40+ Club: Beating The Winter Bulge

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  • zebras
    zebras Posts: 600
    Good Morning All:

    Got some snow here today, and they said more just in time for afternoon rush hour. Isn't that always the way?

    We had a quiet Valentine's Day. It was very romantic that my husband watched the Daytona 500 all day, not!

    I am enjoying the Olympics. It was iteresting that they said the Apollo Ohno is 20 lbs lighter than he was at the last Olympics, and he certainly was fit at the last Olympics. Must have been all the Dancing he did in between LOL!
  • deb201
    deb201 Posts: 7 Member
    Hi everyone! I'm new here - well not to the site, but to the message board. I'm Debbie, just turned 50 two weeks ago. I've been on and off of this site for the past year or so, and I know that when I stick to it, it really does work! I was about 10 lbs away from goal weight of 129 over the summer, and then over the holidays I put on almost 10 lbs. I seem to do that every year... why???! I just want to be healthy - that's mostly what it's about now that I've turned 50. I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you and supporting each other.

    P.S. - it's snowing AGAIN here in NJ!!
  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Posts: 644 Member
    Welcome Deb!
    and Zebras - Don't blame your husband for all day Daytona thing - blame Daytona speedway - Hello - you have 2 major races a year and you can't make sure the track is race ready.:grumble: I was just grateful that the Olympics were available to switch back and forth between.
  • JuliaSoCal
    JuliaSoCal Posts: 87
    SOOOOO, yesterday I actually got on the elleptical..I really really REALLY had a hard time eating those calorie back. I just dont trust it... I am going on faith here....

    Julia
  • StiringWendel
    StiringWendel Posts: 3,922 Member
    duffy, thanks for the info on Dr. Oz's program on sugar. I may look for that one on line. Do you have any idea when it aired? Like I've said before, I really notice the impact sugar has on my body now that I didn't have much sugar for the better part of a year. The most baffling thing to me is the onset of night sweats anytime I eat a large amount of sugar. They start right up like clock work if I've had a dessert....and they stop the day I stop eating sugar. It is such a strange reaction, and I'd love to better understand what is causing my body to do that. I think if I understand what my body is reacting to, then maybe I won't be tempted as much to say 'It doesn't matter' and eat the cake I am craving. In other words, I want to try to figure out what my body is telling me by doing that....because, no doubt, it isn't trying to tell me something good.

    singfree and duffy, thanks for your recommendations on frozen fruit. Yes, I can get some. I just don't prefer it as much as fresh, so I'm simply not as inclined to eat it. :blushing: I probably should admit to the fact that I hadn't eaten fruit for years before we moved to California. I was diagnosed with an ulcer in my early 20s, and fruit was one of those things that I just couldn't handle in my stomach. I tried over the years, but it seemed like about three days in to eating fruit again, my stomach would turn to pure acid. But it seems once I cleaned up my diet (probably by ridding it of extra sugar) last year, I could eat fruit for the first time in 20 years. And, of course, my habits were developed around fresh fruit, not frozen. I guess I just need to change those habits. I still have an apple a day, and am now trying to incorporate a banana a day (I had my first bananas in years when we got here to Korea, and now I can't stop craving them). But with my new granola (very tasty, btw) and my yogurt, a bit of frozen fruit may become my after dinner dessert.

    singfree, Ellie Krieger IS great, isn't she? I've not been disappointed in anything I've tried in her cookbooks. I highly recommend her to anybody looking for good, tasty recipes that are relatively easy AND healthy.

    Welcome deb 201!! :flowerforyou:

    zebras, I've been following the Apolo Ohno story as well. His fitness this time in the Olympics is truly amazing. I hope he wins another medal!

    JuliaSoCal, are you eating back the calories the machine is reading that you burned? Just a word of warning....elliptical machines (more than other machines....but this is also true of other machines) do routinely over-estimate the number of calories burned during exercise. So if you are hesitant about eating those calories, then you might want to try to find a more accurate way of determining your calorie burn (like a HRM). In addition, where eating exercise calories becomes a must is when you get closer to your goal weight (when your body needs the food in order to shed the weight). If you are listening to your body, eating until you are comfortably full, have enough energy for your workouts, etc and you aren't eating back ALL of your calories, then I wouldn't worry about it if I were you right now. Again, that rule will change as you get closer to your goal weight, but, right now, I think it is best to listen to your body and as long as you are fueling it well enough that you feel good, go with how you feel.

    Off to do a back/bicep workout. :drinker: I've got one day under my belt of eating cleanly again....and already feel better. I still have to wonder why I eat poorly sometimes when I feel so much better when I don't eat poorly. It makes no sense to me, yet I continue to do it. :ohwell:
  • denimangel
    denimangel Posts: 85 Member
    Hello everyone...

    Welcome Deb.

    Did a 25 minute upper body workout this morning..wanted to go for longer but found it hard to breath this morning with whatever it is I have. Going to the dr tomorrow... it is not good to have laryngitis when you work in elderly who are hearing impaired. My husband..bless him.. actually came in and read for me today since my voice is gone. did stay under my calorie goal for today... and I have definatly had my full intake of water!!:drinker: :drinker: it cools my throat down so I just keep drinking :laugh: :drinker:

    Thanks to everyone for the support

    Angel
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Good morning!

    Happy Wednesday everybody!

    Stiring, I too prefer fresh fruit, but the choices are limited and fairly expensive during the winter months. Also, I get on a roll with fruit...sometimes I like it every day, sometimes every few days. When it's frozen, it's always "fresh", especially if I use it in a smoothie or yogurt. Ellie's book actually has words? I was having a hard time getting past the cover...very easy to look at! :blushing: Just kidding, we use her recipes often. She probably has the best credentials of anyone on Food Network.

    Hisangel, I hope you are feeling better very soon. My hat is off to all who take such great care of the elderly. During her stay in assisted living, my mother was treated well by a caring and compassionate staff.

    Speaking of Daytona: I'm not a race fan, but I think that the PA Dept. of Transportation worked on the track. It looked like the potholes I see around here in the winter!!!

    OK- I'm still eating more protein and trying to limit the carbs (junk food carbs). I'm really enjoying the kettlebell workouts. They give you a lot of bang for the buck.

    Next week I am going to buy 4 kettlebells...2 for me and 2 for my wife....
    For her (18 & 26.5 lbs), and for me (35 & 44 lbs). I'm really glad that we can reap the benefits of fitness as we grow older. We take fitness seriously and we do not take good health for granted.

    Have a great day...stay warm and stay motivated!

    PS- My countdown ticker to Germany is at 96 days!
  • zebras
    zebras Posts: 600
    Good Morning Sing and Everyone:

    Got my husband to workout with me last night. A major accomplishment. Its just that he usually stops after about 3 visits to the gym, and I don't know how to keep him going. I'll just keep inviting him whenever I go up, I guess.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Zebras, that's a tough one. Keeping a spouse motivated can be very difficult. Maybe you need to try the "dangle a carrot on a stick" approach. Think of some small "reward" that you can give him if he meets certain goals...like a nice dinner or a weekend getaway. Nagging or inflicting pain or guilt rarely works on men (quite the opposite). Guys (i.e. me) melt like butter with a soft, feminine approach. Please do not tell anyone about this!!! Men take a solemn oath to act the way we do. No, it is not in our DNA...rather it's an unwritten code.
  • zebras
    zebras Posts: 600
    Uh Oh, Sing, giving away the Men's Playbook! We'll keep your secret. Yes, I have realized inflicting guilt hasn't worked, I've tried. My frustration with him is that he'll go up once or twice a month and then expect results. Even though he has seen how much work it takes me to get the scale to budge at all. I'll be the first once to say it will only happen for a person when they are ready to make the change, but he complains about his weight, and then often doesn't do anything about it. Exercise is key for him because he is not really a bad eater, and when he cuts down on his food, he tends to get really depressed, and if he had a fairly easy 5-day a week exercise regimen, his weight would probably take care of itself. Sorry to be a whiner today! I love that no matter what the topic, you all give me such great support here.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Hello!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:

    Zebras, I have the same frustration with my husband. Good thing yours eats well. My husband doesnt eat that well but I will admit he has gotten better. He also thinks exercising one day a week will also help him lose weight. I have tried being sweet, I have tried ignoring it, and I have tried the nagging approach. All strategies have "worked" but only temporarily. And here he was wanting to be a few lbs lighter before our trip to PR and I really think he has gained weight, he is not going to lose much in less than 3 wks. I am concerned because he keeps talking about all this food he is going to eat while there...oh well...

    Deb, welcome to the group!! :drinker: You are not alone when it comes to gaining during the Holidays. This past Holiday season most of us pledged to really watch it and either lose or maintain. I am proud to say that most of us accomplished our goals. :drinker: :drinker: It wouldnt have been possible with everyone's encouragement and support. It is the first time in many many years that I did not gain about 10 lbs during the Holidays!!!!

    Ok, before I forget. I decided to give up sweets, alcohol and coffee after noon time for Lent. I am telling you guys so you hold me accountable. Now there is one problem, one exception. I am going home to Puerto Rico. I know there are a couple of sweet foods that I cannot get anywhere else. Would it be ok to have at least one? What do you think? And there is a beer that is made in PR that is not sold here, I would like to have just one. I know my husband will have a "problem" with it but he is not the one giving up anything so he shouldnt have to care. He simply gets upset when I dont eat as much as he does or when I don't drink with him. :grumble: :noway: But you know I need to put my foot down and take care of my needs...

    Have a great day!!! :flowerforyou:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Alf, I must applaud you for doing this, especially going to PR for a few weeks! You'll get no argument from me about eating certain things while you are there. Enjoy!!!! I know that I will not sacrifice anything when we go to Germany & Austria. I LIVE for this trip and look forward to all the food and drinks that I simply cannot get here, even though I live in PA German country!! Be true to yourself and enjoy if you want, but don't succumb to pressure if you truly don't want to eat or drink something. Remember: Misery Loves Company!!!!
  • denimangel
    denimangel Posts: 85 Member
    Alf I agree... if you are going to PR then enjoy those things that you cannot get at home.. but do so in moderation. If we deprive ourselves of things we like because we feel we can't have them it can lead to a binge. So enjoy but be sensible. I am sure you will be. Wish I could go someplace warm!!!
    Went to the Doc today... she confirmed my suspicions.. I am suffering from an allergen overload! Said it will take about 2 weeks to get it all out of my system, maybe longer since (unfortunately) there is a cat at the nursing home. Still feeling stuffy and croaky (my voice) but I am determined to get back on the treadmill again tomorrow.

    Zebras you are lucky that you husband will go to the gym with you. Mine won't exercise with me unless it is a long bike ride which is great but I would like to see him back doing the weight training he used to do. He is getting a bit of a belly and "love handles" but since his pant size hasn't changed and his weight hasn't changed he doesn't think he needs to.

    Hope everyone else is doing well. Has anyone heard from Tracy?

    Angel
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Good morning!

    This week seems to be flying by...one week closer to SPRING!!!!!!! Around here we hold our breath concerning snow until at least St. Patty's Day. A sure sign of Spring is the return of the robins. That indicates to me that it's time to take the snow tires off the old Toyota. Aaaahhhh, memories...

    I'm also getting itchy to get my bike out and take a long ride. I had all of our bikes serviced at the local bike shop, so they're ready to roll. Has anyone heard of Crossfit? It's a brutally challenging workout at their gym. There is a Crossfit place nearby in Reading, and it's only $12 per session. I might just check it out. They also use kettlebells, so I can learn the proper technique from them. That type of workout really appeals to me. I feel that when I'm pushed to the limit, my body responds quickly and in a positive way.

    Hisangel, allergies can be a big pain. My wife is allergic to cat and dog dandruff. We love animals, but we can't keep one in the house for that reason. Does your hubby wear his pants "lower" to compensate for his increased girth? Most people won't admit that they need to exercise and eat right. It's far easier to ignore it than do something about it. THAT'S why we are here! We are trying to take control over our lives, so we might "live long and prosper"!!!!

    My short-term goal is next Friday (26th). We always go somewhere to celebrate our anniversary. The past few years we've gone to Gettysburg. There is a great old restaurant there called the "Dobbin House". It's the oldest building in Gettysburg, dating back to the mid-1700s. We will stay overnight at a hotel near the restaurant (no drinking & driving). They also have a small gym so we can work off our big meal.

    Have a great day!
  • pcaseyco
    pcaseyco Posts: 8
    Good morning!

    This week seems to be flying by...one week closer to SPRING!!!!!!! Around here we hold our breath concerning snow until at least St. Patty's Day. A sure sign of Spring is the return of the robins. That indicates to me that it's time to take the snow tires off the old Toyota. Aaaahhhh, memories...

    I'm also getting itchy to get my bike out and take a long ride.

    I agree, the week does seem to be flying by - Wasn't it just yesterday that it was new years??? Over here in western PA I just wish it would STOP SNOWING, it's been almost non-stop since 2/5 - I have to wade hip high in snow to even get to my truck parked in my driveway. We're expecting another snow storm on Sunday plus the daily 1-3 inches we seem to get.

    I can't wait until I get back home to Colorado in April so I can go buy myself a bike and get back to enjoying outdoor activities.

    Enjoy Gettysburg and happy anniversary - I've driven over there a couple of times since I've been here and it really is a beautiful historic community.
  • Texssippian
    Texssippian Posts: 235
    Hi all! Today is my birthday: 51 which is the new 31! Last year on my birthday, I did a personal triathlon (by myself: half mile swim at the nat, 15 miles on exercise bike and 3 miles on treadmill). Have not been able to train this time with SI joint problem (almost completely healed now). Planning on a "myathlon" in about 6 weeks. I usually don't work on my birthday but we have consultants in who have to be babysat and my boss is out with a family emergency. Oh well. I am wearing my cowboy boots in protest! (Usually am in hose and heels).

    My husband definitly wears the pants low to compensate for the increased girth...
    Having Greek food tonight for the bday.
    Take care all. TxMs
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    pcaseyco, thanks for the kind words! We love Colorado. We were there a few years ago in August (very hot). We enjoyed the area very much. I would like to do some biking there during our next visit.

    Tex, happy birthday!!! If I lose too much of my gut, I'll be wearing my pants like Urkel.
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Good morning! Buenos dias! Guten Morgen! :laugh: :drinker: Everything is great over here. Man, you can sure eat a lot when you are eating healthy. Yikes!!! I feel I am eating all day, even my snacks seem like a lot. Have to go back to the grocery store to stock up on fruits and veggies.

    Sing, I have heard of Crossfit. One of my coworkers has a friend who is a personal trainer and gym owner and he offers that class. She says it is tough!!!! I would love to try it but this one in particular is on the other side of town. I really miss doing really tough workouts. Zumba can be challenging but not when you are teaching it. It is truly giving me an interval workout because I am constantly changing my pace to show modifications students of all levels. Yes, I can burn 500 cals in about 55 minutes but that is not always the case. I really miss running. I have been thinking about starting again but starting slow, walk/run intervals, and see how my hip flexor responds to it. I am so afraid of re-injuring myself and then have to stop exercising all together. :noway:

    Angel, I hope you get better soon. My husband is also allergic to cat hair. We have three dogs and that does not really bother him. So he says, I dont know. It is great that you volunteer at a nursing home.

    Have a wonderful day!!! :flowerforyou:
  • zebras
    zebras Posts: 600
    Happy Birthday Tex

    Happy Anniversary Sing

    Sing I'm getting a laugh about picturing you looking like Urkel. Amazingly enough the kid who played him when he didn't dress like that was quite nice looking. I wonder where he is now.

    I took your advice, and when my husband said his legs hurt him from the night before, said OK and went to get ready, and he changed his mind a minute later. However, when we got up there, he immediately grabbed that device that helps you do crunches. I know he's never used it before, and from the way he was moving it around, I could tell he didn't know how. I've never used it, so I couldn't instruct him, so I asked him not to use it. Wouldn't listen. He gets awkwardly into it and starts doing full sit ups in it, and I thought it was for crunches. So I ended up having to yell at him to stop doing it, he will hurt himself. This is not how I want my workouts to end up. I still don't know what was going on in his head. I will still try to follow your advice on gentle encouragement to get him to continue.

    Thanks for listening!
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    :flowerforyou: Zebras, men just do not want to be told that they are doing something wrong.:mad: With the exception of our sing.:laugh:


    :flowerforyou: alf, I so wish that I could run. But with my luck and clummsiness...I would land up on my face. I am sticking to the Zumba and will be riding my bike as soon as the weather allows.

    :flowerforyou: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Tex. I love Greek foods and will be having a Greek salad for lunch.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Swiss, we also don't admit to being wrong! The male mantra: "It takes more than facts to convince us that we're wrong"!!!!
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY TEX!!!!! FELIZ CUMPLEANOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Tex!!!!
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Good evening!

    Back to work on night shift, so this is my (early) Friday check in. My nutrition was hit and miss this week. I'm still struggling at times with junk food. Other times I am doing quite well. I tried to keep my protein intake up while limiting bad carbs (or shall I say less desirable carbs). My exercise was more intense this week than it's been in quite a while. Slowly, I am getting my body and mind back in the groove. I can really feel my muscles firming up...it's a good feeling.

    I will try to check in over the weekend. Have a good one!
  • alf1163
    alf1163 Posts: 3,143 Member
    Good morning, I decided not to weigh in today. I really did not want to be dissapointed by the scale since I overindulged this past weekend until Tue. I have eaten very clean the past two days and that is my goal now.

    Sing, glad to hear you are starting to get back to your good habits. What do you consider junk foods? Getting rid of it, if you have it at home, will help you to avoid temptations. You are Catholic, correct? Maybe give up "junk" food for Lent? :wink:

    Have a wonderful day!!! :flowerforyou:
  • zebras
    zebras Posts: 600
    Happy Friday All:

    I had good workouts this week, and fairly good eating.

    I hope everyone has a good weekend!
  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Posts: 644 Member
    Friday Check in Day! Exercise again has been great finishing week 3 of CX Push phase. Did really well with food all week and then last night I had 2 glasses of wine which lead to some girl scouts thin mints - I was really beating myself up this morning about it but when I went to the food log and logged it all in I was only over by 72 calories for the day so I'm feeling much better about it this morning. I actually think with all this lifting heavy I just am famished all the time and was probably tempting a sugar break by not increase my calories throughout the day.

    Happy Birthday Tex!

    6 weeks till spring break and we are having a heat wave - Well 35 degrees and no snow on the roads so I hope to get outside for a run this weekend.:drinker: Unlike Sing - In Michigan I've learned leave all the snow gear in your trunk till May 1st. The last 2 years we've had snow after tax day :grumble:

    Have a great weekend all!
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    I am planning on measureing myself this weekend. The scales are not showing it but I think that my body has changed.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    Hello all!

    We bought 4 kettlebells today: 18, 26.5, 35 & 44 lbs. Now the fun starts. I returned the 30 lb KB today that I''ve been using.

    Alf, I'm actually Episcopalian, whose Church service is more Catholic than the Catholic Mass!

    Have a great weekend!
  • StiringWendel
    StiringWendel Posts: 3,922 Member
    Hi everybody!

    Time for Friday check-in....a day late for me. :blushing: I'm still not weighing myself, but my measurements are good (which is terrific given my diet the past two weeks). I have eaten clean after Monday this week, and plan on continuing this trend for a long time. I'm on the second week of the muscle building phase of STS right now, and even though I bumped up my calories (by about 300), like duffy, I have been famished all the time the past few days. We had dinner guests last night, and I managed to control myself throughout dinner. But I had a bowl of mixed nuts out, and as I was cleaning up, I couldn't stop eating them. :noway: Lots of calories (and fat) there, but I keep telling myself that was a better choice than driving to the store and buying a chocolate bar. I'm thinking about raising my calories a little bit more. It was when I was doing this cycle last year that I started losing weight more easily despite the increase in calories I was taking in, so.....since I don't really want to lose any more weight, but want to control my eating (no more scarfing down things out of extreme hunger like I have been doing lately), I'm thinking more calories may be in order. What do you all think? I'm eating about 1700 a day right now (which is 400 above my maintenance calories). I get frustrated because my HRM seems useless to me when it comes to figuring out how many calories I need to eat, but I think that is because strength training has a pretty big impact on my metabolism, and my HRM just isn't designed to know that.

    singfree, I'm happy to see you are feeling better! Good job with the workouts. Let us know how those kettlebells work out for you.

    zebras, just a word on husbands and working out (from a post you made a couple of days ago). The biggest issue with my husband and I working out together is that he hates that he isn't as strong or fit as me right now, and so he doesn't want to do it and/or he pushes himself too hard when we do workout together and then is uncomfortable (so he won't do it again). I keep telling him that if he sticks with it for a little while, works at his own pace and ignores me, he will catch up to me in no time....especially when it comes to strength training. But he isn't willing to be 'humiliated' (his word, not mine) for that long to get to that point. It is frustrating for me, but there is nothing I can do about it. The good thing is he does get to the gym a few days a week, so it isn't as if he is completely unfit. But that male ego (which is what I think you were seeing with the situp device your husband was attempting to use) is just amazing to me.

    Swissmiss, hope your tape measurements go well! Have you changed anything up in your routine? I think the tape measure is a better way of measuring how you are doing than the scale is any day of the week anyhow.....so listen to that.

    alf, about the trip to Puerto Rico....enjoy it! :drinker: Don't worry about what you are eating/drinking there as long as you are doing it in moderation. I'm beginning to learn that this is what maintenance is all about. I can't seem to lose my dieters mentality, but, really, maintenance shouldn't be about deprivation as much as control. I have problems with that since I'm an 'all or nothing' kinda gal. But it sounds to me like you have a much better ability at creating a good balance in your life with regard to food than I do.....so go and enjoy! I hoping to do the same when we go to Hawaii in two months (two months from tomorrow in fact!!).

    Off to do a leg workout. Hope everybody has a great weekend. :flowerforyou:
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