Several of the instructors from the studio had been going to this gym which is styled as a boot camp format. I was bemoaning the loss of my circuit class and they suggested this would be a good option for me. Every Sunday the weekly protocol is posted so you know what to expect (roughly) each day. I like group workouts, particularly when they’re HIIT and someone else is keeping track of the intervals and exercises. I won’t do it on my own. Trainers are all well credentialed and I trust the referral source. I’m just excited to try something new.
I joined a different hiking club yesterday. 12 miles. Welcoming group. Glad I went.
I can’t tell anyone this in real life ( because they’d be annoyed) but I went on a cruise over Christmas and lost another two pounds! I was careful. I stuck with my intermittent fasting no eating before noon. I was careful at lunch loading up at the buffet salad bar but treating myself to one roll with butter. At dinner I ate whatever I wanted. Steak, Mashed potatoes, fajitas with sour cream, guacamole and chips, cake and cookies. but ate half of everything. My goal was only to maintain so this is really exciting! 10 pounds to my original goal. 15 to my newest goal!
Impressive! Do you drink alcohol?
It sounds like you have found something that works really well for you, and it is something that will carry you thru when you are in the maintenance phase.
Congrats!!!
@maya54, that’s awesome! As Midwest said, you seem to have found something that really works for you.
I saw this article yesterday and found it to be a good read with some good tips. I did not eat as well as I wanted to during the holidays - way too much sugar - to the point I felt sick. Not a good feeling and a good reminder to eat better.
Tried and true messages. BTW, I lost 2 pounds during the holidays. Woot! Woot! What did I do? I have no idea. :))
I actually got out in between halves of the Rose Bowl and ran 4 miles yesterday. 55 degrees is cold weather running for me.
@sabaray So, what happened at boot camp this AM?
@maya54 Good job Maya!
Thanks everyone. I never drink more than one alcoholic drink per day. I’m just not interested in it. The eating half thing really seems a good way to deal with eating out! I plan to use that strategy when I’m in maintenance phase sticking to careful healthy eating at home ( we don’t eat out more than twice a week)
Those are great strategies, Maya - cutting out alcohol is a great way to reduce sugar and calories in your diet. I remember in college I used to think - do I want beer or do I want food? Now that I’m more mature I know I want food!
@sushiritto, Can’t attend a regular class until I go to a beginner class and orientation which is this weekend. I think they want to make sure I’m not going to die during my first class. I had a brief 2.6 mile run this morning, walked the dogs and am doing a TRX class tonight.
Re: eating out.
At restaurants that list calories on the menu, it shocks me (color me naive) how many calories there can be in one meal. We dined out last week and I was going to try one of their signature burgers. +1200 calories!
With your eating out and eating half strategy, what do you do with the other half? Share? Take home? Toss?
OK, now you’ve piqued my interest. 
Way to go @maya54! When we went on a cruise years ago, I was running 5 miles every day, so managed to maintain. Maybe I missed a meal when I was running? There were so many opportunities to eat.
“With your eating out and eating half strategy, what do you do with the other half? Share? Take home? Toss?”
Toss mostly. Because i am eating only very healthy things at home (chicken and fish and veggies mostly) and eat out more broadly (red meat, potatoes which i LOVE, desserts), I do not want to bring it home. I have very different taste than the rest of my family so sharing is a no go. I don’t worry about “wasting” the food. To me, that way madness lies.
Happy new year everyone!
For 2018, I documented all the exercises I did using my gym’s app and I did a total of 12.5 days of exercises with over 120K calories burned. As someone who never really exercised in her life, I am pretty happy with the “data”, even though I could not do “headstand with pushups” or “chin-ups without assistance” yet (not my goals anytime soon! @sushiritto ;
)
For 2019, I don’t yet feel like in a rut but I would like to have some new goals to motivate me. Still contemplating about giving (sprint) tri-athlon a try: need to work on better swimming techniques and getting used to biking outdoors. (I am thinking about this as I write, I guess I prefer my rut to new challenges @sabaray, I am a bit intimidated by new things).
Gained weight over the holidays so I am totally mad at finding out @maya54 lost weight while on a cruise! :(( trying to focus on my own goals and my own abilities here, breathe deeply, losing one pound at a time! :))
^^^ Set an actual goal. Think like colleges - safety? match? reach? goals. I use an app and set 6 month running/walking/biking goals - I aim for a “reach” goal. I started with RunKeeper years ago and still use it. It updates me often right after exercise with how I’m doing - a visual of what % I have accomplished so far with that goal. Helps me to see how I’m progressing as the weeks go by.
Any newbie tris or all girl tris? Or indoor tris? Training groups for newbies? Wishing you luck and many new adventures.
@makemesmart I’ve exercised all my life. So I have a head start, but that doesn’t mean you can’t win the race. 
BTW, a progression to a “handstand push-up” is simply pressing a dumbbell or kettlebell overhead. Almost the same movement with much less pressure on your shoulders, hands, etc. How about a goal of pressing “X” amount of pounds overhead? And keep working on pull-ups, but with assistance using bands? Most exercises can be scaled and help with your goals.
I’ve thought about doing duathon or a triathlon, but two things always stop me in my tracks. I’d have to buy a new bike and the water is freezing around here. :))
A “shorter” workout last night with lunges, snatches and squats with the dumbbells in various positions. Then those infamous handstand pushups (hate them, but not as much as burpees) and some “cleans.” Finished up with a 20-minute HIIT of rowing, jump rope, cleans, pushups and air squats. Today is a rest day. <:-P Tired.
Breaking down goal exercises into stages definitely makes them feel more doable, particularly for a geezer like me.
I had a particularly challenging TRX/ Circuit class yesterday so today is a rest day. Lots of burpees thrown in for fun and my personal favorite, tricep pushups. I never think planks are difficult until you’re doing a lot of them in combination with other exercises.
@makemesmart, great job on the exercise and tracking. I hope to be more like you in 2019!
I am very impressed by those of you who lost weight over the holidays. I gained three pounds, which I don’t usually do! Back to trying to eat more vegetables and less dessert! A number of my friends are also doing an alcohol-free January. I don’t really think drinking is my main problem but I’m thinking about it. It actually seems easier to give up than some of my favorite treats so maybe I’ll try it for at least part of the month.
dryuary.org.
I’m not doing dry January, but have set limits for myself on the wine. One glass only and only on Friday and Saturday. That’s it. I’m doing a January fitness challenge which is requiring me to be even more active than usual. Watching portion sizes and sweets.
