January Join our Shrinking Squad
Options
Replies
-
ABS - YOU'LL SEE them as soon as the layer of fat is gone. Until then you can build them up by doing ab workouts. I seriously believe that weighted abs are effective. Most of the time I get in 1-2 ab sessions a week and the videos are maybe 10-15min long. What helped me the most for my competition was reminding myself to suck it in all day.
Well I didn't do it all day but, I reminded myself a lot. Its that tightening, that sucking in, that helps too. you know, like you can do that while you type. You can do that while you stand. Maybe while you walk. those gentle reminders. That's training the muscles to be held in. Sorta like trianing yourself to stand up tall and not hunched over. IT almost feels like the victorian age and learning how to be a proper lady and walk with a book on your head.
This being said, I found almost 4 of my abs (big accomplishment). a little obliques. So I'm not a rock star competitor but, I did what only what, 5% of american women 45-55 do. It was a checkmark on my list. That is why I really was able to stick to it all because I really wanted it. AND I have to say, having a bikini deadline with a show has a level of encouraement also. I would never (dont say never) do it again.
0 -
@SherryRueter Thanks so much for such a helpful response. And yes, YouTube videos on vacuums would be great! If you have any weighted abs videos, would love those too!
I’m inspired!! I’ll take seeing .45 of 1/6 ab 🤣🤣🤣.
I see your point. As great a shape as you were in, it’s easy to see how having a more balanced approach to food is less mentally stressful!
I’m getting my nutrition in check, got my hacks down, and just dealing with the guilt I feel once I see my dad’s face after passing on his food! But who puts grease IN the pan to cook bacon???! 😡😡😡0 -
@ceebeeslim 1/6th of an ab .... hhahahahha I don't think fathers quite understand the whole healthy life style thing.
Ab Vacuum - scope out Heidi Powell. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZQjPCTCmIFM&t=12s1 -
@Thanks @SherryRueter. Will view and start today!
Body hanging around same weight - 128.8 today. Tired today but just finished CG full body workout and will jump on treadmill soon!
Anyone ever get over a true true true debilitating phobia? Gonna try to tackle the swimming one this year! 🥺😳😰1 -
Know yourself.
Certain foods were designed to make you over eat.
Its not you having a lack of self control.
Its because these big companies spend BILLIONS of dollars in marketing and food science wizardry, research to make it so you can't stop. That's their job and you are just a product of their experiment.
Food science - oreo's are designed to be over eaten. You are not doing anything BAD,WRONG or guilty.
Just LEVEL up what you indulge in.
LEVEL up your game, and be more thoughtful in what you allow yourself to eat.
Just like you would LEVEL up your game if you needed to cut back on over spending.
You would start to become more THOUGHTGUL on what you spend your money on. You would be spending on things you NEED. not just buying 20 dish cloths because they were cheap.
^^ You can drop it pod cast: Pushing Pass Crappy Snacks *
1 -
@SherryRueter Oreos are some wizardry.. i dont know a single person that hasnt fallen prey to them at some point. I have to be careful with what i buy at the store. I cant have any high carb snacking foods in my house. Recently ive been enjoying a baked sweet potatoe with a little cinnamon as a snack or side.
@CeeBeeSlim I have a fear of heights.. i get so dizzy and nauseous if i look down and see the ground so far away and i just freeze in panic. Cant zip line or climb or for heavens sake… go more than two steps on a ladder. Someone please explain to me how someone could throw themselves out a plane and skydive without freaking the f out and not have a good time??? I havnt really been trying to work on it, just avoiding all those kinds of activities like the plague. If you find something that helps you.. let me know0 -
Hi Happy Friday! I am late to the January party...LOL I faced the music and finally went on the scale...yikes!! I have made a commitment to myself to log my food and exercise. I've always been active and do set aside at least 30 mins daily for exercise. I have to get a handle on my portion control. The holiday season did me in - its been a continuous free for all
I am looking to be more active in the group. I am not so concerned with the number on the scale - I just want my clothes to fit better. I do plan on weighing myself once a week to see if I should decrease my daily calories. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
2 -
Morning All. Countdown to going home - will have to prepare the hubs that I’m in track and will just be mindful of the wine, pizza, ice cream that will be in the house! Ugh.
But…128.4 lowest weight in months. Feeling good.
Thanks for sharing that, @SherryRueter. It’s all psychological but framing that as a “conflict” or “war” helps me! But did you have to mention OREOS (slurp, yum, eye twitching 🤣🤣).
@Kitri2020 I hear ya! Skydiving? Never. Ever. Ever.
I told the therapist that is assigned to me from my caregiving program that I’d like to focus more on conquering those fears - not so much the eldercare stressors - that is what it is.
She suggested I can be one of two types of folks to conquer this - forgetting the exact terms - slowing introduce the fear to myself (go to pool, then toes in pool, then ankle deep etc.) slowly and controlled.
OR - have someone just throw me in a pool (with someone nearby of course 😰) knowing I’m not in danger. But this is how the phobia works - # “who’s to tell me I’m not in danger - what if my instructor gets a foot cramp or a sudden bout of nausea and can’t save me??). 😫😫
Shoulder day today!!
@pmastro724 - still early in the year! You got this!3 -
I'm back from my conference and it wasn't so bad. Miami is definitely a lot. I live In a little coastal town so the tourist presence was a bit overwhelming but it was cool to visit. I walked a ALOT and got into the gym basically everyday but one because I was feeling depressed.
@CeeBeeSlim The beach pilates was great. I'm looking for classes for it back home. It was a challenge but not too bad.
I also did my best to log all my food but I couldn't measure my food so it's probably a little off but I definitely didn't over eat the whole time. I'd love more strategies on how to guesstimate portions when you are restaurants and log them. Is the best option just not to eat out???
My weekend will be doing yoga on the beach again. Probably going for a run and doing leg day on Sunday. Lots of bike riding too. I hope everyone else has a good weekend.
@CeeBeeSlim my fear that I'm getting over will be of snakes and reptiles. I'm a Florida girl and I've just gotta get used to them2 -
Good morning everyone! Happy Saturday!
@Kitri2020 The snacks in the house are definitely my downfall! When I lived alone, I had more control over what I brought in, but my husband loves to snack, so we always have snacks around the house.
@CeeBeeSlim My phobia is one that has been hard to avoid, so it's not as debilitating... Public toilets. Like not the bathroom or the germs, but the actual toilet. I've been afraid of them as long as I can remember, and I try to avoid them, but it's definitely not always possible. Best of luck for you with conquering yours!
@SherryRueter Thanks for the ab video - I'm looking forward to trying that this weekend!
Things have been going well for me this week. Still haven't restarted formal calorie counting since my short break last week, but have been keeping a mental count, and that's been enough to keep me on track and losing. I officially hit the 5 lb down milestone today, which is really exciting! I started on Jan 1, so I'm sure the weight was a bit high from high sodium foods, etc over the holidays, so it's probably less "real" weight loss than 5 lb. But hey, I'll take any victory I can get! Last year, I lost steam after 10 lb, maintained for a few months, then got lazy and started gaining again. This year, I plan to make long-term changes so I don't just yo-yo again.
My mom is trying to lose right now as well, which helps a lot, because she is counting her own calories and can give me an estimate what is in her home cooking when I come over for dinner. Normally, when she isn't counting, her cooking is a free for all of butter and oil, so it's super hard to estimate.
Still super stressed about upcoming dr appt, but there's nothing I can do until then other than wait. So trying to do the things that are within my control (eat well, exercise, randomly get really into researching hair and skin care) until then.
I hope everyone has a nice weekend!2 -
Cheers to a fresh new week!! Let's do this!!!0
-
I don't know if I could go skydiving. I do ride a few roller coasters (Scream a lot too). I don't care for them and stay away from many of them but, I do accompany my family when they go on one.
I guess my issue is bugs - the black creepy ones escpecially. The little lady bugs, I can deal with. Even a few smallish spiders. Thank goodness for the Bug spray people that do houses.
@ScienceofTeaching @Ceebeeslim You're welcome on the ab vacuume. It was eye opening to know i have muscles under the ones that show and that we train them in this way.
I'm back from taking care of my mom. I'm feeling like I had a weight loss week, but won't step on the scale until Wed. First of all, I need to get batteries for it. Second of all, we ate out a couple times this weekend and while I did have a lot of veggies, I'm thinking the sodium was higher than a homecooked meal (for sure!) .
Tracking my water. So far I'm around 42oz when I finish this bottle.
Next up, breakfast.0 -
5’4” 46y/o
1/01: 137.2
1/03: 136.6
1/05: 136.6
1/10: 137.0
1/12: 136.6
1/15: 137.6
1/18: 135.8
1/26: 136.0
1/29: 136.8
Last week was weak. I did end up where I was hoping to weight-wise but I barely exercised and did no strength training. My diet was fine during the week but on the weekend we had Indian food, Korean food, and a night out drinking with the girls. My portions were all in check, and I made healthy choices, minus the alcohol of course, I just have no idea how many calories I ate.
I got a solid run in this morning with my diet and water on track. Here’s to a good week this week!
I don’t have a fear of heights, but I’m not completely fearless. I will go on roller coasters with the kids, but I will not go on those swings that take you out over the edge. I don’t know if you’d call it phobia, but I am slightly claustrophobic. I’ve been known to panic if I get stuck with clothing over my head, or while cleaning out from under the bed. And occasionally if there are way too many people in an elevator.1 -
Back up 2 pounds today, which is frustrating. We ate out for dinner last night, so definitely higher sodium in that. I'm going to blame the sodium and hope it's back down soon.
Still doing well on the exercise. Seeing some progress with running/walking on the treadmill. My treadmill has preset programs, and two weeks ago I couldn't do the one I'm currently using without turning down the speed or incline at least a few times. This week, I've done it twice without turning it down at all. It was hard, but I did it.
Let's finish January strong, everyone! Two more days!2 -
@ScienceofTeaching YOU KNOW that you didn't overeat 7000 calories. It's merely water from eating out as well as the volume of the food. Food can be in your system from 12-36 hours. Which I particularly found interesting. Regarding your workouts getting easier, that's awesome! Reminds me of a quote, "Its not getting easier, you're getting stronger!"
According to my scale I had a Weight Loss Week (WLW) Down a pound. I'll take it. It might be more than a pound however, my batteries indicator the scale flashed a number then said "low".... so until I replace them...... Of course (like you) I tried it a few times. On. Off. Oh yeah, I forgot to pee. On. Off. Damn it....why won't that low indicator just let me get one reading. Oh well... Good enough.~ Honestly I was just happy to see a loss.
Feeling so much better now that my focus is more dialed in again.
1 -
https://healthline.com/health/how-long-does-it-take-to-digest-food#digestive-problems
How long it takes to digest food
In general, food takes 24 to 72 hours to move through your digestive tract. The exact time depends on the amount and types of foods you’ve eaten.
The rate is also based on factors like your gender, metabolism, and whether you have any digestive issues that could slow down or speed up the process.
At first, food travels relatively quickly through your digestive system. Within 6 to 8 hours, the food has moved its way through your stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
Once in your large intestine, the partially digested contents of your meal can sit for more than a day while it’s broken down even more.
The normal range for transit timeTrusted Source includes the following: gastric emptying (2 to 5 hours), small bowel transit (2 to 6 hours), colonic transit (10 to 59 hours), and whole gut transit (10 to 73 hours).
Your digestion rate is also based on what you’ve eaten. Meat and fish can take as long as 2 days to fully digest. The proteins and fats they contain are complex molecules that take longer for your body to pull apart.
By contrast, fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber, can move through your system in less than a day. In fact, these high fiber foods help your digestive track run more efficiently in general.
The quickest to digest are processed, sugary junk foods like candy bars. Your body tears through them in a matter of hours, quickly leaving you hungry again.
What happens during digestion
Digestion is the process by which your body breaks down food and pulls out the nutrients your body needs to operate. Anything left is a waste product, which your body removes.
Your digestive system is made up of five main parts:
mouth
esophagus
stomach
small intestine
large intestine
This is what happens when you digest food:
As you chew, glands in your mouth release saliva. This digestive liquid contains enzymes that break down the starches in your food. The result is a mushy mass called a bolus that’s easier to swallow.
When you swallow, the food moves down your esophagus — the pipe that connects your mouth to your stomach. A muscular gate called the lower esophageal sphincter opens to let the food move into your stomach.
Acids in your stomach break down the food even more. This produces a mushy mixture of gastric juices and partially digested food, called chyme. This mixture moves on to your small intestine.
In your small intestine, your pancreas and liver contribute their own digestive juices to the mix.
Pancreatic juices break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Bile from your gallbladder dissolves fat. Vitamins, other nutrients, and water move through the walls of your small intestine into your bloodstream. The undigested part that remains moves on to your large intestine.
The large intestine absorbs any remaining water and leftover nutrients from the food. The rest becomes solid waste, called stool.
Your rectum stores stool until you’re ready to have a bowel movement.
To keep food moving smoothly through your digestive system and prevent issues like diarrhea and constipation, try these tips:
Eat more greens, fruit, and whole grains, Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are all rich sources of fiber. Fiber helps food move through your digestive system more easily and completely.
Limit red meat and processed foods1 -
@SherryRueter thank you for the biology lesson on digestion, it was incredibly informative yet disturbingly disgusting . Seriously though, I guess I knew the larger picture of this, but the details you noted are interesting - I didn't know the pancreas and liver contributed digestive juices, or that the rectum stored anything; I thought stuff just passed through there. One quick note (based on personal experience), if you are newly introducing quite a bit more fiber to your diet, be sure to drink extra water!! Otherwise you may experience some very uncomfortable constipation
. 2 -
@SherryRueter OMG… roller coasters are a nightmare. Growing up, my family would go to cedar point and they would all get on the biggest coolest fastest or highest rides and i would just go on the silly kid ones. When i was a teenager, my dad finally made me go on the JR roller coaster. Was this ride a max of 6feet of the ground? Yes. Were all the other people on the ride toddlers? Yes. Did i absolutely freak the f out. Yes, yes i did.0
-
@kitri2020 . We went to cedar point about 10 years ago. I went on several, but not that one where its a 30 second ride at 5 billion MPH.0
-
Work is slow today. I work at an IT helpdesk. when things are running smoothly, I'm not busy. Perhaps I'll look into more linked in training for something to do.
Workout: Shoulders and Glutes. First time thru this routine, so it wasn't as challenging as I think it will become next week. Tomorrow I will take a cardio and Yoga day.
Yesterday it was in the 60's here. Sure wish it would be that way more often (as I sit here with a heating pad on my lap and my shawl around my shoulders. We were able to get in a few walks.
Weight loss day yesterday! I replaced the batteries in my scale and now I'm down 2.5 pounds (was 109.4 now 107.0) I was joyful and surprised.
Curious - what have your successes been in JANUARY ?
I've been focusing on 4 principles:
1. Water - Drink more water. No Soda (gave that up January 1st ish)
2. Veggies - Eat more veggies. Gave up my daily cup of sugar (literally, not figuratively). Gave up my artificial sweetener packets. I now have about 1T monk fruit (or 2) a day.
3. Fruit - Eat fruit for at least 2 meals.
4. SNACK-optional - Have a few veggies, or a protein. Snack is optional. The less I have, the hungrier I am at meal time. This isn't a light bulb moment, but, yet it is. SO freeing. This was a harder one to implement, but its going okay.
5. Keep coffee - but replaced creamer with 2T of Protein Powder.
6. 2 hands on the wheel - Instead of busying my hands with food for comfort. Keep my hands on my water bottle, phone or keyboard. Read a book, take a walk. Dinner and Done. Lunch and Done. Breakfast and done.
I'm still working on what's working. Meaning, I havent' tracked long enough to know what's working well. I feel that when I have veggies for breakfast, I eat more veggies all day long and, if I were to have a carb for breakfast, that would end up in wanting more carbs throughout the day. I also believe that water has a role. I feel that when I have a certain amount of water, I am more full - than when I have a lesser amount. I just don't know what the magic range of water ounces is for me.
I have added more veggie options. Baby bell peppers, Carrot chips. Cauliflowerettes, Riced Cauliflower. Butternut squash. I'm buying most frozen 0- which I know is more expensive BUT... I am NOT purchasing foods like candy/sweets/chips.... so that makes it worth it. I also feel happier, sexier, joyful. Less bitchy, sad, ashamed. I'm starting to like what I see in the mirror again (and I had been covering my mirrors with beach towels).
2
