Health and Fitness July, 2015

[Harriet]

Great exercise time early (yay) this a.m. because I chose a floor workout DVD that is very "stretchy" and feels good, lots of elongating stretches. Gets body in alignment and boosts the lymphatic cycle, so it's really no wonder I felt quite well through the rest of the morning. Felt as though I was walking tall with best posture. I am a stickler for water before exercise, but this time didn't feel it was necessary since I knew I had hydrated well yesterday. Downed a pint afterward and needed it - sweaty.

I have been comforting dd lately about her upper back. When I was a teen my mother and aunt were constantly glancing at me and saying, "hold your shoulders back!" I know that through my teen years I would slump and slouch, and even when I didn't think so, I would appear to have a rounded upper back. I never say that to dd, but she sees many more mirrors that I used to, and catches herself in rounded posture, plus compares herself to me, because my back seems straighter. I've told her exercise is the way to go, for sure. No doubt my posture is so much better because of it.

[Nancy]

I did 10 mi. On the ex. Bike 2day 2 hot & windy to walk out side blowing dust or smoke has cut visability.

Smoke cleared out & went South of us. Walked with a friend we were able to do a brisk longer walk the last 2 days she is better after her surgery.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

Looks like weight is down again. Will wait for confirmation tomorrow before updating MFP.

Tomorrow will be a challenge since it is the bbq. I'll have to plan out what to do. There is a chicken burger option. And since it is at 'home' I can have healthy snacks both before and after. Combined with a lower calorie, high volume, lunch, I should be ok. Plus I get lots of activity since we have to move the tables and chairs from the locker in the building across the street out to in front of my building (and then back again.) I picked up 750 steps just walking across and back yesterday so I suspect I'll do well on the step count tomorrow.

Speaking of healthy snacks, I need to pick up a watermelon so I have that on hand as a snack on hot days.

[Harmony]

Good job everybody! I love reading how y'all are doing.

I am stalled but not gaining. I have picked up a few of my bad habits again, quite knowingly, and that is the reason. I know why too. I became discouraged when I couldn't get to the dr. until another 2 months, and then I had all that hard grass work and no time to eat which for some reason did not result in any weight loss. I was about that - I should have lost a couple pounds at least. So I began picking up old habits.

Now I am ready to begin again before I go completely back...and I have assurance of what I need to do. Stay out of the ice cream, away from the cookie jar (ya think?) watch my portions, and make better choices. It's not rocket science. I just need to DO it.

I have a small frame and very narrow shoulders. When I married I was 115 lbs (I am 5'4.5") and I gained 5 lbs with each baby, so stayed at 125 for a while. Menopause did me in I think. I got into the high 160's. Now I am 156. I would like to get into the 130's, I think that's realistic weight for me. The lowest I've gotten while dieting was 144. I carry some weight in my legs from my knees to ankle and even as a teenager at 110 my lower legs weren't skinny. so if I let myself get heavier I believe I would be one of those people who was out of proportion and really awful looking. I remember at 115 my arms were sticks. I wore padded B bras. and I was basically straight up and down. Those were the days! I remember being so "comfortable" with my body. Clothes were comfortable, getting around was wonderful.

So there's my goal. I'd like to hit Christmas with a nicer weight this year.

[Twins' Mom]

Harmony, I'm still struggling with starting over. On Sunday night, ds wanted to order pizza and breadsticks, so I had pizza and breadsticks for dinner Sunday, and lunch and dinner yesterday.

Yes, I want to start over but just feel so unsettled. I can put together one or two good days but that is it...trying again.

[helia]

((Harmony)) It IS hard to make good food decisions when one is feeling discouraged - about anything. Oh, reading about menopause made me cringe. . . I'm not there yet and it is already SO difficult to lose!! I think your goal sounds reasonable, if anything a bit low.

You can do it Twins! I know how hard eating out can be. . . In a normal week, we eat out about 2-3 times, and we eat socially (with a group of 7+ people) another 1-2x/week. It is very difficult for me to repeatedly and consistently make good decisions in those 2 situations.

I was 148.5 first thing this morning, so the weight is down a tad. But, I did not exercise today. I did jog yesterday, and it was SO humid I ended up being drenched with sweat. My shirt was sticking to my soaking wet body, and that was kind of uncomfortable. I have started carrying a paper towel with me when I jog to at least wipe the sweat off my face as it gets in my eyes and stings and that can impede my sight. . . . I'm making this sound really fun, aren't I? I think I only went 2.2? miles in 30 minutes, so that was a really slow time. I'll go again tomorrow. It is supposed to be significantly cooler tomorrow. I really want to try to get in 3 miles in one go before we head off on our trip.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

I think the key is to be assertive and say "I need this" and stick to it. For things like pizza, I've identified a kind that can fit into my diet without blowing it. We order it only on days that I have enough calories to spend and I only eat half. Then I freeze the leftovers (and dh freezes his.) In a few weeks, I can have it again.

I can manage the bagel shop on a good day when I have something light planned for dinner. I take my scale to the pub for fajita night and have 2 with tortillas and the last of my meat just with veggies on the plate.

Other times he wants to eat out, I recommend one of the three safe restaurants where there is something I can order without worrying.

Dh enjoys the faux-fried fish I make and he makes himself deep fried fries and I have just 2 oz of them (again, I measure.)

One day a week, I still track everything but allow myself to eat whatever I need to eat to get along socially (either with others or dh.) That's how I overate by 1000 calories last week.

I decided that sticking to a calorie tracked program had to have a safety valve or I'd stop following it. It isn't really restricted, I usually have 1400 - 1800 calories, but it is restricted compared to what I used to eat. I'm up to day 83 now and am down 16 pounds. Two more to go and I won't be obese any more. I still have a long way to go before I'm no longer overweight, in fact such a long way that I've divided the next goal in half and am heading to 160 first and then 145. Once I'm no longer overweight, I'll set a date to get to my goal weight.

This is a long-term project for me. But the key has been sticking with tracking every day even if I don't track accurately and, in the comments, throw up my hands and say "tomorrow is another day."

In the long run, Twins, those three pizza/breadstick meals won't be a big deal. So record them and get on with putting yourself first and making sure you get what you need to eat. The others can eat whatever they want. You did that after your dh's surgery; now is your turn to be considered by the others.

[Kathryn-in-Canada]

As I expected, another pound down. And the needle was below 175 so I might be down another pound quickly. I'm now at the dividing line. At 175, I'm obese; at 174, I'm merely overweight.

While updating my paper records, I noted that I started the higher protein intake on June 22 and have lost 7 pounds in 29 days. I began this process around April 22 and lost 9 pounds in the 2 months before switching to higher protein.

So the higher protein appears to have increased weight loss rate by almost 100%.

On the other hand, I'm tracking better now and I'm moving much more because my knees are feeling better. So it might not be the protein at all, or only partly since I note even my 'days off' don't tend to have as many calories as before - perhaps because the protein is filling me up more.

Whatever, if I can keep up this rate of loss while not traveling, I will be able to move my final goal date up by months. Currently, I have it set 9 months from now. If this rate held, I could cut 2 months off that (actually 4 but I only expect myself to hold my weight steady in August due to be away from a scale and a kitchen, and in December, due to seasonal socializing around food I find hard to resist.) Plus there's the whole "weight comes off more slowly the closer you get to your goal weight" issue to prepare for.

[Nancy]

Yesterday did a long walk and a few mi. On ex. Bike.

[helia]

Woohoo Kathryn!! WTG! I'm SO glad your knees are doing better.

there's the whole "weight comes off more slowly the closer you get to your goal weight" issue to prepare for.

Yes, I believe I'm dealing with this issue.

Do you have a pretty place to walk, nancy?

I jogged this a.m. It was not as hot and humid as Monday, but I still worked up a good sweat. I tried to plan on being on the sunny parts of my route earlier in my jog when I wouldn't be so tired and therefore more zapped by the sun. Much of the path I take is wooded and therefore has lots of shade. It follows the river, though there is a meadow area on the arboretum side. Anyhow, it provides pretty scenery and a fair amount of wildlife too. I did 2.5 miles in about 32.5 minutes, so not super fast but not as slow as Monday, kind of my new average.

WW said I was down 1.4 lbs.! So, that was very encouraging especially since this was 5 days after my last weigh in, not 7 days. Being diligent with the exercise and watching what I'm eating and tracking consistently DO pay off. My first cynical response was to be suspicious that that number was not real, but it is encouraging and I'll take that.

Scale at my home showed a number I haven't seen for years: 147.5. But it quickly blipped up to 148. WW weight for me is always higher b/c I'm clothed and I have a large mug of tea in my tummy. I usually drink my tea en route to the meeting. As long as I'm consistent, it doesn't really matter if I weigh with tea or not.