TheGaudyMagpie Member

I got some padded socks from Asics, and I'm surprised at how much they help. One of the things that happens to middle-aged women (I'm 49) is that they lose fat on the bottoms of their feet. Some mornings I would wake up and the bottoms of my feet would be sore. The socks really help with that even though they don't seem…

I'm on week 6. It's the only week I've had to repeat (twice!), and that was because of outside issues. The first time, I was having trouble with allergies and asthma, so I had to adjust medications during high pollen time. Then I got sick so I took 5 days off and felt better repeating due to the lost time and lingering…

Way to go everyone! I run outdoors at a lake that is on the way home from my work. I live in California, so I don't have many excuses not to go outside. We have had some weirdly unseasonable rain, but it hasn't been enough to interrupt my schedule. I live in the county of a big city, but my town is just starting a…

I take nortriptyline for migraines and I've had very few side effects. Some people finds it makes them too groggy. I do have some slight cognitive issues from it -- I occasionally can't find words -- but they are far less than on Topamax and are manageable. It's also good for general pain management (I have a nerve issue…

I have a 10K with a 1200 foot elevation gain in September. I did it last year hiking and came in nearly last (like 8th from the end with about 220 people). I want to do it again this year and maaaybe hit the middle. The three minutes were hard for me, but ooof the 5 minutes. Those I almost didn't finish. Tomorrow I have to…

Did you run today? Where are you in the plan? I'm doing W6D2 this afternoon -- 2 10-minute intervals. I was still feeling a little yucky today but I'm starting to feel better now and looking forward to the run.

I can get nauseated or indigestion if I eat something really high in fat but otherwise I eat a pretty normal diet. I do stay below the MFP prescribed amounts of fat, but I just kind of do that naturally at this point. Just read labels and keep tracking until you see what works for you. FYI, some bathroom issues people have…

I was on Topamax for migraine prevention too, and suffered horrible cognitive side effects. I couldn't finish thoughts and forgot words. Some people do fine on it but most people don't and the side effects are terrible (and in some cases -- permanent). I did not lose any weight, but I did lose the ability to drive. I get…

I used the treadmill in the winter and I really hated it. So boring. Normally I run outside at a beautiful lake. I found myself slacking off on cardio and I think this next winter I will focus mainly on lifting with some long runs on the weekend. My gym has a hydraulic hill treadmill (not sure what it is called, but it…

You'll be fine then. I'm a hiker and I think the base level of fitness really helps with the progress. The longer runs are challenging at first, but they're totally doable for someone that is already moving on a regular basis. The first weeks felt hard to me, but now I can do 10 minutes without much trouble, so the…

You probably will be fine. I didn't have to repeat any weeks until I got to Week 6, which I've repeated twice before due to illness. Even the Week 5 long run was fine after I was convinced that I wouldn't be able to finish it. If not, it's fine to repeat workouts until you're ready to move on. It's been challenging, but…

I usually listen to the Avicii station on Amazon for my runs, and I think he is one of the regulars played, so I will add it to the playlist. Thank you!

This is awesome! I was just thinking today that I should set up a playlist for my 5K on 5/28 (working through C25K). Normally I stream Amazon, mostly the Avicii station, which is not to my usual tasted but it's kind of gentle EDM which works well for a new runner. I wanted to have a more directed playlist for the actual…

I'm Michelle in California. I'm on my third go at Week 6. I had allergies/asthma the first time and had to adjust my meds for that and then I had a cold. Just finished Day 1 again yesterday. I'm signed up for a 5K on 5/28. I won't be done with training, but I'll have put in a week of 25 minute runs, so I'm hoping that race…

I'm in week 6 of Couchto5K. I've found it more effective than just running, because the time intervals make me challenge myself more. For example, I might decide I need to stop after 5 minutes on my own, but if the C25K interval is 10 minutes, I will push myself to complete the interval, and I've never not completed one.…

Most people are conscious of Vitamin D importance these days, but if you're not taking a supplement, it might help. One of my doctors told me that the signs of deficiency include general aches and pains. I have some kind of cervical damage (probably arthritis) that causes pain, and I find that collagen supplements really…

I was debating whether to raise that issue, Sabine. I used to eat primal and there was a lot of speculation in those groups about how IF wasn't as effective for women due to the influence of cortisol and stress. The theory was that dietary stress can encourage weight loss in men but slow weight loss in women. Mark Sisson…

That's a nice present.

Sabine, you just started estrogen, right? It took a month or two but my body shape changed back into a more pre-meno shape after I started. I probably lost about two inches from my waist. It settled into my lower abdomen and butt, but I can handle that over the meno pot. Hopefully you will follow suit.

They can pry the estrogen patch off of my cold dead body. HRT has made a significant difference in my quality of life and my ability to stay active and healthy. I'm also on a low dose of a tricyclic for pain management (nortriptyline) and it helps to take the edge off of my anxiety and helps me sleep. You'll have to let me…

I will hold water for as long as six weeks when starting a new exercise program, perhaps with occasional drops to a more expected weight. It doesn't really matter if I work out 3 or 4 days a week. If I'm consistent, it just takes a long time to drop the retained water. Measurements and clothes are my sanity check. I'm…

The symptoms do sound like peri, but you might want to consider full HRT due to your age if that's confirmed via test. I was 47 when I was tested and I started on HRT in part because one of the concerns was that I was on the earlier side of average and estrogen seems to be pretty protective against some health issues (the…

In my experience, if I am consistent with a new exercise program it can take as much as six weeks for me to adapt to where I don't retain as much water, so don't be concerned if you don't lose it right away. What's important is that you still look/feel/measure leaner.

Actually you do need some fat and if you have a meal where you do normally eat some fat, that would be a good time to take vitamins, especially D, K, and A. They're fat soluble and there is the possibility of some deficiencies with a very low fat diet. I currently take a cholesterol binder because I have bile malabsorption…

I didn't have much time to eat low fat before my surgery (I had a blocked duct that was cleared but then two weeks later ended up with an infection that required removal), but after the surgery I ate very low fat and did not have much of an appetite. I ate at about the 1,000 calorie level for a couple of months. The…

It's not unusual for me to hold on to 6 lbs or so for a few weeks if I've just started working out. I'm back up a few pounds now after being low last week. I did a long hike with a lot of climbing this weekend, so I'm suspecting that. Could be TOM coming too. I've kind of been feeling like that's going to come on soon, but…

Yeah, the timing thing is weird. I got one the day I did the trail 10K. It seems like a change in routine is a trigger.

I had a lot of water weight fluctuations last year, but I attributed it to a med I was on and chronic gallbladder disease (after that was discovered). I was fluctuating a lot less since then but now I'm back on an exercise program and I'm up 4 lbs or so and then down a few days later. So I'm thinking that it's probably…

I'm about every four months now but the past couple have been super light. They last a week or so but are little more than spotting. I'm on HRT too, and it may be that my uterine lining just doesn't build up very much. I'm 49 and expecting to be largely done at 50 too. I don't mind getting them at this point, but the lack…

I am very contentedly using hormones right now to get rid of menopause symptoms. They've improved my quality of life and general state of health significantly.