Women 200lb+, Let's Seize the Day This September!!!

Yesterday:
I logged but we weren’t able to order all the foods on my meal plan so not sure what dinner will be tonight yet so I couldn’t complete my food for the day. I use my food log to do my daily food plan when possible.

I did get 30 minutes of ‘gentle’ exercise yesterday as I planned. I found videos for post-menopausal women by someone who was a big runner, triathlon athlete and fitness trainer. Who suffered some injuries and realized that by aiming for the top of the exercise pyramid we often skip the lower and foundational part of the pyramid (balance, core work, general strength) and then we are prone for injuries. She now does videos for this work and for beginners as well that are designed for post-menopausal women who may not be able to exercise in the same way as before. I did a beginner 30 minute low impact session for women like me. It was for sustained cardio with core and balance work. I liked it but it wasn’t easy yet but much better than most videos for beginners. I will do this work out each week until It is easy for me. She has a lot more videos when I get to them.

I got in my water. I stayed under my calorie goal. I upped my steps by more than 100. I think I forgot to do the stairs like I did the day before though.

Plan for today:
• Drink water 8 glasses or more, log and stay within calorie goal
• Do a flight of stairs
• Increase my steps by 100 over yesterday
• Do the resistance band video I did last week. It too is for beginners and includes core work as well. It is 30 minutes.

We still have bad/unhealthy air quality so I am not going to push for more than 30 minutes of gentler exercise indoors until it gets in the good range.

@Riddikulus89 I am not budging either. I wouldn’t exercise if you are having migraines but on the other days yes use that elliptical. All your thought seem good.

@torihudson6 the last time I lost I had a policy to get rid of all my bigger clothes that didn’t fit any longer since I promised myself I would never gain the weight back. Well then I wasn’t working (the last economic downturn and I was exercising an hour a day). I didn’t allow for going back to work, not adjusting my calories down, and taking time to finding a way to fit in exercise, gaining it all back until I put a stop to the gain and slowly started turning it around. So maybe I could have used some of the clothes I got rid of. I don't regret getting rid of them or that it was a mistake. Even though I gained the weight I exercised 3 days a week and was healthier. I am now out of some of the pants I got when I had gained the weight back. I have other de-cluttering to do but if I get back around to my closet and I still don’t fit them I am okay with getting rid of them. I guess I feel like if it helped me lose then I am fine that I got rid of those clothes. I do not have the same issue right now as you do since I am not working now. I guess I don’t learn. I feel now that if I lose weight I don’t plan on gaining it back. I do not know how I will feel when I get to a lower weight and sizes though. I may be okay with keeping some overweight sizes just not obese sizes.

@goingstrong431 I like your plan. Also a supportive group is really helpful. I was on and off this thread for a while and my weight loss showed. In March I put checking into this thread weekly if not more as one of my goals. Now I don’t need it as a goal it is just part of my routine. That is when I started to lose faster. Right now I have been doing it daily because I need to be accountable daily right now. My loss has slowed down. You need to get a food plan that is healthy and you can live with for the rest of your life because even when you lose the weight you still need to maintain and that isn’t that much different from losing. Unfortunately I am not sure it works if you aren’t eating at home. I do better when we are eating at home whether it is me, my husband or daughter cooking. I also have begun doing a better job with meal planning due to the pandemic and trying to avoid grocery shopping more often. Fortunately I am a pretty good cook but other meal plans on here are much more basic and easier to cook. Also there are some good resources here for good food. Many do weekly meal prepping so they don’t have to be amazing cooks to have healthy good tasting food each day. Right now I have time to cook so I am enjoying it but when I go back to work I will have to find a way to have meals without having to cook so much. However many of the meals I make or discovered lately don’t take that long to make.

@KeriA Would you be able to share the 30 minute low impact video you found? It sounds like something I could use in the future. I'm always looking for new exercise options so I'm ready when I want to change my exercise plan due to a change in the seasons, boredom, focusing on different fitness goals, etc. Thanks!

@torihudson6 -- Massive Harry Potter fan here. Hufflepuff for life Thanks for the encouragement, I will maintain my course until the whoosh! As far as the clothes, it would be very empowering to donate the clothes as a way to symbolically commit to your new normal, but be kind to yourself. If you aren't ready to clear out the closet, that time will come when it's right for you and it will feel GREAT.

@speyerj -- Thanks for the support. I'll keep on keeping on and add on to what I'm doing week by week. Small changes built on small changes make a big impact long term.

@KeriA -- I've forgiven myself for taking it easy after reading all of these comments. I'm feeling much better today as the storm has moved north. I'll get on that elliptical today!


@heatherbluebell -- I'm relatively new here, but you're in the right group. I've been inspired by my best friend's approach to weight loss and it sounds just like yours! Small changes over time, adding more when it feels right. It's a kinder approach to weight loss I'd never considered before, and I'm loving it. By focusing on herself as a whole person - her mental, emotional, and physical health are all equally important -- she's made small changes over time when they feel right and lost weight consistently over the last year.

@iloveeggnog -- Thanks for the support, I'm very analytical myself. I'll focus on my own trends and not be so anxious to see a drop immediately (awaiting the "whoosh"!)

Wel, not every day has been focusing on the core but exercise every single day, many of which are core encompassing. The total gym is super versatile. What I've been trying the last few days is making me sore as heck lol. Hoping I will be able to enjoy the trip

Not sure what the deal is, but I am RAVENOUS the past couple of days. Macros are fine. Eating similar foods to normal. Ended yesterday with 1Cal to spare 😅 Some weeks are just like that, I guess. Gotta keep on keepin’ on.

So in the spirit of making lemonade out of lemons, I decided that the time to deep clean Girlfriend's room was today. When I say deep clean I mean things like the bed got taken apart and the mattress and boxspring carried out of the room, and stuff like that. I'm not sore, exactly, but I'm quite aware there are muscles in that which I sit upon, and I have been using them. Hopefully I don't wake up so sore in lower back and rear tomorrow that I can't function.

KeriA wrote: »

My husband took Friday off and we had a call with some good news which required us to get a few things done. I did do my flight of stairs yesterday. Thursday I tried the resistance band video and realized it was getting the same muscles from my strength training on Tuesday and the video on Wednesday. My muscles said no way. I planned to do it yesterday instead. However, I was pretty sad about the news yesterday mid-day and went into mourning. I just didn’t do much after that. The air was still bad.

Today the air is good. The rain and more importantly weather system blew the bad air out of the area. I am still sad about those who are still battling the fires and hoping the smoke doesn’t come back this way. I wish rain and cooler winds for all the west coast.

I hope I can get my calories low and do something active today. I just made dinner to be cooked in the crock pot.

@MuttiNM I sure can. I just didn’t want to post unless there was interest. Here is that specific video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeplPVLLgtU&list=PLxEW_OukMMsqnD09jU271vfcx6CVisni3&index=6 I like how she intersperses the exercises with marching. It is all cardio but the exercises get the core work in. It does fast.
Here is her (Pahla main page on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeXAh1l-MSjIbDkvHXa1yyA
@heatherbluebell it sounds you are approaching this in a better way than the other times. What is required is not a super restrictive diet. It is a sustainable healthy diet than can be adjusted as to deficit or maintenance calories. Support is key.
@iloveeggnog Congratulations on reaching onderland! Yay!
@AlexandraFindsHerself I hope all sorts itself out for the best soon.
@ama3387 measurements are good and I need to do this. I think the ones on MFP are from when I was 26 lbs lighter. I have problems with the scale in that I usually vary a lot. Someone suggested an app that you put in daily weights and you can see the overall trend much better. Then there is the problem with exercise that complicates how we lose. I weigh daily and often am disappointed but find I need the information to figure things out so I can adjust. We are all different. We all have to find what works for us the best. Here is to those inches disappearing.
@Lastsmartchika Nice to see you back. I sort of had a day or 2 this week like you are talking about so it isn’t like we don’t understand. Often we start with food and start to make progress and then add in exercise and it complicates things. Not a bad idea to do it the other way around. Just find a way of losing that you can live with for the longterm. Glad you are feeling better.
@cppeace This is what the videos I watched this week stressed. We need to get that foundational work done before going on to more athletic exercise (core, balance and strength). Good job.
@Riddikulus89 thanks for the recipe. I often use cauliflower with potatoes to reduce carbs. It mimics whatever you mix it with.

Yep, basically, I get back pain while walking in these hills and know it's not a back issue. It disappears as soon as I sit and rarely bothers me when walking flat area, just these hills. That is a core issue because the back muscles have to compensate for the walking angles. Lol balance in general is never going to be my thing. I have absurdly small feet for my stature and I over supinate. Weight loss can only help, though.
I plan to start recording my workouts soon. I always think it is good to see someone out of shape exercising. It shows people closer to my size that it is doable. That's how I think of it anyway.

I've tried special inserts, specially shoes and wrapping ankles and feet. Sadly all I can do it mildly effect it. Other than effecting my balance and occasionally making me twist an ankle I've adjusted to it throughout the years. Thanks for the suggestion though.