<p>I haven’t read this whole thread but wanted to thank all the people who talked about coke’s effects. I IMMEDIATELY swore off Diet Coke, which I typically have once a day in the afternoon. I have substituted water and occasionally sparkling water (something from Whole Foods with 10 calories and stuff in it like ginseng) and I find I don’t miss the Diet Coke at all–in fact if anything I feel like I have more energy without it. Thank you, thank you, thank you for the information which I had never heard before. </p>
<p>I am not crazy about soy milk but have fallen in love with edamame. I cook a frozen package once or twice a week and have a lunchtime salad almost every day with chopped veggies (mostly tomatoes, red peppers, broccoli, carrots) and a half cup of edemame, sprinkled with lemon juice. So good and gives me the soy I need.</p>
<p>Have been running for the last 30 years, almost to the day. At 56, happy to say I can run 3 miles at an 8:10 pace. Do weights once to twice a week, run about 5 to 6 times a week, and do crunches, pushups, and stretches every time I run. I know that sooner or later my knees will say no more running but until then, this is my antidepressant and energizer for the day. Swear by Weight Watchers, have been a lifetime member for about 10 or so years. </p>
<p>A new favorite hot weather treat: frozen WW coffee latte bars, only 1 point, really really good…</p>
<p>I totally agree with the drinking water to lose or keep off weight. The amazing thing is, you can be feeling fine, so you think, and then start drinking water and all of a sudden you feel refreshed and energized; dehydration is so subtle but a very big deal.</p>
<p>Thanks for the different perspective on the benefits of daily weighing.I’ll have to decide whether I’m ready for that! I also appreciate the reminder about drinking water.</p>
<p>For anyone trying soy milk for the first time, my favorite is Silk (refrigerated in the red carton shaped like a milk carton). I like it much more than the many varieties in aseptic packaging.</p>
<p>Congratulations to those of you who have accomplished significant weight losses and those whose running and other exercise routines give the rest of us something to aspire to!</p>
<p>What is the advantage of soy milk over fat free skim? We drink lots of FF skim (3-4 gallons a week for three people) and love it. (I only have 2 glasses a day; H and S2 consume the rest). But, should we be switching to soy for some reason?</p>
<p>Patient, I’m really impressed with joggers; I have some mental block against it but need to try it again just for variety and the opportunity to be able to get an aerobic workout outside rather than always on the treadmill. I need to get a heart rate monitor, however, to be confident that I am in the right zone. I could borrow my H’s but he comes back so drenched after his workouts I won’t even let him borrow my IPOD anymore. I told him he might as well just drop it in the pool. </p>
<p>I love to hear about life time WW members. My mother has been a life time WW member for decades and stays at her 120 pound goal and I know that is what I will need. </p>
<p>Binx, I worked out like a dog yesterday (hard weights and treadmill even though not in the mood), ate absolutely nothing off program with very small portion sizes and my weight was up half a pound!! I am lucky to be able to lose a pound a week, with hard aerobic workouts 6 days a week, weights 3x a week, walking and stretching 6 days a week and very, very careful diet. I should change my screen name to Mrs. Slowski.</p>
<p>Well, this is why I love this thread. I had a lot of reasons to wait until tonight to walk - but the best reason to walk now is because then I know I will do it. So, instead of starting on some business/banking things, I am lacing up my shoes and heading out the door. THANKS!</p>
<p>For what it is worth…I belong to the “weigh in every day” camp. I know there will be fluctuations, but more importantly there will be trends. I also know that if I suddenly go up a couple of pounds it is water weight - but that also suggests I had something with a lot of salt. Since my motivation is to keep bp low, that is good info as well. </p>
<p>Good morning everybody! I alternate between inspiration and embarrassment when I read these posts! You all are doing so good! Today I will be good. I am going to do my DVD this morning, and walk this evening - a bit of a reverse. Usually I walk in the morning when it’s cool, and before I shower. Then I do the DVD in the late afternoon. But if I don’t get the DVD done before H comes home - like yesterday - then I don’t do it, because I cannot exercise with an audience. (Especially one who’s snacking while he watches.)</p>
<p>TheAnalyst - the advantages of soy won’t do your guys any good. Soy apparently has some sort of natural estrogen in it - don’t remember the details. It is supposed to have some benefits to post-menopausal women who aren’t taking replacement therapy. (So far, I haven’t noticed any improvement.) In addition, it is one of the alternatives to those who are lactose intolerant. (My oldest drank soy as a child.) And if you are drinking milk with fat in it, the soy fat is vegetable based, and therefore healthier.</p>
<p>I agree with the need for water! On days that I don’t drink enough, even if I’ve done everything else right, I don’t lose. It’s as if that water is needed to carry away all the junk making me fat!</p>
<p>I do not particularly like dried beans and such, which is why I’m making an effort to add them only once or twice a week. But I am going to have to eat more protein somehow. I just get too hungry without it, then I eat the wrong things. I do the same thing if I cook something I don’t like - like that split-pea soup I made the other night. I leave the table hungry, then snack. My cholesterol is up, but not terribly high, so I am just going to have to add more meat back in. </p>
<p>I’ve decided an initial target goal (4 or 5 pounds to go) at which point I am going to buy myself a pair of exercise pants as a reward. I only have sweat pants now, which are very hot.</p>
<p>patient- That is an excellent time for 3 miles (at our age, especially). Congrats.</p>
<p>TheAnalyst- Be careful about referring to “runners” as “joggers”. The “j” word is considered an insult. :)</p>
<p>Took a rest day today due to race tomororw and late night out listening to music last night. When I don’t run in the morning I feel out of sorts, even though I needed the rest day. Also, the cooking contest (and subsequent eating) here at the office yesterday was not helpful…(but, boy, was that some good food!)</p>
<p>TheAnalyst- Don’t get too frustrated by being up a half pound. I’ve learned water weight can vary your weight from day to day. Just keep at it. Performance Bike has some inexpensive HR monitors with watches suited for women. I read in runner’s world that it takes running 3 times a week for 3 weeks before you get comfortable with it. </p>
<p>anxiousmom- thanks for the recipie, sound easy enough for me.</p>
<p>iderochi- good job on loosing 60lbs. I know what you mean about business trips. I went to a class last fall that was disastorous- snacks all day, even though I was interested in the subject matter I ate to stay awake. They had all sorts of goodies ect. Did better during a subsequent class- went running in the am before class, but am directionally challenged and almost got lost.</p>
<p>I found the health calculators on this site helpful- especially the fast food one- it helped me make better choices. i was surprised at the calories in some things that I was eating.</p>
<p>MOWC, good point. You and Patient clearly fall into the runner category. Good luck on your race tomorrow. I was thinking of myself as a hopeful jogger someday.</p>
<p>H is shooting for a 7:45 pace in the marathon this fall. He trains like a maniac and is also out of sorts when he has to taper before a race or has to take a few days off to recover after a race. He seems to incorporate every training exercise he reads about in Runner’s World (yassoos, hill work, speed work, plyometrics, long runs, easy runs, weights, and on and on) and then gets petulant when he can’t fit in his yoga class or something. </p>
<p>I keep warning him about overtraining but he seems to be injury free so far this season, probably because he is very careful about the mileage on his shoes (rotates through three pair so he doesn’t run in wet shoes) and puts his feet in ice water after his workouts.</p>
<p>My goal is to be careful about what I eat at a big BBQ tomorrow. Happy 4th of July.</p>
<p>^^ He sounds like he is an excellent runner. Yassos- THAT is something you don’t see discussed on THIS forum! (don’t anyone get too excited- it has to do with doing 800 meter repeats at your goal marathon time, except the 800s are in minutes instead of hours…)</p>
<p>I am beginning to get motivated. Starting slowly.
Took a walk at the beach yesterday evening. Didn’t get as far as I would have like due to the tide.
Wanted the sourdough toast H was having this morning but had instead a bowl of Trader joe’s Oatmeal Complete. It has Calcium, B6 and B12, flax and folic acid and 2 grams of soy protein. It doesn’t have any sweetener but I don’t find I need sweetness in the am.
Carbs are my downfall. I love bread and pasta.
My family is fairly picky and my spouse could use to gain a few pounds. He is in amazing shape all muscle but a bit skinny. waist size same at 18 and 46. Annoying!</p>
<p>binx, do you have Lucy’s (activewear store) in your area? They have a really thin fabric – woven, but with stretch in it, and so thin you can barely feel it. I have a pair of beneath-the-knee length pants in that fabric, with a little slit at the bottom – I think they might be last year’s version of the Lucy’s Skipper Capri. You can rinse them out at night (in the bathroom sink) and they’ll be dry by morning. Great pant for walking, biking, workouts. Also available at lucy.com .</p>
<p>$60 for exercise capris is a little out of my budget. Maybe when I reach the point I’m actually willing to be seen in public in them…</p>
<p>In the meantime, I was thinking maybe something more like this, from Target:
• Cropped, Slit-Leg
• Duo Dry Speeds Evaporation to Help Keep You Dry
• Made of 90% Polyester/10% Spandex
• Elastic Waist Closure
• Straight Hem
$17.99</p>
<p>On second thought - the polyester doesn’t thrill me - but something similar, with stretch cotton would be great. I wouldn’t mind if they weren’t skin tight, either.</p>
<p>I got mine on sale last year, can’t remember what I paid. I wear them all the time, not just for exercise. I wore them out to dinner last night and wore them to a party recently with some wedge sandals and a printed t-shirt. That’s why I love the quick dry feature – I rinse out the stinky/sweaty area in the sink and they dry really fast so I can wear them to my next “occasion”. The target ones sound good ,too. But I am just crazy about this very light and breathable Lucy fabric.</p>
<p>I have been wearing running skirts for the last couple of years and they are increasing in popularity. They are cute and comfortable. There are a number of threads on them on the running forums and some women prefer the skirts with attached compression skirts and some (including me) prefer the ones with briefs under them because the compression shorts tend to ride up. At my last race I bet 15-20% or more of the women were wearing the skirts. Check out [triathlon</a>, running skirt, running skorts, women’s running, fitness skirt](<a href=“http://www.skirtsports.com%5Dtriathlon”>http://www.skirtsports.com) or [Running</a> Skirts Official Website: Skirt, Skorts or Shorts? Try a Running Skirt](<a href=“http://www.runningskirts.com%5DRunning”>http://www.runningskirts.com). New Balance and most other manufacturers make them, too. (beware of the Nike skirts unless you are a Size 0).</p>
<p>Oh, Mom 60 - I missed the sale page! I found some called “ideal crop pant” that are mostly cotton, and $30. I like the look of the “vacation capri” but they’re all polyester. I suppose if I wanted the quick dry fabric you like, I’d have to go with the polyester. I just hate the way it feels on my skin.</p>
<p>MOWC - the skirts are adorable. I don’t have skirt legs, though. I like to look at all the cute tennis wear, too - wish I could wear it. I hadn’t realized that runners were wearing something similar.</p>
<p>Oh, Binx, do try to get yourself something nice for exercising.</p>
<p>Last year in November when I knew I had to make a serious commitment to return to exercising, I realized that because of budget constraints my clothes (excercise - business stuff was fine) were horrible. It was funny how I could always manage to find money if my DD needed something, but I had neglected myself. </p>
<p>I hit the sale rack at Sports Authority and bought some nice capris in polyester and spandex. For the summer I bought shorts and I am surprised at how cool they are. It is so much easier to go to exercise when you have some official clothes. I think it just sets the tone for yourself that you mean business. I also think, if you are like me, that once in awhile you have to resolve to consider your own needs. My purchases were a signal that I was going to be committed to take better care of myself.</p>
<p>You must be living with my H’s long lost brother. H does triathalons, so he is always biking, running or swimming. He is really a wonderful guy, but sometimes his faithfulness can be so annoying!!!</p>
<p>Binx, those vacation capris are the “lucy-flex” fabric, the really wonderful stuff. I promise it does not feel like polyester. It is so light you can hardly tell you are wearing anything. The fabric does not cling at all.</p>