going to base things on for a little while (and how I look). It is taking some getting used to, but I think it will help me listen to my body. For instance, yesterday afternoon, I had completed my workout, and I was hungry. I don't usually have a snack, so I was sitting there, listening to my stomach growl and counting how many hours until dinner. Finally, I said 'Listen to your body!! It is hungry, so feed it', and I did. I had a little snack, felt much better, and I didn't worry abfout the calorie count. The snack was healthy, and my body was hungry. And I suppose that's all that matters. So....we'll see how this goes. Letting go of the numbers is actually pretty hard, but I think it is time for me to do it....at least for a little while.
Welcome to all our newcomers! Missou, it sounds like you have overcome quite a few challenges, and are adapting things to your abilities and needs. That is wonderful. Keep up the great work. :flowerforyou:
singfree, I'm so happy to hear you are feeling better. :drinker: I can't believe you worked out on top of all that shovelling. Actually, I can....because I would have done the same. :blushing: But you already knew that, didn't you my dear brother? I hope you enjoyed the day with your wife.
duffy and alf, I've heard about the tendonitis issue with CLX as well. I've also heard alot of people have similar complaints about P90X (though I didn't seem to have too many issues). I think similar things could probably be said about any workout program that focuses on strength training and repitition. Like you, alf, I seem to have problems in the forearms more than anything. I'm really noticing that as I launch myself into this second cycle of STS. They hurt the most during bicep curls. Any recommendations? I pretty much just grip through it, though I think at some time, it will begin to impact how much I can lift.
tamarads, you ask an interesting question about 'saving' calories. This will probably be a longer answer than you need....but I don't seem to be able to say anything with few words. :laugh: Anyhow, the answer (as I've learned it) is that the body doesn't really work on a day-by-day basis, and if you wanted to calculate your calories by the week (a 3500 calorie defict per week as opposed to a 500 calorie deficit by day for a pound loss), that's okay. However (and this is a big HOWEVER), it is important to make sure you are eating enough on a daily basis. For instance, if you were supposed to be eating 1500 calories a day, it would not be smart to eat for six days at 500 calories so that you could then eat 7500 on one day. While the math is the same, the impact on the body is too drastic and your body wouldn't be operating every effectively.
However, in my opinion, if you are eating 1500 calories per day, eat that for three days, eat three days at 1300, and then eat one day at 2100, you'd probably be just fine, especially if you felt good/were able to sustain your workouts/etc on those days you were eating less.
For me, the real issue in eating exercise calories is to make sure you are eating them if you need them in order to sustain your workouts. Since you don't have much weight to lose, I think it is important that you eat enough calories, so if eating your exercise calories is working for you, eat them. The real danger when trying to lose the last ten pounds is in undereating because your body will actually find a way of putting on fat if you undereat at a weight close to your goal (even if you don't put on weight, you can still accumulate fat, especially around the belly from the stress of undereating). But if you aren't starving on those days that you cut your calories down a little bit, don't worry about it. And if you have a higher calorie day as a result, don't worry about it. From everything I've read/seen/heard, it all balances out as long as you aren't doing anything too outrageous (like the 500 vs 7500 calorie thing I mentioned above).
Hope that helps. :flowerforyou:
I hope everybody has a great Valentine's Day. My dear husband bought me some Godiva dark chocolates. I him SO much!! They're healthy, right? 0 -
Good morning!!! Happy Saturday!!! My stomach!!! :sick: :sick: I ate too much junk at the Rodeo!!! Yikes!!! And your body really lets you know when you have been "bad" to it!!! :grumble: :laugh: Even my daughter noticed it for herself. She has been eating better the past 3 wks or so and has been doing the Shred workout. :drinker: She did not feel well either yesterday. But here she is buying fried oreos for her daughter!!!!! She is only 19 mos old!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :noway: :noway: I objected but she did it anyways!!! I did not have any of that!!
Duffy, I will check out the link you sent. I am with you, why is it so hard to resist temptation and eat well!!!!! I just want to scream!!!! Good thing we dont do it all the time. We have all been able to break through that. We all struggle but compared to other people I know we do pretty well when it comes to clean eating. Stiring is the one person here that can eat clean for a long period of time. I think I have asked you before, Stiring, how do you do it????????????
Missou, I live in Texas and we have done the western caribbean 7 day cruise twice. We are planning on doing one that goes from Tx to Key West and then to the Bahamas. We are from Puerto Rico so my husband wants to do the one that goes to PR and other islands from Miami I believe. My dream cruise is the Mediterranean cruise. I would love to do that before I die, of course. :laugh: I believe Stiring is doing that one soon.
tamarads, congrats on your weight loss!!!! :drinker: :drinker: One pound at a time, that is the way to do it!!! I truly agree with everything that Stiring said. But I have also heard/read that the body functions on a day by day basis and it does not know that you saved calories and compensates for them on another day. There are so many theories out there that sometimes you dont know what to believe. :noway: To me, the weekly theory makes more sense. I also believe in zig-zagging your calories. That really helped me break through my plateau sometime last year. Here are two sites that I used. I mostly used the first one http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm. http://www.naturalphysiques.com/tools.php?itemid=64
You seem to be doing very well, losing a pound every week. So I wouldnt be too worried about that. The way I used the zig zagging method was to pair them with my planned exercises, for example, if I knew I was going to burn a lot of calories one day I would choose the higher calories that specific day...hope you understand me. :laugh:
I hope today is a better eating day for me than yesterday. I still have some kettle corn that I bought yesterday but I think I had more than enough. Tomorrow is another day. :noway: I am craving chocolate covered strawberries...we would say in Puerto Rico "Ay Dios mio" LOL :laugh: 0 -
Oh Stiring, lately I have not been logging in my calories, mostly due to time constraints, but I also want to re-try listening to my body more, etc. The only slight problem with that is that I tend to slip him a few bites here and there because I know I dont have to log them in. How do you deal with that? I welcome your ideas/suggestions. And please anyone else can give me suggestions.
I would also love to go back to weighing myself once a month. I think I did that the first time I did ChaLean Extreme. It is getting a little frustrating to see that scale go up and down weekly instead of just going down. I know, I know, the scale is the devil but....my clothes fit just right but I tend to focus on those numbers as well and it is frustrating.
Another question...you all know I teach Zumba 4 nights a week, 7-8pm. I am home by 8:30pm. While logging in my calories I always had over 300 calories leftover after dinner. I have been eating half a cup of Kashi Go Lean, 1/2 c skim milk, a small banana and 1tbsp of slivered almonds. Do you think that is too much to eat just an hr before bedtime? Sometimes I am not even hungry but I still eat it knowing that I have so many calories leftover. What are your thoughts about this?? I have thought about eating much more during the day but I just can't seem to stomach that much food throughout the day. We are talking about a little over 2,000 calories. I am burning over 400 cals doing Zumba plus the calories I burn doing ChaLean on some days that I also teach Zumba and my "maintenance" calories. Yikes!!!!
Ok, I will really let you go now!!! :laugh: :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi alf! :flowerforyou: I over-ate yesterday too, and am feeling the ill effects of it this morning....so I'm not so sure I'm the one to ask about self-control right now. But when I AM able to exercise self-control for extended periods of time, it is simply because I promise myself I'm not going to do something....so I don't. I hate being disappointed in myself, and I get disappointed with myself if I make a promise and break it (to myself or anybody else), so, for me, the disappointment outweighs whatever enjoyment I'd get out of some food I'd eat. I love to set goals for myself....be they goals about food or fitness or anything else....and reach them. So that is the other aspect of it. The achievement I feel when I reach a goal far exceeds the pleasure I get from eating some food. When I get into trouble (and why I've put the weight back on in the past) is when I no longer have a goal OR I don't feel like making the promise to myself (for whatever reason). That's a little of what I'm struggling with right now. The 'diet' goals don't make sense to me anymore (since I don't need to diet anymore), and I'm still trying to determine some appropriate fitness goals right now. But at least I'm working on it and haven't just gone back to older habits.
I'm only a week into listening to my body, but right now, my rule of thumb is (for the most part) to eat when I'm hungry and to not eat when I'm not hungry. I know what I need to sustain my workouts, so my breakfast is tried and true and doesn't change. I know how many calories are in my dinner meals (because I pretty much eat the same things over and over again) so those don't change much at all (maybe 100-150 calories at most). Where I am learning to listen to my body is during the day time....especially lunch (which is after the bulk of my workout) and/or late afternoon (when I have a tendency to get hungry a couple of hours before dinner). When it comes to the odd bites or two, I never have counted them but I also don't do that very often. I am finding I'm no more inclined to do it now that I'm not counting my calories than I did before since I never did count them in the first place. My rule of thumb has always been 'don't graze', and that hasn't changed since I'm no longer counting my calories.
But you bring up an interesting question that I was going to raise last week but never got around to posting. And that is the issue of a post-workout snack. I have never really gotten into post-workout snacks. Yes, my lunch is after my workouts, but it can be two/three hours after my workouts. I have read that there is a 'golden hour' for eating after workouts (specifically when trying to build muscles), but since I don't, as a routine, snack, I've never really wanted to divide out a certain number of calories in my day to have a post-workout snack. And I was wondering if anybody eating such snacks could explain the effects (positive or negative). So I'm looking for input on that as well.
But regarding what you are eating after your Zumba class, I think if I were working out after dinner, I would want something before calling it a day as well. While I don't mind going 3-4 hours after working out without eating, I think 8 or so would be way too many hours to go, and I wouldn't suggest that (even though you aren't actually hungry when eating your snack...you would probably get that way in the middle of the night and that isn't so good either). So I don't think there is any issue with how many calories you are consuming at that time (since the whole 'don't eat late at night' thing really is a diet myth as there is no problem, from my understanding, with eating late at night....for the most part). But, perhaps, you might want to think about making those calories more protein and less carbs. While I understand you need the carbs to sustain the cardio workouts, from what I understand, those are best eaten before the workouts. The only thing I've read that seems consistent is that carbs within a few hours of going to bed is not really recommended because they inhibit the release of human growth hormone (which helps in healing, weight control, appetite control, etc). It isn't a 'make or break' situation, but, perhaps, you could have the banana earlier in the day or not opt for the banana and have more almonds or something like that. I think a banana has like 22 grams of carbs in it, while the 1/2 cup of cereal has about 15. So I think you are fine with the cereal (or the banana without cereal for that matter) but both in one later evening snack is quite a few carbs, and you might be better off with more protein. Just a suggestion but, again, not a 'make or break' situation.
Off to do a light workout. I've worked out seven days in a row and probably should take a day off. But I have the time to workout, and I hate missing those opportunities (especially on weekends). So I'm going to do a light cardio session at least. I'm not going to have a good eating day today either....but it is Valentine's Day, so.....My husband and I made a bet on the Superbowl, and I lost. The bet was the loser had to make a Valentine's meal of choice for the winner. I was SO hoping for a break in my kitchen routine, but....I lost the bet. :grumble: My husband has chosen salmon for dinner (which is good), with twice baked sweet potatoes (not too bad), a spinach/strawberry salad (not too bad either)....and chocolate mousse for dessert. It will all be more than I need to eat. But, hey, it IS Valentine's Day (and Lunar New Year, which is THE biggest holiday in South Korea), so there are many reasons to celebrate today. 0 -
HAPPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:flowerforyou:
Thank you Stiring for your input. I totally agree with you eating the banana with the cereal. I always thought I was overdoing it but it tastes so good, right? :laugh: :laugh: I also agree when you said that it will be too long from the end of my workout to when I get up the next morning to eat, especially when I do my weight trng in the morning. Lately I have been doing ChaLean early in the morning, 5:30, on an empty stomach. I still have energy to do my workout probably due to eating that cereal late at night.
I have always admired how determined you are when you set your goals. That was what impressed me the most when I first met you. You lost 40 lbs in less than a Year!!! :drinker: And it took me more than a year to lose 24 lbs. :grumble: You probably remember me asking you how you get such determination/willpower. I am a people pleaser and tend to break my goals just to please people. Then I get disappointed in myself, etc etc...That is my main problem. Well, this needs to change, I am really getting tired of it...it is about time, c'mon I am 46 yrs old!!!! :laugh: I am going to sit down and set some goals and a plan to get there!!!!!
Have a wonderful day everyone!!!!!! :flowerforyou: 0 -
I found it nearly impossible to lose weight once I hit 40. After a visit to the doctor, she checked my Vit D level and it was super low, despite the fact that I have dairy products every day. She put me on Vit D therapy for a month and now the weight just seems to be coming off like it did when I was 20. I'm finished with the 50,000 Unit pills but am still taking a multivitamin and Citracal and having my two servings of dairy per day. I feel so much more energetic and the weight loss is so much easier. I love my doctor. lol0
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Sunday morning weigh in for me. Down 2 libs. I am surprised that the weight is coming off this quickly. I am eating the calories given ( within 100) and, I still have not added work out yet. I am not complaining
Julia0 -
Happy Valentines Day
Alf/Stiring: I love the discussion about the post workout food, etc. I have been struggling with wondering on my "double days" of exercise what is too much to eat after my evening workout. :noway:
My first workout is at around 4:45/5:00 a.m. and then my 2nd workout is either at 5:30 or 6:30 depending on the class. So with that being said, I usually don't have dinner prior to either but more an afternoon snack and then a really light dinner after. I am wondering if I am doing myself an injustice by eating dinner even if it is light after the workout on the 6:30 workout? I could always make my afternoon snack more of a small meal vs. a protein shake or cottage cheese and fruit? What do you guys think?
Hope you all are doing well. I finished up my Recovery Week from STS with some good workouts and then have been at my moms since Friday a.m. - just some good walks but no workouts. Looking forward to a workout tomorrow afternoon forsure! Starting up an Endurance rotation this week as well!
I'll check in again either tomorrow afternoon or forsure the following a.m. :flowerforyou:0 -
Good morning!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day with their sweetheart! I did!!
I'm going to weigh in on the after-workout nutrition debate. For me, it depends on what type of workout I am doing. If I am doing a cardio-heavy workout, I will include a bit more carb to the ratio. If I do a strength workout, I will keep the protein higher. At any rate, Stiring brings up a good point about eating carbs before bedtime (or after a late night workout). I fully agree with this. So, if the workout is very late in the day, I would opt for the protein-fat rich snack, but always include at least a bit of carb. This might not be totally scientific, but this is my method, and it seems to work well for me.
I guess it all boils down to eating a BALANCED diet throughout the day, keeping in mind the overall ratios of carb-protein-fat. Adjust according to your workout schedule and time of day. In the beginning it is a bit of a pain, but you will quickly get used to the routine and it then becomes second nature.
There is no prescribed diet and exercise regimine that is a "catch-all"...one size does not fit all. Everyone's body is different, so what works for me might not work as well for you. Experiment a bit with your diet (within reason). The mere fact that you are doing something different might just jump-start your weight loss!
When I put my mind to it, I can lose fat in a hurry. The problem is, I am not always disciplined. I'm working on changing that right now!
Have a great day!
PS- More snow tonight, 4-6 inches. YUCK.0 -
Happy Monday All! Had a great weekend and not too bad food wise - Missed my CX workout but skied all day Saturday so I'm not too considered. In fact I'm really feeling it in the calves this morning so I know it was a good workout.
Take care and sorry for the short post but using my MFP time on logging foods for the next few weeks in preparation for spring break swimsuit shopping.:drinker:0 -
Happy Monday! Happy President's Day!! Everyone is home today, busy house. I did ChaLean this morning. I am into my 3rd wk of the Push phase. I was just thinking that I am going to have to modify the program some since I am going to Puerto Rico for 2 wks in early March. I am not teaching Zumba tonight because the community ctr is closed due to the Holiday. I am just going to work on a new routine so I will burn some extra calories doing so. I ate too much junk yesterday!!!!! Today is a new day. I want to be at maintenance weight or a little lower before I go to PR, I will be wearing my bikinis a lot. :laugh: So my goal until Mar 10 is to eat clean 90-100% of the time and continue with my workouts. My main temptation are the sweets and crackers but mainly sweets.
Going back to our post workout discussion, my main concern is that I am eating too late. I am going to focus on eating more throughout the day and just leaving enough for a light but healthy well balanced snack after my Zumba classes. I might have a protein shake with some blueberries or strawberries instead of the cereal. 2BLean, I don't think you are doing yourself an injustice by eating dinner after you afternoon workout. You are not eating that late and you only ate a snack before your workout. It think it all comes down to what Sing said, balance your meals throughout the day and make sure you are eating all your nutrients. Thank you so much for all the suggestions.
Julia, congrats again on your weight loss. How many calories are you eating? So, what are you doing differently that is helping you lose weight? You dont exercise at all? I am just curious.
kwardlink, that is interesting about the Vit D deficiency. There is a lot of talk lately about the same topic. I also take Citracal every morning and take multivitamins. I am glad your doctor was so proactive in trying to find out what you were lacking. Not all doctors are so proactive. I had a full panel blood work done not too long ago and my only deficiency at the time was iron. The doctor gave me iron supplements and I am doing well now.
Duffy, skiing!!! How fun!!!! I learned how to ski when I lived in Germany. It was so much fun. I have not skied in almost 12 yrs. now. The closest ski resort to us is Ski Apache in Southern New Mexico and that is still about 8-10hrs from here. I might not ski ever again. :grumble: And besides, I would be too afraid to fall down and break my legs. :laugh: It was good while it lasted and I am happy for the experience.
Have a wonderful day!!!!! :flowerforyou:0 -
Good Monday to all. I got my usual Valentine Days gift....a box of Esther Price chocolates. :frown: I have mixed feelings about this. I abolutely love the candy but I know that I shouldn't be eating it.
We are getting more snow. Between 3 and 5 inches today. I hope that the YMCA classes are not cancelled. Most of them have been for the past two weeks due to snow. I did get to Zumba on Saturday. Felt good to be doing something. Our bike trails are completely covered with snow so using them is out of the question. 0 -
Stiring, Alf... thanks so much for the insightful thoughts, they make total sense.. I'm going to check out those websites! I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question!
Didn't do very well this last week:ohwell:, work outs were right on track even burned more calories with the snow shoveling, but then gave in and had dessert a few times and just basically went over my calorie goal, what a fine line I'm walking, I realize that now. :frown:
Honestly, I think it is the sugar, I was doing really well since the beginning of January when I cut out the sugar. Now a couple of days of that and it's on the downhill slide, I'm getting back on the bandwagon now!
Congrats Julia on the weight loss!!:happy:
Kwardlink, interesting info on the Vit D...
Snowing here again too, 6-9 this time, more shoveling, but that is okay, I can use the exercise!
Happy President's Day!
Tammy0 -
Ok....I will give this a try.......I hope I do this right!
I am a 46 year old female from Minnesota.....mom of 2 boys..... for so many years I have been taking care of my children, and neglecting myself......... now I need to start taking care of myself . I have lost 7 pounds since I started this program and I need help to keep going!
Thanks0 -
Hi there, guys! A 41yo checking in. I've been on this new lifestyle since Jan 10, 2010 and I've lost over 6kg/over 13lbs.
I started at 97.7kg (215.4lbs) and am now 91.7kg (202.16lbs). I was a size 20 and now I'm an 18 (UK)...
My plan is calorie counting, fibre g/day: 22, cals/day 1400, 90+g of protein, lower fat and lower carbs. Not an exact science! But I'm meticulous about measuring and counting.
Exercise is a mix of classes (boxercise, cardio/tone, aquafit (aquaaerobics)) and going to a PT twice a week for mostly strength training (Kettlebells). I'm averaging about 5 days a week for an hour but this week we're off school so it's about 8 hrs/this week. I'm still very very unfit so don't think I'm really a monster exerciser, but it's better than sitting on my *kitten* all day eating!
I live in Ireland and I have two kids!
Now, my goals:
size 10UK, 65kg/143.3lbs, be firm, fit and toned, feel strong and cardiovascularly fit enough to not shy away from doing things (like walking up a lot of flights of stairs)...
Thanks for all your posts! I really find your successes motivating and your challenges comforting.
So, go raibh míle maith agaibh! Slán!
(Thank you all and goodbye, in Irish)0 -
how do I join this group?0
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Chrissyepson, you just did!!!! :laugh: Just keep posting about yourself, challenges, successes, struggles, etc. We are all here to help each other. Congrats on your weight loss!!!! :drinker: :drinker: What do you think is most challenging for you? Welcome!!! :drinker:
Welcome Anahita!!! :drinker: :drinker: Wow, Ireland!!! You are doing a great job, congrats!!! :drinker: It is very important to set goals!
Swiss, good to see you!!!! I got 4 huge chocolate covered strawberries from my husband. I am going to eat one every day...well, I had two yesterday. :laugh: :laugh: You get these chocolates once a year right? As long as you dont eat them all in one sitting it would be ok. Just enjoy them a little bit at a time. Save them for when you are really crave them and have been able to burn a lot of calories. That is my suggestion...
:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0 -
Hi everybody! Bet you all thought I dropped off the face of the earth:laugh: :laugh: .
I haven'thad the time to go back and read posts, so I'll just say I trust that everyone is doing OK with all the crazy weather most of the US has had in the last 3 weeks!!
At work we are in the middle of major office moves (thank goodness I'm not one of the ones who are moving) and we are getting new carpet one suite at a time. Amazingly, we all received permission to paint if we wanted to before they lay the new carpet. So.........trying to help finalize who is moving where and when along with choosing paint, painting 3+ days last week and still trying to get stuff sorted to be able to pack it up when they come to carpet our suite. In other words........work has been chaos for about 3 weeks!!!!
Home has been stressful too - had to do taxes by myself this year......yuk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:noway: :noway: :grumble: . I FINALLY got them done and the refunds have made it to the hubby's bank account. Still have to do the youngest daughter's taxes and then file the dreaded FAFSA form............which is almost as bad as doing taxes!!! :grumble: :grumble: For those of you who don't have college-age children; you have to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application For Student Aid) form and submit it online even if you don't intend to take the student loans they offer you. For us, we make too much for the daughters to qualify for subsidized loans (don't pay interest until after college graduation), so to me it's a complete waste of my time!. Several scholarships my daughter gets require that the FAFSA is submitted before the scholarship deadline.....uggghhhhhhh!!! The only bright side is that I only have to do it one more time, then she'll have her bachelors degrees and be responsible for her own college loans. She's planning to go to Physician's Assistant school, which will not be cheap! She knows that is going to be her responsibility to find the financing for it - Mom and Dad's pockets aren't that deep!!:laugh: :laugh:
So.......still stuck at 126-127, and working out 3 times a week most weeks. Haven't had to shovel any snow lately - Yeah!!! With my luck I just cursed myself and Kansas will get hit with a major snowstorm in the next week.:grumble: :grumble: Today I have to leave work early to meet the furnace guys at my house - I woke up yesterday to a 63° house and couldn't get the furnace to kick on!!!!! Bought a new programmable thermostat, had a friend install it and STILL woke up to a 65° house this morning, so had to call the furnace people. If it's not one thing, it's another lately for me!!!! What the heck.....it's only money, right?????
Later!!
Marla0 -
Alf, obviously you cannot be trusted with those chocolate covered strawberries. Better send them to me for safe keeping! :laugh:
Hi Maria & Swiss!0 -
Hello Everyone!! I'm back from snowy MN!! While I didn't get to do my usual workouts while there I did do lots of walking.
Wednesday before my daughter left we went to the mall and walked about 1.5 hours.
Thursday I once again went to the mall with my son, daughter in law and granddaughter. Carried my 18lb granddaughter for the majority of the time we were there.. walked about 1.5 hours again.
Friday I wasn't quite so lucky and didn't get to do much... except cleaning my 7 year old granddaughters bedroom... would that count as a workout??
Saturday was the same as Friday... although I did wrestle around with the grandkids a bit...that is always a chore... but not quite a workout.
Sunday... well I left on Sunday... stood in line at security check for about 45 minutes... then I had to walk about 1.5 miles to my gate.. only to find out 20 minutes later that it was changed and had to go back the other direction about a quarter mile... so I did get a good walk in... carrying my backpack!
Came home very congested most likely from my cat allergy (my daughter has 4 cats!!) When I woke up this morning I was still very congested and my throat is fire engine red and feels like it needs one! But that didn't stop me... I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill, carried up firewood, and cleaned the house (while I was gone my step daughter and her family were here). So far today I have burned more calories than I have eaten!! YAY!!
I will wait until this Friday to check in... I hope that everyone else has had a good week.!! It is sooooo good to be back!! Thanks to everyone for keeping me motivated!!
Angel0 -
hisangel, sounds like you had an active trip, even if you weren't able to 'workout'. I'm glad you made it home safely, and I hope you lose the congestion soon. I, too, suffer from some animal allergies, and I hate that tickly/stuffy feeling I get from them.
mkwood! :drinker: Soooooo happy to see you. I've been thinking about you alot lately, wondering if everything was going okay. You are half way through the deployment, right? It must be feeling like forever right about now. But great job at maintaining your weight right now, given everything you've been going through. I think that's amazing. Please keep checking in when you get a chance. I worry about people when they don't check-in for a little while......:blushing:
singfree, thanks for your input on post workout snacks/meals. I'm working at changing my daily diet a bit right now because I think I'm beginning to understand some of my incredible craving for sweets and why I am letting myself get derailed every now and again. When we were in California, I ate alot of fruit. Well, winter in Korea is different than Southern California (to put it mildly), so I'm eating a fraction of the fruit I used to eat. The end result....my calories are down quite a bit (because I haven't replaced that food item) AND I'm having horrible cravings for something sweet. So I'm going to try to implement something of a post workout snack (at least in the afternoon). I made some nutty granola this morning (Ellie Krieger) and had a couple tablespoons of that with some plain yogurt and a banana....and it made for a nice, healthy snack that also tasted pleasantly sweet to me. So I'm hoping that keeps the hunger away AND the sweet cravings away a bit. I also figure it is a nice blend of protein and carbs, so it works for a good after workout snack as well.
2BLean, I agree with what alf said about your dinner. There is absolutely no problem from what I can tell from eating dinner at 6:30pm or much later. Like I said in my post to alf, the whole 'don't eat after 7:00pm' thing really is just a diet myth. In other words, it isn't as if all of those calories are being turned into fat simply because of the time of day they were consumed. I think eating dinner after your workout...given the time of your workout....is the better option (over a snack) since it will then be many hours until you eat again. I know I did my workouts for years at that time (when I was working), always eating dinner after, and was able to stay thin (when I didn't eat too many sweets, of course) while doing it.
Swissmiss, enjoy your Valentine's Day candy. I know I enjoyed the candy my husband gave me.
tamarads, I hear you about the sugar. I had almost completely gotten rid of the sugar cravings last year, but right now, it seems I can't beat them. Hence why I'm trying to change my diet up a bit. Sugar is my downfall, and I know if I rid my diet of it, I don't crave it nearly as much as I usually do. But, like you, a couple of desserts....and I'm hooked again.
So I've made yet another 'promise' to myself about sweets. I'm headed to Hawaii in April, and I really do want to look good for that. I don't know if I'm as brave as alf is in wearing a bikini :laugh: ....but I'd like to think I'd look good enough to be able to wear one if I so chose. So......I'm going to go sweet-free (minus two days) for the next 75 days. That's my goal right now, and we'll see how I do. I really was hoping I could find 'balance' when it came to my passion for sweets, but that doesn't seem to be working for me. So I'm thinking the mentality I used last year (eat sweets only for celebrations....hence the two days up there) may be my very best approach. We'll see.
I had a horrible weekend for eating, that's for sure. And I felt horrible as well, so that serves as a good reminder to me why I need to just not eat too many sweets. My body really doesn't like sugar. I suffered from problems for years and never recognized what they were. Now I know that so many of my health-related issues in the past were nothing more than my body's reaction to too much sugar. So I have an incentive to keep my eating clean....if I can just get past the cravings and this darned 'emotional eating' thing I'm going through right now. I'm hoping the onset of spring soon (at least I hope it is soon!) will help fix that latter issue.
But I'm in my second week of the second cycle of STS and loving it....so the workouts are going well. Thank goodness for that.
Welcome to our newcomers! Please keep posting and sharing. :flowerforyou:
Hope everybody has a good Tuesday.0 -
Good morning!
We dodged a bullet with the snow, just a light dusting. I was worried because I had a rehearsal in Hershey last night (speaking of sweets)!
Stiring, can you get your fruit fix with frozen fruit? We buy a lot of frozen fuit for convenience. I like berries or pineapple in my protein shakes. I agree that CA is the place in the US to get any type of fruit. I'm glad you like Ellie Krieger too. We think she is great. I like plain yogurt with cinnamon and 1/2 each apple and banana. It is a great snack or light meal. Your "promise" sounds just like me! When I set a date or event as a goal, I tend to stay the course. It must be in "our" family's DNA.
I got some tremendous workouts in yesterday. At the gym during lunch I started on the elliptical, then hit the weights hard (upper body). When I got home I did a short but intense kettlebell workout. I can REALLY feel it today! It's a wonderful feeling to know that I am getting stronger and more fit each day. Today is cardio, lower body and lower back day. I'm keeping my protein somewhat higher, although I will adjust if I am getting weak from not enough carbs.
hisangel, it's good to have you back! I'm glad your trip was a safe one.
mk, aaahh the joys of winter! As I said in an earlier post, if your weight is not coming off, mix it up a bit. Do something different and up the intensity. Make a few small changes to your diet. You will be amazed at your result!
Welcome Anahita! Please stay with us. We will motivate you to reach your goals!! And we're nice people too (and modest)!!
Have a great day!0 -
Happy Fat Tuesday! So nice to know that starting tomorrow those of us cutting back will be greatly increased.
Stiring: I must be in the same boat as you in regard to sweets - for me it is my osteoarthritis that really flares up when I eat more sugar and white flour products. I watched Dr. Oz's special on Diabetes and I actually now understand why a lot better. Pretty much those sweets are like razor blades in your body slices and dices their way around and that is why there is so much more inflamation. I'm with Sing - I live on frozen fruit. Not only do I add it to my smoothies one of my favorite breakfasts is flax waffles with a cup of mixed berries microwaved until warm. Yumm that is what I had today.
MK HisAngel -Glad to see you back.
Welcome Newbies - Set a goal and check-in on Friday that is all we require.0
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