<p>MyLB, I went to a running shop this week to see what they would recommend. They looked at my feet, watched me walk and told me I had some “motion” in my left foot (the foot-ankle) that has been giving me trouble. They recommended a shoe with more “posting” - basically reinforcement on the inside of the foot. I tried a few pairs on - and admit that all the shoes they recommended were the big clunky shoes, which I hate the way they look!, but I ran out of time and had to leave before making a decision. Their shoes were quite expensive so I may go back or I may go do a little looking on my own elsewhere. The running store does actually have a class for beginning runners where they talk about stretching out, look at your running form, etc. I’m thinking about that.</p>
<p>Last night I did W3D2 of C25K but did it on a treadmill - seemed like less impact on my fee, better for them at this point than the pavement in my neighborhood. I don’t know if that prepares me as we’ll but it should help with stamina and endurance AND confidence so I may be doing more treadmill vs. pavement.</p>
<p>I
While I do think being older may slow your progress down a little , it doesn’t mean you can’t do it! Seek out advice from a pro shop and maybe your doc if need be - I’m cheering you on!</p>
<p>Just read back and see you completed the “90” program - WOW I’m I pressed! Think back to your first week of that - tough?</p>
<p>You absolutely should take as much time as you need with C25K - you’re doing it for you right, not some deadline! Walk it for a week. Normal and brisker walking. Try a treadmill at some point over pavement. Make sure you are on a flat surface - sidewalks and sides of roads slope. My jog is very slow and not bouncy - make sure you are not being over zealous and bouncing too much for those knees. </p>
<p>If its the right time to decide NOT to do it, make sure you and your body makes peace with that too - right now it seems you still have lots of fight in you to try and make it work!! </p>
<p>Oh also, do you go on Facebook? Follow the Couch To 5K page and read their “wall” daily - you’ll read about all types of people having successes AND struggles. Younger people and older people. Lots of support and very motivating.</p>
<p>Any Diet most likely will end up in yo yo. Nobody canstick to food that are not “your” food. I believe in approach where you either cut a bit your own food, so that you do not feel deprived of things that you love or you add more exercise. There is no trick to loosing weight. You either consume less (less energy input into your body) or you spend more energy (more energy output by your body) or you do both. But you should stick to food that YOU love and you need to stick to exercises that YOU love, not somebody else, not some guru, it will not work, you will stop diet, you will stop activity if you do not like it personally. Life’s little joys are the key to everything, including weight loss. No joy, no success, nobdy can stick to misery for a long time, let alone life long commitment.</p>
<p>MiamiDAP–but if the foods you “love” are bad for your body, you need to educate yourself and your taste buds. Some people have lived mostly on refined carbs their whole lives. OK, carbs and meat. There is a whole world of delicious and good for you vegetables and fruits that many people just haven’t been exposed to.</p>
<p>Advertisers would have us believe, for example, that Pop Tarts are “part of a nutritious breakfast.” No, they are NOT. :)</p>
<p>abasket–you are wonderful. We do have a very good running shoe store in town but I happened to buy a new pair of sneaks early this summer that I had never worn until yesterday. I think a trip to the running shoe store for a proper analysis/fit might be something I treat myself to once I’m a little more into the routine. (Hmmm. . . OTOH, I do have a birthday coming up. . .)</p>
<p>DH also suggested that I switch to all walking or go to our treadmill (a little old and down in our smelly basement although there is TV there). The all walking seems like a defeat. Might (or might not) try the treadmill. Decision point is tomorrow morning. I so want to continue with this, but I’m pretty sure now this is something ligament-y/tendon-y and I really did get into trouble last spring “playing through the pain.” In terms of deciding NOT to do it, well, I am old and I have never been a runner but I am also stubborn. I really want this to work out, but am also concerned that if I take too much time off, I’ll lose this 90-day streak of doing something pretty much every day that I’m really so proud of. </p>
<p>I will definitely check out the fb page–I love this internet support! I’ll see where I am pain-wise in the morning.</p>
<p>"MiamiDAP–but if the foods you “love” are bad for your body, you need to educate yourself and your taste buds. "
-I have no doubt that people on this thread are pretty educated in every aspect of their lives. My assumption was that they were. And again, you cannot be good 100% of time, unless you want to get depressed. I just had 2 donuts and a rice crispy. If I start feeling quilty about stuff like this every time, I know I will not survive. We are only humans. So, I will have a beit of sugar kick going on in my body for awhile which will help me swim faster in a evening, and I will not eat more junk for the rest of the day,…well maybe another 1/2 of donut, not more than that, promise. Being hard on yourself all the time will not work, I promise that also. Been there, learned lots, too old not to enjoy my every moment.</p>
<p>…and I am in a normal weight range for my height and just had very good blood test…There are no quarantee in our life except that the current moment will be gone for sure and if you fell miserable during this moment, you cannot go back to fix it. I can guarantee you that.</p>
<p>Still feeling sorry for myself but got back the lab results from my blood test done Wednesday and feel much better. Triglycerides dropped from 154 a year ago to 89. Woo hoo! (They have been as high as 305 several years back.) HDL is the best I’ve seen at 64, LDL remained at 64, and AIC down to 5.9, which I’ve seen before but with stronger meds than I’m taking now.</p>
<p>Seems like this weight loss stuff really works ;). (Although I should really just call it weight maintenance at this point. Weight Maintenance for Dummies?)</p>
<p>Congrats to you, Marilyn. I decided to go out for the recommended amount of time for Week 1 of C25k but only walked (tried to walk super-fast for the running sections). I think this is a good compromise for me–keep up with the daily schedule I have in mind but postpone the jogging part for a week or two. Trying to get all of my various body parts on board with this concept.</p>
<p>While I agree with MiamiDAP that eating foods you love is helpful, if what you love is sweet tea and sodas, donuts and fried food, I think you really have to come up with a plan to cut way, way back on the stuff you love. For example, I do love donuts, but we only eat them on car trips. I love wine, but only drink it on weekends or when I’m socializing outside of the house. I’m at a point where for the most part I’m happy with my diet, but I don’t think I exercise quite as much as would be ideal.</p>
<p>“Feeling sorry for myself because I just had a tooth extracted”
-The fastest recovery to you! I have an opposite appointment - finally geeting a crown on my latest implant next Monday. I have many of them extracted, this is implant #6 and some of them were not replaced at all, like yours.<br>
On the other hand, my blood test did not need improvements, the only abnormal was HDL = 78 because it is outside of normal range of 40 - 60, but the higher the better they say. Anyway, no single recommendation, I will continue having donuts once in a while, apparently once in a while they do not hurt. Very regular consumption of chocolate apparently does not hurt either. I have bars in every possible drawers at home and at work. I seems to loose few lbs lately, after I found nice in-door pool. </p>
<p>Again, best healing this hole in your mouth! For me, teeth problem is never ending process, my genetics (poor Granddaugher!!), my love of sweets, well, nobody is perfect, no reason to even try.</p>
<p>So true, mathmom - my biggest fear when I started this regimen was that I would have to eat food I hated and/or totally give up food I loved. Neither happened thank goodness and yet it worked. Portion size and self discipline did it for me. I still eat plenty of butter and cheese, no fish, and not too many vegetables. And yes, MiamiDAP, chocolate - dark chocolate does have health benefits, right?</p>
<p>When I read of all the travails the rest of you are faced with, who am I to complain! At least I’m down to only one more dr appointment, with my regular doctor to go over the labs. She’s such a cheerleader that this is one appointment that I’m looking forward to.</p>
<p>Marilyn----those lab results are impressive! Weight maintenance can be a challenging thing–you have so much to be proud about! @ MyLB—even walking quickly is an excellent way to work the C25K! After all, what do runners do when they’re injured? Walking is a fantastic way to train for running. Not every body is ready for the pounding. Do what feels right–the key is in the doing!</p>
<p>This morning I joined Weight Watchers. My BMI has me in the “morbidly obese” range and I’m starting to feel the effect on my knees and low back. I’m very lucky that all my number (bp, cholesterol, etc.) are good. But I know that’s not going to be true if I keep this weight on. I could not face another diet and so I’m going to use Weight Watchers to eat real food…just hopefully less of it and with more healthy choices. </p>
<p>Being a bit of a tech geek, I must say that I like their app for my iphone very much. I had no idea that tracking food/points could be so quick, easy and discreet. </p>
<p>If I had to guess I"m going to predict that I"ll have more trouble getting in enough activity hours than I will keeping within my point budget for food. I just love sitting and reading. And sitting and knitting. And sitting and watching my programs. And sitting and talking. Oh, and I did I mention I just like to sit in my comfy chair? </p>
<p>So, less sitting and more moving is certainly my top goal at this point. But I’m going to take it very easy at first. I don’t want to injure myself, again! </p>
<p>Any other WW people? In anycase, I"m so happy this board is here!!!</p>
<p>@bungalow–thanks so much for the support. It seems like there <em>has</em> to be a way for me to break into the light jogging, and everything seemed to hold up to the fast walking on Friday (although I thought I was walking fairly fast last spring but obviously wasn’t doing something right to prepare my body for the jogging). I’ll go again today, then I’m leaving for a business trip so will have a forced break of three days–maybe not such a bad thing.</p>
<p>@pudmad–a good friend joined WW about a month ago. (She tried to get me to do it at the same time but I did not think I could really commit–I have been tracking on MyPlate, though.) She’s found it pretty easy to stick with and is down 7 pounds. And I certainly sympathize–I’m happier doing nothing than most people I know. A little walking a few days a week is a good start. I kind of like getting outside, and happen to have a dead-end street behind my house that I just go up and down. Almost no traffic–there are many days I don’t see anyone at all. Keep us posted on how you’re doing.</p>
<p>Welcome, Pugmadkate! Studies have shown that having a support group really helps. You’ll have TWO…WW and WLFD!</p>
<p>I also have had trouble getting back into the activity swing of things–father went into the hospital, I had a breast biopsy (don’t worry, negative results, phew), vacation to the Northeast, moving father into assisted living. I’m hoping to get back into a routine next week.</p>
<p>I love this thread and when new people come in:). Welcome!!!</p>
<p>MyLB ,I have had some trouble on and off with one ankle and have taken as much as a week off from my C25k - but I always at least walk I between- walking the dog probably 30-40 mins a day - not super fast, but moving! I fully am comfortable doing this whole thing at MY pace - after all I’m doing it for my satisfaction and no one else’s!!!</p>
<p>@Mylb—Some Bodies just need more time. I’m too heavy to start running and I know it. My knees and ankles just can’t take the workout. When we run, we are putting 1,000 lbs per square inch on our feet. 20 years ago I was a marathoner and I saw many a fit person sustain injury from over-running. There were also countless others who gained fitness by it. You t-r-y. And have what my coach used to call “Tear and Repair” days. One day tear (workout hard) the next repair (rest in light activity). Just never allow discouragement to overtake you. We must all be patient. I don’t post as often as I should but I’ve tried to keep up with this thread. Ellemenope is very inspiring because she made her goal, visualized it and has doggedly gone after what she knew she had to do to be her best self. She’s shared all the setbacks and successes which has been very helpful to me. She has a marathoners mindset----it’s the journey, the ability to go the distance over t-i-m-e that makes the difference.</p>
<p>Since I don’t feel confident running yet I walk (not even fast, I have my little 8 lb pappillon with me!) every day for at least one hour. I’ve found that the My Plate feature of livestrong has been very helpful and the other features have helped me to choose how many calories I’ll consume each day. There are several articles on there that I’m using to my benefit concerning how to lose 20 lbs in 2 months while walking. The tips have been working for me and with the walking and my Total Gym the weight has been coming off steadily. One thing that has made a big difference to me is that I’m EATING AT HOME! @abasket Thanks for the welcome and your encouraging posts—I’ve been following your journey as well. You spoke with wisdom when you said, “I’m doing it for my satisfaction and no one else’s!” That’s what it is, it’s for us. I refer to it as “Me time!”</p>