<p>I use the same weight measuring tools as i-dad: my floor scale (weigh myself every morning) and my size 27 chichi jeans. :)</p>
<p>Same here…no measuring. Just my scale (every day) and how my pants fit. Goal? Pants on the ground. </p>
<p>After my kickstart diet, my weight is stuck again. I lost 7 lbs in just 2 weeks and then a couple more the following week.The good news is that it stayed off. But it seems that’s it for now. I don’t think I can eat less…so I will have to kick up my exercise routine!</p>
<p>I’m with you TR. I can’t eat less and still be healthy, it will have to be an increase in exercise. I want to continue to eat about 1200-1400 calories a day. Any less and I don’t think I can possibly get enough nutrients. I have to accept that as this machine ages, it has somehow become more efficient, requiring fewer calories to function. </p>
<p>I weigh myself every morning and there are fluctuations. Some I can explain, others not so much. I also rely on jeans out of the dryer test. I know how my jeans fit out of the dryer, snug but NOT tight. If it requires some gut sucking to zipper, that’s not good. </p>
<p>I have been watching very carefully to see what causes bloating. IDad, I think this is more a gal thing, so it is one less worry for you! I have not had any carbonated drinks for a couple of days, including mineral water, and I have been staying away from dairy. I will see what happens when I add my precious greek yogurt. I really, really hope that is not one of the culprits. </p>
<p>BB - size 27 sounds pretty small. We are all jealous.</p>
<p>Oh no…not mineral water! I love my Pelligrino with lime for dinner each evening. </p>
<p>WIP, I also hate bloating…and it seems so NOT under my control. One thing that helps me is drinking LOTS of water. Yeah, I’m running to the bathroom a lot but that’s good for someone who is stuck on a computer doing writing and spreadsheets (and CC to break the boredom!). </p>
<p>Yeah…27…I think I was that size when I was 22 and lost 35 lbs after hospital stay. It was nice while it lasted but I won’t even come close to seeing that again. I sort of had a very tall Kate Moss look for a couple of weeks…:)</p>
<p>TR - you are my long lost taller sister!!! That is exactly what I was drinking. Pellegrino (not Perrier) and from glass not plastic. It was a little luxury and helped me wait til the weekend (as previously defined) for my wine. </p>
<p>So, I will keep experimenting and let you know what I discover. I just would like to have a handle on what causes it so I can avoid those foods before important events. </p>
<p>Well, I have procrastinated long enough. Long day walking today. Fortunately, I think it is a little cooler than yesterday.</p>
<p>Oh yes, glass only here too…we get cases from Costco.
In fact, I’ve been trying to eliminate plastic/nasty chemicals from our lives. I replaced all my plastic storage containers with glass. I got new eco frying pans (they’re stickier than my old ones but who cares). And I keep water in a big glass bottle in the fridge. I think I’m getting a little obsessive about this stuff…although DH continues to buy those cases of plastic water bottles!</p>
<p>27? I don’t think I wore jeans that size even in high school. I know I wore a 28 to 29 my freshman year in college. I don’t know if I have bloating, but my weight definitely fluctuates on some sort of hormonal schedule. I weigh myself at the gym three times a week. I have a scale at home - but I’m not sure how consistent it really is - and it’s in kilos.</p>
<p>Well, I’m only 5’6", so I do not look like Kate Moss. 
I have muscle, according to my friend.</p>
<p>This would be a perfect tongue-in-cheek present for someone who had this as their goal and achieved it (like toneranger):</p>
<p>[Lookin</a>’ Like a Fool With Your Pants On The Ground T-Shirt | Snorg Tees](<a href=“http://www.snorgtees.com/pantsontheground-p-1024.html?osCsid=1af2eb8f18e66c64f0579d949b4043d8]Lookin”>http://www.snorgtees.com/pantsontheground-p-1024.html?osCsid=1af2eb8f18e66c64f0579d949b4043d8)</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>lol bunsen. Well, I have not achieved my end goal yet…still about 10lbs to go although I’d probably be happy with 5 more. Pants are loose but not on the ground at the moment!</p>
<p>I need to go through two more sizes of my pants on the ground for my goal! I am so old I don’t know what size a 27 really is! D2 is a 24 and I know that is a 0…D1 has some 27 and 28…is that a 6 or 8??? They have way different body builds…one tall and lanky and the other very athletic. I am neither at the moment. ;)</p>
<p>Have had a dull headache for the past two days. Got my workout in but was lightheaded when I finished the bike. Wonder if I am dehydrated??? Drinking more as I write this. Leave for the cabin on Saturday morning. Will try to do some walking or rowing to make up for no gym time. Slow go on the weight loss this week. Hoping the holiday weekend won’t derail me!</p>
<p>I’ve already had “pants on the ground” (although fortunately not in public). That was with my first step-down in size from where I started. I had to resort to hiking them up and cinching them tight with a belt - Urkel style - keep them from falling off. I even took the jeans and washed and dried them on HOT, but to no avail. So, I’ve made the second step down in size.</p>
<p>I may have finally hit the end of the easy weight loss. I’ve been losing a steady 1.85 pounds a week (on average) since February 11th. I knew I would eventually reach a point where that rate would slow down. It has to. Sure enough, the scales since I’ve been sick haven’t been as happy. I lost more than two pounds the week I was sick and did zero exercise. Since then, I’ve put in the heaviest two weeks of workouts since I started and have lost just a couple pounds. It’s hard to sort out. Between the pseudophed while I was sick and some hot weather, I may be dealing with some dehydration versus lots of water fluctuations. I may also be in an “gain lean muscle” stretch, which would be OK.</p>
<p>I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. The calorie counter says I should continue losing weight and I know that I’m getting more fit – I can see that just from pedalling the Airdyne where my “easy steady state pace” has increased from 40 rpm to 50 rpm over time.</p>
<p>Reserach shows even modest amounts of exercise can help:</p>
<p>[Bicycling</a>, Brisk Walking Help Women Control Weight](<a href=“http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193239.php]Bicycling”>http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/193239.php)</p>
<p>idad- I’m sure you are building muscle with everything you are doing. I wouldn’t worry about the scale as much, although that’s what we tend to do…</p>
<p>coureur – I just read that article this morning, after my “brisk walk!” The thing is, I’ve been very consistent with brisk walking for several years, and have still managed to gain weight. At the moment I’m down to a weight I haven’t seen for 4 years, but I attribute that to gall bladder surgery, not walking.</p>
<p>CBBBlinker:</p>
<p>Just think of it like Congress-critters passing a “jobs bill”. You have to think of it as “pounds lost or not gained…”</p>
<hr>
<p>Seriously, though. This may be where a heart rate monitor is really helpful. My wife swims religiously two or three times a week, putting in some crazy number of laps. But, I’m all but positive she’s so acclimated to this particular workout that it does her little or no good. I mean, it’s good that she swims, but I think it’s years past the point where it elevates her heart rate or builds new muscle. I’d bet that if she switched up and did two sessions on the Schwinn Airdyne per week for a month, she’d see instant results, whereas I could switch up and do her swim and see instant results.</p>
<p>I know from my walks with a heartrate monitor that I’m now at the fitness level where walking on level ground wouldn’t be accomplishing a whole lot in terms of burning calories or pushing me aerobically. Now, throw in a quarter mile hill and my heartrate goes up into good exercise territory and, with frequent hills, it stays up.</p>
<p>Wow… just wow - my trainer was telling me what Hilary Swank went through to train for Million Dollar Baby. She had to be woken up during the night to have her protein drink. She put on 19 lbs. of muscle! Went from 110 to 129. </p>
<p>I had never seen the movie, but it was on the other day, and I Tivo’d it. Reminded me how much I hate boxing movies… can’t stand to look at the post-beating eye injuries. Ick!</p>
<p>Idad, I’ve been thinking about your comments regarding your wife’s workout. Not sure I completely follow. Wondered if you’d explain…
If she is getting her heart rate into her target heart rate zone, she is getting aerobic benefit, her heart if benefiting. The more fit somebody is, the harder they have to work to get into that zone. She may not be developing new muscle mass, but isn’t her heart is benefiting? A calorie is a measure of energy, so if she is swimming lap after lap she is clearly expending energy and burning calories. Seems that I learned way back when that even if one becomes complacent in her workout, she is still burning calories and is still benefiting aerobically as long as her heart rate is within the target zone. As you point out, one of the benefits of cross-training is working a variety of muscle groups. However, burning calories still takes place in a routine such as your wife’s. Are you saying she’d burn more calories if she mixed in some of your biking? Am I missing something?</p>
<p>Once concern with swimming (especially for women) as the only source of exercise is that it is NOT weight-bearing and is not a good hedge against loss of bone density. Back when I was swimming a lot I was cautioned about this.<br>
I agree with both idad and masslou. Swimmers who want to improve fitness need to add in anaerobic work- sprints, intervals, etc. and not just do the slow laps. However, the laps are good for cardiovascular fitness and burning calories.</p>
<p>MOWC – your Facebook status prompted me to post this link:
[F</a> as in Fat 2010 Michigan Press Release](<a href=“Healthy Americans”>Healthy Americans)</p>
<p>So, I live in the 2nd least obese state. Not sure what to do with that information … As a side note, obesity (specifically childhood obesity) is D’s major area of interest as she heads to grad school in the fall for her MPH. There’s no quick fix, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Worked extra hard today to try and “bank” some fitness credit for the upcoming Holiday weekend. 
Biked for 70 minutes, dreadmill for 20 minutes and weights for 30 minutes. Feel pretty good and headache, while still there, has receded a bit. Trying to find some light recipes to take to the cabin that will satisfy the teen group and not tempt me to overindulge in unhealthy snacks. Weight still maintaining for the week and I don’t want it to go up this weekend. I won’t get my morning workout in tomorrow since I need to drive H to his hospital tests so I hope to get it in tomorrow evening.</p>