<p>Sewhappy, I don’t know what to say–lucky you!</p>
<p>LMNOP, great job! I have a few tennis-obsessed friends, and I hear about their matches all the time–never a dull moment!</p>
<p>Having a big event here tomorrow night. I’ll be sucking in my stomach and wearing a really cute dress! Then back to the regular grind.</p>
<p>I think I’d be doing better on the weight loss plan if S3 were happier at his college…</p>
<p>Sewhappy–you are sewlucky!</p>
<p>
Maybe thats how she stays fit? ;)</p>
<p>Yes… RUN. I ate 1375 cals which is more than 100 cals over my limit 
This does not make me a happy person. Can I borrow your metabolism for about a month?</p>
<p>I may over count calories, actually. These new menus at restaurants shock me in how low they report certain dishes. For example, I’ll eat a bowl of cereal with milk and a banana in the morning and estimate that at about 500 calories. But if I stopped to measure out my portions, it could well be more like 300 calories. Lunch was a peanut butter and jam sandwich and a plum yesterday. I figured about 600 calories but if I think about it maybe more like 350. </p>
<p>So maybe I’m just overestimating the calories I consume. Maybe I’m more around 1800 or so per day. I’m paying attention to this largely to try to figure out how to help my DH who is struggling to get back to his “good” weight – about ten pounds. He seems to have to cut back so stringently to lose any weight. I guess that’s age.</p>
<p>Finished Week 2, Day 1 of Couch to 5K last night!!! I was a little nervous how I would do when I had to run for a little longer period, but I fully survived!!!</p>
<p>I almost can’t wait for the next time out! It feels like a real accomplishment so far. Last night my D said, “mom, I’ll walk the dog tonight so you have time to do your run” - who me? RUN?!!! It was a “moment” for me to realize that my D recognizes my effort. Currently determined to keep this going, even if I have to take some weeks slower and do more than the 3 prescribed workouts. :)</p>
<p>abasket–you are my hero! Keep us posted on your progress. I’m still aiming to start a week or so into October and I am really nervous about the thought of these old bones (muscles, tendons, . . .) trying to do even a little bit of jogging. Keep up the good work!</p>
<p>sewhappy, my friend’s H lost a lot of weight using an Iphone app called “Lose It.”
I told my H about it and he also had success, losing about 15 lbs. I looked at it and wasn’t terribly impressed but for some reason it seems to appeal to men.</p>
<p>And to answer your earlier question: Yes, people really do have different rates of metabolism. In order not to be overweight, I have to live on air.</p>
<p>That said, I seem to have finally dropped the holiday lbs. I’m not really sure why as I didn’t do anything terribly different. I must say that I feel pretty motivated to stay here as it was such a struggle to get back this time.</p>
<p>Will do MyLB! </p>
<p>Though I wouldn’t consider myself fully unfit, I’m by NO MEANS athletic. I just turned 53, have 10 lbs that would be awesome to lose including some flap around the waist. I walk the dog daily - at least 30 minutes - and will go to the fitness center mainly in the winter months once or twice a week and do half hour of eliptical. I have NO history of being a jogger. Just a desire to TRY and be one. 
</p>
<p>I just say this because often people will they “don’t workout” but you later find that they used to be a runner, or did 50 mile bike rides or whatever. I am a “legit” non-athlete!</p>
<p>No promises where I’ll be with this all in a week or a month. It may prove to be too much. But at the same time, I have no schedule to be kept - if I have to turn this 9 week program into a 25 week program, so be it! (and I fully expect it WILL take me longer than 9 weeks!)</p>
<p>The bonus is that I think once you start an exercise program of sorts, you naturally make other healthier choices in your life. To eat a little better, to sleep a little more, to have a more positive outlook!</p>
<p>Keep up the good work, abasket! I think I’ll start up “running” in mid October, after we return from a planned trip.</p>
<p>Puzzled, thanks for the “Lose It!” recommendation. It really does look like the wonky sort of thing my DH would use well.</p>
<p>Great achievements, abasket and ellmenope- very impressive! lg - walking is so much better than paperwork. (If you’d like someone to help with that, btw…).</p>
<p>I finally dropped back into normal after a month in overweight (per my Wii Fit). Whew.</p>
<p>Go Abasket! And everyone else, too, making progress on goals. :)</p>
<p>Found in-door pool, yeyeye, it is free for me too, covered by one of Medical Insurances and mere 5 min. from home and on a way from work and close to all other places that I am hoping thuout the evening and weekends. Perfecto! We still walk, I hope that we build it back to regular 3.75 miles / day, for now it is only about 2 miles. The only question I have, I cannot figure out the weight lifting. I really need to weight lift, I must. But I am very slow swimmer and it takes me 1hr. 35 min. to swim, then full walking distance would be another 55 min., now it is only 30 min. Have not done weights for 2 days, but swimming is totally addictive.</p>
<p>All of these posts are so inspiring! Tuesday is my weigh-in day and I’ve lost 1.1 lbs this week. I use the MyPlate religiously which has helped me to lose 10 lbs this month so far. I use the Total Gym 6 days a week and do a mixed upper body lower body workout of 16 exercises. 4sets of 8 reps per exercise. I see a physical difference and feel “stretched out” which is good for me because I’ve never been very flexible. I walk my dog for about an hour a day and that’s about it for now. I have a long history of pushing myself too hard (I used to be a marathoner/bi-athlete) so I have to be conservative because I’m prone to injury. I’ve been S-O inspired by ellemenope and many others. In October, I, too, will try the couch to 5k. I can’t wait!</p>
<p>I’m an empty nester now that my only daughter went off to college and I have to say that exercising is a great antidote to the blues. It’s a difficult transition for me. I’m in a place where nothing really interests me right now and I’m indifferent to things, except for exercise and getting in shape. I’ll be 58 next month and am beginning to realize that I’m getting “old” and frankly, I don’t like it one da–n bit.</p>
<p>^^ “darn”, right bungalow? ;)</p>
<p>Bungalow, I have a friend that I wish would adopt your healthy attitude. She is so down about being empty nested (it’s actually her 2nd year), but she too is in a place where she has no new interests she wants to pursue and she could definitely benefit from regular exercise. GOOD FOR YOU for choosing exercise as your “feel good” benefit! You can choose to be an “old” 58 or a “younger” 58 - go for the latter one!!! :)</p>
<p>New empty nester here, too. It is kind of hard. I don’t work outside the home and everyday I feel bad if I haven’t done some huge project. I am exercising though. Great group of neighbors run/walk every morning. Also joined a fitness club near me with a wonderful saltwater lap pool. And lifting weights a bit. </p>
<p>It’s great when kids stop needing us much. That’s what we want. But it’s also kind of hard.</p>
<p>Thanks abasket! Today I went to a nearby park district and signed up for a yoga class and a Tai Chi. (sp?) I need stretching so I thought I’d try something new (Tai Chi) and revisit something I haven’t done in almost 20 years (yoga).</p>
<p>And you’re right, sewhappy about it being hard. I homeschooled my only daughter her entire life so she was my full time job! Now the house is so quiet. . .and all of my friends are still homeschooling highschool so it’s a big adjustment. </p>
<p>Being at home and teaching my girl were the best years of my life. Much more rewarding than my so-called professional life. Now the goal is to make THIS time the best time. I remember a line in an American Girl story. “Faced with all of the changes in Kit’s family life, she decided to make a few of her own.” Me, too.</p>
<p>Wise words, wise thoughts… ^^^^^</p>