This is a very USEFUL book for any lady who’s trying to embark on a weight loss journey (as has been discussed in the Diet/Exercise/… thread loooong time ago).
http://www.amazon.com/Drop-Two-Sizes-Proven-Clothes/dp/1609614631
It gives day-by-day exercise routines and menus that actually make sense.
missypie, thumper, LasMa, DonnaL, busdriver - Where were all of you when I was growing up?
Not sure it’s been mentioned here yet, but what kind of weight gain you have can change how easily you lose. Sometimes when someone says “just watch what you eat and get some exercise” I want to throw something. Almost all my weight gain is below the waist–I’m not saying I have no middle-aged tummy at all, but it’s minimal and you can see my ribs if I breathe in. No fat on my back, arms are okay, etc. The 50-pound “vest” I carry is my butt, thighs, and calves. Yes, I have fat calves. I envy the heck out of overweight women who can wear fashionable dresses because they still have nice legs!
The bad thing about below the waist weight is it is much harder to lose–by all accounts, not just mine. (When I do lose weight, it’s from places that were okay to begin with.)
The good thing about it is that it mostly is less unhealthy–all my numbers are great (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar etc.) So there’s that.
I just personally hate how it looks. Anyway, when I stringently clock every calorie, eschew carbs, and exercise strenuously, I can keep from gaining. But losing? Takes starvation levels. (which I am aiming for this summer.)
My wife is an exercise physiologist and she says exercise is only a minor part of fitness. She correctly points out that 4 or even 5 days of exercise does not make up for how you spend the rest of your day. If you sit at a desk, come home and watch tv or stay on the computer than jogging or walking 2 miles will have a very limited impact on weight control. If you look around most of the thin people you know sitting is not their main activity either at work or when they are home.
She tells her clients to get outside and garden but whatever they do stay away from the couch as much as possible.
Just want to second L asM a’s post. I’m a gym person, with classes 6x a week. My favorite instructor is 66. She may move my arm or something, but never all the time, as what happened in Yoga House. She has great personality. None of my instructors are under 40. The gym has soooo many trainers, mostly older. The boxing coach had 3 tiny boys in session; the coach is a new grandfather, but those boys were so serious! It was a joy to watch.
The motto seems to be “live &let live”. People of all ages and weights use the trainers. After being in a car accident, I could barely do anything. The instructor offered suggestions to modify routines. People are just so supportive. At our age, someone always has an injury or surgery.
frugaldoc my brothers go backpacking and tell me if I want to drop weight come out with them on a weeks trip.
I belong to a center affiliated with a hospital, so the clientele is generally families and older folks (I am actually on the young side at 51). The trainer I worked with there was my age, but it was not quite the experience I wanted so I switched to a Pilates studio with an instructor who is only a few years older than my daughter. Still belong to the other center, but instead of tuition I’m now paying for Pilates (mostly kidding). You might have to look until you find the best trainer for you, but when it works it’s so worth it in the end.
Another thing to consider for those of you who live in larger urban areas is the availability of “ClassPass”. My D uses it and it allows her to schedule classes at a variety of studios at a nominal monthly fee (much cheaper than individually scheduling those classes) - great for those of you who want to try different types of exercise or explore options before really committing to a gym or studio.
I used to hate to exercise. I used to hate to “diet”. Now it’s just a lifestyle instead of a punishment.
^This.
For those of you who mentioned being corrected in yoga, I get corrected all of the time. But its a quiet and gentle correction and I have noticed that everyone gets corrected sometimes. I get that with my lack of coordination, age 58 and years of non activity behind me I just need more help. I am ok with that. It’s not like one of my HS PE teachers calling me out and making fun of me in front of the entire class (actually happened).
Just a pre-Title 9 historical detour. The only thing I was good at as a little kid was running. I was the fastest runner in my elementary school. Little boys would come to my house to race me. Then school track started, it was “boys only” and I stopped running. It did not occur to my parents or me to fight it…that was “how it was.” Competing on a school track team would have been so good for me (yes, she strikes out in softball, but wins in track). Yay for Title 9.
I just read the NY Times article about the top women tennis players and body image issues. Hard to believe that there are some who don’t love how Serena Williams looks. Talk about power!
I went back and looked at the data from my garmin. Last weekend I walked for an hour and a half, around 5.5 miles. It was trail walking and pretty strenuous, up and down hills. I burned 370 calories. When I run 6 miles @ 11 minute miles, I burn 630 calories. A 5k is 300 calories. A 19 mile bike ride is 645 calories.
frugaldoctor, that is great that you are burning 800 calories walking for an hour and a half while wearing a 40 pound vest. But I do want to point out (like those ww commercials), that these results are not typical.
I can not lose weight just by exercise. I found that I couldn’t even maintain my weight just walking. Even running, I’m not burning that many calories. To lose weight I would still have to restrict calories.
It was very sobering for me to find out how few calories I am actually burning exercising. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t not exercise. But that it is only a piece of the puzzle.
@tom1944 Sounds like good advice. Unfortunately, those of us with very sedentary jobs sitting behind a computer have a lot to make up for when we get home from work. I would love a different job just because of the fact that it’s an unhealthy way to spend 8 hours a day.
missypie- my wife ran on the HS boys track team in 1972. She beat every boy but one. Next year there was a girls team.
The coach identified her as a candidate for the team at a summer camp. The kids were in grades 6 through 9 and they had to run the 1/4 mile. Girls and boys together. She beat everyone. She was only in 6th grade and she ran the entire race in the outside lane of the track. She did not know she was allowed to merge into the inner lanes.
Women’s sports have come a long way.
VMT- my wife wants me to clean the house or work in the yard more.
I was a hyper kid who did all sort of physical activity. I didn’t like to sit still, which was considered a no no in my culture. I was also a picky eater. I think I wore size 4 or 6 after the birth of my first kid and was over 30, even could eat unlimited food. But I think sedentary job and long commute must have caused the weight gain. When I get home I’m too pooped. But I do garden on the weekend, but not enough to lose weight.
I’m going to make a few comments that you can choose to consider or ignore. These are based on my experiences and the collective experience of many I know (many here at CC) who have had success with nutrition/exercise management.
First, throw your angst about gym class out the door. That was decades ago! I had bad hair back in those days too but I still sought to change my hair style later in life! You are not that person anymore and you do not have Mr./Mrs. Drill Sargent gym teacher behind your back.
Also, put away the “ugh”, “hate exercise” mentality. If you say it, you’ll believe it. There must be something out there for you! Walking, swimming, stretching, yoga, zumba, biking, running, sit-ups - pick one you don’t mind and start there. Set a reachable goal. Tell people about your success! “Hey H, I just walked 30 minutes for the 2nd time this week!” - say it out loud and FEEL the success. No matter the completed task, enjoy the accomplishment.
Keep at it. It’s not going to be temporary. Really. It’s going to have to be ongoing. Just like eating, sleeping, breathing - you need it to be part of your life. It will feel amazingly good once you have a handle on it - don’t you love to feel good?! (ok, you don’t feel great every time you exercise or eat fish for dinner - but you are happy once the work is over!!)
Last tip or thought. Whether you work at a desk or stay at home, you need to find a reason to get up and moving as much as possible during the day. Hourly if possible. Walk out to your car in the parking lot. Walk to a different work bathroom instead of the one just down the hall. Walk to the end of your block and back. You will feel better mentally and physically.
Something happens between 40 and 50. Even those of us with flat bellies often get a little pooch, no matter what we do.
It sucks getting old, but it’s better than the alternative. It is true that the days of eating whatever you want without consequence are over. I know I did.
Women and men both experience metabolic syndrome. It’s not just a male thing.
Another person who sits all day at work and has a long commute. When you bill your time by the hour, a 15 minute walk equals 15 more minutes at the desk.
It would be awesome to be able to just throw childhood angst over anything out the door !!! Childhood trauma doesn’t always work that way.
But summer Saturdays are good. Yin yoga, pool, yard work, pool.
My 6th grade PE teacher failed me because I couldn’t do gymnastics. This was after I tried, in front of the entire 6th grade, and my bra hooks snapped and broke in the process. Abject humiliation. My 6th grade homeroom teacher (who knew me very well) cried.
I am focusing on maximizing my health. The weight loss is part of that, but I need to get back to being & feeling healthy vs. looking at the scale. Though I will say that I have lost a couple of pounds this week by reducing the junk carbs (am cutting out bread and pasta, keeping whole grain cereal and fruit) and eating more protein.
Then make it 5 minutes every 2 hours. Or a 30 minute walk at lunch instead of lunch. Or a 5 minute walk mid morning (you are allowed bathroom time, right?!) and 15 minutes at lunch and then 5 more minutes mid afternoon. Or, extend your work day by 30 minutes so you can take those breaks. FIGURE IT OUT!
I can raise my hand to hating gym. Exercise as an adult does not, should not be = to grade school gym.
I say this all the time. It’s your game to play. Or not. No one elses. You decide to do or not do. If you spend any amount of time on CC or watching tv, or reading, or lounging with a glass a wine or talking on the phone, you DO have time to work in some fitness.
I do try to get up and walk around at work at least every few hours. I was walking outside at lunchtime when the weather was cooler.
I found that I have to do what I like workout wise. A few years ago I took tennis lessons because I had enjoyed tennis in high school/college ( I was never good at it, but played often enough to be okay). I just could not get back into it. Just no longer enjoy it. I also liked the idea of running, but really can’t get into it. So I walk/hike and do yoga b/c that is what I enjoy and what I will stick to.