<p>I’m new to this thread, although not to CC!</p>
<p>In early December I got sick of myself and went and joined Weight Watchers (for the 2nd time). Their new plan that allows you to eat all the fruits you want just made it work for me. </p>
<p>Since then I’m down 13lbs. I also bought a pedometer and have been pretty conscientious about trying to get in close to 10,000 steps per day. I know myself pretty well, so I actually set a weekly, rather than a daily goal for what WW calls Activity Points. Some days I’m just not going to get off the couch, but so far I have been very good about making up for it on others!</p>
<p>I have a few “incentive” activities coming up that are helping me to keep sight of the goal (55lbs). The most important is D’s graduation on June 2. At her tiny school, the parents are invited to come up on stage and speak to their child and I simply do NOT want pictures and video of her graduation with me looking the way I looked when I started! I’m already way better than I was and while I won’t have reached my ultimate goal by then, I am confident that I won’t cringe whenever I look at the pictures in the future!</p>
<p>Before that,though, we are going on a Disney Cruise!! We’ll be on the Maiden Voyage of the new Disney Fantasy and I’m looking forward to dressing up for Formal Night and having pictures taken that I won’t mind putting in an album. Our last cruise I wouldn’t even buy the pictures because I was so horrified!</p>
<p>Then (this sounds SO decadent, I know) we have ANOTHER Disney cruise to Alaska in August. It’s a long story. But we’re going, and it’s with friends we haven’t seen in over 5 years, so I really want to look more like I did when we saw them last!</p>
<p>So that’s my story. Sorry it was so long! But I have learned that the more accountability I have, the better I do, so since I’m on CC every day anyway, I figured this would be a natural place to check in!</p>
<p>Welcome Tracy! I’m fairly new too, and also have a summer trip and S’s graduation in June I’m motivated for.</p>
<p>EPTR, thank you! I fell seriously off the food wagon last night after a “talk” with Son–leaving us both frustrated. It’s like an invisible string between my hand and mouth saying “torture yourself.” Back on track today–argh!!! I’ll take the dog for a long fast walk this am. I have to lose a pound (net after a slight regain) or I’m really going to be discouraged!</p>
<p>I haven’t read through the thread, but I’m hoping it’s a bit less intense than the Diet and Exercise thread where (at least when I was on it) there were some serious athletes. I went shopping with my daughter last night and there is nothing like those dressing room mirrors to give a person a reality check. I have two graduations in May - high school and college – and I don’t want to look this big in the photos. So I’m going to try. I’m pretty good about exercising so there isn’t that much to improve there except to up the intensity and length. Today I did about 2.25 miles on the treadmill mostly on an incline. I’m watching what I eat.</p>
<p>So, my wonderful DH, seeing that I’m doing pretty well, though he would encourage me to a little more activity. I’ve been inviting him to go with me on my evening walks, just because it’s a nice time to hang out together and talk without D or anyone else around. </p>
<p>He is fairly serious about his exercise routine, not an athlete exactly, but he recently ran a half-marathon and has continued to run several times per week, thinking maybe he’ll do another one someday.</p>
<p>Anyway, he thought maybe I might like to ride bikes instead of walk sometimes, so he got the bikes down out of the rafters, but it wasn’t much of a success. He, of course, is in much better shape than I, so for him, riding at 15mph is just dragging along, and for me, it’s a challenge to keep a steady pace of 10-12mph. By the end of our 4-mile ride, I was pretty well wiped out, my butt hurt and I think he kind of frustrated that he hadn’t really had any exercise.</p>
<p>I had to explain to him that I wasn’t looking to “exercise” but to simply increase my activity a little at a time. I don’t think that even computes for him. Plus, I enjoy simply being outside enjoying the evening air and pleasant conversation. For him, it’s something to conquer. Not sure if we’ll ever find a way to meet on this one. I told him he should do his “exercise” by himself whenever he wants and tag along on my walks with me as a social activity. I think he was a little hurt.</p>
<p>I’d bike 8-10 mph and get some women’s cushioned bike shorts. Biking is great exercise. It shouldn’t be torture… [Biked 16 miles today–8 miles in 51 minutes (9.4 mph) with a friend who is just starting to get more exercise; 8 miles in 38 minutes (12.7 mph) on my own. I bike regularly with a friend who can clip along at 14+ mph and that is VERY difficult for me to keep up with her!]</p>
<p>I’m doing this “Extreme Makeover” contest at my health club, but it’s not really “extreme”. Anyway, we’re doing something really interesting for the next five weeks. We’re analyzing our diets on [MyPyramid.org</a> - United States Department of Agribusiness - A Food Pyramid You Can Trust - We Swear!](<a href=“http://www.mypyramid.org%5DMyPyramid.org”>http://www.mypyramid.org). Click on the food tracker. You just type in what you’ve eaten in a day and it tells you which categories you’re lacking and which categories are too high. While not exact, it’s very simple and still gives you great insight.</p>
<p>Toledo–that’s old style. The food pyramid has been replaced by the food plate. Different proportions of some foods…still too high in carbs, IMO, but what can you do when it’s sponsored by Agribusiness?</p>
<p>Hi Tracy and mim! You have come to the right thread. I agree the Diet and Exercise thread can be a bit intimidating!</p>
<p>Tracy - my friend was uninvited by her husband to join in his evening walk. Reverse of your situation. Her 5 foot 2 legs could not keep up with his 6 foot + legs. They have agreed to just walk together on the weekends.</p>
<p>Hit the magic 10 pounds this morning, but the best thing is I am feeling so much better than I did last year. I had become such a slug and now feel like my old self!</p>
<p>^My H can’t keep up with ME on a walk, and he is taller! We used to be matched, but I exercise and he doesn’t, and it shows. Now he’d rather just “stroll.” I wish I could give him a push in the you-know-what.</p>
<p>Tracy - my DH still thinks “no pain no gain” so feels that brisk walking doesn’t help anyone lose weight. We’ve been taking daily walks of 2 or more miles while out here in California. He thinks that might be great for overall health but not for weight loss; he is sure he needs to work out at the health club to drop pounds. He feels the same way about biking - if you’re not racing along it’s just for fun, not health. But at least now that he has his hip replacement, he is willing to walk long distances.</p>
<p>The study findings, published online this month in the International Journal of Obesity, came from an analysis of food choices and lifestyle habits of 10,971 overweight adults taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a federally-administered assessment of the overall health and nutritional status of Americans.</p>
<p>Of the overweight and obese patients with kidney disease included in the survey, 50 percent reported that they had attempted to lose weight in the past year. The survey showed that, on average, obese Americans with kidney disease consume protein in amounts that are above the recommended levels prescribed by the National Kidney Foundation for chronic kidney disease patients.</p>
<p>Gibson: yay on the ten!!! I got back to my 7, and now have 10 in my sights again. Tonight I’m “with the girls” though, so I’m bringing fruit and am going to have the champagne, damnit! </p>
<p>Marilyn, if we didn’t believe in walking, I know many of us would be SUNK. Yay walking.</p>
<p>My main exercise on my weight loss journey has been a lot of walking (briskly). Recently I’ve amped it up to a slooow jog. Ate a big Greek salad (w/ gyro) for dinner last night.
My weight was up over a pound this a.m. :eek: I’m hoping it’s just bloatiness (is that a word?) from the gyro. Off now to try and walk/jog it off !</p>
<p>Ran 2 miles on my gravel hilly rough road…felt like 4 miles on the treadmill! Wow, need,to run outside more.</p>
<p>Here is my weight update:</p>
<p>Beginning weight (Dec 1st) : 177.8</p>
<p>Current weight: 152.2</p>
<p>Total loss : 25.6 lbs.</p>
<p>I am about halfway to my goal of 125. It feels so good to be smaller. I was so miserable at 180 lbs. I have lost a total of 4.8 points off my bmi and it is now 27.8. So, solidly overweight but not OBESE. that was a triumph in itself to get below 30.0 bmi.</p>
<p>I am feeling very steady right now. The past few weeks I struggled tracking my food and had to take almost a whole week off exercise due to minor injury. Felt good to be running again.</p>
<p>I have a new pink ipod shuffle that is perfect for running! I love it!</p>
<p>mspearl!!! You are amazing! I am out of commission on the exercise this week due to a strained back and am glad to see it didn’t set you back much. I’m looking forward to getting back on track next week and tracking my calories.</p>
<p>Today I let myself get to hungry. Big mistake. I went to a meeting tonight without having dinner first. Chocolate cake! I ate my piece like I had never had sugar in my life. Of course I felt sick when I was done.
Eptr- hope the back heals quickly.</p>