40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: Hey Duffy...they make a beer with only 55 calories. Of course, it taste like it has only that many calories also. Sort of like water.

We are getting a snow storm. We keep hearing all winter that this was going to happen. I guess no one is crying wolf this time. I am at work for the next four hours. Hope that I can get home.

singfree

Swiss, the snow has not arrived here yet. As of 1 pm we are just cloudy. You should be ok for your drive home.

Pcaseyco, welcome! Indiana, PA is a very nice area, but a bit too isolated for me. Good luck with the big storm!

tron3002

Woo Hoo!!!! Finally after 2 weeks and 3 days of no power I got it back on!!! I have never been so excited to do laundry in my life> Just wanted to say hello to everyone. Hope you are all doing well....

singfree

Hi Tron! I was wondering about you. I'm very glad that you have power...what happened? Best wishes to you and your family!

denimangel

Welcome to the newcomers. Glad to see you here.

I am DISCOURAGED Check in this morning and I lost nothing... not even in measurements!!

I have been running everyday for 40 minutes and I have been eating the same... but it doesn't seem to be working!! It is getting very discouraging. I don't know what else to do or what I should change. Does anyone have any suggestions!! I don't mean to whine but I'm trying here and nothing seems to be working.

Next week will be hard as I will be in Minnesota at my daughters babysitting for her... no exercise equipment there and no room in her house to exercise... hoping it is nice enough outside to go for a long walk every day. Is there anyone here from the Mankato, MN area? I will check in while I am there... I'm taking my laptop with me so I will have all my contacts with me.

Hope everyone else had a better week than I did.

Angel

StiringWendel

2BLean, congratulations on finishing STS. :drinker: You SHOULD be proud of yourself. As I've said before, I think STS is the best strength training DVD system on the market (yes, better than P90X). Doing it for over six months is quite an accomplishment. So be proud! I hope you enjoy your next rotation and I, too, can't wait to do the undulating program in May! Woo-hoo! This will be so fun to workout with somebody.

Of course, it would be nice if alf would join us. :bigsmile: In all seriousness, though, alf, STS IS a great program. If you've got any questions about it, please ask. It is quite an investment (both in terms of dollars and time), but well worth it in the end. The reason I prefer it to P90X is simply because I feel there is more variety (a different workout each week as opposed to the same workout over and over), and I think it covers the body more comprehensively. It is hard for me to say which one gave me better results (I might better be able to answer that question after this current rotation I am on), but I do think STS is a more thorough program than P90X. And great job with the Zumba!

Cippia, welcome! :flowerforyou: It sounds like you've set a very reasonable goal for yourself. I lost 40 pounds last year (it took me about seven months), and I'm your age, so it can be done. Of course, I didn't attend any Pampered Chef conferences during that time where I know I would have been prone to overeating too! :laugh: But don't worry about that because, as famously put by Scarlett O'Hara, 'tomorrow is another day'. Have fun with Zumba!

Swissmiss, I'm so happy to see you post! I was wondering about you. I hope you had a great birthday. Don't feel down on yourself for eating like you have been for the past week. We have ALL been through that at some stage or another (I had two MONTHS of it recently!) The last 10 pounds are really hard to lose, but don't get discouraged. You are doing something right because you aren't gaining weight. As far as the strength class goes, maybe it isn't working towards losing weight. But I can guarantee you are doing great things for your body by lifting weights. It is so important to do as we age, and I would hate for you to give up the benefits gained from doing it simply because you aren't losing those last few pounds.

I hope both you and singfree (and anybody else back east!) are home safe and sound from that snow storm. Sounds like quite a storm! :noway:

duffy, I hope you enjoy your Superbowl party! I hear you on the commercial thing. This will now be our 13th (!) Superbowl outside of the US (yikes!!), and I really do miss the commercials. I'm just happy that it comes on at a reasonable time over here instead of in the middle of the night (like it did in Europe).

Welcome pcaseyco! I think using an upcoming holiday as motivation towards getting fitter/healthier is a great idea! I know it always helps me to have little goals out there, even now when I'm simply trying to maintain my weight. And it can be little things, like seeing people I've not seen for awhile and wanting to look my best. Or a vacation. So I hope you can keep that goal in mind. Good luck!! And who is the actor? Inquiring minds want to know.

tamarads, congrats on losing a pound. That's great for a week!

RecliningFigure, of course you are welcome to join in. It is disturbing how the body reacts to foods, isn't it? I was mentioning the other day how my recent outburst over Christmas of eating every sweet in sight (and some that were tucked away ) resulted in me getting my first episode of night sweats.....every night while I was eating sweets. When I stopped the sweets, the sweating stopped as well. That's some scary stuff there, to be honest. But I think it is sometimes good to experience that as a reminder that healthy eating really IS a good option. At least it was a good reminder for me. Good job on the running!

TRON!!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: I'm so happy to see you back. I've been worried about you! You were without power for 17 days?!? Was that because of the storms in California? I hope you are okay. I can't even begin to imagine being without power for that long. I'm so happy you are still with us. Please let us know how you are doing. And, also, I've been thinking about your brother. Any news on him?

hisangel, don't be discouraged!! I know...that's easy for somebody to say, isn't it? But like Swissmiss, you are in that boat of trying to lose those last few pounds, and it takes alot of time. There are some key things to think about when trying to lose the last ten pounds because it isn't necessarily just about the diet. I think there are alot of keys to it: making sure what you are eating is as 'clean' as possible; making sure you are ramping up the intensity of your workouts; making sure you are eating enough, etc. And, finally, it is being patient. These are pounds the body doesn't want to lose because the body likes to have that weight buffer. So you really have to convince your body that it is okay to lose the weight because you aren't going to starve it to death. That's why eating a bit more while ramping up the exercise is the absolute best way of losing those last pounds. I know that's how I did it. I took my calories up to maintenance and worked my butt off! And it worked really well for me. So don't feel discouraged. Just try playing around with your diet and calories a bit more. For instance, if you are running for 40 minutes each day at a steady state, start doing intervals with that run on some day. That will shock your body. If you are constantly hungry, try eating a little bit more (but clean calories all the way). Those are some simple suggestions....but don't get down on yourself. You are doing good things for your body simply by working out and eating right, and don't forget that. Studies have shown that losing 10 pounds isn't significant to your health (they are called vanity pounds because it really is for looks that people are losing those last 10 pounds, not for health reasons), and I'd hate to see you give up on the great things you are doing for your health because you are discouraged.

And don't worry about next week too much. As long as you eat right, you won't gain weight. And when you get home, you'll be right on track to hit the workouts again. :flowerforyou:

Four hours until the line dancing starts! :drinker: I'm looking forward to a fun night. I'm having guests for Sunday brunch, which I'm looking forward to as well. So that means two big breakfasts this weekend (Sunday and Superbowl Monday), but I have found healthy options and I LOVE breakfast food. So it is all good in my book. Today was a day off working out, and after yesterday....I needed it. I may take tomorrow off too, and then start the next round of STS on Monday.

Enjoy your weekend.

tron3002

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS FOR EVERYONE))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thanks Strng ans Sing! I have missed you all so much. Yes we lost power because of the storm. First we had a huge lightning bolt over head which knocked out our power. Then after 3 days of no power and trees started breaking because of the weight of the snow. One broke and hit the side of my house and tore the meter off. I called pge and after 2 days they showed up and took notes on what needed to be done. 3 days after that they showed up and fixed the pole that was broken infront of my house, cut my lines, and said... The rest is your responsibility to fix.... Thanks, you couldnt have told me that a week ago so I could have gotten started. After we were done updating the box to todays codes it took 2 days for the inspecter to come out and another 2 days for pge to come out. Quite the ordeal but we all survived.

Now I need everyones help. I HAVE to lose weight for my daughters wedding on March 27th. I want to lose about 15 lbs. So dont let me get away with any excuses.

My husband just came home from work so I'll write more later.....

Take care guys!

singfree

Good morning!

It's a beautiful winter wonderland here!!!! We have about 5 inches on the ground with an additional inch or so expected. 30 miles north of us in Scranton (home of "The Office") got no snow at all. 30 miles south of us got a foot of snow. It looks like the big winner? is DC. 2 feet of the white stuff. Our friends in Arlington VA, a DC suburb are socked in.

TODAY is why we own a Subaru. Worth it's weight in gold. We will be good to go this afternoon. I already have cabin fever!

Have a great weekend!

mrpintobean

With the approval of the group I would like to join. After reading the posts I feel I will fit right in, not afraid to post disappointments and proud to post accomplishments. I am located in middle GA but I am originally from the DFW Texas area. What a motivation, to know I have a place with partners willing to provide daily encouragement if needed. If I am accepted, you have my promise I will be there daily to give the same encouragement when you need it. That is my promise.

tamarads

Welcome mrpintobean This is a great group of people, very kind, always encouraging! Glad you found us!:happy:

mrpintobean

Thank you for the welcome, I am glad I found this group and look forward to sharing positive results (thinking positive there) I stopped smoking about 2 years ago and it seemed the day I stopped 25 lbs jumped on my body. My goal is 50 lbs by June, and I know I can do this.

Have a good weekend.. Good luck to you.

Texssippian

Hi all! Writing from my mom's desk in Jackson MS. about to go buy her a new vacuum and visit my sister's and my dad's graves. Saw my brother-in-law qith the new liver last night. He looks great. He developed cataracts from the high doses of steroids after the transplant. He had one fixed on Monday and will have the other fixed next Monday. They are coming out to Texas with their 8 year old daughter at the end of the month to see us. We are excited.

Tron: glad you have power back!
Swiss: hang in there!
Sing and everyone in the northeast: Stay warm and safe.
Mrpintobeam: Welcome. I am from Mississippi but live in the DFW area (live in Denton and work in Dallas). Have great Saturday all!

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: Tex, glad to hear that things are looking up for your family.

Welcome mrpinobean. Glad to have you aboard. Let us know how you are doing.

We got our winter storm last night. About 8 inches of snow on the ground with a couple more expected tomorrow. My husband spent the morning shoveling the road in front of our house. He is from PA and loves to do this.

zebras

MrPinto, of course you are welcome.

Sing, the storm completely missed us, it stayed south. My sister-in-law in NC said the kids only went to school for about 1/2 day this week, the weather has been so bad down there. How weird is that? We've had some cold snaps this Winter here in CT, but not too much snow. I hope I didn't jinx us with that!

singfree

Good morning!

Well, we survived the storm just fine. We had 8 inches of snow in total...other towns had MUCH more (Phil. 29 in.). Now we are bracing for the next storm on Tue-Wed. I'll get in shape by shoveling snow.

Have a great super Sunday!

Go Saints-Go Colts!!

JuliaSoCal

Sunday morning check in... I am down1.1 pounds from last week

Yeah!

Yesterday was interesting because I could not CONTROL my food choices....I had to make my best guesses as to what I ate.

I was served a chicken salad made with cranberries, cashews and apples It was yummy!. Served on an crossoint(SP???) . So made my sandwich with only half of the bread. I tried to find a match on the food data base...

Anyway...happy to see I am still making progress.

Have a great week everyone!
Julia

alf1163

Happy Sunday everyone!!!! :drinker: :drinker:

Welcome to all the new members! It is so exciting this group is growing. :drinker:

Julia, congrats on the weight loss!!! :drinker: That is great progress!! Croissants are delicious but very high in calories. Good thing you only ate half. That was a smart choice.

Sing, I bet all that snow looks beautiful. I have not seen any snow in almost 12 yrs, since I left Germany. :grumble: Yes, it can be a hassle sometimes if it is a lot and you have to drive but it is soooooo beautiful.

Tron, glad to hear from you and that you have power now. :noway: (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))) How is your brother doing?

Swiss, I like your new picture!!! Take care!!

Tex, glad you are visiting with your family. I can't wait to go home to Puerto Rico in March and see my parents. I am going from 10-24 Mar!! I am glad to hear your brother in law is doing well, too bad he had complications with the medication. It is good they can fix the cataracts now. :flowerforyou:

Today I am just planning on getting a Zumba routine ready for Thursday. I am doing a special workout for Valentine's Day. I want to make it more like a party, more fun than a regular Zumba routine. I also asked my students to wear something red and bring a friend who has never come to my class. I am giving away a little gift. I am not a football fan so I will not be watching the Super Bowl, sometimes I watch, if I catch it on time, the half time show and some of the commercials. :laugh:

Take care!!! :flowerforyou:

mrpintobean

Tex,
I know Denton very well. My wiffe lives in Azle, that will be our retirement home. I am in GA until Oct or till I sell the house here, which ever comes first. The sooner I get back to Texas the sooner I can retire to fishing and learning golf.

Good luck to you

denimangel

Welcome MrPinto..... Stiring thanks for the words of encouragement. I am going to try to change up my routine a bit... and see if it works.. I am going to try to get in a couple of workouts while at my daughters... I will at least be trying to go for a walk everyday. My diet I can handle.... and maybe teach my grandkids some healthy simple meals that they can help prepare.

We went snowshoeing yesterday for about 90 minutes... I can't believe how many calories are burned snowshoeing!! And it is something I love to do. Yesterday when we were walking on the river we came across a 2yr old doe who had been hit by a snowmobiler! ARGH!!! Why can't they be more careful!! This poor thing had a broken front leg and a broken neck and was still struggling and alive. We had seen some friends just a few minutes before so my husband went back to them to see if they had a cell phone and called the police. Me.. I stayed with the injuried doe.. sat down on the ice with her and was petting her and talking to her to keep her calm so she wouldn't trash around so much and wouldn't be in as much pain. the hardest part was when the police arrived and "put her down". I had tears in my eyes as we walked away. Why can't people on snowmobiles be more careful.!! Sorry guys Had to rant a bit there... my husband was calling me the "deer whisperer" all afternoon... said that he didn't think the doe would let me get that close and touch it but it did.

This afternoon I have to finish packing... do laundry and housework, spend some time with my little sister (from Big Brothers/Sisters) and go into work and finish decorating for Valentines. Maybe I'll get in a short workout here at home this evening...

Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement.

Angel

Swissmiss

:flowerforyou: Julia, be careful with those crossants. I know....I didn't spell it right. They have a lot of calories. And they taste like it..I love them.

:flowerforyou: Thank you alf. I tried to make the picture a bit larger but couldn't. My daughter took it with her phone. All I asked was that she leave my fuzzy slippers out of the pic.

:flowerforyou: Angel, I can imagine how you felt. I always feel bad when I see a deer that has been killed on the highway. My husband just sees dinner.:noway:

mrpinto, just do not use a gulf cart while gulfing. You will get a lot more exercise.

sing, do you have any idea how much snow Williamsport got?

I am doing much better. Think I have my head screwed on right again. I have been very good in my food choices. I did miss Zumba yesterday due to the snow. The class was canceled.

I am thinking of trying to do hot wings in a healthy way. Anton Brown steams his wings before baking them. I am going to try that. Then, I will use fat free yogurt with bleu cheese.
.

genann

OH I REALLY WANT TO JOIN IF ITS OK... I will be 59 the middle of April. I am a wife, a mother of 2 daughters, a grandmother of 2 girls and a great grandmother of 1 girl... When everyone is here my son-in-law calls our home the house of estrogen! :laugh: I have over 30lbs to lose and am determined to do it by the end of this year. Hope to make many friends here.

singfree

Good morning!

A pretty good Super Bowl last night. I like both teams, but I am glad that long-suffering Saints fans finally got themselves a winner! I was also impressed with some of the off-the-field stories about Drew Brees. He is quite a fine young man.

We stayed home and made our own "party". Not too bad, but I need to clean up my act pretty quickly. Back to the gym today and a kettlebell workout after work.

Glad to see all the "newbies" who want to join this club. Welcome to all!

Swiss, I think Williamsport got around a foot of snow. BTW, your new picture looks great!

Have a great day!

duffyzmom

Happy Monday All! After partying yesterday - I'm more than ready for healthy eating today. I definitely didn't overdo it but still when you get used to eating healthy just a day of junk food makes you feel all icky the next day. I'm hoping lots of water today will help flush out all the toxins. Luckily, the clean up of party mess will help keep my appetite in check.

Sing: Glad to hear you survived the Blizzard of 2010 - It looks like we are going to get our first measurable snow of the year tomorrow. I for one am hoping for a Wed. snow day. My daughter's winter dance was Saturday so between that and the superbowl I wasn't able to catch up on my sleep over the weekend.

I finished week one of CX Push Circuit - WOW I'm really feeling it. I will probably try and lift a little heavier this week as I usually take it easy the first week as I'm learning all the moves.

denimangel

Did my 3 miles on the treadmill this morning.. .. I always feel so motivated and energized after my morning run!

Hectic day at work coming up today... then leaving to Regina to spend the night before catching my plane out to MN Tuesday. Cold out here today... temperature is currently -30 with wind chill of -34.

Well off to finish packing before work... hope everyone has a great day!!

Angel

singfree

Duffy, it looks like we are in for more snow tomorrow night thru Wed. Accuweather is predicting up to a foot in my area.

Hisangel, bon voyage on your chilly trip to MN. I'm cold here and it's up to 20 degrees!

zebras

We're supposed to get a foot starting tuesday night, I think. With wind causing blizzard like conditions. The weather people have been getting it so wrong, we'll probably have enough sun to get a tan.

Well I watched the superbowl with my husband so I could enjoy the commercials, and except for Betty White, they were a dud!

Trina22

I heard we are getting 8 inches to a foot again on Wednesday in my area, too. It will be so nice to be in Florida a week from Wednesday (in my goal-sized pants, by the way!)

We were in NYC yesterday (no snow there!) and the home made gnocchi, cannoli and gelato in Little Italy were wonderful - as a one day treat, that is! Even so, I lost a pound since last week and am way back on track today.

I love to cook when it snows and on Saturday made a low-cal/low fat oyster stew, a lovely 200 calorie apple crumble - both from Prevention magazine, and roasted some beets that I am having on my salad at lunch today. Does anyone else cook when it snows?

Has anyone here tried P 90 X? My husband bought the program a couple years ago (but stopped using it because it was so time-intensive). Anyway, in the middle of the snowstorm with no way to get to the gym, a bolt broke on my elliptical so i tried the P 90 X cardio program (but modified it to my much lower fitness level!) It was actually a really good cardio workout and since I didn't go full-tilt on it, I wasn't terribly sore the next day.

Welcome to all the new people! Please let us know what is working for you. I love to hear new ideas.
Thanks, Trina

kalmf

Hisangel, your compassion for an innocent being is inspiring. I went through the same experience and I know how heart breaking it is. I'm an animal nut, but I live in a community with many hunters and we all agree that needless suffering is inexcusable. Thank you for your kindness.
Karin

alf1163

Good morning!! I started the second week of the ChaLean Push Phase. Yeah Duffy!!! :drinker:

Trina, are you saying you reached your goal? :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: There are some of us here who have done P90X, Stiring, Sing and myself. Please forgive me if I left someone out. It is a good program but yes, it is very time consuming. We all finished at least one round of the entire program. I believe Sing has done 2 rounds. I can say that it definitely made me stronger. I did not get any amazing results doing it because I really did not follow the nutrition program as recommended. The nutrition part of the program is very important in order to get the results other users get.

Angel, so sad I would have done the same. I love animals. Poor deer! :flowerforyou:

Have a wonderful day!!! :flowerforyou:

singfree

Trina, as Alf said, there are a few of us who used P90X. Give it a try since you already own the program. I will use it on occasion, but right now I am doing some kettlebell training and cardio to shed some of the winter weight. We were in Allentown on Saturday, and you probably got as much snow as us. I'm not looking forward to Wednesday...a good excuse to take a vacation day! On the bright side, snow shoveling is a big calorie burner!!!!