<p>I find that the ability to track and control food intake makes a big difference in quality of life and in losing weight. Perhaps you could try to improve on one area in how you eat and then work on another thing next month.</p>
<p>On exercise, we all have to find our own motivation and the exercises that work well for us - our schedule, body type, social disposition, etc.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl–I could have written your post about a year ago (and I might have, actually). I do eat out a lot–a result of my and H’s work schedules, plus I don’t like to cook either. The key has been finding eat-out things that are low-carb (Wendy’s chili is lunch at least twice a week). In fact, low-carb has worked really well for me. </p>
<p>I always hated to exercise, too. We bought a treadmill about a year ago and I found that walking and then jogging about an hour before bedtime really made a difference in how well I slept. I don’t have any health issues either but the improved sleeping plus anticipating and wanting to combat the general decline of getting older have been good motivators.</p>
<p>“wanting to combat the general decline of getting older” was a motivation for me!! :D</p>
<p>Use it or lose it, in other words.</p>
<p>If I can’t sleep, occasionally (middle of the night) I just do some leg lifts (side, back) on the floor and pretty soon I have that drowsy feeling back. 
Good for the knees, too.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, I don’t really like exercise either, and I’ve done different things at different times in my life.</p>
<p>In my 20’s I ran with my boyfriend - not a lot - about 10 miles a week, divided over three days. We motivated each other. We made a point of running in neighborhood with great architecture which was easy since we were in Pasadena, CA at the time.</p>
<p>Once my kids were in pre-school I swam laps while they went to school. It was soothing, boring but sort of meditative and I always rewarded myself with a sauna.</p>
<p>Later when my kids took swimming lessons I used to go play on the machines instead of watching them like all the other Moms. Bad Mom! But they didn’t seem to mind.</p>
<p>For a while when my kids were in school I took a dance aerobics class. The fact that I had to pay in advance usually kept me from skipping too many classes. It was fun, but I never felt like it was enough exercise. I went partly because I really liked the other Moms in the class.</p>
<p>Now I go to the gym at the Y. Sometimes with my husband, sometimes not. The (mostly) guys in the weight room are fun to hang around with. I get to meet people I would not normally hang around with (Republics, blue collar workers, older people). It’s a chatty bunch and I enjoy it much more than any of the fancier gyms I’ve tried out. On the elliptical I always bring something to read, though it’s gotten harder to read since I decided to do more interval work. I also take walks, usually by myself, sometimes with a neighbor. She’s really nice, but the walks aren’t long enough or brisk enough when I do them with her. I also just try to throw some things in that I hate (like planks) at moments of boredom during the day.</p>
<p>I’ve been most faithful when I’ve either had an exercise partner who was more gung-ho than me, or it fit some awkward time in my schedule where it was easy to exercise.</p>
<p>I can’t help you on the cooking issue. I love to cook! But I’d suggest you figure out a way to eat more small meals and figure out where you can get healthy food. Our grocery store for example has a good selection of hot food you can pick up. There’s always something healthy (and tasty) although they have some less optimal choices too.</p>
<p>so, I got my t-shirt (pretty nice actually, four-color design on white long-sleeve shirt) and my race number.</p>
<p>What’s the etiquette on these numbers? It’s got the magnetic stripes on the back for timing and it’s supposed to be safety pinned to my shirt. I’m not sure I want to put safety pins through my brand new Nike running shirt. Can I pin it to the waistband of my shorts? Does it have to be in the front? Or can I have my number pinned to my butt?</p>
<p>I’ve seen them on the front of shorts on guys running topless but I think that the best thing to do is to just follow the directions and pin it on your shirt. Yes, you get holes in your nice tech shirt. You can just designate one shirt for races which will have little holes in it.</p>
<p>It takes a bit of effort to get the safety pins just right so that the number isn’t tilted or squished horizontally or vertically.</p>
<p>You can always spring for one of these, then you will never have to pin your numbers:</p>
<p>[Race</a> Number Belt](<a href=“http://www.trisports.com/racenumberbelt.html]Race”>http://www.trisports.com/racenumberbelt.html)</p>
<p>I pin my number on my shorts all the time, to spare my shirts. You just have to be sure that it doesn’t bother you while running. The race organizers like to have the numbers be on the front. That also helps to i.d. you, when you get the emails to purchase the race photos.</p>
<p>Which you will continue to receive from some events, literally years after you ran that race…</p>
<p>Thanks for the welcome! To the person who asked me upthread - my H and I take 2 hour bike rides (on a tandem - you can all gag now, it’s too cute for words) and yes, I could walk around a city, etc all day and not be sore or tired. I have to be honest, it’s about vanity at this point, not health or soreness. I have done well in the past with writing things down so maybe I’ll do that. Looking forward to this!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No way! 
</p>
<p>I’m thinking about wearing my new long sleeve trim cut black Nike running shirt and I’m not putting holes in it! I’ll pin it to the front of my shorts. </p>
<p>Actually, I do have something like that race number belt – [a</a> Road ID Firefly yellow/reflective belt](<a href=“ROAD iD - World Leaders in Runner ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID”>ROAD iD - World Leaders in Runner ID, Cycling ID & Medical ID) that just goes around the waist. I might grab that. It would probably be more comfortable that a pinned number tugging at my clothes. I coulld even wear the Brooks reflective mesh running vest, but that thing is seriously dorky in the daylight! </p>
<p>I just pulled the yellow belt out of the closet. It’ll work fine; although I did have to shorten it a good bit since the last time I wore it a year ago, which is s good thing. The vest fits a little better, too. </p>
<p>The weather report has improved a bit:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Today was actually OK. It never really rained this afternoon, just a little mist. The roads were even fairly dry.</p>
<p>I’m thinking shorts with some warmup pants that I can leave in the car and a long-sleeve tech t that will be a little warmer milling around, but can get the sleeves shoved up once i’m underway.</p>
<p>I’ll stuff my superlightweight nylon ripstop jacket into its pocket pouch and just carry that in case I get caught in a downpour. I’ve carried it several times. It weighs nothing and has a little lanyard loop to go around the wrist. I’ll have to come up with a hat – either a ball cap or my rain hat.</p>
<p>Of course, if it’s pouring buckets in the morning, I might just bag it.</p>
<p>Well, woke up to drenching rain. Just nasty outside. But that huge band has now moved slightly offshore and it looks like we are in between bands, probably for much of the day. Sky has brightened a bit and it’s up to 61 degrees, so it’s looking like a borderline “go” for a little (soggy) walk/jog.</p>
<p>Eagerly awaiting the 5K result…</p>
<p>Just a quick cardio dance class this a.m.
40 minutes, got the HR up, good enough.</p>
<p>It was dry on the road coming back from the club and it wasn’t raining - lots of clouds but dry. Maybe you’ll get a cool, overcast day for your run - that’s about perfect weather for me (I like it cooler than most).</p>
<p>Played 90 minutes of doubles. The doubles was quite good though the balls were fluffy - probably due to the high-humidity levels. We split sets (2-6, 6-3, 4-4) when our time was up. It was my second outing with the beefed-up racquet and it again felt quite good.</p>
<p>“Eagerly awaiting the 5K result…”</p>
<p>Me too. Go, idad, go! </p>
<p>Ran about 6 miles yesterday. I deliberately did not take my Garmin with me so I would not be tempted to run fast. Knee was OK - no pain, it just felt like it needed some grease. After my epic run the 6 miler felt like a piece of cake despite my break from running. It definitely helps that the weather is getting cooler. I think I might sign up for a small race, a 10K or a half in late November-early December. </p>
<p>The clouds got blown away by the wind, so DH biked for an hour or so.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl, welcome! The more the merrier. :)</p>
<p>I found that it was much easier for me to get into regular exercise pattern with an exercise buddy. By that I do not mean someone who has to be by your side all the time while you are exercising. I’m perfectly fine with running and doing other stuff on my own, but I definitely feel more motivated and invigorated if my DH tags along and rides his bike etc. while I’m pounding the trail. Coming to this thread has been very helpful during the times when I felt unmotivated.
</p>
<p>Some folks find it easier to stick to an activity that they enjoy. Some folks treat certain exercise as a neccessity, a routine that has to be performed religiously, just like brushing teeth before going to bed, taking your vitamin, etc. I definitely do not find lifting free weights exciting or extremely enjoyable, but I do it because I have to. Find what works for you and go with it!</p>
<p>Hi Pizzagirl –</p>
<p>And welcome to the club! I have found that I need to have quick access to food that fits my plan (which is low carb, though not Atkins Induction low) – one nice thing about Starbucks is that they now sell packets of roasted almonds, which are my go-to emergency food choice. Mini-marts and convenience stores sell cheese sticks or hard boiled eggs. If I’m really hungry, an apple and a cheese stick generally works pretty well. </p>
<p>At this point I manage to not go nuts over nuts, so I buy bulk almonds – one natural foods store near me has some very nice roasted, unsalted ones, and I bring them home and make up some one ounce packets – 170 calories, 5 g. of carbs, of which 3 are fiber – and I make sure I have one in my purse and one or two in the car glove compartment. </p>
<p>Figuring out how to deal with the “away from home” issues was a challenge, since I’m out for a lot of meetings all over the area. This almond/cheese stick/apple approach works pretty well for me.</p>
<p>I don’t like exercise, but weight and strength training has really made a huge difference. Because of some other orthopedic problems, I’m working with a trainer who helps me adapt or substitute exercises, and who is quick to point out my frequent attempts to do any given exercise the wrong way. Other people like I-dad have found some of the books really helpful, as well as some of the videos on youtube. </p>
<p>Good luck, and glad you’re here.</p>
<p>Well, that was fun. Weather cooperated. Cleared up with even a few little patches of blue sky for while. Overcast, breezy, roads were mostly dry with some damp bits under all the trees. It might have sprinkled just a bit, but if it did, it was just barely.</p>
<p>I wore shorts and the long sleeve shirt. Could have run in a short sleeve shirt, just fine, but the long sleeves were nice waiting for the start. Breezy, damp, raw, 61 degrees. Wore the yelllow belt with the number and that worked out great. Hung the little rain jacket pouch from the back of the belt with a carabiner. Didn’t need it, but you never know. Wore an ol’ (formerly) fat Swarthmore ball cap.</p>
<p>Went over and got a parking space about 11:45. Stretched and did my NROL4A dynamic warmup at about 12:15 to 12:30. Watched the 5 mile runners take off at 12:30 and started the 5K at 12:40 – from near the back of the back. </p>
<p>I jogged the first 200 meters and passed a lot of people, then settled into my 400 meter walk/400 meter jog routine. I tried to start jogging a few seconds early and end a few seconds late each time. Forgot to start jogging at the fifth interval (good song on the iPod distracted me), so I had to go longer to make up the distance and cut the rest short before the final interval. Uneventful. Fifth time on this course in the last two weeks,so I pretty much knew what to expect. Ended up at 41:28 on the Garmin, which was about 45 seconds faster than Tuesday’s tune-up.</p>
<p>I didn’t finish last. I know I beat the mom pushing a double stroller with twins and a couple of fat ladies walking. I could almost keep up with a 6 year old girl when I was jogging and I geezered the kid in the #83 Wes Welker jersey when he and his mom stopped to walk, so I guess that’s something!</p>
<p>Here’s [the</a> Garmin graph](<a href=“http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvest5Kwalk-jog10-2-2011Speed-Distance.jpg]the”>http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvest5Kwalk-jog10-2-2011Speed-Distance.jpg)</p>
<p>Here’s [a</a> commemorative photo](<a href=“http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvestRacesmall.jpg]a”>http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvestRacesmall.jpg), sweaty me on my deck after the race in full race garb.</p>
<p>Here’s [the</a> T-shirt design](<a href=“http://www.appleharvestrun.org/AppleHarvestLogo_2011.jpg]the”>http://www.appleharvestrun.org/AppleHarvestLogo_2011.jpg).</p>
<p>And now you have numbers to base your next goals on! You started this journey all about losing weight. Now you can start attacking personal goals in fitness…</p>
<p>Great job idad!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>As Mike Boyle says about geezer fitness, “at our age, if you aren’t going backwards, you are going forwards…” True dat!</p>
<p>It’s kind of striking looking at the crowd at a casual 5K race: running doesn’t seem to have any particular correlation with looking trim and fit.</p>
<p>I’m looking forward to going back to my hilly state park route and seeing if I can really crank it up on the shorter intervals. This was fun, but I don’t think crankin’ out 5Ks on pavement is really my thing. I suppose I should probably keep whittlling away at the walking intervals until I can jog the whole thing. I was kind of amazed at how slowly some of the people jog.</p>
<p>There was one older woman in front of me doing a similar approach – jogging alternating with “racewalking”. I started behind her and never caught up, although we seemed to be on about the same overall pace.</p>
<p>idad, yay!!! Great job. It looks like you had a ton of fun, too, while contributing to a good cause and getting a cool tshirt and a PR.</p>
<p>(I really like these “small town, good cause” races. The marathon I ran benefited the local HS cross country and club teams as well as a volunteer search and rescue organization. The race director did a fantastic job mobilizing HS kids to man the water stations. The football players showed up in their jerseys, the cheerleaders were shaking their colorful pompoms, and some teens parked their cars by the side of the country roads, turned their car radios way up to blast energizing music and waived signs that said “go stranger, you are doing great!”).</p>
<p>Congrats, idad! great job.</p>
<p>I am not sure you need to abandon your technique entirely. After running a bunch of marathons, halfs, etc. I am now doing all of my running in power walk/run mode and I think I am going to stick with it. (Especially since MOWC actually deemed it acceptable ;))</p>
<p>The Galloway method has been working well for me and I think with my periodic IT band issues is probably going to be how I do things from now on. Especially on longer distance runs.</p>
![http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvest5Kwalk-jog10-2-2011Speed-Distance.jpg]the](http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvest5Kwalk-jog10-2-2011Speed-Distance.jpg%5Dthe){kind=link}
![http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvestRacesmall.jpg]a](http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/AppleHarvestRacesmall.jpg%5Da){kind=link}
![http://www.appleharvestrun.org/AppleHarvestLogo_2011.jpg]the](http://www.appleharvestrun.org/AppleHarvestLogo_2011.jpg%5Dthe){kind=link}
