Awesome April
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@Antiopelle {Big Hug} thank you! I have a feeling that I'm aging and, not appreciating that process.
Oh, in other news... I get to go visit my mom for Mothers Day! Yeah, from May 14-30 we are going to be in Iowa ... working remote, but still, I get to see family and all. It will be SO nice (weather may not be, but the general vibe will be). Also, we are getting our kitchen remodeled while we are on vacation, so YAY - 2 things to look forward to.
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Hello everyone!
It's been a pretty good week. I'm still hoping for nicer weather, but at least we are getting more sun. I've been getting back into the swing of alternating lifting and running days. Some days I just don't feel like lifting, so I'll do extra time on my desk treadmill or walk around our neighborhood a bit more. But that is a slippery slope to losing progress! I need to get heavier weights. I have been using the same 10lbs for years and just adding more reps.
I've had pretty consistent pet sitting on rover too. That gets me out of the house and walking to go hang out with some kitties after work or during my lunch break
37, F, 5' 3"
GW: 120
SW 04/04/2023: 135.0
4/11/23: 134.8
4/19/23: 133.82 -
Had a nice little scale drop this morning. More of a one-off than anything, but I'll take it!2
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Welcome back @k8richly! And I agree with @Antiopelle, @SherryRueter - you’re doing fabulously well! To answer your question, hitting 50 did seem to change things but I realized in my younger years - I was just soooo much more active. Walked everywhere - did not drive. Took steps - no elevator. A impromptu drink with friends may have turned into a night of dancing. I could lose an extra five pounds in three days - but that was probably water from a night of excess not built up fat over the years so that same five pounds can take several loooong weeks!2
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@Lazuliz - welcome! - i think your pic is of you sitting in a super stocked gym, so I hope you have access to more than 10lbs! Bc you definitely need to up your weights. Fantastic things happen when you lift heavy! Women are always stronger than they think and go too light- push yourself and let us know how it goes! We are almost size / weight twins and I ❤️ you are also a runner!
@CeeBeeSlim, @SherryRueter - you better be joking about things falling apart at 50 - that's me in June! And here I was, just thinking 50 is the new 40. Sigh. I've signed myself up for a 10km run in June plus more ball hockey and soccer so I better be holding this ancient body together for a little while longer!
We're doing a trip for my 50th and I've chosen to go hiking for a week in the Rockies! I'm so excited!! Mountains and physical activity are my happy place. My kids will probably be bored by day 3 but I don't care. We've reserved an airbnb with a hot tub and big *kitten* TV so I think everyone will be happy 😊1 -
From a 53 years old: it really depends from person to person. I have a friend who is 10 years older and she went bananas through menopause, she had so many symptoms and she really struggled. But I still feel like I’m 35 😉. I don’t know if it will stay that way, I sure hope so.1
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@k8richly I feel most days like I'm 20 years younger but, somehow it really started to get harder to lose the weight. As I think CeebeeSlim mentioned, some of it is likely because of a little less movement (although I do clock in around 15,000 steps a day.) I think mine is mainly because I've dropped a few rules..... like "Do not eat M&M's" "Do not eat peanut butter" NOw I'm more like....awe, a little is okay.
I do also believe there is some hormonal things that are impactful in the 50's but that solid nutrition and heavy weights are the key to staying in control. Your trip K8Richly sounds amazing!! very jealous. My 50th was during covid. At least it was memorable.
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No k8richly! I was my most “fiiiiiiine” at 50! Like you it was a milestone where I was going to get in my best shape ever and I did. Even better shape than in my 20s because “muscle” wasn’t a thing. I was just petite, size 3-5, had a flat stomach, and weight wasn’t even an issue. Arguably, i was probably skinny fat.
BUT after 50, it did get harder to lose any extra pounds I put on. Like @sherryrueter says - for a variety of reasons - and for me, I have to keep consciously active. Plus - if there’s any truth to the stress hormone cortisol and weight, I’m a poster
child. 😵💫
@Antiopelle - you’re right. It differs from person to person. I escaped any real menopause symptoms (whew) and don’t even recall my mom mentioning one.
Record breaking heat today!
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Age: 28
Height: 5'8"
SW: 160 (Jan 2023)
End of month GW: 152.6
4/6: 153.3
4/13: 155.2
4/20: 152.4
4/27:
My legs were feeling so heavy and sluggish at the end of the week that I decided I should take a rest week. I've been walking and doing yoga daily instead of lifting and running. My weight is down dramatically which is sure is all muscle loss
and my legs are still super heavy by the time I get to the top of the stairs. Not sure what's going on 2 -
Cortisol 101:
Cortisol is an essential hormone that affects almost every organ and tissue in your body. It plays many important roles, including:- Regulating your body’s stress response.
- Helping control your body’s use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, or your metabolism.
- Suppressing inflammation.
- Regulating blood pressure.
- Regulating blood sugar.
- Helping control your sleep-wake cycle.
Things you can do to lower your cortisol:- Get quality sleep: Chronic sleep issues, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia or working a night shift, are associated with higher cortisol levels.
- Exercise regularly: Several studies have shown that regular exercise helps improve sleep quality and reduce stress, which can help lower cortisol levels over time.
- Learn to limit stress and stressful thinking patterns: Being aware of your thinking pattern, breathing, heart rate and other signs of tension helps you recognize stress when it begins and can help you prevent it from becoming worse.
- Practice deep breathing exercises: Controlled breathing helps stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, your “rest and digest” system, which helps lower cortisol levels.
- Enjoy yourself and laugh: Laughing promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses cortisol.
- Participating in hobbies and fun activities can also promote feelings of well-being, which may lower your cortisol levels.
- Maintain healthy relationships: Relationships are a significant aspect of our lives. Having tense and unhealthy relationships with loved ones or coworkers can cause frequent stress and raise your cortisol levels.
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45y 5’4”
3/31: 136.2
4/07: 135.8
4/21: 135.2
I’m not going as fast as I had hoped, but I am still moving forward.
~ I ate over my calories a few days last week. Only one day this week.
~I had a few drinks. Only one day that reminded me why I should mostly be AF though.
~I didn’t do strength training last week at all, but I did do it this week.
~The only thing I did a good job with both weeks is my running program. I am finishing up week 7 of a 14 week interval program. Our recent move was to a high altitude, and it is not easy to build up my lung capacity and endurance, so I am pretty proud of the
progress I am making there.
~ I also added an hour of a stair-climbing type machine at the gym on non-running days.
On a personal note, I can feel myself getting better emotionally. The waves of grief are coming fewer and farther between. I have mostly stopped tearing up when someone offers condolences. I do think the focus on eating well, sleeping well, and exercising is helping me move forward.2 -
brittawyatt wrote: »brittawyatt wrote: »—Why: I’ve been meaning to start a health kick for a while now, so, today it starts! Visiting friends in one month which will be a good target.
—What: My goal is to lose the 5 pounds that have crept in gradually over the last year. Success will be: my yellow trousers no longer squeeze too tight in the waist.
—How: Drink alcohol 3 days or less per week. Count calories daily and get closer to protein macro targets (actually hitting it is impossible as a vegetarian but I’ll get closer). Take photos of all food before eating. Post daily checkin. (or weekly if that’s annoying
) oh and actually buy groceries ahead of time!
Weekly checkin #1!
- success with 3 or less days alcohol free and within target calories for the week
- Things I found hard was feeling snacky in evenings, or wanting seconds at dinner. I chose a smaller portions if I went back for seconds, and tried to pick healthy snacks or delay if I could
- remembered to photograph most foods except coffees, one breakfast, and a plate of crackers and cheese
- interestingly, even though I still didn’t hit my 20% protein macro target, I think just trying to be conscious of it meant I ate fewer carbs than I might, choosing lower carb calories and perhaps a bit more protein
- Approx 1 lb lost but too soon to tell if that’s just water etc. Will check weight trend at the end of this next week and see if calorie targets need adjustment or are ok.
- Overall: felt like I ate better quality calories and more veg, and felt good about the week
Weekly checkin #2
- success with 3 or less days having alcohol
- Overall success with weekly net calorie goal, however daily targets were less consistent leaving me feeling more hungry some days and overly full others
- Protein macro was consistent with last week - 18% this week vs 17% last week, and total grams are nearly the same
- Things I found hard was - because I was travelling for work and had guests this week there was a lot of dining out and a lot of alcohol- i really wanted to eat more / try more things! Also meant some days I went over target and tried to make it up the next day which was harder.
- remembered to photograph most foods except coffees, a second portion of takeaway dinner :-) and a few snacks
- weight has fluctuated widely over the week (due to inconsistent day to day eating) so still hard to tell a trend but I do feel less bloated and less ick which seems positive. I think I may need to reduce my calorie target a bit though next week.
- Overall: still feeling good about food choices being healthier, and am reflecting on how I can better maintain consistency when eating out alot
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Antiopelle wrote: »@brittawyatt: very interesting post, and it is great to see it all in pics, I think this is a real eye opener that I might do as well. Maybe just for one week, as it seems to be work intensive.
@Antiopelle - A personal trainer I worked with once suggested this approach. It’s interesting psychologically what it does when you have to photograph before you eat - it’s helps me to take a breath to stop and decide… vs just mindless munching! Also the accountability of knowing I will share this with others.
The photographing itself isn’t too hard, same as using the food diary really since I have my phone on me. Then every evening or every other, I use an app called Layout to compile the days meals into a single photo, and then I add the date with my iPhone’s editing tools. I only do that so it’s all in one place / not clogging up my phone storage with lots of food pics 😊1 -
@RobinAlex666: you didn't lose 3 pounds of muscle in a week's time, it most probably some fat and some water and maybe some muscle. I you are feeling tired and heavy, just take a break for a week or so - eating at maintenance and a bit less exercise. In the long run it won't matter and you might just feel better.
@Cora0477: you are brave and you are approaching this in a good and healthy way. Acknowledge how you are feeling but also take care of yourself.
@brittawyatt: really great job with the pics !
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My stats for this week:
* I got 92k steps in, which gives me some leeway for my week off. Even if I don't have a single step during the week, I'll still be on track.
* continue to read Becks flashcards: check
* 2 fitness sessions: only one
I needed some time to pack and clean the house before departure.
* Lose a bit: from 73,3 (161 lbs) to 70,5 (156 lbs) : I am now at 71,9. I'm still happy with this. As I was feeling down and tired, I ate close to maintenance, so it's rewarding that I still lost a bit.
* Biking and diving: no biking as the weather is still very much like fall. We even had a big storm last night. Hubby and I found a window of opportunity on Saturday morning to do one last dive before our trip. We are leaving next Thursday and I will be back on May 7th. No WIFI ladies, so I won't check in. I also will not log any food, I won't even eyeball portions but I'm pretty sure that with all the diving I won't gain (much). Probably some water weight from the flights after the trip, that I'm sure of. See you next month !
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I did it!! I finished my first 10k in more than 20 years, with a respectable time for my age group of 75-79. There were about 20,000 runners in all so my take is that I finished ahead of about 7,261 of them. Of course, some of those 7,261 were pre-teens and people being pushed in wheelchairs but we'll ignore that. I'm very glad I did it but just as glad it's over. Getting ready for Saturday felt as though it consumed my life for months. I'm taking things fairly easy this week but after that I have some long-terms plans for staying active but with less wear and tear on my legs.
This morning, a local company emailed me photos taken along the race route. If they're expecting to get $29.95 for pictures of me looking like Methuselah's grandmother with a hangover, they're sadly mistaken.
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@mandycat_florida you crack me up! Indeed, no one looks good in those photos so, no don't pay for them! Congrats on kicking the butt of 7,261 people! 😆 10km is no small feat and you should be proud that you were simply upright and smiling at the end. Not everyone could do that (age aside!). You are an inspiration!
@Antiopelle have a safe trip! Enjoy everything and just gave fun. I went snorkeling once in the Red Sea, not diving, and it is spectacular!
@Cora I missed what happened but grief is hard no matter what. 😔 hugs to you and yours. You are strong and healthy to keep up your personal fitness routine through this time.
@RobinAlex666 I agree with others. Taking a little break might do you some good. I also find eating super light d clean for a day or two (esp avoiding salt and fat) helps me feels lighter on my feet, even if the scale doesn't budge.2 -
@ cora0477 - Great to read that you feel you are getting better emotionally. SOOO good!
@antiopelle - have a safe trip. Yay on losing a bit while eating close to maint! WOO HOO. Great accomplishment.
@mandycat_Florida - lol... the photos. LOL.... too funny! Yeah...no way I pay for photos that others take of me for events like that. Congrats on the BIG occasion.
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Had an overall pretty nice long (3 day) weekend at the track - as usual I'm half in my head about stuff and not thrilled with what I didn't manage to accomplish, but I did accomplish some things, and some of those were very important steps, like getting my new suspension dialed in so the bike would actually do what I want, when I want, and I felt confident enough to start pushing myself - which I haven't really felt comfortable enough to do since getting this bike (long technical moto story behind all that).
No pics yet, but if I get a decent one once posted I'll share it.
Physically, not doing too bad at all, considering I only skipped 2 sessions all weekend, and rode every session otherwise. It's pretty physically demanding, and I'm not too bad off today. Couple things to be sure I'm focusing on in my workouts, and still room for improvement, but I've made some serious progress from where I was, and it's paying off.
Worn out today, which also happens to be day 75 of my 75 Hard, so workouts today will be recovery focused - did some stretchy yoga this morning to loosen things up, and will just do a quiet walk with the dog this afternoon. Should be GTG back to the routine tomorrow tho. Planning to start Phase 1 shortly, but not sure if I want to take 1 or 2 weeks off between - I don't plan on changing too much, but do want to see if what I'm planning seems good or not for whatever reasons.
44, F, 5' 7"
GW: 128-135(ish - TBD)
SW 01-2023: 157.6 - 3/29/23: 151.2
4/3/23: 149.0
4/10/23: 150.6
4/17/23: 150.2
4/25/23: 148.81 -
Pic from Monday - lots of thoughts about things, but overall, in the end, it was in the right direction good...
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