Health and Fitness, September, 2009

[Harmony]

Trish, nice to hear from you and congrats for doing well, I wish I could say the same.

You might have something about the sodium, Indiana. I've been considering that. I'll add that up and see where I'm at. I did notice when I exercise hard on the eliptical and drink a bit more water during the day my ankles do not swell up by evening.

I thought I did well when we were away. Tiny portions of everything, but my weight was up when I got home. The day I stayed in bed all day and evening with the headache I only had 2 bowls of soup, a granola bar, a glass of water, 1 cup of coffee with skim milk. Guess what, the next morning I was up 1 lb.

So I have not found yet what is doing this, I'm sure exercising enough, we go at least 2 miles on our bikes nearly every day and then there's the eliptical, I can feel my leg muscles working. Coffee intake is down, water up, and weight is just up and down around the same place. Just cannot seem to get it started. I have never had this happen before. I'm just stuck.
Editing next day to report sadly I'm up another 1/2 lb. At this rate I'd be better NOT trying to diet at all.

[Harriet]

((Harmony))

Stomping my feet for you!!!

Well, now wait, you wouldn't be better off without what you're doing, because you're also reporting you can feel your leg muscles working and you are getting in some wonderful quality time with your sweetie, enhancing health for both of you and getting your stamina up. You also have bragging rights around here for sure. Who else is out Lance Armstrong-ing around their neighborhood.

I'd agree with Indiana on adding up your sodium. Once I tried one of those websites that counts everything for you, from fat, carbs, and sodium to different vitamins, and it was a real eye opener. I'd get down to the end of the day and be amazed that this or that was out of whack with my day's numbers - who knows.

I'm convinced you are a weight loss waiting to happen and already a fat loss success who just can't prove it yet.

Totally forgot I meant to measure Monday morning before any exercise and after the weekend "off". Oh, well, next Monday.

[Harmony]

Thanks for the encouragement, Harriet.

Yesterday I was so bummed out about this whole thing I didn't mark down anything except the dismal weight number at the beginning of the day.

About the sodium thing: As I haven't upped my sodium on this diet (I know I haven't done that) I shouldn't have MORE water weight than I did before I started, right? Even if there's some, there was probably some before. So, still my numbers should have started to move down. My discouragement right now is HUGE.

My advice to everybody is to keep moving, even if you're not dieting or trying to lose weight. I think my year of totally taking it easy on very sore feet caused my metabolism to get stuck.

Does anybody think fasting a day or two would help in any way?

[Harriet]

I think alternating calories, yes, good chance for a jumpstart. Fasting, not so much, I don't think .. ....

There are mini-fast type concepts though, such as "Eat, Stop, Eat", in which you pick a day of the week and don't eat for 24 hours. BUT (and this is a big but) you would have had a very healthy, good supper to finish eating the night before at, say, 6:00 p.m., then would have a very healthy, good supper the night of the mini-fast at, say, 7:00 p.m. See how that is different - there is no calendar day on which you do not eat. One of the T-Tapp Senior Trainers has said she believes it is a sound idea, if not done too often - I think she mentions just once a week. Also, I think there is one called "Fast Five", which means something like eating during a 5-hour window and no other time, but I'm not sure of other points about it. I'm sure both are on the net.

[lucylee]

I'm back at 153... just one pound away from the elusive 152... but oh, how I'd love to see the 40s again.
Can't believe I'm saying that, LOL. When I was in high school, I couldn't have imagined weighing this much.
My face looks sooo fat in that driver's license picture.
MAYBE, now that I've got this school newspaper under control again, and Aunt Flo is leaving for a few weeks, you know, MAYBE I can get my life back on track and start some sort of EXERCISE program again.

[Harmony]

Lucylee, I still think you are doing well.

Harriet, I know you are!

Rethinking the fasting idea, I'm worried that might shut down my metabolism worse than it already is.

I've just stopped for a few days, still aware of what I'm eating or not eating, and still continuing to exercise, but not logging my diet. It's just sooo hard to do that day in and day out when there is no result. My highest weight that I logged is where I stay this way. I have not budged up or down. And I know my calorie count is up. So, I'm not sure what this is telling me.

I will start anew perhaps Monday. I know if nothing changes, I will be bummed the end of the month when I've not met my goal, nor even inched along towards it. I've already been thinking about that a lot.

[Nancy]

Finally got a handle on the wt. gain I hope any way
bumped up my exercise to 50 min. yesterday
going for an hour is my goal but will have to work in to that.
Getting enough water helped also!

Love the fresh veggies from the farmers mkt.
that we got this week.
Had to cut back on pizza here.

[LurkyLou]

Harmony, my trainer told me that as we ....um...mature....carbs take a higher toll on us than earlier. I have noticed if I eat one fruit/day and limit my white carbs to once a day, my weight drops faster than when I have more. I do take Fridays off and do what I want...no exercise and I will eat...whatever. I'm doing weights and aerobic exercise, now up to 40/day-not including warm-up time, which varies depending on how long it takes for me to get my heart rate up. I find when I log into thedailyplate.com I tend to stay more on track with my food choices. And I drink anywhere from 2-4 liters/day of water. I do get in lots of different colored veggies throughout the day in case you think the fruit is too low. Dh fixes us an egg in the morning mixed with peppers, onions, olives and sometimes sausage--so good and it lasts till mid-morning when I have a cheese stick.

I was measured today since I re-upped with my trainer for another 8 weeks. Since 7/7, I've lost 14" and about 18 pounds. So I'm pleased, of course I would've liked it to be an even 20 pounds for 10 weeks, since I've been averaging 2#/wk. But I've been "splurging" on carbs this last 1.5 weeks and it shows I think. I know I'm stronger. Today I was able to do "planks" using my hands instead of my forearms. I know she's gonna have me do army push-ups soon and I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to do them properly when she does ask.

[Harriet]

lucylee, that is great - 152 is not so elusive after all! Yay!!

Congratulations on feeling like upping your exercise, Nancy. Glad you are doing so well.

LurkyLou! These have been a very successful 10 weeks for you. I know you are happy, and hope the next 8 weeks are fun and successful, too. I like 'the daily plate' for quick nutrition counts on something I'm unsure of. Yes, you need at least one day off per week - keep that up!

((Harmony)) A few days off are probably what the dr ordered! Yep, lowering the carbs could be wise like LurkyLou said. Maybe adding in extra water to compensate for the additional gardening work and outdoor time?

Harmony asked about whether my acid reflux is temporary. The dr thinks so, but then we don't even have the blood tests back to be sure it is stress-induced, so I won't count my chickens before they hatch. He believes I'll be able to go off the medicine in 6 weeks without it coming back. However, I know I'll probably be careful for the rest of my life no matter what - I have such respect for it now.

My own healthy habit checklist was knocked for a loop for almost the last 7 days because of desperately trying to comfort my digestive system. I've eaten ice cream I didn't even want because it made my esophagus/tummy feel better, plus many other comfort-driven decisions. And I didn't want to exercise Monday (bending at waist), so didn't get that in. (I'm doing M,W,F) I'm up 3.5 pounds. I know part is water weight. This is not a good time to measure my abdominal area so forget that! Anyway, I hope to be back on track today, maybe even exercising. So far, a little banana-apple fruit salad. (The 2 fruits least likely to cause acid indigestion, they say.)

I feel sorry for HRH, who was counting on me to be in his corner with his own weight-loss and healthy-eating push lately. I know he stagnated because I was down for the count a while!

editing to say, nnooo... ... exercise is not going to happen. going to tak ea little more recuperation time I guess; feeling lousy.

[lucylee]

I'm not exercising, either. And I have no excuse... just too busy w/other things. School things. I should just make exercise a bigger priority. It'd probably help w/energy for school stuff, etc., too... I know that... * sigh *

Harriet -- I hope you feel MUCH better soon! (((Hugs)))