<p>Hello all … well, I’m here to report my weigh in. Despite doing pretty well this weekend on exercise, drinking water and not eating bad stuff, I did not move the scale beyond where I was Thursday night, so only ended up 2 pounds down since a month ago.</p>
<p>Abasket has a great idea … look at what went well and examine what I didn’t do as well. For me, I need to:
1) Exercise 2-3 times during my work week and
2) Adjust my eating after 7-8pm.</p>
<p>I’m going to add to this, if I may.</p>
<p>If you look at what you need to improve, think of a strategy that doesn’t rely on sheer willpower. For example, start exercising first thing in the morning M, W, Th, lay out exercise gear night before. Or, for dealing with nighttime eating, up protein consumed at lunch, make sure you have high protein snacks late in the day, or give yourself a little afternoon chocolate, all to make sure you don’t show up at 8pm feeling hungry and deprived.</p>
<p>SnowflakeVT, 2 pounds down is much nicer than 2 pounds up. Congrats.</p>
<p>I have been putting my workout clothes on first thing in the morning; that makes it very difficult to skip it because it is hard to imagine changing out of those clothes without working out.</p>
<p>I’m thinking of adding a second weekly workout with my trainer. It’s a splurge, but she really kicks my butt. I am also considering signing up for a spin class. Has anyone taken one? I thought it would be a good way to burn calories on my non-running days. (I don’t understand why MFP does not “award” calories for strength training. My trainer certainly has me work up a sweat.)</p>
<p>For my evening sweet tooth I’ve been buying Trader Joe’s frozen berry medley. I pour about .75 cup into a pretty bowl, sprinkle with a little stevia and then let them sit a few minutes to soften up. It is as good as sorbet for me.</p>
<p>Good suggestion on the laying out the workout clothes the night before, will try that.</p>
<p>Also, what does a personal trainer cost in different parts of the country? And do they stop by your house or do you have to go somewhere for that price? I think I need to investigate that for my birthday present to me.</p>
<p>I go to the Y so I have that membership to begin with. If I sign up for ten workouts the cost is $245; it is a little more if you don’t sign up for a series. I have been working out with my trainer once a week and I thought I’d then work out on my own twice a week. That hasn’t really happened. :p</p>
<p>She does double as a therapist so that’s were I’m really saving money. :)</p>
<p>Just popping in to get some motivation to get back on the bandwagon…</p>
<p>here are a couple of my motivators…</p>
<p>being on the bandwagon actually feels good, like I’m on top of my own life</p>
<p>even small weight loss, like 5%, improves health</p>
<p>losing weight awakens the old you…</p>
<p>I did it-- but slacked off with extending celebrations for too long. Now gotta get that found weight off again. :(</p>
<p>CountingDown - Let’s get together and take a walk. I will FB you. How about next week?</p>
<p>Down .6 lbs from last Tuesday. 6 1/2 lbs from the start of the challenge. I would put the real weight loss at around 4 lbs.
I love all the motivators. I agree that eating well feels better. When I over eat or go wild on carbs I feel crummy.
One meal off track doesn’t have to derail the entire train.
I am hoping we all continue to try to motivate each other. I know it helps me.</p>
<p>Mom60 - Way to go! Good job.</p>
<p>eddie-- just got back our internet after 6 days futzing with Comcast – would love to meet up!</p>
<p>I am back from a very stressful visit to my elderly parents and am ready for a fresh start. Heading to the Y shortly.</p>
<p>For those of you who stress eat…have you tried “reaching” for something else besides food when you are stressed??? Another method of distraction?? Take a walk, clean a drawer out, knit, go up and down the stairs five times, chew some gum - something besides eating?? Eating is easy, I know, but stress will always be part of life so unless you learn to substitute another reliever, the hand in the cookie jar won’t go away.</p>
<p>I am learning to knit. :)</p>
<p>1moremom-when my Mom was sick I would feel the need to stop for a sugar coke on my drive home. I never drink soda let alone sugar filled beverages but it seemed to fill a need. </p>
<p>I find my stress eating is not that I want to snack but that I am physically exhausted from the stressful situation that I don’t have the energy to chop and cook a healthy meal. I find that it is just easier to pick up the pizza or make the pasta.
Though I do agree with a basket that in some cases it works to substitute another activity. When I had gotten into a rut of having a peanut butter cookie every afternoon around 3, I decided to take a walk every time I felt the desire to go pick up a cookie. I knew to at least not have them in the house.
I am ready to start the week with healthy goals! Waiting for my fit bit to arrive. Has anyone used one?</p>
<p>I know that my eating habits tend to be bad when I’m tired, as if eating something will make me feel better. (It rarely helps. So then I eat something else. :() I don’t have a fitbit, but I was recently part of a three week study that involved wearing a similar type of monitor. ([Women</a> between the ages of 40-60 needed for research study! ? Penn State University](<a href=“http://www.research.psu.edu/volunteer/41600]Women”>http://www.research.psu.edu/volunteer/41600)) The most interesting, and perhaps most discouraging, thing I learned was that I wake up an average of 18 times a night. I take an average of about 20,000 steps a day. I did not see any numbers during the study; I can imagine how immediate feedback would push one to move more. I’ll have to look into a fitbit.</p>
<p>20,000 steps a day is A LOT! How do you manage to average that much!!!</p>
<p>Grabbing a cookie or carbs is a natural for a pick me up, but they will actually do the opposite - bring you up for a bit and then right back down again! A high protein snack will give you energy, fill you up and leave you feeling good rather than on a low again.</p>
<p>Well, I do not “work outside the home” now. I’m a serious gardener with 3/4 of an acre to take care of and the three weeks were during late summer when I was working on a couple outdoor projects. I also do all the mowing, housecleaning, etc. I have a dog that I walk about three miles a day and I run three times a week. I live in town so I can “run” errands on foot or on my bike. I’ve always been active and until a year or so ago was quite thin. Then things got very stressful with my parents and I developed some bad habits (coping mechanisms, I guess). I don’t think perimenopause has helped either.</p>
<p>Well, kudos to you! That’s amazing!!</p>