<p>Four weeks - 12 pound weight loss.</p>
<p>Going to make a veggie soup this week in the crock-pot. Sounds good in this snowy weather.</p>
<p>Let’s all gear up for another week of healthier eating and more movement in our days!</p>
<p>I love this thread. Even though we are all doing something different to get/stay healthy, it is so interesting to me.</p>
<p>Six pounds, here. OK, but not great. Still, it’s gone. Getting back into my gym routine, including the (torture) machines. D says “At least you don’t have old lady arms, Mom,” so I guess that’s something.</p>
<p>That’s great, eddieodessa! I think for me the challenge will be staying motivated as weight loss plateaus. Hopefully that will come as spring arrives and this dang snow is gone! Walks are far more enjoyable when not dodging snow plows and icy spots.</p>
<p>No pounds lost here, but I’m congratulating myself on not gaining weight in what has been a stressful month. (For those who don’t read the 2013 Parents thread, Fang Jr is now back home after a not entirely successful first quarter at college. He’s working with a fine therapist, but now she’s saying it will likely be a full year before he can go back to school.)</p>
<p>Fang Jr and Mr. Fang gave me Wii and Dance Dance Revolution for Christmas. After some delays, I finally got it set up yesterday. It’s addictive. I’m just a beginner, so I’m terrible, but still getting exercise.</p>
<p>Sabaray, from what I’ve observed, the motivation when the weight loss slows will likely come from the fact that you’ll be so happy with the results you see (losing a dress size or fitting into some old clothes) you’ll be anxious to keep going.</p>
<p>A good friend recently lost 40 pounds. The first 10 came off quickly. But even in her mid fifties, she was able to lose a steady 2 pounds per week after that and looks fabulous after less than 6 months.</p>
<p>OK, after some “encouragement” from my trainer, I invested in a heart rate monitor (watch with transmitter). I definitely don’t have all the bells and whistles figured out yet, but I have discovered a few things. First, the machines at my gym do a pretty good job of registering heart rate (so long as you key in your weight and, if possible, age). But they do a lousy job of measuring calorie expenditure. I was burning far fewer calories than I thought. Also, I’ve always perceived the elliptical machines as far less difficult/exerting than plain old running, but they’re really efficient at getting my heart rate up and burning calories.</p>
<p>Cardinal Fang – Sorry Fang Jr.'s first semester didn’t go as well as hoped. My best to him and you.</p>
<p>I had a break-through today on the dreadmill. After 8.1 miles on it yesterday (after slip-sliding our way to the gym on icy roads) I had to go back today because the roads are not runable. I wound up doing intervals which made the time go by MUCH faster. Did 6 x .25mile with .25 recoveries. Even at my old lady pace, I felt like I accomplished something and it is a nice change from slogging the marathon training miles. Total 4.2 miles.</p>
<p>Well… in for a penny, in for a pound! Started back to the gym yesterday. It has been a while since the knee surgery and rehab. I rode the bike for 30 minutes and then the “dreadmill” 
for 20. Slow but a start! The knee is sore but I can’t take not doing anything any more! Grocery shopped with H afterwards and bought things that are low cal, low fat and wholesome. It’s a start!</p>
<p>NorthMinn how about the elliptical, much easier on your knee.</p>
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<p>I’m a huge fan of the heart rate monitor. I try to wear it whenever I go to the gym. I’ve got one that lets me know how many calories I burn and my average heart rate as well as the max. rate. It has really motivated me to work a little harder. I’ve been working with a new trainer (who is also a Weight Watcher’s leader) and my goal for the next few months is to try and burn 500 calories 5x a week for a weekly deficiet of 2500 calories (almost 3/4 of a pound). I have pins and a plate in my ankle, which makes running painful so I’m a walker. Rather than increasing distance, I’ve been trying to walk faster. I’m always surprised at how many more calories I can burn by walking faster. I also have started a spinning class. I hate, hate, hate the first 10 minutes. After that I zone out and by the time the class is finished, I’m finished too. What perks me up and keeps me going is the number of calories I burn in spinning!</p>
<p>May I join you guys? So many helpful hints on here. I don’t go to a gym, but have been working out at home (evenings, after work) to DVD’s (Pilates, interval training, etc). i try to alternate aerobics (30-40 min) and light hand weights /Pilates. I still only manage to fit it in about 3-4 times a week though :(</p>
<p>BalletMom, it sounds like you can add some great ideas to our thread. Our DVD player is not in a room with enough space to exercise but I love the idea of working out at home, at least some of the time. I found two 15 pouind dumbbells in one our closets today. I wish they were 10 pounds rather than 15 but I might be able to do something with them (or of course I could spring the big bucks to buy a couple of 10 pounders). The weight room at our Y is a little intimidating, with too many serious lifters. Most of the women seem to prefer the classes. I’m jealous of CBBBlinker. I fear that I do indeed have old lady arms!</p>
<p>For the people who workout at home–what are some of the DVDs that work for you? Any recommendations?</p>
<p>I have downloaded some really inexpensive things from exercise tv. Nicole Steward and 10 minute pilates workout is so good for when you want to say you don’t have time - but if the darn thing only takes 10 minutes how lame does THAT sound. Really, it is a nice stretching workout that is certainly better than doing nothing.</p>
<p>In the early nineties, I had an awful schedule. I was commuting an hour and 45 minutes each way to work, and my children were one year and five years. I had a wonderful nanny who made it all possible, but I realized after a while that the most exercise I was getting consisted of putting on my panty hose. So I started getting up at 4:45 AM and doing a Jane Fonda tape in my family room while everyone else slept. I also, on some days, got all bundled up and, with pepper spray and a flashlight, went for a one-mile jog. </p>
<p>It was better than nothing.</p>
<p>(And Yes, I was tired all the time!)</p>
<p>Call me crazy - But I used to do the Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies. He is silly, but I just loved the music.
And that is how my daughter learned the oldies - from me exercising to them.
Welcome Ballet Mom!</p>
<p>Analyst, if your weight is in a good place you can have great arms in 8 weeks. Careful using the 15s if you’re used to tens, you can do damage not going up in smaller increments. You can also build bigger muscles than you want. 12s are my favorite for maintenance though I’ have a small frame.</p>
<p>I don’t use DVDs but have found Youtube a great source if I want form demonstrated for a certain exercise. For example adding planks and lunges to the 10 minute Pilates stretch would be great and could be learned there. Lots of people use bands at home and Youtube has lots of demos with them.</p>
<p>I think there might have been discussion about this up thread, but how about Denise Austin DVD’s? I used to always exercise to her -still have a couple of DVD’s - and just read an article about her in our paper today - she is 52 years old, but besides having tight flat abs, considers herself just a “mom who exercises”.</p>
<p>I do have 1 Denise Austin, 1 Cindy Whitechurch (“10 days to a Beautiful Body” alternates 30 minutes of upper body and 30 minutes of lower, using 5-8 pound weights; intervals of 1 minute cardio, 1 minute strength and it’s a killer!) and 1 Ellen Barrett (“Crunch Pilates”).
After I have gone through them a few times I turn the sound off and put on music instead, to make it less boring.
Also helps if I can get the dogs (2 Saint Bernards!) out of the living room while i do it.</p>
<p>Agreed ^^^ that I often HATE the music on the exercise videos! I need real upbeat, recognizable music! That’s why I love my Ipod and my exercise playlist…</p>