<p>Thanks, Idad, for the chainsaw tutorial 
I’d thought of numbers 3 and 4 immediately upon getting stuck although this was far enough up the hill and on a angle that made the propping plan impossible. The sledgehammer and hatchet plan was a variation on number one Either way, I now know that physics is my friend! </p>
<p>VaBluebird, welcome! Lots of folks have great success with WW and like the point system. I personally do better with a combo low lower carb food selection and an online calorie/exercise tracker that helps keep me honest with myself. (I use mynetdiary.com) Last year I lost 40 lbs over about 7-8 mos. and have spent my time since just maintaining the loss…though I could stand to lose more. I have a slight wheat allergy, which didn’t stop me from being a carbaholic…but cutting out bread and most wheat helped a lot. My typical goal is to “eat clean” 5 or 6 days a week and relax the rules a bit for social occasions/weekends…so I haven’t felt especially deprived. I might have lost more weight doing otherwise…but in my case, I think this approach has actually helped me maintain the loss.</p>
<p>Because I work really long hours, I put my baseline daily activity in in the morning before breakfast. (my "baseline is less than my real goal, but its my line in the sand with myself 
In my case, I have a tough hill/trail in my back yard that I climb using snowshoes and ski poles in the winter, microspikes in the spring, and bug spray in the summer. I only spend half an hour, but feel it has helped enormously. While the exertion itself doesn’t burn THAT many calories, I believe it sets up my metabolism to burn more efficiently and counteracts the loss of strength that can go with weight reduction if you lose lean muscle. The increase in strength and endurance then leads to enjoying other new things, like bike riding or kayaking, and in the summer, aquajogging. Before you know it, you become more active just from being a bit active…kind of a multiplier effect.</p>
<p>When I started 40 pounds ago, I HATED that hill. I now love the hill, and don’t feel quite as good on days I miss it due to early meetings, etc.</p>
<p>And, as my post suggest, was so afraid that a fallen tree from a storm would mentally block me from hiking that I went to great lengths yesterday to clear said trail ;)</p>
<p>Everyone’s path is different. The common element is to trick yourself into believing that you are not “depriving” yourself so much as balancing your caloric intake and balancing your activity level. When you think of it this way, it becomes and empowering experience as opposed to an exercise in depravation.</p>
<p>I once stood in a grocery store in tears looking at a type of food I thought I’d never be able to eat again if I wanted to loose weight. Well, with this approach, I might eat that food once in a blue moon…and just make up for the indulgence somewhere else I’m far better off prohibiting nothing nd just looking at the bottom line equation of calories expended versus calories consumed :)</p>
<p>Two things I think might be helpful for you – set a LONG goal…,eg x pounds this YEAR. It’s easier to forgive a little tumble off the wagon when you ave a long goal, and the gentler reduction in calories keeps you out of the zone where your caloric intake is lower than your basal metabolic rate that will trigger “starvation” mode (meaning your body holds onto its calories.)</p>
<p>The second thing if you like to walk and want to simultaneously burn more calories is to consider getting Nordic ski poles for walking. They call this “exerstriding.” Walking with ski poles can double your caloric burn because you’re then engaged in a whole body movement that raises your heart rate and tones your traverse core muscles.</p>
<p>Like you, I hate the gym, mainly because scheduling never works and because im fussy about the equipment i like and i hate waiting for it or listening to stupid bro advice when i have a back condition that requires specific, careful approaches to things. It is possible to get great strength gains at home doing core exercises, kettlebells, etc. </p>
<p>Once you’re feeling ready for that, this thread and Idad are incredibly valuable resources. Whether you choose to go to a gym or not, you might find that its good to habituate some kind of routine at home so that you have your line in the sand independent of environmental factors.</p>
<p>At any rate, hope you can glean something useful for yourself from that, and best wishes on your journey!</p>
90 degrees plus already. I walked 1.5 earlier and will add another 2 tonight with H, in the heat…</p>
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