Diet/Exercise/Health/Wellness Support Thread

Parent Cafe
3721

<p>For me, tracking my weight has been key from a motivational standpoint. Seeing that graph head downward in the morning gives me a little jolt of motivation. I like it so I want to keep doing the things that made it happen: eat a little less, move a little more.</p>

<p>I think a real problem with dieting/fitness efforts is that looking at the big picture is self-defeating. I mean, if I had sat down and told myself I had to lose 40 pounds, it just would have seemed like such an overwhelming goal. But, losing a quarter pound today or 1.8 pounds this week or 5 pounds as my my “long-term” goal is not only achievable, but gives me a big “win” with each milestone. I play a little mind-game with my Excel chart. The bottom of the chart is only my next five pound goal. That way, it always looks like I’m almost there.</p>

3722

<p>I don’t have a chart, but I do weigh myself every morning, and have been writing it downfor the past 8 or so months. I know the traditional advice is not to, but I need the motivation or warning, good or bad. If I waited a week, i could put 5 pounds back on before I knew it. Any heavier day is a goad to do better. I know their are variations, usually water related,but I still can recognize progress or the opposite. The information is good for me. Like Idad, it’s every morning, empty bladder, prior to stepping into shower.</p>

3723

<p>I measure my runs in terms of performance - how far and how long it took and have it tracked back to March 2009. Basically I’m doing better if I run further or faster.</p>

3724

<p>I weigh myself once a week and keep a chart. I find that tracking is a good motivational tool. Now that I’m nearly 40 pounds from where I started and, I think, because it’s summer and I’m not wearing bulky clothes, I’ve started to get compliments. A few people (not close friends) asked if I had been ill–I guess when you’re over 50 and lose weight some people assume illness. Overall, I think the positive comments have been really helpful.</p>

3725

<p>I weigh myself every day. Don’t want the weight creeping back up. 2-3 lb fluctuations are frustrating though…and common.
Tired of the heat. Went on two bike rides on bumpy trails this weekend…50 miles total. Hard to drink enough water. And almost ran over a huge black snake…great way to get the heart rate up! Gorgeous out there though…and shady too. Nothing but river and mature trees and we could only heard birds and insects when we stopped for lunch. A nice change for someone who lives close to highways.<br>
Pooped today but went for a long flat walk.
Bromfield… that last time I lost a lot of weight (30 lbs) a number of people asked me if I was “allright”. I think it’s pretty common.</p>

3726

<p>Nice hilly state park walk this afternoon. Gorgeous hot New England summer day. 92 degrees, bright blue sky, fairly low humidity, and a little breeze. I did the hour and ten minute version of my little hike and pushed it pretty hard.</p>

<p>I’m amazed at the difference in the same walk from day to day. The last time, I couldn’t get my heart rate up. This time I wasn’t breathing hard on the hills, but saw fairly high heart rates. Go figure. I might have been walking a bit faster. Back to iPod nazi for three sessions this coming week. Oh goodie.</p>

3727

<p>Interesteddad…I like what you are doing.</p>

<p>I needed to lose 30 pounds. I was eating between 750 and 1000 calories a day of chocolate a day. I told my oldest daughter I would give up chocolate for a year. I don’t limit any food groups. I have an occasional dessert at Starbucks. It’s 48 weeks. I’m down over 30 pounds. I feel great. </p>

<p>I lost most of the weight after 30 weeks. I am really just maintaining my weight now. Ididn’t exercise that much. I’m exercising a little more now. </p>

<p>About 6 years ago…I tried to exercise my weight off. I was on a stairmaster 3 hours a day. Not continuously though. The weight came off faster…but 3 hours a day…a little excessive. After two years…the exercise was over and
the weight came back.</p>

<p>Anyway…you are on the right track. It’s going to work. It already is working. Great job.</p>

<p>I don’t really have any craving for chocolate. What I don’t like is the restriction of no chocolate. I don’t know what I am going to do when the 52 weeks is up…but one thing I know…I’m not going to put on the weight
again. </p>

<p>Two of these losing weight periods is enough for me.</p>

<p>Good luck. </p>

<p>PS. Now with my weight change…Middle aged women have a hard time keeping their hands off of me.</p>

<p>Women my daughter’s age…24…not so much…lol</p>

<p>Doesn’t really matter. I’m married. :)</p>

3728

<p>I here ya. Whereever I get to when it’s all said and done, I’m never putting the weight back on. I’ll keep hopping on the scale every morning and entering the results in my little Excel chart. That will provide an early detection system.</p>

<p>Plus, I’ve changed the way I think about food, binge snacking in particular. It’s been several days since I’ve eaten a snack, period. We just don’t have anything in the house that I really want and I no longer feel like I have to eat just to eat. That’s four months of behavior modification starting to get ingrained.</p>

<p>I think I’ll be able to have a treat, pig out, and then say, “OK, you’ve had your fun” now lay off for a week. The key, I think, will be to maintain some exercise routine. I’ve come to really enjoy a nice little workout, especially as I gain enough basic fitness to feel like I’m not hanging on for dear life. So, I imagine that will stay a part of my new routine, although maybe not at the current frequency.</p>

<p>I’m more curious to see how far this weight loss will take me before I hit a wall. I thought that I was starting to plateau, but I’ve dropped four pounds in the last five days – the sharpest drop I’ve seen in five months. So, that’s good. It’s not like I’m at 10% body fat, so if I keep exercising and eating as I have been, I should continue to burn fat, even if at a slower rate.</p>

3729

<p>idad- I wouldn’t worry about hitting a wall. You obviously know how to “tweak” your routine and you have good intuition about what you need to do. You will just find new and different challenges for yourself as you go alone.</p>

3730

<p>Idad…post 3728…sounds good.</p>

<p>I was curious too when I would hit the wall…</p>

3731

<p>Last time I hit the wall was when I couldn’t walk anymore. Running became addictive and I cranked up the mileage too fast. Combine that with bad shoes (didn’t know how much effect those could have), and I could barely walk for about six weeks.</p>

3732

<p>Thought I might skip the workout this morning…was up all night with some type of stomach bug…yuck. Dragged my behind to the gym anyway and pedaled away. Not too hungry at the moment! Thick this may be a liquid fasting day! ;)</p>

<p>Maybe I will switch from weekly weigh in to daily weigh in. Tracking might also help me. Thanks for the reminders!</p>

3733

<p>Idad, I was also surprised about the calories in a donut. A bagel is much worse. I guess the idea is to not eat too many donuts or bagels.</p>

3734

<p>hah, hah. That’s what made me look up the calorie counts for Dunkin Donuts. My two favorite things at DD are the cinnamon coffee roll and the bagel. Surely the bagel is better for you right? Uh uh. I mean, I’ve passed on the cinnamon coffee roll for five months now, but it’s a walk in the park calorie-wise compared to a bagel slathered with butter. I think it’s the fact that donuts and coffee rolls are leavened with yeast and contain a lot of air, where bagels are really dense and heavy.</p>

<p>English muffins and rye bread are my carb breads of choice now. 130 calories for an English muffin or two slices of rye bread. A good turkey on rye sandwich may be the best bang for the buck calorie wise in the fridge, even with the mayo. An English muffin, an egg and a piece of canadian bacon is a good breakfast/lunch sandwich, under 300 calorires. One of the things I’ve learned is to not just automatically throw a slice of cheese on every sandwich. That’s 90 calories a pop. Hold five or six slices of cheese during the week and you are talking about real calories. I save my cheese ration for blue cheese and Parmegianno Reggianno on salads. </p>

<p>We used to buy a brick of extra sharp Vermont chedder and just nosh on it for snacks. I’d think nothing about three good slices on crackers as a midnight snack. A pound of that cheese, say over the course of a week, is 1750 calories or half a pound of belly fat unless it’s offset by a ton of exercise. Eat like that week in and week out and you can start packin’ it on. That’s what I had to change; it’s not the meals.</p>

3735

<p>Cheese is the thing that I’d love to eat in larger quantities, but just can’t. It’s such a calorie bomb! Now I cut myself tiny slivers from time to time and stick mostly to eating it at parties. I’d love to eat bagels, but I want them with cream cheese!</p>

3736

<p>BCEagle:</p>

<p>Yeah, an injury that prevented exercise would do it. I really think that “moving more” is the key to this whole “diet” thing, not so much because of the calories it burns directly, but because of the impact on raising metabolism, increasing lean muscle, and bringing mental focus to fitness.</p>

<p>Speaking of shoes. I have had arch pain since the days of running during soccer practice in high school, when those soccer cleats would hurt so badly I couldn’t take a step. Same with ice skates. Same with ski boots. Same when I was playing tennis. I put these Superfeet arch support insoles in my walking shoes and wow, it’s night and day. If anyone has wide flat feet, it’s worth taking a look see. Running stores have a display with all the sizes pre-cut so you can try a pair.</p>

3737

<p>Just discovered this thread, and have been reading it on and off for the last few days. I’ve learned a lot.</p>

<p>My brief story: I was overweight until I went to college, where I lost weight. I’ve been thin ever since, and most of you would look at me now and describe me as slender. But I’ve gained 5 lbs since menopause, and simply can’t take it off the way I used to. My concern is not those 5 lbs, but the possibility of continuing to add on pounds in the future. </p>

<p>My two main downfalls – a love of sweets (particularly ice cream) and a hatred of vegetables and many fruits. I think my palate just can’t stomach food that’s not sweet. I force myself to eat vegetables every day. </p>

<p>I’ve already eliminated starch at dinner, no longer cook with heavy sauces, and the bags of M&Ms are long gone. Drink water and seltzer. But I eat ice cream at night. I exercise a lot – an hour of cardio every day, and weights 2-3 times a week (even though I’d much rather be a couch potato).</p>

<p>I am intrigued with that low-sugar diet, the belly fat cure one, since my mid-section is my problem. I started looking at labels, and I am amazed at the amount of added sugar I eat in one day. I don’t see how I could eat only 15 grams of sugar a day (since my daily yogurt is more than that, and I won’t give that up). But I am resolved to cut back on my sugar intake – maybe not down to 15, but at least half what I eat now.</p>

<p>And my second resolve is to change my breakfast – no more Honey Nut Cheerios, but either eggs or cottage cheese. Started this morning!</p>

<p>Here’s my contribution to this thread (I didn’t read everything, so if it’s been mentioned, sorry) – to make sure that I walk at a brisk pace, I have playlists on my iPod comprised of songs with the right beats per minute. There is a program you can download from the internet (for a fee) called BPMer. It goes through all the songs in iTunes and gives them a number for beats per minute. Using a treadmill, I was able to figure out what BPM I wanted (I walk at a 4.2-4.5 mph pace, so I look for songs with a BPM of 130-136). If I want to run, I look for songs with a BPM in the 160s. </p>

<p>(BPMer might only be for Macs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was a similar one for PCs.)</p>

<p>Thanks for all the help! I’ll keep checking back.</p>

3738

<p>firedrain…good luck to you! I have quite a sweet tooth myself but have dramatically reduced my sugar consumption over the last few years. I just cut out something new every month or so, and after a tough adjustment period, I don’t miss it anymore. I drink only water and mineral water. Stopping sweetening my tea. Only plain yogurt with some fruit. Low sugar high fiber cereals. No cookies (or even crackers) in the pantry. And I cut out artificial sugars too because I think it just stokes a sweet tooth. </p>

<p>My only indulgences are fruit, small amount of dark choc, a few glasses of wine on the weekend…and maybe a couple of DH’s twizzlers on Sat night. Love twizzlers. I’m losing weight…slower than I’d like but it’s still coming off. Just don’t swear off everything at once. It’s too hard and I think most folks fail. Slowly take that junky stuff out of your diet. And moving more helps too. Idad sets the bar there…:)</p>

3739

<p>I made my own orthotics many years ago to solve a plantars Fasciitis problem and deal with the arch support issue. I decided to make my own as it would take a while to get them from a podiatrist and making my own would cost about $15/pair instead of $200 for one side. I used those for quite some time and then went with New Balance Ultra Arch Supports.</p>

<p>Aftermarket problems make a huge difference for those with high arches and wide feet. Back in the office after a quick trip to Amherst and going for a run later today.</p>

3740

<p>I recently needed orthotics. The podiatrist visits and the devices themselves were all covered by my insurance, so I lucked out.</p>