spiriteagle99 Member

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  • I wouldn't worry about it too much. Watches are not that accurate for heart rate and can be higher or lower depending on how tightly you are wearing it. Stress, lack of sleep or fighting off a cold can also raise your HR. Pay attention to how you feel during your walks and runs. It should feel easy. If it doesn't, slow…
  • For encouragement, I also lost 50+ in my mid-fifties and have kept it off for the past 10 years. Being retired meant I had the time to devote to physical activity in a way that was different when I was working. There were also a lot fewer restaurant meals, so I had much better control of what I was eating every day. Eating…
  • Congratulations!
  • I have been maintaining my weight for many years, after losing about 55 lbs. I don't measure or weigh my food, but I do log what I eat. It keeps me honest. I am less likely to eat a donut or an extra cookie when I know that it will show up on my log. I have a long history of yoyo dieting and I really don't want to go back…
  • To lose weight, it doesn't matter whether your calories come from carbs, protein, or other macros; it only matters how many calories you eat. Don't complicate things too much. Try to stick close to your calorie goal and see how it goes. Experiment with the food you eat to find which foods help you feel full and which make…
  • That is the way weight loss works: it isn't linear. Your body retains water for a lot of different reasons: too much salt, too much fiber (takes a while to digest), new exercise that causes muscles to retain water to aid healing, ovulation, etc. Just within a week, your weight will go up and down a couple of pounds whether…
  • Again, it depends on where you live and how cold and wet it is there. I live in Pennsylvania, so it gets cold, but not sub-zero. Most of my mid-winter runs are in the 30s or 40s since I run in the afternoon. What I have found is that I need a lot less than I ever thought I would for winter runs. I mentally add 20 degrees…
  • The best exercise is one you'll actually do, and hopefully enjoy doing. As stated above, walking is very accessible. If you are working long hours, there are online videos you can do at home before or after work. Weekends do something outdoors that you enjoy.
  • Discipline and habit. I plan on 45+ minutes of exercise 6 days a week, plus dog walking every day. I don't always want to do it, but I make it happen. I'm a runner, but I also hike, ride a bike, do yoga, etc. I have learned that I feel better both physically and mentally if I get some good exercise regularly. That pushes…
  • Five days a week is fine. The recommendation for good health is 150 minutes of exercise each week, so 5 x 30 is good. Your swimming takes care of the basic 150 minutes, anything else is bonus. Walk if you enjoy it. Or bike, dance, ski, mow the lawn, do yoga or tai chi, do online videos, etc. if you want to switch things…
  • I need the endorphins and serotonin I get from exercise. I may not feel a high, but I feel a calmness after a good workout that I really need.
  • I've been maintaining for over 10 years after decades of yoyo dieting. For me, I need to keep doing the things that helped me lose weight: log what I eat and stay active. By logging daily, I can't pretend that having an extra cookie or another beer won't matter. But it also lets me know I can have a couple of cookies or…
  • Congratulations!
  • I'm 67 and I eat all my exercise calories in maintenance. It keeps me from being over-hungry on days I am more active. I lost 50+ lbs. and have maintained that loss for about 10 years. As stated above, try eating back a percentage of the calories and see what happens. In my case I learned that I burn more than the norm for…
  • Are you having a hard time sticking to your calorie goal, or are you sticking to your goal but not losing weight as quickly as you expected/hoped?
  • If you suddenly increase the carbs that you are eating, you will gain water weight. Beyond that, weight fluctuates all the time, depending on how much water you retain due to exercise or salt intake, plus waste in your system. Most of us who are maintaining have a 5 lb. window that is acceptable. When weight goes over the…
  • You could use "aerobics, general" or "aerobics high impact" as a category and then change the number of calories the those given by the instructor.
  • I'm primarily a walker and a runner. I use MFPs calories and eat back all of them. Yes, the MFP calories tend to be high, but they generally agree with what my Garmin says at the end of the day. I lost 50+ lbs. and have maintained that loss for 10 years. I actually burn more calories than the average for my age and size,…
  • I would just add them manually. There are MFP entries for walking, running, rowing and stationary biking. The calories are often exaggerated, but you can adjust. i.e. my bike's calorie burn is much lower than the calories MFP gives me, so I use that number. It is close to what my watch says. OTOH, my treadmill has much…
  • Stomach issues are common for runners. Are you drinking during your runs? Are you taking in electrolytes during or afterwards? If your long runs are two hours, have you tried taking in a gel or other nutrition midway? (During races, the usual advice is to take something every 40 minutes or so.) When I was training for long…
  • Are you eating back your exercise calories? Do you carefully weigh or measure everything you eat? 1700 calories seems low for someone who is very active on a daily basis, unless you are also eating back your exercise calories or are undercounting what you eat. FWIW - like Ann, I am an older female (67), 5'6", 123 lbs., and…
  • Choose what fits your calories and still tastes good to you. I can drink lower fat milk, but my husband won't drink anything less than 2% so that's what I'm used to. I won't eat low fat cheese, but I'm okay with non-fat yogurt. I don't much like it but I'll eat it occasionally. I would prefer cream in my coffee, but given…
  • Adrenalines are more of a support shoe, usually recommended for people who pronate or who are heavier. Ghosts are neutral and have less support, but are a great all around shoe. That is my usual running shoe, though I also wear Glycerins. They are more cushioned, so good for long runs or walking, but they are neutral - not…
  • If you are a strong walker, then finishing a HM should be possible, especially with 9 months to train. Just be careful not to push yourself too hard, too soon. (You don't want to get injured.) When you start running, keep your pace slow and easy. Do some of your runs on terrain that is similar to that of the race. Don't be…
  • Good luck. Garmin has challenges on its website for walking, elevation, steps, biking, etc. Some are time based, some distance. I don't think they have any distance biking challenges, but I've done several of the walking/steps challenges, including walking the Appalachian Trail, Tour de Mont Blanc etc. It's fun to have…
  • Now is the time to really focus on your eating. Find out what foods satisfy you without making you gain weight. Log meticulously. Make healthy choices. Last year I had surgery on my hand and was told I wasn't allowed to sweat for two months. As a daily walker and runner I was aghast. I exercise largely for my…
  • Good luck! Several years ago, I realized that in a world where so much was out of my control, one of the things I can control is the food I eat and the exercise I do. I lost weight and became a runner. When the world around me seems too much, I can always go for a walk or run and let it all go.
  • It won't stop you from losing weight, but it will make any progress less obvious since waste in your system will show up on the scale. If the constipation makes you feel bloated, it could actually help a bit because bloating can reduce your appetite. Drink more water, exercise, eat lots of vegetables and if it lasts for…
  • It can. Usually, it goes the other way though, I think. Women can lose their periods when they undereat.
  • When you are standing doing something simple, like stirring dinner, waiting for the microwave to ding, brushing your teeth, standing at the photocopier, etc. add a few leg lifts or squats or rise on your toes etc. I don't know if it actually makes any difference, but I enjoy adding a little here and there. Also, when home…
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