Step it up for September - Accountability thread
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5'4" 35
9/15: 150.0 (late afternoon before dinner weigh in)
9/19: 145.0 (morning weigh in)2 -
5' 3"
CW 128
GW 125
GW for Sept: 127 lbs
Sept 4 - 128
Sept 12 - 129.5
Sept 20 - 129
Why is it so hard to stop snacking? Argh. I can't seem to get control on how much I've been eating. Grr. But i went for 2 great runs and did 2 bootcamps this past week plus some walks. Not my usual active week however. I've been pretty bad with my logging too.
In happier news, it is lovely to see new (and old) faces here in the thread! Keep up the chatter everyone, I need the motivation!2 -
5' 3"
Why is it so hard to stop snacking? Argh. I can't seem to get control on how much I've been eating. Grr. But i went for 2 great runs and did 2 bootcamps this past week plus some walks. Not my usual active week however. I've been pretty bad with my logging too.
I know what my issue(s) primarily is - mostly, most of my life (into my mid 30's), I could eat whatever I wanted, in large quantities, and hardly gain a pound unless I was really eating like poo - cut back on the bad foods (cut back, not cut out) and I'd go back to my weight.
THEN I got the dreaded desk job, and it's been a problem ever since....my appetite simply refuses to adjust to the fact that I'm in an office all day rather than running around a horse barn or other very physical job PLUS the activities I still do.
It was normal for me to eat 3-5K kcal/day - now I need less than 2K. That's literally like half the food, and that's to maintain a higher weight than I was then....a couple hours of gym or manual labor just doesn't make up for the desk job when I was already doing those things too!
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Yeah, eating habits tend to form around lifestyle and when the lifestyle changes for whatever reason things get ... uncomfortable.2
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@HoneyBadger302 and @wunderkindking it is so true!! The move to the desk job was a huge shift in lifestyle. But i started my desk job over 20 years ago, so that can't totally be my excuse. Even then i was super active and my metabolism used to let me eat pretty much whatever I wanted well into my late 30s. And yes, whenever I gained a pound I'd lose it easily.
I think middle age is more whats slowing down my metabolism and why I can't eat like I used to. To counter old age and the natural slowing of metabolism, I know one of the fixes is strength training. Grow your muscles and they will do the metabolic work for you! Strength training is awesome but it's just not something I've totally embraced yet (I'm more an outdoor cardio / team sports kinda person). I do pilates / HIIT workouts with bands and weights which definitely are keeping me strong but I haven't dived into actual lifting. The pandemic and closed gyms didn't help I guess.
Does anyone have recommendations for embracing strength training in middle age? 😀0 -
@HoneyBadger302 and @wunderkindking it is so true!! The move to the desk job was a huge shift in lifestyle. But i started my desk job over 20 years ago, so that can't totally be my excuse. Even then i was super active and my metabolism used to let me eat pretty much whatever I wanted well into my late 30s. And yes, whenever I gained a pound I'd lose it easily.
I think middle age is more whats slowing down my metabolism and why I can't eat like I used to. To counter old age and the natural slowing of metabolism, I know one of the fixes is strength training. Grow your muscles and they will do the metabolic work for you! Strength training is awesome but it's just not something I've totally embraced yet (I'm more an outdoor cardio / team sports kinda person). I do pilates / HIIT workouts with bands and weights which definitely are keeping me strong but I haven't dived into actual lifting. The pandemic and closed gyms didn't help I guess.
Does anyone have recommendations for embracing strength training in middle age? 😀
Well, I've actually come to LOVE lifting the past few years. For me what kicked it off was my (motorcycle) racing - I was starting to get faster, but my upper body strength was becoming a problem at the quicker pace.
I started out a bit easier - mostly machines, 3x/week, for like 30 minutes with a mostly full body workout.
I've always known free weights are better to use (less isolating, which means a lot of the smaller, supporting and core muscles get worked a lot more than they do on a machine), so when I was ready to workout more frequently, worked with a personal trainer familiar with my sport to help me develop a progressive workout plan. Upgraded/changed those plans as the one I was on got old and/or I was pretty much maxing it out with relative ease.
After that, I had started my own PT training, so felt confident enough to start creating my own plans with some help from the googles LOL. Now I've got several plans I can use based on the equipment I have access to, my schedule, etc.
Once I got into lifting though and got over that initial "hump" I learned to love it.
Part of that was getting over my trepidation of being in the weight room with all the "bros." I'll admit, kind of had to force myself into that one, and realize I had as much right to the equipment as they did. Took a bit, but after awhile my mind adjusted and now I have no issue going to the weight room, but it really was not that way at all at first. But I had my plan from my trainer and I needed to follow it LOL!
Now I've got a small rack/cable weight set at home so no more gym (after covid started and my gyms all closed needed to find something).
I still love hiking and of course riding (motorcycles and horses both), but in a "workout" session, lifting has become my go-to favorite and I actually thoroughly love it.
Progress pictures are great, too. Also track your weights and reps so you can see your progression - makes it a bit more motivating for me anyways.1 -
5'4" 35
9/15: 150.0 (late afternoon before dinner weigh in)
9/19: 145.0 (morning weigh in)
9/23: 144.8 (late night after dinner weigh in)1 -
I hate the 'bro environment' in the weight room. It makes me uncomfortable.
I do however really get a kick out of feeling competent and getting stronger/more able to do things and carry things and move things, and that's enough to get me out to do the thing.
Still wish I had space and money for a weight room in my house though. It definitely makes it harder to like it.1 -
@HoneyBadger302 this is so inspiring! Thats so cool that you ride motorbikes! I was a gym rat through my 20s so weight rooms and bros don't intimidate me, but I let my membership go when life got busy (ie had kids) and I had to choose between the gym or team sports (soccer, hockey), as I didn't have time for both. Since my sports are also my social /friend outlet, I stuck with that, plus running, hiking etc which I can squeeze in. But I know weights are definitely something I could get into. I too wish I had more space for more weights at home.
I've never done progress photos but I can see how they'd be motivating. Especially as you see the muscle definition developing. Actually I wish now I'd taken photos over the past 1.5 years as I've lost a good chunk of weight and regained definition. Since I'm pretty much as my goal weights, it sonetimes feels like it's too late to take a pic now. But maybe not.0 -
wunderkindking wrote: »wunderkindking wrote: »44 yrs
5' 5"
CW 132.4
GW ??? (nothing under 125 though - might actually be 130)
GW for Sept: 130
9-11: 131.5
9-11: 131.5
9-18: 130.1
Headed off on a long weekend at the lake. Let's see where i am when I get home after 3 days of not tracking, eating crap and also doing more than usual movement. EXPERIMENT TIME.
9-25: 129.2
Yeah, I'd call that experiment a resounding success, no matter what the results, but yay.1 -
Hi all, I would love to join this group if you'll have me. I am UK based. 5"8, around 142lbs at the moment, I have a pretty healthy and active lifestyle (mainly running/cycling) but enjoy chocolate and treats too much, and have a habit of stress-eating which is what I'm hoping to break with accountability on MFP. I'm 44. Hope to chat to you all soon!2
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@TooManyMinstrels sounds like you've come to the right place!! LOL your struggle sounds oh too familiar and we are all in this together!0
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5'4" 54
9/30: 134.6
I've kept up my exercise (running & weight training) but my eating has been out of control. I'm up 5 pounds but not so worried about the scale, it's the quality of food that I care about. I've been eating too much sugar!
Luckily, 2 of my sisters and my mom have all started eating better/drinking more water/working out so I have plenty of competition to keep me motivated. Plus it means I keep in touch with them more to see how they are doing.1 -
48
5' 3"
CW 128
GW 125
GW for Sept: 127 lbs
Sept 4 - 128
Sept 12 - 129.5
Sept 20 - 129
Sept 30 - 129
Well, my September plan didn't work out as I had hoped, but whatever. I am starting to think my body is naturally in maintenance mode and that's ok. I'm feeling pretty fit and strong which is my goal. I've been in the 128-130 range for many months. But that won't stop me from still trying to lose a pound or two!
I'm also (not every day, but mostly) aware and in control of what goes into my body which is the point of being on MFP. And feeling connected and supported by all of you, which is awesome.
On to October!1 -
48
5' 3"
CW 128
GW 125
GW for Sept: 127 lbs
Sept 4 - 128
Sept 12 - 129.5
Sept 20 - 129
Sept 30 - 129
Well, my September plan didn't work out as I had hoped, but whatever. I am starting to think my body is naturally in maintenance mode and that's ok. I'm feeling pretty fit and strong which is my goal. I've been in the 128-130 range for many months. But that won't stop me from still trying to lose a pound or two!
I'm also (not every day, but mostly) aware and in control of what goes into my body which is the point of being on MFP. And feeling connected and supported by all of you, which is awesome.
On to October!
I'm in a similar spot with similar numbers and. It's fine. I'm honestly just admitting to myself that no, I'm not really ready to eat less than I am for a fairly minor change in weight and probably no aesthetic or performance improvement. Recomp? Sure. Go even harder at exercise and eat less? I've gone about as far as I'm willing to go with it. I'd LIKE to see 125 but. 128-130 is about where I've settled, unless I get a surprise with my period and that's ok1 -
I'm in a similar spot with similar numbers and. It's fine. I'm honestly just admitting to myself that no, I'm not really ready to eat less than I am for a fairly minor change in weight and probably no aesthetic or performance improvement. Recomp? Sure. Go even harder at exercise and eat less? I've gone about as far as I'm willing to go with it. I'd LIKE to see 125 but. 128-130 is about where I've settled, unless I get a surprise with my period and that's ok[/quote]
Exactly! I could go harder at fitness but I don't really have time. I could also be stricter with my diet but I like food and I don't want to be a weird role model for my teenagers....2 -
Yeah, and that's what my husband was trying to point out to me when he said I was chasing a number on the scale. What is losing 3-5lbs really going to change for me when I'm already within a healthy weight range? ...nothing. It's going to make 0 difference to my life, except maybe changing my numerical pants size which again changes nothing.
I don't know I'd still like to sit solidly around 125 +/- 2 or 3 but I have to acknowledge that for me that's mostly an ego thing.
And. I really don't want to model weirdness to my young adult kids - or even model it to my friends or forum members.1 -
5'4" 35
9/15: 150.0 (late afternoon before dinner weigh in)
9/19: 145.0 (morning weigh in)
9/23: 144.8 (late night after dinner weigh in)
9/30: 146.0 (couple days of s&*t eating)1 -
Oh my wunder my hubby said the same thing! That it was the number on the scale that I have/had in my head and if I don't hit this special 110lb weight I am not what I want even though I am super small at 117ishlbs and have gotten lean working out doing strength training. I mean at what point is it enough already and get over yourself is it really worth it...
LORD JESUS IS KING OF KINGS0
