EXERCISE!!!! WHAT IS THAT!!!

Welcome and best of luck to you!

abrandenberger,

You are like me 20 years ago with the exception that you are taking note now that exercise is a key!

My best friend with not much body fat told me one time to think of it as a bank account. what you put in are your assets. My assets (hips and now waistline are growing pretty good). It is all about the calories if you eat 2 portion sizes then you have twice the calories. This site has helped me put a relationship to those calories and the foods I choose. If I choose right I don't get hungry and I don't go over in calories. If I splurge like I did yesterday I better be watching what I eat the rest of the day. Yesterday I had a luncheon to go to and I had fish for lunch but they had the most wonderful desert that I decided having 2 slim fasts for the day and snacking on a banana or apple was worth it. (I only ate 1/2) and 1/2 is probably 1 serving. (some 1/4 is 1 serving)

Serving sizes, calories and exercise are your 3 legs to your stool if you want to keep it balanced.

The calories that I burn I try not to use if I don't have to but some days I do use them. If I go over my calories then you will find me in front of my dance dvd in the evening burning some extra calories to make up for the extra eating. If I have calories left over I am withdrawing from the bank account and the more I withdraw the less I have in assets on my body.

I am losing about 1.75 lbs a week on a 1600 calorie diet (if I starve myself I will cheat too much) and riding my bike about 25-30 miles a week. Since you like the outdoors maybe getting on a bike might do it for you. If you do another site that is as supportive as this one is bikejournal.com They are awesome!!! My local administrator is keeping the emails coming and guilting us into making sure we are riding, logging miles and repeating. He also has been giving me some advice on the side that is helping!! When I do my rides and feeling the muscles burn on the way up the hill is the time I don't like him much but when I am done I am loving the advice.

Keep up the great work half of your battle is recognizing what you need to do. I have seen people lose 20-30 lbs without exercising but without the aerobics we can not keep our health tip top. I know that more than anyone. Remember muscle weighs more than fat so if you do start to exercise you might not see it on the scale but you will feel it in your pants.

Good luck!