40+Club-Making it Work

Happy Monday 40 somethings!!!

MAY I JOIN IN HERE TOO???

I`m a qualifying 44 years old :blushing:

Cardigirl, the trainer is right...but if you really want to know how hard you are working out or if you wandt a more precise measure of workout cals, then get a HRM with chest strap. You seem to have a good handle on how hard you are working out otherwise, so the choice is up to you. I don't use a HRM all the time, but is a good tool to use from time to time, even if it only to check your progress.

The north end Italian restaurants are great!

Alf, why not try a test week of phase 2, maybe it will give you a jump-start going into vacation. Then you can wait 'til Friday to measure/ weigh (so you know how "good or bad" you were in Vegas)! :happy: Hey--getting stronger without weightloss is not a bad thing!! I weighed myself last night :blushing: and I did not lose any weight even though I am more lean.

Happy Monday All ! I've been missing you but just couldn't stand the sight of MFP while I'm still on restricted activity. Today I get my post-op X-Rays and then 1 week till my appointment with the surgeon. So I thought I'd start back with counting my calories to gear up for the all clear :drinker: I'm doing a little light weights and have been taking the dog on longer walks each day. The weather is nice today so I'm going to try a little baby run to see how I feel. I've been avoiding the scale mainly because I'm sure the Vicoden and Valium have my metabolism at a really slow pace. But my clothes seem to still be fitting about the same (probably because I have no appetite).

Alf: I've very jealous of you and your completion of the first phase. Are you still happy with the program? I can't wait to start although I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to negotiate with the doctor she orginally said 6 weeks - 2 months before I could do push-ups.

Wow! This thread has graduated to a whole new page! I am back from daughter # 2's grad. I plan to weigh once a week but will weigh before and after periods of time when i can not keep the food diary. Great news for me! 1 pound down for the 20 hour trip and only one day to excercise! :happy: Keeping the diary has really helped me to be aware of my eating even when we are away!

Welcome newbies! This has been a great place to be accountable. Reading about Alf's (nice new pic), excercise routines are inspiring to me. and more of yours' whose names escape me. I do feel great when I get in the good work outs. I am looking forward to the checking my metabolism on the reccomended site. i am curious about mine. so far i have been losing a bit more than a pound a week with about 1300 cals and eating my exercise calories.

Hope you all had a great Mother's day. I felt so blessed being taken care of this Sunday and sitting with the 11 of us at dinner! I even enjoyed doing dishes since I was the helper this time instead of the boss!

Hey gang!!! What are your thoughts about tonight's Biggest Loser? It's been a great season. My guess is that either Mike or Tara will win, but who knows?

Good day, everyone. I have a question for anyone who is understands the Polar F6. I bought one while I was off of work recovering from surgery. I couldn't use it at that time. I was looking at it yesterday and realize that I don't know if I entered my birthday, height, weight, etc. I know that I started to set it up when I bought it but to be honest...I was on some pain pills and do not know what I have done with it. There are instructions for changing users and I thought that I could go there and re-do things and begin again but I can't get it to go to the area where things can be changed. I know that I probably am not making sense. I really need someone who has one of the Polar F6 to help me understand it. If you are that person please message me so that I can finally get to use it. Thanks.

Hi again everyone and thank you for welcoming me. Unless I have a question to ask, or answer, I will be reading each day....so I AM here. I know that a lot of you are tired tired with all the work out stuff, etc. I have decided to "blog" my day. I am currently with a trainer and working really really hard. So, if you'd like to send me "tips", "thoughts", "encouragement", or ANYTHING, please feel free too.

I take constructive criticism very very well. In fact, that's what keeps me going. In fact, when my husband told me "Honey, yes you are wider than that wide woman" the other day......I didn't even cry!

Thanks for letting me share!

:flowerforyou:

Hello - just rediscovered this group I am now maintaining and have been out of the US for a month - so before I left this time, I bought the 30 day shred and a yoga DVD - they have been great for keeping up with workouts when I am traveling. It can get a little cramped in my room doing the workouts and I use water bottle for weights - but life is improvising -

Have a good day (or evening - depending on where you are):glasses:

Good day, everyone. I have a question for anyone who is understands the Polar F6. I bought one while I was off of work recovering from surgery. I couldn't use it at that time. I was looking at it yesterday and realize that I don't know if I entered my birthday, height, weight, etc. I know that I started to set it up when I bought it but to be honest...I was on some pain pills and do not know what I have done with it. There are instructions for changing users and I thought that I could go there and re-do things and begin again but I can't get it to go to the area where things can be changed. I know that I probably am not making sense. I really need someone who has one of the Polar F6 to help me understand it. If you are that person please message me so that I can finally get to use it. Thanks.

:laugh: Swiss I totally understand - I sent out a bunch of Thank yous post-op and Now I'm really wondering what I wrote in them :laugh: Sorry I can't help but I would try the change user and maybe you'll recognize the info. I haven't used my HRM since surgery because I'm not allowed to sweat:mad:

Stiring: I'm sure your progress is the main reason that hubby is now interested. I've always found maintenance a bigger struggle than the loss phase so I'm sure that having him on MFP will be a big benefit in the next few months.

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great morning! I started out by exercising at the gym this morning, set the morning right. Unfortunately every time I look at the scale the numbers aren't going down. So now I'm not going to look at the scale anymore, I'm going to go by how I feel and right now I have more energy than I have had for a long time.

I noticed there a few Boston ladies in this group. Which restaurant in the North End do you like? My new favorite is Fiore's on Hanover Street. Love the outdoor patio upstairs.

Have a fabulously day everyone.

Good morning everybody!

duffy, you are right that my husband has seen my progress, and now he wants similar results. But he and I are very different people, and it can be a little....frustrating...at times. For instance, yesterday was the first work day I've tracked his calories for him, and I did my best to make his dinner to fit within his calorie allowance. But then AFTER I made the dinner, he says 'I forgot to mention the piece of cake I had today, didn't I?'

And two things went through my mind. The first was that I was surprised he couldn't make it through two days of monitoring his eating before having cake. And the second was that I'm working here to try to help him by logging all his foods, crafting his meals, etc., and then he goes and eats cake! :grumble: I didn't really say anything to him, of course, because is a grown man who can make his own food decisions.

But I think what has me the most disturbed is that it is probably very likely that my husband will be able to lose his 15 pounds while eating things like cake every few days. And I've cut even the simple things, like cream and sugar, out of my coffee. And I'm fine with that and know I'm better off having done it.....but I certainly don't need to the in-my-face reminders that other people (like my husband) don't have to cut so much out in order to find their ideal weight. I know the realities behind it--my husband is taller, male, has a more active job, etc--so I understand the 'whys' of it. But I don't think it is going to make it particularly easy to see, especially when I'm the one responsible for logging what he is eating every day.

Of course, I'm not going to tell him that because I really do want to support him. So thanks for letting me vent here! :flowerforyou:

I guess I'm just a little scared about the maintenance thing, and am finding it difficult to accept that my maintenance will most likely look lot more like a diet than my husband's 'diet'. :sad: But I keep reminding myself that, for me, this isn't just about the weight, it is more about the health. And my husband is able to make different decisions and take a different journey for his own reasons. But that's what my journey is all about.

That being said, I'm slowly working at increasing my calories to my maintenance level. Today I'm going to workout my legs for an hour and just keep doing what I've been doing.

Hope everybody has a good day!

Mornin' team!!

Feeling good this sunshiney (and CRAZY WINDY) day!
I can't believe that the simple act of drinking all of your water makes
such a difference. Not sure why it is so difficult for me to get it all down? :grumble:
Most people I know drink it *constantly* and love it. I'm a weirdo I guess.
This morning I thought I was going to gain but didn't. Yay!
I'm trying to keep from being frustrated and depressed. I lost 7 lbs my
first week and this is my 3rd week and I haven't lost any since. Ugh!
My hubby said not to let it bug me and that if losing 2 lbs a week is a
healthy goal, then I'm still on track!
I used to lose weight so easily when I was younger! What's up with that? :huh:

Sooooo looking forward to "The Biggest Loser" finale tonight! :happy:
3 hour show! I'm staying up late for this one!

Good morning everyone!
My family took me to Olive Garden too and because I really have never been one to count calories (until now that is) I never checked my meal until Monday....... OUCH!!!!!!! I love chicken scampi, nearly 1600 calories not to mention the 46 grams of fat,and.... the big chocolate dessert I think I went over by 2000 calories and I cant even remember the fat. What really shocked me was the 27 grams of fat in the salad.
I didn't even eat half of my meal or dessert. I guess as long as that is only a few times a year it really isn't so bad.
I really like reading everything. I really don't know alot of the things (must be exercise programs) you are talking about. My exercise is walking. I also have my elliptical. Maybe you guys can enlighten me.

Hi, Robin! Welcome to the "club"! A rare over-the-top splurge like that won't hurt you, but now that you understand how many calories are in most restaurant food, you can plan in advance. Most chain restaurants have nutritional info available on-line, so I plan ahead. This is VERY useful!

As for the exercise, cardio is great, but I'm a firm believer in strength training for women! Increased muscle mass burns more calories all day long:happy: and gives you a nicer, more toned shape. Women do not lay down big muscles, so don't be afraid of weights. And it's ok to use heavier weights as you get stronger. For instance, I curl 15#. And you only need to do resistance training 2-3 times per week.

Good luck on your journey!:flowerforyou:

Good Afternoon everyone! This is the first time I've posted since we moved...lol, I don't know why, though.

Wendel, I hear you there! My husband doesn't have to do much and even eats all kinds of sweets and exercises "here and there" and he still loses weight! Drives me up the wall but I'm happy for him that he got such a great metabolism. I just hope that my children inherite that trait rather than my eat a donut where a donut on my gut metabolism :laugh:

I've been doing good about working out. Been really sore lately too. I'm sick of getting up at 5 am to exercise so I've been trying to come up with creative ways to sneak out and do a little running since my husband or my older daughter has to watch the little ones.

I'm doing good with my eating....though it seems that I'm eating this HUGE list of food when I have to eat 1600-1800 cals on workout days. Lol, 1200 makes me feel so hungry. I'm half wondering if I should up my normal cals to 1400. Dunno, so far it's been working for me....5 lbs in 22 days on MFP...not super fast, but decent enough. I've noticed that I'm a lot trimmer than I was a month ago.

Anyways, hope you guys have a great day! The sun is finally out today so I might get lucky and get out for some exercise.