Late July check-in

[Wiped Out]

The summer months are flying by! Wanted to see how everyone is doing.

Fran-Have you been able to get into your routine?

Mary-Glad you were able to get an earlier date for surgery (saw your post in wc), time to take care of you, take things easy!

Trinity-How are things going? Your on the home stretch now.

Sharon-How is the water aerobics going? How is your arm and shoulder?

Gvcmom-How are you doing now that you're not on vacation?

ML-Have you been able to keep up with the exercising in the hot weather? Are things still going well?

Anyone else-how are things going???

I'm still doing well. I've now lost a total of 17.4 pounds. Eating healthy is so much easier this time of the year and without having to work getting to the health club is no problem. Now I have to keep it up when the school year starts.

Also traveling makes things a bit difficult. This next weekend will be a challenge as we'll be at Mom's for lunch and Dad's for dinner. Both want to make huge meals all of the time. I'm hoping for lunch to be able to convince my mom to do something light like veggies and fruits.

The only good/bad problem of losing weight is having to buy new clothes. I don't have a lot that fits right now but can't go buy a whole new wardrobe. Oh well, it's a problem I'll not complain about as I really wanted to lose this weight! (by the way, husband is up to 24 pounds lost.)

 

[gcvmom]

How am I doing?

Eh.

Not gaining. But apparently not losing any more, either. I'm eating pretty healthily... I was very good in Ohio (except for the high-calorie drinks in the evenings). As I said before, I have a much harder time when I'm home than I do on the road. Something about this place just overwhelms me, I guess. I look around and just think of all the work that needs to be done and then I don't want to do anything! Plus, it has been so flippin' hot here that I'm not motivated to physically do much. I've only lost 5 pounds since school got out. But that seems to fluctuate on any given day.

Way to go Sharon on the weight loss and sticking to your program!

 

[Wiped Out]

Gvcmom-I remember you saying you did better on the road than at home. When it is really hot it is hard to get motivated to exercise. Around here this summer that hasn't been a problem-the weather has been unseasonably cool. It's good you are not gaining and 5 pounds since school got out is good (I know what you mean about it fluctuating though).

 

[Fran]

Sharon, I have been fairly undisciplined lately. Not sure why.
Seems I'm not as motivated as I should be.
I'm glad you posted because maybe it will get me focused again.
I'm still doing ok with clothes but they could be looser. LOL.

I love feeling thin but it's a chore to stay there.

 

[ML]

Maintaining the loss here as well but I think I may need to pick up the pace a little lol. Still, in 3 months or so I've lost 7 pounds and have 6/7ish to go. I am interested in getting my bone scan results back and of course that repeat mammo. I think I've neglected my health these past years because of putting so much energy into difficult child and husband. I hope this episode is nothing more than a wakeup call. Thanks for starting this thread. Hugs, ML

PS Way To Go everyone. Love and encouragement coming your way from the Rocky mountains.

 

[lmf64]

Can I jump in here? I began eating a healthier diet (IE fruits, vegs, low fat/no fat, whole grains, nothing white or processed) Memorial weekend. By the fourth I had dropped 20 pounds and then went to the lake with the family and not doing the cooking. I also wasn't walking or doing any other exercise. I gained 5 pounds in a week. It took me a couple of weeks to get back into routine. As of this morning I'm down 19.8 pounds. I really shouldn't have had the birthday cake yesterday, but my nephew only turns 3 once. I will be going for my walk soon. I need to work on my core, but that feels like exercise and hey I hate exercise. I know without doing the strength building I will never get down to what I wish I weighed so today is the day I will do the core training program I worked out with a trainer. He wants 3 days a week of core work, so Monday/Wednesday/Friday will be my core days.
On a side note difficult child has lost 10 pounds in the same amount of time. He won't walk with me,because I walk too fast for him, or he would have lost more than me. The whole thing started because he was embarassed by the stretch marks he got all over his body (arms, legs, stomach) with the weight gain from the Abilify.
I do have to say that I feel better than I have in a long time. Maybe it's the exercise. Maybe it's less chemicals from the processed foods we used to eat. Maybe it's the actual weigh loss. I don't know, but whatever it is I want it to continue.

 

[ML]

IMF64 that is quite an accomplishment. Way to go! I think it's great you started your core workout today. I wish you the best. ML

 

[Wiped Out]

Fran-I so understand how how hard it is to stay focused. I'm worried what will happens once the school year starts. This healthy living certainly is a journey.

ML-Glad you are maintaining. It's easy to neglect our health when we are taking care of difficult children. Hugs, am praying for good results on the mammo.

IMF-Sounds like you are doing great with the healthy eating and exercising!! Good for your difficult child on his 10 pound weight loss too! Enjoy the core workouts!

 

[Nomad]

Sharon...AWESOME! Can you give us more details of what you are doing?


I guess I might be in a similar situation to Fran. I am not super duper motivated right now. I too love the feeling of being thin. And it is sooo hot right now..I do NOT want to gain another pound. It is unbearable! AND I would like to look my best for the holidays...starting with Thanksgiving.

In addition, my metabolism seems funky. LOL! I suppose it doesn't really matter all that much. It is what it is.

My problem is that I will eat appropriately for several days...perhaps M-F and then really goof off for a few days. Those goofing off days...totally add up for me. Two days of eating even a little poorly, will pack on the pounds for me.

Good news:
husband and I have decided JUST TODAY to get SERIOUS. I am THRILLED. I know from experience, when we make a committment TOGETHER it is more likely to become a reality. He doesn't realize it, but he has a bad habit of sabotoging me and I am WEAK WEAK WEAK. I can't resist his temptation....especially when he wants to order PIZZA at 9:30 p.m

Guess what? husband needs to lose 15 pounds as well.

The only difference is that I exercise MUCH MORE than him and have shown more consraint...AND he is the one that brings in the JUNK FOOD.

It ain't fair.

However, if I have his committment to change and his desire to also lose weight, I think it'll be easier for moi.
Wish me/us luck! Let's see what we can accomplish by Thanksgiving! My guess...it shouldn't be a problem to get the 15 pounds off by then. Anyone with me???

Fran???? We can call it something like the "Turkey Trot." Let's have some ideas...perhaps a little cyber contest...who can lose the most by Thanksgiving????? Whatever you lose...I bet you will be GRATEFUL! Am I right????

Back to Sharon...please give us more details, like examples of your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner and also your exercise schedule.
Thanks.

 

[Wiped Out]

Nomad-I know what you mean about those goofing off days adding up!

Here's the info you were looking for, I hope it is helpful. by the way, I like the Thanksgiving idea.

What I do for breakfast: Four days a week I eat Raisin Bran Crunch (just a cup with 1% milk-never been able to handle skim which would be better). Two days a week I have been scrambling myself two eggs.

For lunch I've been eating a spinach salad with peppers, radishes, cucumbers and a slice of ham cut up in it. Once in awhile when I'm feeling lazy I just put some mustard on the ham and eat that. I also have a yogurt daily with my lunch (love that honey lime Fiber 1 stuff) and a Fiber 1 chocolate bar (I never get tired of them).

I'm fairly routine on my breakfast and lunch.

For dinner I've been trying lots of new recipes from ww cookbooks. I also like grilling chicken thighs and roasting potatoes sprayed with olive oil cooking spray. I buy 93% lean beef when I'm making anything with hamburger. I've also been making stir fry with peppers and mushrooms with the olive oil spray-it's awesome!

I haven't been eating a whole lot of pasta but only because I've been trying out so many other recipes. I am sure I will cook that again as well.

I'm also really paying attention to portion size of what I'm eating.

Every night I have a snack (I love snacks). Two times a week, I've been popping corn in olive oil and adding real butter when it's done. I stick to no more than 3 bowls. I don't have more than 1 coke a day. Mostly I drink water (64 oz) a day.

It's easier for me in the summer because I'm not surrounded by the food in the lounge or getting as stressed and wanting to eat. However, of the 17 pounds I've lost only 5 has come this summer, I started the healthy eating in April.

In addition, having husband on board with me has been a tremendous help. We are both counting our ww points and writing down everything we eat.

As for exercising, I try to exercise 5 days a week (much easier to do in the summer but I try to do it as well during the school year). I do weights with cardio three days a week and cardio alone two days. My weights take me about 40 minutes and then I do a 30 minute cardio on the bike where I do intervals. I start with 5 minutes at normal speed, then do 2 minutes fast and 1 minute slow up to 20 minutes and then back to normal for the last 10 minutes.

On the cardio only days I do 40 minutes-30 on the elliptical and 10 on the bike. I try to keep my pace up on the elliptical and then cool down on the bike.

 

[gcvmom]

I've found in the past -- waaay in the past -- that the real kicker for taking down the pounds quickly is the exercise component. If I didn't crank up my metabolism on a regular basis, I could count calories all day long and not get very far. I'm sure it holds true in my 40's just as it did in my 20's.

Sharon, thanks for sharing your "secrets" to the sucessful program. I think I need to work on keeping physically busy so that my anxiety doesn't have a chance to plop me in the computer chair too much during the day. Having everyone stable around here will certainly help with that, too!

 

[Nomad]

Sharon--Many thanks for sharing your secrets!!!! That gives some new and fresh ideas...always welcome!!!!

I think, for me, the food is a slightly more important component to losing weight than exercise.

However, when I hit my 40s, exercise became very important. When I was younger, it wasn't nearly as much of an issue.

Lately, things are really slow going. I have found that I have to include a little weight training too.

I seem to need kit n kaboodle/full monty/baby&the carriage...I need it all!

p.s.
Yesterday, I ate properly, I exercise A LOT, and I took my diuretic (actually I am SUPPOSE to take it once a week...but forget a lot). I lost 2.6 pounds. I nice amount of that was water weight.

Anyone doing Sparkpeople or one of those on line programs to count calories or make graphs? They can be done in conjunction with- other programs, etc.

 

[KTMom91]

Surgery was on Monday, and except for the pain, I'm feeling pretty good. Went to a friend's house last night, and church this morning, and now it's time for a nap! The staples come out Thursday, and once I'm cleared to go back to the gym, I'm going to go walk in the pool. It's low-impact, high resistance, and when I get tired, I can go sit in the hot tub for a while.