<p>I’m sure you’re right, BB. I’m trying to find a maintenance level I can live with as I don’t want to lose more weight but I also don’t want to gain either. I’m getting a little bored with the foods I am eating and now I’m trying to make food that I will want to eat and H will lose weight eating. The more attention I pay to the little things the more it seems my weight varies. Perhaps I should go back to a weekly weigh-in.</p>
<p>Starting tennis lessons tonight. Have to do something with my new found fitness! I’m really not looking at this as exercise. I just want to get good enough to play in one of those once a week doubles leagues–you know, where they sit around and drink wine and eat snacks afterwards!</p>
<p>sabaray, I’ve been maintaining for 7 months now. Daily fluctuations are normal!! It is a little tricky to start adding in foods and calories (nerve wracking for me, actually). You’ll get the hang of it. The good news is you’re still trying to eat healthy and not taking that diet mentality–“Oh, I’m done, bring on the Doritos!”</p>
<p>Northminnesota,
I agree. It is sad. And I agree that all information is good and people are free to take what they want and leave the rest. However, many of the posters who started out with enthusiasm in the Dummies thread expressed that they were intimidated by the lengthy posts on this thread. That’s why we started the other. Short and simple. That was the premise. </p>
<p>Is it so hard to respect that? There is a marked difference between a willingness and desire to help others reach goals and a compulsion to share information and elaborate details on diet and exercise.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Tennis is a great social sport and Friday or Saturday night mixed doubles is often a staple of clubs to bring in people when the club would otherwise be quiet. There often aren’t enough courts for every couple or pairing to play at the same time so some number of people sit and chat waiting for matches to finish.</p>
<p>Thanks chintzy, I appreciate the encouragement. D was going to a picnic this weekend so I helped her make a pasta salad. Just for kicks, I calculated the calories per serving. 285 calories in 1 cup! I couldn’t believe it. I like it but not that much. Good thing it left the house.</p>
<p>Tennis sounds great for fun! Right now I am crossing my fingers as we should hear next weekend if we have a puppy. Mom’s due to deliver over the weekend and we’re high on the list. I’ll have to think of a patriotic name if it’s a July 4th pup.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Torn ACLs among high school and college female athletes is almost at epidemic proportions. For reasons that are way over my head, there are apparently anatomical issues that make young women very susceptible. ACL injury prevention is a major topic for sports conditioning coaches who train young women – like Mike Boyle and the US Women’s Olympic Hockey team and the large number of high school athletes he trains. Tons and tons of single leg squats and deadlifts for leg strength.</p>
<p>Sabaray:</p>
<p>Weight would almost certainly fluctuate more during maintenance than while you are aggressively losing weight. While losing, the overall downward trajectory is going to tend to mask some of the day to day fluctuations. Once you’ve hit a stable weight, you’ll see the full day to day fluctuations which can easily be 2 or 3 pounds.</p>
<p>I had a nice victory yesterday. Ten years ago, i broke an ankle skiing–nasty break that resulted in pins and a plate and several surgeries because of a staph infection. Running always hurt after that so I avoided it. Extra pounds probably made it more difficult as well. After losing weight, my ankle felt better but I still did not try to run or jog. Long story, short–had a limited time available for cardio yesterday and planned to do a fast walk. Since I have lost weight, I can do two miles in about 30 minutes. I do fast intervals of a minute or so and rest for thirty to forty seconds. For some reason, I felt like I could do a bit of running yesterday. Most people who saw me would probably think I was walking, but I managed a slow jog/slog for the better part of two miles and kept my heart rate up way beyond the max. I finished the two miles in 23:26! I probably would not have tried it if it weren’t for reading posts from all the folks here. I really appreciate the advice and mutual support and feel like I get motivated reading all the great info here. Thank you all!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>EPTR:</p>
<p>Just so you know, I’m offended and a bit angry with your repeated grousing, clearly directed at me. I’m done with your little thread which I’m sure will make you very happy.</p>
<p>Bromfield, that is wonderful!!! Just listen to your body and do not overdo it. Kudos!</p>
<p>Is there something I can download to a iPod that can time high intensity intervals while music is playing (either my music or music they’ve provided) – I really do much better at walking with music playing, but it isn’t easy to track the intensity/more relaxed parts without some cue. I’ve been counting to myself, but my counting varies a lot based on the tempo of the music.</p>
<p>EPTR- It’s the friggin’ INTERNET! It is not your private weight loss forum. If someone wants to correct mis-information or feels that what they want to share is important and might help someone (even if lengthy) then deal with it! If you want to start a private group like the political forum folks who got their panties in a wad did, go for it! </p>
<p>If someone really left a thread because they were intimidated by either my comments or the posts with detailed information, then I doubt that they were going to get very far with their fitness and weight loss efforts anyway.</p>
<p>I do NOT get this at all. When did this become the 3rd grade? If you folks over there haven’t figured out how to skim or skip posts that don’t interest you, then you need more help than I thought!</p>
<p>Perhaps if some of you would actually pay attention to the knowledge iDad, BCEagle, Hops and others have, it would help. And if you don’t like my kicks in the butt, put me on ignore! I, too, find your griping offensive and absurd.</p>
<p>Bromfield- EXCELLENT! That is NOT a shabby pace for starting back up. It’s great cardio benefit. </p>
<p>Sabaray- I guess your puppy should be named Thomas Jefferson (TJ)???</p>
<p>Congratulations Bromfield!!! Yay for you! You must be so happy. I know how hard it is to recover from an injury. How exciting that you were able to try something again that was gone from your regular routine! Hooray! Keep up the good work. :)</p>
<p>sabaray…thanks for the support! 
If you are getting bored with some meals and you and H can have sodium I made a Taco soup this past week that H absolutely loved. It has black beans, pinto beans, white kidney beans, diced tomatoes, dry taco seasoning pkg and dry ranch dressing seasoning pkg, and browned ground turkey…or ground beef if you prefer. If you want you can also add corn. Don’t drain anything. Just put in pot and cook. Can serve with sliced avocadoes, full or low fat sour cream/yogurt, and baked tortilla chips…D2 eats it with those. I also roasted a spaghetti squash for dinner last
night and then added roasted portabella mushrooms, onions, broccoli and cauliflower. Mixed them together with a can of no sugar added pasta sauce and some frozen turkey meatballs. Very filling!</p>
<p>chintzy…tennis!!! I loved it when I played tennis! I miss it so much. Just found some old pictures when I was in my scrapbook room of when I went to USTA Nationals in Palm Springs MANY years ago. Hope you love it! Good for you for trying something new! :)</p>
<p>Under 12 min/mile - that is actually BLAZING speed for someone who has been out of running for such a long period of time. Congrats again!</p>
<p>Sabaray - please do not call your pup Red or Blue ;)</p>
<p>Bromfield and I would be excellent running partners! I can demonstrate my version of the sabarayshuffle. And MOWC, TJ would be fitting for many reasons. He won’t be Red or Blue! NM, the taco soup sounds delicious -but very similar to something I am already making. Maybe I’ll mix it up a bit. And you’re welcome- as MOWC so eloquently said I got my panties in a knot and had to edit myself. No point in throwing gas on a fire. You are still da bomb. </p>
<p>I have to apologize to all of you. Initially I was trying to stress that this thread was a great place to come for posters to the other thread and I think I made the initial reference to “hard core” exercising. For that I am sorry. I try to get some form of exercise every day, but I’m not always successful and my exercise usually is walking/shuffling, not box jumps and balance exercises. Weight loss is not easy. Short, quick tips will not result in a significant lifestyle change unless they are along the lines of: </p>
<ol>
<li> Eat less. </li>
<li> Move more.</li>
</ol>
<p>You could call the pup Yankee Doodle. Or Stars and Stripes. Or Independence.</p>
<p>Weight loss is definitely not easy for me…darn H is down 13 pounds in a little more than a week…grumble… He will get under 200 lbs well before the wedding and he is 6’4"! I think he really needs to build muscle rather than lose weight. </p>
<p>No apologies necessary sabaray!!! 
I am terrible at naming pets. Had a cat called Hoover once. Named him that because of his constant rumbling purr. </p>
<p>I biked on my favorite recumbent bike today and then did my smith bar pushups. I probably need to move down to the floor but I would be embarassed if I couldn’t get back up off of the floor! Seriously…I need a trainer to force me to do those balance and core workouts!!!</p>
<p>Worked out in the yard this weekend instead of the gym. I powerwashed the back of the house and deck. My neck and shoulders are a little stiff today. I also took down an old ceiling fan and then put up a new one. Nice to be able to do real world things!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s why I’ve got my iPod nazi!</p>
<p>Actuallly, it’s kind of fun this time around because he’s actually doing the workouts as he gives a running commentary. So, he’s huffin’ and puffin’, too, which is somehow reassuring that Mr. Big Shot ex-pro soccer player grunts and groans doing stability ball plank, too. Maybe, he’ fakin’ it… I don’t know.</p>