<p>toneranger,
Hey if you find that you love yoga, good for you, you found your favorite, which is the most important, because you will look forward doing it and stick to it for years to come. I wish I could do yoga, I did it for 1.5 years. It was so convinient, in our office building with companies paying the bulk, so it was only $3 / session for employees and a wonderful instructor who tried so hard to adjust everything to my personal needs. But my virtigo got worse and worse and I had to stop. Spent lots of money to get rid of virtigo and never went back to yoga. I cannot do a lot like going on a boat, do yard work, clean house or even having massage. I agree that yoga is very relaxing and worked wonderfully in a middle of the day at lunch time. I envy you.</p>
<p>MOWC – I’d like to respond to your slam on Medifast. Your “wag of the finger” was quite evident when you said “this thread is for people focusing on health and lifestyle changes – not gimics.” But I’d like to point out that this diet has been around for 25 years and is recommended by most MDs. Yes, like every diet out there, there is a huge risk of regaining. I went into it with extreme hesitation and awareness of this fact. But when I see people that I know lose 40 to 100 lbs, and see that they’ve kept it off for 3 years, I have a hard time seeing the negative. It’s all about how you transition away from the program, something that Medifast teaches well.</p>
<p>I only intend to be on this program for another month (for a total of two) and then transition off. But in the meantime, it has opened my eyes and fundamentally changed my relationship with food. I now fully understand the importance of drinking water, of eating many small meals throughout the day, of eating protein and abstaining from bread, pasta, sugar and alcohol and much as possible. And when I go out to eat with groups of friends and see the portion sizes and general crap that most people are eating, I understand why I was overweight and why most of America is the same.</p>
<p>My personal trainer has always told me that exercise is only 20% of a successful weight loss equation, and that diet is the other 80%. I understood that before, but now I’m living it. That’s perfectly fine that this program is not right for you, but I strongly caution you to not rush to judgment on something that has benefited so many others.</p>
<p>miami…too bad about your vertigo. I go to a yoga class regularly but I also practice at home…even have a yoga playlist on my ipod. Maybe you could do some of the poses that don’t involve balance or standing? Even a short session (15 minutes) makes me feel better. And putting my legs up - supported against the wall really helps my back. </p>
<p>cbug…as I said before…KUDOS to you on your weight loss. A diet designed by Johns Hopkins that’s been around over 25 years seems to have a lot going for it. And I TOTALLY agree that it can help you adjust your eating habits long term. Go for it. Good luck and have fun shopping for those new clothes!</p>
<p>toneranger . . . thanks so much for your support!! That’s also what’s great about the program. They have a great support network. It’s refreshing to have people cheering for you!</p>
<p>cbug- I apologize. I just thought you sounded like an info-mercial. 
I’m glad it is working for you, and I guess time will tell. I just have seen about 100% failure rate (over a few years) when the food is provided for you. Clearly there are success stories. I always thought I would be able to eat better if I had a chef to cook only the right things for me and follow me around on business trips, etc. Alas, it wasn’t to be!</p>
<p>Back to the gym and once again it was packed due to rain and the main gym closed for repairs. Got my biking in and then my third weight session for the week. Tried some new machines and they were hard! Trying to mix things up and keep moving forward.</p>
<p>
I’d say it took about 7 - 8 months total. I first felt the pain last year in March. I’m pretty sure it was due to over zealous stretching during a crew clinic at the indoor tanks. I ignored the pain, which grew progressively worse, until June, when I went to an orthopedist. I didn’t start with the PT until August. She was pretty good – or at least I think she was, since I’d never had PT before. But, as I said, that lat pulldown machine did a great job of stretching out the affected muscles. </p>
<p>I’ve heard from a lot of women that they’ve had similar issues. I just knew surgery was the very LAST thing I’d try, and that would only be if the pain was unbearable. Good luck.</p>
<p>Re shoulder injuries. I had a bad shoulder a few years ago…likely from dragging a heavy briefcase around NY. Anyway, it nagged at me for months and I finally went to my doc. The exercise he gave me helped dramatically after a few weeks. Lay on your back on a couch with your head at one end and one weight in your hands (start with five and move up as you gain strength). Stretch your arms over your head with the weight and go as far back as you can comfortably. It’s probably very similar to the pull downs.</p>
<p>7-8 months? Ugh. It’s already been 6 months of living with this injury, re-aggravating it 3 times after it started to get better. Am finally in PT and will try to be “good”. toneranger, I think your exercise is part of my PT routine, except with 1 lb. weights. I can’t handle anything heavier yet.</p>
<p>Also, toneranger, just wanted to say that swimming is not much fun until you’ve learned to swim well, and by that, I mean be able to swim in a relaxed fashion. Even for me, (I’ve been swimming since I was 5), the first 5 minutes feels kind of floundering, but then you get into a groove and it is actually a lot like yoga, very meditative.</p>
<p>So…talk to me about weights. I have been using the weight machines rather than free weights because I am uncomfortable in that area with all the huge hulking men. My goal is to get comfortable on the machines and gradually do more free weights when I get stronger and have a friend go over to the scarey side with me. Would I make better progress by just sucking it up and using free weights??? I usually do chest, shoulders, lats, triceps, biceps on machines and use biking for lower exercise. My legs, thighs, hips and rear are ok so I don’t do much for them besides the biking and slow walking.</p>
<p>mousgray…I understand your frustration. Nagging injuries that never seem to go away… I hope this isn’t part of getting old. I’ve had tennis elbow for almost a year. Gets better…gets worse. 2 different PTs, Chiro, at home therapy…nothing seems to work. It’s not horrible but it limits activities like weightlifting and golf. I had to withdraw from a fun bowling league last fall. Still working on it. Maybe it just takes a lot longer when you get older :)</p>
<p>NM,</p>
<p>I prefer free weights because they increase balance and stability in addition to building strength and muscle mass or muscle tone. But they do have their drawbacks.</p>
<p>This may help you a bit:</p>
<p>[Free</a> Weights or Machines?](<a href=“http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightlifting/a/freeweights.htm]Free”>Weight Training Equipment)</p>
<p>toneranger,
Thanks for suggestions, but I already exersice about 2 hours / day every single day (shorter in a summer, when I swim). Even my chiro who fixed my virtigo after yoga attempts was against exercising for 3 hours (yoga added another hour). He said that I do not need that much. Yoga just made me feel relaxed in a middle of the day at office. But I paid dearly for that feeling whoozy all time, I am OK now.</p>
<p>I’m living in Hoboken during the week and just finished my second week there. I will need to find a gym (a cheap gym), but in the meantime it’s been pretty good since I’m out of my comfort zone. I went for a jog Tuesday night and went longer and faster than I would have on the treadmill. Last night I was determined to investigate some new areas of town and I went waaaaaay longer and faster than I would have on the threadmill or the elliptical. I still don’t have any place I can lie down and do abs exercises or leg stuff, but I think in another week or two I’ll be ready to tackle that issue.</p>
<p>Living away from the DH and the pups during the week means I focus about 95% completely on my job. This is new for me!</p>
<p>VH–glad to hear this new job/living regime is working for you. OT, but, have you gotten a handle on the drive? I know our hugely crowded/confused North Jersey traffic/road system had you flummoxed at the start (as it would anyone!)</p>
<p>When I broke my leg a couple of years ago, I decided that the injury I DID NOT want was a shoulder injury. During my weeks in PT I saw people with knee replacements come and go, hip replacements, same thing - but those poor people with shoulder injuries - yikes! I felt so bad for them. Their progress was incremental. </p>
<p>As I mentioned before I use free weights. I was thinking about that this morning and I it would be harder to start later in life. I used machines for a couple of years, but I started with the free weights in my mid twenties. You do have to be careful that your form is correct and I highly recommend using a full length mirror in the room so you can be sure you are doing what you think you are doing. We switched because after the initial investment, it was relatively inexpensive and convenient. This was in the mid eighties when women were arriving all decked out for the gym. That wasn’t going to work for me. </p>
<p>Our equipment consists of lots of dumbbells, weights, a curl bar, a regular bar, a bench press/leg extension, a pulldown machine, and another bench. Recently, I re-introduced dips to make sure that when I stop waving my skin stops as well. </p>
<p>I like having the weights at home, but I would recommend anyone who is considering adding some free weights, consult with someone and start light and slowly.</p>
<p>You must have a basement.</p>
<p>No, we eliminated the dining room which meant I didn’t need a kitchen. ;)</p>
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<p>I have a basement, but I don’t use it for weights. A couple pair of dumbells, a stabilty ball, a wall, and a step is all I need for more weight training than I can stand.</p>
<p>With all the talk of shoulders, the newest exercise iPod nazi has added for me is a reverse fly. Lie on my stomach on the stability ball, legs stretched out straight, feet achored against a wall, back straight. Start with the dumbells down by the floor in front of the ball and then lift them out to the sides and up to parallel. Then, back down together just above the floor. It works the shoulders like crazy.</p>
<p>Gosh…my treat lately has been the DelMonte Fruit Naturals Red Grapefruit cups. Just looked at the nutrition info and the cup is actually counted as two servings! I love these things and really only allow myself to have one once a week but still…who opens this and saves half!!! For pete’s sake, just add all the calories, sugar, etc and call it what it is!</p>