<p>7 miles treadmill. Torrential downpour and 42 degrees outside, dry and 65 indoors. :)</p>
<p>It was supposed to be 50 degrees with blue skies. A perfect forecast for a 50 mile bike ride. It was more like 38 degrees with cloudy skies. When the sun momentarily peeked out, it went up to a sultry 42. It was still a great day for a 50 mile ride. It was either that or have a psychotic episode from one indoor ride too many. After the ride, when I stopped at my local bike shop still wearing my riding attire, one of the guys there leaned over, took a deep breath and said to me “Damn, you smell like fresh air.” LOL</p>
<p>50 mile ride- wow!!! That’s a good days work!</p>
<p>Settled for 30 minute cardio workout at home. Part of the video featured some of the"slides" as a prop - interesting! Haven’t really seen them before! I just followed the “no slides” instructions but they looked kind of fun! Do some of them come with a video???</p>
<p>The slides ARE fun. I would really recommend them. Mine didn’t come with a video, but who needs one with all iDad’s links?</p>
<p>Good ride, Michael. Glad you could get outside. Bunsen- don’t blame you for sticking to the treadmill.</p>
<p>For a moment I though that I would run outside, but the thick, slick layer of needles, leaves, pinecones and branches covering the streets made me change my mind. I do not want to break a wrist or twist my ankle while slipping on this mess! Plus, while I was putting together an outdoor running outfit, it began to pour!</p>
<p>LasMa, way to go!</p>
<p>Michael, going on a 50 mile ride is a pretty awesome way to spend Sunday. :)</p>
<p>11.25 miles today. Oh I’m tired. </p>
<p>My hr monitor was spiking for the first mile. Is there any way to keep it from doing that? I soak it pretty good before putting it on but it still has issues.</p>
<p>Exactly Bunsen, not worth a broken bone!!!</p>
<p>Blankmind- mine does that when I wear certain tech fabrics! and I haven’t quite figured out which ones. It isn’t all of them. Yesterday my hR monitor started out Ok, then was up to 220 for much of miles 1 1/2 to 3 and then was oK.</p>
<p>I often find that my heart rate monitor gives me strange readings when the strap is not tight enough for it to feel firm against my chest and also if I just moisten the strap and not my chest. Also, sometimes the precise positioning of the strap can solve the problem. Are the monitors in question coded so that the chance of picking up electrical interference or interference from other HR monitors is minimized?</p>
<p>MichaelNKat, I don’t know about coding. MOWC, I have noticed one dri fit shirt I have seems more staticy and causes issues with the monitor, so I don’t wear that one much any more. I’ll have to start paying attention to what I’m wearing. I’m trying to do some lhr training, so it’s kind of annoying to see 230 & higher when I’m just getting warmed up!</p>
<p>My husband says transformers on telephone poles can cause interference, too.</p>
<p>Saw a bunny zoom across the yard a few minutes ago. Speedy!</p>
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<p>In dry cold staticky conditions, nylon/polyester fabric slapping against the chest strap causes spikes that usually go away once you are sweaty.</p>
<p>Make sure the sensors are wet. There are electrode gels (used for EKG electrodes) that improve conductivity. Or, you can wear cotton.</p>
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<p>Thanks for the link. Interesting TED talk. </p>
<p>I lost a little over 90 pounds and have not found that I am constantly hungry. I did find, of course, that I can’t go back to way of eating and expect to keep that weight off. In that sense, I don’t think “diet” is the right concept. I think changes to the way we eat, ultimately permanent changes, is the right concept – although it may be best to not think permanent when first making the changes.</p>
<p>The big problem with ‘dieting’ is losing lean muscle mass along with the fat. That is really self-defeating because reduced muscle means reduced metabolic rate. Doing resistance strength training to preserve as much muscle as possible while losing body fat is hugely beneficial in avoiding the yo-yo diet thing.</p>
<p>I also believe that we have some ability to control the hormonal/brain chemistry drive to eat – through a very simple mechanism to lower our average insulin levels and improve our insulin sensitivity. This, at least, tilts the odds a little bit in our favor.</p>
<p>^in some ways, peaceful mom, she’s right about the futility of dieting. The evidence supports her.</p>
<p>But idad, whose lost 90lbs, doesn’t “diet” per se, and I, who have lost 40 lbs this year, also don’t “diet” the way she means.</p>
<p>Here are the things I think make a difference in my case, but there are many paths.</p>
<p>1) not falling below your basal metabolic rate (BMR).
When she’s taking about the Brain’s set point, I think its connected to the BMR. If your caloric intake is below BMR, then indeed your metabolism slows down because your body thinks its starving, and then yes, that caloric budget she was talking about kicks in. The way to lose weight without your body knowing what you’re up to is to do it verrrrrrry slowwwwwly. Look up what your BMR should be for your weight, and make certain you consume enough calories not to dip below it, even if that means losing two pounds a month instead of four.</p>
<p>2) eating foods that will give you satiety – fat, for example, tells your brain all is well in the world. So when choose real butter when needed, or dense, high-protein foods that convince your body there’s no famine afoot, your brain doesn’t think you’re “dieting”</p>
<p>3) Avoid or eliminate where possible sugar in general and any foods high on the glyceimic index (eg things made with white flour, etc.) high GI foods make your pancreas produce too much insulin. When your body has too much insulin, you feel famished. Your body wants food to soak up that overproduction of insulin. Example…as an experiment, try eating a 300 calorie piece of cake versus 300 calories of hummus and gluten free crackers and cheese. Time how long it is until you feel hungry 
After the hummus at that volume (its actually pretty low cal) you will feel like you’ve had a meal. I predict the cake will not have the same impact.</p>
<p>4) Occasional high intensity workouts, even in short bursts, have been shown to increase your metabolism rate for the ensuing 24 hours. So if your a runner, that means a few intervals…if on the airdyne, same deal. If you’re doing a quick circuit of kettle bells, I suspect same deal due to the nature and pace of the program (cardio plus strength.)</p>
<p>5) Realize that fruit is healthy candy, but it is still candy 
By that, I mean is is sugar loaded and can create that insulin rush that makes you hungry. To get in adequate serving of fruit, consider adding tomatoes, which are loaded with other thermogenetic properties that render them calorically neutral, and pairing another fruit with a healthy “fat” (eg nuts or Greek yogurt n sweetened) to slow down the glyceimic index</p>
<p>6) track and maintain as long as you need to a caloric intake record using an online program. It is impossible at first to gauge actual calories consumed, and if you want to stay above BMR but lose as much weight as possible it comes down to a fairly informed and precise sense of caloric management. But it is still not a diet per se that’s because you’re free to enter anything you want in the log, as long as it is the whole truth.</p>
<p>After doing this for a year, I have a chart that tells the story…all the flatlining during summer parties, the caloric spikes on holidays … And the downward tend when I’m eating clean. Over time, I can also see what activity level makes the most productive difference (snowshoeing up a hill :)</p>
<p>Not everyone needs to use this approach, but for me it has made the difference in to date being able to generally maintain my loss (my original goal had been 30 but this year I’m gunning for -50) and at the same time also being in considerably better condition, including muscle tone.</p>
<p>That doesn’t mean my “set point” is actually any lower…I am clear that my body would love to be fatter, as evidenced by the Xmas season, where indeed I was up 5 lbs But when you take the long view and just try to balance your overall consumption with nutrient-dense and satisfying foods but still enjoy the odd nights out and keep moving your body, well, I think its possible to beat the brain “set point” that she says never goes down But it requires a continued consciousness and willingness.</p>
<p>So its not a diet…it’s a perhaps imperfect but on balance, overriding commitment to an adjusted lifestyle And if YOU believe its not a diet, your brain will too!</p>
<p>45 min stretch/core/strength workout. Off to an early start this morning.</p>
<p>Good for you Deborah - I’m at work and WISHING and ITCHING to get to the gym! Some days just want to kick my feet in gear and get moving - darn work gets in the way… :)</p>
<p>It’s sort of a vocabulary issue, but I remember lots of books saying you don’t need a budget you need a spending plan. I think food is the same way. Back when this thread started I made a food plan that was basically what kmc laid out. I eat about 1500 calories a day - a bit less during the week and more on weekends. My food plan says I have waffles once a week, wine on the weekends, dessert (usually shared with dh) if we go out to eat, half a slice of bread/bagel etc for breakfast and very few carbs otherwise. I lost weight fairly quickly at first, for a total of about 30 pounds. I’d love to lose another ten, but since I really have no interest in eating less, my plan for this year is just to exercise a little more.</p>
<p>So remember it’s an eating plan, not a diet. It’s for life and good health, not to lose weight.</p>
<p>^^ Frame that post. :)</p>
<p>4.12 miles on the treadmill. My slick silver GymBoss timer worked like a charm. I turned off/hid the time and distance displays on the treadmill, and just waited for the timer to vibrate to tell me when to run or walk. I found I was much less preoccupied with when the next change was coming up. Also did my #plankaday.</p>
<p>H is off to CA for several days. I plan to spend quite a bit of time in the basement/crawl space continuing to sort/purge/repack stuff that came out of long-term storage when we moved into the new house. That should burn some calories! Not my favorite activity, but I do like the result. I have no doubt that I’ll discover H’s trickle charger for the boat battery because (1) it hasn’t turned up anywhere else, and (2) he ordered a new one last night …</p>
<p>KMcmom’s post makes a lot of sense - this is lifestyle change, not a diet. I have had both my pilates trainer and my strength trainer say I was the “poster child for lifestyle change” and that made me really, really proud!</p>
<p>The one area where I’d disagree is fruit as “candy.” To me, being able to eat fruit as a snack in the afternoons (sometimes by itself, sometimes with a Laughing Cow wedge of cheese) made all the difference, and I don’t feel it’s necessary to demonize fruit. There are a lot worse things I could and have eaten :-)</p>
<p>I went whole-hog on cardio at first, and then pulled back and am glad for the strength work that I’ve done. I’ve yet to find the perfect balance, but I have enough muscle built up now that I don’t have to eat as “sparingly” as I did when I started in earnest.</p>