Yet Another Diet and Exercise Thread - need help

Parent Cafe
41

<p>Binx, I’m really sorry to hear about your migraine. You might have over done the exercise yesterday. It takes a long time to build up a solid base before you can take it to the next level. Many people quit exercise because they do too much too soon and either get injured or just can’t keep it up so they stop altogether.</p>

<p>Congrats on the weight loss. But since you don’t have very much weight to lose (I’m really jealous on that front), you need to set up non-weight related goals too. I find that books on exercise, as well as following a set program help me keep my focus. A book I have on hold from our library is Younger Next Year (Crowley). While I haven’t read it yet, a former co-worker (who happens to be in his 30’s) found this book to be very inspiring on the importance of exercise. </p>

<p>I’m looking forward to hearing about your trip to the Y this morning. I have my weekly Weight Watcher’s weigh-in. Those weekly meetings really are my life line to staying on track every day for the rest of my life, but you are too skinny to join!</p>

42

<p>Workinprogress, thanks for the tips and recipe. Just so you don’t worry too much, I am a regular walker, and have always tried to walk fast enough to break a sweat/ raise my heartbeat. This walk was only 10 or 15 mintues longer than usual. Figured I needed to increase, since what I’ve been doing obviously hasn’t been working! Thanks for the guidance on how to walk right, though.</p>

<p>I also did 8.5 minutes at the exercycle (arms only.) Then my other S called. (They never call! Do they have some radar when mom is exercizing? HE wanted to talk about Germany losing.) You’re right; it may have been too much. We are still trying to figure out what might be triggering them. One possibility I will watch for is dehydration. I try to drink a lot, but sometimes forget.</p>

<p>TheAnalyst - good for you; you sound like good inspiration as someone going after your goals. You’re right - I don’t have a lot of weight I have to lose, but those are 10 uncomfortable pounds that I won’t miss. An additional 10 on top of that would be heavenly, but probably not realistic. My BMI is within what is considered normal/healthy, but just barely. And I am terribly, terribly out of shape.</p>

<p>The article MOWC posted yesterday - or one linked to it - talked about how the benefits of exercise are so quickly lost when stopped. Sobering and motivating.</p>

43

<p>Back from the Y (told you it was close!) Here’s the deal:
$126 to join (individual)
$53 per month additional</p>

<p>I would get 4 free meetings with an exercise “coach” who will help me develop a personal exercise program. If I need more coachings after that, it is $45 per hour. </p>

<p>There are a number of exercise classes that are included. (40+ land, 18 water).</p>

<p>There is a lot for the money, but I’m not sure how much of it I would use. I was thinking more like 3 or 4 20 minute sessions per week! (I need to start small or it will be overwhelming to me, physically and emotionally.) I do like the idea of a personalized program.</p>

<p>I forgot to ask, but I don’t think the Y has cancellation fees.</p>

<p>They also have a 7-day free trial membership.</p>

44

<p>Binx, if you haven’t hit menopause yet you may have something to look forward to. My debilitating migraines disappeared after menopause. I still get headaches (stress related probably), but not the terrible migraines.</p>

45

<p>over30 - 7 years ago! That’s part of the mystery of why I’ve suddenly started getting them.</p>

46

<p>[Calorie</a> Count Plus - Free, Intelligent, Online Dieting](<a href=“http://caloriecount.about.com/]Calorie”>http://caloriecount.about.com/)</p>

<p>Try that for a free online calorie/diet/weight/food tracker, plus support through many discussion boards and other tools.</p>

47

<p>binx–my gym (huge, national chain, tons of cardio & equip, unlimited classes) is cheaper than those Y prices. Not sure if you mentioned if there are gyms in your area? You might be able to find something cheaper than the Y price. Some have a reasonable initiation fee & go month to month, rather than forcing you to sign a yr/2 yr contract.</p>

48

<p>I will benefit from this thread. </p>

<p>I am currently taking Fosamax plus D due to osteopenia diagnosis… I hate all dairy…and have since I was very young…so don’t get enough calcium and not enough Vitamin D to process it even if I did get enough. My big problem is instilling a habit to take this stuff. I take the Fosamax but don’t use a calcium supplement. I am smarter than that…but I do not seem to manage myself. </p>

<p>I need to reduce overall calories and get more exercise… I know logically all of the things that everyone is mentioning, ie weight bearing exercise etc and yet, I do not seem to be able to create a routine that I can follow. Inevitably someone schedules a conf call (work) etc or I am on the road. </p>

<p>I know I am in charge of me…(remember when your kids learned that expression?) and yet, I still seem to be my own lowest priority. </p>

<p>Oldest child is now home…and I have laughed and said he was to become my personal trainer. Currently thinking that the training begins tomorrow, July 1…my time line is to see if I can have a very special New Year’s Eve where I celebrate the changes I have incorporated. </p>

<p>Owlice, I did just go out to Calorie Count Plus and created an account. Thanks for that link. I think it is helpful to pull up a food item and see the horrific grade they have assigned to it. I had a Cinnamon Sugar cookie for breakfast…grade, D-…</p>

<p>Binx, I have a few reasons why I have let the exercise stuff slide, broke my foot, threw my back out…hip problem… swimming would be a good answer, except I hate to throw on a suit… at one point I was riding a bike to a nearby trail and then walking the trail, then riding home…listening to books as I rode/walked…winter came and I gave up… I have weights you can strap around your ankles…I do use them sometimes for my back exercises… suppose I could use those for a walk…</p>

<p>all I can say is that in my next life, I am doing things differently…I just wish I knew why I let it go this far…ha ha…</p>

<p>thanks for starting this thread.</p>

49

<p>One tip- Carry around those packets of instant oatmeal (plain). It is a great snack and pretty filling and is VERY healthy. (on WeightWatchers CORE it is a CORE food). It beats a mid-morning donut. </p>

<p>I think the osteopenia issue is one of the most frustrating health things. I have run over 30 marathons and held an age record at 50 and 62 miles (running) and STILL have osteopenia. So much of it is genetic, and the calcium we needed should have been consumed in our late teens, 20s and 30s. I didn’t do that well enough. I have never smoked (well, a few times to be “cool” in high school) and consider myself in the elite category of fitness and health. I am so great :), in fact, that I thought the whole bone density test was a waste of time! The medium-poor results were 3 years ago, and I think I am still in denial. You don’t FEEL anything, so it’s hard to get that excited about this issue.</p>

50

<p>maineparent–I’ve heard from a number of people to avoid wearing ankle weights while walking. That can potential do some serious harm to back/other muscles.</p>

<p>A great low-stress, low-investment exercise I used to do for years: hop on the exercise bike in the morning and do 20 mins while reading the paper & listening to music. No, it’s not a ‘super duper’ work out or anything, but it’s easy & manageable and worked for me as a ‘baseline’ exercise when I was too busy to do anything else. No need to put on work-out attire or even leave the house.</p>

51

<p>binx - thanks for starting this thread. it’s a good one !</p>

<p>like maineparent, i’m having a hard time getting jump started. lots of added stress right now …moving my mom into assisted living…so little time to address diet and exercise concerns for me. hoping things will all settle down soon and I can use some of these great ideas in this thread. i enjoy biking and some walking. </p>

<p>ds has had great success this year …eating snacks and small meals throughout the day, stopping eating when he feels full, and is getting lots of exercise. i should take notes !</p>

<p>i’ve been taking l-carnitine. seems to help later in the day with appetite. has anyone tried this?</p>

<p>have read a couple of books lately…stressing no processed foods and getting plenty of fiber. seems to work well for me when i can stick with it ;)</p>

52

<p>MOWC, I am doing CORE and the oatmeal packet sounds great to take on hikes. We went on a long hike in the Shenandoah on Sunday. For lunch, I brought the single serving cans of tuna with the pop-off lid. I love those for the beach or hiking because they can’t get squished, won’t spoil or melt in hot sun, and provide a really healthy portable protein. I love it just plain and usually supplement with carrots and celery. But a good high fiber carb is also a plus on strenuous hikes. My husband makes up a homemade trail mix, but I don’t partake because he includes nonCORE ingredients like M&Ms! (He is really thin and also a long distance runner so can eat anything he wants.) The oatmeal packet sounds ideal for me. We only have the regular oatmeal in the house; perhaps I could just put that in a baggy.</p>

53

<p>A packet of Equal or SweetandLow in the Oatmeal makes it even better!</p>

<p>You just have to make sure it is Instant Oatmeal, so you can just add hot water. This even works as an airport or plane snack.</p>

54

<p>In general for most people, it is easier to change one small thing at a time, rather than decide “I’m going to eat all healthful meals and exercise 6x a week!” Remember New Year’s resolutions? Yeah, for most people, they don’t work, because they are too big, too sweeping, and too different from daily life.</p>

<p>One small change can lead to bigger changes. Success breeds success.</p>

<p>Here are examples of changes I’ve known people to make that have helped them to live healthier lives:</p>

<p>1.) Eat three pieces of fruit a day (one friend of mine did this and lost weight. Fruit is filling and low in calories for the bulk it provides. For her, it didn’t matter if she also ate chocolate all day; if she ate three pieces of fruit a day, she was successful in her eating.). This would be a drastic change for me, so I’d go with eating one piece of fruit/day were I to do this! :-D</p>

<p>2.) Walk downstairs to the bathroom at work, instead of using the one on the same floor. Because if you walk downstairs, you have to walk upstairs to get back to your office.</p>

<p>3.) Replace one breakfast a week with a healthier alternative. For example, instead of that chocolate chocolate chip muffin every day (yeah, I used to do that!), have cereal with fruit once a week instead. </p>

<p>4.) If you drink a caloric beverage at lunch (soda, sugared tea, etc.), replace it with water.</p>

<p>5.) Once a week, park at the far end of the shopping center parking lot.</p>

<p>And so on. Make one small change at a time. If one change doesn’t “take,” try another. Build on your successes, and off you go!</p>

55

<p>I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but talk to your doctor, binx, and make sure you have at least an EKG before you start to exercise. </p>

<p>A few years ago, I decided to lose weight and get in shape. A few weeks later, I got woozy on a machine and did the worst thing I could have by stopping abruptly. A few hours later, my heart started racing. Although I felt fine in the morning, I decided to see a doctor. I got an EKG and was referred to a cardiologist.</p>

<p>The cardiologist told me I was lucky. At over 50 and not in the best of shape, I had put an undue burden on my heart. I did NOT have a heart attack, but the racing heart I had experienced was a warning sign that I was overdoing it. Normally, both chambers of your heart beat together. In some people, there’s a slight delay between the two. Normally, mine beat together. The first EKG–taken about 15 hours after the “racing” --showed that my chambers were not in sync. For me, that is NOT normal. </p>

<p>The cardiologist told me I should only exercise every other day for at least six months. He says that he recommends that to anyone over 50 trying to exercise more vigorously. (I had exercised some before, but not the 5-6 times a week I had for those few weeks and not as strenuously.) </p>

<p>I too have bone loss. Walking is weight bearing. Biking is NOT. Swimming–which is the ONLY exercise I don’t hate–is not. I started lifting weights. I started with 3 pounds, just because that’s the smallest the gym I go to has. But again, you need someone to show you how. If you do it wrong, you can hurt your wrist–and end up with something like carpel tunnel syndrome on steroids.Do NOT try to walk and carry weights in your hands at the same time. Believe it or not, you can do that wrong too. </p>

<p>As for the weight loss, after the first 10 days at MOST, the rule of thumb is that you should not lose more than 1% of your body weight ON AVERAGE during a week. If you have a week in which you lose more, that’s fine, But if you are dieting for a long period of time, try to average about one per cent. </p>

<p>So if you weigh 150, you should not lose more than a pound and a half a week. If you get down to 125 and keep going, keep it to 1.25 pounds a week.</p>

<p>BTW, I’m not suggesting my every other day thing is right for you–just that you need to check with a doctor before going too “gung ho.”</p>

56

<p>Looks like we have an online support group right here. I think owlice is on to something. It is so much easier to try one or two things and really stick with them then do think we are going to make ourselves over entirely. </p>

<p>MofWC - somewhere on another thread you talked about the dangers of consuming coke on the health of our bones and I took your message very seriously. Not that I didn’t know it was unhealthy, but as someone very much like you, I have been forced to face the genetic aspect of my likely bone loss. So, I think of what you have said each time I consider grabbing just one can of coke when I hit a midday slump. I have an assortment of other healthy things I could eat or drink, but that is my go-to when I need a jolt and you have been enormously helpful in keeping me “clean.” </p>

<p>Actually, I think this thread could become a spot where we check in with our own personal health goals. I, for one, am trying to never grab a can of coke, to walk EVERY day, and to eat only non-processed foods. I’ll let you know how I do. </p>

<p>BTW - Mom of WC - do you do any masters meets???</p>

57

<p>Count me in. I have slowly put on a few pounds a year for the last 20 yrs. I am not considered overweight but I need to lose at least 10. Luckily when I started the weight gain I was underweight but it is not healthy. I carry all my weight in my middle. Luckily I have low blood pressure and low cholesterol. I just went to the Dr and she gave me a lecture on Calcium and Vit D and I came home with some Caltrate samples. I am not that good about taking them. I have never eaten much dairy but my bones are good.
After Binx first posted I was inspired and went out for a walk. Not a long one but all uphill on the way out and downhill on the way home.
As for diet I can be good or bad. I know what to eat but don’t always do it. Definitely need more vegetables and fruit. I love bread which is a downfall.
I have been going to a sports massage person for the last two years and we have worked on flexiblity. It is amazing how much better I feel now that my range of motion has increased. Still have a long way to go.
Binx you are helping many of us by starting this thread.</p>

58

<p>Workinprogress- Glad to help. :slight_smile: I tried Diet Mountain Dew for awhile but I don’t really like it. Iced tea is now my drink through mid-day, then Fresca or the new light Gatorade.</p>

<p>Do you mean running meets or swimming? I don’t swim much anymore, but road race a lot. I lost 2007 due to my broken knee (skiing) and subsequent surgery, but have won a trophy in every race since Oct when I got back to running. I am sticking to races half marathon or shorter because I don’t want to get injured. I lost 15 pounds which has hugely helped my cholesterol and my running times. (I wasn’t heavy, but was still eating like I was 30 and had crept up a size or so.) We did a WeightWatchers at Work program and I found the structure and accountability just what I needed (again, my egotistical self thought I was just doing it to support others and that I didn’t really NEED such a program since I knew how to eat right…).</p>

<p>This IS a good thread with lots of good suggestions.
This has sort of been said, but one key is to simply MOVE!! I just got up from my desk and walked around the long block downtown here. It’s a beautiful day and my butt didn’t need to remain in the chair! WALK that document to a co-worker instead of putting it interoffice mail.</p>

59

<p>I too am a Cocaholic!! I no longer buy it for the house…unless I am desperate and then only a small bottle. Last Christmas, the best gift I picked up for our family was a Britta water pitcher. We use this constantly…as I do like water cold. It is so much better and easier than bottled water…I even considered giving them as graduation gifts for the HS kids here…I do believe that soda is bad for our bones…and I have also worked on trying to incorporate more fruit. I have several girlfriends who are masters at controlling their dietary intake…I remember being proud one evening about the fruit I had consumed that day…and they were all over how bad that was due to the sugar in fruit. It is all relative, yes?</p>

<p>I think the thing that bothers me the most is that I am now feeling older and yet, in my minds eye, I am still 27 years young. Oh well…off to eat an apple.</p>

60

<p>Was thinking of you this AM as I went to an orientation session at the Y in my town. Family summer membership for the offspring who are home, but as long as I’m paying, should use it myself, right? Normally I’d far rather bike in the summer, or walk fast. The young 'uns require a gym, or so they say. The gym might be just the ticket for the likes of me, as is more complete workout than biking, and I badly need something more intense than have been doing.</p>

<p>But yes, great variety of classes, and so good to learn all the fine points of the machines with the free hour of individualized instruction. So much variety there, between swimming, classes and gym. Totally unassuming atmosphere. I’m a little slow to these things apparently, as has been there for years, though time for use has not.</p>